UK: This is a significant and welcome U-turn from the Prime Minister – Keir Starmer (25.01.2017)

EU UK Flags

Keir Starmer MP, Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, commenting on the Government’s announcement that they will publish a White Paper, said:

“This is a significant and welcome U-turn from the Prime Minister.

“Labour has repeatedly called for the Government to publish a plan for Brexit before Article 50 is triggered and we made clear Labour would table amendments on this to the Article 50 Bill.

“This U-turn comes just 24 hours after David Davis seemed to rule out a White Paper, and failed to answer repeated questions from MPs on all sides of the House.

“The Prime Minister now needs to confirm that this White Paper will be published in time to inform the Article 50 process, and that it will clear up the inconsistencies, gaps and risks outlined in her speech.”

Trump, the Great Dictator has entered the building!

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Congratulation Mr. Donald J. Trump you act like Dictator and behave like a tyrant. Your legacy is built over and days. You complained and whine like a bitch that Barrack Obama as President made lots of Presidential Orders, but the first thing you do is to make a dozen’s of them yourself.

Like this one:

“The Secretary of Commerce shall conduct outreach to stakeholders concerning the impact of Federal regulations on domestic manufacturing and shall solicit comments from the public for a period not to exceed 60 days concerning Federal actions to streamline permitting and reduce regulatory burdens for domestic manufacturers. As part of this process, the Secretary of Commerce shall coordinate with the Secretaries of Agriculture and Energy, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, the Administrator of the Small Business Administration, and such other agency heads as may be appropriate” (MEMORANDUM FOR THE HEADS OF EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES, 24.01.2017, Donald J. Trump).

What a noble gentleman you are that you’re gaging the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), they are not allowed for staff on Social Media and talk to the Media. So your making blackouts of government institutions before you have been in power a month. Even Gadaffi your friend who rented your land in New York back in the day would be proud, Vladimir Putin must see the vision in your ears and the glowing ignorance in your eyes.

You have already tried to subdue the media with false tragedies and stupid made of stories, while the worst is happening inside your coming cabinet, your hiring of men and woman who is billionaires that couldn’t be more far from the voters who elected you into office. You’re a billionaire who apparently doesn’t care much about acts as long it gives you and your men profits.

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Trump MoU on DALP: “The Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) under development by Dakota Access, LLC, represents a substantial, multi-billion-dollar private investment in our Nation’s energy infrastructure. This approximately 1,100-mile pipeline is designed to carry approximately 500,000 barrels per day of crude oil from the Bakken and Three Forks oil production areas in North Dakota to oil markets in the United States. At this time, the DAPL is more than 90 percent complete across its entire route. Only a limited portion remains to be constructed. I believe that construction and operation of lawfully permitted pipeline infrastructure serve the national interest” (SUBJECT: Construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline, 24.01.2017, Donald J. Trump).

You speak of being environmental, but open up the petroleum pipelines of Dakota Access Pipeline and Keystone XL. You are such an ass, at the same time deletes the reality of water-quality and other truthful information on your government web-pages. You are gagging the EPA and USDA that looks into the reasonable environment hazards the pipelines would do in dozens of states. But you only see the cash monies and even some of the businesses your sons are running might benefit. You couldn’t care-less.

“In accordance with Executive Order 11423 of August 16, 1968, as amended, and Executive Order 13337 of April 30, 2004, the Secretary of State has delegated authority to receive applications for Presidential permits for the construction, connection, operation, or maintenance, at the borders of the United States, of facilities for the exportation or importation of petroleum, petroleum products, coal, or other fuels to or from a foreign country, and to issue or deny such Presidential permits. As set forth in those Executive Orders, the Secretary of State should issue a Presidential permit for any cross-border pipeline project that “would serve the national interest.” (SUBJECT: Construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline, 24.01.2017, Donald J. Trump).

EPA on DALP Pipeline Route before Pre-Trump Era!
EPA on DALP Pipeline Route before Pre-Trump Era!

Trump, your acts now are peril with the ways of democratic behavior, you are silencing your own government institutions, not giving to craps about the honest truth. Not that truth ever matters to you as long as you are winning!

