GABONEWS

Gabon acquires VIP Gulfstream G650ER for government use

Carl FANGA — 2015-11-19T17:49:15Z

Gabon's government has acquired a new Gulfstream G650ER business jet, which is being used by the government for VIP transport duties.

The aircraft was acquired new from Gulfstream in the United States, and was outfitted for the government transport role in September. On 28 September its United States registration was cancelled as it was transferred to Gabon, flying out of Gulfstream's main facility at Savannah-Hilton Head International Airport in Georgia on 3 October, reports Air Forces Daily.

The aircraft is operated by the Ministerial Liaison Flight at Base Aérienne 01 Libreville/Leon M'ba International Airport. It was recently used to transport delegates for the Valletta Summit on migration via Malta-Luqa International Airport on 11 November.

Air Forces Daily reports that the Gabon Government currently operates two other business jets, comprising a 17 year old Gulfstream IVSP ‘Nyanga' and a Falcon 900EX ‘Masuka III'.

DefenceWeb

Curtain falls on 10th African Economic Conference in Kinshasa

Carl FANGA — 2015-11-06T14:50:57Z

Leaving no one behind in the development agenda will require taking bold steps by African governments including strengthening the role of state in economic transformation to address poverty and inequality on the continent.

This is in addition to accelerating the process of structural transformation and making it more equitable, inclusive, resilient and sustainable, integrating the green dimensions.

This was underscored during the closing ceremony of the 10th African Economic Conference that opened on Monday and concluded Wednesday in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic Congo.

“The state should play a critical role in the transformation of economies. It has to be visionary, provide leadership in planning and execution and intervene when markets fail,” participants said in a joint statement issued at the end of the three-day conference held under the theme “Addressing Poverty and Inequality in the Post-2015 Development Agenda.”

Addressing poverty and inequality, they argued, is central to achieving Agenda 2030 and the African Union's Agenda 2063.

Policymakers, donor organizations and international economic policy planners agreed that nurturing of strong and inclusive developmental states and transformational leadership were essential for planning, implementing and monitoring development programs.

They also emphasized the need for bold steps to diversify the economies away from primary commodities to avoid the challenges associated with natural resources overdependence.

In the Kinshasa Consensus, the economic experts have underscored using agriculture and the extractive sectors as the linchpin of economic transformation.

Agriculture, they argued, remains a major source of livelihoods for the majority of African poor and still remains the core of the employment and income generation for most of the African economies.

“It is therefore imperative to pursue an agriculture-led industrial development as it provides much needed capital,” the Kinshasa Consensus reads in part.

However, as countries transform they need to put in place measures to adequately manage the transition and especially counter the resulting special inequalities that are likely to occur.

In particular, governments need to prioritize bridging the current huge infrastructure deficits, especially electricity, as well as reduce African economies' vulnerability to external shocks and domestic conflicts.

This, coupled with deepening decentralization and initiatives aimed at empowering sub-national jurisdictions to deliver basic social services to their communities, may be useful in addressing spatial inequalities.

Effective mobilization and efficient utilization of domestic resources were also underscored, as Africa should be able to use development aid to scale up domestic resources mobilization.

The annual conference is organized by the African Development Bank (AfDB), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the UN Economic Commission of Africa (ECA).

Politics and the African: where to now?

Carl FANGA — 2015-10-14T09:14:01Z

Africa has experienced good progress in the democratization of its states, institutions and people but democracy remains fragile and tenuous and the possibility of many reversals lurks, said Mr. Carlos Lopes, the Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa at the 15th Harold Wolpe Memorial Lecture held at Witwatersrand University, Johannesburg, South Africa.

During a lecture titled “Diagnosing African Politics”, Mr. Lopes informed the audience that the Mo Ibrahim Index on African Governance released one week ago says it all about democracy in Africa: we have progressed until recently but now we are stalling.

Africans have made advancements: citizens' political participation is on the increase, there is better observance of the rule of law, political freedom is widening, conflicts have largely receded, and with increasing political stability and predictable political environment, steady economic growth has been posted.

