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Gongloe To Rally Liberians in Diaspora

admin — Sun, 19 Jun 2022 16:10:01 +0000

Gongloe To Rally Liberians in Diaspora

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admin Sun, 06/19/2022 - 16:10

Thursday, May 12, 2022

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Diaspora – FrontPageAfrica

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Gongloe To Rally Liberians in Diaspora

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – As opposition presidential aspirant, Counselor Tiawan Saye Gongloe prepares to embark on a major tour of the United States, supporters of the Gongloe for a Better Liberia movement are enthusiastically intensifying their activities to engage with and rally around their inspirational candidate for a resounding victory in the 2023 presidential election.

In furtherance of their grandiose goal of a total victory for a Better Liberia, Friends of Gongloe Global (FOG-Global), one of the U.S.-based main supporting groups will hold a major fundraising event this Saturday, May 14, 2022 at the VIP Event Hall in Atlanta, Georgia. According to the Executive Director of FOG-Global, Dr. Emmanuel Kamara, the occasion is expected to attract a cream of Counselor Gongloe’s supporters from many parts of the U.S.

Speaking last night in a chat with our reporter, Dr. Kamara disclosed that he’s leading a 15-person high-power delegation from Pennsylvania, comprising chapter leaders to the Atlanta fundraiser, while the Board Chairman of FOG-Global, Mr. George S.S. Wuo and Dr. Sam G. Kpahn, Chief Strategist of the organization are heading a 12-person delegation from the great state of Minnesota to Atlanta.

He said many other supporters are also flying in to the event. “Our Principal is expected to be on time”, Dr. Kamara assured, adding that the presidential aspirant’s presence will further illuminate and elevate the occasion.

Elaborating on the fundraising event in an exclusive interview on May 9th, the chairman of the Georgia chapter of FOG-Global, Mr. Momo Tulay, for his part, confidently assured that all is set for a cross-section of Liberians to have an exciting encounter with the next President of Liberia during the event.

He said the Saturday fundraiser will be preceded by a “meet and greet” event on Friday evening, which will be spearheaded by the United Nimba Citizens Council (UNNICO) chapter in Georgia. Speaking further, Mr. Tulay disclosed that during the Friday gathering, Nimbaians in Georgia will be formally welcoming their son—Counselor Gongloe—to the Atlanta metropolitan area and hold a tete-a-tete with him, even before he goes to the fundraiser, adding, “We’re kind of encouraging that because it will build the momentum for the event itself.”

In terms of invitees, he said his chapter has extended invitations to political as well as ethnic or regional groupings in the state of Georgia. Among them are the United Bassa Association, the Lofa County Association, United Nimba Citizens Council, Liberian churches within the community, as well as some known supporters of other political parties in Liberia residing in Georgia, who, in spite of their prior political affiliations, highly admire Counselor Gongloe and are eager to see him in person.

“We are anticipating a full house”, Mr. Tulay noted, adding that while he’s aware that many people are still sitting on the proverbial fence, with regards to the 2023 presidential election, his chapter in collaboration with the national leadership of FOG-Global, has been exerting every effort to ensure that Counselor Gongloe speaks to a cross-section of Liberians from diverse backgrounds.

Commenting on the Atlanta fundraiser during a recent appearance on the FOCUS ON LIBERIA television news magazine, the Deputy Executive Director of Friends of Gongloe Global, Dr. J. Kpanneh noted that as a grassroots initiative, the Gongloe movement wants ordinary, average Liberians to actually own the campaign. As a result, he said FOG Global and its counterparts in other major cities of the U.S. will be having a series of fundraisers as a means of giving opportunities to ordinary Liberians “to support a candidate who is all about good governance, human rights” and all the best practices in public service that can engender national development.

Dr. Doe maintained that the Gongloe movement is deliberately parting ways with the notorious tradition in Liberian politics, whereby in the past those who had excessively stolen public funds would go about throwing huge chunks of their stolen money here and there as a bait “to buy people out.”

