Major International Business Headlines Brief::: 15 January 2024

[Bulls n Bears]

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Major International Business Headlines Brief:::  15 January 2024 

 


 

 




 


 

 


 

ü  Uganda's Agoa Suspension

ü  Liberia: U.S.$35,000 Bridge Project Abandoned in Maryland

ü  South Africa: City of Cape Town Rental Flats in Poor Condition

ü  Ghana: Pension Goes Up By 15 Percent

ü  Liberia: Speaker Chambers Wants Executive to Pay Legislative Staff

ü  Tanzania: Tanapa Raises Awareness On Attractions, Investment
Opportunities

ü  Malawi: Mwapata Institute Calls for Greater Investment in Soil Health

ü  Nigeria: Abuja Train Design Subpar but to Be Completed in May - Wike

ü  Nigeria: Red Gold Project - Battle for Soul of Depleting Nigerian Forest
Reserve (I)

ü  Nigeria: 2024 Budget - N800 to Dollar Benchmark Strategic - Bagudu

 


 

 


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

Uganda's Agoa Suspension

Kampala — Making sense of its impact on trade, resilience, and future for
entrepreneurs

 

Uganda's recent suspension from the preferential trade arrangement known as
the African Growth Opportunity Act (AGOA) by the United States has
undoubtedly posed a challenge, potentially rendering the the East African
country's products less competitive in the U.S market.

 

However, amid this storm, the resilience and quality of Ugandan products
could serve as a sturdy anchor, allowing the East African nation to weather
the adverse effects of this decision, according to trade experts The
Independent has talked to.

 

On January 01, President Joe Biden's administration struck Uganda off the
list of sub-Saharan African countries that can benefit from AGOA on a claim
of President Yoweri Museveni's government "gross violations of
internationally recognized human rights"

 

Biden said in an executive order dated December 29, 2023 that he had
"determined" Uganda alongside three other countries-Central African
Republic, Gabon and Niger- no longer meet the requirements necessary to
allow them to continue benefiting from the AGOA trade deal.

 

"Accordingly, I have decided to terminate the designations of the Central
African Republic, Gabon, Niger, and Uganda as beneficiary sub-Saharan
African countries for purposes of section 506A of the Trade Act, effective
January 1, 2024."

 

The decision came barely three months after President Biden wrote to the
Speaker of the U.S Congress last October expressing his intention to remove
the four countries from the list of AGOA beneficiaries over human rights
abuses. Analysts in Uganda linked the country's suspension from the trade
deal to the recent enactment of a harsh Anti Homosexuality Act.

 

 

"Despite intensive engagement between the United States and the Central
African Republic, Gabon, Niger, and Uganda, these countries have failed to
address United States' concerns about their non-compliance with the AGOA
eligibility criteria," he said.

 

Other countries already out of the AGOA affirmative programme include; South
Sudan, Somalia and Burundi in the East African Community bloc as well as
Ethiopia, Guinea, Mali, Gabon, Cameroon, Burkina Faso, The Gambia, Sudan and
Zimbabwe. Mauritania was reinstated the same day Uganda was evicted from the
deal.

 

However, President Museveni in a televised address on Jan.09 scoffed at the
US administration saying such trade restrictions and pressures "have no
meaning because Uganda is a country of wealth creators."

 

"Those putting pressure on us are just wasting time," Museveni said. He said
his government's solutions to foreign pressure include; fighting corruption
and concentrating on regional integration so that Uganda "only trades with
countries that 'respect us."

 

Lindsey Spector, the Spokesperson of the U.S. Mission in Uganda told The
Independent on Jan.11 in an email that, "AGOA stipulates that, to be
eligible, a country, among other things, must "not engage in gross
violations of internationally recognized human rights."

 

"U.S. law requires the President to monitor and annually determine if an
AGOA beneficiary country should continue to be eligible, and if a country
that currently is not a beneficiary, should be designated as a beneficiary,"
Spector said.

 

"Uganda was deemed ineligible after extensive communication with the
government of Uganda over several years regarding deficiencies in meeting
agreed-upon standards of democracy and human rights."

 

AGOA boon

 

Since the enactment of the AGOA legislation in 2000 to permit several
African countries to export more than 1800 products to the U.S. market
duty-free, Uganda has been a beneficiary of the affirmative programme albeit
with very low export volumes.

 

Uganda has over the years exported diverse products ranging from, fish,
footwear and leather products, dried fruits, banana products, tea, coffee,
crafts, Shea butter products, apparel, Cow horn products, fruits and
vegetables, Nile Perch, vanilla, chocolate, and flower cuttings.

 

Latest statistics from the U.S. Department of Commerce show Uganda's trade
with the U.S. is far way smaller compared with its neighbours Kenya and
Tanzania. For example, in the 12 months ending June 2023, Kenya's exports
under AGOA amounted to US$ 268 million (47% of total exports to the U.S)
while Tanzania's AGOA exports amounted to US$47 million worth of commodities
(40% of its total exports to the U.S). In the same period under review,
Uganda's exports to the U.S. under AGOA amounted to US$ 8.2 million, just
about 11.5% of its total exports to the U.S.

 

Dip in export volumes and value

 

Interestingly, trade analysts have told The Independent that while the US
decision could have a negative impact on the volume of its exports by
rendering them slightly expensive compared to Uganda's peers, the East
African nation will survive the AGOA suspension.

 

Dr. Isaac Shinyekwa, a Senior Research Fellow at the Economic Policy
Research Centre (EPRC) at Makerere University told The Independent on Jan.11
that Uganda's suspension from AGOA does not mean that local exporters cannot
send their products to the American market.

 

"What it means is that (now) Ugandan products have lost preferential
treatment and are now less competitive," he told The Independent.

 

"For example, under AGOA, a Ugandan product did not attract a particular
duty once it got onto the American market. Now, without AGOA, these products
will be subjected to that duty which previously the Ugandan exporters did
not have to pay, meaning Ugandan goods are now less competitive."

 

Dr. Shinyekwa, however, insisted that Uganda will overcome the AGOA
suspension just like it did with the recent Rwandan border closure. He said
the local entrepreneurs will reinvent themselves but they will do so at a
higher price.

 

Meg Jaquay, the Chairperson of the AGOA Exporters Association of Uganda,
says Ugandan entrepreneurs are determined to maintain their presence in the
American market with or without the AGOA suspension.

