Published by the government of Zimbabwe
Sifelani Tsiko
13 November 2009
AFRICA must explore ways and means of increasing development financing from its own domestic resources to reduce over-reliance on external aid and enhance the continent's resilience to global financial crisis, a top UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) said yesterday.
UNECA executive secretary Abdoulie Janneh told delegates at the 4th African Economic Conference that it was critical for African countries to pay particular attention to the degree of external dependence and examine the effectiveness of official development assistance (ODA) to their economies.
"Africa, on its part, must explore ways and means of increasing development financing from domestic resources. The global financial crisis has exposed serious gaps that we need to address to help solve some of the pressing problems on the continent," he said.
He said emerging studies on ODAs over the past decades show that economists now doubt the effectiveness of ODAs as an instrument of lasting development in Africa.
"I am glad that at the 2009 joint African Union/ECA conference of ministers of finance, planning and economic development in Tunis our ministers recognised that the global economic and financial crisis had changed the international environment in which they designed and implemented policies.
"They committed themselves to exploring the options for domestic resource mobilisation taking into account factors such as improved fiscal policies, better tax administration, continued good governance and strengthening of domestic financial systems," Janneh said.
The global financial crisis which broke out last year negatively affected Africa's growth, export earnings, financial flows and social development.
"I strongly believe the current economic and financial crisis provides us with a good opportunity to re-direct Africa's development trajectory to make growth more enduring and sustainable," Janneh said.
"We need to come up with policy options that would enable African countries to surpass the 6 percent annual growth achieved prior to the financial crisis."
African Development Bank president Donald Kaberuka said the continent needed to reduce over reliance on commodities, diversify and add value to its products to enhance its export earnings, create jobs and build resilience to global economic changes.
"The African economy is emerging somewhat bruised but fragile from the crisis. The continent has learned from this unfortunate situation and there is an urgent need to get the continent more integrated to reduce its risks and exposure," he said. "Regional economic blocks act as a buffer to global economic and finance crisis."
He also said there was need to re-examine the dominant paradigm, commonly referred to as the 'Washington Consensus' which had proved inadequate in responding to the global crisis for both developed and developing economies.
Developing innovative strategies and policies, he said, was critical to help Africa solve its diverse and country specific economic challenges.
Concurred Janneh: "We should shift the economic policy debate in Africa from the current focus on orthodox stabilisation to a policy stance that enables macro-economic policies to support production, trade processes and employment.
"Africa needs to achieve enduring growth through active public measures that support the building of productive capacities to reverse the de-industrialisation experienced on the continent with the adoption of structural adjustment programmes in the 1980s."
The International Monetary Fund forecast that the African economy will grow by 4 percent in 2010 on the back of increased demand for oil and commodities by both industrialised nations and emerging economies. The AfDB and the ECA were currently compiling their own figures which were expected to be out in the coming few weeks.
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"Uplift".............
I thought you had stopped "cutting-n-pasting" these lies about which person of African descent invented "this or that". I have previously posted a item-by-item refutation of most of your claims of "who" "invented" "what"...... your post is full of lies, do I need to re-post my illustration of your lies on the "Africa" board?
Amazingly, you never "debate" any issues, you never get "down into the trenches" and argue a point of fact, you just post the same utter tripe over and over again. Or, are you intellectually incapable of an honest debate?
Anyway, your "cut-n-paste" doesn't fool anyone on the Zimbabwe board, it shouldn't fool anyone on the "Africa" board who does a basic Wikipedia search on most of your claims about which person of African descent "invented" this or that......
To the rest of you - go ahead, check the individual claims "Uplift" has posted on Wikipedia about "who" "invented" any of the things that he claims they did. You will find most of them to be false, or dishonest representations of the supposed "inventors" alleged "innovations".......
Go ahead, just check Wikipedia............
"Uplift" - you are a fool, whether on the Zimbabwe boards or the general Africa boards, you still lie........... Oh yeah, where are those barrels of diamonds you claim are being hoarded? Where is the enormous oil find your preacher claims he was privy to discussions about?
"Total Empowerment!" - an empty slogan for empty minds.............. like "Uplift's"
MOST DEFINATELY !!! If we "Africans and Africa" as a whole don't want to end up be as beggers and discourage our upcoming generations future; we "Africans" better do something fast, that 's to Mobilise Our Resources for our future generations for centuries to come. If not, they will want us "Africans" to be the same place as usual that Africans and Africa have being for more than trillion years. That's beggers, uncivilize, dehumanizing, under - develop, uneducated, lack of good standard of living and so forth. There aims is for us "Africans" to depend on them for everything that includes our lives. If we "Africans" let that happen, SHAME on ALL Africans Elites and Africa Law makers.
