Major International Business Headlines Brief::: 25 April 2023

[Bulls n Bears]

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Major International Business Headlines Brief::: 25 April 2023 

 


 

 


 <https://www.nedbank.co.zw/> 

 


 

 


 

ü  Disney cuts more jobs as restructuring continues

ü  Fruit producers turn to nets for better crops

ü  Lachlan Murdoch drops lawsuit against news site Crikey

ü  Millions start to get latest cost-of-living payment

ü  CBI hired 'toxic' staff and failed to sack offenders

ü  Kenya: Govt Admits Fund Mismanagement Before Parliament

ü  Nigeria: Nationwide Blackout Looms As Generation Falls Below 4,000MW

ü  Nigeria: Cost of Preparing Jollof Rice Up By 9.73% Amid Insecurity, Cash Crunch

ü  Kenya: Safaricom Expands 5G Coverage to 21 Counties

ü  Nigeria: 40% Pay Rise - Crisis Looms in Varsities Over Exclusion of Workers

ü  Nigeria: AKK Gas Pipeline Project Nears 70% Completion - NNPCL

ü  Uganda: Why Uganda Must Sign Up to the Single African Air Transport Market

ü  Nigeria: Average Price of 5kg Cooking Gas Stood At N4,610.48 in March, Says NBS

ü  Liberia: German-Based Construction Company Introduces New Road Technology

ü  Liberia: Exxonmobil Applies Again for Oil Blocks

ü  Uganda: Local Govts to Get Shs1 Billion for Roads

ü  Rwanda to Issue Digital IDs in Three Years

 


 

 


 

 

 

 <mailto:innovatorsforum at zitf.co.zw> 

 

Disney cuts more jobs as restructuring continues

Walt Disney Co has begun a second round of layoffs as part of an earlier announced restructuring expected to result in 7,000 job losses.

 

The media giant has been under pressure as its traditional television and film business shrinks, while its streaming unit continues to post big losses.

 

Chief executive Bob Iger announced the $5.5bn cost-cutting drive in February.

 

This week's cuts are expected to bringing the total number of reductions so far to 4,000.

 

The losses will fall across the company, including at sports channel ESPN and film studios. The firm has said frontline workers at the park are not expected to be affected.

 

"The difficult reality of many colleagues and friends leaving Disney is not something we take lightly," Disney officials said.

 

The redundancies are indicative of a larger retrenching across the entertainment industry, as executives refocus on profits, after years in which many traditional media firms spent heavily to launch streaming platforms and win subscribers.

 

Mr Iger, Disney's longtime boss who returned to the company in November after the ousting of Bob Chapek, has said the firm needed to streamline its business.

 

Among other measures, the firm is planning to spend $3bn less on content.

 

The 7,000 in redundancies announced in February amount to about 3% of the 220,000-person workforce the company employed as of 1 October.

 

The firm commenced its job cuts with a first round of notifications to staff at the end of last month.

 

Another "several thousand" people are expected to learn if they are losing their jobs this week, with a third wave of cuts planned for this summer, the company said.

 

Among the people affected by the cuts this week was ESPN spokesperson Mike Soltys, who had worked for the company for more than four decades.

 

"My final statement as ESPN Spokesperson: '43 Amazing Years. Wow. We wish him well.'" Mr Soltys joked on Twitter.

 

Disney, which employs more than 50,000 people outside the US, did not respond to an inquiry about how many of the job cuts would involve international staff.-bbc

 

 

 

Fruit producers turn to nets for better crops

It's an elegantly simple solution to an age-old problem: to protect crops from hazards, keep them covered.

 

Nets are commonly used to keep out pests in vegetable production, particularly in high-value areas like seeds.

 

Yet in fruit production the use of nets is still being explored and tested, according to Mirella Aoun, an agronomist and researcher at Bishop's University in Quebec, Canada, who has been studying agricultural nets for over a decade.

 

Prof Aoun explains that initially fruit producers placed nets over trees primarily to protect them from hail damage. Now they are experimenting with nets that can protect against insects.

 

The mesh size of insect-proof nets is determined by the local conditions, including the nature of the insects.

 

Of course that could shut out the insects that farmers really do want - pollinators like bees.

 

One option is to apply the nets after the pollination period. Another is to open the nets during the day, while bringing in beehives.

 

Tree nets are particularly well established in French and Italian apple orchards, where nets draped over rows of apple trees limit the movements and egg laying of codling moths. This has helped farmers to get rid of persistent pests and reduce their use of costly and environmentally damaging chemical pesticides.

 

There are benefits to fruit lovers as well. "When you know that you have less pesticide residues from crops that are under exclusion nets, it's good news for consumers," says Prof Aoun.

 

Nets are also seen as a way of tackling the effects of climate change. Warmer conditions have seen the resurgence of some types of insects and diseases.

 

Some regions are seeing more intense periods of drought and heavy rain and nets can help with that.

 

For instance, depending on the location, the type of net, and the way it is used, a netting system can shield against the solar radiation that leads to heat stress and inhibits trees' photosynthesis.

 

But the introduction of a net could mean a more humid environment around the tree - not helpful for crops prone to fungal diseases in wetter climates like the northeastern US and Canada.

 

But some researchers are working on hydrophobic nets, where a treatment using a botanical pesticide essentially makes the nets water repellent.

 

Mirella Aoun, an agronomist and researcher at Bishop's University in Canada

Photoselective (coloured) nets can also affect the penetration of light. Dark, opaque nets reduce light intensity but not light quality.

 

Pearl-coloured nets can scatter light better so that it reaches more parts of the vegetation. Meanwhile, blue, red and yellow nets filter certain solar wavelengths and thus can stimulate specific responses in plants related to fruit quality.

 

Fine-tuning the net usage often leads to an increase in high-calibre fruit, according to Prof Aoun. As her research in the Mediterranean has shown, trees covered by coloured shade nets can produce larger and more vividly coloured fruit.

 

Nets are not always the answer. They may not be appropriate for smaller, more varied orchards. Nor are they necessary for all climate conditions.

 

Also, the nets used for fruit trees are typically made of polyethylene, which isn't ideal for a world attempting to move away from plastic dependence.

 

One of the companies working on non-plastic nets is Texinov, a French technical textiles firm. Texinov is researching various types of biodegradable nets, such as ones made from flax.

 

It has already introduced a biodegradable net made out of polylactic acid (PLA), which is produced from fermented corn. Industrial composting is needed to break down this type of net, which sales manager Adrien Etienne says is about 10% more expensive than a conventional net.

 

Mr Etienne says that the biodegradable nets are currently more popular in Europe than in North America. This may be linked to European policies intended to reduce insecticide use. "The nets, I think, will become more and more popular because insecticides are less popular," Mr Etienne says, for instance among French cherry farmers.

 

The upfront cost has been a barrier for some farmers. "Nets are of course a little bit expensive compared to insecticides," Mr Etienne acknowledges.

 

Texinov's cheapest net sells for around €0.50 (44p) per square metre for private use in France, according to Mr Etienne. This type of net lasts for only one or two seasons, although the heavy climate protection nets can last much longer. Durability depends on factors like solar exposure. "The nets are more and more fragile because of the sun," says Mr Etienne.

 

Overall, Prof Aoun says that prices are dropping as products become more varied and accessible. "In general the positive impact of the net is overwhelming the negative side," she summarises.

 

Jean-Marc Rochon heads the apple tree nursery Pépinière Rochon in Quebec and is keeping an eye on advances in netting.

 

"In my eyes, this technology is more in the development and improvement phase rather than in large-scale application," he says.

 

For Mr Rochon to begin using nets on his apple trees, the cost of the netting wouldn't be the only factor. "I see it more as a way of rethinking our ways of doing things," he explains.

 

To be viable for his nursery, the netting would have to be reliable and not create a work overload. It would also need to be useable on large orchard sections.

 

Clearly, technological refinements and communication will be necessary to convince more fruit growers that netting would be useful.

