SSABE SUB SAHARA AFRICA BUILT ENVIRONMENT

INTERNATIONALLY ACCLAIMED FACILITY

From the Desk of Paul S Rogers +27 (0) 520 7596

E: [email protected] Issue 264- 20, 2012

SSABE CONNECTS YOU with Sub Sahara Africa at no cost, - it is a free service for all built environment suppliers and contractors. No registration, just a get-down-to-basics Internationally Acclaimed service. Just send your eddress and request to [email protected] SSABE PRODUCES - A weekly international tender and news collation of matters relating to the built environment. An easy scrolling ‘.PDF FORMAT NEWSLETTER’ in country alphabetical order divided into the key trade blocs. The articles covered in these weekly updates will provide you with the leads you need to follow up on early warning prospects. Most have names and companies for you to record. Should you target an individual country before a trade visit, scanning the relevant collations will give you a myriad of prospective appointments in business development. SSABE TENDER NOTICES – Provides you with the full tender notice of the abridged version in the newsletter at a nominal fee [US$20 / ZAR150] – Just send request and the interested bid reference to [email protected] (A few notices will not be available and ‘Prior Information’ is posted 30 days or more before bid opening) TENDERS

BENIN: Project to upgrade the drinking water supply system of Cotonou and surrounding areas: Phase II Request For Proposals City/Locality: COTONOU Publication Date: May 24, 2012 Deadline: Jul 9, 2012 Original Language: French Goods, Works and Services • Works related to water-distribution pipelines

BOTSWANA: Preparation of a Global Environment Fund’s (GEF) Full Sized Project (FSP) Proposal Entitled ‘Mainstreaming Sustainable Land Management (SLM) In Rangeland Areas Of Ngamiland Productive Landscapes For Improving Livelihoods Request For Proposals Publication Date: May 24, 2012 Deadline: Jun 8, 2012 Original Language: English Goods, Works and Services • Work environment services

CAPE VERDE: Tender - Land Management for Investment Project / Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Project in Cape Verde: General Procurement Notice Opportunity Type: Services, Works, Goods Project Summary - The Government of the Republic of Cape Verde has received grant funding of approximately four million United States Dollars for contracts for Goods, Non-Consulting and Consulting Services to prepare for implementation of both the Land Management for Investment Project and Water and Sanitation Project.

Côte d'Ivoire: Technical assistance for the Ministry of Agriculture (Minagri) with implementing FLEX programmes Prior Information Notice City/Locality: ABIDJAN Publication Date: May 24, 2012 Original Language: French Goods, Works and Services • Technical assistance services • Supporting services for the government 1 DRC: equipment supply for the border monitoring activities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo Prior Information Notice City/Locality: KINSHASA Publication Date: May 24, 2012 Original Language: English Goods, Works and Services • Radiation dosimeters • Radiation monitors

ERITREA: ERI/WATER SUPPLY SYSTEM Request For Proposals Publication Date: May 22, 2012 Deadline: Jun 12, 2012 Original Language: English Goods, Works and Services • Consulting services for water-supply and waste-water other than for construction

KENYA: Eelectrical equipment and apparatus Request For Proposals City/Locality: NAIROBI Publication Date: May 24, 2012 Deadline: Jun 4, 2012 Original Language: English Goods, Works and Services • Electrical equipment and apparatus

KENYA: Tender - Management Consulting for Projects to Develop the Water and Sanitation Sector Opportunity Type: Services Express Interest By: Jun 22, 2012 Project Summary (1) der Ausbau der städtischen Wasserversorgung, (2) die Verbesserung der Sanitärversorgung Träger der FZ-Maßnahme ist die zuständige regionale

KENYA: Consultancy for a Sector Wide Approach in the power Sector in Kenya Request For Expressions of Interest City/Locality: Nairobi, Kenya Publication Date: May 21, 2012 Deadline: Jun 19, 2012 Original Language: English Assignments • Electricity distribution

LESOTHO: ADDENDUM 1 TO INVITATION FOR BIDS Water Supply Project CONSTRUCTION OF RURAL WATER SUPPLY AND SANITATION INFRASTRUCTURE - PHASE C Request For Proposals City/Locality: Maseru Publication Date: May 23, 2012 Original Language: English Goods, Works and Services • Works for complete or part construction and civil engineering work

MAURITIUS: A Review of Road Safety Management Capacity in Mauritius Request For Proposals Publication Date: May 24, 2012 Deadline: Jun 14, 2012 Original Language: English Goods, Works and Services • Auditing services

MOZAMBIQUE: MOCUBA WATER SUPPLY EMERGENCY WORKS Request For Proposals Edition 2: May 21, 2012 (shown) Publication Date: May 21, 2012 Deadline: Jul 2, 2012 Original Language: English Goods, Works and Services • Water distribution • Operation of water supplies

MOZAMBIQUE: Infrastructure Consultant Firm Request For Proposals Publication Date: May 23, 2012 Deadline: May 29, 2012 Original Language: English Goods, Works and Services • Infrastructure works consultancy services

2 NIGERIA: CONSULTANCY SERVICES FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF DAM SAFETY SYSTEM AND EPIDEMIOLOGICAL SURVEY FOR WATERBORNE DISEASES IN KAINJI AND JEBBA DAM AREAS Request For Expressions of Interest Publication Date: May 24, 2012 Deadline: Jun 18, 2012 Original Language: English Assignments • Safety equipment • Surveying services

RWANDA: Execution works of a gravity-fed water supply networks for cattle Request For Proposals City/Locality: KIGALI Publication Date: May 22, 2012 Deadline: Jul 9, 2012 Original Language: English Goods, Works and Services • Water distribution

RWANDA: Implementation of 69 Pico and Micro hydropower plants Request For Proposals Publication Date: May 23, 2012 Deadline: Jun 26, 2012 Original Language: English Goods, Works and Services • Electricity distribution and related services

RWANDA: SUPPLY OF EFFECTIVE MICROORGANISMS (EM 1), AND LIME FOR PRICE PROJECT Request For Proposals City/Locality: KIGALI Publication Date: May 25, 2012 Deadline: Jun 14, 2012 Original Language: English Goods, Works and Services • Limes

RWANDA: SUPPLY OF FRUIT SEEDLINGS FOR PRICE PROJECT Request For Proposals City/Locality: KIGALI Publication Date: May 25, 2012 Deadline: Jun 8, 2012 Original Language: English Goods, Works and Services • Mangoes • Avocados • Citrus fruit

RWANDA: Supervision of construction works for an irrigation dam (9.5 m) and development works for Cyili marshland Request For Expressions of Interest City/Locality: Kigali Publication Date: May 21, 2012 Deadline: Jun 5, 2012 Original Language: English Assignments • Agricultural, forestry, horticultural, aquacultural and apicultural services

ZIMBABWE: Urgent Water Supply and Sanitation Rehabilitation Project Supply of Sewer Cleaning Vehicles and Equipment for Six Urban Areas Request For Proposals Publication Date: May 19, 2012 Deadline: Jun 29, 2012 Original Language: English Goods, Works and Services • Operation of water supplies • Facility related sanitation services EARLY WARNING & PROSPECTIVES SADC

ANGOLA: First agri-industrial complex for maize inaugurated in Huíla, Angola May 24th, 2012 - The first agri-industrial complex for drying and storing maize in Huíla province was inaugurated Wednesday in Matala by Angola’s Minister for Agriculture, Rural Development and Fishing, Afonso Pedro Canga. The project, which was awarded to Incatema Consulting, a Spanish consultancy and engineering company, cost 6.6 million euros and includes a drying unit and three maize storage silos 3 ANGOLA: Luanda-Bengo special economic zone in Angola to have 26 factories by the end of the year May 22nd, 2012 - The executive commission of Sonangol Investimentos Industriais (SIIND) plans by the end of this year to have 26 industrial units operating in the Luanda-Bengo Special economic Zone (ZEE), the company’s business director, Gaspar Neto said Monday. Speaking at the inauguration ceremony for six factories and a waste water treatment plant at the ZEE, Neto said that the Siind schedule outlines a total of 53 industrial units operating there by 2014. Sonangol Investimentos Industriais, which was established in October 2010, is intended to promote, develop and coordinate the management of the industrial projects of Sonangol EP and its subsidiaries set up in the Luanda-Bengo ZEE. The five factories and water treatment plant inaugurated Monday represented an investment of US$78 million and Sonangol Investimentos Industriais now has 14 factories operating at the ZEE. The factories that were opened were mattress factory Ninhoflex, high density polyethylene factory Indutubos, metal roof tile factory Telhafal, PVC product company Transplás, electrical products factory MTBT, and cable factory, Inducabos, Lda. The new water treatment plant has a capacity of 42 litres per second, which will later be increased to 84 litres per second. (macauhub) Angola: Government to Build New See Cathedral in Ondjiva ANGOP 27 May 2012 — The government of the southern Cunene province intends to build a new See Cathedral, as the current one is too small to accommodate the faithful of the Catholic Church during Sunday mass. The See Cathedral project, which was drafted by Metroconstrusul consulting firm, was presented on Saturday in Ondjiva, capital of Cunene province, during an extraordinary meeting of the Social Concert Council of the local government. Angop learnt that the new building will comprise two floors, with the capacity to shelter more than 700 faithful, in replacement of the old one. MOZAMBIQUE: Indian group Tata Steel plans to start exporting coal from Mozambique to Europe Indian group Tata Steel announced, during a presentation to analysts, that it will start exporting coal mined in Benga, Mozambique this month the Indian press reported. The group plans to export 850,000 tons of coking coal and 200,000 tons of thermal coal this year and next. The coal will be used by Tata Steel Europe (previously the Corus Group). MOZAMBIQUE: Mozambican natural gas leads Royal Dutch Shell to extend the period of its offer to buy Cove Energy - Royal Dutch Shell said Thursday it had extended the period of its offer to buy Cove Energy, the day after Thai company PTT Exploration & Production PCL put forward a counter-proposal of US$1.9 billion. MOZAMBIQUE: Australia’s Syrah Resources finds large graphite deposit in Mozambique May 24th, 2012 Australian company Syrah Resources has discovered 288 metres of high quality graphite at the Balama project in Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado, 240 kilometres to the west of the port city of Pemba, the company said in a statement issued Wednesday in Melbourne, Australia. Syrah Resources has been selling off its non-strategic assets in order to focus on graphite assets in Africa, particularly the Balama project in Mozambique. The Balama project, in Mozambique, is already proven, via metallurgical tests, to have more and higher quality potential reserves than other graphite deposits in Canada, Europe and Australia. (macauhub) MOZAMBIQUE: Errors found in construction of irrigation system in Mozambique now being repaired May 23rd, 2012 - Technical teams are correcting errors found in the construction of the Tewe irrigation system, in Mozambique’s Zambézia province, which is a facility designed to encourage rice production in the Zambezi Valley, said the administrator of Mopeia district, João Zamissa. The irrigation system, which cost US$3 million to build and was financed by the African Development Bank (ADB), is losing a significant amount of water in its pumping station and from the pipes that take the water to the fields. According to Notícias the teams that are on the ground include technicians from the work’s contractor, Hidroáfrica, a subsidiary of Portuguese group Visabeira, as well as from the main beneficiary of the system, Olam Moçambique, the company that plans to invest some US$65 million in rice production. Under the terms of the project’s contract, Hidroáfrica is tasked with installing a pumping system and laying enough pipes for irrigation of at least 227 hectares of land, and it is Olam Moçambique’s responsibility to later extend the pipes to cover an area of 400 hectares. (macauhub) MOZAMBIQUE: Gaza provincial government in Mozambique plans to build airport in city of Xai-Xai May 23rd, 2012 - The government of Gaza province in Mozambique plans to get funding from the central government and international partners to build an international airport and a port in the city of Xai-Xai, according to Mozambican daily newspaper Notícias. Citing a document from the provincial government drawn up for a visit by Mozambique’s President to the province, which began Monday, the newspaper said that the airport, which will be built from scratch, will receive small and medium-sized aircraft on an runway built to international standards, and will have all necessary facilities. In terms of the port the document notes that it will be used to transport agri-livestock products and other resources produced in the province and will also increase the flow of tourists to the area. The document added that some of the challenges facing the provincial government were construction of some roads and bridges and a dam in the district of Mapai, which will essentially serve to irrigate fields in the district and neighbouring agricultural properties. (macauhub) MOZAMBIQUE: Brazil’s Arcadis Logos signs contract to manage construction of Nacala coal terminal in Mozambique May 22nd, 2012 THE TERMINAL IS ACROSS THE BAY FROM THE CURRENT PORT

4 A consortium led by Brazilian company Arcadis Logos has signed a contract with Brazilian mining giant Vale to provide management services for construction of the new coal terminal at the port of Nacala in Mozambique, the company said in a statement issued Monday. The contract, which is for a period of three years, is worth US$47 million and is intended to provide logistics solutions for construction of the terminal, which will allow Vale to double the production capacity of its Moatize mine from 11 million tons to 22 million tons per year. When it starts operating the coal terminal at the port of Nacala will have an installed capacity of 18 million tons per year, a 29-kilometre access railway and a sea terminal. The consortium, in which Arcadis Logos has a 60 percent stake, includes Portuguese company Consulgal Consultores de Engenharia e Gestão (35 percent) and Mozambican company Secon Serviços de Engenharia e Consultores Ltda. (5 percent). (macauhub) MOZAMBIQUE: Mozambican government considers construction of railway in Cabo Delgado province May 22nd, 2012 The Mozambican government is considering the possibility of building a railway to carry the nickel recently found in Cabo Delgado province, said the province’s Mining Resources director. Speaking to daily newspaper Notícias, Ramiro Nguiraze said that as well as the nickel that was discovered there were indications of significant marble reserve in Montepuez. Recognising that the road to Montepuez will not be able to stand up to regular transport of the nickel and marble, the provincial director said that studies were being carried out by the central government with a view to building the railway in order to make projects in that part of the country viable. As well as transport routes, the discovery of nickel reserve also challenges the central government to find a solution to provide electricity to the area, as the projects will require a 110 kva high voltage transmission line, including a sub-station. Nguiraze also told the newspaper that the company, which is a subsidiary of unlisted group Rockover Resources, had said that development of the mine would begin in 2014. (macauhub) MOZAMBIQUE: Cove Energy Confirms Takeover Battle is Still On - May 24, 2012 - Results statement released by Cove Energy on Thursday confirms that the directors have withdrawn their recommendation of $1.8 billion offer from Shell. MOZAMBIQUE: Mozambique Could Become World's Third Largest LNG Exporter RIGZONE by Karen Boman May 23, 2012 - Mozambique could become the world's third largest exporter of liquefied natural gas (LNG), an Anadarko Petroleum Corp. executive told attendees at the Mayer Brown Seventh Annual Global Energy Conference in Houston on Wednesday. Ramsey Fahel, vice president & general manager – commercial with Anadarko Mozambique, said the company is working the Mozambique's government to establish the framework and fiscal regime for LNG development "of a caliber not seen before in continental Africa." The company plans to develop two-train LNG facility associated with the Prosperidade discovery, which contains between 17 and more than 30 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) gross recoverable resources. The plant will be situated in the far northern part of the country on the southern side of Palma Bay, which provides a natural shelter from typhoons. The facility will create the foundation for future LNG trains to be added, Fahel noted. Fahel acknowledged that Anadarko has set an ambitious schedule for its LNG plans, with a final development decision for Prosperidade expected by late 2013. Anadarko is pursuing this timeline in order to establish a market presence before neighboring Tanzania begins exporting LNG and before LNG projects in Australia and Canada come online between 2016 and 2018. Anadarko is planning to begin sales of LNG exports from its project in 2018, according to a presentation on the company's website "Mozambique is positioned similar to Qatar in that [it] could potentially supply LNG demand to countries east and west of Mozambique," Fahel said. However, the regulations in Mozambique are still evolving, and certainty is needed by 2013 in order for making the deadline. Namibia: Dairy Processing Plant Planned for Omaheke Gobabis — Omaheke Regional Governor Laura McLeod-Katjirua and more than 20 livestock farmers from the region will travel to India on Sunday to familiarise themselves with the operations of a dairy processing plant in that country. The brand is the world's largest pouched milk brand. It was formed in 1946 and is managed by Indian cooperative organisation Gujarat Co- operative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd. While there, the governor will also sign a Memorandum of Understanding with Amul Dairy for assistance in the establishment of a dairy plant in the Omaheke Region.

