UN study: Digitization of Kenyan farmer payments helps tackle poverty
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One Acre Fund cut payment losses and collection costs by over 80 percent, boosting farmers’ satisfaction and economic opportunity
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NAIROBI, Kenya, May 31, 2017/ -- A new case study (http://APO.af/v5Wxdm) by the United Nations-based Better Than Cash Alliance (www.BetterThanCash.org) shows how agriculture nonprofit organization One Acre Fund (www.OneAcreFund.org), in partnership with Citi Inclusive Finance (www.CitiInclusiveFinance.com)
One Acre Fund, supported by Citi, enabled farmers to easily make loan repayments via mobile money instead of cash, reducing the uncertainty, inefficiency, insecurity and high costs previously caused by cash transactions. One Acre Fund can now reach more farmers with greater reliability, and staff can spend almost half as much time collecting payments in cash, using that extra time to help farmers increase their incomes through training and educational programs. With One Acre Fund’s package of services, including training and inputs like seed and fertilizer, the average farmer participating in the program earned nearly 50 percent more than peer farmers who do not participate. Study findings include:
“Mobile repayments have allowed us to increase our efficiency and provide better service to farmers,” said Mike Warmington, the Director of Microfinance Partnerships at One Acre Fund. “We’re excited to be working at the forefront of this technology in the smallholder agriculture lending sector. In our experience, farmers were empowered to thrive in these communities. Clients receive immediate confirmation of payments as they happen, enabling them to better manage their businesses and family finances.”
“Citi’s footprint, track record in inclusive finance and transaction banking capabilities enable us to provide global support to leading social enterprises like One Acre Fund,” said Bob Annibale, Global Director, Citi Inclusive Finance. “Among other benefits, digitization enables efficiency and security, and drives innovative and inclusive business models. Citi is proud to play a part in enabling One Acre Fund and other organizations like them to improve the livelihoods of farming communities.” One Acre Fund is an example of the significant benefits and impact that digital payments and inclusive digital financial infrastructure, as developed in Kenya, can bring to agricultural value chains, contributing to a more sustainable and productive agriculture sector, a cornerstone of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). These learnings can easily translate to poor farming communities in other countries and One Acre Fund is working on plans to expand in Rwanda, Tanzania, and Zambia in the future. “For companies and nonprofit organizations who want to work in rural Africa, this success story is a must-read,” said Oswell Kahonde, Africa Regional Lead at the Better Than Cash Alliance. “Digital payments are essential to building sustainable business models and creating long-term impact. By enabling smallholder farmers to make and receive payments digitally, we are creating transparency and accountability which translates to numerous benefits and empowers people to take control of their finances.” *** Please click here (http://APO.af/v5Wxdm) to download the study.
Distributed by APO on behalf of Better Than Cash.
For information & media interviews, please contact:
• Better Than Cash Alliance: Angela Corbalan, Head of Communications, Angela.Corbalan@UNCDF.org, (+1) 917 224 9109 • One Acre Fund: Whitney McFerron, Global Media Relations Lead, Whitney.McFerron@OneAcreFund. • Citi: Patricia Tuma, Corporate Communications, Patricia.Tuma@Citi.com About Better Than Cash Alliance: The Better Than Cash Alliance is a United Nations-based partnership of governments, companies, and international organizations that accelerate the transition from cash to digital payments in order to reduce poverty and drive inclusive growth. To learn more, visit www.BetterThanCash.org, follow @BetterThan_Cash. |
Wednesday 31 May 2017
PRESS RELEASE
Tuesday 30 May 2017
Parliament enacts the Local Government Amendment Act 2017
Parliament on Tuesday 30th May 2017
debated and passed into law the Bill entitled “The Local Government Amendment
Act, 2017”.
The Act is aimed at amending the Local
Government Act, 2004 with the view of providing for the addition of new Districts
created under the Provinces (Administrative Division) Order, 2017 and other
related matters.
