Uganda : More Oil, Gas Found in Hoima District TULLOW Oil, a company exploring for oil in western Uganda, said yesterday it had struck oil and natural gas deposits at Taitai-1 exploration well, located in Butiaba region, about 60km north of Hoima, reports Vision Writer . The London-based company said in a statement on its website that exploration at Taitai-1 well encountered five meters of net gas pay and at least eight meters of net oil pay. "Downhole pressure testing and sampling has confirmed the presence of moveable 30 degrees API oil and a potential oil column of up to 80 meters, in sands above the basement play," the statement said. Aidan Heavey, the chief executive of Tullow, said the latest discovery has proved the existence of a working petroleum system over 70km from the previous wells drilled in the Kaiso Tonya region.The discovery reinforces the potential of the Lake Albert Rift Basin as a major emerging petroleum province, he added. "We are encouraged by the Taitai result and look forward to the remainder of the campaign in the Butiaba area." The Taitai-1 well is the first of a nine-well exploration programme in the Butiaba area. After more confirmatory tests of this well, operations will be moved to another exploration well, Lanya-1, at the end of May, the company announced. The Government says the discovery of various oil deposits in the Albertine region and successful exploitation will boost Uganda 's economic growth and solve the energy crisis. Already, it has agreed on an early production scheme set to start next year to use a limited amount of oil to fuel a thermal power plant.The discoveries are also expected to offset the enormous oil import bill of more than $160m annually. Mozambique : Public Offer of Shares in Hydrocarbon Company Maputo The Mozambican government on Tuesday announced the sale of 10 per cent of the shares in the publicly-owned Mozambican Hydrocarbon Company (CMH) - but only Mozambican individuals or companies may purchase the shares. CMH was set up in October 2006, as the vehicle for Mozambican participation in the exploitation and processing of natural gas at Temane, in the southern province of Inhambane . CMH is thus the Mozambican partner of the South African petro-chemical giant SASOL, which has the rights to the Inhambane gas fields. A condition of the deal with SASOL was always that Mozambicans would have the right to participation of up to 25 per cent. The CMH shareholding structure is that 80 per cent is owned by the public National Hydrocarbon Company (ENH), and the remaining 20 per cent by the Mozambican state. The shares now being offered for public sale are part of ENH's holding. Announcing the operation, the Minister of Mineral Resources. Esperanca Bias, declared that the main purpose "is that Mozambicans should feel that they are owners of our natural gas". "All of us are part of the country's wealth, and can participate in development in order to eradicate poverty in Mozambique ", she added. The ten per cent comes to 593,312 shares, each with a nominal value of 275 meticais (about 11.4 US dollars - which means that the total share offer is worth around 6.7 million dollars). Bias stressed that the share offer is for Mozambicans only. Thus only Mozambican citizens, or companies where at least 60 per cent of the shares are held by Mozambicans, can purchase the shares. Those interested can buy the shares at any bank. The minimum purchase is ten shares - representing an outlay of 2,750 meticais. In the initial phase, all purchasers will be able to obtain at least 100 shares. Bias told reporters she was sure that there are plenty of Mozambican companies interested in buying shares - but if she is wrong, then the shares originally earmarked for companies can be sold to individuals. The share offer runs from 19 to 30 May, and the result will be announced on 4 June. After that date, the shares can be bought and sold on the Mozambican Stock Exchange (BVM). It is expected that the CMH shares will yield dividends. "This is a procedure that we want to extend to other areas", said Bias. She was optimistic that current exploration would reveal further gas reserves "and we want all Mozambicans to be part of this". Kenya : Minister Rules Out Lower Taxes On Oil Products Mwaura Kimani Kenyans should tighten their belts after the Government dismissed possibilities of slashing fuel taxes or intervening through price controls. Energy Minister Kiraitu Murungi told Parliament he would introduce price controls if the oil firms increased pump prices at rates not commensurate with international oil price changes. But he said he would not reduce tax on imported crude oil, which constitutes more than 30 per cent of the total price. According to the Minister, tax on Premium petrol is currently Sh29.29, Regular petrol Sh28.90, Diesel Sh19.70 and Kerosine Sh7.50. Several MPs had demanded that the minister should cut fuel taxes. "Taxes have never been increased since June 2006 so there is nothing much that can be done on that," the minister said. This came as motorists started paying more than Sh100 for a litre of fuel as oil marketers adjusted pump prices to reflect new crude oil costs.The move will further fuel inflation levels, which hit a 14 year high in April at 26.6 per cent, eating into the earnings of manufacturers who have seen their costs soar. As fuel prices continue to rise, consumers should expect a surge in commodity prices since production costs will be pushed upwards. Manufacturers will then pass on the extra cost to consumers in the form of higher prices. Yesterday, crude oil prices stood at $125 a barrel, boosted by increased demand. Analysts, warned that the possibility of $150-$200 a barrel over the next six-to 24 months was not remote. Oil marketers adjusted their pump prices two weeks ago to Sh99.19 within the central business district, a year ago it cost Sh75.99 a litre. The fresh price adjustment came with the problem of petrol pumps unable to accommodate five digits. By yesterday, most of the stations had fixed the problem to accurately reflect the price per unit. The industry lobby, Petroleum Institute of East Africa (PIEA), says oil marketers have opted to stick to the four digits by rounding the figure to the nearest 10 cent to circumvent the technical glitch. This means that gas stations which had intended, for instance, to charge 100.25 will now charge Sh102.2. This is