South Korea

Hyundai unveils refreshed SUV in Kenya in new sales drive

admin — Sun, 19 Jun 2022 07:50:01 +0000

Hyundai unveils refreshed SUV in Kenya in new sales drive

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admin Sun, 06/19/2022 - 07:50

Friday, June 17, 2022

Original Publisher

Business

Original Article

Hyundai unveils refreshed SUV in Kenya in new sales drive

What you need to know:

The auto dealer said it has longstanding financing deals with lenders like Bank of Africa to help finance customers buying its brands.
The company said it sold 35 units of Hyundai models under its dealership as at May 2022, compared to a total of 36 units sold last year.

Hyundai Motor has unveiled its upgraded top-selling Tucson sports utility vehicle in Kenya as it seeks to drive growth in the country as the economy reopens spurring demand.

Tucson, a compact SUV, is one of the South Korean automaker’s top selling vehicle in western Europe and is also one of its biggest sellers in China, the United States and South Korea, its top three markets.

The car which will retail at Sh4.9 million for the 4x2 model and Sh6.7 million for the 4x4 model will be sold in Kenya through Caetano, the local franchise holder of Hyundai.

“We are confident that the all new Tucson will exceed our customers’ expectations as it is not just an evolution but a Hyundai design revolution," said Caetano managing director Pedro Campos in a statement.

Read: Spare parts prices are a ‘bum’ deal, one way or another

The auto dealer said it has longstanding financing deals with lenders like Bank of Africa to help finance customers buying its brands.

The revamped version of Hyundai's top-selling SUV features a longer, more voluminous body than its predecessor while boasting advanced safety features such as warnings on approaching objects from the rear when a car stops.

The company said it sold 35 units of Hyundai models under its dealership as at May 2022, compared to a total of 36 units sold last year signalling sales will surpass units sold last year on the back of demand as the economy reopens, it said.

Caetano Kenya which is the local franchise holder of Hyundai and Renault cars, sells Sedan, Crater, Tucson, Santa Fe, Palisade and the recently launched Kona Electric models from Hyundai. Under the Renault collection, the dealer stocks KWID, Triber, Duster, Kangoo and Koleos models.

Read: When a tree crushed five cars

Kenya is a small market for new vehicles due to limited purchasing power, which leaves most consumers buying second hand imports from Japan.

But it has attracted investment from global automakers in recent years due to its growth potential.

Sales of new motor vehicles rose 11.7 per cent in the first quarter ended March, aided by the growing economy.

Data from the Kenya Motor Industry Association (KMI) shows that the formal dealers including Isuzu East Africa, Toyota Kenya and Simba Corporation sold 3,203 units in the review period, up from 2,867 units a year earlier.

The performance marks continued recovery in the industry, which suffered reduced sales in 2020 due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, including restriction of movement, business disruption and reduced incomes for firms and households.

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Africa

Business

Skoto Gallery as a Venue for Liberation

admin — Sat, 18 Jun 2022 09:30:01 +0000

Skoto Gallery as a Venue for Liberation

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admin Sat, 06/18/2022 - 09:30

Wednesday, February 16, 2022

Original Publisher

Art Review | Haiti Liberte

Original Article

Skoto Gallery as a Venue for Liberation

Skoto Gallery as a Venue for Liberation
Haiti Liberte

At first, you hardly realize that Skoto Gallery, nestled in Manhattan’s Chelsea art district, is a space of resistance against neocolonial oppression. But as you reacquaint yourself with the many well executed works presented on its walls over the years, the words “Exprimez-vous!” (Express yourself!) echo in your head. This was the peremptory command reminding you, even when away from your school bench, that you had to “express” yourself in the Master’s tongue. So, it now becomes evident to you through this conflation of art and language mastery that the gallery, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary, has been contesting Western dominance since its founding in SoHo back in 1992 through its re-presentations of the would-be universalist lingo of modernist art.

