South Africa is challenging the EU’s prohibition on the importation of South African citrus fruit affected by the fungus “citrus black spot” (Phyllotactic citricarpa). South Africa claims the EU measure appears to be inconsistent with various provisions of the WTO’s Agreement on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures.

Further information is available in document WT/DS624/1

This is the second dispute case initiated by South Africa regarding the EU’s import measures on citrus fruit. In July 2022, South Africa initiated a case challenging EU phytosanitary requirements for the importation of oranges and other citrus products related to the pest Thaumatotibia leucotreta, known as false codling moth (DS613).

What is a request for consultations?

The request for consultations formally initiates a dispute in the WTO. Consultations give the parties an opportunity to discuss the matter and to find a satisfactory solution without proceeding further with litigation. After 60 days, if consultations have failed to resolve the dispute, the complainant may request adjudication by a panel.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of World Trade Organization (WTO).

The feasibility studies for the 256km multinational Kisumu-Kisian-Busia/Kakira-Malaba-Busitema-Busia expressway is set to start soon after EAC officially handed over the site to the consultancy firm named GOPA Infra Gmbh of Germany together with ITEC Limited of Kenya.

The expressway that will run from Kisumu in Kenya to Kakira, a town Jinja district, will involve rehabilitation of the existing two-lane single-carriageway to bitumen standards and the upgrading of the same into a two-lane dual carriageway over a 104km stretch.

The $1.4 million feasibility study project funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB) will determine the economic viability of upgrading the existing multinational road sections from single carriageway to expressway standards. The studies will be carried out as one integrated project but in two distinct packages to determine the economic feasibility of developing the corridors that connect the two countries to the port of Mombasa.

The expressway is part of improvements on the Northern Corridor which provides landlocked East African nations faster access to Mombasa Port. It also forms part of the Mombasa-Kigali expressway that was prioritised at the EAC Heads of States Retreat on Infrastructure Development held in February 2018 in Kampala.

The rehabilitation along the EAC Northern Corridor is expected to contribute to strengthening road infrastructure within the EAC region to fast-track regional integration and spur cross-border trade.

Speaking during the site handover ceremony in Kisumu, the EAC Deputy Secretary General in charge of Infrastructure, Productive, Social  and Political Sectors, Hon. Aguer Ariik Malueth, disclosed the estimated overall duration of the feasibility study will be 18 months.The total cost is estimated at USD 1,499,587.00.

Hon. Ariik further revealed that the upgrading of the Kisumu-Kisian-Busia/Kakira-Malaba-Busitema-Busia expressway is expected to improve the transport services to five land-linked EAC Partner States, namely Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan and DRC.

“It is our expectation that Partner States are also in the process of upgrading the other sections of the Nothern Corridor from Mombasa through Nairobi up to Malaba and from Kampala westwards towards Katuna and Mpondwe so as to achieve a uniform high level of service along the entire corridor,” said he said.

Hon. Ariik disclosed that EAC has 10 cross-border corridors that form the EAC Road Network Project totaling 15,000 kilometers, adding that the focus of the EAC Secretariat is to promote their improvements for the enhancement of the economic well-being of all EAC citizens.

The DSG also said that the scope of the assignment of the feasibility study will include the improvement of the Busia and Malaba One Stop Border Posts (OSBPs) and the upgrading of Lwakhakha Border between Kenya and Uganda to an OSBP.

“The consultant is also expected to propose other measures including digitalisation of weighbridges, establishment of roadside rest areas and intelligent transport system,” added Hon Ariik.

On his part, Eng. Godfrey A. Enzama, the Principal Civil Engineer at the EAC Secretariat said that the road project will not only be expected to improve the transport flow, but also will address the issue of poor road safety along the road.

Eng. Enzama added that the entire EAC region, and in particular some sections of the Northern Corridor, has very high incidences of fatal road crashes, brought about by a variety of reasons including driver behaviour, bad weather, poor road conditions and pedestrian-vehicle conflicts.

On his part, Eng. Luka Kameli, who represented the Principal Secretary at Kenya’s Ministry of EAC, ASALs and Regional Development, said that the rehabilitation of the Kisumu-Kisian-Busia/Kakira-Malaba-Busitema-Busia expressway will boost most economic sectors including imports, exports, mining, forestry, production and delivery of manufactured products, trade in livestock and fisheries, goods and industrial products and tourism.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of East African Community.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, on Wednesday, 24th April 2024, in a momentous ceremony held in Kaleo, officially inaugurated phase two of the Kaleo Solar Power Plant, marking another significant stride in Ghana’s renewable energy journey.

With a capacity of fifteen megawatts peak (15MWp), this addition underscores Ghana’s commitment to harnessing clean energy sources and building a sustainable future for generations to come.

Addressing a gathering of dignitaries, chiefs, and community members, President Akufo-Addo emphasized the importance of renewable energy in driving economic growth, mitigating climate change, and ensuring energy security for all citizens.

He praised the collective efforts of stakeholders, including the Chiefs and people of the Nadowli-Kaleo traditional area, the German Government, the Volta River Authority (VRA), and project contractors, for their invaluable contributions to the successful completion of the project.

The President highlighted the strategic significance of Kaleo as a hub for renewable energy development, citing its rich natural resources and potential to attract investment and spur innovation in the region.

