Egypt NGO bill threatens to “devastate” civil society, UN expert warns

The bill would introduce a wide range of restrictions on activities, obliging associations to “achieve social development goals within the scope of state plans and development needs and priorities”

GENEVA, Switzerland, November 23, 2016/APO/ -- 

United Nations expert Maina Kiai has expressed serious alarm at Egypt’s approval of a draft law which would impose major restrictions on the work of non-governmental organizations (NGOs).  
 

Mr. Kiai said that if the bill became law, it would devastate the country’s civil society for generations to come and turn it into a government puppet.

The Egyptian Parliament approved the bill on 15 November and sent it to the State Council for review; it will be sent back to the Parliament for a final vote at an unknown date. The government did not hold consultations with civil society on its contents.

Mr. Kiai, Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, said the law appeared to be “deliberately drafted to curtail civil society’s ability to operate, and to stifle their ability to freely express themselves”.  

The bill’s provisions violated international law and contradicted Egypt’s own constitution, he said.  

“This bill proposes perhaps the worst restrictions on fundamental freedoms in Egypt since the 2011 uprisings,” Mr. Kiai said. “It aims to destroy Egypt’s foundation for peaceful, civic engagement at its very roots. If it becomes law, it would devastate civil society not only in the short term, but possibly for generations to come”.

“I urge Egyptian authorities to immediately halt the adoption of this bill.”

Egyptian society stands at a critical fork in the road

The Special Rapporteur highlighted a litany of serious flaws in the proposed law. One of the gravest, he said, was that the government would wield excessive power and discretion in deciding who could establish an association and for what purpose.

The bill would introduce a wide range of restrictions on activities, obliging associations to “achieve social development goals within the scope of state plans and development needs and priorities”.

Domestic and international associations would also be forbidden from engaging in “political activities” or anything that harmed “national security or public order or public morals or public health”. Public surveys, research and reports would have to be reviewed and approved by authorities before publication.

The UN expert said that these provisions would effectively make civil society a branch of the government.

“One of the most valuable aspects of civil society is its independence, which puts it in a position to hold government accountable, to propose alternative ideas, and to help develop society in general,” Mr. Kiai stressed. “Civil society can’t perform this function when the law reduces it to the role of the government’s spokesperson.”

The bill also provides a number of broad grounds for organizations to be dissolved by court order, including the receipt of foreign funding without appropriate approval and “collaborating” with a foreign organization without obtaining government permission.

In addition, the draft law would impose criminal penalties, including prison terms, for people found guilty of violating the act, and would allow excessive government interference in numerous aspects of the international affairs of associations. Foreign organizations would be able to operate only with prior government permission, which could be revoked for any violation of the law.

“Egyptian society stands at a critical fork in the road,” Mr. Kiai said. “The country needs only to look to its neighbours to see the possible consequences of choosing the path where people are excluded and there is no space for peaceful dissent.

“I urge the government to choose a different path by rejecting this bill, and moving instead towards a stable and prosperous future built on inclusion, engagement and participation.”

Distributed by APO on behalf of Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).

Dubai Trade integrates “Rosoom” e-payment platform for Global Village ticket sales

Less queuing possible for visitors as e-payment service makes admission easier

Smart service could be rolled out across Dubai retail sector

Dubai, UAE, 23 Nov 2016: Dubai Trade, the single window for cross-border trade and smart trading solutions, is integrating the “Rosoom” e-payment gateway with the Global Village website. The agreement gives visitors the convenience of buying tickets online through the Global Village website www.globalvillage.ae or its mobile application.

During the 159 days of its twentieth edition, Global Village received 5.3 million visitors. With the new service, this year’s visitors will no longer need to wait in long queues at ticket booths before sampling the shopping and entertainment experience available at Global Village. They have a wide range of payment options to choose from including credit cards, direct debit by linking to the online internet banking portals of major banks, and pre-payment tools such as the e-dirham.

