WASHINGTON, July 11, 2013/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Press Statement John Kerry Secretary of State Washington, DC July 11, 2013 On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I send my congratulations to the people of Sao Tome and Principe on the 38th anniversary of your independence this July 12. The United States applauds your commitment to economic and democratic development. From the time Sao Tome and Principe gained its independence, your country has emerged as a force for peace and stability in the Gulf of Guinea and beyond. We also recognize your engagement on…
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STUTTGART, Germany, October 1, 2012/African Press Organization (APO)/ — U.S. Africa Command welcomed Prime Minister Patrice Trovoada of Sao Tome and Principe to the command headquarters at Kelley Barracks on Monday, September 24, 2012.Trovoada is the first African head of government to visit AFRICOM’s headquarters. The command, which is responsible for U.S. military relations with 54 African countries, partners with African nations to strengthen their defense capability. His visit gave senior leaders at AFRICOM the opportunity to talk about mutual security concerns, particularly in the area around the Gulf of Guinea.Accompanying the prime minister were Sao Tome and Principe Minister…
NEW YORK, September 20, 2012/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The new Permanent Representative of Sao Tome and Principe to the United Nations, Carlos Filomeno Azevedo Agostinho das Neves, today presented his credentials to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.Until his latest appointment, Mr. Neves was the Director of the National Petroleum Agency’s Administrative and Public Department, prior to which he served as adviser to the National Assembly from 2008 to 2009. He was Vice-President to that body from 2002 to 2006, a period in which he also served as President of its Oil and Gas Commission (2004-2006).Mr. Neves served as President of…
WASHINGTON, July 12, 2012/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Press Statement Hillary Rodham Clinton Secretary of State Washington, DC July 11, 2012 On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I am delighted to congratulate the people of Sao Tome and Principe on the 37th anniversary of your independence this July 12. The United States stands with you as you continue to strengthen democratic governance and economic development. We appreciate your steadfast support for regional security and stability in the Gulf of Guinea and beyond. As you celebrate this special day, know that the United…
SAO TOME, Sao Tomé, July 3, 2012/African Press Organization (APO)/ — On June 20, 2012, the Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) discussed the Ex Post Assessment (EPA) of Longer-Term Engagement with São Tomé and Príncipe.1BackgroundThe report reviews the experience of the Fund’s longer-term engagement with São Tomé and Príncipe since 2000. It covers three Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (now Extended Credit Facility) arrangements and one staff-monitored program.Fund-supported programs played a useful role in helping São Tomé and Príncipe ensure macroeconomic stability and advance key structural reforms, especially in the fiscal area, after a period of important…
SAO TOME, Sao Tomé, May 17, 2012/African Press Organization (APO)/ — A team from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), led by Mr. Ricardo Velloso, visited São Tomé and Príncipe during May 4-17, 2012, to discuss a medium-term economic program that could be supported by the IMF under the Extended Credit Facility (ECF).1The IMF team held warm and fruitful discussions with Finance Minister Américo Ramos and Central Bank Governor Maria do Carmo Silveira and their respective senior staffs. The IMF team also met with other senior government officials, private sector representatives, and São Tomé and Príncipe’s main development partners.At the conclusion…
SAO TOME, Sao Tomé, January 31, 2012/African Press Organization (APO)/ — On January 23, 2012, the Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) concluded the Article IV consultation with São Tomé and Príncipe.1BackgroundSão Tomé & Príncipe’s economy is gradually recovering after a marked slowdown in 2009.The slowdown reflected a decline in foreign direct investment as a result of the global financial crisis. Gross domestic product (GDP) growth is estimated to have rebounded to nearly 5 percent in 2011 as externally financed projects helped drive activities in construction, trade, tourism, and agriculture. Growth momentum is expected to increase as exploratory…
SAO TOME, Sao Tomé, September 9, 2011/African Press Organization (APO)/ — A team from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) visited São Tomé and Príncipe (STP) during August 26–September 8, 2011 to conduct the 2011 Article IV Consultation[1] and to continue discussions on the second and third reviews of the economic program supported by the IMF under the Extended Credit Facility (ECF) arrangement[2]. The mission met Honorable Prime Minister Patrice Trovoada, and held discussions with Minister of Finance and International Cooperation Américo d’Oliveira dos Ramos, Minister of Planning and Development Agostinho dos Santos Fernandes, Minister of Public Works and Natural Resources…
WASHINGTON, July 13, 2011/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Press Statement Hillary Rodham Clinton Secretary of State Washington, DC July 12, 2011 On behalf of President Obama and the American people, I am delighted to send best wishes to the people of Sao Tome and Principe on your 36th anniversary of independence this July 12. Our two countries share a commitment to democracy and good governance. We have partnered together on vital economic programs such as the Millennium Challenge Corporation threshold program that concluded this year. Through this program, Sao Tome and Principe has improved its tax and customs administration…
WINDHOEK, Namibia, November 11, 2013/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) (http://www.afdb.org) and Namibia on Friday, November 8, 2013 signed a ZAR 2.9 billion (US $338 million) sovereign guaranteed loan to Nambia Ports Authority (Namport) to finance the construction of a container terminal at Walvis Bay New Port.Logo: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/plog-content/images/apo/logos/african-development-bank-2.pngPhoto: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/index.php?level=picture&id=728In line with its Ten Year Strategy and focus on infrastructure development and regional integration, the AfDB Group approved the construction of the New Port of Walvis Bay Container Terminal Project in July 2013. The Bank also provided a UA 1.5 million grant (US $2.3 million) to…
