Seychelles is keenly following trade and other opportunities becoming available in Africa and outlined by the Commission for Africa (COA) in a report launched recently.

In a press conference he gave with Vice-President Danny Faure, Foreign Minister Jean-Paul Adam talked about these opportunities after he had attended a series of meetings on the continent.

Mr Faure spoke of the need for Seychelles to keep following such developments, saying the Ministry of Finance he heads will continue to support the Ministry of Investment, Natural Resources and Industry and others to maximise the benefits for the people of Seychelles.

“It is important that we are there to know what is happening so that we bring more benefits to our country,” he said.

Mr Adam said through the meetings he attended – for example the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa) forum – the government has tried to see how we can benefit from the opportunities that are opening up.

“Trade within Comesa, for example, has grown more than in any other region in the world,” he said.

He said Seychelles’ imports from the region have doubled recently, and there are many ways by which our businessmen are benefiting as the country, for example, exports to African countries like Egypt as a member of Comesa.
“We need to build on these opportunities that are opening up,” said Mr Adam.

And the commission’s report renewed its call to African leaders to do just that.

“The COA is calling on African leaders to step up efforts to convert unprecedented economic opportunities into wealth generation and development,” the report says.

“It celebrates the progress Africa has made in the past five years, calls on African governments to continue to promote growth and channel revenues into poverty reduction and key services, and urges donors to increase their support to Africa to take account of new challenges, in particular climate change.”

The COA is calling on the international community to support the capacity-building efforts of African governments by, for example, helping them access the best legal advice in negotiating deals for their natural resources.

“Five years after it published its original report, the COA is calling on African governments to act now to ensure that the region’s unprecedented economic growth and opportunities result in development and wealth creation for ordinary Africans,” it says.

“Africa has seen average growth rates of 6% for most of the past decade and a quadrupling of trade and foreign investment.

“There is much to celebrate. African governments have done more than ever before to promote business and investment.
Donors have supported this by boosting their support for infrastructure and providing the aid and debt relief that has allowed African governments to increase their expenditure in key areas such as health, education and agriculture.”

The COA report adds that there is much remaining to be done because progress on reforming international trade rules has been dismal, and donors are still providing less in aid than their commitments while African governments are still not investing as much as they promised in key areas.

Members of the commission are key world figures including Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, Michel Camdessus, Bob Geldof, Fola Adeola, K. Y. Amoako, Nancy Kassebaum Baker, Hilary Benn, Ralph Goodale, Ji Peiding, William Kalema, Trevor Manuel, Benjamin Mkapa, Linah Mohohlo, Tidjane Thiam, Anna Tibaijuka and Meles Zenawi.

The commission was originally convened in 2004 by Mr Blair when he was British Prime Minister to recommend ways to accelerate Africa’s growth and development.

The report was launched at the British Museum yesterday and will also be presented at the Millennium Development Goals summit in New York on September 20.

 

Forrás: http://www.nation.sc/