# African Infrastructure Development News



## hkskyline

*FEATURE-Poor roads cost Cameroon cocoa farmers dear *

KUMBA, Cameroon, Aug 28 (Reuters) - Farmer Lawrence Mekoli has just sold eight 60-kg sacks of cocoa and earned the equivalent of hundreds of dollars. But he is far from happy. 

"My brother, how can I smile with what I've gone through," Mekoli said after striking the deal with a buyer at Kumba in South-West Province, the main cocoa zone in Cameroon, the world's fourth biggest grower of the commodity. 

"This cocoa was delayed in my village for about three weeks," he said. 

Mekoli's farm in Kumbe-Balondo village is only around 50 km (30 miles) from Kumba. But when heavy rains come and the roads become potholed quagmires, many private transporters refuse to drive here to collect cocoa for fear of damaging their vehicles. 

Mekoli eventually found someone prepared to bring his cocoa to Kumba, but had to pay 2,000 CFA francs ($4.17) for each sack, way over the 500-1,000 CFA he usually pays in the dry season. 

Worse, by the time he came, the market price had dropped. 

"I called vehicle owners in Kumba to come and evacuate my cocoa to the market, but they told me they could not come because the bad state of the road will ruin their vehicles," he said. 

"At the time, cocoa was selling in Kumba at 800-900 CFA francs per kg. Now that I have managed to bring my cocoa here today, the price has gone down to 720 CFA francs. Just see for yourself how much I've lost," he said. 

Poor transport infrastructure is one of the greatest obstacles to trade in Africa, making it hard for poor farmers to get their produce to market in good enough condition to fetch the highest prices, and driving up overheads. 

The World Bank said in June it would provide $201 million in loans and grants to improve road and rail links between Cameroon and neighbouring Chad and Central African Republic -- countries it said had "some of the least functional traffic connections of any area in the world". 

As the link to the Atlantic coast for both the other countries, Cameroon will get the lion's share of the World Bank cash. But such investments for major traffic arteries are unlikely to trickle down to the level of small roads linking farms and villages to provincial trading towns like Kumba. 

RAIN, DELAYS HURT QUALITY 

"I've been to most remote villages where farmers produce a lot of cocoa, but can't evacuate them to market centres. Sometimes they get stuck in mud during evacuation and the beans become humid, attracting a low price," said retired banker Agnes Mambe, who is trying to help farmers here improve their lot. 

The rainy season in the southwest lasts most of the year and keeps the lush landscape wet enough for cocoa trees. 

But too much rain brings its own problems, creating the perfect environment for humidity-loving fungal diseases and making bean drying a struggle against the elements. 

The European Union provided 2,500 drying ovens in 2001, helping eliminate the contamination of beans sometimes caused by locally made wood or coal-fired ovens, or by roadside drying. 

Use of the ovens is important as the European Union -- which buys 86 percent of Cameroon's output, mainly for grinding in the Netherlands -- has set maximum levels for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), created by partial burning of carbon fuels. 

But many farmers say there are not enough new ovens to go round, making it hard to deliver well-dried beans to buyers. 

Repeated rains can also wash off pesticides and fungicides, forcing farmers to spray trees more frequently to keep black pod and other diseases at bay, Kumba Mayor Caven Nnoko Mbele said. 

"The period of cocoa harvesting coincides with the period of intense rains," he said. 

Apart from the weather, farmers complain they are also squeezed by buying agencies, to whom many growers are perpetually in debt for fertilisers and pesticides advanced on credit. 

"The cocoa farmer ... is not a rich man, in spite of his labour," said Mayor Mbele. "Experience has clearly shown that if you desire to be a prosperous man in the cocoa business, you should rather be a cocoa buyer than a cocoa farmer."


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## KB

why did you start a thread to to show the woes of african infrastructure? 
:?


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## Northsider

Why not? How can you improve it unless you know whats wrong with it.


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## hkskyline

I'll also include news of improvements to balance the view.


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## Lydon

I think people need to focus on what's good about African infrastructure instead. The media in general has a pessimistic view to most things African, so praising what has been done right may encourage more good to come out.


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## Northsider

Lydz said:


> I think people need to focus on what's *good about African infrastructure instead.*


I see you are in Cape Town...why don't you start it off?


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## hkskyline

*World Bank launches program to improve lighting for sub-Saharan Africa *
5 September 2007

WASHINGTON (AP) - Lacking electricity, Africans spend an estimated $17 billion (euro12.5 billion) a year on lighting sources such as kerosene lamps that are inefficient, polluting and hazardous. 

The World Bank intends to change these conditions with a program launched Wednesday to provide lighting for the 250 million people in sub-Saharan African who have no access to power. 

Working with its private sector arm, the International Finance Corporation, the bank intends to develop market conditions for the supply and distribution of non-fossil fuel lighting products. 

These products can include fluorescent light bulbs and light-emitting diodes for use in rural and urban areas not connected to an electricity grid. Power would come from the sun, the wind and mechanical devices such as pedals. 

The bank said there is a potentially huge market for modern lighting products that are safe and reliable, that provide higher-quality light and that are cost competitive with fuel-based lamps. 

It said more than 350 companies have expressed interest in the Lighting Africa initiative. 

"Modern lighting will mean improved air quality and safety for millions of people in Africa," said S. Vijay Ayer, manager of the bank's energy sector for Africa. "It will mean longer reading hours for students and longer business hours for small shops." 

Gerard Kleisterlee, president and chief executive of Netherlands-based Philips, said in a recent speech that the rural lighting market, like many markets for low-income people in developing countries, is not very well known or explored. 

"It is essential that governments and internationals organizations such as the World Bank, (non government organizations) and various companies get together in a network to work out the appropriate business models," Kleisterlee said. 

The bank said the first phase of Lighting Africa will have three priorities: 

--Launch a competition for the design and delivery of innovative low-cost, high-quality non-fossil lighting products that target low income consumers in sub-Saharan Africa. Ten to 20 winners will receive grants of up to $200,000 (euro147,200). 

--Initiate market research in Kenya, Ghana, Tanzania and Zambia to better understand local consumer demand, behavior and preferences and look at local supply, marketing and distribution channels. 

--Inaugurate a business-to business Web portal where manufacturers, distributors and marketers from all over the world can create partnerships, conduct business online and access the latest market information.


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## rick1016

Lydz said:


> I think people need to focus on what's good about African infrastructure instead. The media in general has a pessimistic view to most things African, so praising what has been done right may encourage more good to come out.


Oh no, here we go. It's all our fault...


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## Lydon

northsider1983 said:


> I see you are in Cape Town...why don't you start it off?


Well what would you like to know? I can't possibly fit everything in here so narrow down what you'd like to know about and I'll see what I can do


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## Lydon

rick1016 said:


> Oh no, here we go. It's all our fault...


Where did I state that it was all the medias fault? Are you trying to tell me that having the world constantly focusing on the negative aspects of Africa is doing it any good? I personally know people who have "nearly fainted" when walking off planes after seeing that we don't live in the bush. The world image of Africa is not the true one at present, there is no denying that.

Imagine if the only thing the media focused on in the USA was the poorest of the poor. Investors wouldn't give it a second thought, tourists would probably rather die than visit the place etc. As clichéd as the saying is...don't judge a book by its cover. We all have our problems.

I'm not here to start a flame war. All I'm saying is that focusing on what's good is going to do a lot more for Africa in the long run than the opposite.  Most people know it has its problems, but those same people often don't know that there is so much we do have to offer.


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## Northsider

Well, then maybe you can start by posting some pictures of the infrastructure, since that is the thread we are in. Show some highways, some some of the trasnit services. Show people that Africa is not just a bunch of tikki huts. I personally think Cape Town is one of the most beautiful cities (from pictures, I have not been there).


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## Lydon

Here's the Infrastructure section from http://www.southafrica.info/ess_info/sa_glance/414421.htm

*South Africa's infrastructure*
South Africa has world-class infrastructure: a modern transport network, low-cost and widely available energy, and sophisticated telecommunications.

And these are all in line for significant upgrade and expansion up to 2010, when South Africa hosts the Fifa Football World Cup. In its 2006 Budget, the government announced a R8.5-billion investment in infrastructure in preparation for the tournament.

The government has identified massive infrastructure projects as key to boosting the country's economic growth rate and creating employment, and committed billions of dollars to getting the investment ball rolling.

State company Eskom is one of the *lowest-cost electricity suppliers in the world*. With a network of more than 300 000 kilometres of power lines, the company ranks in the top 10 internationally for size and sales. It supplies 95% of South Africa's energy requirements - and two-thirds of Africa's. 

Eskom is to spend R48-billion between 2005 and 2010 on building new capacity, with the private sector investing a further R23-billion.

South African company Sasol is the *world's largest manufacturer of oil from coal*, gasifying the coal and then converting it into a range of liquid fuels and petrochemical feed stocks.

It's no surprise that the country which invented touchtone dialling offers *world-class telecommunications*, one of the fastest growing sectors in South Africa's economy.

With a 99% digital network and the latest in fixed-line, wireless and satellite communication, *South African telecoms are the 23rd most developed in the world*, and the most developed in Africa. Three cellular operators provide *mobile telephony to over 20-million subscribers.* (Mobile penetration has now reached around 89%)

The leader of IT development in Africa, *South Africa is the 20th largest consumer of IT products and services in the world*, ranking *18th in terms of internet use*.

South Africa has the *transport infrastructure of a fully developed country. The roads are world-class, and the air and rail network the largest on the continent.*

The major centres are connected by over *9 000 kilometres of tarred and regularly maintained national highways*, including over *2 000 kilometres of dual carriageway*, and the numbers are increasing steadily.

*The Gautrain is a R24-billion state-of-the-art rapid rail network currently under construction in Gauteng.* Along its 80-kilometre route, trains travelling at up to 180 kilometres an hour will link Pretoria, Johannesburg, OR Tambo International Airport and Sandton, with a supporting secondary network of buses getting commuters to their destinations in speed and comfort.

South Africa's *10 international airports handle over 200 000 aircraft landings and 23-million passengers annually.* OR Tambo International Airport is to spend R3.4-billion upgrading security and facilities ahead of the 2010 Football World Cup, while Durban is to build a brand new airport, at a cost of R2-billion, to cater for the hundreds of thousands of visitors the tournament will attract.

The country's ports provide a natural stopover for shipping to and from Europe, the Americas, Australasia and both coasts of Africa. 


Since we're on Infrastucture, take a look at the South African highways thread, which shows that South Africa is clearly on-par with first-world countries when it comes to roads: http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=498231


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## Northsider

Here is a map I did for work dealing with Cape Town. It shows it's highways, arterials, and local roads. I would say this is up to par with most world cities:


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## kulani

here's the bridge between Cameroon and Gabon, so its getting there for Cameroon with new infrastructure. :cheers:


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## Whosville

Mind posting a picture of the bridge between Kinshasa and Brazzaville? 

Kinshasa is a city of 8 million and Brazzaville is a city of 1.5 million right across the Congo river, making a metro of nearly 10 million. Surely these cities are connected with several bridges and it shouldn't be hard to find a picture, right? Wrong. No bridge in the third largest metro on the continent. How can that be if the infrastructure was so great. 

No offense, but South African infrastructure is quite a bit different from infrastructure in other parts of Africa. It is still very country specific in Africa with a few haves and many have nots in terms of infrastructure.


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## Lydon

Whosville said:


> Mind posting a picture of the bridge between Kinshasa and Brazzaville?
> 
> Kinshasa is a city of 8 million and Brazzaville is a city of 1.5 million right across the Congo river, making a metro of nearly 10 million. Surely these cities are connected with several bridges and it shouldn't be hard to find a picture, right? Wrong. No bridge in the third largest metro on the continent. How can that be if the infrastructure was so great.
> 
> No offense, but South African infrastructure is quite a bit different from infrastructure in other parts of Africa. It is still very country specific in Africa with a few haves and many have nots in terms of infrastructure.


Well last time I checked...South Africa was part of Africa. So, next time a someone decides to create a thread about Africa and it's infrastructure, would you like them to call it "Africa's (except South Africa's!) Infrastructure Woes?"


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## Whosville

Lydz said:


> Well last time I checked...South Africa was part of Africa. So, next time a someone decides to create a thread about Africa and it's infrastructure, would you like them to call it "Africa's (except South Africa's!) Infrastructure Woes?"


I am not faulting you for posting about South Africa's good infrastructure. It is good in your cities, no one is going to argue that. 

But, it is not like we should be all positive about Africa's infrastructure. There are a few countries with their acts together in this regard, and your country would top that list. Others I would add with decent infrastructure are Senegal, Egypt, Tunisia, increasingly Ghana, etc...

But, still the majority of the country has huge infrastructure issues. Luckily, they are skipping past many of the steps that other countries development went through and the Internet is becoming more available, but still you have a huge issue with hard infrastructure like bridges, paved roads, and utilities as well as softer infrastructure like hospitals, schools, universities, Internet connections, etc..

Anyway, posting a "infrastructure" thread about a whole continent is pretty silly, I agree. No one would do that for North or South American or Asia. There are country/region specific infrastructure issues, but not continent wide issues.


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## Lydon

Whosville said:


> I am not faulting you for posting about South Africa's good infrastructure. It is good in your cities, no one is going to argue that.
> 
> But, it is not like we should be all positive about Africa's infrastructure. There are a few countries with their acts together in this regard, and your country would top that list. Others I would add with decent infrastructure are Senegal, Egypt, Tunisia, increasingly Ghana, etc...
> 
> But, still the majority of the country has huge infrastructure issues. Luckily, they are skipping past many of the steps that other countries development went through and the Internet is becoming more available, but still you have a huge issue with hard infrastructure like bridges, paved roads, and utilities as well as softer infrastructure like hospitals, schools, universities, Internet connections, etc..
> 
> Anyway, posting a "infrastructure" thread about a whole continent is pretty silly, I agree. No one would do that for North or South American or Asia. There are country/region specific infrastructure issues, but not continent wide issues.


That's exactly what I'm trying to get at :cheers: People are seriously over-reacting.


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## hkskyline

*INTERVIEW-S.Africa sees capital boost for Cape Town port *

CAPE TOWN, Sept 19 (Reuters) - South African state-owned logistics group Transnet plans to spend 4.2 billion rand ($592.5 million) to upgrade infrastructure at Cape Town's port, a senior Transnet official said on Wednesday. 

The project, part of the company's five-year 78 billion rand capital spending programme, should start in 2008 and would help meet fast-growing trade volumes that has stretched capacity at all the country's ports. 

Durban's harbour, southern Africa's busiest, is also being upgraded and a new container terminal and industrial zone, named Coega, is being built near the southern coast city of Port Elizabeth. 

"We anticipate that that's (the expansion) going to see us through to the 2012, 2014 period," Moira Moses, Transnet's projects group executive, told Reuters, adding final approval for the plans was imminent. 

"We have aligned the berth with the stack, with the equipment so that we can take on bigger ships, (so) that we have the right equipment to move the volume ... which will increase to around 1.4 million TEUs per year from 800,000." 

A TEU is an average-sized 20-foot-equivalent container unit. 

Moira said Transnet had been forced to draft new plans after the department of environmental affairs turned down an original container expansion design, which sought to reclaim sea land. 

"We have had approval now from the (environmental affairs) minister for the deepening of berths at Cape Town and we are very confident that we will have a decision around our proposal on reconfiguring Cape Town shortly as well," Moses said. 

She said Transnet believed it had developed a better option, stacking the containers vertically instead of horizontally, as it redesigned the existing footprint of the container terminal. 

"We're sure that (the decision) will be through in the very near future...We're sure its pretty imminent," Moses said. 

After Durban, the port at Cape Town -- South Africa's main tourist city -- is the second largest container facility in the country, and is the main export centre for South African fruit and vegetables.


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## hkskyline

*China to lend Congo $5 bln in latest Africa foray *

KINSHASA, Sept 18 (Reuters) - China plans to lend the Democratic Republic of Congo $5 billion to modernise its decrepit infrastructure and rich but deteriorated mining sector in another huge Chinese investment foray in Africa. 

Congolese officials said the draft accord signed on Monday foresaw Chinese companies gaining copper/cobalt, gold and nickel concessions under repayment deals that would also include toll revenues from the roads and railways to be constructed. 

The proposed loan earmarks $3 billion for strategic highway and railroad projects that would link the country's mineral-rich but remote interior to its southern neighbours and the international shipping routes of the Atlantic. 

The remaining $2 billion targets the revival of the former Belgian colony's once-mighty mining sector -- a treasure trove of copper, cobalt, gold, nickel, uranium and diamonds still to be fully tapped -- whose production has been decimated by war, foreign invasions and years of graft, pilfering and neglect. 

"This agreement will allow us to carry out important large-scale projects," Congolese Infrastructure and Public Works Minister Pierre Lumbi told Reuters. 

"What we have are repayment methods in terms of mining concessions, but also others like toll revenues," he added. 

The draft accord signed comes with a promise of a possible additional $3.5 billion of funds still to be allocated. 

If fully disbursed, the loan will be one of the biggest Chinese financial commitments on the African continent. 

In recent years, the Asian economic giant has been sinking billions of dollars into energy, mining and infrastructure projects from Algeria to Angola. 

Of the initially proposed $5 billion, $3 billion will go in a first phase towards big infrastructure projects, including a 3,400-km (2,125-mile) highway between the northeast city of Kisangani and Kasumbalesa on the southern border with Zambia. 

It will also cover construction of a 3,200-km (2,000-mile) railway to link the country's southern mining heartland to its western port of Matadi, with access to the Atlantic. 

INFRASTRUCTURE IN RUINS 

Congo's infrastructure is in ruins following a devastating 1998-2003 war that killed around 4 million people, mostly from conflict-related hunger and disease. This came on top of years of corrupt misrule under late dictator Mobutu Sese Seko. 

Few paved roads exist outside Kinshasa and a few major cities. Congo's colonial-era rail system suffers daily derailments and regular fatal accidents. Much of the country is without electricity, clean drinking water, or basic healthcare. 

The $3 billion infrastructure segment includes plans to build 31 hospitals, 145 health centres, and two universities. 

The $2 billion allocated for mining will hand China a major foothold in a sector where foreign mining companies have been scrambling for stakes, especially following landmark post-war elections late last year won by President Joseph Kabila. 

"They (the Chinese) are getting copper and cobalt concessions in Katanga, gold near Kilomoto (in Ituri district), and nickel ... in the Kasais (provinces)," Deputy Mines Minister Victor Kasongo told Reuters. 

"These are concessions that have not been awarded yet," he added. 

Kabila's government has recently launched a review of mining contracts to weed out suspect deals and negotiate new accords potentially more beneficial to the country.


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## goschio

Great projects for Congo. 

3400 km highway and 3200 rail line is fantastic.


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## hkskyline

*Nigeria seeks more soft loans for infrastructure *

ABUJA, Sept 24 (Reuters) - Nigeria should take out soft loans worth billions of dollars over the next four years to fund infrastructure projects that it can't afford but are essential to growth, Finance Minister Shamsuddeen Usman said on Monday. 

Usman said concessional lenders including the World Bank had committed $3 billion to Nigeria since the end of army rule in 1999, a sum he described as "a drop in the ocean" for Africa's most populous country. 

"We need to set ourselves a target to multiply that by three or four times in the next three or four years," Usman said at a meeting of multilateral lenders with managers of projects they have funded in Nigeria. 

He mentioned power, rail and road sectors as target areas. 

Nigeria is the world's eighth-biggest oil exporter and the government makes about $40 billion a year from crude exports at current prices. 

But with a population of 140 million and the legacy of decades of corruption and mismanagement, it has enormous needs in basic infrastructure and public services. Power cuts are a daily problem, clean water is scarce, roads are potholed and the railways have almost entirely ceased to function. 

President Umaru Yar'Adua, who took office on May 29, has said Nigeria needed $6 billion to $9 billion per year to close its infrastructure gap. 

Usman, a former deputy governor of the central bank who was appointed finance minister in July, said the federal government's capital budget for next year would be just above 600 billion naira ($4.8 billion). That does not include the budgets of the 36 states and 774 local governments. 

Usman said that having freed itself of $30 billion in sovereign debt to the Paris Club of rich nations through a debt relief deal signed in 2005, Nigeria should steer clear of unsustainable borrowing. 

Soft loans stretching over 30 or 40 years were a viable option, he said, although beneficiaries should always aim to match the funding as a way of cementing their commitment and properly implementing the projects. 

"You should properly budget for counterpart funding because it is a sign of your own commitment. If you put in something, you are more likely to deliver value for money," he told the project managers.


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## hkskyline

The price of growth - environmental damage :

*FEATURE-Ghanaian dam puts hippos at risk, experts warn *

ACCRA, Sept 26 (Reuters) - A $620-million dam in Ghana will force hundreds of hippos to leave their habitat on the Black Volta river and move upstream where they will come into conflict with farmers and may starve, conservationists warn. 

China's Sino Hydro Corporation has just begun work on the 5-year hydroelectric dam project in Ghana's northwest. One-fifth of Bui National Park will be flooded to create a vast reservoir. 

Conservationists fear the Bui hippos, the largest of two hippo communities in Ghana, who graze on the river banks will not be able to find enough food once the flooding starts and they are forced to move. 

Hippopotamus numbers have dwindled in West Africa. Now only 7,000 are left compared with 150,000 in east and south Africa. 

"A hippo weighs a couple of tonnes. The idea that there will be enough forage for that many animals is ridiculous," said British biologist Daniel Bennett, who worked in Ghana between 1994 and 2001. Hippos could move out of the park and end up in conflict with farmers, he added. 

"I think we are looking at huge conflicts between people and hundreds of hungry hippos who descend on the farmlands." 

Bennett does not oppose the dam but believes more should be done to help the hippos and other wildlife. He had his work permit withdrawn in 2001 when he was told his work was no longer in the national interest. 

POWER CUTS 

Officials in Ghana say the hippos will find food elsewhere in the park. "The environment along the Black Volta is conducive to their survival," said Cletus Nateg at the Wildlife Division of the Forestry Commission. 

Bui's environmental assessors acknowledge the hippos may be vulnerable to hunters as they look for a new home. 

Their report says grass and vegetation will grow along the shore of the lake and provide suitable fodder. Bennett says that process would take several years, if it happens at all. 

Some activists question not only the environmental impact of the dam at Bui but the wisdom of a dam on a river said to be highly seasonal. 

Already Ghana relies on hydro power for about 60 percent of its electricity. Poor rainfall led to severe power cuts in the past year and, at their peak, many people suffered a 12-hour power cut every second day. 

Many Ghanaians welcome the Bui development, which has been on the drawing board since the 1920s. It is being funded by concessionary loans from China, secured by sales of Ghanaian cocoa to the Asian giant. 

"It will provide Ghana with 400 megawatts of power. When the lake is created, it will be a large fishing area, it will also be used for tourism, there will be yachting and boating," said Yaw Opong, chair of the government's Bui Development Committee. 

While 2,000 people will be displaced by the dam, most will be rehoused in better accommodation. A new industrial city, Bui City, will spring up nearby and, once the loans are repaid, the cost of running the dam will be minimal, he added. 

But activists remain sceptical. "It looks like hydro is the cheapest, but if you take environmental and social costs into the balance sheet, hydro costs," said Richard Twum of the Volta Basin Development Foundation.


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## spongeg

this is a highway in ivory coast


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## hkskyline

Ah .. waterfront highways ... but it looks like there is a zone left for public enjoyment?


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## hkskyline

*FEATURE-Kenya's "City in the Sun" chokes with traffic *

NAIROBI, Sept 24 (Reuters) - Once known as East Africa's green "City in the Sun", Nairobi is so choked with traffic that Kenya's architects suggest moving to a new capital and angry business leaders say the booming economy is under threat. 

A combination of bad drivers, ramshackle vehicles, overloaded trucks, potholed roads and corrupt traffic police make one of Africa's biggest cities resemble the dodgems on a good day and, when things get really bad, reduce it to gridlock. 

Swarming minibuses, known as matatus, are the only option for most Nairobi commuters, but they are notorious for their drivers' kamikaze tactics and their crumbling mechanical condition -- which often means no lights at night. 

Matatus, weaving wildly from lane to lane, account for 80 percent of public transport and are a major cause of congestion. 

Fatal crashes are common. The Sunday Nation newspaper called a recent spate of matatu accidents a "national slaughter." 

Kenya's crumbling roads and the chaotic traffic have become a political issue ahead of elections in December, denting the popularity of President Mwai Kibaki. 

A recent survey said traffic jams were costing Nairobi drivers up to 50 million shillings ($746,000) a day through increased fuel consumption, mechanical damage and pollution. 

"The amount of fuel used is astronomical, just sitting in traffic idling away, " said Betty Maina, head of the Kenya Association of Manufacturers. 

"Things are delayed, you don't accomplish as much, it takes longer getting to meetings and events. You get up earlier trying to beat the traffic but sometimes you just cannot beat it." 

She said the turnaround time for trucks and vans had doubled and some companies were increasing the sizes of their delivery vehicles because of the delays, compounding the problem. 

SHIFT CAPITAL? 

The Architectural Association of Kenya (AAK) last month asked the government to move the capital elsewhere. 

"Nairobi was designed half a century ago for a population of half a million people while the population today is three million. This has overstretched entirely all the services of the whole city," AAK chairman Gideon Mulyungi said in a speech. 

City traffic is worst on Friday evenings, especially near pay day. When rain turns the potholes into ponds, there is chaos. 

The jams are regularly compounded by a string of accidents and breakdowns, many involving ancient trucks which have a tendency to roll backwards down Nairobi's many hills. 

Nairobi's traffic lights are largely ignored. 

The police, known for being more interested in bribes from harassed motorists than untangling the jams, often overrule the lights anyway and their efforts can make the hold-ups worse. 

Yet experts, including Japanese road engineers who did a two-year study, say Nairobi's problems are not insurmountable and nothing like as complex as some cities. 

While traffic has expanded -- some estimates say by 300 percent in a decade -- the roads have not. 

"The problem is the growth of vehicles compared to the rate of developing the road network. For some time this has not been developing while traffic expanded," City Engineer Charles Chiruri said. 

There is only one road, the Uhuru Highway, running right through the city and it is punctuated by a string of roundabouts acting as anarchic traffic traps. 

The highway is used not only by most commuters but also by heavy trucks transiting to all parts of the country, including from the port of Mombasa to Uganda and central Africa. 

"MISSING LINKS" 

Plans to overcome Nairobi's congestion -- bypasses, overpasses and 14 "missing links" to avoid long detours -- began 30 years ago. Nothing was done. 

The reason, say experts, was systematic corruption during the 24-year rule of former President Daniel arap Moi, who was replaced in 2002 by Kibaki. 

For the decade after 1994, foreign donor funding, essential for building new roads, dried up because of the huge graft. 

"By 2002, things were so bad that what was happening was there was no competitive tendering at all. Just a cartel of five cowboy contractors," said a former government engineer who asked not to be named. 

"They quoted whatever they liked and then doubled or tripled it. They got paid and did not do the job and then claimed more because of bad weather." 

By the end of the Moi era only 20 percent of the country's roads were in adequate condition. 

It is taking years to overcome the backlog. Even now, five years later, about 57 per cent of the network is in poor shape, while the booming economy puts even more cars on the road. 

Big donor countries privately express frustration that the comprehensive 2006 Japanese plan for solving Nairobi's road and traffic problems has still not been implemented. 

Roads Ministry spokesman Richard Abura said it had taken time to find donors to fund the work. "Early this year we started implementing the report. We are going to concession the bypasses as soon as we get some funding." 

In April, President Kibaki announced plans for a 2 billion Kenyan shilling ($30 million) Chinese project to widen the Uhuru Highway and link it to the west of the city. 

But some Western donors complain this is not coordinated with the Japanese plan and many people remain sceptical at the pace of change. 

"I don't think this is going to improve in the short term. The issue with Nairobi is that there just isn't a comprehensive plan in place yet," said Maina of the manufacturers' association.


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## jbisub

*Nigerians for Super Energy a grassroots campaign launches its first advertising campaign “Electricity is Priceless” on YouTube.*

Nigerians for Super Energy
2026 N. Oakland Ave
Milwaukee, WI 53202
414-272-1656
www.nigeriansforsuperenergy.com 
[email protected]

*FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN – October 22, 2007 Nigerians for Super Energy a grassroots campaign launches its first advertising campaign “Electricity is Priceless” on YouTube. 

*Nigerians for Super Energy Launches its First Advertising Campaign “Electricity is Priceless” on YouTube *
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CcbxBels6w


Today, Nigerians for Super Energy a grassroots campaign launches its first advertising campaign “Electricity is Priceless” on YouTube. We believe this ad will help emphasize the point to Nigeria and the world that “Energy” is “Job #1”. We can overcome poverty, unemployment, illness and digital divide by providing energy to the Nigerian people. We support Mr. President's commitment to the challenge. As Mr. President said so on June 11, 2007 and we quote “As I keep saying, we cannot begin to address, in a fundamental manner, the problems of the economy, until we successfully tackle the power and energy issue. It is critical to all my plans. So I am more interested in how much gas we can tap for domestic use than what we can get for export. We must power this economy.” 

Today two things signify our current situation in Nigeria. 
1.We import all of our refined product, with none of our refineries working.
2.On a good day, Nigeria is producing only 3,000+ megawatts. In January this year the power fell to 1,320 megawatts in a country of 140 million people. If you compare that with New York city with a population of 8 million people which consumed 13,400 megawatts last summer. 

Nigerians for Super Energy calls for a strategic change in our energy policy. We recommend:
1.24 Refineries in a National/Publicly traded oil company with global reach.
2.50,000 megawatts in a well planned power grid.

Our Fuel strategy calls for a National Oil company to compete globally. Our role models should include Venezuelan oil company, PDVSA, Petronas Malaysian Oil company and Brazilian Oil company, Petrobras.
1.NNPC should be come a government/public firm with part of it shares allocated for Nigerians. This will provide the company with a new direction and ownership to compete in a global marketplace.
2.NNPC should go on a buying spree with the aid of government funds to buy (outright or major) shares in refineries in Africa, China and United States. This will provide us with immediate source of refined products, opportunities to train our people and hard currency. Best of all this does not need the 18 to 24 months to build a refinery. This will also provide us a stop gag measure until we build more refineries. It is all about add value and we need to start doing that. 
3.Start building 4 refineries and retail outlets to take care of the local demand as estimated for 2010. This will help put to rest the fuel challenges that we face as a Nation.
Update: We thank Mr. President for listening and proposing to change the fuel policy in line with our strategy.

Our Electrical strategy recommends 50,000 megawatts in a well planned power grid, 10,000 megawatts less than Brazil (if compared on a per capita basis). When we divide 50,000 megawatts by 774 local governments, we end up with 65 megawatts as a goal. The strategy can be summarize as follows:
1.Having Local (group of) governments be the midwives of electrical power plants (to establish grassroots ownership). While a combination of Federal, State, and local governments will take lead in contributing funds to Independent/Public Power Plants. Current and Future Excess revenues must be used. for initial funding.
2. AIDS type agreement with GE and Siemens to provide 50,000 megawatts of turbines at good discounts for Nigeria.
3.All banks must invest a percentage of their net worth. Private corporations should invest and manage these power plants. Individual investors must be given opportunities to contribute (invest) by public stock participation.
4.Alternative sources of generation (coal, hydro, solar and wind) must be considered. Also conservation initiatives like compact florescent tubes should be used to increase efficiencies. 

When the energy issues in Nigeria are solved, a lot of Nigerian lives will be astronomically improved. So we call on Nigerians to join this noble effort for the good of our country and children.

God Bless Nigeria!!!!

###​
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CcbxBels6w
Nigerians for Super Energy (NFSE) is a grassroots campaign aimed at supporting the need for energy in Nigeria and the sub region. 35% of all black people in the world need energy to improve their daily lives. NFSE was formed in June 2007 in the United States of America. We currently have forming strategic alliances with National Union of Electricity Employees, National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas (NUPENG), Independent Shareholders’ Association of Nigeria, Nigeria Union of Mine Workers (NUMW) and Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) to name a few.


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## hkskyline

*Nigeria turns to Asia to revamp ailing railway system *

LAGOS, Nov 20, 2007 (AFP) - Once the pride of the nation, Nigeria's railways, like much of the rest of the infrastructure in the west African country, have slowly crumbled into disrepair. 

The Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) has enlisted the help of China and South Korea to revamp its network. 

None too soon. By train it takes two hours to cover the 32 kilometres (20 miles) of decrepit track linking Ijoko to Lagos, the country's commercial hub. 

On the plus side it costs just 60 US cents (40 euro cents). And since the bus takes twice as long and costs six times as much, the poor still commute by train. 

Chugging along at snail's pace should soon be a thing of the past. NRC spokesman David Ndakotsu told AFP the two Asian countries will upgrade the rail system in four phases over a total of 20 years and at an estimated cost of 35 billion dollars (23.9 billion euros). 

In the first phase of the project, the China Civil Engineering Construction Company (CCECC) has started rebuilding the existing network between Lagos and northern Nigeria's commercial hub Kano to standard gauge for 3.5 billion dollars (2.39 billion euros). 

CCECC President Lin Rongxin said 50,000 Nigerians would work on the 1,315 kilometre line that he said would be "a design, construct and maintain project." 

China recently granted Nigeria a 2.5 billion-dollar loan, much of which is expected to be used in the project, he added. 

The second phase, to be handled by South Korea, will include a link between the southern oil city of Port Harcourt and Jos in central Plateau State. 

South Korea will offer long-term, low interest commercial loans to Nigeria in exchange for stakes in an operational oil field here, officials said, without giving further details. 

"Everyone has realised that the Nigerian railway needs a new direction. We have to restore the industry to its old glory," Ndakotsu told AFP. 

He said the first attempt by the Chinese under the regime of military ruler Sani Abacha in the 1990s to revamp the under-performing railway system was shortlived. 

"They brought 50 locomotives as part of the deal, but unfortunately, all of them broke down after a few months of operation," he said. 

The NRC operates a network of 3,505 kilometres of single track lines, all 1,067 mm gauge, covering nine of the country's 36 states, and has 200 locomotives, most of which have broken down. 

Ndakotsu said the firm has gone into bankruptcy more than once in the last 20 years because of poor management, neglect and corruption. He cited in particular the absence of maintenance of either track or rolling stock and overstaffing. 

NRC's marketing director Felix Erondu told AFP that by 2005 passenger transport had been reduced to four departures weekly from Lagos, of which two went to Kano, one to Jos in central Plateau state and one to Maiduguri in the far northeast. 

But NRC is now reduced to just the Lagos to Ijoko line. Long-distance service has ground to a halt all together. Officials say the railway tracks have been washed away by the rains. 

Travel even on the Ijoko-Lagos leg can be fraught with difficulty. 

"I have been waiting for more than two hours. I cannot afford to miss this one," Emmanuel Omitogun, a 50-year-old carpenter, told AFP at Ijoko station. 

He said he had failed to get a seat on either of the previous two trains as both had been full. 

He had struggled to get a seat on the first of the two but had been pushed off by another passenger. 

The second train was delayed 30 minutes while engineers fixed a fault. 

Esther Ibironke, a 40-year-old civil servant leaves home at 06:00 (05:00 GMT) am every day to report for work in Lagos. 

"I join the train because it is cheaper and more convenient. Besides, it is time-saving. I spend less than two hours to get to .. where I work," she told AFP. 

As she spoke, the train driver blared the horn and those who had failed to get seats scrambled up onto the roof or hung precariously onto the doorways. 

"I am taking a risk by hanging, but there is no alternative," university student Dominic Atuegbu told AFP. 

"I have to be in school by noon to defend a term paper. A bus ride is not the best option on a work day like this," he said, dipping a hand into his pocket to pay ticketing officer Ayo Owolabi. 

In so doing, he lost his grip and almost fell off. 

"That man almost lost his life," Owolabi said. "We have warned them against hanging and jumping into a moving train. They will not listen," he said. 

He said dozens lose their lives every year and many more are maimed as a result of this practice. 

"Not even a jail term, or fines can deter them," he said.


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## thecarlost

^^ Strongly needed.


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## hkskyline

*INTERVIEW-Bank to lend $2 bln for African infrastructure *

KAFUE, Zambia, Nov 30 (Reuters) - The Eastern and Southern African Trade and Development Bank (PTA) will lend $2 billion to African businesses for infrastructure development, agriculture, mining and other capital projects, the bank's president said on Friday. 

Michael Gondwe said his institution had agreed financing deals with foreign lending institutions for capital projects in Africa to shore up economic development on the world's poorest continent. 

"We would like to provide start up capital for various projects and up to $2 billion will be available for projects," he told Reuters. 

"Some financial institutions in Japan, India, Europe and China are ready to provide the financing to support manufacturing industry to add value to raw materials before exporting (products)." 

Gondwe said the PTA bank would be able to access financing from overseas lenders for onward lending to African entrepreneurs with bankable project proposals. 

"All we need are project proposals for financing from indigenous entrepreneurs and then we will be able to mobilise the funds," Gondwe said in Kafue, 50 km (31 miles) south of Lusaka, while accompanying Zambia President Levy Mwanawasa on an inspection of construction at the country's first steel plant. 

He said the PTA bank would finance projects in agriculture production and agro processing, mining, industrial development, tourism and infrastructure to raise the development of Africa. 

"We will support more projects that add value to exports, projects such as infrastructure development in tourism and mining which is at the core of things." 

The $150 million Kafue steel plant has received $20 million financing from the PTA Bank. 

"The bank will support projects like this and there is another $20 million they (Kafue steel plant) will receive from us in working capital," he added. 

The PTA bank's lending to African industrialists and businesses was part of the New Partnership for African Development (Nepad), a programme to promote development and good corporate governance on the continent. 

"We are emphasizing on good corporate governance in all our lending as the best way of running things within the Nepad framework," Gondwe said. 

PTA Bank's shareholders include Burundi, Comoros, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Uganda, Tanzania and others, with China as a non-regional shareholder and the African Development Bank as an institutional shareholder.


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## hkskyline

*Nigeria wants to work on gas project with Algeria *

ABUJA, Dec 9 (Reuters) - Nigeria has proposed working with Algeria on the idea of building a transatlantic gas pipeline to make better use of gas reserves in the Gulf of Guinea, the president's spokesman said in a statement on Sunday. 

President Umaru Yar'Adua proposed to his Algerian counterpart Abdelaziz Bouteflika that the two countries should set up a joint committee to work on the idea and Bouteflika accepted, the statement said. 

The two presidents met on the fringes of a summit between Africa and the European Union in Lisbon. 

Algeria is the third-biggest gas supplier to Europe and its coastline is on the Mediterranean Sea unlike Nigeria which has an Atlantic coast. The Nigerian statement did not make clear what would be the benefit of Algerian involvement in a transatlantic gas pipeline project. 

Both countries are OPEC members and are already working together, along with Niger, on a plan to pipe Nigerian gas across the Sahara. It would then cross the Mediterranean via a growing network of pipelines that now transport Algerian gas. They are still looking for investors. 

Nigeria is the world's eighth-biggest exporter of crude oil but even though it has the seventh-largest proven gas reserves in the world it has not developed its gas industry to anywhere near full potential. 

About 2.5 billion cubic feet (bcf) of gas associated with the extraction of crude oil are burnt off every day because there is no infrastructure to make use of the gas. 

Nigeria exports about 3 bcf per day through a liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant but is able to supply only about 0.5 bcf to domestic power plants which are starved of gas and would require about four times that amount. 

One of the problems is that it has been unable to fix a sabotaged gas pipeline from the oil and gas heartland, the Niger Delta, to a key power plant near Lagos. 

A West African gas pipeline supposed to provide Nigerian gas to Benin, Togo and Ghana has been repeatedly delayed, although officials have promised it would go into operation on Dec. 23. 

Plans to start building two more LNG plants have been delayed because of a violent crisis in the Niger Delta and because of the absence of legislation on gas investments and taxation.


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## hkskyline

*China key to DRCongo reconstruction: Kabila *

KINSHASA, Dec 6, 2007 (AFP) - President Joseph Kabila used a state of the nation address Thursday to hail cooperation with China in industries such as mining as key to the reconstruction of the Democratic Republic of Congo. 

"For the first time in our history, the Congolese people can at last see that their cobalt, nickel and copper is being used to good effect," Kabila said in his first such address since taking office last year. 

Kabila, 36, said similar accords with other partners would see the successful completion of his five-year plan to overhaul the country's creaking infrastructure, including roads, airports, schools, hospitals and ports. 

China signed a deal in September to loan the mineral-rich Democratic Republic of Congo five billion dollars (3.6 billion euros) to build up its infrastructure and develop its mining industry. 

Three billion dollars went towards the building of thousands of miles of railways and roads as well as hospitals, universities and housing, while the rest went into mining and creating joint Chinese-Congolese firms. 

Also in September, Chinese Exim Bank agreed to provide some 8.5 billion dollars in financing to build up infrastructure and develop the DR Congo's mining industry. 

The following month Kinshasa signed loan accords -- whose value was not given -- with the China Development Bank.

China is keen to get its hands on raw materials from around the world to feed its fast-growing economy, and in recent years has been on a diplomatic offensive to secure what it needs. A major focus has been on Africa. 

Top Chinese officials including President Hu Jintao have toured the continent, and in November last year Beijing invited scores of African leaders to a summit where it pledged to double aid and offer billions of dollars in loans. 

With its huge but largely untapped natural resources, Congo is a key prize. 

It has 34 percent of the world's known cobalt reserves, 10 percent of its copper, vast forests full of timber and a treasure trove of gold and diamonds. 

But after years of inter-ethnic wars drawing in its neighbours and leaving millions dead, Congolese infrastructure is practically nonexistent. Its 65 million people are desperately poor even by African standards. 

China's interest in Africa has attracted criticism, however, for ignoring African countries' sometimes dubious human rights records -- in oil-rich Sudan, for example -- and for low environmental standards.


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## hkskyline

*A few examples of aid-funded projects in Africa that have failed *
By The Associated Press 
18 December 2007

The World Bank's private arm, the International Finance Corporation, has found that only half of its Africa projects succeed, and many donors have not done much better. Here are a few of the development projects in Africa that went wrong: 

-------- 

PROJECT: Chad-Cameroon oil pipeline to the Atlantic Ocean 

DONOR: World Bank 

COST: $4.2 billion 

WHERE IT WENT WRONG: The pipeline was the biggest development project in Africa when it was completed in 2003. It was funded on condition that the money be spent with international supervision to develop Chad. However, President Idris Deby's government announced in 2005 that oil money would go toward the general budget and the purchase of weapons, or else oil companies would be expelled. Now Deby spends the oil money on regime survival and rigged elections. 

-------- 

PROJECT: Lake Turkana fish processing plant, Kenya 

DONOR: Norwegian government 

COST: $22 million 

WHERE IT WENT WRONG: The project was designed in 1971 to provide jobs to the Turkana people through fishing and fish processing for export. However, the Turkana are nomads with no history of fishing or eating fish. The plant was completed and operated for a few days, but was quickly shut down. The cost to operate the freezers and the demand for clean water in the desert were too high. It remains a "white elephant" in Kenya's arid northwest. 

-------- 

PROJECT: Lesotho Highlands water project 

DONOR: World Bank, European Investment Bank, African Development Bank 

COST: $3.5 billion 

WHERE IT WENT WRONG: The project to divert fresh water from the mountains for sale to South Africa and for electricity began in 1986. But the electricity proved too expensive for most people, and the diversion of so much water caused environmental and economic havoc downstream. The development fund raised from selling the water was shut down in 2003. The courts convicted three of the world's largest construction firms on corruption charges and the project's chief executive was jailed. Tens of thousands of people whose lives were ruined by the diversion are still waiting for compensation. 

-------- 

PROJECT: Office du Niger, Mali 

DONOR: France 

COST: More than $300 million over 50 years 

WHERE IT WENT WRONG: The goal in 1932 was to irrigate 2.47 million acres (1 million hectares) to grow cotton and rice and develop hydropower in the Mali desert. More than 30,000 people were forced to move to the desert to work on the largest aid project attempted by French colonial authorities. The African workers largely ignored French attempts to change traditional agricultural practices. By 1982, only 6 percent of the region was developed and the infrastructure was falling apart. The World Bank took over the project in 1985 and has shown limited success with rice farming. 

-------- 

PROJECT: Roll Back Malaria, across Africa 

DONOR: Multiple agencies 

COST: About $500 million 

WHERE IT WENT WRONG: Roll Back Malaria, established in 1998, aimed to halve malaria incidence by 2010. The program said Africa needed $1.9 billion a year to slow the disease, but by 2002 donors had only come up with $200 million a year. By 2004 the infection rate had risen 12 percent. Experts say donors rarely followed through with pledges and some programs were subject to political considerations, such as what kinds of insecticides to use, whether to buy cheap generic drugs or how much poor people should pay for mosquito nets.


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## hkskyline

*Road reflects why $568 billion in aid to Africa has largely failed *
18 December 2007

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) - To judge how far aid has helped Africa along the road to prosperity, just look down at the pavement -- or the lack of it. 

The most important highway in East Africa starts at the Indian Ocean port of Mombasa. Tens of thousands of trucks every year carry food, fuel and other goods to 100 million people in east and central Africa up a bone-jarring two-lane road. 

Despite millions of aid dollars spent on roads, the wear and tear is so bad that journeys take weeks. And the cost makes it cheaper to have a container of corn shipped from Iowa than to truck it 500 miles to western Kenya. 

In the 50 years since the first African countries won independence, the world has spent $568 billion on Africa. Yet Africans are poorer now than a quarter century ago, and much of the money has ended up on the road to nowhere. This dismal record is sparking a vigorous debate on how best to help the world's poorest continent, and to what degree aid is the answer. 

A growing chorus of Africans is saying what they need is not handouts, but investment so they can rebuild on their own. 

"Africans....are tired. They are tired of being the subject of everybody's charity and care. And what is happening in many African countries now is the realization that nobody can do it but us," said Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, a World Bank managing director and former finance minister of Nigeria, at a talk on a changing Africa. "We can invite partners who support us, but we have to start." 

------ 

Roads are the lifeblood of an economy, the delivery system for agriculture, mining, tourism and other mainstays of African industry. But roads in Africa are few and bad. When foreign companies calculate the price of doing business on the continent, they look at figures like the cost of transportation and decide to go somewhere else. 

"No one would ever have 100 million people in the rich world along a broken-down, two-lane, undivided road as we do here," said leading economist Jeffrey Sachs about Nairobi. "If the donors were thinking about what would really provide development, it's a proper, divided highway on which truck traffic could go." 

Truth is, they did think of it -- and almost built it -- 40 years ago. But today, the east-west Trans-African Highway exists only on maps. On the ground, it turns into a muddy footpath in the jungles of eastern Congo. 

The story of the highway shows why aid to Africa has largely failed in the past, and what can be learned for the future. 

Back in 1969, the Japanese government proposed extending the Mombasa Highway to Lagos, Nigeria on the Atlantic Ocean. The four-lane, 4,400-mile paved highway would be slightly longer than Interstate 90 running from Boston to Seattle across the United States. It was to bring modern trade to six African countries. 

By 1971, the deal had the support of the six countries, nine other rich countries and six international aid agencies. They hoped to have at least two lanes of all-weather road open by 1978. 

It did not take long for problems to emerge. Dictator Idi Amin took control of Uganda and threatened neighboring Kenya, which then closed the highway. 

The fight reflected a constant plague for foreign aid to Africa -- corrupt dictators, and donors who gave them money to protect political and economic interests. Nowhere was this exchange clearer than in Zaire, now known as Congo. 