 

Jaquay who also doubles as the President of the American Chamber of Commerce
in Uganda told The Independent that unless the perception of not being under
AGOA is a deterrent to American buyers, the impact of the AGOA suspension
shall be "limited financially."

 

She points to the performance of Uganda's entrepreneurs in the U.S market
during the COVID-19 pandemic for her optimism. She told The Independent that
even during the pandemic, Uganda showed the largest growth of exports to the
USA when compared to her East African neighbours. "That means the interest
in Ugandan products is growing," she said.

 

"If your business must have the USA market as one of its sales channels,
then it's all up to us as business owners to find the buyers that will buy
our fantastic products, pay the price for them, and keep coming back for
more despite not being under AGOA."

 

Jaquay told The Independent that it is not always about a tax advantage and
luckily many of the products that Ugandan entrepreneurs export to the US
still fall under what is called the "GSP" or the generalized system of
preferences which is the import duty code from 1974 which still allows at
least 5000 items to be imported into the US duty-free. She says, with AGOA,
another 1800 products were added to that list making it more viable for
other sectors to enter duty-free.

 

"(This means that) those sectors are now going to have to look to see how
these minimal import duties may affect their bottom line. For some of them,
they may just be able to absorb it until we are reintroduced into AGOA. It
always comes back to the fact that, when you're in business, your ideal is
with a client who you target," she says.

 

"If our Ugandan exporters' ideal client is a US business or a US consumer,
then the business here in Uganda is just going to have to work a little bit
smarter to figure out how to stay at the negotiating table without the
umbrella of AGOA in their back pocket. It's not impossible, it's just
something that we just now have to work just a little bit smarter to gain
the trust of those US buyers."

 

"What we don't want to have to happen, and have seen it over the last few
weeks since this was announced, is that everyone thinks Ugandan exporters
will stop exporting to the USA. That is most definitely not the case," she
told The Independent, adding that: "Every single exporter that I have spoken
to has a shipment going to the USA this month. The consumers still love and
want our products, and that is what we as business owners have to focus on."

 

AGOA's mixed results for Africa

 

Over the last two decades, AGOA has certainly helped boost African exports
to the US, but the trade data raises questions about why some countries are
better able to capitalize on the preferential trade rules. As of May 2023,
35 sub-Saharan African countries stood to benefit from the American trade
programme, but experts say AGOA utilization rates and results have varied
widely.

 

For instance, Kenya and Lesotho have had some of the highest AGOA
utilization rates: 88% of Kenyan exports and 99% of Lesotho's exports to the
U.S. market qualified for zero-tariff treatment with apparel products
dominating for both countries' exports to the U.S.

 

But analysts at the U.S.based Brookings Institute say almost half of all
beneficiary countries had a utilization rate of 2% or lower during the same
period, meaning 98% of U.S imports from those countries were subject to U.S
tariffs.

 

These discrepancies in utilization rates, the analysts pointed out, have
tended to hinder AGOA's potential to "tip the scales when it comes to
economic development, growth of commercial opportunities and job creation
for many beneficiary African countries."

 

Why some countries are not benefiting from AGOA

 

Several factors could explain variations in AGOA utilization including
differences in business environment, competing interests, lack of credit,
lack of internet access, insufficient capacity, lack of government
investment, and production costs and bottlenecks.

 

In order to go around some of those challenges, however, some countries have
become creative by developing so-called "utilization strategies" which have
in turn helped them register good AGOA export figures.

 

For example, the Brookings Institute notes, as of 2022, 18 of the 39
beneficiary countries had developed a strategy to utilize the AGOA
programme. And 14 of the 16 countries that had published strategies in 2021
were able to increase their non-crude oil exports. Many countries that
adopted a national AGOA strategy -such as Mali, Mozambique, Togo, and
Zambia-experienced particular success and saw their exports to the U.S. rise
by over 90% during this period.

 

One example is Ethiopia. Just before U.S. sanctions were slapped on it,
Ethiopia had boosted its AGOA-eligible exports after developing a
utilization strategy that identified sector-specific constraints and
formulated strategies to address them.

 

This strategy is said to have led to the creation of a one-stop technical
and information hub to assist the five priority product areas the Ethiopian
government identified in the country's AGOA utilization strategy-textiles
and garments, leather and leather products, horticulture, handicrafts and
agro-processing.

 

Exactly one year after the hub opened, Ethiopia increased its exports to the
U.S by over 50%-much more than the total increase of exports from
AGOA-eligible countries to the U.S during the same period from 2015-2016
(19% on average).

 

Similarly, in 2017, Botswana developed an AGOA utilization strategy that
identified specific barriers to exports, and established evaluation criteria
and an institutional structure to track key metrics of specific priorities.
Four years later, Botswana held more stakeholder meetings with civil
servants in various ministries, private sector associations, individual
firms, women's groups and non-governmental and semi-governmental
organizations to gather input on new areas of concern in the economy
resulting in a revised strategy.

 

"Botswana's strategy of continuously adjusting to changing circumstances may
offer an important example for other countries in Africa on how to reduce
policy conflict and ambiguity to successfully bridge the gap between policy
formulation and implementation," said Landry Signé, Senior Fellow, Global
Economy and Development at the Africa Growth Initiative.

 

According to Signé, a review of trade data suggests that creating AGOA
strategies is positively associated with increasing AGOA utilization rates.
Eswatini, Ghana, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritius, Mozambique,
Namibia, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Togo and Zambia are the
other countries which have since managed to come up with AGOA utilization
strategies and they have seen their AGOA exports rise from 2% to more than
3000%.

 

For instance, Kenya which published a utilization strategy in 2012, saw its
exports to the United States under AGOA subsequently doubled between 2012
and 2020, thanks mainly to large exports of apparel products.

 

Madagascar published its utilization strategy in 2015 and its exports to the
U.S. under AGOA (apparel, chocolate and basket weaving materials) shot up to
390% from 2015 to 2020. Similarly, Mali's exports to the U.S. under AGOA
(black wheat, travel goods and musical instruments) rose by 397% between
2016 and 2018 after the government published a utilization strategy in 2016.

 

The biggest leap in export receipts was registered by Zambia whose exports
to the U.S. under AGOA (semi-precious stones, pearls and copper) skyrocketed
to 3000% by 2019 following the southern African country's publication of its
utilization strategy in 2016.

