Volume 1 issue 26

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MONDAY | JUlY 07, 2014 Title Code: DELENG18579 • RNI NO: DELENG/2014/54666 • Postal Registration No.: DN/325/2014-2016 • VOL. 1 • NO. 26 • Page 12 • Price `10

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It is projected that Sub-Saharan Africa’s healthcare market will climb up to $35 billion by 2014. Fast paced economic growth across Africa is the driving force behind hospital

development, furnishing massive prospects for international healthcare investors and solution providers.

East Africa Health Care Summit, a two-day Conference & Exhibition which concluded recently in Dar es Salaam from 1st July to 2nd July 4, 2014 has called for heavy investment in providing affordable health care to all across the region.

The conference aided to provide the African healthcare community with the opportunity to network with international healthcare experts, and to source the very latest and best international healthcare technologies for Africa. The occasion saw the gracious attendance of government ministers, senior hospital directors and healthcare experts from across Africa.

Ministry of Health in Tanzania, the Ministry of Health Burundi - Permanent Secretary Dr. Nizigiyimana Dionis and a Senior Official from the Ministry of Health Uganda gave keynote addresses. Other high level speakers included Dr Atef El Maghraby, Chief Health Human Resources Analyst at the African Development Bank, Tunisia and Dr. Margaret Mungherera, President of the World Medical Association, Uganda.

Rwanda is building

foundation for peace,

prosperity

East Africa Health Care Summit in Dar es Salaam

Providing AffordAbleHeAltHcAre

An AfRicAn SucceSS StoRy:RWAnDA

MAgicAl AnD MySteRiouS:BotSWAnA

HAnDygo tecHnologieS geAReD up foR AfRicA

Zimbabwe, india relations hailed

Wassupafrica02Rwanda is building foundation for peace, prosperity – Obama

By continually investing in its people, Rwanda is building a strong foundation for peace

and prosperity in the years to come, US President Barack Obama has said.

“Over the last 20 years, Rwanda has emerged as a regional leader, borne by a deep commitment to strengthen economic growth for all Rwandans.

“It has improved health institutions across the country. And it provides wider access to healthcare and universal primary school education to all Rwandan children,” Obama is quoted as saying in a statement released.

In the press statement, Obama sent “best wishes to Rwandans on the 52nd anniversary of your independence on July 1”.

Rwanda gained Independence from Belgian colonialists on July 1, 1962 but the country continued on the path of sectarian politics and violence which would culminate in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.

Over one million Rwandans were butchered in a space of 100 days before the killings were brought to an end by the then

Rwanda tops World Bank economic handling reportRwanda’s economic management and structural policies is the most-improved in sub-Saharan Africa, the World Bank’s Country Policy and Institutional Assessment (CPIA) report shows.

Overall, the country improved from aggregate 3.8 in 2012 to 3.9 last year.

The report, launched in Kigali, shows that Rwanda has the highest CPIA score in Africa, putting it alongside Cap Verde and Kenya at the top of the score range of aggregate 3.9, while South Sudan and Eritrea, both struggling with deep policy challenges, had the lowest scores.

Rwanda was followed by Burkina Faso and Senegal, who scored aggregate 3.8 each, while Tanzania, Uganda and Ghana tied in third with aggregate 3.7.

Over all, Rwanda scored aggregate 3.5 on property rights and governance, 4.0 on quality budgetary and financial management, and 3.6 on public sector and institutional management.

On efficiency in revenue collection, quality of public administration and transparency and accountability, the country scored aggregate 3.5. The performance was attributed to a prudent monetary policy, conducive business reforms, excellent debt policy management and measures geared toward transparency, accountability and good governance.

The good rating could see Rwanda’s resource envelope from the World Bank’s International Development Association (IDA) increased, Punam Chuhan Pole, the lead economist at World Bank Africa and author of the report, said.

“We are seeing a tremendous improvement in the way Rwanda has been handling its budgetary and financial

management, public administration, efficiency in revenue collection and the overall business reforms geared toward encouraging private sector investments,” Punam Chuhan said during the launch of the report.

The economist said fragile countries, especially post-conflict countries, accounted for over half of the improvement in overall CPIA scores in the region, illustrating the importance of peace and stability in economic growth.

Waleed Malik, the senior public sector management specialist at the Bank, said although Rwanda has put up an impressive performance, there is need to shift away from policy formulation to actual implementation, especially on judicial systems, revenue mobilization and property rights.

Francisco Ferreira, World Bank Africa chief economist, said African countries eligible for IDA lag behind those in other regions in their policy and institutional ratings.

The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, Kampeta Sayinzoga, said despite the impressive performance, government was ready to work with all stakeholders to improve the areas where performance was low.

The World Bank has renewed its support toward the government’s economic objectives as enshrined in the second Economic Development and Poverty Eradication Strategy, with $700 million per year in funding over the next four years, up from about $500 million in 2013.

New Times

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Rwanda Patriotic Army rebels led by current Rwandan President Paul Kagame.

July 1 remains a public holiday but the day is observed jointly with the country’s liberation anniversary, which comes just three days later – on July 4.

Activities in the lead up to the 20th liberation anniversary kicked off weeks ago with the launch of the ‘Army Week’ campaign under which the men and women in uniform are closely working with local communities to construct 500 health posts across the country.

The RDF has also dispatched doctors to different parts of the country for a new phase of free healthcare services that target the vulnerable, including ailing Genocide survivors.

“Rwanda and its neighbours are turning adversity into prosperity, and I commend all Rwandans for their commitment to a brighter future,” the US leader added in the statement.

“I congratulate Rwandans for the significant strides and wish you a joyous Independence Day celebration.”

New Times

By Francis L. Sackitey, Accra GhanaThe Speaker of the National Assembly of Benin, Prof Mathurin Coffi Nago has stressed the need for Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to move beyond the rhetoric of integration and begin to institute mechanisms to fight terrorism and the uncontrolled movement of weapons in the West African sub-region.

According to him, these challenges “posed serious threat to peace and security for countries in the sub-region and have become a source discomfort at political, economic and social levels."

“The other danger of uncontrolled movement of arms is terrorism which unfortunately has already infiltrated some of our states, spreading terror and panic in our communities. This means that no state is saved, regardless of the nature of the regime,” he said.

He observed that these crises are a result of the ills plaguing the people and they include poverty, hunger, malnutrition, illiteracy, disease, corruption and bad governance.

Prof Nago noted that all these challenges can be met successfully if we conduct joint actions in a dynamic mutual solidarity and a better resources management in our respective countries.

He stressed the need for the heads of the various ECOWAS member states to find solutions that could be implemented in all the countries and called on the Parliaments of the various states to also come together to help address the challenges. “By doing so, we will finally address the major issues of current concern in the region, particularly the challenges of governance, poverty, peace and security,” he noted.

Prof Nago said parliamentary cooperation was of great importance because it would allow the law makers to exchange on all major problems and contribute to their solutions. He touched on the imminent Conference of Speakers of West African Parliaments slated for Cotonou in September this year to create the platform for the speakers to make contribution to the democratic process and socio-economic integration in the sub region.

Earlier, the Speaker of Ghana’s Parliament, Edward Doe Adjaho, in a remark said a charter was currently being developed to strengthen and revitalize the Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of Parliaments of West African States.

“I am convinced that the preamble and the objects of the draft charter are aligned to the vision and aspirations of the revised ECOWAS Treaty and sufficient to help realize our desired goals of strengthening parliamentary democracy and achieving an integrated and united Community of West Africa through the application of modern instruments of parliamentary diplomacy,” he said.

