{jcomments on}[ La Chine a accordé à la République démocratique du Congo (RDC) un prêt de 360 millions de dollars pour la construction d’une centrale hydroélectrique à Zongo (ouest), a-t-on appris lundi auprès du ministère congolais des Finances…]
BURUNDI :
Burundi-Santé: La lèpre continue ses ravages
Santé-Burundi – Le nombre de lépreux recensés au Burundi sur les neuf premiers mois de l’année 2010 atteignait les 397 cas contre 248 notifiés en 2007, a annoncé ce dimanche à l’occasion de la Journée mondiale de lutte contre cette maladie infectieuse et physiquement handicapante, la ministre burundaise de la Santé publique, Mme Sabine Ntakarutimana. Selon toujours les statistiques de la ministre Ntakarutimana, en 2008, il y avait encore 208 cas recensés de lèpre, contre 343 nouveaux cas en 2009.
La maladie est surtout endémique dans 5 des 17 provinces les plus déshéritées du Burundi que sont Rutana, Bururi et Makamba (dans le sud), Bubanza et Cibitoke (nord-ouest).
Malgré la souffrance, l’exclusion et la stigmatisation dont ils sont victimes dans la société, les malades de ces régions n’iraient pas voir spontanément le médecin ou consulteraient tardivement pour cause de ‘croyances obscurantistes’, a déploré la ministre.
Le représentant de l’Organisation mondiale de la santé (OMS) au Burundi, Joseph Kabora, de son côté, a fait savoir que l’agence spécialisée des Nations unies assistait le ministère dans des activités de dépistage actif, approvisionnement des centres de Santé en médicaments, ou encore au niveau du traitement des complications par la chimiothérapie.
On rappelle que l’édition 2011 à été placée sous le thème de la lèpre qui ‘continue ses ravages dans le monde, sépare et exclut’. Pana 31/01/2011
Sport/Football – Coupes d’Afrique des clubs: excellente opération de Missile FC, l’USB se complique la tâche
Libreville, 31 janvier (GABONEWS) – En étrillant l’Interstars du Burundi sur la marque de 4-0 en match (aller) des préliminaires de la Coupe de la Confédération de football (CAF) disputé samedi à Libreville, Missile FC du Gabon a réalisé une très bonne opération vers la qualification au second tour, tout le contraire pour l’Union sportive de Bitam qui a concédé le match nul (0-0) face aux Astres de Douala du Cameroun.
Pour leur baptême de feu en compétition africaine, les militaires de Missile FC ont frappé un grand coup réussissant un gros score qui leur permet d’entrevoir la suite de la compétition avec beaucoup de sérénité.
Dominés et battus à la régulière par les vice-champions du Gabon, les Burundais auront du mal à digérer un tel camouflet et ce serait presqu’un miracle que de les voir renverser la vapeur dans deux semaines face à un adversaire qui, pour rien au monde, ne laissera passer l’occasion de s’inviter au second tour des préliminaires.
Tout le contraire des champions du Gabon qui devront encore batailler ferme pour espérer décrocher la qualification en terre camerounaise dans deux semaines.
Contraints au nul vierge, les Bitamois devront faire appel à toutes leurs qualités physiques, techniques, mentales mais aussi avoir un brin de réussite pour décrocher une qualification qui reste possible devant un adversaire qui se croit déjà au second tour après le match nul à Bitam.
Pour n’avoir pas encaissé de but, l’USB préserve encore ses chances, il s’agit d’y croire et de travailler pour le concrétiser sur le terrain dans deux semaines à Douala.
GN/MN/DCD/11
RWANDA
Haïti – Sécurité : Le Rwanda envoie des policiers en Haïti
31/01/2011 – PI/ HaïtiLibre / Quarante policiers ont quitté le Rwanda hier matin pour Haïti afin de faciliter la reconstruction du pays. Le groupe connu sous le nom de « Formed Police Unit (FPU) » sera rejoint prochainement par 120 autres policiers pour former la première unité policière rwandaise, déployée dans des missions de maintien de la Paix des Nations Unies.
Les 160 femmes et hommes, équipés d’armes légères et de véhicules blindés seront déployées à Jérémie, capitale du département de la Grand’Anse.
Emmanuel Gasana, le commissaire général de la Police nationale du Rwanda, qui leur fait ses adieux, a rappelé à l’équipe qu’ils sont les ambassadeurs et la fierté de leur pays. « Vous êtes reconnu pour votre professionnalisme. Je vous exhorte de maintenir un niveau exemplaire de discipline et d’engagement dans les douze mois de votre séjour à Haïti ».
Theos Badege, le porte-parole de la Police, a révélé qu’en plus des policiers, 41 conseillers de police sont actuellement présents en Haïti.