Eng. Mahmood Al Bastaki, CEO of Dubai Trade, said: “When His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, announced the Smart Government initiative, he highlighted his mobile phone to show how government processes should make life easier for people and more like the swift services provided by airlines. This is exactly what we are offering the visitors to Global Village. They can buy tickets electronically and scan the e-ticket at the gate to enter similar to the process involved for an electronic boarding pass.”

Al Bastaki, added: “The integration of “Rosoom” with the Global Village website and mobile application again shows how we are helping to transform Dubai into the smartest city in the world. While we offer our services to hundreds of thousands of clients each year, the Global Village caters for millions. This successful integration will be a great measure of Rosoom’s capabilities and its reputation as one of the most important e-payment platforms in the country.”

Ahmad Hussain Bin Essa, CEO of Global Village, said: “We are pleased to partner with Dubai Trade and to use “Rosoom” as a convenient electronic payment system to buy entrance tickets. We believe that it will provide additional value and enriches our visitors’ experience. The integration of “Rosoom” is part of our efforts towards providing smart solutions, more flexibility and convenience to those planning to visit the Global Village, this indeed will be reflected positively on our visitors happiness which is our aim at all levels. We always research our customers’ pre and post visit experience so that we can deliver the best solutions for them in line with the international standards and regulations.”

لتوفير خدمة ذكية للملايين من الزوار

دبي التجارية تربط بوابة "رسوم" مع خدمة شراء تذاكر الدخول إلى القرية العالمية

خطوة تسهل زيارة القرية العالمية، تخفف الازدحام على شباك التذاكر وتمهد لخدمات تجارة التجزئة الذكية في إمارة دبي

دبي، الإمارات العربية المتّحدة، 23 نوفمبر 2016: تعزز دبي التجارية، النافذة الإلكترونية الموحّدة لتسهيل التجارة عبر الحدود وتوفير حلول التجارة الذكية، مجدداً دورها في تمكين التحول الذكي للخدمات في دبي من خلال ربط بوابتها للدفع الإلكتروني الآمن "رسوم" مع موقع القرية العالمية.

تتيح هذه الخطوة لمستخدمي الموقع شراء تذاكر الدخول إلى القرية العالمية إلكترونياً عبر موقعها الإلكتروني  www.globalvillage.ae أو من خلال تطبيقها على الهواتف الذكية بدلاً من الانتظار في الطوابير أمام شباك التذاكر ، والدفع من خلال بوابة "رسوم" التي توفر خيارات تسديد رسوم الخدمات عبر مجموعة متنوّعة من وسائل الدفع التي تشمل بطاقات الائتمان والخصم المباشر، وذلك من خلال ميزة الربط مع البوابات المصرفية الإلكترونية التابعة لكبرى البنوك الرئيسة، فضلاً عن بطاقة الدفع المسبق "الدرهم الإلكتروني".

جدير بالذكر أن القرية العالمية في موسمها العشرين وخلال فترتها الممتدة لـــ 159 يوماً استقبلت 5.3 مليون زائر، وسيكون توفير إمكانية شراء التذاكر إلكترونياً لزوار القرية خلال هذا الموسم خدمة متميزة توفر المتعة والراحة لزوار القرية العالمية.  

وبالمناسبة، قال المهندس محمود البستكي، الرئيس التنفيذي لدبي التجارية: "حين أطلق صاحب السمو الشيخ محمد بن راشد آل مكتوم، نائب رئيس الدولة رئيس مجلس الوزراء حاكم دبي "رعاه الله"، مبادرة الحكومة الذكية، أمسك في يده هاتفه المحمول وأعلن أنه يريد أن تكون الحكومة سهلة وسلسة مثل خدمات شركات الطيران. وهذا النموذج تماماً هو ما تقدمه خدمة شراء تذاكر القرية العالمية، إذ يقوم الزائر بشراء التذكرة وتسديد ثمنها، ثم استلام نموذج إلكتروني منها على هاتفه المحمول واستخدامه عند عبور البوابات الإلكترونية للقرية العالمية وعرضه على جهاز الماسح الضوئي، في تجربة  مماثلة لشراء التذاكر من شركات الطيران".