He said the conference was aimed at building legislative harmony in pursuit of the well-being of the citizens of ECOWAS.Mr. Adjaho expressed the Ghanaian Parliament’s commitment to supporting the conference and other initiatives aimed at strengthening the political and economic integration of the sub-region.

US President Barack Obama

Benin Speaker of parliament calls for Regional Cooperation to fight Terrorism in Africa

MONDAY | JUlY 07, 2014

Wassupafrica 03

Relation between India and Zimbabwe are cordial and beneficial to both peoples, a

senior diplomat has said. The first secretary at the Indian Embassy in Zimbabwe, Shri R. S. Malhotra said this in an interview with Indo Africa Times.

“Our cooperation with Zimbabwe is warm and friendly. We share the best possible relations,” he said. He said the two countries also share the same colonial past, and are always supportive of each other on the international arena. He said since Zimbabwe’s attainment of independence in 1980, a number

Kigali to host 2015 CISA meeting

and called for private sector to partner with public sector to get the goal.

Remarking on the Healthcare Financing Models in the East African Context, Chairman, East African Health Platform (EAHP) Dr. Amit Thakker, said there was a role of the Public and Private Sector to work together in realizing such a goal.

He asserted that there are massive continuing opportunities for International Investors and Healthcare Providers across the region. The Association of Private Health Facilities in Tanzania (APHFTA) displayed throughout the conference that ended in Dar es Salaam.

'APHFTA' is an umbrella organization for the whole of the private health sector in Tanzania and is being manned presently by almost 40 permanent staff members in Dar es Salaam and 4 dynamic Zonal Secretariats in Lake Zone, Northern Zone, Southern Highlands Zone and Coastal Zone.

Demonstrations from the African Development Bank took note that only 2% of global health outlay is spent on medical education - an unfortunate investment in those who manage the other 98%.

It further noted that 32 of 54 African countries have less than 32 doctors for 100,000 people while 17 countries have less than 10 doctors for 100,000 people.

Tanita Corporation also fascinated participants with their know-how in medical care machines. Company execs said their fundamental objective is to examine and bring to market expertise that simplify health monitoring, both for specialists and for the health-conscious

public.Today, Tanita is a world leader

in the field of Precision Electronic Scales and Body Composition Analysers. With sales of more than 25 million units in Japan alone, Tanita has earned ISO 9001 certification, among others.

Recent innovations include being the first to market with 'segmental body composition analysis' - differentiating between fat and muscle in each limb - and an impressive array of radio wireless products Oliver Kinross, the organizer of the conference, was founded in January 2008 with the aim of delivering training, business intelligence and networking opportunities for industry.

This is achieved through a series of conferences, summits, exhibitions and training workshops attended by many of the world's largest organizations.

The East Africa Healthcare Summit, was organized by the Oliver Kinross Ltd.

The foremost businesses in which Oliver Kinross activates are European Energy Trading, Cyber Security, Africa, Oil & Gas Exploration & Production, Smart Energy and International Development & Infrastructure, according to the Marketing Executive, Ms Kaltrina Kastrati.

The first East Africa Healthcare Summit 2014 in its true sense conveyed healthcare specialists and public and private sector CEOs an occasion to meet with government Health Ministers. A prospect for companies looking to work or capitalize in the region with a straight entrance to senior level decision and policy makers from the East African Healthcare sector.

Zimbabwe, India relations hailed

The conference was jam-packed with presentations and topical deliberations on new developments and growing opportunities in the region.

No doubt, there is bang-up demand for investment in Africa's healthcare sectors. Half of Africa's health products and services are supplied by the budding private sector. McKinsey & Company have stated that by 2016, healthcare

in Sub-Saharan Africa is set to be worth billion. The continent has appreciated a number of investments, recently the multinational chain of diagnostic centres - Metropolis Healthcare Ltd has proclaimed their ideas to magnify its centres to Tanzania, Ethiopia, Zambia and Nigeria.

Partaking in a dialogue during the event, members said healthcare was one of the most imperative arms of development

FRoM page 01

of high ranking officials from both countries have visited each other.

These include the historic visit by the then Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to take part in Zimbabwe’s Independence Day celebrations held in April 1980.

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe has also visited India on several occasions to cement the good relations. “At the government level, we also have a framework in place to boost cooperation,” he said.

“Our endeavour is that our relations expand and deepens relationships for the two peoples.” He said the target this year was to

send about 200 Zimbabweans to India under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) programme. Last year more than 206 Zimbabwean took part in the programme. The main aim of programme is to capacitate professionals and people from developing countries in various disciplines such as health, media and information technology.

“This programme is very popular with many people, and has helped contribute to culture exchanges between Zimbabwe and India,” Malhotra said. As part of the programme, students participate in various cultural activities, allowing them an opportunity to appreciate the Indian culture.

Malhotra also said cooperation with Zimbabwe is guided by the needs of the country, adding that the two are currently engaged in various activities covering sectors of water, energy, small and medium enterprises and mining. Meanwhile, Malhotra revealed that the Indian ambassador to Zimbabwe Jeitendra Kumar Tripathi will soon retire from service. “The ambassador is retiring on 30 June,” he said. “We will be having a new ambassador sooner than later.” Tripathi has been ambassador to Zimbabwe since 2011. Prior to his appointment to Zimbabwe, he served in Zambia, Hungary, Sweden, Venezuela, Oman and Brazil.

New Times

RWANDA NATIONAL Olympic Committee wills host the next edition of the Africa International Sports Convention (CISA) which will be held in Kigali from March 11-15, 2015.

The meeting will discuss among other things sports infrastructure, growth of tourism, the opportunities of sports tourism in emerging countries, sports events management and the development of African cities, as well as planning, funding and management of sports facilities and the seminar for the sports journalist.

The local Olympic Committee chief Robert Bayigamba said the meeting is aimed at developing sports in Africa.

“We have signed the memorandum of understanding with the organizers JAPPO (Enterprise de Management Sportif). We

are looking forward to hosting a successful meeting,”

Bayigamba further added that they hope to use the meeting in boosting the sport and tourism sectors of the country.

CISA is an open forum for the discussion sport-related issues in Africa. It has each year, since 2007, brought together international and African sports professionals in an African city.

As such, it affords various stakeholders the opportunity to meet and network with sports decision makers in Africa, and thus to avail themselves of the benefits of an emerging market.

The 8th edition of CISA was held Sal Island, Cape Verde.

New Times

President of Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe

mONDAY | JUlY 07, 2014

Rwanda is commonly presented as the tiny east-central African country, and

commonly known for its historic tragedy and the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi.

Rwanda is only small in size; the country is large in ambition, shared vision and achievements in economic, politic and social development.

The Economy at a GlanceRwanda is a resilient, forward

looking country with a vision to elevate to a middle income, service and knowledge based economy by 2020.

Key achievements during this period include:• Growing the economy at an

average GDP of 8% pa and we aim at achieving 11.5% from 2012 - 2017.

• There was a tremendous growth of the GDP, $644 per capita in 2012, a 3 fold increase from 2000. Our GDP target is $1,240 by 2017.

• Rwanda’s strong performance is largely driven by the expansion of the service sector. The sector contributes about 45% of GDP compared to 33% and 16% contribute by agriculture and industrial sectors respectively.

• Inflation in Rwanda has declined since 2008, due to improved domestic food production, management of fiscal and monetary policies.

• Fitch Ratings Ltd, upgraded Rwanda’s Credit Outlook and placed it at Citing strong economic growth over the past years and prospects for stronger growth.

