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1. Visit www.agsmovers.com to view our 128 locations worldwide
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MONDAY | JANUARY 12, 2015 Title Code: DELENG18579 • RNI NO: DELENG/2014/54666 • Postal Registration No.: DN/325/2014-2016 • VOL. 2 • NO. 2 • Page 12 • Price `10
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Continued to page 03
The
Iridescent
Island:
MAURITIUS
The Queen
of Hill
Stations:
OOTY
AFRIMA 2014
unites Africa
at spectacular
ceremony in
Lagos
Promoting
Northern
Corridor
projects
THE MAKING OF
‘SHRESHTH BHARAT’
T
he Prime Minister of India, Mr. Narendra
Modi, has declared a series of amenities
for expatriate Indians that strive to free
them of procedures on their arrival to
India and within the country.
Inaugurating the 13th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas
(PBD), planned by the Ministry of Overseas Indian
Affairs (MOIA) in corporation with the Ministry
of Youth Affairs & Sports and the Government
of Gujarat, the Prime Minister said life time visa
will now be granted to PIO cardholders and as
a trademark of respect them, the regulation
Jolie, Pitt
donate
cheetah
enclosure

2. Wassupafrica02
Sonarwa to launch new insurance products
Rwanda’s oldest insurance services
provider, Sonarwa General Insurance
has announced plans to regain its
market share as one of the leading
insurers in the country.
The plan includes availing new
products like crop and medical liability
insurance among others.
According to Charles Karake, the
firm’s board chairman, the company
has been losing its lead position in the
market as new insurance companies
join the industry.
Karake said the strategic plan will
be finalised this month when the board
Ghana to have a new national
airline by March
T
he much anticipated
new national airliner is
expected to take off by
March this year. That would
happen after accounting firm
PricewaterhouseCoopers presents
its interim report on the proposed
national carrier to government.
The firm was contracted in
2014 to work out modalities for
the new carrier for the country.
Deputy Transport Minister,
Joyce Bawah-Mogtari, confirmed
to Joy Business government's
plans to have the new airline
airborne in March 2015.
She said
PricewaterhouseCoopers is going
to advice on credible strategic
investors in the airline.
"Chances are it might be an
existing airline with a seriously
obvious brand...it might be one
of our domestic carriers that is
willing to partner government
to bring back this airline", said
meets.
“For us to regain our customers
and get more, we are looking at
introducing products like medical
liability insurance which will allow
customers to get treatment even when
they are out of Rwanda,” he said.
Karake is optimistic that with the
new products such as crop insurance
for farmers and efficient service
delivery, the firm could add more
relevance to the market.
According to figures from the
insurer, between January and October
2014, the company paid Rwf 4.2
billion in claims which Soji Emiola; the
firm’s managing director said was as
a result of their improved commitment
towards paying claims.
“We not only want to pay claims
but also want to do it promptly basing
on the information we are able to get
from our customers during the claims
processes,” Emiola said.
The 40-year-old insurance
company has a market share of about
17 per cent.
It’s therefore vital for the firm to
innovate further to be able to survive
the growing competition.
Emiola said the economy which
still has low levels of insurance
penetration (about 1.6 per cent)
presented opportunities for the
insurers as it is growing at a fast rate.
The insurance sector still has a
low uptake of policies, with the private
insurers receiving Rwf34.9 billion in
premiums during the third quarter of
last year, a small increase from the
Rwf32.4 billion recorded in the same
period in 2013
The central bank acknowledged
that paid claims had increased last
year, from Rwf13.6 billion in the third
quarter of 2013 to Rwf14.9 billion in
the same period last year.
New Times
Jolie, Pitt donate cheetah enclosure
American film stars Angelina Jolie and
Brad Pitt have continued supporting
a Namibian private wildlife sanctuary
with a new enclosure for endangered
cheetahs, the sanctuary said.
“Five of your seven magnificent
cheetahs are strolling into their new
seven-hectare enclosure, purring
their appreciation for the Jolie-Pitts,”
the N/a'an ku se Foundation said in a
newsletter. “We hope one day to be
able to show Shiloh [Jolie-Pitt] the
piece of paradise she created”.
Shiloh Jolie-Pitt is the firstborn of
the actors' three biological children,
with the pair also having three adopted
children. Shiloh, eight-years old, was
born in Namibia in May 2006, to where
the couple retreated for several weeks
to prepare for the baby's birth away
from international media hype.
ENCLOSURE FOR BABOONS
Jolie and Pitt established the Jolie-Pitt
Foundation in Namibia in 2006 to mark
the birth of daughter Shiloh.
“The foundation continues to bless
our many projects,” the N/a'an ku se
wildlife sanctuary stated. The recent
completion of a five-hectare enclosure
for baboons - either orphaned or
brought injured to N/a'an ku se and
nursed back to health but cannot be
released into the wild - was entirely
funded by the Jolie-Pitt Foundation.
“New housing for our [employed]
San [Bushmen] - fully covered by the
Jolie-Pitt Foundation is just one of
many projects,” the newsletter said.
Jolie first became involved with
N/a'an ku se after working with local
conservationist Marlice van Vuuren on
a film shoot - “Beyond Borders” - in
2003 in Namibia.
Van Vuuren and her husband Rudi
are co-founders of N/a'an ku se, about
50km east of the capital Windhoek.
RURAL VILLAGERS
Jolie has “since visited N/a'an ku se
several times, together with Brad Pitt
and their six children,” the N/a'an ku
se website notes.
“They take an active interest and
involvement in our projects, feeding
the animals in our sanctuary and
meeting the San Bushman community
here.”
Both Pitt and Jolie have donated to
many causes internationally, including
Global Action for Children and Doctors
without Borders. They contribute to
projects worldwide in honour of their
children including the Maddox Jolie-
Pitt Foundation in Cambodia, which
works with rural villagers and local
governments to improve access to
health care and education and to
alleviate food insecurity.
Maddox, from Cambodia, was
adopted by Jolie, with the actor
receiving him in Namibia in 2003 while
shooting “Beyond Borders”.
www.namibian.com
Bawah-Mogtari.
She said although the time
looks short, government is
committedtoensuringthenational
airliner takes off in March.
"Three months is a long time
for a lot of things to happen and
government has actually indicated
its preparedness to this in the
shortest possible time", she said.
Modern Ghana
GIFEC to train 5000
artisans in free ICT
course
O
ver five thousand
artisans nationwide are
to receive Information
and Communication Technology
training from the Ghana
Investment Fund for Electronic
Communications.
The programme which is being
run free of charge under a Digital
Inclusiveness Project would soon
be launched in Cape Coast in the
Central Region.
Potential targets include
carpenters, hairdressers and auto
mechanics, in collaboration with
the respective artisan groups.
With the help of Community
Information Centers spread across
the various districts, municipal and
metropolitan areas, artisans will
receive free ICT training within
two weeks.
Administrator of GIFEC, Kofi
Attor, told Nhyira News the project
will equip artisans with ICT
knowledge to boost productivity
as they learn new and improved
trends.
“Within two weeks, they
[artisans] will have to go home
with some knowledge on how to
use the ICT. We don't want the
Community Information Centers
to just stand in there as a middle
class thing. We want it to be
relevant to the economic needs
of everybody. There's always
the best practice somewhere. If
you Google carpentry in China, I
am sure you will get something.
The people would not be paying
for the training. We will be pay
for the training; go in there and
use the computer to assist your
work within two weeks”. Mr Attor
revealed.
GIFEC has been implementing
several ICT-related projects which
seek to reach and leverage the
capacity of overlooked groups
and individuals as it covers
underserved areas. He projects
include Community Information
Center, Rural Telephony and
School Connectivity.
GIFEC is also seeking to equip
about 64 libraries across the
country with e-learning materials.
A part of the package, 28
librarians recently underwent
training at the John Agyekum
Kuffuor ICT Center Nkwantakese
in the Afigya Kwabre District of the
Ashanti Region.
Mr. Attor believes the Library
ConnectivityProject,inpartnership
with the Ghana Library Board,
will make libraries more relevant.
More than fifty libraries have been
connected so far under the project.
“What we are doing to add
some value to the library is to put
computers into the libraries so that
people who are doing research
and people who are going to study
can complement e-arrangement
(electronic arrangement) with the
physical library. It makes library
research a little more interesting”.
Modern Ghana

Kofi Attor, Administrator of GIFEC

L-R Allen Karungi SONARWA's Head of Corporate Communications, Chief
Finance Officer Segun Ilori, CEO Soji Emiola, Charles Karake Mutsinzi, and
Company Secretary Edu Elias at a recent press briefing in Kigali.
MONDAY | JANUARY 12, 2015

