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Chris Devonshire-Ellis on China’s Relationship With Africa

Jun 7, 2011

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China has stepped up its foreign policy of friendship and trade with Africa this year as it seeks to further strengthen its ties throughout the continent. With President Hu Jintao having already visited Mali, Senegal, Tanzania and Mauritius, China announced a new Beijing summit of African nations aimed at actively developing a strategic China-African partnership. Chinese influence pan-Africa, unencumbered by colonial history, the politics of aid, and an understanding of how sometime dictatorial governments work, is set to rise significantly across the region

Hu?s visit, coming as it did during the shock waves of the global financial crisis, appears structured to convince African nations that China intends to be rather more than a fair-weather friend. With Africa having been apparently placed at the bottom of the pile of importance by economically battered European nations, China has been quick to assert itself in their absence. Accusations that China has cherry-picked African nations for strategic alliances appear to have been reversed. None of the four nations visited are particularly rich in resources. That means hats off to China?s foreign policy and strategy in Africa, recognizing that rather than national borders, Africa remains, despite previous colonial attempts to draw lines, largely a tribal continent. Doing business based purely on Africa?s national borders and localized mineral or resource wealth doesn?t necessarily cut it. China?s strategy of dealing with Africa carefully, but as a whole, appears to be paying dividends that the previous colonial powers just cannot match due to their inherent historical bias.

China has also uncovered a powerful windfall in its acquisition through trade of trillions of U.S. dollars. While to the West, the appreciation of the dollar has been hurting large sectors of the U.S. economy, for China, away from the prying eyes of Washington, it means both China and several other Asian countries ? such as India and Thailand ? have acquired significant purchasing power in world markets. Additionally, oil and other commodities have been at their lowest levels for several years, resulting in China finding itself in a powerful bargaining position in what has become a global buyers market to those nations who have the cash. China is signing long-term deals with many African nations for a variety of natural resources. When the global recovery comes, as one day it must, China will find itself in control of considerable portions of the world?s natural resources, including oil. Africa therefore now finds itself in the rare position of being courted by the United States, the EU and Asia; with China currently the top player.

African trade is also changing. Asia is now developing and is likely to become Africa?s largest bloc trading partner within the next decade, a complete turnaround from twenty years ago when African-Asian trade barely registered. This may represent more of a return to the norm than is generally recognized. History shows us that Africa was plugged into the ancient Silk Road, with sub-routes running from Ghana (gold) through North Africa and joining the silks and other commodities passing to and from China in the Middle East or at Istanbul. Indeed, a trip to the Silk Road Museum in Urumqi, Xinjiang a few years ago with a Kenyan friend of mine, proved the point. Dug up from the sands of the Taklimakan Desert was a medium sized pot, with quite distinctive markings. Labeled ?origin unknown? by the museum?s curators, my colleague immediately identified it as coming from a specific African coastal region, close to what is now Mombasa. The markings, he said, were quite unmistakable as being from a particular African tribe who still use the same patterns today.

Africa?s position however has altered. The phrase ?white elephant,? meaning a grand project of little use, actually originated as a direct result of European colonialism in Africa. With part of the Cold War being played out in Africa, both the West and the Soviet Union installed puppet dictators and lent money. With political support guaranteed, such a system resulted in grandiose projects that made contractors wealthy, while much of the cash went to banks, re-lending it at exorbitant rates. The prices of exported commodities were kept low, while manufactured goods became expensive. African countries became burdened with spiraling debt just as their export markets were booming.

This situation has only recently been turned around by the arrival of the Asian Tigers in Africa?s recent economic history. Exporting aggressively, and undercutting traditional, mainly European producers, Asia rapidly began to view Africa as both a large potential export market but also as a source of resources. In some cases, however, Africa still has to learn to insist on quality control measures. As China politically strengthens its position in Africa, many low-end Chinese exports are just not up to standard and the country is generating a reputation for poor quality goods. Friends of mine reference a Chinese made hammer, which after just six blows to knock a wooden peg in the ground to secure a safari camp tent, broke in several pieces ? the wooden handle cleaving in two and the metal head fracturing into pieces. I have heard recurring stories across Africa of similar incidents involving cheap Chinese products; the dumping perhaps of shoddy goods long discarded by more sophisticated markets? China still has a large number of low-level, poor quality-producing state-owned enterprises to maintain for the sake of its workers, and it wouldn?t surprise me if such products are now being sent to Africa, where corruption, a lack of QC supervision on imports, and possible political pressure allow such product entry.

Regardless, trade volumes between Africa and Asia have sky-rocketed. Exports from Africa grew annually at 15 percent from 1990 to 1995, and has reached 20 percent plus for each of the past twelve years. African trade with China alone in 2008 was US$106.84billion, up 45 percent over 2007. At present, African trade with Asia is running at about 30 percent of that which it enjoys with the EU and the United States, however, the volume of trade has grown exponentially partly due to improvements in infrastructure and the proximity of the two continents. It takes just five hours to fly from Nairobi in Kenya across the Indian Ocean to Mumbai ? the same time it takes to fly from Urumqi to Beijing.

Currently, just five African nations account for 85 percent of all Asian trade, however, with infrastructure developments and political reform occurring in Africa too, bottlenecks that have traditionally gotten in the way of such commerce are gradually ? and in several cases quickly – being removed. Asian demand for finished product from Africa is increasing, and has been growing at about 20 percent per year, particularly in textiles and apparel. African imports on the other hand include machinery and equipment, vehicles (including Indian and Chinese made motorbikes and trucks), and electronic goods and appliances. Beijing has encouraged this trade by removing or reducing tariffs on a wide variety of African imports and has signaled it may do so again to further boost trade.

China?s long arm of commerce therefore is moving steadily and strongly to Africa. It is time to take heed.

Chris Devonshire-Ellis is also a prolific writer, having written for a number of publications throughout Asia and internationally.

Originally published here.

Chris Devonshire -Ellis

Vehicle registration plates of the United States – China Pet Tracking Device – 3G GPS Tracker Manufa

Jun 1, 2011

By Mauritius Lawyer

Mauritius Lawyer Articles

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Designs and serial formats

Main article: United States license plate designs and serial formats

The appearances of plates are frequently chosen to contain symbols, colors, or slogans associated with the issuing jurisdiction. Formats for license plate numbers, which are usually alphanumeric, are designed to provide enough unique numbers for all motor vehicles a jurisdiction expects to register. For example, the small states Delaware and Rhode Island are able to use formats of 123456 and 123-456, respectively, while California uses the seven-character format 1ABC234, and several other populous states and provinces use a seven-character ABC-1234 format. Other formats include those that utilize a county-coding system or month of expiration is incorporated into the plate number as in Massachusetts, which uses the last digit, and West Virginia, which uses the first digit. New Jersey currently uses a ABC-12D format which is nearly ready to run out of numbers, so officials decided to switch to a A12-BCD format when the existing format is exhausted. Maryland, which used to have a ABC-123 format on their license plates, now has a 1AB-C23 format The District of Columbia changed a few years ago from a 123-456 format to an AB 1234 format.

Non-passenger vehicles tend to have their own special format and often have the vehicle type listed on the plate.

In the United States, many states and provinces distinguish their license plates through distinctive color schemes and logos, which historically have been changed annually. For example, the cowboy logo often associated with the state of Wyoming has appeared on that state’s license plates continuously since 1936. Some early Tennessee plates were produced in a parallelogram shape approximating that of the state.

Vermont license plates have frequently featured a green and white color scheme, while Alaska has preferred yellow and blue. Arkansas, California, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Virginia, and Wisconsin all have plain white license plates with little decoration.

Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, South Carolina,, West Virginia, and Washington, D.C. have placed the address of the state’s official or tourism web site on their general issue plates. Most plates in Washington, D.C. contain the phrase “Taxation without representation” to highlight the District’s lack of a voting representative in the United States Congress.

Issues only embossed plates. Issues only flat-screened plates. Issues embossed standard-issue plates and flat-screened personalized plates and optional types and, in some states, non-passenger types. Mostly issues embossed plates but issues one type of flat-screened optional plate. Previously issued flat-screened plates but subsequently reverted to embossed plates..

Typically, the registration number is embossed or, more rarely, impressed onto the license plate. Other identifying information, such as the name of the issuing jurisdiction and the vehicle class, can be either surface-printed or embossed; Virginia, for example, does the former for passenger cars and the latter for most non-passenger vehicles. However, it is increasingly common in the U.S. for the registration number to be surface-printed using digital printing technology. Colorado, Mississippi, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Texas, and Washington do so only for certain types of license plates, such as vanity plates and special issues; Alabama, Arizona, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Wyoming, and the District of Columbia have switched to the so-called “flat plate” technology for all their license plates. Delaware license plates have not been embossed for several decades. License plates originally were not embossed, but were merely flat plates in various forms, typically rectangular. It was found by the 1930s that they could be easily forged, and subsequently plates were embossed as the equipment to do this was not easily available to criminals wishing to create their own plates.

In 1956, the U.S. states and Canadian provinces came to an agreement with the Automobile Manufacturers Association that fixed the size for all their passenger vehicle plates at six inches in height by twelve inches in width, although these figures may vary slightly by jurisdiction.[citation needed] In North America, only Saint Pierre and Miquelon has not adopted these standards.[citation needed] (Although the Northwest Territories and Nunavut plates are cut in the shape of a polar bear, their overall size and mounting holes are compatible with those of the rest of Canada and the U.S.[citation needed]) Smaller-sized plates are used for motorcycles and, in some jurisdictions, mopeds and certain types of trailers and construction equipment.[citation needed]

Showing current registration on plates

Line for automobile license plates, Los Angeles Department of Motor Vehicles, 1940

Historically, many U.S. and Canadian plates were replaced every year, although the most common practice in modern times is to send new validation stickers to vehicle owners every year or two, to indicate that the vehicle registration is still valid.

Tags that are not up to date quickly attract the attention of law enforcement, because registration “renewal” is a transaction that can usually be undertaken only by the car’s registered owner, once certain requirements have been met, and because registration fees are a source of government revenue. A delinquent registration tag is often an indicator that the vehicle may be stolen, that the vehicle’s owner has failed to comply with the applicable law regarding emission inspection or insurance, or that the vehicle’s owner has unpaid traffic or parking tickets. Even with the tags, most states previously required that all license plates be replaced every few years; that practice is being abandoned by many states because of the expense of continually producing large numbers of plates. Maryland, for example, formerly mandated that all license plates be replaced every five years (except for apportioned trailers, which were registered on an eight-year schedule), but has not done so since 1986.

The sticker is usually placed on one corner of the plate, while the month of the year in which the plate would expire is printed in an opposing corner. Some jurisdictions combine the year and month on one sticker. In others, the plate’s validation is a decal displayed from the inside of the windshield. The color of plate stickers and windshield decals often change annually, to allow for easier detection by police.

Most validation stickers are either serialized (with the serial number recorded on the registration), or are printed by a special printer at the time of registration or renewal with the vehicle’s license plate number on them to discourage fraudulent sticker use, as the sticker will be valid only for the plate for which it was intended. In the District of Columbia, the license plate is validated with a windshield sticker that indicates the expiration date, the license plate number, the year and make of vehicle, and part of the vehicle identification number, thereby allowing easier detection of fraudulent use, as well as serving as a parking permit for neighborhood residents.

New York, Texas, and Washington, D.C. use windshield stickers exclusively, rather than plate stickers, for most vehicle classes. Connecticut switched to this method in September 2006. New Jersey required the use of plate decals for a few years, beginning with November 2000 expirations, but has not required them on passenger cars since October 1, 2004. New Jersey passenger vehicles do not display any registration information other than the license plate itself.

Pennsylvania issued validation stickers for Philadelphia residents that were displayed in the lower left corner of cars’ rear windows for a few years, ending in late 2003 with the last stickers issued bearing January 2005 expirations, due to problems with theft of stickers attached to the license plate.

In Hawaii, the case of vehicle registration dues are a heated debate between the counties. Vehicles are purchased at a discount on Oahu compared to the neighboring islands where there is usually only one dealer per vehicle make. Because the outlying counties issue plates starting with M (Maui County), K (Kauai), or H (Big Island of Hawaii), the source of the vehicle can be identified.

Life cycle

Under U.S. law,[citation needed] when a person moves to a new state, he or she is required to establish residency in the new state, which includes registering the vehicle with that new state’s government it will then issue a new plate or plates that must be attached to the vehicle. One prominent exception is active duty military service members; under federal law, they do not change their legal residence when they move to a new posting and are not obliged to re-register their vehicle with the state in which they are newly assigned. Undergraduate students attending college or university in a state other than their own are also typically exempt from transferring their registration, while graduate students are typically not exempt.[citation needed] A few states consider all students to be residents for purposes of vehicle registration. Accordingly, they must register and insure their vehicle in that state as well as obtain that state’s driver’s license.[citation needed] A few other states, such as New York, allow, although do not require, out of state students to register their vehicles in state.[citation needed]

When a vehicle is sold, the disposition of the license plates depends on state law and varies by state. In some states, license plates are transferred with the vehicle to its new owner. In other states, the license plates remain with the seller, who may, for a fee, transfer the license plates and any unused portion of the current registration to a new vehicle. Some states issue a new plate whenever the car is sold.

The various states have different schemes for reissuing license plates, a process known as “replating”. In some jurisdictions, plates are issued on a permanent basis and are not replaced unless the owner requests a new plate or that his or her existing plate be remade. These jurisdictions include California, Delaware, Massachusetts, Oklahoma, and Oregon. Other jurisdictions replate on a rolling basis, replacing a particular motorist’s plate when it reaches a certain age. Jurisdictions employing a rolling replate program include Arkansas (plates reissued every eight years), Florida (ten years), Idaho (seven years), Minnesota (seven years), Texas (seven years), and Washington (seven years due to the five-year warranty on the reflective coating). Pennsylvania recently repealed its legislation which required a replate every ten years, just in time to avoid the replate which would have been mandated by law for 2009.

Yet other jurisdictions may recall a particular series of plates for reissuance at regular or irregular intervals. This is particularly common in jurisdictions in which only one license plate series or design is valid at any given time. Optional-issue plates may or may not follow the same rules for replacement as standard-issue plates, depending on the jurisdiction.

New York, usually replaces the plates every 15 years. However in 2009 due to the states fiscal crisis, Governor Patterson has decided to replace every plate in the state with the oldest being only 8 years. This mandatory replacement comes with a $35.00 fee. Patterson has been sharply criticized for his unlegislated fundraising via the Department of Motor Vehicles.

