The forum, organized and hosted by the Congolese Embassy in Washington, DC and the Corporate Council on Africa, will showcase investment opportunities in the central African country, including opportunities in the mining, agricultural and infrastructural development sectors.

Participants in the forum will hear directly from high level Congolese government officials, including the Minister of State for Finance and Economy, Gilbert Ondongo, the Minister of Information and Technology, Thierry Moungalla, the Minister of Agriculture, Rigobert Maboundou, and the Minister of Tourism, Josue Ngouonimba, about the reforms put in place by the government to attract investors.

Various panels will discuss a range of investment-related issues, including financing projects in Congo, and efforts underway in the country to support multi-national corporations looking for opportunities in agrobusiness, and the construction of roads, railways, and airports.

Over the last several years, the Government of President Denis Sassou Nguesso has embarked on a massive road, airport and seaport building program to meet Congo’s need for modern infrastructure.

In a recent interview with the African World Television, the Ambassador of Congo to the United States, Serge Mombouli, said the infrastructural development program was crucial to his government’s long-term development strategy of moving Congo into the ranks of middle income countries.

Congo has a total population of about 4.3 million, and its main export commodities are petroleum, lumber, plywood, sugar, cocoa, coffee and diamonds. The country currently sits at 183 in the Ease of Doing Business Ranking.

Managing director of Lions Bluff Hotel in Tsavo West, Lain Leckie said the population of small wildlife in Tsavo West has been declining due to the continued killing for both subsistence and commercial purposes. Speaking to the Star yesterday, Leckie said the most affected animals are zebras, orax, dikdik, giraffe and buffaloes.

“We have been finding snares on trees which mainly target zebras. We have also found snared buffaloes in the bushes,” he said. The director asked researchers to study the declining small wildlife so as to come up with policies and mitigation measures that can solve the problem.

“Apart from poaching, there could be other reasons for the decline. This calls for researchers to venture in and find out the other causes,” he said. Leckie said there is need to involve communities living near the park in conservation efforts.

“Once the communities are involved, they will realise the importance of wildlife conservation because they will reap from it. This will make them proactive in protecting wildlife,” he said.

Source: The Star                 

The purpose of the mission, says a press release from the National Assembly, is to benchmark on e-Government strategies of the Swedish Model, as well as to share information on the current status of e-Government in Botswana.

This mission will also cover various briefings on how e-Governance could benefit society, Partner Driven Cooperation, freedom of speech and Information Communication Technology (ICT), village-owned broadband, taxpayer relations from a strategic point of view and experiences of e- filing and e-Health and how innovation could strengthen health service delivery in low-resource settings.

“While in Sweden, the Committee will also visit Ericsson Studios; network with other Swedish ICT companies; meet with the Director General for Trade in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; as well as pay a courtesy visit to the Speaker of the Swedish Parliament,” added the release.

The delegation comprises Odirile Motlhale, Chairman of the Committee, Phillip Khwai, Rayner Makosha, the Clerk of the National Assembly and one member of the secretariat.

At a ceremony in Luanda this week, President José Eduardo dos Santos announced the beginning of a new phase of the reform process of the judiciary. He said a focus would be placed “continuity of the policy of modernisation and computerisation, based on the principles of streamlining and simplification of procedures.”

He also reaffirmed the government’s commitment to accelerating the completion of the legal framework necessary for the full operation of the judiciary, as well as establishing a proper system of training, qualification and human resource management.

The ceremony was attended by the Vice-President and members of the Superior Council of the Judiciary and Public Prosecution.

Aleksandar Stojanovski, Research Analyst at Deutsche Bank said: “MENA markets continue to impress with their solid performance. Dubai has advanced by more than 47% year to date, followed by Abu Dhabi at 39% and Kuwait 35% The recent upgrade in the Emerging Market index of the United Arab Emirates and Qatar reflects the confidence of international investors and will further leverage the regions visibility to represent a potential USD 400-450 million of incremental funds inflows for each country.”

