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Im Berner Oberland sind am Freitagabend heftige Gewitter mit Blitz und Hagel niedergegangen. Einen neuen Regenrekord verzeichnete Interlaken. Dort fielen laut MeteoSchweiz innert 30 Minuten 42,1 Millimeter Regen.

In Wädenswil im Kanton Zürich löste ein Blitzeinschlag einen Brand in einem Mehrfamilienhaus aus. Bewohner mussten das Gebäude evakuieren.

*Kaufe ein Bosch Professional 18V-Werkzeug oder -Set über 180 CHF (inkl. MwSt.) und erhalte kostenlos eine Prämie aus einem vorgegebenen Sortiment. Solange der Vorrat reicht.

Le constat est amer. Le marché béninois est inondé par les boissons étrangères de toute qualité. Les plus remarquables sont les boissons de la firme ‘'Brasserie du Bénin (BB)'' du Togo. Les boissons de cette firme, sont prisées par les Béninois au point où on se demande si c'est la qualité de celles produites par la Société Béninoise de Brasserie (SOBEBRA) qui pose problème ou si c'est la douane qui ne fait pas bien son travail en laissant les boissons togolaises traverser les frontières.

Par un soleil de plomb cet après-midi du mercredi 5 mai 2021, des amis et moi-même avions décidé d'aller prendre un pot dans un bar, dont nous taisons le nom, à Comé. Et pendant que nous nous désaltérons avec nos bières ‘'La Béninoise'', un monsieur entra dans le bar et, visiblement, très assoiffé. ‘'Serveuse, apporte moi un Pils togolais bien frais, je dis bien Pils togolais hein. Ou bien vous n'en avez pas ?'', lança-t-il à la serveuse qui s'est empressée de lui répondre pas l'affirmatif.
Cette scène anodine a attiré notre attention car ce n'est pas la première fois que nous avons surpris une telle exigence de la part des clients dans un bar. Nous avons alors décidé de cerner tout le contour de ce phénomène qui, à coup sûr, a de répercussion sur l'économie béninoise. Et quand nous nous sommes rapproché de lui pour mieux comprendre, sa réponse a été sans appel. ‘'Les boissons béninoises ne sont pas bien dosées (taux d'alcool). La Béninoise par exemple, c'est comme de l'eau plate. En plus de cela, le Pils qu'on fabrique au Bénin est pratiquement sans alcool. Au-delà de tout ceci, les gens contre-façonnent les boissons de la SOBEBRA. Ce qu'ils n'arrivent pas encore à faire avec les boissons togolaises. Alors, il vaut mieux prendre ce dont on est sûr de la qualité que de prendre de n'importe quoi'', laisse entendre, André Koffi, un jeune consommateur de 40 ans habitant à Comé.
La réaction de ce consommateur béninois vient corroborer les propos d'un tenancier de bar que nous avons rencontré, plus tard à Aného au Togo. ‘'Vous ne verrez aucune boisson béninoise ici. Mais nos boissons sont prisées par les Béninois. Ils sont nombreux à traverser la frontière juste pour venir boire ici au Togo. Nos boissons sont de meilleure qualité et de plus, nos douaniers ne laisseront jamais les boissons béninoises envahir notre territoire.'', fait remarquer un gérant de bar à Aného.
Dans les propos de Assion, il faut retenir deux choses : la fierté des Togolais à consommer leurs boissons et le rôle important joué par leur douane pour réguler le marché togolais en matière de traversée des boissons béninoises. Quid du côté béninois ?