Front/Rear Mounting

Many American states are now strictly enforcing laws that require vehicles to display two license plates (on the rear and front of the vehicle). One possible benefit of front license plates is to increase the effectiveness of red-light cameras, which work only if a vehicle can be linked back to its registered owner. Opponents of two license plates usually do not like front plates on certain sports cars and historic cars because of their visual obtrusiveness from the vehicle. (For example, a Car and Driver reader wrote in to the magazine to point out that the Mazda RX-8 looks like Bugs Bunny when so equipped.[citation needed]) They argue that they add cost to production, use resources (metal), create double the amount of waste and do not give police any extra tool in recovering stolen vehicles.[citation needed]

California is one of an increasing number of states whose law requiring a front license plate on all vehicles is being petitioned. The petitions are traditionally the result of effort put forth by motorists and car auto enthusiasts who prefer the clean, unobstructed viewing of the front fascia and grille of their vehicle and see little or no practicality in having a front plate on display. Some argue that the presence of a front license plate means unnecessary damage when mounting hardware comes into contact with the bumper of another vehicle. Others argue about whether or not the U.S. front plate interferes with the vehicle’s cooling system when mounted in the traditional location (versus, for example, a slimmer European plate). Variations on placement include displaying the front plate inside the vehicle between the dash board and front windshield, having both a state-issued and vanity plate insert on display, and having only a vanity plate insert on display. Police officers frequently cite motorists whose vehicles do not comply with California Vehicle Code section 5200, giving the offender the opportunity to correct the offense.[citation needed]

The petition , originally drafted by William Shaw, argues that not having a front plate on display does not interfere with law enforcement and states:

“Law enforcement officials might be opposed to a measure abolishing the front license plate requirement, because they might believe that losing the extra plate will make it more difficult for them to do their jobs in the best possible manner. However, in the 20 or more states that have abolished the front license plate requirement, there is no evidence of a decline in public safety as a result of the plate removal.”

In the U.S., the states of Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts (most plates issued prior to 1988 – see note below), Michigan, Mississippi, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, and West Virginia require license plates only on the rear of the vehicle.[citation needed] Some vanity and specialty plates in Arizona are issued in pairs, but only the rear plate is required to be displayed; the optional front plate is something of a bonus for paying an extra fee for the plate.[citation needed] Kansas used to issue just personalized plates in pairs with the front being optional (K.S.A. 8-132, 8-133), but as of the 2010-series only one plate will be issued.

Massachusetts is a unique case for license plate mounting. Before the introduction of the current “Spirit of America” base starting in 1986 for commercial vehicles and vanity plates and 1988 for all other vehicles, the state issued only a single green-on-white plate to be mounted on the rear bumper. With the current-issue base, two plates are issued, to be mounted on both the front and rear bumpers. Since all license plates issued since 1978 are currently valid, most passenger vehicles registered in Massachusetts display two plates, and those with the older green-on-white plates display only one.[citation needed]

Temporary/transit registrations

A temporary license plate on a motorcycle in North Carolina.

When a person buys a vehicle from a dealer, the dealer is typically authorized to issue a temporary registration to allow the buyer to drive the vehicle until the government agency in charge of vehicle registration processes the registration forms.

Similarly, when a person buys a vehicle outside his state or province of residence, he can usually obtain a “transit registration” from the authorities of the state or province where the purchase took place. This transit registration will allow the new owner to drive the vehicle and to properly register and obtain license plates for the vehicle from his state or province of residence.

The physical indicia of such temporary or transit registrations can take a variety of forms, such as:

a cardboard or lightweight plastic license plate, to be removed at the end of the temporary registration period;

a standard metal license plate with temporary validation, in which case the government agency needs to issue only a validation sticker rather than a license plate; or

a form or decal to be applied to a window of the vehicle.

Plates for various types of vehicles and groups

In the United States, there are several types of license plates that are issued to special passenger, non-passenger and non-private vehicles. Depending on the jurisdiction, such types may include:

Amateur (ham) radio

Antique vehicle

Apportioned (commercial vehicle

paying license fees to multiple states)

Auto dealer (for use on test drives)

Bus (Omnibus in New Jersey)

Classic vehicle

Colleges or Universities

Combination (vehicle used for

both commercial and personal use )

Commercial vehicle

Commuter van

Construction equipment

Dealer

Diplomat (Diplomatic plates are issued by the

U.S. State Department and not by individual states)

Disabled (Handicapped)

Exempt (Government)

Emergency vehicle

Ambulance

Emergency Medical Technician

Paramedic

Fire Trucks

Heavy rescue vehicle

Rescue squad

Farm equipment

Fertilizer truck

Fleet vehicle

Foreign organisation

Government vehicle

Hearse

Historic vehicle

Implement of husbandry

Loaner vehicle

Livery

Logging truck

Mass Transit

Medical Doctor

Military

Mobile home

Motorcycle

Olympic Games-related vehicle

Omnibus

Passenger car

Police car

Press

Press Photographer

Recreational vehicle

Repossession

School bus

Senator

Taxicab

Television station

Tow truck

Tractor

Trailer

Truck

Vehicle manufacturer

Veteran

Volunteer Ambulance Service

(VAS) <- As seen in New York State

Volunteer firefighter

Wildlife

Wrecker (tow truck)

Vanity and specialty plates

In each of the 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia, motorists are given the option of extra-cost vanity plates (also known as “personalized” or “prestige” plates), which are license plates with a custom serial (sequence of letters and/or numbers)–”vanitized” messages created by motorists. Generally, vanity plates may not contain profane or obscene messages, although standards as to what constitutes an unacceptable message vary widely among issuing jurisdictions. In California, motorists may order symbols heart, hand, plus sign, or starn one type of specialty plate. Other states, such as New Hampshire and North Carolina, also permit the use of certain punctuation symbols.

There are 9.3 million vanitized motor vehicles in the United States, according to the (2007) American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators – LCNS2ROM [LICENSE TO ROAM] Vanity License Plates Survey.

The state of Virginia offers more than 200 unique designs for license plates. A tenth of all U.S. vanity plates are in Virginia, giving it the highest concentration of vanity plates issued by a state.

In some jurisdictions, vehicle owners may also pay extra for specialty plates. With these, the plate serial is chosen by the licensing agencys with regular platesut the owners select a plate design that is different from the normal licence plate. For example, an alumnus or student of an area university might purchase a plate with the school’s logo, or an outdoorsman might decide to pay extra for a plate depicting a nature scene. A portion of the extra cost of these license plates often ends up as a donation for a related school or non-profit organization.

One example of a specialty license plate was a plate issued in 1987 by the state of Florida to commemorate the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster. Proceeds benefit the Astronauts Memorial Foundation, and funded the construction and maintenance of the Space Mirror Memorial at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Merritt Island, Florida. The current version of the plate, and the second revision since its inception, introduced in 2004, commemorates both Challenger and Columbia. It remained the most popular of all of Florida’s specialty plates until it was overtaken by a plate to support the critically endangered Florida Panther. In 2006, it was outsold by a plate for the University of Florida. Some states offer many “special interest” plates, while others offer only a few.

New Jersey offers an optional “animal friendly” license plate. The second generation of this plate was first issued in 2001 and features characters from the comic strip Mutts by Patrick McDonnell. A portion of the revenue from the plates goes to the New Jersey State Department of Health’s Animal Population Control Program. Some states where stock car racing is popular issue special NASCAR-themed plates; a NASCAR fan can purchase a plate with the name and car number of his or her favorite driver, along with the state-issued alphanumeric sequence. Here, a portion of the extra cost goes to NASCAR as compensation for licensing its trademarks. States offering NASCAR plates featuring designs for different drivers are Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and West Virginia; Florida issues one NASCAR-themed plate. Some jurisdictions allow for some or all of their specialty plates to also be vanity plates, usually for an additional fee on top of the cost of the plate.