5 Namibia: Building Plans Through the Roof NAMIBIA ECONOMIST By Nyasha Francis Nyaungwa, 23 May The number of building plans completed in April 2012 shot up to 225, compared to a mere 53 in March, figures from the City of Windhoek shows. The increase was reflected in all categories with additions, including walls and pools increasing from 48 to 170, commerce and industry from 1 to 7, while houses and flats increased from 4 to 48. The increase in April marks the largest quantity of building plans completed since July 2010. At 170, additions to buildings make up the highest contribution to the increase while the number of houses and flats (48) completed in April is relatively high compared to recent figures, and is more than the combined total of houses completed in the first three months of 2012. Similarly, the value of Windhoek based buildings increased significantly from March to April, from N$29.3 million to N$149.1 million. At N$72 million, the value of houses and flats completed in April contributed significantly to this increase. "This makes the value of buildings completed in April the highest in over three years," Britz said. The last time the value of buildings completed breached the N$150 million mark was in March of 2009, where the total value of completed houses reached N$216 million. "Last year, the municipality approved a pilot project involving Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) with the aim of bringing in private companies who will provide finance and undergo the servicing of land under the supervision of the municipality. As such, the delivery of land and thus buildings and housing could potentially speed up depending on the success of the pilot PPP project." Namibia: Battle for the Beach THE NAMIBIAN By Adam Hartman, 22 May 2012 = AS ground preparations for the 'La Mer' waterfront development in Swakopmund bulldozes ahead, local anglers who usually frequent the beach area for a hopeful daily catch of food have to make way for tonnes of sand being pushed toward the sea to lay the foundation for the N$400 million development. The developers are also challenged for space. High tide waves again carve away at the heaps of sand, making it difficult for earth preparation on the beach-side to make progress. This is however exactly what the developers said could happen: that rough seas would challenge land preparation, especially for the breakwater component of the waterfront. In fact, it was anticipated that the breakwater preparation may have to stop for a time during August and September when the seas are particularly rough, and may hamper progress for a few months. The 'La Mer' design comprises a 17 000sqm of modern supermarket and retail centre plus a 100-bed hotel and 29 luxury residential units as well as the breakwater and ski-boat launch. Safari Investments CEO, Francois Marais assured that negotiations are underway between them, the town council and government for the acquisition of a piece of land below the high water mark where part of the proposed small harbour is intended to be constructed. This forms part of the total proposed development, and added that no development on this piece will commence unless a satisfactory agreement has been entered into and ownership has been obtained. Whoever or whatever is winning the battle for the beach, the La Mer development process remains a concern to the local community. They have apparently taken the issue to the environmental commissioner for consideration. SOUTH AFRICA: Africa and Australasia to share Square Kilometre Array 25 May 2012 By Jonathan Amos

An artist's impression shows the vast array of telescopes that will comprise the SKA. South Africa, Australia and New Zealand will host the biggest radio telescope ever built. The nations belonging to the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) organisation took the decision at a meeting on Friday. The 1.5bn-euro (£1.2bn) SKA's huge fields of antennas will sweep the sky for answers to the major outstanding questions in astronomy. They will probe the early Universe, test Einstein's theory of gravity and even search for alien intelligent life. The project aims to produce a radio telescope with a combined collecting area of one million square metres - equivalent to about 200 football pitches. To do this, it will have to combine the signals received by thousands of small antennas spread over thousands of kilometres. Sharing the wealth South Africa and Australasia had put forward separate, competing bids, and the early indications had been that there would be one outright winner. But the SKA organisation decided both proposals should contribute

6 something to the final design of the telescope. "We have decided on a dual site approach," said SKA board chairman Prof John Womersley. Its targets will be radio sources in the sky that radiate at centimetre to metre wavelengths. These include the clouds of hydrogen gas in the infant Universe that collapsed to form the very first stars and galaxies. The SKA will map precisely the positions of the nearest billion galaxies. The structure they trace on the cosmos should reveal new details about "dark energy", the mysterious negative pressure that appears to be pushing the Universe apart at an ever-increasing speed. The telescope will also detail the influence of magnetic fields on the development of stars and galaxies. And it will zoom in on pulsars, the dead stars that emit beams of radio waves that sweep across the Earth like super-accurate time signals. Astronomers believe these dense objects may hold the key to a more complete theory of gravity than that proposed by Einstein. Most of the subsequent telescope dishes and mid-frequency aperture arrays will then be built in southern Africa (sites will include Namibia, Botswana, Mozambique, Kenya, Zambia, and even out into the Indian Ocean in Mauritius and Madagascar) - the bulk of the SKA. The low-frequency aperture array antennas will be positioned in Australia. There will be major industrial return for all members. The next project engineering phase is worth about 90m euros. Phase 1 of the project, due to start in 2015/16, was valued at around 360m euros. The cost of the last phase was always uncertain and depended on knowing exactly where the SKA would be built and the final design it would take; but a sum of 1.5bn euros was considered a likely figure. "The construction phase alone will last from about 2013 to 2025. So, there's direct spin-off from construction, and there's the creation of employment through operations and maintenance that will go on for about 50 years. "But there's also the less tangible - but more important in my view - economic aspect, which is the development of our capabilities in very hi-tech sectors, and the ability of our universities to attract large numbers of the best young people into science and engineering," SOUTH AFRICA: Green Point Athletics stadium gets R110m revamp - The Green Point Athletics stadium, formerly known as Green Point Common, is in the process of getting a facelift costing R110-million, forming an integral part of the new Green Point Urban Parks initiative to upgrade facilities in Green Point, Cape Town. Design, engineering and management consultancy WSP was commissioned by the City of Cape Town to design the stadium’s public address (PA) system, fire detection, closed-circuit television (CCTV) and ten-lane track timing system, which includes the timing scoreboard, as well as plumbing and drainage services. South Africa: Petrosa Partners With China's Sinopec Group for Mthombo Refinery BuaNews (Tshwane) 21 May 2012 — The state oil company PetroSA has partnered with China's Sinopec Group to work together in pushing the building of the proposed Mthombo crude oil refinery project, PetroSA said on Monday. Construction of the Mthombo project, which will be the biggest refinery in Africa, is expected to start this year, with the refinery to come on stream by 2015. The $11 billion refinery in the industrial port of Coega near Port Elizabeth will have a 400 000 barrels a day capacity and will ensure security of fuel supply in SA. The agreement, according to PetroSA, will involve the commissioning of studies over two phases. The first phase will focus on market studies, the review and selection of a business case, while the second will develop a business case that is expected to prepare Project Mthombo for the important Front End Engineering Design (FEED) stage. FEED refers to the basic engineering which is conducted after the completion of a conceptual design or feasibility study of a project. At this stage, before the start of EPC (Engineering, Procurement and Construction), various studies take place to figure out technical issues and estimate rough investment cost. The agreement has made it possible for PetroSA and Sinopec to contract Sinopec Engineering Incorporation to conduct the studies on behalf of the two companies. The two phases are expected to last 18 months. HOW MANY STUDIES DOES A STUDY NEED, HAS THIS NOT ALREADY BEEN DONE WITH THE USA GROUP? Tanzania: Moshi Munipality for Major Facelift Tanzania Daily News (Dar es Salaam) By Peter Temba, 25 May 2012 — THE Moshi Municipal Council (MMC) will spend over 28.6bn/- on six strategic activities on land upgrading, waste management and transportation, the MMC Head of Urban Planning and Lands Department, Mr Alex Poteka, said yesterday. He said the World Bank has issued a grant to finance the activities. Mr Poteka said 100m/- has been set aside for evaluation of the earmarked projects to be executed within five years (2012 - 2016). "Successful implementation of those projects will lead to the upgrading the municipality into city status by June 2016," Mr Poteka said road construction and rehabilitation will major as first priority area as soon as the World Bank grant is disbursed, adding that the Moshi municipality has a network stretching 288.039 kilometres of which 75.643 kilometres (26.3 per cent) are tarmac and the remaining 73.7 per cent were gravel or earth. Tanzania: AfDB Gives Tanzania 355 Billion/ - Loan for Roads Tanzania Daily News (Dar es Salaam) By Anne Robi, 24 May 2012 - THE African Development Bank (AfDB) has extended a loan of 354.56bn/- (UA 140.0 million) to Tanzania to finance construction of roads. "The project involved upgrading of Dodoma-Babati road of 188km and the Tunduru-Mangaka-Mtambaswala road measuring 202km," he said. The total cost of the project is 538.88bn/- (AU 212.78 million). Tanzania: 640 Billion/ - Transit Hub for Dar es Salaam - THE government plans to spend some 40 million US dollars (64bn/-) on compensation of Kurasini residents in Dar es Salaam to pave way for the construction of a transit hub worth 400 million US dollars (640bn/-). The hub's construction is expected to be done in two phases and it will upon completion comprise an industrial park for value addition to agricultural produce, trading centres, wholesale markets, warehouses, exhibition and conference centres. We are planning to budget for the 7 project in the coming financial year," he said. Dr Kigoda, who was recently appointed to head the ministry, noted that the project was being implemented in partnership between the government of Tanzania and China. Earlier reports show that the government's agreement with China is to construct the centre through joint venture, with Yiwu-Africa International Investment Corporation representing the Chinese government and EPZA standing in for Tanzania. Tanzania: Country's External Debt Doubles - TANZANIA'S external debt has more than doubled to 9.78bn US dollars (about 15.6tr/-) when compared to the 4.45bn US dollars (about 7.12tr/-) recorded soon after implementation of Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative (MDRI) mid 2006. Tanzania: Ewura Approves Small Power Projects Guide Tanzania Daily News (Dar es Salaam) By Orton Kiishweko, 23 May 2012 - POWER project of between 100kW and 10MW are now allowed to feed the national grid, following the approval of Small Power Projects guidelines by the Energy and Water Regulatory Authority (EWURA). According to the new guidelines, EWURA gives the standardised small project tariffs aimed at accelerating rural electrification. The EWURA Principal Communications and Public Relations Officer, Mr Titus Kaguo, said on Tuesday that the standards were for small projects between 100KW and 10MW. "The move is designed to accelerate electricity access and promote development and operations of small power projects among local and foreign private investors," adds the guidelines. The framework includes introduction of Standardised Power Purchase Agreement and Standard Tariff Methodology, which will be applicable between the developer and the buyer. The guidelines say they also aim at utilizing renewable energy sources, intended to supply commercial electricity to the national grid. They add that the government is developing a framework for development of small power projects utilising the abundant renewable energy sources in Tanzania pursuant to the Electricity Act, 2008. "The framework will reduce negotiation time and cost and opens the possibility of implementing rural electrification projects," it notes. He said the guidelines come after consultations with various stakeholders. One of the small projects listed is the one to be executed by a US based company known as KMR Infrastructure on a biomass project to produce 10MW of electricity in Kigoma and shut off of expensive diesel generators. Up to $25m will be invested into this biomass power plant in Kigoma over the coming 3 years. In the current 2011/2012 budget, about 6.5bn/- was allocated to power 12 villages in Kigoma North, yet none has been remitted to REA to implement the project. Kigoma municipality uses diesel-powered generators with installed capacity of 11MW. However, only 3-4MW is being produced and TANESCO spends 1bn/- monthly on running the generators but collects about 133m/-. Tanzania: TIB to Finance Cashew Nut Processing Plant - TIB Managing Director Peter Noni, speaking at the signing ceremony at the bank's Head Office in Dar es Salaam, said the signed deal will enhance value addition through construction of a processing plant to be built in Mtwara. Mr Noni said the processing plant will have monthly processing capacity of between 30 and 40 tonnes. Tanzania: Govt to Stem Beach Encroachment — Dar es Salaam has stressed the need for preserving the environment in its entire coastline beaches and rivers in order to make the country profit from its coastline. "The law requires that any construction along the beaches should be 60 metres off the high water mark, " Tibaijuka says. She said there would be a country wide operation aimed at restoring the urban order developments plan in order to recover open spaces which were illegally occupied. Tanzania: Construction of Arusha-Holili Highway Begins 2013 Tanzania Daily News (Dar es Salaam) By Marc Nkwame, 21 May 2012 — WORK for the construction of a giant four-lane dual carriageway which will connect Arusha City with Holili-Taveta via Moshi and Himo will begin next year. The Regional Manager for Tanzania Roads Network Agency (TANROADS), Engineer Deusdedit Kakoko, explained here that the four- lane highway will stretch from Sakina area and cover 50 kilometres up to the Kilimanjaro International Airport (KIA) road junction. From KIA, according to Eng Kakoko, the giant highway will shrink into a two-lane dual carriageway to Moshi then Himo and eventually end at the Tanzania-Kenya border town of Holili. It is, therefore, inevitable that most of the buildings along both sides of the Sakina-Mianzini-Sanawari road and all the way to Kimandolu will have to be demolished and pave way for the ambitious project. Even at two-lane, from KIA to Holili, the road will still be a massive upgrade from the current single carriageway which connects Arusha City to Moshi Municipality to Himo and Holili. From Holili, the Kenyan Government will take over the project linking Taveta to Mombassa Port via Voi, maintaining the same two-lane width. The East Africa Community is again executing this development of a multi-million dollar highway linking Arusha and Mombasa via Moshi and Voi, to enhance the growing intra-trade in the region. The existing road, from Moshi to Voi, is in a pathetic condition. With the near completion of the US $200 million Arusha- Athi River highway, in which a Tanzanian contractor performed badly thus delaying the project, the EAC has turned its attention to the ambitious project of upgrading the Arusha-Moshi- Taveta-Voi-Mombasa highway. The project, whose feasibility studies have just been completed, will cost an estimated US $560 million. The African Development Bank (AfDB) has granted nearly US $300 million towards the important project. The EAC Secretariat is currently seeking ways on how to raise the additional $260 million to implement the project. The EAC principal civil engineer, Mr Hosea Nyangweso, commented recently that the Arusha-Moshi-Holili- Taveta-Voi road was one of the major road projects to be prioritised in EAC within the framework of regional integration. Mr Nyangweso said that the highway will serve as an important link and once completed, landlocked partner states would access the port of Mombasa easily. Already under construction is a 24 kilometre stretch of Mwatate-Voi section, which is the last section of the proposed EAC project joining it to the Nairobi-Mombasa highway. According to Mr Nyanweso, despite the section being part of the EAC proposed 8 project, the Kenyan government last year, requested the EAC to allow it to undertake the construction on its own in a bid to fasttrack its completion after rioting businessmen barricaded it, at Voi for hours, complaining of its bad state. Zambia: Water Initiative Renews Hope for Kaunda Square Residents - The programme which has been dubbed Water Network Rehabilitation Project for Kaunda Square Stage One, seeks to rehabilitate the water infrastructure in the area and ensure that the residents have adequate commodity. It is a K3 billion water project that would be implemented in two phases where more than 18,000 people are expected to benefit. LWSC acting director, Wilfred Siame said the project would help in the placement of a 13.2 km supply network including water pipes, fire hydrants, valves and chambers. Zambia: Township Roads a Success Story TIMES OF ZAMBIA By Gethsemane Mwizabi and Miriam Zimba, A GOOD road network is key to any economic development of a country. It enables farmers have easier access to markets, saves on time spent on travelling, and motorists worry less about the wear and tear due to poor roads. Good roads enhance social and economic development characterised by increased trading activities and industrial operations. In recent time, the Government has embarked on massive road rehabilitation works through-out Zambia. Most of the roads that are being rehabilitated are in the intercity and township roads which are key for the access of goods and services. On the Copperbelt, Ndola in particular, a number of roads have been and are being worked on. So much progress has been recorded as can be seen on different road project sites. For example, bituminous surfacing of Mwanawasa Road in Pamodzi Township would be completed soon as the contractor has covered 90 per cent of the road works. Only a small portion is still remaining to be done and this would hopefully be completed before the onset of the rains. The contractor has embarked on a milling off process on the roads in the industrial area in view of the impending annual Zambia International Trade Fair (ZITF) in Ndola which usually takes place in July. In the neighbouring Mushili Township, the Mushili Road that leads to the Zambia Army Commando Camp, base course works have already been completed. The next stage to be undertaken is surface paving. In Chipulukusu, works are equally in progress. Currently double seal surfacing is being done. The once infamous Kalewa Road which is mostly used by people from the southern end of town, residents of Chifubu, Pamodzi and Kawama to get to the central district has been worked on and is such a marvel to drive on. It is this same road which leads to the Arthur Davison Children's Hospital and at some point was in a such dilapidated state that it was a hassle to get sick children to the hospital. One had to drive slowly to reduce on the discomfort caused to the patients by the bumpy and potholed road. Nowadays it has become smooth-sailing and most motorists prefer to use this road as a quicker route to town compared to the other inner roads which require serious attention. The Ndola City Council has come up with cost estimates in excess of K700 million for works on township roads especially in newly opened up areas like Hillcrest, Mitengo and Pine Groove. The council wants to facilitate developers' accessibility to plots. Additionally in Mitengo, clearing and road formation works by the contractor under the Land Development Fund, have continued now that the rainy season has come to an end. Thankfully, the Government committed K887 million to this project, against a request of K2.4 billion, in the first tranche. Another project worthy mentioning is the Luombe Road in Masala Township whch has been paved and once works are over it will be another success story of road rehabilitation works in the friendly city. Not to mention the Twapia/Lubuto Road- paving works would resume soon after a technical hitch has been overcome. Once the works were completed, the road would connect Twapia directly to Lubuto. This would provide a shorter route to Lubuto as opposed to having to use a longer route through the dual carriage way which at times was ever congested due to heavy traffic transiting through Ndola heading North or South. However, the base course works have been done. Ndola City Council public relations manager Roy Kuseka said the Government set a deadline of June for formula one rehabilitation works to be completed, "Ndola council wishes to implore the contractor to ensure that the works do not overstretch beyond the deadline as residents have raised concern over dust emissions emanating from these works," he said. Not too long ago, some residents of Mushili Bonano blocked part of the road where works were ongoing due to dust emissions which they could not contain and felt they were being inconvenienced as it was also posing a threat to their health. The residents had advised the contractor on site to constantly use a water bowser to arrest the dust or suggested that motorists should use other alternative routes or a detour to reduce on incidences of pollution. Some roads have since been completed much to joy of the pedestrians and drivers. One just needs to drive on these roads to confirm what is being stated here. The rehabilitation programme of nine roads in Ndola under the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) progressed well and some of the roads have been completed. The road works were undertaken by a Japanese contractor Konike Construction Company Limited. The conducted base course works on Lukusu and Zambezi roads in the industrial area and grubbed Chambeshi Road that links Masala to Kabushi and Mushili. When the rehabilitation works were being done, Zesco and Zamtel relocated their utility lines to facilitate the speedy implementation of these road works project. The 12.7 kilometre stretch of roads that have been completed include, Zambezi Way, Makoli, Vitanda, Independence, Livingstone to mention just a few. The road project was initiated by the Central Government in conjunction with the Japanese government. All these road rehabilitation works are being carried out under the Urban Road Rehabilitation Programme, which is an ongoing exercise that began in May 2011. This programme covers Lusaka, Copperbelt and Central provinces. 9 In Lusaka alone, a total of 134.6 kilometres of selected urban roads have been earmarked for coverage. Roads Development Agency (RDA) head of public relations Loyce Saili said a total cost of the roads being worked on for Lusaka alone amounts to more than K514 billion. "The road works have been packaged into what are known as lots. And some of the townships whose roads are receiving a facelift include UNZA, Northmead, Chipata, Mandevu, Matero, Kanyama, Kafue, Kamwala, Rhodespark, and Woodlands," Ms Saili said. Among the contractors working on these roads include Sable Transport, Tiechmann, Sanyati, Inyasti, and Road and Paving. Ms Saili said most of the road works in Lusaka were scheduled for completion by November 2011, but were still on-going due to some challenges. "The projects were scheduled for completion in November 2011 but due to a number of challenges such as weather and shortage of materials the completion of these projects was extended. "It is now expected that all contractors will complete their projects by end of June 2012," she said. However, most of the roads being worked on are already way over 70 to 80 per cent prior to completion, with mainly ancillary works such as road markings, sinage, paving and installation of drainages remaining. Among some of the major notable road works in Lusaka was the on-going road rehabilitation works on the Katima Mulilo Road. According to the RDA, the road works on this critical road were not separate from the road rehabilitation works. Katima Mulilo Road has been batched under lot seven which covers the Northmead, Chipata and Mandevu areas. The road works on Katima Mulilo Road involve a complete overhaul. Currently, the tar on the road has been dug out, and the road will be re-surfaced, and expanded, among other works such as improvement of drainage, street markings and pavings. The importance of this road cannot be over- emphasised. This road provides a shorter and alternative route particularly for heavy duty vehicles, coming from the east and heading north or vice-versa. Some of the roads that have been worked on in Lusaka in the last six months include Nasser, Katopola, Provident Street, Broads Road, Alick Nkhata/ Thabo Mbeki and Haile Silase roads (road expansion), and many others in areas such as Avondale, Olympia and others. Church Road is another road that recently received a facelift. The road was expanded and had its drainage and road sinage improved, following the completion of the new Levy Park Shopping Mall. It is hoped that once these road rehabilitation works are over then motorists would once again have the joy to ride on smooth and better roads for efficiency as opposed to traffic congestion being experienced on most urban roads which leads to unnecessary delays. Zimbabwe: Cement Plant for Masvingo - Sino-Zimbabwe has started carrying out feasibility studies to establish the extent of limestone deposits in the Nyanda Mountains on the outskirts of Masvingo where the company wants to build a cement-making plant. The Chinese company last year announced plans to establish Zimbabwe's fourth cement plant in Masvingo after stumbling upon limestone deposits in the Nyanda Mountains. Zimbabwe: Council Risks Losing Chinese Loan THE HERALD By Michael Chideme, 24 May 2012 HARARE City Council risks losing the US$145 million loan from the Chinese Import and Export Bank over Government's failure to pay interest on a loan advanced to the Zimbabwe Iron and Steel Industries, now NewZim Steel, in 1997. Once released, the loan is expected to boost water production and improve sewer management. Asked how the city was going to convince the Chinese to release the loan in the absence of a settlement on the existing debt, Dr Mahachi said council was capable of "taking care of its own issues". Sources indicated the city has set aside US$7 million towards paying the US$13 million insurance cover demanded by Sinosure -- the Chinese company that provides insurance to such loans. The bank wants the Zisco Steel loan paid before Harare can access the water and sanitation upgrading loan. He said the bank was insisting on an insurance to be paid by both City of Harare and Government "in order to secure the repayment of the loan of US$145 million". Mr Masunda said even Zimbabwe's "all weather friends" had become jittery in their business dealings "with us largely because of the perceived risks which are peculiar to Zimbabwe". He urged political leaders to desist from using language that frightens international lenders "who then end up loading normal loan facilities with onerous insurance cover premiums". If it receives the money, Harare will be able to recycle all its wastewater and plug all water loses. Harare loses up to 40 percent of treated water on its 6000km water reticulation pipeline. COMESA