not the first time Mr Murungi is threatening to take action on petroleum marketers. In October last year, the minister warned that he could invoke special powers to curb pump price escalation. "In future, we hope to have strengthened the National Oil Cooperation to be selling the bulk of petroleum in Kenya, thus setting the prices," said Mr Murungi. Those powers are accorded to him under a new energy sector law that Parliament passed early this year. The Energy Act, which became operational on July 7, gives the minister powers to determine retail prices of petroleum products.Oil marketers usually buy crude imports in dollars, and any strengthening of the shilling against the dollar is expected to bear currency gains. Sierra Leone : Price of Rice to Reduce Soon Mohamed Vandi General Manager Fulladu East Agric project Friday said his organization has successfully embarked on a large scale of mechanised boliland rice cultivation at Tormabum in the Bonthe district; a development that the high cost of rice will soon reduce. Mohamed Gadgigo, who is also national co-ordinator of community agricultural development organisation, said the organisation, which started full operations this year has cultivated two hundred and fifty-nine (259) bushels of rice on two hundred and fifty-nine (259) acres of boliland at Tormabum. He said plans were underway to cultivate up to five hundred (500) acres of land rice this year. "Our first phase of the project is to create seed bank for next year's planting season, as our focus is to produce enough food for national consumption. If the project is well supported we will be proud to export rice to other countries," he said. Gadgigo commended the people of Tormabum for their support and cooperation and called on Sierra Leoneans to support the food security venture so that this country would no longer depend on imported rice. "Not all is well with the project. We need more tractors, seed rice and mobility. We will be grateful if government could come to our aid," he said. Nigeria : Food Crisis, Not Just Rice Lagos In reacting promptly to our editorial of Friday May 2 2008 (Food Crisis - FG's N80b Deafness) by canceling the planned expenditure of N80 billion on importation of rice, the Federal Government agreed with our position that it should invest the money in domestic agricultural production. While we should applaud the government for stopping what should have been a huge waste to the public, it is pertinent to point out that our governments function with very little information. Its earlier plan to import should shock anyone who has paid attention to a global rice crisis. Each country has domesticated its consequences, in relation to its people. Global rice stocks are at their lowest level in 32 years, and foreign sales restrictions by many producing-nations have put about a third of the rice traded in the international market beyond the reach of poor and medium income countries. Data from the US Department of Agriculture show that world rice inventories now stand at about 72 million tons, enough to cover only about 17 per cent of global annual consumption in 2008. Eight years ago, stockpiles equalled 35 per cent of demand. What informed the decision to import a non-available commodity? The contractor class, ever on the search for opportunities to import things still dominates the slant of government decisions. Our government is fond of throwing figures at us. We deserve solutions that are relevant to our situation, and that are lasting. Those in government believe that once they give us figures, the problems have been handled. It is worse that in this instance, the N80 billion that was meant for rice was in blatant disregard of Section 80 (4) of our Constitution which states, No moneys shall be withdrawn from the Consolidated Fund or any other public fund of the Federation, except in the manner prescribed by the National Assembly. The President and some Governors decided to withdraw the N80 billion from the National Disaster Fund. They knew they did not have the powers and their conduct was outside the rule of law. We expect the President to return to the National Assembly with a supplementary budget to tackle the national food emergency, not by way of rice importation. He should test the claim of our rice farmers that they can produce enough to feed the country and maybe for export. Poor technologies and absence of infrastructure deal blows to food production in Nigeria. There are no roads for rural farmers cannot move their products to the urban areas. Storage and preservation facilities are inadequate. A dedicated investment in agriculture with these areas as targets would enhance the ability of Nigerians to feed themselves. Only last March, the National Economic Council announced that it needed N950 billion to address sustainable food security. The frightening thing about this N950b, like the N80 billion proposed to import rice, is that it could have been someone's agenda to milk Nigeria dry, something that is done these days with patriotic flair. West Africa : Agric Policy - Ecowas Speaker Criticises W/A Governments Abuja As West African states join the rest of the world to battle the current food crisis, the speaker of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) parliament, Mahamane Ousmane, has come hard on governments of all the member states of the sub-regional body, ECOWAS over their policy on agriculture, which he described as defective. The speaker said this yesterday in Abuja at the opening ceremony of the preliminary's First Ordinary Session for year 2008, at the commission secretariat. Ousmane expressed worry over the various agricultural policies initiated and implemented by governments of the West Africa , he said the policies were defective in nature. The speaker noted that for decades, governments in the sub-region have carried out policies that cannot solve agricultural problems in West Africa . He also said that these defective polices are usually implemented by the regional governments under pressure from international institutions. The speaker specifically mentioned the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as the various international institutions that have over the years exert pressure on governments in the sub-region to carry out agricultural policies that have no positive impact on the food situation in West Africa. In his words "Our governments