Normally such specialty plates can be purchased without proof of any particular status or affiliation, exceptions being plates which indicate membership or abilities of use in an emergency (e.g., firefighter, police, EMT, amateur radio operator). Also, some states require that the university plates be ordered through alumni associations.

In Indiana, a pilot program allows large fleet vehicle operators to customize an Indiana license plate specific to their organization. The United Parcel Service is the first such fleet operator to take advantage of this offering. This kind of specialty plate can only be purchased by the owner of the fleet and is not considered a general issue plate.

Other specialty plates include those for motorists with specific accomplishments or backgrounds; for example, a veteran who was a prisoner of war or a Purple Heart recipient may obtain a POW or Purple Heart specialty plate, respectively, after presenting documentation of his or her status to the registrar. In many jurisdictions, there is no charge (or at least no extra charge) for such a plate, in recognition of the veteran’s service. Because specialty plates are government issued, they are required under First Amendment issues to be issued as a type to any group or organization that qualifies under the same terms as any other group to be issued a type of plate. The State of Maryland was going to revoke permission for use of the Confederate flag from a certain plate by the Sons of Confederate Veterans, but a court ruled that the only way the state could do that was to revoke permission on all specialty plates.

In addition states may provide commemorative plates as a standard issue. A number of states issued plates recognizing the U.S. Bicentennial in 1976. Several states have issued plates commemorating milestones in their own state; Tennessee commemorated its 1996 bicentennial celebration by issuing standard plates labeled “BicenTENNial” in the place of the state’s name, in 1998 Alaska celebrated the Centennial of the Klondike Gold Rush with new license plates showing prospectors on the trail to the Yukon, and Louisiana celebrated the 200th anniversary of the Louisiana Purchase in 2003. States often issue plates with their motto or slogan, such as North Carolina’s “First in Flight” and Ohio’s “Birthplace of Aviation”. These are arguably also general commemoratives. By law, all plates issued in Alabama must contain the words “Heart of Dixie” inside a small heart symbol. Over the years, due to sensitivities over the word “Dixie”, the symbol (which currently resides in white letters inside a red heart) has been shrunken to the minimum size. In protest, proponents of the “Heart of Dixie” slogan often buy third-party decals with the slogan in much larger text, placing them over the current “Stars Fell On” slogan at the top of the plates.

All U.S. states offer specialized license plates for licensed amateur radio operators, in many cases at no extra charge or at a discount compared to standard vanity plates. States offer these special plates in appreciation of the contributions to public service by radio amateurs.[citation needed] The owner’s radio call sign is used instead of a standard-issue serial. At least one state exas allows radio amateurs to have their call sign on the license plates of multiple vehicles that they own, in effect allowing more than one vehicle to share the same license plate number. Pennsylvania will also issue a second Amateur Radio plate with the callsign followed by a hyphen and the numeral 2.

Sample version of Ohio’s DUI plate mandated on DUI offenders with limited driving rights.

In New Jersey, people convicted of drunk driving are banned from using vanity plates.[citation needed] In Ohio, convicted drunk drivers are mandated to drive with special red-on-yellow license plates in exchange for limited driving privileges such as work. In Georgia and Minnesota, drunk drivers may be ordered to display a plate with a special numbering system indicating restricted driving privileges.

Low-digit plates

Delaware permits two things that have created an interesting secondary market in license plates. First, the state issues license plates with one-, two-, three-, and four-digit numbers. The governor of Delaware has license plate number 1, the lieutenant governor has number 2, and the secretary of state has number 3, but there are private owners who own some of the remaining single-digit tags. Second, owners are permitted to sell their licenses to other owners. Some of the low digit plates are made with white porcelain numbers, rather than the typical metal.[citation needed]

Under Delaware law, passenger car plate numbers lower than 89000 can be made into a reproduction porcelain plate by the Delaware Historic Plate Company, which is the only firm that offers such reproductions. The law requires proof of registration of the number being reproduced. Commercial plates lower than C9999, dealer plates lower than D9999, and motorcycle plates lower than M/C9999 can also be reproduced.[citation needed]

The prestige of low-digit plates is such that three-digit plates can now bring $50,000 and two-digit plates can bring $200,000. One expert broker has estimated that a single-digit Delaware license plate can now bring $400,000 at auction. Delaware plate number 6 was sold at auction in February 2008 for $675,000.

Rhode Island low number plate owners are allowed to pass their plate through their family.[citation needed]

Other jurisdictions also issue low-number license plates. For example, the District of Columbia reserves numbers 1 through 1250 for issuance at the discretion of the Mayor or DC Council members.

Examples of optional plates

Amateur radio (showing ITU prefix)

Animal Friendly

Choose Life

Colleges and Universities

DARE

Eagle Scout

Educator/Support Education

Environmental

Freemasonry

Historical Preservation

Medal of Honor

NASCAR

Pearl Harbor survivor

Prisoner of war

Pro-choice

Professional sports teams

Purple Heart

Rotary Club

Sons of Confederate Veterans available in limited states

Star Trek

Veteran (various wars or branch of service may be indicated)

Wildlife preservation

Professional and Governmental License Plates

License plate of Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries – Enforcement Division

Many states, such as New York and New Jersey, issue license plates to members of certain professions who require some sort of special privileges, such as parking or going behind police lines. Examples include plates for members of the press, doctors, nurses, EMTs, paramedics, volunteer firemen, judges, medical examiners, and elected officials.

In the United States, all states issue some special sort of license plate for vehicles which are owned by state and local governments, and the federal government issues plates for vehicles it owns, except for many belonging to the United States Postal Service, many of which use no plates. For the most part, the plates are similar to the regular passenger plates, except with a separate numbering sequence and/or with a message such as “government”, “official”, “state owned”, “municipal”, or “exempt” (from registration fees) replacing the slogan.

Some states use a distinctive color scheme to differentiate the plates from the regular issue. For example, in Virginia, state government license plates have a number suffixed with “S” and have a light blue background, while local government license plates have a number suffixed with “L” and have a tan background. The standard issue has a white background and a different numbering scheme. In Vermont, municipal government plates have a red background instead of the usual green background; State Police plates are green with yellow lettering instead of white, matching the color scheme of VSP patrol vehicles.

In Florida, government vehicles have a black-on-yellow scheme.

Governmental vehicles in North Carolina are issued permanent black-on-yellow (state-owned) or black-on-silver/aluminum (all other governmental) license plates.

Pennsylvania issues a white on blue (blue on white on earlier plates, some still in use) plate for state-owned vehicles (PA prefix/suffix which carry the OFFICIAL USE legend), municipal (MG prefix/suffix) and vehicles that are owned by Penn State, which carry the STATE UNIVERSITY legend. State-owned and Penn State-owned vehicles are also issued front plates, as are press photographers, however, the press photographer plates are issued on the standard base and carry a PP prefix inside a large keystone.

Government vehicles in Georgia are issued a plate in the standard design but a numbering series prefixed by “GV” and a decal on the left side of the plate indicating what type of government the plate is issued to (authority, (school) board, city, county, or state).

Georgia State Patrol vehicles have special-issue plates they are required to display on both the front and rear of the vehicle most other vehicles in Georgia only have rear plates that have an image of the GSP’s patch and the trooper’s badge number.

Most Washington State Patrol vehicles use the same format as passenger cars, with the exception that the letters are all “WSP”. For example: 123 WSP. The format “1234 SP” may also be seen on WSP vehicles but not as common. In this format only the numbers change, with the SP (State Patrol) designation remaining constant.

