Volume 1 issue 13

www.indoafricatimes.com

MONDAY | APRIL 07, 2014 Title Code: DELENG18579 • VOL. 1 • NO. 13 • Page 12 • Price `10

pg 11

pg 04

pg 10

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Seychelles getting ready

for International Carnival

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Want Prosperity, Power and Patronage??

GO VOTE MALAWI: The WArM heArT of AfrICA

BLACk STArS WAnT To do BeTTer

Power is a complex thing, momentary and intangible to a man in crowd, and nearly enduring when in hand of a politician. Still,

for one day the “power’ will fit in to the Aam Admi, the Mango People. We all will have the magical stick and will be asked to make a selection.

In democracy, this temporary swing of power is named –Elections. And the power itself is called – Vote. Even though action of voting is an individual choice, it is generally inclined by the noise in open-air. So how does one make an objective choice? Religion, Past, Future, Morals, Economy, Ideology or should one simply be a coward and succumb to temporary space of explanations?

When the world’s largest democracy goes to the polls from April 7 to May 12 the logistics are mind-boggling. Over 800 million voters will pick their representatives for the national parliament in the capital New Delhi.

In India, the general election will be held in nine phases, the longest election in the country's history, to create the 16th Lok Sabha in India. Voting will take place in all 543 parliamentary constituencies of India to elect Members of Parliament in the Lok Sabha. The upshot of this election will be confirmed on 16 May, before the 15th Lok Sabha finalises its constitutional mandate on 31 May 2014.

As per the Election Commission of India, the electoral strong suit in 2014 is 81.45 crores (814.5 million), the prime in the world. There is an escalation of 10 crores (100 million) freshly entitled voters. This also will be the extensive and the expensive general election in the history of the country with the Election Commission of India appraising that the election will cost the exchequer Rs 3,500 crores, exclusive of the expenses incurred for security and individual political parties.

The Election Commission is charged up for the epic nine-phase exercise that has few parallels in

ASSoChAM welcomes the diplomats

SWAhILI fAShIon Week heAdIng To kenyA

Wassupafrica02

Kenya will progressively get another 280 MW to feed the electricity starved

country, as the latest of the geo thermal plants at Olkaria, located at the foot of Mt. Longonot in the Great African Rift Valley, started coming on line over the weekend. An initial 70 MW will be followed by a further 70 MW in April, when all the connections to the national power grid have been completed before the full production capacity can then enter the national power distribution network. For long has Kenya depended on hydroelectric power plants but the constant cycle of drought and excess rains has made power production less reliable and when the water levels in the dams dropped during drought cycles, the country suffered rolling blackouts.

Geothermal energy production is one of the focal points to increase power generation output in Kenya and with additional sites already identified, more such plants will be commissioned over the coming years, giving Kenyans

A new report issued on 26 March by the African Development Bank says

there are three main actions that governments and the Bank can take together to bring an end to conflict in Africa and help to strengthen the Continent’s fragile sates. Speaking to an audience of Bank staff present for the report’s release, the Head of the Secretariat to the High Level Panel for Fragile States, Sunita Pitamber, said: “We are at a point where some of the countries affected by deep conflict and crises are on a steady path of

The second day of 'door to door' visit of tourism establishments on Praslin Island by Minister Alain St. Ange, the Seychelles Minister responsible for Tourism and Culture accompanied by Anne Lafortune, the PS for Tourism, Sherin Naiken, the CEO of the Tourism Board, Rose Mary Hoareau, the Director of Marketing at the Tourism Board and Sinha Levkovic, the Director Standards and Regulations at the Department of Tourism proved to be interesting and opened the needed dialogue on a one to one basis instead of just general meetings with hotel General Managers.

This new approach was started few days back where a series of hotels, large and small were visited Minister St. Ange and his delegation visited Amitie Chalets, Le Tropique Villa, Ocean Jewels, Villa Aya, Villa Cocotier Self-Catering, Loulou Bungalows, Villa de Mer, La Modestie, Villas des Alizes, Dhevatara Beach Hotel, Residence Praslinoise, Indian Ocean Lodge, Palm Beach Hotel and Britannia Guest House.

Kenya gets more green electricity

Seychelles says the 'door to door' visit of tourism establishments on Praslin Island is a worthwhile exercise

AfDB says stronger governments and private sector are keys to ending fragility in Africa

not just more electricity – power rationing has been notorious in the past – but will also reduce the cost of electricity as geothermal production is among the cheapest ways to generate.

The plant is located inside the Mt. Longonot National Park but as it has been there before the park itself was created enjoys a special status and does not collide in its present format with tourism activities.

Longonot is renown as an adventure destination for both Kenyans as well as foreign tourists who come to climb the mountain, use the bike trails or else hike through the rugged terrain. The Kenya Wildlife Service has established an annual event there, the Mt. Longonot Wheelbarrow Race, from which charitable contributions are raised besides promoting the park as a key weekend getaway location for Nairobians.

By Prof. Dr. Wolfgang H. Thome, ETN Africa

Correspondent

When he started the series of visits Minister Alain St. Ange said to the first hotel he stopped at: “It was time for us to break away from our traditional approaches of holding meetings with big groups of hotels. Normally we rallied every-one in a room to listen to the trade, but few spoke and we often left the meetings unsure if we had heard the views and opinions of everyone. We knew that we needed to hear of not only your successes, but also hear firsthand of your challenges. We felt it was time to dedicate more time than ever before to the industry and meet you on a more personalized basis. Seeing properties are one thing, knowing properties is as important for everyone’’. Minister St. Ange said.

As he ended the first session in a series he will be undertaking on Praslin Island, Minister St. Ange said that he had now been updated on the prevailing situation of tourism on Praslin Island directly from the horse’s mouth, not second hand, but straight from the owners of small 'home grown hotels' network and from General Managers of the

larger establishments. "We have heard of aspirations of our small

hoteliers. We heard how they see the bureaucratic structures in place in different departments that creates more costs for small hotel owners. We were guided to see first-hand how central management decisions were too often too distant from reality on the ground" Minister St. Ange said.

The Minister for Tourism told the press on Praslin that he was ending the first in the series of meetings on Praslin happy and that he had seen positive results from the call by the President of the Republic for Seychelles to claim back its tourism industry. "We have more Seychellois than ever before joining the tourism industry. We have seen the small Seychellois owned establishments are promoting a creole welcome and they are displaying a style of tourism that is uniquely Seychelles. It is very clear that as a Government we need to work tirelessly to encourage more Seychellois to enter our world of tourism. This will ensure the industry that remains the pillar of our economy is consolidated for the long term because everyone will defend and protect the tourism industry" Minister St. Ange said.

Minister St. Ange assured the Praslin Island Hoteliers that he would be back in about two weeks to continue his tour of hotels to enable to meet every hotelier of the island individually. He also assured everyone that their different points raised would be raised with the different agencies and departments concerned.

