Volume 2 issue 11

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MONDAY | MARCH 16, 2015 Title Code: DELENG18579 • RNI NO: DELENG/2014/54666 • Postal Registration No.: DN/325/2014-2016 • VOL. 02 • NO. 11 • Page 12 • Price `10

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Christopher to launCh agatima video

MADE HISTORY INSEYCHELLES

MODIA Successful Trip to

Three Indian Ocean Island Nations

renewable energy. India has a robust and historical association

with the Indian Ocean islands nations. In recent times, new elements have been added to these connections. Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval were part of the Indian delegation during Modi's talks with President Michel at the State House in Victoria that lasted one hour. Seychelles has a population of 90,000 people and 10 per cent of them are of Indian-origin.

"Though this is my first visit to Seychelles, the people of Seychelles have made me feel like one of their own. I have been deeply touched by their warmth and affection towards me. This is the first visit by an Indian prime minister in

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has successfully completed a five-day visit to three island nations - Seychelles,

Mauritius and Sri Lanka in an outreach that will see unveiling of development projects while enhancing economic ties.

Mr. Modi, during his visit to Victoria, Seychelles had deliberations with Seychelles President James Michel for India and the island nation to involve in maritime security, with an attention on better cooperation with respect to anti-piracy measures. An essential element of their discussions was 'Blue Economy'. India and Seychelles are also working on maritime security, better cooperation in anti-piracy measures and are engaged in working towards

over three decades. Yet, President Michel and I were able to strike a rapport as if we were old friends," Mr. Modi wrote.

"I am impressed by President Michel's vision. India considers Seychelles not only as a maritime neighbour but as a trusted friend and a strong strategic partner. This visit has deepened our mutual trust and taken our cooperation to a new level. The beauty of this 'Paradise on Earth' will remain with me forever," he added.

Strengthening its strategic partnership with Seychelles, India signed four agreements with the Indian Ocean island nation to improve security and maritime partnership. Mr. Modi and

SEYcHEllES MAURITIUS SRI lANkA

iCd and afreximbank

Cooperate to develop

private sector

eaC leaders urge faster integration

Weathering the storm:Changing the FaCe oF tunisia

WaYanad: the land oF paddY Fields

Prime Minister Narendra Modi meeting with President James Michel at State House, Mahe, in Seychelles

Wassupafrica02

Flydubai, a United Arab Emirates-based budget airline, which entered the Rwandan market last year, has announced plans to increase flights from the region to Dubai, a statement from the firm indicates.

This comes on the heels of a surge in its 2014 net profits, which grew by 12.3 per cent, from about $60.5 million (about Rwf40.3 billion) in 2013 to $68 million (about Rwf46 billion) last year.

Its revenues increased by 19.1 per cent from over $1 billion (about Rwf676 billion) to $1.2 billion (about Rwf811.2 billion) over the same period, the statement added.

The company recorded a 14 per

THE ISLAMIC Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (ICD), the private sector arm of the Islamic Development Bank Group (IDB), has signed an agreement with the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) to cooperate in the development of the private sector in ICD member countries in Africa.

Under the terms of the agreement signed in Manama, Bahrain, the two institutions will collaborate in joint operations, expand financial products and exchange information on modalities for enhanced and efficient interventions for private sector development in ICD affected countries.

EAC govts urged to streamline oil and gas industry tax regimesEast African Community (EAC) governments have been urged to streamline the oil and gas taxation industry regimes to make the sector more attractive to serious investors.

David Tarimo, the director of PricewaterhouseCoopers, said though regional governments are trying to improve their tax systems, there are still instances where wrong taxes are levied on oil and gas industry activities.

It is, therefore, important to review the oil and gas industry tax regimes so that stakeholders and investors are not ambushed with hitherto unknown duties. This will attract more investors into the sector and ensure maximum benefit, as well as make the sector competitive, Tarimo said.

Tarimo was speaking at the ongoing 7th East African petroleum conference and exhibition in Kigali on Wednesday.

The three-day meeting, organised by Rwanda’s ministries of East African Community Affairs and Natural Resources, attracted about 500 participants, including oil and gas experts, and policy-makers.

Flydubai 2014 net profits up by 12%

ICD and Afreximbank Cooperate To Develop Private Sector

cent increase in passenger numbers between 2013 and 2014 in Africa, mainly due to the introduction of new routes in north and East Africa.

The firm plans to increase flights to emerging markets in North and East Africa to 63 flights a week across 12 points.

Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al

Maktoum, the chairman of flydubai, said the airline is committed to serving previously underserved routes. Last year, the airline added 23 new routes to its network, totaling to 86 destinations. Fuel remains the largest cost, at 36 per cent of its total operating costs.

New Times

Khaled Al Aboodi, CEO and General Manager of ICD, and Jean-Louis Ekra, President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Afreximbank, signed the agreement on behalf of their respective institutions.

According to the agreement, ICD and Afreximbank will share information on projects and business opportunities in Africa, and on participation in the arrangement of syndications or investment in funds.

They will also cooperate in structuring sukuk/debt capital market transaction opportunities, co-invest in Islamic leasing companies, and support local financial institutions in Africa

through the raising of capital via lines of finances.

In addition, they will exchange information aimed at upgrading knowledge and expertise about Islamic finance, environmental assessment, project finance and advisory services. The agreement also covers exploration of opportunities for cooperation in financing projects in the construction, energy, manufacturing and leasing sectors in African countries. Mr. Khaled Al Aboodi, CEO of ICD, commented: “Africa and the Islamic finance industry are key strategic directions for ICD, and we hope, via this partnership, we will increase our presence in the continent.”

“We are greatly encouraged at this opportunity to collaborate with ICD in growing the African private sector. ICD’s leadership and experience in promoting the establishment, expansion, and modernisation of private enterprises, complements Afreximbank’s longstanding commitment to using the private sector as the growth engine in achieving its mandate of promoting and financing intra and extra-African trade,” said Jean-Louis Ekra, President of Afreximbank.

Ghanaian Chronicle

Tarino argued that when a country’s tax regime is not clear, it is hard to attract firms with sufficient expertise and capital into the oil and gas sector, or gain maximally from it.

Priva Clemence, an energy expert in Tanzania’s Ministry of Energy and Minerals, called for strong regulatory controls in petroleum infrastructure development to ensure economic sustainability.

“One of the fundamental requirements for realising the economic benefits from the oil and gas industry is availability and access to infrastructure. The development of such infrastructure should be guided by clear and strong laws to ensure both investors and governments benefit from the investment,” Clemence said.

According to Ernest Rubondo, the acting director in Uganda’s directorate of petroleum, there is need to, not only look at oil production, but also value-addition, to be able to meet the growing consumption of petroleum products in the region.

The region consumes over 250,000 barrels of oil per day,

according to recent data.This demand is expected to more

than double in the next five years, hence the need for clear laws to spur the sector’s growth.

Evoda Imena, Rwanda’s State Minister for Mining, said Rwanda is working on a sector-friendly legal framework, which will also look into tax issues, to attract more investments into the oil and gas industry exploration and development activities.

He revealed that government is currently evaluating applications for exploration licences from international companies that have expressed interest in the country’s oil and gas industry.

The EAC bloc is on the verge of becoming an oil producer after huge amounts of oil and gas have been confirmed in Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya.

Uganda is moving into the production phase, while Tanzania has already started gas production and Kenya is expected to start within the next three years.

New Times

President of Afreximbank Jean-Louis Ekra (left) with Khaled Al Aboodi, ICD CEO

Nigeria is PayPal’s second largest market in Africa

Nigeria is PayPal’s second largest market in Africa, says Malvina Goldfeld, PayPal’s Head of Business Development in Sub-Saharan Africa.

