Category: Business

A sensitization workshop on transitional Justice Initiative, aimed at deliberating on the concept, practices, and stakeholders’ role, is underway in Addis Ababa, at Skylight Hotel.

The workshop has been co-organized by Ethiopian Civil Society Organizations Council (ECSOC) and Institute for Security Studies (ISS) as part of the country’s efforts to reform and strengthen democratic institutes and lay the groundwork to sustain political stability and consolidate democracy.

Ethiopia like many countries in Africa, Latin America and other continents has been experiencing political trajectory of post-conflict societies, it was indicated.

Following the 2018 political transition in Ethiopia, deliberations on the need for transitional justice measures have resurfaced, it was learned.

The government has also acknowledged the need to prioritize transitional justice and attempts have also been made to establish transitional Justice Framework.

To this effect, the establishment of the Ethiopian Reconciliation and the Ethiopian National Dialogue commissions were mentioned as cases in point.

Taking lessons from these and building upon the provisions under Article 10 (3) in the Pretoria Agreement for Lasting Peace through a Permanent Cessation of Hostilities, the Ministry of Justice has recently put out a draft policy document for a complementary transitional justice initiative.

The one-day workshop has brought relevant stakeholders from federal and regional states to enhance their engagements in the transitional justice initiative, from inception to implementation.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

About 230 companies are confirmed for the direct and indirect exhibition of the 5th edition of Expo-indústria/2023, to be held from March 29 to April 1, in the Special Economic Zone (ZEE) Luanda-Bengo, said, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Eventos Arena, Bruno Albernaz.

Speaking to ANGOP, about the preparations for the event, he underlined that the 230 confirmed participations exceed the approximately 200 of 2019, when the Expo-indústria (Expo Industry) had a three-year pause, due to Covid-19 pandemic.

According to the businessman, despite the registration process being finalised, the confirmed participations represent an extremely positive number for a sectoral fair linked to the industry.

He made it known that in terms of participation there are about eight provinces, including Benguela, Huíla, Namibe, Malanje, Cabinda and Cuanza Norte.

He added that the exhibiting companies are all national, “that operate in our market, carrying out their activity in the country, because it is an expo focused on national industry. The international participation is of agents representing machines and equipment that they make available to these industries to keep up with their business”.

“There are 15 companies that are presenting to the market machines and solutions needed on the market”, he emphasized.

The 5th Edition of Expo-indústria/2023, to be held from March 29th to April 1st, in the Special Economic Zone (ZEE) Luanda-Bengo, will bring together, among several sectors, the manufacturing industry, engineering and civil construction, as well as the food industry and agribusiness.

Participation in the fair has a minimum value of 320,000 kwanzas for a “stand” of nine square meters, creating a 20% discount for companies that are not from Luanda.

The purpose of the event is to make industries increase employment and improve the living conditions of populations and leverage new partnerships and businesses.

Source: Angola Press News Agency (APNA)

The Banco de Negócios Internacional (BNI) bank resumed on Monday the money transfer service called Moneygram in order to facilitate the transaction of values abroad for its clients.

According to a press release, which ANGOP had access to, the limit of money to send is 2,524,005 kwanzas equivalent to USD 5000 every month per customer.

According to the document, the strategic partnership between BNI and Moneygram (one of the main international players of money transfer and payment services) will allow customers, in a first phase, to use the service in 35 branches spread across the country.

The note revealed that the same partnership will facilitate the sending of money, in a fast way, to more than 200 countries, in which Moneygram is currently operating.

It also explains that the transfers of the amounts to be moved will be made and received in Kwanza currency, depending on the availability of the existing amount and the regulatory limits defined by the National Reserve Bank of Angola.

According to BNI´s board of directors, the date is relevant, not only because it resumes work, with a partner that has always been there, but also because it once again makes available a service that is of extreme importance to its customers.

Source: Angola Press News Agency (APNA)

The Angolan Head of State, João Lourenço, received, this Tuesday, a written message from his Zimbabwean counterpart, Emmerson Mnangagwa, within the framework of strengthening bilateral cooperation.

The message was conveyed by Patrick Chinamasa, special envoy of the President of Zimbabwe, who at the end of the audience said that it was the intention of both governments to keep working for the unity and development of Southern Africa.

Patrick Chinamasa, who highlighted the importance of friendship and cooperation ties, recalled that Angola and Zimbabwe maintain deep and fruitful ties from a political, diplomatic and commercial point of view.

Located in Southern Africa, like Angola, the Republic of Zimbabwe is a country placed in the south area of the continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers.

Zimbabwe is bordered to the north by Zambia, to the north and east by Mozambique, to the south by South Africa and to the west by Botswana.

Source: Angola Press News Agency (APNA)

The government plans to present financing instruments adjustable to the needs of startups, taking into account the different stages they are at, announced Tuesday the national director for Economy and Business Development, Nédio dos Santos.

Speaking at the updating meeting of the Ministry of Economy and Planning (MEP), he stressed that the instruments will be presented at the 2nd edition of the “Angola Startup Summer”, to be held on April 27 to 29, under the motto “Innovation and technology as vectors for the immersion of startups in Angola”.

Nédio dos Santos said that the event aims to foster the emergence of new startups, improve entrepreneurial literacy, mature ideas so that “they have the necessary robustness, so that when they go to the market they can have the normal startup cycle, as well as connect startups so that they can create service exchanges.