Seychelles is a founding member of the International Coalition of Tourism Partners (ICTP)

Seychelles Ministry of Tourism and Culture

recovery. But on the other hand we have seen new conflict and new crises emerging on the Continent.

After a year of studying this question with the goal of strengthening Africa’s fragile states, “Ending Conflict and Building Peace in Africa: A Call to Action” delivers three main messages.

First, fragility is different from one place to the next and since there is no single condition that describes fragility everywhere,

there is no single remedy for it, either. This means the Bank must play a greater role in better understanding the causes of fragility and develop relevant responses that target the specific triggers of conflict.

Second, conflicts and crises are profoundly political in nature. Although the AfDB is apolitical, it has strong convening power. Thus, it should be part of post-conflict negotiations to design development efforts while the political process is completed by other relevant institutions

Third, governments need to stabilize their economies and deliver essential services as a way to minimize the lasting effects of conflict. This calls for strong institutions and a well-developed private sector, so this is where the Bank and its clients need to focus their efforts.

afdb

Alain St. Ange, Minister of Tourism and Culture, Seychelles

MONDAY | APRIL 07, 2014

Wassupafrica 03

Feedback received from Kampala’s leading hotels confirm that this year’s Earth Hour was observed by switching off main lights – safety and security lights did remain on in line with regulatory requirements – in public areas, as well as restaurants between 2030 hours and 2130 hours last evening. Patrons dined by candle light, and bars and public areas were lit by candles and in part solar-charged lanterns, showing solidarity with this World Wildlife Federation (WWF)-sponsored event which unfolded across the world.

From the Ugandan lodges it was only GeoLodges which was swift enough to confirm their compliance while others left the opportunity go to waste to make hay out of their participation and get a positive mention here.

Across the region, Serena Hotels signaled participation in all their hotels, resorts, and lodges and from Kenya, Sarova Hotels and Sun Africa Hotels confirmed that they, too, had their main lights out as Earth Hour arrived in the East African time zone.

From Nairobi, the InterContinental Nairobi and the Boma Hotel confirmed that their lights also went out, all deserving a pat on the back on behalf of the environment. Well done to the Kampala Serena Hotel and the Sheraton Kampala Hotel who participated as well.

By Prof. Dr. Wolfgang H. Thome, ETN Africa Correspondent

ASSOCHAM welcomes the Diplomats

Kampala’s leading hotels observed Earth Hour

FRoM page 01

It was a splendid evening when ASSOCHAM (The Associated Chambers of Commerce and

Industry of India) organized a Commercial Counselors/Trade Commissioners Meet on 29th March 2014 in New Delhi, India.

ASSOCHAM, an Apex knowledge chamber of the country, has been assisting conducive environment to tap the business prospects between India and rest of the World. Government of India has been enormously compassionate in its efforts.

It was an admirable occasion furnished by the Chamber to interact with the concerned diplomats. It offered a prominent podium to foster the international linkages and to share, learn and build new networks of opportunity.

Embassies/High Commissions participated at senior level were from SAARC, ASEAN, GULF, ARAB, AFRICA, and WEST. Mr. D S Rawat, Secretary General, ASSOCHAM very well expressed his thoughts during the event.

All the participants rated the seminar very highly. They thanked ASSOCHAM for this opportunity which will help them in their professional activity.

Air Uganda announced recently an increase in flights to a number of their

East African destinations effective April 14. New is that Mombasa will now be served five times a week directly up from previously four flights a week, cutting out the en-route stop at Kilimanjaro. This will be of keen interest to the Ugandan business community which imports over 90 percent of all cargo via the Indian Ocean port of Mombasa while visitors wanting to enjoy the Kenyan beaches now have more options to fly to the coast where this year spectacular deals are available for residents of the East African Community.

Kilimanjaro will for now be served three times a week, likely to go to four soon in a joint code share operation with Tanzania’s Precision Air while under a similar deal Dar es Salaam will be served twice a day compared to the previous one flight a day, allowing day trips from Uganda to Dar without the need of an overnight stay and a special fare to generate more traffic for the new

double daily service was launched at US Dollars 165 return PLUS taxes and fees.

The most recently launched destination of Mogadishu/Somalia will also see the number of weekly flights go up from three to four a week, a sign of continued strong demand on the route.

Juba will see double daily flights continue except on Wednesdays and Fridays, when three daily flights connect Entebbe with South Sudan’s capital city.

Nairobi flights will remain, for the time being, on the same level with three flights a day except for Saturday when only two flights are operated.

Bujumbura flights will also be upped from the present four to five a week and have been changed to nonstop flights both ways.

Kigali in the meantime will, for the time being at least, be served by RwandAir operating a flight codeshared with Air Uganda, which allowed U7 to free aircraft

capacity needed to increase flights elsewhere.

Air Uganda currently operates a uniform fleet of Bombardier CRJ200 jets in a single class economy configuration of 50 seats each. Word from the grapevine however has it that a fleet increase and aircraft type change may be on the way with speculation rife if Uganda’s quasi national airline may upgrade from the CRJ200 to the larger CRJ700NextGen or even the CRJ900NextGen, which would allow them to bring their acclaimed business class of the MD 87 days back.


Correspondent

More flights to key destinations across Eastern Africa

the world. The polls would be viewed by observers from oodles of developing countries eager to acquire and embrace from India's democracy.

"We are fully geared up to conduct free and fair elections," a poll panel official said. He said Chief Election Commissioner V.S. Sampath and his colleagues were touring various states to review the preparedness.

"The challenge is in terms of the geographical spread of constituencies but the polling staff is adequately trained," the official added.

Youngistan, your vote is your voice as an Indian citizen. Don’t forget a vote from a rich has the identical power as a poor person.

It’s your right and voice, to have the say, who will be the future most powerful leader in the world. These elections are not just about casting votes, they are your way of molding our nation's future, and yours.

It is the single most efficacious method to make your voice be heard. By not polling, you give away your right to effect the government overall. Select your contestant prudently. There are numerous matters to contemplate when casting your vote. So every vote has a meaning. Several elections have been decided by a single vote. Hence, it is significant to vote to have your say about what happens to you and to the people in the country.

Mr. D. S. Rawat, Secretary General, ASSOCHAM

mONDAY | APRIL 07, 2014

Located on the Great Rift Valley in Central Africa, and one of Africa's smallest

nations, Malawi is heartily known as 'The Warm Heart of Africa' and is swiftly budding as one of the last unexplored treasures of the continent. Malawi is not only the Warm Heart of Africa, but also the genuinely friendly, safe and in many ways undiscovered heart of Africa – an exclusive destination that is just that little bit different from its better – known neighbors. It is a landlocked country that was formerly known as Nyasaland. It is bordered by Zambia to the northwest, Tanzania to the northeast, and Mozambique on the east, south and west.