What are you to make of its preoccupations, rarefied and indulgent as they might be, vis-à-vis an eventual liberation from the Master’s control, you who have been lapping up for decades on still foreign soil as many new words and ideas as you could ingest?

You do recall some of the shows you’ve seen at the gallery over the years. For those you haven’t seen, you’ll simply fill in the blanks once you’ve delved into its edifying website. Although there are exceptions (South Korea and Peru, for instance), the artists shown at Skoto are mostly African-born, or hail from the African diaspora, including the United States, Europe, and the Caribbean. The predominant themes in their work are Nature, Self, and linguistic as well as socio-cultural and spiritual traditions, usually couched in modernist art styles. Aesthetically, by no means a homogeneous grouping, there are hardly among them card-carrying Duchampians, absolutist abstractionists, or irrational anarchists. Taking your cue from Jean-Jacques Dessalines’ long sidelined 1805 constitution, and simply for the purpose of this abbreviated and empowering exercise, you could say that all of the gallery’s contingent of artists, even Caucasians, are Black or African.

Indeed, Tout moun se moun! “Everyone [on Haitian soil] is a [black] person!” Encapsulated in such words, Dessalines’ relatively ultra-liberalist agenda seems pertinent.

**“Exprimez-vous!”**

Clearly, much of the art that Skoto has exhibited places due importance on formalist concerns — lines, color composition, etc. This is also evident in the press releases, without the gallery eliding its artists’ individual and socio-cultural motivations for making art. It has a soft spot for often color-rich and, especially, all-over abstract expressionist-like approaches to picture making. But a whole gamut of styles are exhibited, ranging from at times deliberately quirky (semi-) representational sculptures to forthrightly raw, lyrical, or kitschy works that often enough include readable or undecipherable texts and (photographic) images. In this ambience, one of the Master’s fancy phrases easily insinuates itself in your consciousness: “Oh, the pleasure of the text!”

Of course, contrary to how this phrase is often parroted, pleasure derived from processing a literary or visual text (from reader-spectator back to creator and vice-versa) is not a passively acquired skill and readily accessible sensation. It’s learned through study and exposure. You could acquire this rewarding ability right from the Master’s actual pronouncements or in the sanctum that are His great books, to the point where you can finish His sentences or convincingly formulate them yourself.

There’s a crucial problem, however. It’s the Master’s ears, or those of arbiters more or less formatted by Him, who can best decide your degree of fluency. For it’s axiomatic that you and the Master cannot occupy simultaneously the very same (types of) space, even if you were co-conspirators. Therefore, the two of you at least potentially must be of different worlds. Besides, there’s the obvious issue of deliberate, unequal opportunities to access the Master’s immediate domain. Consequently, perhaps your ability to express and indulge in your vaunted high art and in the “pleasure of the text” — or, analogously, in the all-important panache of some of Skoto’s artists’ execution of modernist mark making — stems from what you’ve partly experienced, half-heard, half-digested outside the Master’s window as you work in the field or even in His dining room, through the clatter of His utensils as He gabs and gorges himself. So, all along you’ve had to make do with simply filling in, joining and rejoining the unheard or imagined parts of His discourse.

Caribbean

Culture

Tanzania Railways Corporation (TRC) terminates contract with Eurowagon

admin — Sat, 18 Jun 2022 04:50:01 +0000

Tanzania Railways Corporation (TRC) terminates contract with Eurowagon

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admin Sat, 06/18/2022 - 04:50

Thursday, June 16, 2022

Original Publisher

The Citizen

Original Article

Tanzania Railways Corporation (TRC) terminates contract with Eurowagon

Dar es Salaam. Tanzania Railways (TRC) has terminated its contract with Turkish company Eurowagon after failing to complete the construction of two electric train locomotives and 30 passenger carriages.

According to the agreement, the equipment was supposed to be completed in November 2021 but as Eurowagon failed to meet the contractual obligations with the first phase of the construction from Dar es Salaam to Morogoro in its final stage of construction, TRC was forced to terminate the contract on February 25,2022.