have been applying defective agriculture policies under pressure from international institutions, like the world bank and the International Monetary Fund." Ousmane also noted with sadness that the various governments of the sub-region allocate less than 10 per cent of their national budgets to agriculture, despite the fact that more than 80 per cent of the ECOWAS population depends solely on agriculture for it livelihood. He noted with apprehension the effect of these policies, which have resulted into avoidable crisis that have spread across the whole of West Africa. The speaker further said that situation such as this where basic needs of the people can not be met, should be of major concern to all members of the parliament, who are also representatives of the people from all the constituencies within the sub-region. Ousmane then said that are parliamentarians, they must take concrete steps with touch of modernity, without necessary confusing their primary role as parliamentarians in finding solution to the problem. He further advised his fellow members of the parliament to examine the situation and its complexities with the view to mobilising, educating citizens to prepare for the needed sacrifices to be made, as well as ensuring that the executive arms be alive to their responsibilities in tackling the crisis for the benefit of all. Uganda : Iganga Gets Fruit Factory Mathias Mazinga An ecological fruit-drying factory, the first in Uganda , was launched in Nakalama in Iganga over the weekend. Estimated to cost euro 250,000 (about sh647.5m), the plant is built on a three-acre piece of land. It processes papaws, mangoes, pineapples and bananas, with a 1,000 tonne-capacity per month. It was funded by the Austrian Development Cooperation through its affiliate organisation, Horizont 3000. Africa 2000, a Horizont 3000 local partner, will operate the factory on behalf of the farmers. Kathrin Hawighorst, the Horizont 300 regional office director, said during the inaugural ceremony that the establishment would boost commercial farming and add value to the products for local and international markets. She explained that the project was in line with Horizont 300 objective of promoting community empowerment for sustainable livelihoods and income generation. "Integrated rural development through sustainable use of natural resources is one of our priority aims. "We want to see increased agricultural production not only for food security but also to support value addition and marketing," Hawighorst said. She called upon the farmers to be mindful of the quality of their products. Hawighorst assured them of ready international market. Dr. Walter Ehmeir, the head of the Austrian Development Cooperation, emphasised the need for organic agriculture and food processing, which he said could create sustainable incomes for small-scale farmers. He encouraged Ugandans to buy the factory's products, which he said were of high quality. He said the factory had been built using the best technology. Gagawala Wambuzi, the state minister for trade, commended Horizont 3000 for contributing to the country's transformation process through its poverty-reduction programmes. The minister challenged the local farmers to take advantage of the factory. Tanzania : Warriors Destroy Maize Farms in Midnight Raid Felix Mwera About 100 hectares of maize farms belonging to the Wakira clan were destroyed by Wanchari warriors in Tarime District, Mara Region on Monday. The Wanchari attack comes as part of the revenge cycle on their rivals, conducted at midnight by armed militias, according an eye witness, Mr Anthony Manga. Mr Manga who is also a ward councilor for Sirari ward which hosts the Wakira clan told The Citizen yesterday, that valuation has already been done and estimates submitted to the district authorities to determine the acreage of maize farms destroyed. "The report is yet to be released," the councillor noted. The valuation was conducted by senior land and agriculture officers at the district level, he said. "The Wanchari destroyed many farms and we estimate the area to be around 100 hectares," the civic leader stated. Remage and Ng'ereng'ere villages, both inhabited by Wakira were badly hit by the destruction, while several crop farms were destroyed by Wakira clansmen at Korotambe village in Mwema ward where the Wanchari live. The two clans of the Kurya tribe in Tarime district engaged on fresh clashes a few weeks ago in which they exchanged arrows but police managed to disperse them before the situation went out of hand. However a number of people from both sides were reported wounded. Members of Field Force Unit (FFU) have since been patrolling the villages in an effort to avert clashes, Regional Police Commander David Saibul said. "The situation is now calm but the clans people can't visit each other and there is still fear," interviewed villagers said yesterday. Both sides are demanding the Government to place a demarcation line to separate their respective zones, but fiercely dispute where the boundary is located, and this sparked an unending dispute between them. The current clan clashes have been claiming lives and losses of property in Tarime since it broke out afresh early this year. Tarime district is notorious for having clan clashes among the Kurya tribe mainly caused by land disputes and livestock rustling. Uganda : Remedying Water Pollution Kampala If measures to save the wetlands are not heeded to now, the water levels at Lake Victoria will continue to go down writes Martin Ssebuyira A temporary house near Nakayiba wetland stream that pours water into Lake Victoria. The ever increasing lake pollution that has affected the ecological health of Lake Victoria as a result of a rapidly growing population, a booming fish-export industry, the disappearance of several fish species native to the lake and prolific growth of algae among others, have raised several concerns from several environmentalists around the globe. Traditional lifestyles of lakeshore communities have been disrupted and are crumbling. There is a consensus among scientists that if an accelerated push to save the lake is not made soon; this much-needed body of water will cease to sustain lives of the aquatic animals and the people living around. The Lake Victoria Region Local Authorities Cooperation (LVRLAC) has ignited a system of establishing environment pedagogic centres