وأضاف البستكي: "تمثل عملية التكامل مع الموقع الإلكتروني والتطبيق الذكي للقرية العالمية بعداً جديداً في التحدي الذي تخوضه دبي التجارية للمساهمة في تحويل دبي إلى المدينة الأذكى في العالم، إذ إن كافة الجهات التي قمنا بالتكامل معها تقدم خدماتها إلى عشرات أو مئات الآلاف من العملاء سنوياً، أما القرية العالمية فيقدر عدد زوارها بالملايين، وبالتالي سيكون التكامل مع بوابة "رسوم" للدفع الإلكتروني معياراً حقيقياً لقياس كفاءة وقدرة المنظومة الإلكترونية التي وفرناها. وسنكون حقاً فخورين عندما تواصل بوابتنا تحقيق المزيد من معاملات الدفع بالكفاءة المعهودة التي جعلت منها إحدى أهم بوابات الدفع الإلكتروني في الدولة".

من جهته قال أحمد حسين بن عيسى، الرئيس التنفيذي للقرية العالمية: "تسعدنا الشراكة مع دبي التجارية لاستخدام خدمة "رسوم" كنظام دفع الكتروني سلس ومريح لشراء تذاكر الدخول إلى القرية العالمية، ونحن واثقون بأن هذه المنصة ستقدم قيمة إضافية تثري تجربة ضيوف القرية العالمية عبر أداة متطورة ذات قيمة ومنفعه كبيرة. ويأتي تبني هذه التقنية في إطار جهود الوجهة نحو توفير الحلول الذكية والاستفادة منها في إتاحة المزيد من المرونة والراحة للضيوف الراغبين في التخطيط لزيارة القرية العالمية مسبقاً، وهذا بلا شك سيكون له مردود إيجابي سينعكس في زيادة نسبة سعادة ضيوف القرية العالمية. ونحرص دائماً على تقديم كل ما من شأنه أن يزيد من راحة الضيوف وسعادتهم عن طريق دراسة جميع نقاط الإحتكاك التي يمرون بها خلال رحلتهم في القرية العالمية وتقديم أفضل الحلول لهم بما تتماشى مع أعلى المعايير والنظم العالمية."

Improve transport infrastructure and the competitiveness of West Africa

On the whole, the statistics available reveal that West Africa lags way behind in terms of infrastructure, in general and transport infrastructure, in particular

DAKAR, Senegal, November 24, 2016/APO/ -- 

The Sub-Regional Office for West Africa of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA/SRO-WA), in collaboration with the Senegalese Government, organized an ad-hoc experts’ group meeting on the theme: "Transport infrastructure and trade in West Africa", in Dakar the 22 and 23 November 2016.

The primary aim of the meeting was to take stock of the transport infrastructure in West Africa and assess their impact on intra-regional trade and the competitiveness of the sub-region and regional integration.

The meeting was attended by experts from Member States of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), representatives of United Nations institutions and private sector operators working in the field of transport, trade or infrastructure.

In his welcome address, Professor Dimitri Sanga, Director of the ECA/SRO-WA, underscored the importance of transport infrastructure in the production of goods and services and its active contribution to the improvement of competitiveness. They provide access to key resources, reduce barriers to the free movement of persons and goods and improve access to markets for goods and services. He added that the transport infrastructure supports the development of cross-border trade, substantially reduce the cost of certain inputs, promote the development of intra-Community trade and provide the economies with improved access to sub-regional, regional and global markets.

As regards maritime transport, the sub-region represents less than 1% of the world container traffic and just over 2% of the entire African traffic

Professor Dimitri Sanga moreover deplored the fact that infrastructure shortage in West Africa generates an annual loss of 2 percentage points of growth and severely impedes the productivity of businesses. Indeed, the sub-region has a road network density of only 2.8 Km/100Km² and ranks last among the five sub-regions of the continent, far behind Southern Africa which has 13.5 Km/100Km² against an African average of 7.6 Km/100Km². Moreover, the rate of access to a road in West Africa is only 34%, against an average of 50% developing countries.