3. Wassupafrica 03
FROM PAGE 01
Rwanda’s tea industry could be
destined for a better year following
a consensus among key sector
players to increase the liquor
quality benchmark to at least 7 out
of the possible 11 aggregates.
According to the National
Agriculture Export Board (NAEB)
achieving such a standard will
not only boost the quality of tea
exports, but will also improve
Tea sector players set new
standards to boost quality
Uganda’s Vice-President Edward
Kiwanuka Sekandi, has called on
Ugandan diplomats accredited
to foreign missions to market
achievements realised so far under the
Northern Corridor projects summits.
Sekandi made the remarks while
addressing the diplomats at Uganda’s
Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday.
“Youneedtopayparticularattention
to the developments under the Northern
Corridor projects’ summits and the
deliverables, such as the Standard
Gauge Railway, power generation, oil
pipeline development and the single
customs territory,” Sekandi said. Eight
summits have so far been held in
Kenya, Uganda, and Rwanda with the
objective of achieving the infrastructure
development goals.
Just last month, the Heads of State
of Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda, signed a
Memorandum of Understanding on the
management of the Northern Corridor
air space bloc. “These are marketable
business plans. The achievements
realised so far offer relevant lessons to
Ugandan envoys urged to promote
Northern Corridor projects
the region,” Sekandi added.
Uganda’s High Commissioner to
Rwanda, Richard Kabonero, called
on other countries which are not
necessarily part of the Northern Corridor
like neighbouring DRC to cooperate in
achieving the infrastructure projects.
The 8th Northern Corridor
Integration Projects Summit last month
reiterated the importance of fast-
tracking the operationalisation of One
Network Area in Uganda and directed
Ministers of Finance and ICT to resolve
all outstanding issues on the One
Network Area by January. Kabonero
said a decision will soon be taken to
have Uganda join Kenya and Rwanda in
the One Network Area where people will
enjoy one mobile telecommunication
network, free of roaming charges as is
the case between Rwanda and Kenya.
“We shall immensely benefit. In
fact, revenue authorities will gain as we
have seen the statistics from Kenya –
the volumes rose as a result of lowering
excise duty on calls,” Kabonero said.
New Times
the value and volume of tea
exports through value addition and
product diversification,” Kayonga
said.
He noted that the idea is to
make the tea sector sustainable
and competitive globally while
enhancing its contribution to the
national economy.
The efforts to boost quality
along the value chain follows
chain, it could hurt the industry.
Government through EDPRS II
is targeting to increase production
from current 27,597.8 metric tons
(MT) to 41,070.5 metric tons by
2018 and it’s through emphasizing
quality that such targets will be
achieved.
According to sector
performance targets 2014-215,
the sector’s productivity for the
last 11 months was established at
22,202 metric tons (MT) compared
to the projected 27,592 by the end
of 2014 and 22,715 metric tons in
2013.
Over the past 11 months,
the tea sector has so far fetched
$48.2m which is still low compared
to the annual target of $68.6m and
$53.7m baseline.
The low productivity has been
attributed to last year’s drought
among other factors.
According to most farmers,
low production was as a result of
prolonged drought the country
experienced in 2013.
“Despite these challenges, we
are still below the capacity and
we must do more to improve both
production and quality.”
“Prices on the international
market were very low. That is why
we want to achieve the minimum
of at least 7 out of the maximum,
in terms of quality to be able to
compete. Stake holders need to
understand that there is always a
positive coloration between price
and quality,” Kayonga stressed.
New Times
necessitating them to visit a police
station to validate their credentials
once every week, has been junked.
Mr. Modi said while the PIO and
OCI cards have been amalgamated,
permitting analogous amenities
to either cardholder, electronic
authorization of visa has begun,
apart from extending the facility of
visa on arrival from 43 countries.
In addition, the Pravasi Bharatiya
Centre will be operational in Delhi
soon.
The Prime Minister said
engaging with the pravasis was not
a one-way street; “not everything
should be seen in terms of pounds
or dollar” he said, adding that
overseas Indians need to be given
generous support so that they
feel passionate in contributing
to India’s development. He
recommended that an online quiz
competition could be started from
the PBD platform on ‘Bharat ko
Jano’ for teams of young people
worldwide. This would aid in
projecting India’s development
effort in the right viewpoint. The
competition, he said, could be
conducted round the year so that
the campaign for knowing India
becomes a world-wide movement.
Mr. Modi commended the
pravasis to vigorously participate
in the government’s ambitious
‘Clean Ganga’ initiative by sharing
their expertise in technology,
innovations, ideas and resources.
“There are opportunities for all
along the river – in agriculture,
water transport, city development
and village rejuvenation and even
adventure sports,” the Prime
Minister said.
On the occurrence of the
anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi’s
return to India from South Africa,
the Prime Minister released Rs 25
and Rs 5 commemorative stamps
and Rs 100 and Rs 10 coins.
The Chief Guest at the PBD,
Mr. Donald R. Ramotar, President
of the Republic of Guyana, said
India’s has seen a transformational
change in recent years. The time
has come for India to exhibit its
mature political leadership to
direct other developing countries,
take part more energetically in
internal forums, look outwards
for channelizing investments to
other countries and strengthen air
and maritime links with the rest of
the world. He assured Guyana’s
loyalty to India’s pursuit of reform
of the UN Security Council and
expressed total support for India’s
candidature for a permanent seat
in an expanded Security Council.
Ms. Maite Nkoana-Mashabane,
Minister of International Relations
and Cooperation, Republic of South
Africa,theGuestofHonour,pointed
out that the political, economic and
cultural ties between South Africa
and India were robust. These
were surfaced by the community
of Indians in South Africa, the
second largest outside India. The
bonds must be further reinforced
by addressing the triple challenges
of poverty, unemployment and
under-development.
She emphasized the need for
closer cooperation between the
two countries in the fields of IT,
healthcare and renewable energy
and articulated her confidence that
India would support South Africa
in its expansion efforts.
Ms. Sushma Swaraj, Union
Minister for External Affairs
and Overseas Indian Affairs,
stressed that successful and
politically powerful diaspora is
an advantage to India. She called
upon the diaspora to follow a
mutually satisfying participation in
developing India.
She urged the Indian youth
diaspora to ‘connect, celebrate and
contribute’ to the transformational
competitivenessoftheteaindustry.
We should aspire to achieve
an average of 7 aggregates of
green leaf standard mark out of 11
aggregates, which is the maximum
benchmark in quality of green tea
leaves, George William Kayonga,
the Naeb Chief Executive officer,
told farmers during a recent
national forum for tea farmers.
He emphasised the need to boost
quality along the value chain of
supply in 2015.
“We target to improve factory
processing efficiency that meets
customer demands and enhance
recently signed agreements
between government and tea
cooperatives to boost production
across the county.
The tea industry registered a
slight decline in production during
2013 and the first 11 months of
2014. According to statistics, very
few tea cooperatives and factories
scored above 7 aggregates
according to the 2013 -2014
quality liquor indicators on the
quality and pricing of tea.
According to experts, if sector
players don’t work hard to improve
quality standards along the value
change being observed in India in
the making of ‘Ek Bharat, Shreshth
Bharat’.
The Minister said that Youth
PBD was not just about networking
with the young people of this
country but has appeared as a
significant podium for the diaspora
to determine and cultivate their
roots.
She enticed to the youth to
attach with the young generation
of Indians – over 50% of the Indian
people were under 25 years. Youth
PBD, she said, was a juncture to
celebrate India’s traditions, art
and culture, even as the country
endeavours to authorize its youth
with technology.
“What excites the world
today is India’s growth story,”
Ms. Swaraj said and pointed to
the government’s achievement in
bringing about a comprehensive
revolution of the business
sentiment in the country. This, she
added, was the consequence of the
numerous steps undertaken by the
government to recover the ease of
doing business.
Ms. Priti Patel, MP, UK Prime
Minister’s Diaspora Champion
and Exchequer Secretary to the
Treasury, The UK, in her remarks,
said that Britain was home to over
1.5 million expatriate Indians
who firmly believed in family
values, enterprise and service to
others. “The young people are our
shared hope and it was important
to educate and skill them as
tomorrow’s prosperity depends on
them,” she added.
Dr. Rashmi Das, Chairperson,
World Organisation of Students
& Youth, pointed out that the
principles that defined India were
appeal for knowledge seeking and
work efficiency; peace keeping
infrastructure and the essence
of voluntarism. She urged the
youth diaspora to look at India’s
development as a common cause
and dedicate themselves to its
achievement.
Ms. Anandiben Patel, Chief
Minister of Gujarat, said that
the new economic and social
initiatives launched by the Central
Government have unleashed a new
wave of passion among the people.
The pravasis with the genuine hard
work had elevated India’s image
internationally, while keeping the
links with the land of their origin
alive.
The Vote of Thanks was given
by General V K Singh, Minister of
State for Statistics & Programme
Implementation (Independent
Charge), External Affairs and
Overseas Indian Affairs, the
dignitaries at the session were
felicitated by Mr. Sunil Soni,
Secretary, Ministry of Overseas
Indian Affairs.

(Left-Right) Presidents Yoweri Museveni (Uganda), Uhuru Kinyata (Kenya),
Paul Kagame (Rwanda) and Salva Kiir (South Sudan) at Serana hotel in
Kigali for the 6th Northern Corridor Integration Summit.