That your Presidential Spokesman Sean Spicer and Presidential Advisor Kellyanne Conway feel your coverage is biased and wrong, well, you are the one acting and doing executive orders. You are the one behind the madness called the Trump Era and the Trump administration. I am sure you will soon blackout more institutions, silence the Congress and Senate. As your sinister plans get into effect, because you cannot handle the truth or facts; facts are lies and deceptions to you, they are not useful, because they damage you. Facts are the thing that you hate more than anything else. Therefore you cannot handle that the EPA or USDA are telling the truth about the pipelines and their possible environmental damage.

Trump cannot handle his own government agencies and doesn’t know how they operate, doesn’t know the laws, therefore he orders things he like and been told by his donors like a drone. Being a dictator and dictating the state to be silenced for 60 days. Trump has so little courage and bravery that he doesn’t believe that he can work the system. He has to rig it and make order it to command, because he is the Executive. Surely he will drop more orders daily  than at a busy Chinese takeaway restaurant in Manhattan, New York.

Donald Trump you’re the coming GRAND Dictator, I am sure you haven’t seen the movie or understand the play, but you’re the next up! You don’t care about the implications on the Presidential Orders or Memorandums of Understanding that you’re signing these days. You only see your vision and stature. The only thing mattering is that you’re the man.

Donald Trump, dictating son-of-bitch from Queens, who doesn’t care about the rules or regulations, not even who will become in the people’s eyes; he attacks the media, but he has created the monster and that is himself. Himself is the man who silence EPA and USDA so he can push through environmental dangerous industrial building that has been demonstrated against through the United States Presidential Election 2016. That apparently by default you won, President Trump!

The Executive, the President, the almighty bastard that silence environmental institutions so they doesn’t say the truth about the massive disturbance and possible damage to rivers and destroy the environment… but does the new American President care about that. He only cares about himself.

You are a son-of-a-bitch! Future tyrant and so-far from democratic value Executive the United States has ever had. You as a man cannot even handle staff and institutions to speak their mind while the pipeline constructions are happening. Trump cannot handle that, Trump is little muffled dog under pressure from donors to do this and not caring about the effects it will have. He is 70 years old, so not that his life will be long enough to see the damage or feel it. Not that he is ever travelling in North Dakota near the towns that are affected; neither is he visiting Keystone XL. Trump doesn’t have the heart.

Welcome world, Trump the Great Dictator has entered the building! Peace.

HF Group Press Release Statement on article titled “Inside Kshs.4.3 billion HF Loans Scam” that appeared on Sunday Standard Newspaper (24.01.2017)

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Food Insecurity still high in Uganda

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There are certain aspects of governance that is still weak in Uganda, as the Food Insecurity in major parts of the Republic is still high. The knowledge of the Famine and lacking food in big regions of the Cattle Corridor and Northern Uganda; the pastoral areas have been hit hard after the El Nino and the draught. This has left many small-farmers behind and left their crop to die on the fields. This as the lacking irrigation and building of proper wells has also stopped the constant use of water. Therefore what the Hon. Vincent Bamulangaki Ssempijja, the Minister of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries has some words to say. Here are the important aspects of the findings of the Ministry and how the lacking levels of food is reported from him.

Falling Crop Levels:

“The Food Security Analysis done by MAAIF in collaboration with other stakeholders in July 2016 indicated that at national level, the country experienced an average crop loss of approximately 40% for pulses (beans, groundnuts, peas) and 80% for cereals (maize, millet, rice, sorghum) from the first season harvests. The most affected crop was maize”(Ssempijja, P2, 2017).

Food Crisis:

“Colleagues the latest Food Security situation (2nd November, 2016) that was a result of rigorous scientific analysis indicated that the most affected areas are the districts that lie in the cattle corridor, stretching from North Eastern up to South-Western Uganda. This information was later confirmed by the follow up of the National Food Security Awareness Campaign that was undertaken by Inter-ministerial teams led by Cabinet ministers and/or Ministers of State and coordinated by the Prime Minister in late November 2016. The sub regions of Karamoja, Teso, Lango, Acholi, Bukedi, West Nile, Parts of Busoga and most districts along the Cattle Corridor including lsingiro, Kiruhura, Rakai, Ssembabule witnessed massive crop failure, leading to little or no harvest. This has resulted into the food crisis we are experiencing” (Ssempijja, P: 3, 2017).