 

But Prof Aoun believes, "As we move toward more climatic challenges and unpredictable weather, protective cultivation using nets is the way forward."-bbc

 

 

 

Lachlan Murdoch drops lawsuit against news site Crikey

Media mogul Lachlan Murdoch has dropped his defamation case against Australian news site Crikey, which linked his family to the US Capitol attack.

 

It comes days after Fox News paid a large settlement to vote machine firm Dominion over false claims the 2020 election was stolen from Donald Trump.

 

Lawyers for the Fox Corporation boss on Friday said continuing the lawsuit would only benefit the Crikey site.

 

Crikey called it a substantial victory for public interest journalism.

 

Mr Murdoch launched legal action against Crikey last year over an opinion piece he said had made "false" and "scandalous" allegations - that he illegally conspired with the former US president to incite a "murderous" mob to march into Washington DC on 6 January 2021.

 

In a statement, his lawyer John Churchill said the mogul remained confident that a trial - which had been scheduled for October - would have gone in his favour.

 

"However he does not wish to further enable Crikey's use of the court to litigate a case from another jurisdiction that has already been settled and facilitate a marketing campaign designed to attract subscribers and boost their profits," Mr Churchill said.

 

Australia has been called "the defamation capital of the world" by legal experts, due to strict local laws which allow only limited defences for defamation.

 

Crikey - which launched in 2000 and employs 10 full-time journalists - had planned to argue its opinion piece was contextually true, and in the public interest.

 

In court documents outlining its defence, it argued Mr Murdoch was morally and ethically culpable for the Capitol riot because Fox News, under his control and management, knowingly promoted false claims the election was stolen.

 

In a statement on Friday, publisher Private Media said the Dominion settlement earlier this week proved their case. Fox News made a last-minute $787.5m (£634m) payout to the machine company, avoiding a defamation trial.

 

Crikey's publisher said it had won against the media billionaire.

 

"We stand by our position that Lachlan Murdoch was culpable in promoting the lie of the 2020 election result."

 

After $787.5m settlement, will Fox change its ways?

But in his statement, Lachlan Murdoch's lawyer said the case involving Dominion made no connection to the events of 6 January, and that the trial judge had ruled it "irrelevant".

 

"At no point did [Dominion] ever argue that Mr Murdoch was personally responsible," Mr Churchill's statement said.

 

"Yet this is what Crikey alleged and what Crikey is attempting to argue in Australia."

 

Crikey's legal team says it intends to ask the court to order that Mr Murdoch cover the outlet's legal costs.-bbc

 

 

 

 

Millions start to get latest cost-of-living payment

Low-income households are now starting to receive the latest cost-of-living payment from the government to tackle ongoing high bills.

 

Eight million means-tested benefits claimants, including people on Universal Credit, should receive the £301 instalment between now and 17 May.

 

Further almost identical payments will come in the autumn and next spring. All will be transferred automatically.

 

The payments come as food prices rise at their fastest rate for 45 years.

 

The cost of the supermarket shop has kept inflation - the rate of rising prices - stubbornly high in the UK. A typical household's energy bill also remains at £2,500 a year, although all of these bills are expected to drop later in the year.

 

Cost-of-living payments were originally introduced to help struggling families cope with the soaring cost of gas and electricity. Two payments totalling £650 were made last year.

 

However, they were never exclusively targeted at these bills, and households could always spend the money as they saw fit. Many are likely to use the latest instalment to cover the cost of putting food on the table.

 

How it is paid?

The latest £301 will be paid directly into eligible recipients' bank accounts, without the need to make a claim.

 

The payment reference for bank accounts will be the recipient's National Insurance number, followed by DWP COL.

 

Those who qualify for the money solely through tax credits will receive their cost-of-living payment from 2 May.

 

In addition, during the summer, more than six million people with disabilities will get an extra £150. During next winter, over eight million pensioners will receive an extra £300.

 

Am I eligible for the money?

To qualify for a payment, you must receive one of Universal Credit, Income-based Jobseekers Allowance, Income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Income Support, Working Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit, or Pension Credit.

 

You will need to have been entitled to a payment for one of these benefits between 26 January and 25 February 2023, or payment for an assessment period ending between these dates.

 

Low-income pensioners who are eligible for, but not claiming Pension Credit, can still qualify for the cost-of-living payment if they make a successful backdated Pension Credit application by 19 May.

 

Who can get the next cost-of-living payments?

When will bills go down?

Many households will be using less gas during the coming warmer months, and the lights will be on less during the longer days. That, for some, will mean lower bills, although the difference is generally smoothed out for those who pay for energy via direct debit.

 

The likelihood is that bills could fall in the summer, as lower wholesale energy costs paid by suppliers feed through to consumers.

 

Cost of living: Tackling it together

Here are some energy saving ideas from environmental scientist Angela Terry, who set up One Home, a social enterprise that shares green, money-saving tips.

 

Getting a water efficient shower head free of charge from your water company and using showers rather than baths

Considering loft insulation, which she says costs around £460 for a typical semi-detached home and could save £355 a year on gas bills

Hanging out washing instead of using a tumble dryer, and walk instead of drive when possible

Use windy days to feel where draughts are in the house. Wetting the back of your hand helps to locate them, then use insulation or draught-proofing tape

When available, press the smaller button to use less water to flush the toilet-bbc

 

 

 

CBI hired 'toxic' staff and failed to sack offenders

The UK's biggest business group has admitted it hired "culturally toxic" staff and failed to fire people who sexually harassed female colleagues.

 

The CBI said a failure to act allowed a "very small minority" of staff to believe they could get away with harassment or violence against women.

 

The embattled lobby group said it has now dismissed a number of people.

 

The CBI was responding to an independent law firm report on misconduct allegations including rape.

 

In an emotional letter to members, the business lobby group - which claims to represent 190,000 firms - admitted to a series of failings and said it had made mistakes "that led to terrible consequences".

 

It said there was a collective "sense of shame" at "so badly having let down the...people who came to work at the CBI".

 

"Our collective failure to completely protect vulnerable employees... and to put in place proper mechanisms to rapidly escalate incidents of this nature to senior leadership.... these failings most of all drive the shame," CBI president Brian McBride said in the letter.

 

In early April, a number of claims of misconduct and harassment against CBI staff emerged including one allegation of rape at the lobby group's summer party in 2019.

 

On Friday a second rape allegation emerged, after a woman told the Guardian she was raped whilst working at one of the CBI's overseas offices.

 

Both rape allegations are being investigated by the police.

 

In a letter following a report by law firm Fox Williams, which was appointed to lead an independent investigation into the lobby group, the CBI admitted to its members:

 

It "tried to find resolution in sexual harassment cases when we should have removed those offenders from our business"

The failure to sack offenders had led to a reluctance among women to formalise complaints

This also allowed a "very small minority of staff with regressive - and, in some cases, abhorrent - attitudes towards their female colleagues to feel more assured in their behaviour, and more confident of not being detected"

It failed to filter out culturally toxic people during the hiring process

It promoted some managers too quickly "without the necessary prior and ongoing training to protect our cultural values, and to properly react when those values were violated"

It paid "more attention to competence than to behaviour"

It failed to properly integrate new staff

The future of the CBI is hanging in the balance and it has suspended its operations until June while it tries to reform its workplace.

 

There has been a mass exodus of CBI members, with a number of household names including John Lewis, BMW, Virgin Media O2, insurers Aviva, Zurich and Phoenix Group, banking firm Natwest, credit card company Mastercard; B&Q owner Kingfisher and media firm ITV all quitting the group.

 

The government had already decided to pause any activity with the lobby group, but on Monday, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt said there was "no point" engaging with the CBI when its own members had deserted them.

 

"We want to engage with a body that speaks or business. It is incredibly important for me when I'm constructing budgets to have someone that I can turn to who speaks for British business."

 

Mr McBride said he wanted to give members reasons to consider trusting the lobby group again.

 

But said: "Whether that is possible, I simply don't know."

 

Mr McBride said he was concerned that CBI staff felt that their only option was to go to the Guardian newspaper - which first published the claims - instead of feeling confident enough to raise the matter internally.