Meanwhile, Dr. Doe is appealing to fellow compatriots who are equally concerned about the negative direction of the country to join the Gongloe movement in order to help effect a positive change. “Let’s not sit on the fence anymore; let’s do something to change the generational trajectory”, he emphasized, adding that Liberian youth were bearing the brunt of the ongoing socio-economic quagmire that is plaguing the country.

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Chakwera’s Mozambique visit starts bearing fruits as rail transport on Nacala Corridor resumes

admin — Sat, 18 Jun 2022 22:00:02 +0000

Chakwera’s Mozambique visit starts bearing fruits as rail transport on Nacala Corridor resumes

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admin Sat, 06/18/2022 - 22:00

Thursday, June 16, 2022

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Chakwera’s Mozambique visit starts bearing fruits as rail transport on Nacala C…

The recent visit of Malawi President Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera to neighbouring Mozambique has started bearing fruits as evidenced by the landing of 500, 000 litres of petroleum in Malawi through the Mozambican port of Nacala. Apparently, Chakwera has been fighting for the resumption of the railway lines linking Malawi to both Nacala and Beira […]

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What Nigeria must do to address security challenges – U.S.

admin — Sat, 18 Jun 2022 16:20:01 +0000

What Nigeria must do to address security challenges – U.S.

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About Ms Nuland’s visit

Ms Nuland visited Djibouti, Mozambique, and Nigeria, between June 11 and 17, 2022.

In Djibouti, with an interagency team, she met with government counterparts to advance U.S.-Djibouti relations and close security cooperation.

In Mozambique, she also met with government and civil society members to discuss the full range of bilateral and regional issues, including opportunities to advance stability and economic recovery in conflict-affected areas in support of a new partnership under the U.S. Strategy to Prevent Conflict and Promote Stability.

Ms Nuland was sworn-in as Under Secretary for Political Affairs in April, 2021. Prior to that, she was Senior Counselor at the Albright Stonebridge Group, a global strategic advisory and commercial diplomacy firm based in Washington DC.

She was also a non-resident Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution, Distinguished Practitioner in Grand Strategy at Yale University, and a Member of the Board of the National Endowment for Democracy.

With 33 year as a U.S. diplomat, she served as Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs from September 2013 until January 2017 under President Obama.

She was State Department spokesperson during Secretary Hillary Clinton’s tenure, and U.S. Ambassador to NATO during President George W. Bush’s second term, 2005-2008.

Ms Nuland served as Special Envoy and chief negotiator on the Treaty on Conventional Arms Control in Europe from 2010-2011, and as Deputy National Security Advisor to Vice President Cheney from 2003-2005. In addition to two tours at NATO in Brussels, she has served overseas in Russia, China and Mongolia, and in various assignments at the State Department in Washington.

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Nacala Logistics halt passenger train operations

admin — Thu, 24 Feb 2022 03:00:01 +0000

Nacala Logistics halt passenger train operations

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admin Thu, 02/24/2022 - 03:00

Wednesday, February 9, 2022

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Nacala Logistics halt passenger train operations

A railway company called Nacala Logistics has suspended its passenger train service for close to six months due to the washing away of Mauzi Bridge in Zomba. The company has a fleet of passenger trains that operate from Limbe through Nkaya in Balaka to Nayuchi in Machinga. Mauzi Bridge has been washed away as a […]

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Liberia: Poverty, Food Insecurity Were Extreme in 2021 – World Bank Economic Update on Liberia Reveal

admin — Wed, 23 Feb 2022 04:10:01 +0000

Liberia: Poverty, Food Insecurity Were Extreme in 2021 – World Bank Economic Update on Liberia Reveal

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admin Wed, 02/23/2022 - 04:10

Wednesday, January 26, 2022

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Liberia: Poverty, Food Insecurity Were Extreme in 2021 – World Bank Economic Up…

MONROVIA – In his 5th Annual Message to the 54th Annual Legislature, President George Weah painted blossom picture of the country’s 2021 economy. He told the Legislators and the nation in the presence of members of the diplomatic corps that he has managed to keep the economy stable and expanded it by 3.6 percent – a nominal value of US$300 million in 2021.