Market Price on Food on the rise:

Harvests of cereals, Matooke, bananas, cassava, sweet potatoes, Irish potatoes and beans are on markets but the supply is low and the demand both domestically and regionally (Rwanda, Kenya, Burundi, Southern Sudan, DRC-Congo, Tanzania, and Central African Republic) is high. Market prices for all food commodities have increased” (Ssempijja, P: 3, 2017).

Current affected areas with mass food insecurity:

“The current estimates however, indicate that 25% of the population in lsingiro District are in an emergency phase of food insecurity; meaning they access half a meal or nothing at all in a day” (…) “65% of the population in Karomoja sub region are in a crisis phase of food insecurity; meaning they access one meal or half a meal in a day” (…) “35% of the population in the districts of Katakwi, Amuria, Kumi, Bukedia, parts of Serere and Kaberamaido are in the same phase with Karamoja sub region (Crisis); meaning they access one meal or half a meal in a day” (…) “50% of the people of Koboko, Yumbe, Moyo, Maracha, Arua, Zombo.Nebbi, Adjumani, Amuru, Nwoya, Gulu, Pader, Lamwo, Kitgum, Agago, Soroti, Ngora, Amolatar, Pallisa, Buteleja, Rakai, lsingiro and Tororo are in a stressed pahse of food insecurity; meaning they access one and half meals in a day” (…) “the total population that was in need of relief food, as of November, 2016 stood at about 1,300,000 people (the sub regions of Karamoja, Teso , Lango, Acholi, Bukedi, West Nile, Parts of Busoga, lsingiro, Bukomansimbi, and Kalungu)” (Ssempijja, P: 5, 2017).

Allocated funds to Food Security:

“Note the need to continue providing Food relief by the Ministry of Disaster preparedness costed at 52.65 billion to the affected families, this was already alluded to by the District Local governments during the recently concluded food security awareness campaigns” (…) “Note the need to re-allocate and frontload funds from the NAADS Secretariat/OWe equivalent to UGX 26.63 Billion to avail quick maturing food security planting materials such as: maize, beans, cow peas, cassava and banana suckers to rehabilitate destroyed plantations (especially to farmers in lsingiro district) in season one of 2017 as soon as the rains are established” (Ssempijja, P: 9, 2017).

The regions that are hit says a lot of the lacking resources and the government programs that are supposed to control, the worst hit areas are still in Isingiro and Karamoja regions. The other ones those are also hit, but not as bad in Katakwi, Amuria, Kumi, Bukedia, Serere and Kaberamaido. These shows the level of food insecurity, but the final number dropped from the Minister shows the amount of people who are need of food relief, they we’re 1,300,000 people. That is the people of the Republic. This is happening as the food prices are souring as the food insecurity is happening in the nations around Uganda. So they are not in a secure vacuum, the need of food relief around Uganda is also growing.

Therefore the draught and death of the pastoral farming is showing the lack of government support to crisis. Certainly there are needed allocations and institutions to bring the needed relief and also revive the agricultural use of water and also systems to secure the citizens. This is what the Ugandan Government is missing. To keep food stocks and secure that the citizens, the farmers are sufficiently harvesting and securing their fields for any sort of changes. Peace.

Reference:

Ssempijja, Vincent Bamulangaki – ‘Statement on the Food Security Situation in the Country’ (09.01.2017)

RSA: Oakbay Website Attack on Minister Gordhan (21.01.2017)

rsa-21-01-2017

President-Elect Trump let’s his sons’ run the Trump Organization; still doubt that will clear their acts of impartiality; why because President-Elect Trump haven’t been transparent!