Zaire needed to build roads from scratch. But the Central African country was ruled by Mobutu Sese Seko, one of most brutal dictators in African history. 

Mobutu siezed power during the Cold War, at a time when the United States and the Soviet Union were scrambling for influence in Africa. In the mid-1970s, he was a funnel for arms flowing to anti-communist rebels. 

And so billions of dollars poured into Zaire to keep him happy, and to maintain the flow of Zairean gold, diamonds and copper to the West. Western nations largely looked the other way as the aid money disappeared into his offshore bank accounts and into the pockets of dozens of corrupt leaders. 

Mobutu stopped plans for the highway in 1974, after stealing the money Belgium gave him for initial surveys. In a well-known African joke that reflects the thinking of the time, a young African dictator calls Mobutu for advice after coming under rebel attack. 

"Did they come by sea?" Mobutu asks. 

"No," the younger ruler would reply. 

"Did they come by air?" Mobutu asks. 

"No, they came by road," the protege answers. 

"Tsk tsk, my son, I always told you," Mobutu says. "Never build roads." 

------ 

Despite Mobutu in Zaire, the highway was in good condition in Kenya. In the 1970s, the East African country's economy was booming, with trucks filled with valuable coffee and tea running downhill from mile-high Nairobi and across breathtaking African savanna to the port of Mombasa. 

But roads do not last forever. The average African highway is designed to last 15-20 years, if properly maintained, says Andrew Gitonga, the Kenya roads project officer for the European Union. Since 1983, the European Union has spent $200 million to repair Kenya's section of the highway and has about $120 million more of road projects planned this year. 

Gitonga says the road needs to be completely rebuilt. 

"There has been no standard maintenance program for 15 years, so the roads are falling into disrepair until they collapse," he says. "Some government contracts in the past were given in an untransparent manner to unqualified contractors without clear standards." 

The transition between good road work and bad is painfully obvious when you hit a pothole at 50 mph. A close examination of the hole will show that whoever built it skimped on the thickness of the rock bed and the asphalt surfacing, pocketing a little extra profit. 

Almost every day road workers can be seen patching the holes. One man sprays in some tar, a second shovels in a little asphalt and a third goes over it twice with a compactor. Within five minutes the lane is open, with hundreds of cars every hour driving over a repair that will probably last less than six months, or until the seasonal rains wash it away. 

The same neglect for maintenance has led to the slow deterioration of thousands of donor-funded projects over the years. 

Just off the Mombasa highway in Nairobi, the International Committee of the Red Cross maintains its distribution hub for eastern Africa. Trucks loaded with food and supplies set off to deliver aid to some of the world's most desperate people. 

The biggest obstacle: The roads. 

"The roads are in a desolate state and they are not getting any better," says Bent Korsgaard, logistics director for the Kenya office. 

A University of Minnesota study determined that big trucks cost about 43.4 cents a mile to operate on normal roads. In Africa, the cost for Red Cross trucks is $2.88 a mile. 

A truck that follows the Trans-African Highway for the 1,500 mile, 21-day roundtrip to Butembo, Congo requires five days in the workshop when it gets back. It's cheaper to hire a Russian cargo plane than to drive a truck to some cities within 620 miles. 

That doesn't even count the bribes truckers have to pay on African roads. A recent survey in West Africa found they range from about $3.33 per 60 miles in Togo to $25 in Mali. 

------ 

Roads are hardly the only aid fiascos. Kenya alone is littered with dozens of half-baked, half-built projects funded by wealthy countries, monuments to good intentions gone awry. 

Often donors did not understand Africa or talk to Africans. The Norwegian government built a fish processing plant on Lake Turkana in the 1970s to provide jobs for nomadic cattle herders -- soon doomed in part because the local community had no fishing culture. 

In a self-assessment in 1987, the World Bank found 106 out of 189 African development projects audited -- almost 60 percent -- had serious shortcomings or were complete failures. African agriculture projects failed 75 percent of the time. 

The World Bank did better when it worked more closely with communities and better monitored projects. But a recent report on aid from the World Bank's private arm, the International Finance Corporation, found only half of its Africa projects succeed. 

Aid is also hampered because it is often determined not just by what poor countries need but by what rich countries want to give to boost their own economies. 

Much so-called foreign aid never leaves the country that promised it, because donor governments spend it to buy domestically-produced products or hire its own citizens as consultants. The World Bank estimates that throughout the 1980s, more than half of all aid was tied to what donor countries wanted to export, often at higher prices than could be found on the market. This practice reduced the value of aid by anywhere from 11 to 30 percent. 

Under the Buy American Act, the U.S. Agency for International Development must spend aid money to buy products and services from U.S. suppliers whenever possible, and then deliver them aboard expensive U.S.-flagged ships or planes. 

"Foreign assistance is far from charity," J. Brian Atwood, the USAID director under former President Clinton, told Congress in 1995. "It is an investment in American jobs, American business." 

Other rich nations do the same. Japan, one of the largest donors to Africa, provides a lot of aid in the form of four-wheel-drive vehicles -- despite the roads. 

Sachs, the Columbia University professor, argues past aid failed because not enough was invested at every level, in every sector. In 2004, Sachs and the United Nations started the Millennium Project experiment to supply 12 African villages with all they need, all at once, and see if they can be self-sufficient in five years. 

"The speed of results is astounding and the point is that if the resources are there, the rate of improvement is wonderful," Sachs says. "I believe that we're at the cusp of that now." 

Sachs' nemesis, economist William Easterly of New York University, retorts that Sachs' results are on a very small scale. He says only a free market can lift a nation out of poverty, and wants to see far more limited aid for specific programs with good track records, such as health care. 

Easterly argues that aid bureaucracies are now rewarded for giving money that never reaches those who need it. 

"It's just not possible for outsiders with their experts to create economic development and prosperity in another country," he says. "We should say: `There are a lot of problems and as rich outsiders we can't fix everything, but where can we do the most good for the most people?'" 

The stakes are high. The outcome will decide if -- and how -- the world spends another US$568 billion on Africa. 

------ 

The dream of a world-class road network for Africa is still alive, at least on paper. The African Union has a plan to build it, but it would take tens of billions of dollars that could come only from rich countries. 

The east-west Trans-African Highway is still missing about 1,826 miles. But West African states are building a regional network that will run from landlocked Chad to the Western port of Dakar in Senegal, and from Mauritania to Nigeria. Kenya is also building a road to neighboring Ethiopia. 

Aid to Africa is going up again to about $37 per capita, from a low of $24 in 1999. But this time the world has learned something. Aid to countries with more democratic systems has tripled at the expense of those whose leaders have unchecked power, according to the World Bank. 

These days, when a new road is under construction in Kenya, white cars with European Union flags on the doors visit every day to make sure every inch of the highway is built to specification. 

And a maintenance contract comes with it. 

-------- 

On the Net: 

African Union: http://www.africa-union.org

William Easterly: http://www.nyu.edu/fas/institute/dri/Easterly/ 

U.N. Millennium Development Project: http://www.unmillenniumproject.org/index.htm 

U.S. Agency for International Development: http://www.usaid.gov

Debt Aid Trade Africa http://www.data.org


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## hkskyline

*Russia's Gazprom eyes Nigerian gas reserves: report *
AFP
Sat Jan 5, 2:32 AM ET

Russia's state-owned gas giant Gazprom is reportedly eyeing a "mindboggling" stake in Nigeria's energy reserves in a bid to trump US, Chinese and Indian interests.

In a dispatch from Abuja and Moscow, the Financial Times quoted a senior Nigerian oil industry official as saying Gazprom was offering to invest in energy infrastructure in return for access to the country's vast gas deposits.

"What Gazprom is proposing is mind-boggling," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

"They're talking tough and saying the west has taken advantage of us in the last 50 years and they're offering a better deal... they are ready to beat the Chinese, the Indians and the Americans."

The FT assessed that Gazprom's move -- on the heels of Russian President Vladimir Putin's attempts to seek energy co-operation with his Nigerian counterpart Umaru Yar'Adua -- would cause concern among European governments.

Europe is dependent on Russia for about a quarter of gas imports and has been troubled by Moscow's readiness to cut off supplies, it added.

Any inroads made by Gazprom would challenge Western dominance by companies such as Royal Dutch Shell, Chevron and ExxonMobil in Nigeria, which is Africa's biggest producer of crude oil, the newspaper said.

Gazprom's representative Ilya Kochevrin was quoted as saying: "We made a decision to go global in terms of acquiring assets and developing strategy outside Russia. Africa is one of our priorities."

The Nigerian official said Gazprom executives had visited Nigeria in mid-December to outline proposals to overhaul the under-performing gas sector.

The FT said it had seen a Russian document, which promised to offer "strong technical expertise and financial resources" to Nigeria and work with the country on projects, including gas gathering in the oil-producing Niger Delta.


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## DanteXavier

*Blocked Roads And Political Violence Cost Matatu Sector Millions *



> Transport sector players yesterday continued counting losses even as business resumed in most towns countrywide.
> 
> An outbreak of political violence that followed last week's declaration of President Kibaki as the winner of the December 27 poll paralysed transport in large parts of the country.
> 
> 
> Transporters have lost millions of shillings as rowdy mobs blocked key highways to western Kenya cities of Kisumu and Eldoret that also serve the greater regional market.
> 
> Most players, however, expressed optimism noting that passenger travel, especially in urban centres, seemed to have resumed. "Operators have resumed business and operations in major urban centres have come back especially with the creation of safe corridors," the chairman of the Matatu Owners Association (MOA), Mr Simon Kimutai, said.
> 
> Speaking during a media briefing in Nairobi, Mr Kimutai said that the matatu sector had lost millions of shillings. With most vehicles having been out of operation for nearly a week following the outbreak of violence many operators are counting their losses.
> 
> "The losses go beyond revenue as some of our members lost their matatus to the rioters," he added.
> 
> Since the violence erupted, transportation of passengers and goods had been affected leading to acute fuel shortages and goods.
> 
> Paralysis of the transport sector has also affected the neighbouring countries, which rely on Kenya for fuel and various goods from the port.
> 
> Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM) chief executive Betty Maina said most businesses were taking stock of their losses.
> 
> "We have lost markets because we could not deliver the goods though business is coming back together as manufacturers resumed work on Saturday," she added.
> 
> Yesterday was the first day of full operation for most companies after days of remaining closed. "We expect major losses during the first quarter of 2008 as members start taking stock," she added.
> 
> Speaking during the same briefing the permanent secretary in the ministry of transport, Gerrishon Ikiara, stated that the Government was working at ensuring that the transportation of goods resumed even to highly affected areas.
> 
> The government, according to him, is providing security protection for transporters to be able to move goods with safety corridors having been created. Rift Valley, Western and Nyanza provinces were identifies as the worst hit areas.
> 
> Oil producers have also been able to transport fuel to most of the parts of the country following fuel outages that were reported mid last week, mainly using the established safe corridors. However there have been problems between Kericho and Kisii which were being resolved to ensure all goods and fuel reached the towns.
> 
> "There is no need to panic or for consumers to buy fuel in balk all is well and we are now reaching most corners of the country," the managing director of Kenya Shell, Patrick Obath, stated during the same briefing.
> 
> Public Service Vehicles have been accused of having hiked their prices during this period adding to the problem of transportation. However Mr Kimutai denied such allegations stating that MOA had cautioned its members not to hike prices.
> 
> The government on the other hand also noted it could not regulate fares, even during this period, as it was up to the sector to regulate its fare without interference.


http://allafrica.com/stories/200801071574.html


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## DanteXavier

*Kenyan Air Operators Take Over As Highways Shut Down *



> Air transport operators are among the biggest beneficiaries of the blockade of major highways to key western Kenyan towns.
> 
> They have stepped into the public transport vacuum that has persisted in western Kenya with the outbreak of political violence that followed the declaration of President Kibaki as the winner of the December 27 presidential election.
> 
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> Movement out of Kisumu and Eldoret by road has been paralysed since violence broke out one week ago.
> 
> "We have been operating over time despite frequent fuel shortages," said Col Eutychus Waithaka, the chief executive of the Kenya Association of Aircraft Operators (KAAO).
> 
> Major roads that have been blocked since the political turmoil began include the Mombasa-Nairobi, the Nairobi-Kisumu and Nakuru-Eldoret highways. This has left air as the only means of transport out of these cities with airline operators as the main beneficiaries.
> 
> Sources at Fly 540 - which operates daily scheduled flights to Eldoret and Kisumu - said the company had increased traffic to the affected regions since the violence started.
> 
> Last week, Kenya Airways operated two flights to the Eldoret Airport to help evacuate displaced people. The airlines have also offered an important supply chain to the affected towns.
> 
> Aircraft are being used to move food and other relief supplies to the affected towns and centres where those fleeing the violence are hosted.
> 
> Col Waithaka said aircrafts are also being used to supply remotely located lodges and resorts in the game parks and reserves such as the Maasai Mara where road transport has been paralysed.
> 
> These flights have, however, had to deal with acute fuel shortages caused by inability of oil firms to supply the various airstrips countrywide.
> 
> "There has been interruption of flights due to fuel shortages with most carriers headed for Uganda refuelling in Kenya," said Col. Waithaka.
> 
> Analysts said the aviation industry has been able to meet this increased demand due to the sharp increase in the number of aircrafts over the past three years.
> 
> Kenya Civil Aviation Authority statistics indicate that an annual average of 22 new aircrafts were registered in the past three years.There are 897 registered aircraft up from 806 in 2003 - an 11.3 per cent growth.
> 
> The industry has recovered from the 2.95 per cent decline in 2002 that was occasioned by terrorist threats and the resulting travel advisories by western governments against travelling to Kenya.
> 
> The most popular aircrafts in the Kenyan tourism industry are Cessna from the US and the Twin Otter from Canada, said Mr Roberts.
> 
> The majority are small 12 seaters which can easily land in small airstrips.
> 
> Sources in the industry say that this growth has been occasioned by the rise in tourism, large scale agriculture and the stabilising of Southern Sudan.
> 
> Most of the airstrips in the country have been very busy as they receive increased movement of aircraft.
> 
> The airstrips located on government land, private land, game parks, reserves and wildlife sanctuaries have been undergoing refurbishing in the recent past due to this increased traffic in the recent past.
> 
> There have, however, been concerns about the pace of the refurbishments which has not been in tandem with growth in the industry.


http://allafrica.com/stories/200801071585.html


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## Matthias Offodile

>


and these are Abidjan´s highways, too!














































Six-lane motorway linking up Abidjan to Yamoussoukro in the middle of the Ivory Coast


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## hkskyline

*Bahrain's Gulf Finance to develop Libyan energy hub *

DUBAI, Jan 9 (Reuters) - Bahraini Islamic investment bank Gulf Finance House said on Wednesday it plans to build an economic zone for energy firms operating in Libya, which holds Africa's largest oil reserves. 

Gulf Finance, which invests according to Islamic principles, did not say in a statement how much it would invest in the zone, to be built 70 kilometres west of Libyan capital Tripoli on the Mediterranean Sea. 

"We firmly believe Energy City Libya will help the country emerge as an international energy hub in addition to having a positive impact on the GDP," Shokri Ghanem, president of Libya's National Oil Corp, said in a statement. 

Libya plans to nearly double crude oil production by 2012 with an investment outlay of between $30 to $40 billion, Ghanem said in December. 

The country also wants to become a major gas producer and aims to increase production to 3 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd) by 2010, with a potential for 3.8 bcfd by 2015, compared with 2.7 bcfd now. 

Compared with other hydrocarbon provinces, Libya is under-developed because of years of international sanctions. 

Gulf Finance, which is also building energy cities in India and Qatar, said last year it would seek direct investments in infrastructure projects. 

The energy city would provide business infrastructure for oil and gas producers, refiners, and companies involved in shipping, energy trading and support services. 

The bank said in October it had raised $630 million for an Indian infrastructure project and it would seek more cash for other investments.


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## hkskyline

*Japan eyes $2.29 bln aid package for Africa-report *

TOKYO, Jan 8 (Reuters) - Japan is likely to announce a $2.29 billion dollar aid package to improve infrastructure in Africa, where it is competing with China for influence, Kyodo news agency said on Tuesday, citing government sources. 

Japan will likely announce the deal when it hosts a conference for African leaders in May, Kyodo said. 

The aid would be used to improve port facilities in Madagascar and to help develop resources in countries such as Ghana and Guinea, Kyodo said. 

Officials in Tokyo plan to step up pressure on African leaders to attend the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD), the daily Yomiuri Shimbun said last week. 

The paper said only 34 of the 53 African nations had indicated by the end of 2007 that they would be represented. Twenty-three African heads of state attended the previous TICAD in 2003, while 48 countries sent representatives, including 35 heads of state to a China-Africa cooperation forum in Beijing in 2006, the paper said. 

Japan wants African backing for its efforts to build global consensus on a global warming framework, Kyodo said. Tokyo has also been seeking support for its bid for a permanent seat on the U.N. Security Council, the report said. 

($1=109.28 Yen)


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## Lydon

*Gautrain Rapid Rail Link*



Inertia said:


> CONSTRUCTION UPDATE - 31 MARCH 2008
> 
> A) SOUTHERN SECTION
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> 1. Underground section
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> PARK STATION
> Excavation of the single-track rail tunnel towards the north has reached approximately 280 metres from the tunnel portal.
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> Construction of the 25m deep station box is making good progress. Lateral support waler beams are currently being installed in tandem with bulk excavation. These waler beams, braced with a series of lateral struts, provide temporary support the perimeter walls during station box excavation. Construction of the multi-story parkade foundation has also started.
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> The 27 metre deep portal provides an access shaft to tunnelling activities below. A massive gantry crane is visible above the portal. This crane is used to hoist the rock excavated from the tunnel and load it into dump trucks. The crane will also lift the necessary construction equipment in and out of the portal below.
> 
> EMERGENCY SHAFT 1 (HILLBROW)
> The single-track rail tunnel between Park Station and Sandton Station will feature seven emergency access shafts. These shafts will provide emergency services personnel access to the tunnels below. At the bases of these shafts there will be safe havens where passengers can gather in case of an emergency.
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> The Land required for Emergency Shaft 1 in Hillbrow is in the process of being expropriated. Site establishment and shaft excavation will start soon.
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> EMERGENCY SHAFT 2 (THE WILDS, HOUGHTON)
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> At Shaft E2, excavation depth reached nearly 38 metres and 27 metres of shaft lining was completed. Once the shaft reaches its final depth, an adit linking the bottom of the shaft to the tunnel alignment will be excavated, from where two rail tunnel sections will be excavated. The one tunnel will head south towards Park Station, while the other tunnel will head north towards Rosebank Station.
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> EMERGENCY SHAFT 4 (HOUGHTON)
> Construction of the shaft collar has been completed and shaft excavation will commence in early April.
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> ROSEBANK STATION
> Automated tunnel excavation is now underway deep below Oxford Road. The giant Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) started boring in January.
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> This moving factory uses latest international technology to bore a 3km section of the tunnel from Rosebank Station southwards. The TBM has been purpose-built to deal with the difficult geological conditions along this section of the route. The remainder of the single-track rail tunnel towards Park Station will be excavated using conventional drilling and blasting methods.
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> The TBM, named Imbokodo, installs pre-cast concrete tunnel lining segments behind it as it moves forward. It leaves behind a watertight and smooth lining to the 6.8m diameter tunnel. The TBM has already installed approximately 211 tunnel lining segments which equates to a distance of almost 325 metres of tunnel bored.
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> With excavation of the 180 metre long, 25 metre deep station box complete, as well as the station base slab, excavation of the last part of northern cut & cover section continued. Construction of the station external walls within the station box has commenced.
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> North of the station box, tunnelling towards Sandton continued from the northern drill & blast shaft, with approximately 195 metres excavated by the end of March.
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> EMERGENCY SHAFT 5 (DUNKELD, ROSEBANK)
> Tunnelling towards Sandton – the only section of tunnelling being excavated from this shaft - has progressed to approximately 240 metres. Excavation of the safe haven chamber is progressing simultaneously.
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> A head house structure is visible above the shaft, which houses the overhead gantry crane. It is used for hoisting excavated rock and lowering and lifting materials and equipment. The crane is clad with sound absorbing panels to limit noise created by construction work. This is a temporary structure, which will be removed once tunnelling operations are completed.
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> SANDTON STATION
> Excavation of the three level parking basement is complete and construction of the parkade foundations has commenced.
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> Construction of the cavern for the underground station, which is being excavated via the southern construction shaft, is on track and tunnelling from the south shaft towards Rosebank is also making good progress. The “top headings” of both of these have reached approximately 40 metres in each direction.
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> Excavation of the north shaft reached the third waler beam level, where hard rock has now been encountered. Waler beam and strut installation continued. These waler beams, braced with a series of lateral struts, provide temporary support the perimeter walls during excavation.
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> MUSHROOM FARM PARK
> Two sets of tunnels are being excavated towards Sandton. These single and double track tunnels have reached 472 metres and 232 metres respectively. The double tunnel towards Marlboro Portal reached approximately 510 metres. Later this year, the tunnel being excavated from Mushroom Farm Park will meet with the tunnel being excavated from Marlboro Portal to form one, continuous tunnel.
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> Mushroom Farm Park is a temporary shaft, used to provide access for tunnel construction. The community park will be fully reinstated once construction operations are complete.
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> MARLBORO PORTAL
> Excavation of the double track tunnel towards Mushroom Farm Park is now approaching
> 1 700 metres from the portal. Inside the tunnel, the final lining is being applied to the tunnel walls, construction of the floor slab to support the railway tracks is in progress, concrete walkways are being installed and construction of the dividing wall – separating the two sets of tracks – is about to commence.
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> The portal at Marlboro is the point where the tunnel “daylights”. It seperates the underground and surface sections of the route.
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> 2. Surface alignment
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> MARLBORO STATION AND N3 UNDERPASS
> A continuous long-span elevated rail bridge is called a viaduct. Several viaducts are being built to cross rivers and roads on Gautrain’s route. The precast concrete deck segments for these viaducts are being manufactured at the precast yard.
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> Construction of support piers and northern abutments for Viaducts 1A and 11 over the Jukskei River and East Bank Road in Alexander are complete and work is in progress on the southern abutments. Deck erection will commence during the first half of this year.
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> Earthworks, retaining walls and associated drainage structures are in progress between the Marlboro Portal and the N3 Crossing, including in the area of the Marlboro Station, where station construction will commence later this year.
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> Construction of this section of the route between the N3 crossing and the Depot is well advanced, with erection of the precast M-beams, which form the deck of Viaduct 2 over Modderfontein Spruit, now complete.
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> At the Train Depot, Gautrain’s 24 train sets will be maintained, serviced cleaned, and securely stabled overnight. The adjacent Bus Depot will perform a similar function for Gautrain’s dedicated fleet of 150 luxury buses. Construction of these facillities is well advanced, with the Bus Depot administration building already complete and the Train Depot offices and maintenance workshops targeted for completion within the next few months.
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> The precast yard – also temporarily located at the Depot - is equipped with twin concrete batching plants and several overhead gantries and tower cranes that are required to manufacture a variety of precast concrete elements. These include viaduct segments, bridge beams and parapets, tunnel walkway sections and noise barriers.. From here, precast elements are transported to the various construction sites as needed. It is currently the largest precast facility in Africa.
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> Construction is now well underway in the vicinity of the Midrand Station and continuing towards Centurion.
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> A continuous long-span elevated rail bridge is called a viaduct. Construction of Viaduct 3 over Allandale Road is making good progress, with ten of the thirteen deck spans now erected. Deck segments are erected using massive purpose-built launching girders.
> These cranes are launched across the supporting piers to rapidly assemble the precast deck segments. Segments are then glued and stressed together to form the deck spans. This international bridge deck assembly method enables construction to proceed with minimal disruption to existing infrastructure and traffic below. There are two of these underslung launching girders deployed on the project.
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> CENTURION AREA
> Viaduct 5 carries the elevated alignment through Centurion. It stretches over the John Vorster Interchange crossing the N1 in the south and then continues through Centurion to the Jean Avenue Interchange crossing the Ben Schoeman highway in the north. The sinking of deep foundation shafts for the viaducts at both of these interchanges continues, and construction of the supporting piers has commenced at the Jean Avenue Viaduct.
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> TSHWANE AREA
> Construction of an underpass where the Gautrain rail track will cross underneath the Ben Schoeman to the south of Salvokop is in progress.
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> At Pretoria Station, the existing staff parking area has now been vacated to enable construction of the Gautrain Station to proceed.
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> HATFIELD AREA
> Between Pretoria and Hatfield a number of bridges crossing the existing railway line require to be widened to accommodate the adjacent Gautrain tracks. One such bridge is at Lynnwood Road, where widening of the abutments is currently underway.
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> Piling and foundation construction is in progress for a new bridge which will cross the railway lines at Ridge Road, to replace the existing Willow Road bridge, which is to be demolished. Work has also started on a further new bridge where Grosvenor Road will be extended across the tracks immediately adjacent to the new Hatfield Station.
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> C) EAST-WEST AIRPORT LINK
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> 3. Airport Link (Marlboro Station to OR Tambo International Airport)
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> At Viaduct 13 over Centenary Way in Modderfontein, seven of the ten spans have now been erected, with traffic flow continuing below without disruption.
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> By far the longest viaduct on the east-west section of the route is the 1.5 km long Viaduct 15, which will carry the double track railway line over the R21/R24 road network to the elevated OR Tambo International Airport Station. The majority of the 41 foundations have been completed and construction of the supporting piers is well advanced.
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> D) OVERALL PROGRESS
> Construction started at the end of September 2006. Gautrain will be completed in two phases:
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> 1. The first phase has a duration of 45 months. It includes the network between the OR Tambo International Airport and Sandton and includes the stations at OR Tambo, Rhodesfield, Marlboro and Sandton, together with the Depot and Operations Control Centre located near Allandale Road in Midrand.
> 2. The second phase, being constructed concurrently, will be completed in 54 months, towards 2011. It includes the remainder of the rail network and stations linking Sandton to Park Station in Johannesburg and the route from Midrand to Hatfield.
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> Toll-free call centre: 0800-GAUTRAIN (0800-42887246). The call centre is operational weekdays between 6am and 9pm with an answering system after-hours.
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> Communities are reminded that regular Community Liaison Forums are held in affected areas. These afford residents the opportunity to voice their concerns and have their questions answered by Gautrain officials who are present at these meetings.
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> Courtesy www.gautrain.co.za


This is in South Africa if you didn't catch the drift


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## hkskyline

*East Africa gets $1.5 billion for infrastructure *

NAIROBI, April 22 (Reuters) - The African Development Bank (AfDB) will give $1.5 billion to five countries in east Africa to improve roads, bridges and railways over the next three years, the bank's regional head said.

Three of the five countries in the regional bloc, -- Uganda, Burundi, and Rwanda -- are landlocked and rely on Kenya's Mombasa and Tanzania's Dar es salaam ports to export and import essential goods.

Goods then travel over a patchwork of potholed roads and ancient rail tracks, leading to astronomic transportation costs.

"Infrastructure is the key to poverty reduction in this region. We are thinking about $1.5 billion over the next three years," Aloysius Ordu, AfDB's director for east Africa told Reuters late on Monday.

He spoke after signing a 1.07 billion shilling water services grant with Kenya, the regions biggest economy.

Kenya's recent bloody crisis, which followed a disputed election, disrupted supply chains, and sent prices of essential goods in neighbouring landlocked countries, soaring.

"Events in Kenya over the last few months emphasise the importance of a much more integrated east Africa," said Ordu.

He said the money will go towards the construction of roads, railways and bridges, which will enhance the countries' connections.

The five countries have been moving towards economic, political and social integration under the East African Community regional body.

But poor infrastructure and political uncertainties have been a deterrent to investors, due to increased risk and cost of doing business.

"There are serious challenges. What is important is the recognition of the need for improvement of the business environment," said Ordu.

The Tunis-based AfDB was established 40 years ago to combat poverty and improve lives in Africa through loans, investments and technical assistance.


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## africa500

*Last step in Merowe dam construction…*
April 27th, 2008 · No Comments

Good news from North Sudan are coming, the third and last diversion of the Nile river was done and was successful, and now, all Nile water will go through the dam.
The consequences will be a creation of an artificial lake of 200km long, it will take to october 2008 to be “fully water loaded”.

Merowe dam implementation unit, which supervises the construction of the dam, released on 16 april 2008, a news about this important event:

The Dams Implementation Unit has celebrated today the third and last diversion for the river path, and the closure of the last spillway gate in preparation for the formation of dam’s reservoir that stores the water needed for power generation.
*
The Chinese Ambassador to Khartoum has described the diversion process as a beginning for a new era for Sudan, which is full of development and progress, pointing that Merowe Dam represents the depth of relation between and . On his Part, Eng. Mohamed Hassan El Hadari, the DIU Deputy Executive Director affirmed that the Dam’s execution is progressing according to schedule, anticipating that the last quater of this year will witness the generation of 250 mega watt from the 1st and 2nd turbines.*

He also pointed to the completion of the resettlement process for all the three affected groups, and work is underway now to complete the resettlement of the second batch of the third group at Eastern Kaheela. Likewise, Dr. Awad Ahmed El Jaz, the Minister of Finance and National Economy has lauded the Sudanese engineers working in the dam, affirming the endeavor of the government to make as an investment attraction centre.

He pointed to the role that can play in the light of the hike in food seeds prices globally.
Speaking in a press conference at the Dam’s body, Mr. El Jaz praised the affected people for the sacrifices they made, reaffirming the support of his ministry for agriculture. He calls on the media to work with the government to support the national principles and developmental achievements. Dr. El Jaz has paid a short visit to Merowe Dam accompanied with the Ministers of Energy, Interior Affairs, and Irrigation, during which they toured the main parts of the dam.

Here some photos of the event:


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## snow is red

a nice big damn


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## hkskyline

*Chinese-funded projects begin in DR Congo *

KINSHASA, April 9, 2008 (AFP) -Construction of a highway linking two southeastern cities in the Democratic Republic of Congo was set to begin Wednesday, the first phase of a major public works programme funded primarily by China, officials said.

Some 700 million dollars (450 euros) is to be spent this year on highways, railways, schools and hospitals, Publics Works Minister Pierre Lumbi said Tuesday in announcing the launch of the post-war reconstruction programme.

Construction of the 100-kilometre (60-mile) highway linking the cities of Lubumbashi and Kasumbalesa in the southeastern Katanga province was the first of more than a dozen projects set to be launched this year.

Much of the infrastructure in the Democratic Republic of Congo was destroyed in the 1996-2003 wars that sucked in countries across the region.


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## hkskyline

*African countries told to devote 15 percent of budgets to health *
Thu May 1, 1:12 PM ET
AFP

African countries should devote 15 percent of their budgets to health, a sector where progress has been hampered by poverty, a conference here decided Wednesday.

The conference on health in Africa attended by 600 delegates opened Monday, sponsored by the African office of the World Health Organisation (WHO).

In their final declaration Wednesday, the delegates called on African states to respect a promise made earlier to allocate 15 percent of their budgets to the health sector.

Necessary mechanisms should be set up to make essential medicines, products, technology and infrastructure more readily available and accessible, the conference said.

The delegates hailed progress made on the continent over the past 30 years, noting "encouraging" results in the fight against measles, polio and leprosy.

During the conference WHO regional director for Africa Luis ***** noted a 91 percent reduction in mortality from measles between 2000 and 2006 as well as an increase in the number of HIV/AIDS patients receiving anti-retrovirals, from one percent in 2003 to 37 percent at the end of 2007.

The director of the UNICEF children's fund for West and Central Africa, Esther Guluma, warned of the repercussions from the current food prices boom on the health of African children.

"At least 28 percent of children in Africa are affected by malnutrition," she told AFP. "With the rise in prices of food products, there will really be a very severe impact on children's nutrition."

The conference was held with participation of the government of Burkina Faso, UNICEF, the UN population fund, the World Bank and the African Development Bank.


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## hkskyline

15:06, May 10, 2008
*Africa still faces challenges, says UN official*

Africa is making "very good progress," but must tackle challenges in areas of transportation, infrastructure and water, a senior UN official said Friday.

Kathleen Abdalla, officer-in-charge of the Division for Sustainable Development, made the remarks at the annual Commissio non Sustainable Development (CSD) in New York.

Abdalla said Africa was witnessing "unprecedented growth," with its economy rising some 6 percent in 2005-2006 and 7 percent last year, adding that progress was also made in education, with more children attending primary school.

But she told reporters at the UN headquarters that "poverty remains high and there are many challenges in Africa."

Abdalla said that agricultural productivity is low, and the continent must face other issues such as land tenure, credit availability and limited access to energy.

A very substantial proportion of the labor force in many African countries still depends on agriculture, said David O'Connor, chief of the Policy Integration and Analysis Branch of the Division for Sustainable Development.

O'Connor said it is extremely difficult to boost the productivity of labor with the number of people working in the agricultural sector increasing as quickly as it is.

Speaking to reporters at the press conference, Peter Hartmann of the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture in Nigeria said a holistic approach is necessary to address challenges to agriculture in Africa.

"There will be a lot of pain right now for the short term ... but we need to look forward and see how we can bring to the world a new, more stable food system given the projections of demands and population growth," Hartmann said.

Source: Xinhua


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## hkskyline

*Africa fastest growing market for telecom: ITU *
Tue, May 13 12:12 PM
Financial Express

Africa has been the fastest growing market worldwide for communication technology in the past three years and will emerge as an important market for the industry, according to the head of the United Nations International Telecommunication Union (ITU).

"African information and communication technologies industry is an exciting place to be. Market liberalization continues and most countries have established regulatory bodies to ensure a fair, competitive and enabling environment, Hamadoun Tour, Secretary-General of the ITU said on Monday.

The secretary-general was speaking at the opening of a major trade fair "ITU Telecom Africa" in Cairo inaugurated by Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.

Around 200 companies from 45 countries are exhibiting products at the trade fair which has attracted some 70 heads of international companies and 50 government ministers. ITU Telecom Africa runs till Wednesday.

An ITU report released on Monday said growth in Africa's mobile telephone sector had "defied all predictions". Africa had 65 million new subscribers in 2007 alone and mobile phone penetration has risen from just one in 50 people in 2000 to one third of the population today. Mobile phone use is now more evenly distributed across the continent, the report said.

At the beginning of the century, South Africa accounted for over half of all Africa's subscribers, but by last year almost 85 per cent were in other countries of the continent.

The ITU coordinates global use of the radio spectrum, promotes international cooperation on assigning satellite orbits, works to improve telecommunication infrastructure in the developing world and establishes worldwide standards to foster seamless interconnection between a wide range of communications systems.

The ITU report, however, said growth in Internet access in Africa has not kept pace.

In 2007, it is estimated there were some 50 million Internet users in Africa, about one person in 20. In sub-Saharan Africa only three per cent of the population is online.

The average monthly Internet subscription is almost USD 50, close to 70 per cent of average per capita income.


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## hkskyline

*S.Africa power firm agrees to phase in price rise *

JOHANNESBURG, May 16 (Reuters) - South Africa's state power firm, under pressure from the ruling ANC party, agreed on Friday to phase in electricity price rises over five years instead of pushing for a sharp hike to address a dire power crisis.

Eskom, which produces about 95 percent of South Africa's electricity, provoked public anger when it asked for a revised 53-percent tariff increase. The African National Congress and union allies said that would hurt the poor and stoke inflation.

Regulators had approved an increase for Eskom of just over 14 percent for 2008/09.

Power cuts in January forced large gold and platinum mines to shut down for five days, pushing world precious metal prices higher. The mines are now operating at 90 to 95 percent of their normal electricity supply.

"We agree on the need for price increases and that they should be smoothed out," Public Enterprises Minister Alec Erwin said at the end of an energy summit in Johannesburg that drew top officials from Eskom, government, the ANC and labour.

"It's going to be done over a five-year time period," Erwin said, adding that the price hikes, when approved by regulators, would be a shock for the economy.

Erwin was among a number of ministers in President Thabo Mbeki's cabinet who initially supported the utility's electricity price proposal as necessary to fund a 350 billion rand ($46.4 billion) infrastructure expansion.

They changed their tune in the face of opposition from the African National Congress and its labour and Communist allies.

Mbeki lost the leadership of the ruling party to rival Jacob Zuma late last year.

Zuma and other ANC and labour leaders argued that millions of South Africans would be unable to afford electricity if regulators approve Eskom's request. There are also fears it would fuel rising inflation, currently over 10 percent.

"We are convinced that the economy cannot afford that sharp increase in electricity prices," ANC Secretary General Gwede Mantashe said at the summit. He said it would be wrong for Eskom to use price rises to recover from past losses.

COMPROMISE

Eskom has blamed its problems on a combination of factors, including the failure of the government to invest in electricity generating plants, maintenance problems at its existing facilities and wet weather that affected coal supplies.

While maintaining that sharply increasing the cost of electricity would put it on a firmer footing, Eskom has said it is willing to look at other options.

Eskom CEO Jacob Maroga said that the 53-percent price increase was only one of five scenarios that were on the table.

"The final decision comes from the regulators," Maroga told reporters on Friday, describing the summit as a success.

He added that Eskom would meet with government and other stakeholders for further talks to shore up the utility's finances in the face of the crisis.

Eskom's management has played down hopes it could increase electricity supplies quickly and has asked that consumers be patient while it builds new generating capacity.

The utility said on Friday it had awarded a 2.9 billion rand contract to a consortium of local companies to construct the main civil works of its Medupi power station. The total cost of the project is around 80 billion rand.

"Medupi is one of the key installations in Eskom's New Build Programme that is geared towards closing the current supply-demand gap," Brian Dames, Eskom's chief officer for generation, said in a statement.


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## africa500

Chinese built bridge near Merowe (30 millions dollars)

Not in Khartoum, but in Merowe, 300 km North of Khartoum.

A new 30 millions dollar bridge built by China, and hundreds of kms of new roads.


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## AlexS2000

africa500 said:


> Chinese built bridge near Merowe (30 millions dollars)
> 
> Not in Khartoum, but in Merowe, 300 km North of Khartoum.
> 
> A new 30 millions dollar bridge built by China, and hundreds of kms of new roads.


Thank you for the pictures! I guess that China and Africa relationship is a good for both continent!


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## hkskyline

*S.Africa wants to replace entire rail fleet *

CAPE TOWN, May 20 (Reuters) - South Africa's state-run rail company plans to replace its entire fleet of 4,600 commuter trains to attract passengers and ease congestion on the roads.

"We want to replace the entire fleet," Tshepo Lucky Montana, chief executive officer at the South African Rail Commuter Corporation, told reporters.

"What we are buying now will have to meet and address our requirements in the demand for rail over a period of 20 to 25 years," Montana said, adding that passenger demand was projected to increase over 10 percent a year.

South Africa plans to spend some 140 billion rand ($18.4 billion) over the next five years to revamp its transport infrastructure ahead of the 2010 Soccer World Cup, with 18 billion rand earmarked for passenger rail, though the new trains would probably not be in service by the time the competition starts.

Millions of people in South Africa's sprawling urban and semi-urban areas rely on minibus taxis and trains to ferry them to work. Although cheaper than other transport modes, trains are often late, unsafe and overcrowded using technology dating back to 1956.

A Statistics South Africa survey published in March showed households spent 22.9 percent of their budget on transport, making it the largest and fastest growing item on the budget.

Montana did not say how many trains were ordered or the cost implications but said at today's prices a motor coach costs slightly more than 5 million rand and a passenger coach 3 million.

Montana said the cabinet was expected to make a decision by July amid concerns of rising costs due to increasing steel prices.

But Transport Minister Jeff Radebe said the new trains would not be available in time for the Soccer World Cup. "From what I hear ... (replacing the fleet) will probably be the biggest acquisition currently in the developing world," Radebe said.


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## GNU

Regarding the Merowe dam:

_The fertile Nile valley has been attracting human settlement for thousands of years. The section between the 4th and 5th cataract—a significant portion of which will be inundated by the reservoir lake—has been densely populated through nearly all periods of (pre)history, but very little archaeological work has ever been conducted in this particular region. Recent surveys have confirmed the richness and diversity of traceable remains, from the Stone Age to the Islamic period.

Several foreign institutions have been recently or are currently involved in salvage archaeology in the region, among them the ACACIA project University of Cologne, Gdańsk Archaeological Museum Expedition (GAME), Polish Academy of Sciences, Humboldt University of Berlin, the Italian Institute for Africa and the Orient (IsIAO), the University College London, the Sudan Archaeological Research Society, the Hungarian Meroe Foundationand the University of California at Santa Barbara - Arizona State University consortium.

Their main problems are the shortness of the remaining time and limited funding. Unlike the large UNESCO campaign conducted in Egypt before the completion of the Aswan High Dam, when more than a thousand archaeological sites could be documented and complete buildings were moved to prevent them from drowning in Lake Nasser's floods, work at the 4th cararact is much more restricted.

Historian Runoko Rashidi recently issued a statement in solidarity with Sudanese Nubians protesting the dams and called for a halt to their construction._


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## hkskyline

*Japan vows to double Africa aid *
By Yoko Nishikawa
Tue May 27, 10:46 PM ET
Reuters

Japan unveiled a package of steps to help boost growth in Africa on Wednesday, vowing to double its aid and business investment, as it seeks closer ties with the resource-rich continent.

In an opening speech for the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD), to which Japan has attracted more than 40 African leaders, Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda also said Japan would set up a new $2.5 billion facility to help Japanese firms to invest more in Africa.

"If I were to liken the history of African development to a volume of literature, then what we are about to do now is to open to a new page, titled the 'century of African growth'," Fukuda said, adding that developing transportation infrastructure was key to boost growth there.

The three-day conference in Yokohama, near Tokyo, is a litmus test for Japan's efforts to help Africa as it seeks more mineral resources from the continent.

Japan also hopes to win support for its long-standing bid for a permanent seat on U.N. Security Council -- a topic which Fukuda repeatedly mentioned in bilateral meetings with African leaders on Tuesday.

Some 2,500 participants, representing 52 African nations, delegates from international agencies, and activists such as Irish rock star Bono, have gathered at TICAD as Africa faces new challenges of soaring food and energy prices, which have led to riots in some countries.

Besides talking about how to boost growth in Africa, delegates also stressed the need to meet the U.N. Millennium Development Goals, a set of eight globally agreed targets to be reached by 2015.

As this year markets the halfway point to achieve the goals, which include halving the number of people living in poverty on less than $1 a day and providing universal primary education, concerns are growing that most countries may fail to meet them.

LEADERS' SUMMIT

For Africa, closer ties with Japan means not only getting more aid and investment from the world's second-largest economy but also getting its voice heard on the international stage, especially since Japan chairs the Group of Eight meetings of rich nations this year, including a leaders' summit in July.

"What Prime Minister Fukuda decides this week will set the tone for this summer's G8 Summit where we expect action on promises to Africa -- not more rhetoric or fancy accounting," said Takumo Yamada, spokesman for Oxfam Japan.

Fukuda vowed to double Tokyo's development aid to Africa over the next five years. He pledged to provide up to $4 billion of yen loans to Africa over the next five years to improve African infrastructure, while doubling grant aid and technical assistance over the next five years as well.

"Besides the increase in aid, which is highly appreciated, TICAD needs to go further," said Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete. "What remains to be seen is increased trade and investment between Africa and Japan."

Citing World Bank figures, Kikwete said Japanese investment in Sub-Saharan Africa between 2002 and 2004 amounted to $415 million, just 0.4 percent of Japan's global foreign investment.

It is the fourth TICAD conference in the past 20 years, yet Japan has lagged behind rivals China and India in accessing Africa's rich bounty of metals and oil. Japan's trade with Africa is a meager 2 percent of overall trade.

To foster Japanese businesses in Africa, Fukuda said Japan would dispatch a large-scale economic mission, comprising leaders from the public and private sector, later this year.

A senior Japanese foreign ministry official said it was still undecided which countries this mission would visit, but a wide range of businesses such as steel, chemical, automobile, trading, and retail industries was likely to join.

"It is definitely important for business leaders to see through their own eyes what's cooking in Africa because there are a lot of things cooking in Africa," he added.


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## hkskyline

* Africa not using enough renewable energy: experts *
Thu Jun 5, 8:04 AM ET

Solving Africa's power crisis will require greater energy efficiency and countries making better use of renewable resources, the World Economic Forum on Africa heard Thursday.

The continent, where 600 million people still don't have electricity, has to think of better ways to promote energy efficiency while reducing enormous losses of energy from people illegally plugging into the electricity grid.

Pierre Gadonneix, chairman of Electricite de France, one of Europe's largest energy players, told delegates in Cape Town that Africa had the unique solution of vast sources of renewable energy sources at its disposal.

"It is clear there is not enough renewables used in Africa when you think about what what is possible with the wind, with the sun. You have too many countries in which there is no policies about renewables."

Africa is at the mercy of the global triple threat of fuel, finance and food, delegates to the conference heard earlier, and as economic growth soars on the continent, available energy is rapidly proving insufficient.

In South Africa, energy giant Eskom is suffering the results of years of failing to invest in energy infrastructure, with widespread blackouts affecting the mining industry and growth.

Eskom chief executive Jacob Maroga, whose company is trying to raise prices by 53 percent, said the energy sector needed better pricing levels, more competition and more investment from the private sector.

"In the context of South Africa, I think power is the most scarcest commodity but if you ask what is the most cheapest it's power. In an environment where you have a commodity that is the most variable, it can't be the cheapest."

Gaddoneix said energy was not a commodity like any other where normal rules of competition applied as it was an essential good, however people had to face up to the fact that energy was expensive.

"Energy is expensive, whatever happens it is going to be more expensive. This is reality ... because oil is expensive."

Donald Kaberuka, president of the African Development Bank, said being more energy efficient was the "alternative fuel" everybody was looking for.

"We normally talk about renewables, new sources. This is all very good, this is all very costly. But where can we get it quicker and where can we get it at less cost - Using alternative fuel, and that is consuming less and being more energy efficient in what we are doing."

Gaddoneix said losses of energy, either unavoidable technical losses in distribution or non-technical such as people plugging into power grids illegally, was the most urgent issue in Africa.

"It's enormous, in Africa the average is above 20 percent. The technical losses that you cannot avoid ... somewhere between 7.5 percent and eight percent."

Copyright © 2008 Agence France Presse. All rights reserved.


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## hkskyline

*Kenya to invest 25.2 bn dollars for long term growth *
10 June 2008
Agence France Presse

Kenya on Tuesday announced plans to invest 1.6 trillion shillings (25.2 billion dollars, 16.3 billion euro) in its infastructure over the next five years, in a deal agreed by the three main political parties.

Of the cash, 1.1 trillion shillings (17 billion dollars, 11 billion euro) will be raised from public and private sector partnership while the rest will raised from national coffers through budgetary allocations, they said.

The plan, dubbed "Vision 2030" was agreed through the harmonisation of the manifestos of the three main political parties forming the coalition government, ending months of post-poll violence.

It is expected to be the country's official development plan for the 2008/09 fiscal year starting Thursday, marking the start of the most ambitious development plans since independence in 1963.

"Let us all unite in building our country. I have no doubt in my mind that we will succeed if we all work together towards improving our country," President Mwai Kibaki said while launching the vision.

"We are capable of making Kenya even better. What we need to do is make up our minds that we will not allow personal interests to override those of the country."

The country's growth is expected to dip to four percent in 2008, down from the earlier forecast of seven percent, due to the impact of the tribal and revenge as well as os police shootings in which at least 1,500 people were killed and around 300,000 displaced.

Many have started returning to their farmlands, only to find them either burnt or plundered, mainly in the breadbasket regions. High cost of farm inputs and delayed rains have raised the prospects of food shortage in the country.

