{jcomments on}OMAR, AGNEWS, BXL, le 08 mars 2010 – The Associated Press- March 08, 2010–South African President Jacob Zuma pressed Britain on Thursday to loosen European Union sanctions on Zimbabwe, which he said are limiting the effectiveness of that country’s power-sharing government.
RWANDA
UGANDA
TANZANIA:
Kikwete urges new envoy to sell Tanzania
By Alex Bitekeye/thecitizen.co.tz /2010-03-08
President Jakaya Kikwete has asked the newly appointed ambassador to Japan, Ms Salome Sijaona, to ensure the country gets new markets in the far east country.
The President said if extra efforts are made to promote Tanzania’s crops, the country would be able to sell more to Japan. Mr Kikwete was speaking on Saturday at the State House when handing ambassadorial instruments to Ms Sijaona before she left for Japan.
President Kikwete commended the Tanzania embassy in Japan, saying they had managed to to market Kilimanjaro coffee in the market, urging Ms Sijaona to market more agricultural produce.
“Japan is a big market for foreign products including those from our country, so you should make efforts that will help us to penetrate that market”, said President Kikwete adding that local products had the potential to compete.
He also told Ms Sijaona that she should advertise investment opportunities in the country. “There are so many opportunities in this country, so you should make efforts to advertise them in that country,”said Kikwete.
President Kikwete added that among other things, the ambassador should advertise the Tanzanian tourist attractions in order to increase the number of tourist coming to this country.
“Japanese tourists are coming but in a minimal number, now it is your duty to advertise what we have in order to attract a large number of tourists from Japan,”said Kikwete.
Ms Sijaona was appointed to become an ambassador at the end of last year soon after she retired from the civil service where she rose to the position of permanent secretary.
Barrick snub puts spotlight on Tanzania capital controls
www.theeastafrican.co.ke /By NICK WACHIRA /Monday, March 8 2010
The decision by Barrick Gold to snub Tanzania¹s capital market to raise money for its local operations has whipped up a groundswell of nationalistic sentiment.
As far as resource nationalism goes, Tanzanians are missing out.
Listing on Dar Es Salaam Stock Exchange (DSE) would have made it much easier and cheaper for citizens of little means to buy shares in African Barrick Gold.
Buying these shares on the London Stock Exchange (LSE), after the Central Bank relaxed capital control rules for this issue, however entails foreign brokerage fees and foreign currency exchange risks, which small investors.
Barrick Gold’s decision to snub DSE in favour of London, at least for the initial listing, has opened a wider debate among watchers of Africa’s fast emerging stock exchange.
Is it that $1 billion that Barrick Gold seeks is so huge such the management feared that a primary listing on DSE would flop, or is it that Tanzania’s capital control regime which makes it difficult for investors to move money in and out of the country is a major risk to foreign portfolio managers who tend to buy gold shares?
Safaricom¹s IPO in Kenya, which attracted $2 billion, mostly from small investors in East Africa, proved that there is sufficient local capital to finance attractive IPOs.
However, marketing African Barrick Gold to small investors and local portfolio managers as a primary listing one DSE — or even on the much bigger Nairobi Stock Exchange — could have been a challenge in a regional market that lacks sufficient depth.
This is a wider African issue that continues to affect resource rich nations in sub-Sahara Africa, and even in South Africa.
Multinational mineral companies like Ashanti Gold, Anglo-American, De Beers usually seek their primary listing in London and New York, and cross-list in African markets to take satisfy nationalistic concerns.
An issue like African Barrick Gold which would required significant foreign participation — even within EAC would have faced significant challenges attracting sophisticated investors because of capital control Tanzania.
As EAC economies converge, Tanzania will increasingly face challenges in developing its capital markets because it limits free flow of capital within the region.
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CONGO RDC :
KENYA :
Kenya, South Africa: Sub-Saharan African Bond, Currency Preview
March 08, 2010/By Mike Cohen/Bloomberg
March 8 (Bloomberg) — The following events and economic reports may influence trading in sub-Saharan African bonds and currencies today. Bond yields and exchange rates are from the previous session.
Kenya: Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the managing director of the International Monetary Fund, visits the East African nation.
The Kenyan shilling strengthened 0.1 percent to 76.62 versus the dollar as of 9:21 a.m. in the capital, Nairobi.
Mauritius: The country’s central bank releases gross international reserve figures.
The Mauritian rupee gained 0.4 percent against the dollar to 30.50 as of 10:22 a.m. in the capital, Port Louis.
South Africa: Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan gives a speech to the International Congress of Actuaries in Cape Town.
The rand fell 0.2 percent to 7.426 against the dollar as of 8:23 a.m. in Johannesburg. The yield on the R157 government bond, due 2015, rose 2 basis points, or 0.02 percentage points, to 8.2 percent.
–With assistance from Nasreen Seria in Johannesburg. Editors: Alastair Reed, Antony Sguazzin.
To contact the reporters on this story: Mike Cohen in Cape Town at mcohen21@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Peter Hirschberg at phirschberg@bloomberg.net
Kenyan women wont vote for women
BY SARAH WAMBUI/www.capitalfm.co.ke/March 8
NAIROBI, Kenya, March 6 – Fifty three percent of Kenyans would vote for a female presidential candidate, according to a poll released on Saturday ahead of International Women’s Day to be marked on Monday.
The study conducted by Infotrak however indicates that only nine percent of the female respondents trust the political leadership of a female with majority preferring male leaders.
Infotrak CEO Angela Ambitho said the study revealed that women trust Prime Minister Raila Odinga the most (30 percent) followed by Martha Karua’s 11 percent.
“Only two women appear in the ranking- Martha Karua and Charity Ngilu and I think that should be an eye opener; if we believe that there should be more political participation in the higher echelons by women then women themselves need to go through the paradigm shift,” she said.
The survey also indicates that 45 percent of men feel that gender inequality is still prevalent in Kenya and that four out of 10 men agree that men hinder women empowerment.
“The question was “do men play a role as an obstacle to women empowerment?” and it is interesting that 40 percent of guys said yes. So men know that there are things that they are doing that work as obstacles to women’s strides. In addition 47 percent of men, almost 50 percent, said there were things that they can do to elevate efforts towards gender equality,” she said.
The poll also revealed that equal employment opportunities, education and training as well as violence against women were the top three areas Kenyans felt the government had failed to address to facilitate gender equality.
“82 percent of Kenyans indicated that the government should take lead role in providing solutions and feel that the government’s overall performance in this area is currently only 50/50. Unfortunately with falling academic performance, it will be imperative for government and other stakeholders to seek various interventions that result in long term solutions for this problem,” said the CEO.
According to the survey’s findings, the civil society scored highest in its performance in the areas of fighting violence against women and employment opportunities. 67 percent of the respondents expressed support for the role played by the civil society in addressing gender inequality.
52 percent of Kenyans felt that women did not have equal access to political participation as compared to men. The one area the respondents felt women were making inroads was in Parliament. Of those who felt that women had equal access to political participation as men, 64 percent felt that women were taking an active role in politics.
“Parliamentary, ministerial and civic positions were the three main roles highlighted by respondents as those that were currently occupied by women in the Kenyan political landscape,” she said.
The poll which was based on 1,200 respondents in all provinces in Kenya also showed that slightly more than half of the respondents were aware of the International Women’s Day while 46 percent of them did not.