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This had to be an issue, as the Trump Organizations and businesses had to be obligated away from the Executive, the Commander-in-Chief as he ushers himself into the Presidency. The family seems to be picked to run his company, as they are already Executive Vice-President in the Cooperation, this being Eric Trump, Donald Trump Junior and Ivanka Trump. These have been behind their father, the President-Elect. This is important as the interest of Trump Organization should not be the sole purpose of the presidency, that should be as civil service and also guiding with good governance without having own personal gains by having the office. Therefore the nominees and the appointed government leaders in the Trump Organization has to go through not only sessions in the Senate before their appointments are getting accepted; as well as they have to give way to their business connection and positions in the boards in general.

That the international hotels and golf courses, the trademarked products in the portfolio of the Trump Organization that can implicate and create issues with both the foreign trade policies and also import regulations. The same can be seen in general with the regulation of banking, loans and all other fiscal regulation that can hurt the Trump Organization. Something Trump will already know before going to office, what he needs to create of legislation and what sort of economic stimulus or even economic framework that can absorb more profits on the business that are already owned by the Trump family.

Let’s take look at what a blind trust is and what sort of agreements that can happen when Trump gets into office in just days.

What is a Blind Trust?

Blind trusts are often used when a wealthy individual is elected to a political office where his investment holdings could potentially put him in a conflict of interest with a regulatory issue or other sensitive exercise of political power. In this context, there are some obvious issues with blind trusts in that the beneficiary setting up the blind trust is at least aware of the investment mix going in and cannot realistically forget that information when weighing future decisions. The trustors may also set the rules under which the investments are managed and, of course, pick trustees that they are confident will act in a certain way in potential situations. So again, the efficacy of the blind trust in truly eliminating conflict of interest is far from proven. That said, politicians with a large amount of wealth or in high office use blind trusts to show that at least the effort is being taken to establish impartiality” (Investopedia).

Director of Government Ethics Shaub on 11th January on Blind Trust:

“I think Politico called this a “half-blind” trust, but it’s not even halfway blind. The only thing this has in common with a blind trust is the label, “trust.” His sons are still running the businesses, and, of course, he knows what he owns. His own attorney said today that he can’t “un-know” that he owns Trump tower. The same is true of his other holdings. The idea of limiting direct communication about the business is wholly inadequate. That’s not how a blind trust works. There’s not supposed to be any information at all” (…) “Here too, his attorney said something important today. She said he’ll know about a deal if he reads it in the paper or sees in on TV. That wouldn’t happen with a blind trust. In addition, the notion that there won’t be new deals doesn’t solve the problem of all the existing deals and businesses. The enormous stack of documents on the stage when he spoke shows just how many deals and businesses there are” (…) “The President-elect’s attorney justified the decision not to use a blind trust by saying that you can’t put operating businesses in a blind trust. She’s right about that. That’s why the decision to set up this strange new kind of trust is so perplexing. The attorney also said she feared the public might question the legitimacy of the sale price if he divested his assets. I wish she had spoken with those of us in the government who do this for a living. We would have reassured her that Presidential nominees in every administration agree to sell illiquid assets all the time. Unlike the President, they have to run the gauntlet of a rigorous Senate confirmation process where the legitimacy of their divestiture plans can be closely scrutinized. These individuals get through the nomination process by carefully ensuring that the valuation of their companies is done according to accepted industry standards. There’s nothing unusual about that” (…) “Back when he was working for the Justice Department, the late Antonin Scalia also wrote an opinion declaring that a President should avoid engaging in conduct prohibited by the government’s ethics regulations, even if they don’t apply. Justice Scalia warned us that there would be consequences if a President ever failed to adhere to the same standards that apply to lower level officials. The sheer obviousness of Justice Scalia’s words becomes apparent if you just ask yourself one question: Should a President hold himself to a lower standard than his own appointees?”(Shaub, 2017).