Foryoh, had you written all this during colonial days, you would have had many people in tears. Today and after so many years of independence, you just need to look in the mirror to see who is doing all those things you hate. Independence means SELF GOVERNING where you are in charge of yourself. You are now calling your own shots and if you screw up then there are no longer "they" or "them" to blame but yourself and for sure have no fear because 'they" or "them" do not want losers depending on them. it just costs "them" too much.
Foyron, Yes Africa needs to mobilise and about time to. Africa has the most resources on the planet and yet is the poorest. To much greed around, look at all the oil in Africa, more than the middle east and yet africa is in squalor. There are good areas of africa don't get me wrong , but i'm talking as a whole. Education, education, education, that's what's needed, I'd give africa another 45 years under proper leadership to make it a true world leader. It is possible but the greed has to stop. Doesn't matter what happened under colonial rule because we can't change that, but what we can change is the rot which is still in a lot of corrupt governments. Corruption is world wide no doubt about it, I'm talking about Africa.
INDEPENDENT FARMERS’ UNION IDEA
I'm an entrepreneurial sort of person and I got an idea along those lines that I believe many of us who are grassroots thinkers have been overlooking.
So here goes my idea :
a) We have all kinds of Farmers and Farms that are struggling to make a profit. I believe that they are struggling because they are farming under a kind of Third World system that advantages the persons who convert what farmers produce.
b) In most Third World countries , the First & Second World countries will only build enough infrastructure to allow shipment of RAW MATERIALS from their source(s) to the modes of shipping transportation used to transport the RAW MATERIALS to those First & Second World countries that will turn the RAW MATERIALS into processed goods.
* For example - They will build a railroad line of tracks from some Third World country's gold and diamond mines ( e.g. Zaire ) to the Giant Ships docked and waiting to carry them to processors and sellers such as De Beers, Coca-Cola , Cadbury's etc..
c) What kinds of RAW MATERIALS do Farmers produce and/or have access to :
* Gold - Rice , Cocoa ,Mangos, etc…
d) Major Problems stopping small farmers from taking advantage of the possibility of turning your products into a profitable business : LACK OF TIME
e) Solution - My Idea : Form an Independent Union Of Farmers . Having a Coop is great, but it’s only a way of further enriching the processors of our RAW MATERIALS.
* How would this work ?
1) Each Region would represent a chapter of this Independent Farmers Union
2) Generally speaking, each farmer would retain all of their rights ; just as they had before they joined the Independent Farmers Union .
3) The Independent Farmers Union would be finance collectively by individual members paying dues.
4) These dues which would be used to set-up business ventures in each Independent Farmers Union's Region.
Some Examples Of Businesses That could be set up
* Chicken Processing Plant, and restaurants that would sell the chickens could be supplied right their in each Independent Farmers Union's Region.
* Produce Markets
* Dairies
* Ice Cream Parlors (using fresh milk)
* Fast Food and/or Restaurants - featuring meat from various farm animals
* Supermarkets
* Chocolate Processors – instead of giving your cocoa to companies like Cadbury’s. What do companies like DeBeers, Coca Cola,Cadbury’s and others have that entitles them to get rich off of our Natural wealth ? NOTHING.. We empower them by our economic laziness !!!
5) The Independent Farmers Union's would need persons with expertise in areas concerning the setting up and running of these businesses on behalf of the Independent Farmers Union's.
WE ARE MAKING HUNDREDS WHILE GIVING AWAY BILLIONS TO OUR ECONOMIC SLAVE MASTERS !!!
THERE IS NO REASON WHY WE CAN'T TAKE CONTROL OF OUR OWN COUNTRY !
- FEED YOURSELVES SUGGESTION -
NEIGHBORHOOD COOP GREENHOUSES
ANOTHER SUGGESTION IS FOR THOSE LIVING IN THE CITY TO POOL
THEIR RESOURCES TOGETHER AND MAKE NEIGHBORHOOD COOP
GREENHOUSES . HERE YOU CAN GROW SOME KIND OF FOODS AND NOT
BE TOTALLY DEPENDENT ON GROCERY STORES.
HERE’S SOME EXAMPLES OF WHAT BLACK AFRICANS HAVE DONE :
BLACK AFRICAN INVENTORS AND THEIR INVENTIONS
The type of Invention is capitalized (e.g. TRAFFIC SIGNAL, MOTOR, etc..)
We Black Africans Can Be Self-Sufficient . Here are some major Black Africans who have had an impact on the world With their initiative These are INVENTORS .
This Listing includes The Inventor’s Name, Their Invention and in some cases the date the invention was recognized and the invention’s U.S. patent number.