This was stated on Wednesday, June 15, 2022 by the head of the TRC liaison unit, Jamila Mbarouk while briefing the media on the various steps being taken in the construction of the Standard Gauge Railway.

She said the experimental equipment was supposed to be completed early enough to ensure that the initial operation could begin immediately after the construction was completed.

"TRC signed a short-term equipment contract for the purchase of two electric train locomotives and 30 passenger carriages that will be refurbished from Eurowagon in Turkey."

"The equipment was supposed to be completed and supplied in November last year, TRC decided to terminate the contract and notify them by letter on February 25, 2025 and continued with the task of completing the repairs at no cost and the equipment is expected to be completed by August this year," said Jamila.

She stressed that the TRC does not have a financial dispute with the Eurowagon as it met the contractual obligations to pay 35 per cent and in fulfillment of the terms of ownership of two electric trains and 30 carriages they had transferred to TRC.

The contract entitles TRC to take responsibility for finalizing the repairs as soon as the bidder fails to comply with the terms of the contract," said Jamila.

Acting director of railway infrastructure, Machibya Masanja speaking on the current standoff said the delay in passenger carriages and new train was due to the impact of Uviko19.

"We are not an island in relation to other countries where the wagons are produced. There have been challenges and one of the effects went to the production of the wagons. Various efforts are being made to contact the bidder to ensure that by August the wagons have arrived in the country," said Masanja.

The corporation has signed a contract to purchase 1430 new freight carrier from China's CRRC, 59 new passenger carriages from South Korea's Sung Shin Rolling Stock Technology Limited, 10 new sets of 80 modern trains and 17 electric locomotives from Hyundai Rotem of South Korea worth Sh1.18 Trillion.

Africa

News

Global markets fall, roiled by U.S. inflation, rate adjustment fears

admin — Sat, 18 Jun 2022 03:50:01 +0000

Global markets fall, roiled by U.S. inflation, rate adjustment fears

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admin Sat, 06/18/2022 - 03:50

Monday, June 13, 2022

Original Publisher

Business - Premium Times Nigeria

Original Article

Global markets fall, roiled by U.S. inflation, rate adjustment fears

Global markets tanked on Monday with the dollar touching its peak in two decades as high U.S. inflation data stoked concerns that central banks will further raise rates.

At 5.20 am ET, U.S. Dow Jones futures fell 1.9 per cent, while S&P 500 futures slipped by about 2.3 per cent. Nasdaq futures slid 2.9 per cent.

The U.S. consumer price index quickened by 8.6 per cent last month, strengthening the possibility that the Federal Reserve could take an aggressive approach to tame price increases.

The weight of the plunge was heaviest in Asia, where Japan’s Nikkei dropped 3 per cent and the yen plummeted to the weakest level in over 20 years. It has declined steeply in recent months on account of a strong dollar and steeply loose monetary policy in the East Asian nation.

On Friday, the Japanese central bank and government had released a joint statement warning of dramatic slide in the currency, implying a possible meddling aimed at arresting the dive by Tokyo.

Apart from the yen, Asian currencies like the Indian rupee also crashed to a record low of 78.2 against the greenback in early trade.

So also did Hong Kong’s Hang Seng which saw a pullback of 3.4 per cent while South Korea’s Kospi cringed by 3.5 per cent and China’s Shanghai Composite by 0.9 per cent.

In Europe, France’s CAC 40 eased by 2.5 per cent in early trade, while Germany’s DAX 30 was 2.3 per cent weaker. The FTSE 100 decelerated by 1.8 per cent as the British pound slumped to $1.22 after fresh data revealed the UK economy shrinking by for the second quarter in a row in April.

“The hangover from Friday’s US CPI data isn’t helped by concern about China walking back some of its economic reopening, or more dire economic data in the UK,” Societe Generale strategist Kit Juckes said in a research note.