“They do not know about this day that is dedicated to women and 70 percent of those who know about its existence do not know when it is marked and what it’s all about,” she said.
The survey was carried out between the February 24 and 28. Respondents who qualified for the survey had to be 18-years-old and above.
Abortion debate rages in Kenya
BY BERNARD MOMANYI/ www.capitalfm.co.ke/ Mar 8
NAIROBI, Kenya, Mar 8 – Medical practitioners are urging those opposed to the proposed Constitution because of hard line positions on abortion to take consideration of pregnancy complications where doctors are allowed to save a mother’s life.
Dr Nehemiah Kimathi of the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) says if the clause prohibiting all kinds of abortion is left to pass, it will lead to an increased number of deaths of mothers with pregnancy complications.
He said: “The inclusion of the clause will make life so difficult even in providing reproductive health services to the extent that in this country where we have made very good progress in the improvement of SRH programs,” he said.
He added: “This will drive us backwards, so that the gains we have made in terms of maternal health we could now slide backwards and get a little worse off than we are at this stage.” Dr Kimathi.
In an interview with Capital News, Dr Kimathi who is IPPF’s Technical Advisor on Safe Motherhood said healthcare providers will be left in a dilemma if such a clause is put in the constitution because doctors will be reluctant to attend to pregnancy complication-related cases for fear of being prosecuted for murder.
“So for me really is to plead with Members of Parliament to remove the clause from the constitution… the issue is not even legalising abortion. Let’s leave abortion in the criminal code where it has been, not in the constitution,” he said.
“We plead with the members of parliament that we should remove the clause from the constitution, because it can be regulated by an Act of Parliament which is much easier to deal with,” he added.
Churches have vowed to lobby their followers to reject the proposed constitution unless an amendment is made, leading to Saturday’s remarks by Prime Minister Raila Odinga who urged church leaders to avoid scuttling the constitution-making process.
Piracy trials in Kenya beset by legal hurdles
By Agence France-Presse/Updated: 3/8/2010
Rusty rifles and rounds of ammunition lay on a courtroom floor to back up piracy charges against seven Somali men on trial in Kenya: but today it was a prosecution witness who was under fire.
Kenyan policeman and weapons expert Eliud Lagat had just declared the arms were in working order, but his account was immediately contested by the defence as it had not been registered with the police as evidence.
“Did you record a statement with the police?” defence lawyer Francis Kadima asked Lagat of his hand-written report, which also contained several alterations.
Lagat fumbled for an answer during his appearance before the court in the Kenyan port of Mombasa.
“You are supposed to record a statement with the police,” Kadima told him.
“Are you aware that by the time this exhibit was examined the accused had been brought in court?” asked the bespectacled lawyer.
His clients, leaning over the dock, gazed alternately at him and a Somali-language interpreter.
“Would you call that part of an investigation?” he added. “No,” responded Lagat.
“Did you know whether this is part of a court process?” Kadima asked, as he showed the hapless police officer the report.
Langat, visibly irritated, admitted he hadn’t bothered to find out the purpose of the report.
The Somalis were arrested in February 2009 in the Gulf of Aden by the US Navy after a Marshall Islands-flagged tanker, Polaris, sent a distress call that they were being attacked by the seven men in a skiff.
But the crew of the Polaris had thwarted the attackers’ attempt to board their vessel, throwing off their ladder.
The guided missile cruiser USS Vella Gulf intercepted the Somali men and brought them to Kenya for trial in March 2009.
They are among more than 100 Somalis piracy suspects handed over to the Kenyan authorities for for trial under arrangements with the United States, the European Union, Britain and other states.
Kenya is the first country in the region to have tried pirates captured outside its waters, although the Seychelles is expected to follow.
But the cases have faced hurdles.
Apart from jurisdictional disputes there are fears that the defendants cannot be guaranteed a fair trial.
Critics point to a lack of credible evidence, the unavailability of prosecution witnesses, language barriers and disparities in the legal standards of the states involved.
For instance, statements taken by the US officers who arrested the suspected pirates were a summary of events: but in Kenya trials rely on detailed narrative statements.
Kenyan law also stipulates that suspects must be brought to court within 24 hours after arrest: but the Somalis were taken to court nearly a month later.
In their defence, the seven men, who were found with weapons on board their boat, said they were fishermen who were wrongfully arrested.
“In Somalia everybody is armed. Everybody has a gun and has to protect himself,” said Abshir Salat, who spoke on behalf of his co-accused.
“We are not pirates and we committed no offence just by fishing,” he added before the hearing began in the humid courtroom, where the broad fan blades on the ceiling turned vigorously.
Previously Kenyan law only allowed for the trial of piracy offences committed within its waters.
Now however, but it has taken to trying cases concerning ships captured in foreign waters.
The legal basis for this change is based on the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and its agreements with the EU, Britain, the US and a new Merchant Shipping Law.
“However, this jurisdiction is entirely misplaced,” said Avi Singh, a lawyer with the France-based Lawyers of the World organisation.
The UN convention gives the country that captures suspected pirates priority of trial.
“So the jurisdiction is with the country whose navy captures the alleged (pirate) ship,” Singh said.
Those foreign navies who captured the pirates should help Kenya by having their captives tried in the countries of the arresting ships, said the defence lawyer Kadima.
Some observers have also expressed doubt over the successful prosecution of the Somali suspects because a more serious problem. Kenya’s justice system is plagued by corruption and there is a heavy backlog of cases.
“It is strange that the EU and the US consistently criticise the Kenyan courts for lacking transparency and due process, while using the same lack of standards to get quick convictions… in the context of alleged Somali pirates,” said Singh.
ANGOLA :
SPEAKER OF ANGOLAN PARLIAMENT IN PORTUGAL TO ADDRESS PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY
news.brunei.fm/2010/03/08
NAM NEWS NETWORK Mar 8th, 2010
LISBON, Marcg 8 (NNN-ANGOP) — The Speaker of Angola’s National Assembly, António Paulo Kassoma, arrived here Sunday to attend the 2nd Parliamentary Assembly of the Portuguese-Speaking Countries Community (CPLP) beginning on Monday.
Kassoma is also expected to address the meeting on Tuesday, speaking on the topic of ?Reinforcement of Co-operation in the Portuguese-Speaking Community”.
The assembly, which will end on March 10, will debate the challanges and horizons of the Portuguese Presidency of the CPLP, CPLP and International, Political and Economic Situation, The New Orthographic Accord and the Role of the International Institute of Portuguese Language.
The agenda also includes the presentation and approval of the reports on the activities of the organ related to the period between April 2009 and March 2010 and the network of parliamentary women within the community.
The approval of the 2010-2011 activities programme is also one of the points on the agenda. — NNN-ANGOP
SOUTH AFRICA:
Absa, AngloPlat, AVI, BHP, Sasol: South Africa Equity Preview
March 08, 2010/By Nasreen Seria and Janice Kew/Bloomberg
March 8 (Bloomberg) — The following is a list of companies whose shares may have unusual price changes in South Africa. Stock symbols are in parentheses after company names and prices are from the last close.
South Africa’s FTSE/JSE Africa All Share Index rose 130.55, or 0.5 percent, to 27,904.65 in Johannesburg, taking its gain for the week to 4.3 percent.