The District of Columbia issues special license plates to vehicles owned by the D.C. government. Vehicles belonging to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority display standard license plates appropriate to the class of vehicle, with special validation stickers. Some marked police cars are issued standard plates, but most have a special white-on-blue “Police” plate. Fire department vehicles except for fire engines are issued special white-on-red plates. Fire engines in the District of Columbia do not have license plates.

In Honolulu, Hawaii, the license plates on TheBus matches the fleet number of the bus they are assigned to, using a BUS-123 format. Similarly, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority in Boston, Massachusetts places license plates on their buses featuring the agency’s logo (a “T” inside a circle) followed by the bus number.

Michigan uses a unique “123X456″ format for municipal vehicles (including municipal transit buses, public school buses owned and operated by the school district, and police vehicles) and “123Y456″ for vehicles owned by non-profit agencies, such as church buses, buses of private schools, and chapters of the American Red Cross. Michigan State Police plates have the State Police shield on the left side, followed by a four-digit fleet number. The first two digits of this fleet number indicate the State Police post number where the vehicle is assigned. County sheriff plates follow the 12*345 format (the asterisk representing a six-pointed star), but feature a black background and white letters; the left two digits represent the number of the county in alphabetical order.

US Government Plate seen on a Chevrolet Impala.

In New York State, local police vehicles are not issued license plates. In some cases, such as New York City the fleet number of the vehicle is put on a flat license plate using heat transferred letters. In Yonkers there is a special plate that looks similar to the specialized optional plates with the Yonkers Police logo and the fleet number. Other communities in the state have a license plate that looks like the regular issue vanity plate, but with the word “POLICE” on it. New York used to indicate rental cars with the sequence beginning with “0″, but that apparently encouraged their targeting by car thieves, because it was believed the owning companies would not be as diligent in trying to find them as private owners.

Vehicles owned by a branch of the U.S. military may have a license plate issued by that branch of the military, although some utility vehicles will have no license plate at all, only an identification number applied directly to the body. The United States Postal Service adopts the same practice, especially for its delivery trucks. Vehicles owned by the U.S. General Services Administration will have plates issued by the GSA.

General registration license plates

Many states issue special plates to automobile dealers, auto repair shops, farms, and construction contractors, which are not tied to any particular vehicle. These users typically have many more vehicles on the premises than on the public streets, and it would not be practical to register and insure each individual vehicle. So, they hold a number of “floating” registrations for however many vehicles they plan to use on the public streets simultaneously. States typically have rules about who is eligible and how the plates may be used, and may impose record keeping and audit requirements.

Diplomatic license plates

Sample U.S. diplomatic license plate of the style issued until 2007.

U.S. diplomatic license plate with surface-printed serial. The first D shows it is issued to a diplomat; the second and third letters (DL) show it is issued to a diplomat from India.

Of the style issued since 2007.

Diplomatic license plates are issued by the United States Department of State to accredited diplomats. This is an exception to the general rule in the U.S. that license plates are issued by states, and not the federal government. However, prior to the 1980s, plates were issued by states, with New York (home of the United Nations) issuing the most, followed by the District of Columbia, the capital.[citation needed]

Until 2007, plates issued to cars based in the District of Columbia follow the pattern of a letter identify the status of the owner, followed by the two-letter country code, followed by a four-digit number (S LL NNNN).[citation needed] For member countries of the Organization of American States (OAS), a subset of that numbering pattern is allotted to vehicles based at those countries’ missions to the OAS. Plates issued to cars based at the United Nations in New York City are reversed, with the four-digit number first, followed by the two-letter country code, followed by the status code (NNNN LL S).[citation needed] This is because representatives of certain countries are limited to travel to certain radii from their base, and the system allows the city of assignment to be identified easily.[citation needed]

The status codes used until 2007 were “C” for Foreign Consul; “D” for Diplomat; “S” for Non-Diplomatic Staff; and “A” for a UN Secretariat employee. The rights of the driver and car under diplomatic immunity are defined by this status code.[citation needed]

The country codes are unique to each particular country, but do not correlate to ISO Country Codes or other standards format. For example in the old system used until 2007, France is “DJ” not “F” and Australia is “XZ” not “AUS”. This is to prevent the general public from targeting diplomats from particular countries.[citation needed]

In the days of the old Soviet Union, that country’s representatives were assigned plates with the country code “FC”. Popular opinion held that those letters stood for “fucking Communists” or “fuck Communism”, thanks to anti-communist State Department operative Dana Rohrabacher.

Certain U.S. states issue Honorary Consul plates to U.S. citizens who have been appointed to that ceremonial office.[citation needed] These plates do not confer diplomatic immunity and are not a part of the U.S. State Department system.[citation needed]

U.S. diplomatic plate country codes:.[citation needed]

AA = Congo

AC = Cote d’Ivoire

AE = Uzbekistan

AF = Japan

AH = Madagascar

AJ = Panama

AK = Cape Verde

AQ = Syria

AU = Uganda

AV = Israel

AX = Marshall Islands

BL = South Africa

BV = Solomon Islands

BW = World Bank

CB = Cambodia

CC = Ethiopia

CG = Marshall Islands

CK = Namibia

CM = Micronesia

CN = International Organization

CS = Afghanistan

CT = Bhutan

CU = Botswana

CV = Myanmar (Burma)

CW = Cameroon

CX = Burundi

CY = People’s Republic of China

DA = Colombia

DB = Costa Rica

DC = Cuba (UN only)

DD = Cyprus

DF = Dominican Republic

DG = Ecuador

DH = Cote d’Ivoire

DI = South Africa

DJ = France

DK = Greece

DL = India

DM = Iran (UN only)

DN = Denmark

DP = Bangladesh

DR = Slovakia

DZ = Palau

FF = Antigua & Barbuda

FG = Central African Republic

FH = Ireland

FJ = Lebanon

FK = Kenya

FL = Liberia

FM = Libya

FN = Malta

FP = Morocco

FR = Philippines

FS = Netherlands

FT = Qatar

FV = Sri Lanka

FW = Holy See

FX = Sierra Leone

FZ = Suriname

GC = Sweden

GD = Ukraine

GE = Unknown (seen in DC Jan/2010)

GG = Zambia

GN = Turkey

GP = Albania

GQ = North Korea

GX = Vanuatu

GY = Chile

HB = Tonga

HD = Argentina

HL = Saint Lucia

HM = Andorra

HN = Mongolia

HV = Belgium

HW = Guatemala

HX = Benin

HY = Guinea Bissau

HZ = Haiti

JB = Honduras

JC = Kuwait

JD = Mauritius

JF = Nigeria

JG = Portugal

JH = Somalia

JJ = Chad

JK = Turkey

JM = Yugoslavia

JP = Tunisia

JQ = Togo

JS = Slovenia

JT = Croatia

JY = Cyprus

KB = Monaco

KD = Eritrea

KG = Equatorial Guinea

KH = Hungary

KJ = Lithuania

KK = Fiji

KL = Jordan

KM = Jamaica

KN = Gabon

KP = Luxembourg

KR = Malaysia

KS = Mexico

KU = So Tom and Prncipe

KV = Saudi Arabia

KW = Seychelles

KX = Sudan

LC = Venezuela

LD = Vietnam

LG = Turkey

LH = Israel

LJ = Israel

LK = European Economic Communities

LM = Macedonia

LN = Unknown (seen in DC Jan/2010)