His sons will run the Trump Organization:

“President-Elect Trump will relinquish management of his investment and business assets for the duration of his Presidency. To accomplish this, all of President-Elect Trump’s investment and business assets, commonly known as The Trump Organization—comprised of hundreds of entities—have been or will be conveyed to a Trust, which will be managed for the duration of his Presidency by his sons, Don and Eric, and a Trump executive, Allen Weisselberg. Collectively—and unanimously—Allen, Don, and Eric will have the authority to manage The Trump Organization and have full decision-making authority for the duration of the Presidency, without any involvement whatsoever by President-Elect Trump. To implement this transfer, President-Elect Trump will resign from all official positions he holds with The Trump Organization entities” (…) “the Trust Agreement prohibits The Trump Organization from entering into any new transaction or contract with a foreign country, agency, or instrumentality thereof, including a sovereign wealth fund, foreign government official, or member of a royal family, the United States government or any agency or instrumentality thereof, or any state or local government or any agency or instrumentality thereof, other than normal and customary arrangements already undertaken before the President-Elect’s election” (…) “President-Elect Trump is taking these extraordinary steps to ensure that the Office of the Presidency is isolated from The Trump Organization” (…) “the Constitution does not forbid fair-market-value transactions with foreign officials. To put to rest any concerns, however, the President-Elect is announcing he will donate all profits from foreign governments’ patronage of his hotels and similar businesses during his presidential term to the U.S. Treasury. Historically, when federal officers received a gift or emolument from a foreign state, they surrendered possession of it to the federal government, though they were permitted to retain amounts necessary to offset their business expenses. Although the Constitution does not require the PresidentElect to do the same for profits from his businesses’ fair-market-value transactions, he wants to eliminate any distractions by going beyond what the Constitution requires” (Morgan Lewis, 2017).

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That Trump Organization can be run by his family it is acceptable by looking at the trust, but the initial issues with the way it gets done and that he shall not be reported on the way of the trade or business, is hard to believe as the business and family is very connected, hence with the campaign where all of the older kids we’re taking part more or less. Therefore the Vice-Executives of the Trump Organization, his kids are now taking charge and taking his position in his company. That he owns and has controlled over decades. That needs to be clear that the family members cannot tell or say him company secrets as long as he is the Executive of the Republic. If they do than their doing illegal information and destabilizing the interests of the government, why is it so? That is so because the President is the head of the government and has to serve all the citizens, not just the ones that are working in his owned company. That is why the nominees for positions in the Trump Administration have to leave their boardrooms and their former businesses. This is done because they will not have other interests than serving the Republic, if not they should be back in the corporate office instead of being civil servants. If they serve Exxon or other businesses while they are serving as ministers or secretaries of departments, than they are opening up for corrupt and illegal trading from the top and stealing from the bottom. That is what we can worry about when we know how close the President is still connected with his businesses, without a clear line of procedure for how the transactions and creation of future business inside Trump Organization is not known.

The President-Elect have not delivered his IRS Tax Returns, neither proven his real value or what he owns, if it is in Missouri or Mississippi, because for all we know he could own a lobster-shack in Louisiana. Even than he should open the door so he could explain why he hasn’t been through the process of showing his true colours and trade. The real honest profits and the expenditure of his companies, the facts of his royalties and the tax rate on his businesses as well. There are many open questions as to where he does business, what sort of people are he connected with abroad and what sort of agreements does the Trump Organization have and own outside of the United States. If he has a dungeon in St. Petersburg or has a palace in India, we don’t really know, but if he was accountable or transparent. Then we could know what sort of conflicts and interests the President-Elect have. This is the missing picture in a flawed Presidential-Elect who doesn’t’ trust anybody, but himself.

Why does I say that is because he cannot be transparent with his own and therefore why would he be that with the public coffers? Are the public coffers safe when we have no idea about how he used his own private funds? Will the public coffers be used to function and give contracts to businesses close to him or to cronyism in the new Trump Administration? Peace.

Reference:

Investopeida – ‘Blind Trust’ link: http://www.investopedia.com/terms/b/blindtrust.asp

Remarks of Walter M. Shaub, Jr., Director, U.S. Office of Government Ethics, as prepared for delivery at 4:00 p.m. on January 11, 2017, at the Brookings Institution (11.01.2017)

Morgan Lewis – ‘WHITE PAPER Conflicts of Interest and the President Background for President-Elect Trump’s January 11, 2017 Press Conference Prepared by Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP’ (11.01.2017)

Burundi: Du Ministere des Transports des Travaux Publics et de l’Equipment du Ministere de l’Energie et des Mines et des Representatant des Transporteurs (12.01.2017)

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Swiss Oil Companies are mixing bad blended gasoline to gain fortunes on hazardous product on the environment and health!