With over a million accounts, South Africa remains PayPal’s largest market in Africa. Following Nigeria, is Kenya, PayPal’s third largest market in Africa.

“We are very happy to see that PayPal has been widely-welcomed by Nigerians since the launch of the service in the country last year,” Malvina Goldfeld said.

According to Goldfeld, PayPal is meeting the needs of millions of Nigerians that choose to perform e-commerce transactions on foreign platforms.

“There are millions of people in Nigeria who are eager to engage in online commerce and our goal is to help them make payments more easily and securely. Currently, we offer Nigerians the opportunity to register for free for a

PayPal account to make payments on overseas websites,” she said.

“Over time, we plan to expand our service offering in Nigeria to include services that will lead to better experiences in online and mobile payment methods in Nigeria,” Goldfeld added. Currently, PayPal’s services in Nigeria are limited to enabling Nigerians to make payments abroad. The ability to receive payments in Nigeria via PayPal are currently unavailable, even though there has been widespread expressed demand for this PayPal service. Malvina Goldfeld did not specify when the ability to receive payments in Nigeria will be available on the PayPal platform.

“Nigeria is a very interesting market and over time we may expand our presence, but for now we are satisfied to help Nigerians register for free for a PayPal account and make payments on overseas websites,” Goldfeld said.

African Herald Express

MONDAY | MARCH 16, 2015

network across countries.The AfDB LoC will enable ABCH

and its three selected subsidiaries to reach a larger number of SMEs across a wide range of sectors by offering medium- to long-term loans, which are not currently accessible for local SMEs. The AfDB

will provide local currencies, Botswana Pula and Mozambique Metical to support local currency lending and promote development of the financial sector in these countries. This facility will also cover Zimbabwe where many enterprises face liquidity challenge. The facility is expected to support at least 200 SMEs and generate 800 jobs, including 400 jobs for women, during the period of the project. Leveraging the relatively long tenor of the AfDB facility, it is expected to increase the average loan tenor for SME clients who can consequently expand their business, which will promote inclusive growth of these countries.

AfDB

Wassupafrica 03

FRoM page 01

East African Heads of State have commended achievements made under the Northern Corridor Integration Projects (NCIP) initiative and advocated for faster integration of the region to bring about prosperity.

Presidents Yoweri Museveni of Uganda, Tanzania’s Jakaya Kikwete, Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya, Salva Kiir Mayardit of South Sudan and Burundi’s Second Vice President Gervais Rufyikiri as well as Ethiopia’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, joined President Paul Kagame in Kigali yesterday for the 9th NCIP summit.

Less than two years since the northern corridor meetings began, fourteen projects including infrastructure, energy, transport, ICT and trade have been launched.

Rwanda and Uganda also ratified peace and security pact that will soon be extended to Kenya to ensure the three countries work together to prevent and resolve conflicts.

Opening the summit, President Kagame emphasized the importance of maintaining the momentum:

President Kenyatta argued that East African nations should not be importing from elsewhere when a surplus exists within the region and added that with a common market, nations have no reason not to be manufacturing its own cars or textiles among others. “ We can create a region that has a strong

The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank Group (AfDB) through its private sector window approved on March 11, 2015 a US $50 million multi-currency line of credit (LoC) with a seven-year tenor to ABC Holdings Ltd. and its subsidiaries in Botswana, Mozambique and Zimbabwe.

ABC Holdings Ltd. (ABCH) is a rapidly growing financial institution targeting local small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in these countries covering various sectors such as construction, agriculture, manufacturing, transport and services. ABCH is gradually increasing its SME portfolio share targeting 30% by end 2018 as it plans to expand its retail

The Samsung Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge is now available to pre-order in Nigeria. Pre-orders are not directly from Samsung Nigeria or Samsung West Africa but via online e-commerce platform Konga.

Konga did not list how much the device would go on sale for but the company suggests users show their interested by filling out their names, email address, gender, choice of phone - either the S6 or the S6 Edge and phone number.

Samsung announced the Galaxy S6 and it’s Edge cohort - the Galaxy S6 Edge at the MWC 2015.

Even though both devices have been priced in some countries, the

Mr. Michel witnessed the signing of four agreements: cooperation in hydrography, renewable energy, infrastructure development and sale of navigation charts and electronic navigational charts. "Our agreement on hydrographic survey adds a new dimension to our maritime cooperation. I thank Seychelles for their confidence in India," Mr. Modi said.

Mr. Modi, the first Indian Prime Minister to travel to Seychelles in 33 years, said his visit to the three Indian Ocean island countries "reflects our foreign policy priorities in India's immediate and extended neighbourhood". During his day long stay, the Prime Minister also visited the Sree Navasakthi Vinayagar Kovil (Temple dedicated to Lord Ganesh), took part in a civic reception organized by the expatriate Indian community, unveiled a plaque and operationalized a coastal surveillance radar system at the Ma Josephine Mahe and attended a

lunch hosted by President Michel.Mr. Modi’s second stop was

Mauritius where he offered $500 million concessional line of credit to Mauritius for key infrastructure projects as the two nations signed five pacts, including on ocean economy.

"I consider our security cooperation to be a cornerstone of our strategic partnership. We intend to quickly build the petroleum storage and bunkering facility in Mauritius," Mr. Modi said at the signing of the pacts following talks with his Mauritian counterpart Anerood Jugnauth.

Mauritius, in turn, offered India cooperation on information exchange on taxation. "I also conveyed our deep appreciation for the support and cooperation offered by Mauritius on information exchange on taxation," Mr. Modi said.

Our agreement on cooperation in Ocean Economy is an important step in deepening our scientific

EAC leaders urge faster integration AfDB approves US $50 million to ABC Holdings Ltd. in Botswana, Mozambique and Zimbabwe

Samsung Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 Edge Available to Pre-Order in Nigeria

voice on a global scale and is an attractive place for investment,” Kenyatta added.

Speaking on behalf of Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, Ethiopia’s Foreign Minister Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus described the NCIP as an example of integration on the African continent.

During last year’s NCIP Heads of State summit in the Kenyan capital Nairobi, heads of state renewed their commitment to fast-tracking the implementation of infrastructure projects, including the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) for which they directed Ministers of Finance, Infrastructure and Attorneys General or Ministers of Justice to jointly mobilise financing, as well as completing agreements on power purchasing and work on building electricity transmission lines.

“The Heads of State noted with appreciation the progress in the implementation of the

various projects under the Northern Corridor Initiative, and reiterated their collective resolve to continuously work together in pursuit of the set vision and goals of fast-tracking the integration process, for the benefit of the citizenry of the Northern Corridor Region,” the Presidents said in a final communiqué issued after the summit. They also welcomed the announcement by Burundi to “end its observer status” and fully participate in the Northern Corridor Integration Projects Initiative.

The 9th Northern Corridor Integration Projects Summit also marked the first meeting involving members of the private sector. The Heads of State resolved to facilitate a stronger partnership with the private sector including through financing the Northern Corridor projects. The next NCIP Summit will be held in Uganda within the next two months.

New Times

and economic partnership, said Mr. Modi. During talks with Mr. Modi, Mauritian Premier Jugnauth elevated the issue related to Mauritius-India Double Taxation Avoidance Treaty (DTAA). "I have requested PM Modi to give his full support on DTAA as it is of prime importance to global business sector," Mr. Jugnauth said.

The India-Mauritius Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) is being reviewed amid concerns that Mauritius is being used for round-tripping of funds into India even though it has always maintained that there have been no concrete evidence of any such misuse.

Traditionally, Mauritius has been one of the biggest sources of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) into India. The five pacts signed encompassed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the two countries in the field of 'Ocean Economy' which will provide an extensive framework

for cooperation, a novel and critical area of sustainable development in the Indian Ocean Region.