around Lake Victoria shores to mitigate lake pollution. The system involves facilitating local authorities who have strived to put measures to save the great water body with good proposals to establish centres. Pedagogic centres are demonstration sites where people around the community get ideas and go out to implement them for a common goal. The cooperation recently launched an environment pedagogic centre in Masaka to demonstrate the best environment management practices to save Lake Victoria. The water treatment plant at Masaka were sewage is treated before being released into Nakayiba wetland The centre will be second to another at Jinja to compliment Kisumu and Homa bay centres in Kenya and Mwanza and Musoma centres in Tanzania. Masaka Environment Pedagogic Centre shall display clean water supplies, wetland management, a resource centre, solid waste management, sanitation, energy, gardening, safety and accident promotions among others where people shall be able to obtain ideas. "People get to learn better because they will be trying out environment practices at the centre," the environment officer of Masaka Municipal Council Mr Jude Golooba says. He says it has cheap, adaptable and easy to use technologies that would be used by the people to protect the environment. LVRLAC is a regional network of local authorities along the shore of Lake Victoria . The network aims at working with communities around the lake basin to ensure sustainable use of the lakes resources. It was established after environmentalists and scientists agreed that the water levels of Lake Victoria have gown down as a result of warmer temperatures (global warming). The warmer temperatures were linked to environmental degradation on the shores of the lake, which is primarily linked to the loss of forest cover. The ever-increasing rates of urbanisation worldwide mean that sustainable development cannot be effective without a new approach to urban planning. If the social, economic and environmental concerns are integrated, the model of the Environmental Pedagogic Centre (EPC) can be a promising initiative. A recent study done by International Development Research Centre based in Canada , shows that on a daily basis, Tanzania is responsible for 2 million litres of untreated sewage and industrial waste that flows into the lake. Although Kenya has rather strict pollution laws, these are rarely enforced because the industries have ties with foreign investors and the government often has a significant stake in the polluting units. Moreover, it is considerably cheaper for the industries to pay an occasional Kshs10,000 fine ($220) than to install equipment to treat effluent at a cost of $2m that is meant to stimulate environmental awareness and supporting behaviour change amongst the community. LVRLAC cooperation has bestowed a sum of Shs91m to help Masaka Municipality construct a pedagogic centre and Shs22.8m to Katabi Sub country for proper wetland management to save Lake Victoria . People who have encroached on Namajjuzi wetland displaying trees seedlings for sale in Masaka. The LVRLAC Secretary General Dr Julius Ayo Odong says money provided is a step forward from the usual advocacy the cooperation has been engaging in. He says people need to engage in the things being taught than merely talking to them. Dr Adongo says the pedagogic centre will help to replicate the best practice identified in Kenya and act as a model for environmentally sustainable activities among the Ugandan communities residing in the Lake Victoria Region. The green algae, which is spreading to wider parts of Lake Victoria is also another source of concern. Algae are microscopic plants that occur naturally in water. Ordinarily, these are not a nuisance, but pollution causes them to turn into green-like paint and start smelling. The spreading green substance is a symptom of the environmental problems that have been taking place in the catchments of Lake Victoria attributed to poor management of solid waste, encroaching on wetlands and effluent from the increasing number of industries in Kampala is being released into the lake. Nema has made a belated campaign to save the wetlands, but this has encountered stiff resistance from a few people who have settled in the swamps. Uganda : Mpigi Students Get First-Aid Skills Francis Emorut KIBUUKA Memorial Secondary School students in Mpigi district have been trained in first aid. Christine Atura, the tutor of Public Health Nurse's College, Kyambogo, said the training was vital for schools because students and pupils were most vulnerable. Over 80, including pupils of Kibuuka Memorial Primary school , participants were trained in casualty care, bandaging, taking care of the air tracks and reviving the heart by resuscitation. The training was sponsored by the Health Africa Development Corporation Organisation based in Finland and the Public Health Nurse's College Kyambogo. Domenic Otucet, the headmaster of Kibuuka Memorial Secondary School , urged the organisers to train the masses in fire-fighting. "I appeal to the Public Health Nurse's College to enrich the course of first aid with fire fighting courses to avert deaths caused by fire," Otucet said at the closing of the training recently where participants were given certificates. South Africa : Netcare, Woolies Open New Pharmacy Tamar Kahn SA's biggest private hospital group, Netcare, and retailer Woolworths have launched a new pharmacy in Athol Square , Johannesburg , their second dispensary since they announced their partnership a year ago. The pilot pharmacy was launched in a Woolworths food store in the small Kloof Street shopping centre in Cape Town in August. The venture had a slower than expected start, largely due to the regulatory uncertainty clouding the pharmacy sector. Netcare's marketing director, Tumi Nkosi, said last year that the company hoped to have a dozen co-branded pharmacies in Woolworths stores within as many months. The pharmacy sector is awaiting the outcome of a four-year legal wrangle with the health department over the fees pharmacists may charge for medicines they dispense. The Netcare-Woolworths pharmacies target well-heeled customers who place a premium on the value of their time, said Netcare's group pharmacy director Ingrid Davis. The pharmacies are in stores with extended hours, and enable customers to buy prescription medicines along with groceries. Unlike