Heineken unit Bralirwa adds 62 pct on Rwanda debut
Mon Jan 31, 2011 By Kezio-Musoke David
KIGALI (Reuters) – Shares in Rwandan brewer Bralirwa jumped 62 percent on their market debut as the country’s stock exchange opened for business on Monday.
The government raised $29.5 million by selling a 25 percent stake at 136 francs a share in an initial public offering, and sold its remaining 5 percent to Heineken, which already holds 70 percent.
The shares closed at 220 francs on the Rwanda Stock Exchange (RSE).
Robert Mathu, executive director of the Capital Markets Advisory Council (CMAC), said the exchange’s first transaction had triggered secondary trading. This meant CMAC would have to be dissolved to separate its functions.
“The council was playing the roles of market operator and regulator. CMAC will now turn into a capital markets authority to regulate and guide the market,” Mathu said.
Bralirwa Managing Director Sven-Erik Piederiet told Reuters 5 percent of government shares were sold to Heineken at 179 francs each, for a total $7.8 million, before the
IPO.
“Regulations and laws governing capital markets have been adopted by parliament. By the end of the week they will be operational,” Rwanda Finance Minister John Rwangombwa said.
Rwanda is preparing for the listing of Banque de Kigali (BK) and telecoms operator MTN Rwanda, the local unit of South Africa-based MTN Group.
Rwanda’s largest bank by assets, BK will offer a 25 percent stake in an IPO in the first half of this year.
The government also plans to sell a 20 percent stake in the country’s biggest insurer, Sonarwa (Societe Nouvelle d’Assurance du Rwanda), in which Nigerian firm IGI owns a 35 percent stake.
Rwanda launched its over-the-counter bourse in January 2008. The exchange has mainly attracted Treasury and corporate bonds, and boasts two cross-listed Kenyan companies — Kenya Commercial Bank and Nation Media Group.
RDC –Congo
RDC: 360 M USD de la Chine pour la construction d’une centrale électrique
KINSHASA (RDCongo) – La Chine a accordé à la République démocratique du Congo (RDC) un prêt de 360 millions de dollars pour la construction d’une centrale hydroélectrique à Zongo (ouest), a-t-on appris lundi auprès du ministère congolais des Finances.
Cet accord a été signé à Kinshasa par le ministre congolais des Finances, Augustin Matata Ponyo et l’ambassadeur chinois en RDC, Wang Ying Wu.
Ce prêt, remboursable sur une durée de 20 ans, servira à la construction de la centrale de Zongo, à 130 km de Kinshasa, sur la rivière Inkisi, dans la province du Bas-Congo (ouest), avec une puissance de 150 mégawatts.
L’énergie que produira cette centrale servira au renforcement de l’alimentation de la ville de Kinshasa et une partie de la province du Bandundu (ouest), précise-t-on.
La RDC a actuellement un des plus bas indicateurs de consommation d’énergie du monde: faute d’investissement et du fait de la croissance démographique, la consommation d’électricité par habitant est passée de 161 kilowatt/heure en 1980 à 91 kWh en 2002, indique la Banque africaine de développement (BAD).
Fin décembre 2010, la BAD avait accordé à la RDC un financement de 106,6 millions de dollars US pour la réhabilitation et l’extension du système de distribution d’énergie électrique de Kinshasa et des localités choisies dans quatre provinces du pays.
Le taux d’électrification de la RDC est de 6% alors que la moyenne africaine est de 20%.
(©AFP / 31 janvier 2011 13h25)
UGANDA
TANZANIA:
Tanzania puts Q3 GDP growth at 6.2 pct y/y
Mon Jan 31, 2011 / DAR ES SALAAM, Jan 31 (Reuters) – Tanzania’s economy grew 6.2 percent in the third quarter of 2010 from 5.7 percent in the same period a year ago due to an improvement in construction, transport and communication sectors, data showed on Monday.
The National Bureau of Statistics said in a report that construction rose by 11.2 percent from -5.4 percent, while transport and communication sectors recorded a growth rate of 10.7 percent compared with 5.7 percent previously.
“Transport and communication…performance was attributed to the increase in the volume of goods handled and passengers carried during the quarter under review,” NBS said.
Africa’s fourth biggest gold producer, Tanzania mainly depends on tourism, mining and agriculture and is increasingly attracting higher investor interest in telecommunications, energy, manufacturing, financial services and transport.
“Mining and quarrying recorded a negative growth rate of 18.6 percent in the third quarter of 2010 compared to a growth rate of 29.7 percent in the third quarter of 2009,” NBS said.
It attributed the slide to a decline in gold production from 11.978 tonnes in the third quarter of 2009 to 9.23 tonnes in the same quarter last year.
The government expects Tanzania’s economy to grow by 7.2 percent this year from an estimated 7.0 percent in 2010 due to a strong recovery after the global financial crisis.
The International Monetary Fund’s outlook for economic growth in the east African nation puts it at 6.7 percent this year.