LR = Bosnia-Herzegovina

LW = Germany

MF = International Monetary Fund

MG = UNKNOWN

MK = Djibouti

MN = Comoros

MP = Bahamas

MW = Maldives

NA = Oman

NB = Papua New Guinea

NC = Paraguay

ND = Romania

NQ = Angola

NX = Malaysia

PA = Austria

PB = Barbados

PC = Belize

PD = United Kingdom

PF = Bolivia

PG = Belarus

PK = Norway

PL = Chile

PM = Brunei

PR = Argentina

PS = Zimbabwe

PV = Zaire

QD = Burkina Faso

QL = St. Kitts & Nevis

QM = Bulgaria

QN = Laos

QP = Latvia

QQ = Lesotho

QR = Malawi

QS = Mozambique

QT = New Zealand

QU = Nicaragua

QV = Niger

QW = Poland

QX = Pakistan

QX = Iran (DC only)

QY = Yemen

QZ = Indonesia

RB = Rwanda

RC = Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

RD = Senegal

RL = Uruguay

RV = San Marino

SF = Czech Republic

SG = Israel

ST = Dominica

TF = Algeria

TF = Iraq (DC only)

TG = Canada

TH = Egypt

TK = Liechtenstein

TL = El Salvador

TM = Iceland

TN = Nepal

TP = Mauritania

TQ = Mali

TR = Italy

TS = Iraq (UN only)

TT = Guyana

TU = Guinea

TV = Ghana

TW = Gambia

TX = Finland

TY = Grenada

TZ = Peru

UA = Bahrain

UF = Estonia

UH = Spain

UX = Trinidad & Tobago

VF = Thailand

VG = Tanzania

VH = Switzerland

VJ = Brazil

VK = Singapore

VL = Swaziland

VM = Nauru

WB = United Arab Emirates

WD = South Korea

WM = Western Samoa

WZ = United Kingdom

XA = Bangladesh

XC = Fiji

XD = Myanmar

XE = Ghana

XF = Turkey

XG = Norway

XY = UNKNOWN

XZ = Australia

YA = Armenia

YG = Georgia

YJ = Tajikistan

YK = Kazakhstan

YM = Moldova

YR = Russia

YT = Turkmenistan

YY = Kyrgyzstan

YZ = Azerbaijan

Road Map To A New Sierra Leone -Part 1

May 26, 2011

By Mauritius Lawyer

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Road Map To A New Sierra Leone -Part 1 Free Online Articles Directory Why Submit Articles? Top Authors Top Articles FAQ ABAnswers Publish Article 0 && $.browser.msie ) { var ie_version = parseInt($.browser.version); if(ie_version Login via Register Hello My Home Sign Out Email
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Home Page > News and Society > Politics > Road Map To A New Sierra Leone -Part 1 Categories AdvertisingArts & EntertainmentAutomotiveBeautyBusinessCareersComputersEducationFinanceFood and BeverageHealthHobbiesHome and FamilyHome ImprovementInternetLawMarketingNews and SocietyRelationshipsSelf ImprovementShoppingSpiritualitySports and FitnessTechnologyTravelWriting ]]> Road Map To A New Sierra Leone -Part 1 By: Syl Juxon Smith Posted: Feb 11, 2010

We have closed another political chapter by democratic means ushering a new dispensation with renewed hopes in the faces and hearts of the people of Sierra Leone. With hindsight, not many good or positive things were said or achieved in the last 12 years. But candidly strides were made in certain structures put in place by Ex President Kabbah to name a few NRA, ACA, NATCOM and SNNIT with positive vision but managed in bad faith and negative intentions by selfish and greedy individuals. There is no art in the world that can read the minds and hearts of those chosen by any leader or person for public or political offices. Ex President Kabbah was not a soothsayer to predict occurrences or events should not have taken the best of him twice he was over thrown by circumstances within his control on his watch. He has played his part and has left his mark and legacy on the footprints of time, good and bad as he is only human time will tell. No fellow country man, I repeat no one Sierra Leonean has the moral capacity to judge Dr Kabbah that use to work, sleep and make decisions with him. One can clearly see that Ex President Kabbah`s critics and venom is coming from his own very political house and people using him today what they exactly did to others yesterday as sacred cow buttressing statements in this document which is without prejudice. Why didn’t they attempt so when he was at the helm of power as President of Sierra Leone? This shows you the hypocrisy and evil embedded in our society continuing to create bad blood and ferment trouble.

The people of Sierra Leone has a lot to learn from the “Kabbah Experience”, the “Stevens Factor” and the “Momoh Legacy” if they are to progress and move forward sensibly utilizing the experiences of the past as a mirror and yard stick by which to measure their actions. A nation that does not embrace experiences in its history is dome to oblivion. History is what shapes the present and prepares the future. Sierra Leoneans must learn to move forward influenced by historical events both negative and positive rather than continuing with the same societal default patterns of behavior (the blame game) which has been the status quo since attaining independence in 1961.

I am not holding brief for anyone. My capacity to appreciate and prudent in generosity stem from my experiences under the three dispensation but more explicit in the former President Kabbah`s rule for which I have all reasons and justification to be revengeful, intellectually rude and disrespectful. My predicaments during the SLPP reign are not the single responsibility of ex President Kabbah but collective bargain with political functionaries, perpetrators and executors of a grand scheme to eliminate perceived threats in the maintenance of political power in statements made by Mr. Solomon Berewa fondly called SoloB in his word; if the APC could rule for 23yrs, the SLPP is going to rule as well for 33yrs. I am neither bitter nor vindictive for what I went through in the hands of SLPP politicians and operatives but steadfast and focused, risen above such because vengeance is not mine but for the Lord our God. Though not all the facts, including personal emotional traumas were advertised. I suffered silently, lost all my business assets and foundation built with my sweat and hard earns money in my own country. Some sympathized; many laughed and rejoiced in my calamity, misfortune and persecution by virtue of my generosity to fellow citizens by association and collaboration, many not by my volition but by divine circumstances. Friends, families, colleagues, business associates all adjusted and rationalize episodes to suit their ends to survival. Today I thank the almighty God I am still alive, better and enlighten than I was, bear no grudge and let the great architect of this universe be my judge. It is only fools that do not change, and only change people can change things.

Our new beloved President Ernest B Koroma has been very magnanimous and generous in creating a very laudable and ambitious path bringing on board all sides and shades not monopolizing incumbency but accommodative to build a better country. Again how many accepted for self aggrandizement or sincerely embracing the philosophy and vision of the president in his wisdom only time will tell. President Koroma is enjoying today what Stevens, Momoh and Kabbah did at a point in time popular consensus of the people. They were at the end, let down by the very people and system they presided over. The archives are there to substantiate. History in most times has never been kind to good men who are intern with their bones. It has always repeats itself, but we never learn by its experience. Reading about the ECOWAS indictment of Ex President Kabbah by Mohamed Wansa of all people is painful and a big disgrace to our country. This individual has been involve in many shady deals and contracts inimical to the welfare of Sierra Leone. I do not want to elaborate on this issue since it is subjudice. The very system and every Sierra Leonean are to be blamed for this unfortunate episode.

This is not any more about Ex President Kabbah but about our sovereign integrity been insulted and put to disrepute. Do you know how many Lebanese or foreign business entity can be charged to court for nefarious activities to the State of Sierra Leone? What about the Abbess Brothers case with the agricultural ministry and others swept under the carpet with blatant impunity? Do you know how many ran when they abuse the system and return when the heat is off without been indicted back into the system even doing more damage to the economy exploiting our ignorance and sentiments by hoarding and price fixing running a parallel economy thereby frustrating genuine efforts from pasts and present governments?. Just Look at the sad COMIUM mobile phone company employee SAGA. It is an irony and sadden to hear outside what some of these so called business characters who identify themselves with economic exploitation through vices are saying about our citizens and officials; government and officials wanted free mobiles and free calls for themselves and family including friends, who do you think should pay for this? It is a boomerang effect there is no free launch these days in business stated emphatically by a so called investor.

