THE Government has received $75m it had advanced to the Bujagali hydro power contractors to kick-start the project. More
Monday, December 24, 2007
Prices of food high ahead of festive season
Dar es Salaam residents have to dig deeper into their pockets this festive season as chicken and meat prices keep going up as Christmas and New Year celebrations approach.
A survey by this paper has shown an early price rise on the most consumed items on festival seasons.
At Kariakoo, a kilo of beef was sold at 3,500/- , a jump of 500/- from the normal price of 3,000/-.
In Tabata the price was almost similar - a kilo of beef fetching 3,100/- up from 3,000/-. The price of a broiler in Tabata sells at between 7,000/- to 10,000/- compared to previous days when the price ranged between 3,500/- and 5,000/-.
At Kariakoo market prices ranged from 7,000/- to 13,000/-. Some livestock and poultry dealers attributed the staggering prices to the necessity to cushion the impact of higher-priced cattle and chicken.
"A cow that was bought at 400,000/- was now being sold at 500,000/-", said Juma Hamis, who runs a butchery at Tabata Mawenzi John Paul, a meat seller at Kariakoo market, remarked.
"This is the only time in the year where we make profits from meat business.`` A chicken dealer, Antid James, whose business base is at Tabata Mawenzi as well, said shortage of chicken supplies from upcountry, and consequent higher prices of the birds,compelled them to shift part of the burden to consumers.
A survey by this paper has shown an early price rise on the most consumed items on festival seasons.
At Kariakoo, a kilo of beef was sold at 3,500/- , a jump of 500/- from the normal price of 3,000/-.
In Tabata the price was almost similar - a kilo of beef fetching 3,100/- up from 3,000/-. The price of a broiler in Tabata sells at between 7,000/- to 10,000/- compared to previous days when the price ranged between 3,500/- and 5,000/-.
At Kariakoo market prices ranged from 7,000/- to 13,000/-. Some livestock and poultry dealers attributed the staggering prices to the necessity to cushion the impact of higher-priced cattle and chicken.
"A cow that was bought at 400,000/- was now being sold at 500,000/-", said Juma Hamis, who runs a butchery at Tabata Mawenzi John Paul, a meat seller at Kariakoo market, remarked.
"This is the only time in the year where we make profits from meat business.`` A chicken dealer, Antid James, whose business base is at Tabata Mawenzi as well, said shortage of chicken supplies from upcountry, and consequent higher prices of the birds,compelled them to shift part of the burden to consumers.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Kenya to host ICT conference
By Henry Neondo
The Kenya ICT Board has announced its endorsement and support for the third African Outsourcing and contact centre conference that will be held in Nairobi, Kenya.
A press release from the board said the board considers the event a turnkey event for the outsourcing industry in Kenya which is a primary pillar of the development of business and employment.
The conference, organized by AITEC Africa in collaboration with the Kenya BPO and contact centre society is aligned with the Kenya ICT Board’s focus of making Kenya one of the leading ICT hub.
The third conference will feature local, regional and international experts in the field of outsourcing from among other countries including South Africa, UK, USA, India,Ghana and Philippines.
The conference will also feature presentations by various stakeholders on their roles in supporting the Kenya outsourcing industry. These include the Kenya diaspora, EPC, EPZ and others.
The ICT board says it regards very highly the role played by these stakeholders and intends to collaborate their efforts and leverage their achievements and experience to promote Kenya’s strong value proposition as an outsourcing destination.
Kenyas’ BPO has more than 3, 000 seats today and the Board says it targets 30, 000 seats by 2012 through aggressive marketing activities internationally by participating in various expos and conferences.
The Kenya ICT Board has announced its endorsement and support for the third African Outsourcing and contact centre conference that will be held in Nairobi, Kenya.
A press release from the board said the board considers the event a turnkey event for the outsourcing industry in Kenya which is a primary pillar of the development of business and employment.
The conference, organized by AITEC Africa in collaboration with the Kenya BPO and contact centre society is aligned with the Kenya ICT Board’s focus of making Kenya one of the leading ICT hub.
The third conference will feature local, regional and international experts in the field of outsourcing from among other countries including South Africa, UK, USA, India,Ghana and Philippines.
The conference will also feature presentations by various stakeholders on their roles in supporting the Kenya outsourcing industry. These include the Kenya diaspora, EPC, EPZ and others.
The ICT board says it regards very highly the role played by these stakeholders and intends to collaborate their efforts and leverage their achievements and experience to promote Kenya’s strong value proposition as an outsourcing destination.
Kenyas’ BPO has more than 3, 000 seats today and the Board says it targets 30, 000 seats by 2012 through aggressive marketing activities internationally by participating in various expos and conferences.
Thursday, October 18, 2007
EPAs: Kenya told not to 'sell Africa'
By Henry Neondo
Kenya is to lead other East African Community negotiators tobreak ranks with other developing countries by agreeing to an unfavourabletrade deal with the European Union (EU).