Minister Sushma Swaraj at 13th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas
mONDAY | JANUARY 12, 2015

4. CountryoftheWeek04
Advertisement
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To book your
the most conducive business
environments in Africa with
flexible and expanding markets
and low tax rates, the island
country can be used as a base to
expand and invest in Africa and
even in many parts of Asia. FDI in
tourism, ICT and Media sectors
is on the rise in Mauritius, and
service sector which is currently
the driving force of the economy
is expected to remain so. Also,
large concentration of middle and
high income earners presents
ample opportunities for consumer
industries to bloom.
RELATIONS WITH
INDIA
India is one of the largest trading
partner of Mauritius, along with
China and France. Since 2007,
IndiahascontinuedtobeMauritius’
largest trading partner.
In FY 2012-2013, India
exported goods worth US$ 1.31
billion and imported goods worth
US$ 28.49 million. Mauritius was
the largest source of FDI for India
in the financial year 2012-13.
India is also supporting many
projectsinMauritiussomeofwhich
includes the Mahatma Gandhi
Institute, the Upadhyay Training
Conference Centre (SVICC).
HANDLING SETBACKS
Regardless of accomplishing
exceptional growth levels, and
becoming one of the most willing
economy in Africa, Mauritius’
government still needs to deal
with a few holdups which could
obstruct the country’s growth, and
may reduce investor confidence in
the country. Quality of education
needs to be upgraded, and the
government is expected to take
necessary steps in this direction.
A fall in savings rate and its effect
on account deficits is a matter
of concern for the Mauritian
authorities. Being a small economy,
Mauritius is disposed to external
economic shocks, its currency can
also be easily affected by fall or rise
in Euro and Dollar rates.
The Mauritian government is
positive in handling these issues
and have also taken necessary
steps. Steps are being taken to
diversify export and tourism. The
central bank has also offered line
of credit in foreign currencies to
struggling exporters. Operation
Reserves Reconstitution was
launched by the Bank of Mauritius
in an effort to build a larger foreign
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and African countries. India is
among the largest trading partner
of Mauritius. Its GDP per capita in
terms of Purchasing Power Parity
was $15,649 in 2013.
STEADY GROWTH
Mauritius performance in the
past four decades is praiseworthy.
From an economy based entirely
on agriculture, the country has
very successfully created its
place in the global economic
system. It has attained what many
developing countries have failed
to achieve, an equitable income
distribution, a sharp fall in Gini
Coefficient over a period of two
decades. The country’s economic
growth is patent by improvements
H
aving the region's best
business background
and most competitive
economy, Mauritius is well placed
to shape on the development it
has made by contributing in the
global industry and services value
chains. Its official name is Republic
of Mauritius and the country is
spread over an area of 2,040 km2.
In the recent few years, Mauritius
has become one of the fastest
growing economies in Africa. Its
outstanding growth from a low
income economy to a middle
income economy can be elucidated
by well-planned policies and
translucentbusinessenvironments.
The country also ranked 1st in the
Global Competitiveness Report for
2013-2014.
A STORY OF SUCCESS
The small island country amazed
the world when it came out as
Africa’s most auspicious economy
outpacing many top economies
of the continent. Worldwide,
Mauritius is known as a tourist’s
spot, with its beautiful beaches,
palm trees and luxurious hotels,
which the country has banked
upon to boost its economic growth.
The country is also known for
its exceptional infrastructure,
low trade barriers, high level
in the social sector with improved
infrastructure facilities, improved
life expectancy and lower infant
mortality.
By following liberal investment
policies and offering incentives
for FDI, the island country has
managed to attract more than
9,000 offshore businesses mostly
aimed at India and South Africa.
Investment in banking sector alone
reached $1 billion dollars.
Being as member of the
Southern African Development
Community (SADC) and the
Common Market for Eastern and
Southern Africa (COMESA) has
aided the country to enter into
multipole bilateral agreements,
these factors help Mauritian
Imports (%age share of total) 2012 2013 2014
Electrical Equipment 5.65 5.58 5.48
Machinery, nuclear reactors, boilers 7.68 7.54 7.40
Mineral fuels, Oils, Distillation Products 23.89 23.68 23.01
Fish, Crustaceans, Molluscs, Aquatic 6.03 6.06 5.78
invertebrates
Exports (%age share of total) 2012 2013 2014
Fish 12.90 29.39 27.34
Sugars & Sugar Confectionary 11.23 10.10 10.44
Pearls, Precious Stones, Metals and Coins 5.46 5.14 4.78
Apparels and Accessories 32.35 29.39 27.34
MAURITIUS
The Iridescent Island
based firms to gain preferential
treatment in African markets, thus
making Mauritius a profitable
investment destination.
TRADE OVERVIEW
Mauritius’ exports are mostly
conquered by textiles. Sugar, fish
and various metals and precious
stones. Whereas oil, mineral fuels,
electronic dominate the imports of
the country.
Mauritius ranks among
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj calls on Prime Minister Dr. Navin
Ramgoolam of Mauritius in Port Louis

of education along with a good
governing system, stable political
environment and a competitive
and transparent business culture.
Mauritius was an agriculture based
economy until four decades ago,
and has recently expanded itself
by presenting new crops, banking
on tourism, financial services and
other sectors.
Its strategic position in the
Indian Ocean, makes it a hub for
economic activities between Asian
Centre, the Jawaharlal Nehru
Hospital, the SubramaniaBharati
Eye Centre, etc.
Projects enjoying a high
degree of visibility are the Rajiv
Gandhi Science Centre and the
Rabindranath Tagore Institute.
The most prestigious symbols of
recent Indian assistance are the
Cyber Tower at Ebene and the
Swami Vivekananda International
exchange reserves.
The long term challenge
for Mauritius is to maintain its
positionintheeverchangingglobal
economic scenario. Mauritius is a
perfect example of well-planned
government policies and their
proper execution. The story of
Mauritius is that of adaptability,
good leadership, innovation and
consensus building.
MONDAY | JANUARY 12, 2015