On a year to date basis except for Egypt, which is down 14%, all the other markets were up as follows: Oman by 16%, Qatar 14%, Bahrain 13%, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia 11% and Jordan 3%. Deutsche Bank´s MENA portfolio is up by 22.3% since its last revision in January 2013, and has outperformed the regional market by 1527 bps. For the other regional markets for which Deutsche Bank track the fund flow data, Kuwait had an inflow of USD 47 million and Abu Dhabi registered USD 40 million.

As smallholder farmers in this West African nation get back on their feet, one great challenge is the potential for food to be lost before it has even left the farm. Food can become damaged, spoiled or lost when it is being harvested, handled, stored and transported. For rural families, many of whom already live on the edge of hunger, lost food means lost land, water, fertiliser and income – a possibility that is devastating for the most vulnerable.

Yet even as global food production has reached record levels in recent years, one-third of all food produced for human consumption in the world is lost or wasted. Therefore, I am encouraged that on this World Environment Day, we have the opportunity to focus global attention on tackling the problem of food loss, particularly in developing countries.

Fortunately, we already know what works. Simple and inexpensive steps like improving storage infrastructure and sharing good harvest practices reduce food loss and increase food availability on local and regional markets.

Through our Purchase for Progress (P4P) pilot project, WFP and our partners have trained more than 193,000 rural people in 20 countries in techniques like proper grain bagging, quality control and how to use silos. P4P helps farmers reduce loss, produce better food and develop a more efficient supply chain, which can lead to lower food prices. In Burkina Faso alone, I am proud to say that WFP is purchasing sorghum, pulses and maize from farmers participating in P4P, which we will use in our local and regional operations.

We cannot completely eliminate food loss. But if the international community works together to help farmers drastically reduce loss, we can lift millions of people out of hunger and contribute to stronger, more prosperous societies. As a global community we can make a difference, and to ensure we help change the lives of vulnerable people, we must.

By Ertharin Cousin, executive director of the World Food Programme.

As it is estimated that 80 percent of the population depends on agriculture for their livelihoods, it is fundamental that those in the farming sector are given the access to knowledge, finance, rural infrastructure, inputs and markets that they need to increase their production and productivity as a means of improving their food security, nutrition and incomes.

While agriculture is an essential social safety net to many in Africa, it also has the potential to be an important way to boost farmers’ incomes and resilience.

Supporting farmers in this effort requires everyone’s contribution, from governments and donors to agri-businesses, development organisations and even consumers.

A prominent theme at the World Economic Forum on Africa earlier this month was the role of partnerships to accelerate investment in the agricultural sector. This sentiment was also reflected in last year’s G8 discussions, where U.S. President Barack Obama launched the New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition as a means of lifting 50 million people out of poverty through agricultural development.

Links to Markets

In the lead-up to this year’s G8 in the United Kingdom, two new reports offer insights and guidance on how market-based models can improve the lives of smallholder farmers and the considerations which need to be kept in mind when doing so.

The first, “Leaping and Learning: Linking Smallholders to Markets”, offers concrete recommendations for donors, investors, policymakers and development practitioners on improving agricultural market access in Africa.

The second, “8 Views for the G8: Business Solutions for African Smallholder Farmers to Address Food Security and Nutrition“, offers G8 leaders and other decision-makers a set of practical solutions and case studies from eight leading agricultural NGOs on helping smallholders link to regional, domestic and international markets.

Both reports highlight a series of areas where markets for smallholder farmers can be further addressed, including:

1. Access – to inputs, finance and credit, storage and professional advice.
2. Institutional capacity – for farmers to self-organise and benefit from economies of scale.
3. Market information – related to quality standards, prices and other enterprise support and advice.
4. Public sector investment – to improve access to inputs, services, markets and research.
5. Stable policy environment – so that farmers do not experience unpredictable policy shifts, weak contract enforcement and restrictive policy environments.

Seed security in Africa

As an example, one of most important aspects for improving agricultural markets is to address smallholder farmers’ ability to access high-quality, improved seed.  After all, seed security is at the heart of food and nutrition security.

The Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Analysis Network (FANRPAN) work across Africa to facilitate partnerships across the value chain. Through its Harmonised Seed Security Programme , FANRPAN has been working across four pilot countries (Malawi, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe) to help develop the organisational capacity of farmers, coordinate strategic partnerships, align national seed policies, and amplify the voices of farmers at national and global events.