In Thursday, authorities in Beijing’s biggest district Chaoyang declared closure of entertainment centres days after allowing them to reopen, as the country’s Covid resurgence appears to worsen.

Africa

Business

Kenya embassy budget cuts hit London hardest

admin — Tue, 15 Feb 2022 05:20:01 +0000

Kenya embassy budget cuts hit London hardest

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admin Tue, 02/15/2022 - 05:20

Wednesday, February 9, 2022

Original Publisher

Business

Original Article

Kenya embassy budget cuts hit London hardest

The Kenyan High Commission in London is the biggest loser in a budget review that seeks to slash expenditure for upgrading ageing office blocks for foreign missions and parent Foreign Affairs ministry by Sh500 million.

In the Supplementary Budget before the National Assembly, the Treasury has reduced expenditure for purchase of office block for an embassy in London by a third to Sh670 million from Sh1 billion approved last June.

Purchase of the chancery in London is part of a gradual shift by the Foreign Affairs ministry from renting property for Kenya’s foreign missions to ownership in a bid to cut the cost of rent estimated at Sh3 billion a year.

Deplorable state

Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Macharia Kamau told lawmakers in a past engagement that most of the government-owned properties in missions abroad are old, having been acquired in the early years of Kenya’s independence.

Audit reports have cited embassies in London, Washington, New York (UN), Canada, Russia, Australia, Geneva, Japan, China, South Korea, and the Los Angeles consulate to be in a deplorable state and in dire need of an uplift.

The bad state of some of the missions has forced Kenya to lease space to accommodate the diplomatic officials.

The proposed downward review shows the budget for upgrading and renovation of the ambassador’s residence in London has also been reduced by half to Sh20 million.

Expenditure for the renovation of Kenya’s property in Ethiopia has also been cut by Sh5.18 million to Sh29.82 million, while that for Lusaka and Kinshasa have been slashed by half each to Sh5 million.

Frosty relationship

The budget for construction of the office block in Mogadishu — which has had a frosty relationship with Nairobi because of a long-standing maritime territorial dispute — has also been halved to Sh14.82 million.

The Treasury has, however, increased the budget for renovating Kenya’s properties in New York by Sh30 million to Sh200 million in estimates waiting MPs nod.

Mr Kamau had in 2020 told Parliament that the plan to acquire new properties for foreign missions will be spread over years, explaining that the shift will cut the country’s annual rental costs.

[email protected]

Africa

Business

CHTA’s grand in-person conference coming

admin — Sat, 11 Dec 2021 11:20:01 +0000

CHTA’s grand in-person conference coming

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admin Sat, 12/11/2021 - 11:20

Thursday, December 2, 2021

Original Publisher

Business – Barbados Today

Original Article

CHTA’s grand in-person conference coming

The Caribbean is preparing to stage one of its largest tourism conventions, and it will be an in-person event, the first such regional conference since the COVID-19 pandemic struck in the first quarter of 2020.

Barbados and the Caribbean have lost another stalwart in the hotel and tourism industry with the passing of the former General Manager of the Sandy Lane Hotel and former President of the Barbados Hotel Association (now Barbados Hotel and Tourism Association), Richard Williams.

Williams was highly respected for his work in the luxury hotel industry with a focus on independent properties across the Caribbean region. Among his accomplishments, “He led the team in executing the US$500 million planning and redesign of the Sandy Lane Hotel in Barbados.

“In 2004, he successfully led the tourism bid for Barbados to host the finals of the Cricket World Cup in 2007 following which, he was appointed to the Barbados Tourism Authority (BTA) [now Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc.] with responsibility for the Americas in New York where he re-positioned the destination and orchestrated an additional 70,000 air seats per year from the US market.”

He received his education at the UWI Cave Hill Campus and Cornell University in New York and had a long affiliation with the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) based in Miami.