retail pharmacy chain stores such as Clicks and Dis-Chem, Netcare and Woolworths were not discounting their dispensing fees. They had applied a four-tiered pricing model devised by the pharmacy industry, she said. Customer surveys from the Kloof Street venture had been "extremely positive" said Davis . The Athol Square pharmacy, which opened on Thursday, had seen an even stronger response, she said. Davis said Woolworths and Netcare planned to launch a third pharmacy, in Rivonia, by the end of the year. It would test the concept in a full-line Woolworths store selling food and clothes, and would enable the partners to gauge reaction among a different group of customers from those frequenting outlets that sold only food. Under the terms of the venture, Netcare obtains the pharmacy licences and is responsible for staffing and managing the dispens aries. Woolworths manages the rest of the health products on offer, such as vitamins and supplements. Netcare has acquired extensive pharmacy business experience. Tunisia : Unicef Hails "Considerable Decrease" of Infant Mortality Rate in Country Tunis The United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) expressed satisfaction at the considerable decrease of the mortality rate of children aged less than 5 in Tunisia where there were 23 deaths per 1000 births in 2006 against 51 in 1990. According to the UN organisation which operates in more than 150 countries in the world, infant mortality is an indicator of the development of a country and a revealing factor of its priorities and values. The improvement witnessed in the Tunisian health sector, was highlighted in the 2008 report of the UN organisation on "The Situation of Children in the World." In a communiqué, UNICEF writes that thanks to this success, Tunisia could achieve, the Millennium Goal for Development, relative to infant mortality. The Millennium Goals for Development stresses the need to reduce the mortality rate of children aged less than 5, by two thirds in 2015, in comparison with 1990. The UNICEF report for 2008 was presented on Saturday in Tunis , on the occasion of the National Paediatrics Day. Namibia : Stolen Phones to Be Blacklisted The Namibian (Windhoek) Windhoek STAKEHOLDERS in the mobile telecoms industry have established a co-operation agreement to blacklist all phones that are reported as stolen. The agreement between Cell One and MTC is aimed at ensuring that mobile operators share information about stolen handsets and prevent them from being used on the various networks. Commenting on the cooperation agreement, Cell One's Corporate Communications Manager, Rejoice Itembu, said her company was concerned about the increasing incidence of cellphone theft and related fraudulent activities. "With greater cooperation among stakeholders we will be able to make it difficult for criminals to find a safe haven where stolen phones are used unabated," she said. Mobile phone users are advised to immediately report stolen phones to the nearest Police station to ensure that the blacklisting process is conducted legally. Stolen cellphones are identified by their unique serial number and once proof of theft is submitted, such a phone is added to the database of stolen phones. Itembu said Cell One would further share the list of blacklisted phones with other operators in Namibia to ensure that the phones are blocked on those networks as well.
Nigeria: NIGCOMSAT to Provide Internet Facilities in 400 Communities Onyebuchi Ezigbo As part of the Federal Government's fresh intervention in the area of affordable Information Communication Technology (ICT) to Nigerian communities, NIGCOMSAT Limited, the company incharge of Nigeria's communication satellite, yesterday said it has embarked on a pilot programme to provide over 400 Community Tele-Centres (CTC) nationwide. The project is meant to provide Nigerians in remote and un-served urban areas with affordable access to internet, multimedia and voice over internet protocol. Speaking to newsmen at the company's headquarters in Abuja, on the occasion of the one-year anniversary of the launching of the country's first communication satellite into orbit, the Managing Director of NIGCOMSAT Limited, Engr. T Ahmed Rufai, said the building of the centres would be completed by month end, adding that the company has already completed and deployed facilities in 79 benefiting communities across the country. "In pursuit of government's intervention in the area of affordable ICT to Nigerians, NigComSat-1 is presently being utilized to provide over 400 community Tele-Centres (CTC) nationwide with 79 currently being deployed", he said. Apart from being designed to provide value added service such as e-learning centres for distant learning students, e-health care delivery, wireless access to homes, repair centre and space education, Rufai said the centres will also act as distribution points for NIGCOMSAT's e-learning certification programme. The MD whose company was recently embroiled in a clash of interest of with the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) over the issuance of telecoms license, said NIGCOMSAT is trying to forge strategic partnerships with pioneering organizations in the downstream sector such as Linkserve Limited and Sub-Urban Telecoms to ensure cost-effective and high quality service delivery in the industry. He said the satellite is currently providing services to the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), CIT, Emperion, Galaxy Blackbone Plc and Cyberspace with sales commitment to Defense Headquarters, Immigration, Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), Craft Technologies, Digitech Broadcasting International as well as other operators in telecommunications industry. According to Rufai, the satellite company is "planning to expand its business reach to cover other parts the ECOWAS sub-region, including the completion of 300 CTC's, deployment of NIGCOMSAT services into West Africa along and the proposed launch of NigComSat 2 and 3." The MD who listed the conflict with NCC among the firm's key challenges in its progress march, said a utilization analysis conducted by the company's engineers show that demand for its transpondent access will soon exceed the available capacity on NigComSat-1. Ghana: Communication Technology Africa Fastest Growing Market Accra Africa has been the fastest growing market worldwide in