Daniel Nonor
29 June 2009
The 2009 United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) report - Economic Development in Africa - has presented a strong argument on the need for African countries to deepen regional integration to build stronger and more resilient economies, especially within the context of the current global economic meltdown, which is having its toll on the continent.
The report urges that previous regional initiatives in Africa, which mainly focused on political issues, were largely seen as not having delivered much to uplift the economic conditions of its members, nor ensured sustained growth, hence regional integration, when designed and implemented within a broader development strategy to promote economic diversification, could enhance its productive capacity and improve its competitiveness and serve as a lunching pad for an effective participation in the global economy.
Better links between countries, ranging from paved roads to banking cooperation, are needed to spur mutual economic growth. Indeed, weak physical and institutional infrastructure is the key obstacle to increasing intra-African trade and investment. This is why, at 9 per cent of recorded flows of total external trade, and 13 per cent of recorded flows of total inward foreign direct investment (FDI), Africa currently, has the world´s lowest shares of regional trade and investment, explains Economic Development in Africa 2009.
Launching the report in Accra, the Coordinator of Third World Network (TWN) Africa, Dr. Yao Graham, observed that the exporting of water from Ghana to Togo, and Nigeria supplying gas to Ghana, were clearly examples of regional integration.
He used the occasion to appeal to the government not to treat issue of the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the European Union (EU) as a sectoral issue for the Ministry of Trade and Industry to handle.
Subtitled "Strengthening Regional Economic Integration for Africa´s Development", the 2009 edition of the UNCTAD annual report on Africa recognises that over the last two decades Africa has made progress in creating sub-regional institutions dedicated to economic integration. However, the establishment of sub-regional economic communities has not substantially increased intra-African trade, investment and mobility of people as expected. Hence, relative to other regions, Africa has by far the most fragmented market, the report finds.
To boost regional integration however, the report adds that countries need to strengthen their regional physical infrastructure such as roads, railways, telecommunications and regional airlines. Considering the high cost of infrastructure projects and in view of the limited financial capacities of individual African countries, planning at the supranational level and pooling resources to fund priority regional projects, is the most realistic strategy for advancing regional integration.
Physical infrastructure will need to be complemented by improvements in soft infrastructure, including policy harmonization at the regional level, trade facilitation, efficiency in border procedures and the adoption of national policies that help rather than hamper the process of integration, the report says.
The report noted that the creation of several institutions for economic integration in Africa in the last two decades was expected to boost intra-African trade in goods. Such trade increased from 2 per cent in the early 1980s to 9 per cent of total African exports in 2007, but these statistics underestimate the actual flows as they do not include unrecorded trade, which is thought to be very important.
According to the report, Africa´s poor performance hides the fact that the region could increase its intra-African trade substantially if some key constraints, particularly infrastructure, were addressed. An investment of $32 billion to improve the main intra-African road network could generate around $250 billion in trade over a period of 15 years. Regional trade within the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) would increase threefold if all intrastate roads linking WAEMU countries were paved. The report also notes that paving the road linking Mali to Senegal would increase bilateral trade flows fourfold, while paving the road linking Côte d´Ivoire and Senegal would double bilateral trade flows.
Analysis of trade destinations reveals that despite the low aggregate level of intra-African trade, such trade is very important for many African countries. At least 25 per cent of exports from 20 countries are absorbed by the regional market. The importance of trading blocs is further highlighted by the fact that over three quarters of intra-African trade takes place within these regional groups. In every region, trade centres around a few influential countries, such as South Africa in the southern part of Africa, suggesting the existence of "trade poles" that could become development poles. Analysing trade composition, the report shows different patterns of trade within Africa and between Africa and the rest of the world. Whereas manufactured products dominate intra-African exports, the rest of the world imports mainly primary commodities from Africa. Also, intra-African trade is much more diversified than Africa´s exports to the rest of the world. In the light of these facts, the report suggests that increasing intra-African trade can be a major method of promoting diversification and developing Africa´s manufacturing base.
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I .BEWARE OF THE TOWER BUILDERS
A. THE TOWER BUILDERS ??? 1. Look at the story of Nimrod and his one world crew in Genesis 11: 1-8. • Nimord was a builder of cities and a mighty hunter . He was well-known for his feats and apparently could attract a lot of people to him. He must have been extremely- charismatic. • Nimrod and the people acted completely as one body. There goal was to reach Heaven via building a tower; sort of like the space programs ( known & secret ). • God delayed their goals by mixing up their language so they could not understand each other. • Daniel 8:10 mentions what I believe to be a reference to the Nimrod of the last days (led by D-Evil) .This verse may also be referring to the space program as one of the Towers of Babel being used to attack the Kingdom of Heaven . 2. Beware of any attempts by man to unite the world as one ; for the good of all. Here are two examples that come to mind : • Simulcasting of the song “We Are The World “ . I believe the actual tragedy of starving Ethiopians , coupled with our common love of music was used to get the world to thinking that we can save ourselves. • This was followed by mini-movements like “Hands-Across America “ and other movements ; which I believe were trying to get us to thinking like those people were thinking when Nimrod proposed that they build a Tower to Heaven. 3. Beware The Tower Builders ! God is Our Refuge ! Our Tower !
OUR DEEPEST FEAR By Marianne Williamson
Our Deepest Fear Is Not That We Are Inadequate, Our Deepest Fear Is That We Are Powerful Beyond Measure. It Is Our Light , Not Our Darkness That Most Frightens Us.
We Ask Ourselves, Who Am I To Be Brilliant, Gorgeous, Talented, And Fabulous ?
Actually Who Are We Not To Be ? You Are A Child Of God.
Your Playing Small Doesn’t Serve The World.
There Is Nothing Enlightened About Shrinking So That Other People Won’t Feel Insecure Around You.
We Are All Meant To Shine, As Children Do.
We Were Born To Make Manifest The Glory Of God That Is Within Us.
It’s Not Just In Some Of Us; It’s In Everyone.
And When We Let Our Own Light Shine We Unconsciously Give Other People Permission To Do The Same.
And As We Are Liberated From Our Own Fear, Our Presence Automatically Liberates Others
[NOTE – BEING AFRAID AND REFUSING TO GET INVOLVED WON’T STOP US FROM DYING. BUT BEING AFRAID CAN PREVENT US FROM LIVING]
(Nkosi Sikeleli Africa )
God bless Africa May her glory be lifted high Hear our petitions .
God bless us, Your children God we ask You to protect our nation Intervene and end all conflicts Protect us, protect our nation, our nation.
From the blue of our heaven, From the depths of our sea, Over our eternal mountain ranges, Where the cliffs give answer.
Sounds the call to come together, And united we shall stand, Let us live and strive for freedom, In South Africa our land.
[Enoch Mankayi Sontonga]
WAKE UP ! STAY UP MY BROTHERS & SISTERS ! BE SELF-SUFFICIENT IN THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN.
[http://www.infowars.com/infowars.asx] / [gcnlive.com] / [http://alexjonesringtones.net/]
- Life Is a Game. Have Fun. [ Luke 18:17 / Isaiah 11:6 ]