According to the official, the intention is to finance two companies via venture capital, in a universe of 200 startups segmented between projects under the umbrella of some universities or institutes, incubators, accelerators and those that today are companies, among others.

“The MEP will challenge the startups in order to find a set of solutions that can improve the parking system in the province of Luanda and the creation of QR code, by which customers can make payments in restaurants without human interaction”, he emphasized.

On his turn, the national director of Socio-economic Studies, Luís Epalanga, made known that the MEP in collaboration with the Economy and Market Magazine will hold the 1st edition of the “Angola Economic Outlook”, under the motto “Economic recovery to sustainable development”.

He also said that the event should constitute a platform for debate on issues focused on the national economy, namely economic growth, employment, inflation, public finances, monetary policy, and the national financial system.

With this event, he continued, the intention is to establish a forum that allows the Government, academia, the private and financial sector, and opinion makers to evaluate recent developments in the national economy and to anticipate the expected behaviour in the short and medium term, taking into account the forecast established for the international and national context on the solution of a set of assumptions.

Luís Epalanga says that this event should serve everyone interested in developing business in Angola (nationals, foreigners, internationally ranked financial institutions).

The 1st edition of the “Angola Economic Outlook” will be held on April 26 and will be attended by members of the Angolan Government, international development cooperation partners, academia, commercial banks and members of civil society.

The director also said that the opening ceremony is to be conducted by the Minister of State and Economic Coordination, Manuel Nunes Júnior, having as main speakers the Minister of Economy and Planning, Mário Caetano João, who will present the performance of the real sector of the economy in the period 2017 – 2022 and the medium term perspectives.

The event will also be attended by the minister of Finance, Vera Daves, who is expected to present the performance of public finances 2017-2022 and the governor of the Angolan Central Bank (BNA), José de Lima Massano, who will present the performance of the country’s external, foreign exchange and monetary sector.

According to Luís Epalanga, with this event, the Executive inaugurates a new way to communicate the performance of the national economy, to allow economic agents access to information, which allows them to anticipate decision making.

Source: Angola Press News Agency (APNA)

President Cyril Ramaphosa says expanding the social protection system is one of the critical tools government has implemented to ensure that some of the needs of the most underprivileged South Africans are addressed while also stimulating economic growth.

The President said this when he addressed the nation through his weekly newsletter.

He emphasised that contrary to what some may believe, expanding the social wage is “not simply an indication that more people need grants today than before”.

“The Social Relief of Distress Grant [SRD Grant] that was introduced in 2020 in response to the Coronavirus pandemic has reached more than 11 million people at its peak, and has lifted millions of people out of food poverty. According to research, approximately 50 percent of the purchases made by SRD grant recipients are groceries.

“Social grants also act as a stimulus for the economy as a whole, increase spending in townships and rural areas, and improve employment outcomes. An interview-based study by the University of Johannesburg of informal traders…found that the SRD Grant stimulated customer spending, provided capital to purchase stock, and enabled the new businesses to be initiated,” he said.

President Ramaphosa insisted that in a similar vein, the Presidential Employment Stimulus Initiative (PESI) has also provided a platform for participants to gain a foothold in the labour market.

“[Many] participants in the…PESI have gone on to find work after they have completed the programme. The school assistants programme has provided opportunities for 750 000 young people to date in over 22000 schools, reaching every corner of the country.

“Over 72 percent of participants in the PESI said that having gained their first work experience, the programme helped them to gain a foothold in the labour market thereafter. In all of these ways, South Africa’s world-renowned social protection system provides important benefits for many in our society, not only those who receive social grants,” he said.

The President said the social protection system also provides benefits to those who are not receiving grants.

“It supports economic growth from the bottom up, enables business activity, and strengthens social solidarity and stability. It is one of the greatest achievements of our democratic society, and one that we should all be proud of,” he said.

President Ramaphosa reaffirmed government’s commitment to addressing inequality through means that show real benefits.

“The SRD alone represents a significant step in our commitment to provide a minimum level of support below which no South African should fall. [We] are working on options to provide basic income support for the unemployed, within our fiscal constraints, beyond the expiry of the SRD Grant in April next year. [We] are working on options to provide basic income support for the unemployed, within our fiscal constraints, beyond the expiry of the SRD Grant in April next year.

“If the focus of our struggle for liberation was to end apartheid and achieve political freedom, the focus of our efforts now must be to address inequality and ensure that every South African enjoys the fruits of democracy,” the President said.

Honing in further on inequality, President Ramaphosa highlighted that government is making steady progress in addressing the challenge while also implementing reform.

“It is now well recognised that inequality constrains growth, and that growth which takes place in unequal societies tends to reproduce those patterns of inequality.

“This is why our economic policy is guided by the need on the one hand to implement structural reforms to stimulate growth and enhance our economic competitiveness, while on the other hand expanding social protection and public employment and supporting the social wage,” President Ramaphosa said.

Beyond the benefits and upsides of the social protection system, President Ramaphosa reminded the nation that social security is also a right protected by the highest law in the country – the Constitution.

“The right to social security is explicit in the Bill of Rights. This is an approach that recognises that social security is essential to other rights, including the right to dignity. It is this right that has underpinned the progressive expansion of South Africa’s social protection system over the past three decades.

“In 1999 just over 2.5 million people were receiving social grants. Today that number has increased to over 18 million people. In addition, more than two million indigent households also receive free basic water, basic electricity and solid waste removal services as part of this government’s commitment to free basic services for the poor,” President Ramaphosa said.

Source: South African Government News Agency