President Jakaya Kikwete warned in December Tanzania could face food shortages in 2011 because many parts of the country experienced lower-than-expected rainfall. (Reporting by Fumbuka Ng’wanakilala; Editing by George Obulutsa, Ron Askew)
S. Africa’s Engen buys Chevron assets in Tanzania Send to a friend
Monday, 31 January 2011 / By Al-amani Mutarubukwa / The Citizen Reporter
Dar es Salaam. African downstream petroleum marketer- Engen has acquired Chevron’s interests in Tanzania. The official acquisition is done today in a brief event that will be witnessed by journalists. The move is part of the company’s expansion programme in a batch of seven agreements to acquire some of Chevron’s interests in Sub-Saharan Africa and the Indian Ocean Islands.
These deals see Engen enter new territory in Reunion and Malawi, while strengthening its presence in Tanzania. However, the deals for Chevron’s interests in Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Mauritius were still subject to all the relevant in-country regulatory and legislative conditions.
Chevron imports about 70 per cent of Tanzania’s petroleum products. “These acquisitions represent major progress in our vision for mutually-beneficial sustainable growth in the region,” said the Engen Petroleum Limited managing director Nizam Salleh.
“It will benefit the common causes of our company and the countries involved. We are delighted to welcome them into the Engen fold,” he added.
Engen is a South Africa-based energy company focusing on downstream refined oil products market and related businesses.
The Tanzanian acquisition builds significantly on Engen’s presence in the country since 1996, when Engen Petroleum Limited purchased the Kurasini Terminal, Isaka Depot and Kigoma Depot from M/S BULK Oil Ltd.
According to Mr Wayne Hartmann, the Engen International Business Division, general manager the company will take over Chevron’s retail networks and commercial operations in the three countries and will embark on the re-imaging of service stations as soon as is practicably possible.
Hartmann assures staff, motorists and business partners that the business operations, retail and commercial networks, logistics and storage arrangements will continue as before.
“Operations will carry on trading as going concerns; existing staff and relationships will be retained; and in-country supply plans have been developed to ensure uninterrupted product and service supply,” he said.
KENYA :
AFRICA / AU :
African Union Backs Kenya Bid to Try Suspects in Ethnic Violence
By William Davison and Mike Cohen – Jan 31, 2011
The African Union backed a bid by Kenya to have six politicians accused of post-election violence by the International Criminal Court tried in local courts.
Almost three years after a disputed presidential election triggered ethnic violence that killed 1,500 people in the East African nation, no one has been convicted for orchestrating the crimes. Luis Moreno-Ocampo, chief prosecutor at the Hague-based ICC, requested on Dec. 15 that charges of crimes against humanity be filed against Finance Minister Uhuru Kenyatta and five other Kenyans over their alleged role in the attacks.
Kenya aims to create a local mechanism to try the suspects that will enable it to use the ICC statutes to request a transfer of the cases to the local courts, President Mwai Kibaki said in a Jan. 29 e-mailed statement.
“The summit approved Kenya’s request calling for suspension under Article 16 of the ICC” of the charges against the six suspects, AU chairman Jean Ping said at a closing press conference at an AU gathering in Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital, yesterday. The AU backing for Kenya rests on the Hague- based court’s principle that suspects should be tried at the lowest possible level, he said.
“Article 16 is about holding off prosecution to give peace a chance,” Reed Brody, Human Rights Watch spokesman, said in an interview yesterday. “This case, even if Kenya’s argument that it is pursuing prosecution is well-grounded, is not a case for the application of Article 16. Kenya should take that case directly to the ICC judges.”
To contact the reporters on this story: Mike Cohen in Addis Ababa at mcohen21@bloomberg.net; William Davison in Addis Ababa via Johannesburg at pmrichardson@bloomberg.net.
East Africa to build regional oil refinery
Monday, 31st January, 2011 / By Ibrahim Kasita
UGANDA has agreed to partner with the East Africa regional states and foreign investors to construct a $2b refinery. The move is aimed at processing petroleum products to meet the regional energy needs.
Fred Kabagambe, the energy ministry permanent secretary, said the refinery would process a wide range of products, including diesel, petrol, kerosene and aviation fuel.
“We shall start with the first phase of 20,000 barrels daily to meet local demands. We shall then upgrade the facility in the second phase to produce 60,000 barrels a day. Later, we shall have a bigger one processing more that 120,000 barrels a day,” he said.
Kabagambe explained that the refinery would be located in Kabale. The ministry was in the process of searching for a consultant to carry out studies for a pipeline that would transport petroleum products from the Lake Albert region, he added.
Kabagambe said the feasibility study on refining of crude oil had been undertaken, indicating “profitability and high returns on investment between 20 and 30%”.
The announcement comes after Uganda, Kenya and the Democratic Republic of Congo signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at co-ordinating oil exploration and development in the Lake Albert basin, located along the Uganda-Congo border.