Immense Investment Opportunities

The Warm Heart of Africa has immense investment opportunities for investors in its lap. It exhibits many of the characteristics that emerging market investors look for. These opportunities have been categorized by sector:

• Agricultural Sector• Manufacturing Sector• Other Sectors

Agriculture and Agro-Processing

Commercial estate farming offers wide scope for long-term investment in agriculture. Most of the traditional agricultural export crops of tobacco, tea, coffee and cotton are exported in a semi- processed state. Opportunities exist for investment into value addition in these sub-sectors and in other agricultural sub-sectors of chilies, macadamia nuts, cut flowers and beans.

Cotton ProductionMalawi has been a cotton

growing country since the colonial era. Specific mention should be

MALAWI AT A GLANCE

countryoftheWeek04

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Indian Spinal Injuries Centre ......................................................... Page 12

MALAWIThe Warm Heart of Africa

and mattress manufacturing.

Other SectorsAmong semi-precious stones

found in Malawi are Aquamarine, Amethyst, and Tourmaline while precious varieties include rubies and sapphires.

Minerals include Uranium, strontianite, Phosphate, Iron Sulphides, Gypsum, C o a l , Limestone, Basnaesite, Pyroclore, Bauxite, Titanium sands, Kyanite, Graphite, Corundum among others. An opportunity exists to invest in mining and processing of these minerals. Other attractive opportunities also exist in a gems and jewelry plant with the proposed objective of buying, processing and selling locally found gemstones on international markets, as well as manufacturing jewelry items.

Trade AgreementsA number of bilateral and

multilateral trade agreements includes the African Free Trade Zone, the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) Trade Protocol, bilateral trade agreements between Malawi and Zimbabwe, Malawi and South Africa, Malawi and Botswana, Malawi and Mozambique, Malawi and China, Malawi and India, and

Malawi and Malaysia the Cotonou Agreement between the European Union (EU) and African Caribbean Pacific (ACP) countries, and the United States-African Growth Opportunity Act (US-AGOA) initiative for concessional exports to the US market.

Benchmarking Investment Climate in MalawiCredit Access: There is no discrimination in terms of access to credit in Malawi. Borrowing and lending affairs stay in the hands of banks and their clients. Transportation System: In spite of being a land locked country, Malawi has a first-class road network and railway services, which join Malawian importers and exporters to the significant ports of Beira and Nacala in Mozambique. Safekeeping Investment: In terms of physical property and property rights protection, Malawi is a signatory of the International Convention for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID); and Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), a World Bank institution that operates as an insurance organization, which offers compensation to multilateral investment losses. Import/Export Policy: There is no favoritism a propos the set of laws leading imports and exports.

for investment in the manufacture of accessories such as zippers, buttons, and fastening which are currently imported.

Garment ManufacturingThe Malawi garment industry

is very young with about 8 garment companies operating under the export processing zones status. More companies are required to fully utilize the country’s resources and to more fully capitalize on new trade opportunities arising from

the African Growth Opportunity Act (AGOA) initiative offered to Malawi by the United States Government.

Phosphate Fertilizer ManufacturingPhosphate fertilizers

constitute 20 percent (40,000 tons) of the total imports. Domestic fertilizer production in Malawi would reduce the price of fertilizer and therefore encourage the distribution of fertilizer to the more remote areas of the rural population.

Rubber Products ManufacturingMalawi has rubber trees for

the production of latex rubber at the rate of 1,300 tons per annum. 10% of the total tonnage is used locally for tyre re-treading, paint

made of the cotton sector where investment opportunities include: cotton growing; cotton ginning; spinning, weaving and knitting. Investment opportunities exist in commercial cultivation of cotton through initiatives like contract farming, village adoption, cooperatives and associations etc.

Tea Production and ProcessingMalawi is the pioneer of tea

growing in Africa and is the second most important export crop for

Malawi contributing some 7.9% of total export earnings. Tea is exported to European, Asian and American markets.

Arabica Coffee Production and Processing

Arabica coffee is the fourth most important export crop in Malawi. Exports are made to European markets, Asia markets and American markets.

Manufacturing SectorWith the country’s efforts

to diversify the economy from agriculture, a lot of opportunities exist in the manufacturing sector and these are:

Manufacture of Textiles Accessories

There is considerable scope

Official Name Malawi

Head of State H.E. Dr. Joyce Banda

Capital Lilongwe

Area 118,480 km²

Population 15,906,483

GDP (Purchasing Power Parity) $14.58 billion (2012 est.)

GDP - Per Capita (PPP) $900 (2012 est.)

GDP - Real Growth Rate +4.3%

Annual Inflation Rate +7.6%

Exports (Billion) $860 million (2012 est.)

Exports - Commodities Tobacco, tea, sugar, cotton, coffee, peanuts, wood products, apparel

Imports (Billion) $1.752 billion (2012 est.)

Imports - Commodities Food, petroleum products, semi- manufactures, consumer goods, transportation equipment

Agriculture - Products Tobacco, sugarcane, cotton, tea, corn, potatoes, cassava (tapioca), sorghum, pulses, groundnuts, Macadamia nuts; cattle, goats

Industries Tobacco, tea, sugar, sawmill products, cement, consumer goods


BusinessBuzz 05

Recently, a company representative of Apple said that "there needs to

be more diversity in the emoji character set" and that Apple is "working closely" with the

Unicode consortium, the group that specifies how all text and characters show up on computers, to make changes.

Hatts off to Oju Africa, an app company centered in Mauritius,

currently open for download on Google Play. The app is free, but only well-suited with external apps like WhatsApp and Twitter for now.

The main intent of Oju Africa is to craft an optimistic picture of African cultures and people that didn't previously exist on the emoji platform.

There have been numerous appeals to get Apple, which makes the emoji for iPhone, to diversify the portfolio for the past year or so.

As written by Oju on its website "At oju we have identified a need, we Africans need a voice in today’s modern world, a voice that represents us in the computer driven present and future.” "An African voice that not only understands the African way, but supports all our diverse cultures and bring to life all our emotions, passions and our warmth as a continent in a proudly African way", he further added.

Access Bank has anticipated to raise its market share in global trade podium

on import from $4.1 billion to $6.4 billion to upkeep trade and project-based financing for customers. Head of SME Desk, Oyediji Atoyebi, who unveiled this lately at Access Bank’s 6th edition of Power Breakfast titled,

“Capacity Building for Business Owners,” said the institution’s trade lines are currently at around $1.5 billion, which, according to him, was sufficient to support the nation’s growing business needs. He stated that Access Bank’s global trade platform remains strong and growing market share

– $3.3 billion in imports in 2010; $ 6.5 billion in imports in 2011; $4.2 billion in imports in 2012; $4.1

The IMF has just released to the general public its new toolkit for assessing public debt sustainability in countries that have access to international capital markets.

The tool improves upon the IMF's previous method of evaluating how much public debt emerging market and advanced economies can safely carry. The new approach takes a more holistic view, assessing the level and trajectory of debt, government financing needs, and vulnerabilities in the debt structure.