Overall inflation has soared to 31.5 percent in May, the highest since 1994, owing to steep bills from food and oil, prompting Kenyans to urge the government to introduce price controls, a move it rejected.

Prime Minister Raila Odinga said the government would invest in the country's infrastructure.

"Central to Vision 2030 is that our country will be firmly interconnected through a network of roads, railways, ports, airports, and ICT," said Odinga, pointing out some of the run-down infrastructures in the country.

Government economists have identified agriculture, tourism, manufacturing, wholesale and trade, business process outsourcing and financial services as the priority sector to power the growth, which help to boost the economy to 10 percent by 2012, National Planning Minister Wycliffe Oparanya.

Oparanya said the government was keen to exclude foreign funding which in the past has been pegged on conditionalities, some of which stoked the near-collapse of the economy in the early 1990s, when the 2008/09 budget is unveiled Thursday.

Currently up to 60 percent of Kenya's 35 million people live on less than a dollar a day, but critics have said the figure could be much higher.

The peace accord is expected to boost foreign investment, notably the recently announced deals by Coca-Cola, which in March announced investing 50 billion dollars, and France Telecom which bought a 51-percent stake worth 390-million-dollar in state-owned Telkom Kenya last November.

The planned merger between South Africa's Stanbic and CFC Bank has been delayed by a court case.

Although the country's foreign direct investment increased from nearly 60 million dollars in 2006 to 85 million dollars last year, analysts have warned the the post-election violence could reduce the figure.


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## hkskyline

*SAfrica urged to open power sector to private firms *

JOHANNESBURG, June 10 (Reuters) - South Africa must embrace private sector involvement in the electricity sector if it wants to solve a power crisis that threatens to derail its growing economy, a top business group said on Tuesday.

Mining companies and other major consumers of electricity have seen their power supply rationed since the national grid came close to collapse in January, forcing big gold and platinum mines to shut down for five days.

Power outages spurred a 22 percent drop in mining production in the first quarter of 2008, fuelling interest in private sector production for the national grid and business customers such as mining firms and industry.

With the slowdown in growth and fears the crisis will blight the 2010 soccer World Cup, there are calls for President Thabo Mbeki's government to take a fresh look at electricity generation and the nation's dependence on Eskom [ESCJ.UL]. The state-owned utility provides 95 percent of South Africa's electricity.

"Clearly we must make way for the private sector," Jerry Vilakazi, chief executive officer of Business Unity South Africa, said at an energy summit in Johannesburg.

"The private sector is willing, it wants to invest in electricity generation and distribution, but it will only do so if the environment is conducive," Vilakazi said.

Critics accuse the government of keeping electricity prices artificially low for nearly a decade as part of an effort to make power affordable for the poor, one of the cornerstones of the ruling ANC's political support.

Private companies argued they were unlikely to make the returns required to justify the cost of entering the electricity business. But their interest peaked after the government acknowledged tariffs must rise, though private firms still say the sector remains too regulated and subject to government whim.

TARIFF INCREASES

Eskom asked regulators to approve doubling electricity tariffs over two years, provoking a backlash from the ANC and its labour allies, who said it would hurt the poor and stoke inflation. The utility has since backed off, agreeing in principle to raise tariffs gradually over five years.

The National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA) is due to announce a decision on the tariff structure next week.

Chris Hart, an economist with Investment Solutions in Johannesburg, told the summit that regulators should stop focusing on pricing and embrace a role that encouraged a level playing field for competitors.

"The regulator should not set the price. The market should set the price," he said. "The sector needs to be opened up to all players. We cannot have only one player in electricity."

Eskom is embarking on a 350 billion rand ($43.89 billion) infrastructure expansion to boost electricity supply and has signalled that it is open to co-investment in power projects.

But Mkebi's government, which is in a formal coalition with the powerful Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) and the South African Communist Party (SACP), has stopped short of supporting the idea of a large private sector role in electricity.

COSATU and the SACP oppose privatisation of state companies and are suspicious of private sector involvement in key areas of the economy, including electricity generation.

They have blamed the government for failing to invest in power generating plants despite signs almost a decade ago that demand in the fast-growing economy would outstrip supply.

NERSA Chief Executive Smunda Mokoena said on Tuesday the government would have to help fund Eskom's expansion programme.

"There has to be some form of government injection so that the infrastructure backlog can be addressed," Mokoena told reporters.

Power shortages have dented South Africa's growth, which fell to a 6-1/2-year low of 2.1 percent, quarter-on-quarter, in the first three months of 2008.


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## hkskyline

*Nigeria to seek World Bank loan to upgrade roads: minister *
11 June 2008
AFP

Nigeria's government on Wednesday approved a plan to seek 330 million dollars from the World Bank to revamp its abysmal roads, Information Minister John Odeh said.

"Cabinet approved the signing of the financing agreement for the 330 million dollars ...(credit) for the improvement of road infrastructure in Nigeria," he told a news conference after a weekly cabinet meeting.

The interest-free loan is to be repaid over 40 years.

Many roads in this oil-rich nation, Africa's most populous nation, are in a state of utter disrepair and often blamed for the country's high accident rate.


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## hkskyline

*Chinese firm says funding stalling Nigeria's rail project *
18 June 2008
Agence France Presse

A Chinese firm handling an 8.3 billion-dollar (5.4-billion-euro) contract to upgrade Nigeria's under-performing railway system said Wednesday inadequate government funding was stalling the project.

Nigeria signed the contract with the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) in October 2006.

"The contract provided for an advance payment of 1.1356 billion dollars from the federal government of Nigeria but so far we have been paid only 250 million dollars in March 2007," CCECC Vice President Chen Xiaoxing said in a published statement here.

He said despite the problem of funding, the company had made some progress on the 1,315-kilometre (817 miles) Lagos-Kano double track standard gauge, which is the first phase of the 25-year-long modernisation project.

The Chinese firm has been under fire in the media for the slow pace of work at the site.

The Punch newspaper early this week accused the firm and the government of former president Olusegun Obasanjo, which signed the deal, of inflating the contract by 5.8 billion dollars.

But CCECC said its rates are more than competitive.

"The international average construction cost per kilometre is about 3.5 million dollars whereas the cost per kilometre on the Lagos-Kano line comes to about 3.04 million dollars for double track," it added.

The company urged Nigeria to release money to enable it to continue with the project which it sees as a key part of the solution to the country's transport problems.

"Based on our experiences in China and the world over, there is no alternative to satisfy land transportation in Nigeria up to 2020 and beyond other than what is proposed in the modernisation contract," it said.

"The Nigerian government should realise that every day that passes without a firm decision taken on this modernisation project will only aggravate the cost in the final analysis," it added.

Once Nigeria's pride, its railways, like much of the rest of the country's infrastructure, have slowly crumbled into disrepair.

Nigeria has a network of 3,505 kilometres (2,178 miles) of narrow-gauge single track lines, covering nine of the country's 36 states. Most of its 200 locomotives however, broke down long ago.

The only passenger service still operating in the country takes two hours to link central Lagos, the commercial capital, with Ijoko, a small commuter town less than 30 kilometres (20 miles) away.


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## hkskyline

*South Africa approves 13.3 percent electricity rate increase *
18 June 2008
Agence France Presse

South Africa's energy regulator said Wednesday that struggling electricity giant Eskom could increase tariffs by another 13.3 percent to cover mounting costs in the midst of a power crisis.

The tariff increase falls far short of the 53 percent Eskom had asked the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA) to approve. It won a 14.2 percent hike in December 2007.

"The energy regulator decided ... that Eskom is allowed to recover additional primary energy costs of 2.827 billion rands (350 million dollars, 226 million euros) through the electricity tariff.

"The approval amounts to a 13.3 percent nominal increase in addition to the 14.2 percent already approved," said NERSA chairman Collin Matjila.

"Effectively, this translates into an average price increase of 27.5 percent year-on-year."

Matjila conceded that the economy -- already ailing amid high interest rates, inflation and increasing food prices -- would be hit by the decision.

"It will have an impact on ordinary South Africans. It will have an impact on business," said Matjila, arguing, however, that in the long run, "if we have an Eskom that is viable it contributes directly to sustaining economic growth."

In an attempt to reduce the impact of the increases on the poor, NERSA ruled that those falling under the "domestic low tariff" would not be subject to any increase above the initial 14.2 percent approved.

The Congress of South African Trade Unions said it was concerned at projections that tariffs will be hiked 20-25 percent over the next three years.

The trade union federation said in a statement the increase posed a threat to jobs "at a time when businesses are being hit by other runaway increases in loan repayments, fuel costs, etc."

Eskom, which also wanted NERSA to revise its December decision in which it approved only 14.2 percent of the then requested 18.7 percent tariff increase, said in its application it was facing "significant financial challenges."

The embattled energy provider has come under increased pressure as it battles to balance supply with demand after a failure to invest in infrastructure in line with strong economic growth.

The government welcomed the decision and said a team was working on an "appropriate fiscal injection" to strengthen Eskom's balance sheet.

"(The decision) confirms government’s view that, as a country, we cannot avoid higher than normal electricity price increases but at the same time, we have to be cognisant of the current economic hardships faced by many of our people," Energy Minister Buyelwa Sonjica said in a statement.

South African consumers have long enjoyed some of the lowest electricity prices in the world.

An energy crisis, labelled by government as a national emergency, caused mass blackouts earlier this year which hit the key mining industry, taking a toll on the economy.

Growth in the first quarter of 2008 measured 2.1 percent on a 12-month basis, down sharply from 5.3 percent in the last quarter of 2007, according to official data.


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## hkskyline

*Macquarie, Abu Dhabi in $1 bln infrastructure fund *

HONG KONG, Dec 16 (Reuters) - The Macquarie Group (Macquarie) and Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank (ADCB) on Tuesday said they expect to raise $1 billion for an infrastructure fund focused on investing in the Gulf Region, the Middle East, and North Africa.

An initial cornerstone investment of US$500 million has been made by Al Hail Holding, a United Arab Emirates-based investor and developer. The fund, called ADCB Macquarie Infrastructure Fund (AMIF), is accepting other regional investors.

It has raised $630 million to date.

The fund said its current investor base comprises institutions in Qatar, Kuwait and South Korea, in addition to sponsor commitments from ADCB and Macquarie.


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## hkskyline

*INTERVIEW-Rwanda to double power output by 2012 - World Bank *

KIGALI, Dec 19 (Reuters) - Rwanda plans to more than double electricity output to 130 MW in the next four years from 55 MW now, a World Bank official said on Friday.

Rapid economic growth and lack of investment in the energy sector has plunged the east African country into an energy crisis, Erik Fernstrom, a World Bank energy expert, said.

"The plan for the government is that by 2012, these 55 MW will go up to 130 MW ... we might even go further than that," he told Reuters in an interview.

Ratings agency Fitch said in a report this year that despite strong growth and disciplined public finances, the central African nation's economy was constrained by poor infrastructure, such as in the energy and transport sectors.

It highlighted the need to develop the energy sector to help growth, private investment prospects and credit ratings.

Fernstrom said Rwanda will launch a 20 MW fuel-powered plant next month. "The inauguration of this 20 MW plant marks a milestone in Rwanda exiting this crisis."

The $24 million Jabana power plant will run on heavy oil that is roughly 25 percent cheaper than running diesel generators, he said.

Rwandans pay 24 cents per kwh, one of Africa's most expensive power tariffs, according to the country's energy minister. The government hopes to reduce that by more than 50 percent to attract foreign investment and increase access.

"When you have scheduled load shedding, this is very detrimental to the economy and Rwanda's attractiveness for foreign investment," Fernstrom said.

Under its economic development and poverty reduction strategy, the government is looking to more than triple energy access to 350,000 from 100,000 over the next three years.

Rwanda also hopes to increase power production from methane gas on Lake Kivu. A pilot scheme on Lake Kivu near the Democratic Republic of Congo border produces 1.8 MW.

Rwanda is credited with rapid growth since the 1994 genocide that claimed the lives of 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus and aims to become an IT hub for the region.


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## hkskyline

*Kenya and Uganda plan new railway to Mombasa port *

NAIROBI, Jan 6 (Reuters) - Kenya and Uganda plan to build a new railway from the Indian Ocean port of Mombasa to cope with increased trade between the east African countries and their landlocked neighbours, officials said on Tuesday.

The two countries are now served by a metre-gauge track built at the turn of the 20th century and officials say it carries less than 6 percent of freight destined for Kenya's interior and countries in the region.

"The need for a standard gauge railway is of paramount importance not only for these two economies, but the economies of other landlocked countries in east Africa," said Kenyan Transport Minister Chirau Ali Mwakwere.

The importance of Kenya's links to other east African countries was highlighted early last year when post-election violence in the region's biggest economy choked trade.

Mwakwere told a meeting of Ugandan and Kenyan government officials that Mombasa handled more than 16 million tonnes of cargo annually and this was expected to rise to 30 million tonnes per year by 2030.

"The existing metre gauge railway is overwhelmed in terms of capacity and speed," he said, adding it would cost $500 million over five years to restore the line to its full capacity of 5 million tonnes a year. "Even then its capacity would still be grossly inadequate," Mwakwere said.

The railway handled less than the 6 percent of cargo passing through the Northern Corridor -- linking Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, parts of Tanzania, south Sudan and Ethiopia -- as at the end of 2007.

The main highway from Mombasa to Kenya's capital Nairobi and on to Kampala is clogged with heavily-laden lorries.

LONG OVERDUE

Mwakwere put the cost of constructing the new railway at about $3.5 billion and said the two governments were still working on how to structure the financing options.

He said Kenya and Uganda would conduct a $10 million feasibility study, with Kenya providing $8 million of this.

Uganda, however, wants to move straight to the design stage, saying it costs 10 U.S. cents per kilometre tonne to transport goods by rail to Uganda, compared with 1 U.S. cent for the equivalent in China and 2 cents in the United States.

"This line is long overdue. We are convinced it's feasible," said John Nasasira, Uganda's minister for works and transport.

The line would extend to Rwanda, Ethiopia, southern Sudan and Burundi. Mwakwere said it should be ready by 2017.

Years of mismanagement in Kenya and civil strife in Uganda have meant their governments have struggled to buy spare parts and maintain tracks and trains on the existing railway.

Rift Valley Railways, a consortium led by South Africa's Sheltam Trade Close, won a concession to run the Kenya and Uganda Railways jointly for 25 years from November 2006. Mwakwere said the new railway line would not affect this.


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## hkskyline

*INTERVIEW-Luanda port expects revamp to fight delays *

LUANDA, Jan 12 (Reuters) - The port of Luanda, one of the world's most congested, is undergoing a $105 million facelift that authorities say will help fight delays that have pushed prices of goods sharply higher.

Silvio Vinhas, head of the state-run Port of Luanda, said the aim was to increase the number of working hours for cargo operators and improve roads around the port for trucks to transport containers in and out of the area faster.

Fines for companies that don't remove containers from this small port on time will also be increased as plans to build a port twice as big in the bay of Dande, to the north of the capital, remain underway.

"The modernisation plan is being carried out and should produce positive results," Vinhas told Reuters. "But we don't expect to end all the delays as traffic remains intense."

More than 35 cargo ships can be seen anchored outside the bay of Luanda on any given day. Some wait for weeks before docking at a port and another 10 days to unload their containers.

The port, on the northern tip of the bay of Luanda, is the main entry point for most goods to the oil and mineral rich nation, which is rebuilding after a 27-year civil war that destroyed most of its industries and infrastructure.

Analysts say the delays at the port are one of the main causes of high prices in a country where a litre of milk can cost up to $3. The capital is considered to be the world's most expensive city for foreigners.

But Vinhas said the bottlenecks also showed Angola's economy, which has been growing in double digits since the end of the civil war in 2002, remained strong. Angola rivals Nigeria as sub-Saharan Africa's biggest oil producer.

"It shows demand is strong and the economy is robust," he said, adding that traffic numbers should continue to rise.

The port is expected to process 6.6 million tonnes of cargo in 2009, a 10 percent increase from last year, according to port officials.

The congestion has also been caused by an estimated 20,000 containers that have not been removed by importing companies on time, the state-owned Jornal de Angola recently reported.

Vinhas said he planned to increase the $3 per day fine for companies who fail to remove these containers on time but he did no provide details.

"All this we hope will help fight delays at the port," he said.


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## hkskyline

*Angola splashes 400 million dollars to revamp airports *
16 January 2009
Agence France Presse

Oil-rich Angola Friday announced it will spend 400 million dollars (302 million euros) to revamp its main airport in Luanda and other existing ones before hosting the 2010 African Nations Cup.

Luanda's 40-year-old Fourth of February airport is undergoing a 74 million dollar upgrade which will give it capacity for 3.6 million passengers a year, the Angolan Airports Company (ENANA) said at a news conference.

The rest of the money will be used to revamp and rebuild all of Angola's other airports ahead of the January 2010 football competition, it said.

The Luanda airport, located 40 kilometres (25 miles) outside the capital, will be modernised by introducing 28 check-in desks, instead of currrent 12, while its boarding gates will also be enlarged, ENANA said.

More baggage claim belts will be added, parking lots expanded to accommodate 650 cars, and the runway redesigned to reduce congestion, it added.

Work on the airport has already begun and is scheduled for completion by the end of this year.

"From December, the image of this airport is going to be completely different. The airport is old and has many technical problems and this is an opportunity to completely remodel it," Joaquim Jose Neves da Cunha, director general of Luanda's airport told AFP.

Currently passengers are forced to queue for up to four hours to check in and the single boarding gate is cramped and stuffy.

Immigration lines are no better as passengers take hours to pass or claim their luggage.

"At the moment there isn't enough space for more than two or three flights to check-in at once but we're going to increase the space at check-in areas and reduce the waiting time for passengers," Cunha said.

"We will make arrival easier as well with more immigration desks. We know at the moment our service is not good enough and we are going to change that."

Angola, a former Portuguese colony, endured almost three decades of war which destroyed most of its infrastructure.

The conflict ended in 2002 and the country is now in a reconstruction frenzy.

Buoyed by oil income and loans from China, the country is a mass of building sites and new housing projects.

Angola, which vies with Nigeria to be the continent's largest oil producer, has seen a massive influx of international workers into the country and airlines are fighting for landing spots.


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## hkskyline

*Nigeria, Dubai sign $16 bln oil infrastructure deal *

ABUJA, Jan 16 (Reuters) - Nigeria and Dubai have signed a preliminary agreement worth $16 billion to develop oil and gas infrastructure in Africa's top crude producer, officials said on Friday.

The deal will see Dubai World Corporation (DWC) wholly-owned by Dubai Emirate, investing in projects in the restive Niger Delta, Africa's oil and gas heartland, which accounts for nearly all of Nigeria's around 2.0 million barrels of crude per day.

Lack of development there is one of the grievances of militants who launched a violent campaign of sabotage against the oil industry in early 2006, shutting a fifth of Nigeria's crude output.

Nigeria's Justice Minister Michael Aondoakaa and Dubai's Sultan Ahmad Bin Sulayem signed the agreement on behalf of their governments on Thursday in the Nigerian capital Abuja.

"Nigeria is a land of opportunities ... This agreement covers infrastructure projects with the main emphasis in oil and gas," Sulayem said at a signing ceremony according to a Nigerian government state.

The agreement also covers investment in the real sector, agriculture and power, the statement said.

"This (agreement) will further complement government's budgetary efforts in bringing development to the ... Niger Delta," Aondoakaa said.

DWC, which was set up by the government of Dubai in 2006, manages and supervises a diversified conglomerate of businesses, investments and projects spanning over 100 different cities around the world, with over 50,000 employees.

President Umaru Yar'Adua, who took office nearly two years ago, has been keen to bring stability to the Niger Delta. He created a new ministry for the region in September to fast-track the development of the long neglected area.

One of China's top engineering firms, China Harbour Engineering Co., had earlier in July signed a $1 billion deal to build a road around Port Harcourt, capital of Nigeria's top oil state of Rivers.


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## hkskyline

*INTERVIEW-Rwanda's Electrogaz to invest $80 mln in 2009 *

KIGALI, Jan 14 (Reuters) - Rwanda's national energy company Electrogaz says it will invest $80 million in power generation and distribution this year, in an attempt to lower tariffs and draw investment.

Company director John Mirenge said rapid population growth in recent years, coupled with long-term underinvestment, had left the grid low on reserve power and stymied development.

The Rwandan government, he said, had been forced to rent expensive diesel generators, increasing the cost of electricity and making the country uncompetitive in the region.

"The tariff at the moment is about $0.22 per KW/H," he told Reuters late on Tuesday.

"(The price) is extremely high, especially for those that use it for production. (Our) goods can never be competitive with goods created in Burundi, Tanzania or even Kenya."

Electrogaz is looking to rehabilitate and extend Rwanda's dilapidated transmission and distribution network which leaks 20-22 percent of power across the grid, he said.

To ease pressure at the onset of the global financial crisis last year, the government-owned utility reduced energy prices for industry by 5 percent, he said.

The Rwandan economy is being rebuilt following the 1994 genocide in which 800,000 Tustis and moderate Hutus were slaughtered.

President Paul Kagame has won praise for running a disciplined government that has fostered robust growth in recent years, but critics call him authoritarian.

INCREASED ACCESS

From 70 MW currently generated, only 110,000 Rwandans access grid electricity. In line with Rwanda's official Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Strategy (EDPRS), Mirenge saw this figure rising to 350,000 by 2012.

According to Mirenge, the landlocked central African country needs to cut its dependence on imported oil products.

"Given where we sit geographically, we are condemned to looking for cleaner energy within our own resources."

The completion of a 27.5 MW hydropower plant in 2011, he said, will reduce the cost of energy production and mean cheaper tariffs for Electrogaz customers.

Mirenge said the government was also building 30 "micro-hydro" generation plants and exploring other renewable resources such as methane gas, wind, solar and geothermal.

A pilot methane gas power-station on Lake Kivu, bordering Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), produces 1.5-2 MW, with the potential for 350 MW to be tapped sustainably, he said.

Mirenge said the hilly, coffee-growing country boasts a 250 KW solar power field, the largest in Africa.

Later in the year, the utility will split into the Rwanda Electricity Corporation and Rwanda Water and Sewerage Corporation to allow for better efficiency and focus, he said.


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## hkskyline

*Football: South Africa moves to avoid World Cup blackouts *
22 January 2009
Agence France Presse

South Africa, still scarred by the memory of paralysing blackouts one year ago, wants at any cost to avoid a repeat of the national power cuts when it hosts the football World Cup next year.

With 500 days until the global tournament, generators are being installed in every stadium, the power grid is going under careful surveillance, and engineers will be placed on call 24 hours a day to ensure the games go smoothly.

"We would have been prepared, but with the crisis we are probably going to be overprepared," said Fani Zulu, spokesman for the public power company Eskom.

"There is a lot of anxiety to say that South Africa has to deliver this. and Eskom is part of that South African team, so Eskom has to work as hard as everyone else in the team to deliver this."

Until last year, South Africa had coasted on ageing infrastructure that had provided cheap and abundant power, without upgrading the system to provide for the growing demand and dwindling backup supplies.

Today the gap between supply and demand is about four percent, but the safety margin should be 15 percent, according to a FIFA document on the World Cup's energy needs.

As for every World Cup, FIFA requires each stadium to run off its own generator rather than relying on the local power supply. That ensures that the matches are held as scheduled, and that live television coverage runs as planned.

But the event isn't confined to the stadiums, organisers note.

"We want to make sure, even if there is a power supply interruption in a township that has nothing to do with the World Cup, we get the inconvenience to a minimum, because in that township you will have thousands of people looking at the game on television," Zulu said.

To do that, Eskom has created a special unit that created an action plan in with the government, host cities and businesses.

That doesn't mean that Eskom will necessarily have to increase production. During the World Cup in Germany, demand grew by only 170 megawatts for each match, the company notes.

Eskom plans to ensure the supply by reducing exports during the tournament, and to handle maintenance work ahead of time. The Southern Africa Power Pool has also agreed to allow the country to import more electricity if needed.

But the real test will be for Eskom to respond quickly to problems with stations and the power grid in the event of a breakdown.

Eskom plans to set up special command centre that Zulu likened to the cockpit of an airplane, where experts can monitor in real time the electrical networks in each host city. Teams will staff the centres 24 hours a day.

Zulu declined to say how much the company was spending on the project, saying the money would come from existing budgets to upgrade the national network.

Their efforts appear to be winning over critics, including Michael Tatalias, head of the Southern Africa Tourism Services Association, who last year had raised alarms that the contingency planning only covered the stadiums.

"The stadiums may have all the most wonderful gnerators in the world to broadcast the games, but will people come to South Africa to see them if they know they will be going back to hotels and guesthouses with no power?" he said during a public forum last year.

Now he sounds like a convert.

"After all the fuss, last year... I must say they had very good plans," he told AFP.

"I am a lot more confident," he said. "I am impressed. Now it is time to see whether they will be able to implement their plans."


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## hkskyline

*Africa must focus on infrastructure despite crisis *

ADDIS ABABA, Jan 28 (Reuters) - Africa risks a "lost decade" of under-development if it neglects projects to boost energy and transport infrastructure because of the global financial crisis, the World Bank said on Wednesday.

The theme of next week's African Union (AU) summit in Ethiopia is infrastructure, and technocrats have been meeting for days ahead of the arrival of the continent's heads of state.

Inger Andersen, a senior World Bank infrastructure official, said initial hopes that Africa might be spared the worst of the global credit crunch were premature. Governments would be hit by falling demand for commodities, reduced revenues from remittances, tourism and domestic taxes.

But African nations must not make the same mistake as Asian states that neglected to fund infrastructure projects during the 1990s -- a period she said they now mourned as a "lost decade".

"There will be a budget squeeze ... it is going to be real and we don't know the duration of it," she told reporters at AU headquarters, adding that African leaders should follow the lead of President Barack Obama's new U.S. administration.

"They are proposing infrastructure projects precisely so that jobs and investment will come along too," Andersen said.

The Feb. 1-3 summit aims to gather commitments from leaders to concrete transport and energy plans, AU officials said, as well as improving cross-border cooperation and identifying big "flagship" infrastructure projects for promotion.

It was not clear how these schemes would be funded, although China has been active in infrastructure projects in Africa in recent years as it seeks to expand its influence in the resource-rich continent.

The world's poorest continent uses nearly a third less energy per capita than the global average. If current trends continue, officials say, more than 60 percent of Sub-Saharan Africans will still not have access to electricity by 2020.

The African Development Bank estimates it will cost $27 billion a year to provide universal access to reliable and increasingly clean electricity in all its 53 countries by 2030.

Experts say that while the global economic slowdown will have a major impact on infrastructure financing, Africa has huge untapped potential in renewable or "green" energy sources like hydropower, geothermal, biofuels, wind and solar generation.

Only 5 percent of the continent's hydropower potential has so far been harnessed, according to the latest U.N. figures, and less than 0.6 percent of its geothermal.

"This credit crisis should be a wake-up call to us all," said Bamanga Tukur, a Nigerian academic who heads the Nepad Business Group and African Business Roundtable.

"Infrastructure really is the backbone of Africa's development ... but there needs to be political will to do it."


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## hkskyline

*Angola gets $1 billion facelift for soccer tourney *

LUANDA, Feb 2 (Reuters) - Oil-rich Angola hopes to erase the world's memory of it as a place torn by almost three decades of civil war with a $1 billion makeover to host the 2010 African Nations Cup soccer tournament.

Among the top investments will be four new stadiums in Benguela, Lubango, Cabinda and Luanda, where the final will take place, for $600 million, officials said on Monday. The stadiums will be built by China's Shanghai Urban Construction Group.

Angola also is investing $400 million to revamp old airports and new hotels are being built to accommodate some of the thousands of fans expected during the January 10-31 competition.

"All the construction work is on schedule and we expect to be ready before the end of the year," African Nations Cup (CAN) marketing director Manuel Mariano told Reuters on Monday.

Angola, which rivals Nigeria as sub-Saharan Africa's biggest oil producer, is recovering from a 27-year civil war that destroyed most of its infrastructure. The war ended in 2002.

"This event is an image booster for Angola. It will help the image of a country that was mired in war and hopefully attract more tourists," said Luis Fernando, director of leading weekly newspaper O Pais.

"In fact, Angola's bid to host the CAN had all this in mind," he added.

Such projects are costly, but Angola has oil riches to spare. The OPEC-member country with a population of 16.5 million produced 1.83 million barrels a day in December, just a shade less than Nigeria, which is also Africa's most populous country.

Since 2002, the southwestern African nation has risen to become one of the world's fastest-growing economies, buoyed by record oil prices and billions of dollars in foreign investment to rebuild roads, bridges and ailing communications.

Officials hope the eagerly anticipated tournament will kick-start the tourism industry in a country blessed by a warm climate and long sandy beaches.

"The government has said it wants to bolster tourism in Angola and we expect CAN (the tournament) to be a major step in that direction," Mariano said.

He said another top priority was providing accommodation for visitors during the three-week long competition. The few existing hotels in cities like Luanda are often booked for months in advance.

Tourists lucky enough to find a decent room in Luanda are hit with hotel bills of more than $400 for a one-night stay in what has become one of the world's most expensive city for foreigners, according to London-based human resources firm ECA.

"That's why plans are under way to build a lot more than 30 hotels. We also expect many Angolans to rent out rooms during the competition so there is no shortage of rooms," Mariano said.


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## hkskyline

*Sao Tome agrees public works deal with Angola oil giant *
2 February 2009
Agence France Presse

The government of Sao Tome has signed an agreement with Angolan oil company Sonangol which will invest 30 million dollars to build a port in the north of the island, an official said Monday.

The deal, which was inked last weekend, guarantees that Sonangol will be exempted from taxes, said Arzemiro dos Prazeresa, director of the offshore zone authority for the two-island nation of Sao Tome and Principe off the west coast of Africa.

The plan includes the building of a depot to sell fuel to fishing and commercial vessels operating in the Gulf of Guinea, he said.

The government hopes the port will be fully operational in 2010 and will handle half of the daily maritime traffic in the Gulf of Guinea, which would amount to some 100 ships each day.

Angola's national oil giant also agreed to start preliminary feasibility studies into the extension and revamp of the airport and port of Sao Tome, said Antonio Aguiar, the chief of staff to Benjamin Vera Cruz, minister of public works and infrastructure.

"This agreement has been signed to allow for technical and financial studies" for the extension project, Aguiar said. "Sonangol is going to help the Sao Tome government financially to bring about those studies."

The resurgence of Angola, which was devastated by a 27-year civil war, has been almost entirely dependent on its oil output which accounts for about 85 percent of revenue.

It has now overtaken Nigeria as sub-Saharan Africa's largest oil producer, pumping around two million barrels per day, and is now the biggest supplier to China.


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## hkskyline

*Equatorial Guinea gets deep-water port *
11 February 2009
Agence France Presse

The port in Equatorial Guinea's capital Malabo now has deep-water dock capable of simultaneously handling several large cargo ships at once, state radio reported Wednesday.

The facility has been opened after 16 months of work by a Moroccan firm, the Maghreb civil engineering company Somagec, which cost 54.1 billion CFA francs (82.5 million euros, 107 million dollars), the report said.

Equatorial Guinea is a small, mostly forested former Spanish colony in Africa's Gulf of Guinea that has since the mid-1990s been swept up in an oil boom.

The tiny port was last upgraded in 1956. The new facilities include a passenger terminal, a multiple quay 465 metres (yards) long and a protective sea-wall.

The work began in August 2007 and was finished on February 7, the radio report said.

Because of the limited facilities in the capital, several companies built another port to the northwest while a free trade zone for oil firms was rehabilitated three years ago at Luba, a coastal town on the south of Bioko island, where Malabo lies.

Equatorial Guinea consists mainly of Bioko and a larger tract of territory on the African mainland, which is mostly dense rainforest.


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## hkskyline

*Nigeria may work on Cameroon dam for power share *

YAOUNDE, Feb 12 (Reuters) - Nigeria may help upgrade a hydroelectric dam in Cameroon in exchange for supplying power to a remote corner of its territory, government officials from both countries said this week.

Under a deal being discussed, Nigeria would help boost the capacity of the Lagdo dam in northern Cameroon and initially buying 30 megawatts (MW) of electricity for industry and households in Nigeria's adjacent Adamawa State.

The Gulf of Guinea neighbours are stepping up cooperation through various projects along their 1,700 km (1,062 mile) shared border following last year's resolution of a protracted dispute over the oil-rich Bakassi peninsula.

"Nigeria and Cameroon are very good friends now and we want to strengthen that relationship," said Ali Mohammed Dandiyya, who led a 15-strong Nigerian delegation to Cameroon this week.

"Nigeria is ready for any negotiation that will lead to a financial agreement between the two parties to rehabilitate the Lagdo Dam in northern Cameroon, reinforce its capacity and exporting energy to Nigeria," he said on Tuesday.

Nigeria, long Africa's biggest oil producer, is expected to export 1.7 million barrels of crude per day in March. But its infrastructure remains in tatters and many in the country of 140 million people have no electricity.

"We will appreciate it if Cameroon can offer us up to 30 MW, just for a start," Dandiyya said.

People living in northeastern Nigeria and northern Cameroon have long traded with each other and share cultural bonds.

"Cameroon is very ready to embrace this project given our enormous hydro potential, much of which is yet to be tapped," said Jean Bernard Sindeu, Cameroon's minister for energy and water.

"We can establish either a public-public or public-private partnership. Whichever way it goes is good for us," he added.

No further details of the deal were available but a close aide to the minister told Reuters that some legal, technical and financial details still needed to be worked out.

The Lagdo dam was built by China International Water and Electric Corp in the late 1970s to supply electricity to northern Cameroon and allow irrigation of some 15,000 hectares of croplands. It has a capacity of 84 MW, but just one of its four turbines is working.

A member of the Nigerian delegation said it would be cheaper to import Cameroon's power than build a power line from the nearest Nigerian dam, which is three times as far away.

"(This) will boost production in north-eastern Nigeria, create more jobs and eventually bring down the prices of some basic goods and services which is good for our national economy," he told Reuters, asking not to be named.


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## hkskyline

*Congo woos miners with infrastructure spending *

CAPE TOWN, Feb 10 (Reuters) - The Democratic Republic of Congo, suffering a drop in mining output and revenue, will spend most of this year building its mining support infrastructure in preparation for a recovery of metal prices, an official said.

A global economic slowdown, and in particular falling demand from Asia for metals, has seen planned investments in Congo's mining sector scaled back in recent months. 

The huge central African country has seen demand for its minerals, oil, timber and diamond exports slump since mid-2008.

"We are doing everything possible to keep production going," said Congo's Deputy Minister of Mines, Victor Shomary on the sidelines of Africa's biggest mining conference in Cape Town.

"This crisis gives us an opportunity to fix up our infrastructure so that we can take advantage when the market is better."

He said without giving figures that the country's revenue from mines had also taken a hit.

Shomary earlier said to a packed investor gathering Congo had, in an effort to encourage the companies that are still working to continue exporting, cut duties on exported minerals to 1 percent of their value from the previous rate of 5 percent.

Plummeting prices have hit Congo's copper and cobalt belt hard as financing has dried up, forcing companies to delay development or suspend operations in what had been one of the world's most promising new exploration areas.

"Base metals and diamonds are completely affected, nobody knows what will happen to prices this year," Shomary said.

"We are here to bring back confidence in Congo mining, we know we are low-cost, high-grade mining country and most of our mining assets have a very long life," he said.

Funds to repair roads and rail would be sourced from China, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, and about $400 million was available so far, he said.

Firms such as Katanga Mining , Anvil Mining and Central African Mining and Exploration Company have suspended some Congo activities as costs rise and prices fall.


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## hkskyline

*ANALYSIS-African broadband poised for breakthrough growth *

JOHANNESBURG, Feb 9 (Reuters) - New telecoms infrastructure is set to boost capacity and cut tariffs in Africa this year, unlocking the continent's high-speed Internet potential and creating growth opportunities for operators and equipment firms.

Despite being the fastest-growing telecoms market in the world, Africa's broadband growth has been hamstrung by costly international bandwidth and patchy national infrastructure, impeding development and deterring investors.

But that may be about to change.

U.S.-based advisory firm AfricaNext Investment Research expects Africa's broadband market to grow more than fourfold in five years to 12.7 million users from 2.7 million in 2007.

AfricaNext says growth will be facilitated by new submarine cables and national networks due to launch this year and next, and the emergence of wireless technology such as EVDO and WiMax.

The group said 2009 could represent the most significant opportunity for investment returns in the African telecoms sector since the mobile voice boom, which saw subscribers rocket to 270 million in 2007 from 2 million nine years earlier.

And as the rest of the world reels from the global economic slowdown, Africa offers growth for equipment providers such as Sweden's Ericsson and China's Huawei Technologies.

"I don't think equipment vendors like Ericsson and Huawei are going to shy away from opportunities in Africa," said Lindsey McDonald, ICT industry analyst at consultancy Frost & Sullivan McDonald.

NEW CABLES

While West Africa already has high-speed Internet connectivity through the SAT-3 cable that loops around the west of the continent, East Africa still relies on dial-up or expensive satellite connections.

But projects worth around $6 billion, including 10 undersea cables and several national networks, are planned or under construction in Africa, according to South African research firm BMI TechKnowledge.

Mauritius-registered private equity venture SEACOM is planning to commercially launch a fibre-optic undersea cable in June costing more than $650 million, linking east and southern Africa to Europe and Asia.

The EASSy submarine network, owned by African operators including Telkom Kenya and Telkom South Africa, will also loop around east Africa, bringing fast and cheap bandwidth to at least 23 landlocked African countries.

It should be completed by 2010 and will cost $265 million. Alcatel-Lucent is working on the project.

Richard Hurst, telecoms analyst at global telecoms advisory firm IDC, said international bandwidth rates were expected to drop to a fifth or less of current rates of $3,000 per megabit after these two cables are in operation.

"(Undersea cables) are a major positive step in a right direction," he said.

Investors and telecoms companies with an eye on expansion are preparing to take advantage of the new capacity.

Unlisted South African investment firm Convergence Partners is finalising deals in Tanzania and Mozambique.

CEO Brandon Doyle told Reuters the company was looking at taking minority stakes in Internet service providers (ISP) and would provide funding for network expansion and the launch of wireless broadband infrastructure for corporate clients.

"We are in a process of closing transactions, where we will be investing in established ISP businesses," he said.

KENYAN OPPORTUNITY

Kenyan mobile firm Safaricom, in which Britain's Vodafone owns 40 percent, said in September 2008 it was buying a 51 percent stake in Kenyan IT firm Onecom to boost its product range and move into the data business.

Frost & Sullivan's McDonald said more such deals may follow in Kenya. She said Safaricom may also decide to lay its own fibre-optic cable as an alternative to state-owned Telkom Kenya to reduce its transmission costs within two to three years.

The full benefit of undersea cables will only be felt if national infrastructures in Africa are also improved, and progress is already being made in many countries.

In South Africa, MTN and second fixed-line operator Neotel are rolling out a 5,000 km national network, which will allow them to circumvent former monopoly Telkom's infrastructure.

Vodacom, which is being taken over by Vodafone, may also join the project.

Vodacom has started its own corporate data business, while MTN has bought Verizon South Africa, and both hope to link up to the new cables, enabling them to cut tariffs.

Uganda, Angola and Zambia have also either recently expanded or plan to beef up their national networks.

"There is a confluence of indicators that suggest that for the first time in more than a decade, broadband growth in the African continent may be on the verge of truly taking off," said AfricaNext.


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## hkskyline

*Cheaper to ship from Africa to China, forum told *
26 February 2009
Agence France Presse

It costs six times more money to move freight from Cameroon to Chad, and twice as much time, than to ship it all the way to China, a forum on central African transport issues heard Thursday.

Poor infrastructure is to blame for the high cost of moving goods within the sub-region, Anicet-Georges Dologuele, president of the Central African States Development Bank, told the two-day forum in Congo-Brazzaville.

"Transporting a container of goods between Douala and N'Djamena is six times more expensive than between Shanghai and Douala," he said.

To cover the 1,900 kilometres (1,180 miles) between Cameroon's main port city of Douala and Chad's capital N'Djamena would meanwhile take 60 days, "compared to just 30 days by sea" to China, added the banker, a former prime minister of the Central African Republic.

He went on: "Compared to the rest of Africa, transporting a container costs 3.1 times more along the Douala-N'Djamena corridor (4.21 dollars per kilometre) than on the Maputo-Johannesburg one (1.38 dollars per kilometre)."

The six-nation Economic Community of Central African States is the least endowed of any sub-region in the world in terms of road transport, with just 8,182 kilometres of paved roads in 2003 and not much more since then, he said.


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## hkskyline

*SAfrica faces electricity distribution crisis-minister *

JOHANNESBURG, March 3 (Reuters) - South Africa is facing an electricity distribution crisis, with infrastructure investment backlogs estimated at 27 billion rand ($2.6 billion), news agency SAPA quoted a government minister as saying.

Minerals and Energy Minister Buyelwa Sonjica said delays in establishing regional electricity distributors (Reds) was costing the country around 2 billion rand per year, SAPA reported.

"I therefore urge all stakeholders to unite in purpose and action to ensure that this process is given the necessary impetus it needs," she said.

South Africa's utility Eskom [ESCJ.UL] has been rationing electricity since early last year when the national grid nearly collapsed, owing to a rise in demand and a lack of investment in new power generation capacity.

The power crisis forced mines and smelters to shut down for five days and cost Africa's biggest economy billions of dollars.

Government agency Electricity Distribution Industry Holdings (EDI) was established to consolidate the 188 municipal distributors into six regional entities, with help by the municipalities and state-owned utility Eskom [ESCJ.UL].


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## oshon

Singapore eyes Rwanda as investment destination 


L-R: Alphonsus Chia, CEO RDB Joe Ritchie. 
BY EUGENE KWIBUKA 
Rwanda presents ‘tremendous’ investment opportunities that Singaporeans can exploit given the country’s need for their innovations, visiting chief of Singapore Cooperation Enterprise (SCE) said Thursday.

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of SCE, an arm of the Singaporean government for cooperation and exchange of experience, Alphonsus Chia, made the statement after meeting President Paul Kagame in Urugwiro Village. 

He said that Rwanda’s need for infrastructural and skills development present an opportunity for cooperation with Singapore.

“The opportunities are tremendous, you have a lot of potential in tourism, and hoteliers should consider investing in Rwanda…I understand that there are many natural places that could be great for eco-tourism, a lot of things,” he told journalists after holding talks with President Kagame.

He observed that possible areas of cooperation and investments in Rwanda for Singaporeans range from infrastructural design and development in urban housing, Information Communication Technology (ICT), and vocational training.

“We see a lot of opportunity here compared to other places in the region,” Chia said.

The CEO of Rwanda Development Board, Joe Ritchie, described Chia’s visit to Rwanda, the first in Africa, as a sign that Singaporeans have taken Rwanda ‘very seriously’. He admits that Singaporeans have a lot to bring to Rwanda especially in the hospitality industry and professional training.

“They [Singaporeans] have been extremely successful,” he said shortly after witnessing Chia’s talks with Kagame.

During his visit in Singapore in May last year, the Rwandan President invited business leaders in the country to explore opportunities that Rwanda and Africa offer as they register remarkable development and economic growth. 

Rwanda plans to have put in place a knowledge-based economy by the year 2020 and raised the per capita income of its citizen to that of a middle-income country. 

But a recent audit of national skills conducted by government’s Human Resources and Institutional Capacity Development Agency (HIDA) revealed a 40 per cent gap in the expertise required to achieve its development goals.

Ends


----------



## oshon

Kagame makes urgent call for improved infrastructure 

BY GASHEGU MURAMIRA 
ARUSHA - President Paul Kagame has called for quick means in addressing the current under-development of regional infrastructure, if the East African region is to increase its competitiveness. 

He made the call while making his State of the East African Community (EAC) address, yesterday at the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA), in Arusha, Tanzania.

The President who also briefed EALA members on the current status of the regional integration, its achievements, challenges and the way forward; was addressing the regional lawmakers in his capacity as the current Chairperson of the EAC Heads of State Summit.

During the address, he observed that increasing regional competitiveness, is still hindered by the state of the region’s infrastructure, which he said would have been fundamental in boosting trade and investment in East Africa. 

“Lets us face it – these highly strategic infrastructure assets that could drastically cut the costs of doing business in our region and in neighboring countries call for most urgent action,” he said. He particularly singled out railway development which he said still remains worrisome.

The President told the lawmakers that modernization and expansion of rail services in East Africa is not proceeding according to the region’s collective vision, which he described as a dynamic market, served by a network that links the coastal cities of Mombasa and Dar es Salaam “with their hinterland counterparts”. 

Kagame also announced that the East African Railways Master Plan, has been finalized and that the final draft report is currently under review in partner states. 

He however said that the challenge would be in implementing the plans for renovating the railway network, as well as extending it to partner states that are not yet connected to it. 

The railway project that is currently underway will link three countries; Burundi, Rwanda and Tanzania. On energy, the President said that the oil pipeline extension from Eldoret to Kampala was still ongoing and would be completed by the fourth quarter of 2009. 

“The terms of reference for the feasibility study on the extension of the pipeline from Kampala to Kigali and Bujumbura have been finalized,” he said. 

Similarly, the President pointed out that the terms of reference for the feasibility study of the Dar Es Salaam-Tanga-Mombasa natural gas pipeline had been completed and approved by the EAC Sectoral Council on Energy.

Kagame highlighted that the customs union launched in 2005, had stimulated trade and investment contrary to beliefs that it would retard economic opportunities for some countries.

He illustrated this by saying that in 2007, the total intra-EAC trade increased by 22 percent compared to the previous year, while the total East African trade with the rest of the world, also increased by 27, percent in 2007, up from 23 in 2006.

“This should further encourage us all to commit to an even quicker pace of integration towards the Common market protocol,” he told the legislators amidst constant applause. 

He highlighted the non-tariff barriers and red tape that still increase the costs of doing business in East Africa, and called for continued progress in addressing the matter. 

The EALA Speaker Abdirahin Abdi commended the President for having, under his leadership, organized the EAC Strategy Retreat which aimed at improving collaboration among EAC organs as well as addressing the needs of East Africans. The retreat was held earlier this month in Kigali.


----------



## oshon

Rwanda: Government in $100m ICT investment drive


Quote:
Saturday, 7th March 2009

KIGALI - Government is expected to invest above $100 million in the Information Communication Technology (ICT) industry by end of this year according to the Minister of Science and Technology Prof. Romain Murenzi.

The big investment priorities include the laying of a fibre optic loop across the country which will take $66m and the purchase of 100,000 laptops estimated to cost $20 million.

About $13m that will be pooled from the $24m communication grant from World Bank will be allocated to connect local fibre to international bandwidth. The commitment from the government is driven by its vision to have a knowledge based economy by 2020.

This was mentioned during the recently ended International Conference on the Development of Equitable Information Society and the role of African Parliaments that took place from 4th to 5th March 2009.

According to Prof. Murenzi the funds are drawn from licence costs of telecommunication companies and allocations from the national budget.

The first phase of laying the cable was in Kigali and the second phase will cover all 30 districts in the country, which are expected to be completed by the end of this year.

It’s envisaged that when national backbone is connected across the country the prices for Internet provision and acquisition will fall, thus helping Rwanda in its transformation into knowledge based economy.

Patrick Nyirishema Deputy Executive Director of Rwanda Information Technology Authority (RITA) highlighted the National Information Communication agenda and noted that currently in Rwanda, access to ICT facilities is not a privilege rather a right to every Rwandan.

RITA has since recently joined the Rwanda Development Board.