Uganda and Kenya also talked about building the Kampala-Eldoret pipeline, which would continue to Kigali in Rwanda.
Claude Nsengiyumva, the East African Community (EAC) deputy secretary-general, said the decision to have the refinery built in Uganda was part of the region’s natural resource policy and objectives.
“This oil belongs to both Ugandans and the East African people. We want to share resources and be able to reach where they are located,” he said during a media briefing yesterday.
The brief was held to discuss the upcoming 5th East Africa Petroleum conference and Exhibition, which will held at Kampala Serena Hotel starting today and ending on Friday.
Uganda is hosting the conference for the second time. It is held every two years in the member states on a rotational basis.
The conference focuses on the potential and investment opportunities in the oil and gas sector in East Africa.
Over 800 participants, including government leaders from the EAC member states, international oil companies, together with researchers and investors are expected to attend.
Simon D’Ujanga, the energy state minister, said this year’s theme is “harnessing East Africa’s oil and gas potential and utilising the resources to create lasting values”.
“This is the time the EAC is moving towards creating a common market. This will promote full exploitation of the market and investment opportunities created by the community,” he said.
“Secondly, Uganda is moving towards commercial petroleum production. This, therefore, offers an opportunity for Uganda to show the world her progress in the oil and gas sector.”
Last year, the EAC launched its own common market, where free movement of goods, labour and capital within the region was endorsed.
The minister said the meeting would provide participants with an opportunity to assess their development in the petroleum sector and also explore varied attraction in the region.
UN /ONU :
UN chief welcomes Southern Sudan referendum
1/31/11 / Luanda – The United Nations (UN) secretary-general, Ban Ki-moon has welcomed the end of the week-long polling period for the Southern Sudan referendum, conducted from 9 to 15 January 2011.
Addressing Monday a high level meeting on Sudan, held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, the UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon stressed that the referendum represents a change for the Sudanese people who long for lasting peace, after decades of civil war between North and South.
The United Nations’ chief called on the Sudanese people to show patience and restraint for the final results, set to be released next February.
The referendum was one of the last steps based on the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) signed in 2005, in Kenya.
CPA stipulate a period of transition of South-Sudan and the holding of a poll, that enables the citizens decide whether in favour of independence or a united State with north.
Attending the 16th Summit of the Heads of State and Government of the African Union, is also Angola, in representation of a delegation led by the President, José Eduardo dos Santos.
The AU Summit is due to close Monday.
USA :
U.S. cancels match in Egypt due to political turmoil
CHICAGO | Mon Jan 31, 2011 / (Reuters) – The U.S. national soccer team canceled next week’s friendly against Egypt in Cairo because of political unrest in the country.
The teams were scheduled to meet on February 9 but concerns about the possible spread of unrest in Egypt because of the political crisis there forced the cancellation.
“We were excited about the opportunity to play against Egypt, but due to the current situation all parties agreed it was best to cancel the match,” U.S. Soccer president Sunil Gulati said in a statement.
The next friendly for the U.S. team will be on March 27 against Argentina in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
An uprising, unprecedented in scale and intensity in the once tightly-controlled country, erupted last week when frustration over repression, corruption, poverty and the lack of democracy under President Hosni Mubarak boiled over.
(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto; Editing by Steve Ginsburg)
Huntsman Said to Be Resigning as China Envoy in Sign of Presidential Bid
By Hans Nichols – Jan 31, 2011
Jon Huntsman, the U.S. ambassador to China, has told the Obama administration he plans to resign, said White House press secretary Robert Gibbs, a signal the former Utah governor may be considering a bid for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination.
Huntsman plans to leave in the first half of this year and hasn’t told White House officials of his future plans, Gibbs said. President Barack Obama believes Huntsman’s experience has been vital in a key diplomatic post and that he continues to devote his “full energy and time to that position,” he said.
Huntsman, 50, a Republican, was in his second term as Utah governor when Obama nominated him to be ambassador on May 16, 2009. He speaks Mandarin Chinese and was ambassador to Singapore under former President George H.W. Bush. Huntsman’s plan to resign was reported earlier by the Washington Post.
Before being named ambassador by Obama, Huntsman was the campaign co-chairman of the president’s opponent in the 2008 election, Republican Senator John McCain. Immediately after the election, he was cited as a potential contender for his party’s nomination in 2012.
When Chinese President Hu Jintao was in Washington on Jan. 19, Obama was asked about a potential challenge from Huntsman and joked that, “I’m sure that him having worked so well with me will be a great asset in any Republican primary.”
Obama’s Praise
The president also had praise for Huntsman’s service as ambassador, saying it demonstrated that “he and I believe that partisanship ends at the water’s edge.”
In an interview with Newsweek magazine published Jan. 1, Huntsman declined to comment on whether he might run for president in 2012, while saying, “I think we may have one final run left in our bones.”
