South Africa’s exports to the US on steel amounted to US$950 million in 2017 and accounted for 1.4% of U.S.’s global imports.
PRETORIA, South Africa, March 12, 2018 – The South African Government has noted the announcement of the President of the United States of America, Donald Trump on 8 March 2018 that he has signed proclamations to impose a 10 percent ad valorem tariff on aluminnium articles and a 25 percent ad valorem tariff on steel articles.
It was further announced that the United States (US) will consider specific requests from affected domestic parties, to exclude from any adopted import restrictions those steel articles for which the Secretary of Commerce determines there is a lack of sufficient US production capacity of comparable products, or to exclude steel articles from such restrictions for specific national security-based considerations.
The proclamations make a provision for any country with which the US has a security relationship to discuss with the US alternative ways to address the threatened impairment of the national security caused by imports from that country. Should the US and that country arrive at a satisfactory alternative means to address the threat to the national security, the US President may remove or modify the restriction on steel articles imports from that country and, if necessary, make any corresponding adjustments to the tariff as it applies to other countries as the national security interests require.
In relation to aluminium, the products to be affected are defined in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) as: (a) unwrought aluminum (HTS 7601); (b) aluminum bars, rods, and profiles (HTS 7604); (c) aluminum wire (HTS 7605); (d) aluminum plate, sheet, strip, and foil (flat rolled products) (HTS 7606 and 7607); (e) aluminum tubes and pipes and tube and pipe fitting (HTS 7608 and 7609); and (f) aluminum castings and forgings (HTS 7616.99.51.60 and 7616.99.51.70), including any subsequent revisions to these HTS classifications.
The products affected in relation to steel are defined at the Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) 6-digit level as: 7206.10 through 7216.50, 7216.99 through 7301.10, 7302.10, 7302.40 through 7302.90, and 7304.10 through 7306.90, including any subsequent revisions to these HTS classifications.
In addition, the Secretary of Commerce is expected to publish the Federal Register on the appeal process for US buyers to apply for exclusion within 10 days. The tariffs will be implemented on 23 March 2018, if no alternative arrangement is agreed to with individual countries.
South Africa is studying the proclamations and its implications for the domestic industry in South Africa. South Africa’s exports to the US on steel amounted to US$950 million in 2017 and accounted for 1.4% of U.S.’s global imports. In the case of aluminium, the SA exports were US$375 million in 2017, accounting for 1.6% of US imports from all global suppliers. It is clear that South Africa’s exports do not impose a threat to US industry and jobs. The SA exports are in some cases used as inputs into further processes in the US manufacturing sector thus in fact contributing to US jobs and production.
The Department of Trade and Industry (the dti) is fully engaged with the matter and continues to have discussions with the US on this issue. A formal submission will also be made to the US as is provided for in the proclamations.
The Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) is still taking well care of the former dictator of 37 years. Robert Mugabe and Grace Mugabe are still living large, they are having a bounty of a pension. It is insane, as he was the kingpin, the one who bled the state of funds, paid the cronies and made himself wealthy. Therefore, it is very insulting that he is still living like that. That he even dares to asks for more, when he has more posh cars, can afford to have their sons in Los Angeles and cars taken to Botswana. Because they are afraid of taxes and losing their ill-gotten possessions.
Why I can say he is still living large, is that he sources to Sunday News says: “Since he resigned in November 2017, Mr Mugabe has received $80 000 in pension, while Mrs Mugabe has received $8 680. The payments to Mr Mugabe were made on January 5, 2018 ($40 000), January 29, 2018 ($20 000), and February 28, 2018. The two payments on January 5 were because Mr Mugabe had not received his pension for November and December 2017 due to administrative issues hence the double instalment to offset arrears. He got a third instalment at the end of January as his pension for that month, with the fourth also coming as scheduled in February. Mrs Mugabe received instalments of $2 170 in November and December 2017, and January and February 2018” (Sasa, 2018).
So, that they have been so open in the media last week complaining about their life and such, seems totally out of order. When ordinary people struggles to get 20 US Dollars out of the ATM. While you are earning 20,000 US Dollars per month. That is 1000 times more than what the ordinary people trying to get out of the ATM in Harare.