 

Uganda's AGOA performance explained

 

Trade analysts in Uganda say Uganda' performance under AGOA has not been as
impressive. Some say, the government has not been as intentional as its
competitors on the continent. Some have blamed the fact that Uganda has
failed to come up with its own AGOA utilization strategy.

 

Dr. Shinyekwa at EPRC partly agrees. "Quite often, when we (Uganda) sign
agreements, we come back and rest on our laurels but we forget that (signing
an agreement) is just the beginning of the process," Dr Shinyekwa told The
Independent.

 

"The agreement gives you market access but it is also important to get
market presence-that is where Uganda is weak. To access that market, there
are a set of conditions that we have to meet."

 

"Whereas countries like Kenya sent their trade experts to the U.S. and
studied the market for months and came back with an understanding of how
Kenya would tap into the market under AGOA, it is not clear how Uganda has
gone about its strategy." Shinyekwa told The Independent that market
presence often comes with a bit of effort.

 

The current AGOA deal is set to expire next year in December, but there are
murmurs in Washington D.C that an extension is under consideration. Spector,
the Spokesperson of the U.S Mission in Uganda, told The Independent that
Uganda could regain its AGOA eligibility through the annual review process
if the Ugandan government takes significant steps to improve respect for
human rights for all Ugandans.

 

So, if Uganda succeeds to regain its AGOA status, how should the government
approach the trade deal with the U.S this time? Dr. Arthur Bainomugisha, the
Executive Director at the Advocates Coalition for Development and
Environment, a Kampala-based think tank, told The Independent that the
Uganda government and its institutions and agencies need to execute better
their respective mandates regarding the country's export strategy.

 

"There is need to streamline the coordination of the institutions and
agencies. Instead of the overlapping mandates or competing mandates, it's
better to pursue complementary roles instead of competition."

 

Dr. Bainomugisha says the AGOA opportunity needs to be knowledge-led this
time. "W may need to cut out the politics and bring on board experts and
professionals from the trade ministry and the Uganda Export Promotion Board
to ensure that AGOA is continuously expert-led.

 

"Investing a little more in research; organizing our business community and
supporting them (more) will be important," he says, adding that: "Uganda
cannot afford to lose an opportunity to export to the U.S market of some 300
million people with great purchasing power."

 

For Jaquay of the Uganda AGOA Exporters Association, should Uganda get
re-admitted into AGOA, the government policies would need to show that it
still believes in the reasons why Uganda first entered into AGOA- benefit to
Ugandans.

 

"We know that the President is focused on exports since he introduced PACEID
(Presidential Advisory Committee on Exports and Industrial Development) in
the last few years with the goal of US$ 6bn exports by 2028," she told The
Independent. "Uganda needs to have great trade relations in every one of
those major markets to meet that target."

 

   -Independent (Kampala).

 

 

 

 

Liberia: U.S.$35,000 Bridge Project Abandoned in Maryland

Maryland County — Residents of Wartehken and Gbolobo Nimeken towns in Pleebo
Statutory Soloken District, Maryland County have expressed frustrations over
delay in construction of a US$35,000 bridge linking the two towns near the
Cavalla River belt.

 

According to the aggrieved residents, construction work on the bridge
started in 2021, when the statutory superintendent of the District, Aloysius
Williams, broke grounds for the facility.

 

Since then, there has been no sign of completing the bridge project. The
residents said as it stands, they cannot tell what has delayed the
completion of the bridge, despite funds identified to get it done.

 

They said although during the groundbreaking, they had argued that the place
wasn't suitable, but local authority pointed out that the decision was
adopted in resolution during a county council sitting in December 2019.

 

Speaking to reporters Tuesday, January 9, 2024, Mr. Saturday Dennis, general
town chief of Wartehken Town, said the delay in completing the bridge has
created a serious setback for the population.

 

 

"This has created a serious setback for school-going kids of both towns,
thereby leaving them with no option but to travel long distances to attend
school," he said.

 

According to him, residents of Wartehken lament that they face difficulty
during rainy season to access health care delivery services, as the only
health facility is in Nimeken.

 

Chief Dennis expressed serious concern whether the bridge construction will
be completed because the Cavalla River banks sometimes overflow causing
erosion that affects walls of the bridge.

 

He noted that residents of Wartehken and Gbolobo Nimeken thought the bridge
construction would've brought a great relief but, as it stands now, they
wonder whether it will be completed.

 

"We are suffering because our children are not in school and we cannot go to
the clinic for health services during rainy season", Saturday Dennis
lamented.

 

 

Mark Cooper of Gbolobo Nimeken called on the local authority to fast-track
the bridge completion.

 

He said anything outside of completing the project estimated at US$35, 000
will not be accepted because it is alleged that the county authorities have
constructed a culvert, instead of a proper bridge.

 

"The designated area for the bridge construction is not good for a culvert,
but only a bridge can go there due to its proximity to the cavalla river,"
youth leader Mark Cooper noted.

 

Cooper further explained that the current temporary traditional bridge is
the only one they are using to access the next town, but its condition is
not good.

 

"It poses a serious danger to kids of both towns during rainy season while
crossing on the bridge, as the river gets over flooded," he disclosed.

 

Also speaking, the head women of the town blamed local authorities for their
current plight, saying that they have not been fair to them.

 

She narrated that during the bridge construction, women of the town informed
engineers about situation of the bridge, and materials that they were using,
but the engineers told them to remain quiet because they were not engineers
and don't understand engineering works.

 

"Let me say before the bridge construction started, we informed the local
authorities and the engineers about the materials used but they said we were
not engineers; see what is happening to our US$35, 000! So, they are joking,
that bridge doesn't even worth US$5,000 before 35K."

 

Meanwhile, Maryland County Project Management Committee (PMC) chairman,
Lawrence Kyne, said given the fact that the bridge project has been delayed,
the citizens have all right to know what has caused the delay.

 

According to him, delay in the project is because of criteria set by the
Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, adding that for a project to
be awarded to any contractor, the contractor must be able to pre-finance the
project up to about 30% to 60% cash.

 

The bridge construction project was in 2021 awarded to Sammy Group of
Company.

 

The NEW DAWN tried contacting the company but all efforts applied were
fruitless. Editing by Jonathan Browne

 

   -New Dawn.

 

 

 

 

South Africa: City of Cape Town Rental Flats in Poor Condition

Mayco member says the City has to manage 45,000 units and prioritises
repairing them based on safety

 

Crumbling balconies, unstable steps, mouldy walls and leaking roofs, are
some of the issues that tenants are experiencing in their Avonwood rental
flats. They claim that the flats are not being maintained by the City of
Cape Town.