The above economic achievements have made Rwanda to be ranked the most competitive place to do business in East Africa and 3rd in Africa (Global competitive Index Report 2013 - 2014).

Sectoral ProfileInfrastructure

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Rail, air, logistics investment opportunities abound to develop Rwanda as an EAC hub.Roads• Roads represent 90% of

transportation in the country.• Over 14,000 km (8,700 miles) of

roads, ~95.6% of the national paved roads in good condition.

• Regional hub for road transport as it connects important regional players, from the East coast of Africa to the west coast.

Rail• A new railway line (Mombasa-

South Sudan- Kampala-Kigali) is in pipeline.

• The new line will have a standard gauge, which is wider, and therefore faster and capable of carrying heavier loads.

• The project will be jointly financed by the four partner states and each state will develop the railway line within the confines of their boarders.

• Work expected to be completed by 2018.

Air• Rwandair is the national

air carrier with flights to 15 destinations including Nairobi, Entebbe, Arusha, Mombasa, Dubai, Lagos, Johannesburg, Accra, Juba in South Sudan, Brazzaville and Libreville among others.

• Other international airlines include Kenya Airways, Ethiopian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, KLM, China Postal Airlines, South African Airlines, African Star Airways, Qatar Airways, and Turkish Airlines.

• A new world class airport (Bugesera International Airport) is planned. The airport will provide both extra capacity for passenger transport and will also develop cargo freight.

Opportunities for Investment:Priority investment sectors:• Airport ground handling• Waste collection disposal• Waste recycling plant• Water transport infrastructure• Road construction, rehabilitation

and maintenance• Bugesera International Airport

(BIA)• K i g a l i - K a m p a l a - M o m b a s a

Railway Line• Air transportation• Cargo transportation

RWANDA AT A GLANCE

Country Official Name: Republic of RwandaHead of State: H.E. Paul Kagame, President of the Republic of RwandaCapital: KigaliIndependence: 1st July 1962Religions: Roman Catholic 49.5%, Protestant 39.4% (includes Adventist 12.2% and other Protestant 27.2%), other Christian 4.5%, Muslim 1.8% Government: Republic; presidential, multiparty systemPopulation: 11.5 MillionLanguages: Kinyarwanda, English, FrenchClimate: Temperate; two rainy seasons (March-May and October-November)Land Size: 26,338 sqkmGDP Growth: 7.4% (2013)Inflation rate: 5.9%Export items: coffee, tea, hides, tin oreImport commodities: foodstuffs, pharmaceuticals, machinery and equipment, steel, petroleum products, cement and construction materialNatural Resources: Cassiterites, wolframites, sapphires, gold and colombite tantalite (coltan)Main Economic Sectors: Minning, Agriculture, Tourism, services Time Zone: UTC + 2:00Currency: Rwandan FrancGDP/ Per Capita 644 USD (2012)Imports: 1,624,232,000 USD (2012)Exports: 417,342,000 (USD (2012)

• Airport services: ground handling, pilot training

Agriculture• Agribusiness is the principal

sector in Rwanda contributing over one third of the country’s GDP.

• Coffee and tea are Rwanda’s main sources of foreign exchange.

• In 2012, food crops harvest for season 2012 A rose by 1.3% compared to 2011.

• Export crops (tea and coffee projected to grow at 22%.

Opportunities for Investment• Food processing for domestic

and international markets; staple foods and significant potential for growth include beans, rice, maize and potatoes.

• Coffee – Washing and roasting opportunities as premium harvest grows.

• Horticulture – Rwanda is well placed to serve the global, regional, and local demand for fruit, flowers and vegetables.

• Distribution and cold chain – Need for improved infrastructure for export products.

Investment opportunities in agriculture

EnergyElectricity accounts for about

5% of primary energy use in Rwanda.

Biomass (the primary source of energy) accounting for some 84% of primary energy use and petroleum products account for the rest.

Generation• Power generation is set to

grow from 110 MW currently produced to 563 MW by 2017- a projected growth of nearly 400%.

• The GOR is committed to partner with investors in delivering this potential- by offering generous incentives and guarantees, both through Public Private Partnership (PPP) and Independent Power Producer (IPP) structures.

• Government of Rwanda provides concession contracts with an underpinning Power Purchase Agreement (PPA)

Renewable Energy

• Targeting 90% electricity from renewable source.

• Hydro, solar biomass and peat. Methane Gas• Lake Kivu contains about 300

billion cubic metres of Co2 and 60 billion cubic metres of CH4 gas. An estimated 120 to 250 million m3 of CH4 is generally annually in the lake.

• Rwanda wishes to utilize this resource to develop methane- to-power projects and other uses such as fertilizer and gas-to- liquid projects.

• The methane in Lake Kivu is estimated to be sufficient to generate 700MW of electricity over a period of 55 years; Rwanda’s share of the total generation potential is about 350MW, with the rest being DRC’s share.

Information & Communication Technology

Rwanda continues to be one of the fastest growing African countries in ICT and there are several avenues for growth for the ICT sector – from e-commerce and e-services, mobile technologies, applications development and automation to becoming a regional center for the training of top quality ICT professionals and research.ICT in Rwanda Today• Major players in the ICT sector

today are; MTN Rwanda, TIGO and Airtel a subsidiary of Bharti Airtel in India.

• The number of active mobile-cellular phone subscribers has increased to 62.8% up from 55.1% (July 2013).

• There are over 11 other internet service providers serving the

rapidly expanding market.• The ICT sector is growing rapidly,

especially in networking and software development. Rwandan companies are now exporting services to the region.

• Carnegie Mellon University-Rwanda- a Center for Excellence designed to greatly increase ICT skills.

Opportunities in ICT• Software development i.e.

mobile applications, innovative e-payment solutions.

• Cloud computing.• Mobile applications.• ICT education and training.• ICT business financing.• ICT related services i.e. systems

integration, web management, data processing, application development.

• Business process outsourcing and call centers.

• Human resource related services for example payroll, recruitment and staffing.

• Communication and media services.

• World class Technology Park.• IT security solutions.• Internet Data Centers.

Real Estate and Construction• The Construction and real estate

are key and potential drivers for future economic growth of Rwanda.

• Total housing needs in Kigali (2013-2022) alone reaches 458,265 DU. This can only be met by building new dwelling units of up to 344,068.

• The demand for social housing stands at 12.6%, affordable housing 54.1%, mid-range housing 32.8% and premium housing at 0.5%.

• According to the Kigali Conceptual master plan, there are 35,590 Ha of land for potential growth in Kigali.

Residential real estate• GoR projects that by 2020

approximately 30% of the population will live in urban areas. To date, only about 7% of residents in Kigali own modern-style houses.

• In Kigali alone, there is fast growing population (3% 5 year average) combined with urban growth currently at more 4% per annum.

• Annual new dwellings supply in the formal market in Kigali ranges from 800-1000 DU per year, about one quarter of formal supply is in apartments, the rest are detached units.• Building and other construction materials available now in Rwanda to drive the growth of the real sector.

An African Success Story

RWANDAMONDAY | JUlY 07, 2014

The Ghana Free Zones Board (GFZB) has received the 'International Star for

Leadership in Quality award in Paris, France for its achievements.

The award was presented to GFZB by Business Initiatives Directions and BID Group One.

Hajia Hanatu Abubakar, Investor Support Service Manager, at a press conference in Accra said,

'The award is in recognition of our hard work in the area of export-oriented investment promotion over the years.'

Hanatu Abubakar said 'we would not relent in our efforts but rather continued to serve our customers to the best of our ability'.

