05:00
ISALO RAID 17th EDITION
230 competitors from different nationalities, including Sweden, France, and the United States, as well as national runners and hikers, participated in the 17th edition of the Isalo Raid, which took place on July 13, 2024, in Ranohira. The event was held in the heart of the Isalo National Park, offering participants a unique experience through various trails, including the “Natural Pool” trail, the “Ridge” trail, the “Namaza” trail, the “Ambovo” trail, and the “Malaso” trail, allowing for a rich and diverse exploration of this natural gem in the Ihorombe region. Organized by the National Tourism Office of Madagascar (ONTM), in collaboration with the Ihorombe Regional Tourism Office (ORTI), Madagascar National Parks (MNP), and the Randomada association, the raid started with three course options: the 65 km Grand Raid, the 25 km Semi-Raid, and the 15 km Mini Raid. In the Men – 65 km category, Tsirandrana Alphonse won first place by completing the course in 5 hours, 5 minutes, and 48 seconds. In the Women’s category, Vignal Roselyne won the grand prize by completing the same course in 7 hours, 58 minutes, and 23 seconds. The award ceremony took place in the afternoon at La Grande Place in Ranohira, where the winners received their trophies.
06:00
MADAGASCAR – UN-OHRLLS
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Madagascar, Rafaravavitafika Rasata, met with Rabab Fatima, Under-Secretary-General-High Representative of the United Nations Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries (UN-OHRLLS) in New York. As a Least Developed Country, Madagascar wishes to benefit from increased support from UN-OHRLLS for the implementation of the Doha Action Plan and to join the group of Small Island Developing States (SIDS). The Minister highlighted the importance of cooperation in priority areas for 2024, such as improving the quality of education, the food storage system, and technical assistance for the preparation of national adaptation plans before COP29. Rabab Fatima assured Madagascar of full support from UN-OHRLLS for the implementation of the Doha Action Plan and confirmed the commitment to support the integration of Madagascar into the group of SIDS. This meeting promises deeper and more fruitful cooperation between Madagascar and UN-OHRLLS for the sustainable development of the country.
07:00
VANILLA
The reception of applications for accreditation for the 2024-2025 vanilla export campaign is open from July 16 to 31, 2024, solely by electronic means at the following address: agrementvanille2025@gmail.com. As part of the accreditation process, it is stated that officials from the Quality and Packaging Service and/or the Packaging Control Post of the relevant Regional Directorate will conduct visits to the storage and/or preparation locations of exporters wishing to obtain accreditation. The accreditation certificate will be issued after the publication of the list of approved exporters, as indicated by the Ministry of Industrialization and Commerce.
08:00
TENNIS
Madagascar made a strong start as it once again competes in the Davis Cup Group V for the African Zone. In the first day, yesterday, the Malagasy national tennis team prevailed 3-0 against Lesotho. Valentin Rakotondrasoa defeated Bishop Mosebi in two sets (6/1 6/1). Dylan Andrianaly also defeated Mpho Leshoele in two sets (6/4 7/5). Finally, the pair Valentin Rakotondrasoa/Antso Rakotondramanga also defeated Bishop Mosebi/Mpho Leshoele in two sets (6/3 6/0). The Davis Cup is being held in Botswana from July 17 to 20. Madagascar is in Pool C with Botswana, Lesotho, and Libya. For its second match in this competition, on Thursday, Madagascar will face Libya and aims to secure another victory. The Akomba team’s objective is to finish first in the pool to play in the play-off for promotion to Group IV against the winner of Pool B, which includes Gabon, Uganda, Seychelles, or Sudan.
09:00
SOCIAL ACTION
As every year during the winter season, the Consulate of Monaco and the STAR company distribute blankets to households in need, especially for young children and the elderly. From July 17th to 24th, 100 households spread across ten fokontany, such as Ankazomanga Tsaramasay, 3G Hangar Antohomadinika, Alarobia Amboniloha, and Analamahitsy, are expected to each receive a blanket. It should be noted that the STAR company funds the purchase of blankets for all beneficiaries, while the Consulate of Monaco and the concerned fokontany are responsible for the distribution to the families. This action has been carried out since 2019 by the two partners. Altogether, over 10,000 households with children under the age of 5 have already benefited from a blanket to keep them warm each winter season.