 

One female CBI worker had told the Guardian that she had been stalked by a male colleague in 2018.

 

The business group upheld a complaint of harassment against the man however, he was allowed to keep working in the same office as the woman. He eventually left for an unrelated reasons, according to the newspaper.

 

Earlier this month, the lobby group fired its director-general, Tony Danker, who joined the CBI in 2020, following separate complaints of workplace misconduct.

 

Mr Danker acknowledged he had made some staff feel "very uncomfortable" and apologised, but said his name had been wrongly associated with separate claims andthat his reputation had been "destroyed".

 

He is being replaced by Rain Newton-Smith, the CBI's former chief economist, who is returning to the lobby group after a brief stint at Barclays.

 

Dame Carolyn Fairbairn was the director-general of the CBI between 2015 and 2020. The BBC has contacted her for comment.

 

'Rebuilding trust'

Mr McBride said the CBI had accepted all 35 recommendations made by Fox Williams investigators and added the organisation had 60 days to produce an action plan for its members to vote one.

 

The CBI's president said the organisation had to "go for a much more zero-tolerance culture" and get "much more severe in dealing" with incidents of bullying and sexual harassment.

 

"For us it's about rebuilding the trust that we obviously lost with the members who left us," he said.

 

But Andy Wood, chief executive of the brewing company Adnams, which has cancelled its membership of the CBI, said he had not heard anything so far that "reassures me that I should become a member of the CBI again".

 

He said he was not sure if the group was "salvageable".

 

"Zero tolerance of bullying and sexual harassment - that has to be a given in a modern organisation," Mr Wood said.

 

"It just shows really how archaic the CBI was behind the scenes. I applaud them for trying to put their house in order but this does feel [like] a few things being done far too late."-bbc

 

 

 

Kenya: Govt Admits Fund Mismanagement Before Parliament

Nairobi — The National Assembly's Committee on Public Petition heard the defenses from the Ministry of Roads and Transport, the Ministry of Agriculture, and the Statehouse Comptroller regarding the petition on funds spent contrary to Article 223 of the Constitution.

 

During the hearing, Joseph Mbugua, the Permanent Secretary of Roads and Transport, defended the Ministry against allegations of unauthorized expenditure of Sh9.45 billion.

 

The disbursement is part of the Sh55 billion that is currently under investigation by the National Assembly's Committee on Public Petitions concerning its utilization by the previous administration.

 

 

The Assembly's committee on public petitions is chaired by Kitui East MP Nimrod Mbai.

 

The investigation follows a petition by Stephen Mutoro, the Secretary General of the Consumer Federation of Kenya (COFEK), who alleges that towards the end of the term of the Jubilee administration, Sh55 billion was spent without the approval of the National Assembly, contrary to Article 223 of the constitution.

 

"We only followed and implemented the recommendations from the National Security Council to upgrade the Lamu-Ijara road, dualling of the Nairobi Eastern Bypass and the construction of Makupa causeway," PS Mbugua said after appearing before the committee.

 

The Committee members raised concerns about the rationale behind utilizing Article 223 funds for a road project, especially when considering the time period and whether it represented value for money.

 

Agriculture CS Mithika Linturi also appeared before the Committee to address the Ministry's receipt of funds for the Unga subsidy, which was meant to cushion the cost of living in the country.

 

 

However, the full amount of the subsidy was not received by the millers.

 

He admitted that the ministry had spent funds that were not approved by Parliament.

 

"We are guilty as charged. To date, this expenditure hasn't been regulated, the value for money for this expenditure doesnt add up. Irregardless of the story we can give, what remains is that the conditions of Article 223 were not considered," said the CS.

 

Consequently, members questioned where the money might have disappeared if beneficiaries didn't receive the funds and whether the Ministry of Agriculture was consulted by Treasury.

 

"There was no meeting, The Ministry never took part in the decision done by Treasury."

 

 

During his address to the Committee, CS Linturi implored the government to provide adequate support to alleviate the high cost of living.

 

He told the committee that necessary measures, such as bringing in organic fertilizer from Tanzania, would help increase yields.

 

Linturi requested that the members be his ambassadors to the people to not only plant for commercialization but also for personal consumption.

 

On his part, Statehouse Comptroller Katoo Ole Mitito was called upon to provide an account of the Sh3.7 billion that the Statehouse received from the Article 223 fund during the Committee's hearing.

 

He disclosed that out of the Sh3.7 billion, Sh810 million was allocated for a confidential expenditure, while Sh2.96 billion was earmarked to settle the Nairobi Metropolitan Services' (NMS) pending bills.

 

Nonetheless, only Sh411 million was disbursed to the respective contractors.

 

Mitito clarified to the Committee that the Statehouse was left with NMS's liabilities since they were related to infrastructure projects.

 

However, Marwa raised doubts about the legality of disbursing the outstanding Sh2.5 billion, which Statehouse has yet to receive from the Exchequer, especially considering that it was approved by the Treasury without Parliament's approval.

 

This raises the fundamental question of whether the remaining funds ought to be released to the statehouse.

 

"If you didnt spend under 223, why are we still waiting to spend under 223?" posed Marwa.

 

In response, Mitito acknowledged the suspicious timeline and urged the Committee to scrutinize the Article 223 funds' disbursement criteria to prevent similar anomalies from occurring in the future.

 

The Committee reassured all stakeholders that a thorough investigation would be conducted and any wrongdoing uncovered would be exposed.

 

Capital FM.

 

 

 

Nigeria: Nationwide Blackout Looms As Generation Falls Below 4,000MW

Abuja — Power generation to the national grid dipped below the 4,000 megawatts mark over the weekend leaving customers across the country with limited electricity supply.

 

Checks on data provided by the National System Operator, NSO, an independent arm of the Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN, showed that only 18 of the 25 power plants in the country supplied power to the grid.

 

Further checks showed that generation as of 12 noon yesterday was 3,518.7MW, indicating a drop of 18.6 per cent, compared to the average generation of 4,324.1MW recorded last Friday.

 

 

The biggest drop by a single power plant was Azura-Edo IPP which recorded 256MW from the 403.18MW recorded last week. Checks on the Azura-Edo website showed that two of its three-generation units were on the grid.

 

The biggest suppliers to the grid were Egbin Power (529MW), Delta Power (502MW) and Kainji Hydro (426MW).

 

Indebtedness to GenCos hits N202.6bn

 

Checks on data made available to Vanguard by the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc, also indicated that the amount owed to the generation companies in 2022 was N202.6 billion.

 

According to NBET, GenCos were owed another N24.22 billion for power supplied to the grid in the month of January 2023.

 

DisCos move to pacify customers

 

With several customers expressing their frustration on social media, electricity distribution companies moved to explain the situation.

 

Abuja Electricity Distribution Company, AEDC, explained that the power outage in parts of the capital city was due to problems with transmission facilities.

 

AEDC in a public notice posted on its official Twitter handle said: "The management of Abuja Electricity Distribution Plc. (AEDC) wishes to notify its esteemed customers in E2 Injection Substation feeding FHA Lugbe, Back of Dunamis and environs, Kuje, Pegi, Piwoyi and environs that the power outage they are currently experiencing is due to a fault on the 33kV Feeder H21 from the Transmission Station in Apo, Abuja.

 

"All responsible stakeholders are currently working hard to restore the power supply soonest.v v We regret any inconveniences caused."

 

Vanguard.

 

 

 

 

Nigeria: Cost of Preparing Jollof Rice Up By 9.73% Amid Insecurity, Cash Crunch

The SBM Jollof Index tracks how much it costs to make a pot of jollof rice

 

The cost of preparing a pot of jollof rice, a popular delicacy among Nigerians, rose from N9,917 to N10,882 from September 2022 to March 2023, a report has said.

 

SB Morgen, a geopolitical intelligence platform, disclosed the 9.73 per cent rise in the cost of preparing the delicacy in its latest report.

 

The SBM Jollof Index tracks how much it costs to make a pot of jollof rice across 13 markets in six geopolitical zones for a family of five and uses the figures to measure the inflationary trends in the country.