“Africa remains a continent in transition. A continent in which both domestic and external forces are impacting on the nature of its politics and economy. Diagnosing African politics in its complexity and variety therefore requires social analytical approaches and methodological tools that take cognizance of history, social structure and context, political agency and the institutional framework of political action and policy,” concluded Mr. Lopes.

It is not all doom and gloom indicated Mr. Lopes, underscoring the vital role played by civil society in politics. While in politics the winner takes all syndrome often prevails, the rise and flourishing of civil society spells a good omen for democratic politics in Africa, Mr. Lopes believes.

“The possibility of accountability from below is increasing by the day as citizens' demand for rights and opportunities. Civil society claims and agitations may begin to reshape not only the character of politics but also the nature and essence of the state,” said Mr. Lopes.

Mr. Lopes reminded the audience that diversity marks African countries with the continent having about 2,110 living languages constituting about 30% of the World's total. Political regimes range from multi-party system to military dictatorships, one-party rule, political monarchies, and sometimes outright political autocracy and tyranny, are familiar to contemporary Africa. Some argue that in terms of politics, we should talk about “Africas” and not “Africa” in a monolithic sense, Mr. Lopes added.

Mr. Lopes provided a historical background of the woes and triumphs of the continent by highlighting the impact of colonialism -its practice and its institutions- on the African population; the influence of the Cold War and the impact of the post-independence nation-building project. These have rendered African politics diverse and perhaps in need of different methods of application that can account for historical differences and experiences between states.

According to ECA and UNDP, while progress is limited and uneven on the quality and content of the democratic process in Africa, there is some consensus that the nature of politics is changing in Africa.

The Harold Wolpe Memorial Trust hosts annual memorial lectures in Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban to celebrate and advance Harold Wolpe's intellectual and political legacy. Harold Wolpe, born in 1926 in Johannesburg, was a leading member of the struggle against apartheid and lecturer.

AfDB and Egyptian Government sign USD 50-million loan for Sharm El-Sheikh Airport Development Project

Carl FANGA — 2015-10-12T18:24:37Z

The African Development Bank and the Government of Egypt, on Saturday, October 10 in Lima, Peru, signed the loan agreement for USD 50 million from the Africa Growing Together Fund (AGTF)

Lima, Peru, October 12, 2015 – The African Development Bank and the Government of Egypt, on Saturday, October 10 in Lima, Peru, signed the loan agreement for USD 50 million from the Africa Growing Together Fund (AGTF), a USD 2 billion Special Fund provided by China and managed by the Bank to co-finance Bank operations. This agreement complements earlier signed agreements of a USD 90-million loan from the Bank's loan window and USD 1.8-million grant from the Middle Income Countries (MIC) Technical Assistance Fund, all earmarked for the Sharm El-Sheikh Airport Development Project.

Signing for the African Development Bank, President Akinwumi Adesina noted that the Sharm El-Sheikh Airport Development Project is the first among the series of projects being financed by the African Development Bank using the AGTF resources.

“This loan marks the beginning of new efforts by the Bank to support the development of transport infrastructure in Egypt. The Bank stands ready to continue to support the Government of Egypt in its efforts to reform and significantly increase infrastructure investment,” he said. The President also extended a special welcome to Yi Gang, Deputy Governor of the People's Bank of China, for his presence at the ceremony and acknowledging the key role he played in helping put together the AGTF.

Egypt's Minister of International Cooperation, Sahar Nasr, expressed Egypt's appreciation for the Bank's support at this critical time of transition and reaffirmed the Government's “commitment to ensure effective implementation of this important project, which will boost the country's tourism sector and enhance its competitiveness.”

In his remarks, Yi Gang also noted that the Sharm El-Sheikh project is the first approved under the AGTF and expressed confidence that “the Fund will continue to invest in excellent projects such as this project. In the end, the bottom line is for African countries growing together.”

The Sharm El-Sheikh Airport expansion project, whose total cost is estimated at USD 671 million, entails the development of a new terminal building, construction of a new runway and new control tower with associated airfield works, installation of electrical and navigational equipment. It also provides support for the establishment of an Airports Centre of Excellence. When completed, the project will increase the passenger-handling capacity from 10 million to 18 million passengers per annum and develop national expertise in airport planning and management.

