A new World Bank report released today shows that the Congolese economy is gradually recovering, with GDP growth estimated at 1.9% in 2023. Growth is projected to reach 3.5% in 2024, supported by oil and non-oil activities that are expected to increase by 4.2% and 3.5%, respectively. The recovery remains fragile, owing primarily to the volatility of oil production.

The Eleventh Economic Update for the Republic of Congo notes that inflation accelerated to an average of 4.3% in 2023. Severe food insecurity is also increasing, affecting 59% of the population. Widespread poverty persists, with nearly one in two Congolese living on less than US$2.15 a day.

The report underscores how important it is for the Republic of Congo to design effective fiscal instruments for sustainable forestry and economic growth.

Forests cover two-thirds of Congo’s territory, and the country has successfully kept its deforestation rate low and stable despite economic development and illegal logging. Over the past decade, Congo has implemented major forest policy reforms to strengthen sustainability, including enacting a new forest code in 2020. Congo is committed to reducing its CO2 emissions by 32% by 2030, which will require external financial support of about $7.1 billion for climate change mitigationand adaptation. Despite the critical role played by Congo’s forests and by forests in the Congo Basin in general, international funding remains inadequate.

“To support the sustainability of forests despite budget constraints and limited international funding, Congo can consider climate-smart fiscal revenue instruments that align tax rates with the sustainability of timber production methods, such as the “bonus-malus” system introduced in some countries in the region,” noted Louise Pierrette Mvono, World Bank Resident Representative for the Republic of Congo.

To tackle the multifaceted challenges facing Congo’s forestry sector, the report recommends the following:

Combining fiscal instruments with better forest governance through improved law enforcement, monitoring, and transparency to help the Republic of Congo safeguard its forests while strengthening the role of the forestry sector in the economy;
Strengthening regional cooperation through harmonized regulations, improved law enforcement, and more effective alignment of forest fiscal policies that will help Congo Basin countries respond more effectively to cross-border challenges, enhance institutional capacity, and attract more international funding;
Providing scaled-up international support and compensation for efforts by Congo Basin countries to preserve their forests, which provide an essential global public good in the form of climate regulation and biodiversity services.

“The Republic of Congo is a step ahead of other CEMAC countries, having implemented the log export ban in July 2023. This measure promotes economic diversification and access to markets, as earlier investments in infrastructure and capacity and the introduction of the new forest code have made the transition easier,” added Vincent De Paul Tsoungui Belinga, Senior Economist and lead author of the report.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The World Bank Group.

In response to an invitation by the National Election Commission of Mozambique, the European Union has decided to deploy an Election Observation Mission (EOM) to observe the general elections in Mozambique on 9 October.

The High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell has appointed Laura Ballarin Cereza, Member of the European Parliament, as Chief Observer.

High Representative Josep Borrell stated: “Mozambique and the EU are linked by a deep and long-lasting partnership. The EU has deployed Election Observation Missions to Mozambique to every general election since the country’s return to multi-party elections in 1994. The general elections in October will be another opportunity to consolidate the country’s democratic transition and will have important ramifications for the region and the continent as a whole.“

The Chief Observer, Laura Ballarin Cereza, declared: “I am honoured to lead the EU EOM to Mozambique. I look forward to meeting and engaging with representatives of State institutions, political parties and candidates, as well as representatives of civil society organisations, in particular women and youth, to help support a credible and peaceful election.”

Background
 
The EU EOM will provide a comprehensive, independent, and impartial assessment of the electoral process based on international and regional standards for democratic elections.

The EU EOM will be composed by different groups of observers. The Core Team will consist of 10 election experts who are scheduled to arrive in Mozambique on 27 August 2024. By 9 September, 32 long-term observers will join the mission and will be deployed across the country to follow the election campaign. Thereafter, short-term observers will reinforce the mission on election day. The EU EOM will remain in the country until the completion of the electoral process.

In line with the EU methodology on election observation, the mission will issue a preliminary statement and hold a press conference in Maputo after the elections. A final report, including recommendations for future electoral processes, will be presented and shared with stakeholders after the finalisation of the entire electoral process.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of European Union External Action.

The President of the Republic of Liberia, His Excellency Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr., has congratulated the Government and People of the Republic of India on the occasion commemorating the 77th Anniversary of that country on August 15, 2024. “On the occasion commemorating the 77th independence anniversary of the Republic of India, I extend to you, and through your Excellency, to the Government and people of India, warmest felicitations and best wishes,” President Boakai said.