 

Situated in Elsies River, the four-storey buildings which were built in
1976, are part of a number of community rental units (CRU) that the City
manages.

 

We were shown some of the balconies of the flats which were riddled with
cracks underneath. Some of the screws holding the steps were missing, and
some windows were broken.

 

 

Carl Houtsamer is a tenant and community activist. He has lived his entire
life on the flats. He stays in a two-room flat with 11 other family members.

 

Though he does not have issues in his flat, Houtsamer said many tenants have
been complaining about the state of their apartments and the buildings in
general. "People complain about broken doors, broken windows, leaking
geysers, and unstable steps. It is a lot. These problems are reported,
mainly at the Elsies River Civic Centre. But most of the time when we
report, we do not receive reference numbers to follow up."

 

Katie Jacobs has been living on the fourth floor of her Grabouw Hof flat for
more than 30 years. Her flat has old leaking pipes.

 

"I have been going up and down to the civic centre for the past three years
to report the issue, but I am still sitting with the same problem. Each time
I go and report, I am told that a reference number will be sent to me, but
nothing ever comes," said Jacobs.

 

 

She showed GroundUp a broken electricity metre box in her kitchen which has
a little container on top of it. "My roof is leaking. So I put that
container there so that the water does not leak onto the metre box. When I
reported it, they came and shut the metre box down and gave me a new box but
they never fixed the leak," she explained.

 

Another tenant, Beverly Jacobs - no relation to Katie - has the same problem
of a roof leaking on top of her electric switchboard. To protect the
switchboard, she has put a towel on top of it.

 

Her flat has a broken window held together by tape. There is mold on her
walls and a leaking geyser.

 

Houtsamer said that hundreds of people are living in the flats. Some people
are now also living in Wendy houses behind the flats because of lack of
space and affordable housing opportunities in the area. One resident had
taken over a structure built for rubbish and turned it into a living space.

 

Carl Pophaim, Mayco Member for Human Settlements, said the City was aware of
the required work at Avonwood.

 

"Due to the large volumes of rental stock, some 45,000 units, the City
prioritises repairs based on service requests received, safety and if they
are of an emergency nature."

 

"The budget allocation figures for Avonwood are not available at this time;
however, the City will communicate on the planned work and budget allocation
in due course," said Pophaim.

 

"Our teams are committed to addressing the maintenance work and upgrades at
Avonwood," he said.

 

Pophaim said once reported, residents should follow up on their maintenance
requests so that city teams could be deployed.

 

Pophaim said the average rental fees were between R670 and R1,300 per month.
He encouraged struggling residents to approach the City to see if they
qualified for the city's indigent and pensioner support on offer.

 

   -GroundUp.

 

 

 

Ghana: Pension Goes Up By 15 Percent

The Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) has increased
pension benefit by fifteen per cent for pensioners on the scheme.

 

With the new increment, the minimum monthly pension for existing pensioners
has been increased to GH¢409.10 in 2024 from GH¢300.00 in 2023.

 

The Director-General of SSNIT, Dr John Ofori-Tenkorang, who stated this
during a news conference in Accra yesterday to announce the 2024 pension
indexation rate, said the increment of the SNNIT pension benefit was done in
consultation with the National Pensions Regulatory Authority (NPRA) and in
line with Section 80 of the National Pensions Act, 2008 (Act 766).

 

 

He explained that the "indexation of pension" was used to adjust pensions in
payment to help maintain purchasing power of pensioners.

 

Dr Ofori-Tenkorang said the monthly pension was indexed at 15 per cent to
ensure the sustainability of the scheme.

 

He said the new pension increment, which would affect about 243,575 members
on the scheme, would result in an additional pension expenditure of GH¢
697.64 million.

 

"The total expenditure in 2024 for pensioners on the Pension Payroll as at
31st December 2023 will be GH¢ 5,387.72 million. The GH¢ 5,387.72 million
excludes pension cost for new awards i.e. the benefits to be paid to
retirees who would be added to the pension payroll in 2024. The total
benefit expenditure is projected to increase from GH¢ 5,445.91 million in
2023 to GH¢ 7,023.43 million in 2024," Dr Ofori-Tenkorang stated.

 

 

Explaining the implementation of the new increment, the Director-General of
SSNIT said all the pensioners on the SSNIT Pension Payroll as at 31st
December 2023 would have their monthly pension increased by a fixed rate of
10 per cent plus a flat amount (five per cent redistributed) which would
help members to get additional GH¢79.10 to their pension.

 

Dr Ofori-Tenkorang said redistribution was a mechanism applied to the
indexation rate to cushion low-earning pensioners in conformity with the
solidarity principle of social security, adding that the SSNIT Scheme, like
any other defined benefit scheme, paid pensions which mirrored the earned
salaries on which contributions were paid.

 

"The effective increase in pensions would therefore range from 10.05 per
cent for the highest-earning pensioner to 36.37 per cent for the
lowest-earning pensioner. Accordingly, the highest-earning pensioner as at
31st December 2023 will receive GH¢ 186,777.58 per month in 2024," he
stated.

 

He entreated workers, particularly those in the informal sector, to enrol on
the SSNIT pension scheme so they could enjoy retirement income security.

 

Dr Ofori-Tenkorang said the SSNIT Pension scheme was the only scheme that
paid members till they did after retirement.

 

The SSNIT Director-General said the total monthly benefit of GH¢480 million,
involving 19,100 members, had been withheld since 2018.

 

He said the amount had been withheld because the beneficiaries had not come
to validate their membership with the scheme.

 

The General Secretary of the National Pensioners Association, Stephen
Boakye, commended SNNIT for the increase.

 

He said members of the Association was expecting a ten per cent indexation
rate and were happy they had gotten 15 per cent.

 

   -Ghanaian Times.

 

 

 

 

Liberia: Speaker Chambers Wants Executive to Pay Legislative Staff

Outgoing House Speaker Bhofal Chambers has called on the Ministry of Finance
and Development Planning to pay staffers and other government institutions.

 

Addressing Legislative reporters Thursday, 11 January 2024, Chambers said as
the turn of this government is expected very soon, he doesn't want to see an
ugly turnover.

 

He said the fact that people have worked, they must be paid their just
benefits owed them by the Government of Liberia.