The 3.6 percent growth of the economy in 2021 was an improvement from the -3 percent in 2020 as that year was heavily struck by the coronavirus pandemic. Inflation was reduced to less than 6 percent in November 2021, from 13.1 percent in December 2020.

The improvements in the economic performance were due to improvements in the coordination between monetary and fiscal policies with the aid of the International Monetary Fund’s support to the Central Bank of Liberia.

“We have remained committed to the independence and autonomy of the Central Bank of Liberia in support of economic reforms for a stable economy. Although the year under review was challenging for the economy, my Government was fully supportive of policy implementations from the CBL that have kept the recovery of our economy on course,” Pres. Weah said.

He also outlined that during the year under review, his administration was successful in increasing the gross international reserves of Liberia to more than US$600 million, representing more than 4 months of import of goods and services in compliance with ECOWAS convergence target.

“Based on the sound management and good performance of our economy, Liberia received $345.3 million US dollars in August 2021 under the general Special Drawing Rights allocation to IMF members,” he said.

However, a study of the second edition of the Economic Update of Liberia released last November by the World Bank, it is clear that most of these positives in the economy are not directly impacting the ordinary citizens. Liberians, according to the Economic update, remain the second poorest people in West Africa. The first being Guinea Bissau.

According to the report, despite the recovery and lower inflation, extreme poverty in Liberia increased in 2021 but at a lower pace than in 2019 and 2020.

The Economic Update cited the High Frequency Phone Monitoring Survey report launched in August 2020, which indicates that two out of three households in Liberia are food insecure, three out of four households reported job losses, and two out of three households reported income losses because of COVID-19.

According to World Bank Group projections, the prevalence of extreme poverty has increased since the Ebola epidemic in 2014 and is estimated at 51.0 percent in 2020 (up from 38.6 percent in 2014). On average, 81.9 percent of the households interviewed in round 6 of the COVID-19 High Frequency Phone Monitoring Survey indicated that they were worried about not having enough food to eat, while 27.2 percent effectively ran out of food.

The report, among other things, indicated that most Liberians lack access to good jobs that provide sustainable earnings. Three out of four of those in the labor force are self-employed in agriculture (36 percent of all employment) or nonagricultural activities (almost 40 percent). Only 20 percent of workers are in wage employment, which tends to provide higher and more stable earnings.

The Economic Update also revealed that the Liberian government spends more than the average in Sub-Saharan Africa and countries with similar GNI per capita

It explained that Capital expenditure is higher in Liberia than in comparator countries at similar levels of development. Capital expenditure amounted to 10.2 percent of GDP over 2017–2020, a share much higher than in Guinea Bissau (0.5 percent), Madagascar (3.7 percent), Mozambique (4.4 percent), Malawi (5.3 percent), Burkina Faso (7.0 percent), or Mali (8.0 percent). The countries with similar levels of capital expenditure (to GDP) are Rwanda (10.3 percent) and Togo (11.9 percent). Capital expenditure is also higher in Liberia than in neighboring countries. Over the period 2017–2020, capital spending amounted to 6.8 percent of GDP in Sierra Leone, 4.9 percent of GDP in Côte d’Ivoire, 4.7 percent of GDP in Guinea, and only 2.0 percent of GDP in Ghana.

Similarly, while capital expenditure represented 31.8 percent of total expenditure in Liberia in the last four years (2017–2020), that share was 30.9 percent in Sierra Leone, 28.9 percent in Guinea, 26.4 percent in Côte d’Ivoire, and 9.3 percent in Ghana.

Liberia’s investment spending is less efficient and its capital stock lower than in comparator countries. Although Liberia spends more on public investment as a share of GDP than countries in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and Sub-Sahara Africa in general, its overall capital stock is estimated to be lower than that of ECOWAS comparators, according to the IMF’s Public Investment Management Assessment (PIMA) report.