 

Nigeria's annual inflation rate rose to 22.04 per cent in March from 21.91 per cent in the previous month, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said in its latest inflation report.

 

 

According to the NBS, the food inflation rate quickened to 24.46 per cent in March from 24.35 per cent in the previous month.

 

The commodities monitored by the Jollof Index are rice, curry, thyme, seasoning, groundnut oil, poultry, beef, pepper, tomatoes, salt, and onions.

 

SB Morgen's report said Nigeria is facing a persistent food insecurity crisis that is continually aggravated by insecurity, poor policies, adverse weather conditions, and international events such as the recent Russia-Ukraine war.

 

It said this alarming situation stems from various factors, including unstable food-producing regions, inadequate storage infrastructure, and a lack of agricultural commercialisation.

 

The report noted that policies ostensibly aimed at reducing food imports over the past years still have a lingering effect and increased energy tariffs have further exacerbated the problem.

 

 

"An ill-fated currency exchange attempt worsened what was already a bad situation," it said.

 

The report explained that despite urgent appeals from researchers and development agencies, with 25 million Nigerians estimated to face hunger between June and August 2023, no comprehensive strategy has been proposed to address this escalating crisis.

 

Instead, it said matters have deteriorated, with the recent cash exchange policy causing naira scarcity and worsening the situation.

 

Rising Prices

 

The report said "Over seven months, from September 2022 to March 2023, the cost of preparing a pot of Jollof rice has risen from N9,917 to N10,882, marking an increase of 9.73 per cent.

 

In its analysis of month-to-month fluctuations, the report said it is evident that the costs generally increased from September to January.

 

According to the report, the most substantial spike occurred in November, with a 6.6 per cent increase.

 

 

It added that between September and October, the index saw a more modest growth of 1.81 per cent, while January experienced a 0.88 per cent increase. This upward trend shows that the prices of essential ingredients for Jollof rice have increased.

 

"The period between September and November saw long petrol queues across the country, which led to supply chain disruptions and inadequate supplies of food ingredients.

 

"As the fuel scarcity failed to ease, the prices of items like rice and chicken increased in November as preparations for the end-of-year festivities began, which are often accompanied by increased purchases of food items by corporations and households," the report said.

 

To address these price fluctuations and ensure food security for Nigerian citizens, the report said the government and relevant stakeholders need to focus on improving agricultural productivity, addressing supply chain inefficiencies, and implementing measures to curb inflation.

 

Market Prices

 

The report said Wuse II consistently ranked as the most expensive market for buying necessary ingredients needed for making a pot of Jollof rice, with a cost of N13,700.

 

On the other hand, it said Trade Fair in Lagos offered the lowest cost for preparing the dish at N8,850.

 

This, the report said, illustrates the varying costs of ingredients and living expenses across different regions in the country.

 

>From September 2022 to March 2023, the report said the cost of making a pot of Jollof rice increased in every market.

 

It said Port Harcourt experienced the highest percentage increase at 22.7 per cent, followed by Calabar Municipal at 14.7 per cent, Bayside Mbakpa at 13.7 per cent, and Kano at 13.3 per cent.

 

"These substantial increases indicate the impact of inflation and other economic factors on the cost of food items in these regions," it said.

 

The highest percentage increase is in the South-South region of the country.

 

The report added that the states with the lowest percentage increase during this period were Awka and the Trade Fair Market, with a 2.9 per cent rise.

 

"While these increases are still noteworthy, they are comparatively smaller than those seen in other Markets," it said.

 

The report said between November and March, Bauchi State experienced a sharp spike in the cost of making a pot of Jollof rice.

 

It said the area had been severely impacted by the 2022 flooding, which led to the loss of lives, the displacement of people, and significant damage to property, including the destruction of 8,457 houses and the submersion of 4,500 farmlands.

 

"The combined impact of the flooding, cash shortages, and ongoing conflict in the region led to a significant spike in food prices between November and January," it said.

 

According to the report, the South-East Jollof Index indicates that there were fluctuations in prices from September 2022 to March 2023.

 

"The data reveal a decline in prices between September and October, followed by a significant increase in November.

 

"This upward trend persisted through March. Comparing the data from September 2022 to March 2023, the cost of making a pot of Jollof rice in Onitsha increased by 7.9 per cent, while in Awka, it increased by 2.9 per cent.

 

"Although these increases are not as pronounced as in other regions, they demonstrate that price stability remains elusive in the South East," it said.

 

The report noted that several factors contributed to the price fluctuations in the region, including cash scarcity, intermittent insecurity issues, and the increase in prices commonly associated with festive periods.

 

"These factors combined to cause the spike in November and maintain elevated prices through March," it said.

 

The report said the North-Central Jollof Index revealed varying price trends between different markets.

 

It said Wuse II, a metropolitan area, typically had higher prices than Nyanya, an outskirt market.

 

However, the report said as price increases affected the entire country, some people living in metropolitan areas began visiting outskirt markets to save money.

 

"This change in buying patterns also led to an increase in prices in the outskirt markets. When comparing the price changes from September 2022 to March 2023, Wuse II experienced a 4.2 per cent increase, while Nyanya saw a slightly higher increase of 5 per cent.

 

"The higher increase in Nyanya can be attributed to the influx of metropolitan consumers seeking lower prices, ultimately driving up the cost of food in these markets," it said.

 

In the North-West, the report reveals that prices remained high from September through January, with a slight decline in February before rising again in March.

 

"Comparing the cost of making a pot of Jollof rice in September 2022 to March 2023, there was a significant increase of 13.3 per cent in the region.

 

"Several factors contributed to these high prices in the North West. The region was affected by flooding, which resulted in the deaths of 23 people and the destruction of approximately 14,496 farms. Fuel scarcity and naira shortages further worsened the situation, increasing food prices," the report said.

 

Premium Times.

 

 

 

Kenya: Safaricom Expands 5G Coverage to 21 Counties

Nairobi — Safaricom has increased its 5G coverage to 28 towns across 21 counties, allowing its customers to enjoy ultra fast Internet services.

 

The telco has also introduced 5G data bundles to enable its over 400,000 customers using 5G smartphones to browse at ultra-fast speeds, with typical speeds of 400Mbps to 700Mbps.

 

The 5G bundles are personalised based on usage, and are available on Tunukiwa via MySafaricom App, Safaricom.com, and USSD codes.

 

"As a digital lifestyle enabler, we are excited about a 5G future, which makes it possible to close the digital divide in underserved communities, provide access to critical services such as healthcare or spur economic growth by connecting small businesses to new opportunities," Safaricom PLC CEO Peter Ndegwa said.

 

 

"By increasing 5G coverage, we are enhancing Kenya's best internet network and empowering our customers to start exploring the possibilities of 5G," Ndegwa added.

 

Home and Enterprise customers in 5G zones can also enjoy the network through 5G Wi-Fi.

 

To enable Kenyans experience how 5G can transform homes and businesses, Safaricom, in partnership with Huawei, has set up three 5G experience centres in Nairobi.

 

The centres, located in Safaricom's Village Market, The Hub and Buruburu Shops, contain virtual reality gaming zones, showcases of smart-capabilities for homes and enterprises, and speed-testing booths.

 

In October 2022, Safaricom became the first service provider in Kenya to launch 5G.

 

Since then, its coverage has increased from 11 towns to 28 towns spread across 21 counties including Nairobi, Kiambu, Mombasa, Kisumu, Uasin Gishu, Nakuru, Garissa, Kajiado, Kisii Machakos, Kakamega, Kilifi, Siaya, Kericho, Kwale, Laikipia, Marsabit, Meru, Narok, Nyeri and Vihiga Counties.

 

Over the years, Safaricom has consistently invested in its network, with its 2G, 3G, 4G and 5G in aggregate covering 97 percent of Kenya's population, while its fibre network has passed more than 450,000 homes and businesses.

 

Capital FM.

 

 

 

Nigeria: 40% Pay Rise - Crisis Looms in Varsities Over Exclusion of Workers

There are indications that unions in the university may rise up against the Federal Government over the alleged exclusion of their members in the 40 per cent pay rise for peculiar allowance and arrears.