New Times


----------



## oshon

*East Africa: Railway Project to Cost U.S.$ 3.5 Billion*

Kigali — The development of the railway line project that will link Rwanda, Burundi and Tanzania as part of the Central Development corridor will cost an estimated $3.5 bn.

This was revealed at the meeting on the multi national project which concluded Tuesday in Tunisia bringing together 65 representatives from the three countries.

Rwanda was represented at the roundtable meeting that also attracted potential investors for the project, by Infrastructure Minister Linda Bihire and officials from the transport sector.

The roundtable which was convened by the African Development Bank (AfDB), aimed at sharing findings of the feasibility study of the project with various stakeholders interested in its development and implementation with a view to harnessing their opinion and advice on the way forward.

The line which will eventually reduce the cost of imported merchandise is set to start from Isaka in Tanzania via Rusumo Boarder.

It is also to proceed to Bugesera District from where it will turn to Kigali at Nyandungu which is to be the main stage for loading and assembling wagons.

Later this year Burundi and Rwanda are expected to start works on a 691 km (430 mile) railway line connecting both countries to Tanzania.

The proposal of the route is based on the financial and other studies carried out by DB International, a German railway consulting company.

Economic analysts say that the railway will lower the cost of transporting merchandise from 40 percent (of total costs) to five percent.

It will accommodate both electric and locomotive trains as the Dar-es-salaam to Isaka will be upgraded to meet all requirements.


----------



## hkskyline

*Eq. Guinea seeks final Nigeria, Cameroon gas deal *

MALABO, March 24 (Reuters) - Equatorial Guinea will send negotiators to Cameroon and Nigeria next month to finalise a deal to secure new gas supplies and stimulate efforts to create a regional gas hub, the deputy energy minister said on Tuesday.

Tiny Equatorial Guinea, sub-Saharan Africa's third biggest oil producer, wants to harness more of its gas potential, much of which is lost in flaring.

It started shipping liquefied natural gas (LNG) in 2007 from its first processing train at the Punta Europa terminal.

Hopes for a second LNG train hinge on increasing local production and securing gas from its oil-rich neighbours. Talks between the Gulf of Guinea nations have stalled in recent years but Equatorial Guinea hopes a deal will soon be struck.

"In April we shall be in discussions," Gabriel Obiang Lima, deputy minister of mines, industry and energy, told delegates at the Equatorial Guinea Gas Conference on Tuesday.

"A memorandum of understanding has been signed but we need to move on to the next stage with the signing of the contract," said the minister, who is the son of President Tedoro Obiang Nguema Mbasongo.

Malabo's first LNG train exports 3.7 million tonnes a year. Energy analysts say Equatorial Guinea could secure enough gas for a second and, potentially, a third train.

Expansion plans were boosted by the announcement of a consortium known as 3G, which brings together Equatorial Guinea's state gas company Sonagas, Germany's E.ON Ruhrgas , Union Fenosa of Spain and Portugal's Galp Energia .

The group aims to set up and improve gas gathering infrastructure in the region.

Relations between the nations have been strained. Gunmen suspected to be militants from Nigeria's Niger Delta attacked the presidential palace in Malabo last month, while Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea are yet to agree on their maritime border.

Much of the Cameroonian and Nigerian gas that would be sent through Malabo is closer to Equatorial Guinea than plants on the mainland.

"The parties need to know their benefits. They must know that they are not being used," Lima told delegates.


----------



## Kwame

*East Africa: Dar-Kigali-Bujumbura Railway to Be Ready by 2014​*


> *Kigali* — The Tanzania, Rwanda, and Burundi railway, which starts this year is expected to be completed in 2014, according to experts.
> 
> Construction experts said last week in Kigali that construction costs might drop by 30%.
> 
> The Dar es Salaam-Isaka railway line will also be modernised to 1,435mm standard gauge railway.
> 
> The new development comes after earlier studies had indicated that the project would cost US$3.5 billion.
> 
> Rwanda's infrastructure minister Eng. Linda Bihire last week said costs have dropped to $2.450 billion. Rwanda is coordinating the project.
> 
> The new figure was revealed at a donor round-table on the railway project held March 16-17, 2009. She said World Bank, financers, miners and other stakeholders found the project viable. The meeting was organized by the governments of Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi.
> 
> The three governments plan to construct a modern high-speed train, with a minimum speed limit of 120 kilometres per hour.
> 
> This means that imports will be delivered in Kigali within a day, eight hours to be precise, contrary to the six days they have been taking from Dar es Salaam.
> 
> The development will see most importers and exporters shift from Mombasa port to Dar es Salaam port.
> 
> If introduced, this is going to be the fastest train in the East African region with capacity to haul several tonnes of cargo using 2,000 wagons.
> 
> With the small gauge rail of 1,000mm in width, the average speed for a train on the Kenya-Uganda Railways can cruise is 40 kilometres per hour while that of the old Tanzania Railways is 20 km per hour.
> 
> Pushing for the extension of railway line from the coast to Kigali comes at a time Rwandan importers who mainly depend on road transport are complaining that up to 40 percent of their capital is spent on transport.
> 
> The costs have been further pushed up by the strict enforcement of the three-axle load limit, many roadblocks and the bad roads in the region.
> 
> Records show that whereas a Rwandan importer spends between 40 and 50 percent of the value of the export on transport and insurance, the average for the world's developed countries is 8.6 percent and 17.2 per cent for the least developed countries.
> 
> Bihire assured transporters that when completed; transport costs will drastically decline to less than 20 percent.
> 
> When completed, Bihire said, about 4.5 million tonnes of minerals from Burundi and Tanzania will be hauled by the railway.
> 
> Experts who carried out the feasibility of the railway project are optimistic that the line will spur development and exploitation of untapped natural resources in Burundi and the Congo which will provide the critical level of tonnage to support the railway.
> 
> Bihire said the project will also see the Dar es Salaam ports modernised and the number of berths increased to ease congestion.
> 
> Martime records show that the number of containers transiting Tanzania is expected to increase by as much as 1,200 % or about 3 million foot equivalent units (FEUs) in the next 20 years. Last year Dar es Salaam Port handled 350,000 containers over the planned 250,000 containers.
> 
> East African Business Week


----------



## hkskyline

*Financiers pledge $1.4 bln for Africa infrastructure *

LUSAKA, April 6 (Reuters) - Western nations and lending agencies said on Monday they will provide $1.4 billion to expand transport and trade links in eastern and southern Africa to help the region boost economic growth.

Leaders of countries in the region are meeting in the Zambian capital Lusaka, to discuss plans and attract funds to boost road, rail and port links as well as energy projects that could help spur regional trade and change the lives of millions.

Organisers say better routes will enable African countries to compete in trade with the rest of the world.

Under the plan, upgrading and maintaining roads alone would require a total of $7.4 billion over 20 years.

"Africa is a continent endowed with immense natural resources and yet it remains the home of the poorest," said Zambia President Rupiah Banda.

"Transport, energy, civil aviation and other infrastructure development has lagged in Africa and we need to adopt an approach which will motivate implementation of private and the public sectors."

The overall aim of the project is to cut poverty in the world's poorest continent, which officials say has been worst hit by effects of the global financial crunch.

The cash pledged so far would be provided by the World Bank, Africa Development Bank, European Union and Britain.

Officials say the funds would be used to finance new projects and upgrade existing infrastructure, which include 8,000 km (4,970 miles) of road, the equivalent to the road distance between Paris and Beijing, and to rehabilitate 600 km of rail track linking eastern and southern African countries.

The leaders met under a regional grouping dubbed the North-South Corridor, a joint initiative by the various countries and three regional trade blocs. It aims to speed up transport links, especially for landlocked countries.

Once in place, the corridor will link businesses in eight African countries - Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia, Malawi, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and South Africa.

TRADE NOT AID

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni said Africa needed fair trade with Western nations more than aid to develop.

"It's the job of Africans to strengthen themselves through trade... this is a matter of survival," Museveni said.

Britain said it would separately provide 100 million pounds ($149.2 million) for the region's infrastructure to increase trade and mitigate the effects of the global financial crisis.

The North-South Corridor covers the mineral-rich Congo, Zambia, Africa's top copper producer, and South Africa, the world's top platinum producer and third-largest gold producer.

Transporting a single cargo of copper from the Congo copperbelt to ports takes weeks, whereas in Europe the same cargo would reach ports within a fraction of that time.

The new North-South Corridor could see such cargo moving faster across African borders, enhancing trade and investment.

Kenya's President Mwai Kibaki said the countries had agreed to build new power projects to ensure access to roads, rail, telecommunication links and electricity.

"The shortage of electric power remains a major constraint of economic development in our countries," Kibaki added.


----------



## hkskyline

*Mozambique airport to get 75 mln dlr upgrade for World Cup *
14 April 2009
Agence France Presse

Mozambique signed a 75 million dollar contract with China's Anhui Foreign Economic Construction Group to renovate Maputo International Airport, independent newspaper O Pais reported Tuesday.

The renovations will add a new international terminal and bring airport security up to international standards in time for the World Cup in neighbouring South Africa in 2010, it said.

Mozambique is financing the project with a loan from China's Exim Bank, O Pais added.

The Maputo airport was built in the 1960s and currently receives about 600,000 passengers per year, 10 times more than it was designed to accommodate. The renovations, due for completion in mid-2010, would upgrade the airport's capacity to 900,000 passengers per year, O Pais said.

Mozambique has been working full-steam to upgrade its tourism and sporting infrastructure in hopes of attracting some of the 400,000 visitors expected to descend on South Africa when it hosts the World Cup in June and July 2010.


----------



## hkskyline

*Kenya says to have second port by 2011 * 

NAIROBI, April 15 (Reuters) - Kenya said on Wednesday it would start building a second port at the coastal town of Lamu next year and hopes the first ships to call there by the end of 2011.

The government has already allocated $45 million to the project, Transport Minister Chirau Ali Mwakere said, adding the funds had come from the controversial sale of the Grand Regency, a luxury Nairobi hotel.

"It is a port which will be bigger than Mombasa (port). Construction work according to our schedule should start in Feb. 2010," Mwakwere told reporters.

"Everything remaining equal, we should have the first ships calling at the Port of Lamu in Manda Bay by the end of 2011, when we shall have two or three berths ready to pick up or deliver cargo."

The project will be part of a broader $22 billion development plan that includes railway lines, a pipeline, roads and airports to open up the northern part of the country and link east Africa's biggest economy with Sudan and Ethiopia.

Mwakwere said there will be a highway and rail link joining Lamu with Lokichoggio, close to the border with Sudan in the northwest, and another to link it with Moyale in the north, close to the Ethiopian border.

"Ethiopia has already constructed their railway line to Moyale and ours is under construction," he said.

There will also be major airports in Lamu, Isiolo, Lokichoggio and Moyale, the minister said, and an oil pipeline linking Sudan to the port.

Southern Sudan, which is due to vote in a referendum in 2011 on whether it wants to separate from the north, hopes to export some of its oil. Kenya also wants to import some of that oil.

Mwakwere said the government had already advertised for companies interested in the port project.

"In 45 days we shall examine which company which will do the investigative study and the design. We are sure by February next year, some construction work should have started," he said.


----------



## hkskyline

*Angola sells 42 bln kwanza of 3 and 4-yr bonds *

LUANDA, April 16 (Reuters) - Angola's central bank sold 42 billion kwanzas ($560 million) of 3-year and 4-year government bonds on Wednesday, a central bank spokesman said on Thursday.

The yield on the three-year bond was 4.68 percent while that for the 4-year notes was 6.68 percent.

Leading Angolan private bank Banco Fomento de Angola BFA, controlled by Portugal's banco BPI , bought almost all of the three-year and four year bonds at the auction, a banking source told Reuters.

There was no demand for one and two year bonds, the source said.

Angola's government announced on Wednesday it planned to sell around $8 billion in government bonds this year to improve the lives of its people and rebuild infrastructure destroyed by a civil war that ended in 2002.

The maturities of the bonds will vary between one and four years with yields based on the Libor interest rate, with a premium that varies between 3 and 4.5 percentage points.

Banks operating outside Angola will be able to buy these bonds only if they get prior approval from the central bank.

The African nation, which rivals Nigeria as Africa's biggest oil producer, has been turning to alternative sources of funding in recent months to counter falling demand for oil and diamonds -- its two main exports -- due to the global economic downturn.

The country's last government bond, totalling the equivalent of $1 billion, was issued at the end of 2007. It has since issued short-term debt in the form of treasury bills.

The kwanza is pegged at around 75 to the U.S. dollar.


----------



## hkskyline

*Angola says eyes more loans from China *

LUANDA, April 13 (Reuters) - Angola could soon secure more loans from China to rebuild infrastructure and diversify its economy away from oil after an almost three-decade long civil war, Angolan Finance Minister Severim de Morais, said on Monday.

Last month, the African nation received a $1 billion loan from China to develop the agricultural sector. It has received at least $5 billion in oil-backed loans from Beijing since the end of the war in 2002.

"The negotiations with China are not over yet," de Morais told Reuters on the sidelines of a conference. Asked whether his country could receive more loans, he replied: "possibly".

He did not provide details as to the amount or the timing of these loans.


----------



## hkskyline

*France urges CFA zone to invest in infrastructure *

OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso, April 17 (Reuters) - France has called on countries in Africa's CFA franc zone to invest in infrastructure to fight the global economic crisis, even though the region's economies are benefitting from their currency link to the euro.

The 14-country region that uses the CFA franc currency will see risks and unpredictable pitfalls this year but its governments should avoid populist measures like raising salaries, French Economy Minister Christine Lagarde said on Friday.

Despite some speculation over the future of the CFA currency, which some say should be devalued and others argue could be replaced, Burkina Faso's finance minister, Lucien Marie Noel Bembamba, said the region's reserves meant the zone could cope with the economic crisis and the fact the currency was pegged to the euro <EUR=> boosted stability.

The CFA zone is split into eight countries in West Africa and six in central Africa. Each group has has its own central bank and notes, with both versions of the CFA pegged at 655.957 CFA francs per euro.

Philippe Henri Dacoury-Tabley, the governor of the BCEAO, the West African central bank, rejected outright any talk of devaluation of the CFA.

With many of their economies vulnerable to commodity price fluctations and reliant on remittances from abroad, countries in West and Central Africa have been hit by the global economic crisis which has cut regional economic growth rates.

France's Lagarde called on CFA zone countries to target budgetary policies that "are likely to have a rapid multiplier effect on the economies, rather than policies of increasing salaries which, though popular with voters and the population, would not have the same effect."

East African countries including Kenya have said they plan to invest heavily in infrastructure as a means of maintaining economic growth while export-based industries suffer as a result of lower spending in developed markets.

With sound policies, the global economy should start seeing signs of recovery in 2010, Lagarde added.

The head of Central Africa's central bank said last month that if commodity prices remained relatively weak, the region's economy would not pick up until the second half of 2010.

The six-nation group's economy is projected to grow at 2.8 percent this year, down from 4.4 percent in 2008.

DEBATE OVER CFA

Some economists argue that the CFA zone should look at devaluing the franc to make their exports more competitive.

But regional government and banking officials disagreed.

"There is no question of a devaluation ... the facts will prove us right," Philippe Henri Dacoury-Tabley, governor of West Africa's BCEAO central bank, told reporters.

Citing healthy reserves in regional central banks, Lucien Marie Noel Bembamba, Burkina Faso's minister of finance and economy, also defended the currency.

By the end of 2008, reserves in the West and Central African central banks stood at 4,821 billion CFA francs ($9.58 billion) and 7,482 billion CFA francs, respectively, he said.

"The macro-economic situation in the member countries of the CFA franc zone is allowing them to fight against the crisis better than other developing countries," he added. ($1=503.5 Cfa Franc)


----------



## hkskyline

*Africa needs to double infrastructure investment - IFC *

JOHANNESBURG, April 22 (Reuters) - Investments in Africa's infrastructure, including power, require $20 billion each year to boost economic growth, but only half of that is being put in now, an IFC official said on Wednesday.

IFC's Principal Investment Officer Tom Butler told a power conference in Johannesburg that the $10 billion gap would not be filled by government and foreign donors, but should come from other sources, including independent power producers (IPPs).

"It's down to the governments to create a business environment where local investors see this as an attractive sector," he said.

The IFC, the commercial arm of the World Bank which supports private sector involvement only, is targeting domestic power producers particularly in countries where the framework is conducive for power generation that is independent from the often state-owned utilities.

"Right now there are a lot of wealthy entrepreneurs who make a concious decision to invest in other sectors instead, where paybacks are a lot quicker," he said.

Butler said that power projects in Africa can take between three to 15 years to get set up and domestic entrepreneurs might be more willing to take that risk.

And the potential for power investments were wide, he said.

Butler said only 24 percent of Africans were connected to power, compared with an average of 40 percent in other emerging markets, and, excluding South Africa, they consume one tenth of what is consumed each year by a person in China.

A transparent process and a stable regulatory framework are key factors driving potential investments into power projects in Africa for agencies like the IFC, Butler said, along with full cost recovery to make them viable over long term.

"We want projects to be least cost, not just today, but also in the medium to long term," he said.

While climate change concerns have become an increasingly important factor while deciding on projects to fund, there are countries on the continent where thermal power generation is still the only medium term solution and will be funded, he said.

The financial crisis has had an impact on some Africa power projects, especially in some of the riskier countries.

It has also limited the availability of liquidity from commercial banks for energy projects in countries like Namibia and South Africa which before were not the prime target for the IFC, unlike other, poorer countries on the continent.

While the IFC usually targets projects of the size of at least $40 million, in the case of frontier countries it is willing to go for smaller investments where the impact on the communities affected would be extremely high.

Butler said the various regions around the continent should push for more regional trading via the power pools to make average costs cheaper, especially in small countries producing power at a very high cost.

Utilities also need to improve revenue collection, which in some cases leads to a loss of between 30-40 percent, he said.


----------



## hkskyline

*World Bank launches new infrastructure funds *

WASHINGTON, April 25 (Reuters) - The World Bank launched two new funds with expected financing of $55 billion over the next three years to try and ensure that infrastructure projects in developing countries do not dry up in the financial crisis.

The bank's Infrastructure Recovery and Assets (INFRA) platform and the Infrastructure Crisis Facility (ICF), managed by the bank's private sector financing arm, the IFC, are expected to focus for a large part on projects in Africa.

"As developing countries are facing the trials of the global economic crisis, it is vitally important that economic stimulus packages in the developed world are accompanied by support to those that cannot afford multi-billion bailouts," said World Bank President Robert Zoellick.

The bank estimates the financing gap for infrastructure projects could range from $140 billion to $270 billion as investments dry up due to the crisis.

Financing for INFRA is expected to reach $45 billion over the next three years, the bank said in a statement, while the ICF is expected to attract more than $10 billion.

The IFC will contribute up to $330 million in equity to the ICF and may provide as much as $2 billion in loan co-financing, the bank said.

France and Germany will also contribute to the funds.

"Infrastructure and the financing of infrastructure is absolutely critical," French Economy Minister Christine Lagarde said at the signing ceremony for the funds.

"It is mind-boggling to see how badly infrastructure is needed, particularly in Africa."


----------



## hkskyline

*EU lends 65 million euros for Mozambique rail projects *
30 April 2009
Agence France Presse

The European Investment Bank (EIB) and Mozambique on Thursday signed a 65 million euro (86 million dollar) deal to fund a rail project to link coal mines to a major port, a spokeswoman said.

The loan is part of a 195 million euro upgrade to the Sena rail link to connect northwestern coal mines and the Beira port.

The projects aim to improve Mozambique's languishing transport system and enable a slate of new multinational mining projects to export coal from the under-explored Moatize district.

"We saw the economic value in this project," said EIB spokeswoman Una Clifford.

"This is a project that will provide employment during construction, and it will help to open up trade links to other southern African countries which are landlocked."

The EIB loan comes with a 29 million euro interest rate subsidy from the European Union's African infrastructure trust fund, Clifford said.

Mozambique has seen a boom in its mining sector as multinational companies move to tap resources that went untouched during the country's 16-year civil war.

Brazilian mining giant Vale broke ground in March on a 980 million euro mine in Moatize, and Australia's Riversdale this week received a licence for a 600 million euro mine nearby.

The government has awarded more than 100 mining licences in all.

But tapping Moatize's full potential -- an estimated 26 million tonnes per year of coal -- also means restoring the Beira transport corridor.

The Sena railway was made impassable by land mines during the war, and the main access channel to the Beira port has shrunk after years of inadequate dredging.

Construction on the railway is scheduled for completion in September, with the line expected to open to full traffic in January 2010.

The World Bank has also provided 78 million euros in financing for the project.


----------



## hkskyline

*INTERVIEW-Angola puts faith in farming, welcomes Chiquita *

LUANDA, April 30 (Reuters) - Angola's farming sector could finally resolve what its oil and diamond exports have for years failed to do: lift millions of Angolans out of poverty.

Thousands of kilometres of roads have been rebuilt after a civil war that ended in 2002, enabling farmers from banana plantations in the south to coffee producers in the north to bring their products to market on time and at affordable prices.

More significant are government plans to invest $1 billion in 2009 in the sector and welcome in U.S. Chiquita Brands International Inc to its banana industry.

Other foreign companies and countries, including China have also said they plan to invest millions of dollars in the war-shattered nation's coffee, sugar, cassava and palm oil industries.

"It's a great solution," Afonso Pedro Canga, Angola's agricultural minister, said in an interview with Reuters on Thursday.

"Agriculture is the right bet if we want to boost jobs, fight poverty, hunger and increase the income of our people and the overall wealth of the country."

Angola aims to help an estimated two-thirds of the population who rely on small-scale subsistence-level farming to expand the area of cultivation, increase production and sales.

The move takes place against falling revenues from Angola's two main exports -- oil and diamonds -- as it struggles to bring down an unemployment rate that hovers around 40 percent.

TOP PRIORITY

Before the three-decade long war that began soon after independence from Portugal in 1975, fertile Angola was one of Africa's success stories. It was the world's fourth biggest coffee producer and a top exporter of bananas and sugarcane.

Seven years of peace have enabled it to reap billions of dollars from record oil and diamond exports, but the wealth has failed to reach to the majority of the population.

An estimated two-thirds of the population who live on less than $2 a day, according to the World Bank. Since Angola still imports over half of the food it consumes, Pedro Canga says he has little doubt that the solution lies in agriculture.

"The government sees farming as a top priority that will enable us to solve our food problem," he said.

"The country has great potential in terms of land and water resources and it is now rebuilding infrastructure like roads in order to create an environment that is favourable for investments in the farming sector.

"Major food producers have taken note. Chiquita Brands International owner of the namesake label, should soon start growing bananas in Angola's southern province of Benguela, he said.

"They will soon start this great project. They will partner with Angolan investors to start this project," said Pedro Canga. "There was a problem with land ownership rights but that has been overcome."

Brazilian building giant Odebrecht has also announced plans to invest in Angola's sugar and ethanol sector.


----------



## hkskyline

*EU to give Kenya 400 mln euros for development *

NAIROBI, May 5 (Reuters) - The European Union has promised Kenya 399.4 million euros ($528.7 million) in grants over five years for development projects in east Africa's largest economy, an official said on Tuesday.

Businesses in the region have long complained that poor infrastructure raises their costs and makes east Africa less competitive when compared with other areas.

"The EU will provide 399.4 million euros ... to support transport infrastructure, to enhance regional integration, agriculture and rural development and other programmes," said Mutua Kilaka, a senior official in Kenya's finance ministry.

A third of that money, around 126.8 million euros, will be used for road projects, according to the bloc.

Under the previous 2003-2007 period, the EU promised 317 million euros of which 22 percent went to roads projects. In the 2008/09 fiscal year, the bloc committed 5.08 billion shillings ($64.60 million) of which 60 percent was for roads.


----------



## oshon

Korean agro firm to set plant in Kigali 


YOU SEE: The Minister of Agriculture, Agnes Kalibata (R) listens to officials of Tongyang Mooisan LTD. 
BY PENINNAH GATHONI 
The Ministry of Agriculture’s plan to modernise agriculture through mechanisation has received a technological boost from the South Korean agricultural equipment supplier Tongyang Mooisan LTD. 

The ministry has announced that it is in the process of mechanising agriculture in order to increase farm output, as the sector moves towards using powered machinery instead of men. The programme is set to kick off in September this year. 

According to the Minister of Agriculture, Agnes Kalibata, the ministry entered an agreement with Tongyang Mooisan LTD, a Korean based agricultural machinery supplier, in April this year.

“We are confident that this company will be able to supply our needs. They have promised to offer trainings for our people on all supplied machines.”

The contract states that the Korean firm will supply up to 100 tractors, 100 trailers, 1034 sowing equipments, 1000 iron wheels, 140 potato harvesters and 10 combine harvesters. 

“These machines will be assembled here and sold to the farmers; we are working on a payment program with banks and micro finance institutions to make it easier for farmers to access the machines. Tongyang Mooisan LTD has promised to set up a plant here which will help in trainings, machine assembly and machine sale not just for Rwanda but the whole region as well,” Kalibata said. 

The Ministry will be sending six staff members to Korea for training in June. The trainees will be at the forefront during the implementation of the mechanisation project.

“We have already made seeds and fertilizers available for farmers and now we want to introduce mechanized farming. With machines we will be able to reduce the farmers’ burden and reduce their cost of production,” she said. 

Kalibata noted that currently the country is food sufficient and there is need to take production to the marketing level. 

“Farmers are labour constrained and hence are unable to utilize the window of opportunity in between seasons. The machines will make the farming process easier and faster and hence the farmers will be in good time for planting during this window.”


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## hkskyline

*Dana says in advanced gas city talks with Egypt *

CAIRO, May 13 (Reuters) - The Egyptian unit of Abu Dhabi-listed Dana Gas said on Wednesday it is in advanced negotiations with Egypt to build a "gas city" that will attract over $20 billion in investments over the long term.

"Gas cities" are large, gas-fed industrial complexes housing petrochemical and heavy manufacturing plants.

"We are in advanced stages of discussion with the government to build a gas city in Egypt," the firm's President Hany Elsharkawi told Reuters on the sidelines of the Intergas V conference in Cairo.

"Dana Gas will just create the nucleus of the city, and then other investment will be built around it. This is not a one- to two-year project, it is more a 20- to 25-year project," he added. "(Total) investment will be north of $20 billion."

Elsharkawi said it would be a medium-sized complex, and that the location had not been decided yet.

Dana Gas and the UAE's Crescent Petroleum are planning to set up at least four gas cities in the Middle East and North Africa region as they seek to tap growing demand for hydrocarbons.

The companies said they were looking to invest several billion dollars in the infrastructure of those cities and attract 10s of billions of dollars in investments.


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## oshon

*(Nigeria) Abuja’s 10-Lane road project to gulp N257bn(1.7b usd)*

The Abuja Airport Express-way project embarked upon by the Federal Government will cost N257 billion even as President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua said yesterday that the establishment of the Infra-structure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) by the Federal Govern-ment was a demonstration of its commitment to providing infrastructure in line with the needs of a modern economy. 


Yar’Adua disclosed this in Abuja at the official ground breaking ceremony for the commencement of works on the Airport Expressway and Outer Northern Expressway being constructed by the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FC-TA). 

The project involves the expansion of the expressways to 10 lanes respectively and the rehabilitation of the existing expressways. 

He described the project as “another bold step in our march towards vision 20-2020, for which the quality of infrastructure will be one of the critical elements for economic growth and prosperity.” 

He explained that the two roads which currently have only four lanes each were conceived to be 10-lane expressways in the Abuja master plan. 

‘It is in recognition of the huge capital outlay involved in such projects that the Federal Government decided to make full use of the innovation, enterprise and management efficiency of the private sector in improving the road network and in providing better value for money for taxpayers and road users. 

Yar’Adua also explained that the establishment of the ICRC as a regulatory framework is to provide a stable policy regime which is vital to achieving that quality of infrastructure needed to spur growth in our country and help enhance transparency, and promote efficiency. 

He said funding for the project came under the Private Finance Initiative (PFI) mode of procurement while noting that the FCTA will provide 40 percent of the funding while the contractors will source for the remaining 60 percent payment for which will only be made after completion of the projects. 

In his speech at the occasion, FCT Minister, Senator Muhammad Adamu Aliero, recalled that on assumption of office last December, the chaotic traffic situation on the Airport and Kubwa roads had already reached an alarming proportion. 

“This prompted us to immediately endorse and support the previous and continuous effort geared towards their expansion and rehabilitation in accordance with the Abuja Master Plan,” he said. 

Aliero disclosed that the total cost of the project is N257 billion and said that through rigorous and transparent procurement process, three well tested and competent companies emerged as the winning contractors for the projects. Messrs Julius Berger, he explained, will execute the two lots of the Airport Expressway project, while Messrs Dantata and Sawoe and Messrs CGC Nigeria Limited, will execute Lot I and Lot II of the Outer Northern Expressway (Kubwa Expressway) projects, respectively. 

Aliero, who claimed that the project is the first of its kind in this part of the continent, also disclosed that the contracts also provide for the construction of interchange bridges. These bridges will be constructed around the Kubwa, Dutse/Bwari, Katampe Extension and Barracks/IBB Golf Course Junctions, along the Outer Northern Expressway, as well as around the Kuje and Lugbe Junctions along the Airport Expressways.


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## hkskyline

*Ethiopia to get $400 mln loan from China - report *

ADDIS ABABA, May 15 (Reuters) - Ethiopia is negotiating a $400 million loan with China to fund power and road projects in the Horn of Africa nation, a state-owned news agency reported on Friday.

Investors say poor transport networks and lack of reliable power are a major hindrance for growth on the continent, which uses a third less energy per capita than the global average.

"An Ethiopian delegation led by the Minister of Finance and Economic Development went to China to negotiate a loan of over $400 million with the Chinese government to finance road and power projects," the Walta Information Centre reported.

Ethiopia currently rations power.

The African Development Bank estimates that it will cost $27 billion a year to provide universal access to reliable electricity in all 53 countries by 2030.

The World Bank's commercial arm says that the continent needs to double its infrastructure spending to boost growth.

Addis Ababa says it expects to grow by 11.2 percent in 2009. But the International Monetary Fund has predicted a growth of 6.5 percent for Ethiopia this year.


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## hkskyline

*New 'peace road' gives hope in Congo *
21 May 2009
Agence France Presse

Before the new road, drivers took up to eight hours to cover the 62 kilometres (38 miles) between Brazzaville and Kinkala in the conflict-wracked Pool region south of Congo's capital.

"This road is a historical milestone," the district administrator in the Pool, military doctor Jean-Michel Shanga, said with pride. "Today, you can sleep in Kinkala and work in Brazzaville.

"This is a peace road, laid down without clashes or trouble," he said.

After 34 months of work, the "peace road" has been finished, with the goal of opening up the Pool, cut off by years of insurgency in a densely forested region in central Africa, where rebels known as the Ninjas battled government troops between 1998 and 2003 at the cost of thousands of lives.

Shanga said the new road has already "given an economic boost" to the Pool by connecting it with the capital of the former French colony, at a cost to the European Union in development finance of 30.5 billion CFA francs (46.5 million euros / 64 million dollars).

Jean-Didier Bemba, 42 with five children, was taken on with almost 400 other construction workers to build what he regards as a highway of hope.

During the war, "we stayed a long time in the forest. There, we suffered all kinds of humiliation," Bemba told AFP. "Now that's an old memory."

The French company that oversaw the road project, Dragages, "came to give us the will to live and to hope," said Bemba, who has gone into small trade since the work finished at the end of March. He saved up enough while working on the road to set himself up selling rubber sandals."

"Without the road, Kinkala was only an enclave abandoned to its sorry fate. With this road, the economy has been boosted because businessmen now come here," said the sub-prefect of Kinkala, Joseph Kitsadi.

"This is a major asset for the whole Pool. With this highway, vegetables can even be sold at the front door of the house. Our ordeal is thus over. In the past, people with wheels rarely came by and it took four days walking to get to Brazzaville," Albert Moussakanda, an evangelical preacher and market gardener agreed.

One of the local dignitaries, member of parliament for a Pool constituency Auguste Passi Mouba, pointed out that much still remains to be done, since "the Pool has been declared a disaster zone.

"All the schools, the hospitals and other infrastructure has been destroyed. In six years, very little of it has been rebuilt."

Both the government and NGOs estimate that about 15,000 people perished in the civil wars in Congo between 1993 and 2003 and several thousand of those lost their lives in the Pool, which also emptied of part of its population.

As peace slowly returned, so did displaced residents, and humanitarian agencies say that the population grew from 186,000 inhabitants in 2000 to 362,000 habitants in 2005, and is still getting bigger.

The Congo, an oil-producing nation, has less than 2,000 kilometres of tarmacked road in the whole country, towns included. Brazzaville and the economic capital on the Atlantic Ocean, Pointe Noire, are currently linked uniquely by the 500 kilometres (310 miles) of the Congo-Ocean railway.

A road link, considered vital for the future, has only just begun, with a first stretch of 70 kilometres due to be inaugurated in 2010 and the end of the job not expected before 2015 or 2016. That road between the two cities will also pass through part of the Pool, east of Brazzaville.

The fighting may be over and the first new road built, but another big task remains -- clearing the Pool of illegally held weapons. A Swiss non-governmental organisation, Small Arms Survey, carried out a study in 2005 and estimated that most of some 34,000 arms still in circulation were in the Pool.


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## hkskyline

*Africa: Continent rises above its problems *
26 May 2009
Financial Times 

There is a striking view from the road leading to Doraleh Container Terminal, in the east African state of Djibouti. The terminal, the first phase of which opened this year and will cost $400m to develop fully, lies on an artificial island in water deep enough to accommodate the latest large container ships. The approach is along a new, kilometre-long causeway. The huge, state-of-the-art container cranes at the end stand in stark contrast to the rest of run-down Djibouti City.

Back on the mainland, however, other parts of Djibouti's logistics sector are still struggling with the bureaucracy and poor infrastructure more typical of Africa. DP World, the Dubai-based company that runs the Doraleh terminal and the old city-centre Port of Djibouti, has had to build a container yard away from the port to store boxes awaiting collection. Containers bound for neighbouring, landlocked Ethiopia have recently had to wait an average 109 days as the consignees grapple with the bureaucratic, financial and logistical problems of sending trucks from Ethiopia to collect them. A line of waiting vessels in the sea outside the old port testifies to the congestion these delays create.

The question for Africa's logistics sector is which of the two scenes will be more typical of its future - the modern, efficient container terminal or the congested, chaotic old port.

Anil Singh, managing director of DP World's Africa region, says there is a recognition of the need to improve Africa's logistics links.

But he goes on: "There are so many links in the chain it's difficult to get that chain together in a coherent way."

At the heart of the interest in Africa of companies such as DP World, Hong Kong's Hutchison Ports, the logistics arm of France's Bolloré group and some large container lines is its largely untapped potential. Competition for business is less fierce because there are fewer operators. Investments in ports or other businesses are likely to experience more rapid growth than in more mature markets such as western Europe or north America.

Nicolas Santini, a senior executive at France's CMA CGM, the world number three container line, says the resilience of Africa in the current economic slowdown has been striking.

"This was probably the market in which the slowdown was coming after all the others," he says. "It's slowing slower and not so much."

Dominique Lafont, Bolloré Africa Logistics' chief executive, says business in Africa will confront difficulties. But he adds: "We think that nothing can block or hinder African development."

One of the main areas of potential improvement is obvious during a visit to Djibouti's old port. Hundreds of workers are swarming over the Servet Y, a bulk carrier, as it loads its cargo of Ethiopian sugar. Purple sacks are lugged one-by-one on to slings on the quayside, hoisted aboard then individually thrown into the vessel's holds. The whole operation could be more efficiently, safely and quickly carried out if the sugar were moved in containers.

Where ports have sufficient container terminal capacity and equipment to handle such equipment the change is under way, according to Mr Lafont. It is less likely in places such as Djibouti's old port, where operations depend on vessels' own, slow cranes. Bolloré has been awarded a concession to build and run a still larger, more expensive container port than the Doraleh facility at Point Noire in Congo-Brazzaville.

"In some more advanced ports in Africa now you can see sugar being moved in containers - and tropical timber is being containerised in places," Mr Lafont says. "So we see a steady trend."

Mr Santini particularly calls for infrastructure improvements to stamp out congestion problems such as those at the port of Luanda, in Angola, where ships often wait 30 to 35 days offshore for a berth.

However, there remain still more intractable problems in areas where government involvement is traditionally heavier. They include roads - though some private road projects are now starting - and customs.

Mr Singh says DP World sees problems such as the hold-ups to containers bound for Ethiopia across Africa. Reform of the manual systems used by many customs services is vital.

The port operators and logistics companies have some scope to intervene. Bolloré has pushed the Ugandan authorities to improve their customs service and has agreed to be a pilot user of a new, updated system, Mr Lafont says. Part of DP World's parent Dubai World group has taken over running Djibouti's customs service as a contractor.

However, the yards for marooned containers at Djibouti and other African ports look unlikely to be able to close soon. That will require a decisive, continent-wide change of approach.


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## hkskyline

*Africa has taken a severe knock from crisis - Gordhan *

JOHANNESBURG, July 15 (Reuters) - African countries have taken a severe knock from the global economic crisis and some of the financial commitments to help the continent have not materialised, South Africa's Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan said on Wednesday.

Gordhan told a conference to discuss the World Development Report 2009 that only about 10 to 15 countries in the continent had the capacity to implement counter-cyclical responses to help them weather the crisis.

"Developing countries are still being severely impacted and in Africa in particular, low income countries depending on mineral products such as diamonds copper and other commodities are taking a severe knock."

He said economic growth in some African countries has "gone into the deep negative figures" and fiscal deficits ranged from 10 to 15 percent, constraining most countries' ability to respond meaningfully to the global economic crisis.

The report, with the theme Reshaping Economic Geography, says one of Africa's biggest disadvantages is its long distance from global markets. It said regional integration, investment in trade, communication and transport infrastructure should remain high on Africa's agenda.

Gordhan said although developed nations had committed funds to help Africa deal with the global crisis the money had not yet materialised in most cases.

"We acknowledge the important strides that have been made at the London G20 summit and the fact that a number of commitments have been made, some of which have materialised.

"But the expectations that we have about these commitments materialising faster are certainly commitments that have not been fulfilled yet."

Gordhan said a meeting of African finance ministers and central bank governors in Abuja this week called for "a greater sense of urgency in terms of commitments made by the G8 (group of 8 industrialised nations)".


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## hkskyline

*Southern African countries to develop power line *

LIVINGSTONE, Zambia, July 16 (Reuters) - Four Southern African countries have agreed to develop a $225 million power line that would allow an extra 600 megawatts to be transmitted around the region, an official said on Thursday.

The project is expected to be completed in the last quarter of 2010. It seeks to connect Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana and Namibia -- all of which plan to boost the amount of power they generate in coming years -- in a project known as Zizabona.

It will ease congestion on a transmission corridor to South Africa, the region's largest consumer of electricity which is battling to meet demand. It also will allow the four countries to export more power and to trade energy with each other via a regional power pool.

The project also will allow easier transmission of hydropower from the Democratic Republic of Congo to South Africa and the rest of the region.

"The four utilities will develop, build and own the transmission infrastructure. This project seeks to reduce losses and congestion on the SAPP central corridor," said Musara Beta, an official from Zimbabwe's ZESA.

ZESA is one of the four promoters of the project along with Zambia's ZESCO, Nampower of Namibia and the Botswana Power Company. He was addressing a power conference hosted by the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP).

The Zizabona transmission line will extend from the Hwange substation to a switching station near Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, into Livingstone, Zambia. The line will also link Pandamatenga in Botswana and the Zambezi substation in Namibia.

"The project clearly would serve the national electricity needs of all four member countries and the interconnector would also ... decongest the central corridor," Beta added.

With the region facing increased power shortages, the SAPP is turning its focus to smaller initiatives with relatively short timelines in order to meet growing demand, which experts say will peak at 100,000MW in 2025.

Apart from the Zizabona link, Zimbabwe's ZESA has also proposed the construction of a 160 kilometre transmission line to increase the north-south transfer capacity of the Zimbabwe network to 600MW, against the current 200MW.

The proposed Central Transmission Corridor (CTC) project is to be jointly developed by ZESA, which would have a 20 percent shareholding in the venture, while prospective private investors would take up the additional 80 percent.

ZESA chief executive Ben Rafemoyo said the project would require $100 million.

Rafemoyo said the CTC had reached a long-term agreement with South Africa's Eskom, which is seeking to import more power from the DRC and Mozambique to meet domestic demand.

"Eskom are the long-term offtaker. Key terms of the contract, including tariffs, have now been agreed with Eskom," he said.

CTC expected to raise long-term debt against the security of the Eskom offtake, according to a project document by ZESA. The CTC project is expected to be complete by December 2012 and is expected to significantly reduce costs associated with congestion and lead to more efficient power trading.


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## hkskyline

*S.Africa's roads agency receives EIB loan*

JOHANNESBURG, July 16 (Reuters) - The European Investment Bank (EIB) has loaned the state-owned South African Roads Agency 120 million euro ($169.1 million) to help fund the upgrade of roads in the country, the EIB said on Thursday.

The national roads agency, Sanral, plans to spend 24 billion rand ($2.95 billion) over the next five years to improve road networks, particularly around industrial hub Johannesburg.

The EIB said the loan was for the upgrade and extension of two key toll roads.

"The projects are of strategic importance to South Africa's transport infrastructure, and are part of an ongoing programme by the national authorities to upgrade and extend the road network," it said in a statement.

The EIB, the long-term lending arm of the European Union, signed an agreement with South Africa's government in 2007 to lend the country up to 900 million euro between 2008 and 2013.


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## hkskyline

*INTERVIEW-Libya expects nearly $2 bln in new FDI-official *

LONDON, July 23 (Reuters) - Libya is expecting nearly $2 billion in new foreign direct investment, Libya's privatisation and investment secretary said on Thursday.

"We have over $2 billion operating in FDI in Libya and we have almost $2 billion in process," Mahmud al-Ftise told Reuters on the sidelines of a Libya investment conference in London, without giving a time frame for the investment.

"This number is humble but we are really relaxed because the numbers are increasing. Libya has very big potential."

Libya is also working on attracting investment totalling around $2.7 billion in the downstream oil industry, al-Ftise added.

International investors see huge untapped potential for growth in the North African country, which was starved of investment during years of Socialist policies and international sanctions.

Libya's relations with the West took a leap forward in 2003 when it gave up banned weapons programmes and again last year when it agreed with the United States to settle compensation claims for attacks, including the 1988 Lockerbie airliner bombing.

Gaddafi's foreign-educated son, Saif al-Islam, has helped push through economic reform measures, and the capital is now dotted with construction cranes building new hotels and business centres.

But some investors' enthusiasm has been tempered by red-tape, a creaking bureaucracy and uncertainty over how well protected property rights are in Libya.

Foreign investors complain of obstacles such as restrictions on visas.

Al-Ftise said Libya was beginning to introduce visas for investors on arrival at Libyan airports, rather than from individual embassies.

"That is starting now, we are hoping it will come in probably after a month," he said.

However, he said relaxation on visas was a two-way process with countries such as Britain.

"If you ease things here, we will ease things there."

PRIVATISATION

Libya has privatised more than 100 companies since 2003 in industries including oil refining, tourism and real estate, of which 29 are 100 percent foreign owned.

The oil and gas sector still dominates the economy and is the destination for most foreign investment. BP and Exxon Mobil are among the international oil majors active in the sector.

Libyan banks are allowed to enter partnership agreements with foreign banks but the foreign partners are restricted to a 49 percent stake. Al-Ftise said foreign investors can take 100 percent ownership in other sectors.

Abdulmagid el-Mansuri, chairman of the industry ministry's foreign investment committee, also told Reuters that Libya was planning free trade zones for individual countries, in addition to Libya's existing free trade zone in Misurata.

"We are suggesting that countries have special free trade zones, that for example China takes an area. We are targeting potential investors like the U.S., UK, France, Germany, Italy and the Far East. They are all showing an interest because of our location." El-Mansuri said Libya would clamp down on investors' use of non-Libyan agents when fixing deals in the country, but investors should deal directly with Libyans.

"It's not fair, there should be direct contact with Libyans. The government is going to enforce the law on this quite strongly."


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## hkskyline

*Kenya's Safaricom says offering broadband internet *

NAIROBI, July 30 (Reuters) - Kenya's leading mobile operator, Safaricom , has started offering broadband internet to its customers after the switching on of the first fibre-optic cable, its CEO said on Thursday.

Michael Joseph said some 14 million subscribers have the potential to access fast internet in a region where telecommunications are hampered by lack of infrastructure.

"The cable that has been activated for our 3G and IP traffic is the one in which we are major capacity buyers," he said in a statement.

Known as SEACOM, the undersea cable links east Africa to South Africa, India, Middle East and Europe, and was launched last week by its owners, a Mauritius-based private equity group. 

A second cable, The East African Marine Systems (TEAMS), which is fronted by the Kenyan government, is in testing stages and it will act as a backup for Safaricom's customers, Joseph said.

Safaricom, which owns a 22.5 percent stake in TEAMS, has a unified licence and can deliver data, voice and video through multiplatform like fibre, WiMAX and 3G.

It acquired a WiMAX operator last year.


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## hkskyline

*FACTBOX-Foreign investment in Niger *

July 31 (Reuters) - Niger will hold a referendum on Tuesday on President Mamadou Tandja's plan to extend his rule over the West African uranium producer for another three years beyond the expiry of his second term in office this December.

The plan, declared unlawful by the country's constitutional court, has met with internal opposition, while the international community says it threatens to undermine democracy and destabilise the country.

Below are details of companies with mining, oil and industrial projects in Niger, a desert country of 15 million people which produces around 7.5 percent of the world's uranium.

* indicates a new or updated entry.

AREVA

French state-owned nuclear energy group Areva is developing the Imouraren uranium mine in the north of Niger. Due to begin producing in 2012 after initial investment of 1.2 billion euros, Imouraren is expected to be the biggest uranium mine in Africa with eventual production of 5,000 tonnes per year for 35 years.

Areva has operated Niger's two existing uranium mines, Cominak and Somair, since the 1970s.

* BAYSWATER URANIUM

Canada-listed uranium junior Bayswater owns eight concessions covering 4,000 sq km, where it intends to explore for uranium.

CAMECO

Cameco, the world's biggest uranium producer, last year bought an 11 percent stake in Govi High Power Exploration, which owns exploration properties around Arlit and Agadez in Niger.

CHINA NATIONAL PETROLEUM CORP

Chinese state-owned CNPC struck a $5 billion deal with Niger's government last June to pump oil from the Agadem block within three years, and lay a 2,000 km pipeline to export it.

CNPC also said it would build a 20,000 barrels per day oil refinery, which would be Niger's first. President Tandja laid the foundation stone of the Ganaram refinery in October last year. The deal, which included a 127 billion CFA franc ($272.5 million) signature bonus, was criticised by rights groups for lacking transparency.

CHINA NATIONAL URANIUM CORP

China's state-owned uranium firm, known as SINO-U, will invest $300 million in the Somina uranium mine, located at Azelik near Agadez. The mine, due to come on stream by 2010, will produce around 700 tonnes per year. In April, China extended a $95 million loan to Niger to support the project.

EARTHSTONE GROUP

Indonesian mining, energy, construction and infrastructure firm Earthstone Group owns four uranium blocks in Niger.

ISLAMIC DEVELOPMENT BANK

The Islamic Development Bank has pledged $236 million to finance the construction of the Kandadji dam, the first stage of a hydropower project that will cost more than $700 million. Work began on the dam in August last year.

