Page 30 - Nile Explorer Issue 006

• GDP PPP (purchasing power parity) is
gross domestic product converted to
international dollars using purchasing
power parity rates. An international
dollar has the same purchasing power
over GDP as a U.S. dollar has in the
United States
• GDP per capita is a measure of a coun-
try's economic output that accounts for
its number of people. It divides the
country's gross domestic product by its
total population. That makes it a good P yramid Continental is the only Five
measurement of a country's standard of star hotel in South Sudan’s capital Juba.
living. It tells you how prosperous a According to the managing director of
country feels to each of its citizens. Anseba group, Juba office, Merhawi
File Photo:Front row: Left to right: Dr. Elham M.A. Ibrahim, Commissioner for Infra- Mesfun, they build Pyramid hotel to set an
As the promoters of the Great Lakes structure & Energy, African Union; Mr. Said Djinnit, Special Envoy of the UN Secretary international standard and pave the way for
Investment and Trade Conference General to the Great Lakes Region; Mr. Ban Ki-moon, United Nations Secretary-Gener- competition of quality and excellence in
(GLITC) continue with their outreach, al; H.E. Mr. Joseph Kabila Kabange, President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan’s hospitality sector.
particularly in leading capitals of the and H.E. Mr. Manuel Domingos Vicente, Vice-President of the Republic of Angola. In an interview with The Nile Explorer
world, one such forum has caught the they model of transacting business in ever changing infrastructure landscape magazine, Merhawi said Anseba group is
attention of many. At least 140 partici- Africa, where, in many countries, they on the continent, brought about by the based in Dubai as a holding company which
pants from the private sector attended are accused of unethical dealing with Massive Belt and Road Initiative, costs deals in diversified businesses suchas
the event in Beijing organized by the governments, and accordingly encour- notwithstanding. This is besides the constructions, oil services, agriculture,
Office of the United Nations Special aging the ever ballooning public debt. renewed awaking of interest in Africa manufacturing, catering, supply and hospi-
Envoy for the Great Lakes region to Moreover, it is now standard business by western capitals, who hitherto, had tality, with general trading as its core
promote and raise awareness about the practice by the Chinese to always pack- abandoned the continent in many ways business.
forthcoming investment and trade age their bidding for projects with fund- citing corruption for their disengage-
conference in Rwanda. The Special ing from the Asian country, that are ment. China held its first China-Africa Merhawi said, ‘they established Anseba
Envoy to the Great Lake, Huang Xia, considered expensive, and structuring Summit in 2006. This has since been group of companies’ office in Juba in 2006’,
followed this with a visit to Hangzhou, there contracts in a skewed manner as followed by Japan, holding its first immediately after the signing of Compre-
and other cities in china, as part of his to the disadvantage Africans, including, summit in 2013, USA in 2014, Russia in hensive Peace Agreement, which ended the
mission to promote and raise awareness employing a large number of Chinese 2019 and UK in January this year. long and bitter civil war in the then Sudan.
about the conference. citizens on jobs that can be done by Close to 50 African presidents and Anseba group benefited tremendously
locals. Other accusation against the heads of government attended the from the ‘grace period’ of 2005-2010 when
The China Chamber of International Chinese include, these contractors Forum on China-Africa Cooperation money was in abundant in Juba. The first Managing Director of Anseba group, Juba office, Merhawi Mesfun,
Commerce (CCOIC) mobilized the sub-contracting Chinese companies (FOCAC) in Beijing this week. With the major investment of Aseba in South Sudan
participants who attended the event and importing construction material exception of eSwatini(formerly Swazi- was Juba Grand Hotel, which at its time was frightened many foreign business alongside South Sudanese in their war
mid-December along with Ambassa- from China, thereby exporting jobs. land), which remains committed to its the best in town. Anseba also established owners, Merhawi said his company was of liberation. According to Merhawi,
dors of Rwanda and the Republic of This business model by the Chinese will alliance with Taiwan, African states are general trading company, a major food never shaken, they remained in Juba Anseba group of companies in Juba is
Congo, the Charge d’affaires of Tanza- no doubt have serious ramification on all hoping to get a share of the $60 supplier in Juba up to today. In 2011 South despite challenges and even increased providing employment for South Suda-
nia and the Counsellors of the Embas- the Continent, in the coming future, as billion for development projects that Sudan became an independent state after a their investments. This he said because nese and where the local expertise is
sies of the DRC and Zambia. it is bound to create externally president Xi Jinping announced at the referendum, which resulted to separation they see a future of a prosperous South limited they offer training and technol-
This is happening in the backdrop of the controlled economies in Africa, with conference, which comes on top of of Sudan into North and South. According Sudan ahead and that Anseba chose to ogy transfer especially in areas of hospi-
growing interests of the Chinese in negative capital flows, this is besides the billions previously pledged. Chinese to Merhawi, Independence of South Sudan trust its gut in an effort to cement its tality to empower the youth of South
Africa, where they now control the threat of mortgaging major government companies also are encouraged to make also came with its blessings to businesses future in South Sudan. Mehrawai Sudan and engage them directly in their
construction industry, particularly in installation, that are said to have been at least $10 billion of investment in like Anseba group where the new govern- Mesfun being an Eritrean national, investments in Juba. He also mentioned
respect of large infrastructure projects given away by some governments as Africa through 2021. ment of South Sudan legislated policies and described South Sudan as their second their support to orphans, widows and
by governments on the conti- collateral in project funding. laws that encouraged investments and home. This is because of the close street children as part of their corporate
nent—road, dams, airports, It is instructive however, to note, that, promoted trade in the country. Despite the relations between the two peoples and social responsibilities.
harbors—name it, the Chinese is the while there are accusation against the unfortunate political crisis of 2013 and the shared history of liberation strug-
contractor of choice by African govern- Chinese, any keen observer of Africa’s 2016 which took the country back and gles for independence. Eritreans are On the current economic situation and
ment. Of concern, however has been development that, will appreciate the known to have actively supported South government’s effort to create a condu-
they model of transacting business in ever changing infrastructure landscape Sudan and directly engaged in combat cive business atmosphere, Merhawi said
The Nile Explorer 006 | 29 30 | The Nile Explorer 006
30 | The Nile Explorer 006