WINDHOEK, Namibia, November 8, 2013/African Press Organization (APO)/ — An International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission visited Windhoek during October 24-November 7 to conduct the 2013 Article IV Consultation discussions with Namibia. The mission’s work focused on reviewing recent economic developments and prospects and policies to ensure continued macroeconomic stability and growth. The mission met with Prime Minister, Honorable Hage Geingob; Minister of Finance, Honorable Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila; Minister of Trade and Industry, Honorable Calle Schlettwein; Bank of Namibia Governor, Ipumbu Shiimi; Permanent Secretary Ministry of Finance, Ericah Shafudah; senior government officials; development partners; and representatives from the private sector and civil…
THE HAGUE, Netherland, November 5, 2013/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Exset (http://www.exset.com), pioneers of TV ecosystems for emerging markets, has today announced that Kudus Technology, based in Namibia, has successfully developed monetisation applications that can be deployed by the country’s public service broadcaster Namibian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) using Exset’s Digital Monetisation System (DMS). Logo: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/plog-content/images/apo/logos/exset.jpgScreenshot: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/plog-content/images/apo/photos/1311051.jpgPhoto: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/index.php?level=picture&id=671 (Andrew Pons, Exset’s Director of Marketing)Mr.Albertus Aaocchhamub, Director General of NBC, who is driving the nationwide digitisation, said, “We wish Exset and Kudos the best and feel that this endeavour will bridge the gap between technology, government and monetisation.” In a first for…
OTTAWA, Canada, July 11, 2013/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Canada is providing immediate assistance to approximately 55,000 people in Namibia as drought conditions intensify, announced the Honourable Julian Fantino, Minister of International Development. Canada will help to provide the most vulnerable with cooked meals, as well as water, sanitation services, seeds, and tools.“Our international assistance is rooted in the Canadian values of compassion, generosity, and the desire to help those in need,” said Minister Fantino. “Canada will continue to monitor the situation to make sure that those affected in Namibia have the support they need.”Thousands of Namibians will face a…
GENEVA, Switzerland, July 8, 2013/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has launched an emergency appeal of 1,215,010 Swiss francs (1,284,959 US dollars) to assist thousands of people affected by the worst drought to hit Namibia in decades. Fourteen per cent of the population of Namibia (331,000 people) is in need of urgent food assistance, and 30 per cent of affected families are existing on one meal a day, after significantly less rainfall has caused crops to fail, livestock to die, and boreholes to dry up.According to the Ministry of Health…
GENEVA, Switzerland, May 31, 2013/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The IOM African Capacity Building Centre (ACBC), IOM Namibia and the Namibian Ministry of Home Affairs and Immigration have completed a nine-day assessment on the introduction of a border resident card for people living on the Namibia-Angola border. The project was supported by the IOM Development Fund.The 2,500 km long border, with 10 crossing points, is extremely diverse in terms of terms of geography, cross-border ties, numbers of travellers, and procedures related to temporary border passes that have been introduced pending the full implementation of the border resident card.The implementation of…
GENEVA, Switzerland, May 24, 2013/African Press Organization (APO)/ — IOM Namibia, in cooperation with the Office of the Prime Minister and with financial support from USAID’s Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance, this week completed a training of trainers in disaster risk management in Ongwediwa.The training will enhance national capacity for disaster risk management by increasing the country’s resilience to the multiple natural disaster hazards.Thirty-two officials from key government ministries, regional and town councils, and the Namibian Red Cross Society took part. Next week, a second training is scheduled for the remaining seven regions of the country.The training included key disaster…
GENEVA, Switzerland, May 17, 2013/African Press Organization (APO)/ — IOM Namibia, in cooperation with the Ministry of Home Affairs and Immigration, has organized a workshop on migration and development in Walvis Bay, Namibia.The May 15th-17th event, financed by the IOM Development Fund, was attended by representatives from various government ministries.Namibia is faced with various migration challenges, including irregular migration, human trafficking and the smuggling of migrants. The country has one of the highest percentages of international migrants in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and is also experiencing an increase in internal migration.The development potential of migration remains largely untapped.…
GENEVA, Switzerland, May 2, 2013/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Indigenous groups in Namibia, including the San and Himba people, continue to be particularly disadvantaged more than 20 years on from the country’s independence, a UN expert on indigenous rights says. “Since Namibia’s independence in 1990, the Government has made many significant achievements in rolling back some of the destructive legacies left by colonialism and apartheid,” said James Anaya, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples. But, Mr. Anaya said, the pervasive loss of land and resources by indigenous groups during colonialism and apartheid has not been…
PORT VICTORIA, Seychelles, November 13, 2013/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Maritime forces from the United States, 10 East African and two European nations, along with several international organizations, commenced the multinational maritime exercise Cutlass Express 2013, Nov. 11.Exercise Cutlass Express 2013, held in several operational areas in waters off East Africa, is an at-sea maritime exercise designed to improve cooperation, tactical expertise and information sharing practices among participating nations in order to increase maritime safety and security in the region.The week-long exercise will take place in the vicinity of four different naval hubs: Mombasa, Kenya; Djibouti, Djibouti; Dar es Salaam,…
VICTORIA, Mahé, November 3, 2013/African Press Organization (APO)/ — An International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission led by Marshall Mills visited Victoria from October 17–31, 2013 to assess performance under the eighth and final program review under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) Arrangement with Seychelles.1 The mission met with President James Michel, Vice President Danny Faure, Finance Minister Pierre Laporte, Central Bank Governor Caroline Abel, and other senior government officials and representatives of the private sector.At the conclusion of the mission, Mr. Mills made the following statement:“The Seychellois economy continues to perform well, despite still weak global growth. Economic growth has…