The Government of Liberia makes no saving and contributes little to the financing of its own public investment, the report revealed.

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New report on COVID-19 in Africa shows widespread willingness to get vaccinated, underscoring need for consistent supply and additional logistical support

admin — Tue, 22 Feb 2022 17:00:01 +0000

New report on COVID-19 in Africa shows widespread willingness to get vaccinated, underscoring need for consistent supply and additional logistical support

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admin Tue, 02/22/2022 - 17:00

Friday, December 17, 2021

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New report on COVID-19 in Africa shows widespread willingness to get vaccinated…

Individual COVID-19 preventive measures, such as handwashing and wearing masks, mark the path forward in protecting people while vaccine efforts scale up

NEW YORK, 17th December 2021 -/African Media Agency(AMA)/- As the Omicron variant dominates the COVID-19 news cycle, new research from the Partnership for Evidence-Based Response to COVID-19 (PERC) indicates that people in African Union Member States are overwhelmingly willing to get vaccinated. Across 19 countries, 78% of people surveyed by PERC indicated that they had been or were willing to get vaccinated.

However, as of November 2021, less than 7% of the African continent has been vaccinated. This gap between acceptance and coverage demonstrates a substantial unmet need and underscores the importance of consistent and predictable vaccine supply as well as increased support for vaccination programs in Africa. The latest PERC report considers why global vaccination efforts have been plagued by inequity, as well as the logistical challenges to vaccinating the African continent. The report further outlines the continued importance of preventive measures—particularly individual measures such as masking and social distancing—that minimize the social or economic harm that can occur when mobility, economic and social gathering restrictions are imposed.

“We must work urgently toward equitable access to safe and effective vaccines on the African continent,” said Dr. John Nkengasong, Director of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. “The PERC data show that demand for vaccines is substantially higher than supply.”

At 78%, vaccine acceptance was higher than in the previous PERC survey fielded earlier this year (67%), which may indicate the success of risk communication campaigns. In five surveyed countries—Guinea, Morocco, Mozambique, Tunisia and Zimbabwe—acceptance was 90% or higher. Vaccine acceptance was high among both those who trusted their government’s pandemic response and those who felt COVID-19 posed a personal risk to them or to their country. Such high acceptance contradicts media reports suggesting that low vaccination rates across Africa are due to hesitancy.

Among the 20% of respondents who expressed vaccine hesitancy, the top reasons were: low risk perception (24%), not having enough information about vaccines (22%) and lack of trust in government (17%). The reasons for low risk perception are complex, but officials can take concrete action to address them. Offering more and better information to people about COVID-19 and vaccines through trusted sources, particularly health care providers, coupled with consistent and reliable vaccine supply, can further increase acceptance. Respondents’ top information sources included local health centers, television and radio.

A number of bottlenecks have contributed to the failure to achieve higher vaccination coverage. Unpredictable supply—in terms of volume, timing and shelf life—threatens countries’ ability to meet demand. When offered, vaccination is frequently inconvenient, requiring people to travel far distances or visit vaccination sites at inopportune times.

“I am heartened by the efforts of the African Vaccine Acquisition Trust (AVAT) and the COVAX facility to expand vaccine access,” said Amanda McClelland, Senior Vice President of Prevent Epidemics at Resolve to Save Lives, an initiative of Vital Strategies. “But there is still work to do. Vaccine donations sent too close to expiry dates, for example, leave countries unable to launch effective vaccination campaigns.”

COVID-19 preventive measures remain crucial to mitigate the health impact of the virus. PERC researchers analyzed what influences support for and adherence to such measures and found that individual actions—handwashing, mask-wearing and social distancing—all garnered support from at least 90% of survey respondents. Such high support suggests that these key measures can continue to be effective strategies for reducing COVID-19 transmission.

Preventive measures restricting gathering or movement received less support. Unemployment and food insecurity were widespread among survey respondents and made adherence to restrictive community measures a challenge. PERC researchers concluded that such measures should be targeted to specific, high-risk populations as needed to minimize harm.

