Home>News Center>World
         
 

Farewell to wars, Africa gears up for revival
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2005-12-10 13:22

 

MONEY TALKS, ECONOMY RULES

Africa's economy has been for years marked by subsistence- farming, monotony in products, and high cost to do business because of instability and corruption and the smallness of markets. But the past decade has seen efforts from both outside and within to push for reform, and these efforts have begun to edge the continent's economy towards mend, despite critical opinions that more should be done to fight rampant poverty.

Average growth rates of 6 percent for several countries suggested efforts to create the right environment for business and economic growth were paying dividends, said Robert Bunyi, chief economist Africa at Standard Bank South Africa.

Help is also coming from the outside. In an effort to bolster struggling nations, Group of Eight (G8) countries have agreed earlier this year to cancel the 40 billion US dollars debt that 18 least-developed countries owe to the World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF) and African Development Bank. Among the beneficiaries, 14 are in Africa.

Debt cancellation and increased aid pledged by the G8 wealthiest nations means African countries such as Tanzania, Zambia and Ghana will have more to spend on infrastructure, telecommunications, and technology -- further powering economic growth, Bunyi said in an interview.

"Africa overall is making progress. The economies are growing and will benefit more from the G8 package of debt relief and more aid. There are those who say growth has not started to reduce poverty, but that will follow," Bunyi said.

Bunyi cited Ghana, Mozambique and continental powerhouse South Africa, where reforms were driving economic growth; Zambia, where high copper prices boosted income; and oil-rich nations such as Nigeria, Angola and Chad, where ballooning oil revenues are being invested in economic expansion or tackling debt problems.

As worldwide appetite for oil looms large, Africa, with its abundant oil reserve, is assuming an increasingly important role on global oil map, attracting more international investors to the region.

Some poor countries in Africa are also gaining billions of dollars from tourism, the world's largest industry.

"Of the 49 least developed countries, 46 of them now have tourism as the largest foreign exchange earner," said Louis D' Amore, president and founder of the Vermont-based International Institute for Peace Through Tourism.

Last year Kenya, with one of Africa's most developed tourism industries, hosted about 600,000 tourists and pocketed 577 million dollars or about 12 percent of its GDP. In the coming year, Kenya tourism ministry officials said the country expects to attract 1 million to 1.6 million tourists.

According to Akaki Ayumu Jovino, Uganda's minister of tourism and antiquities, tourism means jobs, poverty reduction and a better life for all the citizens. His country recently launched a million-dollar tourism ad campaign. Although a pittance compared to the budgets of major European destinations, Jovino said the media campaigns would help.

"The challenge for Africa is not to sit back and lament," Jovino said. "We wanted to give a new visibility to tourism in Africa and we are succeeding."
Page: 123



Vanuatu volcano bursts into life
Aid package for victims of Hurricane Katrina
Saddam absent as trial adjourned again
 
  Today's Top News     Top World News
 

Minister urges stronger Sino-US trade

 

   
 

Substandard US medical donations rejected

 

   
 

Portugal welcomed as new strategic partner

 

   
 

ASEAN, China ties praised by Malaysia

 

   
 

Contracts signed for water diversion project

 

   
 

Clinton: Bush is 'flat wrong' on Kyoto

 

   
  Clinton: Bush is 'flat wrong' on Kyoto
   
  US military pays "press club" to cover stories
   
  India, South Korea strengthen trade ties with Southeast Asia
   
  New Zealand moves to approve air marshalls
   
  Six killed in fresh violence in southeast Turkey
   
  Britain accused of Israel nuclear cover-up
   
 
  Go to Another Section  
 
 
  Story Tools  
   
  News Talk  
  Are the Republicans exploiting the memory of 9/11?  
Manufacturers, Exporters, Wholesalers - Global trade starts here.
Advertisement
         
主站蜘蛛池模板: 中文字幕免费在线看线人| 久久久久久久99视频| 深夜在线观看网站| 噜噜噜狠狠夜夜躁| 高潮抽搐潮喷毛片在线播放| 国产精品好好热在线观看| aaa国产一级毛片| 影音先锋成人资源| 久久久999久久久精品| 日韩精品视频在线播放| 亚洲国产激情一区二区三区| 狂野猛交xxxx吃奶| 公交车后车座的疯狂运| 色台湾色综合网站| 国产噜噜在线视频观看| 日本精品www色| 国产精品午夜小视频观看| 999这里只有精品| 太大了轻点丝袜阿受不了| 一级毛片国产**永久在线| 无码a级毛片日韩精品| 久久精品九九亚洲精品| 最近中文字幕免费完整| 亚洲人成电影网站| 欧美成人免费在线视频| 国产精品一区二区av| 亚洲精品中文字幕无乱码麻豆 | 韩日美无码精品无码| 国产欧美曰韩一区二区三区| 最色网在线观看| 国产精品视频全国免费观看| 91精品国产91久久久久久最新| 在线观看中文字幕码| av色综合网站| 天堂网中文字幕| aa视频在线观看| 夜夜高潮夜夜爽夜夜爱爱一区| aⅴ在线免费观看| 多男同时插一个女人8p| 99爱在线视频| 在线a免费观看最新网站|