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Welcome
to AFRICABIZ, 
Welcome
to Africabiz Online Synopsis
RSS Feed edition. Previous issue available at this
link
Dear faithful reader,
HAPPY
AND SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS YEAR 2004
We at AFRICABIZ ONLINE
wish you and your loved ones a happy and prosperous business year 2004
WARS'
TIDE IS RETREATING IN AFRICA
A retrospective look to African
scenery - back to four years ago - pictures devastating wars engulfing a long
list of countries. Namely, Angola, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Burundi, the Democratic
Republic of the Congo, Liberia, Rwanda, Somalia, Sierra Leone, Sudan, and Ivory-Coast.
Some ragging for two to three decades running (Angola and Sudan). Ivory Coast
- a particular sad case - being the last country to entering the inferno, at the
end of 2002.
At the beginning of this New Year, the good new is that
- under intense pressure from the international community, the United States of
America, UK, France and the UN - warring parties are forced to go to the negotiation
table. Therefore, peace is slowly gaining pace in some of these countries. Let
us review each of them to see how close they are to resuming normal political
life and economic recovery.
ANGOLA
The fratricide war between MPLA and UNITA started at the dawn of the
independence of Angola in 1976. The death of Unita's leader, Dr. Jonas Savimbi,
on February 22, 2002, put an abrupt end to the war. Unita-guerrilla organization
is now transformed into a civil party, which is now a player in Angola's political
life. Apparently, war is over in Angola. Everything is to be rebuilt and the
authorities have an opportunity to launching the economy on double-digit
growth rate path. The country's leadership has no more excuse to blaming the
bad performance of the economy on the civil war.. Click
here for the latest news on Angola
ETHIOPIA
and ERITREA
Eritrea,
a former province of Ethiopia, broken link after a very long independence fight
- which started in the 1950's - and became sovereign state in 1993. The delimitation
of land boarders with Ethiopia ended in disputes that led to another war between
the "brothers". After 2 years (1998-200) of a bloody war - in World War I style
- that killed millions on both sides, they signed a peace agreement that is holding
since then. One should recognize, however, that tensions are mounting again between
both countries about the same problem of land boarders. Let us hope that the dispute
will be solved at negotiation's table to avoid the squandering of scarce national
financial resources to purchasing ammunitions, weapons, warplanes and other army's
equipment. Click here
for the latest news on Ethiopia and Eritrea
BURUNDI
This central Africa country is war-torn since decades. An ethnic civil
war between the Hutus (85% of the population) and the Tutsis (15% of the population).
A compromise was reached one year ago between the leaders of the antagonistic
ethnic groups; and a reconcilement government established. However, fighting is
still sporadic as a important Hutu's rebels group refused to adhere to the the
power-sharing scheme brokered under South Africa's Mandela, Mbeki and Zuma. There
is also a mistrust - from these rebels Hutus - that the Tutsis are not really
handing over the power they had "exclusively" had for decades. Thus,
as long as the Army's command posts are dominated by the Tutsis, there will
be room for defiance from adamant Hutus who are for the "One Man One Ballot" system.
Click
here for the latest news on Burundi
THE
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO
The giant country of central Africa
is slowly recovering from the civil war that followed the demise of Mobutu's regime.
During 7 years of civil war, million people lost life, the country's wildlife
decimated and the economy disrupted. Here also, South Africa's leadership played
a strong role to bringing together the many leaders of the rebellions and the
people holding "central" power in Kinshasa. A reconcilement government is in place
- since June 2002 - till the presidential ballot scheduled for two years time.
But sporadic and severe fighting is still occurring in the Eastern regions of
the country. In spite of said continued fighting, one can say that the political
and economic situations are improving day after day. However, no one can predict
for sure that the country definitely left the turbulence zone as President (Kabila)
and the four vice-presidents (rebellion's leaders) are would-be contestants in
the presidential ballot scheduled for 2005 or 2006. Click
here for the latest news on RDC
LIBERIA
Charles Taylor (reluctantly) finally left the state power. He is indicted
as a war criminal by the War Crime Tribunal of Sierra Leone and is on the radar
screen of the international community. A US$ 2,000,000 bounty for arrest put on
his head by the United States of America. From his hideout in Nigeria, he is still
trying to manipulate (with satellite telephone) the Liberian political life; and
his followers and the remnants of his fighters are still causing trouble in two-third
of Liberia's territory. However, the presence of UN Peace Corps in Monrovia, the
capital City, and the territories around, represents a buffer against his comeback.