It is insane that a man who has eaten the state, made it bankrupt and depleted its currency gets such a bounty after the November 2017. He should be happy he isn’t in court answering for his crimes against his people. That he cannot answer for the filthy water in the taps, the lack of institutions and the cronyism who ate it all. On the alter of liberation and freedom, they took it all to themselves instead of sharing it with the public. That is the man and his family crying to the media on their lack of proper support of the former first family. Clearly, the got enough money to have sugar in their tea and beyond.
It is insulting to the Zimbabwean public, that the Mugabe family is frying foul, when they are still getting fortunes, even after been ousting. 20,000 US Dollars get you proper fed, well fed, buying clothes and whatever needs you got. No ordinary citizen in the Republic will ever get near that sort of pay. The Junta, the ZANU-PF is showing mercy on the former comrade and founder, more than what they ever did to President Canaan Banana, who never even received government pension, which Mugabe denied him!
Therefore, Mugabe should pray to whatever deity he believes in, thanks mercy for the greatness of the former comrades. That they gave him this bounty. Because, if he would have gotten the same treatment as he gave others. He would have been kicked out of his homes, lost his posh-cars and lost his estates. That would have been justice any many people’s eyes. Since he took it all and eaten it all.
Even after all of this, its still not enough. He should be grateful for his demise and that it didn’t cost him more. That it was a bloodless coup and that he didn’t catch a bullet. But he lives in the blue-roof and lives lavish. Peace.
President Uhuru Kenyatta and Deputy President William Ruto must be so proud of what they have done. Made themselves so wealthy, that the public servants cannot eat or live on their salaries, while the state is growing their debt. It is really amazing how painful reading the letters and Internal Memo’s explaining the civil servants that they have to be patience, while knowing that Kenyatta and Ruto is eating of it all. That is despicable and disgraceful, they are representing them and their goodwill, still they are not caring about their fate.
You know that the Kenyan State is broke when Internal Memo from Kericho County letter to their civil servants on 6th March is asking them to patience, as the County cannot pay out the February Salary, as the month has gone and the County doesn’t have the funds to pay it out. In Busia County, the Internal Memo came on 5th March, where the National Treasury was mentioned and also asked the staff to be patience. On the 1st March in Taita Taveta, the Internal Memo stated the salaries would be paid out when the county received the funds. Meaning the civil servants has to wait longer for their February salary. In the County of Kilfi on the 28th February, that the state planned to pay out the funds this week, but that apparently didn’t happen. As the Counties hasn’t gotten the needed funds to pay remittance or the salaries to their workers. This is just the ones that gone public. It proves the problems that is self-created by the government. They are eating the state and the public servants are suffering now because of it.
Council of Governors stated this today: “The little disbursements we have received so far have been utilized to pay salaries and other recurrent expenditures. As it stands, the County Governments are stuck with huge pending bills running to the tune of about Kshs. 99 billion” (Council of Governors, 08..03.2018). So the Counties are left behind because of the ill-spending of the Central Government, are not able to follow their obligations. These obligations are the trusts and the civil servants working for the state in the counties. This is just showing how disregarded the public in the eyes of the Central Government. How little they matter, as they are getting more wealthy, owning more land and bigger businesses, while the ordinary person working as a civil servants cannot even get their salary paid out on time. Certainly, that salary is not even a one-tenth percentage of the wealth generated by the President or his deputy. They are living like kings, while the people are their loyal subjects.
Certainly, the Central Government are lacking planning and accountability, as they are able to grow the debt, not add enough allocated funds and also not gain enough revenue to run the state. As they are eating and not considering the implications of their actions. This is hurting innocent Kenyans, who are working in the public service, and not private. The private ones would eat and get paid, but the civil servants has to wait to be paid in full. That is weak tea, that is not how its supposed to be. But it is proving how little the Central Government care. How little Kenyatta and Ruto cares about their own working citizens, who are supposed to help to serve the cause of the state and their services to the people. These are the first ones that supposed to be paid, not the new Chief Administrative Secretary and all the other new cabinet positions.
They on the top will not be left behind, only the commoners, only the citizens can be left behind, as long as the elite, the political dynasties and the cartels are paid. The rest can starve, lack water in drought and die because the state didn’t invest in the health care. While the President and Deputy got bigger estates, nicer cars and bigger holding companies, because that is just fair game. Peace .