communication technology over the past three years and will continue to emerge as an important market for the industry, according to the head of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). Speaking at the opening of a major trade fair for the African telecommunications industry this week in Cairo , Hamadoun Touré, Secretary-General of the ITU, said the African information and communication technologies industry "is an exciting place to be. Market liberalization continues and most countries have established regulatory bodies to ensure a fair, competitive and enabling environment." The trade fair, called "ITU Telecom Africa," was inaugurated by Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. A report released by the ITU said that growth in Africa 's mobile telephone sector had "defied all predictions." Africa had 65 million new subscribers in 2007 alone and mobile phone penetration has risen from just one in 50 people in 2000 to one third of the population today. Mobile phone use is now more evenly distributed across the continent. At the beginning of the century South Africa accounted for over half of all Africa 's subscribers, but by last year almost 85 per cent were in other countries. But the report also says that growth in Internet access has not kept pace. In 2007 it is estimated there were some 50 million Internet users in Africa , about one person in 20. In sub-Saharan Africa only 3 per cent of the population is online. The average monthly Internet subscription is almost $50, close to 70 per cent of average per capita income. Around 200 companies from 45 countries are exhibiting products at the trade fair which has attracted some 70 heads of international companies and 50 government ministers. ITU Telecom Africa runs until today Wednesday May 14. The ITU coordinates global use of the radio spectrum, promotes international cooperation on assigning satellite orbits, works to improve telecommunication infrastructure in the developing world and establishes worldwide standards to foster seamless interconnection between a wide range of communications systems. South Africa: Acquisition Adds Web 2.0 to Relationship Strategies Cape Town Local software house and Microsoft Gold Certified Partner, Global Vision, has acquired a 40% stake in New Media Labs, a niche technology company focusing on the development of Web 2.0 applications. Providing CRM and Relationship Marketing software locally and overseas to customers such as brandhouse, Master Currency, and Levi Strauss & Co., Global Vision will use New Media Labs to begin developing and incorporating Web 2.0 applications into clients' CRM and relationship marketing strategies. Web 2.0, or what is considered to be the use of the Internet as a software platform and the development of applications using Web technology, gives end-users the ability to collaborate, form online communities, network and access software-like functionality via the Web. Examples of Web 2.0 powered sites include Facebook, YouTube, and Wikipedia. "Web 2.0 enhances CRM and Relationship Marketing strategies from a customer acquisition and retention perspective by enabling customers to engage with a company and interact with a brand via new channels. Our stake in New Media Labs ensures we can provide our customers with the tools they need to take advantage of the channels their market is already using," says Jon Jacobson, MD and co-founder of Global Vision. Research giant, Forrester Research recently noted in a report on the boom of Web 2.0 that over half of the companies in North America and Europe see Web 2.0 as a priority for 2008. "We are providing businesses with the ability to enter the world of blogs, RSS feeds, podcasting, mobile solution, mash-ups, social networking, widgets and wikis," says Dereck Sigamoney, co-founder of New Media Labs. "This new world will revolutionise the manner in which traditional business takes place and will change the way in which businesses communicate with the customers and staff." The companies' first joint-project is adding Web 2.0 functionality to Global Vision's Relationship Marketing offering. "Our stake in New Media Labs is an investment in our product offering. By incorporating Web 2.0 functionality into our software we're making them more functional and increasing end-user adoption by providing features that end-users have already embraced in popular applications such as Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube," concludes Jacobson. ADB 2008 Annual Meetings Round Table and Seminars African Development Bank (Tunis) Tackling Urban Growth and Poverty * Ministerial Roundtable Discussions Open in Maputo Maputo, Mozambique, 13 May 2008 – The stark contradictions between economic growth and inequality most evident in sprawling slums around major African cities call for innovative thinking and strategic planning on improved economic governance, town planning and improving living conditions among the continent's urban poor, the central theme of a Ministerial Round Table and High level Seminars which began on Tuesday in Maputo. Opening the discussions, Mozambique 's Prime Minister, Luisa Dias Diogo, emphasized the importance of urban infrastructure both as a way of improving the living environment of millions of people emigrating to the towns as well as overall economic development and poverty reduction. Mrs. Diogo commended the AfDB for its support to Mozambique , a successful fragile state that overcame three decades of civil strife to emerge as one of the best performing economies in Africa in the past couple of years. The Round Table on the themes: “Fostering Shared Growth: Urbanization, Inequality and Poverty in Africa” is one of a series of high-level discussions on major challenges facing Africa ahead of the 14-15 Annual Meetings hosted by Mozambique and attended by governors (finance and economic development ministers), of the 77 member countries of the Bank Group. In his speech at the plenary session, AfDB President, Donald Kaberuka, highlighted the difference between urban and rural poverty, explaining that while majority of Africans living below the poverty datum were rural dwellers, the living conditions of the urban poor were dire and remained a major challenge to development and urbanization, as demonstrated by recent food riots in some African cities and beyond. “Our determination to fight poverty everywhere must be, and is an