Income loss also may have had an adverse impact on access to essential health services. Cost and affordability were cited as the primary obstacles to receiving care. Declines in the number of health visits have likely contributed to declines across key health indicators. PERC researchers advocate for urgent investment to stabilize health systems and regain progress lost during the pandemic.

“The PERC data enable policymakers to both save lives and minimize impacts on livelihoods,” said Dr. Tom Frieden, President and CEO of Resolve to Save Lives, an initiative of Vital Strategies. “The global community has an opportunity to invest in health care workers and public health infrastructure to support vaccine delivery and COVID-19 care and prevention in the near term, and also repair and restore health service delivery disrupted by COVID-19 for the long term.”

Based on their findings, PERC authors recommend:

· The global community should support AU Member States in supplying vaccines at a better coordinated and more systematic pace to allow broader, more effective and equitable distribution. Resources and expertise to support vaccine delivery must be part of the supply machinery to ensure coverage.

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Mozambique looks to revive gas deals stalled by unrest

admin — Mon, 21 Feb 2022 04:00:01 +0000

Mozambique looks to revive gas deals stalled by unrest

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admin Mon, 02/21/2022 - 04:00

Wednesday, February 2, 2022

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Mozambique looks to revive gas deals stalled by unrest

By AFP

Global energy giants were quick to halt their Mozambican gas projects when jihadist violence erupted on their doorsteps. After months of calm, reviving those multi-billion-dollar projects is a much slower job.

TotalEnergies CEO Patrick Pouyanne visited Maputo on Monday, saying he was optimistic about the $20-billion project.

“A lot of progress has been done, let me be clear,” Pouyanne said, but added more work was needed to ensure lasting peace.

“Security is not only a matter of armed forces,” he said. “It’s also a question to work together with the population.”

Vast natural gas deposits were discovered in the northern province of Cabo Delgado in 2010, the largest ever found south of the Sahara. Once tapped, Mozambique could become one of the world’s 10 biggest exporters.

© Kun TIAN Map of Mozambique locating the province of Cabo Delgado and the city of Palma

Since then, the Muslim-majority province has attracted three mega-projects: TotalEnergies’ Mozambique LNG; ExxonMobile’s Rovuma LNG; and ENI’s Coral-Sul FLNG.

But in late 2017, armed insurgents began launching raids in the region, located near the Tanzanian border. Jihadists committed a series of beheadings and torched entire villages, claiming allegiance to the Islamic State.

Since then, 3,500 people have been killed, and 820,000 have fled their homes.

– Safety offshore –

Last March, insurgents made a surprise attack on the coastal town of Palma, the gas-hub near the TotalEnergies project, which the company promptly suspended.

“TotalEnergies should return this year, if it’s going to meet its 2026 production goal,” said Borges Nhamirre, a Maputo-based researcher for the Institute of Security Studies.

Of the three projects, only ENI’s is on track. The Italian company’s LNG facility is entirely offshore. ENI told AFP that it’s set to begin production in the second half of 2022.

Coral Sul, the first floating LNG facility deployed in deep waters off Africa, arrived in Mozambique in early January. Once operational, it can produce 3.4 million tonnes of LNG a year.

With its 6.2-billion-euro investment, ENI said simply: “We continue to monitor security developments in the Cabo Delgado region and work closely with the government on this matter.”

Experts say the offshore facility poses fewer security risks. Nhamirre pointed out that “in four years of violence, there hasn’t been a single attack at sea, except for a few raids on fishermen near the coast.”

The ExxonMobil project is at a standstill. Once expected to produce 15.2 million tonnes of LNG a year, the company doesn’t seem ready to move ahead until the security improves.

– Future windfall –

“Maputo is determined to have this project,” said Alexandre Raymakers, from the risk consultancy Verisk Maplecroft. “They need the revenue. We’re talling about 35-60 billion dollars”.