The IMF has been working to overhaul its framework for public debt sustainability analysis in market access countries (MAC DSA) over the past two years as the issue of public debt has become increasingly prominent. The global financial crisis and more recent developments have exposed not only significant debt vulnerabilities-particularly in advanced economies, where such concerns had been minimal-but also gaps in the analytical capacity to assess and foresee such risks. The new DSA for market access countries aims to close those gaps by scrutinizing debt sustainability from several different perspectives.

The revamped DSA pushes the analytical frontier by introducing new tools for comprehensive risk assessment. In addition to evaluating debt trajectories, as was previously done, the new framework also assesses the solvency and liquidity risks stemming from high levels of public debt, gross financing requirements, and a country's debt profile. For example, it compares the public debt, financing needs, and liquidity indicators to early warning benchmarks intended to flag potential vulnerabilities at an early stage.

Clarity and transparency are key features of the new DSA framework. DSA results are displayed in standardized charts and tables, which facilitate cross-country comparison. A heat map objectively summarizes the analytical results, with red, yellow, and green cells indicating high, moderate, and low risks respectively. Standard output chart packages are available at this link. The final assessment of debt vulnerabilities is expected to reflect the country-specific context-therefore, where relevant, DSA results provide country-specific details and discuss factors that may amplify or mitigate certain risks.

In IMF country reports, DSA outputs are summarized in a heat map and accompanied by a write-up. Heat map colors are determined by comparing debt levels, gross financing needs, and debt profile indicators against early warning benchmarks. Red cells in the first two rows indicate that baseline debt-to-GDP and gross financing needs-to-GDP ratios exceed benchmark levels. In the last row, the cell is green if its corresponding debt profile indicator value is less than the lower early warning benchmark, red if it exceeds the upper early warning benchmark, and yellow if it lies in between.

Allafrica.com

Access Bank to be in top three by 2014 by market share

World Bank signs loan deal for Kenya airport construction

IMF launches new tool to assess public debt in market access countries

News that the World Bank has signed a major loan deal with the Kenya

government worth 17.5 billion Kenya Shillings, all due to be channeled into the reconstruction and expansion of facilities at the region’s main airport, Jomo Kenyatta International, will be received with some relief by the aviation fraternity currently working under difficult conditions at the airport since the fire last year in August destroyed the entire arrivals section.

The World Bank’s country director confirmed that the deal was signed, which should allow the Kenya Airport Authority (KAA) to fast track tender awards now that funds have been made available.

No details about the grace period, the level of interest or the repayment period could be obtained but it is thought that the interest rates will be hugely preferential over any form of

billion in imports in 2013 and 2014 projection of $6.4 billion.”

The firm, which has been among the top four trade financing banks in Nigeria by price of initiated transactions and foreign exchange (FX) applied, would be among the top three by 2014 by market share. On its struggle to cultivate openings for business and small and medium enterprise on international trade, Atoyebi said the Access Bank had continued to grow and diversify customer base to 500 plus active trade customers across all major economic sectors.

According to him, the bank was the first bank to launch an electronic e-Form M platform in Nigeria via its trade services platform with trade innovation

Adorable and Attractive African Emoji

an island nation off the southeast coast of Africa, Apple should now have somewhat of an outline on this subject.

The company has advanced a series of African emoji that are

solution platform for ensuring that customers initiate and track their transaction on an on-line real time basis. The Head of SME desk said, “We are today a preferred partner with several first class

correspondent banks as we have a very firm understanding of the local market and the various trade finance structures that are acceptable to international markets.”

commercial borrowing or even project finance arranged by contractors.

KAA has a few weeks ago tendered for the demolition of the entire arrivals complex to pave the way for a major new construction, and while no details have been made public how long it may take to announce the winning bidder and then get working, it is widely anticipated that by mid of this year work will have started.

Meanwhile though was the construction of a temporary terminal building, made of largely prefabricated elements, awarded to a German company and completion of that project is expected by latest October this year. JKIA presently processes nearly 7 million passengers per year, even though the initial capacity on opening in 1978 was only projected to reach 2.5 million passengers, one reason why passengers regularly complain about the congestion and lack of sufficient facilities when flying from or transiting via Nairobi.

By Prof. Dr. Wolfgang H. Thome, ETN Africa Correspondent


The technological advancement, global competition and changing business scenario call for new challenges

in every field. To meet such challenges, apart from occupational requirements, development of additional skills is crucial. Education has an immense impact on the human society.

The African youth make up 40 percent of Africa’s population. Education in Africa began as a tool to prepare the local youth to take their place in their respective societies. Among several areas

of cooperation between India and Africa, one important sector is capacity building and human resource development.

As India’s capabilities and resource base has grown in these areas, it has broadened the scope of cooperational activities in capacity building with Africa. India is poised to set up a string of higher education and training institutions in Africa. India is doing a lot for the future of the continent and can transform the continent through education.

India has pledged to build 100 training institutes all over the continent at the last two India-Africa Forum Summits held in New Delhi, India and Addis Ababa, Ethiopia respectively. It will help build the industrial and managerial base of the continent by spawning a new generation of entrepreneurs and an educated middle class that will shape African resurgence in the time to come.

Not only the public sector but India’s private sector is now encouraged to build partnerships for capacity building and human resource development in Africa. Indian Universities has brought up wide range of programs and courses designed to provide an impetus to career seekers and equip them with communication and linguistic proficiency.

A variety of services and programs are being offered for students to help promote intellectual, social and cultural development. India has developed a sizeable skilled and educated manpower. It has emerged as a third largest skilled human resource in the world due to substantial public investment in establishing academic and professional institutions. Indian government policy led to liberal university education and the subsequent rapid development of the educational research and training. These experiences are relevant for African countries.

Therefore, India is a suitable partner to contribute in the capacity building and development of human resource in Africa. As it is Africa is rich in natural resources. It needs skilled human resources and technology to accelerate its economic growth.

Recognizing the advance stage of India in developing Science, Technology and Innovation policies and strategies thereof, during 1st India-Africa Science and Technology Ministerial Conference and Tech Expo on 1-2 March 2012 at New Delhi, India, it was agreed that India would serve the Commission of the African Union and Regional Economic Communities by providing training and other capacity interventions towards ameliorating policy enabling environment in African countries. Prior to this in 2011, India has committed to promote high education institutes in four sectors - information, communication and technology in Ghana, planning and administration in Burundi, foreign trade in Uganda

and India-Africa institute for diamonds in Botswana, which is the biggest producer for diamonds in the continent.

An additional $700 million was pledged to establish new institutions and training programmes. Of this, $185 million is in the field of science and technology.

Worth mentioning, the African Development Bank supports every phase of education, the cornerstone of the health-employment social wellbeing architecture. It catches education as a long-term process that commands long-term investment. The Bank bestows to international efforts to provide a quality education to all children by supporting its regional member countries in building schools, training teachers and providing learning materials and equipment.

