Page 170 - The Circle of Life

Further you pay whatever tax you need to pay and make sure you have one of

the four big auditing firms acting for you even if they are more expensive. They
are really good at this type of thing and known to you already. They also have
international acceptable standards. We have very little trust in local auditing

firms (excluding the South African ones).

The same with you bank. Choose the one you know from previous experience. In
Africa we always refer clients to Citi Bank and no, they don’t pay us any

commission and we hold no accounts with them. We simply dealt with them
enough to know their value. If not them one of the big South African banks will

do though I will not recommend any of them.

You must (not perhaps) refuse flatly to pay bribes despite the pressure on you to
do so. It is the only way and after a while the pressure on you will stop for the

bribe-takers will realise there are easier pray around than you. The moment you
pay one bribe the rest will come running for their share as they talk to each

other. I saw it many times before. Threaten them with exposure and indeed
expose them. That will stop their nonsense. This includes when at a roadblock

and the Police want a cold drink or whatever. Don’t pay union officials for that
are fatal in the long run. The culture of paying bribes is bad for business for it

creates injustice and can only be stopped by flatly refusing.

Further ensure a backup plan for your computer systems so that you can carry

on with business from your house meaning the crucial correspondence etc until

your lawyers can sort the mess. At the end of this book you will find an
attachment called Pre-Deployment Nigeria which will give you more details on
the subject. It is valid for all African nations.

Your contracts must be up to date and controlled by a good contract manager

and register. You must know for instance when to renew or to give notice on
hired property for the landlords will not accept any deviation. It causes immense

legal fees to do otherwise. They will also try their very best to take your deposit
against damages with false claims. Thus we advise you to take pictures and

videos before you move in and when you move out. This must be kept safe
somewhere.

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