5. BusinessBuzz 05
MTN Unleashes Digital Journey 2.0 with
BetterMe App
IMF Executive Board Completes
First PSI Review for Tanzania
The Executive Board of the
International Monetary Fund
completed the first review of
Tanzania's economic performance
under the program supported by
the Policy Support Instrument
(PSI)1 and granted a waiver for the
non-observance of the continuous
Domestic Airline Starbow will
from next month increase its
flights to destinations across the
country.
This is because the Airline
is adding two new aircrafts to
its fleet to enable it extend its
operations to destinations where
it previously was impossible for
MTN Nigeria has disclosed it is
movingtoanewdispensationcalled
Telco 1.5, which is characterized by
full scale focus on data and digital
services leveraging the power of
the internet. MTN Nigeria which has
60 million subscribers as at the end
of year 2014, according to Funmi
Onajide, the general manager,
Corporate Affairs, on January 1,
launched the BetterMe campaign as
a clear evidence of how Nigerians
can use the power of the internet
to do extraordinary things in ways
that add values to their lives.
Onajide while speaking at
a press conference in Lagos
Starbow to introduce new
aircraft next month
to announce the launch of the
Campaign, re-emphasized that
telecom products and services
in the currently are moving from
predominately voice to data and
digital services.
She said, “In the past the focus
was on voice- that is the ability to
connect people so that they could
make phone calls. This industry
has achieved that well over 100
million active subscribers in Nigeria
of which MTN has 60 million
subscribers as at the end of 2014.
On the BetterMe campaign,
Onajide said, “As you know,
Nigerians are very innovative and
Airline.
“These new aircraft we're
bringing are “New Generation
Aircraft” with a better fuel
consumption. It will enable us
operate in Kumasi for instance
twice or thrice in a day, into
Kumasi and Takoradi and we can
offer more flights which are more
meet the budget deficit target and
will review revenues and adjust
expenditures accordingly in the
context of the mid-year budget
review. It will be critical to the
business environment to address
the governance issues raised by
the IPTL case, which would also
New Corporate Attire for
UBA Ghana
UBA Ghana has outdoored new
corporate attire for its front office
operations staff in all of its banking
halls across the country.
Explaining the rationale behind
this, the MD/CEO Mrs. Abiola
Bawuah indicated that the bank
decided to outdoor this new attire
on this first working day of the
year to symbolize the bank’s new
commitment for service delivery.
“At UBA, we pay close attention
to service quality hence the need
to go a step further in grooming the
staff who on daily basis interact with
our customers.
“It is our believe that the energy
and confidence the corporate attire
has generated already will impact
the excellent customer service
delivery disposition for 2015 she
concluded.
The Chief Operations Officer Mr.
Adedayo Adesipo in a message to
the front office staff advised them
to ensure that customer experience
on the shop floors become a point of
reference in the industry.
The Operations staff in a
short interaction with the reporter
expressed their appreciation to the
bank for adorning them with new
corporate attire which strongly
elicits the UBA brand personality of
energy, boldness and confidence.
Ghanaian Chronicle
tremendously.
“The aircraft that we have
previously – the bigger ones we
were not getting the numbers and
there was high fuel consumption
which was not good for our
operation so we were going to
Takoradi twice and in Tamale once,
but now Tamale we'll be doing
about three flights into Tamale
and about four or five flights into
Kumasi. We'll be going to Sunyani,
sometimes Accra – Kumasi –
Tamale – Accra, Accra – Kumasi
– Sunyani or Accra – Sunyani and
back,” he said.
“Asked whether or not Starbow
can operate in Sunyani since its
aircrafts are too big for the airport
there, Mr. Antwi said the new
generation aircrafts will be able to
land everywhere, Tamale, Kumasi,
Sunyani – it can land in any of the
stations.”
Modern Ghana
it to. Speaking with Joy Business,
Chief Executive Officer of Starbow
Eric Antwi says customers should
expect improved services from the
comfortable and even faster now,”
he said.
He said flights to other cities
in the country will be boosted
millions of people, especially our
youth are already very familiar
with the internet. The ‘Better Me’
campaign will build on that and
will expose Nigerians from all
works of life to how they can use
the internet to do all sort of things
that are relevant to their peculiar
circumstances and show them how
various digital and data products
and services can make their lives
better.” They include websites
such as pidgin-based websites,
local language news and a variety
of useful information which should
help people to see the positive value
in the internet.
Bayo Adekanmbi, Chief
Marketing Officer, in a presentation
provided further details about
the App, stressing that in spite
about 200% growth in internet
penetration in the country in
the recent years, the usage has
remained limited. Also speaking,
Fola Akinmolayan, CEO, NEO-2
Limited, said “the BetterMe Bundle
is a rich bouquet loaded with
internet data (MB) , voice minutes
(National) and sms that gives
you the opportunity to be better
in various facets of life through
access to the power of the internet.
Whether you want to be better
in Business, relationships with
friends and family, fashion, health
or style, access to the internet via
MTN makes it easy for you to access
information on the go”.
Aside the Better Me app, MTN
also showcased the benefits of
‘My2015App” as a one stop guide
to news, resolutions, prophecies,
opportunities, deals and more;
which the offers are available to
users on daily and monthly bundles.
He said that as the world is
fast changing, with technology
taking over people’s everyday
lives, access to the internet
provides opportunities that enable
individuals to achieve greater
heights and do a whole lot of things
faster and better with less effort.
Nigeria Communications
Week
assessment criterion on the non-
accumulation of external arrears.
The PSI for Tanzania was
approved by the Executive Board
on July 16, 2014 (see Press
Release No. 14/350). Tanzania's
program under the PSI supports
the authorities' medium-term
objectives. These include: the
maintenance of macroeconomic
stability, the preservation of debt
sustainability, and the promotion
of more equitable growth and job
creation.
FollowingtheBoarddiscussion,
Mr. Min Zhu, Deputy Managing
Director and Acting Chair, made
the following statement:
“Macroeconomic developments
in Tanzania remain favorable.
Economic growth was strong
during the first half of 2014 and
is expected to remain close to 7
percent. Inflation remains in mid-
single digits, consistent with the
authorities' target of 5 percent by
June 2015.
“Performance under the
Policy Support Instrument was
satisfactory through June, but has
deteriorated since and risks have
risen, stemming from delays in
disbursements of donor assistance
and external nonconcessional
borrowing, and shortfalls in
domestic revenues. Against
this backdrop, the authorities'
commitment to keep the program
on track is welcome, and they
have reaffirmed their intention to
unlock donor assistance.
“It will be important to
strengthen the coordination
between fiscal and monetary
policies. The conversion of
monetary policy instruments
to financing papers facilitated
the front-loading of capital
expenditures but complicated
monetary policy implementation.
It will be more effective and less
disruptive to accommodate the
planned expenditure through
better planning to align spending
and financing.
“The issue of domestic
arrears, which continued to
accumulate, needs to be addressed
comprehensively and forcefully.
Work to verify and eventually
clear arrears to suppliers
already incurred is ongoing. The
authorities' plan to prevent
future arrears accumulation is
appropriately ambitious and will
require sustained implementation.
Addressing arrears to pension
funds and making government
relations with them more
transparent is also critical to their
sustainability.”
The PSI helps countries design
effective economic programs
that, once approved by the
IMF's Executive Board, signal to
donors, multilateral development
banks, and markets the Fund's
endorsement of a member's
policies.
Modern Ghana
mONDAY | JANUARY 12, 2015

6. FRANKLY SPEAKING06
By kirit sobti,
editor, iat
editor@indoafricatimes.com
O
wing a car is the uppermost accomplishment
in the life of many Africans and driving one’s
own car does not only come with status but
also a positive position from society. More admired
is driving the latest automobiles and many Africans
particularly those in higher positions in life such as
pastors, CEOs, politicians and those in the academia
compete with one another as to who owns the most
striking cars.
The automobile market is vivacious in Africa and
consequently most of the developed countries in the
automobile industry cannot do without the Africa
market.
The BMW Group is the foremost premium
manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles in the
world with its BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce brands. As
a worldwide company, the BMW Group functions 28
production and assembly services in 13 countries and
has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.
The triumph of the BMW Group has always
been built on long-term thinking and accountable
action. The company has hence recognized ecological
and social sustainability throughout the value
chain, inclusive product responsibility and a clear
commitment to preserving resources as an essential
part of its strategy.
Determined to take the lead in the Nigeria luxury
car market, Coscharis Motors has recently revealed
the all-new BMW X4 Sport Activity Vehicle, SUV, into
the market.
The new BMW X4 was unveiled at Coscharis
showroom in Victoria Island, Lagos, and was
applauded by members of the press who thumbed
up BMW for ingenuity in the new X4. The main
characteristics of the new X4 include adaptive light
control, driving control with ECO PRO mode, twin
power turbo inline four cylinder, among others.
The all-new X4 will positively upsurge the market
share of the luxury car market because it offers value
for money. However the BMW X4 looks more like a
compact BMW X6, but X4 stands in the gap for both X5
and X6 and that it furnishes an exclusive combination
of sporty and stylish auto design, exceptional
adaptability, space and the trademark of BMW sheer
driving experience.
The BMW X4 is designed to be spacious, with
an excellent functionality. However, this does not
A Galaxy on
Wheels
Claudio Descalzi
former MD, BMW
South Africa
Mr. Tim Abbott
MD, BMW,
South Africa
Motorcycle enthusiasts in South Africa
now have a new destination to mingle
with the likeminded people in the new
flagship store recently inaugurated
in the center of Cape Town. The store
is the first store to house the ‘Make
Life a Ride’ campaign by BMW. The
campaign aims to gain excess to new
and unknown segments which BMW
has a good record in.
The opening of the new store was
marked by an extravagant launch
party which was attended by around
350 guests, which included riders,
journalists, photographers, friends,
investors and other colleagues.
“We are delighted to bring the
world of BMW Motorrad to this vibrant
part of South Africa and to have the
support of our colleagues from BMW
Motorrad South Africa and Germany
in creating and opening this flagship
store,” said Leon Potgieter. “These are
exciting times for BMW Motorrad and
people want to be associated with the
brand. Our vision has been to provide
a destination for riders and fans to
‘MAKE LIFE A RIDE’. Now that Donford
Motorrad Cape Town is finally open
for business, we hope to welcome
many more riders to one of the best
motorcycling destinations imaginable.”
The lifestyle store will act as a
platform for bike lovers to meet,
communicate, and share stories
and adventures. The flagship store
will also include its own coffee shop
making it a vantage point for the biking
community and loyal customers of
BMW.
Alexander Baraka, General
Manager BMW Motorrad South Africa,
also remarked, “It’s a great honour to
be here and be part of the celebrations
for this first MAKE LIFE A RIDE
flagship store in the world. These are
exciting and important times ahead
for South Africa and BMW Motorrad,
and it’s great to see the new brand
direction in action.”
BMW Motorrad started back in
1923 and really began to take off in
the 1960s. Since then sales have risen
consistently, especially in SA where it
holds a 36.4% market share. Currently,
BMW bikes are sold in 90 countries
around the world with more than
1,000 dealers, but the company plans
to grow this to 1,500 dealers.
BMW opens Flagship
store for Biking
Enthusiasts
We clearly see that there
is a growing middle class
coming through in Africa
and that there is a lot of
interest in development and
we assume that the middle
class as we have seen it in
South Africa is growing and
there is purchasing power
and there is a demand for
our cars as well.
It is worth to
highlight that
the majority
of Germany’s
Africa-based
enterprises
have not
persisted harsh
influence as a
consequence
of the Ebola
epidemic.
adversely affect the car's dynamic appearance. It is
simply a car with intelligent novelties.
The BMW makes out exclusive assets both inside
and outside. Its lifted seat position offers a faultless
vision of the high-class, evidently designed interior.
The BMW X4 is born to deliver, hence, the 3.0 litre
twin-power turbo six-cylinder petrol engine with 225
KW (305 horsepower). This produces a maximum
torque of 400 Nm.
In South Africa, the outgoing models of BMW had
before now set standards with the flawless balance of
power, competence, agility, comfort and luxury typical
of M models. New models have also written a garden-
fresh episode in its success story, powered by an even
more finely-honed, well-resolved overall concept.
The three new cars proclaimed their high-
performance credentials before they even turn
a wheel, thanks to their athletic and an active
appearance.
A front end with new, standard-fitted LED
headlights made their intentions immediately clear
– the M-specific double-bar kidney grille and eye-
catching front apron with large air intakes see to that.
The sculpted front wings with hallmark M gills,
the side skirts and the exclusive forged 19-inch M
light-alloy wheels (BMW M6 Gran Coupe exclusive
forged 20-inch M light-alloy wheels) only add to this
impression.
The sporting looks of the new models rounded off
by a rear apron with integrated diffuser insert, two
sets of M-specific twin tailpipes and the M6 logo on
the boot lid. Another exclusive M feature is the ultra-
lightweight contoured carbon roof of the new BMW
M6 Coupe and new BMW M6 Gran Coupe, which also
aids to lower the cars’ centre of gravity visually.
The new BMW M6 range goes on sale in South
Africa in the second quarter of 2015.
It is worth to highlight that the majority of
Germany’s Africa-based enterprises have not
persisted harsh influence as a consequence of the
Ebola epidemic. The report examined a survey by the
German-African Business Association (AV), which
exposed that the hopes of businesses registered in the
association were optimistic, although doing business
in Africa is most often described as “risky.”
While 53 percent of Africa-based German
businesses looked forward to stable growth, only 15
percent of them projected to reach a decline.
“Companies that have been in Africa for a long
time are not scared of the epidemic, especially since
out of the 54 countries in Africa, only three have been
affected by Ebola,” Stefan Liebing, AV chairman said in
the Deutsche Welle report.
The AV survey also noted that of Germany’s
600 Africa-based businesses that are listed with
the association, 56 percent of them experienced
unchanged business operation during the Ebola
outbreak.
While Ebola hit Africa the hardest in Liberia,
Sierra Leone and Guinea offering a death toll of just
over 8,000 - the majority of business operations by
German enterprises take place in Ethiopia, South
Africa, Kenya, Nigeria and Angola, Deutsche Welle
reported.
While one cannot exhaust the list of cars
that have flooded the African market, it’s worth
mentioning some of them such as Jaguar, Audi,
Honda, Mitsubishi, Daihatsu, Opel, Isuzu, and Madza.
The others are Suzuki, Hyundai, Chevrolet, Renault,
Ford Motors, Tata Motors, General Motors and
Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. All these brands are almost
household names in Africa but how many have their
manufacturing companies in Africa so as to provide
employment to Africans?
Our vision is to achieve a
completely carbon-neutral energy
supply for the BMW group with this
in mind, we set ourselves the goal
of becoming a leader in the use of
renewable energy by 2020. As a
result of our local clean production
initiatives, we have saved more
than R60- million in energy
overheads in the last five years at
our Rosslyn plant and our Midrand
head office.
MONDAY | JANUARY 12, 2015