Absa Group Ltd. (ASA SJ): The South African bank controlled by Barclays Plc was downgraded to “sell” from “hold” by Deutsche Bank AG equity analyst Voyt Krzychylkiewicz. Absa climbed 1.15 rand, or 0.8 percent, to 139 rand.
Adcock Ingram Holdings Ltd. (AIP SJ): The pharmaceutical company said it received acceptances from shareholders representing 54.6 percent of Ayrton Drug Manufacturing Ltd. regarding its bid for 51 percent of the Ghanaian company. Adcock’s shares fell 30 cents, or 0.5 percent, to 56 rand.
Amalgamated Appliance Holdings Ltd. (AMA SJ): The supplier of brands, including Hoover and Pioneer, said first-half net income was 24.5 million rand ($3.3 million) compared with a loss of 50.5 million rand in the same period a year ago. Amalgamated Appliance was unchanged at 1.50 rand.
Anglo Platinum Ltd. (AMS SJ): The world’s biggest producer of the precious metal had its 12-month price estimate cut to 790 rand, from 832 rand, by Goldman Sachs Group Inc. Anglo Platinum slid 2.04 rand, or 0.3 percent, to 691.45 rand.
AVI Ltd. (AVI SJ): The food producer said first-half net income dropped to 327.7 million rand, from 361.9 million a year earlier. AVI shares fell 40 cents, or 1.7 percent, to 22.60 rand.
BHP Billiton Ltd. (BIL SJ): The world’s biggest mining company agreed to sell coking coal on short-term contracts to customers in Europe, China, India and Japan, breaking away from annual pricing.
Separately, the supreme Court of New South Wales blocked BHP Billiton from exploring for coal on farmland, the Australian Financial Review reported on March 6. The shares climbed 3.44 rand, or 1.4 percent, to 244.45 rand.
JSE Ltd. (JSE SJ): The operator of South Africa’s stock and bond exchanges publishes annual earnings. The shares rose 95 cents, or 1.5 percent, to 63.50 rand.
Sasol Ltd. (SOL SJ): The world’s biggest producer of motor fuel from coal said net income for the six months through December fell by 52 percent to 6.3 billion rand. Sasol shares fell 55 cents, or 0.2 percent, to 284 rand.
South Ocean Holdings Ltd. (SOH SJ): The power-cable maker said annual net income dropped to 31.7 million rand, from 61 million rand a year earlier. South Ocean rose 10 cents, or 7.1 percent, to 1.50 rand.
Vox Telecom Ltd. (VOX SJ): The telecommunications services company said financial director Mike von Holdt will resign on April 1. The shares fell 2 cents, or 5.4 percent, to 35 cents.
The following stocks will begin trading without the right to the latest dividends:
Absa Group Ltd. (ASA SJ), Anglo Platinum Ltd. (AMS JS), AngloGold Ashanti Ltd. (ANG SJ), ArcelorMittal South Africa Ltd. (ACL SJ), British American Tobacco Plc (BTI SJ), Delta EMD Ltd. (DTA SJ), Ditell Group Ltd. (DST SJ), Emira Property Fund (EMI SJ), Fortress Income Fund Ltd. (FFA SJ), Grindrod Ltd. (GND SJ), Hospitality Property Fund Ltd. (HPA SJ), Hudaco Industries Ltd. (HDC SJ), Impala Platinum Holdings Ltd. (IMP SJ), Kumba Iron Ore Ltd. (KIO SJ), London Finance and Investment Group Ltd. (LNF SJ), Pangbourne Properties Ltd. (PAP SJ), Paracon Holdings Ltd. (PCN SJ), Truworths International Ltd. (TRU SJ).
Shares or American depositary receipts of the following South African companies closed as follows:
Anglo American Plc (AAUKY US) increased 3.6 percent to $20.21. AngloGold Ashanti Ltd. (AU US) advanced 2.2 percent to $38.30. BHP Billiton Plc (BBL US) rose 4.2 percent to $67.07. DRDGold Ltd. (DROOY US) fell 1.1 percent to $6.34. Gold Fields Ltd. (GFI US) added 1.1 percent to $12.31. Harmony Gold Mining Co. (HMY US) gained 0.8 percent to $9.90. Impala Platinum Holdings (IMPUY US) increased 1.5 percent to $26.10. Sappi Ltd. (SPP US) climbed 4.2 percent to $4.20. Sasol Ltd. (SSL US) rose 1.9 percent to $38.54.
–Editor: Michael Shanahan, Antony Sguazzin
UK gives £67m for African development
2010/03/08/ Sapa
THE United Kingdom and South Africa have signed a memorandum of understanding committing the UK to provide £67 million to help the regional economic communities improve transport infrastructure in eight countries.
This will support Africa’s efforts to increase trade and develop economically to grow out of poverty, President Jacob Zuma and Prime Minister Gordon Brown said in a joint statement on Friday.
The statement was issued as Zuma’s three-day visit to the UK drew to a close.
The two leaders said, as part of this drive, South Africa agreed to prioritise the establishment of a one stop border post between South Africa and Zimbabwe to reduce costs and bureaucracy associated with cross-border trade. The UK reaffirmed its commitment to support the fight against HIV/Aids in South Africa and was supporting the public health system in a new £25m programme.
On Zimbabwe, Zuma and Brown called on the “inclusive government” to complete as soon as possible implementing the Global Political Agreement.
They also noted the importance of further economic progress and normalisation in Zimbabwe. Both countries called for an immediate end to harassment, the repeal of repressive legislation, and the establishment of the principles of free speech.
40,000 prostitutes may enter South Africa during World Cup
ANI/timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Mar 8, 2010
NEW YORK: Soccer World Cup organizers have warned that close to 40,000 prostitutes may enter South Africa during the mega event.
The authorities, at a meeting of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, feared local children would also be targeted by drug and prostitution underworld.
The threat is even more serious as World Cup takes place during a four-week national school holiday.
“It’s horrific and very concerning. Money talks, and if you’re a sex worker then there is going to be money in South Africa in 2010,” the New York Daily News quoted Davis Bayever, South Africa’s deputy chair of the country’s Central Drug Authority, as saying.
He added: “There is no doubt that they will be targeted to become prostitutes. Children from poor rural families will be given a carrot by criminals who tell them they will have a job if they come to the big city.”
However, as a preventive measure to stop influx of prostitutes, strict passport checks, screening, and profiling will take place at the borders.
It is believed that 16 percent of the population is living with HIV in South Africa.
ENGLAND WORLD CUP MASTERPLAN BLOWN
8th March 2010 /By Paul Robins and Tom Savage/www.dailystar.co.uk
Senior squad members are believed to be among the voices heard at some points on the tape.
But in some of the most potentially damaging sections of the tape, Italian Capello is heard discussing tactics and team selections with staff for nearly three hours.
Insiders see the recording as a blatant attempt to try to sabotage England’s chances this summer.
A source who has heard the tape said: “It’s dynamite. If it got into the wrong hands, it could jeopardise England’s chances at the World Cup.
“Capello is talking about team selections and formations. It’s a dream for any opposing coach.
“And the stuff with the players is potentially very embarrassing.
“To hear them arguing for every extra penny in win bonuses is not what fans would want them to be focused on.
“Still, if anything it shows that the FA want to encourage the players to perform well – the bonuses seem to really reward getting to the semis and the final.”
FA officials were last night said to be horrified by the hi-tech spy’s attempts to sabotage England’s World Cup hopes.