KOREA RESOURCES CORP

South Korean state-owned Korea Resources Corp signed a memorandum of understanding in March to buy around 10 percent of its annual uranium needs from Niger.

NIGER URANIUM

London-listed Niger Uranium owns eight prospecting licences in the Tim Mersoi Basin, which it describes as the world's fifth most important uranium producing district.

NGM RESOURCES

Australian-listed NGM Resources owns three uranium exploration concessions in Niger via its subsidiary Indo Energy.

* SEMAFO

Canada-listed gold miner Semafo owns 80 percent of the Samira Hill gold project, while the Niger government holds the remainder. At the end of 2008, mineral reserves totalled 631,100 ounces of gold and resources were almost 1.3 million ounces.

OTHER POTENTIAL PROJECTS

------------------------

NUCLEAR POWER

Niger plans to build a nuclear power station in the "medium to long term," an advisor to the minister of mines and energy said in February. Adolphe Gbaguidi Waly said the country had not decided on a specific way to implement the plan but would seek help from South Africa, the only country on the continent that has a nuclear power plant.

TRANS-SAHARAN GAS PIPELINE

In conjunction with Nigeria and Algeria, Niger signed an agreement in July to build a 4,000 km gas pipeline across the Sahara capable of transporting 30 billion cubic metres a year to Europe. Capital costs are estimated at $10 billion for the pipeline and $3 billion for gathering centres.


(Sources: World Nuclear Association, company websites, Reuters data)


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## hkskyline

*China should use FX for development loans -researcher *

BEIJING, Aug 5 (Reuters) - China should use part of its $2.1 trillion in foreign exchange reserves to make loans to developing countries rather than for purchasing U.S. treasuries, a government researcher said on Wednesday.

Ding Yifan, a deputy director in the Development Research Centre, a think-tank under the State Council, or cabinet, expressed concern about U.S. government bonds being able to retain their value.

"It is less risky to use our reserves to help fund the growth of developing countries in Asia and Africa than to passively wait and see the dollar depreciate," Ding said at a forum.

Ding's opinion does not necessarily represent the government attitude on the allocation of FX reserve assets. But it does reflect a strand of thinking in Beijing that the government should diversify its investment portfolio more aggressively.

Zhang Yansheng, an economist at the National Development and Reform Commission, a powerful planning agency, said China only needed up $800 billion in forex reserves to ensure the safety of its financial system.

The remainder could be invested with a view to generating higher returns, he said.

The composition of China's foreign exchange reserves is a state secret. Analysts estimate that up to 70 percent of the $2.13 trillion stockpile, the world's largest, is invested in dollar-denominated assets, mainly in U.S. government debt.

Chinese economists have proposed that the government use some forex reserves to set up a fund that would provide loans to developing countries in Africa and Asia, with a particular focus on helping them explore for natural resources and build basic infrastructure.


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## hkskyline

*Absa, IFC in $150 mln infrastructure funding deal *

JOHANNESBURG, Sept 3 (Reuters) - South African banking group Absa said on Thursday it has entered into a $150 million funding deal with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) to invest in sub-Saharan African infrastructure projects.

Absa <ASAJ.J, majority-owned by Britain's Barclays , said it would also use the funds from the World Bank's private sector finance arm to explore other opportunities in the region.

"Absa through Absa Capital shall focus particularly on infrastructure development in the telecommunication, oil and gas and power and energy sectors," Chief Executive Maria Ramos said in a press briefing.

Absa Capital is Absa's investment banking arm.

Ramos said in August Absa was reviewing its strategy for expansion in Africa and hoped to capitalise on its relationship with Barclays, which has a presence in several African countries.

South African banks are relatively well capitalised and Absa's major rivals, FirstRand Ltd , Nedbank and Standard Bank are all stepping up investment on the continent.

Standard Bank and its Chinese partner ICBC have said they are looking at about 60 deals in Africa, while Nedbank has formed a banking alliance with Ecobank and FirstRand CEO-designate Sizwe Nxasana has said the group plans to set up commercial banks in Angola and Tanzania.

Absa said last month annual profit would face strain after impairments more than doubled in the first-half.


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## hkskyline

*Impact of floods in West Africa surges: UN *
7 September 2009
Agence France Presse

The United Nations on Monday sharply increased its toll of the number of people affected by floods in West Africa, putting the number at more than 592,000 in no less than 10 countries.

In Senegal alone, floods resulting from several weeks of heavy rain have impaced on 264,000 people, the regional representative of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Aid (OCHA) said.

In neighbouring Burkina Faso, where forecasters say 263 millimetres (about 10 inches) of rain fell on September 1 in a 12-hour period, eight people are dead -- all but one in the capital Ouagadougou -- and 150,000 homeless, it said.

Elswhere, there have been nearly 67,000 affected in Niger, 55,000 in Ghana, 20,000 in Benin, 15,000 in Guinea, 8,700 in Gambia, 8,000 to 10,000 in Mauritania, nearly 2,000 in Ivory Coast, and 1,500 in Sierra Leone.

More abundant rain than previous years, a lack of infrastructure in fast-growing urban areas to cope with heavy downpours, and a lack of rainy-season preparations by governments in the region are responsible for the situation, said Yvon Edoumou, an OCHA spokesman in Dakar.

Last Friday the OCHA in Geneva said that some 350,000 people in West Africa had been affected by serious flooding. Two years ago, in the same region, almost 800,000 were affected.

Senegal's President Abdoulaye Wade, returning Monday from a month's holiday in Europe, said this year's rains were a mixed blessing.

"This year's harvest will be bigger and we will have almost self-sufficiency in food," he said. "Sadly, this great success has been accompanied by flooding ... I sympathise with the suffering of those whose homes are flooded."

Suffering has been exacerbated by power outages, he acknowledged, adding that he would see to it that the Senelec electricity utility gets fresh imports of fuel to run its generators.


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## hkskyline

*Small hydro to help boost rural Africa development *

JOHANNESBURG/KERUGOYA, Kenya, Sept 11 (Reuters) - Mini hydro plants could be the answer to a lack of power in rural Africa, especially as larger power projects are put on hold due to limited cash and abundant red tape, industry officials say.

Analysts say the continent could generate as much as 330,000 megawatts (MW) from its hydro reserves, yet only some 7 percent of that potential has been exploited so far.

But rather than trying to build big dams such as the Grand Inga dam in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which comes with political risk and an $80 billion price tag, communities and investors are looking into developing smaller plants.

"It's a very effective way of providing electricity. The lifespan of a mini hydro scheme could be 20 years or more," said Steven Hunt, an energy consultant based in London. Hunt said most projects in Africa would be 10 kilowatts to 10 MW.

So far only one in four Africans is linked to the grid, but power needs on the continent are estimated to triple by 2035.

Small hydro plants, involving small dams, pumps or water mills, can light villages with minimal environmental impact.

A 7 MW plant in the South African town of Bethlehem is expected to supply power to 15 percent of the roughly 70,000 people, at a total cost of 100 million rand ($13.24 million).

Mini plants satisfy people's basic needs, like the 0.75 kilowatt turbine in Kenya's Kerugoya village which gives access to power without forcing people to walk miles to the next town.

"Now people can walk from their homes to this site and access the Internet, print and charge their mobile phones," said James Kinyua, the head of the project.

The part self-help, part donor-funded project is one of many initiatives across Africa to bring electricity to people not yet covered by national grids.

Zimbabwe is estimated to be able to generate up to 85 MW from small hydro on free-flowing rivers and irrigation dams to supply electricity to farmers whose production could help fight food shortages in the country.

"Power is essential for development. The minute power becomes available, it enables a number of activities," said Felix Kiptum, a U.N. renewable energy consultant.

African governments say the extension of electricity lines to more people is a priority. Kenya is in the process of adding 200,000 new electricity consumers every year until 2012.

While South Africa plans to electrify the country by 2012, Rwanda has said it requires $200 million by the same year to add 220,000 new customers to the national grid.

Rwanda, which relies on diesel, high fuel oils (HFO) generators and imports to complement the 43 MW generated from hydro-electric power, has identified 333 potential hydro sites.

A mix of infrastructure bonds, mobilisation of donor funds and even the small community's initiative like the one in Kerugoya are all fair game to increase electrification.

Civic group Practical Action is building 15 mini hydro plants in Zimbabwe, Malawi and Mozambique to light homes, schools and clinics and to irrigate fields.

Kenya, the world's largest exporter of black tea, also plans to build 10 mini hydro plants supplying a total of 23 MW to irrigate tea plantations.

Mini hydro projects will also help retain professionals such as teachers and health workers in rural areas.

"People will not be running away to go to the urban areas ... (power) is the thing they desire everyday," Kinyua said.


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## nazrey

*SBM Malaysia bags RM4b contract*
By Kamarul Yunus Published: 2009/09/16










SBM Malaysia Sdn Bhd, an oil and gas services company, has won a US$1.2 billion (RM4.2 billion) contract in Equatorial Guinea, Africa. 

The contract is to lease and supply a floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel to Noble Energy Inc, which is developing offshore oil and gas projects in Block One of the Aseng field in Equatorial Guinea.

The contract was awarded by its parent SBM Offshore NV, which owns and operates the world's largest fleet of FPSO vessels, on behalf of Noble Energy.

SBM Malaysia managing director Ivan Replumaz said it will undertake engineering and procurement services for the FPSO Aseng, which will start operation in 2012.

"Currently, we are trying to decide where the conversion of a tanker into FPSO will take place. Most probably, it will be in Singapore," he told a media conference in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

Replumaz said Malaysia Marine and Heavy Engineering Sdn Bhd, a unit of MISC Bhd, had also expressed interest to convert the tanker into an FPSO.

Earlier, oil and gas support services providers Kencana Petroleum Bhd and Ramunia Holdings had declined SBM Malaysia's invitation to convert the tanker.

The FPSO Aseng will be able to process 80,000 barrels of oil a day, with water and gas injection capabilities.

Replumaz said the FPSO Aseng project will be a leap forward as SBM Malaysia, for the first time, will be taking full responsibility for a project which runs into hundreds of millions of ringgit.

"It will fill a substantial part of our workload for the next 18 months. It will also allow SBM Malaysia to continue positioning itself as the leader in deepwater facilities in the Malaysian marketplace."

At its peak, the project is expected to employ some 200 Malaysians comprising mainly engineers and designers.

SBM Malaysia currently employs some 300 people, out of which 90 per cent are locals.

Replumaz said the company was also confident of securing contracts for the FPSO HaiSu Trang in Vietnam and the TLP Malikai in Sabah.

"If we secure these two projects, we may provide the opportunities for our joint venture with MISC to undertake those projects," he said.

SBM Offshore and MISC jointly operate the FPSO Kikeh in the Kikeh field offshore Malaysia.

Source: http://www.btimes.com.my/Current_News/BTIMES/articles/sbmal-2/Article/index_html


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## nazrey

Malabo, Equatorial Guinea's Capital City
Taken from http://goafrica.about.com/od/africa...-Capital-Cities/Malabo--Equatorial-Guinea.htm


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## hkskyline

*FACTBOX-Africa's electrification rates *

Sept 11 (Reuters) - Less than 10 percent of rural households in sub-Saharan Africa have access to electricity and the overall access in the region is below 25 percent. Mini hydro plants are seen as one way of easing the power deficit. 

The following is a list of electrification rates for countries where data is available.




Code:


 CONTINENTS/REGIONS          URBAN        RURAL      TOTAL
                                      (in pct)
 North Africa                 99.3         79.9       90.3
 Sub-Saharan Africa           66.8         11.3       29.1
 South Asia                   68.2         30.1       40.8
 Latin America                98.0         51.5       86.6
 East Asia/China              98.5         81.0       86.9
 Middle East                  98.5         76.6       91.1
 Developing countries         85.6         51.1       64.2
 World                        91.2         56.9       72.8

 


Code:


 COUNTRY                ELECTRIFICATION RATE (in pct)
 Tunisia                         99
 Algeria                         98
 Egypt                           98
 Libya                           97
 Mauritius                       94
 Morocco                         85
 South Africa                    70
 Cote d'Ivoire                   50
 Gabon                           48
 Cameroon                        47
 Nigeria                         46
 Botswana                        39
 Namibia                         34
 Zimbabwe                        34
 Senegal                         33
 Sudan                           30
 Benin                           22
 Eritrea                         20
 Zambia                          19
 Togo                            17
 Madagascar                      15
 Angola                          15
 Ethiopia                        15
 Kenya                           14
 Lesotho                         11
 Tanzania                        11
 Malawi                           7
 Burkina Faso                     7
 Democratic Republic of  Congo    6
 Mozambique                       6

Source: 2007/08 Human Development Report, World Bank, Web (Compiled by Agnieszka Flak)


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## hkskyline

*Angola's economy, government and people *

Sept 15 - (Reuters) - Oil-and-diamond producing Angola is rebuilding its infrastructure after years or civil war and is attracting investment interest in a range of sectors from agriculture to construction.

Here are some facts about Angola's economy, government and people:

ECONOMY - Angola's economy has been heavily hit the world economic crisis as prices for its two main exports -- oil and diamonds -- plunged. After a 7-year economic boom, analysts say growth sharply slowed down in the first quarter of 2009.

Angola emerged from an almost three-decade long civil war in 2002 to rival Nigeria as Africa's biggest oil producer and is the world's fifth biggest diamond producer.

The Economy Ministry has revised downwards its GDP growth forecast for 2009 to 6.2 percent from 11.8 percent. Angola's economy had been growing in double digits since the end of the war. Oil and diamonds account for over 90 percent of the southwest-African nation's income.

BUDGET - The government revised downwards its budget for 2009 in June to $33.3 billion from around $40 billion. It also cut its reference oil price in the budget to $37 per barrel, down from an initial forecast of $55 per barrel.

Angola expects to run a budget deficit of 14.7 percent of GDP, up from an initial estimate of 7.7 percent, according to the revised budget.

-- Angola's currency, the kwanza, lost 4 percent of its value this year. The central bank is now selling a limited amount of dollars to local banks at 78 kwanzas per dollar.

However, the kwanza is trading at around 95 per dollar in the black market due to a shortage of the greeback in the banking system.

The central bank has doubled the bank reserve requirement to 30 percent this year to fight inflation of close to 14 percent and stem speculation on the kwanza. The government hopes to bring down inflation to 12.5 percent this year.

-- Angola's foreign exchange reserves dropped to $12.57 billion in July from $17.499 billion in 2008. The country is trying to sell $9 billion worth of government bonds this year to counter falling revenues from oil and diamond exports, but demand for the bonds has been poor.

POLITICS - Angolan President Jose Eduardo dos Santos, in power for 30 years, is widely expected to run and win the country's first post-war presidential elections scheduled for 2009. Analysts expect the elections to be delayed until 2010.

His ruling party won over 80 percent of the votes in parliamentary elections last year -- the first in 16 years. Many investors see dos Santos as key to peace and stability in the region.

POPULATION - 16.5 million, of which over five million live in or around the capital city Luanda. An estimated two-thirds live on less than $2 a day and many still depend on street commerce or subsistence level farming for a living.

GEOGRAPHY - The south-western African nation stretches over 1,246 kilometres from Namibia in the south to the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the north. The country is twice the size of Texas.


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## nazrey

*Envoy urges M’sians to explore Nigeria*
Monday October 5, 2009
http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/10/5/business/4842596&sec=business

KUALA LUMPUR: Opportunity comes only once. That’s the message from Nigerian High Commissioner to Malaysia, Peter J. E. Anegbeh, to Malaysian investors and the business community.

Anegbeh said Malaysian businessmen should explore business opportunities in the African “Land of Opportunities”, which is home to more than 150 million people.

He said Malaysia should emulate China, which had participated in a big way in Nigeria, as well as Japan and South Korea which has notable presence in the country’s vehicle industry.

Known as the “Giant of Africa”, Nigeria is one of the fastest growing economies in the world and continues to witness political and economic stability, since the restoration of civilian rule in 1999.

Goldman Sachs listed Nigeria as one of the countries having good potential to emerge as the world’s largest economies in the 21st century.

“Malaysian investors and businessmen should avail themselves of the many opportunities that is yet to be tapped,” he told Bernama in conjunction with Nigeria’s 49th independence anniversary on Oct 1.

Describing bilateral trade as solid and cordial, Anegbeh said two-way trade still favoured Malaysia but had grown tremendously from US$5mil in 2005 to US$50mil in 2008.

*He also said several Malaysian and Nigerian businessmen were exploring joint ventures in road construction, waste management, water engineering, palm oil plantation and shipbuilding.*

The Nigerian government has put in place policies and programmes that guarantee a free market economy, liberalised exchange control regulations and allowed unrestricted movement of investment capital, he said. 

Opportunities also abound in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector including exploration and production, surveying, civil works, refining, petrochemicals, natural gas pipeline, fertiliser and methanol plants.

Businessmen can also exploit and export bitumen, limestone, coal, tin, columbite, gold, silver, lead, zinc, gypsum, glass sands, clays, asbestos, graphite and iron ore.

Anegbeh also welcomed investments in the agriculture sector particularly crop production, food processing, preservation of livestock and fisheries, agricultural input supplies and machinery, exploitation of timber and wood processing activities. 

The country ranks 25th, globally, and first in Africa in farm output and the agriculture sector accounts for about 42% of Nigeria’s GDP and provides employment to about 65% of the working population.

In manufacturing, the Nigerian government welcomes investors to partake in the building materials, engineering and transport, chemicals, electrical and electronics and scientific instruments industry.

Gold processing, cement production, bottled mineral water, mini-sugar production plants and processing of salt from sea water also offered tremendous potential for Malaysian investors.

Other areas opened for investment include Nigeria’s tourism industry, power sector, infrastructure development and telecommunications. – Bernama


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## nazrey

*Malaysia, Egypt ink 5 MoUs*
Published: 2009/10/08

INTERNATIONAL Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Mustapa Mohamed's three-day trade and investment mission to Egypt saw five memorandum of understandings (MOUs) being signed to further widen the scope of collaboration between Malaysia and the African country.

Four were signed after the inaugural Joint Trade and Investment Committee (JTIC) meeting and witnessed by Mustapa and Egypt's Trade and Industry Minister Rachid Mohamed Rachid at a hotel on Tuesday.

The MOUs were between the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation and the Egyptian Commercial Service on Cooperation in Trade Promotion; Malaysia's Export-Import Bank and the National Bank of Egypt on General Cooperation; I-Nai Venture Holdings Sdn Bhd and Al Andalus on collaboration in the Islamic art and architecture; and Malaysia's Furniture Industry Technology Centre and Egypt's Industrial Training Council on collaboration in the furniture industrial training.

The fifth, between AJM Planning and Urban Design Group and Egypt's Housing Ministry, was signed when Mustapa met Minister Ahmad Maghraby at the ministry later in the day.

Mustapa told reporters that the MOUs further cement and widen the scope of relationship between the two countries.

" We enjoy very close political relations and never had there been any problem between the two countries.

" Before, it was confined to a few areas. Now it's going into ICT, training, and infrastructure, highway and new township development. These are new areas we hope we will be able to collaborate in the months ahead.

" This will further enhance bilateral ties between the two brotherly countries of Malaysia and Egypt," he said.

Ties were a two-way process, he said and added: "Of course, we would like to get Malaysian companies to be involved in partnership with their brothers in Egypt in the various programmes and projects you’re about to embark."

He said Egypt had experienced good growth in the past few years, so there were a lot of potential and opportunities for Malaysians to collaborate with their Egyptian counterparts in this country.

At the same time, Malaysia would like to encourage Egyptian businessmen to venture into various projects in this country such as in hospitality, tourism education and agriculture. 

"These are some possible areas of collaboration," he said.

As for sharing of expertise, he particularly welcomed the initiative taken by the Egypt-Malaysia Business Council to hold the Eqypt-Malaysia Business Forum after the signing of the first four MOUs in conjunction with Mustapa's visit.

Here, he made a courtesy call on Prime Minister Dr Ahmed Mahmoud Mohammed Nazir and separately met Rachid Mohamed Rachid, the Trade and Industry Minister, Ahmad Maghraby the Housing Minister, Transport Minister Mohamed Lotfi Mansour, Higher Education Minister Dr Hany Helal and Investment Minister Dr Mahmoud Mohieldien.

He is scheduled to call on Health Minister Dr Hatem Mostafa El-Gabaly before leaving for Jeddah today.


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## hkskyline

*Congo mining sector attracts investors despite risks *

LUBUMBASHI, Congo, Oct 13 (Reuters) - Congo's high-risk but potentially lucrative metals sector is once more attracting the interest of major investors looking to pick up bargains ahead of an anticipated global economic recovery and a rebound in demand.

Most major foreign-owned projects in Democratic Republic of Congo suspended development last year when financing dried up amid a drop in world metals prices brought on by falling demand linked to the global economic downturn.

In addition, a much-delayed government review of 61 mining contracts concluded with First Quantum scrapping its $550 million Kingamyambo Musonoi Tailings (KMT) project, and though work continues, Freeport-McMoRan's giant Tenke Fungurume (TFM) copper mine also failed to clear the review.

The major concern for companies is holding on to the properties they have.

"A lot of questions used to be on the (review), but not any more," Poupak Bahamin, a partner with law firm Heenan Blaikie, which represents miner First Quantum, told Reuters.

"They have understood what it is, that it does not affect new projects. The biggest issue now is the security of title."

Faced with a wave of scepticism over the wisdom of setting up shop in a country with one of the world's worst business environments, government officials are attempting to assuage the fears of potential investors.

"There is no question of breaking the pact of trust with investors. We want to reassure them that Congo is a country that respects its commitments," the country's Planning Minister Olivier Kamitatu told an investors' conference last week.

Investors should be on notice that their Congo deals may attract more attention as the country attempts to rehabilitate itself financially, in particular with a $6 billion agreement with China that, after it was modified at the behest of international lenders, could pave for the way for debt relief.

"Investors will find themselves under increased scrutiny. It'll be something they'll take into account, but it will not necessarily discourage themselves," said Gus Selassie, research director Africa at IHS Global Insight.

"There are bigger problems than that when investing in Congo," he said, referring to security concerns and lack of basic infrastructure.

High and rising metal prices make Congo risk worthwhile.

"The metal price has gone significantly higher than it was last year," said Kerry Smith, analyst at Haywood Securities in Canada, referring to copper on the London Metal Exchange <MCU3> which traded above $6,300 per tonne in early October, around double its level at the start of the year.

"Investors generally try to make an assessment of the risk and how much they are willing to pay for that," he said.

M&A ACTIVITY

In equities markets, investors are ready to pay for Congo miners again.

Australia's Anvil Mining recently finalised a financing deal worth $200 million with Trafigura Beheer B.V., and Eurasian Natural Resources Corp is in negotiations to buy AIM-listed junior Central African Mining and Exploration Co. for $950 million.

Chinese investors will soon begin construction on a $3 billion copper and cobalt project as part of a $6 billion infrastructure and loan package -- and this despite Congo ranking 63 out of 71 mining countries and regions in a February survey released by Canada-based economic research group the Fraser Institute.

"I can't say that today Congo is a country that is attractive to investors," one Chinese entrepreneur based in Congo's mining heartland of Katanga province told Reuters.

"New investors face lots of problems with taxes, with the immigration services, and with the law itself. Even signing contracts with workers is a problem for most companies."

Still, the richness of Congo's copper and cobalt deposits, and relative lack of lack of untapped sources elsewhere, means miners cannot ignore Congo.

Juvenal Kiungwa, Katanga's mines minister, says investors are taking advantage of current bargains to gain a foothold in the sector ahead of a recovery.

"This is a favourable period. It's just a question of putting it in perspective," he told Reuters.

"When you make an analysis of the share prices and of the international economy, you see that we are not going to stay where we are today. Things will move forward. There will be a demand for metals. Their behaviour is entirely rational."


----------



## hkskyline

*Kenya, China mull massive corridor for Sudanese oil: FT *
15 October 2009
Agence France Presse

Nairobi and Beijing are mulling a huge project to develop a port on the Kenyan coast and a corridor creating a new export route for China's oil in Sudan's secessionist south, the Financial Times reported Thursday.

China's involvement would come as an alternative to a project floated last year in which Qatar would have invested 3.5 billion dollars in the port in exchange for a lease on a huge tract of land to grow crops.

The newspaper said the ambitious project would be a key issue during a trip to China by Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga, who left late Wednesday.

Government sources told AFP the issue would indeed be on the table but Odinga's office did not elaborate on the visit's agenda.

The energy-hungry Asian giant, the world's third largest economy, is the biggest foreign player in Sudan's oil sector and gets five percent of its crude oil from the Africa nation.

One of China's top state-owned energy groups is expected to start prospecting in northern Kenya soon.

A large port in Lamu, currently one of Kenya's tourism jewels, would offer an outlet should China strike oil in the area but it would also provide a route for its concessions in Sudan.

Most of Sudan's oil is in the south -- which has a semi-autonomous status and is to hold a referendum on independence in 2011 -- or in disputed border areas.

The vast majority of Sudan's oil is currently exported through the north and the Red Sea harbour of Port Sudan.

Tension has been high in recent months between Khartoum -- of whom China has been a precious international ally in recent years -- and the government of South Sudan.

The south is expected to overwhelmingly choose independence in 2011 but with the current infrastructure the newly-independent landlocked state would have to negotiate with the north to export its oil.


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## hkskyline

*Mozambique revives historic railway line *
26 October 2009
Agence France Presse

As the locomotive rolls into dusty Savane, children drop their games to chase the train and a colorful palette of vendors converges on the station.

The recently rebuilt Sena railroad has brought new life to this village in central Mozambique, 26 years after the original line was destroyed in the southern African country's bloody civil war.

"Soft drinks! Sweets! Bread! Peanuts!" yell the vendors, who sell all that and more from baskets perched on their heads.

They pass their goods up to the sea of hands clamouring from the windows above. A stream of cash passes down.

Mozambique goes to the polls Wednesday for its fourth general elections since a 1992 peace agreement that ended its 16-year civil war and ushered in multi-party democracy.

The vote will in part be a referendum on the job ruling party Frelimo has done rebuilding the country in the 17 years since.

The recovery has been steady but slow, as the story of the Sena railroad attests.

Last November the rail line was partially reopened, the product of a six-year reconstruction project that followed a decade spent looking for funds.

National rail company CFM expects to reopen the full 673-kilometre line by late November this year.

When complete, the Sena line will provide a vital link from Moatize in the northwest -- where multinational companies recently began mining what are believed to be the world's largest reserves of high-quality coal, estimated at 2.4 billion tonnes -- and the central port city of Beira.

It will also restore a vital connection to the outside world in long-neglected places like Savane.

The Sena line was built in the early 20th century, when Mozambique was still a Portuguese colony.

The backbone of central Mozambique's rail network, it became a favorite target for the campaign of infrastructure attacks carried out by Renamo, the anti-Communist rebel group that waged war on Frelimo's Marxist-Leninist regime after independence from Portugal in 1975.

With sponsorship from white-ruled Rhodesia and apartheid South Africa, Renamo bombed rail bridges, attacked trains and lay mines along the tracks.

By the war's end, many sections of the line were mangled and useless. In other places trees grew through the tracks. Train stations in Savane and elsewhere were bombed-out shells.

"The line was completely destroyed," said Candido Jone, director of the reconstruction project.

"It was a reconstruction from zero."

Rebuilding has been a 220 million dollar project, funded partly by the World Bank and European Investment Bank and partly by private investors.

CFM says the project has been vital to restarting the economy.

For years Moatize's mines sat idle because there was no way to export the coal.

Jone credits the rebuilding of the Sena line with bringing in billions of dollars of investment from mining giants Vale, Riversdale and Coal India.

The line is also improving life in more everyday ways.

Abencoado Caetano is traveling home to Marromeu from Beira. The train ticket cost him five dollars -- half the price of the mini-bus.

"With that half, you can eat along the way," Caetano says.

"I'm traveling with children, so with that money I can buy bread, cake, even travel well."

Track-side vendors say they earn between four and fifteen dollars a day.

It's a lot in a country where 90 percent of the population still lives on less than two dollars a day.

As passengers lean out the train windows to bargain with the vendors below, Alexandre Luis, a native of the area who has come to say goodbye to a relative, watches the spectacle unfold.

"With this line, a lot of people manage to survive, said Luis.


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## oshon

*EAC Seeks U.S.$10 Billion for Infrastructure Development*

Leah Brown and Elias Wambura
2 December 2009

East African Community (EAC) member states need about $10 billion in order to repair the infrastructure in the region.

Tanzania's Minister for East African Cooperation, Dr. Deodorus Kamala said the funds are needed to renovate the roads and railways with an objective of reducing the cost of doing business.

He told The East African Business Week in an interview that the World Bank and African Development Bank have already shown interest to help renovating the railway from the current imperial gauge of 3.03 feet to the standard gauge of four feet.

"We are engaging various development partners and stakeholders to support the region," he said.

The East Africa Region operates five modes of transport consisting of road, rail, maritime, air transport and oil pipeline. The region's development strategy recognised that regional infrastructure interventions are key to attracting investment into the region, improving competitiveness, and promoting trade.

The infrastructure and support services sub-sectors cover roads, railways, civil aviation, maritime transport and ports, multi-modal transport, freight administration and management.

A number of Tripartite Agreements have been reached in the field of infrastructure including road transport, and inland waterways transport.

In another development EAC is looking forward to implementing the industry policy that will incorporate all other policies that were formerly implemented in each member country before the signing of the common market.

He said that following the signing of the common market protocol, each country will have its on regulations on land, movement of people and issues of employment.

"Each country has signed the protocol voluntarily and with the approval of its people" he noted. He said Tanzania will allow other countries to invest in farming as one way promoting the country's Kilimo Kwanza Initiative.

He said that partner states are obliged to put more efforts to look for financial institutions and donor fund agencies that are ready to finance EAC projects.


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## EduardSA

I think this thread is very good and informative! Good job hkskyline!


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## hkskyline

Looks like Africa's untapped resources are powering infrastructure FDI from abroad.


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## PP Girls

Zambezia’s Quelimane Airport Upgrade was underway in Mozambique. Does anyone know if this upgrade is complete now?


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## hkskyline

^ Couldn't find info in my search on the topic.

*Renaissance bets on African consumer, infrastructure*

LONDON, Oct 7 (Reuters) - Fast growth in Africa propelled by resource wealth as well as growing consumer demand and infrastructure needs make the continent an attractive proposition, according to Renaissance Asset Managers.

Guinness Nigeria, Benue Cement and Equity Bank are among the top equity picks for the fund manager, which launched two Africa funds this month. "During the crisis, Africa was the only place that grew," said Plamen Monovski, chief investment officer of the fund management arm of Russian bank Renaissance Capital.

"Africa is not commodity-dependent to the extent people thought. The majority of GDP (gross domestic product) is driven by the consumer, infrastructure investment, the emergence of private equity, the removal of the state from the economy."

Renaissance has launched one fund investing in sub-Saharan Africa, excluding South Africa, and a pan-Africa fund, which also invests in developed market stocks with African exposure.

The sub-Saharan Africa fund is targeting $250 million and the pan-Africa fund is looking to raise $1 billion, Monovski said.

Guinness Nigeria is part of London-listed Diageo Plc, and Renaissance said it is growing 22 percent year-on-year.

Attempting to capitalise on the continent's building needs, Renaissance also likes Nigeria's Benue Cement, which is due to merge with Nigeria's biggest cement maker Dangote Cement.

Growing consumer demand for financial services in the continent is also helping the banking sector.

Renaissance favours Equity Bank, Kenya's biggest lender by market value.

Renaissance's funds are focused on the larger African economies such as Nigeria, Kenya and Ghana.

"As we have learnt from BRICs (Brazil, Russia, India and China), it's a lot more interesting when countries are large," Monovski said. "In larger markets, you have more people, more interesting products being launched." Investors worry about corruption and the ease of doing business in Africa but Monovski said corporate governance had gotten better.

"It's improving, a lot of countries are making a concerted effort. If we recall what was going on in Asia, corporate governance was awful years ago. Corporate governance has contemporaneous improvements with GDP," he said.


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## scottyaks143

The African infrastructures are not bad at all..


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## hkskyline

*Chinese money to fund Ghana's energy, infrastructure*
26 October 2010

ACCRA, Oct 26 (Reuters) - Ghana will use a series of multi-billion dollar deals with China to finance infrastructure projects and transform its economy through gas- and oil-driven industrialisation, the government said.

A month after the government signed a total of $13 billion in agreements with the China Development Bank and China Exim Bank, the government has given some details on the deals, which must be approved by parliament.

Here are some of the main points from a speech on Monday by Hannah Tetteh, Ghana's minister for trade and industry, who said Ghana needed to invest $1.6 billion a year to tackle the country's infrastructure problems:

$3 BLN CHINA DEVELOPMENT BANK FACILITY

* Western Corridor Gas Commercialisation project

- Support establishment of gas-processing plant at Bonyere to use gas discoveries from Jubilee and Sankofa fields for power generation.

- Construct gas transmission pipeline from Bonyere to Western region.

- Project to be developed on design-build-operate and transfer basis.

* Industrial Minerals processing estate

- Develop mineral processing industries in the Export Processing Zone in Sekondi.

- Central to processing zone will be a new alumina refinery, to be developed as a joint venture between Ghana's government, China Africa Development Fund and Bosai Minerals Group of China, the majority owners of Ghana Bauxite Company.

- Proposed refinery to produce two million tonnes of alumina a year from the Ghanaian bauxite deposits in Awaso and Kibi.

- CDB funding also to be used to rehabilitate the Central and Western railway lines, roads linking the projects and Takoradi harbour.

* No further details were given on the financing agreements.

CHINA EXIM BANK AGREEMENT

- Ghana has said it has signed a $9.87 billion deal with China Exim Bank for road, railway and dam projects.

- Tetteh said that China Exim Bank had committed to a total of $5.9 billion for 19 projects in health, railways, agriculture and education.

- No reason was given for the discrepancy in figures, nor were any details given on the terms of the agreement.

BILATERAL AID, GRANTS AND DONATIONS

- A $250 million concessionary loan from China for the rehabilitation of the Kpong Water Works. Loan to be paid back over 20 years, with interest payments at 2 percent.

- A $20 million interest-free loan to build fish-landing sites for coastal communities.

- Another $12 million for a selection of other projects specifically requested by Ghana's president.


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## hkskyline

*IBM signs 10-year contract with Bharti Airtel in Africa, terms not given*
14 January 2011

ARMONK, N.Y. (AP) - IBM signed a 10-year contract with phone company Bharti Airtel last month to set up and manage the technology infrastructure supporting Airtel's expansion into 16 African countries.

IBM said Friday that it will consolidate and transform the 16 different information technology environments across Airtel's African operations into an integrated system. It will also oversee the management of servers, data center operations, applications and other areas.

Financial terms were not disclosed. IBM said the agreement extends its relationship with India's Bharti Airtel, which began in 2004.

Bharti Airtel, India's largest mobile phone company, bought the Africa assets of Kuwaiti cell phone operator Zain last June, expanding its global reach and tapping into the continent's emerging markets for the first time.

Shares of International Business Machines Corp. slid 6 cents to $148.76 in morning trading.


----------



## DiscoZimpy

"I called vehicle owners in Kumba to come and evacuate my cocoa to the market, but they told me they could not come because the bad state of the road will ruin their vehicles," he said.


----------



## Enabulele

*Gas Pipeline From Algeria To Spain Switched On*



> The Mayor of Almería, Luis Rogelio Rodríguez Comendador, and government sub-delegate in Almeria, Andres Heras, yesterday (5 March 2011) opened the valve Medgaz connection with the Spanish gas system in a symbolic act that is part of the test sequence.
> 
> For the company is a major milestone that marks the start of imports of Algerian gas to Spain via the Medgaz. This new step has been developed by the Receiving Terminal, located in Playa del Perdigal, in the presence of the Head of Industry and Energy for the office in Almería, Luis Díaz de Quijano, and the director general of Medgaz, Juan Antonio Vera.
> 
> Last Phase Of Testing
> 
> The company is in the final phase of the test gas. After verification of all units in terminal Compression Beni Saf, on March 1 valve was opened offshore Algeria, to begin filling the gas pipeline, and begin testing with gas receiving terminal Almeria. The said event was attended by the CEO of Sonatrach, Noureddine Cherouati, and the president of Medgaz, Peter Miro, Algerian authorities and partners of the company.
> 
> The test sequence for commissioning of the pipeline comprises a phase of commissioning and start another. During the commissioning phase systems have been verified, while the boot is gradually introducing gas.
> 
> Currently, natural gas continues to circulate in evidence throughout the pipeline, and yesterday was connected to the Spanish gas system, through the pipe Enagás, to continue the process with increasing volumes up to the total system capacity in a stable and reliable. Medgaz expected that the pipeline is technically ready to operate within weeks.
> 
> Medgaz is the company responsible for building the Algeria-Europe via Spain. With an initial capacity of eight billion cubic meters a year, about natural gas from Beni Saf, on the Algerian coast to Almería.


From: Bimanie


----------



## hkskyline

*Africa investment urged to boost world economy*
AFP 
Sat, Aug 6, 2011

With an ailing US economy, European debt battles and Japan rebuilding after a crisis, investors should be looking south -- to Africa, the head of the African Development Bank said.

Investing in the continent at a time when developed countries' economies are struggling would boost the world economy, Donald Kaberuka told AFP in an interview in Washington this week.

*Africa is rich in mineral wealth and proven oil reserves, has a growing, urban middle class and undeveloped infrastructure.*

And its leaders are working to improve security, stability and rule of law. They have also learned from the uprisings in North Africa and the Middle East that economic advances have to benefit a country's people, not just its president and his inner circle, in order to be sustainable.

"Opportunities elsewhere are not many. So Africa is the opportunity," Kaberuka said.

"Some of our bonds are better than, certainly, Greek bonds."

Economies in sub-Saharan Africa are projected to grow at 5.6 percent this year and 6.5 percent next year, with a dozen countries growing at the critical rate of seven percent, considered the minimum for sustainable poverty reduction.

"Growth now is happening in emerging markets," Kaberuka said.

"Imagine if there were no China and India or Brazil at a time when Europe and the US are in difficulty. It would be a big recession because China and India and Brazil are picking up the slack.

"If we could now add Africa, I think that that could give a boost to the world economy," he continued.

*Besides Africa's oil and mineral wealth, which foreign investors have long had a hand in exploiting, Africa offers other business opportunities up for grabs.*

*"Forty percent of Africans live in urban areas. That means they want housing, infrastructure. They'll be using Colgate; they'll need fridges, household appliances," said Kaberuka.*

"You have the choice of making it in Africa or importing it. Either way creates business."

The bank chief also advocated setting up free trade agreements with Africa.

Just last month, British Prime Minister David Cameron said that an African free trade zone could increase gross domestic product across the continent by $60 billion a year -- $20 million more than the world now gives Africa in aid.

"Rich countries would not have to give us aid; trade would create wealth," Kaberuka said.

African leaders agreed in South Africa in June to launch negotiations on creating a free trade zone that would include 26 countries with a combined economy estimated at $875 billion.

For their part, African leaders are working to improve stability and security and ensure that the continent's wealth benefits its people.

Kaberuka said the popular uprisings now roiling Arab countries highlighted the importance of "inclusive, shared" economic growth rather than national wealth figures alone.

"Tunisia was growing at about 5.5 percent for almost seven years, and many international organizations were effusive in their praise of its achievements. What they didn't look at were the growing inequalities and that an authoritarian model that was clearly denying rights to the people," he said.

"We can no longer turn a blind eye to these issues. Today we have to keep an eye on whether economies are growing and ask if the fruits of growth are getting to the people.

"Because if they aren't, this thing is not sustainable."


----------



## hkskyline

*Japan plans to send engineers to South Sudan*
AFP _Excerpt_
Sat, Sep 17, 2011

Japan plans to send a 300-strong military engineering team to South Sudan as part of a UN mission to help the African nation build badly needed infrastructure, a report said Saturday.

*****************

Japan plans to send about 300 personnel from the Ground Self-Defense Force engineering unit to the African country to help repair or build roads, bridges and other infrastructure, it said.

During a visit to Japan last month, Ban asked Japan to consider the mission.

South Sudan proclaimed independence from Sudan, Africa's largest nation, on July 9, when it became the world's newest country.


----------



## mopc

To say that Africa's infrastructure has "woes" is an understatement if there's ever been one.


----------



## hkskyline

*South Africa to Lure Mining Companies With $40 Billion Boost For Railways*
Bloomberg

Feb. 10 (Bloomberg) -- Duncan Clarke, chief executive officer of Global Pacific & Partners Ltd., talks about economic development and infrastructure in South Africa. He speaks with Louise Beale on Bloomberg Television's "Last Word." (Source: Bloomberg)

South Africa is ramping up spending on railways and roads to lure mining investment as the government fights off calls from within the ruling African National Congress to nationalize the country’s mines.

State-owned rail and port operator Transnet SOC Ltd. will spend 300 billion rand ($40 billion) over seven years to expand capacity on iron ore, coal and manganese export lines, President Jacob Zuma told lawmakers in his state-of-the-nation speech in Cape Town yesterday.

Mining “plays a critical role in the socio-economic development of the country,” Zuma, 69, said. “We remain committed to the creation of a favorable and globally competitive mining sector.”

Zuma’s government is battling to lure investment in mining as the ANC Youth League, led by Julius Malema, pushes for the seizure of mines in the world’s largest producer of platinum, chrome and manganese. An ANC-appointed task team to investigate the matter said nationalization would be a “disaster,” while recommending higher taxes.

“The mining industry has been battered by a lot of uncertainty with regards to policy, mostly centered around nationalization,” Kevin Lings, an economist at Stanlib Asset Management in Johannesburg, said in telephone interview. “They are trying to eliminate that uncertainty.”

Deterring Investment

Anglo American Plc (AAL), Xstrata Plc (XTA), Rio Tinto Group Plc (RIO) and BHP Billiton Ltd. (BHP) have operations in the country. Anglo American, the largest investor in South African mining, and AngloGold Ashanti Ltd. (ANG) are among companies that have said the nationalization debate is deterring investment.

“There are no mixed signals about this,” Zuma said in an interview with the South African Broadcasting Corp. today. “Nationalization is not the ANC’s or the government’s policy.”

South Africa needs to boost mining to more than 10 percent of gross domestic product from about 6 percent, Trevor Manuel, head of the National Planning Commission, said on Feb. 6. Mining production declined 5.1 percent in the fourth quarter compared with a year earlier, the statistics agency said yesterday.

“President Zuma has made clear that the South African government is serious about growing the mining industry and making it more internationally competitive,” Anglo American spokesman Pranill Ramchander said in e-mailed comments. “We are particularly pleased with the commitment to develop and integrate rail, road and water infrastructure, developing the capacity of our ports and containing electricity price increases.”

‘Industrialize the Country’

Zuma is betting that increased spending on infrastructure projects will help offset slower growth in Africa’s biggest economy and reduce the highest jobless rate among 61 countries tracked by Bloomberg. High port costs and a lack of rail and power capacity have been cited by the government as one of the major obstacles to faster economic growth.

“The massive investment in infrastructure must leave more than just power stations, rail-lines, dams and roads,” Zuma said. “It must industrialize the country, generate skills and boost much-needed job creation.”

The government plans to send officials to the Middle East next week to seek investment from the region’s sovereign wealth funds, Collins Chabane, the minister in the presidency, said in an interview on SAfm radio today. Transnet’s finances are strong enough to fund the projects over seven years, the South African Press Association reported, citing Public Enterprises Minister Malusi Gigaba.

Growth Slows

South African Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan has pledged to cut the budget deficit to 3.3 percent of GDP in three years from 5.5 percent in the current fiscal year.

Growth will probably slow this year to below 3 percent from 3.1 percent in 2011 as Europe heads toward recession, Gordhan said on Jan. 26. That’s less than half the 7 percent annual expansion that’s needed to cut the jobless rate to 14 percent by 2020 from 23.9 percent currently.

Rail, road and water systems in the northern Limpopo province will help unlock coal, platinum, palladium, chrome and other mineral deposits in the region and encourage investment, Zuma said. Railway lines in the eastern Mpumalanga province will be expanded to connect coal fields to power stations, while transport links between the central Gauteng province and the eastern port of Durban will be improved, he said.

‘Lead and Guide’

Transnet will spend 200 billion rand on rail projects over seven years, including links that will enable it to transport 82 million metric tons of iron ore a year, up from 60 million tons currently, Zuma said. The rail operator will build a rail-line to carry 16 million tons of manganese to the Coega port on the country’s south coast.

The government will reduce port costs for exporters of manufactured goods, saving them 1 billion rand, the president said. Zuma has also asked Eskom Holdings SOC Ltd., the state power producer, to curtail planned price increases.

“We see our role as being to lead and guide the economy and to intervene in the interest of the poor,” he said.

South Africa’s rand weakened 1.1 percent to 7.6688 against the dollar by 11:54 a.m. in Johannesburg, trimming its gain for the year to 5.5 percent.


----------



## hkskyline

*Africa needs 'new ways to fund energy projects'*
AFP 
Thu, Feb 23, 2012

Africa needs to find new ways to finance energy projects as the continent seeks to massively expand access to electricity in the wake of the global financial crisis, experts say.

The public-private partnership (PPP) model for building and operating expensive infrastructure like power plants will no longer work as international banks shy away from long-term loans, bankers and industry insiders told the Africa Energy Indaba conference under way in Johannesburg this week.

"We've got to stop kidding ourselves that PPP is the answer," said Anthony Sykes of Japanese bank Sumitomo Mitsui.

"Lenders are going to be extremely unwilling to lend long-term to projects."

Africa's governments are desperate to roll out more major power projects.

According to the International Energy Agency, 70 percent of people in sub-Saharan Africa have no access to electricity, compared to 20 percent worldwide -- a fact that is hampering the continent's economic development.

The continent's largest economy, South Africa, is looking to more than double its current electricity supply from some 40,000 Megawatts to more than 89,000 by 2030.

The warning on funding difficulties came as South African Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan presented a budget Wednesday that includes almost two trillion rand ($250 billion, 190 billion euros) in spending on mega-electricity projects in the next eight years.

The country is already building two new coal-fired power plants that will generate a more than 9,500 Megawatts when complete, and also envisions some six new nuclear plants for a combined 9,600 megawatts and major investments in wind, solar and hydro power.

The finance ministry did not specify how the government would pay for the ambitious programme, saying there were various ways to finance public infrastructure.

"No good project will be short of funding," Gordhan said.

But Energy Indaba participants said a new paradigm may be needed.

"PPP works for the construction phase but not the overall life of the project," said Frederic Mariette of French investment bank Natixis.

Under the PPP model, dominant for the past two decades, governments entered into partnerships with private-sector backers for the lifetime of a project -- some 20 to 50 years in the case of a power plant.

Banks financing such projects borrow enough money to cover operating and maintenance costs for perhaps five years, then borrowed more money for the next five.

But the model has been eroding since Lehman Brothers collapsed in 2008, triggering the financial melt-down. Banks have become skittish about lending to each other, regulators began tightening capital requirements and PPPs began to look unviable.

Panelists suggested one new investment model could be to build power plants with private financing, then borrow money from pension funds -- which are flush with cash in some large economies such as Nigeria and South Africa -- to pay for running costs and upkeep.

They also cited the 'Chinese model,' already common in Africa, in which the Asian giant gives or lends the money for a large infrastructure project, brings its own workers and materials to build it, then turns it over to the local government as part of a wider deal, usually to source raw materials.

But Mark Beare, an independent consultant, said that approach has a fatal flaw.