7. TRAVEL&tourism 07
The Queen of
Hill Stations
O
oty, dubbed as the
‘Queen on Hill Stations’,
is the most widespread
hill station in South India.
Capital to the Nilgiris district of Tamil
Nadu, it is located at a height of
7,350 ft. Nature has always been
generous on this hill station located
in the Blue Mountains. The area is
remarkably blessed with tea and
coffee plantations, and covered
with conifers, eucalyptus, pines and
wattle. The lanes could easily be
mistaken for an English countryside.
Ooty is a mixture of Indian and
British cultures with Hindu temples
prevailing alongside beautiful parks
and British style bungalows. The town
excitingly labeled as ‘Snooty Ooty’,
was established by the Britishers in
early 19th century as the summer
capital of the Madras government.
The town has a subtropical
highland climate. In stark contrast
of most of the southern part of
India, Ooty has a pleasant climate
throughout the year. The town
always seems to be stuck in spring
season, though the temperature
could fall in the months of January
and February. Maximum average
temperature throughout the year
BASIC FACTS
Official Name : Udhagamandalam
State : Tamil Nadu
District : The Nilgiris
Elevation : 2,240 m (7,350 ft)
Area : 36 sq. km
Population : 81,763
Rainfall : 121 cms
Language : Tamil, Badaga
Botanical Garden
Ooty
Enticing tourists from all over
the world, the garden was
built in 1847 by Marquis of
Teedale. It houses an exquisite
collection of flowering trees
and beautiful shrubs. One
can also see a rare tree
species of 20 million year old
fossil tree, a monkey’s puzzle
tree, enormous variety of
flowering bushes and plants.
Rare colored lilies are a
common sight in the garden.
It is a favourite destination for
botany lovers.
Ooty Lake &
Boat House
A man-made lake
formed in 1823-25 by
tapping the streams
flowing down Ooty
valley. It was designed
by John Sullivan, also
the founder Ooty itself.
The lake has since
shrunk in size and
accommodating a
racecourse, bus stand
and a mini garden.
Centenary Rose Park
Located in the heart of the town,
the garden is laid out on a stretch
of 10 acres of land. The garden
is gorgeously ornamented by
rose tunnels, pergolas, bowers
and rose creepers. The garden
has the largest collection of
roses in the country, with around
3600 varieties which can be
found in the garden. Tamil
Nadu Horticulture Department
maintains the garden, and
it also received the ‘Garden
of Excellence’ by the World
Federation of Rose Societies
(WFRS) in 2006.
Doddabetta Park
Located at a distance
of 10 Kms from Ooty, it is
the highest peak in the
Nilgiri district. The word
‘Doddabetta’ literally
means Big Mountain, the
peak is located at the
junction of Western and
Eastern Ghats. One can
have a magnificent
panoramic view of
landscape and the
whole of the District and
even beyond.
Kalhatty
Waterfalls
Situated in the
Kalhatty Ghats
(which are located
at 2,000m above
sea level), the
picturesque waterfalls
are a popular spot
for picnics and
treks. The height of
the falls is 40m, and
can only be seen
during September to
November.
Mudumalai Wildlife
Sanctuary
Spread across an area
of 32,155 hectares, the
sanctuary is a mix of flat
land, open grassland,
swamp, and valleys. The
sanctuary is situated at a
height of 1000m. Situated
in an ecological hotspot,
one can find a wide variety
of flora and fauna. Animals
like bonnet, mouse deer,
Indian muntjac, wild boar
and flying squirrel are part
of the wildlife present in
Mudumalai.
remains between 17-20°C, and the
average minimum temperature
usually remains between 5-12°C.
The town sees an annual rainfall of
121 cm. the best time to visit Ooty is
from April to June, and September to
November.
OOTY’S FOOD GUIDE
Ooty is food lover’s delight, the
flawless residence to excite your
taste buds. It is an ecstasy for
chocolate lovers, walk into any
bakery and you’ll walk away with
varieties of chocolates ranging
from dark bitter chocolate to
strawberry flavored chocolate and
nutty fruit flavored chocolates. It
is very difficult to resist the cakes,
buns, cookies and tarts available
in almost every bakery in the town.
The fruit and nut chocolate is most
popular throughout the town.
With tea plantations all around
the town, one can find tea stalls in
every corner of Ooty. For a more
delicate experience head to any
tea plantation and enjoy a session
of tea tasting. People who prefer
wine can visit the local vineyards
and experience the delights of wine
tasting.
Ooty houses a number of tourist attractions, making it one of the favourite hill station in
South India. It offers a phantasmagoria of visual delicacies.
tourist
attractions
OOTY
mONDAY | JANUARY 12, 2015

8. TALKINGTECHNOLOGY08
I
n the 50 years of development
the world over, there has
been a tremendous increase
of urban population due to the
inflow of the rural masses looking
for work. The task of providing
affordable housing to this influx
presents new challenges to getting
projects ready in record time
using the conventional method of
Brick and Mortar, because –
• It is time consuming;
• There is a shortage of skilled
workforce;
• They produce a lot of Waste of
construction material due to
unskilled handling;
• The delays causes costs
escalations.
Further conventional
construction methods put
an enormous stress on the
environment. These stresses are
mainly:
• Soil and agricultural land
degradation;
• Loss of forests and wild lands;
• Air pollution and
• Depletion of non- renewable
energy sources and minerals.
Over the years it can be seen
that these stresses lead to climate
changes and natural disasters.
To minimize this stresses and to
achieve sustainable developments,
concepts of green building evolved
since building construction
activity accounts for major
exploitation of natural resources
that leads to environmental
stresses.
Sahyadri Industries Ltd (SIL)
has come out with
alternative sustainable
building products which
do away with the use of
wood and conventional
method of building
components which
are substitute to wood
and energy intensive
component like burnt
brick, concrete, sand, water etc.
Sahyadri products can be used in
the construction of cost effective
houses under mass housing
projects of the governments in
developing countries.
Sahyadri housing systems
(Sections and fibre cement
boards) can be designed to build
Eco-Homes in 2, 3 or more rooms
apartments, its modular designed
component system facilitating
expansion from one to three or
more rooms.
The fibre Cement boards are
mainly cement bonded cellulose
Providing
affordable housing
SAHYADRI INDUSTRIES LTD.
(An ISO 9001-2008 Certified Company)
Contact: Mr. M. Satyanarayana,
President (Mktg.): +91
9373022295, +91 9404965694
Swastik House, 39-D, J.N.
Road, Gultekdi, Pune 411 037,
Maharashtra (India)
Tel.: +91 20 2644 4625/ 26/ 27,
Fax: +91 20 2644 4624
E-mail: mastyanarayan@silworl.in,
info@silworld.in, Website: www.
silworld.in, www.ecopro.co.in
Sahyadri dreams of housing
every family in the country
fibre boards. Cement acts as
binder to the fibres which give
them good tensil strength. The fire
resistance properties of cement
fibre boards are also very good.
This system produce specific
components for buildings based
on the design, includes designing
and producing a uniform type of
building or a group of building
variants, which can be produced
with a common assortments
of component. Such building
includes school, parking garage,
gas station, low cost housing,
shopping malls/complexes etc.
Where there is a high demand
for houses, and availability
of quality raw material and
man-power required, use of
prefabricated Sahyadri wall
panels would facilitate timely
and cost effective construction.
“Prefabricated modular designs
bring speed, quality and
efficiency into construction, and
is an important and definitely an
essential part in the future of the
construction industry, not only
in India, but all over the world,”
comments Mr. M. Satyanarayan,
President of SIL. “SIL is looking
forward to revolutionize the mass
housing industries not only in
India but Globaly.”
Sahyadri building products
help construction in their
innovative ways thus reduce
construction costs without
compromising on the quality
of housing in scheduled time.
To summarize, predesigned
buildings manufactured in factory
controlled environment using eco-
friendly green materials will suit
not only the India but the world
over, because of its sustainability
and economy it offers not only in
costs but saving on time and other
environmental issues, giving the
world a better place to live in.
MONDAY | JANUARY 12, 2015