The focus on infrastructure also extends to fragile states where the Bank supports considerable school construction and reconstruction as part of its efforts to provide these countries with viable public services. The thrust of the Bank’s Higher Education Science and Technology Strategy is to promote excellence, and to target the transition from school to work.

Given the growing needs and demand for high-level skills and research in science and technology and insufficient resources, the Bank focuses its support on national and regional centers of excellence such as the Kigali Institute of Science and Technology and the Benin’s Regional Public Health Institute. Since 2008, the Bank also houses the Association for the Development of Education in Africa, which promotes African education research and evidence-based policy advocacy.

At the 22nd World Economic Forum (WEF) on Africa, Minister of Education for Ghana stressed the need for distance learning programs. Science, Technology and Innovation is opening up opportunities which might enable Africa to leapfrog development through education. In the words of Mr. Ricaud Gervais Auckbur, Representative from the Ministry of Education, Mauritius “ I want to see African countries working together to make the dream

‘Broadband for all in Africa’ become a reality for everyone in the continent- to provide access to affordable communication for education and socio-economic development.”

The Government of India, through the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), offers about 2325 scholarships under 21 scholarship schemes. Of these scholarships, 500 are exclusively for African countries. There are students in India under these schemes from about 80 countries. Most of the scholarship holders come from developing countries in Asia, Africa, South and Central America.

The Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) administers its own scholarship schemes apart from which it also functions as an agency for other schemes on behalf of the Ministry of External Affairs and the Ministry of Finance of the Government of India.

Education in Africa began as a tool to prepare the local youth to take their place in their respective societies. Among several

areas of cooperation between India and Africa, one important sector is capacity building and human resource development. As India’s capabilities and resource base has grown in these areas it has broadened the scope of cooperation activities in capacity building with Africa. Both the public and private sector of India are encouraged to build partnerships for capacity building and human resource development in Africa.

fRaNkLY sPeaKinG06Cross-Continental Educational Collaboration

On the academic front, my department is committed to increasing the production of graduates in engineering, the natural sciences, human and animal health sciences, and teacher education in line with my performance agreement with the President.

Mr. rajeshWar jeetah Minister of Tertiary Education, Science, Research and Technology, Mauritius

Mr. Blade NziMaNdeMinister of Higher Education & Training, South Africa

By kIrIt soBtI, editor, [email protected]

Hope@Africa and Hope International, two related international networks set on jointly promoting human development and tackling major societal challenges in Africa and in the rest of the world, were recently launched in Stellenbosch.

With the endeavors of Hope@Africa, a collaboration between seven leading African universities, and Hope International, a collaboration between Stellenbosch University (SU) and four Swedish universities, the lives of nearly millions can be enhanced.

At the launch event at Stellenbosch University, Professor Russel Botman, SU rector and vice-chancellor, said "Teachers are key in this process. According to UNESCO, Africa needs 2 million new teachers by 2015. There is also an urgent need to provide training for millions of current teachers who are either under- or unqualified. Clearly, universities should play a key role in improving the training and ongoing professional development of teachers. But conventional brick-and-mortar approaches are not good enough anymore. We need to use technology to extend the reach and richness of learning and teaching beyond the physical classroom. This is exactly the kind of challenge that Hope@Africa will be tackling."

The complete aim of the Hope International network is to upsurge collaboration within higher education en route for a rise in understanding and awareness of the major challenges facing the global community. The Hope International network will get together higher-education institutions to cooperate on ways to bestow to the long-term accomplishment of global development goals.

Professor Botman also said that it is predominantly pleasing that Hope@Africa and Hope International are launched together. "We took a firm decision to harness the synergies between the two to gain more traction. So, this is an historic occasion - universities in the global south and north taking hands for human development everywhere. Our mission is one of hope because we refuse to accept the reality at hand as the beginning and end of everything. We refuse to abandon the next generation to despair. Many of them face the bleak prospect of a future that is no different to their past or present. We can make a difference - using our work in unlocking and sharing and applying knowledge. Now that is a goal enriching our work with a deeper sense of meaning and purpose."

Africa calls for 2 million new teachers

Economic and social development in the country must rest with education, hinting at overall educational reform at the tertiary level and stating that foreign investment is the key to structuring a knowledge hub.


traVeL&touRism 07

Madhya Pradesh often designated as the "Heart of India" is home to a rich cultural heritage and has

innumerable monuments, large plateau, spectacular mountain ranges, meandering rivers and miles and miles of dense forests offering a unique and exciting panorama of wildlife in shady surroundings.

Madhya Pradesh is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal, the largest city is Indore and historical capital is Gwalior. It is nicknamed as the "heart of India” due to its geographical location in India. In 1956, this state was reorganized and its parts were combined with the states of Madhya Bharat, Vindhya Pradesh and Bhopal to form the new Madhya Pradesh state with Bhopal as its capital. This state was the largest state of India by area until 2000. In 2000, the Chhattisgarh region was split to create a new state, and Rajasthan became the largest state of India.

Bhopal, capital of Madhya Pradesh is a lovely combination of scenic beauty and historicity. Bhopal Tourism presents a happy mix of Hindu and Islamic cultures and combines both North Indian and South Indian influences.

Mandu signifies a love story of a Muslim Prince with a local poor shepherd girl that brings the mythological touch to Mandu. Mandu, a small town on the edge of Malwa Plateau, is surrounded by forests and has a historical significance. Antiquity and Artistry merges here and this mix is displayed by some marvelous structures and monuments like Alamgir, Bhangi, Rampol, Darwaza and Tarapur Gate. Mandu is one of the few places where the very

rare Baobab tree grows.

Khajuraho Group of MonumentsThe name Khajuraho, in ancient times

known as "Kharjuravāhaka", is derived from the Sanskrit words kharjura = date palm and vāhaka = "one who carries". The renowned Khajuraho group of monuments is one of the amazing tourist places in India. The world famous Khajuraho has the biggest

team of ancient Hindu as well as Jain sacred temples, popular for their sexual statues and were influenced by the Tantric school of thought. Sculptors of Khajuraho depicted all aspects of life. Khajuraho group of monuments are broadly classified into three groups viz. Western Group of Temples, Eastern Group of Temples and Southern group of Temples.

Western Group of Temples constitutes Kandariya Mahadeo temple, Chaunsath Yogini temple, Chitragupta temple and the most prominent structure is of the

Kandariya Mahadeo temple which is dedicated to Lord Shiva.

Eastern Group of Temples comprises a cluster of Hindu and Jain temples and lies

close to the Khajuraho village. Parsvanath Temple is the largest jain temple in this group.

Southern Group of Temples is situated 5 km away from the Khajuraho village. The fine Chaturbhuj Temple is the most famous in this group and has an intricately carved image of Vishnu ji.

T H E H E A R T O F I N C R E D I B L E I N D I AMadhya Pradesh

Quick Fact: It is positioned in the state of Madhya Pradesh. These monuments date back to 1000 AD.