 

"The issue at the Capitol has to do with the issue of governance, the
wellbeing of the people based on fairness and justice, and the wellbeing of
the people and we hope what is supposed to be the norm be done to the
fullest," said Chambers.

 

 

His call on the Executive follows days of protest at the Legislature by
legislative staffers who were demanding the payment of money the government
owed them.

 

Speaker Chambers added that what is happening up Capitol Hill is the issue
of governance and the issue of social order because government comes to
being to protect everyone's rights.

 

He argued that the fact that people have worked, he thinks there is a need
for no further discussion but for the executive through the Ministry of
Finance and Development Planning to do what is just and right.

 

Chambers stated that they have spoken to people from all sides and have
passed it on to President Weah.

 

According to him, President Weah has informed a delegation that was formed
that he has done his part to approve and everyone would get their just
benefit.

 

 

Recently, some staffers at the House of Representatives have protested for
their salaries owed them and have even threatened to hold the Speaker
election for the 55th Legislature hostage if their two months' benefits are
not settled.

 

On Tuesday, 9 January 2023, the staffers at the House of Representatives
placed roadblocks preventing members of that august body from accessing the
building with their vehicles.

 

They demanded that the government pay them for the last two months of work
as their bosses are being paid for the extra sitting called by the President
of Liberia.

 

Some lawmakers who accessed the building had to park their vehicles at some
other places and walk to the House of Representatives wing of the
Legislature.

 

Speaking to the protesters, Nimba County Electoral District 9 Representative
Johnson Gwaikolo said their money has already been allotted and the process
of getting it out is ongoing.

 

He assured them that all would be done in their power to ensure that both
the Senate and House of Representatives staffers get their payment done by
Friday.

 

Rep. Gwaikolo had earlier made efforts for the workers not to protest but
his efforts didn't get the right results.

 

The protesters said if their money is not paid, the Speakership election
might not go on as planned.

 

This means that if they are not paid, the presence of state securities will
be high on the grounds of the Capitol to control the protesters on Monday,
15 January 2024, a day set for the election of leaders for the 55th
Legislature.

 

   -New Dawn.

 

 

 

 

Tanzania: Tanapa Raises Awareness On Attractions, Investment Opportunities

TANZANIA: THE Tanzania National Parks Authority (TANAPA) has embarked on
creating awareness of attractions and investment opportunities available in
the tourism sector in mainland Tanzania to mark the 60th Zanzibar
Revolution.

 

The authority conducted the campaign for visitors at the Zanzibar
International Trade Fair (ZITF) at Dimani Fumba, which was prepared as part
of the festivities to mark the Revolution.

 

Senior Officer of the Tourism Division - Eastern Region, Ms Apaikunda
Mungure, expressed TANAPA's strategic approach, stating, "As numerous
tourists arrive from Zanzibar to our parks, we aim to engage with tourism
companies, transport agents, and Zanzibar tour guides to develop tailored
packages for visiting the National Parks on mainland Tanzania, as we are the
primary beneficiaries of this market." Ms Mungure further highlighted the
influx of beachloving tourists to Zanzibar, emphasising TANAPA's intention
to leverage this exhibition to collaborate with stakeholders and promote
mainland Tanzania's national parks as prime destinations.

 

 

Represented by officers and wildlife paramilitary force from the Eastern and
Southern Regions, Mwalimu Nyerere Memorial House in Dar es Salaam, and
Caravan Serai in Bagamoyo, TANAPA's participation in the 10th edition of the
Zanzibar International Trade Fair signifies a strategic move to tap into the
island's vibrant tourism and business network.

 

She invited visitors to their pavilion, stating that TANAPA has set up an
engaging pavilion adorned with leaflets, books, and posters illustrating the
myriad attractions and types of tourism experiences within their reserves.

 

The government has already outlined measures to support endeavours to secure
an income of 6 billion US dollars (around 14tri/-) from five (5) million
tourists by the year 2025, with the key focus being expanding more products
in the sector.

 

The Minister of Natural Resources and Tourism, Ms Angellah Kairuki, pointed
out the products geared for massive promotion to hit the mark, such as
beach, cruise ship, and MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Event
management) tourism.

 

The Third Five-Year Development Plan (FYDP III of 2020/2021 to 2025/2026)
and the ruling party CCM Election Manifesto 2020-2025 have set the target
for the country to achieve an income of 6 billion US dollars (about 14tri/-)
from 5,000,000 tourists by 2025.

 

Ms Kairuki disclosed this in Dar es Salaam last year while officiating at
the annual Swahili International Tourism Expo (SITE) 2023, which brought
together over 150 exhibitors and 71 international buyers from various
countries across the globe.

 

She cited the government's commitment to ensuring the tourism sector
continues to record progressive growth by increasing the number of tourists
entering the country.

 

   -Daily News.

 

 

 

 

Malawi: Mwapata Institute Calls for Greater Investment in Soil Health

MwaPATA Institute - a local agricultural policy think tank - has called for
greater investments in interventions initiated and designed to improve soil
health in Malawi.

 

The institute's Board Chairperson Professor Richard Mkandawire warned that
the country risks turning into desert if the government and its partners do
not address the soil health crisis.

 

Mkandawire made the remarks in Lilongwe on Thursday during a breakfast the
organization prepared for editors and senior journalists.

 

The MwAPATA Institute Board Chairperson said it is high time Malawi moved
towards reforms and policies that would help in addressing depletion of soil
nutrients.

 

 

"And one of the foremost areas that need to be addressed is the continued
depletion in Malawi's soils. And we need investments in that particular
area. And one of the recommendations emerging is that some of the resources
probably, which are directed towards fertilizer, should also be directed
towards improving our soils," said Mkandawire.

 

He indicated that Malawi has some of the most depleted soils in the Africa
Region, stressing that it is critical to find ways of investing in the
soils.

 

"There are times when one wonders whether this country will be turned into a
desert, and I think we need double efforts. We need you know, every effort
possible to ensure that, you know, we actually move towards our programs
that are, you know, cool, conserve our forests, conserve our, you know,
various ecosystem instead of losing millions of tons of our soils into Lake
Malawi, and eventually to the Indian Ocean," he said.