So far the programme has trained 405 farmers across Africa, 62 percent of whom were women, and has expanded the number of seed types available to farmers, enabling them to grow food fit for larger markets even in the face of unpredictable weather patterns.

Another organisation working to improve seed security in Africa is Victoria Seeds, Uganda’s leading seed production and marketing organization, founded by Josephine Okot. As a Ugandan business, Victoria Seeds works with smallholder farmers to multiply new varieties of seed which are then sold to domestic and regional markets, enabling farmers to improve nutrition and adapt to climate change as well as increase their harvests.

No simple solutions

These market-based solutions are providing greater food and nutrition security for farmers, but it is also important to remember that not all smallholder farmers and not all markets are equally ready for this and may require different levels of support.

For instance, many farmers will still need safety nets, if they are unable to participate in markets or try but fail in their efforts.  Also when scaling up successes, agricultural programmes must be adapted for different agro-ecological zones and socio-economic conditions, as a successful approach in one place will not necessarily work in a different context.

Lastly, staple crops may have seen less investment to date than higher-value cash crops such as cocoa and coffee and thus may require more public stimulus, at least, initially.

By Michael Hoevel, deputy director of Agriculture for Impact, and Lindiwe Majele Sibanda, chief executive of the Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Analysis Network (FANRPAN).

The resulting increased prosperity, President Alpha Conde said, would help stem growing radicalism in a region already threatened by unrest in Mali that has placed Guinea and its neighbours at risk of becoming conduits for drugs and guns.

Guinea has long been one of Africa’s “geological scandals”: the West African country has rich reserves of iron ore, gold, bauxite and other minerals, but little has been tapped and half its 10 million people live in poverty.

Speaking ahead of an annual G8 meeting expected to put the resources industry and transparency high on the agenda, Conde said Guinea needed logistical support from U.S., British and other governments and law enforcement agencies.

“Mining companies are…British, American, Canadian, Australian, and London’s City and New York are the centres of capitalism. If we want to fight for transparency, we need the support of the G8,” Conde told Reuters in London, before a discussion on transparency including other African leaders and British Prime Minister David Cameron on Saturday.

“There is no corruption without corrupters.”

He also said Guinea might have to postpone a long-awaited parliamentary election scheduled for June 30 after opposition parties refused to register candidates.

A former Sorbonne law professor, Conde came to power in 2010 after half a century in opposition, promising to end decades of corruption and mismanagement. He has been supported by a raft of high-profile international advisers, including philanthropist George Soros and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

“We have limited means.. we cannot follow shell companies in tax havens, so we need these big countries to help us find all the proof for payments and corruption,” Conde said, adding Guinea’s laws allowed it to annul corruptly obtained licences.

“Also, sometimes, firms tell us they made 10 of profit. If they say 10 in Guinea and 100 in England, we can pursue that.”

Shell companies have frequently been blamed as tools in corrupt resources deals across Africa. Transparency activists say they are widely used to hide the ultimate beneficiaries, whether government officials or profiteering intermediaries.

Opaque deals

As part of Conde’s overhaul of the mining sector, Guinea is reviewing mining contracts, scrapping as many as 800 that had been lying fallow and scrutinising those signed during what the government says was an era of opaque deals.

These include the licence for the northern half of its giant Simandou iron ore deposit held by BSG Resources, the mining arm of Israeli billionaire Beny Steinmetz’s business empire, and partner Vale.

The original concession, secured by BSGR just before the death of then-President Lansana Conte, has come under scrutiny. In April, FBI agents arrested a BSGR representative on charges of obstructing a criminal investigation, tampering with a witness and destroying records. BSGR has denied wrongdoing.

Conde declined to comment on the outcome of the review but welcomed the FBI’s support.

“I believe in presuming innocence until guilt is proven,” he said. “But it is very important that the FBI and the U.S. judicial system was able to obtain this evidence – we would never have been able to.”

The Steinmetz case has generated much media interest and remains controversial for Guinea, whose critics say it suits the interests of the country’s advisers. But Conde says the advice of international banks, law firms and others was indispensable.