Ethiopia: Assela Malt Factory to Inaugurate 300m Br Expansion Addis Fortune (Addis Ababa) By Daniel Kifle, 20 May 2012 - The sole malt factory is adding 12 additional silos with the capacity to hold 10,000 to 11,000 quintals each; to the 16 it already had as part of its expansion plans. Assela Malt Factory will inaugurate, on Friday, May 25, 2012, its 300 million-Br expansion project, which will increase the factory's production capacity to 360,000ql, after three years of work. A foreign supplier provided equipment and supervised the installation and commissioning works, according to Kiros Abreha Tesfasellassie, manager of the malt factory. "However, the actual installation and commissioning works were done by local companies, Mesfin Industrial Engineering and Sigma Electrical Engineering Plc, to save foreign currency," Kiros told Fortune. Construction work for the first phase was done by SA Construction Company, while Afro Tsion Construction handled the second phase of the project, Kiros said. Harar and Bedele breweries, acquired from the Privatisation & Public Enterprises Supervising Agency (PPESA) by Heineken, and Meta Brewery, acquired by Diageo, are all planning expansions. Heineken has 10 already announced a 700 million-Br expansion for Harar and Bedele, in addition to constructing an additional brewery. Diageo has also announced that it will invest 1.8 billion Br constructing a new brewing plant inside the compound of Meta. KENYA: IFAD addresses drought in Kenya's coastal region 24 may 2012 - Nairobi, Kenya (PANA) - UN's International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) will provide a loan of US$ 33 million to Kenya to finance poverty eradication and drought in rural Kenya, the foreign ministry said Thursday. Kenya: Chinese Get Sh3.3 Billion to Fix Kitale-Webuye Road The Star (Nairobi) By Stephene Sangira, 24 May 2012 - The government has awarded a Chinese company a two-year contract to rehabilitate the Webuye- Kitale highway. The Sh3.3 billion contract award comes a week after a poll by the BBC for the University of Minnesota showed that 75 per cent of Kenyans prefer Chinese contractors. The 58km road will be constructed to bitumen standards by Jianxi Zhongmei Engineering Construction Company, with funding from the government and the World Bank. "This project will reduce bottlenecks on transit traffic and trade, particularly in the Western region, opening up trade and investment opportunities for Kenya and the wider East African region. "The Bank, together with the Kenyan government and other partners are investing billions with a major focus on the Tanzania-Kenya-Sudan Corridor, which also has links to Uganda and Ethiopia. It is the second largest transport system after the Northern Corridor which takes up an additional Sh38.5 billion." Kenya: Here Is How to Build Costly Infrastructure The Star (Nairobi) By Su Wu and Kou Yang, 25 May Most of African countries are under developed and unable to afford the construction of infrastructures. Therefore, the establishment of a proper taxation system that will enable the collection of adequate capital for infrastructure is naturally a subject quite valuable for studying. The importance of a good infrastructure in development cannot be over-emphasized. However developing such an infrastructure requires huge sums of money. Building for instance the 1412km road from Lamu Port of Kenya to South Sudan, requires a bout $ 2.118 billion. Setting aside such a huge amount of money from the national budget will surely result in a big deficit and unfavourable effect on the economy. So it is wise to apply loan for the construction with expected profits of the road as mortgage. The Lamu-South Sudan road snakes through the underpopulated northern districts of Kenya to South Sudan. Once the project is complete, Kenya will benefit from it in several ways. Various forms of trade will spring up along the road leading to increased GDP and revenue of Kenya. Most importantly, goods imported by South Sudan will be offloaded at the Lamu Port and transported through this road. The cars travelling this road will bring in revenue through fuel levy. Besides, the road will save time as well as the cost of transport. For example, it usually takes three days for a container to reach South Sudan but that will reduce by a day on the new road. Furthermore, the road, because of its good condition, will save at least 20 per cent in fuel and decrease the expenditure of repairing vehicles. Overall, the project once complete will play a significant role promoting economic development. Consumers will also benefit a great deal because the prices of goods and services will go down by as much as 30 per cent. Part of this can be taxed and used to repay the loan borrow to build the road. Taxation can be conducted through tolling, increasing import and export tax and special infrastructure construction fund. For the Lamu Port- South Sudan road, tolls can be set up at the borders between two countries; special fund for roads can be imposed at the inland port along the border; and custom duty at inland port can be increased. The amount of taxation on infrastructures is determined by the construction cost, repayment period and the amount borrowed. If the loan is $2.118 billion with a 15-year repayment period and 4 per cent interest rate, then $94.568 million for each six months and $2.837 billion in total shall be repaid. Secondly, the cost of time and transport saved, which can be estimated based on the total quantity of goods imported from Uganda and Kenya, shall be taken into consideration. Thirty per cent of the saved cost shall be the taxation amount. Thirdly, compare the taxation amount and the $94.568 million due to repay for each six months. The project is feasible when the taxes are more than the loan repaid under the agreed duration. And now the detailed taxation standards can be finalised. In short, reasonable taxation is a good way to speed up construction of infrastructure and boost economic development - The writer is an engineer with China Railway Number Five Engineering Group. Kenya: World Bank to Focus on Roads The Star (Nairobi) 23 May 2012 - The World Bank will prioritise funding support for Kenya in roads construction, energy and implementation of the new constitution as well as reforms in the justice system, the bank's new vice president for Africa Maktar Diop has said. Kalonzo, who was accompanied by Roads PS Eng Michael Kamau said Kenya's request from the World Bank was being subjected to longer approval procedures compared to applications by other nations. Diop said concerns on governance issues around past projects was the reason for the extra scrutiny on Kenya's current requests. He however promised to ensure that Kenya gets support to aid the implementation of the new constitution, strengthen institutions, roads and the energy sector. Kamau said the country was seeking $300 million (Sh24 billion) for the urban transport improvement programme, which includes money for construction of the Nairobi flyover that connects Mombasa Road to Westlands, studies on the Bus Rapid Transit project, Meru bypass, studies on light rail network by Kenya Railways and the improvement of the airport - Rironi Road in Nairobi. 11 According to the cost estimates and financing plan drawn up by Treasury, the project will consist of three sections. Section one will consist of 7km of six lanes to run from JKIA junction to the Southern Bypass junction and will cost Sh3.6bn. It will also feature 8km of service and access roads and three interchanges. Section two which will cost Sh11.2bn will run from the Southern Bypass junction to James Gichuru road junction, a distance of 12km. It will include nine interchanges to get rid of the roundabouts in between such as Nyayo Stadium, Westlands, University Way and Haile Selassie roundabouts and also feature 4km of elevated highway. Section three will run from James Gichuru Road junction to Rironi, 26km, of which will include 7km of six-lane highway and 19km of 4 lanes. Roads minister Franklin Bett said the project is important to prevent traffic gridlock on Uhuru Highway. "On the completion of Nairobi-Thika highway, I expect a deluge of traffic onto Uhuru Highway," Bett said. "My PS and officials including Treasury are in Washington to discuss with the World Bank." The World Bank through its International Development Agency, is Kenya's largest lender for development projects particularly roads and energy. Kenya: Dual Road to Change the Face of Eastleigh The Star (Nairobi) By Stephene Sangira, 23 May 2012 The Kenya Urban Roads Authority yesterday awarded H. Young Construction Company a Sh252,350,328.10 contract for the rehabilitation that is expected to last 15 months. The main project involves 5.5km long dual carriageway with intermittent service roads. The road starts on Jogoo Road and stretches to Juja Road. General Waruinge and First Eastleigh Avenue are the major roads linking Juja Road, Outer Ring and the city centre. The 2.5km General Waruinge Road will be upgraded to a dual carriageway while the 3.5km First Avenue will be a two-way carriage way. The main Project Road under the contract is approximately 4.5km long dual carriageway - General Waruingi Street and 1st Avenue Eastleigh between 18th Street to Juja Road - and 1km long First Avenue Eastleigh (Jogoo Road- Eighteenth Street) single carriageway. The proposed road will also have 2m-wide cycle tracks and 1.5 m-wide footpaths on each side of the road, says the director general in charge of design and construction Eng. John Mwatu, . The scope of the works also involve strengthening the existing bituminous lanes and construction of additional bituminous lanes in order to upgrade the existing two-lane road to a standard two-lane two- way carriageway. The road will also have footpaths and street lighting and storm water drainage. "Under Vision 2030, the government has identified Eastleigh as a future business and commercial hub and Upper Hill as the financial hub of the East African region. It is intended that these upgrading of the roads will spur economic activity and decongest the Nairobi Central Business District while attracting investment," Mwatu said. "The two roads from phase one of the planned 18km roads to be upgraded and rehabilitated in Eastleigh over the coming years will see this part of the city experience unprecedented growth in business." Eastleigh second avenue is already under construction by Nothern Construction owned by Sheikh Burhan. Works are on progress and the contractor has already worked on the drainage section. Kenya: Cold Storage for Taveta Fish Farmers - Fish farmers in Taveta district are set to benefit from a multimillion storage facility that is under construction. The facility will benefit more than 400 farmers who had benefited from the government stimulus project where hundreds of fish ponds were constructed in the district. According to the Chala divisional fisheries officer, Titus Mwamburi, the farmers will now have access to a cold fish storage facility. "The government has already set aside the land for the two projects. A cold fish storage facility will soon be constructed for the farmers. They will also have access to cheap fish feeds, thanks to the fish feeds production factory that will also be constructed in the region soon," Kenya: Sh29 Billion Road to Link Mombasa, South Coast The Star (Nairobi) By James Mbugua, 23 May The government has received Sh29 billion from the Japanese government to construct a 20km road that will link the island of Mombasa to South Coast and provide an alternative route to the Likoni Ferry. The Mombasa Port Area Road development project is the largest single project funded by external lenders costing even more than the Thika Superhighway. It will feature a road that will branch off from the main Mombasa to Nairobi (A109) road and traverse southward through Mwache to the Dongo Kundu Industrial Area before joining the Mombasa-Tanzania road at Kibundani. Finance Minister Njeru Githae signed the exchange notes for the project with the Japanese Ambassador to Kenya Toshihisa Takata at the Treasury yesterday. "Once completed, the project will significantly decongest the city of Mombasa by providing an alternative option to the Likoni Ferry by linking the main land with South Coast," Githae said during the signing. "It will further complement the ongoing expansion of the Mombasa Port, and therefore contribute to higher economic development in the country." Roads minister Franklin Bett, who was present, asked for the process of getting the project underway to be fast-tracked by both government's technical teams. The minister said consultants to carry out detailed designs for the project will be advertised soon. "We already have preliminary designs," said Bett who requested land owners to cooperate with the Kenya National Highway Authority as it procures land for the road. The road is expected to traverse a swampy area and will feature four bridges one measuring over a kilometre long across the sea. The project will make it easier to get onto South Coast where many exclusive resorts are located especially in Ukundani. It will also connect the new container terminal near Moi International Airport with the Northern transport corridor and the South Coast. "The project is to construct Mombasa Southern Bypass (19.8km) and Kipevu Link road (5.7km)," Ambassador Takara said. "To ease the heavy traffic in

12 Mombasa, which is the objective of this project, it is essential to connect the southern coast of Mombasa and the northern corridor." The Japanese also funded the construction of the New Nyali Bridge which connects the island of Mombasa to the North Coast. The global head of the Japanese Agency for International Cooperation (JICA), which is funding the project, will be in the country on June 2 when he will also sign a grant for the expansion of Ngong Road from All-Saints Cathedral to Nakumatt Junction at Dagoretti Corner into a six-lane highway, Githae said. Kenya: Country to Receive U.S.$ 33 Million Loan From IFAD and Eur 12.8 Million Loan From Spanish Trust Fund - The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) will provide a loan of US$33 million to the Republic of Kenya to finance the Upper Tana Catchment Natural Resource Management Project. An additional loan amount of EUR 12.8 million from the Spanish Food Security Cofinancing Facility Trust Fund will also be provided to fund the same project. Kenya: World Bank Agencies Delay Lake Turkana Wind Project The Star (Nairobi) By James Mbugua, 21 May 2012 - On paper, Africa's largest wind power project seems relatively straight forward - 365 wind power turbines to be erected over 24,000 acres in Turkana and a 400kilometre transmission line to ferry the generated power to connect to the national grid at Suswa. In reality, as the Kenya government and state energy corporations involved are finding out, getting the project off the ground is far more difficult and it is now clear it will not commence next month as initially expected. The delay has been occasioned by international financiers who are to fund the Sh80billion project who want certain assurances before they sign onto it. Essentially, they boil down to two things; one, power distributor Kenya Power stands to incur heavy penalties if it is unable to take up power from the wind farm. This could happen if the power plant is ready and the transmission line is not or the transmission line could experience other problems including vandalism and acts of God that prevent evacuation of power. Investors want to be covered. The second issue is whether Kenya Power can be relied on to buy the power generated by the wind farm under the contract it has with the producer, that is to make regular payments as agreed. These demands have triggered a series of events that have ultimately led to the involvement of the World Bank Group and two of its agencies; the Multilateral Guarantee Investment Agency and the International Development Agency. Kenya Power asked the Kenya government to provide the guarantees demanded and the government in turn brought in the World Bank. Another state-owned entity, the Kenya Electricity Transmission Company, has been drawn into the issue because how it performs in putting up the transmission line from Loiyangalani to Suswa directly affects the risks Kenya Power faces. To start with, the project has two separate components each funded by different bodies; the wind power plant which will cost Sh62billion and is lead financed by the African Development Bank and the Sh15bn transmission line funded by the Spanish government and implemented by the Kenya Electricity Transmission Company. Being independently financed, the danger is that the power plant may be completed ahead of the transmission line opening up Kenya Power to stiff financial penalties it will owe Lake Turkana Wind Power company. "The government of Kenya and Kenya Power were supposed to provide certain securities towards our lenders, the African Development Bank," the chairman of Lake Turkana Power Carlo Van Wageningen said. "The Kenya government requested the intervention of the World Bank to assist in providing them such securities." A spokesman from the World Bank writing through the Kenya country office said MIGA has ben asked to provide investment guarantees that will act as insurance cover for lenders and possibly shareholders in case certain specified events arise. IDA which is better known for funding roads and energy projects in Kenya will backstop payment obligations that Kenya Power has to make to LTWP under their power purchasing agreement. Under the MIGA guarantee investors would want to be covered for political risks including change of government that could bring in different policies including things such as the power tariffs regime. "When you look at the PPA with Kenya Power and Lake Turkana people, there are some severe penalties if the plant is ready and KPLC cannot take the supply and one of the reasons they may not be able to take the supply is if we delay with this line," Engineer Joel Kiilu, the director-general of Ketraco told The Star on phone. "If that penalty kicks off, Kenya Power will really suffer so (they) asked the government to see if that penalty risk can be covered and it is the World Bank which was approached to provide that cover just in the event if that took place." Kenya Power officials had little to say when contacted only indicating that certain negotiations are ongoing. "I am made to understand that the issues you raised are matters that are under negotiation between LTWP and Kenya Power and have not been concluded," Migwi Theuri, the Kenya Power spokesman told The Star by email. The projected timelines for both projects sheds light on the power utility's concerns. The construction of the transmission line is supposed to take 23 months while that of the power plant 26 months. If both commence at the same time, Kenya Power has only a buffer of three months within when it should have started taking power. Concerns have now arisen as to whether the transmission line can be done in that time and government officials are hinting at renegotiating the deadlines. "The contract for the transmission line was signed, but it had very tight completion deadlines and therefore it is being reviewed with a view to extending the period so that the power station will not be completed ahead of the line. So that will be resolved," Energy permanent secretary Patrick Nyoike told The Star.

