The Zimbabwean Minister of Industry and Commerce, Michael Bimha has provided assurance that the long-awaited USD 750 MILLION PRIVATISATION OF ZIMBABWE IRON AND STEEL CORPORATION (ZISCO) is still planned with ongoing discussions involving Essar Holdings of India. There are reports that Chinese creditors are calling for the transfer of the smelter as payment and that Essar wants the plant to be moved from REDCLIFF to CHIVHU.
East Africa continues to lead the way in regional trade facilitation. The MIRAMA HILLS-KAGITUMBA ONE-STOP BORDER POST between UGANDA and RWANDA has just been opened. This project falls under the East Africa Trade and Transportation Facilitation Project.
There is a major initiative to link the SHIPPER COUNCILS OF SOUTHERN AFRICA with those of CENTRAL AND WEST AFRICA. An initiative for cabotage services linking South African ports with Walvis Bay up to Pointe Noire in the Republic of Congo has begun. A memorandum of understanding was recently signed in Douala, Cameroon between 17 shipper councils of Central, West and Southern Africa.
BORDER DISPUTES continue to prevail in SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA. Somalia has made submissions to the International Court of Justice over its border dispute with Kenya. There are also border disputes relating to the Great Lakes region in East Africa. These issues present business OPPORTUNITIES TO GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEM (GIS) COMPANIES.
The authorities of the NORTH WEST PROVINCE IN ZAMBIA have been calling for investment in WAREHOUSE AND STORAGE DEPOTS. Lafarge Cement has now opened a 4 500 ton depot in SOLWEZI.
The FLUCTUATIONS IN THE CEDI EXCHANGE RATE are proving to be problematic for operators in GHANA. The currency rose 4,27% in early July to 3,35 to the USD. In June it was 22% lower than in January 2015. The recent gain is ascribed to the country’s aid programme with the International Monetary Fund which began in April 2015.
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