This clearly shows there are too many personal interests in the affairs of the country, too many stake holders from outside than from within the people who owns the land. The country is in a state of economical and social confusion pursuing self aggrandizement and personal retributive justice rather than national reconciliation as the barometer for positive change. The TRC report was a splendid material and its conclusion said it all. “The kind of situation the country finds itself is not in the best interest of the people and development”. Everything must be put behind the annals of history. The country must moved ahead to the next stage of rebuilding the wreckages and carnages of war by implementing the Koroma`s Peoples Plan (KPP), which should be an economic and social blueprint formula that must give birth to a national blueprint and strategy to revive the country. If we want to go by what transpired since 1997, it shows we continue living in the past, lacks the capacity to be compassionate and tolerant, still in the pursuit of political justice. The justice system including the international court is in a snail pace. Justice delayed is Justice denied period. What kind of justice do the country wants or looking for? If it continues to go down the “an eye for an eye” adage, it will finally make everyone blind to the actual truth and reality defeating the whole purpose and objective of democratization and the human right and compassionate factor of any civilized society. This kind of individual pursuits for personal justice as against the country`s overall interest must be discouraged. The greater national holistic picture and interests is the priority as now. People needs to rebuild their lives, rehabilitate their broken homes and families, jobs to survive, food, shelter, medication and education as a prerequisite for hope in the present and confidence into the future.

Read more articles Sierra Leone Democracy Requires More Than a Leadership Change! Road Map To A New Sierra Leone- Part 2 With Hindsight — The Way Forward For Sierra Leone Pull Him/her Down Syndrome And Attitudinal Change In Sierra Leone

The APC administration as leaders of the Sierra Leonean nation which many are looking up to for dynamic and clear direction on local and continental fronts would need to work hard to develop a radically robust like visionary governance as it has already been established and the political will to take certain bold initiatives which many might deem over-ambitious as demonstrated in the Presidents Vision “let there be light by 20th December 2007 and there was light”.

A short term intensive plan is needed to address the factors which have resulted in the country’s economy falling short of propelling buoyancy through past neglects. It must be remembered that at the millennium summit, governments agreed to reduce by 50% the number of people in the world living on $1 per day and by another 50% those living on $2 per day by the year 2015.

Whilst in agreement with the fact that overseas development assistance, foreign direct investment, debt relief, the setting up of anti corruption regulatory body by international assistance to recipient countries are some of the ingredients if taken sincerely and honestly can help lift growth levels per annum, it is worth noting that an innovative and visionary macro-economic framework, coupled with an urgent action plan need to be put in place to confront immediate challenges facing the nation in its programme to attain the targets of it’s national aspirations. “No people can profit by or under institutions which are not the outcome of their own character”. Maintaining a consistent strategy within the confines of it’s macro-economic framework, Sierra Leone should make job creation an urgent priority whilst actively pursuing the policy of managing inflation and also gradually lowering interest rates to reflect the lower inflation in the country, explore the possibility of reducing government expenditure in order to reduce government dependency from the international donors and IMF thereby encouraging commercial banks to lend to the private sector which ultimately will result in the lowering of lending rates and the strengthening of a viable private sector. Other crucial measures to take are, a closer monitoring of speculation on the parallel so called grey market, negotiating a free trade zone agreements to access more foreign markets, diversifying and strengthening the agricultural sector, boosting competitive exports, and informed, aggressive, strategic country image projection, publicity as well as investment promotion. The need to pursue small business investment through tourism arguing that in countries such as the united States of America and Canada, small business investors, rather than the so-called major corporations form the back bone of the economy. Investors can invest in certain facilities and essential tourist attractions.

With a high poverty and unemployment rate, the biggest challenge facing the country is obviously the development of industries and the subsequent increase in employment. A very robust and expanding economy would obviously create several avenues for generation of government revenue. Sierra Leone must look into new areas including the growth and export of spices, tuna fish, sardines and shrimps processing for export, cultivation and export of organic foods to Europe, provision of credit facilities and modern agricultural methods to farmers backed by good storage facilities, an organised marketing scheme, good access from farms to major transport routes, the introduction of Youth Agricultural Camps for major agricultural programmes which could develop into International Farm Camps, access to the huge Chinese market development of the industrial and service free zone through global research, progressive reforms of her Investment Code, aggressive marketing and investment promotion.

A free zone should be able to attract investment for the establishment of a large bunker storage facility, petroleum refinery to process crude oil from oil producing countries for supply to nations and ships within the West African sub-region, world-class gold refinery, diamond cutting and polishing, packaging material production, state-of-the-art security printing for the African market. We have Banana Island, Pepel and Bonthe Island to name just a few as viable tax free haven and free trade zones to attract international investors with very attractive and generous tax free plan to encourage rapid development.

Manufacturers can also produce in the free zone and access markets in the United States and Europe. Efforts should be made to create the right conditions to facilitate the speedy legislation and implementation of an offshore policy so that banks and investment congloromat could come in. I wondered why Sierra Leone the first institution of learning in Africa cannot rekindle such legacy develop into a centre for learning where European and American institutions of higher learning could be established like Durham and Cambridge in the colonial days. Africans as well as Arabs, who can no longer study in the West for security reasons, could study in similar institutions in Sierra Leone. A major foreign currency earner which SL has failed to explore is the training of a highly skilled labour force including tradesmen and information technology technicians for export and to support the industrial free zone development as well as technology development.

The Security agencies could also be introduced to and engaged in civil and construction works as well as agricultural activity to generate funds for those institutions to improve their lives whilst relieving the tax payer of some responsibilities. A highly organised and efficient re-export trade centre, a world-class equipment leasing service within the ports to compliment the work of the Ports and Harbour Authority would result in greater efficiency in the port, quicker turn-around time for ships, encourage more frequency of vessels, lower freight rates, more volumes of goods on the market which generates competition, larger flow of merchandise through into neighboring states, foreign capital flow/centralization through local banks and an eventual fall in prices on the market. A very serious concern to the investor community, which is the frustrating non existing one stop shop bureaucracies, the absence of a fast-track business commercial court to concentrate on and speed up business cases. The country should aspire to becoming a service support and semi-production base for other West African countries blessed with a diversity of natural resources?

On Sierra Leone’s relations with the international community, “It is a time of understanding and forging closer partnerships and not upsetting relationships”.

I believe Sierra Leone would benefit very much from forging closer ties with Ghana, Liberia, South Africa, Nigeria, The Gambia, Ivory Coast, Democratic Republic of Congo, Senegal, Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Equatorial Guinea and Niger.

I called on President Koroma and his administration to embark on short term education programmes which would prepare the nation for aggressive country publicity, investment promotion and to properly receive and constructively blend foreign direct investment to expand as well as strengthen the country’s economic base. Investment is a market and with every nation aggressively out there, grabbing its share of the market, the Sierra Leonean leadership could take the best option of creating awareness amongst the citizenry home and abroad and involving them in the process towards achieving the very crucial national development goal of having a sovereign credit rating. A sovereign credit rating provides an important baseline for investors to use in evaluating the economic environment in which they may or may not choose to make an investment. Attracting this money is not easy because countries have to compete with each other for investment against other countries in the same region and against the rest of the world. Money is a coward and will go nowhere when it is put in fear. It will fly away from corruption, bad policies and would not hang around conflicts. Neither would it want to be around political unpredictability or instability.