When he was nominated, Huntsman called China the “most important strategic bilateral relationship” for the U.S. His departure comes as the administration is pressing China to allow faster currency appreciation to help narrow trade imbalances that threaten to trigger protectionism and imperil the global economic recovery.
The ambassador also has been involved in U.S. efforts to gain stronger Chinese cooperation in pressuring North Korea to give up its nuclear program and blocking the nuclear ambitions of Iran.
To contact the reporter on this story: Hans Nichols in Washington at Hnichols2@bloomberg.net.
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Mark Silva at msilva34@bloomberg.net.
CANADA :
CANADA STOCKS-Egypt-fueled oil rush sweeps TSX higher
Mon Jan 31, 2011
* TSX climbs 0.85 percent to 13,551.99
* Energy shares jump 2.74 pct as oil soars on Egypt woes
* Imperial Oil up 4.6 pct on strong results (Adds details)
By Ka Yan Ng
TORONTO, Jan 31 (Reuters) – Toronto’s main stock index touched its highest level since September 2008 on Monday as the uprising in Egypt sparked a jump in the price of oil and a rally in energy shares.
Brent oil prices surged above $101 a barrel for the first time since 2008, while U.S. crude hit its highest point since October 2008 on concern that unrest in Egypt could spread to crude-producing countries in the Middle East or disrupt Suez Canal flows. [O/R]
As a result, oil and gas companies were among top gainers in Toronto on Monday. Suncor Energy (SU.TO: Quote) added 3.55 percent to C$41.46, its highest price since October 2008. Husky Energy (HSE.TO: Quote) gained 3.53 percent to C$27, and Talisman Energy (TLM.TO: Quote) rose 3.61 percent to C$22.94.
“It’s all energy,” said Barry Schwartz, vice president and portfolio manager at Baskin Financial Services.
“My gut tells me that the market has overreacted and a lot of these gains that we’re seeing in the oil stocks will be given back in a month to come
The Toronto Stock Exchange’s S&P/TSX composite index .GSPTSE closed up 114.41 points, or 0.85 percent, at 13,551.99. Eight of the index’s 10 sectors were higher, led by a 2.74 percent climb in the oil and gas group.
The index hit a high of 13,588.47 during the day, its highest point since Sept. 2, 2008. The index finished the month up about 0.8 percent, largely because of the Egypt-inspired oil-fueled rally of the past two sessions.
Canadian Natural Resources (CNQ.TO: Quote) climbed 3.64 percent to C$44.65, erasing losses suffered after production was halted at the company’s oil sands plant more than three weeks ago due to a fire.
Strong North American economic data also brightened market sentiment, as did firm U.S. earnings reports from companies such as energy giant Exxon Mobil Corp (XOM.N: Quote), which owns nearly 70 percent of Imperial Oil.
Imperial Oil (IMO.TO: Quote) was also supported by its own stronger than expected quarterly results, boosting its shares 4.57 percent to C$44.65. [ID:nN31215060]
Over the coming weeks other big energy producers are also expected to post stronger fourth-quarter profits due to higher oil prices and improved refining profits, although weak returns from natural gas and pipeline woes may dampen gains. [ID:nN28263754]
Economically sensitive financials were 0.46 percent higher on Monday after data showed stronger-than-expected Canadian economic growth in November. U.S. consumer spending and factory data were also bullish. [ID:nN31223933][ID:nN31151915]
Royal Bank of Canada (RY.TO: Quote) rose 0.64 percent to C$53.68, and Toronto-Dominion Bank (TD.TO: Quote) added 0.64 percent to C$74.96.
“Canada is becoming a little more attractive in general … whenever you see some uncertainty, especially coming out of the Middle East and Europe, it definitely gives Canadian financials a little bit of attention, a little bit more stability,” said Youssef Zohny, associate portfolio manager at Van Arbor Asset Management in Vancouver.
Blue-chip decliners were mainly gold-mining shares, which handed back some of last week’s gains as the price of the precious metal recorded its first monthly loss since July. Gold retreated on signs of a receding euro zone debt crisis and a firmer footing for the U.S. economy. [GOL/]
Goldcorp (G.TO: Quote) fell 1.59 percent to C$40.19, while Kinross Gold (K.TO: Quote) lost 2.06 percent to C$16.64.
Also dragging on the index, Research In Motion (RIM.TO: Quote) dropped 1.94 percent to C$58.99 after India rejected the company’s offer to allow it partial access to its BlackBerry data services. [ID:nSGE70U08L]
($1=$1.00 Canadian) (Additional reporting by Claire Sibonney; editing by Peter Galloway)
AUSTRALIA :
Australia’s north braces for massive cyclone
By James Grubel / CANBERRA | Mon Jan 31, 2011 4:16am EST
(Reuters) – Australia’s flood-stricken state of Queensland closed major coal ports, evacuated tourists from vulnerable resorts and warned of heavy rain on Monday ahead of a massive cyclone due to slam into its coast this week.
