05:00
EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND
Mamy Haja Ndriantsoa Ralaimamoa, a deaf student enrolled in the University of Ankatso in a Master’s program in Management with a specialization in Organizational Management and Strategy, achieved the grade of “Très Bien” (Very Good) for his thesis on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) as a source of well-being at work. His academic journey has been marked by obstacles related to his disability, but he has successfully overcome them with his rigorous organization and unwavering determination. In addition to his studies, he has dedicated time to volunteer associations, which has strengthened his commitment to social and ethical values. His experience proves that it is possible to succeed brilliantly despite a hearing impairment by setting clear goals and having confidence in one’s abilities.
06:11
COI
Edgard Razafindravahy, Minister of Industry and Trade, has been unanimously elected by the member countries of the Indian Ocean Commission (COI) as Secretary-General of the organization. His candidacy was proposed yesterday by Rafaravavitafika Rasata, Minister of Foreign Affairs, during an extraordinary session of the Commission’s Council of Ministers, which was focused on the election of the COI Secretary-General. In his speech, Edgard Razafindravahy expressed his willingness to continue the projects initiated by his predecessor and to work in the service of all member states of the COI.
07:00
ARTISANAT
The Minister of Tourism and Handicrafts, Joël Randriamandranto, inaugurated yesterday a zebu horn purchasing center in Imerintsiatosika to meet the needs of horn artisans in the Itasy region. This initiative aims to provide high-quality raw materials at affordable prices, in line with one of the ministry’s priority areas. The center also includes an exhibition and sales space for finished products, as well as a showroom for tourists on the RN1, as part of the “Artisan Route” project. A portion of the proceeds will be allocated to a special fund managed by CENAM for the training of horn artisans. Similar purchasing centers for zebu horns and other raw materials will soon be inaugurated in other cities, based on needs identified through mapping conducted by the ministry.
08:00
BOULEVARD RATSIMILAHO
According to the Ministry of Public Works (MTP), the asphalting works of a part of Boulevard Ratsimilaho, measuring 1.6km, will be completed tomorrow, July 17. The works will then continue with ground marking along the boulevard. Furthermore, the company SMATP is preparing the installation of streetlights on the sidewalks, it is indicated.
09:00
TI-MG
During the RSE and IDD 2024 Exhibition, Transparency International – Initiative Madagascar (TI-MG) presented its AntiCorruption Business Club (ABC) initiative to private sector stakeholders. The initiative aims to involve businesses in the fight against corruption and promote environmental preservation. Additionally, during a thematic conference on “Corporate Social Responsibility or Environmental/Social Claims: Differentiating the facts from the fiction,” the head of the ABC, Tojo Andrianirina, emphasized the importance of ethical practices in the actions of the private sector.
10:00
JIRAMA RECOVERY PLAN
Two months after taking office, the General Director of JIRAMA, Roon Weiss, unveiled the company’s recovery plan, which consists of three aspects: management, technical, and financial. During a press conference attended by consumer rights organizations, he stressed that the implementation of this plan will require time, cooperation, and approval from the Government, as well as significant investments. He also stated that a financial recovery plan has already been submitted to the Government for approval and implementation.
11:00
AFRICAN MINIBASKET FORUM 2024
During the official opening ceremony of the African Minibasket Forum 2024 held yesterday in Mahamasina, Jean Michel Ramaroson, President of the FIBA Development Commission, highlighted the importance of the quality of technical support for children in the development of minibasket. The Malagasy Basketball Federation (FMBB) expressed its intention to develop minibasket in regional leagues and called on technical supervisors and coaches to collaborate. The event aims to promote the concept of Minibasket, which includes the education and personal development of children under the age of 12.
12:00
AVIATION
The Civil Aviation of Madagascar (ACM) has revealed the list of licensed airlines authorized to operate commercial flights. Thus, the authorized airlines for commercial flights in Madagascar are Madagascar Airlines, Trans Ocean Airways, Madagascar Trans Air, Sky Services, GS Aviation, and HFF Travel Airways.