Presenting the Bill prior to ratification, the
Deputy Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Hadiru Ibrahim Kalokoh
said that Part 1 in the recent de-amalgamation of chiefdoms and the subsequent
division of the Northern Province into two provinces has resulted in the
creation of two additional Districts, with one provincial headquarters. He furthered
that this has necessitated the establishment of three new local councils which
are currently not listed among those in the Local Government Act, 2004.
He also informed Parliament that with the
advent of the de-amalgamation of chiefdoms and the re-districting, the number
of chiefdoms in the Local Councils has changed, hence the need for the
amendment.
MPs who spoke to the Bill described it “as non-controversial”
and called for the immediate installation of Regent Chiefs in the newly created
chiefdoms to avoid the interference of Paramount Chiefs in those areas, whilst
expressing that the Bill is in tandem with the Provinces Act.
The Acting Minority Leader, Hon. Jusufu B.
Mansaray and the Majority Leader of the House, Hon. Leonard Fofanah expressed
similar sentiments respectively.
Department of Public Relations
Parliament of Sierra Leone
OAU Drive, Tower Hill
Freetown
Tel: 077669726/078495023/078426851
Monday 29 May 2017
Gravitazz Continental Initiative
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Human Interest Story
From the graveside to
the people’s heart: life skills for former burial team members
On a Wednesday afternoon, Sanpha and
his team of three other men are braving the scalding heat, replacing an old
pipe with giant spanners. They have been working since dawn, but they are
positive to get it right.
Women and children sit by the fence
waiting for the hand pump to be fixed. This tap is in the old Ebola treatment
complex in New Maforki town northern Sierra Leone and it serves many
communities within a seven-mile radius. They have not had treated tap water for
the past eight days, and other water sources are not hygienic for cooking and
drinking.
“The situation is very difficult at
this time of the year, especially at the peak of the dry season. Wells dry up
and this puts a lot of pressure on the hand pump.”
As the men work, the children throw
questions at them to ask when the work would be completed. They reply without
stopping their work. Sanpha is particularly grateful for this empathy
because 18 months ago it was not like this.
Sanpha and his team are among 1300
former SDB/IPC and Volunteer ERW’s benefiting from the Reintegration and
Reskilling of Sierra Leone Red Cross Volunteer Burial Teams project, which is
funded by the government of Finland and supported by the United Nations
Development Programme in Sierra Leone, in partnership with the International
Federation of the Red Cross and the Sierra Leone Red Cross Society.
They had volunteered with the Safe
and Dignified Burial (SDB) teams in their part of town during the Ebola
epidemic. Among them were two body carriers, one infection prevention control
personnel and one psycho-social support staff or community liaison.
Accounting for over half of all
burials during the crisis, the Sierra Leone Red Cross and its team of dedicated
volunteers worked tirelessly nationwide coordinating over 50 SDB teams at the
peak of the epidemic.
At the beginning of the epidemic,
public perception of the burial team members was not that welcoming, as they
were considered potential transmitters of the virus. In many cases the
volunteers were pushed away by their very own communities and family members.
“It was tough. We had to volunteer
because people were getting infected by touching the corpses without taking
precautions, and they were dying. Our families and friends became very worried
and had to keep away from us. This had very severe effects on most of us.” Said Ibrahim, a member of Sanpha’s team.
Today Sanpha and his newly qualified
team of plumbers are welcome in all the communities where they work. They
travel to remote communities across Sierra Leone, fixing hand pumps and helping
ordinary people get access to safe drinking water. Evidently, the switch of
vocation has made them the darlings of communities once again.
“It becomes a difficult situation
for us, especially suckling mothers; we cannot cook our food or drink clean
water without their help. So, seeing them just makes us happy.” - Musu Bangura resident of New Maforki
The UNDP Project Manager, Lynda
Buckwoski, said the project seeks to rehabilitate and reintegrate these
individuals via the provision of psycho-social counselling and vocational and
skills training to enable them access economic and livelihood opportunities.