 

The Federal Government has recently commenced payment of the approved 40 percent increase for civil servants in the federal ministries, agencies and departments under the Consolidated Public Salary Structure.

 

But workers in the university sector have kicked against their exclusion, describing the action of the government as a recipe for crisis.

 

But the Federal Government has said that there is no cause for alarm as the university workers are captured in the pay rise.

 

 

The government also said that it was waiting for the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU to conclude its negotiation on the Collective Bargaining Agreement, CBA, on the condition of service with its employer, the Ministry of Education so that it would be transmitted to the National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission.

 

Speaking to Vanguard on Monday, the President of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, SSANU, Comrade Mohammed Ibrahim, said that the idea of denying university workers the salary increment is an invitation to crisis in the university sector..

 

Comrade Ibrahim accused the government of abandoning the agreement it entered into with the university unions, alleging that the N50 billion Earned Allowances the government promised to include in the 2023 budget has not seen the light of the day as workers were yet to receive any payment on that.

 

According to him, "This idea of denying university workers the salary increment is only a recipe for crisis in the education sector. Because government had promised two years ago that they were going to review the salaries putting in the re-negotiation committee and re-negotiations never got concluded.

 

 

"We have even lost the chairman of the re-negotiation committee. In the last one year we have not heard anything from the government and it is like everything has been halted.

 

"So if they were people who know what they want and I truly they were interested in developing the manpower of this country and having interest in the education sector, they should have considered making reality those promises they have made.

 

"There Is this N50 billion Earned Allowances which they said that have put in the 2023 budget, it has not seem the light of the day. There is a proposal for salary increment which they made and which has not also seen the light of the day.

 

 

"And now from nowhere we just heard that 40 per cent perculiar allowance has been given to the core civil servants, we are not averse to making lives of civil servants better by giving them any allowance but that the services being offered by the university workers. There won't be any good civil servant, there won't be any productive civil servants if the universities are not productive, if the university staff are not properly renumerated because you will be churning out half baked graduates and nobody will have any interest in employing any Nigerian graduate again.

 

"So the idea of excluding university workers from this salary enhancement is a recipe for disaster in the education sector. This is my position as SSANU President.

 

"And I want to call in the government to immediately without much delay release the N50 billion Earned Allowances and also implement the salary increment which we have been talking with them in the last two years.

 

"Meanwhile our organs will meet and take the necessary actions. I mean we will take the decisions that will be comnunicated to the public. But we are not happy with the government, we are not happy at all with the way they are handling the affairs of the university workers.."

 

However, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige said that the university workers were not excluded in the pay rise, explaining that the delay in paying them was due to the inability of ASUU to conclude negotiations with its employer.

 

He said, "Because they (ASUU) have not concluded their Collective Bargaining with their employers, the ministry of Education. If you remember there was the Prof. (Nimi) Briggs Comnittee and that Briggs Committee reached conclusion with NAAT, SSANU and NASU.

 

"But there were certain observations made on the conclusion they reached with because ASUU never came for them to reach any conclusion with them. So, there were certain observations that were pointed out to education. So they will now go back to education and revalidate a new CBA and transmit immediately to salaries, income and wages. And salaries, income and wages will work on it urgently as a new CBA for condition of service and transmit to the presidential committee on salaries. We expect all this will be done within the next fortnight."

 

Asked whether the commencement date to pay the 40 per cent pay rise for University workers will also be January, he responded in the affirmative.

 

He said, "It will commence from January because it has been captured in the 2023 budget with the present national assembly. The same will go with ASUU whenever they come back to education and accept whatever education has offered them, it will also go to salaries, income and wages commission for transmission to the presidential committee on salaries, that's the route.

 

"So these other people that got their 40 per cent have been negotiating since two years or more. The Association of Senior Civil Servants, the National Civil Service Union and other related joint negotiating councils of those people, they have been negotiating. So, the 40 per cent they got took into account that they have not been having any increases with allowances before. So, it was all that the national salaries, income and wages calculated and aggregated it to 40 per cent as a peculiar allowance.

 

"Mark you, it is not only on salaries, it also includes their allowances. It is the entire wage structure, component of their wage, monthly wage, and annual wage that have been computed into that. Same is being done for NASU, SSANU and others.

 

"This time around we except CONUA and NAMDA to go into CBA for their own members"

 

On the complaint by SSANU that the N50 billion Earned Allowances, captured in the i2023 has not been released to them, he said: "This is what I am telling you. Even their condition of service review and everything have been captured in the 2023 budget. Not only them, the educational sector including ASUU and their allowances. These allowances are even being doubled

 

"There is no promise to SSANU separately, we are dealing with University unions comprehensively. It is combined. The money is more than N50 billion dedicated to the education sector. Everything has its own components, it's more than N50 billion. For the educational sector including the Polytechnics and everybody, I think it is up to N350 billion captured in 2023 budget."

 

Asked why the the money has not been released yet, Senator Ngige said, "You do one line one step. This is a fall-out of an industrial action, so we are tidying it up now starting with their condition of service of which their wage is first thing first. So it is when you do your wages that you now do extra allowances."

 

Vanguard.

 

 

 

Nigeria: AKK Gas Pipeline Project Nears 70% Completion - NNPCL

Mr Kyari said the NNPCL has so far released the sum of $1.1bn to finance the project.

 

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) on Monday said the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) Gas Pipeline Project is almost at 70 per cent completion.

 

The NNPCL chief executive officer, Mele Kyari, disclosed this during an inspection tour of one of the project sites located in Ahoko, Kogi State.

 

NNPCL said the AKK gas pipeline and stations project is a flagship project that will further deepen the integration of the northern region of the country with the Niger Delta and other parts of the country.

 

 

The pipeline can transport two (2) billion standard cubic feet of natural gas per day to three (3) proposed independent power plants in Abuja, Kaduna, Kano, and other gas-based industries as well as other identified and proposed commercial off-takers along the entire pipeline route.

 

The project, according to NNPCL has the potential to greatly improve the Nation's power generation capacity and the economy as a whole through industrialization as well as other economic uses.

 

Since the flag-off of the project by President Muhammadu Buhari in June 2020, the NNPCL said it has recorded significant feats and the project is well on course to deliver on schedule.

 

Speaking on Monday, Mr Kyari said the NNPCL has so far released the sum of $1.1bn to finance the project.

 

He said: "The AKK Gas Pipeline is one massive project we are running as NNPC limited. It has immense value for Nigeria and its socio-economic growth. The project has not stopped for one day. We have continued to fund it despite the absence of third-party financing.

 

"We have so far spent over $1.1bn on this project from our cash flow. We are a commercial company today. We have inter-company laws within our company now. This company can fund this project, so we do not need any support to deliver this project now," Mr Kyari said.

 

"As we speak now, we don't owe a dollar to our contractors today. We paid all their invoices. There are over 30 active sites today in this project, and we are very hopeful that we will deliver this project."

 

He added that the overall engineering design for the linear section of the two segments of the project stands at 93.48 per cent.

 

"The overall procurement for the linear section for the two segments is at 88 per cent and 94 per cent of the total line pipes have been manufactured and 90 per cent are already in-country.

 

"Construction activities in both segments are ongoing. We have completed 400km of the linear section/mainline welding, representing 68 per cent of ROW from Ajaokuta in Kogi state to Kano," the NNPCL said.

 

Mr Kyari noted that also ongoing are several special constructions like Direct Pipe Installation (DPI) across the River Niger in Kogi State and other Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD) across River Robo, Pai and Shika Rivers in Zaria, Kaduna State.

 

"Several back-end activities have commenced including field joint coating, trenching and lowering, and temporary cathodic protection and talks of pre-commissioning of some sections have equally commenced," he said.

 

"For surveillance along the entire right of way to enable us to realise the aspiration of timely delivering the AKK Project for the benefit of all Nigerians," he said.

 

Premium Times.