He said the Free Zones

BusinessBuzz 05Free Zones Wins International Award ZEN Petroleum appoints

new Corporate Affairs and Sustainability Manager

She said Ghana's strategic location as a middle coastal belt country, with two ports serving the landlocked countries in the sub-region, makes it an ideal location to set up industries to supply the West African market of over 300 million people and beyond.

'It is worthy to note that contrary to the misconception that the Free Zones is a reserve of foreign companies, a little over 60 percent of licensed free zones companies are wholly-owned by Ghanaians with the rest being joint ventures between Ghanaians and other foreigners,' Hanatu Abubakar said.

She said the Board has registered 253 companies with capital injection of $2.52 billion.

'We, at the GFZB, will keep distancing ourselves from any failure or mediocrity and continue be customer-focused. It is only by delighting our customers to ensure satisfaction that the Free Zones programme will continue to grow in the long-term and swim in the circle of success,' Hanatu Abubakar said.

The GFZB Programme is an institutional framework that allows businesses to site their companies in Ghana to add value to raw materials for export.

GFZB, in 2012, received an award for the 'Best Website of a Free Zone or Export Processing Zone' in 2012 by the World Free Zone Convention.

Modern Ghana

Paul joins ZEN Petroleum from British High Commission where he was at the Political and Communications Section and was part of several high profile engagements with government and other agencies.

As the Corporate Affairs and Sustainability Manager, Paul will be in charge of developing and managing strategic relationships with the media, regulatory bodies and government and delivering a corporate communications strategy to develop the organizations image, brand and relationships, ensuring a clear identity, brand loyalty and understanding amongst the various stakeholder groups and wider audiences of ZEN Petroleum.

Paul is a journalist and a communications specialist, and has worked with both local and international organizations like Radio Universe, Exp Ghana and RGU Radio in the UK, where he was covering current affairs and news, and also was the lead reporter for RGU Radio

during the London 2012 Olympics. He was the Representative

for Chartered Institute of Public Relations-UK in Scotland and also a graduate of the University of Ghana and the Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen Business School

Chairman of ZEN Petroleum, Dominique Konate expressed his delight to have Paul Twum-Barimah managing the Corporate Affairs and Sustainability Department.

Being a wholly owned Ghanaian Oil Marketing Company, ZEN is always on the lookout for young talented Ghanaians and West Africans to ensure that the downstream petroleum sector in Ghana does not go the same way as other sectors, majority owned and controlled by multi-nationals, he added.

In its four years of existence, ZEN now has offices in Ghana, Mali, Burkina Fasso and Liberia, and is now the largest hydrocarbon services provider to the mines in Ghana.

Modern Ghana

standardizes service delivery to ensure Total Quality Management through improvement in business processes, stating that 'relationship marketing through our Investor Aftercare Programme has been our hallmark over the years since we owe our profitability, growth and continuous existence to the satisfaction of the licensed free zones companies.

'Not only do we attract businesses to locate their companies in Ghana through our relationship marketing efforts, we create, maintain and enhance strong value-laden relationships between these companies and other stakeholders,' Hanatu Abubakar said.


It’s enthralling to witness how telecommunication companies have revolutionalised the African continent with mobile technology in the past few

years. According to International Telecommunications Union (ITU), there were 271 million mobile subscribers in Africa in 2007, compared to 15 million in 2000. Internet subscribers (i.e. excluding Internet café usage) in Africa were according to ITU about 9.7 million; up from 1.2 million in year 2000. The statistics above include the more pierced Northern African markets. In Southern Africa, South Africa take over with high penetration of 40 million mobile subscribers2, mostly pre-paid.

Having entered most parts of the continent, mobile companies settled to revolutionize by using their systems to transfer money within their customers. One of the mobile money transfers in Africa which revolutionalised East Africa is Safarican in Kenya. Kenya’s local mobile phone operator, Safaricom launched M-pesa in 2007. M-pesa allows users to charge their mobile phones with credit paid to any of M-pesa’s agents conveniently situated in commercial venues around the country. Any mobile phone airtime seller in a small street corner booth or shop that handles cash can be an M-pesa agent. There are over 17,500 M-pesa agents all over Kenya, compared to Kenya’s 840 bank branches. M-pesa agents are highly visible and available in Urban and rural areas and conveniently double up as M-pesa’s mobile money cashpoints.

Other African countries such as Ghana, South Africa, Zimbabwe and Nigeria also caught up with the mobile money transfer which later became known as mobile banking. As the banks in Africa saw the viability of the mobile system, they have now come into collaboration with the communication companies.

Zain, a competitor mobile phone operator in Kenya launched a banking service called Zap-M in 2009. The facility also covers Uganda and Tanzania and targeted at 100 million people. Zap extended its mobile banking services to Malawi, Niger and Sierra Leone within a year of its East African launch. With operations in 16 African countries serving over 42 million customers, Zain is a chief mobile phone operator in Africa and is famous for its “One Network” borderless mobile network in Africa. The One Network covers over 400 million prospective customers and is the world’s first

fRaNkLY sPeaKinG06

MR. KOla SOnOla M-Commerce Director at Airtel Ghana

EhizOgiE BinitiERancard’s Director for Product Management and Marketing

By kirit soBti, editor, [email protected]

Equity Bank, Africa’s largest bank with more than eight million customers has come up with an innovative facility for its customers allowing them easy access to their bank accounts. The bank make available its account holders a slim line SIM said to be laid on top of their mobile phone SIM cards. This facility of slim line SIM will permit customers to maintain their accounts, transactions through phone numbers and services. The SIM will add bank access to the phone menu and making bank transactions safe and secure.

With this facility, Equity Bank antedates to upsurge and fortify its customer base in Kenya as it will entice new customers while boosting more transactions. This ‘mobile virtual network’ banking service also provides the privilege of piggyback on existing infrastructure provided by Bharti Airtel, leading telecommunications firm in India and Africa.

No doubt, this new technology is a great competition for Africa’s presently leading company; Safaricom and its M-Pesa mobile money transfer platform. In the same vein, Chief Executive of Equity Bank, James Mwangi anticipates that the mobile offering is a breakthrough barriers of access and distance that comes up hampering banking sector in the continent.

All Africa

Kenya gets new Mobile Banking Services with Equity Bank

borderless mobile network in Africa.Headquartered in Lomé, Togo in West Africa,

Ecobank has also combined with Airtel, signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) announced in June 2011to promote mobile banking services in Africa. Ecobank functions in 30 African countries and Airtel in 19 countries in Africa and Asia. At the end of April 2011, Airtel had over 223 million customers across the 19 countries it operates in. Ecobank also has 750 branches across Africa.

In November 2010, Ecobank Ghana and Zain launched Ecobank Mobile Banking in Ghana. The service allows Ecobank account holders to manage their accounts using their mobile phones.

In Liberia, Lonestar Cell MTN and Ecobank Liberia have partnered to bring new mobile banking services called Mobile Money to customers in Liberia. Launched in September 2011, mobile money will allow customers to register for mobile bank accounts to make and receive cash payments, pay bills, transfer funds locally and receive international remittances.

WIZZIT Mobile Bank network established in 2004 also allows account holders to receive and make payments on their mobile phones. Vodacom, South Africa’s biggest mobile phone operator has formed a partnership with Nedbank to offer M-pesa services to customers. Users that do not have bank accounts are encouraged to register and open mobile accounts.

In Ghana, StanChart Bank delivered their first mobile banking application. The App allows customers, among other functions, quick and easy access to their accounts; the ability to transfer funds, pay bills and top up of mobile phone credits.

Breeze is accessible on Blackberry, Android and IOS. Customers need to go to their App Store and download the free app.