Insiders say manager Capello, 63, will be furious when he discovers details of his carefully prepared tactics have been leaked.
It could lead to detectors being used to sweep dressing rooms for bugs before England’s matches in South Africa.
Yesterday an FA spokesman refused to comment on the revelations.
AFRICA / AU :
Chinese bank defends record in Africa
MARCH 8, 2010/ online.wsj.com
BEIJING—Export-Import Bank of China will continue to invest in Africa, President Li Ruogu said Sunday, despite mounting criticism from abroad that China is attempting to control resources and expand its influence on the continent.
“We will continue our cooperation with Africa, despite the risks,” he said. Asked about the bank’s attitude toward criticism from the West, Mr. Li told a group of reporters that China has built up a sustainable cooperation model with Africa, which has benefited the continent.
The remarks by the head of one of China’s policy lenders are in line with Beijing’s stance not to bow to any external pressures from developed nations. The U.S. and its major allies have in past years criticized China for promoting exports to poor countries by providing large loans that drive up their debt levels.
Mr. Li said the West has displayed a lot of misunderstanding about China’s push to invest outside its own borders. He added, “Let them say what they want to say as we do what we want to do.”
Exim Bank, set up in 1994, has a mandate to finance China’s imports and exports of machinery products, high-tech products, as well as its overseas projects and investment. Partly helped by the growing presence of Chinese state-owned banks including Exim Bank, China’s investment in Africa has kept growing in recent years in various areas from power stations to telecommunications projects.
Mr. Li, 59 years old, holds a master’s degree from Princeton University and is a former vice governor of the People’s Bank of China. He also served at international organizations including the International Monetary Fund and acted as liaison to the African Development Bank.
Exim Bank has invested less than one-third of its assets in Africa, according to Mr. Li. The bank’s assets reached more than 950 billion yuan ($139 billion) at the end of last year, and outstanding loans reached more than 600 billion yuan.
Mr. Li rebutted criticism from the West that Chinese companies lack transparency in their moves in Africa.
“Western countries should set an example in making public the resources they have grabbed in Africa in the past 400 years. Only after that can we come to the issue of China’s transparency,” Mr. Li said.
In a move to reflect the increasingly close ties between China and Africa, South African International Affairs Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane said in February that her country was finalizing an agreement to build its mineral-processing industry together with China.
Industrial & Commercial Bank of China Ltd., the country’s largest lender by assets, took a 20% stake in Johannesburg-based Standard Bank Group Ltd. in 2008 in a deal valued at about $5.5 billion. Other lenders in China have also expanded their lending in Africa.
China Investment Corp., the country’s $300 billion sovereign wealth fund, however, has expressed caution in investing in Africa.
Jesse Wang, CIC’s executive vice president, said last week that CIC won’t be concentrated on a single region such as Africa. He cited political risks as well as concerns about an immature legal system in Africa.
—Victoria Ruan and J.R. Wu
Strauss-Kahn to Plug IMF Successes in Africa Trip: Week Ahead
March 08, 2010/By Sandrine Rastello and Nasreen Seria/Bloomberg
March 8 (Bloomberg) — Dominique Strauss-Kahn, head of the International Monetary Fund, is visiting Africa after a jump in lending by the fund helped prevent economic collapse and avoid his own warnings of civil unrest and war on the continent.
The IMF managing director is visiting Kenya and Zambia this week, which received more than $400 million in emergency loans last year, helping to stave off a collapse in their currencies. He will also go to South Africa, the continent’s biggest economy, which is grappling with unemployment of 24 percent.
The Washington-based institute lent $5 billion to sub- Saharan African nations last year, five times more than in 2008, and pumped $12 billion into foreign exchange reserves. That rapid response to the crisis helped the region avoid recession and set it on a path to expand 4.5 percent this year, said Antoinette Sayeh, who heads the IMF’s African department.
“They certainly helped to save lives and rescue the standards of living of millions globally from what might have been just a truly horrendous outcome,” said Todd Moss, a senior fellow at the Center for Global Development, a Washington-based policy research group.
A year ago, Strauss-Kahn, 60, pledged at a conference in Tanzania to raise lending in Africa and said that the global financial crisis may spark an economic collapse and a resurgence in violence in the world’s poorest continent. While countries such as Madagascar and Guinea haven’t avoided civil unrest, growth across the continent has rebounded since those comments and few democracies have been destabilized.
“It would be very pretentious to believe that all comes from the IMF,” Strauss-Kahn said in an interview yesterday in Nairobi. “But let’s be pretentious, I think we did a lot and it makes a difference.”
Emergency Loans
Ghana, the world’s second-biggest cocoa producer, secured a concessional $1 billion loan from the IMF in July to help bolster the cedi after it slumped by a third against the dollar in a year. The cedi has gained 4.8 percent since Aug. 1, helping to slow inflation and clear the way for growth of about 5 percent in 2010, according to IMF estimates.
In November, the IMF approved a non-concessional $1.4 billion loan to Angola to boost foreign currency reserves and help Africa’s second-biggest oil producer to finance imports and continue growing.
Kenya, east Africa’s biggest economy, borrowed $209 million from the IMF in May, while the lender approved $256 million in loans to Zambia, Africa’s biggest copper producer, in the same month.
“The impact of that IMF loan was very great,” Kenya’s Planning Minister Wycliffe Oparanya said by phone from Butere on March 5. “It has contributed to the revival of the economy. We are hopeful now that our economy is on an upward trend and we will reach our target this year of 4.5 percent” growth.
Photo on Wall
In Ivory Coast, which got a $566 million loan last year, Finance Minister Charles Diby Koffi displays a framed picture of him and Strauss-Kahn on his office wall
In July, the IMF said it would lend $17 billion to poor countries through 2014 and that it would reduce conditions attached to many of the loans.
“In the last 10 years, the IMF’s role came to be questioned in Africa with its track record on structural adjustment policies for example,” said Simon Freemantle, East African economist for Standard Bank Group Ltd., Africa’s biggest lender. “The IMF has gotten a massive shot in the arm with the global crisis. It’s certainly adapted.”
African nations including South Africa and Tanzania had pushed the institution to ease restrictions on lending, allowing poorer nations to run bigger budget deficits to help cope with the impact of the global recession. Many countries were able to maintain social spending, helping to mute the political impact of the crisis, Sayeh said.
Unrest
Strauss-Kahn arrived on March 6 in Kenya for a two-day visit that will include meetings with Finance Minister Uhuru Kenyatta and Prime Minister Raila Odinga. He will meet with university students in Johannesburg tomorrow and with Zambian officials, including Finance Minister Situmbeko Musokotwane, on a trip to the country starting late on March 10.
Not all African nations have escaped political turmoil. Niger’s military overthrew President Mamadou Tandja last month, dissolving the parliament and assuming emergency powers. In Madagascar, former President Marc Ravalomanana quit in March under pressure from the military following two months of protests in which more than 100 people were killed.
In September, Guinea security forces killed at least 150 opposition supporters protesting plans by military junta leader Moussa Dadis Camara to run in the country’s Jan. 31 elections.
The IMF’s assistance, including recommendations to maintain social spending “mitigated the effect of the crisis and part of the result is that Africa is now back and the recovery in Africa, contrary to previous crises, comes as fast as the rest of the world,” Strauss-Kahn said. Credit also goes to “African governments, almost all of them managed well and put in place the right policies.”