inclusive one. It targets all those who are part of the “bottom million” and these include the urban poor,” Mr. Kaberuka said, noting that internal migration to urban areas would increase rather than decrease. He said that as many as 360 million Africans were currently living in urban areas, with Sub-Saharan Africa recording the highest rate. He cited UN Habitat studies indicating that 72% of Africa 's poor also depend on the informal economy for their livelihood. “Their numbers are often underestimated as they are not adequately captured by the “less than a dollar a day concept”, Mr. Kaberuka said, noting that such illegal settlements were not recognized by authorities and as such, were deprived of public services. He said the discussions were being held at an auspicious time as it would help to define the Bank Group's role as well as highlight the link between urban poor and the overall problem of poverty. “The African Development Bank is developing a policy approach to the issues. We have no recipes and this reflection comes at the right time, the AfDB President said, emphasizing, “We would like to be a catalyst in the process, accelerating the conditions for this to happen”. The ECA Executive Secretary, Abdoulie Janneh, co-organizer of the event, for his part, noted that several studies undertaken by the institution had highlighted the challenges posed by “urbanization with infrastructure” and how this could be overcome with the appropriate mix of options and political will. Apart from the Bank Group's governors, the Round table has attracted a wide audience, including high-level dignitaries from Africa and other regions of the world, development experts from multilateral, bilateral, non governmental organizations, civil societies, private sector and the academia. Zimbabwe Meets Financial Commitment with ADB African Development Bank (Tunis) In a bid to actively reconnect with international donors, the Zimbabwean government last month paid part of its arrears to the African Development Bank (AfDB) Group. On April 14, 2008, the country paid US$ 500,000 to the African Development Bank and US$150,000 to the African Development Fund. Zimbabwe has, in all, paid US$ 650,000 to the Bank Group despite numerous economic challenges currently facing the country, both globally and locally. According to Mr. Abdirrahmene Beileh, AfDB acting Director in charge of Southern African countries, " Zimbabwe is still owing the Bank large amounts of money in arrears". The country has been in arrears with the Bank Group and a recent effort to pay part of these arrears is testimony of the government's determination to live up to its international financial obligations vis-à-vis donor agencies and development partners. These challenges have contributed to the under-performance of the agricultural, manufacturing, mining and tourism sectors. Like many other developing countries, Zimbabwe has not been spared by the global food crisis and the corresponding surge in food prices, as well escalating oil prices. The country's domestic economic development has been characterized by high inflation, output contraction and rising interest rates. The absence of balance of payments support, declining capital inflows, recurrent droughts and rising oil prices have severely undermined the economy's productive capacity, resulting in most industries operating below 30% capacity. Though the country is currently experiencing balance of payments constraints resulting in delays and, sometimes, failure in meeting its financial obligations vis-à-vis donors, the government, however, fully acknowledges its external financial obligations. The government remains committed to honoring its debt obligations. In line with its commitment to fruitfully engage its partners, goodwill payments are being made with a view to normalizing relations and paving the way for new disbursements. The government also remains committed to instituting macro-economic reforms aimed at addressing its economic challenges. It is focused on enhancing food security, foreign exchange generation and increasing the supply of basic commodities. Consistent with its policy, the government is cautiously moving the economy towards the interplay of free market conditions in the allocative and productive systems. The process is expected to be complemented with the establishment of the required safety nets targeting vulnerable segments of the society. In this regard, it has taken some complementary measures such as ensuring that the goods and services market remains fully operational by putting in place measures that will allow for the interplay of market forces in the pricing of goods and services. This policy will focus on the revitalization of infrastructure, agricultural productivity, increased industrial capacity utilization as well as addressing some structural rigidities and enablers in the economy such as the construction of an efficient transportation network as well as the regular provision of water and energy. The agricultural sector remains the anchor of the country's macro-economic stabilization programme. The government therefore continues to monitor and develop the sector through the provision of agricultural equipment and implements. To date, the government has launched three phases of the mechanization programme with the fourth set be unveiled in July 2008. It is also rehabilitating the country's irrigation infrastructure with a view to optimizing the usage of inland water bodies. It is also contemplating the building of more irrigation schemes in areas that have inland water bodies and reservoirs. The government is also providing concessionary finance schemes geared towards enhancing the production of strategic food crops to guarantee food security. In this regard, in collaboration with development partners such as the AfDB that are financing agriculture in the country, the Zimbabwean government will continue to ensure that the sector regains its status and plays a pivotal role in the country's economic development. Nigeria: Govt Woos NEPAD on Tourism Lagos Lagos State government has called on the New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD), to help boost tourism in Africa by facilitating the Twining of Sister Cities' relationships amongst different African Cities. This call was made by Lagos State Commissioner for Tourism and Inter-governmental Relations, Senator Tokunbo