 

 

 

Uganda: Why Uganda Must Sign Up to the Single African Air Transport Market

Special Feature — The Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) is a flagship project of the African Union, aimed at creating a single unified air transport market across Africa. The objective of SAATM is to liberalize the African aviation market, allowing airlines to operate freely across the continent, thereby boosting regional integration and economic growth. The idea behind SAATM is to increase the mobility of people, goods, and ideas, making it easier for African businesses to reach new markets and for African citizens to travel and explore the continent.

 

17 African states have signed up to a Pilot implementation project being championed by the African Civil Aviation Commission. The states have been identified as offering a favourable environment in which to proceed with SAATM implementation. However,Uganda has not joined the 35 African states that have already signed the solemn commitment to the SAATM, and this is a missed opportunity for the country to reap the benefits of a more integrated and connected Africa. By joining the SAATM, Uganda will be able to expand its trade, investment and tourism opportunities, while also benefiting from an increased flow of people and ideas.

 

 

One of the key benefits of the SAATM is that it will increase the number of flights and airlines operating in Uganda, thereby increasing competition and lowering prices for consumers. This will result in increased affordability and accessibility to air travel, thereby boosting the country's tourism industry and creating new job opportunities. According to a report by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the aviation industry supports over 7 million jobs and contributes $1.1 trillion to the global economy. By joining the SAATM, Uganda has the potential to tap into this significant economic opportunity and drive growth within its own borders.

 

 

Another key benefit of the SAATM is that it will help to reduce the cost of doing business in Uganda by making it easier for businesses to reach new markets across Africa. By joining the SAATM, businesses in Uganda will be able to connect more easily with potential customers, suppliers and investors in other African countries, thereby increasing the competitiveness of the country's business sector. This will result in increased investment and job creation, which will help to drive economic growth and development in the country.

 

Moreover, the SAATM will help to increase the mobility of people, goods and ideas, thereby improving regional integration and encouraging greater cooperation between African countries. This will make it easier for Ugandans to travel and explore other parts of Africa, while also making it easier for people from other African countries to visit and invest in Uganda. This increased mobility will result in the exchange of ideas and cultural experiences, which will help to promote a better understanding and appreciation of different cultures, and encourage greater collaboration between African countries.

 

 

It is understandable that some people might have concerns about the playing field being competitively fair in an open skies market. However, it is important to note that the SAATM is based on a commitment to the principles of open skies, fair competition and non-discrimination, and is guided by the principle of mutual benefit. The SAATM agreement includes provisions to protect the interests of smaller airlines, and to ensure that all airlines are able to compete on an equal footing. Furthermore, the SAATM agreement includes provisions to ensure that airlines are able to access the markets they need in order to operate, and that they are able to compete on the basis of cost, quality and other relevant factors.

 

In order to join the SAATM, Uganda will need to demonstrate its commitment to liberalizing its aviation market and to improving the competitiveness of its airlines. This will involve removing barriers to entry and ensuring that all airlines have access to the markets they need in order to operate. Additionally, the government will need to ensure that it has the necessary infrastructure in place to support the growth of the aviation industry, including modern airports, air traffic control systems, and effective air navigation services.

 

Joining the SAATM will also require the government to invest in the development of the aviation industry, including providing financial support to small and medium-sized airlines, and encouraging the growth of new airlines. This will help to ensure that the aviation industry in Uganda is competitive and able to meet the demands of a growing market, while also encouraging the development of new routes and services.

 

In order to ensure that the benefits of the SAATM are fully realized, it is important that the Ugandan government works closely with the African Union and other African countries to support the growth and development of the aviation industry in the region. This will involve sharing best practices, building capacity, and providing technical assistance to ensure that the aviation sector is able to meet the demands of a growing market.

 

In conclusion, joining the SAATM is a critical step towards a more integrated and connected Africa, and offers numerous benefits to Ugandan and its people. It is therefore recommended that Uganda join the SAATM as soon as possible.

 

Independent (Kampala).

 

 

 

 

Nigeria: Average Price of 5kg Cooking Gas Stood At N4,610.48 in March, Says NBS

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has said the average price of 5kg of cooking gas increased from N4,600.57 recorded in February to N4,610.48 in March.

 

This is contained in the Bureau's 'Cooking Gas Price Watch' for March 2023 released on Monday in Abuja.

 

The report said the March 2023 price represented a 0.22 per cent increase, compared to what was obtained in February 2023.

 

It said on a year-on-year basis, the increase was 22.03 per cent from N3,778.30 recorded in March 2022.

 

On state profile analysis, the report showed that Kwara State recorded the highest average price of N4,962.87 for 5kg cooking gas, followed by Abuja at N4,940.00, and Adamawa State at N4,915.00.

 

 

It said on the other hand, Rivers State recorded the lowest price at N4,204.45, followed by Abia and Anambra States at N4,220.15 and N4,232.75, respectively.

 

Analysis by zone showed that the North-central recorded the highest average retail price of N4,872.20, followed by the North-west at N4,651.93.

 

"The South-east recorded the lowest average retail price at N4,441.55," the NBS said.

 

The report stated that the average retail price for refilling a 12.5kg cooking gas rose by 0.09 per cent on a month-on-month basis from N10,253.39 in February 2023 to N10,262.56 in March 2023.

 

"On a year-on-year basis, this rose by 34.72 per cent from N7,617.71 recorded in March 2022 to N10,262.56 in March 2023."

 

 

State profile analysis showed that Jigawa State recorded the highest average retail price of N11,687.00 for 12.5kg cooking gas, followed by Akwa Ibom State at N10,880.20 and Cross River State at N10,810.65.

 

On the other hand, the report showed that the lowest average price for 12.5kg of cooking gas was recorded in Ebonyi State at N9,500.00, followed by Yobe and Gombe States with N9,600.00 and N9,766.67, respectively.

 

Analysis by zone showed that the South-south recorded the highest average retail price for refilling a 12.5kg cooking gas at N10,507.72, followed by the

 

North-west at N10,435.35.

 

The report said the North-east recorded the lowest price of refining 12.5kg cooking gas at N9,808.50.

 

However, the average retail price per litre of kerosene dropped to N1,142.46 in March 2023 on a month-on-month basis, showing a decline of 2.68 per cent, compared to N1,173.89 recorded in February 2023.

 

According to its National Kerosene Price Watch for March 2023, on a year-on-year basis, the average retail price per litre of kerosene rose by 102.37 per cent from N564.55 in March 2022.

 

On state profile analysis, the report showed the highest average price per litre of kerosene in March 2023 was recorded in Adamawa State at N1,595.24, followed by Abuja at N1,368.52 and Bauchi State at N1,314.58.

 

"On the other hand, the lowest price was recorded in Jigawa at N916.67, followed by Kaduna at N955.00 and Edo at N957.14."

 

The NBS said the analysis further showed that the North-east recorded the highest average retail price per litre of Kerosene at N1,256.59, followed by the South-east at N1,248.68.

 

It said the North-west recorded the lowest average retail price per litre of kerosene at N981.47.

 

The report stated that the average retail price per gallon of Kerosene paid by consumers in March 2023 was N4,105.25, indicating a 4.56 per cent increase from N3,926.23 recorded in February 2023.

 

"On a year-on-year basis, the average price per gallon of Kerosene increased by 104.07 per cent from N2,011.70 recorded in March 2022," it said. (NAN)

 

This Day.

 

 

 

 

Liberia: German-Based Construction Company Introduces New Road Technology

Monrovia — As the Country grapples with the construction and the rehabilitation of deplorable road infrastructure in most parts of Liberia, especially during the Rainy season which negatively impacts the movement of goods and services as well as citizens, the government of His Excellency, President George Manneh Weah continues to source funding from its International Donor Partners including the World Bank Group and the African Development Bank as well as other Friendly bilateral and multilateral institutions to assist it in the construction and or rehabilitation of major corridors aimed at connecting various Capital cities across Liberia, a Nation that experienced the destruction of its infrastructure during the nearly fourteen years of civil conflict.