In his message to H.E. Shri Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of the Republic of India, President Boakai stated that as the people of Liberia join their Indian counterparts in commemorating this historic occasion his Government acknowledges, with deep satisfaction, the heightened bilateral relations subsisting between the two countries and peoples.  “It is our fervent hope that these festivities will cultivate new frontiers in our bilateral ties and promote international peace and security in keeping with the principals of the United Nations”, President Boakai noted.

The Liberian President noted that Liberia is immensely gratified for the level of cooperation between the two governments and peoples. President Boakai further recounted that the bilateral cooperation between India and Liberia has a huge prospect with enhanced trade and investment which bring mutual benefits to the two governments and peoples. The Liberian leader also recalled, with deep appreciation, India’s contributions towards Liberia’s national development programs, particularly in the areas of infrastructure, human capacity development, transportation and health. President Joseph Nyuma Boakai then wished for Prime Minister Modi continued good health as he leads the people of India to greater prosperity.    

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Liberia.

When Yohannes Negash lost half of his wheat harvest to a crop disease known locally as wag, he asked himself, “how will I have the courage to plant again?”

“I am a farmer, son of a farmer, grandson of a farmer and I could go on,” he recalls jokingly today, but with a sense of pride in his voice.

For millions of Ethiopians, farming is not merely a profession; it is a way of life woven into their identity and passed through generations. But farming is a risky business in this East African country, where climate shocks, conflict and unpredictable market prices can spell disaster.

These dangers can discourage farmers from investing in improved agricultural practices, making them even more vulnerable to climate extremes and food insecurity. Ethiopia’s northern Amhara region, where Negash lives, is no exception.

But today growers like Negash, who plants chickpeas, pulses and soya beans along with his wheat, are starting to bet on their future, thanks to an innovative crop insurance scheme supported by the World Food Programme (WFP), the Ethiopian government and nonprofit social enterprise, Pula Advisors. Launched in 2023, it insures farmers against droughts, excessive rainfall, hailstorms, pests and crop diseases.

The Amhara farmers’ insurance scheme — amounting to WFP’s biggest of its kind to date — is part of broader, global rural resilience initiative that WFP supports with a raft of governments and partners. It targets some 54,000 farmers in the Amhara region alone. Beyond offering insurance, the resilience effort aims to improve farming practices and incomes, for example by hiring rural workers for projects like restoring degraded lands.

“The idea is to reinforce farmers’ resilience at every point in the farming process, which builds their capacity to withstand the effects of extreme weather and strengthens their food and income security,” says Olipa Zulumbata, WFP programme head in the Amhara region.

Big payouts

For Negash, the insurance has been a rare blessing amid a string of setbacks. Recurrent droughts, crop diseases, locust infestations, and more recently conflict have hit his region, decimating harvests and deepening hunger.

“The past couple of years have been difficult for us farmers,” he says. “We had just planted when the war first came to our area (in 2021), and I was unable to gather my crops.”

Last year wag disease, a fungal disease which affects cereal crops, wiped out Negash’s harvest — even as conflict continued. “How can we grow if there is no peace?” he asked himself.

Negash also had misgivings about the crop insurance scheme, when he learnt about it from his village savings group. “At first, I thought it was inviting bad luck on my farm,” he says. “I was very hesitant to join, but I decided to enroll after listening in various meetings.”

“We initially faced some challenges with gaining acceptance,” says Tackle Hailu, a project coordinator with the WFP partner, Pula Advisors. “But our collaboration with WFP and other partners to sensitize communities showed great results.”

This year, Negash counted among tens of thousands of farmers who received insurance payouts for their wag-destroyed harvests, totaling US$675,000 for the region.

“The biggest lesson for me from this experience is that while I cannot control the different issues that may affect my farm, I can prepare in advance,” he says. “For vulnerable farmers like me, this insurance is a necessity. Just as we have health insurance for our bodies, we also need crop insurance for our farms.”

Today, Negash plans to use the insurance payout to expand his farming activities. He has also become an advocate for the scheme, encouraging other farmers in his village to join it.  


“If I have a better harvest, I can ensure my children advance their education in the nearby cities,” Negash says. “If they don’t make it in school, I can give them money for seeds to start their own business.

“If you have the means,” he adds, “anything is possible.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of World Food Programme (WFP).