The other agreements signed were a MoU for the improvement in sea and air transportation facilities at Agalega Island of Mauritius, MoU on cooperation in the field of traditional system of medicine and h o m o e o p a t h y , programme for cultural cooperation from 2015-2018 and a pact on import of fresh mango from

India.India also offered to establish a

second cyber city in Mauritius after it helped the island set up the first one a decade ago. Mr. Modi visited the Ganga Talao, considered to be the most sacred Hindu place in Mauritius, and offered prayers at the temple dedicated to Lord Shiva.

In his speech at the National Assembly, Mr. Modi said the destinies of both nations were "linked by the currents of the Indian Ocean".

Addressing the National Parliament of Mauritius, Mr. Modi assured that both sides would work to avoid the "abuse" of the double taxation avoidance convention and that India will "do nothing to harm this vibrant sector of one of our closest strategic partners".

Both sides have been discussing

to modify the Indo-Mauritius tax treaty amid India's apprehensions that it was being misused to route unaccounted money and evade taxes through round-tripping.

Finally Mr. Modi arrived at the last leg of his visit i.e. Sri Lanka on 13th March. He met Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena and discussed bilateral and issues of regional importance. Mr. Modi said his meeting with Sirisena has been very productive. It "gives me confidence and optimism about the future of our relations," Modi said. This visit comes amid China's moves to increase its footprint in the key region, through which a large chunk of the world trade, including in oil, passes. He praised the contributions of the Indian-origin people who form 70 percent of the country's population.

Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Mauritian President Rajkeswur Purryag

President Kagame with Presidents Yoweri Museveni of Uganda, Tanzania's Jakaya Kikwete, Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya, Salva Kiir Mayardit of South Sudan, Burundi's Second Vice President Gervais Rufyikiri, Ethiopia's Minister for Foreign Affairs Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and EAC Secretary General Richard Sezibera.

device would go on sale starting April 2015 globally starting with 20 countries which includes Germany, UK, US and Italy.

Samsung has confirmed it has received 20 million pre-orders for the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge from retailers and carriers around the world.

An analyst report also claims Samsung is expected to ship 46 million units of the Galaxy S6 smartphone (Galaxy S6 Edge inclusive) for the whole of 2015.

Nigeria Communications Week

mONDAY | mARCH 16, 2015

countryoftheWeek04

Advertiser's Index

AGS Four Winds.............. Page 01

Paranthaman Exporter .... Page 02

Chadha Power ................. Page 02

PHEL ............................... Page 04

LESDEP ........................... Page 05

Modern Agro ................... Page 05

EMAT Africa ..................... Page 08

Mill India Ltd. ................... Page 10

Laxmi Publications .......... Page 11

ISIC .................................. Page 11

Prakash Ameusment ....... Page 11

Agritec Africa ................... Page 12

Tunisian Prime Minister Habib Essid has assured speedy improvements to

arouse evolution when he took office at the head of a coalition government uniting secular and Islamist parties.

Four years after tumbling dictator Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali and stirring Arab Spring revolutions in nations like Egypt, Libya and Syria, Tunisia is extensively applauded as an exemplary for the region, having held free elections last year and adopted a new constitution. However it faces stress from its global lenders to control high public expenditure, counting by cutting politically subtle subsidies on basic foods and fuel. Jobs, high living costs and economic prospects are the foremost concern for most Tunisians.

"After the success of the democratic transition, now we must make a successful economic transition, stimulate growth, fight poverty and open new windows of hope to desperate youths," Essid said. "We must immediately start structural reforms of the economy and new development schemes because temporary solutions are no longer appropriate."

The government understands economic growth fast-tracking to 3 percent in 2015 from a projected 2.5 percent in 2014, while the budget deficit is predictable to narrow to 5 percent of Gross Domestic Product from 5.8 percent.

The International Monetary Fund decided in 2012 to upkeep Tunisia with a two-year credit program worth $1.74 billion, of which Tunis is still waiting for the final instalment. In exchange, it decided to keep its deficit under control and make the foreign exchange market more flexible. Essid also faces safety challenges. The armed forces are cracking down on Islamist militants who arose after the 2011 revolution and have carried out attacks frequently on the military. Tunisia is also a major source of jihadi fighters heading abroad to join conflicts like Syria's civil war.

Agriculture

Tunisia is recognized as Tunis Al-Khadra and Tunis Al-Falaha [Green Tunisia and Agrarian Tunis] by Arabs. Agricultural production in this country accounts for roughly 11 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), engaging between 16 and 17 percent of the country’s total workforce. This validates that the agricultural sector is a fruitful and lucrative industry. Even though Tunisia is on its way to become a modern service economy, the agricultural sector is still of vital importance, contributing 12.6 % of GDP and employing almost one quarter of the country's labour force.

Tunisia is one of the world's biggest producers and exporters of olive oil, and it exports dates and citrus fruits that are grown typically in the northern parts of the country. The midpoint of the country is used mostly to raise cattle, the Sahel region is illustrious for its olive groves, and the southern part of the country is known for its date production. Tunisia remains one of the few Arab countries which is self-sufficient in dairy products, vegetables, and fruit and almost self-sufficient in red meat.

Fish is Tunisia's second most significant food export after olive oil, and the government has made robust endeavors to develop processing and storage facilities in order to match European standards. The government has also invested heavily in the elevation of its ports and the upgrading of its fleets.

According to the Minister of Agriculture, the date harvest this season touched about 223,000 tons matched to 198,800 tons last season, i.e. an 11% increase. The harvest is made up of almost 159,700 tons of Deglet Nour with a 12% growth compared to last year and 63,600 tons of other varieties, up 9% compared to last year. Prices are between 1.5-3.5 dt/kilo in Kébili and between 2-3.5dt/kilo in Tozeur.

Tunisian date exports were projected up until the 9th January 2015 at almost 24,861 tons with an 18 million dinar value, related to 24,330 tons evaluated at 98.3 million dinars in 2013, i.e. a 20% increase. Grape production touched about 30,000 tons this year compared to 32,000 tons in 2013, an almost 6% decrease.

Pomegranate exports, since starting on the 18th September 2014, have reached 4,447 tons compared to 1,672 tons last season. National pomegranate production reached 78.5 thousand tons in 2013-2014 compared to 67 thousand tons the year before, i.e. a 17% increase. This production mainly comes from Gabès (30 million tons), both the country’s largest planted acreage and largest production area, making up 35% of national production per year. Pomegranate farms in Gabès cover 3,000 ha, i.e. 1.3 million pomegranate plants.

The total national fruit production over 2013-2014 increased by 2% related to the previous season, going from 654,000 tons to 669,000 tons, whilst summer fruit production reached 630,000 tons this season.

The total acreage of new planted fruit trees for 2014-2015 is estimated at about 7,100 ha.

For the past two decades, Tunisia has taken on imperative structural reforms, which call in most cases for market and trade liberalization (agricultural

structural adjustment program, GATT reforms, free trade area with the European Union). The private-led type of growth strategy with less government intervention has concluded these last years into a more rapid economic growth and openness.

Over the past decade, evidence clearly paints a picture that Tunisia's economic performance has been one of the sturdiest in the region, imitating continuing but incessant structural reforms, judicious macroeconomic policies and well-targeted social policies.

Changing the FaCe oF tunisia

WEATHERING THE STORM

MONDAY | MARCH 16, 2015

BusinessBuzz 05Visa, Airtel bring mobile payments to 7 African nations

Visa and Bharti Airtel, a telecommunications services provider with operations in

20 countries across Asia and Africa, this week announced a partnership to bring mobile payment services to seven markets in Africa including Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Rwanda, Seychelles and Tanzania, according to a press release.