Airtel Ghana, through its award winning Airtel Money mobile commerce service and Databank have also launched an innovative service that brought convenience and flexibility to how customers of Databank’s investment packages top up their investments via their mobile phone.

Another mobile money innovation is when Airtel Ghana, the fastest growing telecommunications company in Ghana again crunched a deal for managed Value Added Services (VAS) with mobile software company, Rancard Solutions, a leader in mobile VAS technology with content discovery algorithms. Under the terms of the agreement, Airtel Ghana would use Rancard’s service management tool, Value Added Services Provider Manager (VASP Manager), to deploy and manage multiple content provider accounts and services. This enables the mobile network to render a rich, diverse and concerted mobile content and service experience for their subscribers.

The habit of using someone else’s bank account means that access is actually higher for certain segments of the unbanked. This is more common within families with few members having formal employment. That is why the mobile banking has come as smart way to go for the unbanked. But before the coming of mobile banking, banking business seems to be for the elites only.

What is the banking outlook like in Africa and

how will the mobile banking aid their forecasts? Doyens say Sub-Saharan Africa is set to enjoy a banking boom in the decade to 2020. Research indicates that Real GDP growth in the region averaged 6.8% a year in 2005-08, the best for a generation, and stayed positive in 2009, despite the global recession. The subsequent rebound has also been swift, and growth was forecasted to average 5.5% in 2011-12, generating brisk real per capita growth of 3.4% a year. Overcoming a long legacy of underdevelopment, the conditions are in place for a doubling of banking assets and deposits, a proliferation of outlets and the extension of services to swathes of the continent’s unbanked majority over the next decade and this is where mobile banking comes in handy.

Our goal is to make communications, banking, payments, retail and infotainment affordable and accessible to all in Africa, and we have a track record that is unrivalled in mobile telecommunications for delivering relevant and innovative mobile solutions to help customers overcome their daily challenges.

Rancard’s focus is to provide mobile network operators with the tools that enable them to improve their ARPUs and keep subscribers engaged through innovation. We believe with Rendezvous we enable mobile subscribers to find the content/applications/services they really want with software-enabled recommendations from people they trust inside of the network.

The AFrIcAn MobIle bAnkIng revoluTIon Is here!!!

Ecobank Ghana and Zain launched Ecobank Mobile Banking in Ghana. The service allows Ecobank account holders to manage their accounts using their mobile phones.


traVeL&touRism 07

Botswana is an African country no adventure loving tourist can close his eyes to! Nature fanatics, wildlife

photographers from all over the globe are fascinated by its magnetisms. Botswana is really an inimitable country with a scenery and exquisiteness unlike any other; from deserts to delta, bushveld to grasslands, savannas to salt pans, Botswana is a real ecstasy to travel around which offers a world of adventure to all tourists.

There are countless outlandish tourist allures that you must sight. The list of Botswana tourist attractions goes on and on and on!!! It embraces natural attractions like the Kalahari Desert, the salt flatland expanse of Makgadikgadi pans in the central and northern parts of the African country as well as prehistoric human settlements that dot the Botswana countryside.

Some other attractions include the enduring mystery of the Tsodilo Hills. The place is the tangible proof of ancient human settlements in this beautiful African country. Visitors to Tsodilo Hills may experience the rich culture of the San people who have made Botswana their home.

Makgadikgadi Pans Game Reserve:

Visualize an area the size of Portugal, mainly uninhabited by humans – this is the Makgadikgadi Pans. It is the largest dry lake in Africa, with an area of 12,000 square kilometers, and it is broadly believed to be one of the largest salt flats on Earth. The Makgadikgadi is a breeding ground for aquatic birds, its waterholes furnishing magnificent game viewing, with its land area encircling around 10,000 square kilometers of the Kalahari Desert.

Okavango Delta: Okavango Delta is the globe’s largest inland delta. It is mainly a tangle of lakes, lagoons and hidden channels, which cover more than 17,000 square kilometers of land and acts like a lure for the erratic species of wildlife as well as for the tourists. Today it has no outlet to the sea and hence empties itself in the sands of the Kalahari Desert and this is the main reason for the irrigation of 15,000 square kilometers of land in the Okavango Delta in Botswana.

The Chobe National Park: Considered as one of the largest national parks in Botswana, the Chobe National Park is well-known for having the most densely concentrated game found in the entire African continent with the total land area being around 10,566 square kilometers. It is distributed into four ecosystems with distinct varieties.

Tsodilo Hills: Tsodilo is a UNESCO World Heritage Site (WHS) located in northwestern Botswana. Tsodilo Hills are found in the Kalahari Desert at a distance of fifty kilometers from the western borders of the Desert. The four royal Tsodilo Hills are identified prevalently as "The Male" with the largest of the Tsodilo Hills, reaching a height

of four hundred and ten meters. There is an adjacent smaller hill, which also has a popular name of "The Female". The latter conversely is spread over a large area, which is three times of "The Male". The nearby hill which is forty meters tall is referred to as "The Child".

Nxai Pan National Park: Nxai Pan National Park is traced in Botswana and it spread up to 2,578 square kilometers which covers almost 20% of land area. The main magnetism at the Nxai Pan National Park at Botswana is a water hole, which is placed at a distance of two kilometers from the entrance gate. In the entire stretch of the Mopane woodland of the Nxai Pan National Park, the animals that can bump into on a plentiful measure include lions, kudu, giraffe, ostrich, impala, and large numbers of birdlife as well as mesmerizing varieties of springbok, jackal and the bat ears fox.

Kalahari Desert Botswana: Kalahari Desert in Botswana is home to a number

of game reserves placed in its neighboring regions, like, the Khutse Game Reserve, Central Kalahari Game Reserve and the KgalagadiTransfrontier Park, which are home to a great variety of the African wildlife counting some of the rarest wildlife species of the world.

Moremi Game Reserve: Moremi Game Reserve is positioned over a vast stretch of

land covering almost 4,871 square kilometers of land in the country of Botswana. The Moremi Game Reserve is well-thought-out as the most attractive wildlife reserve forests in the entire African continent, since it entails of lots the acacia forests, lagoons, floodplains and Mopane woodlands.

Khama Rhino Sanctuary: Khama Rhino Sanctuary is principally a wildlife project in the land of Botswana which is totally community based. It was established in the year 1992, in order to save the rest of the enduring rhino population in the country. It was formerly jam-packed with plentiful diversities of African flora and fauna.

BotswanaMagical and Mysterious

The Trip of a Lifetime


taLkiNGtecHnoLoGy08

Handygo Technologies is a leading provider of VAS and MVAS services

in India and across the globe. The company caters to millions through its specially designed products for the urban and rural populace. Laying the foundation of the SMS, IVR and WAP initiatives in India Handygo has touched lives through its award winning services. The spectrum of tried and tested services in India are slowly influencing the lives of people in Africa. Government awarded initiatives such as “Behtar Zindagi” that dramatically transformed the Indian farmer are now being leveraged to Africa.

It has been a long term aspiration of Handygo Technology to bring innovation to people’s lives by empowering them with technology. This has led the company to emerge as the leading service provider in Mobile Value Added Services (MVAS) for video, messaging and interactive voice response. Owing to its sheer excellence in the wireless telephony space, Handygo Technologies have earned an outstanding market reputation. Combining technology with human skills, Handygo is well positioned to provide a comprehensive range of solutions and services for converging technologies like telecommunications and mobile phones.

The company has partnered with all major telecom players to extend its services even to the furthest corners of the country.