Mozambique’s entire GDP is only $13 billion.

For the last six months, Mozambique’s military has relied on 3,000 foreign troops sent by Rwanda and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) regional bloc.

The mission is officially open-ended, but Raymakers said “it’s unlikely to last longer than 12 months due to SADC’s limited ability to fund the mission.”

“It’s not about the number of troops they have on the ground,” he said. “They have limited air cover, few helicopters.”

And the insurgents have already adapated to the foreign forces, retreating to neighbouring Niassa province, which is now the rear base for their guerrilla attacks.

In January, the non-profit Acled documented about 30 attacks.

Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi claims progress in his anti-insurgent campaign.

But observers say the problem is more than military.

Cabo Delgado is about 2,000 kilometres (1,200 miles) north of Maputo, and is one of the poorest parts of a very poor country.

The lack of investment in infrastructure or opportunities for the youth make it easy for insurgents to find new followers.

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Liberia: Infectious Disease Scientist, Dr. Dougbeh Chris Nyan Gets Award for Public Healthcare Innovation

admin — Fri, 10 Dec 2021 23:30:01 +0000

Liberia: Infectious Disease Scientist, Dr. Dougbeh Chris Nyan Gets Award for Public Healthcare Innovation

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admin Fri, 12/10/2021 - 23:30

Wednesday, November 24, 2021

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Liberia: Infectious Disease Scientist, Dr. Dougbeh Chris Nyan Gets Award for Pu…

WASHINGTON, DC – At an event held in College Park, Maryland over the weekend at the University of Maryland, infectious disease scientist and social activist, Dr. Dougbeh Chris Nyan, was awarded the first ever Manevia Leadership African Award in Public Healthcare Innovation for 2021 (MALA 2021).

Dr. Nyan has made numerous contributions to Africa and the world through his work in medicine science, public health, technology in diagnostics within the context of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal (SDG-3) for health and well-being – advocating for Africa to produce her own testing kits and vaccines for coronavirus and other diseases instead of depending on donations.

“We are pleased to recognize the many impactful contributions you [Dr. Nyan] have made in saving lives during the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, your fight against the present global COVID-19 Pandemic, and also in fighting for social justice,” Sam Wantoe, the award presenter added.

The Manevia African Leadership Award was established in line with United Nations principles to recognized and celebrate African innovators who are working tirelessly in their fields to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), thus transforming society for national and continental growth and development.

In fighting the present pandemic, Dr. Nyan has conducted numerous COVID-19 vaccination awareness in Liberia and other African countries including pandemic response activities in diagnostics, public awareness, and vaccination along with other colleagues in the US and Africa through the Diaspora COVID-19 Focus Group and the Maryland Medical Responds Corps.

Several others including innovators from Sierra Leone, Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria also received awards.

Nigerian activist, Omotunla Faawumi, who fights against human trafficking in Africa, took home Emerging Female Leadership Award for her fight for human rights, while Dr. Dubem Gbujie an environmental activist from Nigeria won the award for Innovation in Climate Change.

Tete Ruth Farkollie, a young activist and innovative Liberian entrepreneur received an award for promoting African-style interior decoration and promoting SDGs to ensure quality and equal opportunities for education for all, gender equality, peace and justice.

Child Rights advocates, economic freedom fighters and community leaders including Satta Sirleaf, Darlington Collins, Musa Willie, Joe Wilson, among others took home awards for their work in community organizations, good governance, and rights advocacy.

In his acceptance remark, Dr. Nyan, the NIH-trained infectious diseases scientist emphasized that “my time will continue to be devoted to providing the best of services in medicine, science and technology to the African continent and the world,” adding that, “science, medicine and technology should be used to move Africa on the path of progress.”

Dr. Nyan, who is also a social activist, commented that, “I have dedicated myself to the advocacy for youth, women’s causes, environmental causes and advocacy for science medicine and innovation; I appreciate this award and identify with all of you young activists for your dedication and courage in your advocacy for positive change and transformation in our societies.”