 

 

For the past five years under the Ruling Coalition for Democratic Change led-government headed by His Excellency Dr. George Manneh Weah, various International Road Construction companies in partnership with their local Counterparts have won several bids to construct and rehabilitate some of those deplorable major roads as well as feeder roads, using the conventional Asphalt or concrete pavements. These roads require regular maintenance to ensure longevity and sustainability otherwise they might get completely destroyed following the Rainy season which is characterize by heavy down poll of rain that results to flood.

 

To address these alarming road situations, the Liberian government in January, 2022 entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), with the Blue Climate Deutschland GmbH, a German based infrastructure development Company to assist it address some of these crucial road situations with specific focus in the rural counties. Blue Climate Deutschland is credited for using its new technology, UNDERBOLD-POD30 which is the mixture of the existing soul, cement and a manufactured organic liquid with the machine used to compress the mixture.

 

 

Speaking to Daniel Nyeswah Brooklyn, Communications Manager of EXTROW, one of the partnering companies locally and along with some reporters in Buchanan, Grand Bassa County, the first selected County where the pilot phase of 250meters Road leading to Rivercess and other South-Eastern Counties are being implemented, the Chief Executive Officer of Blue Climate Robert Steinmann, giving a historicity of the new Technology said from 2011, UNDERBOLD-POD30 began to be used and applied in Countries around the World.

 

"Today, UNDERBOLD-POD30 is usedin several areas such as in the construction and rehabilitation of roads of any category, in the construction of infrastructure for airfields, in construction and industrial roads as well as logistic and storage areas, Blue Climate Chief Executive Officer told the Communication Manager and reporters while touring the Company's operation in the Port City of Buchanan at the Weekend.

 

 

According to CEO Steinmann, his company has come to join the government and people of Liberia to provide an affordable, durable and sustainable road infrastructure development because the lack of these basic qualities of road might lead to the government spending lots of monies to rehabilitate and maintain the infrastructure annually, which could undermine developments intended for other areas. He also mentioned that the UNDERBOLD-POD30 is 100% environment friendly, ecologicallyunproblematic in production, conserves resources of raw materials and hazardous landfill as well as the reduction of CO2- emissions from the production and use, longevity protects the environment.

 

CEO Robert Steinmann said with the immense support from the citizens and the local County Administration in Buchanan, Grand Bassa County headed by Superintendent Janjay Barpeh as well as the County's engineers from the Ministry of Public Works, the County Project Planner, Thomas H. Davies; BLUE CLIMATE-Liberia will leave a remarkable road infrastructure development in the County.

 

Clean Water

 

Expanding further on the Company's operation, CEO Steinmann said once the pilot project is embraced and fully implemented to the satisfaction of the Liberian government with the awarding of the Grand Kru County Road Corridor, the Company will assist the Liberian government to provide clean and safe drinking water to the citizens in its operational areas to address the Recycling of waste safe drinking water situation.

 

"It is disheartening to learn that over eleven thousand children died as a result of drinking contaminated water and we can help address that situation as well, Steinmann lamented.

 

Waste for Energy

 

He also asserted that Blue Climate Liberia Inc., together with the Blue Climate Group in Switzerland, can help Liberia to get a solution for Waste for Green Energy and to recover Green Energy from the waste.

 

Blue Climate Technical Engineer Friedrich Steck who also spoke with Journalists at the Project site in Buchanan, explained that the main problem affecting the roads in Liberia is flooding from rainwater, but with the advent of new technology, there is no need to worry about road maintenance because the technology serves as waterproof and one that allows the road to last at least 10 years. The benefits of the UNDERBOLD-POD30, which is new to Liberia are enormous and just to name a few, it increases the load capacity, increases the stiffness modulus, increases elasticity, reduction of setting time, reducing the tendency to shrink and thus virtually free of cracks, no nicks or relaxing required, increase the dimensional stability in the cross section, Hydrophobic setting and the reduction of water penetration, complete resistant to frost and heat, adaptable use depending on the soil condition and water content and can be combined and extended with measures to improve and consolidation of the foundation soil, Mr. Steck told our reporter in Buchanan.

 

According to Mr. Steck, the company will also train the local Liberian workers on the operations of the heavy-duty equipment and the procedures used to mix the soul, cement, organic chemical and the water which will help built their own capacity following the completion of the project in Liberia as well as provides technical travels to Germany.

 

He said though the UNDERBOLD-POD30 is new in Africa including Liberia but his Company has made significant impacts in other countries around the world including Russia, in 2008 and 2018, it carried out the stabilization of the national highway outside Novisibirsk while in Brazil, it implemented the renovation of residential roads and industrial streets and in Serbia and Muskat/Oman the company implemented the stabilization and rehabilitation of existing local roads with the UNDERBOLD-POD30 technology.

 

Also speaking, was the Grand Bassa County Project Planner, Thomas H. Davies who expressed excitement over the introduction of the new technology in Liberia with Buchanan, Grand Bassa being the first to be selected for the pilot phase.

 

Mr. Davies who described the new technology as fast, sustainable, affordable, durable and adaptable said, the local County Administration headed by the Grand Jury of the President, Superintendent Janjay Barpeh and the Bassa citizens are very impressed with the construction of the Roads, using such amazing technology for the first time in the Country.

 

According to him, from all indications as an engineer, he is optimistic that the new UNDERBOLD-POD30 technology will be embraced based on the success stories from other countries around the World as he calls on the local citizenry to lend their fullest support to the Company in ensuring a timely completion of the pilot project.

 

Meanwhile, an Eminent Bassa Citizen and an employee of the Liberia Water and Sewer Corporation in Grand Bassa County, Morris N. Glay said even though, he could not say much about the new technology because of its newness to Liberia, he is hopeful that the technology will solve the long existing problem being faced by citizens in Grand Bassa county and other parts of the region.

 

The Liberian Government through the Ministry of Public Works extended the January 21, 2022 Memorandum of Understanding with the Blue Climate Deutschland Germany from October 31, 2022 to April 30, 2023 Test Road project leading to the contract award for the construction and rehabilitation/pavement upgrade of Nkrokia junction in Grand Kru County to Kaneakan junction in Rivergee county road corridor.

 

Considering the challenges ahead, Blue Climate Liberia Inc. is asking the Liberian government to finalize the contracting process through the Ministry of Public Works with them as soon as possible so that Blue Climate Liberia Inc. can plan the project in line with the Liberian government at an early stage and can appropriately implement the start of the coming dry season.

 

FrontPageAfrica.

 

 

 

Liberia: Exxonmobil Applies Again for Oil Blocks

Monrovia — The Liberia Petroleum Regulatory Authority (LPRA) says it has received pre-qualification application from ExxonMobil for four offshore blocks in Liberia.

 

Recently, ExxonMobil expressed interest in Blocks 15, 16, 22 and 24 within the Liberia Basin and the company has now officially applied to be pre-qualified to negotiate for the Blocks.

 

The LPRA is currently reviewing ExxonMobil's application and when the company has been pre-qualified, the authority will invite them to negotiate a Petroleum Sharing Contract (PSC) for the Blocks.

 

The direct negotiation procedure is framed through a 5-phase process including pre-qualification as outlined in the information package located on LPRA's website (www.lpra.gov.lr).

 

 

ExxonMobil is one of the world's largest publicly traded international oil and gas companies. The company has a previous exploration history in Liberia.

 

In 2013, ExxonMobil acquired petroleum rights on the then Block- 13 and drilled the Mesurado-1 Well in 2016.In 2021 the Government of Liberia through the LPRA announced the opening of 33 offshore Blocks in the Harper and Liberia Basin for Direct negotiation.

 

The government's decision to offer blocks through direct negotiations was anchored on many significant factors including the investment climate, the latent impact of the energy transition, COVID-19 and its cascading effect on the sector, but also a developing investor appetite for frontier basins and the current position of Liberia within the oil and gas value chain.

 

FrontPageAfrica.

 

 

 

 

Uganda: Local Govts to Get Shs1 Billion for Roads

Kampala, Uganda — Following a presidential directive, government has allocated each district and municipality Shs1 billion for maintenance of roads outside the Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) jurisdiction.