11:00
OCFP – ILCC
In an analysis of the Amending Finance Law 2024, the Collective of Citizens and Citizen Organizations (CCOC) notes that the budget allocated to the Public Finance Control Bodies (OCFP) and Institutions for the Fight against Corruption (ILCC) has decreased by -3.5% compared to the initial Finance Law, amounting to 27.2 billion Ariary. This amount remains insufficient to enable them to work effectively in the realization of their missions, indicates the CCOC. It should be noted that overall, the budget allocated to these organizations represents only 0.24% of the general state budget. The CCOC recommends that the Government allocate more funds to these organizations in order to strengthen their actions and act effectively in favor of good governance.
13:00
UNICEF YOUTH ADVOCATE
Fy, 15 years old, an influencer on the social network Facebook, has been appointed as the UNICEF Youth Advocate for Madagascar to voice the importance of vaccination and the fight against polio. As a Youth Advocate for vaccination, Fy will be responsible for raising public awareness about the importance of vaccination and the fight against polio, as well as advocating for vaccination activities supported by UNICEF. Through her Facebook page, she will also promote routine vaccination for children, particularly by raising public awareness about the “catch-up” initiative to reduce the number of zero-dose and under-vaccinated children.
13:32
ELECTRICITY-TOAMASINA
The technicians of Jirama, while carrying out repair work on the damaged cables in Toamasina, also found other defective cables, which is why the electricity had to be disconnected again to ensure their safety, according to the company’s officials. Despite this, part of the subscribers will be reconnected tonight, as announced earlier. The work will be accelerated and will continue until tomorrow evening to restore electricity to all users, according to the announcement.
14:00
NEW CUSTOMS DEVICES
The Malagasy Customs has new devices aimed at strengthening transparency and improving the quality of service at the borders. The E-Tariff, a platform created to simplify access to information related to the customs clearance conditions for a given commodity, the applicable tax rates and fees, as well as the simulation of customs duties to be paid. The tool is accessible on the website of the Malagasy Customs www.douanes.gov.mg. Douane MDG, an application available on Playstore and Applestore that allows travelers to make their customs declarations online in a simplified way, with just a few clicks. A physical version is also available to users. And finally, the Customs Passage Guide, a practical guide that presents the rights and obligations of travelers. It is made available to the public at Ivato airport, with airlines, travel agencies, in supermarkets, and even at gas stations.
15:00
ALLIANCE FRANÇAISE OF ANTANANARIVO
By being ranked among the best French Alliances in the world in 2023, the Alliance Française of Antananarivo once again stands out internationally. The Alliance Française of Antananarivo is indeed positioned first in terms of the number of candidates for all certifications. It is also the first Alliance in the world in terms of the number of loans at the media library, with 73,041 loans registered in 2023. It ranks second in terms of the number of French learners, with 10,538 learners in 2023. It is the 3rd most followed Alliance on Facebook in the world, the fourth in terms of hours of classes sold, and the fourth Alliance with the most views on Youtube, entering the top 10 for the first time.
16:00
PAC
The application deadline for the call for applications for positions within the Antananarivo Anti-Corruption Unit and the Mahajanga Unit has been extended until August 9, 2024. Applications submitted following the call for applications launched in May 2024 remain valid and are already being considered. Two magistrates, namely the first deputy prosecutor and the deputy prosecutor, are to be recruited at the Prosecutor’s Office of the Antananarivo Primary Anti-Corruption Unit. However, the call for applications concerns the recruitment of around thirty magistrates and court clerks who will work in both the primary and appellate courts near the Mahajanga Anti-Corruption Unit, to replace the current members of the jurisdiction, whose term ends in October next year.
17:00
UNVACCINATED CHILDREN
According to UNICEF, Madagascar is among the 20 countries in the world and the 10 African countries with the highest number of unvaccinated children, approximately one million children across all nations. Unvaccinated children are those who have not received a single dose of vaccine, making them vulnerable to preventable diseases.