Forecasters said Cyclone Yasi could be generating gales of more than 250 kph when it hits the coast on Wednesday or Thursday, which would put it on a par with Hurricane Katrina, which devastated New Orleans in 2005.
“This is a very serious threat,” Queensland Premier Anna Bligh told reporters. “It may be one of the largest and most significant cyclones we’ve ever had to deal with.”
Queensland, which accounts for about a fifth of Australia’s economy and 90 percent of its exports of steelmaking coal, has borne the brunt of a cruel summer, with floods having swept across the eastern seaboard in the past month, killing at least 35 people.
Queensland is also home to Australia’s sugar industry, which was also hurt by the floods and now risks being battered by the cyclone.
The floods swamped around 30,000 homes, destroyed roads and rail lines and crippled Queensland’s coal industry, with up to 15 million tonnes of exports estimated to have been delayed into the second half of this year.
Queensland’s coal mines are mostly well inland and unlikely to be smashed by Cyclone Yasi, but they could be drenched again by heavy rain. The mines are still struggling to pump water out of their pits.
The Queensland Resources Council has estimated that the state’s coal miners would take until March to return to normal but warned on Monday of further delays because of cyclones.
“If we get any more rain, it’s just going to stretch out that time frame,” council spokeswoman Caroline Morrissey said.
“The problem is we have got water in the pits, the mine dams are full and to pump water out of the pits they need to pump the water into the mine dams and there is no room for the water.”
Cyclone Yasi is expected to classified “category 4” by the time it reaches the coast. That is the second-highest category and would be around the same strength as Hurricane Katrina and the strongest to hit Australia since early 2006.
Cyclone Yasi, currently in the southwest Pacific, is expected to make landfall near the northeast military town of Townsville with wind gusts of 200 to 260 kph, but with damaging winds along more than 1,000 km (620 miles) of coastline.
Australia’s largest export terminal for coking coal, Dalrymple Bay, had already suspended operations on Sunday because of an earlier cyclone, now passed. It decided on Monday to remain closed with the rapid approach of Yasi.
A Reuters poll of analysts last week showed Queensland would lose 11.3 million tonnes in coking coal output in 2011, equal to almost 5 percent of world exports. Most analysts believed miners would take until end-March to return to normal.
No sugar ships are currently in the major export terminal of Mackay, Australia’s biggest sugar export port which can handle up to 3 million tonnes a year. Most of the sugar from last harvest has already been shipped.
(Additional reporting by Rebekah Kebede in PERTH, Amy Pyett and Mark Bendeich in SYDNEY)
EUROPE :
E.U. Calls for Orderly Transition in Egypt
By STEPHEN CASTLE and JUDY DEMPSEY / Published: January 31, 2011
BRUSSELS — Despite worries that the popular uprising in Egypt might be hijacked by forces hostile to Western interests, foreign ministers from the European Union on Monday called for an orderly transition, saying they supported substantial democratic reform and free and fair elections there.
The ministers’ statement came alongside a decision to impose sanctions on the ousted Tunisian president, Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali, a leader with whom several key European nations had strong ties until his recent overthrow.
The discussion Monday among E.U. foreign ministers in Brussels underlined the extent to which the 27-nation bloc has struggled to keep pace with the pace of change and the scale of unrest in the Arab world.
For days, E.U. leaders have been torn between instinctive support for exponents of the democratic values that Europeans espouse and worries that the instability might produce a problematic leadership in a strategic neighbor.
“There is a risk of extremist politics taking a greater hold or a more authoritarian system being adopted,” said William Hague, the British foreign secretary. Mr. Hague added that the situation was “fraught with dangers” and, though he declined to discuss how soon elections should take place in Egypt, he argued that “it is an urgent matter to get on with that orderly transition.”
Alex Stubb, the Finnish foreign minister, said: “It is values versus interests. On the values side we want democracy, freedom and human rights. On the interest side we don’t know what we will get. We want stability — we don’t know what is stable — is it the current regime? The E.U.’s current answer is ‘no.”’
Though several ministers voiced concerns, their statement suggested that only democracy can bring stability, and did not include praise for the Egyptian president, Hosni Mubarak.
“There is always an element of worry when there is democratic transition,” Mr. Stubb added. “Democracy doesn’t always go right, but that’s part of the appeal of democracy.”
The moves in Brussels follow comments over the weekend, when Chancellor Angela Merkel, President Nicolas Sarkozy and Prime Minister David Cameron issued a joint appeal calling for free elections in Egypt but also praising the moderating influence of Mr. Mubarak.
“We are deeply concerned about the events that we are witnessing in Egypt,” wrote the three leaders. “We recognize the moderating role President Mubarak has played over many years in the Middle East. We now urge him to show the same moderation in addressing the current situation in Egypt.”