He won that organisation’s prestigious Caribbean Hotelier of the Year Award and in recognition of his commitment to tourism, he was awarded the Silver Crown of Merit by the Barbados Government. He was also recognised as “One of the Top 25 Marketing Minds” in the Americas by the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI).

The Barbados Hotel and Tourism Association remembered Williams as a “’Tourism practitioner extraordinaire’, whose energetic and high-spirited personality inspired many who met him.
He was truly an international tourism icon whose passion and commitment to the global tourism industry was evidenced by his numerous contributions whether locally, regionally, or internationally.

“While Richard’s affection and love for tourism was evident and undeniable, the warmth, friendliness and hospitable nature of this gentleman conveyed his respect, professionalism, and humanity. He readily offered advice and would also volunteer to assist
with activities.
He was not simply prepared to talk but was willing to actively get involved in the work which needed to be undertaken. We will miss Richard, his effervescent personality, his infectious smile and his wit, which provided laughter on numerous occasions.”

Meanwhile, President of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association, Nicola Madden-Greig, lauded his volunteer service to CHTA during which he contributed to the shape and design of Caribbean Marketplace, the Caribbean Gold Book and CHARMS (Caribbean Hotel Association Reservation Management Service).

“Richard had a tremendous influence on many seasoned as well as new players in the industry. He will always be remembered for his ability to seamlessly and selflessly share his insights and knowledge with others,” the Jamaican hotelier remarked.

Vanessa Ledesma, Acting CEO and Director General of CHTA, added that Williams was a distinguished champion of ensuring the region’s major economic driver was also a responsible steward of the Caribbean environment: “He was a devoted proponent of responsible tourism and headed CAST (Caribbean Alliance for Sustainable Tourism), an initiative of CHTA which provides tourism enterprises with sustainability resources, best practices and provides support for the advocacy of sustainable advances within the hotel and tourism sector of the Caribbean.

“Richard was a tireless advocate of the work of CHTA and Caribbean tourism. He always made himself available to support the important mandate of our organisaation. His insight and intelligence will be sorely missed,” Ledesma reflected. (DH/PR)

The Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) recently announced plans to stage the 40th edition of the Caribbean Travel Marketplace (CTM) in April-May
next year.

HTA’s chairman for Caribbean Tourism Market, Karen Whitt, said the event features the region’s buyers and sellers of tourism products, goods, and services. A host country is still to be named.

Most Caribbean destinations are still facing another wave of the COVID-19 pandemic infections, with the Delta variant responsible for the upsurge in cases.

Due to COVID-19-related travel and meeting concerns, the CHTA disclosed that more than 6, 000 meetings were held virtually over three days during Marketplace earlier this year, giving buyers from 20 countries the chance to connect with suppliers representing more than 150 Caribbean hotels and tourism-related businesses.

The fully virtual CTM 39 included buyers from Austria, The Bahamas, Belgium, Canada, France, India, Italy, Mexico, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, South Korea, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

According to a CHTA statement: “In preparation for CTM 40, CHTA is setting up focus groups with CHTA members, the association’s executive committee, and tourism buyers to determine the form and function of the next conference and to ensure the broadest benefits for all attendees.

“Also, under review will be widening the diversity of offerings as well as including the travel agent community and attracting more small properties to join the traditional CTM mix of boutiques and big brands.

“Dealing with the pandemic and its many effects on hospitality and tourism is high on the focus group agenda to ensure CHTA members are equipped with the best guidance going forward.”

Caribbean

Business

Liberia: Finance Minister Samuel Tweah Outlines Issues Affecting Investments in Africa at CHOIESUL FORUM

admin — Sat, 11 Dec 2021 09:50:01 +0000

Liberia: Finance Minister Samuel Tweah Outlines Issues Affecting Investments in Africa at CHOIESUL FORUM

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admin Sat, 12/11/2021 - 09:50

Wednesday, November 24, 2021

Original Publisher

Business – FrontPageAfrica

Original Article

Liberia: Finance Minister Samuel Tweah Outlines Issues Affecting Investments in…

NICE, France — Finance Minister Samuel Tweah was among four speakers chosen to open the CHOIESUL FORUM.