Visa and Airtel will build on the existing capabilities of Airtel's Mobile Money service, enabling subscribers to use their Airtel Money account to pay in stores and online wherever Visa is accepted. Additionally, customers can withdraw money and make payments from their Airtel Money account using their Airtel Money Visa companion card.

"Mobile payments can transform the lives of people throughout Africa who commonly have access to a mobile phone, but not a bank," said Vish Sowani, Vice President of MNO partnerships for Visa. "For most new subscribers, this will

MasterCard has made two announcements at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, that expand mobile remittance services in Africa.

MasterCard announced an agreement with eTranzact International PLC, a leading Pan-African mobile banking and payment services company, to make international remittance services available to millions

of consumers in Nigeria. The card network also announced a partnership with Steward Bank in Zimbabwe to make remittance services available to the bank's more than 1.5 million accountholders.

Under the e T r a n z a c t agreement, citizens will be able to securely receive i n t e r n a t i o n a l remittances to their eTranzact mobile money wallets or select bank accounts through the international transfer hub,

represent their first payment account and bring some of the latest digital payment advancements into the everyday experiences of Airtel's customers."

In addition to everyday Visa transactions in stores, online and at ATMs, Airtel Money can also be used to make micropayments, conduct fund transfers, purchase airtime and prepaid electricity, plus Internet bundles.

"We are excited to embark on the next phase of development for Airtel Money with our new partner, Visa," said Chidi Okpala, director and head of Airtel Money Africa. "We can look forward to further empowering our Airtel Money customers with access to retail, ATM and online payments using only their Airtel Mobile Phone and companion card to manage all their mobile payment needs."

Visa and Airtel have already launched an Airtel Money Visa Card in Kenya and will roll out services in other markets starting in early 2015.

Balancingact- Africa HomeSend. A joint venture between MasterCard, eServGlobal and BICS, HomeSend bridges the gap between various entities globally - such as financial institutions, non-financial entities and mobile network operators

- enabling Nigerians living and working abroad to send money from mobile money accounts, payment cards, bank accounts or cash outlets back home, according to a press release.

"For millions of Nigerians, the receipt of funds from friends and family is an important lifeline. HomeSend provides senders across the globe and the recipients in Nigeria with a convenient, safe, and cost effective money transfer channel," said Omokehinde Ojomuyide, vice president and area business head for West Africa at MasterCard.

Upon receipt of funds into their eTranzact mobile wallets,

Nigerians can use PocketMoni, eTranzact's mobile money platform, to pay bills, top up airtime, pay select merchants, cash out at agents or participating bank ATMs, and send money to any bank account, PocketMoni user, eTrazact card or mobile phone user. MasterCard is also using HomeSend in the deal with Steward Bank. In the next phase of that agreement, Steward Bank's sister company EcoCash will soon connect to HomeSend, enabling more than four million EcoCash mobile money customers to receive remittances into their mobile money wallets, after which they can pay bills, pay merchants, send money and cash out. Those who hold a MasterCard Debit Companion card linked to their EcoCash wallets will also be able to withdraw money from MasterCard-licensed ATMs.

Balancingact- Africa

Burger King Worldwide Inc. plans to enter new African countries before the end of the year as it follows Yum! Brands Inc.’s KFC chain in tapping demand from the continent’s middle class.

“Our African expansion plans are progressing at a very vigorous rate,” Jaye Sinclair, Chief Executive Officer of Burger King South Africa, said by phone from Cape Town, where the Miami-based fast-food chain’s first outlet in the country was opened in May 2013.

The maker of the Whopper burger operates the South African unit with Johannesburg-based leisure company Grand Parade Investments Ltd. and the combined entity has rights to open outlets in Zambia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Namibia and Mauritius, Sinclair said. The company has also asked for permission to open stores in Angola, Africa’s second-biggest oil producer.

Restaurant chains, retailers and consumer-goods companies are expanding in sub-Saharan Africa, where the number of middle-

Burger King to expand to six new African countries

class households has tripled since 2010, according to Johannesburg-based Standard Bank Group Ltd. Bentonville, Arkansas-based Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the world’s biggest retailer, plans to increase African store space outside South Africa by 45 percent over the next two years.

McDonald’s Corp., the world’s biggest restaurant chain, is also looking at potential new African markets to build on its growth in South Africa, CEO Don Thompson said on Feb. 10. Pizza Hut, owned by Yum! Brands, plans outlets in Zambia and Angola in the first half of this year.

Burger King South Africa’s target countries in sub-Saharan Africa may get their first restaurants by

MasterCard expands mobile remittance services in Africa

the end of 2015 or early next year, according to Sinclair, depending on how quickly supply chains and distribution centers can be set up. In South Africa, the chain will almost double the number of outlets to 60 by mid-year, he said.

“Our focus is on opening big-format drive-through units,” Sinclair said. “We need to really populate the South African landscape with our drive-throughs and then after that we will start doing in-fills of smaller stores.”

Burger King South Africa is talking to shopping-center owners about building drive-throughs in parking lots and there are “quite a few of those under construction at the moment,” he said. The company is also considering whether to add breakfasts, home delivery and extend trading to 24 hours. The company has outlets in three of South Africa’s nine provinces and plans to open stores in at least four more, including the Eastern Cape in early 2016. Burger King also has restaurants in Egypt and Morocco.

African Herald Express

mONDAY | mARCH 16, 2015

fRaNkLY sPeaKinG06

By kirit soBti, editor, [email protected]

According to the Government of Ghana, all Ghanaians deserve to live in a country with better-quality infrastructure, which is

inseparably linked to augmenting the quality of life. The feasibility of private sector investments centers on a vigorous and functional infrastructure of roads, rail, sufficient and efficient energy, stable water supply and a unified communications and ICT infrastructure.

Ghana has made noteworthy advancement in infrastructure in recent years. A number of shapes arise steadily across sectors. Ghana has prospered in developing broad reach national infrastructure backbones, and raising household access to services far beyond what is typical for the low income peer group. This is true whether one looks at mobile telephones (67 percent penetration versus 15 percent in the peer group), power (56 percent access versus 15 percent for the peer group), or utility water (40 percent coverage versus 26 percent for the peer group). Furthermore, Ghana’s accomplishment in service coverage is not limited to urban areas.

The country has proved an imposing performance on both rural water and electricity coverage, and progressively GSM signal extension. The country’s road sector is also well established, with a striking 95 of the paved and 81 of the unpaved networks in good or fair condition. Institutional reforms have been efficaciously adopted in the ICT, ports, roads and water supply sectors.

Ghana’s latest technical accomplishment of the Millennium Development Goal remains a somewhat hollow triumph. Power supply is also progressively subject to reliability problems that stem from neglect of ageing transmission and distribution assets. Even in mobile telephony the increasing rate of dropped calls has developed a recent concern, though it is a comparatively standard side effect of a rapidly mounting network. This overall pattern suggests that Ghana may benefit from a systematic framework for regulating quality of public services. Finally, the one public service to which Ghana does not seem to have paid so much attention is sanitation, where the lack

JAy IrElANd President & CEO, GE Africa

lESlIE NElSON CEO, GE Ghana

Ghana’s President John Dramani Mahama has stressed the need to focus on building of infrastructure in the country.

"While we continue to build more hospitals and schools, other critical sectors such as water, roads, transport, ICT and Telecommunication sectors continue to engage our attention. Development of key infrastructure is not only for job creation but also for general socio-economic transformation", said the President.

Currently, it has been estimated that Ghana suffers infrastructure funding gap of about US$1.5 billion per year.

"While creating conducive environment for the private sector to participate in infrastructure development, government in 2014 took a decisive step and started the process for the establishment of a Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF)", Mahama said in the recent address to the nation. The GIIF is expected to act as a mobilizer of development in Ghana. The fund is mainly financed by the receipts from a VAT levy and contributions from tax.