The project will remove a bottleneck in the movement of travelers, including tourists into and out of Sharm El-Sheikh City. It will support economic growth, generate additional direct and indirect job opportunities and boost Egypt's competitiveness as a tourism and investment destination.

The African Development Bank currently has ongoing commitments of USD 1.96 billion in Egypt covering 35 operations.

AfDB President and Bank delegation to strengthen alliances at 2015 World Bank-IMF Annual Meetings in Lima, Peru

Carl FANGA — 2015-10-08T16:21:39Z

The World Bank and International Monetary Fund Annual and Spring Meetings bring each year together central bankers, ministers of finance, Heads of DFIs and private sector stakeholders to discuss current issues that are of relevance to the world economy, financial stability, and economic development. The Annual Meetings will be taking place this year from October 9-11 in Lima, Peru.

The Annual Meetings will be an opportunity for African Development Bank President Akinwumi Adesina and other senior staff to reaffirm AfDB's support for collaborating with other MBDs on the “Billions to Trillions” agenda, and to engage with the WB/IMF Governors, Ministers of Finance, private sector and other partners. The Heads of MDBs will be also discussing one of the action items made during the Financing for Development Conference in Addis Ababa in July 2015 to examine their role, scale and functioning to enable them to adapt to and be fully responsive to the sustainable development agenda.

The World Bank-IMF Annual Meetings will include a day of plenary sessions with WB/IMF Governors and a programme of seminars. The Meetings provide opportunities for consultations between the officials from the Member Countries, MDB Heads and other relevant stakeholders. In addition to the meetings of the Boards of Governors, the Development Committee and the International Monetary and Financial Committee (IMFC) are convened, that advise the Board of Governors of the WB and the IMF.

AfDB's overarching goal for its participation in the World Bank IMF Annual Meetings is to strengthen the alliances within the areas of the new corporate priorities, and to position the Bank as a key player by leveraging resources to support the African countries in implementation of SDGs.

While there is clear recognition of the Bank's advantages and its legitimacy within Africa, the changes in the global environment require the Bank to evolve and adapt to remain relevant and to support Africa's transformation. In order to do so, it must revisit its business model to generate more leverage from its limited financial resources along with other MDBs.

The AfDB delegation will take an active role in following up on the discussions that took place during the United Nations Sustainable Development Summit in New York and seek to broaden the dialogue on the new corporate priorities (the President's High 5s), including the New Deal for Energy in Africa.

The AfDB stands ready to scale-up the partnership with our peers, governments, private sector and other partners, and put our finance and expertise at work to support the implementation of the new development agenda. AfDB will also use this opportunity to pave the way for a consensus as a lead up to the COP21 Summit taking place from November 30 to December 11, 2015 in Paris.

A new boss at the GOC?

Carl FANGA — 2015-10-08T14:02:04Z

According to inside sources at the Gabon Oil Company, Étienne Ngoubou Dieudonné, the Gabonese Minister of Petroleum and Hydrocarbons has dismissed the current director general of the GOC.

Reappointed at the head of that ministry in the last government reshuffle, a few weeks ago, Étienne Ngoubou has replaced Serge Toulekima with Arnauld-Engandji Alandji, a special adviser to the Head of State.

It is reported that Mr Toukelima refused to submit to a technical and financial audit commissioned every two years to companies under contract with the Gabonese state. Serge Toukelima is suspended for a period of three months.

A few months ago, Serge Toulekima organized the Gabon Local Content, an international meeting whose aim was to bring Gabon to increase exploitation its oil fields and maximize investment.

Khephren Fanga

Gabon grants Taiwan visa privileges

Carl FANGA — 2015-10-07T14:42:33Z

Taipei, Oct. 7 (CNA) Taiwanese passport holders can now obtain visa waivers, landing visas or e-visas to 153 countries and territories as five more countries recently granted Taiwan such privileges, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Wednesday.

Kazakhstan and Tajikistan in Central Asia and Liberia and Djibouti in Africa granted Taiwan landing visa treatment while Gabon in Africa included Taiwan in its e-visa system, the ministry said in a statement.

Even with the visa privileges, however, the ministry cautioned that Taiwanese travelers to Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Djibouti needed to prepare such documents such as invitation letters, return air tickets and accommodation booking records to clear immigration upon arrival.

