Africa, the United States, and the African Growth and Opportunity Act

According to the World Bank and the CIA, six of the world’s fastest growing economies are in Africa. The future of many African nations looks bright with economic growth expected to continue to be generally robust for the medium term (next 3 to 6 years).

In fact, a forecast by The Economist and IMF for 2011-2015 for African countries shows them pulling ahead of Asian countries in terms of growth in Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

One reason for this optimism is The African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which was initially signed in 2000, and renewed by the United States (U.S.) Congress 2 months ago for a ten-year term. It offers, on the surface at least, tremendous opportunities to African nations for trade expansion with the U.S.

Editor's Comment
DIS must correct costly stalemate

More than P8.1 million has already been spent, yet there appears to be no lasting solution in sight. This is not simply a dispute between the DIS and a group of officers. It is a matter of public accountability. Every pula spent by government comes from taxpayers who expect public funds to be used wisely and responsibly, especially during economic hardships faced by many.The officers exercised their constitutional right to seek justice through...

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