The fund will help the government reduce infrastructure gaps considerably and will enable the government to invest in infrastructure projects which will help drive growth in Ghana.

"We have spent in excess of US$1.1 billion on the construction of new water systems, and expansion of some existing ones across the country.

"Water is a basic necessity of life, yet for many decades, vast sections of our people had no access to it, contributing to the spread of water-related diseases."

A report released by the WHO revealed that Ghana was successful in eradicating the Guinea worm disease.

"We have over the last two years reversed significantly the unacceptable hardship many of our women and children, especially, go through in their search for water."

A number of water projects are launched throughout the country and others are at various stages of completion

"This is in fulfillment of the prescriptions of the National Water Policy and the work programme of the 2012 Manifesto of the NDC, which seeks to achieve 100 per cent water coverage for our people by 2025," he added.

Mahama stresses on Infrastructure Development in Ghana

GE has long been committed to unlocking Africa's potential but, as our most recent deals in the region demonstrate, we believe there is still more that we can do. Our investments in infrastructure and people only strengthen our role as a key partner in helping to build Africa's future.

Ghana has made noteworthy advancement in infrastructure in recent years. A number of shapes arise steadily across sectors.

of progress in reducing open defecation remains a concern.

With respect to regional integration, Ghana is doing well in maintaining international road corridors, but lacks power and ICT connectivity with its neighbors. The Port of Tema is increasingly becoming a transit gateway to the landlocked hinterland. However, the continuing success of the Ghana Gateway program depends on successfully tackling capacity constraints at the port.

Ghana is making paces to launch itself as a significant gateway to the West African market. Key supporting factors are its plentiful natural resources, economic liberalism, track record of political stability and refining transport infrastructure.

Ghana’s logistics performance and customs processes are better than its regional peers. Transport infrastructure needs to be promoted to meet the needs of a middle-income country. Subsequent to the successful commercialisation of its oil reserves, Ghana is in a place to nurture additional public funding for infrastructure from its increased fiscal receipts and consequently address the country’s infrastructure needs.

The Ministry of Finance in association with the World Bank and the Agence Francaise de Developpement (AFD) recently organized a national workshop on good practices on building Public Private Partnerships (PPPs). Deputy Minister of Finance, Mr Cassiel Ato Forson, who stressed on the position of executing alternative funding solutions such as PPPs.

“We are therefore concentrating on developing our professionals and specialists, who will anchor the programme on foundations of knowledge, experience and skills”, he said.

PPPs are long-term contractual partnership provisions between public and private institutions to improve public infrastructure and services. PPPs are becoming progressively significant in developing countries like Ghana as a development instrument. The fundamental code of PPPs is to bring together public and private entities to design, finance, build and manage public infrastructure and services. PPPs can be planned for a variety of sectors including drinking water supply, sanitation, public transportation, telecommunications as well as certain aspects of healthcare delivery and education.

Presently, projects being undertaken as PPPs in Ghana include the Accra-Takoradi Highway Dualisation, Boankra Inland Port/Eastern Railway Line, Takoradi Port Rehabilitation and Expansion, the establishment of a New National Airline, Diagnostic Services at Korle Bu, Model Markets project and the Ledzokuku-Krowor Municipal Assembly Community Project.

The World Bank is supporting the Workshop as part of its overall four-year support to the Government of Ghana on PPPs through a $30 million IDA credit to deliver legislative, institutional and transaction support aimed at improving the Government’s capacity to generate a pipeline of bankable projects.

To support both public institutions on one hand and private companies on the other hand, AFD and its subsidiary in charge of the private sector offer a wide range of financial tools to finance PPPs in Ghana, from soft loans, equity investments, and technical assistance to grants.

Overall, Ghana’s infrastructure condition is fairly anticipative relative to that of many African neighbors. There are numerous strong areas to build upon, and

We are delighted to have reached agreement with Shell on the key parameters of a long-term LNG supply arrangement and have entered into exclusive discussions on a long-term LNG supply for the Ghana 1000 project. Securing a reliable, flexible and affordable LNG supply arrangement is a critical piece of the puzzle to make this project a reality.

CHANGING THE FACE OF GHANA

a solid economic base from which to fund incremental efforts. As Ghana spreads the middle income threshold, it will need to focus on elevating its infrastructure pointers in line with this standard.

Constructing a New Narrative on Infrastructure Development

MONDAY | MARCH 16, 2015

traVeL&touRism 07

WAYANADThe Land of Paddy Fields

A district in the north-

eastern part of Kerala, Wayanad is well known

for its landscapes. The name Wayanad

is derived from Vayal Nadu which means the land of paddy fields. It is a picturesque

plateau situated at a height between 700 meters and 2100 meters above

the mean sea level nested among the mountains of the Western Ghats

on the Eastern portion of North Kerala and on the sides of Tamil

Nadu and Karnataka States.

human use and symbols. These carvings speak of a highly civilized people of pre-historic age and inspires the archaeologists and historians to rewrite the history of Wayanad and Kerala as a whole.

Sentinel Rock Waterfalls: This waterfall is at Vellarimala village near Chooralmala in Meppadi panchayat. It is a picnic spot as well as a trekking centre. The sentinel rock, a rock of more than 200 m.in height, is ideal for rock climbing.

Kuruva Island: The Kuruva Island, 950 acres of ever green forest on the tributaries of east flowing river Kabani, is an ideal picnic spot. The island is uninhabited. Rare species of birds, orchids and herbs can be found here.

Lakkidi: One of the highest locations in Wayanad, Lakkidi also commands a picturesque scenery. It is about 58 kms north east of Kozhikode and five kms south of Vythiri. The lofty mountain peaks, the gurgling stream, luxuriant vegetation and the bird's eye view of the deep valley on the south, with its winding roads, are breath taking.

Wayanad lies in the Nilgiris biosphere. It’s part of the 1600 km long Western Ghats, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The District was carved out from the then Kozhikode and Kannur Districts. About 885.92.sq.km of area is under forest. The culture of Wayanad is mainly tribal. Wayanad’s landscape combines epic mountain scenery, rice paddies of ludicrous green, skinny betel nut trees, bamboo, red earth, spiky ginger fields, and rubber, cardamom and coffee plantations. Foreign travelers are making it here in increasing numbers, partly because it provides easy access between Mysore or Bangalore and Kerala, but it’s still fantastically virgin and satisfyingly remote. Importantly, it's also one of the few places you’re almost guaranteed to spot wild elephants.

The higher elevation and forest cover creates a comfortable and a cool climate. The weather is cool throughout the year except in April and May. It rains heavily during monsoon, with an annual average rainfall of 3200 mm.

Wayanad has two of the best wildlife sanctuaries in the country. The Muthanga wildlife sanctuary and the Tholpetty wildlife sanctuary. The Sanctuaries are rich in bio-diversity and form the natural habitat of a variety of flora and fauna endemic to the region.

Must Visit..Chembra Peak: At a height of 2100 meters, the towering

Chembra Peak is located near Meppadi in the southern part of Wayanad. It is the tallest of peaks in the region. Climbing the Chembra peak is an exhilarating experience and can take almost a day. For tourists who like to camp, Chembra Peak can prove to be an unforgettable experience.

Neelimala: Located in the southeastern part of Wayanad, Neelimala is a trekker’s delight. At the top of Neelimala, the sight is a breathtaking one with a view to the Meenmutty falls located nearby and the valley in the foreground.

Pakshipathalam: Pakshipathalam is located deep within the forest in the Brahmagiri hills at an altitude of more than 1700 meters. The region predominantly comprises large boulders, some of them really massive. The deep caves found here are home to a wide variety of birds, animals and distinctive species of plants.