On Monday, Mrs. Merkel, during a visit to Israel, expressed concern about the situation in Egypt, while expressing hoping that Israeli-Palestinian peace talks could get back on track.
Still, some observers questioned whether the words from Europe would have real effect.
“The Europeans are naïve into believing that the winds of democracy will come just like that to the Middle East,” said a senior Israeli official based in Jerusalem.
“The Middle East is not the Eastern Europe of 1989,” he said, referring to the peaceful revolutions that overthrew the Communist regimes. “This is an illusion. The potential for instability is huge but somehow the Europeans do not want to see that.”
The statement agreed by the foreign ministers expressed concern at the loss of life, called for the immediate release of all peaceful demonstrators and called on the Egyptian authorities to “restore all communication networks without delay and to guarantee unhindered access to all media, including the Internet.”
The statement did not call on Mr. Mubarak to stand aside, though it did ask him “to embark on an orderly transition through a broad-based government leading to a genuine process of substantial democratic reform.”
This, it added, should respect human rights and pave the way for free and fair elections.
Privately, senior European officials said that they believed that Mr. Mubarak was digging in and would try hard to keep the support of the military and stay in power.
In a commentary for the European Council on Foreign Relations, Daniel Korski argued that events had placed the West, including the European Union, in a quandary.
“Should they back the protests, support what has been a friendly regime or sit uncomfortably on the fence, talking about the need to show restraint and start reforms but stand back from actually supporting regime change in case the transition becomes violent or the outcome problematic?” he said.
Judy Dempsey reported from Berlin.
CHINA :
South Africa, China’s Gateway Into Africa
Written by ……….. MONDAY, 31 JANUARY 2011
Following 13 years of diplomatic ties, it is becoming more evident that trade between China and South Africa is gaining momentum and for those companies who may have ignored this growing trade relationship in the past, are now forced to recognize the potential for doing business with China. Not only is there room for growth in trade between South Africa and China, but China is viewing the well-developed infrastructure South Africa provides as the key to unlocking the gateway into the rest of Africa.
In 2009, China surpassed the United States, to become South Africa’s largest export destination. This emanated from major exports in raw materials to fuel the booming Chinese economy. Trade between China and South Africa reached USD 16 billion in 2009 and is expected to grow year on year, with the signing of various cooperation deals in August 2010, by President Zuma during his State visit to China. These deals focus on the mineral resources sector, railway development, construction industry as well as the mining sector and finally power transmission and nuclear power.
Scope for trade with the rest of Africa is also being given added impetus by the Asian country’s capacity to innovate as well as currently China enjoys an enviable fiscal situation and has the demand to invest in infrastructure. As China is moving up the development ladder it is prudent that other emerging economies explore and develop trade relations with this country, currently listed at the top of the list of 28 developing economies globally.
Kobus van der Wath, Founder and Group Managing Director of The Beijing Axis, with offices in Johannesburg and Beijing, stressed the importance of understanding this developing market for the benefit of trade for both South Africa and Africa, “To ignore China would be a fundamental mistake for any business seeking growth in a world limited with expansion opportunities as a result of the economic meltdown in recent years in developed markets. China provides the platform to harness increased trade, develop new markets as well as given China’s growing household and industrial consumption, the demand for exports from South Africa and Africa is rising rapidly. Business has the opportunity to grow by developing partnerships with China.” concluded van der Wath.
Being located in Beijing, van der Wath has realized the importance of understanding how to do business with the Chinese. He has subsequently supported Siyenza’s founding of the first China Inc meets SA Inc Business Forum, which will be taking place in South Africa at the Sandton Convention Centre on the 16th February 2011, aimed at assisting South African and African business to evolve to expand trade relations with China. “Our desire is to help business understand the culture of the Chinese business market and to fully embrace this immense trading partner available to our companies. The Chinese have the capacity to invest in major infrastructure projects on this continent, to provide finance for developments and are keen to source raw materials and products to service their growing needs.” stated van der Wath.
Botswana’s GDP grew by 3.2% q/q and 11.3% y/y in Q3/2010, according to latest available data from the CSO. This reflects the continuing recovery of the economy following the contraction in 2009. During Q2/2010, the country’s GDP fell by 8.4% q/q compared to a 4.1% q/q increase during Q1/2010.
The rise in the country’s GDP during Q3/2011 was mainly on the back of improvements in water & electricity which grew by 14.0% q/q, 8.6% y/y, followed by communication up 6.8% q/q and 2.2% y/y and mining which improved by 5.7% q/q and 26.1% y/y. Declines were in agric, finance & business services and social and personal services. In the first nine months of 2010, overall GDP increased by 11.3%, as compared to 10.9% during the same period in 2009.
Looking ahead, we expect commodity prices to continue recovering in line with improving economic conditions on the international markets and this will in turn boost the mining sector and drive economic growth. Non-mining sectors however, are expected to record modest growth due to expected decrease in government spending.