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“African Quality” is the industry term for fuels that are destined for African markets. They are characterised primarily by their high sulphur content, though the term also refers to fuels with other low-quality aspects such as a high olefinic or aromatic content. In short, this definition of African Quality matches the type of fuels that we found at petrol stations owned by Swiss trading companies in Africa” (Public Eye, P: 100, 2016).

There are viciousness and malice attempts all over the globe, there warlords killing for selling luxurious minerals and keeping resources in their hands to sell to get ammunition. Then there are not as vicious as them, but still worth condoning; the ones that knows that they are selling an off-brand product that they are not allowed elsewhere, but selling “African Quality”, low-level gasoline with blended high toxic and filled with metals, with levels higher than sulphur, PAHs and other chemicals that can be dangerous at certain extent.

Switzerland are a prosperous and business companies that are profitable abroad, like the ones mentioned in the report of Public Eye, that shows to what extent they go to earn fortunes. As they uses both connections to various regimes; they are using connections in Netherlands to blend and mix diesel and gasoline to the African market. That would be fine if it wasn’t an inferior product, but we’re a product that could be following standards of the same quality sold in Denmark or United Kingdom, instead it filled dangerous toxins and metals that can make the air-quality lower and make the car quickly destroyed. These acts should not go unnoticed.

Mixing and making cheap Gasoline in Abidjan, Ivory Coast: 

“How was this waste produced? Every month for 16 months, between January 2006 and April 2007, Trafigura bought batches of coker naphtha created at a Mexican refinery, with the intention of turning them into blendstocks for gasoline. This coker naphtha is one of the lowest qualities of gasoline blendstocks and it is created during oil refining from the “bottom of the barrel”. It has two specificities: first, it contains very high levels of toxic substances, namely sulphur and mercaptan sulphur, and second, as a direct consequence, it is very cheap. In other words, it is an opportunity for (almost) any creative trader. “As cheap as anyone can imagine”. James McNicol, a trader from Trafigura, wrote in an email to his colleagues in December 2005, “[this] should make serious dollars”. Trafigura’s sole motivation for experimenting with the production process was profit. Company executives had estimated that buying and selling the coker naphtha would generate profit to the tune of US$7 million per cargo. But before “making serious dollars”, Trafigura had to convert the product into a suitable ingredient for African gasoline: it had to find a way to lower drastically the mercaptan sulphur content, otherwise its odour would be unbearably strong” (Public Eye, P: 17, 2016).

Abidjan – Minton Report on African Quality gasoline:

“Based on the Minton report and an internal Trafigura document we conclude that the total sulphur still in the washed naphtha was between 608 and 680 tons – equaling between 7,156 and 8,000 ppm. The Minton report noted that “the process had achieved a 47 percent reduction of the mercaptans [in the sense of transforming into other Sulphur components] and that some ended up in the aqueous waste phase and some in the oily product, but that the conversion rate was not known.“ An internal Trafigura memorandum dated 23rd September 2006 summarizes in paragraphs 1–3 how much coker naphtha was unloaded to the Probo Koala by three different vessels and the mercaptan Sulphur content of it before and after the washings: (1) 11 April 2006 M/T Seapurha: 28,829 mt, mercaptan sulphur level of 1,700 ppm and after washings 950 ppm. (2) 19 May 2006 M/T Moselle: 28,130 mt, mercaptan sulphur level of 2,014 ppm and after washings 950 ppm. (3) 18 June 2006 M/T Seavinha 28,284 mt, mercaptan sulphur level of 1,700 ppm and after washings 950 ppm. We can make an even more precise estimation: Based on Trafigura’s reply to the BBC that gives a summary of the composition of the waste as estimated by the claimants in a group litigation case – and based on analysis of the Netherlands Forensic Institute – the total sulphur content of the waste dumped in Abidjan was around 66 tons” (Public Eye, P: 149, 2016).

Trafigura business:

“In 2015, Trafigura had revenues of US$ 14.4 billion from Africa, making the continent its second largest market after Europe. Its competitor, Vitol, also operates widely on the continent. Thought to be the world’s largest commodity trader, Vitol might be expected to give some information about its activities if only in the public interest, but the company does not disclose its annual results. Many other Swiss companies also supply fuels to Africa” (Public Eye, P: 30, 2016).