* Sarah Boone - IRONING BOARD - April 26, 1892
* John A. Burr - LAWN MOWER
* Marie V. Brittan Brown - HOME SECURITY SYSTEM - Dec 2, 1969
* Buridge & Marshman - TYPEWRITER
* George Carruthers - X-RAY MACHINE
* George Washington Carver - PEANUT BUTTER - PAINTS – PAINT STAINS – ETC
* John Clark - TRACK ATHLETE TRAINER
* W.A. Dietz - SHOE
* Joseph Dickinson - PLAYER PIANO - ARM FOR RECORD PLAYER
* P.B. Downing - POSTAL LETTER BOX
* Charles R. Drew - BLOOD PLASMA STORAGE SYSTEM
* T. Elkins - TOILET (COMMODE)
* Robert Flemming Jr. - GUITAR
* Cathleen McCoy Garrett SIREN - HORN LIGHT INDICATOR
* George F. Grant - GOLF TEE
* J. Gregory - MOTOR
* Joanna Hardin - KEYBOARD STAND - Feb 23, 1993
* Michael Harney - LANTERN
* Solomon Harper - THERMO(HEATED) HAIR CURLERS
* Augustus Jackson - ICE CREAM
* B.F. Jackson - GAS BURNER
* H.A. Jackson - KITCHEN TABLE
* Ruane Jeter - DIGITAL TOASTER - April 14, 1987
* Isaac R. Johnson - BICYCLE FRAME
* John A. Johnson - WRENCH
* Lonnie Johnson - SUPER SOAKER WATERGUN
* P. Johnson - EYE PROTECTOR (GOGGLES)
* W. Johnson - EGG BEATER
* Frederick M. Jones - DEFROSTER - REFRIGERATION CONTROLS – AIR CONDITIONER
* Jones & Long - BOTTLE CAPS
* John H. Jordan - CLOTHES DRESSER
* Mary B. Kenner - SANITARY BELT (TAMPONS) - May 15, 1956
* Mary B. Kenner - SANITARY BELT (WATERPROOF) - April 14, 1959
* Mary B. Kenner - BATHROOM TISSUE HOLDER - Nov 19, 1982
* Mary B. Kenner - BACKWASHER ( BATHTUB OR SHOWER MOUNTED) - July 29,1987
* Lewis Latimer & Nichols - ELECTIC LAMP
* W.A. Lavalette - PRINTING PRESS
* F.W. Leslie - ENVELOPE SEAL
* Maurice W. Lee PRESSURE COOKER
* A.L. Lewis - WINDOW CLEANER
* John L. Love - PENCIL SHARPENER
* Tony J. Marshall - FIRE EXTINGUISHER
* Alexander Miles - ELEVATOR
* Jan E. Matzeliger - SHOE LASTING MACHINE
* W.A. Martin - LOCK
* Garrett A. Morgan - GAS MASK - Traffic Signal
* Lydia Newman - HAIR BRUSH - Nov 15, 1898
* Alice H. Parker - HEATING FURNACE - Dec 23, 1919
* J.F. Pickering - AIR SHIP (BLIMP)
* Purdy & Sadgwar - FOLDING CHAIR
* W.B. Purvis - FOUNTAIN PEN
* L.P. Ray - DUST PAN
* W.H. Richardson - BABY BUGGY
* Walter Sammons - PRESSING COMB
* G.T. Sampson - CLOTHES DRYER
* Dewey Sanderson - URINALYSIS MACHINE
* Ralph Sanderson - HYDRAULIC SHOCK ABSORBER
* S.R. Scottron - CURTAIN ROD
* Adolph Shamms - MULTI -STAGE ROCKET
* .W. Smith - LAWN SPRINKLER
* Richard B. Spikes - AUTOMATIC GEAR SHIFT
* J. Standard - REFRIGERATOR
* T.W. Stewart - MOP
* Maxine Snowden - RAIN HAT - 1983
* Theora Stephens - PRESSING & CURLING IRON
* Rufus J. Weaver - STAIR -CLIMBING WHEELCHAIR
* Paul E. Williams - HELICOPTER
* J.B. Winters - FIRE ESCAPE LADDER
* Granville T. Woods - Telephone System Apparatus Oct 11, 1887 – Patent # 371, 241
* Granville T. Woods - Roller Coaster
* Granville T. Woods - Auto Air Brake - June 10, 1902 - Patent # 701, 98
* Granville T. Woods - Telegraph Transmission Devices - Dec 2, 1884 Patents # - 308, 816 (7)
* Thanks to The Black Inventors Museum *
* Address : P.O. Box 76128 - Los Angeles , Calif. (90076)
* Phone (310) 859-4602)
* Director : Ghanaian Mr. Hamza Salifa
* Major Contributor of Information : SEESTAH Imahkus Nzinga Okofo
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WAKE UP !!! STAY UP !!!
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