"Who's going to maintain all of this? The (locals) aren't getting that skills and technology transfer that builds the internal capacity," he said.


----------



## hkskyline

*Tanzania in 50 mln euro EIB loan to upgrade airports*
Fri, Feb 10, 2012

DAR ES SALAAM (Reuters) - Tanzania has signed a 50 million euro loan facility with the European Investment Bank (EIB) to upgrade regional airports to boost tourism and air transport in east Africa's second-biggest economy, a senior government official said on Friday.

"This project will significantly open up and ease transport to and from the regions as it will provide access to cost-efficient air transport ... some of the regions are potential for tourism activities," Ramadham Khijjah, permanent secretary in Tanzania's finance ministry, told a news conference.

Khijjah said the 20-year loan facility would finance the upgrading of Kigoma, Tabora, Bukoba, Shinyanga and Sumbawanga airports.

Projects include the replacement of runways, and the reconstruction of taxiways and passenger terminal buildings.

Khijjah said the EIB was a key player in Tanzania's infrastructure development, with the bank having previously loaned the country $134.5 million for a power project.

Tanzania earned $1.4 billion from tourism in the year ended October 2011 from $1.2 billion a year ago, helped by a rise in tourist arrivals, according to central bank statistics.


----------



## hkskyline

*Africa Finance Corp eyeing $3 bln deals in a year*
Mon, May 14, 2012

NAIROBI (Reuters) - Africa Finance Corporation (AFC), a Lagos-based development financier, is considering potential investments worth $3 billion across sub-Saharan Africa over the next year, its chief executive said on Monday.

Created in 2007 to help increase much-needed investments in the key infrastructure, transport and heavy industries sectors in Africa, AFC - 46 percent-owned by seven west African states including Nigeria and Ghana - has already invested $500 million in projects worth a total $4 billion from Cape Verde to Zambia.

"In our sectors we see a lot of opportunities. We are currently reviewing investments totalling $3 billion across the continent. That is what our pipeline is," Andrew Alli told Reuters in the Kenyan capital.

"These are projects from Senegal down to Mozambique. Virtually every country in sub-Sahara Africa has a power deficit so there is obviously quite a lot of opportunity in power."

Alli said AFC - part of a growing phenomenon of Africans investing in their own continent - also looks for a commercial return on its investments, was looking to conclude the potential deals soon.

"It is almost certain that we won't invest in all of them but we would expect to review them and close them over the course of the next year or so," he said.

Alli, whose organisation invested $50 million in Kenyan cement firm Athi River Mining this year, praised the Kenyan government for policies aimed at encouraging private investments in the energy sector.

"We see potential for electricity investments in Kenya and particularly for renewables, both geothermal and also wind," Alli said, adding that they were in talks with other firms they could invest in.

"We probably are looking to put in total at least another $100-$150 million into Kenya in the next 18 months if things work out correctly."

NIGERIAN POWER

Other potential investments being evaluated include some in the Nigerian power sector where planned privatisations later this year could open up opportunities, Alli said.

AFC is also assessing investment opportunities in Senegal, Ethiopia, Ghana and Ivory Coast, where they have already secured approval to fund construction of a tall bridge in Abidjan, Alli added.

"Infrastructure is the skeleton that economic growth generally hangs," he said.

Alli said the main risks facing investments in Africa include a slowdown in the global economy, which could cut demand for export commodities, and changes in governments that often lead to sudden shifts in policies.

"Policy reversals happen quite often. When a new government comes in they reverse policies that the previous government had put in place and businesses that had reacted to the first set of policies can be left high and dry," he said.

This year's coups in Mali and Guinea Bissau had also shown the possibility of political turmoil that could affect investments was also lurking in the background, he said.

AFC aims to tap emerging opportunities after years of stable economic growth across several economies, the majority of its are held by private firms from Nigeria and Kenya.

Alli, who previously headed the International Finance Corporation's operations in Nigeria and Southern Africa, said they wanted more African nations to join the AFC as shareholders to fund the continent's development and make a profit.

"Investments in Africa have yields that are among the highest returns of different continents," he said.


----------



## hkskyline

*Nigeria to sign off on $3 billion in Chinese loans*
July 4, 2013

ABUJA (Reuters) - *Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan will travel to China next week to sign off on $3 billion in Chinese loans to build infrastructure in Africa's most populous country, the finance minister said on Wednesday.*

The agreed loans will come from the Chinese government and will be based on interest rates of less than 3 percent over a 15-20 year period, Minister of Finance Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said.

The deal underscores increasing Chinese interest in Africa and its resources - Nigeria is the continent's top oil producer - in competition with Western powers.

*Okonjo-Iweala estimates Nigeria needs $10 billion a year of investment to improve infrastructure like roads and electricity to keep up with a rapidly growing population, already some 170 million, and to sustain economic growth at around 6-7 percent.*

*U.S. President Barack Obama launched a $7 billion initiative on Sunday to help Africa with electricity shortages but this is dwarfed by the $20 million in loans China has promised the continent.* Obama did not visit Nigeria.

"We know that China fuelled its growth by really keeping one step ahead in terms of infrastructure ... we need roads, we need power, we need help on aviation, agriculture," Okonjo-Iweala told Reuters at the presidential villa in the capital.

China has made a string of cheap loans in the past few years to countries in Africa, a continent which supplies oil and raw materials like copper and uranium to the world's most populous country and second-largest economy.

The loans to Nigeria include $500 million to build airport terminals in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and Kano; and over $700 million to build a hydroelectric power plant in Niger State.

It also includes $600 million to build a light railway in the capital Abuja, most of which has already been invested on a project due to be completed early next year.

Lending at below market rates to fund infrastructure projects using Chinese firms has enabled Beijing to cement relationships in Africa while subsidising its construction industry.

Nigeria's central bank governor Lamido Sanusi warned African governments in March that China's pursuit of raw materials and markets for its manufactured goods on the continent carried "a whiff of colonialism" similar to that introduced by Europeans in centuries past.

"I'm not of the school that says 'look this is colonialism' ... We should be open to whoever wants to invest and help us finance our needs," Okonjo-Iweala said.

The loans are part of a $7.9 billion external borrowing plan approved by Nigeria's national assembly last year as government seeks to up cheaper external borrowing and limit domestic debt.

Okonjo-Iweala said the delegation travelling to China on July 7 would also be discussing China's interest in oil from Nigeria, an OPEC member and Africa's top producer.

"They want more oil and gas ... we have something they want now and they have something we want, so you have grounds for negotiations," Okonjo-Iweala said.

With the discovery of shale oil and gas in the United States, Nigeria is losing its biggest customer and looking for new buyers. India has been increasing its imports from Nigeria.


----------



## hkskyline

*ANALYSIS - Nigeria hopes its gas can keep the lights on* 

ABUJA, March 21 (Reuters) - The first power cut to hit the luxury hotel venue of this week's energy conference here struck the Nigerian oil minister's speech on gas supply reforms with uncanny accuracy.

"The gas masterplan aims to develop infrastructure delivery for the domestic market ...," Diezani Alison-Madueke was saying - before a blackout took out the auditorium lights and speakers.

Muted laughter followed, then a lone heckle.

"Well, this is why we need these major gas infrastructure improvements," her barely audible voice continued, just before the diesel generator kicked in and light returned.

Nigeria's desperate need for power could well be the catalyst that opens up its proven gas reserves of about 180 trillion standard cubic feet (scf), the world's ninth biggest, after Africa's biggest energy producer missed out on the last decade's liquefied natural gas (LNG) boom.

"Most people are still only here for the oil, yet Nigeria is sitting on a gas canister," said an oil industry executive.

Industry sources put the real quantity at 500 trillion scf.

For 50 years Nigeria used its petroleum fields almost exclusively as a source of crude oil for export.

"Gas was just this poisonous thing associated with the oil," Abiye Membere, head of exploration and production at the state-run Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), said.

That began to change a decade ago with the completion of one of the world's largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals, fed largely by fields owned by leading operator Shell. Shell also has 25.6 percent stake in the plant.

Yet two other planned LNG projects - Brass LNG and OKLNG - have become mired in disputes over fiscal terms that have gone on for years, long enough for Nigeria to miss its opportunity to be a global LNG leader, analysts say, as Qatar and Australia stepped in with giant projects.

"Governments have muddied the waters by increasingly aggressive demands," said independent London-based energy consultant Claudio Steuer. If you add the cost of pipeline vandalism, "the operating environment does not look that great."

The U.S. shale boom, set to further depress gas prices, is making it look even less great.

HUNGER FOR GAS

Nigeria may have a second chance - if it can unlock pent up demand for electricity that Africa's most populous country needs massive quantities of gas to produce.

At 4,000 megawatts, Nigeria's electricity output is a tenth of South Africa's for a population three times the size. It lasts some 4 hours a day in urban centres while many rural areas get nothing.

President Goodluck Jonathan's government has privatised much of the decrepit state oil firm and a bidding process is underway for 10 new gas-fired plants.

"A huge amount of the power privatisation has been about creating a domestic industry for gas," said Fola Fagbule, an Africa-focused Nigeria investment banker.

"But there's still a lot of work to be done on infrastructure for transporting gas, which is a key limitation."

Alison-Madueke said Nigeria had begun building 1,860 km of planned pipeline gas infrastructure and designing a 850 million scf gas processing facility to support domestic supply.

Shell, Chevron, Eni and Total all produce natural gas for domestic or other West Africa customers.

Yet the orange flares lighting up the sky over the Niger Delta, burning off the precious resource, show that more could be captured.

Nigeria is the world's second biggest gas waster after Russia.

The minister said flaring was down 20 percent in two years, giving no absolute figure. It was 30 billion cubic feet per month two years ago. Niger Delta activists were sceptical.

"We've mapped out the flare sites and we haven't seen a lot of them go off in the past two years," Inemo Samiama, head of the delta-based Stakeholder Democracy Network told Reuters.

LOW PRICE, POOR LAWS

Pipelines are not the only hurdle. Regulated gas prices are a cheap $1.5 per cubic foot, and though Diezani and other officials pledged to bring them to export parity, no time frame was given. Even at that price, power producers often default on obligations, said a government official in the power sector.

The price is so unappealing that some Nigerian companies completely write off associated gas when they value oil assets they are buying or have bought, an executive from one company said.

The government fears raising the price would push up power bills, but analysts say gas is only one unit cost among many so the impact would be muted, and anyway most power comes from diesel generators which are much more costly.

"Politically its quite toxic," said Antony Goldman of London-based PM consulting. "But how much are people really paying for power when they've got to buy generators and diesel?"

There is too the lack of a proper legal framework for gas ventures, something that was supposed to be solved by the wide ranging Petroleum Industry Bill.

That has been stuck in parliament since July 2012. The chair of the Senate gas committee Nkechi Nwaogu said the upper house would pass it this year, but many doubt that. And the ruling partly just lost its majority in the lower house.

Petroleum Resources Department Director George Osahon said this week that Nigeria aimed to increase domestic gas consumption threefold to 5.4 bcf per day, from 1.7 bcf per day, by 2019.

Not impossible, but a tall order, analysts say.


----------



## hkskyline

*Tanzania president maps out plan for transport hub*

DAR ES SALAM, April 11 (Reuters) - Tanzania aims to hike cargo volumes through its main Dar es Salam port in 2015 by almost 40 percent over 2013 levels, part of plans to expand and build new transport links and become a regional hub, the president said on Friday.

President Jakaya Kikwete said bureaucratic hurdles had delayed plans by a Chinese firm to build a new port at Bagamoyo, 75 km north of Dar es Salam, but those were now resolved.

Tanzania, like its neighbour Kenya, wants to capitalise on a long coastline and upgrade existing rickety railways and roads to serve growing economies in the land-locked heart of Africa from Uganda on its north border to Malawi in the south.

"If we invest in logistic centres, improve on infrastructure and create a facilitative environment, we can easily turn Dar es Salaam into another Dubai of its kind," he said, speaking in the commercial capital for the Reuters Africa Investment Summit.

But the president acknowledged the pace of progress had been held back by red tape, while experts said existing transport links were crumbling or inefficient, including Dar es Salam port where ships often wait days to dock, driving up costs.

"At times, we are very bureaucratic," Kikwete said of the delays that Chinese investors had faced over the Bagamoyo port plan, although he said the issues had now been resolved.

Last year, Tanzania signed a framework deal with China Merchants Holdings (International) Co to build a new port, special economic zone and railway network that could involve more than $10 billion. Work has yet to start in earnest.

The president said cargo through Dar es Salam port was climbing and would reach 18 million tonnes in 2015, up from 13 million tonnes in 2013.

As part of a broader effort to improve the business environment, an office overseeing the president's "Big Results Now" initiative, which works on swift delivery of major infrastructure and other projects, would also now identify obstacles to business and ensure they were addressed.

The president also outlined plans for projects that include developing a port at Mtwara south of Dar es Salam that could serve northern Mozambique and Malawi, as well as upgrading the rail network - which could involve building new wider, standard gauge lines instead of the existing - and slower - narrow gauge.

Kenya has similar plans for a new port at Lamu, north of Mombasa port which is now east Africa's main gateway, and new transport links to Uganda, Rwanda and other land-locked states.

Kenya, the biggest economy in east Africa, and Tanzania, the No. 2, have long competed for political and economic influence in the region, although both are also members of the five-nation trading bloc, the East African Community.

But Kikwete dismissed the idea of a competition to grab a bigger share of trade into Africa. "I think there is enough business for all of us," he said.

Tensions erupted in public last year when Tanzania complained it had been sidelined by Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda over plans to unify their customs and speed up moves towards political federation. Burundi is also a member of the bloc.

The Tanzanian president said those differences had been patched up but added his country - which critics say has dragged its feet over closer ties - remained wary of any swift drive towards a political union.

"Our advice to our colleagues is that let's move cautiously. Let's build strong foundations before getting to the ultimate political federation," he said. "We are being considered as evolutionists in this regard and the others are revolutionary."

He said Tanzania had no dispute with members pursuing bilateral projects in areas such as transport and power links.


----------



## hkskyline

*Africa needs massive investment in infrastructure: IMF*
AFP
May 29, 2014 

Maputo (AFP) - Africa's fast growing economies need to spend $93 billion a year just to bring infrastructure up to speed, the head of the IMF said on Thursday, sketching out the daunting challenges still faced by the continent.

Opening a major meeting for finance ministers and central bankers in Maputo to plot Africa's rise, Christine Lagarde said the continent still faced massive challenges.

"Only 16 percent of all roads are paved, compared with 85 percent in South Asia. These shortfalls represent huge costs to business -- and to people."

Sub-Saharan African economies, some of the fastest growing in the world, are expected to expand by more than five percent this year.

But poor infrastructure, including a lack of capacity in electricity production and poor roads, is seen as curbing growth.

"High quality infrastructure can be a magnet for foreign investment," said Lagarde.

After years of hailing Africa's economic development, policy makers want to usher in a second phase of development that sees economic gains benefit all.

While the emergence of a middle class has boosted consumer growth, much of the continent's growth has come from oil, gas and other natural resources. 

"Let me be frank, in too many countries, the rents from extractive industries are captured by just a few," said Lagarde.

"Mining can account for an important share of output and export earnings, but often contributes relatively little to budget revenues and job creation."

Beyond the corridors of power and conference talk-shops, Africans are increasingly frustrated by the lack of good jobs.

"Jobs are scarce," says Maputo street vendor Ercilia, who sells bread to passers by. "Some days I make a living and some days I don't."

"I believe in Africa some day all this will change," said security guard, Marcelino Jaime, noting that few jobs were available for uneducated young people.

"In Africa we need a lot of creativity to improve things," he added.

Lagarde earlier hailed the leaps made by African economies in the last decade as "nothing short of remarkable."

But as policymakers take stock of Africa's strong economic performance, many are also looking at the risks that lie ahead.

The region could face lower demand for its exports should growth slow in increasingly important emerging markets like Brazil, India and, in particular, China.

Beijing is a top buyer of African resources from copper to oil and gas.

In rapidly growing cities such as Maputo the Chinese presence is manifest, from a Chinese-built airport to the country's businessmen chattering on cell phones as they walk from meeting to meeting.

But poverty perhaps remains the continent's biggest challenge.

Ahead of the meeting, rights groups questioned the current optimistic view of "Africa's rise".

"Africa is not rising for ordinary citizens," said Oxfam International's Executive Director Winnie Byanyima.


----------



## hkskyline

*Zimbabwe signs deal with China's Sinohydro to expand power plant* 

HARARE, Oct 10 (Reuters) - Zimbabwe signed a $1.5 billion deal with China's Sinohydro Corp on Friday to expand a coal-fired power plant in the most ambitious move yet to tackle the country's crippling electricity shortages.

The deal, which still needs full financial cover, would see Sinohydro Corp add 600 MW of electricity at the ageing Hwange plant in western Zimbabwe as well as a transmission line.	

The southern African country produces 1,100 MW of power against peak demand of 2,200 MW, which means industry and households have to endure regular power cuts.

"The additional electricity will narrow the demand-supply gap in a huge way," Dzikamai Mavhaire, the minister of energy and power development, said at the signing ceremony.

Under the agreement, the state-owned Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC) will seek a $1.17 billion loan from China's Export and Import Bank in negotiations that are expected to take a year.

The remainder of the money would come from electricity revenues generated by ZPC and other financial institutions, ZPC officials said.

The project is due to take 42 months to complete.

Sinohydro last month started constructing two generation units at the Kariba hydro power station to add 300 MW.

The Hwange Thermal Power Station has a design capacity of 920 MW, but produces less than half that due to ageing equipment and years of inadequate funding to maintain the plant.

ZPC is owed more than $900 million by debtors and over the last three years has been introducing pre-paid meters, where customers pay in advance for their power.

Josh Chifamba, the chief executive of ZPC's holding company ZESA Holdings, said that to generate more revenues, the pre-paid meters would be introduced to industry and farmers, who are some of the biggest consumers of electricity.

The government of President Robert Mugabe, for long a pariah in the West, has increasingly turned to China for investment to help an economy desperate for new infrastructure like roads, power, and water.


----------



## Lydon

Are we not supposed to be quoting up to 100 words from articles and providing a "read more" link back to the source?


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## hkskyline

Lydon said:


> Are we not supposed to be quoting up to 100 words from articles and providing a "read more" link back to the source?


These are from newswire terminals, and not on some website with a link.

There have been cases wher quoting an excerpt of the key points have been proven in court as copyright violation. We need to be enforcing the fair use doctrine in here instead.


----------



## Lydon

Just saying what the admin have instructed 

*Fair Use*
Quoting long and full articles from external sources is not the proper way to start a discussion or to use as an argument. Fair use of a source means:

1. name and link the source
2. quote a maximum of about 100 words
3. link to the full article

Your news quote should look like this:

Title of the article
source: Lorem Ipsum

Quote:


> Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aliquam elit lorem, sodales vitae, scelerisque in, commodo eget, tortor. Mauris ut enim. Nam aliquam, enim at fermentum porta, dui odio nonummy dui, suscipit ultricies nulla urna in nisi. Nunc id magna ut erat condimentum placerat. Phasellus sem. Morbi bibendum, dolor nec pellentesque cursus, tortor turpis porttitor ante, vel nonummy dui ante eleifend sapien. Sed porta ultrices neque. Vivamus tortor diam, accumsan vel, lobortis vitae, euismod euismod, quam. Sed varius. Etiam arcu. Maecenas nisl orci, euismod at, vulputate id, lacinia non, diam. Maecenas sed quam a massa lacinia posuere. Integer a leo.


continue reading: http://www.lipsum.com/feed/html


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## hkskyline

Lydon said:


> Just saying what the admin have instructed
> 
> *Fair Use*
> Quoting long and full articles from external sources is not the proper way to start a discussion or to use as an argument. Fair use of a source means:
> 
> 1. name and link the source
> 2. quote a maximum of about 100 words
> 3. link to the full article
> 
> Your news quote should look like this:
> 
> Title of the article
> source: Lorem Ipsum
> 
> Quote:
> 
> continue reading: http://www.lipsum.com/feed/html


I have a discussion thread in the moderator's section about this, but your interpretation of fair use is not what the legal definition says.

Everyone needs to understand what the rules mean before we can effectively enforce and protect the forum from the real risks. Let's not blindly follow procedures that don't mitigate these real risks in substance.


----------



## hkskyline

*South Africa utility Eskom says reserves exhausted, power outages inevitable*
Reuters _Excerpt_
January 15, 2015 8:31 AM

JOHANNESBURG - South Africa's power reserves are all but exhausted and rolling blackouts will be an inevitable part of life in the continent's most advanced economy for up to three years, state-run power utility Eskom warned on Thursday.

South Africa has been hamstrung by power shortages, which have curtailed output and are seen as a deterrent to foreign investment. Last year it suffered its worst outages since 2008, hurt by outdated infrastructure and plant failures.

Power outages in South Africa have global market implications as it is the world's top platinum producer and a major producer and exporter of commodities such as coal and gold.

Eskom Chief Executive Tshediso Matona, who compared the situation to driving a badly maintained car which has almost no fuel left, told a news briefing that margins were razor thin and the loss of just 1,000 megawatts would trigger power outages.

South African power demand typically ranges from around 30,000 to 35,000 megawatts, so the country's reserves to keep the lights on is only around 3 percent.


----------



## hkskyline

*South Africa seen green energy model for the continent*
_Excerpt_ 
October 7, 2015 

CAPE TOWN (Reuters) - Africa should learn from South Africa's renewable energy drive, which has led to a sharp drop in green power prices thanks to benign regulation and infrastructure investment, industry players said on Tuesday.

Four years since President Jacob Zuma's government launched its renewable energy plan, it has fed over 1,000 MW of power into its strained system, which regularly plunges millions of homes into darkness and shaves about 1 percent of growth in Africa's most industrialised economy.

"Africa is blessed with huge amounts of sun, wind and biomass and South Africa's example of putting in stable regulation should inspire other countries to scale up its renewable energy production," Christine Lins, the executive secretary at REN21, a green energy policy network told the South African International Renewable Energy Conference (SAIREC) .

About 30 African countries experience regular outages, costing their economies as much as 2 percent of GDP. The continent's electricity needs grew by 80 percent since 2005, a report released by the International Renewable Agency (IRENA) at SAIREC said.

But energy generation companies say without a reliable policy, investment is risky.


----------



## meokpa

kulani said:


> here's the bridge between Cameroon and Gabon, so its getting there for Cameroon with new infrastructure. :cheers:


Rome was not built in a day. Be patient with Africa. Unfortunately the western media finds it difficult to see any thing good in Africa to report.


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## Turf

Africa is just so incredibly big. Major projects are small on the map, they are hard to notice.
In reality would make headlines in other countries/continents. 
Africa is moving up, perhaps slow but more and more places get better connected.


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## hkskyline

Fri Oct 16, 2015 
*Africa slowdown should not stop infrastructure plans - World Bank*
Reuters _Excerpt_

Africa should press ahead with plans to develop its transport and energy networks despite a recent slowdown in GDP growth because better infrastructure is key to long term development, the head of the World Bank said on Friday.

To that end, governments need to maintain macro-economic stability to attract capital that remains willing to commit to the continent even though investment in emerging markets is at its lowest level in around 35 years, said Jim Yong Kim.

Gross domestic product growth in sub-Saharan Africa in 2015 is expected to stand at 3.7 percent, its lowest level since 2009 and lower than the average growth rate of the last two decades, according to World Bank figures.

The continent's commodities producers, such as Ghana, have been especially hard hit by lower global prices and there is a real danger over-production, he said.

At the same time, a surge in Africa's population makes it imperative for countries to put their economies on a sound footing if they are going to absorb young people entering the labour market in the decades ahead.

"Right now we have to do everything we can to bring together the bankable (infrastructure) projects that even in a period of low growth will attract private investors," Kim told Reuters.

He singled out hydro-electric power as an area of particular opportunity.

"If governments move right now, quickly, in enacting the kinds of structural reforms they need to enact, the investments will continue to flow," he said, before the launch of a World Bank report on ending extreme poverty.


----------



## hkskyline

meokpa said:


> Rome was not built in a day. Be patient with Africa. Unfortunately the western media finds it difficult to see any thing good in Africa to report.


Cameroon-Gabon border by jbdodane, on Flickr

Where is the border crossing facility for the Cameroon - Gabon bridge?


----------



## hkskyline

*World Bank says Ethiopia should diversify infrastructure funding*
_Excerpt_

ADDIS ABABA, Nov 23 (Reuters) - Ethiopia needs to find new ways to finance infrastructure projects after relying heavily on state-driven investment to build new roads, railways and dams to drive growth in its economy, the World Bank said on Monday.

Huge public investment has been credited with pushing economic growth above 10 percent in the financial year 2014/15, one of the fastest rates of expansion in Africa.

But the state has carried much of the burden of raising financing, while demanding that banks invest the equivalent of 27 percent of the loan portfolio in low-yield state development bonds, leaving little for private business to borrow.

"Continued infrastructure development remains one of Ethiopia's best strategies to sustain growth, but the current financing model is not sustainable," the World Bank said in a report.

A $4 billion-hydro-electric dam on the Blue Nile and finishing a programme to build a 5,000 km railway network are among projects Ethiopia aims to complete in the next five years.

After decades of struggling with dilapidated transport networks, the World Bank said Ethiopia's investment in infrastructure promised high returns. But it said the private sector was being squeezed as the state sucked up financing.

Raising taxes, increased private sector activity and improved public investment management are some of the options Addis Ababa should consider, the World Bank said.

It also said other options included "increasing domestic savings and developing capital markets via a higher real interest rate, greater selectivity and prioritization of investments, securitization of infrastructure assets, and improved pricing, including higher electricity tariffs".


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## Zaz965

addid ababa has already a nice tramway network :cheers::cheers:


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## mouadh25

*Transaharian Highway 4200 Km​*











> The Trans-Sahara Highway is a transnational highway project to pave, improve and ease border formalities on an existing trade route across the Sahara Desert. It runs between North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea in the north and West Africa bordered by the Atlantic Ocean in the south, from Algiers in Algeria to Lagos in Nigeria, giving it the alternative names of the Algiers-Lagos Highway or Lagos-Algiers Highway.
> 
> The Trans-Sahara Highway is one of the oldest transnational highways in Africa and one of the most complete, having been proposed in 1962, with construction of sections in the Sahara starting in the 1970s. Its central section is still little-used though, and still requires special vehicles and precautions to be taken to survive the harsh environment and climate of the center of the desert.


*Al thou all the 2400 km of the Algerian part are completed and the actual projects are for upgrading it into Motorway in its first 1013 km in the north and an express way in its south part*


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## mouadh25

*North South Motorway ALGERIA​*


> That's the northern part of the Rehabilitation projects of the *Transaharian highway* or upgrading the actual RN1 to a *2x3 lanes motorway on its first 1013 km lengh*
> The Works started in his first part as showed in this pictures December 2014 and to be finished in 2018. this project it self is a part of the transaharian Highway


----------



## mouadh25

*Autoroute des hauts Plateau AHP 1020km|Underconstruction​*
*The Highlands Motorway​*











> The project of the Highlands Motorway is part of the broad guidelines of the National Development Plan *total cost estimated 9 Billion dollars*
> 
> Land which retains significant effort required for development of Highlands; it will be in the South and parallel to the East West Motorway
> 
> *Over a length of 1020KM,* it originated in western Algeria at the edge of the Moroccan border near el
> 
> Aricha (Tlemcen) through Sidi Bel Abbes, Saida, Tiaret, Djelfa, Ain Oussara, Bou Saada, M'sila, Biskra Batna, Oum el Bouaghi, Tebessa and Khenchela, leading to Bouchebka (Tunisian border).
> 
> Highway Highlands present the characteristics of a connecting Motorway, whose cross section is
> 
> *2 * 2-way extended term 2 * 3-way,*
> 
> *The bridges and tunnels will be studied directly in 2 * 3 channels*.


Work Started a year ago in the east lot and all section will be made by Algerian Companies since it doesn't require specific technical technologies as the northern motorway with its long tunnels and viaducts in highly difficult mountainous areas


----------



## mouadh25

*East West 2x3 Lanes Motorway 1260 Km ALGERIA*​


> The East-West Highway is a Motorway project through all Algeria alongside the Mediterranean coast. The highway will link the Tunisian border near the town of El Kala Moroccan border near that of Maghnia passing near large Algerian cities such as North Annaba, Skikda, Constantine, Setif, Algiers, Chlef, Oran etTlemcen , *a distance of 1 216 kilometers (1 720 km counting the appendices roads and ramp*s).
> In the late sixties, planning studies have highlighted the need for a motorway link through the northern fringe of the counry.
> Hardly started in the 1990s and dependent on external funding, it is energized and fully paid by public funds in 2005.
> Its construction was completed at 85% since 2013. Part of lot vested in the Japanese group COJAAL experiencing difficulties or remains unfinished.
> *With $ 11.4 billion, is one of the largest public works projects of the Histoiry*.


Wikipedia




















*Those Three pics taken when it was still underconstructionin 2008*


----------



## Turf

What a beautiful country!


----------



## mouadh25

Turf said:


> What a beautiful country!


yeah thanks, actually he really is...and yet so unknown and underrated


----------



## mouadh25

*Algerian tramways​*









In Algeria for now there are three Tramways in service for some years now as Algiers Oran and Constantine those three cities have a line in use but also a second line in case of Constantine and Oran currently under construction and an extension for the first line for the Algiers system. 

But still 5 Five others are currently under constructions like Tramway of Mostaganem, Sidi BEl Abbess, Setif, Annaba and Ouargla those systems are pretty close to be finished .. they are expected for mid 2016 and early 2017.

Also more are cumming (9 more cities) since the studies are finiched and in some even the companies selected for the work are chosen.

There will be in total 17 City with a tramway system with several lines each the goal is to have tramway systems in all mid-sized cities over the country.










This map is a bit outdated since it from 2014 but it give an idea of the cities where the Tramways are implanted

Currently there are 
*3 systemes in service for few years now *in the cities of Algiers, Oran, Constantine and the extension for new lines are underconstruction 
*5 systems are currently under construction* in the cities of Sidi belabbes, Setif, Mostaganem Annaba and Ouargla in the middle of the sahara.
*9 Cities where the studies are launched* for determining the best path for the trams
*4 cities just got the Approval* for the project and beginning the process


Also you can find more informations on the Companies website who manage the Subways and tramways network.
EMA Entreprise Metro Algerien


----------



## hkskyline

June 6, 2018
_Excerpt_
*Ethiopia opens up telecoms, airline to private, foreign investors*

ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - Ethiopia said on Tuesday it would open its state-run telecoms monopoly and state-owned Ethiopian Airlines to private domestic and foreign investment, a major policy shift that will loosen the state’s grip on the economy.

The East African nation of 100 million people has one of the most closed and controlled economies in Africa. The ruling EPRDF coalition, in power since 1991, has long supported deep state involvement in the economy.

But the EPRDF said on Tuesday that Ethiopia needed economic reforms to sustain rapid growth and boost its exports.

“While majority stakes will be held by the state, shares in Ethio Telecom, Ethiopian Airlines, Ethiopian Power, and the Maritime Transport and Logistics Corporation will be sold to both domestic and foreign investors,” it said in a statement.

It was referring to the state monopolies in the electricity, telecoms and logistics sectors, as well as the highly profitable national flag carrier.

The announcement was the first clear signal that Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, who came to power in April promising a “new political beginning”, would implement real economic reforms.

More : https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...ne-to-private-foreign-investors-idUSKCN1J12JJ


----------



## hkskyline

June 8, 2018
*South Sudan and Sudan agree to repair damaged oil infrastructure*
_Excerpt_

JUBA (Reuters) - South Sudan said on Thursday it had agreed with its northern neighbor Sudan to repair oil infrastructure facilities destroyed by conflict within three months to boost production in Africa’s youngest country.

Michael Makuei Lueth, South Sudan’s information minister, told Reuters officials agreed with their visiting Sudanese counterparts to “evaluate and assess the damage” to South Sudan’s oilfields in the Heglig area in the country’s north.

“There is an agreement between the two oil ministries of the two countries. They agreed to cooperate and work together in order to repair (the damage),” he said.

South Sudan depends virtually entirely on oil sales for its revenue but production has declined since war broke out in the country in 2013.

The oil is shipped to international markets via a pipeline through Sudan.

Fighting was triggered by a political disagreement between President Salva Kiir and his former deputy Riek Machar and a regionally brokered peace pact failed to end the war after violations by both parties.

Officials from the two countries “agreed that within the period of three months they will repair all the oil blocks and resume oil production in the region,” he said referring to the infrastructure in the oil blocks. 

The war has uprooted a quarter of South Sudan’s population of 12 million, ruined the country’s agriculture and battered the economy.


----------



## hkskyline

June 21, 2018
*Heatwave threats rarely an urban priority, even as risks rise*
_Excerpt_

CAPE TOWN (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - On days when temperatures hit worrying peaks – an increasing problem in Cape Town as climate change takes hold – figuring out how to keep people cool can be a challenge.

The South African city, long known for its moderate climate, has few air conditioners. It is fringed by the sea – but most people don’t know how to swim, making encouraging a dip risky, said Amy Davison, who works on environmental strategy for Cape Town’s city government.

A brutal drought that has forced dramatic efforts to cut water use means half the city’s pools are closed. Building parks with water jets – fun for children, safe for all and a more judicious use of water – might make sense, but not when the city is struggling just to keep taps flowing, Davison said.

That leaves many people – particularly the city’s poor – crowded into the shallow end of the few open pools on hot days, if they can reach one at all, something many in the city’s far-flung tin-roofed slums will never manage.

Cape Town, at the southern tip of Africa, may be better known for the clouds blanketing Table Mountain than for blistering heat, but it is now looking for ways to stay cool as climate change brings ever higher temperature peaks.

However, many cities that have not particularly struggled with heat in the past – though may soon – are not as worried about the risks, said Meggan Spires of the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI), whose African chapter is based in Cape Town.

Across much of Africa “our city officials are not prioritizing heat as a major issue,” she said. “When you ask (officials) what they want to deal with, heat hardly every comes up.”

More : https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...ban-priority-even-as-risks-rise-idUSKBN1JH2EA


----------



## MerynnTrant

they need to make a ton of free trade zones and zero border/barrier policies because a ton load of countries there are land locked and have poor access to the sea.


----------



## hkskyline

*World Bank approves $455 million loan for Tanzania power projects*
_Excerpt_

DAR ES SALAAM, June 21 (Reuters) - The World Bank has approved a $455 million loan to Tanzania under its International Development Assistance (IDA) programme to support financing of power projects in the East African nation.

The financing from IDA, which gives grants or low-interest loans to the world’s poorest countries, will also fund construction of high voltage transmission infrastructure to connect Tanzania to regional power markets in southern and eastern Africa.

“The $455 million credit will finance construction of critical high voltage transmission infrastructure that will support the electrification of the southern and northwestern regions of Tanzania,” the World Bank said in a statement on Thursday.

The government said it plans to raise 2 trillion Tanzanian shillings ($880 million) in its budget for fiscal year 2018/19 (July-June) from concessional loans and grants to finance development projects.

Tanzania boasts reserves of over 57 trillion cubic feet (tcf) of natural gas, but faces periodic power shortages as it relies on hydro-power dams in a drought-prone region.

Last year President John Magufuli said the country needed to invest $46.2 billion over the next 20 years to revamp its ageing energy infrastructure and meet soaring electricity demand.


----------



## Wildchild00

Rich, emerging nations discuss poverty reduction in Africa 
AFP
Sun Apr 6, 3:00 AM ET

Ministers from the richest nations and the fastest growing economies started talks Sunday on bolstering aid measures to reduce poverty in Africa and other areas under a 2000 UN agreement.

The talks are the second day of meetings between development ministers from the Group of Eight industrialised nations and emerging donor nations -- Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, South Korea and South Africa.

The ministers late Saturday pledged to further work together to meet the Millennium Development Goals which include halving extreme poverty and halting the spread of HIV/AIDS in impoverished areas by 2015.

"The ministers discussed development and Africa as one topic," said a Japanese foreign ministry official.

"In terms of development in Africa, many countries pointed to the importance of building infrastructure" and using private sector investment as a tool for development, he said.

The ministers hunkered down on Sunday to attempt to develop measures to meet the goals, which also include providing primary education in the poorest countries, and were agreed by countries in the United Nations in 2000.

This year marks the halfway point of the 2015 target year.

But the latest progress reports show poverty has not reduced in areas of Africa and in some cases the situation has deteriorated, in a stark contrast with Asia where some countries have already achieved some of the goals.

The head of the G8 nations is expected to issue a summary later Sunday on the talks on development aid to Africa, an issue expected to be high on the agenda at the next G8 summit in July in northern Japan.

The ministers also agreed late Saturday on "increasing the credibility and transparency of aid policy," officials said.

Officials have privately admitted that G8 nations hope to coax China and other emerging donors to place greater emphasis on human rights when awarding aid.

Cashed-up China has recently made major diplomatic and economic inroads in mostly resource-rich nations in Africa and Latin America by giving aid without imposing any conditions.

This strategy contrasts with that of the United States, European Union and Japan as well as the World Bank and the IMF, which usually use aid as leverage to improve human rights and implement other reforms in recipient nations.

The Tokyo talks come as aid to developing countries fell last year and most donors are falling behind on their stated commitments to increase the amount of money they give, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development said in a report last week.

The meeting on Saturday also discussed the growing threat of climate change, particularly to developing countries.

Humanitarian activists said that rich nations should deliver more financial aid to help poorer nations fight against rising greenhouse gases.

"The aid money which has been pledged is to be used for traditional fields of aid such as education and health care systems," said Takumo Yamada, an advocacy manager of Britain-based charity Oxfam.

"Paying for damage from climate change is rich nations' responsibility," he said.

http://www.openheavensdaily.com/2018/07/open-heaven-5-july-2018-weary-in-well-doing-open-heavens.html


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## hkskyline

July 13, 2018
*Can WhatsApp and motorbikes protect Africa's food security?*
_Excerpt_

ROME (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - A motorbike and reliable connectivity to watch football and chat on WhatsApp are the key to keeping young Africans in farming, a senior United Nations official said, as large-scale urban migration threatens food production on the continent.

Africa already spends $35 billion a year on importing food for its growing population despite having 65 percent of the world’s uncultivated arable land, and that figure is predicted to swell to $110 billion by 2025.

That makes it crucial to keep young Africans in agriculture, experts say, but the challenges of rural life mean they are instead deserting farming to find work in cities.

“In today’s world, when we talk about rural transformation, my best example is that the youngsters need to make sure WhatsApp is working,” said Gilbert F. Houngbo, president of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).

“This is almost non-negotiable,” said Houngbo, the former prime minister of Togo, in an interview with the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

WhatsApp is the most popular messaging app in Africa, according to the Global Digital Report 2018.

More : https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...s-protect-africas-food-security-idUSKBN1K31LH


----------



## hkskyline

July 30, 2018
*Phone monopoly is big prize in Ethiopia sell-off*
_Excerpt_

ADDIS ABABA/JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - In the weeks since Ethiopia announced sweeping privatization plans after decades of state control, foreign businessmen have been beating a path to Belachew Mekuria’s office.

“Everyone is here. MTN is here, Safaricom. I mean everyone is coming,” the new head of the Ethiopian Investment Commission (EIC) said of the stiff competition to enter the previously off-limits telecoms sector.

“A lot of them. Including U.S., by the way,” Belachew, an affable lawyer who is the first port of call for foreign investors, said with a smile following an evening meeting with an executive from Kenyan mobile operator Safaricom.

Of the industries facing privatization - the government will also open up Ethiopian Airlines [ETHA.UL], the state logistics firm and the power monopoly to private investment - Ethiopia’s state telecommunications monopoly is the prize because of its huge protected market.

But the form liberalization takes and the speed with which it is carried out will hinge on competition between the government’s two top priorities: raising foreign exchange and creating jobs.

Since coming to power in April, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, 41, has turned Ethiopia on its head with a dizzying drive towards openness.

On the diplomatic front, he has made peace with neighboring Eritrea and is pushing for reconciliation with exiles. 

Turning to the economy, Abiy aims to loosen the government’s tight grip on strategic sectors after decades of socialist central planning and authoritarian rule.

The impact of the reform push in sub-Saharan Africa’s second most populous nation could be huge for multinationals, which are currently restricted to a handful of sectors. 

International telecommunications firms in particular are excited at the prospect of entering one of the few African telecoms sectors - one that serves a population of 100 million - still protected by a state monopoly.

“Technology companies and telecoms companies want to get in as quickly as possible. It’s a rare thing,” Andrew Kitson, head of telecommunications research with BMI Research, told Reuters.


----------



## hkskyline

Aug 3, 2018
*Rising heat will chill poor countries' economies, costing billions*
_Excerpt_

LONDON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Rising temperatures in a warming world will cost poor countries tens of billions of dollars annually as they are less able to keep their workers cool, analysts said on Thursday.

Over the next 30 years, manual laborers in the agriculture, mining, oil and gas, and manufacturing sectors - which are the most prevalent in emerging economies - will be hardest hit by higher temperatures, said risk consultancy Verisk Maplecroft.

By examining energy infrastructure with temperature data and projected urban population growth, researchers said workers in Africa and Asia would be most affected by rising heat.

“That means workers are missing days because they suffer from heat stress, or their physical capacity to undertake physical activity is diminished because of those high temperatures,” said Richard Hewston, head of the environment and climate change program at Verisk Maplecroft.

“With lower labor capacity, productivity dips off and subsequently you have ripple effects through the sectors with the highest amount of manual labor,” he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

This drop in productivity equates to an annual loss of $78 billion a year in South East Asia, and nearly $10 billion in West Africa, the consultancy’s report said.

Rapid urbanization in these emerging economies will also strain energy needs, and the demand for cooling - such as air-conditioning - will soar as temperatures rise resulting in frequent power outages, it said.

About 1.1 billion people in Asia, Africa and Latin America are at risk from a lack of air conditioning and refrigeration to keep them cool and to preserve food and medicines as temperatures rise, says global group Sustainable Energy for All.

“Even modest amounts of climate change will be impactful so that forces us to do something about it,” Sam Fankhauser, director of the Grantham Research Institute at the London School of Economics, said of the Verisk Maplecroft study.

“We need to start thinking about how we build our buildings, shading, airflows, air-conditioning, green roofs, how we might adjust our behavior, and how we design our cities,” said Fankhauser, who was not involved in the report.


----------



## hkskyline

Aug 13, 2018
Reuters _Excerpt_
*Kenya charges top officials with fraud over new $3 bln railway*

A Kenyan court on Monday charged the heads of the agency that manages public land and of the state railway with fraud over land allocation for a new $3 billion train line linking the capital with East Africa’s biggest port.

The line between Nairobi and Mombasa, funded by China, is one of the biggest infrastructure projects of President Uhuru Kenyatta, whose government this year embarked on an anti-graft drive.

Mohammed Abdalla Swazuri, chairman of the National Land Commission, Atanas Kariuki Maina, managing director of the Kenya Railways Corporation and 16 other businesspeople and companies pleaded not guilty to the charges. Court documents said fraud had led to loss of public funds amounting to 221.4 million shillings ($2.20 million).

Public prosecutor Noordin Haji ordered the arrests after investigations suggested that officials had siphoned taxpayer money through phoney compensation claims for land used for the railway.

The land and rail bosses appeared before Anti-Corruption Court Chief Magistrate Lawrence Mugambi.

Kenya has been hit this year by a series of scandals related to the alleged theft of hundreds of millions of shillings by officials from government bodies.

Kenya launched the more than $3 billion railway last year. The prosecutor’s office said on Saturday no Chinese companies or individuals were named in the case.


----------



## hkskyline

*With sensors and apps, young African coders compete to curb hunger*
_Excerpt_

KIGALI, Aug 21 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - From an app to diagnose disease on Zambian farms to Tinder-style matchmaking for Senegalese land owners and young farmers, young coders have been finding solutions to hunger in the first Africa-wide hackathon on the issue.

Eight teams competed in the hackathon, organised by the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and a Rwandan trade organisation in the country’s capital Kigali this week.

Experts say keeping young people in farming is key to alleviating hunger in Africa, which has 65 percent of the world’s uncultivated arable land, but spends $35 billion a year on importing food for its growing population.

“In our families, agriculture is no longer a good business. They don’t get the return,” said Rwandan Ndayisaba Wilson, 24, whose team proposed a $400 solar-powered device that can optimise water and fertiliser use.

“We believe that if the technology is good and farmers can see the benefits, they will adopt it.”

Among the proposed solutions were an app that links aspiring farmers with land owners in Senegal and a Nigerian mobile platform that uses blockchain to help farmers demonstrate their creditworthiness to lenders.

The winner was AgriPredict, an app already operating in Zambia that that can help farmers identify diseases and pests - including the voracious fall armyworm, which eats crops and has wreaked havoc in much of sub-Saharan Africa.

Farmers can access it directly from their phones or via Facebook. CEO Mwila Kangwa, 31, said the initiative came out of the twin disasters that hit Zambian farmers in 2016 - tuta absoluta, a tomato disease, and the fall armyworm.

“We noticed there were no tools whatsoever that will help farmers mitigate or prevent or even counter these diseases so we came up with this idea of creating a software to help farmers,” he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

As winners, the Zambian team will receive coaching from the FAO to refine their product and an opportunity to meet potential funders and partners.


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## hkskyline

Sep 14, 2018
*With 'worm juice,' Kenya's farmers boost their soil - and harvests*
_Excerpt_

NDABIBI, Kenya (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Stooped over a large plastic drum at his farm in southwestern Kenya, Josphat Macharia scoops up a handful of dirt and examines the worms writhing in his grip.

Satisfied, he replaces the worms and covers them with a layer of dry grass.

“These are ready for harvesting,” he says.

By that, the father of two means it is time to add water to the container. Doing so causes the earthworms to produce fluid that Macharia will use to fertilize a plot of cabbages.

Prolonged drought and storm-related flooding have combined to erode fertile soils in rural parts of this East African country.

That has forced farmers like Macharia, who struggle with low yields, to seek cost-efficient alternatives to fertilizers in order to improve the soil and boost crop production.

Rearing worms, known as vermiculture, is a simple solution that sees farmers harvest the nutrients from worm waste, said Jemimah Njuki, an agriculture and environment expert in Nairobi with the International Development Research Centre, a Canadian aid agency.

Farmers spread the waste - a darkish, slimy fluid smelling of rotten eggs - just as they would any synthetic fertilizer.

Producing ‘worm juice’, as it is called on Macharia’s farm, can be tedious since it requires checking on the worms to keep them alive. On the other hand it costs nothing, although the worms require some work each day.

More : https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...s-boost-their-soil-and-harvests-idUSKCN1LU14Y


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## hkskyline

Sep 14, 2018
*Aid agencies ramp up response to Zimbabwe cholera outbreak*
_Excerpt_

HARARE (Reuters) - The World Health Organization and the Red Cross said on Thursday they were ramping up their emergency responses to Zimbabwe’s deadliest cholera outbreak in a decade, with politicians trading blame over contaminated water and collapsing infrastructure.

The death toll rose to 26 from the disease, testing the capacity of a new government to handle a major crisis just weeks after violent demonstrations that followed the first election since Robert Mugabe was toppled in a coup.

The opposition controls the city government in the capital, and exchanged blame with the ruling ZANU-PF party of President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

The World Health Organization (WHO) said it was providing kits that contain oral rehydration solution, intravenous fluids and antibiotics as the outbreak expanded quickly in Harare.

The International Red Cross in Zimbabwe said it had deployed more than 1,000 volunteers to contain the outbreak. Residents in Harare were dealing with a “double punch” after a recent outbreak of typhoid.