Through its robust information sharing system people from even the remotest of places can access crucial information resulting in a better livelihood. Handygo is the first company to develop Arabic content for the Gulf region to service mobile subscribers. It was also the foremost to introduce the most secure DRM-enabled multi-purpose mobile content delivery platform (MCDP) for MTN Nigeria.

Handygo is backed by a seasoned inhouse team with expertise in developing innovative products and services. Domain expertise propels Handygo to continually experiment with latest technology and create solutions for people that affects their lives. Mobile technology intergrated with the World Wide Web has started a revolution of sorts. Information can be promptly accessed on the move through search engines and applications. From making purchases, socializing, to accessing latest information everything is just a touch away. Through its innovative and robust services Handygo is well equipped to cater to African markets as according to a Frost & Sullivan report South Africa’s wireless application service providers (WASPs) market is expected to grow from $282.3 million in 2013 to $656.9 million in 2018 regrading the role of WASPs in enterprise communication in South Africa. The study covers the service segments of short messaging system (SMS), multimedia messaging system,

interactive voice response, location-based services, premium rate SMS, and event-based billing.

Gauging the pace of the information superhighway Handygo developed Rockstand-an eBook, eMagazine mobile application for internet enabled devices. Through this knowledge sharing initiative users can access their favorite books and magazines including academic and exam preparatory content. This free mobile application is available on Android, IOS and Windows platforms where users can purchase e-books and e-magazines on special offers and discounts.

Rockstand, has already touched over 4, 50,000 devices with a strong network of 600 publishers and 1,25,000 titles and is among the leading e-reading apps in India. Equipped with the latest features and a mission to inspire people to take up online reading more often, Rockstand is set to revolutionalize the way expert driven content is consumed on the internet space. Handygo Technologies is synonymous with innovation and Rocksatnd application justifies this through its user friendly features.

Some of the distinctive features that make e-reading a delight on Rockstand are Auto Bookmarking, Annotations, Day/Night reading mode, Offline/Online Dictionary, customized Font Size & Style, PDF Zoom among many more. This app has a vast content repository spread across genres such as

Romance, Knowledge, Fiction, Non-Fiction, Health, Kids, Travel, Cooking, Academic including content in Regional and Foreign languages. Rockstand aspires to bridge the gap between readers and technology by promoting reading on the go.

Mobile technology today is equipped to take people to the next level through its innovative offerings. African E books market has tremendous business potential and though Africa’s e- book segment constitutes less than 1.5% of the overall,this low rate of e book segment shows opportunity for ebook companies to tap this market.

E book sale in Africa is driven by consumers who can afford e-book gadgets,not by the book publishing companies. However, despite the slow growth in e-book market ,the sales figures have shown evidence of strong market particularly amongst academic material and children’s books. Infact as per the recent media

reports some of the publishers in e book domain in Africa are in the process of distributing their large catalogue of textbooks digitally. Oxford University Press joins Macmillan and Pearson, in selling their educational and training material via the Snapplify eBook distribution channel. (Source Perkins Library report, Duke University).

Handygo Technologies is revving up Rockstand everyday to bring learning to Africa through this innovative mobile application. It has already tied up with leading academic publishers such as Mcgraw Hill, Wiley, MBD among many others for sourcing academic content for African markets. Retailing such content on mobile devices will address the problem of learning on the move and also encourage use of technology. Rockstand with its large repository of content aspires to truly become a knowledge sharing platform for the people of Africa.

HandyGo Technologies Geared uP for africa


trysomethiNGNeW 09

ingredients •BrownLentils ¾Cup •Water 4Cup •UncookedLonggrainrice¾Cup •Dicetomatoes 1Bowl •ElbowMacaroni 1Cup •VegetableOil 2Tablespoon •LargeOnions 2 •MincedGarlic 4Cloves •RedPepper ¼Tablespoon •Saltandpeppertotaste

prepration Method 1. Combine water and lentils in a saucepan,

bring it to boil. Then simmer it for about 25

"Koshari - The national dish of Egypt."

International Conference on African Languages and LiteraturesThe conference will cover areas like literatures In African language, African languages And Politics, African languages And Communication, African languages, Current Theories And linguistic Analyses, African languages On The Global Stage, African languages And Policies In Africa, African languages And Education, African languages And Technology.

Date: 06-08 Aug 2014 Venue: Kenyatta University ConferenceCentre, Nairobi, Kenya

The ACCRA ConferenceThis conference will give the overview on how the media impacts on the democratic process. The purpose to held this conference is to bring together many academics, media industry professionals, government agencies, policy makers, UN agencies, research groups and students.

Date: 06-09 Aug 2014

Venue: Kofi Annan Centre, Accra, Ghana

Africa Media and Democracy ConferenceThe time is for four consecutive days and the venue is in Kofi Annan Centre, Accra in Ghana. There are some eminent presentations which will take place in this podium by some interesting speakers and experts who are going to gather here from various corners of the world. This forum is also going to experiment the broad impact of the media on democracy, which forms another major part of this conference.

Date: 06-09 Aug 2014 Venue: Kofi Annan Centre, Accra, Ghana

EacexpoIt is a known fact that infrastructure is currently the most predictable window of opportunity for investments in Africa today and this forum is going to focus on this issue only. There are certain major aspects related with local and international investors to provide roads, railways, housing, ports, irrigation and energy and water projects which will be another significant point of this forum.

Date: 12-16 Aug 2014 Venue: Kenyatta University ConferenceCentre, Nairobi, Kenya

Maghreb Pharma Expo Maghreb Pharma Expo is a 3 days event which is being held from 20th September to the 22nd September 2014 at the Hilton Algiers Exhibition Area in Algiers, Algeria. This event showcases products like Machines, laboratory equipments, clean rooms, turn key projects, APIs, equipments, packaging, services and finished product, pharmaceutical technologies, services. etc. in the Medical & Pharmaceutical, Research & Development industries.

Date: 20-22 Sep 2014 Venue: Hilton Algiers Exhibition AreaAlgiers, Algeria

International Congress of EshgidThis international conference is unique and different from others as it will make the eminent experts related to the field of hepatology and gastroenterology aware of the modern techniques which help in the improvement of this sector. International Congress of Eshgid will include a large number of speakers from all over the world.

Date: 20-22 Aug 2014 Venue: Helnan Palestine Hotel, Alexandria, Egypt

UPCOMING

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

tHougHt oFtHe WeeK

Koshari

african Cuisine

handy French

minutes on a medium flame. Add the rice to the lentils, continue to simmer for another 20 minutes, or check until the rice is tender.

2. Take another Saucepan with boiled water, add some salt. After a minute add macaroni, and cook until tender (8 minutes). Drain.

3. Meanwhile, Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet add onions and garlic, cook until brown, add tomatoes and season with red pepper flakes

, salt and pepper. Let it cook for next 10-20 minutes

4. In large serving dish, mix together the rice, lentils and macaroni and add in the tomato sauce until evenly coated.

5. Serve Hot.

piCtuRE OF thE wEEK

Minister of State for External Affairs, Vijay Kumar Singh with High Commissioner of Rwanda to India, H.E. Mr. Ernest Rwamucyo at 20th Anniversary of liberation Day on 4th July, 2014.

Africa has over 25% of the world’s bird species. Mega fauna like giraffe, zebra, gorilla, hippopotamus, chimpanzee and wildebeest are unique to the continent and only found here.

Almondshealth Benefits Of

They are great for diabetics

They can be a great snack to have before hitting the gym

They are an excellent early morning energy booster

They boost your immunity

1. where are you going now? Où allez-vous maintenant?

2. where have you been all day? Où avez-vous été toute la journée?