On the whole, the statistics available reveal that West Africa lags way behind in terms of infrastructure, in general and transport infrastructure, in particular. The density of the railway network is only 1.9 km/1000 km² against a continental average of 2.5 km/1000 km². As regards maritime transport, the sub-region represents less than 1% of the world container traffic and just over 2% of the entire African traffic. Besides, even though the domestic air transport market is the second largest in Africa after that of Southern Africa, it conceals a relatively weak intra-West African market.

To conclude, Professor Sanga indicated that the construction and maintenance of transport infrastructure weigh heavily on the budgets of States. There is thus need for innovative financing strategies, given the weakness of national tax areas and a private sector participation that is still virtually non-existent. He commended the initiative of some countries of the sub-region, notably Cote d'Ivoire and Senegal, which have been sending a strong signal over the last 5 years for the promotion of transport infrastructure financing through the PPP approach; a fresh momentum which deserves to be strengthened and encouraged.

In his opening statement, Mr Amadou Waxed Touré representing the Senegalese Minister of Economy, Finance and Planning, unable to attend, recalled ECOWAS’ aim to gradually increase intra-Community trade from less than 12% in 2012 to 40% in 2030. Such an intensification of intra-regional trade will depend, to a large extent, on the capacity of the sub-region to have the transport infrastructure required to reduce the cost of transactions and increase competitiveness.

He noted that even though the majority of roads along the West African corridors are in good condition, they have a certain number of bottlenecks including long delivery delays, poor institutional harmonization between countries and axle loads that cause damages the already poorly developed infrastructure.

The representative of the Minister further pointed out that freight costs in West Africa are the second highest in the continent after those of Central Africa, and the development of the railway network has declined due to the intense competition of road transport.

To conclude, Mr Amadou Ciré Touré indicated that in addition to the removal of obstacles to trade, there is need to strengthen productive capacities and improve customs procedures in order to develop sub-regional trade.  It is therefore urgent to address transversal challenges confronting the development of transportation and trade facilitation in the ECOWAS region, notably the promotion of human resource development in support of the sector and the adoption of a more global and integrated approach in  strengthening the links between transport infrastructure and trade in West Africa.

Distributed by APO on behalf of United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA).

High Interest Rates: How do they impact Small Businesses in East Africa?

Better access to low-interest funding could spur growth of East African Small & Medium Businesses

