Comments on: Can U.S. trade help Africa? http://blogs.reuters.com/africanews/2009/08/11/can-us-trade-help-africa/ African business, politics and lifestyle Fri, 17 May 2013 00:10:07 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 By: Sandy http://blogs.reuters.com/africanews/2009/08/11/can-us-trade-help-africa/comment-page-1/#comment-5103 Sandy Fri, 25 Sep 2009 20:52:04 +0000 http://blogs.reuters.com/africanews/?p=1796#comment-5103 It's a complex balance. Desperate people need aid, but food donations drive down local prices and put farmers out of business. Governments are corrupt and infrastructure is lacking. Can capitalism save the day? Will trade and business investment help poorer countries grow and prosper? Can outside trade partners and investors encourage environmental responsibility and fair distribution of wealth? So hard to tell, but it does seem to be the new strategy. If the West doesn't do it, China will. I just hope it's good for the continent. It’s a complex balance. Desperate people need aid, but food donations drive down local prices and put farmers out of business. Governments are corrupt and infrastructure is lacking. Can capitalism save the day? Will trade and business investment help poorer countries grow and prosper? Can outside trade partners and investors encourage environmental responsibility and fair distribution of wealth? So hard to tell, but it does seem to be the new strategy. If the West doesn’t do it, China will. I just hope it’s good for the continent.

]]> By: Thomas Mecha http://blogs.reuters.com/africanews/2009/08/11/can-us-trade-help-africa/comment-page-1/#comment-4120 Thomas Mecha Tue, 18 Aug 2009 00:38:00 +0000 http://blogs.reuters.com/africanews/?p=1796#comment-4120 I just wanted to mention that Christine Mwende's child could easily go to school, even without the mothers job. Of course, she has to pay for transport, uniform and for food. But there shouldnt be any fee for schools in Kenya. Officially, primary education is free. But in real, Kenyan teachers take still money from the kids and their families, otherwise children are chased away. I guess, every economic effort goes side by side by educational efforts. Eduaction should never be corrupted. Otherwise it will never be spread.. I just wanted to mention that Christine Mwende’s child could easily go to school, even without the mothers job. Of course, she has to pay for transport, uniform and for food.
But there shouldnt be any fee for schools in Kenya. Officially, primary education is free. But in real, Kenyan teachers take still money from the kids and their families, otherwise children are chased away.
I guess, every economic effort goes side by side by educational efforts. Eduaction should never be corrupted. Otherwise it will never be spread..

]]> By: Aly-Khan Satchu http://blogs.reuters.com/africanews/2009/08/11/can-us-trade-help-africa/comment-page-1/#comment-4068 Aly-Khan Satchu Wed, 12 Aug 2009 14:02:26 +0000 http://blogs.reuters.com/africanews/?p=1796#comment-4068 The Cynic might argue that AGOA was the Veil that was thrown around the real story, which is getting Crude out of the ground. I am not that Cynic. I think for the most Part, African Countries and their Entrepreneurs have been very fragmented and we have lacked coordination. The US is an enormous market and AGOA goes someway to removing the Toll Booth. The arrival of the c21st and Internet allows us to leap frog the Infrastructure Gap and reach directly into the US Heartland. Its a little disjunctive but there are rich pickings for smart African entrepreneurs with smart Governments behind them. Aly-Khan Satchu www.rich.co.ke Twitter alykhansatchu The Cynic might argue that AGOA was the Veil that was thrown around the real story, which is getting Crude out of the ground. I am not that Cynic.

I think for the most Part, African Countries and their Entrepreneurs have been very fragmented and we have lacked coordination. The US is an enormous market and AGOA goes someway to removing the Toll Booth. The arrival of the c21st and Internet allows us to leap frog the Infrastructure Gap and reach directly into the US Heartland. Its a little disjunctive but there are rich pickings for smart African entrepreneurs with smart Governments behind them.

Aly-Khan Satchu
http://www.rich.co.ke
Twitter alykhansatchu

]]> By: C.C. http://blogs.reuters.com/africanews/2009/08/11/can-us-trade-help-africa/comment-page-1/#comment-4063 C.C. Tue, 11 Aug 2009 17:22:23 +0000 http://blogs.reuters.com/africanews/?p=1796#comment-4063 Why no mention of the Chevron initiative in Angola? Isn't that the real trade initiative that is being pushed, here? See this story: "SAN RAMON, Calif., Aug. 11 (UPI) -- Supermajor Chevron Corp. announced a partnership with U.S. agencies to foster the development of a diversified and sustainable Angolan economy." "Chevron, the U.S. Agency for International Development and the Cooperative League of the United States of America unveiled a new partnership in Angola to help improve the commercial prospects for small- and medium-scale farms and agricultural enterprises in Angola..." "...Its $3.8 billion Tombua-Landana project, expected to come online in the third quarter of 2009, will reach a peak production level of 100,000 barrels of oil per day by 2011." Why no mention of the Chevron initiative in Angola? Isn’t that the real trade initiative that is being pushed, here?

See this story:

“SAN RAMON, Calif., Aug. 11 (UPI) — Supermajor Chevron Corp. announced a partnership with U.S. agencies to foster the development of a diversified and sustainable Angolan economy.”

“Chevron, the U.S. Agency for International Development and the Cooperative League of the United States of America unveiled a new partnership in Angola to help improve the commercial prospects for small- and medium-scale farms and agricultural enterprises in Angola…”

“…Its $3.8 billion Tombua-Landana project, expected to come online in the third quarter of 2009, will reach a peak production level of 100,000 barrels of oil per day by 2011.”

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