Best Time to Visit:September to March is the best time to visit.

Did You Know? It has been acknowledged as a world heritage site by UNESCO. The monuments and temples were built during the reign of Chandella Dynasty.

Must Go: Go out for shopping. Relish the Khajuraho festival and Mahashivratri festival.

Must Watch: Kandariya Mahadeo, Chaunsat Yogini, Lakshamana Temple, Vishwanath Temple, Chaunsat Yogini, Chitragupta Temple, Matangeshwara Temple, Adinatha Temple, Brahma temple, The Vamana temple Ghantai Temple, Parsavanatha Temple, Javari temple, the Duladeo Temple and Chaturbhuj Temple.


taLkiNGtecHnoLoGy08

With a modest beginning, K.S. Infosystems Pvt. Ltd. came into existence

with a vision to cater to all ICT solutions at extreme peripherals. The main objectives pursued since its incorporation include assembling, networking, trade & distribution, annual maintenance contracts and consultancy services for turnkey projects in relation to hardware, software, audio-video either singly or in collaboration with other body in India or abroad.

Services Offered:• Annual maintenance contract

(AMC)/ after sales support• Facility Management Services• Software Licences• Information Technology

Consulting• Designing, Consulting &

Integration of Information Technology/ Profession A.V., Electronics Security Solution

• ERP Solution• Customized Software

Development• E-Learning• Knowledge Training Centre

Success Stories:Revenue Collection

Taking a step towards establishing a fool-proof & efficient tax system. Its unique software named KS Collect which concentrates on revenue mobilization has been designed & implemented in Ghana in the cities like Kumasi, Obuasi, Dormaa, Koforidua, Kasoa, Mankasiem, Ashaiman, etc.

iTicketing & Security SystemsUnique concept of using

technologies used never before for crowd management. As executed for 26th MTN African Cup of Nations in Ghana, 2008. To this date, K.S. Infosystems has its name in the management of the most prestigious football tournament

– MTN Africa Cup of Nations (CAN'08) and other tournaments like Zenith Cup, etc. held in Ghana in collaboration with our local partner Turnstile Prints Ltd. K.S. Infosystems undertook the control of the entire stadia gates and printing of entry tickets with unique technologies like RFID chips, holograms & colour coding & for the security at the turnstiles by introducing access cards which were the first of its kind to be used in any part of Africa.

Unified Billing for Telecom Sector

Monitoring application for the billing systems of mobile

operators to enhance Government revenue KS Infosystems have the IT integration solutions which would help the Government to keep the track on the amount of Tax that should be collected from the various Mobile Operators. By this software Government would be able to monitor the Call Detail Records (CDR) of each call logged by their Telecom Operator billing engines.

Assembly Plant of Laptops, Desktops & Mobiles

Milestone towards setting up of IT Products Assembly Plant K.S. Infosystems has set up an Assembly Plant of Desktops, Laptops & Mobiles in Ghana. The production of Desktops & Laptops is 10,000 each per month and mobiles 100,000 per month approximately.

Mobile Repair TrainingState-of-the-art technology

in mobile phone repairing. K.S.

CONNECT WITH THE MAGICAL WORLD OF ICT

Infosystems launched a state-of-the-art technology center housing the latest mobile phone repairing equipment in The Gambia, Burkina Faso, Niger, Senegal and Guinea Conakry. Its unique technology includes application of ICT in mobile phone maintenance, servicing, repairs, assembling and entrepreneurial skills.

Setup of Smart ClassroomTechnology Enhanced

Classrooms. K.S. Infosystems have set up a Smart Classroom & AV Equipment in Africa Institute of Sanitation & Waste Management & Liberty American School in Ghana.

When it comes to satisfying business demands and challenges, we supply the world's most superior Information and a Communication Technology (ICT) products, services and solutions.

e-mail: [email protected] Website: www.ksinfosystems.com


trysomethiNGNeW 09

ingredients • Macaroni (boiled):-½ packet • Potatoes (boiled and mashed):-½ kg • Eggs:-4 • Chicken (boiled):-250 gm • Black pepper powder:-1 tbsp • Green onions (chopped):-½ bunch • White cumin powder:-1 tbsp • Bread crumbs:-2 cups • Chinese salt:-½ tsp • Garlic paste:-1 tbsp • Salt:-To taste • Oil: - for frying

tools Required • Spatula • Medium bowl • Deep bottomed pan

Serving Suggestions

Serve hot with green chutney or tomato sauce.

Career Fair MuzaffarpurCareer Fair Muzaffarpur is going to be a vital event that will focus on the importance associated with career routes. There are professional who are going to gather here from different parts of the world and students who are looking for the right career option. It is going to take place in Muzaffarpur, Bihar and the time is for two consecutive days.

date: 07-08 Apr 2014

Venue: Hotel Park Muzaffarpur, Muzaffarpur, India

Today’s Women Expo ChandigarhToday’s Women Expo Chandigarh is a five day event that is scheduled to be held in Chandigarh in India. This show will bring together professionals from the industry and offers them a great platform for the development and advancement of the sector. This show also presents the professionals with a great platform to discuss about the latest opportunities and new developments that have been produced in the sector.

date: 09-13 Apr 2014

Venue: Parade Ground, Chandigarh, India

WatechAsiaWatech Asia is one of the prime water technology sector trade shows in India. The event serves up convenient opportunities for all participants to take a collective look at all the latest innovations and technological advancements from this industry.

date: 09-11 Apr 2014

Venue: Bombay Convention & Exhibition Centre (BCEC), Mumbai, India

Chemspec IndiaChemspec India is a prime exhibition that deals in serving chemicals and dyestuffs which are used by diversified industrial sectors. The researchers and chemical analysts of several renowned firms will display standard quality of chemicals and also make sure that the relevant usage and advantages as well as applications are explained to each of the attending professionals.

date: 10-11 Apr 2014

Venue: Bombay Convention & Exhibition Centre (BCEC), Mumbai, India

Fashionista Lifestyle and Fashion Exhibition – NagpurFashionista Lifestyle and Fashion Exhibition - Nagpur is one of the most comprehensive fashion accessories sector trade shows in India. The show is attended by several distinguished business professionals on a regular basis and the latest fashion trends and concepts are deliberated in detail here.

date: 11-13 Apr 2014

Venue: Hotel Centre Point, Nagpur, India

Boutiques of India-Wedding & Lifestyle RaipurThis event will be hosted at Hotel Babylon Inn, a luxury hotel service provider in the heart of the Raipur city. It has participants from places like Mumbai, Delhi, Jaipur, Kolkata, Chandigarh, etc. We have sarees, designer salwar suits, lehengas, bags, real jewellery, artificial and fashion jewellery, footwear, home dacor, gifts.

date: 12-13 Apr 2014

Venue: Babylon Inn, Raipur, India

UPCOMING

Calmness and Tolerance act like air - conditioning in a room; they increase man’s efficiency.