The secretive Department for Exiting the European Union (DEXEU) and Cabinet Secretary David Davis has hold a secret since January 2018, as of today the folders to ‘EU Exit Analysis Cross Whitehold Briefing’ was released online. Surely, the Conservatives and DUP must take people’s for fools, thinking these results would fly under radar and not be scrutinized. I will take certain ones from this. Just to prove how much hurt the public could get by leaving the EU. I am glad I am not British, while reading this one, but not many would have looked there if it were not for Member of Parliament, who took page by page and leaked them too.
Depending on what sort of a trade arrangement the United Kingdom gets with their partners, if it’s a EEA deal, Florence Type Arrangement and WTO Agreement with the EU. No matter what, the fall and the costs will be massive. The industries of chemicals, food and drink, clothes, manufacturing, cars and retail will be hit by the time of the exit. Certainly, like chemical industry and their percentages of loss could be between 16% and 2%. The biggest loss would be in the WTO deal, the non-deal with EU. Food and Drinks industry could lose between 10% and 2 %. Also depending on which deal. Both of these shows the massive backlash it has and how the cuts will be. Since the industries will both lose big profits and margins, which they cannot uphold by the status quo arrangements!
Those results are striking and proving how little benefit it is to leave and create a tariff border with the EU. They are really pulling efforts to make things more expensive and harder, just the tariffs alone will hurt the exports and the imports to the UK. Since the cost will be put on the consumer, and the EU trading partners might choose other cheaper produce from elsewhere. Since the tariffs on UK cheese is too high and the Swiss one cost less. The estimated tariffs on agriculture in EEA deal is zero, but the FTA is 26.1% and WTO is 26.1% and that is massive rise of prices. On Beverages, Tobacco and Food, the EEA is Zero, while the FTA is 12.7% and WTO is 12.7%. Both of these are showing the high risking prices and effects it could have on the market.
IF you believed the Tories and the campaigners that it wouldn’t be costly to move away and that the UK would earn on the leaving. You we’re duped, you were fooled and the hatred ate you. It will cost and with time it has been evident, as even the industry and the Financial Business Community is planning to flee. That will cost even more, as more jobs are fleeing to Union Financial Districts, to be sure they can trade services without having a hectic international tariffs and waivers to get it through! That is what will happen when the EU and UK departs from each other.
The new regulatory environment plus the taxations of the services after leaving will be hectic. The added pressure and the lack of movement of staff, can also hinder the will of doing business in the UK. They are really biting the hands that feeds itself. The wisdom hasn’t sunk in yet, but the numbers are bad, it will not be a smooth ride and the cost will all be put on the British and their consumers. It will not be walk in the park; it will be a steep mountain of hurt. Peace.
This is not shocking or making people awe, as the Minister of Finance Henry Rotich said the state has run out of the money. The same state that has made new positions in the cabinet, the same state has built the Standard Gauge Railway, the same state that has lost NYS Funds, lost Funds from State Owned Enterprises and so on. The same state that made the President Uhuru Kenyatta and Deputy President William Ruto vastly rich, Ritchie Rich Rich, or even Iron Man aka Tony Stark wealthy.
Kenyatta’s own companies with new expensive and big projects even building a new township in Nairobi, while Ruto continues to expand his estates, his businesses too. Both of them are wealthy and getting richer by the minute. While the state is getting more debt, getting more broke and they cannot answer for the usage of money. How convenient that the ones leading the government is having more money, while the state reserves are empty?
This same government has added debt, used on Eurobond and unleashing a second. They are really using the system, finding ways of printing money without thinking of the consequences. It is weird that a government who recently took up a new debt of 200 billion still has a deficit of 279 billion, which means the shortfall of cash without Eurobond 2.0; the state would miss about 479 billion. All of this is nightmare, but a nightmare created by the gentlemen mentioned. They knew all of this, they overspent and misused funds during the 2017 campaigns, they expanded their businesses and they spoilt the system. They we’re out of pocket, but continue to blead the economy even so.
Certainly, while the President is building his own town on someone else’s money, and Ruto is getting bigger and grander estates. While the state is suffering, someone should connect the dots, the Kenya government isn’t broke, but it is juicing up ventures on the outside of the government services. That is why the sudden deficit and why the state suddenly ran out of money. It isn’t rocket-science to put two and two together. It is only the naïve who thinks otherwise.