3. are you coming with me? Tu viens avec moi?

4. who do you you think you are? Qui pensez-vous que vous pensez que vous êtes?

5. would you join me at lunch? Voulez-vous vous joindre à moi pour le déjeuner?

Find the Flag

BeninSouth AfricaSenegalGabon

Ivory CoastUgandaLiberiaMali

Cape VerdeNigeriaMoroccoCameroon

Burkina FasoGhanaDR Congo


thefasHionistas10

introducing all africa

Music awards

An award-winning US writer is planning a Hollywood thriller spun off the true and bizarre story of Ghana 's World Cup cash, reports The Wrap .

Darryl Wharton-Rigby's screenplay will centre on a courier tasked with bringing $3m (£1.76m) across the Atlantic to Brazil in an effort to stop the Ghanaian football team quitting the competition in protest at lack of pay.

It is based on a real-life impasse which affected the west African team prior to their exit at the group stage, though fictional elements will be incorporated to further spice up the proposed movie.

The plot sees the $3m stolen after the courier is ambushed. He then has fewer than 12 hours to recover the money or

All Africa Music Award (AFRIMA), an award scheme that seeks to

recognize the work of artists of Africa, promote the rich culture of the continent globally has been launched in Accra.

AFRIMA, which is to identify, award, promote and preserve Africa's rich music culture is in partnership with African Union and is expected to be the biggest music award on the continent.

Been the first of its kind,

hollywood to cash in on ghana's $3m world Cup drama

Nollywood is filled with 'blandness and mediocrity' - Genevieve Nnaji

face the wrath of his employers (and presumably the Ghanaian footballers).

"The world has soccer fever and Hollywood has caught it," said Wharton-Rigby, a former staff writer for Homicide: Life on the Street, the celebrated Emmy-winning TV series from producer David Simon which predated the even more successful The Wire.

The screenplay has been optioned by US production company Bugeater, whose founders Dan Mirvish and Barry Hennessey will produce the film. Hennessy, an Emmy winner for reality TV show The Amazing Race, told the Wrap: "I've shot extensively in both Ghana and Brazil, and this is a perfect project to capture the raw energy that both countries have to offer."

Ghana's President, John

Dramani Mahama, was forced to send a plane containing $3m to Brasília for the players to share after a row over appearance fees threatened to see the team go on strike. Ghana, who at one point refused to train due to lack of renumeration, subsequently lost their final group match 2-1 to Portugal and exited the competition.

Wharton-Rigby's 1998 film Detention won the best director prize at the Urbanworld film festival. The thriller is the second football-related project to emerge in the past few weeks, following news that Hollywood studio Warner Bros plans to capitalise on US World Cup fever with a remake of cult classic Michael Caine tale Escape to Victory .

Modern Ghana

winners will emerge through a voting process which will occur via the AFRIMA Academy of voters even as the African public will also be responsible for deciding winners in some of the categories.

The Academy comprises of 527 members grouped into two layers of adjudicators spread across the five regions of Africa. There are 13 members of the college of Jury and 514 members of voting panel.

Most promising african artiste of the Continent» Producer of the Year» Artiste of the Year» Song of the Year» Video of the Year» Songwriter of the Year» Album of the Year» R'n B Single of the Year» Pop Single of the Year» Rap Single of the Year» Collaboration of the Year» Live performance of the Year» Raga/Reggae Music of the Year» Music/Entertainment Journalist of

the Year» AFRIMA Legend 2014

Entries for the award closed on 5th of July 2014 and the awards ceremony comes off at Nigeria on the 25th of October 2014.

Artist across the continent are expected to submit their audio or video entry using download links to you tube, SoundCloud or other compatible music platforms to qualify for nomination in award categories relevant to their artistic work.

Modern Ghane

awards Categories - RegionalBest Male Artiste of East AfricaBest Female Artiste of East AfricaBest Male Artiste Central AfricaBest Female Artiste Central AfricaBest Male Artiste in Southern AfricaBest Female Artiste of Southern AfricaBest Male Artiste in North AfricaBest Female Artiste in North AfricaBest Male Artiste of West AfricaBest Female Artiste of West AfricaBest African Group

awards Categories - ContinentalBest Male Artiste Inspirational MusicBest Female Artiste Inspirational MusicBest inspirational Music GroupBest Traditional African Male ArtisteBest Traditional African Female ArtisteBest Traditional African GroupRevelation of the African continent

Actress Genevieve Nnaji has said she will retire from acting when she becomes too old and weary to carry on.

She said this during an interview with Punch Newspapers where she also shared the reason for her absence in the movie scene.

"I guess I haven't found the right script yet. Creativity and depth are the qualities that I look out for in a script. So said, I am constantly watching out for the kind of stories I take part in.'

She also expressed her support for the 'New Nollywood' where quality is now more important than quantity, describing it as beneficial to the industry,

"I am among the people who advocate for the improvement of the industry. I am in support of movies that show a great deal of professionalism and creativity. Having practiced my art in international and professionally produced stories like 'Ije', 'Mirror boy' and 'Tango with me', I don't think I can return to the blandness and mediocrity that characterized Nollywood in the past."

Concerning her future plans, she said "For the coming year, there are couple of things in the works but I can't reveal them at this stage. Something is definitely coming up, hopefully before the end of the year."

Modern Ghana

Actress Genevieve Nnaji


sPorts2WatCh 11Nigeria Defender Joseph Yobo Announces International Retirement

French club Marseille declare Ghana star Jordan Ayew surplus to requirements

ghana's Sports Minister and deputy fired over world Cup fiasco

ashley williams signs new Swansea City deal

Yobo suffered an unfortunate conclusion to his 101st

and ultimately final cap as he conceded an own goal in the closing stages of 2-0 round-of-16 loss.

"It was a bittersweet moment for me but I think it is time to focus on my family," Yobo told reporters.

"It has been a long road." The 33-year-old believes

the future is bright for a largely

Ghana striker Jordan Ayew has been declared surplus to requirements by French club Marseille which means he must look for a new club for the upcoming season.

According to the biggest French newspaper L'Equipe, in-coming Marseille coach Marcelo Bielsa says Ayew must look for a new club as they seek to rebuild for the future.

The Argentine coach says he will not be counting on the Ghana World Cup striker as he looks to bring in some players to improve on their unimpressive showing last term.

Ayew, son of Ghana legend

The 29-year-old had been linked with a host of clubs as he entered the final year of his old deal, but the former Stockport County man has now committed his future to the Liberty Stadium until 2018.

The Wales centre-back will now join his team-mates on Sunday in travelling to the United States for the club’s pre-season tour and is pleased to have the matter sorted.

He told the club’s official website: “I’m delighted to sign a new contract at Swansea City.

By Francis L. SackiteyGhana’s President John

Mahama has taken a bold decision by removing Sports Minister Elvis Afriyie Ankrah and his deputy in the wake of the country’s disastrous outing at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

The decision to remove the minister and his deputy Joseph Yamin from their positions came just 48 hours after the country crashed out of the World Cup amid chaos in their camp over long overdue appearance fees for players which drew some worldwide embarrassment for the country.

Their positions will be taken over by Information Minister, Mahama Ayariga (MP) with a firebrand Vincent Oppong Asamoah named as his deputy as they seek to recover from the disgrace the bonus saga brought the country.

Ankrah, who is a powerful member of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) party and played the key role of being President Mahama’s successful election campaigner, has been moved to the non-so-influential post of Minister at the Presidency while Yamin will go the Ashanti Region as the deputy minister.