 

"I think we need to return them. You can't imagine how much of the dollar
value we're actually exporting through loss of nutrients. And one of the
issues that whichever agent might have to do is to really quantify how much
of all the nutrients that are lost can be translated into the loss of
dollars, because that nutrient needs to be replaced. And it cannot be
replaced by you know, fertilizer alone. It's got to be replaced by other,
you know, mechanisms including the moving towards investing in our soils,"
he emphasized.

 

   -Nyasa Times.

 

 

 

 

Nigeria: Abuja Train Design Subpar but to Be Completed in May - Wike

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, has restated his
promise that President Bola Tinubu will inaugurate the Abuja Metro Light
Rail project in May 2024. He also said the train design was subpar but could
no longer be changed.

 

Mr Wike said this while inspecting the project on Thursday in Abuja.

 

He called for an unwavering dedication to completing the construction on
time, stating that it would be disastrous for him if he failed to do so
after the president released funds for the project.

 

 

"But be it as it may, we still have to work round the clock to see that we
achieve our results and I've also directed that the stations must be
cleaned. All the things that are not there must be provided. There will be
no room for excuses at all.

 

"That's why it's not good for you to be in the office. You have to go and
see things for yourself and not depend on the reports coming from the field.

 

"You can imagine if I am sitting in the office and then depending on the
reports from those who said they are in the field, by the time I come here
in May, I will be messed up. But I thank God that I came to see things for
myself."

 

"But frankly speaking, knowing where I'm coming from, having presided over
projects like this, I'm not in a happy mood at all," the minister stated.

 

Poor quality of design

 

 

Mr Wike also raised concerns about the design quality, particularly the
absence of central cooling systems.

 

He expressed his dissatisfaction that the designs were subpar, stating that
he would not have made promises if he had been aware of these issues
earlier.

 

Despite expressing unhappiness with the ongoing construction, he remained
focused on finding solutions to the identified issues and ensuring that the
Metro Line becomes a functional and secure transportation system.

 

"From what I have seen, the designs are very poor. Whoever may have approved
the designs is unfair to Nigerians.

 

"I've told CCECC that this kind of design is not even acceptable in their
own country and if I had known before now, I would not have promised Mr.
President that it would be ready.

 

"The design of the access roads linking to the various stations, those who
conceptualised it.... people will always talk about money and so they rush
into things without properly evaluating and seeing the benefit it will
accrue to the residents and the users.

 

"The conceptualisation is not the best, but again what do you do? This is
what is on the ground. We have to see how we can finish it on time," the
minister said.

 

Award of the perimeter fence

 

Mr Wike said there are security lapses at the Abuja Metro Station despite a
pre-existing security contract.

 

He lamented the continued theft and vandalism of rail infrastructure.

 

He specifically pointed out the absence of a perimeter fence promising to
look into the matter immediately.

 

He expressed surprise that the security contract was not awarded to the
China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), and pledged
immediate action to rectify the situation and enhance security measures.

 

"When we visited the metro station, I discovered that there are issues of
security lapses and I remember when I came for the first time after our
inauguration, I did say that they have to work on the issue of security by
putting on the fence around the metro station to ward off criminals.

 

"Unfortunately, that has not been done. To my surprise, I discovered that
the contract was not even awarded to CCECC. It's a different contract that
was awarded by the FCT and this is my first time hearing that. We are going
to take it up immediately to see that it is put in place because you can't
talk about the operation when you have not addressed the issue of security,"
he said.

 

He therefore directed that the security contractors ensure improved security
in the stations.

 

During the visit, Mr Wike interacted with key officials, including the
permanent secretary, of the FCT ministry, the managing director of the
construction company (CCECC), and senior officials from the FCTA and CCECC.

 

   -Premium Times.

 

 

 

 

 

Nigeria: Red Gold Project - Battle for Soul of Depleting Nigerian Forest
Reserve (I)

"I have lost a lot on that farm. Feeding my two wives and seven children has
become difficult. ... Now I'm a labourer working for my colleagues."

 

"I'm a happy man today," Rotimi Akeredolu, then governor of Ondo State,
south-west Nigeria, told investors on 10 June 2021, when he launched the Red
Gold Project, an oil palm development initiative.

 

"I call on investors to come. This is a haven for industrial development. We
cannot do without palm oil. We are taking the Red Gold project seriously. It
will help us reduce our reliance on crude oil."

 

Ondo is not just a top agricultural state producing major cash crops; it is
also one of the major states producing crude oil, the country's major source
of revenue. With the dwindling oil revenue came the realisation to diversify
into agriculture, the nation's former cash cow before the oil boom of the
1970s. The government began to look inward towards generating more foreign
exchange through the promotion of agricultural exports by encouraging states
to come up with initiatives.

 

 

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) created a window for states to develop
useful commodities for import substitution. Palm oil topped the table. The
central bank said it would return Nigeria to being one of the leading global
producers of palm oil. In 2019, the CBN launched the Oil Palm Development
Initiative to close the existing palm oil supply gap of 1.25 million MT
annually, develop the oil palm value chain, increase productivity, create
jobs, and diversify the economy away from crude oil and volatility in crude
oil prices. The bank set up an intervention fund for state governments to
participate in the scheme. A few months later, the CBN said it had committed
about N30 billion to the initiative.

 

"Our target is to ensure that a minimum of 1.4 million hectares of land is
put under oil palm cultivation in three years. As a step in this direction,
the bank met with 14 state governors who pledged to make available 100,000
hectares of land in each state," Godwin Emefiele, the former CBN governor,
said, adding that Nigeria spends $500 million on oil palm importation
annually.

 

"We currently have a total of 904,624 hectares available in the states for
allocation and investors have been matched with the states of interest to
process the necessary documentation and titling requirements. The investors
are to be funded from the bank's intervention programme.

 

"Our ultimate vision is to overtake Thailand and Columbia to become the
third largest producers over the next few years."

 

 

Ondo was among the states that bought into the CBN initiative with its Red
Gold project. The state allocated thousands of hectares of land at the Oluwa
Forest Reserve (OA3A) in Odigbo Local Government Area (LGA) for this
purpose. The land allocation was handed over to SAO Agro-Allied Services
Limited, a private agro-investor, for palm oil cultivation.

 

But here is the problem. The forest reserve already had occupants -
smallholder farmers who had cultivated the land for about 30 years. They
were primarily cocoa farmers who had built camps with clay and rusted roofs
in the forest. Inside the cocoa farms were kolanut trees, cassava, yam,
maize, and plantains. Nevertheless, SAO Agro moved into the forest
accompanied by armed soldiers and other security operatives and left trails
of blood and devastation. Decades of sweat were brought down in a few hours
as thousands of cocoa trees were flattened.