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, November 24, 2016/ -- Small & Medium Businesses in East Africa should be looking at ways to maximise their efficiency and improve debt management to navigate the risks that high interest rates pose for their businesses. That’s the word from Billy Owino (https://Twitter.com/OwinoBill), Regional Director for Sage East Africa (www.Sage.com), the market leader for integrated accounting, payroll, and payment systems. He says that business builders feel the pressure of rising interest rates more severely than their larger counterparts. Big business and government policymakers should look at ways of helping smaller businesses manage the challenges they face as a result of high interest rates. Owino notes that Small & Medium Businesses are central to the region’s economy, generating a large proportion of income, tax revenues and jobs. In Kenya, for example, Small & Medium Businesses are estimated to account for more than 80% of job opportunities (http://APO.af/jRqAou). A vibrant Small & Medium Business sector creates inclusive growth and tax revenue – which is why governments in the region see small business as a priority. Defending East African currencies Though interest rates have started to ease somewhat across East Africa, they remain relatively high in countries such as Uganda and Kenya after central banks acted in the past two years to protect currencies from depreciation. For many Small & Medium Businesses, this has been a handbrake on growth, says Owino. On the one hand, higher interest rates mean that many consumers have less money to spend, particularly on luxury goods. On the other, it means that many small businesses are paying more to service overdrafts, car loans, commercial mortgage repayments and credit card debt. Unlike large businesses, many small businesses need access to credit to fund growth or bridge temporary blockages in their cash flow because they don’t have big cash reserves, says Owino. High interest repayments might affect the sustainability of those who are already operating on tight margins—raising the risk of default, foreclosure and even bankruptcy. Interventions from government and big business  Governments in the region have taken some steps to counteract the effects of high interest rates on consumers and small businesses. The Kenyan government, for example, introduced a law capping bank interest rates at 4 percentage points above the central bank's benchmark rate. Though this has helped to contain interest rates banks charge their customers, there is a danger of unintended consequences such as banks charging other fees to make up for the income they lose, says Owino. Another idea with potential to make a difference is government helping to fund small businesses through small business funds. “By supporting business builders with loans at low interest rates, governments can help create jobs and tax revenues for tomorrow,” says Owino. “Many development banks run by government and international multilateral institutions such as the International Finance Corporation are making a difference, but access to finance is still low among East African Small & Medium Businesses.” If you are running a Small & Medium Business in East Africa, high interest rates are likely to be part of the landscape for a while to come. But there are some ways to improve your debt management to minimise the impact on your business: Cut costs: Look for ways to reduce wastage and inefficiency in the business so that you can service debt faster or avoid taking a loan in the first place. A robust accounting system can help you better understand your expenses so that you can find ways to cut costs. Speak to your suppliers: Sit down with your major suppliers and try to negotiate favourable credit terms. If you can get 30 days to pay for stock, interest-free, that’s preferable to using an overdraft. Stay in touch with your creditors: Rather let your lenders know immediately when you are struggling to make your repayments. This will give you an opportunity to negotiate new terms rather than incurring massive penalty interest and harming your relationship with the bank or suppliers. Prioritise:  Pay off the debt with the highest interest rates first. Be proactive in the management of your own debtors: Make sure your own credit control and collection processes are sound. Owino adds: “Sage in East Africa will be working hard to get the issues Small & Medium Businesses face onto the agenda for the continent’s economic leaders and decision makers. We believe there is much that could be done to mitigate the effects of high interest rates. Addressing these challenges at the highest levels could help unleash the potential of Africa’s entrepreneurial wealth creators.”  Distributed by APO on behalf of Sage.

The dollar bull not tired yet?

Written by Hussein Sayed, Chief Market Strategist at FXTM

Fixed income investors are healing their wounds while U.S. equities and dollar bulls are celebrating new highs during the Thanksgiving holiday break. Since Donald Trump's presidential victory, yields on 10-year treasury notes rose by more than 26% and the longer term 30-year maturities surged 15% taking borrowing cost on 30-year mortgages to 4.03%, the highest levels in 16 months. S&P 500 and Dow Jones managed to extend their streak of record high closing for the third consecutive day, with both benchmarks sitting above key  psychological levels of 2,200 and 19,000. Meanwhile the dollar continued to outperform its major currency peers with the index rallying to a new 13-year high.

Yesterday’s Fed minutes showed that members agreed that the case for an increase in policy rate had continued to strengthen, but more interestingly some members noted that a rate hike in December is needed to preserve FOMC’s credibility. However, this shouldn’t be surprising to markets given that speculators already priced in a close to 100% chance for a December rate hike even before the minutes were released, suggesting that dollar bulls are looking beyond next month’s Fed decision. Moving forward, it’s going to be about the pace of tightening in 2017 and 2018, and this will determine whether the dollar will continue to march higher.

The University of Michigan’s final consumer sentiment reading for November rose to a 6-month high and showed that 37% of households expect their personal finances to improve next year. Will this translate into higher consumer spending, higher wages, and higher inflation? If the answer is yes, then the Fed will need to tighten at a faster pace so that they will not fall behind the curve and this justifies a continuation of the dollar bullish trend. From a technical stand point, the dollar index is currently hovering around the 61.8% retracement from 2001 highs at 121.02 to 2008 lows at 70.70 and requires a clear break out of 101.90 to validate a further push higher.

For more information, please visit: ForexTime