“President John Mahama has reassigned Information Minister, Mahama Ayariga (MP), to the Ministry of Youth and Sports. He replaces Elvis Afriyie-Ankrah who moves to the Presidency as a Minister of State,” a statement from government

players while Yamin looks to have been removed because of his statements that monies to be paid to the Black Stars have been released by cash and airlifted to Brazil. This exposed the Black Stars to danger and also international ridicule.

The Brazilian government has decided to tax the Ghanaian players on the $100,000 each received. By Brazilian financial regulations, the Black Star players could not take such huge dollars in cash out of their country. They were therefore asked to open accounts in Brazil and deposit their monies there. The Stars will also be taxed 17% of their monies deposited by Brazilian’s financial law.

Many have criticized president Mahama for his decision to carry the Black Stars money in cash by plane to Brazil. He has also been accused of breaching Bank of Ghana’s financial regulation of not taking more than $10,000 cash from the country Ghana.

It also came out that already the Stars had an account with UniBank and so the money should have been transferred through the bank as agreed with the bank who was also their sponsor.

communications read.“Deputy Minister for Youth

and Sports, Joseph Yammin moves to the Ashanti Region to take over from Joseph Alexander Ackon who has been reassigned to the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection as the second deputy.

“Deputy Minister for Water Resources, Works and Housing, Vincent Oppong Asamoah, will be moving to the Ministry of Youth and Sports as Deputy Minister.”

Ankrah paid the price of the country’s embarrassment at the World Cup as monies supposed to be paid to players before the start of the tournament was not paid by the government.

Players were patient and played their hearts out in their first two matches at the World Cup before threatening to pull the plug on the tournament knowing that their elimination could mean their monies will not be paid.

Ghana’s players missed training in Brasilia before their final Group G match against Portugal because of the row over fees.

Instead of playing football and preparing for the game, which they lost 2-1, the players held a series of meetings to discuss the matter and the nation’s president, John Mahama, later stepped in to try to resolve the dispute.

The die was cast for Ankrah when the President stepped in to personally speak with the

y o u t h f u l Nigeria squad thatimpressed on the country's first run to

the knockout stages of the

World Cup since 1998.

This, along with last year's African

Nations Cup triumph, gives Yobo plenty of

cause for optimism."This team is growing -

from the African Nations Cup and this World Cup was a big test for us," he said.

"I thought we did very well. It's a good experience, especially as it's a young team.

"Hopefully this experience will go a long way."

Yobo added: "I thought we played well, we fought really hard. We didn't get a goal, they scored first and the game changed."

Modern Ghana

Abedi Pele, spent last season with Sochaux was impressive while on loan at the relegated club but he will get some suitors.

His five goals in 17 appearances for Sochaux has enhanced his chances of getting a club in the French top-flight.

French club Lille as well as English sides Stoke and West Brom and German club Schalke have all been reportedly keen on signing the Ghana star.

Jordan Ayew is reportedly valued by Marseille at €4.5m.

Modern Ghana

“I’ve enjoyed fantastic success at this club and I want to keep helping Swansea City progress.”

Williams joined Swansea from Stockport in May 2008 and has played for the club in the top three divisions of English football.

He captained their successful League Cup campaign in the 2012-13 season and has made over 250 appearances for the club.

Modern Ghana

Nigeria Defender Joseph Yobo


eNCouNteR WitH editor12

Being a representative of Zambia to India, kindly enlighten us on the evolution of Indo-Zambian relations and what is your vision to further fortify these ties?

Zambia and India have enjoyed very special cordial and warm bilateral relations from pre-independence times when the leaders of the struggle for independence in Zambia, such as Dr. Kenneth Kaunda, drew inspiration from India's struggle for freedom, particularly from the times of Mahatma Gandhi, and others, namely; Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi who all enjoyed special relations with our First Republican President of Zambia, Dr. Kenneth Kaunda.

My vision for the future is to further strengthen relations between our two countries through closer interaction amongst the private sector such as establishment of joint ventures, particularly in value addition; manufacture and agro-processing, people to people interaction through stronger cultural exchanges, and of course training, including the establishment of Centres of Excellence and also specialist medical facilities in Zambia.

How the Zambian government is addressing the issue of reducing the cost of doing business in Zambia?

The Zambian Government has taken

bold steps to reduce the cost of doing business and in this regard, established the Zambia Development Agency (ZDA) that brought under one umbrella five different government agencies, namely: Zambia Investment Centre (ZIC), Zambia Privatisation Agency (ZPA), Export Board of Zambia (EBZ), Small Enterprise Development Board (SEDB) and Zambia Export Processing Zones Authority (ZEPZA), in order to enhance efficiency and effective private sector development in a coordinated manner.

Further, in collaboration with Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) and Patents and Company Registration Agency (PACRA), ZDA has established a One-Stop-Shop where businesses can complete all company and tax registration, including application for investment license, under one roof, which has substantially reduce the cost and time of establishing a business in Zambia. And these processes are being decentralized and replicated across the country to take these services closer to the people and areas of business.

The Zambian Government has also signed Agreements for the Avoidance of Double Taxation with a number of countries including India to ease the incidence of tax on foreign investors

Government has also established Multi-Facility Economic Zones where key transport and communication infrastructure is provided and businesses

can manufacture goods for export without paying domestic taxes.

Victoria Falls, a gem in Zambia's crown is blessed with awe-inspiring beauty attracts countless tourists from different corners of the world. How Zambia is getting advantage from the same?

Zambia is indeed blessed to have one of the seven (7) natural wonders of the world, the Victoria Falls that attracts people from all over the world. As a result of the high numbers of tourist arrivals1 the Livingstone area has developed a very strong hospitality and service industry that has created employment for many Zambians.

You will recall that Zambia and Zimbabwe jointly hosted the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) General Assembly around the Victoria Falls which offered opportunity to key stakeholders in the tourism industry world over to appreciate the Victoria Falls, which has given impetus to the sector in Zambia.

What makes Zambia the ideal investment location?

Government has created a positive and investor friendly environment, with investment guarantees and security provided for under the ZDA Act and

other legislation, and making Zambia an investment destination of choice.

Zambia also offers attractive investment fiscal and non-fiscal incentives for both domestic and foreign investors. It is worth noting that foreign investors are allowed 100°/o repatriation of profits.

Because of being strategically located in the centre, Zambia offers easy market access to COMESA and SADC regions, EU under the Everything But Arms, USA under AGOA and India under the Duty Free Tariff Preference Scheme (DFTP).

I therefore invite all companies in India and beyond to consider investing in Zambia and be part of the success story. The current Patriotic Front Government has taken steps to root out corruption and reduce bureaucracy and cost of doing business by undertaking reforms that will enhance transparency, predictability and accountability, and these reforms are already bearing fruit.

Which sectors present biggest opportunity for growth and development for both the countries?

The priority sectors include: Agriculture, Manufacturing, Tourism, Energy, Infrastructure, Information and Communication Technology, Health, Education and Vocational Training, and Processing of Agricultural, Forest, Non-Ferrous Metals or Gemstones products.

Zambia’s central location in the region, as well as a combination of key strengths makes it an ideal investment location. Interestingly, this country boasts a profusion of birds, abundant wildlife, and raw and pulsating wilderness. Apart from the Victoria Falls, Zambian tourism takes into account seven waterfalls with awe inspiring and spectacular views. In an exclusive interview to Indo Africa Times, the High Commissioner of Zambia to India stressed the strong and worthy points on collaboration with India.

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

“Zambia offers easy market access to comesA and sAdc regions”

H.E. Brig. Gen. Patrick romedyotembo High Commissioner of Zambia


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Volume 1 issue 26