12:00
QUALITY OF THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM
While teachers are a critical resource that determines the quality of an educational system, Madagascar faces quantitative and qualitative insufficiency of teachers, resulting in significant disparities in class sizes and learning conditions. The student-teacher ratio across all categories is reported to be 33 to 1. However, when considering only qualified teachers, the ratio of students to qualified teachers increases to 161 to 1. Moreover, these statistics vary greatly between regions and between rural and urban areas. It is known that some less advantaged rural areas struggle to attract qualified teachers. Christine Jaulmes, UNICEF Representative in Madagascar, emphasizes that appropriate incentive measures are necessary to reverse this trend. Above all, it is urgent to invest in the training of a sufficient number of qualified teachers. Indeed, while the recruitment of community teachers (or FRAM – Fikambanan’ny ray aman-drenin’ny mpianatra) has helped address the shortage of teachers in response to the growing needs of the population, it is observed that the majority of primary school teachers do not have a pedagogical diploma, which negatively impacts the quality of education.
12:00
SANITARY SAFETY
As the Malagasy markets are currently saturated with food products containing various additives such as preservatives, sweeteners, artificial colors, and flavor enhancers, the Ministry of Public Health, with the support of its partners, is committed to protecting the health of consumers by ensuring that all consumed, distributed, and marketed foods comply with national and international safety and hygiene standards. In this context, it has launched a project aimed at strengthening food safety in Madagascar. This project, under the supervision of the Agency for the Control of Food Safety and Quality (ACSQDA), aims to train and equip technical teams to carry out rigorous and precise controls of food additives in accordance with current standards. It also plans to equip laboratories with modern and high-precision equipment necessary to perform the necessary analyses.
13:00
PFJ 10th EDITION
Lalaina Amaralda Imitsinjolavitra was elected Vice-President of the Education, Culture and Communication Commission, while Jaspierre Toavina John Solofohanitra was elected Rapporteur of the Parliamentary Affairs Commission during the 10th edition of the Francophone Youth Parliament (PFJ) in Montreal. They represented Madagascar among over 80 Francophone youth from around the world. The participants were divided into 4 commissions to discuss various topics.
14:00
COUR DES COMPTES
The Court of Auditors of Madagascar recently received a visit from Magdalena Cordero, an experienced information technology consultant, to finalize its strategic plan and information technology master plan. This mission allowed to focus on the actual needs of users and to strengthen the IT governance of the institution. Project management and change management training was also provided to the auditors of the Court of Auditors and the Financial Tribunal of Antananarivo to ensure a smooth transition and harmonious adoption of new initiatives. Supported by USAID Madagascar and the Intosai Development Initiative (IDI), this training aims to ensure the success of the Court of Auditors by combining technical expertise, strong IT governance, and demonstrated human sensitivity.
15:00
ANTI-LOCUST FIGHT
As part of the fight against locust invasions, an area of 1500 hectares was treated by aerial spraying, and 150 hectares by ground spraying between July 6 and 11, 2024 according to information released by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock. As a reminder, a helicopter is made available to the MINAE to treat an area of 6,000 hectares for 15 to 20 days, considering that some infested areas are inaccessible by land. This aerial fight mainly targets the Menabe and Amoron’i Mania regions and will use approximately 6000 liters of pesticide, thanks to the financial support of the DEFIS program. In total, an area of over 30,000 hectares has been treated so far, but swarms persist in several regions including Menabe, Haute Matsiatra, Amoron’i Mania, Atsimo Andrefana, and Ihorombe, as indicated by the MINAE.
15:05
TPC ANTANANARIVO
The State is currently setting up the operating structure of TPC Antananarivo, which will be responsible for the management and maintenance of all infrastructure. Following an international expression of interest launched in November 2023 by the Ministry of New Towns and Housing, two proposals received from interested candidate groups are currently being evaluated. Since TPC is a presidential project, the evaluation report will be submitted to the President of the Republic for a final decision on the choice of partner. According to the explanations from the Ministry, in addition to technical experience and expertise, the partner must be reliable, provide quality service, and have an operational and financial strategy that meets the requirements of the national party. It should be noted that the first circulation tests of the vehicle of the orange line were successful. In addition, work on vehicles 2 and 3 is currently underway and scheduled to be completed at the beginning of 2025.
16:00
REHABILITATION RN4
A delegation from the World Bank and the Ministry of Public Works came to inspect the rehabilitation of the RN4, between Mahajanga and Ampasimbe Bridge (PK 387). The related works have been completed and meet the satisfaction of both the donor and the Malagasy side. It is worth noting that this project was financed by the World Bank under the Contingent Emergency Response Component (CERC1). Works under CERC2 are expected to start soon.
17:00
AIR QUALITY
For the next three days, the meteorological conditions could become favorable for the accumulation of pollutants in Antananarivo, and the air quality could gradually become unhealthy for sensitive individuals.