We expect sectors which are dependent on household consumption to continue facing some difficult conditions as we anticipate household spending to remain restrained.
We believe that the resilience of the non mining sector and a reduction in government spending will depend on whether the government is able to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of spending within a tighter overall spending envelope.
Government budget deficit is expected to decline to between 6% and 8% of GDP during the 2011/12 financial year due to reduced government expenditure against a background of improved government revenue from diamond sales and income from taxes. Developments in South Africa will also determine the revenues that the country will receive through Southern African Customs Union (SACU) revenue-sharing arrangements.
Finance Minister Kenneth Matambo has since said that government will focus on the completion of ongoing development projects and maintenance of existing infrastructure so that by 2012/13 a balanced budget will be attained. It is our view that this is a positive move that will promote a balanced budget and propel the economy towards sustainable growth.
Over the years Botswana has been enjoying budget surplus until 2008/09 when it recorded a deficit of BWP 4.7bn, which expanded to BWP 13.48bn during the 2009/10 financial year and is projected to be BWP 12.1bn during the 2010/11 year. Overall we expect the economy to expand a further by around 4.3% in 2011.
Business optimistic about the economy in 2011: Survey
Local businesses are increasingly confident about prevailing business conditions, especially among those supplying the local market, according to the latest BoB business expectations survey which was carried out between September and October 2010.
According to the survey, the overall confidence in the prevailing business conditions for H2/2010 is 56%, a slight improvement of 2 pps from H1/2010, covered in the March survey. There is a significant increase in confidence over the rest of the survey period with 67% of businesses expecting that conditions will be more favorable in H1 2011 and 73% for the 2011 as a whole.
The survey reveals that many firms expect increased production and sales during H1/2011. Exporters however expect lower sales during the period. Despite the overall optimism, it is widely expected that input costs will increase during 2011.
JUMA is a securities analyst at Motswedi Securities
BY GARY JUMA
INDIA :
India will be polio-free in two years: Bill Gates
Sanchitia Sharma, Hindustan Times / New Delhi, February 01, 2011
“In two years, we hope to get India’s polio cases down to zero. It will need several mop-up rounds, but there is a very good chance for India to be polio-free very soon,” said Microsoft-founder Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which has committed $102 million for polio
eradication in 2011.
India witnessed the lowest number of polio cases last year, with only 42 cases reported as compared to 741 in 2009.
The number of polio-affected districts declined to 17 from 56 in 2009 and 90 in 2008. Uttar Pradesh showed remarkable results, recording 10 polio cases in 2010 as compared to 602 cases last year.
On January 23, around 174 million children under 5 years were given polio drops. Six aggressive mopping up vaccination will be conducted in the high-risk districts and states – Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Delhi, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Haryana, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan and Gujarat -between March and November 2011, to break the chain of polio transmission.
Gates Foundation is among the biggest funders of the global campaign to fight polio, where polio vaccines are given to all children under 5 years in affected countries, such as India, at a cost of nearly $1 billion a year.
“Polio cases shot up again in India after going down to 66 in 2005, but since then, there have been several learnings. For Example, it is found that some children in India need more than three drops, which came a bit surprising. Other is that here the bivalent polio vaccines works better, as does getting vaccinators that people can relate to,” said Gates, speaking from New York.
Gates Foundation, which has an endowment of $36.4 billion, made grants worth $3 billion in 2009, of which $1.8 billion was for health.
BRASIL:
Leaders of Argentina, Brazil talk nuclear energy
Jan 31, 2011 By The Associated Press/ BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — New Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, on her first foreign trip, signed energy and trade accords with Argentine President Cristina Fernandez on Monday, including a pledge to help each other build another nuclear energy reactor in each country and build connections between their energy grids.
It’s the first time both South American countries are led by women — “presidentas” in Spanish — and both affirmed that their countries’ futures are deeply intertwined.
Already, Brazil is Argentina’s largest importer and main supplier of manufactured goods, with bilateral trade rising to $33 billion in 2009. Argentina’s deficit with that trade reached $4 billion in 2009, a source of recurring friction between the neighbors.
“If Argentina and Brazil were united, now they’ll be even more so — this is what ‘las presidentas’ want and what is reflected in these accords,” Fernandez said.
Rouseff added that as the continent’s two largest countries, “they represent the huge potential that Latin America can take advantage of in this moment” by pursuing economic integration.
“Today we take a step toward energy integration with the (future) construction of the Garavi hydroelectric project” on the countries’ border, Rouseff added.
Fernandez said the 21st century will depend on “food, sustainable energy for economic growth and scientific and technological development” — all reasons why Argentina and Brazil need a united approach at the G-20 and other international bodies.
EN BREF, CE 31 janvier 2011… AGNEWS /DAM, NY,31/01/2011