–With assistance from Sarah McGregor in Nairobi, Kenya. Editors: Philip Sanders, Peter Hirschberg
Scattered thoughts about condoms!
By Aimee Andaya/www.thenewstoday.info/2010/03/08
(Note: The author formerly worked as reporter of IBC TV-12 and is now working as a teacher in China.)
HIV/AIDS cases are rising in the Philippines. If we don’t move now it will be a serious problem of the country. Our country is already facing a lot of problems like population explosion, poverty, hunger, corruption, illiteracy, crimes and natural calamity destruction. Let me focus on the use of contraceptives as a tool against HIV/AIDS and population explosion. The church condemns the use of contraceptives, categorizing it as an act of abortion. But ironically 15 years ago, in Cologne Germany the Catholic priests fed the pigeons with contraceptive pills because they are growing in numbers. The priests were annoyed because these cute birds were leave dirt on the Cathedral. Somehow they realized that was against their religious beliefs, somebody had to shoot the birds to protect the church. Now they culture Falcons to shoo away the peace birds. Poor peace birds! How is this story relevant to the issue? Isn’t it the church is against the contraceptives? Well maybe only in the Philippines where 80 percent of the population is Catholic. But using condoms is not an act of killing rather it’s an act of saving one’s self from diseases brought by a natural urge, sex. Some old folks and religious people think it could only promote promiscuity but condoms or no condoms we always have sexual urges. Ask the teenage moms, why they got pregnant at an early age. They would probably answer they can’t control the urge, no condoms available, no money, no proper sex education and the church says promiscuity. As for those who are infected with the sexually transmitted disease and worst of all HIV/AIDS well blame it to sexual urge and condom-free sex.
Using protection could make a big difference, we can avoid unwanted pregnancies. With this, abortion cases would be lessen, lesser number of abandoned babies on the streets and lesser hungry mouths to feed. Most of all, the spread of HIV/AIDS would be lessened. I remember an HIV/AIDS victim I interviewed 4 years ago, he was courageous enough to go out despite the stigma brought about by this disease. He agreed to share his story to educate the people. He was infected through blood transfusion. When he brought me to a house where the other HIV/AIDS patients live I was surprised that there was almost 10 people living in one roof. They have different stories, some of them acquired it from their husbands working abroad, some were raped and some got it through blood transfusion. Thanks to the shelter in Iloilo that saved them from the bad judgments of the society.
How long should we ignore the reality? Should we wait until our country would be like a little Africa? Ooops, I don’t intend to insult Africans. We all know that people in Sub-Saharan Africa are still struggling to combat HIV AIDS for ages but the cases are just growing day by day. Poor little angels there have to bear with their parents’ deadly inheritance. According to AVERT organization, an international AIDS charity, an estimated 22.4 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa is infected with HIV. In 2008 around 1.8 million people died from AIDS and 1.9 million people got infected with HIV in Sub-Saharan Africa. Their average life expectancy lowered to 47 years. Many children lost a parent, while some are suffering from the deadly infection which their parents passed to them. Condoms are distributed to the different regions in the Sub- Saharan Africa to prevent the spreading of HIV, but due to social, cultural and practical reasons, some people chose not to use them. Studies show that condoms are effective prevention of HIV.
So, my scattered brain says, you have a choice!
Two UN-AU peacekeepers found in Darfur after ambush
Mon Mar 8, 2010 /Reuters
KHARTOUM (Reuters) – Darfuris helped two U.N.-African Union peacekeepers who had been missing following an ambush return safely to their base after almost two days lost in the Sudanese desert, the mission said on Sunday.
A 60-man peacekeeping patrol was ambushed on Friday in the mountainous Jabel Marra area, which the Darfur rebel Sudan Liberation Army loyal to Abdel Wahed Mohamed el-Nur says it controls. The group denied any involvement in the attack.
The peacekeepers were held overnight by unidentified armed men. After their release on Saturday, two were unaccounted for.
The joint force, known as UNAMID, will be the world’s largest U.N.-funded peacekeeping mission at its full strength of 26,000, but has struggled to gain the trust of all sides of Darfur’s seven-year conflict.
The United Nations estimates Darfur’s revolt has claimed 300,000 lives and forced more than 2 million to flee their homes since it began in 2003 when insurgents took up arms accusing central government of neglecting the remote region.
Women’s Rights Are Human Rights
www.commondreams.org/March 8
UN theme is Equal rights, equal opportunities: progress for all.
WASHINGTON – March 8 – Monday, March 8th marks International Women’s Day, and the 15th anniversary of the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women, held in Beijing. 189 countries signed on to a Beijing Platform for Action, pledging to work towards the advancement of women and the achievement of gender equality.
On this day, Africa Action celebrates the many achievements of women. Throughout the continent, women are organizing to strengthen and reinforce women’s movements and civil society organization’s capacity for gender advocacy and activism. Take for example, the political leadership emerging among women in Rwanda, Ethiopia, or Liberia. There are also vibrant civil society organizations across the continent working to enhance women’s rights, including Zimbabwe’s Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA), Zambia’s Women For Change (WFC), or the Daughters of Mũmbi Global Resource Center in Kenya.
Sadly, we also mark the occasion with a recognition that the global HIV/AIDS crisis continues to take a disproportionate toll on women. Africa Action calls on the U.S. and international policymakers to do more to address the vulnerability of women and girls to HIV/AIDS and other health challenges.
Today, women still face discrimination and inequality. HIV/AIDS is the leading cause of death of women of between the ages of 15-44.
To address the effects of HIV/AIDS on women, Africa Action urges U.S. policymakers to support HIV prevention programs that are targeted to women, which empower them to make their own sexual decisions. HIV treatment programs must include drugs to prevent mother-to-child transmission, and treatment access to women must be ensured so they continue to lead productive and healthy lives.
Sub-Saharan Africa continues to be the region most heavily affected by HIV, and in 2008 accounted for 67 percent of HIV infections worldwide. Women represent the majority of infections, accounting for about 60 percent. In Cote d’Ivoire, for example, the HIV prevalence among women was twice as high as among males in 2005, and women in South Africa are three times as likely to contract HIV than men. The high rate of sexual violence is one of the main contributors to HIV infections among women. The BBC reports that 70 percent of women around the globe are forced to have unprotected sex. A recent study in Lesotho found that 47 percent of men and 40 percent of women believe that women have no right to refuse sex with their husbands or boyfriends.
More broadly, the disproportionate effect of the epidemic on women is a result of gender inequality, with AIDS services not responding to the needs of women. Women are also increasingly vulnerable to the epidemic due to social, legal and economic disadvantages.
Even in the U.S., about one in four Americans living with HIV are women, and among African American women, HIV/AIDS is the leading cause of death for those between the ages of 25 and 34.
The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria takes into account women’s experiences, as women affected by the disease contribute to the the Fund’s treatment and prevention programs. The United Nations Trust Fund grantees in 2009 also make a compelling case for how much can be done with strategic support. For example, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a grantee equipped 300 civil society leaders with new knowledge of paralegal services that permitted thousands of women survivors of sexual violence, including many with HIV, to access justice.
Africa Action and civil society organizations across Africa have charged that President Obama’s global health budget plan represents a significant reduction from commitments made in campaign promises and by Congressional pledges. In a report released in 2009, Africa Action and other human rights organizations, evaluated President Obama’s first year in office-giving the President and his Administration a ‘D+’ for work so far on HIV/AIDS. President’s first budget request to Congress, for fiscal year 2010, essentially froze spending for global AIDS at fiscal year 2009 levels.