"When we talk of reintegration
we understand that the majority of these people lost their livelihood during
EVD; schools were shut, university’s closed and people lost their businesses.
UNDP alongside the IFRC wanted to reinstate life prior to Ebola" . Buckwoski said.
UNDP partners with people at all
levels of society to help build nations that can withstand crisis, and drive
and sustain the kind of growth that improves the quality of life for everyone.
On the ground in more than 170 countries and territories, we offer global
perspective and local insight to help empower lives and build resilient
nations.
Gateway Fair Press Release
Dangote to spend 10 billion dollars on rice cultivation
...gives tools to block makers
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Group disclosed that it was investing N10 billion dollars in rice cultivation in five states to boost food self-sufficiency
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LAGOS, Nigeria, May 29, 2017/ -- The Dangote Group (www.Dangote.com) shone at the just concluded 2017 Gateway Trade fair which was held in Abeokuta, emerging as the second most patronised exhibitor, just as the Group disclosed that it was investing N10 billion dollars in rice cultivation in five states to boost food self-sufficiency.
To mark its Day at the Fair, a subsidiary of the Group, Dangote Cement, gave out several tools and implements to the block makers in Ogun State in appreciation of their patronages. Tools such as wheel barrowers, shovels, umbrellas and hand gloves were donated to block makers who assembled from different areas of the state. During the 10-day trade fair, Dangote Flour delighted customers and participants with free sampling of its new pasta products. The wet sampling made the Group’s pavilion the center of activities at the Fair as participants trooped in for their daily meal. Customers were rewarded with branded coolers, kitchen aprons, exercise books and customized ladles. Commending Dangote Group for its sponsorship and participation at the Fair, President of Ogun State Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (OGUNCCIMA) Mrs. Adesola Adebutu said the support given by the Group went a long way in making the staging of the Fair a success. She commended the Pan African Conglomerate for its giant strides in economic development of the country through massive investments in several sectors of the economy describing the feat as worthy of emulation by other Nigerians. A director of Dangote Group, Tunde Mabogunje who represented the Group at the special day, said that the partnership with OGUNCCIMA is beneficial as Ogun State is the host of the 12 mmtpa Dangote Cement Plant, Ibese, the second largest cement plant in Nigeria. Dangote Cement, he said, “through the plant provides thousands of direct and indirect jobs in the state. As a responsible corporate citizen, we participate fully in all events and activities designed to drive social and economic welfare of the state.” He described the theme for this year’s Trade Fair: Promoting Agricultural Value Chain through SMEs for Nigeria Economic Recovery as being apt, given the nation is now paying attention to Agriculture, which has the potential of becoming the major driver of the economy instead of oil, pointing out that in line with the theme the Group is at the forefront of job creation and is the largest employer of labour outside government. Mabogunje stated “We have been contributing our quota to the growth and development of the Nigerian economy. Towards aiding agriculture, we are building a fertilizer plant in the Lekki Free Trade Zone, Lagos State. When completed, farmers will have regular access to fertilizer for their farming activities. The delays and disruptions experienced in waiting for imported fertilizer will cease.” “We are investing about $1 billion in rice cultivation. We have an outgrowers scheme where thousands of farmers are empowered with improved seeds and items needed to cultivate rice.”
Distributed by APO on behalf of Dangote Group.
Dangote Group
Multimedia content
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Tuesday 23 May 2017
Wetin mek we dea pay tax? Part 2
NATIONAL DIALOGUE SERIES 4:
The
National Dialogue Series continued on Thursday, 11th May 2017 with
the topic: ‘Wetin mek we dea pay tax? (Why
do we pay tax?)’ live on Africa Young Voices Television and simulcast on
the Independent Radio Network across Sierra Leone. This is the fourth in the series and the second on the same topic.
The panelists
were Mrs. Aminata Kelly-Lamin,
Policy and Advocacy Adviser for Action Aid Sierra Leone and Alpha Tanu Jalloh, President of the
Sierra Leone Importers and Exporters Association, while Development
Communications consultant Batilloi Warritay moderated the programme.