Investment would go where it is welcome and where the investor can be confident of return on the money they put at minimum risk. Many at time, the resources that an investor puts at risk are not only that of that particular investor, but shareholders, stockholders, average citizens across development nations who have invested in a particular company and expecting that company to make good use of the money entrusted to it. By attaining a good credit rating, the country will help reduce risk, encourage investment and give courage to capital. It is the nation’s ticket to the benefits of the global economy and to the capital flows that exits in the global economy.

Countries without ratings are more mysterious to the investor and therefore more risky. The criteria for attaining a good credit rating includes a stable society which is structured in a manner that all it’s people in society have understanding of what works for everyone and especially an adjudication process that can settle disputes about whether the law is being followed in a civil way without resorting to violence, enforceable contracts as well as minimized corruption, a fast track concept. Investors are concerned that they are going to lose their property or their liberty in society. China had such impressive figures in foreign direct investment not because they had everything perfectly in place, but they created appreciable shelters inside the country’s major development areas where there is a rule of law and enforceable contracts as well as a government that does not permit corruption in the traditional sense. White colour crime which has eaten into the recesses of a number of prospering economies, should not be permitted to deter investment in the implementation of Sierra Leone’s economic vision including an offshore banking programme like Jersey and Cayman Island. The local business community and Sierra Leoneans abroad need to be armed with the right information and tools to effectively present the nation’s opportunities to the international business community for positive reaction.

Sierra Leone should reposition and anchor on the fundamentals of improving it’s competitive and comparative advantages in it’s core competencies of diversifying it’s economic base, move from it’s heavy reliance on donor funding and import trade to a deliberate policy of export diversification and value-added manufacturing as the foundation to industrialisation anchored on the vast potentials of our agriculture, fisheries, minerals, horticultural, data-processing and other services. A new partnership needs to be created between the government and the citizenry to attain the targets of the countries dream. We need to work together to create necessary conditions so that Sierra Leone is seen once again as friendly to foreign direct investment, then we will begin to see job creation that creates the realisation of human potential as well as reduced poverty. Passionately this is the only way we can restore our sovereignty, integrity, dignity and morality to move forward.

In conclusion, I appealed to the APC administration to continue to respect human rights as it has generously shown and demonstrated, engaged seriously on repairing both political, tribal and social division within the society, exercise a true spirit of compassion and tolerance to continue to make its conduct reflect an administration which is diligently at work to make a better life for its people and one that wins new friends and investor confidence. Times have been difficult for the people everywhere, not just in Sierra Leone, but we must still have faith with the President and his government.

Despite the continued hardships they are enduring, coupled with some minor hiccups and errors here and there, Sierra Leoneans realize that PresidentKoroma is trying hard charting the right course but too sentimental and magnanimous. He needs more genuine, creative, sincere, honest and flamboyant hands on deck sooner to help him achieve his vision. Time is not his best allied. Sierra Leonean’s living abroad and in the Diaspora including friends must assist in providing foreign business links, grants for rail road rehabilitation and construction of a new airport, road construction and other infrastructure, aid to schools and hospitals, country publicity, revitalize and prioritize vocational ICT training, aggressive investment promotion and influencing positive change. In pursuit of a nation’s golden future, the collaborative, cooperative and patriotic spirit should be the pivoting force coupled with the knowledge that the advancement of a nation is made through positive change and the innovative contributions of all. We must heal as a team or die as individuals. It is therefore worthy of note that we have a shared responsibility. We should not let yesterday’s wars, tribalism, partisan politics, victimization, persecution and disappointments over-shadow tomorrow’s dreams. If Singapore, China, Taiwan, Malaysia, India, Ghana and Mauritius have been able to make it, Sierra Leone too can succeed. You may ask yourself will it work? “It must work, and it is already working”….

Syl Juxon Smith – About the Author:

Syl Juxon Smith is a Member of ASIS & WABA: Commercial Industrial Business Security Consult (Africa) CCTV SYSTEMS-ALARMS-ACCESS CONTROL SYSTEMS TENDER AND DESIGN SPECIFICATIONS HOME GROWN INTEGRATED SECURITY SOLUTIONS WITH EXPERIENCE IN AFRICA – Offering PR International Trade and Business Consult and Representation

Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/advertising-articles/road-map-to-a-new-sierra-leone-part-1-1848132.html

]]> Increase your traffic today just by submitting articles with us, click here to get started. Liked this article? Click here to publish it on your website or blog, it’s free and easy! Rate this Article 1 2 3 4 5 vote(s) 0 vote(s) Feedback Print 0) { ch_selected = Math.floor(Math.random()*ch_queries.length); if(ch_selected == ch_queries.length) ch_selected–; ch_query = ch_queries[ch_selected]; } }catch(e){ ch_query = document.title; } ]]> Article Tags: sierra leone, politics, business, pull him down, economy Latest Politics Articles More from Syl Juxon Smith Children Crying, Children Dying: The Shame of Texas

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Our physical world is an illusion, a temporary residence, and not true reality. Yes, life is but a dream. Our world of morning tea and coffee, and evening rush hour traffic jams, fighting and killing others for power and riches is just one of many dream worlds and dimensions that separate us from the ultimate reality of our higher consciousness.

By: Syl Juxon Smith Spirituality > Meditation May 07, 2011 With hindsight in reflection – my tribute @50

OUR SIERRA LEONE AND WHO’S INDEPENDENCE @50 “A Golden Jubilee @50 is the treasure from the past lost but has now been found in our renewed hopes as we demonstrate in collaboration a true spirit of unity and nationalism. To see a new and blessed country in prosperity, politicians, civic and civil leaders including ourselves in various facets of our society that makes up the aggregate should eschew rivalry, envy and jealousy, work together for a positive way forward.

By: Syl Juxon Smith News and Society > Politics Apr 26, 2011 How are the Mighty Fallen – “not learning from the experiences of the past”

I t is men and women who makes history, history always repeats itself, but we never learn by its experiences. We are with the false sense of reality and illusion that it will never happen to you and me. But it will, if we go down the same path in our past.

By: Syl Juxon Smith News and Society > Politics Feb 21, 2011 OUR LIVES IS AN EQUATION AND WE ARE ALL SOCIAL SCIENTISTS IN MODERN SOCIETY

THANK “GOD” FOR WHO AND WHAT YOU ARE: “Man Without Feet”-There once was a man who complained of having no shoes — until he met another man with no feet. Think twice before you complain today. Someone always has it worse off than you. Time to Live your life no time to waste. You never know how much time you have in this life-time. Make sure you live every day as if it were your last. GOD ALMIGHTY IS ALWAYS IN CONTROL.

By: Syl Juxon Smith Self Improvement > Motivational Jan 12, 2011 “POLARISATION” OF RELIGION, POLITICS AND ETHNICITY IN AFRICA

Our Politics is deteriorating so rapidly into extreme violence bordering on religion, ethnicity and boundaries provoking internal unrest which is not healthy for our DEMOCRACY. Is our crop of POLITICIANS losing grip and control over the people they govern or a “CHANGE” is what is influencing the level of instability in the region? We are already at WAR with ourselves SADLY. What type of intervention do we need to address the predicaments?

By: Syl Juxon Smith News and Society > Politics Jan 10, 2011 Comments on this article [0] Add new Comment Related Videos Halo 3 Glitches – Riding The Phantom Out Of Sierra 117 Halo 3 Campaign Walkthrough – Sierra 117 part 2 Halo 3 Campaign Walkthrough – Sierra 117 part 1 Ask a question Ask our experts your Politics related questions here…

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