Finally, Africa Action calls for better health care services, especially reproductive health care, that can be made accessible and affordable to women everywhere. Many African governments are unable to devote adequate funds to public health, due to the outstanding debt. Debt cancellation is one way to encourage the allocation of more resources to HIV/AIDS treatment and education programs focused on prevention. Even in the U.S., women in economically disadvantaged communities are often unable to receive adequate basic healthcare and HIV treatment, and more funding must be devoted to health services in these areas.
Ultimately, the disproportionate effect of HIV/AIDS on women indicates that women’s human rights are not being adequately protected. Women are often the backbone of African society responsible for educating children, running households as well as performing fundamental income generating activities that are crucial to subsistence.
Women’s right to health must be enforced through access to treatment and prevention programs that allow them to persevere in their pivotal roles, and live long, productive, and fulfilling lives. As long as women continue to suffer sexual violence, whether in a situation of armed conflict or at the hands of their husbands and partners, their physical and mental health will be increasingly at risk. While health resources, including those relating to HIV/AIDS, are fundamental to ensuring women’s rights, the international community must take a holistic approach in everything from foreign policy to aid and trade to prevent the continued and systematic undervaluation of women throughout the world.
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Africa Action is a national organization that works for political, economic and social justice in Africa. Through the provision of accessible information and analysis combined with the mobilization of public pressure we work to change the policies and policy-making processes of U.S. and multinational institutions toward Africa. The work of Africa Action is grounded in the history and purpose of its predecessor organizations, the American Committee on Africa (ACOA), The Africa Fund, and the Africa Policy Information Center (APIC), which have fought for freedom and justice in Africa since 1953. Continuing this tradition, Africa Action seeks to re-shape U.S. policy toward African countries.
UN /ONU :
For Israel, an epithet undeserved
By Richard Cohen/www.dailyherald.com/3/8/2010
Toward the end of last year, Jimmy Carter apologized for some of his very harsh statements about Israel. In an “open letter to the Jewish community” he airily mentioned criticisms that “stigmatize Israel” but omitted his contribution: the implication that Israel is, like the South Africa of old, an “apartheid” state.
Carter used the term in his book “Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid.” It could be argued that he meant the label to apply only to the West Bank, which is hardly an apartheid state anyway, but still the use of the term was deliberatively provocative. Carter was waving the bloody shirt of racism and he knew it.
What can be said about others who apply the term to Israel in general? No apology has come from them. Use of the word has become common. Google “Israel and apartheid.” The message is clear: Israel is a state where political and civil rights are withheld on the basis of race and race alone.
This is not the case.
Israel of today and the South Africa of yesterday have almost nothing in common. Israeli Arabs, about one-fifth of the country, have the same civil and political rights as Jews. Arabs sit in the Knesset and serve in the military, although most are exempt from draft.
The West Bank, more or less under military rule, is a different matter. But it is not part of Israel proper, and under every conceivable peace plan – including those proposed by Israeli governments – almost all of it will revert to the Palestinian Authority and become the heartland of a Palestinian state.
Yet Israel’s critics continue to hurl the apartheid epithet. Interestingly, they do not use it for Saudi Arabia, which maintains as perfect a system of gender apartheid as can be imagined or elsewhere in the Arab world, where Palestinians sometimes have fewer rights than they do in Israel.
A recent op-ed article on Israel in the Financial Times employs the word apartheid. The author is Henry Siegman, a harsh critic of Israeli policies and a former executive director of the American Jewish Congress, so anti-Semitism is not the issue. But anti-Semitism is not so easily dismissed with others.
“Israeli Apartheid Week” recently hit campuses across the world. It is clear that what furiously animates many protesters are not legitimate grievances but imaginary ones. Israel is not above criticism and the Palestinians have their case, but when that case is constructed out of lies it not only represents a wholly unoriginal cover of some old anti-Semitic ditties but also denigrates the Palestinian cause.
It does not need lies.
Years of this sort of stuff have made Israel tone-deaf to legitimate criticism. That’s why Israel refused to cooperate with the South African jurist Richard Goldstone when, on behalf of the United Nations, he looked into alleged war crimes. The U.N. had once equated Zionism with racism. After that, it was hard to care what the U.N. thought.
To Carter’s credit, he must have understood a hunk of his audience had stopped listening. He was right to apologize, wrong not to have been more specific and a bit late in appreciating the damage he’s done.
Israel has its faults, but it is not motivated by racism. That’s more than can be said for many of its critics.
USA :
SAfrican leader lobbies UK on Zimbabwe sanctions
The Associated Press/Monday, March 8, 2010
South African President Jacob Zuma pressed Britain on Thursday to loosen European Union sanctions on Zimbabwe, which he said are limiting the effectiveness of that country’s power-sharing government.
Zuma, talking with Prime Minister Gordon Brown on the second day of a three-day state visit to Britain, pushed the U.K. to ease travel restrictions for members of Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe’s Zanu-PF party.
Some Mugabe loyalists, including members of Zimbabwe’s unity government, are unable to travel to Europe and the U.S. under the measures, Zuma said.
“Some ministers are able to travel all over the world, others are not. Clearly, there is no equality in that type of situation,” Zuma told reporters after his talks with Brown.
Power sharing between longtime rivals Mugabe and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai has remained delicate since their coalition was formed last year. Hundreds of thousands of Zimbabweans have fled the country, where the economy has collapsed, to seek work in South Africa _ an influx that has caused tensions between the neighbors.
Brown said sanctions against members of the former Mugabe regime could be reviewed, but only after progress is made on human rights, governance and media freedom in Zimbabwe.
“The sanctions that the European Union has in place do not target Zimbabwe, or Zimbabweans _ they target individuals who are responsible for violence and a number of businesses linked to them,” Brown said.
British officials rejected Zuma’s assertion that the travel bans hurt Zimbabwe’s unity government, pointing out that ministers can apply for waivers for visits connected to government business. Some Zanu-PF party ministers were granted permission to visit Britain last year with Tsvangirai when he conducted a three-week tour of Europe and the U.S.
Brown said the European Union wouldn’t consider loosening sanctions without proof that Zimbabwe is addressing international concerns.
“We must see movement from what is a unity, transitional government, to free and fair elections and there can be no excuses for delay,” he said.
Zimbabwe’s voting rights at the International Monetary Fund were recently restored and the European Union lifted sanctions against some businesses linked to Zanu-PF figures.
“Clearly, if the Zimbabwean issue is not moving forward, some people could use sanctions as an excuse to say ‘because we are sanctioned, how can we operate?’ Zuma warned.
During the talks, Britain also pledged to support efforts to establish a permanent African representative on the U.N. Security Council _ though Brown did not indicate whether the U.K. would support South Africa, Egypt, Nigeria or a regional bloc taking on the role.
Zuma and Brown later met with English football (soccer) player Steven Gerrard and South African national team captain Aaron Mokoena to discuss an education project to be launched during World Cup tournament this summer in South Africa.
Gerrard gave Zuma a Liverpool team shirt signed by star player Spanish international Fernando Torres.
Brown said Britain and others would attend a meeting during the tournament aimed at encouraging efforts to ensure that every African child has access to education.