tHougHt oFtHe WeeK

Macaroni Cutletindian Cuisine

1. What is your hobby? आपके शौक कया है?

2. I am glad to see you. मंै आपको देख के खुश हँू |

3. Which is your favourite cuisine? अापका पसंदीदा भोजन कौन सा है?

4. Please help me. कृपया मेरी मदद करो |

5. I am in a meeting, can you please call me later. मंै एक सभा मंे हँू, तुम मुझे बाद मंे फोन कर सकते हो?

handy French

High in vitamins & minerals High in amino acids & fatty

acids It is an Adaptogen Helps with digestion Helpsindetoxification Alkalizes the body Improves cardiovascular

health Boost the immune system Great for the skin Disinfectant, anti-biotic,

anti-microbial, germicidal, anti-bacterial, anti-septic, anti-fungal & anti-viral

Helpsreduceinflammation Weight loss – A secondary

effect.

piCture oF the WeeK

The Governor of Punjab, Shri Shivraj Patil and the Secretary, Official Language, Ministry of Home Affairs, Ms. Nita Chowdhury presented an award to the Nagar Rajbhasha Karyanvayan Samiti (NRAKAS) Chandigarh, at the inauguration of the Joint Official Language Conference for Northern Regions, at Chandigarh on March 31, 2014

Flag Name Capital Currency official language

South Africa

Pretoria (administrative/

executive)Cape Town (legislative)Bloemfontein (judicial)

South African rand

Afrikaans, English, Southern Ndebele, Northern Sotho, Southern

Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zulu

South Sudan JubaSouth

Sudanese pound

English

Sudan KhartoumSudanese

poundArabic, English

Swaziland

Mbabane (administrative),

Lobamba (royal and legislative)

Lilangeni English, Swati

prepration Method1. In a mixing bowl, combine macaroni,

chicken and potatoes together.2. Put the dark pepper powder, white

cumin powder, chopped green onions, salt and Chinese salt. Mix well.

3. Take little mixture on your palm and shape into cutlets.

4. Now dip these prepared cutlets into well beaten eggs and then coat with breadcrumbs.

5. Heat oil in a deep bottomed pan and deep fry the cutlets.

Which country in Africa is famous for sculptures?

Cote d’ Ivoire

The flagship of Nigeria tourism industry is popularly known as? Obuda Cattle Ranch

What is another name of Lake Malawi? Lake Nyasa

Botswana’s most popular traditional game is? Stalking

Which national park of Africa

is known as “Smoke That Thunder” Victoria Falls National Park

Which Africa country is often called “Giant of Africa” Nigeria

The Capital and chief port of Tunisia is? Tunis

Zanzibar is the world’s chief

supplier of ? Cloves

Lesotho lies exactly within which country? South Africa

Know More about africa

Macaroni Cutlets are an interesting variation of the vegetable cutlets

Top 12 Benefits of Aloe Vera

The name of Africa, according to some scientists, comes from the name of a tribe that lived in the north of the continent, and was called afrigami.


thefasHionistas10

East Africa’s most successful fashion festival, the Swahili Fashion Week, is preparing to

make a full appearance in Kenya as a mainstream event, starting from April 5 of this year.

Mustafa Hassanali’s erstwhile vision, which resulted in the first Swahili Fashion Week to be launched in 2008 in Dar es Salaam, has now established itself as the region’s foremost fashion and accessories event giving local designers a platform to showcase their creations and make a name for themselves in the international arena.

While the venue and program

are still to be announced, the SFW organizers have set a deadline for applications by Kenyan designers to send in their particulars by February 28 to [email protected] or use their website www.swahilifashionweek.comto download the relevant forms.

Expect to hear more about this event in coming weeks as the program takes shape and the lineup of designers and models is made public.


Correspondent

Using movies to narrate African stories

Recently in Lagos, stakeholders in the industry were in their

maximum essence as African movie stars and international spectators touched on the prominent Eko Hotels for the Africa Magic Viewers Choice Award (AMVCA). The event, which was in its second edition, was put together by MultiChoice in company with Amstel Malta. The Managing Director of M-Net Africa, Biola Alabi, said it was perceived to encourage talent and nurture the film industry. The event, which was fundamentally a podium to diagnose and reward the endeavors of African movie stars and those behind the cameras with votes from viewers, was more of uniting the stars from different African countries than a competition among them. At the event, they switched pleasantries with a promise to continue to use movies to tell African stories and correct the West's negative impressions about Africa.

It was a splendid evening after witnessing the thrilling enactments from dancing groups and artists such as Davido and Flavour, who kept the audience excited with his

'Ada ada' and his other popular songs witnessed artists and producers, film directors going

swahili fashion Week heading to kenya

home with their prominent awards for their hard work in acting and film production. The night was almighty in many esteems as brand owners of Amstel Malta lived up to their billing with their sponsorships as performers and actresses who have heard about themselves but have not met got the opportunity to meet, discussing new opportunities while photo journalists were on hand to click their cameras on the celebrities.

When AfricaMagic and MultiChoice proclaimed the birth of the AMVCA to recognize and appreciate not only veterans in the Nigerian film industry, but also to encourage budding film producers on both traditional and new media in the African continent, one could virtually slice the excitement in the air with a blunt knife.

Over the years, the award has not only feted the African stars but has furnished viable platform for growth and positioning. There were a total of 29 awards in diverse categories. Nigeria, the host country, won 18 out of the 29 categories of the awards. Ghana won five awards including Best Movie 2013, Kenya won five, while Zambia got one. However, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, and The Gambia, which were also on the nominees list, did not win any award.

Osita Iheme from Nigeria with his performance in ‘The Hero’ won the Best Actor in Comedy category. Best Actor in Drama award was sealed by Tope Tedela from Nigeria in the film, 'A Mile from Home.' Olufunke Ayotunde Akindele, nicknamed Jenifa, won the Best Actress in Comedy award while Nse Ikpe-Etim, Nigerian actress best known for her ability to internalize her characters beat other African actresses and Nigerian actresses to win the Best Actress in drama with her performance in Journey to Self.


sPorts2WatCh 11Black Stars want to do better than previous World Cup campaigns says Ex-Ghana captain Stephen Appiah

Algeria says it can take over 2017 Afcon

Ex Ghana captain Stephen Appiah believes the Black Stars are determined to excel beyond their previous campaigns at the World Cup in Brazil. Ghana made it to the Round of 16 in their debut participation in the World Cup

Juventus ace Kwadwo Asamoah has promised to give his all for Ghana at the 2014 FIFA World Cup finals.

Asamoah has been explosive for the Serie A champions where he is striving in a makeshift left-back. The Black Stars will be hoping for a spill over at the tournament in Brazil.

“When we get to the World Cup we will show the whole world what we are made of,” Asamoah said to BBC

“I am one of the key players in my country and I will give it my all to ensure make it out of the group.