“It’s so painful to lose a lot of people and we are finding it difficult to mourn them under the circumstances,” Sharon Chiwomboya, mother of a cholera patient, said outside a clinic in Glenview suburb. “We fear for our school-going kids who are also affected, as well as adults.”

Zimbabwe’s biggest university said it had postponed a graduation ceremony set for Friday due to the cholera outbreak.

Mnangagwa, who won an election in July after first taking power when Mugabe was toppled last year, faces the difficult task of rebuilding an economy that collapsed under Mugabe’s four-decade rule. Rebuilding infrastructure is hard for a government that spends 93 percent of its $4 billion annual budget on salaries.

The latest cholera outbreak hit the city of 1.5 million people after burst sewers in the Budiriro and Glenview suburbs contaminated water in boreholes used by residents. Harare’s population draws water from one lake originally meant for 300,000 people, while a new dam first mooted in the 1990s is still to be constructed due to funding problems.

More : https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...se-to-zimbabwe-cholera-outbreak-idUSKCN1LT2S1


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## hkskyline

Oct 5, 2018
*Foreign investment in Egypt falls, austerity plan hurts demand*
_Excerpt_

CAIRO (Reuters) - Foreign direct investment (FDI) in Egypt’s non-oil economy fell in the second quarter to its lowest levels since just after an IMF-backed austerity plan began nearly two years ago, a sign more pain may lie ahead before Egyptians begin reaping benefits.

Egypt is counting on new private-sector investment to spur the economy and create jobs for its rapidly expanding population but the austerity measures have reduced domestic demand and the incentive to invest.

The country attracted $600 million in non-oil FDI in the second quarter, down from $956 million in the first quarter and $1.51 billion in the last quarter of 2017, according to a Reuters calculation based on balance of payments data released this week.

“Domestic consumption has been low,” said Mohamed Abu Basha, an economist at Egyptian investment bank EFG Hermes. “Now there is no urgency to deploy capital.”

An IMF study published in December estimated that about 700,000 Egyptians would join the labor market over each of the next five years.

Over the last three years, FDI was lower only in the unsettled first quarter of 2017, which began a few weeks after Egypt signed its agreement with the IMF in November 2016. In that quarter it fell to $478 million.

“I believe it has more to do with global trends in FDI flows and emerging markets as a whole, and not related to Egypt specifically,” said Hany Farahat, senior economist at Egyptian investment bank CI Capital. “Egypt was ranked first in Africa to receive FDI in 2017.”

The austerity measures agreed to under the IMF, include the introduction of a 14 percent VAT, sharp increases in energy prices and a 50 percent devaluation of the currency.

Abu Basha estimated that economic capacity was running at about 40-50 percent in 2017 and about 70-75 percent this year.

“It’s picking up across a number of industries,” he said. “I think 2019 is when people will start thinking of investment.”

Investors are waiting to see how Egypt adjusts to the reforms and price changes and for power plants, ports, roads and other infrastructure now under construction to be put in place, analysts say.


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## hkskyline

*Parts of troubled Libya get 4G telecoms service*
_Excerpt_

TRIPOLI, Oct 16 (Reuters) - Libya’s state-owned mobile phone operator al-Madar launched the first 4G services in the North African country, a rare investment in a country hit by years of political turmoil and violence.

Public services have deteriorated since the toppling of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, with frequent clashes between armed groups, political divisions and a lack of funding as much of the state budget is spent on a public payroll and welfare state.

The service, equivalent to ten times the speed of the previous 3G Internet, was activated at al-Madar’s headquarters in Tripoli.

“The service and establishment of the 4G+ network was not an easy task. We were confronted with many difficulties and obstacles, both in terms of financing or the security situation that hindered implementation,” al-Madar Chairman Abdulkhaliq Ashour told reporters at a ceremony.

He said the 4G service works for now in the Greater Tripoli area and will follow soon to the eastern city of Benghazi and other cities.

But expanding to the south hit by even greater instability than the coastal north will depend on better security. “We can’t send our engineers to work in such conditions,” he said.


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## hkskyline

Oct 26, 2018
*Ethiopia announces $7 billion in new road, power public-private projects* 

NAIROBI (Reuters) - Ethiopia announced $7 billion worth of new road and power supply projects on Friday, according to the state-affiliated Fana news agency.

The government’s Public-Private Partnerships Office said the three road and 13 power projects would be launched this fiscal year, after the tendering processes were completed, Fana reported.

It did not say how they would be financed or give any other details on the projects.

Ethiopia - which has recorded the highest economic growth rate in sub-Saharan Africa for years - has invested heavily in state-led infrastructure projects, drawing on foreign borrowing and its own foreign exchange reserves.

But there have been signs that China, a major creditor, is slowing financing to Addis Ababa as doubts grow over the profitability of some infrastructure projects there.


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## hkskyline

October 31, 2018
*Irrigation-short Africa may get $9 billion boost to spur harvests*
_Excerpt_

UKUNDA, Kenya (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - The power of irrigation is on full display in this corner of southeastern Kenya, where an 8,000-hectare sugarcane plantation glimmers in an otherwise semi-arid landscape.

Yields at the Kwale sugar plantation are higher than they would be if it relied only on rain, and there is no need to worry about variations in seasonal rainfall, said Pamela Ogada, general manager for Kwale International Sugar Company Ltd., which owns the site.

Across many parts of the world, irrigation has been a “magic bullet” in boosting harvests, said Nuhu Hatibu, the East African head of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), which works to improve farming across the continent.

But irrigation is underused in sub-Saharan Africa, where just 7 percent of farmland is irrigated, the lowest proportion of any region of the world, according to the International Water Management Institute.

Now AGRA hopes to focus investment on bringing the technology to small-scale farmers - including those suffering worsening drought as a result of climate change.

The World Bank has pledged to work with the African Development Bank and other organizations to provide up to $9 billion to African governments to improve irrigation, said Steven Schonberger, the World Bank’s global lead for water in agriculture.

Financing for the effort is still being put together, Schonberger said, but “we are very optimistic about it because a lot of financing is already there”.

The money could begin to flow as soon as 2019, he said.

The cash could help governments carry out work such as improving mapping of aquifers in their countries, to understand where improved irrigation is possible and how much water is available, Hatibu said.

Such mapping is already underway in a range of African countries, including Ethiopia.

Hatibu said that, as part of the irrigation push, AGRA will launch a microfinance “irrigation fund” where businesses can seek loans to build irrigation infrastructure, from wells to pipes and water storage.

Rajiv Shah, the president of the Rockefeller Foundation, one of AGRA’s funders, said boosting irrigation is key to improving agricultural productivity in Africa.

“Compared to any other agriculture-producing economy on the planet, Africa uses very little irrigation and very little fertilizer,” he said.

But efforts to produce an agricultural Green Revolution in Africa - like ones that dramatically increased crop production in Asia and Latin America in decades past - should take into account worsening water scarcity and climate change, he said.


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## hkskyline

Nov 9, 2018
*U.S. OPIC signs $100 million loan deal with Africell*
_Excerpt_

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - African telecoms firm Africell on Friday signed a $100 million loan agreement to fund an expansion of its communications infrastructure with U.S. development financier the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC).

The deal was signed on the sidelines of the African Development Bank’s Africa Investment Forum in Johannesburg, and forms part of the OPIC’s $1 billion investment in African infrastructure and technology launched earlier in 2018.

Africell’s chief investment officer Ian Paterson told journalists at the signing of the deal that the financing would be used in the markets where the company is already operating rather than expansion into new markets.

“We will be looking to invest the proceeds to expand our networks, develop new products and services, really using the platform of customers we have today and trying to layer on more value added services to them,” he said.

Africell boasts 12 million customers in Sierra Leone, Gambia, Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda.

Mobile network access, and particularly increasing data penetration, has had a huge impact in underdeveloped African countries where services like mobile money and microlending have boosted financial inclusion among the unbanked.


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## hkskyline

Nov 1, 2018
*Madagascar’s next leader: accountant, DJ, or milkman?*
_Excerpt_

ANTANANARIVO (Reuters) - Madagascar’s President Hery Rajaonarimampianina faces two main challengers in Nov. 7 elections - both key players in the island’s past political turmoil who have promised to put that behind them and keep the economy’s recovery on track.

One is Marc Ravalomanana, who served as president from 2002 to 2009. The other is Andry Rajoelina, the man who seized power from him in a coup - a takeover that scared off foreign investors and led donors to freeze funds.

There will be 33 other candidates on the long ballot paper. But few are seen having the influence or cash to take on the three established figures and capitalize on discontent over an economy that has still not fully recovered from the chaos.

Bending to international diplomatic pressure, Rajoelina gave up power in 2013. Rajaonarimampianina went on to win the presidency in elections that year.

The incumbent president, 59, is an accountant by training and previously served as finance minister.

His top pledge had been to mend the economy and growth has improved on his watch - the IMF expects the economy to expand by five percent this year, the highest level since the coup.

But his tenure has been marred by political disputes. Lawmakers voted to impeach him in 2015, saying he had violated the constitution by dragging religion into politics. He dismissed the accusation and the constitutional court threw out the impeachment vote.

Critics say he has made as little progress in curbing rampant corruption as his predecessors.

On the campaign trail Rajaonarimampianina has said he is the only candidate who can keep the nascent economic recovery going. “The door to success is open, we can not go back,” he said in a video posted on his campaign page on YouTube.

A former disc jockey who goes locally by the nickname “TGV” after the fast French train, Rajoelina seized power from then President Marc Ravalomanana in 2009. Known for his rapid-fire rhetoric and charisma, he became Africa’s youngest president at the age of 34.

During his four years in power, poverty and corruption grew as investors and donors cut aid.

He supported Rajaonarimampianina in the 2013 election after he agreed not run himself to help restore order.

This time, the former president is promising infrastructure development - everything from hospitals, schools and sports stadiums - and pledging to improve beaches to make them “like those of Miami and Côte d’Azur” to draw more tourists and promote job creation.

More : https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...leader-accountant-dj-or-milkman-idUSKCN1N653G


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## hkskyline

*Uganda to make new telecoms investors share infrastructure*
_Excerpt_

KAMPALA, Nov 20 (Reuters) - Uganda will force new investors in telecommunications services to rent capacity from existing fibre optic cables, rather than lay their own, to stem infrastructure duplication and lower internet access costs, the sector regulator said on Tuesday.

The East African nation’s telecoms sector has attracted foreign investors in recent years due to rapid economic growth, a young population and general political stability.

The requirement for infrastructure sharing is part of a new national broadband policy that seeks to boost efficiency and extend high speed internet access to the population.

“We need infrastructure sharing, if we already have cables in an area, don’t put there another one so that we don’t duplicate these things,” Godfrey Mutabazi, CEO of regulator Uganda Communications Commission (UCC), told Reuters.

Exemptions will be made for investors willing to lay cables in sparsely populated rural areas to boost the spread of internet access, he said.

Uganda has about 12,000 kilometres of fibre-optic cable laid, according to the government, and new investors will rent capacity at agreed commercial rates, Mutabazi said.

But the laying of separate cables by different firms has resulted in high costs for erecting and maintaining the infrastructure, under-utilisation of capacity on the cables and high internet costs, Mutabazi said.

The largest telecoms operator, MTN Uganda, a unit of South Africa’s MTN Group has a cable network that lies alongside those of Bharti Airtel, and American technology giants Google and Facebook.

The government also operates a national broadband internet cable network developed with a Chinese loan.

There are about 24 million mobile phone subscribers in Uganda and an estimated 17 million internet users, UCC said.

More : https://www.reuters.com/article/uga...-investors-share-infrastructure-idUSL8N1XV2G1


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## hkskyline

* Egypt: Ethiopia rejecting 'fundamental issues' on Nile dam *
Al Jazeera _Excerpt_
June 14, 2020

Egypt and Sudan have said that talks over a controversial dam on the Nile River will resume on Monday, amid Egyptian accusations that Ethiopia has sought to scrap "all agreements and deals" they had previously reached, and that "many fundamental issues" remain rejected by Ethiopia, the third party to the talks.

The construction of the $4.6bn Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on the Blue Nile, which is more than 70 percent complete and promises to provide much-needed electricity to Ethiopia's 100 million people, has been a contentious point among the three main Nile Basin countries.

The three countries have been holding talks for years without reaching a deal. Those talks came to an acrimonious halt in February when Ethiopia rejected a US-crafted deal and accused the Trump administration of siding with Egypt.

Ethiopia wants to begin filling the dam's reservoir in coming weeks, but Egypt has raised concerns that filling the reservoir behind the dam too quickly could significantly reduce the amount of Nile water available to Egypt.

After months of deadlock, Sudanese, Egyptian and Ethiopian water and irrigation ministers resumed talks last week, with observers attending from the US, the European Union and South Africa, which is the current head of the African Union.

More : Egypt: Ethiopia rejecting 'fundamental issues' on Nile dam


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## hkskyline

* Egypt says may resort to UN Security Council over GERD dispute with Ethiopia *
Egypt Independent _Excerpt_
June 16, 2020

Egypt will consider all political options, such as going to the UN Security Council, to prevent Ethiopia from taking any unilateral actions regarding the first filling of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) that would deprive Egypt of its water rights, Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said Monday.

His remarks followed a Monday video conference meeting of Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia’s water ministers which discussed the first filling of the GERD reservoir, Sudan’s second consensual draft document and the current path of negotiations.

In press statements on the sidelines of a Canada-Egypt Business Council seminar at the Foreign Affairs Ministry’s headquarters, Shoukry stressed that Egypt will not surrender any of its water rights.

Egypt has remained committed to its approach in the past few years, he said, and sincerely wishes to reach a fair and just agreement for all three countries involved.

But the recent situation is not conductive to any positive results as long as Ethiopia continues its uncooperative behavior, he added.

More : Egypt says may resort to UN Security Council over GERD dispute with Ethiopia - Egypt Independent


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## hkskyline

* Egypt is committed to a diplomatic solution to Ethiopia's dam crisis, Sisi says * 
_Excerpt_
June 20, 2020

CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt is committed to using diplomacy to resolve a crisis with Ethiopia over its construction of a giant hydroelectric dam on the Blue Nile, President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said on Saturday, addressing stalled talks on the issue.

The talks were halted once again on Wednesday, this time only about a fortnight before the expected start-up of the $4 billion Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, which is being built near Ethiopia’s border with Sudan and is the centrepiece in its bid to become Africa’s biggest power exporter.

Cairo said on Friday it had called on the United Nations Security Council to intervene to restart the talks.

“When we moved to the Security Council... that was (because) we are always keen to take the diplomatic and political path until its end,” Sisi said in a speech at an air force base.

“We need to move strongly towards concluding the negotiations and reach an agreement... and solutions that achieve the interest of all,” he said.

More : Egypt is committed to a diplomatic solution to Ethiopia's dam crisis, Sisi says


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## hkskyline

* Sudan, Egypt, Ethiopia agree on 90% of controversial GERD points * 
Egypt Independent _Excerpt_
June 23, 2020

Sudan, Egypt, and Ethiopia are in agreement regarding 90 percent of controversial points related to the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), the Sudanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Tuesday.

Ethiopia has the right to utilize the Nile River’s water resources, the ministry said, yet Sudan and Egypt also have the right to maintain their water security.

Meanwhile, Sudanese Foreign Minister Omar Qamar al-Din denied that Sudan and Egypt had approved the rules for filling and operating the GERD four years ago, according to the Al-Sudani newspaper.

He explained that any speech purported to show approval from the two countries on the GERD’s filling was “completely” false, and that Egypt and Sudan continue to disagree with the dam’s filling.

On Monday, Sudanese Minister of Irrigation Yasser Abbas stated that Khartoum remains committed to its steadfast stance that negotiations are the most effective way to reach an agreement on the Renaissance Dam.

More : Sudan, Egypt, Ethiopia agree on 90% of controversial GERD points - Egypt Independent


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## hkskyline

* Sudan submits letter to UN Security Council on Renaissance Dam crisis* 
Egypt Independent _Excerpt_
June 26, 2020

Sudan on Thursday sent a letter to the United Nations Security Council regarding developments in the Renaissance Dam crisis, warning that filling the dam without reaching a tripartite agreement would compromise the safety of the Sudanese Roseires Dam and endanger the lives of millions.

It added that the time remaining to reach a mutually satisfactory agreement on the filling and operation of the dam is “narrow and critical.”

Sudan asked the Security Council to invite the leaders of Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia to display their political will and their commitment to resolving the few remaining issues, and urged the parties to adopt the comprehensive draft that Sudan presented in recent negotiations as a basis for action to complete the final agreement on the dam.

It stressed the need to discourage any unilateral measures that would endanger the safety of the operation of the Roseires Dam, and consequently, the lives of the millions of people who live in the surrounding area.

Khartoum called on everyone to work hard to reach a historic agreement that would turn the Nile Basin into a catalyst for cooperation instead of a cause for conflict and instability.

More : Sudan submits letter to UN Security Council on Renaissance Dam crisis - Egypt Independent


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## hkskyline

* Djibouti sets up sovereign wealth fund, targets $1.5 billion in 10 years * 
_Excerpt_
June 25, 2020

NAIROBI (Reuters) - Djibouti is setting up a sovereign wealth fund for domestic and regional investment, aiming to fund it to the tune of $1.5 billion over the next decade, the government said on Thursday.

Wealthy nations traditionally use sovereign wealth funds to invest surplus billions overseas to prevent inflation at home, diversify income streams and accumulate savings.

Djibouti will however use its fund to finance domestic investment including in the telecoms, logistics and infrastructure sectors. It will also prioritize investments in the Horn of Africa region, the government said.

More : Djibouti sets up sovereign wealth fund, targets $1.5 billion in 10 years


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## hkskyline

* Turkish company prepping offer to supply Libya power* 
_Excerpt_
June 29, 2020

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkish power-ship operator Karadeniz Holding is preparing a bid to supply up to 1,000 megawatts of electricity to conflict-hit Libya and will submit it soon, the company said on Monday.

Libya, where Turkey supports the internationally recognised government based in Tripoli, has been hit by power supply problems due to the civil war there.

With Turkish military support, the Government of National Accord (GNA) has reversed a 14-month offensive on Tripoli by Khalifa Haftar’s Libyan National Army (LNA), which is backed by Egypt, Russia and the United Arab Emirates.

More : Turkish company prepping offer to supply Libya power


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## hkskyline

*Bringing GERD to the UN Security Council is an Egyptian-Sudanese achievement: official * 
Egypt Independent _Excerpt_
July 1, 2020

Bringing the Grand Renaissance Dam to the UN Security Council’s table was a joint Egyptian-Sudanese achievement, said the Arab League’s permanent representative to the UN Maged Abdel Fattah, who alluded that “some power” was working hard to prevent any discussion of the GERD crisis by the council.

During a phone call with the “Nine PM” TV show presented by Wael al-Ibrashy, Abdel Fattah explained that Egypt is keen to not harm Ethiopia and therefore did not ask for any punitive decision against its intransigence in the GERD negotiations.

In the event that Ethiopia does not respond to Egypt’s appeals to the UN council, international legitimacy will prevail through applying the international laws and agreements signed by all parties.

Abdel Fattah assured that the Arab League does not seek any confrontation and only wants to protect the rights of the Egyptian and Sudanese peoples.

“All Arab countries have a unified stance with Egypt regarding this issue,” he added.

Source : Bringing GERD to the UN Security Council is an Egyptian-Sudanese achievement: official - Egypt Independent


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## hkskyline

* Pump or dump? With oil in decline, Africa ponders its energy future *
_Excerpt_
July 2, 2020

LONDON, July 2 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - As the COVID-19 pandemic bashes economies and demand for oil, many African nations dependent on exporting fossil fuels are “haemorrhaging” cash, African energy experts warned this week.

The crisis - which comes as more investors shun carbon-heavy businesses - is a taste of what may happen if Africa’s rich oil and gas reserves become “stranded assets” that cannot be pumped as the world shifts to clean energy to meet climate goals.

Fatima Denton, director of the United Nations University Institute for Natural Resources in Africa, said such a situation had always been “talked about as a hypothetical scenario”.

More : Pump or dump? With oil in decline, Africa ponders its energy future


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## hkskyline

* Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia resume GERD talks on Saturday*
Egypt Independent _Excerpt_
July 5, 2020

Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia held a second round of revived talks on Saturday, which continued discussing the rules for filling and operating the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) under the auspices of South Africa, the 2020 head of the African Union (AU).

The video-conference meeting was attended by eleven AU observers, three observers from the EU, South Africa and the US, AU office representatives, the AU commission and AU legal experts.

An Egyptian Ministry of Irrigation source said that these meetings will continue for two weeks and will attempt to reach a legal agreement regarding the GERD’s filling and operating, to reduce the risk of flooding to the three countries and provide protection against ongoing droughts.

The three countries presented their stances on the negotiations, which contained the outstanding technical and legal disagreements, and agreed to continuing the meetings in the presence of several observers and experts.

Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia had reached a consensus regarding 90 percent of the controversial points during the June negotiations.

More : Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia resume GERD talks on Saturday - Egypt Independent


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## hkskyline

* Ethiopia’s stance on GERD reduces chances of reaching agreement: Egypt *
Egypt Independent _Excerpt_
July 9, 2020

Egypt’s Ministry of Irrigation and Water Resources on Wednesday said that differences prevailed in the sixth day of negotiations regarding the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam’s filling and operation, which began on Friday under the African Union’s sponsorship.

In a statement, the ministry said that Ethiopia’s continued adherence to its stance regarding technical and legal points is narrowing the chances of reaching a settlement, given that these points represent what Egypt views as the backbone for an agreement.

Egypt’s concerns include re-filling after periods of prolonged drought, the dam’s annual operating rules, the legal approach regarding any future projects on the Blue Nile, existing agreements establishing a way to resolve disputes, the statement added.

Ethiopia has declined to address these issues in an agreement, the statement said, while seeking to continue unilaterally operating the dam on its own without regard for Egypt and Sudan’s input.

“Egypt will not accept any incomplete dealings that do not take into account Egyptian concerns or delay the discussion of contentious issues between the three countries,” the statement said, adding that Egypt has presented many alternatives that Ethiopia rejected.

More : Ethiopia's stance on GERD reduces chances of reaching agreement: Egypt - Egypt Independent


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## hkskyline

* Ghanaian activists sue government to save forest from mine *
_Excerpt_
July 9, 2020

ACCRA (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Environmental activists have sued Ghana’s government to stop a proposed mining project in a protected national forest, which they say endangers their health and well-being, amid growing calls to increase nature reserves to combat climate change.

The proposed mine in the Atewa Range Forest is part of a $2 billion deal signed with China, which will gain access to bauxite - used to make aluminium - in exchange for financing infrastructure projects such as roads and bridges in Ghana.

Seven local advocacy groups and four citizens claim that mining in the forest violates their constitutional right to a clean and healthy environment and their right to protect it for future generations, their lawyer said this week.

“The forest is our life,” said Oteng Adjei, head of Concerned Citizens of the Atewa Landscape, one of the groups involved in the case, which went to the High Court on July 1, according to documents seen by the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

“Bauxite mining is a one-time payment. (The government) cannot bring back the original forest.”

More : Ghanaian activists sue government to save forest from mine


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## hkskyline

* Ethiopian Renaissance Dam negotiations conclude, but disagreements persist *
Egypt Independent _Excerpt_
July 14, 2020

Egypt’s Ministry of Irrigation on Monday issued a statement clarifying the details of the last day of the Ethiopian Renaissance Dam negotiations, which showed that disagreements between the three countries persist.

The ministry said: “Today, July 13, 2020, concluded the 11-day-long talks on the Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, which took place under the auspices of the African Union and in the presence of water ministers and other representatives from the three countries, as well as observers, with the aim of discussing an agreement to fill and operate the Renaissance Dam.”

“Meetings of technical and legal committees from the three countries were held today with the aim of reaching agreements about contentious points in the two tracks, followed by a meeting of water ministers, during which the discussions of the technical and legal committees were reviewed. This reflected ongoing disagreement on the main issues regarding the rules for filling and operating the Renaissance Dam.”

More : Ethiopian Renaissance Dam negotiations conclude, but disagreements persist - Egypt Independent


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## hkskyline

* Ethiopia dam reservoir filling as talks with Egypt, Sudan stall *
_Excerpt_
July 15, 2020

ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - The reservoir behind the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam is filling, its water minister said on Wednesday, a day after talks with Sudan and Egypt on the giant Blue Nile hydroelectric project stalled.

Sudan and Egypt both fear the $4 billion dam could lead to water shortages in their own nations.

“The construction of the dam and the filling of the water go hand in hand,” Ethiopian Water Minister Seleshi Bekele said in televised comments, a transcript of which was provided to Reuters by his office. “The filling of the dam doesn’t need to wait until the completion of the dam.”

The water level had increased from 525 metres to 560 metres, he said.

The comments by Seleshi did not address whether Ethiopia had closed the gates of the dam. The area has also seen recent heavy rainfall.

More : Ethiopia dam reservoir filling as talks with Egypt, Sudan stall


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## hkskyline

* Egypt seeks 'urgent clarification' over GERD rising water levels *
Al Jazeera _Excerpt_
July 16, 2020

The Egyptian foreign ministry has demanded "urgent clarification" from Ethiopia after conflicting reports on whether it had started filling the reservoir of its giant dam on the Blue Nile River.

Ethiopian state television had reported that the filling of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) started on Wednesday, a day after talks with Egypt and Sudan on the hydroelectric project, the largest in Africa, stalled.

The two downstream countries have been seeking a legally binding deal on the operation and filling of the dam before the latter begins.

Later on Wednesday, Seleshi Bekele, Ethiopia's minister of water, irrigation and energy, denied Addis Ababa was filling the reservoir, saying water levels behind its wall had increased naturally due to seasonal, heavy rainfall.

"There is a lot of water going through. There is heavy rainfall, and the inflow is much greater than the outflow," he told DPA news agency.

More : Egypt seeks 'urgent clarification' over GERD rising water levels


----------



## hkskyline

* Kenya fishermen say they are squeezed by Ethiopian mega-dam *
_Excerpt_
July 20, 2020 

LAKE TURKANA, Kenya (Reuters) - Fishermen on the shores of Kenya’s Lake Turkana, the world’s biggest desert lake, have no doubt about what is to blame for their dwindling fish stocks: a giant hydroelectric dam built by Ethiopia on the River Omo, which feeds the lake.

“We are now seeing Nile perch stocks drastically reduce,” said fisherman Fitbo Lalukol. He says boats must sail much further out into the lake to get a good catch.

Officials at Ethiopia’s ministry of water, irrigation and energy did not respond immediately to a Reuters request for comment on the fishermen’s claims.

Complaints about the Omo dam have been overshadowed by another major water dispute, between Ethiopia and Egypt. Ethiopia is building the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on the Blue Nile, which Cairo says will strangle its lifeline, the Nile. 

The government in Addis Ababa has said it needs the mega-dams to generate enough electricity for its population of 109 million, only about a third of whom have access to power.

More : Kenya fishermen say they are squeezed by Ethiopian mega-dam


----------



## hkskyline

*Power cuts return, adding to frustrations in COVID-weary South Africa*
July 22, 2020
_Excerpt_

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - Keitumetse Modise was already struggling to juggle her appointments as a freelance beautician while home-schooling her daughter during South Africa’s nearly four-month-old COVID-19 lockdown. The last thing she needed was the lights going out.

But after being forced to turn kitchen tables into classrooms and bedrooms into home offices, pandemic-weary South Africans now face an added challenge in the form of a familiar headache: rolling blackouts.

Months of pandemic-induced shutdown and reduced demand had actually resulted in uncharacteristically reliable electricity for those stuck at home, as South Africa’s creaking grid was given some respite.

Since last week however, with restrictions easing and businesses cautiously reopening, planned blackouts - known locally as loadshedding - are back and with them the frustration of unstable internet, lost revenue and disrupted schedules.

Modise, a 33-year-old single mother, has had to push back work appointments to ensure she can help with online schoolwork when there is power. “You do what you have to,” she said.

South Africa, the continent’s most advanced economy, suffered its worst ever power cuts late last year as debt-crippled state utility Eskom imposed cuts to ward off a grid overload.

Source : Power cuts return, adding to frustrations in COVID-weary South Africa


----------



## hkskyline

* Egypt unaffected by initial filling of GERD: expert *
Egypt Independent _Excerpt_
July 24, 2020

Egypt has not been affected by the first stage of the filling of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), geologist Abbas al-Sharaqi said in a statement on Thursday evening, in large part because Egypt has already limited the cultivation of water-rich crops such as bananas and rice.

He added that Egypt’s Aswan High Dam contains enough water reserves to withstand years of drought, so Egypt has not been affected by Ethiopia’s having begun to fill the Renaissance dam, which lies upstream from Egypt on the Nile river.

Sharaqi, who is head of the Natural Resources Department of the African Research Institute, said that Ethiopia’s announcement about completing the first stage of filling the Renaissance Dam violates the agreement signed with the two downstream countries (Egypt and Sudan) not to take any unilateral action that affects the interests of the three countries.

More : Egypt unaffected by initial filling of GERD: expert - Egypt Independent


----------



## hkskyline

* Ethiopia says it does not want binding GERD agreement with Egypt, Sudan *
Egypt Independent _Excerpt_
July 25, 2020

Ethiopia’s Foreign Ministry announced Friday that it is not seeking a binding agreement with Egypt and Sudan on the contentious Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam that it is constructing on the Blue Nile river, the main tributary of the Nile river.

During a briefing to reporters, Ethiopian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Dina Mufti said that his country is instead seeking a guiding agreement that can be modified as needed.

“We are not looking for what they call a binding agreement, we are looking for a kind of an agreement that we can review whenever the need arises,” Mufti said.

He noted that recent dam negotiations have seen a great convergence on technical issues, with only legal differences left requiring further negotiations.

Mufti added while Ethiopia is able to fill the dam’s reservoir within three years due to the heavy rain season, the filling process has been extended to seven years.

More : Video: Ethiopia says it does not want binding GERD agreement with Egypt, Sudan - Egypt Independent


----------



## hkskyline

* Nile mega-dam talks to 'drag on', says Egypt's el-Sisi *
Al Jazeera _Excerpt_
July 29, 2020

Egypt's President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has said talks about Ethiopia's Nile dam would "drag on" but voiced hope for a negotiated settlement to the dispute.

El-Sisi's comments, in a speech on Tuesday, came amid heightened tensions between Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia over the vast Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on the Blue Nile. 

For nearly a decade, talks about the operation and filling of the mega-dam have faltered.

"We are negotiating, and these negotiations will be a long battle," el-Sisi said, before adding, "we will succeed, God willing."

More : Nile mega-dam talks to 'drag on', says Egypt's el-Sisi


----------



## hkskyline

* U.S. to cut $100 million in aid to Ethiopia over dam dispute *
_Excerpt_ 

WASHINGTON, Sept 2 (Reuters) - The United States has decided to cut $100 million in aid to Ethiopia amid a dispute with Egypt and Sudan over a dam Ethiopia is building on the Nile, a congressional source told Reuters on Wednesday.

Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt have been locked in a bitter dispute over the filling and operation of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), which remains unresolved although the reservoir behind the dam began filling in July.

“State has decided to cut assistance” due to Ethiopia’s position on GERD negotiations, the source told Reuters via email. “Up to $100M or so will be affected, of which $26M is funding that expires at the end of the (financial year),” the email said.

More : UPDATE 1-U.S. to cut $100 million in aid to Ethiopia over dam dispute


----------



## hkskyline

* Nigeria says can tap mineral wealth despite COVID, unrest *
_Excerpt_
Sept 2, 2020

ABUJA (Reuters) - Nigeria aims to have 50 mines in operation by 2023 and can make up for time lost because of the impact of COVID-19 on development of the nascent sector, the country’s mining minister said in an interview.

Africa’s largest oil producer is banking on mining to diversify its income and revive its finances following a collapse in crude prices, which earlier this year hit two-decade lows.

“The pandemic has slowed things down, but we can still catch up,” Minister of Mines Olamilekan Adegbite said.

Nigeria hopes mining will grow tenfold in five years to account for 3% of the economy and that Nigeria can process as well as mine, which generates increased profits compared with shipping raw minerals.

In particular, he said Nigeria aimed to process barite, used in drilling for oil and gas, and sell it to countries such as Ghana and South Africa, which need the mineral to exploit new oil discoveries.

More : Nigeria says can tap mineral wealth despite COVID, unrest


----------



## hkskyline

*Russia-Zimbabwe platinum JV to secure phase 1 funding by end of year *
_Excerpt_

HARARE, Sept 1 (Reuters) - Russian-Zimbabwean platinum venture Great **** Investments (GDI) expects to raise up to $500 million in funding it needs for the first phase of its mining project by the end of this year after the coronavirus delayed talks with lenders, its CEO said on Tuesday.

GDI is 50% owned by Russia’s Vi Holding, through its JSC Afromet subsidiary, and 50% owned by Zimbabwe’s Landela Mining Venture (Pvt) Ltd and plans to start mining platinum ore in 2021.

GDI’s Chief Executive Alex Ivanov said five institutions were participating in a syndicated funding led by African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), including from Zimbabwe and Russia, but declined to name them.

“While some delays in funding arrangements caused by the COVID-19 (and) associated disruptions have indeed been encountered since the beginning of 2020, financial closure is now expected by the end of the year,” Ivanov said in an emailed response to queries from Reuters.

Afreximbank had initially targeted raising $500 million by March 31, 2020.

More : Russia-Zimbabwe platinum JV to secure phase 1 funding by end of year


----------



## ElOhEl

Can this thread get a name change? The “woes” part seems unnecessary especially considering the latest contributions have been positive developments.
“African Infrastructure Development News” has a much better ring to it.


----------



## hkskyline

* Ethiopia faces series of challenges on international and domestic fronts*
Egypt Independent _Excerpt_
September 8, 2020

Ethiopia’s government, led by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, has found itself in a quagmire of rising domestic and international tensions, raising fears for the survival of the government in question.

Africa’s second-most-populous nation now faces ongoing riots in the Oromia and Wolayta regions, and a standoff with the Tigray regional government following the official postponement of elections to next year.

Besides, the domestic challenges, Ethiopia also faces rising tensions with Egypt and Sudan over the disputed mega-dam on the Blue Nile river.

For almost a decade, Egypt, Ethiopia, and Sudan have been engaged in negotiations on the Grand
Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), to conclude an agreement, governing both the filling and the
operation of the dam.

Earlier this year, the US tried to mediate the talks, but Ethiopia walked away amid accusations that
Washington was siding with Egypt. Now the three countries are engaged in dialogue under African
Union supervision, yet no breakthrough was reached.

More : Ethiopia faces series of challenges on international and domestic fronts - Egypt Independent


----------



## hkskyline

* Unplanned buildings make up 50% of Egypt’s housing blocks: Madbouly *
Egypt Independent _Excerpt_
Sep 12, 2020

Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly on Saturday said that unplanned constructions makeup 50 percent of housing blocks across the country.

His remarks came during a press conference held to respond to inquiries over new measures to regulate residential buildings.

Madbouly explained that political will is in place to develop the country but warned that if this situation continues, the government will not be able to provide services to citizens.

This problem has challenged Egypt for over 40 years, he added, with the sensitivity of the issue having hampered the government’s interference.

He added that in 2011 the number of hamlet suburbs was 5,000 but has now grown to 32,000 hamlets, established in the middle of agricultural lands.

More : Unplanned buildings make up 50% of Egypt's housing blocks: Madbouly - Egypt Independent


----------



## hkskyline

* Canada's First Quantum eyes operations expansion at Zambia mine *
Reuters _Excerpt_
Sep 15, 2020

Canadian miner First Quantum Minerals Ltd FM.TO said on Monday it plans to expand operations at the Kansanshi mine in Zambia, Africa's biggest copper mine.

In a technical report, the company said it plans to expand the sulphide ore processing facility at the Kansanshi mine by 25 million tonnes per annum (mtpa), which will boost annual throughout to 52 mtpa.

First Quantum expects to spend nearly $650 million for the expansion in about two years, starting in the second half of 2023. This expansion plan will continue to be further refined before project approval is sought, the company added.

More : Canada's First Quantum eyes operations expansion at Zambia mine


----------



## hkskyline

* Uganda, Tanzania agree to build long heated oil pipeline *
_Excerpt_
Sep 13, 2020

KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) — The leaders of Uganda and Tanzania have signed an agreement for the construction of what they say will be the world's longest heated oil pipeline, linking Uganda's planned oil fields in the country's west to the Indian Ocean port of Tanga.

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni and President John Magufuli of Tanzania signed the “host and implementation agreement” Sunday in the remote Tanzanian town of Chato.

Construction of the 897-mile pipeline is expected to begin in 2021 and will cost an estimated $3.5 billion, according to Ugandan authorities who expressed optimism that money Uganda will earn from its oil deposits will finance ambitious infrastructure projects and launch the country into middle-income status. No further details about the agreement were released, including who will build the pipeline or how it will be financed.

French oil giant Total, a major investor in Uganda's oil industry, announced last wek that it had reached a deal with Ugandan authorities governing the crude oil export pipeline that will cross sensitive protected areas, rivers, and farmland.

“The conditions are set for the ramp-up of project activities and in particular, we will resume the land acquisition activities in Uganda while respecting the highest human rights standards,” Total's Uganda office said in a statement.

More : Uganda, Tanzania agree to build long heated oil pipeline


----------



## hkskyline

* Egypt cuts highways across pyramids plateau, alarming conservationists *
_Excerpt_
Sep 15, 2020

MEMPHIS, Egypt (Reuters) - Egypt is building two highways across the pyramids plateau outside Cairo, reviving and expanding a project that was suspended in the 1990s after an international outcry.

The Great Pyramids, Egypt's top tourist destination, are the sole survivor of the seven wonders of the ancient world and the plateau is a UNESCO world heritage site.

The highways are part of an infrastructure push spearheaded by Egypt's powerful military and championed by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who is building a new capital city to ease the population pressure on Cairo, home to 20 million people.

The northern highway will cross the desert 2.5 km (1.6 miles) south of the Great Pyramids. The southern one will pass between the Step Pyramid of Saqqara - the oldest one - and the Dahshur area, home to the Bent Pyramid and the Red Pyramid.

Each highway appears to be about eight lanes wide. 

More : Egypt cuts highways across pyramids plateau, alarming conservationists


----------



## hkskyline

* Congo announces its support towards Egypt on GERD issue *
Egypt Independent _Excerpt_
Sep 20, 2020

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Saturday received a letter from Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi expressing his country’s support towards Egypt on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) issue.

The letter was delivered by the Advisor to the Congolese President, Jean-Claude Kabongo, in the presence of Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and the Congo’s ambassador to Cairo.

Egypt’s Presidential Spokesperson Bassam Rady explained that the letter also expressed the Congo’s eagerness to further develop bilateral relations with Egypt and benefit from its expertise within infrastructure and major development projects.

More : Congo announces its support towards Egypt on GERD issue - Egypt Independent


----------



## hkskyline

* At UN assembly, Sisi speaks of Egypt’s concern over GERD *
Egypt Independent _Excerpt_
Sep 23, 2020

During a Tuesday speech to the 75th UN General Assembly, President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said that Egypt’s people are deeply concerned over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) project as its construction involves the river that has given Egypt life for thousands of years.

“We spent painstaking negotiations with Ethiopia and Sudan, seeking to reach an agreement that organizes the process of filling and operating the dam and achieves a balance between development requirements, preserving Egypt’s water interests and ensuring its right to life,” he explained.

“Egypt has gone through successive rounds of intense negotiations, and the government of the United States of America has made appreciative efforts to bring the visions of the three countries closer. We conducted it in all sincerity at the initiative of the Prime Minister of Sudan and later in the negotiation rounds sponsored by South Africa, the current president of the African Union. But these efforts did not yield the desired results,” Sisi added.

More : At UN assembly, Sisi speaks of Egypt's concern over GERD - Egypt Independent


----------



## hkskyline

* Uganda to help build roads inside Congo, citing trade goals *
_Excerpt_
Sep 29, 2020

KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) — Uganda’s government said Tuesday it would help finance projects to surface over 200 kilometers (124 miles) of road inside neighboring Congo as part of plans to boost trade between the countries.

Uganda will contribute about 20% of the project value while the rest will be met by Congo’s government in an envisaged public-private partnership, Ugandan Works and Transport Minister Gen. Katumba Wamala told The Associated Press.

Such an arrangement is unheard of in a region where governments struggle to expand road networks within their borders. Despite its vast size and wealth of natural resources, Congo remains one of the poorest countries in the world. Eastern Congo is particularly plagued by rebel violence.

More : Uganda to help build roads inside Congo, citing trade goals


----------



## hkskyline

* Pandemic pushes forward new generation of African cyclists *
Reuters _Excerpt_
Sep 30, 2020

ABIDJAN (Reuters) - Wearing a bright green helmet, cyclist Andy Costa weaves a dangerous path through trucks barrelling down the streets of Abidjan in the Ivory Coast.

Africa’s traffic-clogged cities make it the world’s deadliest continent for pedestrians and cyclists, according to the World Health Organisation. Many lack pavements, let alone bike lanes.

That may soon change thanks to a generation of African cycling activists who have been given a boost by the COVID-19 pandemic and the need to avoid crowded public transport.

Last month, after 10 years of campaigning, authorities finally told Costa he could help plan bike lanes in part of Abidjan, Ivory Coast’s commercial capital.

“They are part of the solution, to make roads more fluid, even for health problems,” Jacques Gabriel Ehouo, mayor of the central business district of Plateau, told Reuters after meeting with Costa.

More : Pandemic pushes forward new generation of African cyclists


----------



## hkskyline

* Ethiopia says GERD dam will begin generating power in next 12 months *
Reuters 
Oct 5, 2020

Ethiopia’s giant new hydropower dam on the Blue Nile will begin generating power in the next 12 months, the country’s president said on Monday.

“This year will be a year where the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam will start generating power with the two turbines,” Sahle-Work Zewde said in a speech to parliament.

Ethiopia is locked in a dispute with Egypt and Sudan over its $4 billion Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, which Cairo has said could threaten its main supply of water.

Source : Ethiopia says GERD dam will begin generating power in next 12 months


----------



## hkskyline

* Ethiopia bans flights over dam for security reasons - aviation chief *
Reuters _Excerpt_
Oct 5, 2020

Ethiopia has banned all flights over its giant new hydropower dam on the Blue Nile for security reasons, the head of its civil aviation authority said on Monday, as the president pledged the dam would begin generating power in the next 12 months.

The move could worsen Ethiopia’s dispute with Egypt and Sudan over its $4 billion Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, which Cairo has said could threaten its main supply of water.

“All flights have been banned to secure the dam,” the director-general of the Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority, Wesenyeleh Hunegnaw, told Reuters by phone. He declined to give more details on the reasons.

More : Ethiopia bans flights over dam for security reasons - aviation chief


----------



## hkskyline

* A conflict is brewing on the Nile — and the Trump administration is making things worse *
Washington Post _Excerpt_
Oct 6, 2020

This summer has seen significant escalation between Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan over the filling of the new Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), the latest front in a long-standing dispute between the countries over rights to the Nile's water. The United States has tried to play the role of a mediator in such disputes. But in September, the Trump administration announced it would slash Ethiopia's aid budget by $130 million, intervening in support of Egypt and exacerbating tensions.

Ever since construction began on the dam in 2011 — and indeed for decades before that — it has been a flash point in the region. The problem is that all parties have a point. The GERD would provide Ethiopia with clean, cheap and abundant energy — a much-needed addition to a country in which 55 percent of people lack electricity and 27 percent live in poverty. Failing to move forward with the dam's filling would deprive 65 million Ethiopians of substantial energy potential, condemning them to inadequate living standards and sluggish economic prospects.

Yet to dam a river that provides 90 percent of Egypt's freshwater will deepen that country's perilous water crisis. In recent years, Egypt's persistent water deficit has strained its agricultural industry and upended life in many parts of the country.

More : https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/10/06/egypt-ethiopia-standoff-nile/


----------



## hkskyline

* Egypt seeks Kenya's help in row with Ethiopia over Nile dam *
The East African _Excerpt_
Oct 9, 2020

Egyptians are seeking Kenya’s support to help Cairo reach an amicable solution on the use of the waters of the Nile, after Ethiopia erected a dam along the river.

The revelation came out of a meeting between President Uhuru Kenyatta and his host Abdel Fattah al-Sissi this week as the former stopped over from France.

A statement from State House only indicated that they discussed subjects of mutual interest “among them regional peace and security, trade and Africa's response to Covid-19.”

But the Egyptian officials said the two leaders had agreed to work closely on the issue of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) currently under construction on the Blue Nile.

“The meeting touched on the latest regional developments of mutual interest, especially in relation to the issue of the renaissance dam, where it was agreed to intensify coordination between the two countries in the coming period on this sensitive and vital issue,” a spokesperson for al-Sissi said.

Ethiopia is putting up the GERD, worth about $4.8 billion raised entirely from local contributions.

More : Egypt seeks Kenya's help in row with Ethiopia over Nile dam


----------



## hkskyline

* Egypt to build a new city with towers in the northwestern coast: Housing Minister *
Egypt Independent _Excerpt_
Oct 13, 2020

Housing Minister Asem al-Gazzar announced Tuesday that Egypt is building a new city in the northwestern coast, modeled after the New al-Alamein City.

This new city of Ras al-Hikma will be a distinct landmark, he explained, and will include residential towers such as those of the New al-Alamein City to better maximize the potential of the city’s location.

Gazzar held a meeting with the Governor of Matrouh, Khaled Shuaib, to follow up the necessary steps to start implementing the various projects in the new city of Ras al-Hikma in Matrouh, in the presence of governorate leaders.

Shuaib explained that new cities such as the Ras al-Hikma project and the various other development projects being implemented by the New Urban Communities Authority in the northwestern coast will provide great investment and development opportunities, alongside more jobs for Matrouh citizens.

Both the Minister of Housing and the Governor of Matrouh agreed to form a joint working group start implementing the various projects in the new Ras al-Hikma city, and define the priority development areas to start work at. 

More : Egypt to build a new city with towers in the northwestern coast: Housing Minister - Egypt Independent


----------



## hkskyline

* Egypt still eager to reach binding agreement on GERD: Prime Minister *
Egypt Independent _Excerpt_
Oct 18, 2020

Egypt remains eager to reach a binding legal agreement regarding the filling and operation of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) that preserves the rights and common interests of Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan, Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly said on Sunday.

During the inauguration of the Cairo Water Week 2020 event, Madbouly added that no unilateral decisions can be taken on the GERD issue to prevent negative impacts on the region’s stability.

Madbouly said that President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi gave a speech to the United Nations General Assembly in September stating that Egypt has sought for decades to strengthen cooperation with its fellow Nile countries.

More : Egypt still eager to reach binding agreement on GERD: Prime Minister - Egypt Independent


----------



## hkskyline

*Japan to finance Kibuye Busega Expressway project *
New Vision _Excerpt_ 
Oct 14, 2020

The 8km multi-billion shilling project, intended to ease the flow of traffic in the metropolitan areas, is at appraisal financing stage by the Japanese International Co-operation Agency (JICA).

The Japanese government is to finance the construction of the Kibuye-Busega Expressway linking Kampala city to the gateway to south and southwestern Uganda.

The expressway is planned to connect to the Busega-Mpigi expressway in the south and Entebbe-Kampala expressway as well as the Northern Bypass.

The 8km multi-billion shilling project, intended to ease the flow of traffic in the metropolitan areas, is at appraisal financing stage by the Japanese International Co-operation Agency (JICA).

