Sunday, 08 November 2009
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South Africa Moves Forward Frank's Fiji has missed the Boat
"The United States cannot lead by the example of our power so much as by the power of our example".
These were the words of the U.S. Secretary of State Hilary Clinton at an IDC Business meet in South Africa recently.
Our task in the 21st century is to work for ways to expand shared prosperity, to recognize that talent is universally distributed, but opportunity is not.
And too often, the opportunity has been undermined by poor governance and poor leadership and by a shortsighted approach in both the public and the private sectors.
I think there are a couple of things that we should look at - three areas in particular, though, that I want to mention today:
1. Trade and Regional Integration,
2. New technology and
3. The Promotion of conditions that leads to a more favorable business climate, from good governance to women's economic empowerment.
The United States represents a market of about 320-330 million people.
There are 6,999 products that can be exported duty free from our African partners into our market.
A relatively small percentage of those, however, are utilized for export.
Africa is a rich continent, the gods must have been on our side when they created the planet, and yet we are poor.
I want to commend South Africa for promoting conditions necessary for businesses to succeed and people to thrive - both through the moral leadership and the smart policies and the strength of the private sector have been exhibited.
Improving governance across Africa is one of the most important challenges we face.
It is a simple fact that investors are not attracted to states with failed or weak leadership, crime and civil unrest or corruption that taints every transaction and decision.
Frank you really need to pull up your socks son and get off the stage, so that a Democratic Government can govern and achieve "what really matters" to the people.
If we wait for you and your Islamic Terrorist Lawyers to figure out by trial and error your way out of being prosecuted, then Fiji and her people will miss the boat and you will surely be eating mud from the base of your mango tree.
You can remain the Commander of what we will call the Correctional Agricultural Services and more specifically the organic cassava division.
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