Le manque du patriotisme économique des Béninois

Il n'y a pas d'offre si la demande n'existe pas. C'est la loi du commerce. Ainsi donc, si les boissons togolaises envahissent le territoire béninois, c'est que la demande existe et est forte. Et ceci doit faire appel au patriotisme des Béninois. Mais pour se donner une certaine conscience, on se cache sous des raisons à la limite fantaisistes. ‘'C'est parce que toutes les boissons de la SOBEBRA sont contrefaits que moi je préfère les boissons togolaises'', fait savoir Jean-Claude Dossou, un consommateur résident à Lokossa dans le Mono. Mais pour le directeur départemental de l'industrie et du commerce, Bernard Ehoun, c'est le manque de patriotisme économique qui pousse les béninois à préférer ces boissons aux produits de la SOBEBRA. Il va plus loin pour dire que même ce qui est constaté dans le Mono et le Couffo n'a rien de comparable avec ce qui se passe dans l'Ouémé par exemple avec la consommation de la boisson togolaise ‘'La Racine''. Ça coule comme de petits pains dira-t-il. En effet, partout au Bénin, du Nord au Sud, de l'Est à l'Ouest, on trouve des boissons togolaises.
Et en croire le directeur Ehoun, les causes de ce constat sont imputable non seulement aux services de l'Etat, mais aussi aux consommateurs qui doivent à tout prix cultiver le patriotisme économique. Ce qui va amener les Béninois à plus aimer les boissons produites sur leur territoire.

Défaillances au niveau de la douane

Mais au-delà de cet aspect de patriotisme, il se pose un grand problème de contrôle douanier. Et pour cause, comment se fait le contrôle douanier pour que les produits togolais inondent le marché béninois ? Toute la question est là. Et toutes nos démarches vers la direction départementale des douanes du Mono-Couffo pour rencontrer la directrice afin de mieux comprendre la situation ont été vaines. Mais nos recoupements ont permis de découvrir qu'il y a des failles dans le contrôle douanier. Et comme l'a confié un opérateur économique détenant l'agrément dans la distribution des produits de SOBEBRA, qui a requis l'anonymat, les douaniers ne font que le dédouanement et ne se penchent généralement pas sur la qualité de celui qui importe les produits. ‘'Si vous le voulez, vous pouvez faire l'expérience vous-même et aller à Hilla-Condji. On vous prend juste le prix des produits que vous avez et on ne se soucie pas de savoir si vous êtes agréé à importer ces produits ou pas'', a-t-il déclaré. Ainsi, les produits togolais inondent le marché béninois par n'importe qui. Les boissons togolaises traversent les frontières en toute quiétude. Mais selon le directeur départemental de l'industrie et du Commerce, Bernard Ehoun, il faudra ajouter à cela, la porosité des frontières qui offre aux contrebandiers des possibilités énormes de déjouer tout système de contrôle. ‘'C'est au niveau du cordon douanier que se situe le vrai problème. C'est au niveau des entrées que les boissons devraient être refoulées. Mais il se pose le problème de multiplicité des entrées. Pour le Mono seul, on dénombre une vingtaine d'entrées. Quand on ferme une, les citoyens trouvent la possibilité de passer par une autre'', déplore le directeur départemental du commerce. Cet état de chose ne facilite pas la tâche aux douaniers non plus. Il importe donc que des solutions soient trouvées pour permettre aux entreprises de brasseries du Bénin de jouir des fruits de leur investissement.

Sauver la SOBEBRA et l'économie béninoise

‘'Nous devons protéger nos entreprises nationales parce que ce sont elles qui donnent de l'emploi à nos populations. Et dans le cadre de la lutte contre les produits frauduleusement importés, notre direction lutte contre ces produits à travers la loi 2016 portant organisation de la concurrence en République du Bénin qui punit de façon globale l'importation frauduleuse'', a déclaré Bernard Ehoun. Mais cette lutte bute contre de grosses pierres car l'environnement n'est pas totalement favorable. Le directeur départemental du commerce déclare que ‘'nous avons pu mener une lutte implacable contre les boissons nigérianes et cela a porté parce qu'aucune société béninoise n'a eu l'agrément d'importation de ces boissons. Et donc, dès qu'on voit les casiers de boissons du Nigéria, on procède systématiquement à la saisie. Malheureusement, il y a des sociétés qui ont l'agrément d'importation des boissons togolaises. Et cela nous rend la tâche très difficile pour le contrôle.''
Il va s'en dire que pour préserver l'économie béninoise, l'Etat doit retirer l'agrément d'importation aux sociétés en question et en compensation, leur donner le monopole des produits de la SOBEBRA. Le cas échéant, et avec l'engouement des Béninois eux-mêmes à consommer ces boissons, c'est l'économie béninoise qui prend un grand coup. Evidemment, aucune étude sérieuse n'est encore menée pour mieux situer sur les pertes qu'enregistre le Bénin avec l'envahissement des boissons togolaises sur le territoire béninois.
Toujours est-il qu'entre les défaillances de la douane et les exigences des consommateurs, le Bénin perd énormément de devise et ceci fragilise les sociétés de brasserie implantées au Bénin.