13 "If the power station is ready and the transmission line is not ready, then the producer of the wind energy, will be entitled to compensation. We need to synchronize the timing for completion of the wind power and the transmission line so there will be no claims." Ketraco confirmed it had received a request from Kenya Power to relook at its completion dates to make sure they are feasible. An Indian-firm, Power Grid, has been asked to review the contract Ketraco has with Isolux and has issued two reports with the final one expected soon. "Actually, those completion dates were very tight so one of the things Power Grid was looking at was those dates, are they realistic?" Eng. Kiilu said. Funding for the line meantime is expected soon. "The communication we got from the Economic Counsellor of the Spanish government was that the Spanish government had approved that loan worth 100million euros," Eng. Kiilu said. Kiilu said Ketraco is waiting communication from Spain so that Treasury can look at the loan agreement Once it is signed, Ketraco will give final notice to proceed to Isolux. "On our side we are going on with wayleave acquisition. We are now talking to the counties so that when they hit the ground, they find that the land is clear," Kiilu said. LTWP's Wageningen expresses confidence that the whole approval process could be through soon. "The World Bank has an internal process that is sometimes a bit lengthy because it needs to review and properly analyze the risks involved and that is what is taking some time but the process is nearing completion, hopefully by the end of this month and the middle of June, the process will be complete," he said. But statements from the World Bank indicate the process could take much longer as the multilateral lender seeks an exhaustive mitigation of all risks. "At this time, we can only confirm that the Government of Kenya has requested the Bank's assistance in the manner described above, because timing of Board presentation depends on a range of factors including pipeline of projects, the technical team's appraisal assessment, etc," the World Bank spokesman said. "As a guarantor, the Bank will conduct its appraisal once the parties confirm that the arrangements are in place." The lead financier, African Development Bank in the meantime has to wait before it can bring in syndication partners. " It is a complex project and we are working together with sponsors and the Kenya government and Kenya Power to make sure that the project is structured correctly, the right technology is used," Ewan Wheeler, who heads the private sector department at the AfDB regional office in Nairobi told The Star. AND THAT IS THE ESSENCE OF POWER PPP’s RISK IN AFRICA Kenya: Kura Says Too Many Court Cases Slowing Down Road Construction - THE development of infrastructure in most urban areas is affected by the numerous court cases filed by mostly private developers, the Kenya Urban Roads Authority has said. Kura Coast regional boss Tom Wamai said, in most cases, private developers get court injunctions stopping the construction or repair of roads. "Time is wasted and some projects never take off," Wamai said during the Architectural Association of Kenya Mombasa branch stakeholders' annual dinner at a Mombasa hotel at the weekend. Kenya: Kengen to Construct Sh57 Billion Power Plant The Star (Nairobi) By Reuters, 20 May 2012 Kenyan electricity generating company KenGen plans to raise funds from private investors for a $686 million gas-fired power plant to run on imported liquefied natural gas (LNG), Managing Director Eddy Njoroge said on Friday. KenGen, which relies largely on hydro power, said the plant would help meet growing demand for electricity and help prevent frequent blackouts in east Africa's biggest economy caused by generation shortfalls and an ageing grid. The company plans to raise the money for the project due by 2015 by appealing to private investors, and also expects the government to contribute capital. "We are now exploring ways to finance the project," Njoroge told Reuters. "We have not raised any funds yet, but we are working closely with the PPP unit (private public partnership) on how we can structure the project to be implemented as a PPP project." To be based at the port city of Mombasa, the plant will be fuelled by LNG processed at a facility located nearby and will reduce over-reliance on the more costly heavy fuel oil KenGen has resorted to during dry spells. Kenya last October said it planned to float a tender for a LNG terminal at Mombasa. Construction is expected to take up to 5 years. KenGen generates a total of 1,414 MW from a mix of thermal, renewable energy and existing hydropower dams, while Kenya's electricity consumption stands at 1,200 MW and is rising fast as the country strives to become industrialised. Njoroge said he expects the plant to provide 485 megawatts to the country and to have an economic life of 20 years. Once in production, the plant may be aided by several large natural gas finds off the coast of Tanzania and Mozambique. Western companies announced finds of huge additional quantities of gas off the coast of Mozambique and Tanzania this week, cementing the future of east and southern Africa as a new supplier exporting LNG to energy-hungry Asia. KenGen said the LNG could also come from the Middle East and other parts of the world. Rwanda: Armed Forces Veterans Tackle Virunga Floods - Rwanda Defence Forces' Reserve Force, in partnership with the Ministry of Natural Resources, have completed construction of over 800 cubic metre gabions along the water channels of Virunga Mountains. The Rwf 100 million project was undertaken to avert floods that have affected the area, leading to deaths and destruction of houses and farms. Rwanda: Law to Fill Critical Void, Architects Say By James Karuhanga, 25 May 2012 - An imminent legislation governing architecture and engineering services in the country, once enacted, will fill a critical void by enabling practitioners to limit chaotic operations, provide quality services and be competitive in the region and afar, the president of the Architects Association of Rwanda (AAR), Vianney H.J. Kamiya, told The New Times on Wednesday. The Minister of Infrastructure, Albert Nsengiyumva, had on Tuesday tabled the bill in the Chamber of Deputies, urging the House to prioritise it as there was no law governing architects and engineers in the country. 14 "When we go to countries where they have bodies of registration, the question we are asked is 'are you registered or not?' There are many people out there practicing but we do not know who they are and how many they are, but those who are in our records are about 30. Those who have fulfilled all the requirements are just about 15." Meanwhile, architects in the East African Community (EAC) met in Kampala, Uganda, in July last year, to sign an agreement to operates across borders without restraints. Rwanda: New Plan to Exploit Air Cargo Capacity THE NEW TIMES By Gertrude Majyambere, 25 May 2012 Most Rwandan exporters have not been able to capitalise on the burgeoning cargo space courtesy of increased activity in the country's aviation industry. Since January this year, Rwanda has registered three new passenger airlines and one cargo airline but demand for cargo space by traders is still small with Private Sector Federation (PSF) attributing it to lack of awareness. Traders say cargo flights are expensive. The Private Sector Federation and the National Agriculture Export Promotion Board targets farmers' cooperatives to boost production and ensure sustainability in the supply chain. PSF intends to use the Business Development Centres to sensitise producers and exporters, especially those dealing in perishable goods, on available opportunities if they form associations and explore ways of benefiting from the air cargo service. Traders, particularly those dealing in perishable goods have always complained about the absence of direct cargo flights to the Middle East, saying this contributes to high transport costs. SN Brussels and Kenya Airways, which do not have specific commercial cargo planes, have two to three tonnes of cargo space depending on the number of passengers and charge about €2 per kilogramme. "In the airline business, cargo prices are never fixed but it is determined by the quantity and consistency of the supplier," Ndambe Nzaramba, the Deputy Director General in Rwanda Agriculture Board, pointed out. He said government is willing to provide farmers with technical skills like quality management system, proper storage mechanisms, and hygiene requirements during and after harvesting of fresh produce, packing and handling. Rwanda: Local Contractors Claim Share On Deals to Foreign Firms THE NEW TIMES By Gertrude Majyambere, 22 May 2012 - Local construction firms through their umbrella association, AEBTP, are pushing for a 30 per cent share on public construction tenders given to foreign companies in a bid to improve their skills and competiveness. The association says that government favours foreign firms while awarding tenders for mega construction projects, and that the move to subcontract local firms would help them (locals) to learn from the expertise of foreign companies. "For other countries in the region it is a condition for foreign companies to sub contract a local firm to a reasonable percentage of the contract," said Papias Zawadi Dedeki, the Vice president of the Association of Building and Public works Contractors (AEBTP). He acknowledges that the sector lacks skill and the finances to implement big projects. Construction is one of the fastest growing sectors in Rwanda and local firms are keen to tap on this boom. However challenges such as lack of equipment and materials as well as high interest rates makes local firms uncompetitive compared to foreign firms that have cheap capital and access to equipment from their countries of origin. Local contractors are only limited to construction of roads, hospitals as well as water supply while mega infrastructure projects like hydro-electric power are given to foreign contractors, the association says. Business Times has leant that government asked foreign contractors to seek joint ventures with local companies. However, Dedek said foreign companies are yet to heed the call because there is no legal obligation to do so. Dr Alexis Nzahabwanimana, the Minister of State in charge of Transport in the Ministry of Infrastructure, said in giving out tenders especially for big projects they look at experience and thus government is encouraging local firms to partner. "They need to learn through partnering and not subcontracting, when subcontracted in road construction they do small things and always not part of the bigger project," he said. He urged that local contractors should focus on partnering with each other to strengthen their financial capacity if they are to compete for bigger projects. "Some companies are given tenders and wait to implement after payment, we rather have ten strong companies than the 200 scattered firms," he said. Somalia: The Soft Power Role of Turkey Institute for Security Studies (Tshwane/Pretoria) By Berouk Mesfin, 22 May 2012 analysis - Turkey has suddenly and vigorously undertaken a series of initiatives to help Somalia out of its dire political and economic crisis. Turkey's first visible initiative was organising a meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on 17 August 2011. The meeting was attended by 40 member states of the OIC and was intended to support Somalia, which was in the grip of a famine. It ended with a pledge to donate $350 million of humanitarian aid to Somalia. Two days after this meeting, on 19 August, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Erdogan visited Mogadishu. Against a backdrop of volatile security, he brought with him his wife, his children, ministers, businessmen and artists. The visit to Mogadishu was the first by a non-African leader in two decades. The primary objective of the visit was symbolic, as Turkey wanted to negate the perception that Mogadishu is irreversibly insecure and a no-go area. The second objective was to draw international attention to the need for more emergency humanitarian assistance to Somalia. By defying the apparently serious security risks - Al Shabaab was only expelled from Mogadishu a week before, on 8 August - Erdogan's visit was unquestionably a morale booster for Somalis. As Somali political analyst Abdihakim Aynte argues, the visit 'gave unprecedented validity to the Turkish efforts and reinforced the popular theory that Turkey is distinctly - and uniquely - a reliable fellow Muslim nation that can create global awareness about Somalia's plight'. In September 2011, in his speech during the General Debate of the 66th Session of the UN General Assembly, Erdogan also forcefully drew attention to the humanitarian catastrophe in Somalia. The speech further 15 enhanced Turkey's reputation in Somalia as a trustworthy and respectful stakeholder. This fact was not lost on more security-conscious and geopolitically competing regional players used to bullying Somali political actors into submission. Since Erdogan's audacious visit, the Turkish embassy in Mogadishu has been reopened and an ambassador, Cemalettin Torun, who has practical experience in humanitarian assistance, was speedily appointed. The challenges awaiting Torun are Herculean as Turkey embarks upon a major reconstruction programme in Somalia. It will rebuild the greatly damaged road from Mogadishu airport to the city centre and plans to build hospitals and rehabilitate existing medical facilities. It also plans to build a waste-disposal facility in Mogadishu and to provide trucks to remove the city's uncollected garbage. Schools run by Turks have opened up in Mogadishu and hundreds of university scholarships have been provided for Somalis to study in Turkey. Moreover, the Turkish Red Crescent established an Internally Displaced Persons' site where food is distributed and shelters are built. It is also digging water wells and plans to support the construction of an urban water system in Mogadishu. Turkish aid workers work and move safely in Mogadishu and no major attacks have directly targeted them. Yet, the terrorist blast in Mogadishu on 4 October 2011, which killed more than 70 Somalis, apparently targeted students queuing up to apply for Turkish scholarships. Turkey provided medical care in the wake of this dreadful attack, which showed that not all sides in Somalia appreciate Turkey's involvement. Lastly, Turkish Airlines has become the first major non-African airline in 21 years to operate regular flights to Mogadishu. The flights are operated twice a week from Istanbul to Mogadishu via Khartoum, Sudan's capital. The stated objective of the flights is to reconnect Somalia to the rest of the world and to make it easier for the large Somali diaspora scattered across the world to go back to Somalia. Turkey's Deputy Prime Minister Bekir BozdaÄŸ arrived in Mogadishu on 6 March 2012 to launch the first Turkish Airlines flight. BozdaÄŸ's visit was also intended to assess how best to manage and implement Turkey's assistance to Somalia. It can be asked what the real purpose is of these mostly unilateral initiatives, and of Turkey's dynamism in Somalia. Will Turkey's aspirations lead to misrepresentations and to unintended consequences in Somalia, including stirring resentment from Al Shabaab? Does Turkey adequately understand the divisions, strains and ploys in Somalia's polarised politics? Will Turkey's credibility and popularity in Somalia plummet if the implementation of its reconstruction programme proves sluggish? Is Turkey just a selfless and compassionate Muslim state carrying out an unconditional mission of humanity in another Muslim state that is suffering? Is Turkey only trying to rekindle its historical relations with Somalia that go back to the Ottoman Empire, which had, at the height of its power in the 16th century, occupied parts of Somalia that were then added to its territory? All these practical questions need to be answered. But onlookers should avoid premature judgments about the nature and durability of Turkey's motives and calculations on the probability of measurable success in terms of its initiatives on the ground. Only time will tell. One undeniable fact is that because of the active role it has assumed in Somalia, Turkey has, at least according to anecdotal evidence, won broad acceptance among the usually hyper-suspicious Somalis. A prominent Somali living and working in Mogadishu, for example, very enthusiastically told the author of this article that 'Somalis love Turks and what they're doing'. It is also noteworthy that its diplomatic efforts in Somalia presented Turkey with an important opportunity to illustrate its soft power in Africa. It is certainly an indication of Turkey's foreign policy ambition to become a major economic and political player in Africa. Indeed, Turkey announced in 2003 its new and more assertive foreign policy towards Africa, which was fast- tracked by Erdogan's 2005 high-profile visits to South Africa and Ethiopia. Since these unprecedented visits, Turkey has secured an observer status at the African Union, which now considers Turkey a strategic partner. In 2008, Turkey organised the Turkey-Africa Cooperation Summit. Fifty African states attended the summit, which adequately demonstrated Turkey's outreach to Africa. In the same year and looking ahead, Turkey also established new embassies in Africa. The total number of Turkish embassies on the continent will reach 33 by 2012. These embassies will all be tasked with identifying opportunities for trade and investment and establishing a long-term Turkish presence on the continent. Just as for other emerging economic powers such as India, Brazil and China, Africa possesses untapped natural resources that are important for Turkish industries. African states could also provide large and fast-growing markets for Turkish products. Moreover, in its global pursuit of diplomatic allies, Turkey's outreach to Africa has largely paid off. Indeed, in 2009 Turkey depended on Africa's 54 members of the UN General Assembly to win a seat as a non-permanent member on the UN Security Council, which it may seek to win again in 2015. - Berouk Mesfin, is a senior researcher, Conflict Prevention and Risk Analysis Division, ISS Addis Ababa. SOUTH SUDAN: World Bank boosts South Sudan's road network with US$38 million 21 may 2012 - Nairobi, Kenya (PANA) - South Sudan received a US$38 million World Bank grant on Monday to help rehabilitate feeder roads and increase access to rural communities in high agricultural potential areas, the Bank said in a statement, received by PANA here. South Sudan: U.S.-Based Billionaires Pledge to Rescue Nation's Economy Through Investment SUDAN TRIBUNE 23 May 2012 Juba — South Sudan may soon relax its austerity measures if the government reaches a break through with companies owned by a group of US-based multi-billionaires who have expressed their readiness to invest in various sectors in South Sudan. The visiting Group of billionaires headed by Rubar 16 Sandi, TSG-Southex company, on Monday arrived in Juba from the United States of America and met with the Vice-President, Riek Machar, in the presence of seven concerned ministers of the government during which they assured of their readiness to invest in the newly independent country. The Vice-President's Press Secretary, James Gatdet Dak, told the Sudan Tribune that the billionaires wanted to invest in crude oil, housing, roads and airports construction, agricultural schemes, supply of essential commodities such as food items and fuel, among others. The billionaires assured the government that unlike some other investors who look for funds elsewhere to finance their investments, the Group has its own money ready to invest provided that it reaches an agreement with the government on the terms of investment. The Group also expressed readiness to buy at least five million barrels of crude oil a month from South Sudan, even at well head. A STATE ‘FRONT’ CO. FOR USA OIL INTERESTS? South Sudan: World Bank Boosts Initiative to Improve Rural Roads for Service Delivery - Minister of Finance & Economic Planning Kosti Manibe Ngai met with World Bank Country Manager Laura Kullenburg, to sign a grant agreement aimed at improving rural roads in South Sudan. The minister expressed gratitude for the US$38 million grant saying, "Roads are the basis for trade and job creation, for getting services to people, for bringing our communities together." The funds will be used to upgrade and rehabilitate rural roads linking productive agricultural areas to market centers, and to strengthen the ability of the Ministry of Roads & Bridges to manage rural infrastructure. Sudan: African Development Bank Grants $ 4.6 Million for Darfur Projects - Khartoum — The Sudanese Ministry of Finance has signed an agreement with the African Development Bank for a $ 4.6 million grant to mend water facilities and teach local residents how to man the 15 water stations. Uganda: Number One Priority is Electricity - President Yoweri Museveni has said government welcomes Public Private Partnerships in the energy sector, adding that the number one priority for Uganda is affordable electricity to drive development through industrialization. Uganda: Chinese Firms Vie for NSSF Works The Observer (Kampala) By Samson Baranga, 24 May 2012 Three Chinese construction firms have been shortlisted for the final phase of the construction of National Social Security Fund's Pension Towers on Lumumba Avenue. NSSF managing director Richard Byarugaba said China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation East Africa Limited (CCECC), China National Aero-Technical International Engineering Corporation (CATIC) and Sinohydro Corporation made it to the prequalification stage. This means that out of the 17 bidders, a Chinese firm will handle the second and last phase of the Shs 260bn project. According to NSSF, already Shs 42.5bn has been spent on the first phase -undertaken by ROKO Construction - which involved construction of four basement levels. The Pension Towers is one of the projects under NSSF's Real Estate Investments portfolio, which also includes 5,000 housing units in Temangalo and 3,000 in Lubowa. Uganda: Govt Rushes to Repair 120 Collapsing Bridges - Addressing a press briefing at the media centre Tuesday, Byandaala told journalists that the Ministry needs sh11bn annually to repair and construct 10 of these bridges. It also needs another sh200bn to pay contractors that have done work on roads and bridges, according to the minister. The latest to collapse is the Mitaano Bridge which connects the Rukungiri-Mitaano- Kanungu road link between Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. He said that Mitaano link cannot be replaced immediately, but the Ministry of Works and the Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) will move an emergency bridge from Muzizi to reopen the Ntungwe Bridge link on the Katunguru-Ishasha road. He explained that the Mitaano link will need a 65m span bridge which is not available in the country currently. ECOWAS

Cameroon: Forests Pressured As Leaders Welcome Palm Oil Investors — Cameroon is inviting foreign companies to expand lucrative palm plantations, pitting the country's need for economic development against environmentalists who foresee the loss of important forests. Six foreign-owned companies are currently trying to secure over 1 million hectares (about 2.5 million acres) of land for the production of palm oil in the country's forested southern zone, according to a coalition of environmental organisations. Gabon: $58 Million Agreement With the World Bank to Improve Communication Services The Gabonese Republic entered into a $58 million loan agreement with the World Bank in order to finance the installation of an ACE (Africa Coast to Europe) submarine optical fibre cable. THE GAMBIA: IMF approves US$28 million credit for Gambia 26 may 2012 - Dakar, Senegal (PANA) – The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Friday approved a new financial credit for The Gambia under the ''Extended Credit Facility (ECF)" amounting to about US$ 28.3 million. GHANA: World Bank approves US$120m for agriculture in Ghana and Senegal 27 may 2012 - Accra, Ghana (PANA) - The World Bank has approved US$120 million for agriculture in Ghana and Senegal. Ghana: Move to Set up Coconut Market for Nzema - The mention of the commodity, coconut, is synonymous with the people of Nzema. Over the years, the people of Nzema have made capital out of the coconut business. A list of all the communities in all three districts was used as the sampling frame, from which purposive sampling was used to select the potential oil communities. In all, 47 communities were mentioned to be potential oil processing points, with 19, 12 and 16 from the Ellembelle, Nzema East and Jomoro districts respectively.