While that is happening, more part of the state is drained by illegal tenders, misuse of funds in the fashion of the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF), as the Public Protectorate has looked into their wastage of public funds into companies like UAP Life Assurance Ltd, Britiam Life Assurance Company and Pioneer Assurance Ltd. All of them got the basis of 800 million shillings in their tenders, the wastage on these schemes are enormous. Seemingly, no place in the state of affairs, where money isn’t gone, embezzled or sort of fraud away from the possible spending on supposed government services. This bidding was done without following procedure and neither tenders public by either the accounting officers or the CEO of NHIF who certainly found it possible to spend it this way.
When you know, that is just one of the ministries, one of the public funds and one of the state service providers, you can imagine if they are doing similar acts in other places. Like the scandals surrounding NYS, where corporations and businesses never seen before and again, got tenders with ownership within the ones who allocated the funds. It is seemingly something like this again. The Jubilee cannot help themselves; they are eating of the public plate.
That is why the state has a deficit, that is why the government broke, Kenyatta and Ruto is busy eating, while the public is footing their bills. They are all laughing and giggling, while the other parts are scrapping whatever they have to pay for the services that state is supposed to provide. Peace.
It is weird that this isn’t making bigger headlines, that people are not shocked and in dismay. When you hear the number, you will be shocked. Not that this is the first scandal and the first time the Kenyan Government has ripped and run. That is part of their Modus Operandi, the day to day work of the Jubilee Administration, President Uhuru Kenyatta and Deputy President William Ruto, they are known for this, isn’t anywhere or within any part of the government that wasn’t eaten by the cronies and by the Presidency itself.
That is why, when I read 40 Billion Shillings are unaccounted for by the Auditor General Robert Auko, in his newest report on government expenditure for 2015/2016. That is the same amount of $ 395 million US dollar. You got a lot of money, when you misspending these vast amounts of money. This isn’t just a small fry, a banana or even bicycle. The Jubilee Administration has squandered away a vast fortune, that they cannot prove where they spent.
40 Billions, 40 Billion Kenyan Shillings, that is enough money to pay the salaries for 88,000 teachers for year. Nearly 90,000 teachers could get their salaries and put money into society through legal means and needs. Instead, the state has misspent and misused such a vast amount of money, that the State should have a hard time explaining it. This proves that the Jubilee is looting, they are thieving and they are not delivering services to the public. They cannot be able to do so, when they are apparently not proving the spending of over 395,000,000 US Dollars. That is really amazing!
The coming revelations out of this will be charades, secret accounts, uncertain spending, missing invoices, funds from public companies, ghosts and all of the other tools of misusing funds. You have create fake businesses, accounts and also transmit funds between two accounts. The money has to be moved from the taxpayers or the donors account into an unknown place. Kenyatta and Ruto knows this, they have made ways to make it possible.
The excuses and the manufactured stories will come, the possible ways and people will have to address this. In all the different departments, in all the state owned enterprises and other government funds. The Jubilee cannot explain a hidden budget, a confidential budget even, like that isn’t strange, that the lack of transparency is gift for the cartels, the President and his cronies. It is a reason why Kenyatta and Ruto can buy the media, own so much more land and businesses. It is a reason they can invest and get more wealth, because their racket of taking money from the state pays for the private investments.
It fits perfectly well, with the new mansions, with the new ownership of businesses and the land they have acquired. They have gotten rich very quick, they have risen through the ranks while the state has dozens upon dozens of scandals. This is just a continuation of the NYS and all the others ones. Therefore, the ones who knows these people, know that the Jubilee loot the state for their own personal gain. They eat of the government plate and delivers only the breadcrumbs.
You do not lose 395 Million US Dollars, you spend them and misuse them. They are not lost in an envelope, they are not lost in the mail and not just left in a cupboard. They are spent on posh cars, mansions, foreign trips and all other luxurious items a person can have. Jubilee could have spent it on people, on service delivery, instead they made the money vanish into the hands of themselves and their cronies.
To believe something else is naive, as the Jubilee are looting and doing it without any bustle, it is their hustle. Peace.