Cokou Romain COKOU

Renforcement du partenariat entre le Bénin et l'Afrique du Sud dans les secteurs du tourisme, culture et arts. Ce jeudi 17 juin 2021, le ministre du tourisme, de la culture et des arts, Jean-Michel Abimbola a échangé avec l'Ambassadrice Sud-Africaine au Bénin Mme Robina P. Marks.

Le ministre Jean-Michel Abimbola a présenté à l'Ambassadrice Sud-Africaine au Bénin les projets phares et les projets internes, les investissements massifs et les chantiers en cours visant le développement du tourisme.
Après avoir salué la résilience de l'économie béninoise Mme Robina P. Marks a fait part de la volonté des autorités de son pays d'apporter leur contribution pour la promotion du tourisme au Bénin.

Les deux parties ont décidé de renforcer le partenariat existant et de coopérer davantage pour des actions concrètes dans les domaines du tourisme, de la culture et des arts.
Le Bénin et l'Afrique du Sud envisagent de signer un un mémorandum M.O.U. qui définira les grandes lignes de la coopération.

A.A.A

Az angolok gól nélküli döntetlent játszottak a hozzájuk hasonlóan társházigazda Skócia válogatottjával pénteken Londonban, a részben budapesti rendezésű labdarúgó Európa-bajnokság D csoportjának második fordulójában.

By External Source
Jun 18 2021 (IPS-Partners)

“Education will prepare refugee children and youth for the world of today and of tomorrow. In turn, it will make the world more resilient, sustainable and peaceful.” ~ Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees

Each year on June 20th, the international community comes together to celebrate World Refugee Day. Designated by the United Nations in honor of refugees across the globe, this international day celebrates the courage, strength and perseverance of those who have been forced to flee their home countries to escape conflict or persecution.

The day serves as a reminder of the importance of respecting the human rights of refugees all around the world – especially the right to a quality education for children and youth fleeing conflict, climate change-induced disasters and other emergencies.

This year marks the 20th World Refugee Day with the theme “Together we heal, learn and shine.” As the United Nations global fund for education in emergencies and protracted crises, Education Cannot Wait joins other UN agencies and champions across the globe to shine a light on the rights, needs and dreams of the world’s most vulnerable children and youth.

“Education cannot wait for a conflict or crisis to be over so that refugee children can go home. Families caught up in conflicts spend an average of 17 years as refugees. When education is denied to children, hopes for a better, fairer future are lost.” ~ Yasmine Sherif, Director of ECW

An expanding crisis

A person becomes displaced every two seconds – that’s six people, forced to flee their homes, by the end of this very sentence.

The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) estimates that there are 26.3 million refugees in the world. Amongst them, 7.3 million are refugees between the ages of 4 and 18. This staggering statistic represents children and youth full of skills, ideas, hopes and immense potential.

Despite the efforts of the international community over the past decades, a lot more must be done to ensure that every refugee girl and boy has access to an education and the tools and support they need to build a brighter future.

“You have to understand, no one puts their children in a boat unless the water is safer than the land.” ~ Poet and activist Warsan Shire

“Without resolute political commitment by global leaders, as well as additional resources for Education Cannot Wait and its UN and civil society partners, millions of girls and boys may never return to school. Investing in the education of these vulnerable children and youth is an investment in peace, prosperity and resilience for generations to com – and a priority for the United Nations.” ~ António Guterres, United Nations Secretary-General

ECW is committed to protecting the human rights of refugee girls and boys to a safe, quality education. To date, ~30 per cent of the children and youth reached through ECW’s investments are refugees. Another 10 per cent are internally displaced.