Using Oil Deposits to blend into African Quality:

“Oil depots offer the opportunity to blend petroleum products according to the fuel quality required by the country (see chapters 9 and 10). With that respect, an advisor close to the BP-Puma transaction assumed Puma Energy was, among other reasons, buying petrol stations in order “to sell surplus of dirty products in Africa.” He was not the only one. A market analyst from Petroleum Intelligence Weekly also mentioned the “compromise” in fuel quality that could occur with the arrival of the traders.13 Weak regulation on fuel quality standards (particularly for sulphur) is a crucial factor in any analysis of the economic potential of petrol stations in Africa. As we show below, many high sulphur, low-quality intermediate products are available that can be blended into “African Quality” diesel and gasoline. Playing with qualities is a lucrative strategy and nothing else than a form of regulatory arbitrage” (Public Eye, P: 31, 2016).

Republic of Congo demand of Petroleum:

“Congo’s demand for petroleum products is satisfied by two sources. The first source is the state-owned refinery, Coraf, which is run by the President’s son Denis Christel Sassou Nguesso, nicknamed “Kiki”. This refinery gets its oil from the State and provides diesel and gasoline to the local market. Coraf’s dodgy deals with a Swiss front company, Philia, have been the subject of a previous report by Public Eye” (…) “Tacoma and its Congolese subsidiary X-Oil have both been paying “consulting fees” to an offshore shell company belonging to Denis Christel Sassou Nguesso, the Congolese President’s son and head of trading operations at SNPC, according to a 2006 Hong Kong court judgment.32 The shell company, Long Beach Limited (Anguilla), was part of a broader scheme set up by Denis Christel Sassou Nguesso to syphon off part of Congo’s oil wealth to private coffers, in collusion with Denis Gokana’s AOGC” (Public Eye, P: 43, 2016).

Difference between Europe and African levels of PAHs:

“So the actual gap between the African and European samples is even wider. Indeed, a study showed that the level of PAHs contained in diesel sold in Germany had an average of 2.73 percent of mass in 2013. So Vitol’s diesel, as sold in Senegal, has more than five times more PAHs than the diesel sold in Germany. Worldwide, the average of PAH in diesel is estimated to be 3.7 percent of mass, according to CONCAWE. This is certainly lower than what we found in Africa. Only two of our samples, found at Oryx in Zambia and Trafigura in Côte d’Ivoire, are lower than the global mean” (…) “The reason why African diesel fuels have high aromatic and polyaromatic content can easily be explained: almost no sub-Saharan African country regulates them. And so the trading companies who import these fuels are tempted to use cheaper, lower quality, high aromatic blendstocks for diesel in the African markets. This tactic might have commercial advantages, but for the people and for the environment where these fuels are sold, this “blend-dumping” is a very unhealthy practice” (Public Eye, P: 55, 2016).

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Difference between Europe and African levels of sulphur:

“But if we compare the average sulphur levels in European gasoline (7 ppm) with the highest sulphur sample of gasoline from a station in Ghana belonging to UBI, a subsidiary of Puma Energy, then that discrepancy increases to a factor of 103. More generally, we found the highest levels of sulphur in Ghana and Mali. In Ghana, we found between 275 and 718 ppm sulphur in the four gasoline samples. This is within the legal limit, but the limit itself is very high (1,000 ppm), one hundred times higher than the European legal limit. Many of our samples show much higher sulphur contents than what refineries in West Africa often produce. The Tema refinery in Ghana produces an average 127 ppm gasoline” (Public Eye, P: 56, 2016).