The Choiseul Africa Business Forum, a place of cross-fertilization, aims to give key for analysing the growth-generating sectors in Africa and gather, on an interactive mode, African and European leaders to develop a collective intelligence and to contribute to the opening of new scopes of partnerships with the continent.

Speaking to investors Min. Tweah made a compelling case for Africa and Liberia, to thunderous applause from the audience.

He argued that investment challenges in Africa are far more than business climate issues. He argued they are also geopolitical. Geopolitical intetest in Africa from big powers can catalyze investment flows to Africa. He noted that this happened for South Korea which received from the US some USD 2.5 billion in the 50’s, an amount that was equal to what the World Bank lent to all countries in the same year.

Minister Tweah noted that Africa has also received only 3 percent of OFFICIAL DEVLOPMENT ASSISTANCE since 1960, wondering if Africa is receiving such paltry amount where has aid been going, with the audience bursting in applause.

He further argued that AFRICA’S share of PPPis small and is concentrated in only 7 countries, saying that if investors went by that statistics, they would be investing in only 7 countries.

For Liberia, the minister presented Liberia as a commodity dependent country which rises and falls with the ups and downs of commodity prices of iron ore and rubber. He invited investors at the Forum to invest in value addition in Liberia as a way of stabilizing and growing the Liberian economy.

The Minister made the case for RUBBER and OIL PALM. He noted that just by adding a small 30 percent value to LIBERIAN RUBBER an investor can experience huge profit margins over current price levels.

Minister Tweah also touted the VIA RESERVOIR PROJECT as the FLAGSHIP CARBON SAVING RENEWABLE ENERGY PROJECT in the Energy sector, with the potential of producing as high as 800 megawatt of electricity. With the CLSG lines running through Cote d’ivoire Liberia Sierra Leone and and Guinea, the Mininier noted that investors should take a look at the feasibility report of this investment.

Minister Tweah informed investors that the Government of Liberia is moving toward a National switch in the digital space, an outcome that will provide boost for the digital economy. He invited digital companies and investors to follow this development.

Minister Tweah touted the recent macroeconomic. performance of Liberia as outstanding, describing the drop in inflation from 31 percent to 6 percent as arguably one of the greatest inflation collapses in history.

He noted that France and developed countries are taking a new look at Liberia on account of the strong policy decisions of the Government of President George Manneh Weah.

He described efforts to reform the Liberian business climate and the Judicial Conference led by Chief Justice Francis Korkpor.

Minister Tweah presented Liberia as having the most generous incentive regime in Africa for investors.

Prior to coming to NICE, MINISTER TWEAH held meetings with 10 companies in PARIS, who are looking to find opportunities in Liberia.

Minister Tweah returns to Liberia on Sunday where he is expect to join discussion on the national budget which is currently before the National Legislature.

The post Liberia: Finance Minister Samuel Tweah Outlines Issues Affecting Investments in Africa at CHOIESUL FORUM appeared first on FrontPageAfrica.

Africa

Business

Why Diaspora Liberians Matter

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

Why Diaspora Liberians Matter

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

Wednesday, October 27, 2021

Original Publisher

Diaspora – FrontPageAfrica

Original Article

Why Diaspora Liberians Matter

No, Liberians abroad are not internet citizens nor are they insignificant when it comes to national issues – they shape the direction of the country for good for the most part. It is even fair to say that they actively influence every crucial decision that is made in the country. Furthermore, what the diaspora is capable of bringing to Liberia is far greater than the sum of the fears some local Liberians have towards their compatriots abroad!