We shall see the political situation improving month after month. Click
here for the latest news on Liberia
SOMALIA
This country is without a "responsible" government since the 1980's.
Warlords are ruling. No hope for improvement in the near future. The splitting
country - Somaliland - may gain international recognition as a reward to its intense
collaboration with the United States of America in the war against "terror" Click
here for the latest news on Somalia and Somaliland
SIERRA LEONE
This war-torn country, where the most unbelievable atrocities were committed,
Is slowly recovering from the devastating civil war of the 1990's. However, the
improvement of the economic situation is too slow. The country emerging from
a severe war, which destroyed everything, it was a good opportunity to launching
a program capable of generating
double-digit growth rate. If the economic situation does not improve quickly,
the peace process could be jeopardized Click
here for the latest news on Sierra Leone
SUDAN
Under intense pressure from the United States of America, Sudanese central
government of Khartoum and the rebels from the southern region of the country
are plodding on toward peace. A civil war that killed near 2,000,000 people in
25 years in having its last hiccups. A power sharing agreement is expected soon
between the warring parties that includes oil proceeds' apportionment between
the North and the South. An interim period of seven years will be established
before national elections would take place. Let us hope the peace agreement would
be soon finalized and the reconcilement government quickly in place to undertaking
the much needed economic recovery program. Indeed, the economic improvement in
Sudan will doubtless benefit not only the Sudanese but the whole central Africa
region. Click here for
the latest news on Sudan
IVORY
COAST
The civil war that started in this West African country on
September 22, 2002 is the saddest happening of all.
A country that was
in the league of Intermediary Developed Countries is now listed among the Least
Developed ones - the per capita GNP dropped from 1,200 US$ (1999) to US$ 600 (2002).
France
saved the country from experiencing a Rwanda style civil war. However, the
persisting situation of "no war, no peace" is hampering the economy's recovery.
There is a wait and see attitude from the business community. One cannot predict
the outcome of the crisis - peace and reconciliation or secession of the North
from the South - because to much killings occurred and hatred is now deep seated
among Southerners and Northerners. Indeed, the country is still divided into two
separate entities - 12 months after the signing of the Marcoussis Agreement; and
there is so much to be done - in accordance with the Marcoussis Agreement' recommendations
enacted in the reconcilement government
program - that one could wonder how the forthcoming presidential ballot, scheduled
for end of 2005, might take place. Let us wait and see. Click
here for the latest news on Ivory Coast
"CONTRIBUTOR'S
GUIDELINES" are
available here. We invite you
to contribute to AFRICABIZ ONLINE MONTHLY ISSUE - with articles related to
"How Africa Could Bridge The Developing Gap".
Many
thanks for subscribing to Africabiz. See you on February 15, 2004.
Dr. B.M. Quenum
Click here for support console
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| Business
Opportunities
TROPICAL ROOTS AND
TUBERS PART IV: BRIEFS ON A SMALL SCALE CASSAVA CHIPS'
PRODUCTION UNIT
Rare are industrial
concerns established in SSA countries that transform Cassava into value added
products - as reported in the
diagram available here.
On
the online monthly page of AFRICABIZ are listed four processed cassava's
products, which highlight the fact that cassava could be an important components
- an Economic Catalyst - to the Integrated Economic Development Scheme
The traditional processing techniques of chips are laborious. In villages women
wash, peel and cut the root to pieces that are dried by sunshine on flat surface;
on roofs, concrete surfaces, mats or along roadsides. One person can handle 25
kg of roots per hour and the loss of weight could reach 25-30 % of the initial
weight of the fresh root. Mechanical peeling had been developed in Thailand, the
Philippines and Indonesia that reduce the loss of weight to 10-15%.