17 Ghana: First Capital Plus to Set Up Sugar Processing Plant - First Capital Plus (FCP), a savings and loans company, has disclosed that it would set up a sugar processing factory in Kyebi, capital of the Abuakwa State in the Eastern Region, and make other investments related to food security. This came to light when a 12- member high-powered delegation of the company and its affiliate in Switzerland, First Capital of Switzerland Investment Bank (FCS), paid a courtesy call on the Okyenhene, Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panin, at his palace on May Day to discuss investments related to food security in the country. Ghana: Work On Aboadze Thermal Plant Progresses GHANAIN CHRONICLE By Masahudu Ankiilu Kunateh, 22 May 2012 - Work is progressing steadily on various projects initiated by the Government of Ghana through the Ministry of Energy to ensure that the country's energy requirements are met. The Minister also visited the Domunli Gas and Power enclave, where plans are far advanced to build two 450 megawatts power plants that will feed on processed gas from Atuabo to generate electricity. The Minister, as well inspected on-going construction works on the Electricity Company of Ghana's new Substation "D" at the Takoradi Harbour. Dr. Oteng-Adjei's tour took him to Suazo and Ansokrom in the Jomoro District, Banso and Asonsi in the Nzema East Municipality, Adzan in the Ellembele District, and Simpa Nkwanta and Kofikrom in the Tarkwa Nsuaem Municipality, which are all benefiting from a $350 million rural electrification project being undertaken by Weldy Lamont/TMG, a US-Ghanaian collaboration. So far, design drawings for 1,292 towns in 17 districts in the Western Region, under first survey works by the contractor, have been approved by the ECG for construction. Out of this number, the state agency has issued work orders on 479 towns, for award packages to the contractor for which works have commenced in 402 towns. The Minister told journalists that the government had provided funding for the replacement of all obsolete equipment within the country's power transmission system, adding that when this is done, it would bring great relief to Ghanaians. Ghana: Nine Million Stone Quarry to Boost in Frastructure Dev't GHANAIN CHRONICLE By Stephen Odoi-Larbi, 21 May 2012 - Ghana's growing demand to develop its infrastructure has been given a boost with a US$9m stone quarry facility to supply granite chippings of different sizes to local and foreign firms working in the country's construction industry. A wholly indigenous firm, the Atiwa Quarries & Construction firm boasts of a three-phase job crasher equipment that easily crushes the granite chippings into different sizes for end users. With staff strength of 54, the facility has the capacity to produce 400 tones of granite chippings per hour. The facility is located at Opeikuma near Budumburam in the Central Region, a proximity which gives easy access to the facility from construction firms in ancient coastal city and Accra. NIGERIA: UNDP, Nigerian bank partner on renewable energy 22 may 2012 - Lagos, Nigeria (PANA) - Nigeria's Bank of Industry (BOI) and the UN Development Programme (UNDP) are collaborating to support investments in the use of renewable energy resources to improve the access to modern energy services for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in Nigeria Nigeria: Chinese Investors to Build Four Airport Terminals THIS DAY By Chinedu Eze, 25 May 2012 The Federal Government and Chinese investors have reached an agreement for the latter to build state-of-the- art terminals at four major airports in Nigeria, including Lagos, Kano, Abuja and Port Harcourt (in Rivers State). The projects, THISDAY learnt, are planned to be completed before the end of this administration. The terminals would not only meet international standards but also rival the best in the world, according to a source, who disclosed this to THISDAY. Although the terms of agreement reached between the FG and the investors are not yet made public, but a reliable source said that it would be on build, operate and transfer (BOT) basis, so "they are going to provide all the funds needed for the project under private, public partnership (PPP)". Nigeria: Ports' Efficiency Vital for Economic Growth - Minister of Finance and Co-ordinating Minister of the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has said that the Federal Government has decided to provide facilities and infrastructure at the nation's sea ports with a view to maximizing the economic gains from port operations. She explained that the rail tracks leading to the ports are next in line to be rehabilitated for easy movement of goods in and out of the ports. Nigeria: Labour Wants Apapa-Oshodi Road Rehabilitated Before Concessioning - Labour leaders on Friday called the fixing and expansion of the Apapa-Oshodi Expressway in Lagos before it is concessioned. The union chiefs were reacting to the planned concessioning of the road which leads to Lagos ports. Nigeria: Gombe Spends N19 Billion On Construction of 51 Roads DAILY TRUST 25 May 2012 - The Gombe State government has awarded contracts worth N19 billion for the construction of 51 roads, the state's Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Alhaji Shehu Hadi has said that the government awarded contracts for the construction of 12 township roads in Gombe, town, covering 16km at the cost of N3.5 billion. He said the government also awarded contracts for 19 roads in the state capital at the cost of N3.8 billion, adding that the city roads would be built by Messrs Triacta Nigeria Limited. Hadi said in the government's effort to ensure that other towns in the state are developed, the government awarded contracts for inter-township roads from Bajoga-Ashaka Gari at N950 million. He said other contracts were the 10km Akko-Mbula Road in Akko Local Government Area awarded at N859 million, and that the government might upgrade the road to serve as a by-pass at the cost of N700 million. "The 17km Gona-Garin Galadima-Tukulma road in Akko Local Government Area which has three bridges, cost N1.8 billion, while in Billiri, the 27km Billiri-Gujba-Kamu Awak road and Ture-Sabon Layi Awak-Dogon Ruwa road, which is 24km long, cost over N2 billion each," Hadi said. The commissioner said the government is building two roads in Balanga Local Government Area at N587 million and another road in Billiri at N683 million. He said the

18 government was also building a road in Kaltungo at N568 million, one in Bajoga town at N233 million and another in Dukku at N402 million. Nigeria: Council Advocates Mini Sugar Plant Concept to Empower Farmers - Mini sugar plant concept in Nigeria will empower local farmers to adopt the value-chain approach that will enable them generate income from cane production to processing, sugar production and marketing, the Acting Executive Secretary, National Sugar Development Council, Dr. L.D. Busari, has said. A mini sugar plant has the capacity to process between 10 to 500 tonnes of cane per day. Busari said that a 10 tonnes of cane per day (TCD) plant will extract cane juice up to 10 tonnes in one day, while a 500TCD will crush 500 tonnes of sugar cane daily. "These plants are suitable for cottage to small-scale industries in rural areas and could attract infrastructure investments by federal, state and local government authorities in collaboration with the National Sugar Development Council. These infrastructures include rural feeder roads, electricity and water supply for irrigation purposes among others," he said. Nigeria: Gaidam Revokes Nguru-Machina Road Contract - Yobe State Governor Ibrahim Gaidam has revoked a contract for the construction of the 60-kilometre Nguru-Machina road, first awarded during the previous administration of former governor, Bukar Abba Ibrahim. Gaidam said the road was initially awarded at the cost of N2 billion by the previous administration to A.K. Construction Ltd, but in 2007 when the current administration first came to power, the contract was reviewed to N2.4billion. "Despite the review and our determination to ensure completion, the contractor continues to be slow and even inactive. More so, the quality of work leaves much to be desired," he said. Nigeria: Building an Agro Industrial Edo State - Edo State Government recently organised a one-day agricultural summit where stakeholders brainstormed on ways of turning the state into an agro-industrial hub aimed at boosting food production and employment generation. Adibe Emenyonu, who covered the summit, presents the various views, comments, and outcome Nigeria: Apapa-Ibadan Gas Pipeline to Be Repaired Soon – Peterside — Hon. Dakuku Peterside, the Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum (Downstream), says the faulty gas pipeline from Apapa to Ibadan will be repaired soon. NIGERIA: Schneider Electric Delivers 350 Transformers to Ogun State - Schneider Electric said it has delivered 350 transformers to the government of Ogun State in fulfillment of the terms of its sales contract signed with the government. Nigeria: Train Seven to Attract $8 Billion FDI THIS DAY By Ejiofor Alike, 22 May 2012 - Former Head of Interim National Government, Chief Ernest Shonekan, has stated that from the stand point of economics, the proposed Train 7 of the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) in Rivers State would attract Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) estimated at over $8billion. On employment generation, he stated that Train 7 would provide about 10,000 jobs for Nigerians, and particularly the youths in the Niger Delta. Shonekan said Nigeria no longer had the luxury of deferring major decisions or picking and choosing developmental projects to do and in what order, adding that the LNG market was tightening, with other nations not staying idle. "The United States, formerly a major LNG export destination, will become a net LNG exporter by 2016, starting at 1.1 billion cubic feet per day and rising to 2.2 bcf/d in 2019. Australia has 10 fully sanctioned LNG projects with a total of 20 trains, 81 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) of capacity and $215 billion worth of final investment decision. China and United States will soon become major exporters of shale gas. Chinese reserves are estimated at 1,275 trillion cubic metres. Mozambique will next year take a final investment decision to build a two-train facility for its recent gas finds offshore Mozambique," he said. He stated that the Nigeria LNG Limited was once the fastest growing facility in the world but had lost its place in front of the queue to Qatar and Australia. Nigeria: FG Spends U.S.$1 Billion on Gas Infrastructure, Says Minister Leadership (Abuja) 22 May 2012 The Federal Government says it has spent about one billion dollars in the last one year on the development of gas infrastructure meant to fast-track the economic development of the country. Mrs Diezani Allison-Madueke, the Minister of Petroleum Resources, said "In the last year, we have made significant progress in gas infrastructure, gas supply growth and stimulation of gas industrialisation. "Specifically, in this time frame, we have invested close to a billion dollars in almost 1000km of gas pipeline development. "The investment, which is the most expensive in the last 30 years, is aimed at developing the sector; create job opportunities and make Nigeria the regional hub for gas-based industries." Allison-Madueke said the ministry was embarking on a massive expansion of the gas pipelines and facilities so as to achieve the gas-to-power initiative. "The 130km, 24-inch Oben-Geregu gas pipeline has been completed and commissioned and this will open up gas access to the Geregu Independent Power Plant (IPP) and Dangote Obajana cement plant. "The 50km Ipe Annang-Calabar Pipeline will also open up the Calabar axis to gas and other industries." She said there were other ongoing projects across the country that would ensure adequate power supply when completed. "The 104km, 24-inch Escravos-Warri pipeline doubling capacity to 600mm cf/d that will provide immediate access to 80mm cf/d of gas is nearing completion, "Production has continued to grow steadily, attaining a peak production rate of 2.5 million barrels per day. "This has been underpinned by major new projects, including the USAN project which was commissioned in April with a production of 180,000 barrels per day." Allison-Madueke explained that the ministry was developing the country's gas and hydrocarbon potential in other inland basins in addition to reserves in the Niger Delta and offshore basins. "With the dredging of the River Niger, we will be able to move Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) around the country, bringing gas to the 19 east, west and northern parts of the country." She said the government was committed to stimulating economic growth through the development of the oil and gas sector. Alison-Madueke said the ministry was on course in the implementation of the Gas Master Plan that would attract over $30billion investment in gas infrastructure and the development of gas based industries. She also said the ministry was working with all stakeholders in the sector and international oil companies to increase the gas supply to the Independent Power Plants (IPPs) On oil theft in the country, she said the ministry had intensified collaboration with security agencies and that a task force was underway to curb the menace. Nigeria: Borno to Rehabilitate Palaces of Traditional Rulers Maiduguri — Palaces of traditional rulers in Borno State would soon be wearing new looks as the government as concluded arrangements to work on them. Nigeria: FG Approves Construction of Silos for Farmers in Abia - The Federal Government has approved the construction of silos in Abia for the preservation of farm produce in the state, Chief Ike Onyenweaku, the Commissioner for Agriculture, has said. Onyenweaku said that arrangements had been concluded to site modern silos in Ikwuano Local Government Area of the state. "Apart from the silos currently under construction in Okigwe, Imo state, the Federal Government has also concluded arrangements to site many silos for famers in Abia." Onyenweaku said the state government, on its own, had attracted three different factories that would buy up farm produce and turn them into finished products. He said that the factories would be sited in each of the three zones of the state. "We are equally setting up garri processing factories in the state. The factories will have the capacity of producing 230 tons of garri per day." Nigeria: Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport to Get Second Runway - TO expand international air traffic at Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport in Abuja, NAIA, the Federal Government is set to construct a second runway. "There is no going back on the contraction of a second runway for NAIA and aprons, taxi ways and airfield lighting for other airports. And independent power projects, IPP, for designated airports. Nigeria: FG Set to Reconstruct Niger Rep, Cameroon Link Road - Indications emerged at the weekend that the Federal Government may have concluded plans to rebuild the 120 kilometres Nguru-Gashua-Bayamari road in Yobe State, which was constructed 40 years ago linking the country to Niger republic and Cameroon. Similarly, Anambra State Governor, Mr. Peter Obi, said he was also seeking the permission of the Federal Government to reconstruct the Amansea-Amawbia stretch of the old Enugu-Onitsha federal high way which passed through Awka, the state capital, the tender has already been published, very soon we are going to have a contractor who is going to construct that road." The stretch of road will cost N3 billion. The money is in the bank. Nigeria: Kwara to Spend N200 Million On Five Hospitals - The Kwara State government has said that it would spend more than N200 million on the rehabilitation of five general hospitals across the state. Sierra Leone 'blood diamonds' not forever 21 May 2012 By Mark Doyle The west African state of Sierra Leone has taken another symbolic step away from its wartime image as the home of the "blood diamond". An Israeli-owned company has started operating a big new stone-crushing plant at a modern diamond mine in the east of the country. It is the area where the rebel war in Sierra Leone began in 1991 and - not coincidentally - the place where most of the country's diamonds are found. The contrast between the modern new plant, based in the town of Koidu, and traditional hand-dug alluvial mining could not be more stark. The plant is part of a wave of foreign investments in mining, roads and buildings that have transformed the face of Sierra Leone in the past few years. The Mayor of Koidu, Sahr Musa Sessie-Gbenda, said: "Before the war this was a major trading centre because it's near the borders of Guinea and Liberia. "Then during the hostilities the economy took a nose dive. Now, people are trying to rebuild again." Koidu is still a very poor place by international standards. I didn't see a single properly tarmacked road in the town and most people here have to get by without running water or mains electricity. But the markets are buzzing with activity and bulldozers are beginning to dig storm drains along major routes and grade some of the tracks. The owner of the newly refurbished mine that trades under the name Koidu Holdings, is an Israeli billionaire, Beny Steinmetz. By chance he was in Koidu when I visited and although he said he never gave broadcast interviews, I managed to persuade him to say a few words. He did not say much - billionaires, I suppose, do not have to. "This is the future," he said. "It means work for the people and income for the country". When I visited Koidu in the late 1990s it was a moonscape of small pits dug by civilians but largely controlled by armed rebels who stood over them to "tax" any gemstones they found. The thirst for diamonds, called "blood diamonds" because many were used to buy rebel guns, was so intense back then that people were digging up the foundations of houses in search of gems. At the time, I did not understand why the footings of houses were so attractive to the diggers. But an engineer at the new mine explained the phenomenon to me on my return visit this year. "In the 1970s and 80s people built the foundations of their houses here using gravel waste from a long abandoned diamond mine," the engineer said. "Over the years the demand for diamonds increased, so what was waste a long time ago could be exploited again, especially because the rebels had slave labour to do the work for them." "That's why, when you came here in the late 1990s," the engineer told me, "you saw people digging up their living rooms!" Today

20 there are still thousands of people living off traditional hand-dug mines in the Koidu area. Digging and panning for diamonds by hand is backbreaking work, but for many people it is the only work available. The new plant that runs 24 hours a day only employs a small percentage of the people in the area who would like jobs there. Sierra Leone's foreign investment boom, mainly in iron ore and diamond mines but also in roads and new homes, has created small islands of prosperity and the possibility of increased tax revenues for the state. But the majority of Sierra Leoneans are still extremely poor and it is still an open question how much of this new investment money will, in the development economists' phrase, "trickle down" to ordinary people. The vast majority of Serra Leoneans make a living out of agriculture. A cocoa trader in Koidu, Job Koademba, said small scale investments in farms were essential if more people were to be brought out of poverty. "Lots of people have land," Mr Koademba said, "but having land without money to invest in it - to buy seeds and tools - is like having a car without any fuel in it. It's no use." Mr Koademba is undoubtedly right. But it is also true that in the past decade or so Koidu has changed beyond all recognition. Where there were rebels with guns, there are now police officers. Where there were hungry, displaced people, there are now lively market traders. A bad image or reputation sticks like glue - especially in Africa. So it is worth saying again. There are no more "blood diamonds" in Sierra Leone. TOGO: World Bank gives Togo 6.5 billion FCFA to develop private sector 25 may 2012 - Lomé,Togo (PANA) – The World Bank has granted Togo 6.5 billion CFA francs to enable the west African nation develop its private sector, an official source told PANA here on Friday. AFRICA

AFRICA: SA ports operator begins to sniff African prospects ENG NEWS 25th May 2012 South African port operator Transnet Port Terminals (TPT) reports that it intends to increase its footprint in the growth market represented by Africa by forming partnerships with other African ports and promoting the country as a regional hub for the rest of the continent. TPT acting CE Logan Naidoo says the State-owned port operator has previous experience outside South Africa, which could help to position African ports as the growth engines of their respective economies. This is in support of nine strategic transport sector aims set out by the African Union and the New Partnership for Africa’s Development, which is focused on enhanced efficiency of transport infrastructure, services and key transport corridors to strengthen the economic and social development of the African continent. Key intracontinental initiatives being pursued by TPT include offering services such as port terminal operations, consulting, training, equipment maintenance and information technology systems to other African ports; regional port planning and port pairing initiatives with other African ports; and signing memorandums of understanding with other African countries. Naidoo adds that South Africa, as the most developed country in Africa, offers the infrastructure and services to unlock the region’s frontiers. “By facilitating the supply of goods and providing essential infrastructural services, TPT can play a vital role in the South African government’s New Growth Path strategy. This strategy seeks to widen the market for South African goods and services through a stronger focus on exports to the region’s rapidly growing economies,” he notes. Further, Naidoo points out that TPT’s past experience outside South Africa includes assistance with terminal operating systems, port consultation and training programmes in ports such as those in Namibia, Kenya, Cameroon and Mauritius. The former Portcon International consultancy arm of sister division Transnet National Port Authority (TNPA) had likewise carried out work in Ghana between 2001 and 2004. A regional port planning strategy between South Africa’s deep-water Port of Ngqura and other ports in the region is now under way to leverage opportunities. President Jacob Zuma champions the continent-scale North–South Corridor and Transnet is playing a key role in ensuring that this corridor’s potential is unlocked so that freight can move easily and efficiently. TPT has also attracted the attention of African ports, thanks to the superior port operations training programmes and facilities offered at the Transnet School of Ports, located in the Port of Durban, where TNPA also offers highly sought-after marine training. With potential for one-billion consumers, the continent’s ascension into one of the fastest- growing economies has created massive demand for infrastructure, goods and services. International terminal operators are moving into Africa’s ports with great speed, and developments over the next three years in Kenya, Mozambique and Tanzania will see a total of more than $689-million spent on port upgrades. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) predicts that, over the next five years, Africa will surpass Asia and seven African nations will be in the top ten fastest-growing economies. The IMF also forecasts 2012 growth figures averaging around 6% for sub-Saharan Africa – and with countries like Angola raking in gross domestic product, growth almost double that, the continent is touted as the investment destination of the decade. AFRICA: Africa home to world’s fastest growing economies, says brand expert 26 may 2012 - Nairobi, Kenya (PANA) - More than half of the world’s fastest growing economies are in Africa, paving the way for Africa to transform itself from being a net importer of goods and services to being self sufficient.