By Ansu Opa Dualu, angacee3@gmail.com, Contributing Writer

Apart from responsible governance, Liberia’s greatest opportunity for economic revitalization rests with its diaspora citizens! If Liberia is truly serious about its growth, it must employ every strategy to harness the capabilities of its citizens abroad, not necessary in government but specially to promote trade, increase its human capital and local investments. Given the shortages of local resources and expertise required to generate the kind of meaningful growth and revenue we need to develop, the authorities must design a master plan directed at Diaspora Liberians, like is being done with our brothers in Ghana where billions are pouring in from overseas. Liberia needs its diaspora capital, its best and brightest to help ignite a developmental revolution!

Contrary to what most Liberians who fear competition in the job market believe, enterprising Liberians abroad do not come home to take political positions; most come to create jobs and contribute to the social, cultural, political and economic innovation of the nation! The Diaspora Liberian role should not be restricted to sending remittances. They can also promote trade and foreign direct investments, spur entrepreneurship and innovation, transfer skills and knowledge, serve as the nation’s eyes and ears to the outside world, but most importantly, could drive the economic development of a country if the right local policies decisions are implemented with heightened degree of sincerity.

Moreover, increased diaspora participation in the public sphere has tremendous economic and social benefits to local operations. Their presence could also discourage corruption given that they are mostly used to doing business in a corruption-free way. There is no suggestion that these benefits are automatic, however. Citizens abroad especially those in more developed countries are in a higher socio-economic bracket when compared locally, and hence, typically oppose to doing business “under the table” and have a greater reach and more “doors” opened to them than locally based Liberians.

The presence of more affluent Liberians usually enhances every platform in the country, creates a new form of positive thinking and a higher standard of living. Nevertheless, a multifaceted government strategy targeted at diaspora efforts can magnify overall national vision like what we are seeing in Ghana, Nigeria, Rwanda, etc. These strategies can help develop networks, open new lines of communications and partnerships on both sides; encourage investments by relaxing legal and other barriers thus increasing cash flow across borders. This further institutionalizes and eases money transfers efforts through consultation with local government, lowering remittance costs and strengthening the integrity of our financial and investment systems.

Given what we know about the Liberian Diaspora especially those who live in the United States, the Liberian Government can get a whole lot more from its overseas citizens if it formulated a plan with calculated intentions to increase government intake.

What do we know? There are approximately 1.2 million Liberians and people with Liberian Heritage scattered all over the globe, with the bulk of them calling the United States home. The average Liberian in these developed locations to include Australia, United Kingdom, parts of Western Europe, and South Korea make about $40,000/year – compare this to the average $600 per capita income in Liberia!

This amount equates on average to about $24B (Twenty-four billion United States Dollars per years – 600k*40k! Note that six hundred thousand was arbitrarily chosen as an example and because not everybody works or has an income – this number could be much higher; however, this is just a conservative estimate and to give the reader an idea)! This $24B/year is twelve times our entire GDP (Gross Domestic Product – Liberia’s is roughly $2B/year). Why is the government satisfied with a pittance of $400M in remittances when compared in the grand scheme of things? Why are there zero strategy to drastically increase this amount?

The diaspora potential is huge. Although Liberia is on the high end of contributions from the diaspora given our very small economy – Liberians abroad send home about 25% of our entire GDP! The potential exists to contribute a hell of a lot more. The government just have to devise a plan to get more.

Here are some steps the Liberian Government can initial to increase remittances and diaspora investments in their country of origin:

Constitute the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs that focuses exclusively on diaspora investments, exchange of knowledge, remittances and making available what this group of Liberians has gotten accustomed to

Target skilled Liberians and incentivize them to move back home through this ministry

Grant Dual-Citizenship to people of Liberian Heritage without restrictions

Grant overseas voting privileges and attach an annual fee to maintain the privilege

Counter the malevolence towards Diaspora Liberians and make them feel at home

Diaspora

No blood for Benton

admin — Sat, 09 Oct 2021 11:10:01 +0000

No blood for Benton

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admin Sat, 10/09/2021 - 11:10

Tuesday, October 5, 2021

Original Publisher

Jamaica Observer

Original Article

No blood for Benton

DANCER Benton Morris has still not received a blood transfusion, despite many donors coming forward to assist.