Bangladesh

On 25 August 2017, escalating violence triggered an exodus of Rohingya people from Myanmar to Bangladesh. Men, women and children brought with them accounts of the unspeakable atrocities. Since their arrival in Bangladesh, Rohingya refugees have grappled with new challenges – fires, floods, landslides, severe storms and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Theirs are stories of courage, determination and strength to rebuild lives from scratch in overcrowded refugee camps.

Working with the Government of Bangladesh, UNICEF, UNESCO, UNHCR and other partners, ECW announced a new multi-year resilience programme in Bangladesh in 2018. With US$12 million in catalytic seed funding from the UN’s global fund for education in emergencies, the programme is designed to reach half a million refugee children and youth.

Chad

Chad continues to see a large influx of refugees fleeing violence in the Central African Republic and Sudan, attacks by Boko Haram in Nigeria and conflict surrounding the Lake Chad crisis. For many of the girls and boys in refugee camps throughout Chad, ECW-funded education initiatives have allowed them to attend school for the first time in their lives.

ECW continues to work with numerous partners – including UNICEF, Fondazione Acre, the Jesuit Refugee Service, Refugee Education Trust International – and in coordination with the Government of Chad to deliver reliable quality education for young refugees enduring the consequences of rampant violence in the region.

Read how an ECW-financing is providing budding young scientists with school kits and science materials in Chad and allowing young mothers to return to the classroom. Learn more through these stories of hope and redemption on the edge of one of the world’s most pressing humanitarian issues.

Colombia

Of the 5.4 million Venezuelans who have been forced to flee their country since 2015 due to violence and instability, over 2 million have resettled in Colombia. This protracted humanitarian crisis, the largest in the Western Hemisphere, puts already vulnerable children and youth at increased risk.

ECW has been investing in Colombia since 2019 through First Emergency Response grants focusing on out-of-school children and adolescents from Venezuela. ECW has also provided catalytic investment grants for Multi-Year Resilience Programmes both for Venezuelan refugees and host communities in Colombia, in addition to another regional grant to advance resource mobilization, policy support, data collection and advocacy to accelerate the impact of ECW investments in Colombia and other neighboring countries, such as Ecuador and Peru.

Read stories about ECW’s impact in Colombia, including the ECW-supported children’s book campaign “The Traveling Book” (‘El Libro Viajero’), which highlights the inspiring first-person accounts of girls and boys fleeing the Venezuela regional crisis.

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Vulnerable girls and boys along the northern border region of the DRC and the Central African Republic (CAR) are trapped in a humanitarian crisis that is rapidly escalating. There are 4.7 million refugee, displaced and host community children and youth in the DRC currently in urgent need of education support.

In May 2021, ECW Director Yasmine Sherif and UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi traveled to Ubangi-Nord Province to meet newly arrived refugees from CAR, 70% of whom have never attended school before arriving in the DRC. ECW’s support in the DRC in the form of a First Emergency Response grant, a Multi-Year Resilience Programme and a COVID-19 Education in Emergency Response is helping to alleviate some of their most urgent educational needs.

Through strong partnerships bridging the humanitarian-development-peace nexus, ECW is working alongside the Government of the DRC, partners such as UNHCR and local organization such as African Initiatives for Relief and Development (AIRD) and AVSI to ensure that refugee children and youth don’t miss out on the education and security they deserve.

Lebanon

Lebanon hosts the largest proportion of refugees per capita in the world. Since 1948, it has been home to a large Palestine refugee community and, since 2011, it has seen about 1.7 million Syrians – many of them children – cross into the country. This mass influx and other emergencies, such as the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, have added further barriers for young refugees in accessing education and building a brighter future for themselves and their families.

ECW is working with the Government of Lebanon and partners such as AVSI, UNWRA, Norwegian Refugee Council, Save the Children, SAWA for Development & Aid, UNESCO, the International Rescue Committee and Mouvement Social to ensure that vulnerable children receive the education and psychosocial support they need and deserve.

Learn how ECW support in Lebanon is allowing Syrian refugees to connect to learn amidst the pandemic and read about ECW’s recent mission to Lebanon, led by Director Yasmine Sherif.