Afikuyomi, while making a presentation on investment opportunities in the Lagos tourism sector, at the First NEPAD Tourism Initiative held on Monday in Durban , South Africa . Afikuyomi, who described Lagos as perhaps the safest mega city in the world, called on African countries to be ready to shake off all negative prejudices and stereotypes pre-determined from outside the continent, saying, "it is unacceptable to begin to compare the security status quo of any city with less than 10 million people to that of another city like Lagos with over 16 million people. "We must compare apples with apples and not oranges. With mega city status, comes mega security challenges. We must reflect the population factor truthfully in assessing security situations of a destination for tourism. Never must we allow external forces to typify our cities as unsafe through questionable travel warnings, when the same countries issuing such warnings cover up the gory violence on the streets of their own cities day by day." He, therefore, called on NEPAD to facilitate twining of sister cities' relationships as the one being proposed between Lagos and Durban , for other African cities to provide a common platform for destination marketing and exchange of ideas for promotion of tourism between different NEPAD cities. In his presentation titled, "Brand and Destination Marketing: Durban's New Strategic Approach," Project Executive for Durban Tourism, Peter Bendheim, commended plans of the new administration in Lagos State to create new corridors of excellence, in reference to the propposed Lagos Energy City and the Eko Atlantic City, saying, "it is difficult to upgrade a whole city at once. "Before you can begin to market your city as a destination for business and leisure, you must embark upon what is called Tired Areas Audit, to identify areas that once attracted visitors to your city and refurbish your existing tourism products while developing new ones." The session held by NEPAD as part of this year's Tourism Indaba, Africa 's largest travel and tourism exhibition, was declared open by NEPAD Cities Convener and Mayor of Ethekwini, Cllr Obed Mlaba. Zambia : APRM Implementation Gains Drive Margaret Mangani The Implementation of the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) in Zambia is steadily gaining momentum with the current sensitisation of the process now targeting parliamentarians who are major stakeholders. The role of the lawmakers in the process of APRM cannot be over-emphasised as it is cardinal when it comes to formulation. Therefore, there is need for parliamentarians to identify their role in the whole process. Since Zambia acceded to the APRM in 2006 after signing a memorandum of understanding, major strides have been taken in moving the process forward. The 2007 national Budget had incorporated the APRM, which resulted in the ministry of Justice hosting the first-ever national brainstorming session for stakeholders drawn from across the country, marking the beginning of the journey to implementation. It is the mandate of the APRM to encourage participating member states in ensuring that their policies and practices conform to an agreed political economic development. APRM is an African initiative born through New Partnership for Africa 's Development (Nepad). At the same time, Government has pledged unwavering committment to moving the process forward and this has started yielding some positive results. Last week, the ministry of Justice, which is the focal point for the APRM, held the first workshop for parliamentarians with a view to bringing them on board as major stakeholders, given the cardinal role that legislators play in formulating the process. Justice Minister, George Kunda observed that since the inception of the APRM, the role of most parliamentarians in Africa had been minimal, except for the South African Parliament, whose participation in the process was outstanding. Mr Kunda said this was a reflection of under-achievement for African lawmakers, granted the pivotal role they played in the development of any nation. Mr Kunda challenged the parliamentarians to strive and introduce high standards of engagement in the APRM. He said the Zambian Parliament should strive to introduce high standards of engagement in the APRM as it had an important and enhancing role in society, given that it comprised elected representatives of people in the country. He urged parliamentarians to ensure that they actively participated in the process since they held the legislative mantle on behalf of the people of the land. He said through the oversight and legislative role, parliamentarians must ensure the success of the APRM process since its realisation partly depended on the adoption of appropriate laws and policies. Mr Kunda emphasised that it was critical that MPs identified their role for the enhancement of the APRM. He further urged MPs to explore more ways in which they could contribute positively towards the success of the APRM. Member of Parliament for Namwala, Major Robbie Chizhuka commended the Government for holding the first workshop for MPs. He described is as successful, especially that the presenters, including Mr Kunda, had proved a point that the APRM was not just voluntary, but a viable process which the country should undertake. He hailed the Government's decision to move the APRM focal point from the ministry of Foreign Affairs to the ministry of Justice as a step in the right direction. "It is clear the APRM is a very good idea to open up states on the African continent to best practices of governance. Ideas embedded in there are very good. When the APRM intertwines with the African Union (AU), it would help many African states deal with issues of governance," he said. Major Chizhuka said it was important that nations opened themselves up to their people to ensure that development reached the masses. "We have seen examples of how enclosed countries deny their people development and when it comes to governance, they experience problems in elections. So there is need to balance governance and development issues," he said. He disclosed that it was a general feeling of parliamentarians during the deliberations that the law-making organ should have been directly involved right from inception of the APRM as it also affected other international protocols and loan agreements which the nation had previously acceded to. |