Allan Ssempebwa, the Uganda National Roads Authority spokesperson, said the infrastructure would help to ease the flow of traffic, facilitate trade and reduce working hours wasted in the daily traffic gridlock as well as steer economic growth.

More : Japan to finance Kibuye Busega Expressway project


----------



## hkskyline

* Sudan PM invites Egypt, Ethiopia leaders to direct negotiations over GERD crisis*
Apr 17, 2021
Egypt Independent _Excerpt_ 

Sudanese Foreign Minister Mariam al-Sadiq announced Friday that Sudan’s Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok has invited the leaders of Egypt and Ethiopia to direct negotiations to help resolve the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) dispute.

During an interview with Sky News Arabia on Friday evening, Sadiq said that so far, no responses have been received from the Egyptian and Ethiopian sides regarding this invitation.

Sadiq said that Sudan has worked diligently to provide amicable facilities for the GERD issue.

More : https://egyptindependent.com/sudan-...ders-to-direct-negotiations-over-gerd-crisis/


----------



## hkskyline

* Ethiopia rejects fresh invitation for talks on GERD, US steps in again *
Apr 24, 2021
Egypt Independent _Excerpt_

Sudan’s Minister of Irrigation and Water Resources Yasser Abbas on Friday said that Ethiopia has rejected Sudan’s proposal for a summit of government heads to discuss the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).

Meanwhile, the US has stepped in to intervene with the dilemma and find a different approach.

Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok had invited his Ethiopian and Egyptian counterparts on April 13 hold talks in Khartoum to search for solutions to GERD crisis, after the last round of negotiations hosted by Congo Kinshasa in the first week of April failed.

More : https://egyptindependent.com/ethiopia-rejects-fresh-invitation-for-talks-on-gerd-us-steps-in-again/


----------



## hkskyline

* Ethiopia will not take GERD matter seriously unless Egypt and Sudan’s army show they can deter: Former FM *
Egypt Independent _Excerpt_ 
May 4, 2021

Egypt’s former Foreign Minister Mohamed al-Orabi said on Monday that Ethiopia, and the international community at large, will not take the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam dispute seriously until it can be shown that Egypt and Sudan are capable of deterring any threat and defending its rights.

During an interview with the “Taht al-Shams” show Orabi said, “We have acted diplomatically and implemented all its means during the past 10 years, and so there is no problem with showing the potential for deterrence.”

“I see that the Ethiopian side has begun to feel this level of deterrence power with the talk of an Egyptian-Sudanese military agreement, and their recent statements show that they have begun to feel anxious about showing an Egyptian-Sudanese deterrent force.”

More : Ethiopia will not take GERD matter seriously unless Egypt and Sudan's army show they can deter: Former FM - Egypt Independent


----------



## hkskyline

*GERD’s second filing to cause ‘water shock’ for Egypt: Minister *
May 24, 2021
Egypt Independent _Excerpt_

The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam’s second filling will cause a “water shock” for Egypt, Minister of Irrigation and Water Resources Mohamed Abdel Atti warned Sunday, adding he hopes for a quick move to break the current deadlock in negotiations.

During an interview with the journalist Lamis al-Hadidi on the TV program “al-Kalma al-Akhera”, Atti added that the US has not yet submitted any proposal to solve the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) dispute.

“Egypt will not accept any unilateral and illegal disposal of the Nile water,” he stressed, noting that Egypt “will take advantage of the High Dam’s water reserves to compensate for the shortfall resulting from the second filling of GERD.”

More : GERD's second filing to cause 'water shock' for Egypt: Minister - Egypt Independent


----------



## hkskyline

*Sisi warns against imposing a fait accompli in GERD crisis *
May 27, 2021
Egypt Independent _Excerpt_

During his diplomatic visit to Djibouti, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi warned against imposing a fait accompli in the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) crisis.

With the second filling of the dam set to begin in July, the President has been garnering support against Ethiopia from African and other countries.

Sisi further rejected unilateral measures that do not take into account the interests and rights of the two downstream countries, Sudan and Egypt.

More : Sisi warns against imposing a fait accompli in GERD crisis - Egypt Independent


----------



## hkskyline

*Egypt FM in Doha for Arab League meeting over GERD *
Egypt Independent _Excerpt_ 
June 14, 2021

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry on Sunday evening arrived in the Qatari capital Doha to participate in talks on various issues such as the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).

Egyptian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ahmed Hafez said that Shoukry’s visit will see him participate in the consultative meeting of Arab foreign ministers held at the invitation of Qatar, president of the current session of the Arab League Council.

The meeting will discuss cooperation regarding the current Arab situation and ways to enhance joint action in the face of growing challenges facing the Arab world.

More : Egypt FM in Doha for Arab League meeting over GERD - Egypt Independent


----------



## hkskyline

* Tanzania considers reviving $10 billion port project *
June 26, 2021
_Excerpt_ 

DAR ES SALAAM (Reuters) - President Samia Suluhu Hassan said on Saturday that Tanzania will look to revive a $10 billion stalled port project on the eastern coast of the country.

Tanzania inked a framework agreement in 2013 with China Merchants Holdings International to construct the port and a special economic zone that aimed to transform the east African country into a trade and transport hub to rival its neighbours.

The government of the late president John Magufuli, whom Hassan succeeded after he died in March, had complained that the conditions proposed by the investors, which included Oman's State General Reserve Fund, were commercially unviable.

More : Tanzania considers reviving $10 billion port project


----------



## hkskyline

* Ethiopia announces successful 2nd filling of GERD reservoir, reassures downstream countries*
July 22, 2021
Egypt Independent _Excerpt_

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed announced the completion of the second filling of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), stressing that the step will not harm downstream countries, in reference to Egypt and Sudan.

Ahmed published on his Twitter account that the second filling of the Renaissance Dam took place on July 20, and that Ethiopia filled the dam with caution during the rainy season.

Member of the Ethiopian negotiating team in the GERD file Yilma Selechel said on Wednesday that the dam’s second filling “removed all ambiguities raised by Egypt and Sudan regarding the impact of the dam on downstream countries.”

More : Ethiopia announces successful 2nd filling of GERD reservoir, reassures downstream countries - Egypt Independent


----------



## hkskyline

* Tunisia shocked after Ethiopia doubts its role in GERD negotiations*
Egypt Independent _Excerpt_
Sep 17, 2021

The Tunisian Foreign Ministry expressed its astonishment at the statement of the Ethiopian Foreign Ministry that questioned Tunisia’s commitment to defending African issues in international forums, especially during its membership in the UN Security Council.

“On September 15, 2021, the Security Council adopted a presidential statement regarding the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. Tunisia submitted this presidential statement within the framework of its commitment to its African and Arab dimensions and out of its responsibility in the Council security, embodying its belief in the need to serve peace and security and promote the values of dialogue and negotiation,” the Tunisian Foreign Ministry said in a statement, published on its Facebook page.

In the statement, the ministry said that Tunisia was keen to communicate with all concerned parties and with members of the Security Council in order to reach a balanced agreement that takes into account the concerns and interests of all parties, while guaranteeing their right to development.

More : Tunisia shocked after Ethiopia doubts its role in GERD negotiations - Egypt Independent


----------



## hkskyline

* Egypt thanks Russia for its support over GERD dispute *
Egypt Independent _Excerpt_
Oct 4, 2021

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said that he met with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov to discuss developments in the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) issue, and thanked Russia for its support.

During a press conference with Lavrov, Shoukry said “I thank Russia for the support that Egypt received to address this issue in the Security Council, and we look forward to cooperating with Moscow to reach a binding legal solution that guarantees the rights of all parties, away from any unilateral policies that are incompatible with international law policies.”

Shoukry explained that he and Lavrov also discussed matters related to bilateral relations.

More : Egypt thanks Russia for its support over GERD dispute - Egypt Independent


----------



## hkskyline

*South African Fund Targets $7 Billion for Infrastructure by 2022 *
Bloomberg _Excerpt_
Oct 6, 2021

A South African fund that was established to promote investment in water provision, low-cost housing and other infrastructure expects to galvanize funding for projects worth more than 100 billion rand ($7 billion) by next year. 

Established in August 2020, the Infrastructure Fund aims to catalyze 1.1 trillion rand in investment over the next decade, with pension funds, banks and other private institutions providing 10 rand for every rand the government spends. The fund, so far, has eight sets of projects in the pipeline that require 105 billion rand to implement, it said in a presentation.

More : Bloomberg - Are you a robot?


----------



## hkskyline

* Egypt, AfDB prepare for 2022-2026 country strategy in Presence of 17 national entities *
Egypt Today _Excerpt_ 

CAIRO – 10 October 2021: Minister of International Cooperation, Rania A. Al-Mashat, launched the national consultations with the African Development Bank (AfDB) to prepare the new Country Strategy 2022-2026, within the framework of the series of discussions the Ministry of International Cooperation holds in coordination with relevant national entities in order to update the cooperation strategies with development partners for the upcoming five years.

This took place with the participation of the AfDB’s Executive Director for Egypt and Djibouti, Ahmed Zayed; the African Development Bank’s (AfDB) Deputy Regional Director for North Africa and Country Manager for Egypt, Malinne Blomberg; and officials from the Ministry of International Cooperation.

This is in addition to the presence of over 17 ministries and governmental entities, such as the Ministries of Housing, Utilities and Urban Communities, Transportation, Agriculture and Land Reclamation, Water Resources and Irrigation, Planning, Tourism, Communications and Information Technology, and Higher Education, as well as the Financial Regulatory Authority (FRA) and the General Authority for the Suez Canal Economic Zone (SCZone).

More : Egypt, AfDB prepare for 2022-2026 country strategy in Presence of 17 national entities


----------



## hkskyline

* DP World, CDC Pledge $1.7 Billion Infrastructure Spending in Africa Ports Deal*
Bloomberg _Excerpt_
Oct 12, 2021

DP World Ltd. and CDC Group Plc have formed a partnership to develop ports in Africa and committed to spending $1.72 billion on infrastructure over the next few years.

DP World, which is based in Dubai and is one of the world’s biggest port operators, will invest $1 billion in facilities including in Dakar in Senegal, Ain Sokhna in Egypt, and Berbera in Somaliland. CDC, a U.K.-based development finance group, will initially contribute $320 million and has committed an additional $400 million over the next few years.

The partnership, along with the modernization and expansions at the ports, is expected to boost trade in the three territories, as well as further inland in Mali in West Africa and Ethiopia in the Horn of Africa, the companies said in a statement on Tuesday. They intend spending about $1 billion on the port in Dakar alone. 

More : Bloomberg - Are you a robot?


----------



## hkskyline

* Egypt attaches top priority to its historical Nile water rights: Sisi to Austrian Chancellor *
Egypt Independent _Excerpt_
Nov 1, 2021

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi reviewed developments related to the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam during his Sunday meeting at his residence in Glasgow with the Chancellor of Austria Alexander Schallenberg, and stressed the utmost importance Egypt that attaches to its historical Nile water rights.

He described the dispute as an existential issue that requires the international community to make all possible efforts to reach a binding legal agreement on the rules for filling and operating the dam in a way that preserves Egypt’s water security.

According to Sisi, the settlement of the region’s crises can be only achieved through stability and restoring the pillars of the national state and its institutions, done by strengthening national armies and central governments to counter extremist groups and organizations.

More : Egypt attaches top priority to its historical Nile water rights: Sisi to Austrian Chancellor - Egypt Independent


----------



## hkskyline

* South Africa seeks over $27 bln of finance for shift from coal *
_Excerpt_ 

JOHANNESBURG, Oct 21 (Reuters) - South Africa is seeking cheap finance for more than 400 billion rand ($27.6 billion) of electricity infrastructure as part of its plans to move away from heavily polluting coal, a senior presidency official said on Thursday.

Through a funding facility backed by rich nations and development finance institutions, South Africa hopes to build more than 180 billion rand of cleaner power generation, 120 billion rand of transmission equipment, as well as substations, transformers and distribution technology.

More : South Africa seeks over $27 bln of finance for shift from coal


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## hkskyline

* ColdHubs: How solar-powered cold storage is reducing food waste in Nigeria *
CNN _Excerpt_
Sep 23, 2021

In the bustling Ogere Market in Ogun State, Nigeria, the race is on to sell fresh produce early in the day. By noon, the sun is at its peak, and with temperatures soaring, food spoils fast. As the day wears on, food can sell at less than half of its original value, slashing profits for retailers and farmers.

That's why Nnaemeka Ikegwuonu decided to take a fresh approach to food waste. He's the founder of ColdHubs, which provides solar-powered food storage units designed for markets and farms.

The 39-year-old has won countless awards for the initiative and has just been announced as the joint winner of the $1.5 million AYuTe Africa Challenge, for promising young innovators who are using technology to reimagine food production on the continent.

More : ColdHubs: How solar-powered cold storage is keeping food fresh in Nigeria


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## hkskyline

*US says encouraging negotiations between Egypt, Ethiopia, and Sudan over GERD*
Egypt Independent _Excerpt_
Nov 9, 2021

US State Department spokesperson Ned Price said on Monday that the US-Egypt Strategic Dialogue being held at Washington DC discussed the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) and Egypt’s water security.

“Today, Secretary Blinken met with Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry at the opening of the U.S.-Egypt Strategic Dialogue, the first bilateral dialogue held since 2015,” Price said.

“We also discussed President Biden’s support for increased economic cooperation in Egypt’s water security, which was reaffirmed by Secretary Blinken when he met with President Sisi earlier this year in Cairo, and our efforts to encourage negotiations between Egypt, Ethiopia, and Sudan regarding the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam,” he added.

More : US says encouraging negotiations between Egypt, Ethiopia, and Sudan over GERD - Egypt Independent


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## hkskyline

*New protests, clashes in Tunisian city over garbage pileup *
_Excerpt_
Nov 11, 2021

AGAREB, Tunisia (AP) — New clashes broke out Wednesday between residents and police in the Tunisian city of Agareb, home to a landfill that has provoked public fury over waste mismanagement.

Agareb hosts the main landfill for nearby Sfax, Tunisia’s second largest city. Local residents have long advocated the closure of El Qena landfill, citing health and environmental concerns.

Authorities decided to close the landfill in September — but had no alternative plan in place, causing thousands of tons of waste to accumulate in streets and public spaces for over a month. Residents took to the streets last week, saying the government was violating their basic rights.

Then Monday, authorities abruptly reopened the landfill, prompting new protests over mismanagement and the lack of a longer-term solution.

More : New protests, clashes in Tunisian city over garbage pileup


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## hkskyline

* Arab League chief calls on further international pressure on Ethiopia over GERD *
Egypt Independent _Excerpt_
Nov 13, 2021

The Secretary-General of the Arab League Ahmed Aboul Gheit said on Friday that the league clearly aligns itself with the water rights of Sudan and Egypt by approving a binding legal agreement with Ethiopia regarding the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).

He added that the international community is therefore required to pressure Ethiopia to take the required approach necessary to resolve the crisis.

Aboul Gheit’s statements came during a session of talks with the President of the European Council Charles Michelon the sidelines of his participation in the Paris Conference on the situation in Libya.

More : Arab League chief calls on further international pressure on Ethiopia over GERD - Egypt Independent


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## hkskyline

*Egyptian water expert reveals important developments about GERD operations*
Egypt Independent _Excerpt_ 
Nov 12, 2021

Egyptian water expert Abbas Sharaky revealed important developments regarding the filling and operations of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) after Ethiopia conducted the first and second fillings.

“Ethiopia made the first storage last year with about 5 billion m3, and the second storage, which was not completed till last July, with about 3 billion m3, at a total of 8 billion m3.

As a result of the flooding exceeding the capacity of the middle corridor, 2 billion m3 were temporarily stored. This could have been used to generate electricity, but after the end of the flooding season at the end of October, the temporary 2 billion m3 crossed without benefit,” Sharaky said in a post on his official Facebook page.

More : Egyptian water expert reveals important developments about GERD operations - Egypt Independent


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## hkskyline

* Global investment money is flooding into Africa’s fintechs *
Al Jazeera _Excerpt_
Nov 19, 2021

Ricky Rapa Thomson was a security guard and then a motorbike taxi driver before he became an entrepreneur. SafeBoda, the startup he co-founded, promises safe and reliable transport on Uganda’s deadly streets. It also offers fintech solutions for its drivers and customers and hopes to become Africa’s largest ride-hailing service.

It’s the kind of fairy-tale story that tech investors usually love. Yet it’s also the sort of pothole-filled journey that overseas capital has traditionally avoided in Africa, preferring instead to focus on extractive industries like mining or on infrastructure projects.

So Thomson was anxious when SafeBoda sought Series B investments in 2019. But the startup drew funding from the investment arms of German insurance major Allianz and Indonesian super app Gojek, neither of which had ever put money in African tech before.

More : Global investment money is flooding into Africa’s fintechs


----------



## hkskyline

*U.S. wants 'race to the top' on Africa infrastructure amid China competition, says Blinken*
_Excerpt_ 

ABUJA, Nov 18 (Reuters) - US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Thursday that Washington’s involvement in infrastructure in Africa was not about China, but intended to improve the standard of infrastructure without countries becoming burdened by debt.

On a visit to Africa’s most populous country, Blinken was asked about US-China competition over infrastructure investment on the continent, where China has grown its influence in recent years through such investments.

“When it comes to infrastructure investment, again, this is not about China or anyone else, it is about what we would like to think of as a race to the top when it comes to those investments,” Blinken said at a joint news conference with Nigerian Foreign Affairs Minister Geoffrey Onyeama.

More : U.S. wants 'race to the top' on Africa infrastructure amid China competition, says Blinken


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## nazrey

Kenya Police chose Proton SUV X70 as cop car


__
http://instagr.am/p/CWdktSxIb_4/

*Polis Kenya Pilih SUV Proton X70 Sebagai Kenderaan Rasmi*
November 20, 2021 - 11:21 AM Oleh Hazim Jaafar



> Model X70 merupakan kereta SUV pertama yang dilancar oleh Proton pada akhir tahun 2018 lalu dan mendapat sambutan hangat daripada orang ramai apabila Proton berjaya menjual lebih 48,000 unit dalam masa dua tahun (2019-2020).
> 
> Proton X70 turut dieksport ke beberapa buah negara luar seperti Brunei, Indonesia, Pakistan dan pasaran yang terbaharu di Kenya pada Ogos tahun lalusebagai model CKD (Completely Knocked Down).
> 
> Terbaharu, pihak Proton Kenya baru sahaja menyerahkan sebanyak 30 unit SUV Proton X70 kepada pihak anggota keselamatan negara tersebut, ‘Kenya Police Service’ sebagai kenderaan rasmi mereka.











Polis Kenya Pilih SUV Proton X70 Sebagai Kenderaan Rasmi


Model X70 merupakan kereta SUV pertama yang dilancar oleh Proton pada akhir tahun 2018 lalu dan mendapat sambutan hangat daripada orang ramai apabila




www.thevocket.com


----------



## hkskyline

*Egypt FM discusses GERD crisis with EU Special Representative for the Horn of Africa *
Egypt Independent _Excerpt_
Nov 21, 2021

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry met with the European Union’s Special Representative for the Horn of Africa, Annette Weber, on the sidelines of the 17th edition of the regional security summit Manama Dialogue, which is organized by the Bahraini Ministry of Foreign Affairs in cooperation with the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), to discuss issues such as the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam.

The Egyptian Foreign Ministry said that the meeting also touched on ways to support pillars of security and stability in the region, and the latest developments in the Horn of Africa.

Shoukry met with several ministers and senior officials to discuss the most pressing regional issues and exchange views on the various challenges facing the region and ways to respond to those challenges.

More : Egypt FM discusses GERD crisis with EU Special Representative for the Horn of Africa - Egypt Independent


----------



## hkskyline

* Green Hydrogen: The new scramble for North Africa *
Al Jazeera _Excerpt_
Nov 20, 2021

The potential of the Sahara desert in North Africa to generate large amounts of renewable energy thanks to its dry climate and vast expanses of land has long been touted. For years, the Europeans, in particular, have considered it a potential source of solar energy that could satisfy a sizable chunk of European energy demands.

In 2009, the Desertec project, an ambitious initiative to power Europe from Saharan solar plants was launched by a coalition of European industrial firms and financial institutions with the idea that a tiny surface of the desert can provide 15 percent of Europe’s electricity via special high voltage direct current transmission cables.

The Desertec venture eventually stalled amid criticisms of its astronomical costs and its neo-colonial connotations. After an attempt to revive it as Desertec 2.0 with a focus on the local market for renewable energy, the project was eventually reborn into Desertec 3.0, which aims to satisfy Europe’s demand for hydrogen, a “clean” energy alternative to fossil fuels.

More : Green Hydrogen: The new scramble for North Africa


----------



## hkskyline

*Transport minister inspects development project of Ring Road *
Egypt Independent _Excerpt_
Nov 22, 2021

Minister of Transport Kamel al-Wazir on Monday inspected progress on the the comprehensive development project for the Ring Road around Greater Cairo.

The tour began by following up on the implementation of the distance from Saad Eddin al-Shazly area to the Alexandria Agriculture Road, where construction of a bridge above the Saad Eddin al-Shazly Tunnel is taking place.

He inspected the Adly Mansour Bridge in the Asher area which is under experimental operation, and will contribute to eliminating traffic jams in al-Salam Tunnel.

More : Transport minister inspects development project of Ring Road - Egypt Independent


----------



## hkskyline

* Optimism flows in wake of infrastructure projects *
China Daily _Excerpt_
Nov 26, 2021

China's engagement with Africa is transforming the way the people of the continent view their future thanks in large part to infrastructure projects that are feeding into a growing sense of optimism, a report finds.

The report, by the Africa Policy Institute, notes the benefits that African countries are enjoying with their participation in the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative.

The report said China has committed billions of dollars to fund Africa's development priorities, especially in infrastructure and manufacturing. To further the continent's development, the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation was established in 2000. And the progress that has flowed from the bilateral platform is much in people's minds in the lead-up to next week's eighth ministerial conference of the forum in Senegal.

More : Optimism flows in wake of infrastructure projects


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## hkskyline

*Europe unveils its $340 billion answer to China's Belt and Road infrastructure initiative *
_Excerpt_
Dec 1, 2021

London (CNN Business) - The European Union has unveiled its €300 billion ($340 billion) alternative to China's Belt and Road initiative — an investment program the bloc claims will create "links, not dependencies."

The aim of the EU program — called Global Gateway — is to help underpin the global recovery by mobilizing investments in digital, clean energy and transport networks, as well as boosting health, education and research systems across the world. Low and middle-income countries were already facing a $2.7 trillion infrastructure investment gap before the pandemic, according to World Bank estimates.

"With the Global Gateway we want to create strong and sustainable links, not dependencies, between Europe and the world and build a new future for young people," Jutta Urpilainen, the EU commissioner for international partnerships, said in a statement on Wednesday.

More : Europe unveils its $340 billion answer to China's Belt and Road infrastructure initiative


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## hkskyline

* Can Europe Compete With China's Belt and Road Initiative?*
Voice of America _Excerpt_
Dec 2, 2021

The European Union this week launched a $340 billion "Global Gateway" fund to boost global infrastructure, which analysts say is aimed at rivaling China's Belt and Road Initiative. But can it compete with Beijing's billions?

The EU says its Global Gateway will finance high-quality digital, climate, and energy and transport infrastructure, including fiber-optic cables, road and rail, and renewable power, primarily in developing nations.

"It will invest around the world to support our priorities — that is, the green and digital transition," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told a press conference on Wednesday.

More : https://www.voanews.com/a/can-europe-compete-with-china-s-belt-and-road-initiative-/6337145.html


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## hkskyline

*Egypt faces many water challenges topped by GERD, overpopulation *
Egypt Today _Excerpt_
Dec 5, 2021

Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Mohamed Abdel Aati said Egypt faces several water challenges topped by the unilateral filling of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), overpopulation, climate change as well as the limited water resources, a matter which required outlining necessary policies for an integrated management of water resources as water is a vital issue for achieving sustainable development.

The minister's remarks were made at a lecture he delivered to a number of Hungarian diplomats from the Hungarian Diplomatic Academy as he addressed the issue of Egypt water status and the projects carried out by the Egyptian state in order to cope up with the impact of climate changes.

The lecture, titled "Water Management in Egypt and Climate Change.. Opportunities and Challenges", was made at the premises of the Hungarian Foreign Ministry on the fringe of the minister's participation in Planet Budapest 2021 Sustainability Expo and World Conference.

More : Irrigation min.: Egypt faces many water challenges topped by GERD, overpopulation


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## hkskyline

*Africa's patchy transport network gets a tech boost *
BBC _Excerpt_
Dec 7, 2021

Benson Ndumu Mwangi has been a truck driver for 10 years, navigating the roads of Kenya and East Africa.

It can be a tough job: "Trucking in Kenya is a challenge, some of the roads are very difficult to manoeuvre through, causing mechanical issues and delays.

"Some areas have a high risk of theft and so we have to be extra careful," he says.

For Mr Mwangi and others who work in the logistics industry there is hope that a new African free-trade area will spur improvements.

The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement is in its first year of operation. Signed in 2018 the deal includes 54 African countries.

...

The deal has certainly boosted investment in technology firms promising to smooth the flow of trade across Africa.

Amitruck runs an online service, which connects the sellers of goods with the continent's fragmented trucking firms. The start-up currently works with more than 6,000 truck drivers.

More : Africa's patchy transport network gets a tech boost


----------



## hkskyline

* Equinix Buys West Africa’s MainOne at $320 Million Valuation *
Bloomberg _Excerpt_
Dec 7, 2021

Equinix Inc. is acquiring West African digital infrastructure firm MainOne Cable Co Ltd. at a valuation of $320 million, one of the continent’s biggest tech deals this year, allowing the U.S. data-center investor to tap into a regional data boom. 

MainOne, founded by entrepreneur Funke Opeke, is the owner of three data centers in Nigeria, Ivory Coast and Ghana, while a fourth is under construction. The company also previously raised funding to lay a sub-sea cable stretching from Portugal to West Africa. 

The deal includes MainOne’s land, “which is probably enough to build another 10 data centers,” Judith Gardiner, Equinix vice president for emerging markets, said in an interview. “There is an expansion plan that will come online next year and we will be concentrating on the region.”

More : Bloomberg - Are you a robot?


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## hkskyline

* China in Africa: no more hard cash as debt-hit nations battle Covid-19 disruptions *
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
Dec 12, 2021

China’s funding model for the Belt and Road Initiative in Africa is changing, as the worsened debt situation for many countries due to the coronavirus pandemic prompts Beijing to explore “innovative ways of financing”.

China has traditionally made large financial commitments during the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) meetings over the past two decades, with the money going into mega infrastructure projects, including ports, railways, highways and power dams.

But, at this year’s forum in the Senegalese capital Dakar, it became evident that that financing model was set to change.

More : No more hard cash from China, as Covid-19 deepens African debt


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## hkskyline

* Ten facts on Egypt’s Benban Solar Park, the largest solar power plant in the world *
Egypt Independent _Excerpt_
Dec 27, 2021

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi inaugurated on Monday the Benban Solar Park in Aswan Governorate, Upper Egypt, described as the largest solar power plant in the world.

It was established in partnership with the private sector and specialized international expertise.

Here’s what you need to know about the new park:


The station is located about 35 km northwest of Aswan in the village of Benban in the Daraw Center.
It is designed to produce an additional 2000 megawatts of electricity for the unified national grid.
The site includes 32 solar power plants under construction.
Each plant has a capacity of 50 megawatts.

More : Ten facts on Egypt’s Benban Solar Park, the largest solar power plant in the world - Egypt Independent


----------



## hkskyline

* How mass theft of railway infrastructure is derailing South Africa’s economy *
The National _Excerpt_
Jan 4, 2022

Wholesale looting of railway infrastructure is the latest blow to an already embattled South African economy, chocking exports, as shippers struggle to find enough cargo carriages to transport their goods to ports.

Kilometres of railway lines and overhead cables are stolen, often in broad daylight, on a daily basis. According to the state-owned logistics operator Transnet, in November alone, more than 200km of heavy gauge steel rails were stolen across the country to be sold for scrap.

“Rail has failed in one of its most important functions for the South African economy,” says Mike Schussler, a Johannesburg economist.

More : How mass theft of railway infrastructure is derailing South Africa’s economy


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## hkskyline

*Constructing huge dam on Nile without coordination with High Dam ‘unprecedented’: minister*
Egypt Independent _Excerpt_
Jan 12, 2022 

The construction of a dam as large as the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam without coordinating with the High Dam in Aswan is ‘unprecedented’, Egypt’s Minister of Irrigation Mohamed Abdel Aati said, adding that it requires the existence of a clear and binding coordination mechanism between the two dams that Ethiopia has rejected.

Egypt offered Ethiopia many scenarios that guarantee the dam’s ability to generate electricity by up to 85 percent in the most extreme cases of drought, he said, stressing the need for a coordinating mechanism under a fair and binding legal agreement that would be among measures to adapt to the negative effects of climate change.

In his speech on the sidelines of the World Youth Forum, Abdel Aati added that Egypt agreed to establish many dams in the Nile Basin countries, such as the Owen reservoir in Uganda which Egypt financed in addition to many dams in Ethiopia, such as the Tekezé Dam, Chara Chara and Tana Beles dams – none of which Egypt objected to.

More : Constructing huge dam on Nile without coordination with High Dam 'unprecedented’: minister - Egypt Independent


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## hkskyline

* Ethiopia clears forests at GERD site in preparation for 3rd filling*
Egypt Independent _Excerpt_
Jan 14, 2022 

The Ethiopian government is still insisting on its intransigence and its disregard for international norms in order to escape its domestic problems and to preoccupy the public opinion with the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam.

It has been said that this is the case in order to gain popular sympathy. The use of resonant speech and creating fake external conflicts to relieve international pressure about the ongoing violations in the Tigray region.

The Ethiopian authorities announced on Thursday that it plans to remove 17,000 hectares (40,000 acres) of forests around the Renaissance Dam next month, in preparation for a new filling of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam lake.

More : Ethiopia clears forests at GERD site in preparation for 3rd filling - Egypt Independent


----------



## hkskyline

*Africa needs to integrate infrastructure for impactful continental trade *
Guardian Nigeria _Excerpt_
Jan 26, 2022

Speakers at the UK-Africa Investment Conference have stated that Nigeria and other African nations need to establish and reinforce their infrastructure to make the goals of the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) realisable.

“For the African free trade area to function effectively, the goal would be to have effective infrastructure, transport, energy and digitalisation,” said Africa Union infrastructure, energy and information and communications technology commissioner Amani Abou-Zeid.

She added that Agenda 2063 – which is the African agenda for integration and the blueprint and master plan for transforming the continent into a global powerhouse of the future – would facilitate the AfCFTA, as well as other integration projects.

More : Africa needs to integrate infrastructure for impactful continental trade | The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World News


----------



## hkskyline

* South Africa hails new COVID jab plant in fight for self-reliance *
Al Jazeera _Excerpt_
Jan 29, 2022

On January 19, at a cavernous warehouse on an industrial estate in Cape Town, South African-born billionaire Patrick Soon-Shiong launched a project he believes will be a considerable step in Africa’s struggle for vaccine equity.

Within a year it is hoped that the empty building will be a hive of industry with a workforce of up to 600 people intent on producing the first entirely African-made COVID-19 vaccine.

“We want to manufacture this in Africa, for Africa, and export it to the world,” Soon-Shiong told Al Jazeera in an interview.

He hopes the facility, which will be run by NantSA, a company he established last year, may be able to produce as many as a billion doses per year by 2025.

The project is the latest in a series of initiatives seeking to redress Africa’s reliance on the West for vaccines, a problem that has been laid bare during the COVID-19 pandemic.

More : South Africa hails new COVID jab plant in fight for self-reliance


----------



## hkskyline

* Women taxi drivers take on Lesotho’s dangerous mountain roads *
Al Jazeera _Excerpt_
Feb 3, 2022

Two brave young women branch out by launching their taxi service on Lesotho’s notoriously dangerous mountain roads.

There is a saying in Lesotho: “Sitting down and doing nothing won’t get the thorn out of your side.” And it perfectly describes the characters in this film.

The small land-locked country inside South Africa has rural roads so dangerous that bush taxis are only ever driven by men – until Alice and Febellina come along. They invest their savings into re-fitting their old minibus to drive on Lesotho’s roughest tracks.

More : Women taxi drivers take on Lesotho’s dangerous mountain roads


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## hkskyline

* Role of infrastructure in Africa's post-pandemic recovery to take center stage in upcoming PIDA Week *
_Excerpt_ 

ADDIS ABABA, Feb. 19 (Xinhua) -- African policymakers and experts are set to discuss the role of the infrastructure sector in injecting post-COVID-19 recovery, growth and resilience into Africa at the 7th Program for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA) Week slated next week.

The 7th PIDA Week, which will be hosted in Nairobi, Kenya through a hybrid format from Feb. 28 to March 4, will among other things focus on how Africa can lead the way in the delivery of infrastructure in a post-COVID era as well as supporting the economic and social imperatives of the continent in the digital age, the African Union (AU) announced Saturday.

The pan-African bloc said this year's edition of the PIDA Week takes place amid the backdrop of continued global economic and social uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

More : Role of infrastructure in Africa's post-pandemic recovery to take center stage in upcoming PIDA Week


----------



## hkskyline

* Controversial Nile Dam Begins Generating Electricity in Ethiopia *
Bloomberg _Excerpt_
Feb 20, 2022

Ethiopia began generating electricity from its giant hydropower dam on a Nile River tributary, a project it sees as key to its economic development but that has stirred tensions with downstream neighbors.

The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam can now generate 700 megawatts, authorities said Sunday at a ceremony in Guba, near the border with Sudan, that was attended by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.

More : Bloomberg - Are you a robot?


----------



## hkskyline

*Egypt slams Ethiopia’s continued unilateral operation of GERD *
Egypt Independent _Excerpt_
Feb 20, 2022

The Egyptian Foreign Ministry on Sunday slammed Ethiopia’s unilateral start of the operation of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, calling it a violation of its commitments under the 2015 Declaration of Principles signed by the Ethiopian Prime Minister.

“In response to the Ethiopian announcement on Sunday of unilaterally starting the operation of GERD, after the previous unilateral start of the first and second stages of filling the dam, Egypt affirms that this step is a further move by the Ethiopian side in violating its obligations under the 2015 Declaration of Principles Agreement, signed by the Ethiopian Prime Minister,” the statement read.

Ethiopia announced that it will start producing electricity for the first time on Sunday from the GERD, despite contentions from downstream nations Egypt and Sudan.

More : Egypt slams Ethiopia’s continued unilateral operation of GERD - Egypt Independent


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## hkskyline




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## hkskyline

*Geologist states claims of GERD collapse are ‘nonsense’ *
Egypt Independent _Excerpt_
Feb 23, 2022

Egyptian-American space scientist and geologist Farouk al-Baz refuted claims that the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam is at risk of collapsing.

During a Skype interview from Washington with privately-owned satellite channel TeN, Baz said that “The dam’s body is fine, and what is being said about the possibility of its collapse is nonsense.”

Baz noted that international companies and those contributing to the construction of the dam, which spent millions, would not do so unless they are sure that their money is in the right place and that the studies of the dam were sound.

More : Geologist states claims of GERD collapse are ‘nonsense’ - Egypt Independent


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## hkskyline

* How Chinese firms have dominated African infrastructure *
The Economist _Excerpt_
Feb 19, 2022

When it comes to building big things in Africa, China is unrivalled. Beijing-backed firms have redrawn the continent’s transport map. Thanks to China’s engineers and bankers you can hop on a train in Lagos to beat the traffic to Ibadan, drive across parts of eastern Congo in hours rather than days or fly into any one of dozens of recently spruced-up airports from Zanzibar to Zambia. Throw in everything else from skyscrapers and bridges to dams and three dozen-odd ports and it all adds up to rather a lot of mortar.

It was not always so. In 1990 American and European companies scooped up more than 85% of construction contracts on the continent. Chinese firms did not even get a mention. Now Western firms are struggling to win business in a fast-growing market. (The World Bank predicts that demand for infrastructure spending alone will be more than $300bn a year by 2040.) Africa’s population is growing faster than that of any other continent, and Africans are moving to cities faster than people elsewhere. Both these trends will drive demand.

More : How Chinese firms have dominated African infrastructure


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## hkskyline

* Kenya, Ethiopia in talks over electricity imports*
The East African _Excerpt_
Feb 23, 2022

Kenya and Ethiopia have started talks on Nairobi’s plans to buy electricity from the $ 4.5 billion Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) that began generating power on Sunday. This is according to Ethiopia’s ambassador to Kenya, Meles Alem.

Meles wrote on his Facebook page that power exports to Kenya are part of Ethiopia's “Economic diplomacy which is at the centre of the country's foreign policy”.

More : Kenya, Ethiopia in talks over electricity imports


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## hkskyline

* Egypt is ready for all scenarios regarding GERD: Irrigation Minister*
Egypt Independent _Excerpt_
Feb 26, 2022

The Egyptian Minister of Irrigation and Water Resources, Mohamed Abdel-Aty announced Saturday, that his country is ready to deal with any scenarios regarding the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).

He assured that the government will not allow a water crisis to occur.

“The government is moving in several political and legal directions regarding the Ethiopian dam,” Abdel-Aty said.

As the Ethiopian dam is large in size, there must be a binding agreement, data exchange, and cooperation from the Ethiopian side, he stressed – to ensure a win-all situation instead of unilateral action.

Ethiopia announced on Sunday the start of producing electricity for the first time from GERD, despite contentions from downstream nations Egypt and Sudan. Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed officially inaugurated the partial commencing of power generation of GERD.

More : Egypt is ready for all scenarios regarding GERD: Irrigation Minister - Egypt Independent


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## hkskyline

*Small businesses hurting from recurring fuel scarcity in Nigeria *
Al Jazeera _Excerpt_
Feb 24, 2022

For Mustapha Arinakore, life as a tricycle rider plying his trade in the central Nigerian city of Ilorin depends largely on petrol. But getting the fuel he needs to power his tricycle has become a rather difficult task in recent weeks because of a continuing scarcity nationwide.

Unable to call in favours from fuel attendants and finding it hard to stay in a queue for several hours, he has turned to the black market. There, a litre goes for 500 naira ($1.20) instead of the official price of 165 naira ($0.40) and that squeezes his tiny profit margins even further.

“We buy at an exorbitant rate and it is almost impossible to increase the fares because most of the passengers cannot afford it,” said Arinakore who told Al Jazeera that he got his tricycle on hire purchase and therefore has to meet his daily payment.

...

Nigeria, Africa’s largest oil producer and one of the world’s largest exporters, has barely any refining capacity for the estimated 1.6 billion barrels it produces daily. Its colonial-era refineries are in a moribund state, leaving the country with no choice but to export its crude oil and import refined petroleum products for daily use. Subsidies, amounting to billions of naira, are paid to fuel importers to make this happen.

Too often, the dynamic is upset and fuel scarcity ensues every other year – for decades – and sometimes lasts for months. Since early February, another episode has been under way, causing endless frustration once again for Nigerians.

More : Small businesses hurting from recurring fuel scarcity in Nigeria


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## hkskyline

* Analysis: Can African gas replace Russian supplies to Europe? *
Al Jazeera _Excerpt_
Mar 1, 2022

On February 22, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced during a news conference that the European superpower was halting approval of Russia-owned Nord Stream 2 after President Vladimir Putin officially sent troops into eastern Ukraine.

Nord Stream 2, an $11bn gas pipeline project owned by Moscow-backed energy company Gazprom, runs from western Siberia to Germany. The project was built to ensure a sustainable energy distribution across the European Union, especially as gas prices reached record highs in Europe – which gets more than a third of its natural gas from Russia.

...

This has led to an emerging debate about whether African countries, which have some of the world’s deepest gas reserves, can step in to fill the gap – a demand of 150-190 billion cubic metres annually that Russia has usually supplied to Europe.

Recently, Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan said the Russian invasion of Ukraine could prove to be an opportunity for gas sales as the East African country makes efforts to secure a new energy market outside Africa. “Whether Africa or Europe or America, we are looking for markets,” said Hassan. “And fortunately, we are working with companies from Europe.”

More : Analysis: Can African gas replace Russian supplies to Europe?


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## hkskyline

*Intra-Africa trade in need of more investment to move cargo *
The East African _Excerpt_
Mar 8, 2022 

Lack of infrastructure is a bigger hurdle to trade within Africa than uncertain non-tariff barriers, eating up close to 40 percent of logistics expenses and affecting free movement of goods, officials have warned.

Amani Abou-Zeid, the commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy at the African Union Commission, has urged countries to embrace transnational projects to facilitate the movement of cargo, noting that no meaningful development can take place without significant investment in infrastructure.

“We need to invest in infrastructure to boost our intra-trade on the continent. This can only be achieved by increasing budgetary allocation toward infrastructure projects,” said Ms Zeid in a speech during the official launch of the Programme For Infrastructure Development in Africa (Pida) Week in Nairobi, organised by the African Union Development Agency (Auda)-Nepad.

More : Intra-Africa trade in need of more investment to move cargo


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## hkskyline

* Flow of water up the middle passage of GERD stopped, expert*
Egypt Independent _Excerpt_
Mar 16, 2022 

Professor of Geology and Water Resources at the Cairo University Abbas Sharaky said that satellite images show that the flow of water from the top of the middle passage of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam has stopped, on March 15, as was expected.

“Ethiopia opened the two drain gates on Saturday March 12, after the failure of turbine No. 10, which was announced operational on February 20, to pass the increased water flow that crosses the middle passage, which amounts to about 30 million cubic meters per day during this period, as well as not operating the second turbine yet,” Sharaky said on a Facebook post.

He pointed out that the flow of water from the top of the middle passage has stopped because the discharge of these gates is about 30 million cubic meters at the current lake level (576 meters above sea level) as it shows its flow through the two drainage gates on the western side, and also shows the work of turbine No. 10.

More : Flow of water up the middle passage of GERD stopped, expert - Egypt Independent


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## hkskyline

* Underwater Google internet cable to connect Togo to Europe *
Al Jazeera _Excerpt_
Mar 18, 2022 

The West African country of Togo will be the first landing of a new Google undersea internet cable connected to Europe, in what the tech giant and the Togolese government have hailed as a “major digital infrastructure transformation initiative”.

The announcement on Friday comes months after Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai announced a five-year $1bn investment to support “a range of initiatives from improved connectivity to investment in startups” across the African continent.

In a joint release, the Togolese government and Google said the “Equiano” cable, named after Nigerian-born writer and abolitionist Olaudah Equiano, would create improved high-speed and affordable internet access to millions of people in the country and West Africa. The landing will be in Togo’s capital, Lome.

More : Underwater Google internet cable to connect Togo to Europe


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## hkskyline

* Egypt signs MoU with Abu Dhabi Ports to establish port in Minya *
Egypt Independent _Excerpt_
Mar 21, 2022

The Egyptian Transport Ministry signed a memorandum of understanding, on Sunday, with the alliance of the Abu Dhabi Ports and the Egyptian Group for Multi-Purpose Terminals to manage and operate a river port, activate the transport of goods and people and establish a river port in Minya Governorate.

This comes in preparation for the operation of a silo for storing sugar and exporting it through the port of Damietta and preparing the logistical areas designated for that purpose there.

The memorandum of understanding also includes the work of studies on passenger transport, within the framework of the national project of the River Transport Authority to activate passenger transport between governorates.

More : Egypt signs MoU with Abu Dhabi Ports to establish port in Minya - Egypt Independent


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## hkskyline

* Ethiopia aiming to store 10.5 m3 billion in GERD reservoir this summer: Expert *
Egypt Independent _Excerpt_
Mar 20, 2022

A Professor of Geology and Water Resources at the Cairo University Abbas Sharaky announced that Ethiopia aims to store 10.5 m3 billion at 595m in the upcoming rainy season this year.

This will complete its target set since the start of filling the reservoir of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam for a total of 18.5 m3 billion.

Sharaky explained that the rainy season in Ethiopia begins in May with light rains that increase slightly in June, then heavy rains begin in July until the end of October.

More : Ethiopia aiming to store 10.5 m3 billion in GERD reservoir this summer: Expert - Egypt Independent


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## hkskyline

*Guinea Expands Role in Mining Sector With Plan to Ship Exports *
Bloomberg _Excerpt_
Mar 25, 2022

Guinea’s government plans to export half of miners’ output in a push to exert more control over the lifeblood of its economy.

The world’s top bauxite exporter has a law that gives it the right to ship 50% of mining companies’ exports, but it hadn’t put it into effect until now, government spokesman Ousmane Gaoual Diallo said in an emailed statement late Thursday.

This will now be exercised directly or through an entity acting on behalf of the state, Diallo said. “The implementation will be done in accordance with international best practices,” he said without specifying how logistics would be handled.

More : Bloomberg - Are you a robot?


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## hkskyline

* Putin’s isolation from Europe could usher in natural gas opportunities for Africa *
CNBC _Excerpt_
Mar 31, 2022

With the U.S., EU and U.K. looking to phase out Russian gas imports, Western leaders could look to liquified natural gas projects in sub-Saharan Africa to soften the landing.

Russia and the West remain at odds over payment for natural gas exports, on which Europe, in particular, is heavily dependent, with Moscow insisting “unfriendly” countries pay for gas deliveries in Russian rubles, a demand G-7 nations have rebuffed.

The divergence comes in the wake of an unprecedented and coordinated barrage of international sanctions leveled against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.

More : Putin's isolation from Europe could usher in natural gas opportunities for Africa


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## hkskyline

*Egypt plans to increase its ports’ share of transit trade *
Egypt Independent _Excerpt_
Apr 2, 2022

Transport Minister Kamel al-Wazir announced that his ministry aims to increase the Egyptian ports share of transit trade, make maximum use of the facilities available in the ports and geographical location, and maximize the competitive advantage of Egyptian ports to serve international trade.

During his visit to Damietta Port on Friday, Wazir stressed the need to work around the clock to swiftly implement all projects, and adhere to the schedules set for their completion.

The government, represented by the Transport Ministry, is implementing a comprehensive plan to develop the maritime transport sector and all sea ports, he added.

More : Egypt plans to increase its ports' share of transit trade - Egypt Independent


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## hkskyline

* Electricity lost in large parts of Nigeria after power blackout *
BBC _Excerpt_
Apr 9, 2022

Many Nigerians have once again been left without state-supplied electricity for several hours, three weeks after the president apologised for the last nationwide outage.

This time around, an aide to the president says an "act of vandalism" on a transmission tower is to blame.

Distribution firms first reported problems with the national grid on Friday evening.

They have assured customers that work is under way to restore power.

Local media report that this is the fifth such collapse this year.

More : Electricity lost in large parts of Nigeria after power blackout


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## hkskyline

* Concrete work has begun in GERD in preparation for new filling: expert *
Egypt Independent _Excerpt_
Apr 15, 2022

Reports have stated that Ethiopia started concrete work to the body of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, especially on the western side, in preparation for the third filling, Professor of Water Resources and Geology at Cairo University, Abbas Sharaky, said.

According to satellite images, the current reservoir of the Renaissance Dam is about 7 billion cubic meters at 575 meters above sea level, a decrease of one billion cubic meters since the opening of the drainage gate on March 12, and a decrease of three billion cubic meters from the highest level at the end of the flood in October 2021, which reached 580 meters, and then settled after the flood at 576 meters above the sea level, Sharaky added, through his account on Facebook, Thursday.

The total storage of the first and second fillings thus in the past two years is eight billion cubic meters, he said.

More : Concrete work has begun in GERD in preparation for new filling: expert - Egypt Independent


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