 

This was revealed in the report of the Physical Infrastructure Committee on the policy statement of the Ministry of Works and Transport for 2023/2024 financial year.

 

The report was presented by the Committee Chairperson, David Karubanga on Thursday, 20 April 2023.

 

The allocation was welcomed by Members of Parliament who said they have often shouldered the burden of road maintenance. "The people of Kaberamaido will always remember this Parliament for this money; we have been getting so little for the 300KM in the district," Alfred Edakasi (NRM, Kaberamaido County) said.

 

 

MPs from mountainous constituencies hailed the allocation noting that their roads are continuously washed away during rainy seasons. "Some of us come from areas with few kilometres of roads covered by UNRA; we rely on the little funds given to local governments for maintaining the roads, and when rains come, the roads in the hilly areas are impassable," said Sarah Netalisire (NRM, Namisindwa District).

 

The Deputy Speaker, Thomas Tayebwa clarified that the funds are not meant for rehabilitation of the tarmac roads but for maintaining the non-tarmacked ones which are the majority in rural areas.

 

"Our biggest problem is maintenance of our small roads; that is what we are appropriating for. Like in my constituency, I don't have anything to rehabilitate, we only have our small roads that we need to maintain," Tayebwa said.

 

 

Tayebwa directed that the funds be disbursed to local governments through the Uganda Road Fund, the legal entity mandated with supervision and monitoring of roads under local governments.

 

He called on legislators to keenly supervise the utilization of the funds saying it is possible for districts to reallocate them to other areas of their priority.

 

"What this means is that you must attend the roads committees in your districts, otherwise that money will be diverted to allowances and other priorities of the district," said Tayebwa.

 

Legislators from new districts complained that the proposed budget has neglected road construction in their local governments saying they are under pressure from constituents.

 

"In Kalungu District, we have one tarmac road of one kilometre that goes to the church built by an individual. When shall districts with no single tarmac get at least one road? Let at least one of the main roads in the districts be tarmacked in the next financial year," Joseph Ssewungu (NUP, Kalungu West County) said.

 

MPs were also concerned that road construction equipment were left out in the budget, saying some districts especially the new ones may not utilize the Shs 1 billion.

 

"Soroti City nearly returned all its roads money last year because we had to wait for Soroti District to first finish grading its roads before we could be given the machinery to work on ours," said Hon. Jonathan Ebwalu (Indep., Soroti West Division).

 

The State Minister for Works, Musa Ecweru said the 2023/2024 roads budget is largely focusing on maintenance as directed by the President.

 

He however, noted that the Cabinet holds the reservation to select a few special road construction projects that could still be worked on in the new financial year.

 

Ecweru said the Works Ministry needs Shs27 billion to be able to tarmac roads in the new districts.

 

Independent (Kampala).

 

 

 

Rwanda to Issue Digital IDs in Three Years

Rwanda plans to issue digital identity (ID) cards within three years to allow residents to use such identification documents stored in their phones, and replace the current physical IDs, the Minister of ICT and Innovation has said.

 

Parliament has already adopted the relevance of the draft law governing population registration in the national system of single digital identity. The draft bill will be analysed by the Lower House's responsible standing committee.

 

Paula Ingabire, told lawmakers that Rwanda signed a financing agreement for the $40 million for the execution of the digital ID system, but that the disbursement of the funds will be done after the law has been enacted - to pave the way for the project implementation.

 

 

She said the World Bank-funded project is for five years, adding that one year has elapsed so far, which means that the remaining period amounts to four years.

 

While explaining the relevance of the bill to lawmakers, Ingabire indicated digital identification of people is among other key enablers of economic development and social transformation.

 

Yet, she said, the existing legislation governing the registration of the population and issuance of the national identity card as amended to date, does not allow that transformation.

 

Different from the current situation where a person is entitled to an ID card when they are aged at least 16, the bill provides that babies will also get digital IDs. Also, biometrics (using fingerprints) will be even collected from children aged five years, compared to the at least 16 years that are required so far.

 

 

Ingabire said that, in the past years, they started taking biometrics from 16 year-olds because the technology was not advanced to enable the collection of such data on younger children, adding that the currently available technology allows that for children as young as five years.

 

For the digital ID, she said that they will collect biometric data for 10 fingers, compared to two fingerprints they used to collect for the existing IDs.

 

"Currently, when a child is born, they are given an identification number, and they are allowed to get an ID card when they turn 16. But, with this move, she/he will get an ID card immediately after birth," she said.

 

Once enacted, she indicated, the law will ease the registration of people using the digital ID system.

 

 

"If we look at the biometric data, only fingerprints were collected. Now, in order to ease the process, we will be collecting biometrics in different ways in order to facilitate the authentication and verification for people who want to deliver services," she said.

 

Addressing some of the identified issues

 

The new law, the Minister pointed out, is expected to provide solutions to a number of problems, including the situation where there is a category of population who were not catered for in terms of ID provision, such as stateless people (neither counted among foreigners nor refugees) and other undocumented people while they needed services.

 

Also, data relating to the identification of persons were scattered and conflicting in different databases of various institutions, which will be addressed by having the data in one single digital ID system.

 

Another issue is that the current law could not enable capturing and managing and authenticating people's biometric information.

 

MP Aimée Sandrine Uwambaje said the digital IDs were responding well to the current development trends, and will reduce the frequent issue of physical ID loss, as well as save residents money they were spending on getting new ones.

 

Meanwhile, Ingabire said that it is expected the ID font face photos will be updated every five years, but indicated that the cost will not be incurred by the cardholder.

 

The draft law mainly covers categories of population to be registered, registrations of the new-born and nationality grantees, change of registered location, enrolment of the population into a single digital identity system, and management of a single digital identity system.

 

Responding to MPs' worries about mistakes that were made while issuing the current IDs -such as misspelled names - Ingabire said that said the first job in data cleansing exercise will be to correct the mistakes that were made on current IDs with a view to ensure accuracy in the digital system.

 

Data in IDs

 

The data required in the national population registry include national identification number; name(s), gender; date of birth; place of birth; nationality; marital status; and spouse name.

 

Others are telephone number, if any; email address, if any; domicile address; biometrics data: front-facing photograph; full set of fingerprints, depending on the age; iris scan, depending on age; and any other biometrics data as may be determined by the Authority.

 

In case the biometrics data are not fully available, only obtainable biometrics data are captured in the national population registry, the bill proposes.

 

In the drafting processes, studies and benchmarks were done on the following foreign legislations while looking for the best practice in countries which already use digital IDs, she said. They include Estonia, Singapore; India, Philippine, Malaysia, and Canada.

 

New Times.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 


 


Invest Wisely!

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INVESTORS DIARY 2023

 


Company

Event

Venue

Date & Time

 


 

 

 

 

 


 

Workers’ Day

 

May 1

 


 

Africa Day

 

May 25

 


 

 

 

 

 


Companies under Cautionary

 

 

 


CBZH

TSL

Fidelity

 


Willdale

FMHL

ZBFH

 


GetBucks

Zimre

Seed Co

 


 

 

 

 


 

 

 

 


 <mailto:info at bulls.co.zw> 

 


 

 


DISCLAIMER: This report has been prepared by Bulls ‘n Bears, a division of Faith Capital (Pvt) Ltd for general information purposes only and does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy or subscribe for any securities. The information contained in this report has been compiled from s believed to be reliable, but no representation or warranty is made or guarantee given as to its accuracy or completeness. All opinions expressed and recommendations made are subject to change without notice. Securities or financial instruments mentioned herein may not be suitable for all investors. Securities of emerging and mid-size growth companies typically involve a higher degree of risk and more volatility than the securities of more established companies. Neither Faith Capital nor any other member of Bulls ‘n Bears nor any other person, accepts any liability whatsoever for any loss howsoever arising from any use of this report or its contents or otherwise arising in connection therewith. Recipients of this report shall be solely responsible for making their own independent investigation into the business, financial condition and future prospects of any companies referred to in this report. Other  Indices quoted herein are for guideline purposes only and d from third parties.

 


 

 


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