To apply for a landing visa for Liberia, Taiwanese passport holders need to send a scanned copy of their passports to the official e-mail of Liberia's foreign ministry seven days before their departure and submit the application upon their arrival, the ministry said.

Gabon requires Taiwanese passport holders to present a travel permit obtained through the country's online system before their departure, return tickets or tickets to a third country and accommodation booking records at immigration upon their arrival, it added.

The 153 countries and territories that have given Taiwan visa privileges include the United States, Japan and all European Union countries. It covers most of the areas frequented by Taiwanese travelers, according to the ministry.

Khephren FANGA

Africa to Set Common Roadmap to Combat Illegal Wildlife Trade

Arsene Rebouka — 2015-04-29T09:36:14Z

African heads of State and decision-makers will convene at the International Conference on Illegal Trade in Wild Fauna and Flora in Africa in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo, on 27-30 April, where they will lay out a common plan to end illegal trade in wild fauna and flora on the continent.

The value of wildlife crime, comprising fauna and flora, and including logging, poaching and trafficking of a wide range of animals, amounts to between US$70 and US$213 billion a year, according to estimates of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and INTERPOL. Wildlife trafficking creates insecurity, fuelling conflicts and corruption. Together with poaching and illegal extraction, it deprives countries of their assets, weakens the rule of law and divides societies. Wildlife trafficking also destroys biodiversity and ecosystems, threatening the supply of food and freshwater and eroding livelihoods for millions of people in Africa.

Organised by the Government of the Republic of Congo and the African Union Commission (AUC), in partnership with UNEP and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Conference builds on the outcomes of the London and Kasane High Level Conferences on Illegal Wildlife Trade. It follows the 23rd African Union Summit which urged African nations to apply zero tolerance approaches, to take action to strengthen laws and policies, and to engage communities to combat illegal wildlife trafficking and related criminal activities.

The Conference will seek to create an Africa-wide strategy and associated action plan on the illegal trade in wild fauna and flora, to be considered at the next AU Summit.

UNODC checks Gabon

Arsene Rebouka — 2015-04-22T20:23:33Z

Under the mechanism of country reviewing on the implementation of the Convention of the United Nations against corruption (UNODC), Gabon receives two experts from Sierra Leone (West Africa) and Laos (Southeast Asia) for a checking.

On this occasion, the Gabonese government will have to must provide answers to a detailed checklist. Then the dialogue ensues between government experts, the UNODC secretariat and experts.

Gabon must with supporting evidence inform the examiners in its ability to fight "corruption in public officials, that of foreign officials and officials of public international organizations, influence peddling, abuse of functions, illicit enrichment and laundering of the proceeds of crime..." and so on.

Arsene REBOUKA

The Africa Awards for Entrepreneurship: Celebrating entrepreneurship

Arsene Rebouka — 2015-04-22T08:46:06Z

As a whole, Africans are known for their entrepreneurial spirit. Studies have shown that of the top 10 countries with the most entrepreneurs, 5 are in Africa. African entrepreneurs are also the least likely to let the fear of failure prevent them from starting a venture. Out of necessity or otherwise, Africans are entrepreneurs at heart

Entrepreneurship is essential to drive economic growth in Africa. The continent has its own unique challenges and opportunities that are best met by homegrown solutions. And of course, the issue of unemployment in Africa, particularly among young people, is immense. Entrepreneurs create not just jobs, but opportunities for Africans to have meaningful work that directly contributes to Africa's development.

The Africa Awards for Entrepreneurship (AAE) are the continent's foremost awards that recognize and celebrate its entrepreneurs. Established by the Legatum Group in 2007 and now a program of African Leadership Network, the AAE identify Africa's greatest entrepreneurs in terms of innovation, profitability, and business excellence.

Past AAE winners and finalists have spanned the continent. They include companies as diverse as a luxury retail developer in Morocco; a bottling company that represents Somalia's largest private investment; and a company that turns bat droppings into fertilizer in Madagascar. See past winners and finalists here.

As the AAE enter their ninth year, we look forward to identifying the next class of exceptional African businesses and bringing them into the ALN community.