9. TRYSOMETHINGNEW 09
upcoming
The greatest tragedy in life is not
death but life without purpose.
THOUGHT OF
THE WEEK
IBEX INDIA 2015
IBEX INDIA, has been
established as a unique and
comprehensive platform
for all stakeholders in the
Indian Banking Industry to
come together to understand,
facilitate and encourage the
growth of the industry. Such
a platform gives technology
vendors and solution providers
an opportunity to reach out
to their core critical audience
from the industry under one
roof while simultaneously
enabling officials from all
levels and profiles to compare,
contrast and benchmark a
plethora of new technology
equipment required across
all banking and financial
functions.
Date: 15-17 January, 2015
Venue: Bandra Kurla complex,
Mumbai, India
3rd Edition Maharashtra
Economic Summit
Investment-friendly
industrial policies, excellent
infrastructure and a strong
and productive human
resource base have made
it a favored destination for
the manufacturing, export,
distribution and financial
service sectors. Furthermore,
the State has focused on the
development of industrial
and social infrastructure.
Maharashtra's economic
growth can provide
significant contribution in the
development of the nation.
Date: 16 January, 2015
Venue: Hotel Sahara Star, Mumbai.
7th Agricultural Summit
There is positive energy
for growth erupting in the
India and agriculture is not
untouched from it. Agriculture
in many states is growing
over 10 percent since last
decade or so, it give a strong
indication that given the
right policy environment for
growth, Indian agriculture is
capable of becoming growth
engine of India economy. This
growth will benefit farmers and
consumers at a time when
the world population keeps
increasing and food prices
across the globe are spiraling
steeply.
Date: 15 January, 2015
Venue: Hotel Shangri- La, New
Delhi.
GEO India 2015 –
Exhibitio
The GEO India exhibition
is the largest showcase
of oil and gas exploration
technology and services in
India, attracting NOCs, IOCs,
major operating companies
and new businesses looking
to penetrate the South Asian
market.
Date: 12-14 January, 2015
Venue: The India Expo Centre and
Mart, Greater Noida, India
Prepration Method
1. Soak lentils in plenty of cold water
for at least 2 hours. Rinse drain.
2. Brown onion, salt, pepper, thyme,
garlic, parsley and clove.
3. Combine tomato sauce and 1 cup
water with the stock cube, add to
lentils mixture and stir well. Dilute
peanut butter in remaining cup of
water and add to mixture.
4. Add bicarb of soda cook in a
covered pan, over medium heat
for 1 hour, or until lentils are soft.
You may need to add a little extra
water / stock.
5. Serve hot over the cooked rice.
Handy French
1. Happy Holidays!
Meilleurs vœux
2. Oh! That's good!
Oh! C'est bien!
3. I like French.
J'aime le français.
4. Happy New Year!
Bonne année!
5. Bless you (when sneezing).
A vos souhaits!
Winter Blues, Beyond
Cold Flu
South Africa has the
most luxurious train in
the world, The Rovos
Rail (pride of Africa).
For most of us, winter is the staple ‘cold
and flu season’. But apart from runny
nose, series of sneezes and hacking
cough, several other disease conditions
flare up in the pretext of cold weather.
Have a look at them and find ways to
keep the exacerbations away.
The 9th OIFC Market Place inaugurated by Smt Sushma Swaraj, Hon’ble Minister of External Affairs, Overseas Indian Affairs and
Smt. Anandiben Patel Hon’ble Chief Minister of Gujaratat during the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2015 at Gandhinagar.

picture of the week
Arthritis
Dip in temperature triggers arthritis
for most people. Being indoors most
of the times, less body movement,
body circulating less blood to limbs
in order to conserve warm blood
around the heart and swelling
in muscles are all good enough
reasons for stiff and painful joints.
Resolution – Keep yourself moving!
Don’t stay stagnant at one place for
a long time. Even while sitting, do
rotational exercises for knee, ankle,
wrist, elbow and shoulder joints.
Keep yourself warm with appropriate
winter wear. Apply hot fomentation
to joints.
Psoriasis Eczema
As temperature drops, room heaters
come out making the air around you
go down on moisture. Now, this dry
air strips the thin layer of oil that
traps moisture in the skin, flaring
itchy conditions like eczema and
psoriasis.
Resolution – Keep the shower as
brief as possible and use ‘lukewarm’,
not HOT water. Switch to moisture-
rich, glycerine based soaps. Apply a
good amount of moisturizer on the
body while the skin is still slightly
damp after bathing. If you cannot
avoid heavy woollens due to extreme
winter, wear any loose cotton
clothing to avoid direct contact of
wool with the skin to avoid irritation.
Use a humidifier to increase moisture
levels in the home. Try to keep stress
under control as stress is one of the
major known triggers for psoriasis and
eczema.
Respiratory Diseases
Wintercouldbeadifficulttimeforpeople
with respiratory diseases especially
like asthma and chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease (COPD) flare-ups.
COPD symptoms such as shortness
of breath and lingering coughs become
pronounced in cold weather.
Resolution – Wearing enough warm
clothes goes without saying to keep
away from chilli winds. Wrapping a
scarf around face when going out is
a good idea so that you don’t have to
breathe in the cold air. If possible stay
away from crowds or going to crowded
places to avoid coming in contact with
all sorts of bacteria and viruses. Get
vaccinated against influenza (flu) and
pneumonia can prove beneficial for
people with lung diseases like asthma
and COPD.
Can you complete these
5-letter words?
1. * e * e l
2. b * d
3. s * i * l
4. s w a * *
5. f o *
6. * e r * y
7. a * u r *
8. * u * d y
9. * u o * e
10. * e * a * e
11. e d * *
12. s c * r * y
13. l * p
14. * * l l s
1. Jewel 2. bad 3. skill 4. swaps
5. fox 6. ferry 7. azure 8. buddy
9. quote 10. menace 11. edgy 12. scurvy
13. lop 14. hills
Answers
Ingredients
»» 8 ounces green lentils
»» 3 tablespoons oil
»» 1 large onion, chopped
»» 1/2 teaspoon salt
»» 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
»» 1/8 teaspoon thyme
»» 3 garlic cloves, minced
»» 1 tablespoon parsley, finely chopped
»» 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
»» 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
»» 2 1/2 cups water
»» 1 vegetable stock cube
»» 3 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
»» 1/8 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
»» cooked rice, to serve
Heart Diseases
Hospitals report increased number of
heart disease cases during winters.
Due to cold, the arteries become
constricted and blood’s viscosity
increases making it much thicker.
The heart has to put in more effort
to pump the blood, which makes the
heart to stress out leading to a rise in
heart attacks and other coronary artery
diseases during winter season. It could
be more risky for people who do not
have any inkling about their pre-existing
heart conditions.
Resolution - People, especially
diabetic patients, should avoid going
for a walk in the morning on extremely
chilly days. Too much alcohol intake
during winter can also cause atrial
fibrillation (irregular heartbeat also
called arrhythmia) and people tend
to suffer from palpitations, fainting,
chest pain or even congestive heart
failure. Do not over burden yourself
with excessive exercise as your New
Year resolution. Go slow, remain
steady!
Vegetarian Kansiyé
“Traditional Guinean stew”
African Cuisine
mONDAY | JANUARY 12, 2015