Banasura Sagar Dam: Banasura Sagar Dam is the largest earth dam in India. The dam is located in the southwestern part of Wayanad district and is close to the Karalad Lake. The project area of the Banasura Sagar Dam also has the start point for treks to the Banasura Peak. An interesting feature is a set of islands that were formed when the reservoir submerged the surrounding areas.

Pookot Lake: It is a natural fresh water lake, brimmed with ever green mountains. The weather here is salacious; the scenic beauty, hypnotizing and the nature, unspoiled.

Edakkal Cave: The Edakkal cave in the Ambukuthy Mountain, is not a cave in the real sense, but a cleft about 96ft. long and 22ft wide in the rock. The rock wall contains some interesting carvings, which represent human and animal figures and objects of

mONDAY | mARCH 16, 2015

taLkiNGtecHnoLoGy08

Research and analysis following EIBTM 2014 (which has recently been

rebranded as ibtm world – www.ibtmworld.com) has confirmed that 97% of exhibitors who participated in 2014 agree that the event is important for their business.

Jim Hensley, CEO, Global DMC Partners comments, “EIBTM is the strongest and busiest show in our trade show calendar. We’ve had more appointments each day here than we have had in entire trade shows. The buyers we have seen have been good quality and most importantly ready to do business with proposals in place, rather than general enquiries. We are very optimistic about the future business we will place thanks to EIBTM.”

In addition to this, 93% of exhibitors who participated in the 2014 show are planning to rebook following the success of the show which took place in Fira Gran Via, Barcelona.

Isabel Agrelo, Communication Manager, Global Sales Division, Accor commented, “We have been extremely busy at EIBTM with over 800 appointments across the three days. We have met with some very interesting sales leads and there will be some positive contracts to come. We can’t wait to return in 2015.”

The show reported a 4% increase on overall attendance and a 9% increase in visitor

attendance when compared to 2013 figures.

Analysis also confirmed that over 9,750 visitors and Hosted Buyers, of which 4,650 were CEOs, MDs and Heads of Department, attended from 72 countries including UK, Germany, Russia, Benelux, France, Italy, U.S and China with 66% of them confirming an annual budget for meetings, events and business travel of over $500,000.

Steve Bloss, President of Sales, Worldwide Travel and Cruise Associates Inc. commented, “This is our 24th year exhibiting at EIBTM and this is without a doubt, the best year yet. The quality of buyers we have met and the size and nature of the enquiries have been great.”

Sandrine Camia, Director Monaco Convention Bureau also commented, “EIBTM 2014 has been our most successful show since I have been the Director of the Monaco Convention Bureau. The quality and quantity of the buyers visiting our booth have been very good, and all our partners had a very good show with numerous serious requests for proposals.”

Companies interested in benefiting from access to a global network of powerful meetings industry buyers as well as a number of additional networking opportunities should contact [email protected] for further information.

Reed Travel ExhibitionsReed Travel Exhibitions (RTE) is the world’s leading provider of exhibitions in the travel and tourism industry, with a wide-ranging portfolio of 21 international events in 13 countries throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Asia Pacific and Africa. Its market-leading, business-to-business events cover all elements of travel and tourism, including leisure travel, luxury travel, meetings, events, incentives and business travel, as well as golf, ski and spa travel.

PLAYING A VITAL ROLE IN MEETINGS’ SUPPLIERS BUSINESS MIX

For media enquiries, please contact:

Nina Gardiner Tel: +44 (0) 208 334 4004Mob: +44 (0) 7770 306 689Email: [email protected]

Céline SabattiniTel: +44 (0) 208 334 4009Email: [email protected]

RTE is part of Reed Exhibitionswww.reedtravelexhibitions.com

MONDAY | MARCH 16, 2015

trysomethiNGNeW 09UPCOMING

Good things comes to those who wait.

tHougHt oFtHe WeeK

`Cairo International Fair

It is a multi-sector, multi-national trade exhibition. The Fair is a general exhibition of all types of goods. The duration of the event is ten days. The Cairo International Fair receives active support from the Government of the Republic of Egypt through the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Industry.

date: 18-27 Mar 2015 Venue: Cairo International Convention & Exhibition centre, Cairo, Egypt

Nigeria Oil & Gas Exhibition

The Nigeria Oil & Gas Exhibition with its exclusive display of oil and gas products, oil and gas services, petrochemicals, oil and gas compounds, equipments, safety devices and all associated with the oil and gas industry, is one of its kinds. The exhibition also conducts conferences and seminars and is a great platform to know about the prevailing oil and gas industry. It is a great forum that gifts learning experience and also hosts expert opinion and decision makes from this industry.

date: 16-19 Mar 2015 Venue: Abuja International Conference Center, Abuja, Nigeria

Annual African Society for Talent Development International Conference

It is organized by the African Society for Talent Development. The conference will cover areas like Development, Transformation and Technology, and Is Especially Designed to Look at Challenges That Participants Are Facing from a Macro, Institutional and Individual Perspective.

date: 17-19 Mar, 2015 Venue: Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg, South Africa

Propak East Africa

This event showcases products like aluminium, all flexible packaging, board, labelling, substrates, paper, polymers, tinplate, rigid plastics, suppliers of packaging, adhesives, boxes, cans, closures, containers, cartons, components, flexible packaging, glass and plastic bottles, drums, pouches, tubes, packaging and ancillary machinery, bottling, capping, canning, Chemical, cosmetic, pharmaceutical, toiletries and detergent industries processing equipment etc. in the Packaging Materials industry.

date: 17-19 March, 2015 Venue: Kenyatta International Conference Centre (KICC), Nairobi, Kenya.

National Equity and Inclusion conference

The conference will cover areas like Inclusive Wash Technologies for Household, Communities and Institutions Equity and Inclusion in Practice – Reaching under Served Groups Policy Issues in Inclusive Wash.

date: 18-19 Mar 2015 Venue: Hotel Africana, Kampala, Uganda

H.E. Mr. Hamza Yahia-Cherif, Ambassador-Designate of Algeria to India, paid homage, along with the Algerian diplomats, to Mahatma Gandhi on 3rd March 2015. The new Ambassador, who placed a wreath at Gandhi’s Samadhi at Rajghat, said it was spiritual to start his mission in India by paying tributes to the soul of a strong freedom fighter whose weapons were nothing but peace and non-violence.

PIcturE Of thE wEEk

North AfricAN LAmb KebAbs

ingredients

• 11/2cupsfinelychoppedonion• 1tablespoonlemonzest• 1/4cupfreshlemonjuice• 1/4cupchoppedfreshparsleyleaves• 1/4cupchoppedfreshcilantroleaves• 3tablespoonschoppedfreshmintleaves• 2teaspoonssalt• 1teaspoongroundcumin• 1teaspoonpaprika• 1teaspoonfreshlygroundblackpepper• 1/4cupoliveoil• 2to21/2poundsbonelesslegorshoulder

of lamb, cut into 1-inch cubes with some of the fat attached

• 6warmpitabreads,forserving

directions• Inalargebowl,combinetheonion,lemon

zest, lemon juice, parsley, cilantro, mint, salt,

cumin, paprika, pepper, and olive oil. Add the lamb to the marinade and toss to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours.

• Soak8to10bambooskewersinwarmwaterfor about 1 hour before assembling the kabobs.

• Preheatthegrilltohigh,andlightlyoilthegrillgrates to prevent sticking. Thread the lamb onto the soaked skewers and place on the grill, turning to evenly cook, about 12 to 14 minutes.

• Drizzlethepitaswithsauce,thenwrapthepitaaround the meat on the skewer, fold over and twist the skewer off the meat. Serve.