Conditions
listed here lead us
to tailor the medium-scale chips production unit as follows:
| -
50 peelers to peel 50 x 25 kg = 1,250 kg of fresh cassava per hour or 1,250
x 8 = 10,000 kg per day - 10 metric tons per day; That yield 7,500 kg of peeled
cassava (2,500 kg of wastes).
- 2 pedal maneuvered slicers that yield
each 500 kg of Chips per hour. (Maneuvered by 2 workers).
- 6 handlers
to feed the peelers and the slicers.
- Daily production of sun dried chips:
10,.000 kg of fresh cassava x .403 = 4,030 kg o or 4.030 metric tons.
- Monthly production (26 days) = 4.030 x 26 = 104.780 metric tons
and yearly production (over 10 months): = 1047;800 metric tons.
- Raw material
(fresh cassava) purchasing price:US$ 10 per metric ton.
- Bulk dried
chip selling price:(ex-works) = 40 US$
- Waste (peeled cassava
skin for animal feed preparation) selling price: US$ 2 metric ton. |
 -
OPERATING DATA Based
on above conditions the following operating data are obtained: (For
more on the Investment's items click here)
| Items
| Amount
US) | |
Total
investment | 6,000 |
| OPERATING
COSTS | |
Operating
Expenses: Raw material
purchasing (fresh cassava)- production costs - insurance - utilities - staff and
hands / management salaries - amortization - interests on loan. Etc.
| 32,000 |
| PRODUCTION
COST PER METRIC TON OF CHIPS |
| 1047.800
metric tons of sun dried cassava's chips = | 31 |
| GENERATED
REVENUES* | | Chips
: 1047.800 x 40 = | 41,912 |
| Wastes
= 650 metric tons x 2 US$ | 1.300 |
| TOTAL
REVENUES | 43,212 |
|
GROSS PROFIT |
| GROSS
PROFIT | 11,212 |
REMARKS
1- This medium -scale operation to producing cassava's chips
is clearly a profit making business that creates at least 60 jobs. One can
vision the impact it will have in an African country's rural community. One can
also forecast the impact the setting up of 1,000 operations like this one: 60,000
jobs (transformers) in rural area, the development of the cultivation of the raw
material and boosting of other activities such as transportation and packaging.
2- The selling price (40 US$ per metric ton - ex-works) is highly
competitive as an addition of even 100% for C.I.F. - Cost Insurance and Freight
expenses and taxes - would make the CIF offered price lower than the pricing on
the international market place - as shown by figures (European Union) in Table
below:
SELLING
PRICES PER METRIC TON - US$
IN EUROPEAN UNION MARKET PLACE |
| 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 |
| 183 | 137 | 144 | 177 | 161 | 158 | 150 |
| Source:
United Nation Organization For Food and Agriculture |
Figures listed in Tables above show that the production of pellets and chips on
medium--scale are opportunities not to be missed by African countries. Cassava
pellets will help
not only developing livestock's production, but can be used to produce
glues and alcohol that are currently imported from abroad in most African countries.
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Control Your Desktop
SYNCHRONIZE
FILES AND DIRECTORIES IN YOUR DESKTOP AND NOTEBOOK
If
you are a road-warrior, you certainly own at least two computers. One desktop
in the office; (another one at home?) and a notebook to travel with. And you find
yourself with non-synchronized files and directories on these separate computer.
One day, you will feel the urgent need to synchronize all of them. How to
proceed? Long
times ago (in 1999, last century in fact!), we introduced you to a nice and performing
desktop utility called at that time Windows Commander, that is now named
Total Commander- [6,
23, 25,
49] A must have for files and
directories management. So, if you have Total Commander installed on all your
computers, you can easily perform files and directories synchronization between
them; using the NET tab on the Menu of Total Commander and Choosing Port
Connection to Other PC. It is easy and simple. You will need a Parallel
LP1 cable to do the trick.
Another
possibility is provided by a freeware utility called Easy2Sync. Spare some
minutes though to read through the instructions provided by the developer. That
may save your life! Do not hurry up attempting synchronization without taking
notice of the instructions. Apart from that warning, Easy2Sync does the job
perfectly. You can even use it to make synchronization between Servers. That is
for the Pro Version that requires 60 bucks.
Click
here to visit Easy2Sync website for more.
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