10. THEFASHIONISTAS10
AFRIMA 2014 unites Africa
Hitz FM gives listeners a perfect
party to start 2015
4x4, VVIP, MizVee, Stonebwoy, Chris
and others rock 020 Live
DKB wins 2014 Comedian of the year twice
Ghanaian Movie
Producer Goes
International
Currently the reigning king of GHComedy, DKB has received two awards
for his outstanding performances last year as the 2014 Viasat Jigwe
Awards Comedian and E-Talk Showbiz Honours, Comedian of 2014.
According to the #OMT activist, he feels great and awesomely
charged up to reach the peak of the comedy ladder, “I feel really charged
up to work harder with the reception GHComedy has received to avoid
any unforeseen disappoint.”
“It is overwhelming how Ghanaians have come to accepted, believe
and invested their trust in me, as well as the enthusing breakthrough
of thee Comedy industry,” he added. Positively listing his success in
the just ended year, DKB said, “Yes I was gracefully able to achieve my
aspirations in the course of the year making sure I excelled on every
platform I was opportune to stage including ‘December2Remember’,
‘KSM @ 58' show, ‘Night of Laughs’, ‘2014 Ghana Movie Awards’, and
my DKBLive Tour among other shows. He further appreciated companies
which for their believe in his works sponsored him throughout projects
he embarked on.
“Companies including Ramani Marketing (distributors of DJ Cola, DJ
Energy Drinks), Lele Food Products for believing in me to sponsor my
#DKBLIVE Tour.
Y-FM, Koko King, Chapters Couture, Asta advertising, Digital
Resolution Press and every other person or entity that has contributed to
the success of my works and #GHComedy,” he outlined.
Modern Ghana
African movie productions have
taken a new turn with the continent
about to experience quality
productions to soothe the anger of
many viewers. Africans in general
who have lost taste for African
movie productions due to bad
audio-visual quality and sometimes
unpardonable subtitle errors.
Africa woke up to see the
“redeemer” of its movie industry,
Abbeam Productions, which
is not only a local production
company but also an international
one headquartered in the United
Kingdom.
Abbeam Productions at the
just-ended Ghana Movies Awards
won two awards with their movie
Bismark the Joke which the
lead actor Bismark Odoi known in
showbiz circles as Bismark the Joke
won an award and the movie also
awarded for the best picture and
sound quality.
The production house will this
year release another entertaining,
mind-boggling movie which features
renowned international movies
stars and Ghanaian comedy actors
Bismark the Joke and Kwaku Manu.
“Last Word” which is the title of
the new production will be premiered
soon in Ghana and across Africa.
All credit goes to God who
has made this possible and to
the Abbeam Productions team for
these hard earned achievements.
Africa should now brace up for a
new phase in the movie industry.
We have a long way to go but we
believe that God will surely lead
us to huge successes than this,
Chief Executive Officer of Abbeam
Productions, Prophet Abbeam
Danso stated.
Modern Ghana
Ghana'snumberoneentertainment
station, Hitz 103.9 FM last
Thursday, January 1 stormed Alisa
Hotel to treat its listeners to a
perfect party to jump start 2015.
The event, 'Shandy Pool Party',
gave the numerous listeners of the
station, which has chalked a lot of
successes in 2015, an opportunity
to party and have fun with some of
their favourite on-air personalities.
Apart from the swimming
and dancing competitions, the
hundreds of patrons who thronged
the venue were treated to exciting
performances.
Notable among the acts were
each group took turns to perform
award-winning hip-life tunes
interlaced with Twi and English
rap. The groups stole the night with
their custom and peculiar dance
moves.
Musical sensation, Stonebwoy
raised the image of dancehall on
the night with his performance
of his hit songs like 'Pull Up' and
'Baafira'. His performance saw the
audience taking over each time he
raised a new song. Chief Marketing
Officer of Vodafone, Agnes Emefa
Essah said “020Live has always
been about our subscribers as we
try to satisfy their love for music at
a live event.”
The live concert is also aimed at
honouring Vodafone X customers –
the movement that was launched
earlier this year targeted at young
subscribers between ages 18 and
24 as well as the young at heart.
Over the years 020Live has
given the opportunity to some
good Ghanaian artistes to perform
on the same stage with other
African and global music stars like
P-Square, D'Banj, Trey Songz and
Ludacris.
Last year, 020Live was held at
the beach front of the Labadi Beach
Hotel.Itwasapartywithfunamidst
drinks that saw performances from
top artistes and DJs from Ghana
and beyond.
Modern Ghana
4X4, VVIP, MzVee, Stonebwoy,
Chris of Vodafone Icons fame and
other Ghanaian musicians thrilled
hundreds of Vodafone's fans at this
year's much anticipated 020Live
concert to mark the one-year
anniversary of Red.
The Polo Gardens in Accra
hosted over 4000 of Vodafone's
cherished customers who thronged
the stage when their favourite
artist mounted the stage to
perform. Themed “Red is One”, the
evening begun with a back to back
jockeying of hit songs by Ghana's
own DJ Black and DJ Varosky.
Dancehall songstress and only
female on the bill, MzVee was in her
element to render powerful-voice
and stage performances that got
the crowd cheering and dancing.
She performed her hit songs like
'Borkor Borkor' among others.
With the classiness of Vodafone X
subscribers in mind, Winner of the
2014 edition of Vodafone Icons,
Chris took over the stage to serve
his audience nice songs that suits
the young and young at heart.
The enthusiastic crowd also
cheered as 4x4 and VVIP with
Reggie Rocktone were called to the
stage.
The whole area went agog as
Flow Kingstone, Galaxy, Danso
Abeam, Kesse, Wutah Kobby,
Obibini, Kumi Guitar, and Wutah
Afriyie. The party would not have
been complete without good music
from some of Hitz FM's finest DJs
including DJ Awanna, Andy Dosty,
DJ Saviola, Gatuso and DJ Rocky.
Manning the microphone to
make sure the party went smooth
were presenters Gatuso, Kwame
Bee and Ibrahim Ben Brako.
The 'Shandy Pool Party' was
sponsored'by Club Shandy (Bosoe)
and powered by Hitz FM, Slip
Entertainment and Party People.
Modern Ghana
The 2014 All Africa Music Awards,
AFRIMA, brought together some
of the best talents from the five
regions of the continent to the
2014 main award ceremony held
on Saturday, December 27, at the
Grand Ballroom, Oriental Hotel,
Lagos Nigeria.
Starting from the red carpet
to the stage embellishments,
Africa’s enduring cultural heritage
and creativity were on display
at the highly-anticipated awards
ceremony that also welcomed
guests which included African
Union Commission, AUC, officials,
government officials from
ministries of culture, ministries of
trade and industry and captains of
industry across Africa.
The ceremony, produced
by PRM Africa, a Lagos-based
PR, Brand Communication and
Event Production Agency, was
conceptualized around African
cultural themes ranging from
the rich Egyptian heritage of the
Pharaoh era to the earthy depth
of the artistically intricate Benin
Kingdom, the folklore and oratory
skills of the West Africans and the
fierce power of the Zulu Kingdom.
AFRIMA 2014 opened with a
dramatic appearance on stage of
the 11 feet high ‘Adagbe’ drum;
arguably the world’s tallest drum
-rhythmically beaten by drummers
onstiltswhilefirebreathersbrought
a fiery glow to the performance.
The capacity audience was further
awed by the presence of veteran
Nigerian culturist and actor, Pa
Peter Fatomilola who emerged on
stage to chant a litany of prayers
and proverbs in Yoruba language.
The event’s 14 ushers wore
the Benin queen and Egyptian
queen attires –seven apiece, while
the 16-man strong security team
wore the traditional regalia of Zulu
warriors of South Africa to man
the event venue and the red carpet
area where guests were treated to
assorted drinks, finger foods, photo
shoots and interview sessions.
Other sizzling performances
came from top African performing
artistes such as Dear Zim from
Zimbabwe; Wiyaala from Ghana;
Radio and Weasel from Uganda;
Bez, TemiDollface, Niyola, Timi
Dakolo, Oritsefemi, Davido all from
Nigeria among others.
Modern Ghana
MONDAY | JANUARY 12, 2015