Eating 2-3 kiwis a day has been shown to reduce the potential of blood clotting by 18% and reduce triglycerides by 15%. Many individuals take aspirin to reduce blood clotting, but this causes many side effects including inflammation and intestinal bleeding. Kiwi fruit has the same anti-clotting benefits with no side effects, just additional health benefits!

6. Suitable For Diabetics

Kiwi is in the ‘low’ category for glycemic index, meaning it does not raise your blood sugar quickly. It has a glycemic load of 4 which means it is safe for diabetics.

7. Protects Against Macular Degeneration and Other Eye Problems

Macular degeneration is the leading cause of vision loss in older adults. A study on over 110,000 men and women showed that eating 3 or more serving of fruit per day decreased macular degeneration by 36%. This is thought to be associated with the kiwi’s high levels of lutein and

health Benefits of kiwizeaxanthin

— both of which are natural chemicals found in the human eye. Although both fruits and vegetables were studied, this same effect was not shown for vegetables.

8. Create Alkaline Balance

Kiwi is in the ‘most alkaline’ category for fruits, meaning it has a rich supply of minerals to replace the excess of acidic foods most individuals consume. A fewofthebenefitsofaproperlyacid/alkaline balanced body are: youthful skin, deeper sleep, abundant physical energy, fewer colds, less arthritis, and reduced osteoporosis.

9. Great for the Skin

Kiwis are a good source of vitamin E, an antioxidant known to protect skin from

degeneration.

10. Naturally Organic

Kiwi fruit is on the list of foods that are generally safe from a lot of pesticide residues. For 2012 it came in with the top 10 safest foods. While it is always good to support organic when you can as a matter of principle, it’s also good to know whether there is a big danger if organic is not available or viable for you.

1. I've lost my bag. J'ai perdu mon sac.

2. can I use your phone/mobile phone? Puis-jeutiliservotretéléphone/portable?

handy french3. where does this train/bus go? Oùvacetrain/bus?

4. do you accept credit cards? Acceptez-vouslescartesdecredit?

5. It was delicious. C'était délicieux.

6. I haven't done anything wrong. Je n'ai fait rien de mal.

Lesotho, in Africa, is the only country on Earth to lie completely above 1000 meters in elevation.

Yogurt dipping Sauce:1/2cupplainyogurt1/2cupsourcream1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, or more to taste1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint leaves1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill

1. Helps Your Digestions with Enzymes

Raw kiwi contains actinidain, a protein-dissolving enzyme that can help digest a meal much like the papain in papaya or bromelain in pineapple.

2. Helps Manage Blood Pressure

Kiwi’s high level of potassium helps keep our electrolytes in balance by counteracting the effects of sodium.

3. Boosts Your Immunity

Kiwi’s high vitamin C content along with other antioxidant compounds has been proven to boost the immune system.

4. Smart Carb for Weight Loss

Kiwi’s low glycemic index and high fiber content means it will not create a strong insulin rush like other fruit with high sugar contents — so the body will not respond by storing fat.

5. Helps Fight Heart Disease

mONDAY | mARCH 16, 2015

thefasHionistas10

Tic Tac receives award for contributing to hiplifeMusicians Union of Ghana, (MUSIGA) bestowed on artise "Tic Tac", a Hiplife Honours award for his immense contribution to the genre over the years.

The event took place on at the National Theatre during the MUSIGA Ghana Music Honours, as part of series of programmes to commemorate the Ghana Music Week Festival.

The initiative by the union was to show reverence to musicians and other industry players who have contributed immensely to the Ghanaian Music Industry and are still relevant in their field of endeavour.

It consisted of 21 awards; with 15 meritorious honours by the Industry, and six masses choice determined by the public.

At the end of it all, Tic Tac was given the coveted Hiplife Honours for single-handedly exporting Ghana music to Europe, and other continents while remaining relevant in

Advertisement please email to

[email protected] call at

+91 8595166674+91 9350564995

To book your

Ghana music.Tic Tac on receiving the award

thanked lovers of Ghanaian music for their support for the Industry.

He charged them to continuously love and support Ghanaian music, for it was that relationship which would ensure the survival of the industry.

When approached by the media backstage to comment on the award, the “Don't Let your Baby Go” hit maker, said, his passion for the music industry continuous to grow daily and

added that the award would shove him to do more. He charged his colleagues in the Industry as well as upcoming musicians, to uphold and revere Ghana music as posterity and generations will remember their hard work.

The “All over the world” singer said, TN records has lots of surprises and good music for the teeming fans in the months ahead. He also hinted that he will be dropping the video for one of his singles, “Don't Let your Baby Go” soon.

Modern Ghana

Dela Botri, Pat Thomas Rock Francophone Festival

Viguiré, who collaborated with Botri in 2014, which resulted in performances in the French capital, Paris, is expected to jam the concert, which would be a cool blend of highlife, jazz, contemporary and traditional Ghanaian music.

Dela Botri, who is also known as the 'flute magician', is the founder, leader and artistic director of Hewale Sounds and the 'Gouda' music group (former Hewale Youth).

Leading and directing Hewale Sounds, the group has performed for highly enthusiastic audiences in Togo, Benin, Nigeria, La Côte d'Ivoire, Mali, Niger, Guinea, Mauritania, Jordan, Egypt, South Africa, Norway and the United States of America.

In Ghana, the group has enchanted audiences from all regions during their national tour and also at cultural institutions such as the Alliance Française, Goethe Institute, the British

Christopher to launCh agatima video

R&B singer Christopher Muneza has started shooting the video for the song, Agatima.

The video for the track which is off the singer’s second album is being shot in Kigali and is directed by KINA Music. The project started last week, on Monday, and it is expected to conclude this week.

Agatima is one of the most romantic songs by Christopher. This wonderful single contains soul touching lyrics and music—and it’s definitely the perfect song that you can dedicate to your lover and just feel the romance in the air.

On February 20, the 21-year-old released yet another song titled, Urubavu, which features a combination of romance and music.

“Urubavu has a deep and profound message for married couples, as they make vows never to separate until death,” he says.

Although he didn’t make it among the 25 nominees for this year’s Primus Guma Guma SuperStar singing competition, Christopher never considered it an issue and neither a discouragement.

“When I was entering my music journey, I never aimed at the PGGSS competitions and therefore having been not chosen wasn’t a big issue since I am still celebrating the success of my Valentine concert. So I have no reason to be discouraged,” he adds.

Christopher sings about love and his music helps people to feel the essence of romance. Some of his songs, such as, Iri Joro, Amahitamo, Byanze, Babyumva, among others, are described by fans as engaging and wonderful pieces of music which help them to appreciate love and feel its real meaning.

New Times

film award in 2015.On Saturday, March 21, the

Alliance Française would host a Francophone cultural fair, which would showcase the diversity Francophone countries through literature, music, dance, fashion and food.

In the evening, Beninoise diva and former UNICEF Ambassador, Zeynab, would trill fans with her exclusive style. Discovered in 2002 with 'Intori', her first album, Zeynab has shaped Beninois and French-speaking music of Africa with her unique musical genre.

She efficiently succeeded in mixing the rhythms of his time (R&B) and the traditional tones of her country of adoption (Ivory Coast) and of her native Benin.

Embassy of France in Accra, Institut Francais (Ghana / Togo), Canadian High Commission in Accra, CFAO, ORSAM, Total, Societe General, Bank of Africa and others are sponsoring the festival.

Modern Ghana

Council and residencies of ambassadors to Ghana from Congo, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Russia, Spain, Togo and the United States.

Hewale Sounds has had numerous performances for state programmes and high official visitors to Ghana. Most recently, Hewale Sounds performed for H.R.H. Prince Haakon of Norway during his visit to Accra in 2011.

Some of the activities lined up for the festival include an exhibition of extremely evocative artworks by three Togolese painters, Emmanuel Sogbadzi, Sokey Edorh, Camille Azankpo and Pierre Segoh, would open at the Alliance Française in Accra.