Uganda

According to Save the Children, Uganda hosts the largest number of refugees on the African continent. Despite progress made in offering them a better future, Save the Children estimates that about 57% of refugee children in Uganda are out of school – in some cases, for several years.

The impact of COVID-19 has further exacerbated the challenges facing the education system. In March 2020, all education institutions closed and 15 million learners were sent back home, including 600,000 refugee children. Working with the Government of Uganda, UNICEF, UNHCR, Save the Children, Plan International, World Vision, HP, UNESCO and other partners, ECW is giving hope to the country’s most vulnerable learners – from supporting remote educational programmes to water and sanitation facility upgrades in schools and learning centers.

ECW’s multi-year investment in Uganda helped increase the gross enrollment ratio for refugee children from 53 per cent in 2017 to 75 per cent in 2019.

Read about ECW’s impact in Uganda, including how a school for refugees is serving as a global template, how a refugee teacher is inspiring students to become educators themselves, and how ECW and partners are addressing the digital divide and helping refugees in the country to build skills for the 21st century.

Together we heal, learn & shine

“ECW’s focus on refugees, internally displaced and crisis-affected communities has created a platform to support students and teachers most in need.” ~ Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees

Education protects refugee children and youth from child labor, forced recruitment into armed groups, sexual exploitation and child marriage. As a global multilateral fund that brings together a wide range of partners (donor and host-governments, UN agencies, national and international NGOs, civil society, private sector, academics and foundations), Education Cannot Wait is dedicated to reaching all young refugees with safe quality learning.

The COVID-19 pandemic has further exacerbated the inequalities faced by refugee learners and progress that has been made in recent years in increasing refugee enrollment in schools is at risk.

To mitigate the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, ECW has allocated $45.4 million in funding to support actors on the ground across 33 countries/emergency contexts, $22 million of which have been exclusively dedicated to supporting refugee and internally displaced children and youth.

Despite this progress, more needs to be done. Education Cannot Wait needs at least an additional $400 million to bridge its funding gap for the 2021-2023 period and ensure that an additional 4.5 million children and young people – many of them refugees affected by conflict, climate change and COVID-19 – receive an education over the next three years.

The time to act is now

This World Refugee Day, as the global community declares in one voice that “Together we heal, learn and shine”, let us not underestimate the power of education in this equation. Not merely as a critical element in international refugee response, but in its potential to protect, enlighten and empower the most vulnerable children and youth in the darkest crisis-affected contexts so that they may begin to rebuild their lives and “shine.”

Excerpt:

Education Cannot Wait and partners provide a pathway to the safety and hope of an education for refugee children - 'together we heal, learn and shine'

Über Hünenberg im Kanton Zug haben sich am Gewitterabend wahre Blitzreigen entladen.

L'administrateur provisoire en charge de la restructuration de la Sonacop a adressé une note aux gérants de la Société nationale de commercialisation des produits pétroliers (SONACOP SA).

« Il est demandé aux gérants de tout mettre en oeuvre pour épuiser les stocks au plus tard le 30 juin 2021 », a indiqué l'administrateur provisoire Comlanvi Alain Honou, dans une note en date du 17 juin adressée aux gérants des stations-services de la Société nationale de commercialisation des produits pétroliers (SONACOP SA). La mesure s'inscrit dans le cadre de la décision du conseil des ministres du 09 juin dernier. Le gouvernement a décidé de céder les stations de la Sonacop à deux entreprises privées réparties en deux lots. Le lot A est constitué de 63 stations, à la société Oryx Bénin et, le lot B constitué de 65 stations, au groupement Bénin Energie.
Selon le conseil des ministres, la cession ne prend pas en compte le foncier qui fera l'objet d'un bail, et puis de la station ORNANO, sise au carrefour dénommé « les Trois banques » à Cotonou. Quant aux dépôts d'Akpakpa, du Port, de Bohicon, de Parakou et de Natitingou ; et l'hydrant construit sur le domaine de l'aéroport de Cotonou, il a été décidé de leur transfert dans le patrimoine de la Société des Aéroports du Bénin.
M. M.