11. SPORTS2WATCH 11
B
icycles are a common means
of transport in rural areas.
But out of this common
practice, cycling as sport was born
and it has quickly become one of
the most popular sports in the
country.
The launch of the Africa Rising
Cycling Centre (ARCC) in March, a
three-acre compound in Musanze
with18buildingsbecamethehome
of Team Rwanda accommodating
riders for training camps, staff and
volunteers.
Notably, Team Rwanda got a
spacious home where they can
train without any destruction,
where the riders not only perfect
their cycling but also learn English
in a comfortable environment.
With a state-of-the-art garage,
expert mechanics like American
Jamie Bissell and Jean de Dieu
‘Rafiki’ Uwimana have been an
integral part of Team Rwanda’s
success in 2014. The previous
spacelimiteddevelopment,hosting
and training other international
teams. On top of fulfilling all the
aforementioned, ARCC has laid
the foundation of a sustainable
financial support system through
bicycle tourism. Tourists can now
hire bikes at an affordable fee of
$75 with a guide.
In May, Rwanda was
represented by two girls and four
boys at the African Youth Games
in Gaborone, Botswana and
consequently, the girls competed
at the second edition of the Youth
Olympic Games in Nanjing, China
Cycling set the bar so high in 2014
becoming the first Rwandans
to compete at the biggest
international youth multi-sport
event.
Last year’s best young rider
Jean Bosco Nsengimana and Stage
2 winner Valens Ndayisenga at the
Tour du Rwanda were invited to
train at the World Cycling Centre in
Aigle, Switzerland.
Bonaventure Uwizeyimana,
the first Rwandan to win a stage
at the gruesome La Tropicale
Amissa Bongo in Gabon in January,
was racing in France for Vendee
U, the feeder team for Europcar.
For the second time, Rwanda was
represented at the quadrennial
Commonwealth Games and in
Glasgow, Scotland in August,
Rwanda sent four riders including
Adrien Niyonshuti, Janvier Hadi,
Ndayisenga, Uwizeyimana, Gasore
Hategeka and Nsengimana. Hadi
Uwizeyimana
wins Goma
Open
Mathew Uwizeyimana won
the 2014 Goma Tennis Open
after defeating Burundian Sayid
Nkurunziza in straight sets 6-3, 6-3
in the final played on Tuesday in
Goma, DR Congo.
“I am so excited about this
victory,” he said, adding that, “We
have been participating in this
tournament every year since its
inauguration in 2010 but without
much success as the Congolese
have been dominating it, so to win it
this year means a lot to me.”
The tournament which started
on December 26, attracted three
countries including Rwanda,
Burundi and Congo. Rwanda was
represented by three players—
Uwizeyimana, Etienne Niyigena and
Anatole Bizimana.
Rwanda’s number one tennis
player, Jean Claude Gasigwa pulled
out of the tournament on the very
last hour due to personal reasons.
Bizimana and Niyigena both lost
in the first round and semi-finals
respectively. On his way to the final,
Uwizeyimana defeated Burundian,
Michael Ngarukiye in the first round
and last year’s champion Boney
Kasusule in the semi-finals.
Uwizeyimana, who ranked
third in Rwanda, walked away with
Rwf350, 000 in cash prize on top
of the trophy. It is the second title
of the year for the 25-year-old, who
also won the Liberation tournament
in July.
New Times
finished 19th while Ndayisenga
was 23rd in the individual time
trial. For the first time in the
history of Rwandan cycling, three
Rwandan riders qualified for the
UCI U-23 World Championships in
Ponferrada, Spain.
Ndayisenga, Nsengimana
and Uwizeyimana who had been
in Europe for several months,
competed at this prestigious event
carrying the Rwandan flag high.
In September, Janvier Hadi
was invited as a guest rider for
Garneau Quebecor at the Tour
of Alberta and won the Most
Aggressive Rider on Stage 4, while
working in a breakaway for the
majority of the stage. In terms of
sponsorship, Team Rwanda signed
a sponsorship deal with Turkish
Airlines as the official carrier of
Team Rwanda. Voted Europe’s best
airline, Turkish Airlines offered
a 40% discount on air travel and
free baggage for the team’s luggage
which reduces a remarkable load
off their budget.
Team Rwanda spends a huge
amount of money on travel and
training camps are the biggest
expenses for the team so this
partnership came in handy
and this will be very important
this year as the riders will be
eyeing participation in several
elite competitions in Africa and
overseas. To cap a successful year,
the Tour du Rwanda left behind
memories that will forever be
celebrated by the entire country
and well wishers of Rwandan
cycling across the world.
Last year’s event was the sixth
edition of the 2.2 UCI sanctioned
event and just like in 2013, Hadi
won the prologue and Ndayisenga
won Stage 2, from his hometown
Rwamagana to Team Rwanda’s
hometown Musanze.
Joseph Biziyaremye, the first
Rwandan to win a stage of the Tour
duRwandabackin2011,wonStage
6 and Nsengimana finished second
in the General Classification. For
the first time since the Tour du
Rwanda made its inception on the
UCI Africa calendar, a Rwandan had
the yellow jersey throughout the
eight-daygruelingcompetitionthat
attracted 14 countries including
Belgium, Burundi, Eritrea,
Ethiopia, Germany, Morocco, South
Africa and three Rwandan sides –
Karisimbi, Muhabura and Akagera.
New Times
mONDAY | JANUARY 12, 2015

12. ENCOUNTER WITH EDITOR12
Owner / Publisher / Editor: Mr. Kirit Sobti from 3rd Floor, Plot No. 3, Block PSP-IV, Service Centre Opp. Sector-11 (Extn.), Rohini, Delhi-85
Printed at LIPEE SCAN PVT. LTD. 89 DSIDC SHED Okhala Phase 1, New Delhi
Thank you for making time to talk to
us. Can you first of all tell us a little bit
about yourself and how you became
the CEO of GIPC?
My name is Mrs. Mawuena Trebarh.
I have over 15 years’ experience
with a stellar career in the corporate
environment in Ghana. I have been
recognized through a number of
national awards for having established
benchmarks for excellence in
corporate affairs, investor relations
management, stakeholder and reputation
management in critical sectors of
the economy specifically mining and
telecommunications.
What is GIPC and what is her mandate?
The Ghana Investment Promotion
Centre (GIPC) is a government agency
responsible under the Act of the Ghanaian
Parliament (ACT 865) 2013; to encourage
and promote investments in Ghana, to
provide for the creation of an attractive
incentive framework and a transparent,
predictable and facilitating environment
for investment in Ghana and other related
matters.
As a government agency that provides
professional service and support
for both local and foreign investors,
can you tell us how you go about in
accomplishing this task?
The GIPC through our operations,
create an enhanced, transparent and
responsive environment for investment
and the development of the Ghanaian
economy through investments. We
also encourage, promote and facilitate
investment in all sectors of the Ghanaian
economy.
Can you tell us some of the resources
and support services GIPC provides for
investors?
Our resource and support services
include but the following;
 Hand holding services (From
Registration through to Business set-
up)
 After care Services
 Land bank Services and
 Research and Investment Department
Services (e.g. Profiling Banbkable Local
Projects for Foreign Investment)
Are there incentives GIPC offers
investors and what are they?
The GIPC recommends investors
for incentives which are approved by
the Ministry of Finance. Some of these
incentives include;
a. Tax holidays for specific sectors
b. Locational incentives (Tax rebates)
c. Immigration quotas (Work and
Resident Permits) and
d. Import duty exemptions on Industrial
Plant, Machinery and Equipment.
What role does GIPC play for
investors to be guaranteed safety and
maximizing of profit in Ghana?
Ghana is a safe investment
destination. The GIPC Act 2013 guards
investors against expropriation of
private investments provided for under
law and are buttressed by the Ghanaian
Constitution. Some of which include;
1. Free transferability of capital, profits
and dividends
2. Insurance against non-commercial
risk; Ghana is signatory to the World
Banks’s Multilateral Investment
Guarantee Agency (MIGA)
3. Double Taxation Agreements (DTAs);
to rationalize tax obligations of
investors in order to prevent double
taxation. (These have been signed and
ratified with several countries).
How favourable are investments in
Ghana and how can potential investors
take advantage of them?
Ghana can boast of having one
of the best locations on the African
continent to do business. Conditions
present include; Political stability, a
growing economy, increasing consumer
demand and accessibility to wider
West African markets and we are by
these opportunities inviting potential
investor from all over the world including
Ghanaians in the diaspora.
In which areas of the Ghanaian
economy do you see significant
opportunities for investment?
All sectors of the Ghanaian economy
appear viable, however some of our
priority sectors include;
i. Manufacturing
ii. Agriculture and Agro-processing
iii. Energy
iv. Oil and Gas and
v. Services
What is the outlook for foreign direct
investment in Ghana?
We anticipate continues increase
in FDI’s over the medium to long
term, driven by our consistently stable
political environment and abundance of
opportunities for the foreign investor.
What are some of your challenges as
CEO of GIPC?
I don’t really use the word challenges;
I see challenges as rather as opportunity.
I think the challenge that I have is the
challenge to project the right image of
Ghana, to create the right experiences
for the investor both domestic and
international so that they feel that this
is the best place to invest and finally
ensure that there are tangible results.
The challenge also is to coordinate with
all the other institutions because it’s not
GIPC alone that must create that image,
the experience and the result but, taking
the challenge and turning it into an
opportunity.
Interviewed by Francis L. Sackitey,
Accra Ghana
One of the best locations on the
African continent to do business
The West African country Ghana is without doubt a country full of investment opportunities. But what is more attractive about Ghana is the system the Ghanaian government
has put in place to not only attract both local and foreign investment but to also, help potential investors to easily navigate their way in getting their companies registered and
also to operate appropriately. By an act of parliament, the Ghanaian government has established the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC), to promote and encourage
investment in Ghana. Indo Africa Times caught up with the affable CEO of GIPC Mrs. Mawuena Adzo Trebarh, the sister of BBC’s late Komla Dumor of Focus on Africa fame,
to ask her about herself and her role in attracting foreign investment into the country.
Mrs. Mawuena Adzo trebarh
CEO of Ghana Investment
Promotion Center,
Ghana
MONDAY | JANUARY 12, 2015