The International Tobacco Growers Association (ITGA) ahead of the ACP-EU Council of Ministers meeting in Nairobi on 19–20 June today re-iterated its objections to the worrying developments of the EU’s Tobacco Products Directive (TPD). After the publication of the Directive, some member states in the EU are proposing standardised packaging, which is a development that goes too far and ignores the mandatory checks that the EU has to perform, first with its own Treaty and second with international trade rules, including WTO’s. ITGA will also remain vigilant about the so-called secondary legislation, which includes a stricter regulation of ingredients, in... Continue Reading
By: Puseletso Modimogale – The Hope Factory – I am a firm believer in the Pay-it-Forward concept. It means doing something good for someone else without expecting a return for oneself. The concept was popularised a few years ago by the 2000 movie Pay It Forward, starring Kevin Spacey and Helen Hunt. In this movie, a young boy, played by Haley Joel Osment is given a school assignment that requires him to find some way to change the world. He develops the Pay-it-Forward concept, setting forth a chain reaction of good deeds. However, most businesses around the world want a... Continue Reading
A map showing all of the photovoltaic projects awarded under the government REIPPPP program in South Africa has been revealed. The map produced by PV-Insider has for the first time collated information from the first 3 rounds of the REIPPPP about the project size, the location and the developer into one document. The map plots all 33 PV projects awarded under the REIPPPP onto a colour coded map of South Africa according to solar resource concentration. Most projects under the REIPPPP are concentrated around Kimberley and Upington – the areas which have the highest GHI concentration level. Many developers have... Continue Reading
The youth wage subsidy is a positive initiative in the battle to reduce youth unemployment, but it’s a band-aid solution. This is the view of Sandra Burmeister, CEO of Amrop Landelahni. “In the longer term, we need to focus on growing the economy to generate jobs and on education to ensure people are employable,” she says. “In the interim, the youth wage subsidy is a mechanism for getting unemployed youth, including graduates, into the workforce where they can learn basic skills. In terms of the Incentive Tax Employment Act, employers will receive a tax incentive to employ young workers for a maximum... Continue Reading
By Nawa Mutumweno – The main purpose of the forum is to provide a platform for stakeholders in the honey sector, including Government bodies, beekeepers/producers, processors, exporters, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and cooperating partners to review the performance, identify challenges, share new developments and initiate strategies for the industry. Items on the Agenda include: Access of Funding; Cooperating Partners & the Honey Sector; Information sharing on current and new projects; Capacity Building Opportunities; Honey Export Procedures and Opportunities; and Domestic Honey Trade Opportunities. This year’s event is being facilitated by SNV Zambia and is expected to be opened by the Minister... Continue Reading