 

SORROW, TEARS FROM THE FOREST

 

On 18 April 2023, scores of armed soldiers, police officers, and local
security guards descended on the once-peaceful forest. The officials from
SAO Agro waved documents at the farmers, saying the state government had
sold the land to the company and anybody who stood in their way would be
crushed, witnesses said.

 

Abiodun Idowu was tending to cocoa with Esther, her one-year-old daughter,
strapped to her back when the revving engines of the bulldozers jerked into
her farm. Her mind went ablaze and tears flowed. While scampering around the
farm, begging, hoping the invaders would show mercy, Mrs Idowu slipped and
fell on her back. Her weight rested on the infant. But the bulldozers did
not stop. They continued to scrape the cocoa trees on Mrs Idowu's farm.

 

By the time Kehinde, Mrs Idowu's husband, and other farmers took her to the
hospital in Ore, a nearby town, the baby was pronounced dead on arrival. The
child was buried the next day. With nothing to fall back on, they left the
forest and moved to town to search for jobs. Their next-door neighbour, Kole
Akinde, whose farm was also destroyed, also left the forest. His wife left
him when his means of survival vanished, and he found solace in alcohol.

 

When Oyelayo Isiaka returned to his farm and met the big machines pulling
off cocoa trees he had planted since 2007 from their roots, he slumped.
Other farmers who were running around to save their farms quickly picked him
up and doused him in water. He started harvesting pods from the farm in 2010
and had looked forward to profiting for another four decades.

 

"I didn't know I could come out alive from that incident. I didn't see the
people around me. It was as though I was seeing angels in white. I was
revived. You would have come here today to see my burial ground," Mr Isiaka
said.

 

"I have lost a lot on that farm. Feeding my two wives and seven children has
become difficult. Some time ago, I returned to the farm and shed tears. Now
I'm a labourer working for my colleagues, whose farms are still intact. I
have to beg other farmers for everything I need, including yams. It's more
like from grace to grass."

 

 

Gabriel Oladuni suffered a similar fate. He had an accident while on his way
to the forest in 2015 and has been bedridden since then. His wife, Alice,
would take care of him and also attend to their farm. When the news of the
destruction of his cocoa farm got to him, he slumped and had a stroke. He
has relocated to his hometown, while his wife stayed behind and had to beg
other farmers for leftovers.

 

Akintayo Adeolu's face still oozes pure pain. When he had an accident on his
farm ten years ago and his dominant right hand was amputated, it did not
stop him from going back. The farm was his only means of survival. With aged
parents and children in higher institutions of learning, Mr Adeolu expanded
his farm to make more profit. In less than one hour, the bulldozers knocked
down the cocoa trees.

 

"We begged them, but our appeals fell on deaf ears. The soldiers flogged me
mercifully. I cried, and my children joined. They didn't care," Mr Akintayo
told TheCable.

 

"In a year, the least I make from that farm is N15 million. My child at the
polytechnic had to stop because I couldn't pay the fees again. The company
has planted palm trees on my farm. I cannot return there again because the
evil is done. We practically beg to be fed, yet we cannot leave here. My
years of labour are gone."

 

'THE GOVERNMENT TRICKED US'

 

Abayomi Isinleye, the 60-year-old chairman of the farmer association in the
forest, said the settlement used to be very lively. Petrol generators would
light up the camps in the evening, there was more than enough food, and
farmers were able to send their children to universities across the country.
But the crisis changed everything, and the camps were getting deserted after
occupants lost their farms.

 

"I came here in 1996 and I met some people who were already cultivating
cocoa in the forest. The king of Odigbo was the one who assigned the forest
to the farmers. We sold the proceeds of our cocoa farms to the Ondo State
Government until the crisis started two years ago," Mr Isinleye told
TheCable.

 

"Before the crisis started, the government invited farmers to Akure, the
state capital. We went there and the government officials asked about our
location and what we planted. They welcomed us and commended us for feeding
the population. They said it was because of our efforts that the state has
one of the best grades of cocoa in the country.

 

"During the meeting, they said the reason they called us was because they
wanted us to pay taxes for the land to the government. Before, the forest
guards used to collect taxes from us. It wasn't a fixed price. They collect
up to a million naira or less. The governor said we needed to have an
association as Ondo State farmers. They made three identity cards for us. We
were charged N3,000 for the first one, N5,000 for the second, and N7,000 for
the third one. The government officials later came to survey the farmlands
in the forest and we were given a document stating that we had become
recognised farmers in the state.

 

"Thereafter, they said we'd be paying N10,000 tax per hectare. We cultivated
over 518 hectares of land in this camp. So, we have been paying about N6
million in taxes to the government as and when due, and we have the receipts
for this year. When the governor wanted to go for a second tenure in 2020,
he had another meeting with us and said that he wanted to take our names to
the National Assembly so that we could become federal-registered farmers. He
asked us to vote for him, and that he would do everything he had promised
us. After we voted for him and he got re-elected, that was when we overheard
he had sold all the lands in the forests to agro-investors and all farmers
were asked to leave. The government did not dialogue with us on the plan to
send us out of the forest reserve. When the investors came to tell us, we
told them we had nowhere else to go and we were ready to resist the quit
notice. But they came with 16 bulldozers and overwhelmed us with security
officers."

 

As the investor jumped from one farm to the next, tearing down cocoa trees
to spread its tentacles across the forest, the farmers wailed. They ran from
pillar to post, begging the community and traditional leaders to intervene.
Nothing came out of it. They proceeded to court and filed a lawsuit against
the state and the agro-allied company.

 

In May 2023, Justice Aderemi Adegoroye of the Ondo State high court granted
an interim injunction restraining the state government and others from
further grading or continuing to grade the cocoa plantations, which he
described as an act of anarchy as the farmlands were the only source of
survival for the farmers.

 

The farmers felt some respite. But it did not last long. Despite the
injunction, the investor graded more cocoa farms and planted palm trees in
their stead. The farmers mobilised to resist the expansion, but thugs
attacked them and riddled the camps with bullets. The farmers stood their
ground, overpowered the assailants, and recovered guns and motorcycles. Yet,
the attacks on the farms continued.