He reiterated Government’s commitment to incentivizing green investments, promoting energy efficiency, and prioritizing the development of solar, wind, and hydroelectric power projects as key strategies for the nation’s energy sector growth.

Phase two of the Kaleo Solar Power Plant not only adds fifteen megawatts of clean energy to the national grid but also improves the quality of power supply in the Upper West Region. Furthermore, it is estimated to reduce national carbon emissions by nearly 8,917 tonnes, contributing to Ghana’s efforts to combat climate change and fulfill its international commitments. It will also promote practical studies in the development of solar power by the Technical Universities in the northern part of the country.

President Akufo-Addo reiterated Government’s commitment to invest continuously in the electricity transmission network, to enable the country to evacuate more renewable energy through the national grid to support the extension of electricity to all parts of the country.

“It is our intention to attain full electricity access by the end of this year, up from the current rate of eighty-eight-point-eight percent (88.8%),” he stated.

The President continued, “I expect that, with this project in this community, corporate social responsibility programmes for Kaleo and its environment will be enhanced through the provision of social amenities by the appropriate authorities, including VRA.”

President Akufo-Addo expressed optimism about Ghana’s energy future, emphasizing the importance of collaboration and collective action in achieving sustainable development goals. He urged all stakeholders to uphold effective maintenance management practices to ensure the longevity and efficiency of renewable energy infrastructure, reaffirming his government’s dedication to building a brighter, greener future for all Ghanaians.

“By investing in renewable energy infrastructure, we are securing a reliable source of electricity and creating new opportunities for economic growth and job creation. This plant will not only power homes and businesses, but also serve as a catalyst for development in the Upper West Region, attracting investment and spurring innovation,” he added.

The President told the gathering that Government is implementing a series of policies and measures to incentivise green investments, foster a culture of energy efficiency, and prioritise the development of solar, wind, and hydroelectric power projects as key strategies for the growth of the energy sector in the country.
“The vision, however, is not only to be energy self-sufficient, but also to set the stage for Ghana to emerge as an eco-friendly country in the Region, inspiring neighbouring countries to follow suit in their pursuit of a greener, more energy-technology-centred future,” he added.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The Presidency, Republic of Ghana.

African countries should effectively deploy development planning as a transformative tool to strengthen resilience and sustainable development in an era of unrelenting crises, according to panelists at a side event on development planning titled “Leveraging Digital Technologies for Integrated Planning to Advance the SDGs and Agenda 2063 in Times of Multiple Crisis” in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. 

The event was organized virtually by the Macroeconomics and Governance Division (MGD) and the Sub-Regional Office for Eastern Africa (SRO-EA) of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) at the ongoing  10th Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development (ARFSD) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Antonio Pedro, Deputy Executive Secretary (ECA) said global development agendas such as the Millennium Development Goals and Poverty Reduction Strategies have shaped countries’ development priorities by encouraging a focus on social development and the eradication of extreme poverty.

“Development planning in Africa is now being influenced by both the Sustainable Development Goals and the Continental agenda, Agenda 2063: The Africa we want,” said Mr. Pedro.

“Collectively, these agendas have placed sustainability, ethical and responsible use of technology, climate action, investment, industrialization as well as human-centered development at the heart of the development agenda, and tasked development planners to revisit their development priorities and paradigms to align accordingly.”

The other agendas that African countries are committed to, he said, include the Doha Programme of Action for Least Developed Countries, the Vienna Programme of Action for Landlocked Countries, the Addis Ababa Action Agenda on Financing for Development, the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, and the Sendai Framework on disaster risk reduction.

Hassan Hosow, Executive Director, National Executive council of Somalia said despite having emerged from civil war, the country has made significant progress in the economic recovery, in fostering peace and security, and has succeeded in the re-establish international relations.

As a fragile country he said Somalia requires a long term vision for development not just for the immediate post-debt relief, post-Al Shabaab arms embargo. This he said will require political commitment, national leadership with the right institutional arrangements.

Alastaire Alinsata, Chief of Staff for the Minister of Development and Coordination of Government action in Benin said under the national development plan, the government has prioritized agricultural mechanization, to make sure that people don’t have very hard labor in the farms and are able to get  better results.

“To ensure that this is implemented, the government conducts training through the agricultural training schools it has created,” said Mr. Alinsata.

He added that the government has also set aside a special industrial area of over 10,000 hectares and up to 75% of the area is meant for textile and apparel processing.

Bartholomew Armah, Chief of Development Planning in the Macroeconomics and Governance Division at ECA said the ECA has developed a web-based planning tool called the Integrated Planning and Reporting Tool (IPRT) to enhance the responsiveness of planning frameworks to the demands of a rapidly evolving development landscape.

The aim is to strengthen the capacity of planning entities to design and implement integrated planning systems and strategies for the attainment of the SDGs and Agenda 2063 is imperative.

“The IPRT leverages digital technology to enhance precision in the alignment of international commitments with national plans; links budgets to development priorities; identifies gaps in the results framework of national development plans and; tracks performance of national development plans,” he said.

He noted that current planning approaches tend to be fragmented along sectoral and institutional lines, thereby undermining synergies, and fueling duplication of effort and the sub-optimal use of scarce resources.

Hence, it is crucial for countries to have an integrated development planning frameworks that reflect countries’ national, regional, and global commitments, are aligned with financial frameworks.

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