The Jamaica Observer highlighted his call for donations of the rare O negative blood type a week ago to alleviate the symptoms of aplastic anaemia from which he suffers. However, since then he has not received the transfusions he requires.

"Up to Sunday I received three receipts from persons who have donated blood on my behalf, but the Blood Bank said they are not releasing anymore as I am not considered an emergency," Morris told the Observer.

The former dancer with the National Dance Theatre Company of Jamaica (NDTC), who is now a member of the international touring company of the hit Disney musical The Lion King, said he is currently trying to increase his blood count from the dangerous levels to which it plummeted two weeks ago, in order to leave the country and seek treatment.

"Right now, I'm trying to stay healthy by eating up my greens like kale and callaloo and drinking lots of beetroot juice, hoping that it will bring up by blood count. The last time I tested my levels had gone up to seven, this was up from four where they were when I got sick. But it should be at 18, so I still have a far way to go. I'm just trying to get healthy so I can fly back to Holland and get treated... I really don't understand what is happening. A friend even went to donate and they told her that they can't find me because I left the hospital. The truth is, they have been communicating with me and family members, so I really don't know. I don't," Morris said.

The Blood Bank did not get back to the Observer up to press time after being contacted.

Morris is looking forward to the transfusions in order to get well so that he can resume rehearsals for The Lion King at the end of November. The international tcompany is expected to tour South Korea at the end of the year and Morris hopes his current illness will not prevent him from making the trip.

Caribbean

Entertainment

These countries do not qualify for United States Diversity Visa program

admin — Mon, 04 Oct 2021 20:20:01 +0000

These countries do not qualify for United States Diversity Visa program admin Mon, 10/04/2021 - 20:20

Friday, October 1, 2021

Original Publisher

Local – Dominican Today

Original Article

These countries do not qualify for United States Diversity Visa program

Dominican Republic, Haiti, Venezuela, and Colombia are some of the nations that do not meet the requirements of the contest to obtain permanent residence

Santo Domingo, DR.

The United States Department of State that administers the Diversity Visa Program, better known as the “green card lottery,” issued a statement listing the countries that do not qualify to receive permanent residency through the program by 2023.

Dominican Republic, Haiti, Venezuela, Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, El Salvador, Honduras, India, Jamaica, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, South Korea, United Kingdom (except Northern Ireland), and Vietnam are the countries listed as “ineligible” to apply for the program.

According to the regulations, the native people of these countries cannot apply because more than 50,000 individuals had already emigrated to the United States in the last five years.

The Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) of 1990, which originated the program, establishes that the so-called “diversity immigrants,” people from countries with historically low rates of immigration to the United States, are those who can apply to the “lottery.”

How are they chosen?

The entity chooses those selected through a random computer algorithm. By 2023, up to 55,000 visas will be available for this concept.

The State Department distributes diversity visas among six regions worldwide, and no country can receive more than 7% of the visas available for each year.

Registration in the program is entirely free.

Apply? These are the requirements.

The first requirement is to be a native of a country with a historically low migration rate. In case you are not a native of a country that possesses this characteristic, then you could consider qualifying through the following route:

–If your spouse is a native of a country that does meet the program’s migration rate. In that case, you can claim the country of birth of your husband or wife as long as they are both listed on the selected entry and enter the United States simultaneously.

You must also complete at least a secondary education or its equivalent, qualified as “successful completion,” or two years of work experience in the past five years in an occupation that requires at least two years of training or experience to carry out.

Registration of requests

Applicants must submit program tickets electronically via dvprogram.state.gov between 12:00 noon on Wednesday, October 6, and 12:00 noon on Tuesday, November 9, 2021.

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These countries do not qualify for United States Diversity Visa program

Dominican Republic, Haiti, Venezuela, and Colombia are some of the nations that do not meet the requirements of the contest to obtain permanent residence