 

'WE HAVE NOWHERE TO CALL HOME'

 

"We have more than 3,000 farmers in our camp and there are more than 14
camps in the forest. Farmers, who were making millions of naira annually,
are now begging for food. We have nowhere to call home. We are suffering,"
Nurudeen Oladipupo, who had farmed in the forest for two decades, told
TheCable. His voice beamed with anger and frustration.

 

"We went to court because that is where our only hope lies. That is our last
hope. We know the government owns the court, but no one is above the law. If
not, it is going to be another Agbekoya revolt. We are ready to face the
guns and die."

 

The Agbekoya uprising of the late 1960s in south-west Nigeria was
orchestrated by peasant cocoa farmers to agitate against excessive taxation
by the government. The armed struggle led to violence and bloodshed across
the region.

 

Yemi Ilesanmi, a 40-year-old farmer, said she was ready to join the men in
the resistance against the takeover of their farms by the government and
investors. Mrs Ilesanmi graduated with a degree in business administration
from Lagos State University in 2003. Armed with her credentials, she walked
the length and breadth of Lagos, Nigeria's commercial city, for a job, but
she could not secure a reliable one. She left Lagos, got married, and joined
her husband in the forest to till the soil.

 

For Mrs Ilesanmi, leaving the city and its allure to embrace farming in the
forest of a rural community was a very difficult decision she had to take.
But when the farm began to yield produce, life became better. She could
laugh all the way to the bank and fend for her four children comfortably.
The only place you can call home is where you have peace and a job to keep
life going, she said.

 

"This forest is our home. We don't want any alternative land. Do you know
what it means to leave your home, enter the forest, plant food, and nurse it
until it starts yielding fruits after some years? We have been doing this
for about 30 years," Mr Isinleye, the farmers' association leader, told
TheCable.

 

"How do we start afresh when you displace us from here with the thought that
resettlement can solve it? What if another government decides to chase us
away from the new settlement? Are we going to be displaced all our lives
because we want to provide food for a nation battling with food insecurity
and inflation? Farmers are the last hope in the world. Or is it a crime to
be a small-scale farmer? The forest reserve is so massive that it will
contain the smallholders and the big investors. The question we keep asking
them is: Why our cocoa farms?"

 

But conservationists are asking a different question, why is no one talking
about how the conflict between the farmers, investors, and government is
encroaching on the reservation of the reserved forest, which is a sanctuary
for the endangered Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzees and other animals on the
verge of extinction?

 

(This story was produced with support from the Rainforest Journalism Fund in
partnership with the Pulitzer Center).

 

   -Premium Times.

 

 

 

 

Nigeria: 2024 Budget - N800 to Dollar Benchmark Strategic - Bagudu

The minister said the federal government was confident that the measures
taken so far would substantially increase the supply of foreign exchange
into the economy.

 

The Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Atiku Bagudu, says the
decision to base the 2024 budget on foreign exchange benchmark of N800 to a
dollar was a strategic and conscious decision by the federal government.

 

In an interview with journalists on Thursday in Abuja, Mr Bagudu said
budgets could not be based on a spot rate in order to avoid eventualities in
the world market due to global dynamics.

 

 

He said before arriving at the projected exchange rate of N750 to the dollar
in the 2024 budget, the government considered and viewed critically the
average performance of the Naira.

 

The National Assembly eventually raised the foreign exchange benchmark to
N800 to the dollar.

 

"For budgeting purposes, you don't use the spot rate of anything. Oil price
can go to 120 today, maybe there is a shortage, maybe there is a collision
between two ships that will block a channel. It would be foolish to use that
as a reference price.

 

"I should take a period of maybe six months to one year and say let me
observe this average behaviour, so you don't use spot prices. So, even the
exchange rate is like that.

 

"Much as we are hoping that it would soon come below, but at the time you
are doing the budget you will take a view on average performance. And that's
what we took," Mr Bagudu said.

 

 

The minister said the federal government was confident that the measures
taken so far would substantially increase the supply of foreign exchange
into the economy.

 

Borrowing plan

 

The budget minister, who also spoke on the level of borrowing to fund the
deficit in the 2024 budget, said the difference between this year's
borrowing compared to 2023 remained significant.

 

"In 2023, the budget anticipated a borrowing of close to N14 trillion. This
year's budget is N9.1trillion. So, we think that is significant.

 

"2023 took us to about 6.11 per cent of our GDP as borrowing. This one is
3.8 per cent. So, the quantum had decreased," he said.

 

Mr Bagudu said the federal government in the 2024 fiscal year intended to
operate strictly within the dictates of fiscal responsibility law.

 

 

The law provides that the Central Bank of Nigeria can lend to the government
through its Ways and Means window only five per cent of total budget.

 

"We will not go outside the law and borrow from ways and means, what is
outside the law.

 

"So, the fiscal responsibility law says, in every one year, the Central Bank
can lend the government up to five per cent of its budget for the year.

 

"So, if you go out of that, you're going outside the lawful limit, and
that's what the minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy
was very clear about we are not going to do. We are not going to resort to
borrowing outside the law," he said.

 

Mr Bagudu said 2024 revenue projections were designed to build on the
various initiatives of the government to create an enabling environment for
investment from both the local and foreign businesses.

 

Budget's core priority

 

He said the core priority of the budget was placed on areas such as
security, education, works and housing in order to develop the economy and
create jobs for Nigerians.

 

"We have seen the reforms so far have brought in more revenue but we are not
stopping there. We believe that our objective to achieve at least 1.8
million production per day is something that has been done before. And with
security gains that are increasing with mobilising of all stakeholders.

 

"For example, just yesterday, maybe you will have seen even the governors
re-energise the National Economic Council Committee on crude oil theft and
preventio so that governors will say to the extent that is happening in
their state, they will take personal responsibility and lead.

 

"So, because of that we are confident that the revenue projections are
achievable and with budget efficiency and discipline we are putting in, we
believe that we won't have to resort to additional borrowing. Maybe we will
even borrow less," Mr Bagudu said.

 

(NAN)

 

   -Premium Times.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 


 


Invest Wisely!

Bulls n Bears 

 

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INVESTORS DIARY 2024

 


Company

Event

Venue

Date & Time

 


 

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

 

 


Companies under Cautionary

 

 

 


 

 

 

 


CBZH

GetBucks

EcoCash

 


Padenga

Econet

RTG

 


Fidelity

TSL

FMHL

 


 

 

 

 


 <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
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companies typically involve a higher degree of risk and more volatility than
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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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