News
tralac’s Daily News selection: 23 June 2015
The selection: Tuesday, 23 June
The UN-AU strategic partnership should be underpinned by the following principles of cooperation, which might also serve as a baseline set of principles for other UN engagements with regional organizations in future: consultative decision making and common strategy; the division of labour based on respective comparative advantage; joint analysis, planning, monitoring and evaluation; integrated response to the conflict cycle, including prevention; transparency, accountability and respect for international standards.
The relationship between the United Nations Security Council and the African Union Peace and Security Council should be further strengthened through increased regular and meaningful interaction and consultation to develop a shared understanding of conflicts and shape common strategies in response. Based on a comprehensive analysis of the comparative advantages of each organization in the preventive and response contexts, such strategies should set out the division of roles and responsibilities of the UN, AU and RECs/RMs. This is even more essential during the planning phase of a peace operation. Where a UN peace operation is expected to follow an AU-led operation, benchmarks should be identified early to ensure an effective transition.
High Level Policy Dialogue on Development Planning in Africa (UNECA)
The High Level Dialogue will provide an opportunity for African Development Planners to discuss and identify the strategies, instruments, and mechanisms that can be adopted by member States to promote evidence-based decision-making, through the integration of the recommendations of the Africa Data Consensus in national planning processes. The meeting will also provide a platform for participants to share knowledge on the policy implications of the Data Revolution to national planning, and ultimately, the structural transformation agenda and how to leverage on the already existing community of practice.
World Bank Chief Economist sets up new Commission on Global Poverty (World Bank)
The new Commission, made up of 24 leading international economists, will be chaired by Sir Anthony Atkinson, a leading authority on the measurement of poverty and inequality, the Centennial Professor at London School of Economics, and a Fellow of Nuffield College, Oxford University. Announcing the new advisory body, the World Bank’s Chief Economist, Kaushik Basu, said he expects the Commission to also provide advice on how to adjust the measurement of extreme poverty as and when new Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) and other price and exchange rate data become available.
'At your own risk: reprisals against critics of World Bank Group Projects' (Human Rights Watch)
Mihe Gaomab II: 'Competition Commission can assist in reducing income inequality' (The Namibian)
We can play our role as competition regulators, not only to sustain the right behaviour of firms and businesses, but to structure their market conduct and correct distortions through competition rules. Thus, Piketty's forecast of widened income inequality provides cold comfort to competition authorities, indicating that their role is not just to enforce fair competition through the implementation of the Competition Acts. There is an unequivocal need to be developmentally conscious as well as to enforce competition law for a broader common good, to correct market imperfections that entrench not only high levels of income inequality, but also high levels of poverty. [The author is the CEO of the Namibian Competition Commission]
Rand collusion: SA’s antitrust boss digs in (IOL)
SADC missed opportunity on decoders (The Namibian)
Deputy Minister of Information and Communication Technology Stanley Simataa rapped manufacturers in the SADC region on the knuckles for missing an opportunity to be the primary manufacturer of set-top boxes (digital decoders) that are key components in the migration of analogue broadcasting to digital broadcasting in southern Africa. He delivered the opening keynote address at the 9th SADC digital broadcasting migration forum at Walvis Bay on Monday.
Logistics Barometer South Africa 2015 (University of Stellenbosch)
South Africa’s contribution to global surface transport intensity is thus more than double its contribution to global GDP. Much of this freight also had to move over the quay walls as imports and exports and even there South Africa punches above its weight, handling 1.3% of the world’s liquid bulk trade, 1.7% of containers and 5.1% of dry bulk.
Minister Rob Davies inaugurates National Export Advisory Council (GCIS)
The Minister of Trade and Industry, Dr Rob Davies has inaugurated the National Export Advisory Council (NEAC) which is the oversight body responsible for the high level decision making on export and export related activities. The NEAC was inaugurated over the weekend at the end of a three day Team Export South Africa Workshop that was held in Pretoria under the theme “Export-driven Economic Growth and Industrialisation in South Africa.
Tom Nevin: 'Why did SA pull the plug on tri-nation power deal?' (Business Day)
The Mmamabula power purchase agreement, intended to save SA from the darkness of a failing electricity sector, fell in inglorious defeat close to the finish line in 2009. To this day energy experts battle to understand why the government aborted the project so suddenly and completely. Was it a clumsy attempt to hide its ineptitude by destroying something of immense strategic and economic value because it was an independent power purchase agreement mooted by a private company? Was it scuttled for ideological reasons by the anti-privatisation brigade?
Western Cape Tourism on new visa regulations (GCIS)
The latest trends in global travel numbers are clearly demonstrating the disastrous impact of South Africa’s visa regulations on our tourism sector. Two reports released this week, the United Nations World Tourism Organisation’s Tourism Highlights 2015 Edition and Statistics South Africa’s Tourism Migration: February 2015, provide clear evidence that we are closing the doors to tourists. The UNTWO report included the following statistics:
Northern Kenya areas chosen to host regional crude oil pipeline (The Standard)
The regional crude oil pipeline from Kabaale, in western Uganda will pass through Kainuk and Lokichar in Turkana County, Isiolo and Garissa counties to Lamu port, the contractor picked to carry out the project feasibility study has told the Government. Toyota Tusho's proposal puts an end to debate on the 1,518km pipeline route within Kenya with oil companies being in favour of the ‘southern’ option that would have run close to the existing one and terminate in Mombasa.