Following
are highlights of what the panelists said during the 1hr 30 minutes discussion
programme:
Mrs Aminata Kelly-Lamin was asked about her views on tax
avoidance and she explained that while
it is legal as a result of agreements signed between two countries, tax
avoidance is morally wrong. She went on:
“From a poverty stand-point
Action Aid viewed it as morally wrong. We believe that if you come to our
country to invest and found out that the system is not correct, you should be
honest enough not to follow that system but to uphold international best
practice or standards.
“Tax Avoidance refers to ways companies and multi-national
businesses avoid paying their correct taxes in the various countries they are
operating. Tax Avoidance is making
Sierra Leone losing out on a lot of money which otherwise would go into
providing social services for the general public, especially women and
children.
“In 2016, Action Aid Sierra Leone released a multi-country
report titled Mistreated Report, which looked at the issue of Tax Avoidance
in various countries. The report found out that tax treaties or agreements
between countries is one of the ways companies avoid paying correct taxes. Countries
hosting big businesses or multi-national companies have a right to tax these
companies, but some provisions in the tax treaties restrict the right of host
countries from levying certain taxes. So a lot of countries, especially
lower-level countries like Sierra Leone, are losing out on huge incomes that
would have added to their domestic revenue generation. Bangladesh alone loses
about US$85 million annually to tax avoidance.”
Mrs
Kelly-Lamin said they (Action Aid) shared the
report with the Government of Sierra Leone: the Office of the President, Office
of the Vice President, the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development and the
National Revenue Authority (NRA), who are responsible for taxation in the
country.
“We had hoped that they (Government) would see and
understand the negative impact of some of these kinds of bi-lateral agreements,
for example with the United Kingdom, on the country’s economy. We expected that
there would be the political will to review these treaties.
“Actually, obligation to these tax treaties is
voluntary; they are not absolutely binding. This means that our Government can
come out of them as and when they feel it’s not favourable.
“The Office of the President requested the NRA to
catalogue all treaties of such nature that were preventing Sierra Leone from
generating much needed revenue from taxing multi-national companies but up till
now no list has been made available.”
Mrs
Kelly-Lamin also cited a Network Movement for Justice
and Development (NMJD) study released in 2011, titled ‘Cost Benefit Analysis on Mining
Companies’, which found out that certain mining companies including
London Mining and African Minerals Ltd were avoiding payment of Corporate Tax.
“While this is also not against the law (because it
is usually as a result of tax holiday arrangement between the Government and
the companies), it is morally wrong on the part of the companies.
“This study looked at some of the areas that
Government often overlooked when multi-national companies come in to invest to
determine whether Sierra Leone would benefit or not. In addition, there were
several other tax obligations these companies neglected because Government did
not monitor their operations well.
“In one instance, the
study found out that on the date the agreements were signed the price of iron
ore on the international market did not match with the price Sierra Leone
agreed to sell. This meant that there was reduction in the royalties we were
supposed to get as a country. The royalty is our country’s first entitlement
for its mineral assets, and we lost on that.
“Furthermore, although the Income Tax Act requires
all big companies to pay a Corporate Tax of around 35 to 37% or so, the NMJD study found out that these
mining companies re-negotiated, and London Mining for example was asking for as
low as 6 percent.”
For his part,
Alpha Tanu Jalloh said:
“Because Sierra Leone is a small and poor country, she
gives in to most of such agreements just to encourage big businesses to invest
in the country.
“In our regional set-up, the Mano River Union for
example, we have a treaty that goods or products coming in from any of these
countries should not pay any duty. So you find out that countries that are
manufacturing countries stand to benefit more from such a treaty than our own
country which is receiving the products.
“Some big companies enjoy tax holiday for a period
of 4 to 5 years based on the volume of their investment. These tax breaks are
normally direct taxes to the State for operating a business in the country,
such as Corporate Tax.”
