Letters: Reports of Gabon being in ICU greatly exaggerated!

I READ WITH great interest your special report on the 2011 Africa Leadership Scorecard and would like to congratulate NMG for this innovative initiative.

However, your report struck me for two reasons. The West African leaders are predominantly ranked amongst the “bad students” in this year’s scorecard. I wonder whether this might be due to challenges in accessing the same level of in-depth information on these countries as you have for the East African countries?

Allow me to focus on my country and its leader, Ali Bongo Ondimba. The publication diagnosed him as headed for the “ICU”, though I can reassure you that he’s alive and kicking, as our country is progressing rapidly (5.5 per cent GDP growth for the past two years). President Ali Bongo Ondimba has been democratically elected, in an election considered by international observers to be free and fair, and he has neither extended nor broken any term limit since then as per your criteria.

With around $5 billion of FDI in the past two years coming from non-traditional trade and investment partners, Gabon has also created progressive policies for the development of infrastructure and the delivery of key services to its citizens. The hosting of the Africa Cup of Nations has also inspired my country to fast-track necessary infrastructure development in order to enable us to offer our African brothers and sisters a world-class welcome and international standard facilities.

President Ali Bongo Ondimba has built his vision for Gabon’s growth on the premise that reconciling environment protection and socio-economic development is critical if our development is to be sustainable and equitable. With 85 per cent of our territory covered by forest, we have managed to cap the rate of deforestation at just 0.01 per cent.

During COP17 in Durban, while many African countries were complaining about lack of funding from our development partners, President Ali Bongo Ondimba launched our Climate Plan, ensuring that our development path will be sustainable and presented our national achievement, as per his commitment in Copenhagen. President Bongo Ondimba has also partnered with reputed Singaporean firm, Olam, to open a Special Economic Zone dedicated to the timber industry, thus creating investment and employment opportunities while ensuring we add value locally to our natural resources.

I believe these innovative solutions could inspire other African nations and these are ideas that could be replicated across the continent. If Gabon has so much to offer in terms of leadership, perhaps the ICU diagnosis needs re-considering?

Igor Simard
Advisor to President Ali Bongo Ondimba of Gabon

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There’s no misuse of Global Fund in Rwanda

Reference is made to an article published in The EastAfrican of February 6-12, 2012 titled, “Africa needs $4b to bridge Global Fund shortfall.”

The writer quotes an audit report that says significant amounts of grant funds in Rwanda have been tied up to pay value added tax (VAT) even as grant agreements provided for tax exemption.

This, according to the story, constitutes “misuse” of Global Fund resources on the side of Rwanda. I would wish to state on record that this is not correct.

Whereas goods and services in Rwanda are by law obliged to pay taxes, including VAT, the government has always made VAT refunds for goods and services paid for using Global Fund resources.

For example, from 2009 to date, the total VAT amount that is supposed to be recovered is $2.7 millions of which $1.9 million (72 per cent) has been recovered. The remaining portion is being processed and will be refunded into Global Funds accounts at the end of this quarter.