CANADA :
Acclaim $9m capital bid for gold project
March 8, 2010 /news.smh.com.au/AAP
Junior explorer Acclaim Exploration NL seeks to fund the completion of an acquisition through a $9.17 million capital raising underwritten and managed by Canada’s Raptor Capital LLC.
The raising will involve the placement of 200 million ordinary shares at an issue price of 2.5 cents per share to raise $5 million.
It will also involve a one-for-eight pro-rata non-renouncable rights issue, with new shares to be offered at 2.5 cents per share, to raise about $3.17 million.
The company aims to raise a further $1 million under a share purchase plan on terms yet to be finalised.
The funds will be used to complete the proposed acquisition of the Mangalisa gold and uranium project in South Africa.
Acclaim last month signed a preliminary agreement with Canada’s Goldcorp Ltd to acquire an initial 33 per cent stake in the project for $US5 million ($A5.5 million) plus the issue of $US5 million ($A5.5 million) worth of shares at a price of five cents each.
Acclaim also has an option to increase its interest in the project to 50 per cent.
It must spend at least $US5 million ($A5.5 million) on exploration within the first 12 months to maintain its 33 per cent stake.
Shares in Acclaim were up 0.3 cents, or 12.5 per cent, at 2.7 cents at 1204 AEDT.
AUSTRALIA :
EUROPE :
The leaders at the EU-Morocco Summit agree to examine a new contractual framework
3/8/2010 /news.penki.lt/Source: europa.eu
The Granada summit between the European Union and Morocco has concluded with a positive assessment of the development of their relations and with the commitment to build on their political, economic and social aspect, as well as to begin a process of reflection on their future ‘contractual’ form.
At the press conference that followed the summit, the President of the Spanish Government, José Luís Rodríguez Zapaterro, the permanent President of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy, the President of the European Commission, José Manuel Durão Barroso, and the Moroccan Prime Minister, Abbas El Fassi, underlined the momentous importance of this first summit between the EU and an Arab country.
They all reiterated the need, as the final statement says, for ‘Morocco to reach optimum proximity to the EU’, by means of political modernisation and opening up the economy, and for both sides to get involved in a coordinated way, more and more often, with matters of global interest. They also emphasised the value of this relationship as an example for the Mediterranean region.
With regard to the economy, both sides promised to step up negotiations on easing restrictions on trade in services and right of establishment; they also promised to develop trans-European transport and energy networks, and to cooperate in the development of renewable sources of energy.
Among the political matters dealt with, the Middle East question, the Union for the Mediterranean, the situation in the Sahel, immigration and the Sahara stood out. ‘We have talked about almost everything,’ the Moroccan Prime Minister said.
The Western Sahara
Answering the numerous questions about the Western Sahara, Zapatero reiterated his support ‘for the work and mission of the UN’ and stated that ‘a frank, positive and constructive’ dialogue has always been kept up with Morocco on this matter, while Van Rompuy said the human aspect of the problem should not be forgotten and appealed for a fair, lasting and mutually acceptable solution.
The Maghreb, the Middle East and Immigration
Apart from the matter of the Sahara, the summit addressed the situation in the Maghreb. The final statement supports integration in that area and regrets the difficulties which exist, both in the Maghreb and in Africa.
With regard to immigration, the leaders present at the summit stated that cooperation between countries of origin, transit and destination should be strengthened, and a global approach should be taken to the problem, that is, also dealing with the causes of migratory flows.
The same point of view is argued in relation to the Sahel, were they advocate seeking a solution which combines security with development.
Regarding the Middle East conflict, the EU and Morocco called for both sides to resume negotiations in earnest and refrain from unilateral measures; they also underlined the need to support the Palestinian Authority economically and politically and protect ‘Jerusalem’s common heritage’.
Granada, much more than a city
At the press conference, all the leaders spoke of the common heritage of the different cultures, which can also be seen in Granada. ‘This marvellous city represents the synthesis of the Arab and European civilisations,’ Van Rompuy said.
Zapatero, for his part, expressed his satisfaction that the first EU summit with an Arab country should be held in a capital which ‘symbolises like no other the union between the Arab and European Mediterranean’; and the King of Morocco, in a message delivered to the summit, described Granada as a ‘living testimony to fruitful historical, cultural and human interaction on both shores of the Mediterranean’.
CHINA :
IMF Director Praises Africa’s Fiscal Policies
By SARAH CHILDRESS /online.wsj.com/MARCH 8, 2010
NAIROBI, Kenya—Africa’s economic engines are emerging quickly from a global recession, powering better-than-expected growth for the bulk of the continent, said the International Monetary Fund’s managing director.
Dominique Strauss-Kahn predicted growth for sub-Saharan Africa will hit 4.5% this year. That estimate topped an earlier IMF projection of 4% growth for the region. The IMF attributed the improved forecast to the positive performance of South Africa and Nigeria, two of the continent’s biggest economies.
.Mr. Strauss-Kahn also praised the fiscal policies many countries implemented ahead of the slump, as they largely avoided the financial wreckage that derailed the U.S. and European economies.
“African economies are recovering faster than expected,” Mr. Strauss-Kahn told reporters on Sunday at the start of his three-nation visit to the continent, including stops in Zambia and South Africa. “Certainly some Asian countries are leading the move, but African economies are recovering at the same speed, sometimes faster than many others.”
Still, the sub-Saharan region is growing at slower rates than before the global slump, and the IMF fears that efforts to reduce poverty will be undermined. For the first time in a decade, per-capita incomes declined on average across the region in 2009, said Antoinette Sayeh, director of the IMF’s Africa department.
Before the slump, sub-Saharan Africa was enjoying its strongest and longest period of growth in three decades, due to high commodities prices and a burst of foreign investment from the West, China, India and the Persian Gulf.
The economic growth also coincided with fledgling democracy in a handful of countries, which saw improved transparency and better fiscal policies. Many countries built up fiscal surpluses and were able to keep inflation under control.
The IMF estimates that the sub-Saharan region’s growth was just under 2% last year, not the 1% it had initially predicted. That is largely because South Africa, which last year entered its first recession since apartheid ended in the early 1990s, experienced a more muted downturn. Meanwhile, Nigeria saw a boost in oil production and exports after the government declared amnesty for rebels in its Delta region.
The region also had financial help. The IMF loaned $5 billion to sub-Saharan African countries last year to help shore up finances in assorted countries. The amount included $3.6 billion in subsidized loans, the highest amount with those conditions in more than a decade. In January, the IMF adjusted those terms to zero-interest rates.
Write to Sarah Childress at Sarah.Childress@wsj.com
India, China ‘missing’ 85 million women: UN
(AFP)/08032010
NEW DELHI — The United Nations estimated Monday that India and China are “missing” about 85 million women who died from discriminatory health care and neglect or who were never born at all.
In a major report on gender equality, the UN Development Programme (UNDP) found that Asia had the highest male-female sex ratio at birth in the world, with 119 boys born for every 100 girls.
This far exceeded the global world average of 107 boys for every 100 girls.
“Females cannot take survival for granted,” the report said. “Sex-selective abortion, infanticide, and death from health and nutritional neglect in Asia have left 96 million missing women … and the numbers seem to be increasing in absolute terms,” it added.
The regional figure was skewed by enormous birth gender disparities in China and India, which each accounted for about 42.6 million of the report’s “missing” figure.