21 AFRICA: FDI: Morocco ranks 2nd in Africa in 2011 23 may 2012 - Rabat, Morocco (PANA) - Morocco has been ranked second in Africa, behind continental economic powerhouse South Africa, in terms of Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs) in 2011, according to "FDI Intelligence", a Rabat-based subsidiary of the Financial Times Limited. Africa: Country Clinches Multi-Million Dollar Agriculture Deal Tanzania Daily News (Dar es Salaam) By Mkumbwa Ally, 22 May 2012 — THE eight most industrialized countries have pledged 897 million US dollars support to Tanzania under the new alliance to bolster agriculture and food security in Africa announced by President Barack Obama here last Friday. Tanzanian projects to benefit from the funding are those under the Agriculture Sector Development Programme as well as the southern corridor scheme. Agriculture is the major occupation in Africa and the new push spearheaded by the US is aimed at marshalling resources from the private sector to augment government efforts to modernize farming and raise yield per hectare. Private investment is encouraged in food crop farming and the supply of fertilizers, pesticides and high yielding seeds as well as agro-processing to add value to farm produce. President Kikwete explained that the G8 support would initially benefit Tanzania, Ethiopia and Ghana, which have been praised for having precise and comprehensive plans for agricultural development. Meanwhile, President Kikwete said his government had started consultations with the US government agency for strategic development support to renew Tanzania's Millennium Challenge Account. "We have given the signal and they have expressed willingness to listen," he said. The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) provided 698 million US dollars under the first phase to finance Tunduma-Sumbawanga, Namtumbo Mbeya, Tanga-Horohoro and Pemba roads. It also covered rural electrification schemes in six regions and Zanzibar and improvement of water supply in Dar es Salaam and Morogoro. The second phase is also expected to focus on roads and power supply. Africa: CAD Fund to Increase Agriculture Investment in Continent - China-Africa Development Fund (CADFund), the Chinese state fund promoting investment co-operation between China and Africa, is considering entering into partnerships with Agriculture development banks in some African countries to expand investment, the fund's vice president Hu Zhirong said. The plan would also consider partnering with local agriculture companies and other financial institutions supporting agriculture development, he said. Hu, not indicating which banks the fund is targeting, said CADFund is currently funding different agriculture projects in Malawi, Zambia, Mozambique, Tanzania and that plans are at an advanced stage to extend the funding to Sudan. Xinhua MIDDLE EAST/OTHER

ARAB SPRINGBOARD: Abu Dhabi's TAQA targets N.Africa utility needs May 23, 2012 By Sarah Young LONDON: North Africa and the Middle East are ripe with opportunities for new power and water projects, said the CEO of state-owned utility firm Abu Dhabi National Energy Co (TAQA), which is eyeing expansion across the region after a foray into Turkey. Last year's Arab Spring highlighted the region's urgent need for improved power and water supplies, believes TAQA's chief executive Carl Sheldon, who expects the company's future growth to come from building such infrastructure. "One interpretation of the Arab Spring is that its the manifestation of rising expectations in young, growing populations. Within that bundle of expectations, inescapably, is the expectation of reliable utilities," Sheldon told Reuters in an interview on Wednesday. "People want the lights on 24 hours a day and they want water fit to drink, and plenty of it. That plank in the bundle of expectations is something that we can deliver." Iraq, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia and Algeria are all on TAQA's radar as countries offering opportunities, Sheldon said, adding that TAQA could also complete an acquisition in Turkey this year, building on a relationship established with the government on Tuesday. "That's a country that does interest us so you might see us do something there," Sheldon, who trained as a lawyer, said. TAQA, which has a market capitalisation of around $1.9 billion and is 75-percent owned by the government of Abu Dhabi, hopes to leverage its government connection to do deals. "We get a different type of access to political decision makers," Sheldon said. In addition to its power and water operations, TAQA also has a substantial oil and gas business producing an average 145,000 barrels of oil per day from assets in the North Sea and Canada. Sheldon said that the company could look to develop oil and gas assets alongside power and water projects in countries in North Africa and the Middle East, but plans are also underway to boost production through acquisitions in the British North Sea. "We're buyers in the North Sea. We like it. We make a success out of it. We've shown that we can make a business out of taking over late life assets and turning them round," he said, referring to the company's main assets there which it bought from Shell and Exxon Mobil in 2009. Sheldon declined to comment on whether TAQA was bidding for Toronto and London-listed North Sea oil firm Ithaca Energy , after being named by analysts as a potential bidder for the firm. "We're not really interested in making acquisitions that are just dollars for barrels because there's no upside in that," he added when asked about what sort of deal he would do in the North Sea. BAHRAIN: Bahrain airlines told to start paying upfront for fuel - Bahrain's airlines will have to start paying upfront for fuel after it emerged the country's two carriers had run up a combined unpaid bill of $200m at 22 Bapco, Gulf Daily News has reported, citing unnamed sources. Gulf Air and Bahrain Air have been warned that from July 1 they will no longer be supplied fuel on credit, the sources said. "It will not be possible to give the airlines free fuel any longer so they have been told to make arrangements to pay to get fuel," sources said. "We have given them (the airlines) enough time to pay up." Energy minister Dr Abdulhussain Mirza told the parliament last Tuesday that Gulf Air had an outstanding fuel bill of $173m, while Bahrain Air owed Bapco $20m. BAHRAIN: New homes in Bahrain being sold 'at loss' - According to a report by property consultancy CBRE, Bahrain's residential property market remains 'severely' depressed, amid continued uncertainty surrounding the political and economic environment, The National has reported. New homes that are coming into the market are, in some cases, being sold at a loss, the report said. "Several middle-income housing projects have been launched in Bahrain in the last three months, and sales have reportedly been brisk to date," it said. "However, analysis reveals that some of these projects are effectively being sold at a loss, or at best, cost price, in order to stimulate the market and raise the profile of the ongoing master-planned projects of which they are merely a very early phase." Egypt: Ganzouri Approves Establishing Ras Sedr Airport At Le 600 Million Egypt State Information Service (Cairo) 21 May 2012 - Prime Minister Kamal al-Ganzouri approved to set up a new airport in Ras Sedr, with a total cost of approximately LE 600 million. The Premier discussed the lengthy and detailed economic and feasibility studies of the new airport, said the Minister of Civil Aviation, Engineer Hussein Masoud. The developmental revenues, big tourist attraction and accelerated development of the industrial zones East and West of Suez and Abu Zanima area have also been considered by the cabinet, said Masoud. Egypt: Egp 1.8 Billion to Set Up Sodium Carbonate Project in North Sinai Egypt State Information Service (Cairo) 21 May 2012 - Dr. Mahmoud Eissa Industry and Foreign Trade Minister witnessed the signing of a protocol to establish a sodium carbonate project with a production capacity of half a million tons annually. The plant is to be set up in Ber Al Abd, North of Sinai with investments of LE1.8 bn Egypt: Egp7.5 Billion Investment to Develop Ports, Railways and Roads Egypt State Information Service (Cairo) 20 May 2012 - Minister of Transport Dr.Galal Mostafa said on 19/05/2012 that the budget allocated for upgrading ports and railways exceed EGP 7.5bn pounds. EGYPT: Starwood Hotels and Resorts plans Egypt expansion - Starwood Hotels and Resorts is pressing ahead with plans to expand in Egypt, despite disruption to a number of projects and the decline in the tourism industry caused by political and social upheaval, The National has reported.. The company believes that there are further opportunities for it to open more hotels in areas including Sharm El Sheikh, Hurghada and Cairo, he added IRAN: Iran plans oil terminal outside the Strait of Hormuz - The Iranian oil ministry has announced plans to build an oil terminal at Bandar Jask outside the Strait of Hormuz to ensure exports in the event of Gulf shipping problems and to ship Caspian oil, Reuters has reported. It would be connected to the Caspian Sea port of Neka using a one million barrel a day pipeline, said the head of the Iranian Oil Terminals Co (IOTC), Seyyed Pirouz Mousavi. "In the event of any type of problem in exporting crude oil from the Kharg terminal, this terminal can provide back up for exports," he said. IRAQ: Iraq Minister says six companies in the running for surface transport masterplan contract - Iraq's Construction & Housing Minister Mohammed Al Derajy told the MEED Arabian World Construction Summit (AWCS) this morning that six companies are in the running for the contract to complete a surface transport masterplan for the whole of Iraq. This will cover roads and railways but will not encompass aviation and sea transport, he said. IRAQ: Iraq plans to build 2.5 million homes by 2016 - Iraq's Construction & Housing Minister Mohammed Al Derajy told the MEED Arabian World Construction Summit (AWCS) this morning that Iraq plans to build a total of 2.5 million homes by 2016. He said the housing programme must, however, address major challenges. "We need to prepare a maintenance body and an approach to maintain our housing complexes," Al Derajy said. "We need to provide land with infrastructure. Our human resources need to be trained properly to work on housing projects." "We need to use our oil revenue in housing projects. We are talking about using oil revenue directly by asking oil companies to build housing and which they would charge for over their oil production period." JORDAN: Jordan tenders for Aqaba oil terminal - Jordan's energy ministry has invited international contractors to prequalify for a crude oil and products terminal at its Red Sea port of Aqaba, Reuters has reported. Contractors were invited to respond to a prequalification request by June 21, said a ministry official who added it was premature to estimate the cost of the terminal until detailed technical and financial offers are submitted by short-listed firms at a later stage. KUWAIT: Kuwait plans new refinery - Kuwait National Petroleum Co (KNPC) has announced plans to float tenders in the coming weeks for a new $14.5bn refinery at Al Zour, Saudi Gazette gas reported. The new plant, which will have a capacity of 615,000 barrels per day (bpd), is expected to be complete by 2017 and is part of plans to increase national production to 4 million bpd by 2020. The company will also select consultants for the Clean Fuel project, an $18bn upgrade of two existing refineries that will increase their capacity and enable them to produce lighter grade fuel, KNPC said. KUWAIT: Kuwait proposes to give $35,000 to families - A number of Kuwait legislatures have prepared a new proposal to grant every family KD10,000 ($35,000) to be used to clear the debts of those who have any, while others will just receive the credit in their bank accounts, Kuwait Times has reported. Similar previous 23 proposals were rejected in the past by the parliament, as they were always in favour of only those who had loans. The proposal is expected to cost the government around KD2bn. AVOIDING ‘ARAB SPRING’ UPRISINGS QATAR: Qatar cut from 2020 Olympic bid field - The International Olympic Committee has chosen Istanbul, Madrid, and Tokyo as finalists to host the 2020 Summer Games, dashing the hopes of Doha and Azerbaijan 's Baku, Reuters has reported. QATAR: Barwa plans $550m residential community for workers - Qatar's second-largest property developer by market value, Barwa Real Estate Co plans to award contracts to build a QR2bn ($550m) residential community for labourers within two months, Bloomberg has reported. The community, to be built in an industrial area on the outskirts of the capital, will accommodate 50,000 workers and include residential units, catering facilities, recreational areas, Barwa CEO, Abdulla Al Subai, said. "We floated the tender now and we expect to award it in July," Al Subai said. The project will be completed "in phases in the next two years," he added. SAUDI: Saudi Arabia, Azerbaijan in energy exploration deal - Saudi-based Foroof International has signed a memorandum of understanding with the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) for long term projects in the petroleum sector in the kingdom, Saudi Gazette has reported. According to the agreement, a joint venture in which SOCAR will have a 75% stake is to launch operations in Saudi Arabia in the coming months. It also covers the work of SOCAR in the oil and gas sector of the kingdom and in particular the exploration of gas structures and the geological, geophysical and other works. UAE: Fujairah port to increase oil storage capacity - The harbour master at the UAE port of Fujairah has said oil storage capacity in the port is expected to rise to around 7.8 million cubic meters by 2014 from its current capacity of 5.8 million cubic metres, Reuters has reported. Oil storage capacity is expected to rise to 6.8 million cubic meters by the end of this year, he said, adding that the increase will come from the completion of projects by Aegean Maritime, Gulf PetroChem and ENOC, as some of these firms are building in Fujairah for the first time. UAE: Dubai awards new road contracts - Dubai's Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) has awarded two contracts for constructing internal roads at Al Qusais 3, and Al Qouz-4 at a cost of Dhs38m, Emirates 24-7 has reported. The two projects represent the initial phase of the 5-Year Plan 2012-2016, which covers five residential communities namely: Hatta and Al Qusais 3 in addition to Al Qouz 2, 3 and 4, said RTA chairman, Mattar Al Tayer. Construction works are set to start this week and the project is scheduled for completion in the first half of 2013, he said. UAE: Arabtec Construction rises on new contracts awarded in Dubai - The Dubai benchmark index DFMGI fell 0.22% to close at 1,477.04 Monday, although bellwether Emaar gained 0.34% to hit Dhs2.91. Dubai Islamic Bank (down 2.10% at Dhs1.89) and Tabreed (off 2.44% at Dhs1.20) weighed on the gauge, while low trading volumes led to a volatile trading session. Arabtec Construction gained 1.05% to close at Dhs2.90. Earlier in the day, Arabtec said that one of its subsidiaries, Arabtec Engineering Services was awarded three contracts in Dubai with a total value of Dhs47.2m. The contracts included sewerage and drainage system works and road improvements. YEMEN: Saudi Arabia pledges $3.25bn in aid to Al Qaeda-hit Yemen - Saudi Arabia, Gulf countries and Western have pledged more than $4bn in aid to Yemen at a Riyadh conference, Reuters has reported. At the Riyadh conference, the world's top oil exporter pledged $3.25bn of a total $4bn in aid. Yemeni finance minister Sakhr al-Wajih said he would be happy if his country achieved economic growth of 1% in 2012, and that even this modest goal relied on foreign generosity. The country is likely to run a $2.5bn budget deficit this year, he added. YEMEN: Donors pledge $4 billion in aid to Yemen RIYADH - International donors, with Saudi Arabia in lead, have pledged more than $4 billion in aid to Yemen, the impoverished West Asian country battling terrorism and a possible humanitarian catastrophe due to food crisis. Of the pledged funds, neighbouring Saudi Arabia will provide the bulk $3.25billion to help the Yemeni government improve security and infrastructure.