“President Yoweri Museveni has implored parents who are financially sound to give their children a better education to guarantee a better future even it means taking them to Private schools” (NTV Uganda, 04.03.2018).
The pledges of yesterday is losing value for President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, the process and the service delivery doesn’t matter, if it ever did. The Universal Primary Education was one of the brilliant moves he did and also got much more donor funding in the beginning of his Presidency. He introduced UPE in January 1997, as the time went the Government of Uganda invested more into the schools. As the Overseas Development Institute in February 2006, which stated: “The UPE programme has required a significant increase in public expenditure devoted to primary education. Total education expenditure increased from 2.1% GDP in 1995 to 4.8% of GDP in 2000, while the share of the education sector in the national budget increased from 13.7% in 1990 to 24.7% in 1998” (ODI – Policy Brief 10, Feb 2006). So the DFID sponsored brief are really explaining how the National Resistance Movement and President Museveni really used funds into the schools to make it happen. However, down the line the investments hasn’t continued and the progress of the policy has lost value. Since they have not continued or hold into that standard.
“The President clarified that parents should feed their children and those who can’t afford should take their children to Universal Education Schools which he insisted should not charge fees, while the capable ones can pay in private schools or ‘big government schools’. “Universal Education Schools should not charge fees and parents must provide a meal for their children, called ‘entanda’. Government has provided UPE and USE for poor parents and here it is free. Those who can afford can take their children to other government schools and private schools where they pay but no child should be withdrawn from school” he emphasized” (Opio, 2018).
When you hear the man who is the leader, whose been the President since 1986, been there 32 years. Saying if you want to give your kid a good education, send them to private schools. The ones who are poor can send their kids to government schools. Therefore, if you have money, you will care more about the future for your kids. Because we as a state has given up the Universal Primary Schools.
This financial year the state is using 10,87 % of the national budget in 2018/19, that is down 11,37% in 2017/18. Both years are really proving how little it is concerning how it was when the UPE was booming around the millennium. In those years the state used about 20% or more on Education. Meaning the means to build and upgrade schools where there, also for more staff and more equipment was there. This has been forgotten and deemed unnecessary by the state.
Already in 2006, the UBOS Statistical abstract stated this: “However, the education facilities including classrooms, teachers’ houses and libraries have not matched the upsurge in the number of pupils. In 2004, provision of classroom space remained an enormous challenge. Table 2.2.2 shows that, only about half of the pupils had adequate sitting space” (UBOS, 2006). So the problems we are seeing today, is systemic from the mushrooming of schools and districts who built-up schools after the announcement of the UPE in 1997. I am not saying it is easy to keep the upkeep after the surge of schools, but if the state wanted them as a priority. They would have allocated funds to it over time.
Clearly, that part has gotten wasted and the state hasn’t figured out that buildings needs upkeep, schools needs equipment and teachers needs salaries. I know all of that seems basic, but the deep understanding of that seems lost somewhere.
Since if you are seeing the numbers, the Education Ministry got 24,7% in 1998 and now in 2018 it get’s 10,87 % of the National Budget. The schools has surged then and the budget is smaller, that meaning the more schools and teachers are getting significantly less funds for their operations. This is clearly the will of the state, as they are prioritizing other parts of government and not the schools. So the pledge before the 1996 Election is now being abandoned, the Ten Point Program point is being dismissed and the State showing disregard for its own system, as the rich can have their own. The poor can have lesser quality and the ones who care about their future can got to the private ones. Because of this I want to go back to 1996, because it says a lot, about why its like this today.
So, we are not going back to 1986 today, but 1996, when this happen:
“Given his earlier opposition to the idea, President Museveni’s decision in March 1996 to make universal primary education part of his manifesto for the upcoming presidential election campaign represented a sharp break with existing policy. In a radio speech delivered on 27 March, Museveni promised that, if re-elected, he would implement a plan giving four children per family access to free primary education (the plan would also apply to orphans) (Radio Uganda 27.3.1996). This education promise was, however, just one part of an overall election manifesto that included pledges concerning liberalisation of the economy, road building, defence, and renewed East African cooperation. In fact, improvement in education was listed as only the fifth of seven bullet points on the back of Museveni’s
published manifesto (Museveni 1996). Though free primary education was only one small part of President Museveni’s initial election manifesto, during the course of the campaign it soon became clear that the promise to abolish school fees was striking a chord with the electorate. Ugandan officials from the period recall that several of Museveni’s close advisors repeatedly sent messages to the Ministry of Finance after campaign meetings in order to emphasise how the UPE promise had been well received” (Stasavage, 2006).