However, Mrs
Kelly-Lamin noted:
“Sometimes some companies abuse this tax holiday privilege.
When they come they get tax holiday for five years, and then another five
years. By the time it’s 10 years they change their names and sign new
agreements and enjoy the benefits all over again. The Government loses out and
it’s us the people who bear the loss in the form of inadequate social services.
“Going forward, Government should enforce existing
laws which are good, and review old treaties with countries like UK, Denmark
and Italy as examples. It is possible that some of the provisions in these
treaties still impact on our agreements with companies from these countries in
recent times. The fact that Sierra Leone signed these treaties means that they
supersede our domestic laws.
“I also suggest we introduce a progressive tax
system, wherein the more income you get the more tax you pay.”
Alpha
Tanu Jalloh suggested that the NRA should spread the
tax net rather than concentrating more on imports.
“The transport sector for example; they just renew
their licenses annually and that’s it. The transport sector should also report
their income and pay taxes to Government. There are so many other areas. There
are shops that are not registered, and there are small outlets that are doing bigger
businesses than shops but they deliberately prefer to remain as such simply
because they don’t want to pay tax. Charcoal sellers, wood sellers, they all make
profits and therefore eligible to pay taxes.”
Meanwhile, Mrs
Kelly-Lamin reasoned:
“The collection of taxes is one thing; the
utilization of tax money is another.
“The State has to prove to the people that they are
using the money for the benefit of the general public. The Auditor General’s
report year in year out has proven that there are many holes in the system in
terms of utilizing public monies. It shows that monies entrusted by the State
to Ministries, Departments and Agencies to provide social services- schools,
hospitals, roads, water, electricity- are not being used correctly.
On the question of newspaper allegation that the
‘NRA chopped tax monies’, Mrs
Kelly-Lamin said: “I can only reference the recent Auditor General’s Report
which claims that there are certain questions which the NRA failed to answer in
relation to money given to them to manage their own affairs. Even the Okada
riders have a right to ask Government how and on what tax monies are spent,
because they pay Le5, 000 as tax to Council.
Asked about his comments on the new Finance Act by a
listener, Alpha Tanue Jalloh said: “The
whole process is shrouded in secrecy. From the Ministry of Finance and Economic
Development, it goes directly to Parliament. We believe there are finance experts
who should have seen this bill and discuss it before it is sent to Parliament,
but that is not the case and this is not the first time. Even with the 2016
Alcohol and Beverages bill; we didn’t know who put it together and how. It just
appeared in Parliament. It’s full of unthinking figures which you can’t see in
a similar bill in any part of the world.”
Links to Action Aid’s ‘Mistreated Report’:
FACT
CHECK:
A 2013 report by BAN and partners NACE, Christian
Aid, IBIS and Tax Justice Network Africa titled ‘Losing Out’ revealed
that Sierra Leone was losing US$ 224 million annually to tax avoidance by just
four mining companies operating in the country.
Did
you know?
Land
Owners Tax requires tenants to pay 10% tax to the Government
from their rents. This tax targets the tenants directly and not the landlords.
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About
the National Dialogue Series:
The National Dialogue Series is a joint initiative of The
Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ),
Campaign for Good Governance (CGG)
and the Independent Radio Network (IRN).
The main objective of the programme is to develop a healthy culture of national
discourse on key development and political issues and to shift the focus from
individuals and personalities as the country prepares for national elections.
It
is becoming evidently clear that as Sierra Leone approaches the 2018 Elections,
there is a compelling need to enhance the capacity of citizens in their civic
responsibilities and also help to increase the level of awareness and
understanding of major issues among members of the public.
The
National Dialogue Series come to you in the form of a 1hr 30 minutes live TV
and Radio simulcast bi-weekly programme across the IRN network, TV and social
media nationwide.
The
next topic is ‘We don ready for the 2018 elections? (‘Are we ready for the 2018 elections?’) on Thursday, 25th May, 2017.
Ahmed Sahid Nasralla
National
Secretary General
Sierra
Leone Association of Journalists
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