“One way of doing that is to ensure we approach every game with the strong hunger and desire

finals in 2006 in Germany.The Black Stars bettered this

record by going a place further by finishing in the quarter finals of the last edition four years ago in South Africa. Then coached by Serbian Milovan Rajevac, the Black Stars

Americans the psychological edge going into the shootouts which they eventually won.

Former Ghana skipper Stephen Appiah who led the side to the previous World Cup campaigns however believes from his interactions with the players and officials that the current crop are even more determined to progress further this term.

“Talking to the players – and I had a chat with Kwesi Appiah – I think they want to do more than what we did in 2006 and 2010,” he told GHANAsoccernet.com.

“So definitely the preparation is going to be different; it is going to be more than how we prepared in 2006 and 2010.

“I think there are going to be some friendly games in May, they will tour and we'll see how it goes.

“We have tasted it once and twice and this time everybody, not only the players but Ghanaians, the coaches – everybody's goal is to go further than the quarter finals.”

Ghana will open its campaign in the tournament that kicks off in June against the USA before facing Germany and Portugal in subsequent group games.

Modern Ghana

I will give my all for Ghana at the World Cup- Kwadwo Asamoah

With the security situation still precarious in Libya, Algerian officials are pressing to take over the hosting of the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations.

Caf are yet to decide whether the tournament should be moved from Libya, where sectarian violence has weakened efforts to return the country to normalcy after the 2011 civil war.

Algerian Minister of Sports Mohamed Tahmi said that his country was ready to step in if Libya eventually lost the right to organise the showpiece.

“Algeria has the necessary infrastructure to host the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations. And we also have the experience to organise such huge events,” Tahmi said.

“But we are waiting and watching the situation. This issue concerns primarily the Algerian football federation and the Confederation of African Football, who should decide whether the games can be held in Libya or to be moved to another country.”

Algeria shares a common border with Libya, but Libyan teams mostly play their home matches in Tunisia.

Al Ahli Benghazi’s lone goal victory over Egypt’s Al Ahly last weekend in the Caf Champions League took place in Tunisia.

www.algeria.com

to succeed knowing that every victory sends us closer to our goal.

“We will not bother ourselves with semi-final target we will just try to enjoy our game and have fun during game.

“We will sing in our team bus and create the union that is

were just a penalty kick away from making history by becoming the first African side to make it through to the semifinals of the tournament.

But striker Asamoah Gyan missed the vital kick against Uruguay - giving the South

required to excel at this level.”Asamoah made his debut for

Ghana in 2006 under Claude Le Roy and was part of the Ghana team which reached the quater final stage at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

Modern Ghana

Black Stars charging up for FIFA 2014

Star of Ghana: Kwadwo Asamoah


eNCouNteR WitH eDitor12

What are the achievements of the Government in the context of economic reform and openness to cooperation and foreign investment?

Togo has experienced a socio-political crisis over fifteen years. Throughout this period no real reform could not be carried out. With the coming to power in 2005 of His Excellency GNASSINGBE ESSOZIMNA, a national seminar was organized in December 2005 in order to make an inventory of the Togolese economy. To render into action the conclusions and recommendations of this seminar, the President of the Republic created on February 15th, 2008 the Permanent Secretary in charge of Monitoring Policy Reforms and Financial Programs whose mission is to monitor and support the various departments and state institutions in the conception and implementation of reforms, coordinate the interventions of technical and financial partners and ensure the implementation of the commitments made by Togo towards its partners.

Several economic reforms have been carried out for this purpose.

The consolidation of public finances, which aims by 2030 to align the management system of public finance of Togo in international standards to accelerate its development process and

make it an emerging country;Financial audit and corporate

restructuring and state banks: It was to assess the internal country debt which helps to pay more than 23 billion CFA francs for its discharge. The audit of state-owned banks (BTCI, UTB, BTD, BIA-Togo) and large enterprises (NSCT, SNPT, CEET) continues;

Restructuring of the system of public procurement, control and fight against corruption. With the adoption and implementation of the Law on Public Procurement, the Togolese Government shows its commitment to respect procedures procurement and good governance;

Operationalization of the Court of Auditors for the proper management of the state budget. Judicial reforms are:

Modernization of justice to provide more security to private investors including foreign

Operationalization of the Court of Arbitration for Togo with the financial support of the Investment Climate Facility for Africa (ICF) (CATO) for the resolution of disputes by mediation between the economic operators.

The private sector is a key sector in the process of business development. What is the level of development of

this sector?

The private sector is a vital link in the economic chain of Togo. The highest political authorities are aware of this and that is why a department responsible for promoting the private sector is created within the government. Moreover, it should be noted that our economic fabric is characterized by a high proportion of Small and Medium Scale / Small and Medium Industries (SMEs / SMIs) are creators of the majority of jobs and national wealth. It also occupies a prominent place in the GDP. According to the figures, the contribution of this sector in GDP is between 70 and 80%. Ultimately, the private sector in Togo is getting better and better. The Togolese Government and all stakeholders are determined to implement the whole system to achieve the objectives of the Strategy for Accelerated Growth and Employment Promotion (SCAPE). The private sector is present in all areas especially in the productive sectors of the mining industry of air transport (which is now the Lomé Hub ASKY company in the mobile mines, the energy and finally in the construction or Togolese companies involved in the work brilliantly and implementation of new infrastructure such as road construction.

Which areas you appear promising for the investment of Indian companies?

Energy problems and water are acute that’s why that particular emphasis should be given to:»» Solar energy in rural areas, solar energy is renewable and available it is interesting to intensify its use in rural areas;»» The treatment of water in rural areas;»» Light industry food industry, an area where our countries can acquire the simpler Indian technology transfer and more suited to Africa.

Your last words.

Cooperation India - Africa is on track. This is justified by the massive presence of African countries as well as hundreds of Indian Industries at the 9th conclave. It augur well for a better tomorrow through increased Indian intervention in the process of economic development of our country and especially our country Togo. I sincerely hope that these three days of meetings will again be an opportunity to strengthen this cooperation through the creation of new partnerships between industry and national and private economic operators and the achievements of agreements of major projects of national or sub-region.

Togo is implementing business climate reforms to demonstrate its openness to foreign investment. Minister of Commerce and Private Sector Promotion, speaks to Kanchi Batra, Sub Editor, Indo AfrICA TIMES about Togo as a favoured investment destination.

Owner / Publisher / Editor: Mr. Kirit Sobti from 3rd Floor, Plot No. 3, Block PSP-IV, Service Centre Opp. Sector-11 (Extn.), Rohini, Delhi-85Printed at LIPEE SCAN PVT. LTD. 89 DSIDC SHED Okhala Phase 1, New Delhi

“Set up a company in Togo in 24 hours”

H.E. Mrs. Essossimna Legzim BALoUkIMinister of Trade and Private Sector Promotion, Togo


News & Politics

Volume 1 issue 13