AFRICA INFO, GENERAL INTEREST & RISK ISSUES

AFRICA: Local knowledge key to navigating Francophone Africa’s market risks ENG NEWS By: Schalk Burger 25th May 2012 - Grassroots engagement with societies and communities, as well as knowledge of local legislation and regulatory practices, is crucial for the sustainability of companies venturing into the lucrative, but varied, Francophone African markets, say three experts on Western and Central African markets. Telecommunications major MTN group chief commercial officer Christian de Faria, Institute for Security Studies African Security Analysis Programme senior researcher Dr David Zounmenou and legal firm Webber Wentzel director and member of its Africa practice Olivier Binyingo agree that good corporate responsibility practices, international best practices and sound knowledge of countries’ laws are necessary for developing sustainable enterprises in Francophone African markets. Speaking at the African Frontiers Forum seminar hosted by market analysis firm Frontier Advisory at the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, in May, the three experts noted that much of the legislation around investments and enterprise development is underdeveloped, but simultaneously highlight that significant steps

24 have been taken by individual countries and regional organisations to ease the bureaucratic burden of establishing enterprises. “Senegal has become a good experience because it has established an investment agency to enable the establishment of companies and is considering introducing an Internet website to enable companies to be established. However, in Burundi, while it does not take a long time to set up a company, investors must deal with five different administrative departments to complete the process,” highlights Binyingo. “There is potential in West Africa to develop the economies, which has not been exploited. MTN has made a success of its entry, but it has experienced a lack of continuity and consistency of policy and a lack of long-term planning and long-term development frameworks. Often the interlocutor changes and the inter- pretation of the framework also changes,” says De Faria. “Patience and skills are required, including developing local skills to replace expatriate skills as soon as possible to ensure that you have the people needed to drive your business and also, critically, to ensure support by local people for your endeavours. Companies must ensure they practise effective corporate social responsibility and must concentrate on skills development. Engage, guide and demonstrate best practice. Consistent messages are important,” he advises. Further, engagement with authorities is important because the administrative burden is significant and an interlocutor, a person knowledgeable about local conditions and laws, can speed up the process of establishing an enterprise, he adds. “There is always the potential for dialogue with governments in Francophone Africa and they are not punitive should a company challenge them over legal matters. However, companies must continually engage, and skills development and dialogue with communities are important.” De Faria advises companies to ringfence and protect as much as they can, including establishing arbitration clauses outside individual countries, but also to adopt a self-sufficiency strategy. “Do it on your own and you must be well prepared and know the regulatory framework of the markets you will be working in. Your prices must be fair and, while you will have to compromise on certain objectives, you must bring the positive aspects, like skills development, technology and investment. However, you must ensure that this is done in a consistent and sustainable matter,” says De Faria, adding that political turmoil in a country can be weathered if local populations and industries see the enterprise as a boon. Meanwhile, Binyingo advises companies to engage with authorities beforehand and get legal opinions on the legal framework, which is important for the protection of companies unfamiliar with the regulations. Further, Zounmenou highlights the changes occurring in Francophone African countries. While there is still marked instability and difficulty in translating elections into effective democratic governance, there is a burgeoning understanding, especially among the youth, that the people on the streets do hold power over their leaders and the multiplicity of trade connections, beside the historic, postcolonial ties, is presenting a breadth of business and development options to these countries. De Faria agrees, noting that while long-term stability is still a key challenge, there is some change from the new generation, specifically owing to the telecommunications liberalisation of Francophone African States. “The change is slow and partial, but the spirit is there [for increased business development engagement and expanding trade ties with other countries]. The behaviour of youth across these countries is the same. While access to information and telecommunications is key in this regard, the gap is closing fast and Francophone African growth is driven by the high aspirations present, with significant opportunities to make such opportunities accessible to communities through effective investment and enterprise development,” he says. “Most conflicts have also declined. With the economic controversy in the eurozone and France, military and economic autonomy is the goal of most of these States,” says Zounmenou. Meanwhile, all sectors present opportunities to companies seeking to enter the market and there is significant development needed across industries, especially in technology, agriculture and mining, Binyingo points out. “The middle class is reasonably well travelled and there is demand for many products and services,” he says. However, development of air and road transport infrastructure is also important to promote and enable more significant cross-border trade, and transregional infrastructure and trade network development is also key to link isolated markets with regional trade hubs and networks, concludes Zounmenou. AFRICA: Dark Side of Nationalisation TIMES OF ZAMBIA By Ben Phiri, 25 May 2012 - One of the most dominant developments in African governments in the last four decades is the issue of nationalisation which has been driven mainly by politics and ideology. This stems from the need to increase local control over economies which, prior to gaining political freedom, were completely dominated by foreign nationals and corporates. Although this looked workable in its initial stages, it later backfired, affecting almost all sectors of the economy. As feared by several economists and technocrats, nationalisation could easily affect macroeconomic goals of economic growth such as employment creation and inflation rate. The other factor is that, should modern African governments pursue nationalisation, then they are headed for economic disaster. Countries such as South Africa for example, whose political pronouncements by the African National Congress(ANC) Youth League about nationalisation, have had a devastating effect on foreign and local investors. Perhaps this explains why South Africa's Foreign Direct Investments (FDI), according to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development(UNCTD)'s 2011 investment survey, plummeted by 70 per cent in 2010, about one-sixth of the peak FDI recorded in 2009. This drop has been attributed to

25 uncertainty surrounding the phenomenon of nationalisation. Apart from the loss of FDI, nationalisation can also trigger off the loss of skilled labour supplied by foreign investors as well as the loss of potential export markets. It is an open secret that state owned enterprises had generally been economically unsuccessful with high levels of borrowing. ANGOLA: Fitch Ratings raises Angola’s sovereign debt outlook - Credit rating agency Fitch Ratings Wednesday raised its outlook on Angola’s sovereign debt from stable to positive, due to more prudent fiscal and monetary policies. Angola: President Dos Santos Analyses Odebrecth Activities ANGOP 25 May 2012 — The Angolan head of State, José Eduardo dos Santos, Friday in Luanda discussed with the chairperson of the Brazilian building company "Odebrecth", Emilio Odebrecth, the activities performed by the firm in the country. At the end of the audience, Emilio Odebrecth told reporters that his company will continue contributing to Angola's reconstruction tasks. Emilio Odebrecth termed the meeting as "very promising". According to him, the President has strengthened the trust in the activities undertaken by Odebrecth. The Brazilian building company has been in the country for some thirty years, operating in the fields of engineering, construction, installation and management of civil works, real estate, tourism and others According to him, the investments are estimated at between Usd 500 and 600 million per year. ‘SHAREHOLDERS’ MEETING Angola: Welcome to Hotel Talatona Maka Angola (Luanda) By Rafael Marques De Morais, 22 May 2012 Opinion - The Talatona Convention Centre (CCTA) is one example of the large-scale investments that Sonangol, the state oil company, has been making in Angola in order to diversify its activity beyond the petroleum sector. At a cost of $149.1 million, the centre includes a five-star hotel called the Tatalona Convention Hotel (HCTA), which was opened on 18 December 2009 by president José Eduardo dos Santos. Sonangol's investments outside of the oil sector have served as the most effective mean to divert hundreds of millions in public funds to an inner circle of senior government officials and company directors. CCTA is only one of these schemes. On 8 November 2006, Sonangol set up CCTA in partnership with the Angolan private companies Simaroco and Oil International Supply Services S.A. (OISS). This happened six months after the opening of the $60 million convention centre by the then vice-president Fernando Dias dos Santos. On the day of the opening, CCTA was presented as "a partnership between Sonangol, the government and a Chinese entrepreneur," according to the state news agency, Angop. Three years later, when president Dos Santos officially opened the hotel, the then chairman of the board of Sonangol, Manuel Vicente, presented the project as an investment entirely by Sonangol, and there was no public mention of other partners. For the construction of the hotel, Sonangol paid an additional US $89.6 milion. However, Simaroco holds 51 per cent of CCTA's shares, while Sonangol has only 30 per cent and OISS the remaining 19 per cent. Simaroco Participações Lda is a company set up on 20 June 2005 by José Carlos de Castro Paiva who, for the past 25 years, is the chairman of Sonangol Limited (London). He also chairs the board of the Banco Africano de Investimentos (BAI) as the representative of Sonangol, the main shareholder. OISS's known sharesholders are the lawyer Domingos de Assunção de Sousa de Lima Viegas and the economist Alberto Cardoso Severino Pereira, the latter being Sonangol's former finance director. At the time when CCTA was set up, in 2006, Domingos Lima Viegas was working for Sonangol to help restructure its access to financial markets outside the oil sector, and he was also Sonangol's representative on the auditing committee of BAI. Viegas previously worked as a legal counselor for the Petroleum Ministry and for Sonangol. In other words, the establishment of CCTA has involved the transfer of assets that were originally held by Sonangol and thus by the state, into private hands. In other words, the establishment of CCTA has involved the transfer of assets that were originally held by Sonangol and thus by the state, into private hands. The then chairman of Sonangol and current Minister of State for Economic Co-ordination, Manuel Vicente, is responsible in civil and criminal law for this illegal transfer of state assets. He incurs in crimes of embezzlement as defined by Article 313 of the Penal Code, whether through benefiting directly or by allowing third parties to take control of such huge sums invested by Sonangol, in the form of 70 per cent of the ownership of a state enterprise. António Francisco Sabalo, the representative of Sonangol who initialled the terms of the deal, would also be responsible but he has passed away. In the same way, Paiva as a senior official of Sonangol committed the same crime through the illegal appropriation of state patrimony, in the form of 51 percent of the deal. Alberto Cardoso Severino Pereira and Domingos de Lima Viegas must also answer for the crime of active corruption of public officials, as established by the Penal Code, for soliciting the theft of state assets. It defies comprehension that OISS holds 19 per cent of CCTA's shares without having invested one cent in the business. These two men have for many years been known to be close to Manuel Vicente and his private business affairs. This closeness became obvious once again in 2009 when Vicente, at the time the chair of Sonangol, appointed Pereira as a member of the audit committee of Sonangol Holdings, a subsidiary of the publicly-owned Sonangol. According to the Law of Public Probity, a member of the audit committee of a publicly-owned company such as Sonangol Holdings is a public servant and as such may not become involved in business dealings with the state. Pereira is simultaneously both a private shareholder and a public servant of Sonangol. The Penal Code provides for prison sentences of two to eight years among other possible penalties for this kind of corruption cases. It also orders that assets and money acquired in such cases of corruption be returned to the state.

26 The Attorney General of the Republic must immediately open an inquiry into the ownership of CCTA and investigate its officials, Manuel Vicente and José Carlos de Castro Paiva, for crimes of embezzlement and money laundering. Canada prepares for an Asian future BBC 25 May 2012By Ayesha Bhatty AN AFRICA REPEAT STORY – BUT MUCH FASTER NOW!

Nearly one in five of Vancouver's population is Chinese Chinese immigrants have flocked to Canada's west coast and transformed Vancouver into Canada's very own Asian metropolis. The days of concern over the city being turned into 'Hongcouver' have gone. What does the future hold for Canada's Asian population? Shoppers stroll casually past a Lamborghini store in Richmond's Aberdeen Centre - a major Asian mall in this once sleepy Vancouver suburb known for its farmland and fishing village. Outside the shopping centre, people are queuing at the many Chinese restaurants. In the local supermarkets, butchers are picking live seafood out of fish tanks, chopping off the heads, then gutting and packaging them up under the watchful eye of customers, almost exclusively Chinese-Canadian. Richmond is North America's most Asian city - 50% of residents here identify themselves as Chinese. But it's not just here that the Chinese community in British Columbia (BC) - some 407,000 strong - has left its mark. All across Vancouver, Chinese-Canadians have helped shape the local landscape. Increasing trade There are the little things. Casa Gelato - an Italian ice-cream shop with a huge local following - sells Asian- inspired flavours such as green tea, durian and lychee. The Vancouver Sun newspaper puts out an online Mandarin edition, Taiyangbao. The province's auto insurance corporation serves drivers in 170 languages - Mandarin and Cantonese being the most in-demand. Then there are the big contributions. "Economic growth is obvious and easy to measure," says Thomas Lam, the CEO of Success, an immigrant service based in Vancouver's historic Chinatown. For the first time in 2011, the Pacific Rim dislodged the US as British Columbia's biggest trade partner. With the collapse of the US housing market, lumber exports have fallen. But demand for coal and natural gas to fuel China's factories is skyrocketing. Exports to China reached CAN$5.1bn ($5bn/£3.17bn) in 2011, nearly five times their value in 2001. Other booming industries include agrifoods, minerals, container traffic, tourism and education. The economic boost has driven a CAN$22bn ($21.6bn/£13.7bn) upgrade in infrastructure along trade corridors with Asia. "Within the last 20 years, we have expanded our airport twice, had a big facelift for our port, and seen the biggest-ever highway construction," he says. "Because of the impact of immigration, Canada as a whole is more resilient to economic recession and that's undeniable." For centuries, Chinese immigrants have come to Canada for economic opportunities. It began with the gold rush in northern and central BC in 1858. In the 1880s, some 6,500 Chinese migrants were directly employed by the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR), settling in towns along the railway route, all the way to the terminus in Vancouver, where the fledgling Chinatown took root (now the third-largest in North America). But resentment grew among the white working classes, who saw the migrants as cheap labour, the so-called "yellow peril" stealing jobs and sullying society. In 1885, the federal government enacted the first anti-Chinese legislation, imposing a 'head tax' of CAN$50 on every migrant worker. Under the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1923, immigration ground to a halt. The ban was lifted in 1947 - due in part to the contribution of Chinese-Canadian soldiers in WWII - but Mao's red revolution closed the door at the other end. Sharp backlash The next significant wave of migrants came in the 1980s and 90s. But they weren't about to do manual labour or settle in Chinatown with the so-called Chi-eppies (Chinese elderly people) and Chi-lippies (Chinese low- income people). This was a largely wealthy class of Hong Kong Chinese who snapped up homes in the priciest neighbourhoods, sent their children to the best schools, and kicked off a construction boom which transformed downtown Vancouver into a Hong Kong-style city of skyscrapers. Their sudden impact brought a sharp backlash. Polite Vancouver society was aghast at the "monster houses" being built in the old-monied communities of Shaughnessy and Kerrisdale, often demolishing character homes and tearing down trees in the process. Newspaper headlines and some politicians warned of an "Asian invasion" while the bitter elite coined the phrase 'Hongcouver' to express their dismay at the perceived Asian- isation of their city. 27 "The wealth of the newcomers was an irritation to some in the local community," says historian John Douglas Belshaw, a professor at the University of Victoria. But attitudes soon began to change, he says. "The elite says, 'Our bread's buttered on this side. We can sell a ton of real estate to this community and they're kind of like us. These people like their whiskey straight'." Mandarin increase The Hong Kong wave subsided after the British handover to China in 1997. Since then, immigrants from Mainland China, and to a lesser extent, Taiwan are leading the westward charge. Mandarin is edging out Cantonese on the streets of the city. Overall, nearly one-in-five Vancouverites is now of Chinese origin - the biggest migrant community by far, with some 12,400 new arrivals each year. Privately, there have been grumblings. In the safety of living rooms or the anonymity of online forums, old-time Vancouverites blame the Chinese for the city's sky-high property prices, although experts say there's little evidence to back up the fears. Language is another flashpoint, especially when it comes to older migrants. "There used to be a time when immigrants to this country were required to know the language," whispers a woman in a doctor's clinic, as the receptionist struggles to ask an elderly Chinese man when he last took his heart medication. A family member has to be contacted by phone before the queue gets moving again. There's concern too that foreign students are taking up places at university, bringing much-needed bags of cash in foreign student fees. A similar problem is playing out in schools, some say. "My son wants out of private school," says one parent who asked not to be named. His teenager has become one of the few white students at an exclusive Christian academy in a Vancouver suburb. "All these Asian kids are playing the piano and violin in the evenings. My kid plays hockey," he says. It's not uncommon to find only one or two white students in Vancouver classrooms, says Mr Lam in his Chinatown office, especially in courses like finance or engineering. He says he gives the same advice to all young people - Asian and non-Asian - struggling to find their place: "Take this as an opportunity rather than a challenge. "The future is in Asia and Vancouver has a very good advantage, which is that of all the Canadian cities, we are the closest to the Asia Pacific Rim." That reality is reflected in the BC government's economic plan, aptly titled "Canada starts here" - a clear reference to BC as the Pacific gateway, a full three sailing days closer than anywhere else in North America. "Our government is focused on making sure British Columbians are first in line to do business with Asia to create jobs here at home," says Premier Christy Clark. "Vancouver and British Columbia are a natural place for many Asian families because of our diversity. There are countless personal and cultural connections here and our economy and province is richer, more vibrant and attractive for newcomers as a result," her office said in a statement. For now, BC continues to prosper from its ties to Asia and its booming economy. Climate talks stall with nations 'wasting time' - The latest round of UN climate talks has made little progress, observers say. The meeting in Bonn, Germany saw angry exchanges between rich nations, fast- industrialising ones and those prone to climate impacts. Campaigners spoke of a "coalition of the unwilling" including the US, China, India and several Gulf states. Developing countries are also concerned about the lack of firm pledges on finance beyond the end of this year. EAST AFRICA: East African states double regional trade to US$4 billion - 24 may 2012 - Nairobi, Kenya (PANA) - Trade amongst the five East African Community (EAC) countries has doubled to US$4 billion since 2005, when it stood at US$2 billion as a result of increased trade, officials said on Thursday. EAST AFRICA: US commerce official promotes trade in EAC region 23 may 2012 - Dar es Salaam, Tanzania (PANA) - Tanzania and the US have embarked on the second phase of collaborative efforts to finalise a joint action plan that will spell out the steps necessary to overcome major challenges in improving the East African nation’s business climate, US Ambassador to Tanzania Alfonso E. Lenhardt said. Fading optimism of the Arab Spring By Jeremy Bowen 26 May 2012 BBC Middle East editor, Beirut