From Friday, March 20 to Saturday March 28, a film festival would take place with screenings in several venues all over the city of Accra. It is scheduled to premiere 'Timbuktu' by Abderrahmane Sissako, director and producer who was nominated at the Oscar

Dela Botri of Hewale Sounds, French guitarist Bernard Viguiré, alongside percussionist Maxwell Abeyie and legendary singer Pat Thomas will on Saturday, March 14 perform at the Alliance Française as part of the 2015 edition of Francophonie festival.

MONDAY | MARCH 16, 2015

sPorts2WatCh 11

European football lovers will be in for a treat when pay TV company Star Times Media,

launch a Sports Premium channel in May that will show games from one of the biggest European leagues; the German Bundesliga effective next season.

Star Times Media signed an initial two-year contract to show Europe’s most exciting league. The Sports Premium channel will also be showing other games that weren’t previously available to viewers on that platform like Cricket, NBA, Athletics and Rugby.

Speaking to the Times Sport yesterday, the Star Times Brand and Marketing director Hussein Kamanzi, said, “We’re launching a new sports premium at end of this season. The channel is going to be broadcasting all the Bundesliga

Star Times to start showing Bundesliga

New Sports Minister Uwacu wants Chan 2016 to stay in Rwanda

GFA Exco hails Black Stars for sterling performance at AFCON 2015

game with whom we have signed exclusively for two years.

The Sports Premium channel comes in addition to the Unique Package. Last Monday, Star Times launched a new programme called Sports Focus on a new package.

“The programme (Sports Focus) will be giving sports updates and it will also show the Euro 2016 qualifiers and UEFA Champions League,” Kamanzi added.

Previously, Star Times would give rights to show the Champions League to local TV stations but Rwandans will be able to watch the games at a “reasonably priced” Nova Package. The two additional channels come after Sports 2 programme that was launched to give viewers more sports.

New Times

The newly appointed Minister of Sports and Culture, Julienne Uwacu has challenged Amavubi to win the 2016 Africa Nations Championship (Chan) that will be held in Rwanda from January 16-February 7, 2016.

Uwacu, who replaced Joseph Habineza, while giving her maiden speech after swearing in ceremony, also called upon all institutions that operate under her ministry as well as other stakeholders to work together in order to achieve greater success.

“We need to work together as team, we have to work hard even in order to achieve our mission and bring pride to our nation,” she said.

The minister added, “We are planning to beef up the national team with many warm-up games.

We want to find the best approach to build a solid national

The Executive Committee of the Ghana Football Association has praised the Black Stars for their impressive performance at the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations.

This was revealed after an Executive Committee meeting held in Accra to review the team's performance at the tournament which was held in Equatorial Guinea from January 17 to February 8. The Black Stars exceeded the expectations of many by finishing the tournament as runners up after losing on penalties to Ivory Coast in the final match.

Ghana recovered from a 2-1 defeat to Senegal in their opening game to beat Algeria and South Africa to finish on top of Group A.

Coach Avram Grant's side went ahead to beat Guinea and hosts Equatorial Guinea 3-0 each in the quarter final and semi final stage respectively before reaching the finals. The team received lots of plaudits from many football fans and from President John Dramani Mahama. And the GFA's Executive Committee in its review of the tournament, congratulated the team for their sterling

performance.“I can confirm to you that the

Executive Committee is highly satisfied with the performance of the Black Stars. They exceedingly impressed by the performance of the team at the Africa Cup of Nations.” GFA President Kwesi Nyantakyi said at a press conference after the Exco meeting.

“We also congratulate Mr. Avram Grant for the sterling performance with the team despite taking over in a very short time”, he added.

Modern Ghana

Uwacu has been a Member of Parliament since 2008. Before joining the Chamber of Deputies, Uwacu served as the Vice Mayor of Nyabihu District in charge of economy and development.

New Times

team which would be able to challenge and make sure the trophy stays in Rwanda.”

She confirmed that construction works on modern stadiums that will host the African Nations Championship have reached advanced stage. The competition will be held at Amhoro Stadium, Kigali Regional Stadium, Huye Stadium and Umuganda Stadium in Rubavu District.

Chan is a competition reserved for players featuring in their respective domestic leagues.

Democratic Republic of Congo won the inaugural tournament in Cote d’Ivoire in 2009, Tunisia won the 2011 edition in Sudan while Libya are the defending champions.

The former Minister of Sports and Culture, Habineza will officially hand over office to Uwacu today.

Julienne Uwacu, Minister, Sports and Culture Minister

mONDAY | mARCH 16, 2015

How imperative is a dialogue among people from India and Africa to address the challenges of Air pollution?

In India we have enormous problems related to air pollution. Now we are trying to understand what kind of solutions we can adopt to reverse this trend.

We are here to share experience and best practices so that we can build a platform to inform people and police makers in order to get result-oriented policy decisions. What we need today is that even though, problems of Air pollutions have been in Africa and India. In Mumbai, there is a hope to address these chjallenges , growing number of cars and congestion, it is important to tell the world that despite that in Africa and India there are still people who are still wlking and getting oublic transport, this the best practice that we can encourage since previous studies have shown that transport is responsible for around 25 to 70% of urban outdoor air pollution.

How confident are you that some, or most, of the objectives you spelled out in your road map proposals can be achieved?

There is a need to build cooperation between people from Africa and India

with the mitigation of Air pollution problems. The platform is to share the best practices from Africa and India so that we can engage with our policy-makers. From our experience in India, all parties should be involved in the dialogue. If we want political will, it is very important that we should be able to build public knowledge. This experience sharing platform is very critical so that the public opinion could influence policy makers. We are going to look at capacity

building exercise, research, so that we could involve a range of stakeholders to build the dialogue. More especially, the involvement of different local actors and creating local ownership are key success factors for addressing all challenges.

What kind of research areas will be concerned in this south-south cooperation between India and Africa?

We are going to look at how at different national levels research can be done to understand the challenges and solutions. We are also going to look at what kind of policy dialogue we can build. To get the good benefit to fight against the effects of climate

change climate change. This is a new area of consultation and dialogue for the countries of Africa and Asia could come together to build those understanding.

Could you elucidate which function Indian and African researchers hold in this equation?

The civil society of India and Africa can communicate each other so that they can inform people from both sides. This cooperation is not governmental cooperation, it is between Africa and India. As a future scenarios, people will be able to communicate and build public support and build cities congestion free. We have the chance to do it. This is a unique opportunity for both parties to engage in the ongoing efforts to improve air quality in congested cities from Africa and Indian and mitigate climate-change simultaneously. The way forward will be to provide recommendations on a number innovative actions, policy setting, financing and institutional development to enable rapid scaling up South-South Cooperation initiatives between Africa and India.

In an exclusive interview with Indo Africa Times (IAT), Ms. Anumita Roychowdhury, the Executive Director of Research and Advocacy, at one of the notable Indian based Think-tank, Centre for Science and Environment, has appealed to various stakeholders from India and Africa to resort to dialogue as the means for mitigating air pollution which is described as the deadliest environmental problem for millions of people. It said these diseases are primarily caused by high levels of fine particulate matter and carbon monoxide released by the burning of solid fuels such as wood, coal, crop waste and charcoal in inefficient stoves. About 3 billion people around the world — mostly in Africa and Asia, and mostly very poor — still cook and heat their homes by burning coal, charcoal, dung, wood, or plant residue in their homes.

"There is a need to build cooperation between people from Africa and India"

eNCouNteR WitH eDitor12

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Anumita roychowdhury

Executive Director of Research and Advocacy,

for Indian Think-tank, Centre for Science and

Environment

MONDAY | MARCH 16, 2015