Despite robust economic growth across Asia as a whole, the report found that millions of women remained excluded from the benefits of greater prosperity.
The region, and especially South Asia, ranks near the worst in the world — often lower than sub-Saharan Africa — on basic issues such as protecting women from violence, as well as access to health, education, employment and political participation.
“Today, the Asia-Pacific region is at a crossroads,” the report said. “Whether gender equality is pushed aside or pursued with greater energy amid the economic downturn depends on actions taken or not taken now by governments.”
The report focused on the need to improve women’s rights in three key areas: economic power, political participation, and legal protection.
INDIA :
Hero Honda May Add Fourth Plant on India Rural Sales (Update1)
March 08, 2010/By Subramaniam Sharma/Bloomberg
(Adds stock performance in the sixth paragraph.)
March 8 (Bloomberg) — Hero Honda Motors Ltd., maker of half the motorcycles sold in India, may build a fourth factory as it targets rural markets and possible exports to Africa.
The company will decide on the new factory within six months, Managing Director Pawan Kant Munjal, 55, said in an interview in New Delhi. It hopes to reach an agreement this year with partner Honda Motor Co. on starting African sales, he said.
To help win sales among India’s more than 740 million rural residents, Hero Honda has set up health-care initiatives and services to guide people in getting driving licenses. Coupled with motorcycle tax cuts and economic growth, the programs helped Hero Honda boost sales 24 percent in the past 11 months.
“The market will continue to grow and it makes sense to invest money,” said Juergen Maier, who helps manage 860 million euros ($1.1 billion) of assets, including Hero Honda shares, at Raiffeisen Capital Management in Vienna. Expanding in rural areas now “is a huge advantage” over overseas companies such as Yamaha Motor Co., he said.
Bajaj Auto Ltd., India’s second-biggest motorcycle maker, has also boosted its focus on rural areas as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh boost spending on new roads and infrastructure for villages as part of his ‘Build India’ campaign.
Hero Honda rose as much as 2.3 percent in Mumbai trading to an intraday record price of 1,913.70 rupees. The stock was up 2 percent at 1,908 rupees as of 10:00 a.m.
Rural Focus
Hero Honda is considering a plant that can make 2,000 units daily and will fund the plan using its own cash, Munjal said during the March 4 interview. The company, 26 percent-owned by Tokyo-based Honda, can now make 5 million motorcycles and scooters a year. Hero Group, founded by Munjal’s father and uncles, holds a 29 percent stake in the motorcycle-maker.
Hero Honda expects to sell 50 percent of its motorcycles in villages in the next three to five years, from about 40 percent now, Munjal said. The company three years ago started a marketing initiative called ‘Har Gaon, Har Angan,’ or ‘Every Village, Every Courtyard’, to increase sales in villages with a population of more than 5,000 people.
“The government has a clear cut long-term focus because a large portion of the population lives out there,” said Munjal. “A lot of activity is going on in rural areas. I expect a higher percentage of growth coming from rural areas.”
The company is also diversifying by aiming to boost exports, which now account for 2.2 percent of annual sales. By contrast, Bajaj Auto sells 33 percent of two-wheelers overseas. The bulk of Hero Honda’s exports are to Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Columbia. Bajaj sell motorcycles in countries including Nigeria, Angola, Uganda and Kenya.
‘Wider Canvas’
Hero Honda is trying to convince Honda to allow it to enter more export markets, Munjal said.
“We are getting close to being able to work out a deal where we can start going into Africa,” said Munjal. “We want to establish ourselves in the international market so we have a wider canvas.”
Simultaneously, Hero Honda is expanding its rural reach in India by adding about 500 more dealerships, service centers and other outlets across the country. The company currently has more than 4,000 facilities nationwide, including about 700 dealers.
Close to 70 percent of India’s population of more than 1.1 billion live in villages and they contribute about 45 percent of the economy, according to a 2008 study by National Council of Applied Economic Research.
About 10 percent of the people living in villages in India own a motorcycle, compared with the national average of 18 percent, local brokerage Batlivala & Karani Securities Ltd. said in a report last month.
–With assistance from Manish Modi in New Delhi. Editors: Anand Krishnamoorthy, Ian Rowley
India to scale up HIV prevention to curb excessive expenditure on AIDS
March 08th, 2010/www.duniyalive.com/By Agencies
New Delhi: This Sunday the World Bank stated that India needs to expand HIV prevention to curb excessive expenditure on AIDS patients. New Delhi spends 5% of $5.4 billion for curing AIDS patients.
India, Nigeria and South Africa are the top three countries that have the utmost HIV cases.
AIDS expert stated that “More than 15 percent of the 200,000 plus injectible drug users (IDUs) are HIV positive in the country against a global average of 10 percent.” AIDS result from sharing needles and or having unprotected sex.
Claeson stated that “HIV is not a major threat to the current economic growth of India, but the welfare impact is significant and HIV disproportionately affects the poor.”
BRASIL:
Robots join hunt for Air France jet’s data
2010-03-08/By Alan Levin/ USA TODAY
The hunt for the Air France jet that disappeared in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean last June will be one of the most sophisticated deep-water search attempts in history when it resumes this month, according to French accident investigators and oceanographers.
More than nine months after Air France Flight 447 from Rio de Janeiro to Paris went down after encountering storms, an armada of the world’s most advanced underwater robots are being moved to the site near the equator between Brazil and Africa.
The search, coordinated by the French investigators at the Bureau d’Enquêtes et d’Analyses (BEA), is using equipment that located items as small as an oil drum and a chain 3 miles beneath the ocean surface in an unsuccessful attempt last year to locate Amelia Earhart’s plane.
“If it’s in there, they’ll find it,” said Ted Waitt, the computer entrepreneur whose foundation helped fund the Earhart search. Two of the three robots being used by the BEA are owned by the Waitt Institute for Discovery.
AIR FRANCE: Families happy about new search for debris
Technology in underwater searches has leapfrogged what was used to find the Titanic in the North Atlantic in 1985. That search used a single towed sonar device that scanned the ocean floor and a submersible video camera.
The new search for the Airbus A330 will use three robots capable of crisscrossing the depths on their own for hours at a time, creating high-definition sonar images of the ocean floor, according to the BEA. Three other vehicles designed to photograph the wreckage and to remove items, such as the crash-proof flight recorders, are also being used.
The area of the Atlantic where the plane went down is heavily mountainous and is between 10,000 and 13,000 feet deep. The underwater robots are designed to cruise near the bottom, automatically climbing and descending with the contour of the bottom.
The search is being financed by nearly $14 million from Airbus and Air France. Equipment and expertise from the USA are playing important roles. The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and the U.S. Navy are key players, according to the BEA.
One reason to think that the latest search may prove more successful than previous efforts is that searchers are heading to a new search zone. Teams of experts studied how ocean currents and winds moved bodies and debris from the jet to pinpoint where the Airbus A330 most likely went down, according to BEA documents.
French investigators searched for months in vain for Air France Flight 447 after it went down June 1. First, ships listened without success for the pingers designed to lead searchers to the “black box” recorders. Then sonar searched the seabed in a rectangular patch southeast of the jet’s last known position.
The BEA believes the crash was triggered by ice on the jet’s speed sensors. Without the jet’s recorders, however, many details remain unknown.
EN BREF, CE 08 mars 2010 … AGNEWS / OMAR, BXL,08/03/2010