In advocating for democracy and good governance in Africa, Dr. Nyan stressed the “need to bridge the generational gap as we engage the politics of our respective African countries and continent so as to move the continent on the path of progress.”

The Chief Medical and Scientific Officer of Shufflex Biomed, Dr. Nyan, is the inventor of the rapid multiplex diagnostic test for infectious diseases (the Nyan-Test). The Nyan-Test can detect about 3-7 infections and simultaneously identify them in less than an hour. He was awarded a US patent for his invention and recognized last year by the 2020 German-Berlin Science Week.

Dr. Nyan has received other awards and recognitions including the 2017 African Innovation Award Special Prize for Social Impact and the Humane Order for African Redemption in 2016 when he served as National Orator of the Liberia’s 169 Independence Commemoration.

The post Liberia: Infectious Disease Scientist, Dr. Dougbeh Chris Nyan Gets Award for Public Healthcare Innovation appeared first on FrontPageAfrica.

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Mthuli Ncube‘s Upper Middle Income Economy Targets A Pipedream: Expert

admin — Fri, 10 Dec 2021 14:30:01 +0000

Mthuli Ncube‘s Upper Middle Income Economy Targets A Pipedream: Expert

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admin Fri, 12/10/2021 - 14:30

Wednesday, December 1, 2021

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Mthuli Ncube‘s Upper Middle Income Economy Targets A Pipedream: Expert

By Alois Vinga

A TOP economic expert has warned targets set by Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube to establish an upper-middle income economy by 2030 are now highly unachievable after the failure to sustain a yearly growth trajectory.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration plans to achieve Vision 2030 on the basis of implementing sound economic transformative policies.

However, speaking to NewZimbabwe.com Business on the sidelines of the Zimbabwe Coalition on Debt and Development post 2022 budget analysis this week, Prosper Chitambara said achieving the status may be a pipedream considering the slow economic recovery progress registered so far.

“The economic growth rates have been erratic, and the worst part is that even at the peak, Zimbabwe has never matched economic growth with job creation,” he said.

“For the upper-middle status to be achieved, we needed to sustainably record growth at 10% annum but unfortunately, in the last two years, the growth has been negative. This year, growth projections are at 7,8%. So, we are already off-course.”

The economist also decried the levels of economic investment, which he said do not match up the required growth appetite in line with set targets.

“Current investment levels as a percentage of the Gross Domestic Product stand at between 7% to 9%, which has been the trend for the last five years. To achieve our set targets, we will need to up this figure to 25% ratio against GDP.

“Unlike countries such as China where per every US$1 earned, 45 cents goes towards investment. However, in Zimbabwe we only manage to invest 9 cents per every US$1 earned.

“The worst part is that the investment goes towards our own infrastructure,” he said.

Chitambara added the annual inflation rate as at November 2021 was 58,4% up from 54,49% in October.

“In Zambia, annual inflation rate for October 2021 was 21.1%; in Botswana annual inflation rate for October 2021 was 8.8%; in South Africa annual inflation rate for October 2021 was 5.0%; in Malawi annual inflation rate for October 2021 was 9.0%; in Namibia annual inflation rate for October 2021 was 3.6%; and in Mozambique annual inflation rate for October 2021 was 6.24% making Zimbabwe less competitive.”

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President Mwinyi outlines plans to make Zanzibar transportation hub

admin — Thu, 09 Dec 2021 23:10:01 +0000

President Mwinyi outlines plans to make Zanzibar transportation hub

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admin Thu, 12/09/2021 - 23:10

Saturday, December 4, 2021

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The Citizen

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President Mwinyi outlines plans to make Zanzibar transportation hub