We could see it was his own initiative, as the President knew what would strike a chord, making sure the kids was educated and had a better future. The same resonates today, but the state has forgotten that. They are not caring, they build a giant program, a big school system of Primary Schools, but not allocated or planned the upkeep of them. That is why the state of the schools are going down and the level of poor public schools is rampant. The districts and sub-counties are not getting enough to keep the schools in functions or even the buildings up. That is why we can find pictures of schools falling apart and looking like they we’re forgotten the day after they finished building it.
From a report from the Ministry of Education and Sports in 1999 said this: “Uganda spent only US$8 per pupil in the early 1980s, and in financial year 1997/98 US$32.50 was spent per pupil” (…) “ UPE is one of the surest means that will lead Uganda to the attainment of the Jomtien Conference (1990) pledge of providing basic education to our primary school going population. As we provide that ìminimum package of knowledge, skills, values, and attitudes required by every person to enable him or her live as an independent, productive and effective citizen in a societyî the individual is empowered to meet her or his daily needs and aspirations, those of the community and the nation, which are focused on modernisation. Uganda is confident that by the target year 2003, Universal Primary Education will have been achieved for all its children” (Ministry of Education and Sports, P: 19, 21, 1999).
So in 1999, the State was hopeful, today in 2018, UPE is not for all children. Not if you listens to the words and the statement from Museveni. It’s Private Schools for the wealthy and the UPE for the POOR. Therefore, Museveni is claiming to classes and two system, which is really demeaning to the ones going to the UPE schools. This is his fault that the schools are bad. He introduced the system, he made it and built it. However, he forgot to the upkeep. He forgot the pledges of the past, even the goals of his own ministry in 1999. It is nearly 20 years since or 19 years ago. Therefore, if Museveni has forgotten it is natural, I don’t remember what I wrote a year ago. However, he promised this and used his Presidency to promote this. The UPE is one of the few grand achievements of Museveni. Even I can say that. But now its rotting and that is because the State has stopped funding it. It is their own decisions not upgrading or even maintenance of the buildings. It is weird that the NRM went into this, build this giant school program and had no plans for maintenance of the Schools or the Salaries of the teachers.
It is easy to start something, but when it continues, you needs to allocate, secure and also funds for day-to-day business. That is forgotten and today, Museveni has given it up. If not he doesn’t care about the UPE he introduced officially in 1997 and pledged during the 1996 Campaign. I say that because, well they have gone from using over 20% of the yearly budget in the 1998 to around 2000, but now the state has allocated as little as 10%. So it the Primary Schools are neglected, because the State has decided to neglect them. It is because the state has built a lot of them, but not funds to maintenance of them. Museveni knows this, but doesn’t say it. That is why the schools are for the poor, because the President even keeps the Government Primary Schools poor themselves.
I just have to ask the President, you used years and your time in the beginning of your time as President to build up the Universal Primary Education, have you officially given it up? Should the Ugandan population give it up too?
If you I can put the whole situation into one simple explanation: Museveni wanted to give the public a giant castle, he pledged to give the public that giant castle. He actually built the giant caste and made sure the public could use the castle. However, with time he didn’t have the funds or the money to maintain the castle. The walls and barricades are failing, the walls are weaker, the structure needs fixing. The servants, the people who are inside the castle are not getting paid and even educated to keep the walls steady. So, the stones and the building are looking more like a ghost-town than a castle. Museveni could have had a castle, instead he has a rundown ghost-town.
There are too many UPE schools that are rundown without proper buildings, which has been neglected. The same has the teachers and the pupils, who them all are living through it. Their future is depending on it and they are forgotten. Now the President tells, the ones who can afford it should go to the Private Schools instead. The poor has enough with the UPE schools. That just shows how he has given up the 1990s project.
Isn’t this a sign that you as a leader should have retired, since you have actually given up one of your achievements?