Inga I dam, with the feeding canal for Inga II in the foreground. Credit: alaindg/GNU license

By Philippe Benoit
PARIS, Jun 18 2021 (IPS)

Visions of Grand Inga, a proposed massive hydropower plant in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) powering much of Africa, have excited energy experts, investors, and governments for decades.  The announcements this week by the Australian company, Fortescue Metals Group, and its chairman, billionaire Andrew Forrest, of their plans to develop Inga for green hydrogen exports brings this vision a little closer to reality. 

But for the Grand Inga project to successfully attract the massive funding it requires, it will need to address issues of equity and ethics which mostly stem from DRC’s problematic governance context, but also flow from concerns about ensuring the ”just transition” of the energy sector.

Inga Falls, situated on the Congo River in DRC, is the world’s largest hydropower site with 40,000 MW of potential generating capacity.  By comparison, the installed power capacity in all Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding South Africa) totals only 80,000 MW.

Inga Falls, situated on the Congo River in DRC, is the world’s largest hydropower site with 40,000 MW of potential generating capacity.  By comparison, the installed power capacity in all Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding South Africa) totals only 80,000 MW

DRC itself has one of the lowest electricity access rates in the world and the third largest poor population.  Given these figures, many have dreamt of unlocking the hydropower potential at Inga to generate clean renewable electricity both for DRC and for Africa, broadly.

Unfortunately, progress on Inga has been stymied by the daunting market risks inherent in selling its massive electricity output across Africa (as well as DRC’s governance challenges). However, as I wrote in a recent article, adding green hydrogen production can help the project overcome this marketing obstacle because it involves sending the electricity to factories nearby, to produce hydrogen which can then be shipped to creditworthy markets in Europe and elsewhere.

There has been growing interest in green hydrogen as a low-carbon fuel for use in transport and industry.  Because it is produced through electrolysis of water using electricity generated by hydropower or other renewables, it has little greenhouse gas emissions. Strengthening climate pledges are expected to drive growth in the demand for green hydrogen, which could reach $300 billion annually in exports by 2050.

Fortescue appears to draw on this potential demand in proposing a hydrogen export configuration that should make the Inga project more attractive to investors. But for this new approach to mobilize the billions of dollars  required from investors, the project will need to also manage equity and ethics concerns that can otherwise trigger three different but interrelated risks.

The first constitutes a new emerging risk regarding sales. Equity, ethics and overall justice considerations are taking on increasing importance in the climate effort.  Concerns about these issues will likely coalesce over the next decade into demands that any fuel, proffered as green to serve climate goals, be produced in a manner that also satisfies equity and ethics considerations.

The rising international pressure facing DRC’s cobalt production because of child labor and other issues is indicative of this type of nascent but growing non-financial risk that can affect a commodity’s marketing. The implication for the Inga project is that its developers need to ensure their green hydrogen is not tainted by equity or ethics problems . . .  because “tainted green hydrogen” may have difficulty being sold into Europe’s energy markets of the future, notwithstanding its climate benefits.

Second, unfair treatment of local communities or of DRC’s broader society in connection with the project can generate demonstrations, civil unrest and other actions that can disrupt project construction and operations.  Although this risk of business interruption is concentrated in DRC, it also extends to demonstrations down the supply chain (e.g., in European cities importing the hydrogen).

Third, failing to deal with equity and ethics issues can raise reputational risks for investors, especially in light of the rising interest in Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) performance. This will be a particularly salient consideration for those investors attracted by the project’s green energy attributes, including many investment funds and commercial banks, as well as providers of climate finance.

Addressing these equity and ethics issues requires a multi-pronged approach.   Most importantly:

The project will need to manage its environmental and social impacts, including ensuring that local affected populations are treated adequately and fairly.  This treatment of local populations is an area of particular concern given both previous failings in this regard in connection with the construction of Inga’s two existing smaller dams and DRC’s ongoing governance issues.

One advantage of the hydrogen configuration is that it limits the need for transmission lines that are often the source of multiple biodiversity and other issues, but other significant potential environmental impacts would remain.

In general, meaningful consultations with and participation of local communities under the project will be key, as well as engagement by a broad cross-section of DRC’s civil society organizations and population.  Intimidation by government authorities of community leaders and other stakeholders must be avoided.