The EAC and EU are meeting this week in Madagascar to negotiate an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA).
In reaction to the ongoing deals, members of the Kenyan civil society and faith-basedorganizationsIn present sent out a passionate plea to the EAC not to sell out to Europe by being thefirst to agree to a deal that would be detrimental to Kenya's economy andhuman rights.
"Whilst the electioneering is going on in Kenya, a trade agreement with the EU could be quietly agreed that will do away with any trade policy controlthat Kenya and the EAC has in the form of control of tariffs to develop our economy", said Justus Lavi Mwololo, an official of the Kenya Small-scaleFarmers Forum.
"Tariffs are very important to developing economies, he said adding that countries like Korea, Taiwan, China, the US, and blocks like the EU all used to have and still use tariffs to develop and grow infant industries andprotect agriculture. It is nonsense for the EU to demand from Africa to dismantle our tariffs, and it is nonsense for our governments to agree to doso."
At the Madagascar meeting, the EAC is likely to agree to an EPA deal that could agree to liberalize up to 90% of all imported EU products intocountries like Kenya. "Once such an agreement is signed, it will open the floodgates for other detrimental free trade agreements, such as between theEAC and the USA and with other third party power houses like China," commented Mr. Lavi.
Analysis of the current text shows that tariffs for Kenya and the rest of the EAC would be fixed permanently from 1st January 2008. This would severely limit governments' right to raise tariffs in order to protect andrevive industries - without first informing the EU.
Furthermore these tariffs will then be systematically dismantled to zero over an as yet undecided time period. Loss of government revenues through tariffelimination would deter the Kenyan government's commitment to upholding social rights such as education, health and food-sovereignty.
This, the organizations say, is in complete contrast to the position southern countries have consistently taken at World Trade Organization (WTO) negotiations at a global level.
"The reasoning behind the signing an EPA isseriously questionable, and we should certainly not be the first ones to agree to this" said John Ochola of the Kenyan organization EcoNews Africa.
"Other blocks in the Africa, Caribbean and Pacific region (ACP) are standing firm against the EU and trying to secure a transition period for the extension of preferences. For the EAC to agree to an EPA in Madagascar wouldbe tantamount to breaking ranks with ACP countries," adding that "for all countries in the EAC there are better options for trade with the EU - GSP+for Kenya and Everything But Arms for the rest; options that our governmenthasn't even asked for".
Kenya is to lead other East African Community negotiators tobreak ranks with other developing countries by agreeing to an unfavourabletrade deal with the European Union (EU).
The EAC and EU are meeting this week in Madagascar to negotiate an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA).
In reaction to the ongoing deals, members of the Kenyan civil society and faith-basedorganizationsIn present sent out a passionate plea to the EAC not to sell out to Europe by being thefirst to agree to a deal that would be detrimental to Kenya's economy andhuman rights.
"Whilst the electioneering is going on in Kenya, a trade agreement with the EU could be quietly agreed that will do away with any trade policy controlthat Kenya and the EAC has in the form of control of tariffs to develop our economy", said Justus Lavi Mwololo, an official of the Kenya Small-scaleFarmers Forum.
"Tariffs are very important to developing economies, he said adding that countries like Korea, Taiwan, China, the US, and blocks like the EU all used to have and still use tariffs to develop and grow infant industries andprotect agriculture. It is nonsense for the EU to demand from Africa to dismantle our tariffs, and it is nonsense for our governments to agree to doso."
At the Madagascar meeting, the EAC is likely to agree to an EPA deal that could agree to liberalize up to 90% of all imported EU products intocountries like Kenya. "Once such an agreement is signed, it will open the floodgates for other detrimental free trade agreements, such as between theEAC and the USA and with other third party power houses like China," commented Mr. Lavi.
Analysis of the current text shows that tariffs for Kenya and the rest of the EAC would be fixed permanently from 1st January 2008. This would severely limit governments' right to raise tariffs in order to protect andrevive industries - without first informing the EU.
Furthermore these tariffs will then be systematically dismantled to zero over an as yet undecided time period. Loss of government revenues through tariffelimination would deter the Kenyan government's commitment to upholding social rights such as education, health and food-sovereignty.
This, the organizations say, is in complete contrast to the position southern countries have consistently taken at World Trade Organization (WTO) negotiations at a global level.
"The reasoning behind the signing an EPA isseriously questionable, and we should certainly not be the first ones to agree to this" said John Ochola of the Kenyan organization EcoNews Africa.
"Other blocks in the Africa, Caribbean and Pacific region (ACP) are standing firm against the EU and trying to secure a transition period for the extension of preferences. For the EAC to agree to an EPA in Madagascar wouldbe tantamount to breaking ranks with ACP countries," adding that "for all countries in the EAC there are better options for trade with the EU - GSP+for Kenya and Everything But Arms for the rest; options that our governmenthasn't even asked for".
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)