Uganda: Tullow to pay Sh24bn in tax dues (Daily Nation)
Tullow Oil has said it had reached a Sh24.5 billion agreement to settle a tax dispute with the Uganda government over a 2012 transaction. The row, which was entering its fourth year, was threatening to derail oil production talks.
Zimbabwe: Govt’s private sector debt estimated at $4bn (The Herald)
Zimbabwe carries an estimated $4 billion private sector debt it needs to validate and service in order to open fresh lines of credit. This indication comes against sentiment that part of the reason Zimbabwe’s private sector is not getting external loans was Government’s $6,8 billion overdue external debt overhang. An official with the Ministry of Finance told a Parliamentary Committee on Budget and Finance that private sector debt was estimated at $4 billion. But she said the debt had not yet been validated, as happened with central Government’s $6,8 billion foreign debt, the official nominal debt figure as at December 31, 2014.
East Africa: public sector debt statistics regional training (East AFRITAC)
The IMF East AFRITAC and the East African Community organized a public sector debt statistics workshop in Zanzibar during June 8-19, 2015 with the participation of the World Bank and the African Development Bank . The workshop focused on bringing debt statistics in East Africa in line with international standards to address the demand for reliable debt data for policy making, economic analysis, credit assessments, and the regional integration process.
Uhuru’s 2-year loans surpass Kibaki’s last term debt (The Standard)
Moody’s upgrades regional lender EADB rating on drop in bad loans (Business Daily)
Kenya: Rights issue and rescheduling of debts planned in Mumias turnaround (Daily Nation)
The Government has released Sh1 billion towards the revitalization of Mumias Sugar Company. Speaking at State House, Nairobi on Monday during a meeting with members of parliament from Western region, President Uhuru Kenyatta said the revival of Mumias Sugar Company should not be politicised. The meeting discussed a four-point turn-around strategy for Mumias Sugar Company that includes appointment of a professional management team, injection of funds based on a viable plan, undertaking a rights issue to raise between Sh3 and 4 billion, and rescheduling of debts the company owes financial institutions.
Tanzania: Govt pledges to revive oil refining company (The Citizen)
The government has promised to revive the lost glory of the defunct Tanzania Italian Petroleum Refinery (Tiper) in a bid to enhance its contribution to the national economy. In a statement circulated on Friday, the minister for Energy and Minerals, Mr George Simbachawene, said that the government must restructure the operation of Tiper because of its significance in enabling the petroleum subsector to contribute more to the national economy.
Uganda, DR Congo to meet over disputed border point (New Vision)
Ugandan and Congolese authorities are set to meet today Tuesday over the disputed border point at Vurra in Arua district. The conflict pitting Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo stems from the international boundary drawn during the colonial era. Last week both parties failed to reach an understanding during a meeting held at Vurra border post.
Nigeria, Mexico trade volume hits $575m (BusinessDay)
Blanco said Nigeria and Mexico signed four trade agreements in December 2014 to strengthen the trade bilateral relationship between the two countries. “Our bilateral trade, if well still incipient, went from $166.5m in 2012 to $575m in 2014, which is equivalent to a growth of 245.43%. This amount is the largest record historically. By its total trade, in 2014, Nigeria was the main trade partner of Mexico in Africa, surpassing South Africa,” he said.
Fatima Haram Acyl: 'The urgency of AGOA re-authorization' (African Union)
Japan-Africa Mining and Resources Business Seminar 2015: presentations
Mozambique: New public-private dialogue model creates high expectations (SPEED)
South Africa: Nedlac’s relevance in question (editorial comment, Business Day)
Nigeria: How influx of imported goods threatens local firms (The Guardian)
Call for papers: Trading places - the role of trade with Africa (Ghent Africa Platform)
CITES and the WTO: enhancing cooperation for sustainable development (WTO)
“CITES and the WTO: Enhancing Cooperation for Sustainable Development” illustrates how the relationship between the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and the WTO has evolved into a leading example of how global trade and environmental regimes can support each other and work coherently to achieve shared objectives.
South Africa to host 2016 @CITES talks
Government mulls keeping gold jewellery out of all free trade agreements through re-negotiations (Economic Times)
India will keep gold jewellery out of all free trade agreements (FTAs) to be signed in the future while it contemplates removing the item from existing ones through renegotiations, said two government officials familiar with the matter. The finance ministry and the commerce department are in dialogue over imposing the clampdown.
China manufacturing activity contracts in June: HSBC (Economic Times)
China-US cooperation benefits the two countries and the world (MFA, China)
This post has been sourced on behalf of tralac and disseminated to enhance trade policy knowledge and debate. It is distributed to over 300 recipients across Africa and internationally, serving in the AU, RECS, national government trade departments and research and development agencies. Your feedback is most welcome. Any suggestions that our recipients might have of items for inclusion are most welcome. Richard Humphries (Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; Twitter: @richardhumphri1)