Twenty years since Beirut stopped being the Middle East's most war-torn city, recent tensions elsewhere have left many citizens deeply uncomfortable. In Beirut, the jacaranda trees are in blossom, their perfumed purple flowers swaying in the breeze off the Mediterranean. It should be a perfect time. They are having a long weekend to celebrate the 12th anniversary of Israel's withdrawal from the zone it occupied in the south. It is early summer, and for the secular Lebanese that means the beach, the pool and the worship of the god of the suntan. My hotel used to be pleasantly scruffy, with an old fashioned oblong pool that was excellent for doing lengths. It has been renovated, and now the pool has been turned into a place to pose, with a swim-in bar where you can wallow to check out whichever sex you find most interesting, or to do a watery dance to the music pumping out of the speakers. Surgeons and silicone, not nature, shape some of the flesh on display. It is trendy and one of the places to go in a city where, for some people with a bit of money, image matters more than almost anything else. For those who do not want to lose themselves in Beirut's hedonism, or cannot afford to, identity generally matters a lot more than the show. Lebanon is a patchwork of 18 officially recognised sects, and this last week 28 the fault lines between them have been flexing in a way that makes the Lebanese, with their history of civil war, feel deeply uncomfortable. Hanging out at the pool might help the fortunate few put it out of their minds, but not far away people have died violently in sectarian incidents that bring back bad memories. It is 20 years since Beirut stopped being the Middle East's most war-torn city. In many ways it is a huge success story. But those difficult sectarian fault lines will not go away, and it is next door to Syria, which is sinking fast into its own civil war. Lebanon and Syria have deep, complex connections, and it was always a matter of time before the tension and violence leaked over the border in this direction. The challenge now is for the leaders of Lebanon's jumpy communities to stop it getting worse. I have come to Beirut from Cairo, where they were having a proper presidential election, the kind where the voters do not know the outcome in advance. One evening this week in Cairo I was in the gym on the running machine, watching the news on al-Arabiya, one of the Arabic satellite channels. It struck me as I puffed along that the message coming from the big screen had none of the optimism that would have been there last spring. The process of change, the emergence of a new Middle East, has turned out to be long and hard. A year ago it was possible to hope that the violence that was already happening was temporary. Libya's civil war is over, but Syria's killing now looks much more like part of the landscape. And the Lebanese are getting very nervous. The bulletin I was watching led with the suicide bombing in Yemen that killed 96 soldiers. The pictures showed hundreds of uniformed men surging away from the site of the explosion, where scores of unmoving bodies were piled up together. I know that particular place in Sanaa, the Yemeni capital. It is a wide, straight parade ground that is used as part of a highway most of the time. The aggressive and ambitious local affiliate of al- Qaeda said they did it. They are the same people who have got worryingly close to blowing up airliners with bombs hidden in underwear. The attack in Sanaa, well away from al-Qaeda's strongholds in Yemen, is a heavy blow for the new government. And so the Arabiya news went on. Families weeping over the shrouded bodies of dead children. Graphics framed by barbed wire. Not everything was unrelentingly terrible. In Baghdad, negotiations between Iran and the world's big powers about its nuclear programme might eventually lead to a deal that takes some of the steam out of what could become a global crisis. And of course the Egyptians are having their presidential election, not perfect democracy yet but going in the right direction. It seems to have re-energised Egyptians who were getting very pessimistic about the future. Their country still has huge problems, but they have had a reminder this week that their country was really changed by the revolution. For a short time last year it looked as if the drama in the Middle East might be over by the summer. The dominoes seemed to be tumbling, like they did in Europe in 1989. Irreversible change is happening. But it is clear now that the way ahead is long and hard, and it will be years, not months, before the Arabs and their neighbours get to the end of it. Greeks riled by Lagarde's 'tax-dodging' comments BBC 27 May 2012 - Political parties in Greece have criticised IMF head Christine Lagarde for suggesting that Greeks were avoiding paying taxes. Socialist leader Evangelos Venizelos accused Ms Lagarde of "insulting the Greek people". Left-wing leader Alexis Tsipras insisted: "Greek workers pay their taxes, which are unbearable." Fears are growing that Athens may be forced to leave the eurozone if the June election produces a government opposed to the bailout deal. That could possibly trigger a run on banks - not only in Greece but in other eurozone nations, experts warn. In the interview published on Friday, Ms Lagarde said: "As far as Athens is concerned, I also think about all those people who are trying to escape tax all the time. All these people in Greece who are trying to escape tax. "I think they should also help themselves collectively." She added: "I think more of the little kids from a school in a little village in Niger who get teaching two hours a day, sharing one chair for three of them, and who are very keen to get an education. I have them in my mind all the time. "Because I think they need even more help than the people in Athens." When asked if she was saying to the Greeks that it was now payback time, Ms Lagarde responded: "That's right." INTERNATIONAL: Lloyd's 'has plans for euro collapse' BBC 27 May 2012. - The insurance market Lloyd's of London is preparing contingency plans for the possibility of the euro collapsing, its chief executive has said. With Greece facing new elections in June and anti-bailout feelings high, there are fears Athens may be forced to exit the eurozone. In a Sunday Telegraph interview, Richard Ward said Lloyd's needs to "prepare for that eventuality". He said that Lloyd's would settle claims using multiple currencies. Mr Ward is one of the first bosses of a large UK business to admit he is planning for the end of the euro. Lloyd's of London is a market in which syndicates meet brokers and agree to take on particular risks. 'Quite worried' Greece has implemented tough austerity measures in return for two multi-billion-euro bailouts, but five years of recession has seen the Greek people become increasingly opposed to pro-austerity politicians. Many analysts think that Greece may abandon the austerity measures and be forced out of the euro if the leftist bloc Syriza, which came second in Greece's 6 May election, wins on 17 June. This could potentially trigger a run on banks not only in Greece but in other eurozone nations. "We've got multi-currency functionality and we would switch to multi-currency settlement if the Greeks abandoned the euro and started using the drachma again," Mr Ward told the newspaper. "I don't think that if Greece exited the euro it would lead to the collapse of the eurozone, but what we need to do is prepare for that eventuality." He added: "I'm quite worried about Europe." In addition to a Greek exit, investors are also worried about what would happen if other ailing economies like Spain and Italy followed suit. On Friday, Spain's Bankia said it needed 19bn euros more from the government - 29 the biggest bailout ever - as it and fellow regional banks struggle under a mountain of bad property debt. Stocks have fallen over the past few weeks while on Friday the euro tumbled to under $1.25 for the first time since July 2010. IRAN: Korean refiners shift to Africa, Europe to get stable supply Korean oil refiners are striving to either diversify crude oil import sources or expand the scope of trade contracts in advance of a possible ban on oil imports from Iran. Kenya: State Bureaucracy Harming Business – PM Nairobi — Prime Minister Raila Odinga on Thursday expressed concerns over State corporations that he says have procurement processes that keep away investors. "Bureaucracy is still very much entrenched in the State corporations. This must cease forthwith, I am asking Ministers and Permanent Secretaries to stop micromanaging the State corporations so that we can improve on the business environment in the country," he asserted. He said the procurement processes were a leeway to corruption especially witnessed during tendering, thus hampering competitive bidding. Mali rebel state 'to be Islamist' - Two rebel groups that seized northern Mali two months ago agree to merge and turn their territory into an Islamist state, both sides say. MOZAMBIQUE: Tourism sector one of biggest contributors to Mozambique’s economy in 2011 - Tourism was one of the biggest contributors to the Mozambican economy in 2011 with revenues of US$231 million, or 17.1 percent more than in 2010, the country’s Tourism Minister said in Mocímboa da Praia, Cabo Delgado province this week. MOZAMBIQUE: Bank of Mozambique lowers inflation forecast for 2012 - May 24th, 2012 - The Bank of Mozambique has lowered it projections for the country’s rate of inflation this year, noting that valuation of the national currency and high interest rates would end up offsetting price rises. The rate of inflation is thus expected, at the end of the year, to stand at 4 percent as compared to a projection in January of 5.6 percent. MOZAMBIQUE: Goods produced in Mozambique will now have barcodes - Packaging of goods produced in Mozambique will this year include its own barcodes, the communications coordinator of the Institute to Promote Small and Medium-sized Companies said Tuesday in Maputo. MOZAMBIQUE: Govt and Nordic Partners Discuss Sustainable Growth 23 May (AIM) - The Mozambican government and the embassies of five Nordic countries (Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Iceland) have organised an international conference in the capital Maputo to look at ways to improve their collaboration in promoting inclusive economic growth and social justice. Mozambique: Eni Spending 200,000 U.S Dollars a Day On Security in Rovuma Basin AIM 22 May 2012 The Italian energy company ENI is spending 200,000 US dollars a day on security for its drillship "SAIPEM 10000" off the coast of Cabo Delgado province in northern Mozambique. However, piracy poses a serious threat in the Indian Ocean, and ENI has hired six boats to ensure the safety of "SAIPEM 10000". Three boats protect the drillship around the clock, while the others escort the ships ferrying equipment and other materials from the port at Pemba to "SAIPEM 10000". Speaking to reporters from the daily paper "O Pais", ENI operations manager Ricardo Bueno stressed that the safety of the drillship is one of the company's top priorities. 'We have to take precautions and be prepared for anything that could happen', explained Bueno. The security operation also involves 100 members of the Mozambican navy. Forty marines remain in the vicinity of the platform while the others protect the deliveries to the drillship. The platform is equipped with the latest generation of surveillance equipment, including high definition infrared sensors capable of detecting any vessel approaching the drillship. Namibia: People Can't Settle Mortgage Debt NAMIBIA ECONOMIST By Johanna Absolom, 23 May 2012 Despite projections of economic growth, access to affordable housing remains a great challenge for Namibia with a number of people not paying off their mortgage debts. Figures from First National Bank indicate that towards the end of 2011, the total individual mortgage loans which were outstanding for the whole financial sector were at N$18.5 billion, "Representing 20% of gross domestic product (GDP) at the end of November 2011. These are the main lending instruments of banking institutions in Namibia," said senior manager of research and development at FNB, Daniel Motinga. NAMIBIA: Several Fake New Banknotes Detected - Just days after the new banknotes went into circulation, the Bank of Namibia has warned members of the public to be on the lookout for counterfeit N$20 and N$50 banknotes. NEVER ENDING: 33 years in jail for Pakistan doctor who helped track Osama - The United States has threatened to cut aid to Islamabad following the sentencing of a Pakistani surgeon who was awarded 33 years in jail for helping the CIA track Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. NIGERIA: Trade between Nigeria-Brazil hits US$8.9 billion 24 may 2012 - Lagos, Nigeria (PANA) - To further strengthen bilateral trade between Nigeria and Brazil, authorities have launched a new chamber of commerce even as trade between the two countries in the last five years had risen to US$8.9 billion naira, the local Guardian newspaper reported on Thursday. Nigeria: Call for Review of South Africa-Nigeria Visa Regime - What does it symbolise that American and British visitors to South Africa do not need a visa, but Nigerians and many other Africans do? This was one of the questions posed by the director of the United Nations African Institute for Economic Development and Planning, Adebayo Olukoshi, to the former deputy president of South Africa, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, during a panel discussion at the 2012 Open Forum being held in Cape Town Nigeria: Road Repairs - Lagos Decries Attacks On Operatives - Lagos State Government has decried the increasing cases of hit-and-run and armed attacks on its operatives deployed in different parts of the state to 30 carry out maintenance and repair works on the public roads in the night. He acknowledged that the cases of hit-and-run by reckless motorists "are rampant, a situation which shows that motorists do not demonstrate full cooperation in road maintenance, repairs and rehabilitation". Nigeria: FG Pays U.S.$1.1 Billion to Dan Etete's Company – Report The Federal Government has paid $1.1billion to an oil company reportedly belonging to former Minister of Petroleum, Chief Dan Etete last April, a Financial Times report said. The amount was paid to Malabu Oil and Gas reportedly owned by Etete, who was convicted of money laundering in France in 2007. The money was a government proceeds realized from sale of oil block OPL 245 to Shell and ENI. The multinationals paid Nigeria's government last April for control of a deepwater concession that could contain up to 9 billion barrels of oil. This controversial deal came into light during a court case in New York in February, in which a Russian lawyer who claimed to have helped Malabu negotiate its deal with the Nigerian government is seeking a $66m commission. Nigeria: N18 Billion Scam - You Have a Case to Answer, EFCC Tells Doma, Others - The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has informed a Federal High Court in Lafia, Nasarawa State, that a former Nasarawa State Governor Aliyu Akwe Doma and six others have a case to answer. The EFCC added that their applications seeking to quash the case before the court lacked merit and should be struck out. The other accused persons are Senator John Dangoyi, Abdulmumin Jibrin, Timothy Anthony Anjide, Dauda Egwa, Suleiman Ibrahim, Broworks Ltd and Green Forest Investment Ltd. Rwanda: Agro Expo for Next Month - The annual national Agriculture expo will for this year take place between June 4 and 10 at Mulindi agricultural show grounds in Gasabo District. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, this year's expo will be held under the theme, "Accelerating agriculture transformation by promoting agro-processing." SAA Introduces Flights - Johannesburg - Cotonou, Benin South African Airways has launched another new route from its Johannesburg hub to an African destination, this time to Cotonou in Benin SOUTH AFRICA: Big bucks for city bosses - Municipal managers in the country’s two largest cities are about to become the highest earning government employees and the first to break the R3m barrier. South Africa: FG, South Africa Partner On Crude Oil Supplies - With the uncertainty over supply of oil from Iran, South Africa is partnering with Nigeria for the purchase of the latter's oil. South Africa: Gordon Institute of Business Science is Africa's Best Business School - UK Financial Times - The University of Pretoria's Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) has achieved the top ranking among South African and African business schools in the annual UK Financial Times Executive Education rankings. Swaziland: Govt Loses More Budget Support - The African Development Bank (AfDB) has followed the IMF's lead and withdrawn support for Swaziland. The AfDB will not pay US$100 million (E800 million) budget support due to the kingdom, because Swaziland has failed to tackle problems with its economy. The ADA Diet Kills PRAVDA.RU - Diabetics cannot process carbohydrates. It's fact. But the recommended diet from the American Diabetes Association is loaded with them. Why? Because they don't want to fix you they, and the corporations to fund them, want you to contribute to the insulin industry. If you follow the ADA diet you will slowly and painfully die TUNISIA: Salafists clash in Tunisian town - Hundreds of ultra-conservative Salafists clash with security forces, attack a police station and damage shops selling alcohol in a Tunisian town. UGANDA: Libya’s LAP GreenN resumes telecom operations in Uganda 24 may 2012 - Dar es Salaam, Tanzania (PANA) – Libya’s telecommunications investment arm, LAP GreenN, announced Thursday that shareholders and directors of its wholly-owned subsidiary, UCOM, have been fully reinstated to resume their management control responsibilities of Uganda Telecom Limited (UTL). VATICAN: Butler to the Pope arrested on espionage charges Big News Network.com 26th May, 2012 = The Vatican has confirmed the Pope's butler was arrested last week. A spokesman for the Vatican said Paolo Gabriele, 46, had been taken into custody following enquiries into the leaking of confidential documents and letters from the pontiff's private quarters. Gabriele was arrested following a raid on his home, where some secret documents were allegedly found. The well respected member of the papal household, had been in the pope's employ since 2006. It has been alleged documents were leaked to the Italian media by Gabriele, who had full access to the pope's private quarters. Some of the documents alluded to corrupt activities by highly placed cardinals and Vatican officials. Some days ago, a book written by Gianluigi Nuzzi was published, revealing confidential letters which had been smuggled out of the Vatican by an unnamed person. Pope Benedict is believed to have ordered the investigations into the leaks. STRANGE THAT THE LORD’S PRODIGY HAS SECRETS WEST AFRICA: W African growth forecast slips on new crises – IMF By: Reuters 25th May 2012 A robust growth forecast for the West African Economic and Monetary Union will likely be dampened by new political turmoil in the region despite a post-war revival in Ivory Coast, a top International Monetary Fund official said on Thursday. Ivory Coast, the dominant economy in the eight-country bloc, is emerging from a decade- long political crisis that led to economic stagnation in the world's top cocoa producer. The crisis ended last year after a brief civil war that left some 3 000 dead and saw the economy shrink by 4.7% for 2011. An economic turn-around fueled by billions of dollars in donor support and heavy investment in large public works projects is currently underway, however, and the IMF is forecasting 2012 growth at over 8%. That growth had been expected to buoy the outlook for the economic union as a whole.

31 "Given the strong growth in Ivory Coast, we expected growth to be somewhere around 6% or so, maybe even a touch higher...2012 was shaping up to be a very good year," Roger Nord, deputy director of the Fund's African department said in an interview. "Unfortunately, the locomotive role that Ivory Coast can now start playing is at least partially offset by the renewed conflict in Mali and in Guinea Bissau," he said. Mutinous soldiers toppled the government in Mali on March 22, unintentionally paving the way for rebels to capture the country's north. Efforts by regional neighbours to broker a deal to reinstate a civilian government in the capital, Bamako, have met with repeated setbacks. The military took control in tiny, coup-plagued Guinea Bissau during an overnight putsch just weeks later. And while power was handed back to civilian authorities at the weekend, disagreements remain over how the post- coup transition should be handled. The political instability is expected to have grave consequences for the economies of the two countries. And the unrest, particularly in Mali where growth was already seen as falling close to zero this year due to a prolonged drought, is likely to weaken the forecast for the economic bloc as a whole. "I think we will probably have to reduce (the growth forecast) somewhat but not hugely because of Mali...Guinea Bissau is very small, so that is going to be negligible," Nord said. "Mali is more important. It is more than 10% of the GDP of the region, and so there is some possible impact there." IVORIAN TURNAROUND Growth in the bloc, known by its French acronym UEMOA, fell from 4.6% in 2010 to just 1.3% last year largely as a result of the contraction in Ivory Coast created by the war there. So even with a slight downgrading of its forecast due to the duel crises, it is likely to experience relatively healthy growth in 2012. The Ivorian economic turnaround that has helped fuel renewed optimism will likely get a further boost next month when a decision is expected on an IMF-backed debt relief deal. The plan calls for relief of $5-billion of the country's debt, reducing its current stock of debt by 40%. "They are fully on track...I think there is confidence that, indeed, debt relief will be granted as scheduled," Nord said. On top of the Ivorian recovery, UEMOA is also set to feel the benefits of a burgeoning oil sector in Niger and new leadership in its other main economy, Senegal. "The ambitions, both here in Ivory Coast and also the new administration in Senegal, is to ramp up growth," said Nord. "Maybe that won't be happening in 2012, but 2013 and 2014, with good policies in Cote Ivory Coast and Senegal, which account for the bulk of the regional economy, I think there is a strong possibility that we will see strong growth going forward." Zimbabwe: Officials Loot Diamonds to Buy Private Jets - FINANCE minister, Tendai Biti, has accused a small coterie of powerful Zimbabweans of looting diamonds from Marange, enabling themselves to splash millions of dollars on private jets while ordinary people wallowed in abject poverty. Addressing delegates at a diamond workshop in Harare last week, Biti said the officials were not afraid of flaunting their ill-gotten riches. "There is no doubt that a small coterie of individuals is benefitting from Zimbabwe diamonds. Some of us (officials) who are benefiting, are not afraid to flaunt our monies. We are buying all kinds of assets," said Biti. Zimbabwe: 'It's Time to Review Mining Contracts' - THERE is need for a review of all mining contracts to realign them with the drive to indigenise the economy and empower locals, Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara has said. He said the reviewing of the contracts should be complemented by enabling laws, statutes and instruments. The current laws and deals, he said, favoured foreign investors more than locals and the interests of the country. Zimbabwe: Kasukuwere Urges Zanu-PF Youth to Seize Indian Businesses SW Radio Africa (London) By Tererai Karimakwenda, 22 May 2012 - The Indigenisation and Youth Development Minister Saviour Kasukuwere has reportedly been instructing ZANU PF youth structures to take over businesses, supermarkets, shops owned by Indians and to identify mining claims that they can take over as part of youth empowerment. He added that Kasukuwere is recommending the kind of disastrous takeovers that took place in Uganda under Idi Amin, when Indians were forced out of the country after being accused of owning too many businesses and mistreating the locals. Uganda's economy collapsed soon after and never recovered. Gangs of ZANU PF youth have taken over council owned properties in Harare and other cities and are collecting revenue that should be going to local authorities. The youths have also taken over privately owned buildings, knowing the police have no power to evict them. Unfortunately, this so-called empowerment has driven away potential foreign investors who fear their businesses will one day be taken over by gangs of ZANU PF youth, with support from top officials like Kasukuwere.

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