A meaningful portion of Inga’s power output should be dedicated to increasing DRC’s dismal electricity access rate and powering local businesses.  If, in contrast, virtually all the electricity from Inga were allocated to producing hydrogen exports, there would be criticism from a just transition perspective that the continent’s renewables were being used to fuel Europe and others rather than to electrify Africa.  Fortunately, Inga can produce enough electricity to power both hydrogen production and local-oriented productive uses.

Moreover, although the project could catalyze substantial employment in DRC (notably during construction), that will likely not be enough to satisfy concerns about fair distribution of benefits. Inga is a national treasure, and its development should similarly benefit all.

For that reason, a share of the project’s revenues should fund programs that benefit DRC’s population generally, not just a small elite.  To this end, the broader Grand Inga framework should include mechanisms to channel these revenues to poverty alleviation and broad-based development programs throughout the country. In addition, both the billions in initial capital expenditures and the subsequent project sales revenues need to be insulated from corruption.  The problems plaguing DRC’s cobalt and other industries must be avoided.

To implement these measures, the project developers and DRC government will need to involve a variety of partners. This group includes multilateral development banks (such as the World Bank and the African Development Bank), local and international civil society, and the international community generally (including DRC’s bilateral development partners from the European Union and the US).

The ability of the project’s developers to raise the required funding, and to construct and operate the facilities, will depend in part on their success in addressing issues of equity and ethics. The Fortescue announcement brings the dream of Grand Inga closer to reality, but it also makes designing elements to address these non-financial considerations more pressing.

 

Philippe Benoit has over 20 years of experience working in international finance, including previously as an investment banker and at the World Bank (where he worked on Inga).  He is currently managing director- Energy and Sustainability at Global Infrastructure Advisory Services 2050.

Rice fields in Northern Ghana. Credit: Isaiah Esipisu/IPS

By Fadel Ndiame
NAIROBI, Jun 18 2021 (IPS)

Every year, people in Sub-Saharan Africa consume 34 million tons of milled rice, of which 43 percent is imported. But the COVID-19 pandemic has greatly hampered supply chains, making it difficult for imported rice to reach the continent. Indeed, if immediate action is not taken, the supply shortfall will further strain the region’s food systems which are already impacted by the pandemic.

Rice imports from Thailand, one of Africa’s largest suppliers, have declined 30 percent due to lockdowns, border closures and general limitations on supply chains in just over one year since the pandemic started.

Consequently, many poor urban dwellers, who traditionally struggle to afford staple foods, now have to contend with more expensive food as the price of the popular Indica White rice has increased by 22%.

These challenges can be viewed as a wake-up call for Africa to strengthen its domestic rice production and achieve self-sustainability. Undoubtedly, the continent has the resources for adequate rice production, and with increased investment, tremendous change can be achieved

On the flip side, however, these challenges can be viewed as a wake-up call for Africa to strengthen its domestic rice production and achieve self-sustainability. Undoubtedly, the continent has the resources for adequate rice production, and with increased investment, tremendous change can be achieved.

Ghana, for example, has increased its rice production by an average of 10 percent every year since 2008, with a sharp 25 percent rise being reported in 2019 following the rehabilitation and modernization of the country’s irrigation schemes. These investments led to a 17 percent rise in the country’s rice self-sufficiency between 2016 and 2019.

And while the West African nation has yet to produce enough rice to meet its local demand, the impressive increase in output makes it a model example of what can be achieved through supportive policies and investment. On this point, the country’s National Rice Development Strategy of 2009 and the Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ) campaign – launched in 2017 – not only prioritized rice but set ambitious expansion targets for domestic production.

Among the objectives of the two policies were the substitute on of rice imports and the production of higher-quality rice that is acceptable to Ghanaian consumers and can compete with imported products.

These policy frameworks played a pivotal role in de-risking market failures while speeding up the implementation of innovations in local rice production, including those that relate to genomics and e-commerce. At the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), we are first-hand witnesses to the transformation, and saw the positive impact of the government’s leadership in the development of favorable policies.