Dar es Salaam. The President of Zanzibar, Dr Hussein Ali Mwinyi, has outlined plans to construct the Manga Pwani Port that is expected to be the continent’s transportation hub.
He said investment and completion of the project will reduce costs of transporting cargo from different parts of the world and increase their levels of competitiveness.
The auspicious Islands of Zanzibar Head of State said the government has started looking for investors in the project constituting the six sectors forming the blue economy.
He said Singapore and Dubai have made significant development steps and a vibrant economy through the port economy, hinting that the same was possible for Zanzibar.
The eighth president was speaking at the Zanzibar State House during an exclusive interview with Mwananchi Communications Limited (MCL) journalists on the government’s performance and future plans after completing a year in office.
During the interview - led by the MCL Managing Director, Mr Bakari Machumu - Dr Mwinyi said Zanzibar was blessed to have the Mwanga Pwani area that has a sea level depth that allows construction of a port that can allow large ships to dock.
According to him, the 800 metres long berth will be constructed in the area to allow the Five Generation (5G) ships carrying many containers to dock.
“Singapore and Dubai depend on the ports’ economies. Cargo passes their ports for distribution in different countries. Why shouldn’t the same take place through Zanzibar?” he wondered.
The Port of Singapore is the biggest and busiest in Southeast Asia - and the second worldwide after Shanghai.
In 2019, it carried 37.2 million twenty-foot-equivalent units (TEU containers)” about 1.6 percent more as compared to 2018.
The Maritime Port Authority (MPA) plans to build the Tuas Port that will top other ports with the capacity to handle 60 million TEU after completion in 2040.
However, the Mina Jebel Ali in Dubai is a major port, currently handling 22.4 million cargo to Asia, Middle East, Africa, and Europe.
It services ships from over 150 ports with container terminals divided into T1, T2, and T3 zones with construction plans of T4 underway.
T1 is the busiest terminal with 15 berths, 51 cranes and a nine million TEU capacity, while T2 has eight berths and 32 cranes with annual capacity to hold 6.5 million TEUs.
T3 is highly advanced, possessing semi-automatic cranes capable of processing Ultra Large Container Vessels (ULCVs).
The terminal also has five berths capable of handling 3.8 million and store over 18,000 TEUs.
The proposed T4 is expected to add 3.1 million TEUs to existing facilities.
Dr Mwinyi believes that like the ports in Singapore and Dubai the Mwanga Pwani project could turn Zanzibar a transportation hub in Africa.
“This is our plan. We have started negotiating with investors. Some of them have expressed interest in investing in the project,” he said.
According to him, investment will involve construction of tank farms that will facilitate storage of oil and gas imported from Arab countries, Singapore and Europe and later distributed to other parts of the continent.
Dr Mwinyi who was speaking confidently said the completion of the project will benefit businessmen who dig deeper now for importation of cargo to African ports such as Dar es Salaam and Beira through the use of small ships.
Tourism
Speaking on the other components of the blue economy, Dr Mwinyi said his government was attracting investment in the tourism sector, which is the mother of the blue economy.
“Investment in hotel constructions worth $250 million, $70 million, $15 million, etc., is underway. Islets have been offered for similar investment, the move that has given a good response,” he said.
He said his belief was that the tourism sector will continue performing well due to the given incentives, good business environment and market availability,” he said.
Fisheries
The Zanzibar’s president said fishermen in the Isles used poor fishing gear, getting an average of two kilogramme of fish per day that are sold at an average of Sh10,000 to Sh15,000.
“They have now been provided with boats that will increase production to 1,000 kilos (one tone) per day. Besides, investors’ attraction continues to enable Zanzibar to export processed sea products,” he said.
Oil and Gas
According to him, abundant discoveries of oil and gas have been made in Zanzibar, saying his government was now working to extract the natural resources for power generation, domestic use, etc.
Seaweed
Dr Mwinyi said government institutions including the Zanzibar Social Security Fund (ZSSF), People’s Bank of Zanzibar (PBZ) and Zanzibar Insurance Corporation (ZIC) have been advised to mobilize funds for construction of a seaweed processing factory.
“I’m told processed seaweed exports fetch Sh12,000 per kilo. This would take our seaweed farmers out of poverty, compared with the Sh500 they are paid per kilo today,” he said.

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