“Negotiating without it would have been (like) heading straight for the slaughterhouse,” he said.

Conde, a longtime advocate of African cooperation, called for greater regional collaboration on the infrastructure needed for tapping mineral resources, but also on security, describing as “embarrassing” France’s intervention in the Malian crisis.

Among his major concerns, Conde said, was the flow of guns and drugs that once went through the Sahara but now transiting countries such as his own, blaming the Western military action in Libya in particular for spreading weapons across the region.

“It is not about asking for help, because this concerns the G8,” he said. “It is in our common interest that the Sahara does not become another Afghanistan, as much for terrorism as for drug trafficking.”

Conde said increased radicalism was a function of poverty and high youth unemployment, but acknowledged that he was also concerned by the rise of hardline Islamist preachers.

“The reality is, Africa is being ripped off big time,” African Development Bank president Donald Kaberuka told Reuters, a day after attending a meeting in London with other African representatives ahead of the G8 summit of rich countries on the “triple-T” agenda of trade, transparency and tax.

“Africa wants to grow itself out of poverty through trade and investment – part of doing so is to ensure there is transparency and sound governance in the natural resources sector.”

Britain hosts this year’s G8 summit, which takes place in Northern Ireland on Monday and Tuesday.

Britain has turned up the pressure on the other countries to clamp down on secretive money flows by pressing its overseas tax havens into a transparency deal and announcing new disclosure rules for British firms.

Kaberuka attended a lunch on Saturday to discuss the issues with British Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, the presidents of Ghana, Guinea, Senegal, Somalia and Tanzania and the finance minister of Nigeria, all of which have energy or mining resources.

“It’s seen as a collective agenda, not just a G8 agenda, that we make sure everybody pays what is due,” Kaberuka said.

The Democratic Republic of Congo, for example, lost at least $1.36 billion in potential revenues between 2010 and 2012 due to cut-price sales of mining assets to offshore companies, according to a report from the Africa Progress Panel, led by former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

Africa, and in particular sub-Saharan Africa, has been growing strongly in the past few years, a trend which Kaberuka said had been helped by the cancellation of debt to the poorest African countries at the 2005 G8 summit in Gleneagles, Scotland.

The AfDB forecasts growth in Africa at 4.8 percent this year, with sub-Saharan Africa – excluding South Africa – the fastest-growing region at 6.6 percent.

But aid to Africa from the developed world had been cut for the first time in 10 years and the continent needs to look for ways to make that money go further.

“It’s important we begin to use aid smartly,” Kaberuka said. He pointed to projects such as the AfDB’s planned infrastructure fund, designed to use donor funding along with African savings as a base for debt issuance to finance regional infrastructure projects.

The AfDB is looking for up to $50 billion to be issued using the financing vehicle, which Kaberuka hoped would gain a single-A credit rating.

Kaberuka also welcomed plans by the BRICS countries – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa – to set up a BRICS development bank.

“It could be a good partner for us in terms of building infrastructure,” he said.

The Spark Cash Index, which measures the average value of cash withdrawals across more than 2,000 Spark ATM across the country, showed a month-on-month increase of 7.30 percent to R439.68 ($44.54) at farming locations in SA.

According to Ryan Tzamtzis, operations manager of Spark ATM Systems, farming locations also continued to record the highest year-on-year growth, at 23.53 percent.

“The month-to-month increase and consistent year-on-year increases recorded at farming locations can be attributed to the recent 52 percent wage increases in the agricultural sector, which went into effect in March 2013,” said Tzamtzis.

National ATM activity increased slightly by 0.62 percent with an average cashwithdrawal value of R464.52 ($47.05). Ronel Oberholzer, principal economist for sub-Saharan economics at IHS Global Insight, said that the small increase is in line with the ATM withdrawal activity trend in April, which showed a month-on-month decrease of 0.73 percent. “A decrease one month is typically followed by an increase in the following month,” Oberholzer said.

However, she said that on average, consumer spending and cash withdrawals remain at the same level. “What has been encouraging for the economy though is the year-on-year trend staying positive and in an upward direction.”