Swiss trading in Ghana:

“In 2014, 4 of the 8 deliveries from Swiss trading companies fluctuated between 2,800 ppm and 3,200 ppm, highlighting a possible strategy to stick as close as possible to the legal limit. That same year, both Vitol and Trafigura delivered diesel with sulphur content so high that the product could not be sold at the pump. The product would have been further blended in the depot to lower its sulphur level, unless it ended up being sold off-spec (i.e. illegally) to consumers. Asked to comment about those of their cargoes containing higher sulphur content than allowed at the pump, Trafigura declined to do so while Vitol specified that it “does not comment on specific cargoes as a matter of policy.” (Public Eye, P: 75, 2016). “While the subsidies drained the public treasury, the BDCs benefited from them systemically delivering lower quality products than planned (<1,000 ppm). Indeed, our findings revealed sulphur levels in diesel that were on average much higher than 1,000 ppm both at the moment of import and at the pump. The price calculated by the government to subsidise the importers therefore didn’t correspond with the quality of products imported. In a totally legal manner, as they were respecting Ghana’s national standards, the importers profited from a system to the detriment of the government (public finances) and the consumers, not to mention Ghanaian health” (Public Eye, P: 79, 2016).

Money before People:

“Simply put, Swiss commodity trading companies put profits before anything else, even before the health of the population, while claiming, as Vivo does for instance in Côte d’Ivoire, that “it uses all the means and tools necessary to ensure the latest international standards of quality […] so that Ivorian consumers benefit from what is best in terms of fuel when going to a Shell petrol stations”. Our findings contravene these glossy CSR-statements. In a corporate video, Trafigura says that “Across Africa and other developing regions, our supply of affordable high-quality fuel products empowers local businesses.” Vivo Energy is the same, saying that “Our commitment to achieving and maintaining the highest international Health, Safety, Security and the Environment (HSSE) standards is at the heart of our business and is a key differentiator (…) in Africa.” Not to repeat a similar promise made by Oryx Energies, that “Our commitment (…) for Africa means that we take every precaution to minimise the potential impact our products and services may have on the environment.” Commenting on Oryx’s development in Mali, the chairman of the group, Jean Claude Gandur said: “This enables us to supply high-quality fuels (…) to an increasing number of clients.” The reality is quite different. Just to take Mali as an example, Oryx’s diesel in the land-locked country was the worst we found among 25 samples collected in 8 countries, with 380 times more sulphur than allowed by the European limit” (Public Eye, P: 126 , 2016).

oryx

We can easily see how the Swiss Corporations are earning fortunes on selling lower-quality petroleum to the African market as their loose regulation and easy market are acceptable for the degraded gasoline. This indicates how the European Corporation are doing what they can to earn monies on dangerous products that would not accept on their own shores. It’s disgraceful how these “African quality” gasoline and diesel are sold in different nations around on the African Continent.

It is not only bad for the cars and for the engines. It is harmful to the environment and the people who inhale the toxins and chemicals blends that come after the use of the gasoline. This pollution is man-made toxic blend that creates more harm than good. Still, it’s a legal product and allowed to sell without any questions. As the Governments are giving way to the Oil Companies and Holding Companies that are selling these there. This should not be acceptable.

Here is just one some samples of the bad business practices, there might be even more and worse than what the Public Eye found and what other companies do on the continent. To what extent they go to earn profits without consequences. This here proves the ability these companies have to be hazardous and be rough with nature and humanity while earning high profits on low-quality products. This should be sanctioned and stopped if it matter’s what people are inhaling and the damage it does to our bodies, secondly what these toxins do to our nature and surroundings as it might be in our food, waters and pollute our air. Certainly the initial findings prove the toxins and the ways of blending are reasons for itself to stop the manufacturing process of making it in general. Especially knowing how much better by just doing it proper and follow guidelines of European laws on gasoline and diesel would harm the environment less. The people should also not get polluted and get toxins because the corporations sell them a disgraceful product.

Last remark, when some of this by blending on ships or at facilities that produce already the European Standard gasoline or diesel, it is insulting that on the same refinery that they create worse product’s to sell leftovers to a continent; because they can and will to make as much profit as they can. This is our world and it’s not ideal, therefore we have to put a lid on it so it can change! Peace.

Reference:

Public Eye – ‘Dirty Diesel – How Swiss Traders Flood Africa with Toxic Fuels’ (September 2016, Ghana)

US: Volkswagen AG published ad hoc announcement (10.01.2017)

vw-ag-10-01-2017

CFA Open letter: “Re: Investigation of OneWest Bank, FSB” (06.01.2017)

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