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Showing posts from January, 2020

Magufuli Fires Minister, As Tanzania Continue to Be Second Least Corrupt EAC Economy

Suspended Minister Kangi Lugora By Staff Reporters, Dar es Salaam and Nairobi President John Magufuli’s high strides and performance has made Tanzania to scoop the second position against Corruption in the East African Region after Rwanda, the 2019 Corruption Perception Index (CPI) report has revealed. The report released on 23 rd January, 20120 ranked Rwanda the least in corruption in the region by garnering 53 points followed by Tanzania with 37, Kenya and Uganda scoring 28, Burundi with 19 and South Sudan with 12 points (all points pegged against 100 mark).  In Sub- Saharan Africa, Seychelles and Botswana are leading with 66 and 61 points respectively. Other countries in Africa like Ethiopia scored 37, Zambia 34, Nigeria 26, Zimbabwe 24 and the Democratic Republic of Congo 18. Denmark and New Zealand top the CPI 2019 with scores of 87. Somalia, South Sudan and Syria fall on the bottom rung with scores of 9, 12 and 13, respectively The CPI measures the

Transport Minister stops DVLA Boss’ lawlessness

Special Reporter, ACCRA  Minister of Transport, Kweku Ofori Asiamah, has pulled a break on the implementation of the controversial DP Sticker numbering system by the Drivers and Vehicle Licensing Authority’s (DVLA) boss, following accusation that, it had no endorsement from the sector Ministry, Board, the Police among others and above all, poses a national security risk. Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Authority, Kwasi Agyeman Busia, is reported to have taken a unilateral decision to roll out the policy this year, without following proper procedure or the involvement of stakeholders, including getting Parliament to repeal sections of the Road Traffic Regulations. But information picked up by The Herald, revealed that the Transport Minister, wrote a strongly worded letter to the DVLA boss to immediately halt the sticker system and revert to the DP number plates or write to the Transport Ministry, explaining the reason for the new policy to enable the Ministry to go to Parlia

Stolen assets worth $20m recovered in Kenya

File Photo: Kenya’s Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Noordin Haji addresses a press conference on August 28, 2018 at the Kenyan capital Nairobi (Photo by TONY KARUMBA/AFP via Getty Images) The state has recovered stolen assets worth $20m from corruption cases, says Kenya’s Public Prosecutor Noordin Haji. However that is only 1% of an estimated $2bn worth of public money involved in high profile corruption cases. In recent years high profile politicians and public servants have been arrested and prosecuted for corruption, including the capital’s,  Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko,  but none has been convicted yet. The Governor who was barred from office after his arrest in December 2019, has denied charges of conspiracy to commit corruption, conflict of interest, failure to comply with procurement laws, unlawful acquisition of public property and laundering. Corruption is a huge drag on the economy and investor confidence in East Af

Kenya in 2020: higher taxes, higher debt, more referendums

 Posted on Thursday, 16 January 2020 07:39 Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta waves as he arrives to take part in the national celebration marking Kenya's 56th Jamhuri Day or Independence Day at the Nyayo Stadium in Nairobi, Kenya. December 12, 2019. REUTERS/Njeri Mwangi - Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta, nearing the end of his second term amid an economic downturn and political shifts, announced a raft of changes in a televised address on 14 January, of which the “primary thrust…was economic.” The East African nation with a population of 47 million began the 2020s facing a multitude of challenges, many of its own making over the last decade, and others due to regional and international events. The main challenge is Kenya’s economy which has slowed significantly despite — some might argue because of — massive investments in infrastructure development. In his address, televised from his official residence in the coastal city of Mombasa, Kenyatta outline

To Zitto Kabwe, Change or Pragmatic Change? How Magufuli Is Transforming Tanzania

P ublished on Thursday, 9 th January, 2020:  President Dr. John Pombe Magufuli of Tanzania   The Africa Arguments, an online news outlet, on January 8th, 2019, published, once again, an opinion article by a Tanzanian opposition MP, Zitto Kabwe, titled thus: “ Tanzania elections: Life has got Worse under Magufuli. We need change .” The first and the last lines of the title, in literal semantics terms, speak volumes on understanding the sheer motive of the opposition politician; presenting and twisting some facts for and in favour of his political agenda towards the forthcoming October, 2020 elections in Tanzania. Whilst I respect the MPs opinion, I’m writing not to attack his persona or perception , but to share my experience on some of the contentious issues he raised especially on the inference “ Life Has Got Worse under Magufuli. ” Contrary to what the MP contends in the analysis that lacks facts but political propaganda, social, economic and political tran

Ghana to become Africa’s 3rd-fastest economy at 6.8% in 2020 - World Bank

The World Bank is projecting an economic growth of 6.8% for Ghana in 2020, according to its January 2020 Global Economic prospects Report. This is against the 7.5% forecast by the International Monetary Fund for this year. However, the bank said growth will fall to 5.2% and 4.6% in 2021 and 2022, respectively. The 6.8% growth rate, according to the World Bank, would make Ghana the joint 3rd-fastest growing economy among 42 sub-Saharan Africa countries. Rwanda will become the fastest-growing economy in sub-Saharan Africa with a Gross Domestic Product of 8.1% this year, followed by Ivory Coast with a 7% growth rate and Senegal, which is joint 3rd with Ghana, with a growth rate of 6.8%. The Bretton Wood institution had earlier forecast an economic growth of 7.6% for Ghana in 2019 but later revised it to 7.0%. However, from the recent figures of the Ghana Statistical Service where quarter three GDP was estimated at 5.6%, it looks impossible for the growth rate forecast to be r