AGRA supported these developments; we helped the government in publicizing its ‘Eat Ghana Rice’ campaign, which sensitized local consumers on the economic and nutritional importance of consuming local products.

The clarion call inspired rice farmers, millers and other private sector players to increase domestic sourcing and marketing. The result, the country’s national production increased from just 138,000 metric tonnes in 2016 to 665,000 in 2019.

AGRA also played a major role in supporting the adoption of innovative technologies in rice production, particularly through the development and distribution of locally adaptable varieties. We remain a key player in availing suitable rice varieties and seed to farmers in the country, a goal we continually pursue by helping train scientists and researchers in the field.

Of the 680 crop breeders that we have trained at post graduate level in Africa since 2006, more than 50, or around 8 percent, have been rice breeders. These professionals have been instrumental in sustaining the production of varieties that are suited to local conditions and yield more per acreage than older types.

We are now delivering such technologies across Africa, and especially in countries with the potential for large scale rice production, most of which are spread across West and East Africa. In countries like Tanzania and Kenya, we soon hope to report a major rise in rice output attributable to our advocacy for the implementation of supportive policies related to the uptake of the best production and marketing practices.

But we cannot do it alone; we believe that investments of a genuinely great extent, like the ones we are pursuing, can only be achieved by the participation of all stakeholders. For this reason, we continue to appeal to all players in the rice value chain to support all efforts aimed at increasing the production of local rice, a crop that holds a leading role in the achievement of food security and economic stability for the continent.

Excerpt:

Dr. Fadel Ndiame is AGRA’s Deputy President

In wenigen Tagen werden die Niederlande praktisch alle Corona-Massnahmen mit Ausnahme der Abstandsregel aufheben. Dies teilte Ministerpräsident Mark Rutte mit, der als Grund die stark zurückgehende Zahl von Infektionen und die Impffortschritte nannte.

Berne veut continuer à soutenir les énergies renouvelables, libéraliser le marché de l’électricité et faire des réserves en hiver.

Lange mussten Fans von Helene Fischer auf neue Musik warten. Ihre Geduld soll bald belohnt werden. Die Sängerin soll bereits an einem Album arbeiten und weitere Pläne haben.

L’augmentation des prix des établissements touristiques représente un obstacle à la relance du tourisme dans le pays. À moins de deux semaines de l’inauguration officielle de la saison estivale, les vacanciers ont déploré la  forte hausse des prix des prestations du tourisme domestique qui a ralenti voir empêche la relance du tourisme  au niveau national. […]

L’article La relance du tourisme domestique plombée par la flambée des prix est apparu en premier sur .

Ein oppositioneller Abgeordneter des St. Petersburger Stadtparlaments ist wegen angeblichen Drogenkaufs zu zwei Monaten Hausarrest verurteilt worden.

Des agences de santé et des médecins parlent à la BBC d'une crise croissante à laquelle sont confrontés les pays africains à faible revenu.

SDGs SDGs:  16 - Peace, justice and strong institutions

Summary

• In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded 196 ceasefire violations, including 137 explosions. In the previous reporting period, it recorded 74 ceasefire violations in the region.
• In Luhansk region, the Mission recorded 993 ceasefire violations, including 159 explosions, 867 of which were assessed as live-fire exercises outside the security zone. In the previous reporting period, it recorded 97 ceasefire violations in the region.
• The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske. It recorded ceasefire violations near the disengagement area near Zolote and inside the disengagement area near Petrivske.
• The Mission facilitated and monitored adherence to localized ceasefires to enable the operation and maintenance to critical civilian infrastructure.
• The SMM continued following up on the situation of civilians, including at three entry-exit checkpoints and the corresponding checkpoints of the armed formations in Luhansk region.
• The Mission’s freedom of movement continued to be restricted. Its unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) again experienced instances of GPS signal interference.*

Im März 2020 hätte «A Quiet Place 2» erscheinen sollen, die Coronakrise machte dem Blockbuster aber einen Strich durch die Rechnung. Jetzt läuft der Horrorfilm endlich in den Schweizer Kinos an.

Egy héttel a szívleállása után pénteken kiengedték a kórházból Christian Eriksent, a 29 éves dán középpályást - írja a Telex.