FLOUR
In the face of consumer discontent regarding the exorbitant prices of certain essential products, the Ministry of Industrialization and Trade assures that the price of locally produced flour will not increase and will not exceed 3,500 ariary per kilogram. This price is much lower than that of imported flour, as a fifty-kilogram bag of flour costs 145,000 ariary at local factories, while the price of an imported flour bag can reach up to 200,000 ariary. The Director of Internal Trade emphasizes the predominance of local flour in the market. According to him, this year’s production of local flour is estimated at 175,000 tons, which covers 75% of local needs and eliminates any risk of shortage.
Date: 10/07/2024 05:00
PUBLIC PROCUREMENT
The Ministry of Economy and Finance plans to revise the law on public procurement in Madagascar, involving the private sector, the state’s primary partner in public procurement, and civil society, an important observer for better governance.
Date: 10/07/2024 06:00
TALENT DEVELOPMENT SCHEME
The final identification of young Malagasy talents aged 13 and 14 as part of the Talent Development Scheme (TDS), a FIFA program dedicated to identifying and developing young football talents, will take place from July 10th to 20th, 2024 in Ambanja, Majunga, Tamatave, Antananarivo, Antsirabe, Fianarantsoa, and Tulear. This crucial stage of the program will bring together 180 promising young players who have been identified during regional trials conducted since March 2024. Of these 180 young players, the top 25 will be selected from each of the three zones (north, south, and center). This regional selection will take place in September 2024. The selected young talents will receive intensive and specialized training to prepare them for a professional career. The top 25 players from the three zones will then join the national academy in Carion, where they will receive high-level training led by a FIFA coach. This training aims to maximize their potential and prepare them for a career at the highest level of international football.
Date: 10/07/2024 07:00
ANTANANARIVO-TOAMASINA HIGHWAY
The execution of the construction works for the Antananarivo-Toamasina highway by the Samcrete Company is subject to updates regarding the initial studies, taking into account social and environmental risks. Indeed, the environmental specifications attached to the project’s environmental permit order changes in the route, including passing through the hills of Ambohimanga and Anjozorobe Angavo, which are part of the firm section of 80km connecting Antananarivo and Anjozorobe. Moreover, the route for phases 2 and 3 of the project, between Anjozorobe and Toamasina, is not yet final, but plans have already been established by the Ministry of Public Works and the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development (MEDD), in consultation with WWF, in order to avoid the highway passing through Zahamena. The Ministry of Public Works emphasizes that the project’s implementation carefully takes into account environmental protection in accordance with the MECIE decree and respects all recommendations from the National Office of the Environment, the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development (MEDD), the Ministry of Communication and Culture (MCC), or the Ministry of Population. The creation of a Steering Committee composed of several entities and stakeholders, including the Presidency of the Republic, several ministerial departments, as well as two Protected Areas managers (FANAMBY and CAZ), is being envisaged to ensure the smooth progress of the project, taking into account environmental and social aspects, it states.
Date: 10/07/2024 08:00
3X3 PRISTINA CHALLENGER 2024
Basketball players Fiary Rakotonirina, Elly Randriamampionona, Arnol Solondrainy, and Livio Ratianarivo will represent Madagascar in the Pristina 3×3 Challenger international circuit in Kosovo on July 20th and 21st. They will form the “Antananarivo” team. They qualified for this tournament following their performance at the 3×3 Runball in Reunion at the end of June, where they finished second, behind the French Olympic team. It is worth noting that this Pristina Challenger tournament is a qualifying competition for the 3×3 World Tour Masters to be held in Wuxi, China in October.
Date: 10/07/2024 09:00
ELECTRICITY-RIA
The production and distribution of electricity in Antananarivo and its surroundings will return to normal within two days, announced Jirama. The ship carrying heavy fuel oil to supply the thermal power plants of the Antananarivo Interconnected Network has indeed docked at the port of Toamasina today; however, the transportation, as well as the various necessary stages before the use of heavy fuel oil, will take some time. In the meantime, rotational power cuts on the RIA will remain in effect.
Date: 10/07/2024 10:00
EDUCATION
As a new government is expected soon, around ten civil society organizations grouped within the Strategic Alliance for Education have sent an open letter to the President of the Republic to provide guidance in the selection of the next ministers responsible for education and thus ensure that the right person is placed in the right position. In this letter, the CSOs highlighted the various issues hindering the education system in Madagascar. They believe that in addition to meeting high standards of integrity, the future ministers in charge of education must also be able to understand the challenges of education and face them with determination and competence. According to the CSOs, the commitments of the state should also be respected, especially the implementation of the Malagasy Educational System Orientation Law or LOSEM, which states that quality education and training are an absolute national priority.
Date: 10/07/2024 11:00
DEBTS-JIRAMA
The total debts of Jirama to fuel and energy suppliers currently amount to 1,500 billion Ariary. Jirama will make an effort to gradually settle 120 billion Ariary of debts owed to small suppliers, stated today the Director-General of the Company, Ron Weiss. Negotiations in this regard are currently underway. Proposals for settling Jirama’s debts have also been submitted to the State, which will make the relevant decisions.
Date: 10/07/2024 12:00
TANA-TOAMASINA HIGHWAY PROJECT
According to Transparency International Initiative Madagascar, the proposed route of the Antananarivo-Toamasina highway project, in its current design, would impact 195 hectares of rivers and cultivated lands, 559 hectares of agroforestry, and 69 watercourses. The project directly threatens the Anjozrobe Angavo New Protected Area and the Ankeniheny Zahamena Corridor Nature Reserve, warns the association. In the long run, the highway also risks the destruction of kilometers of forest, considering that worldwide, 95% of forest destruction occurs within 50km of a road. Therefore, it demands the suspension of the current project and a strategic and open reflection on viable alternatives. It also calls for the respect of standards regarding the conduct of major infrastructure projects, including consultations, transparency, including financial transparency, and comprehensive analysis of social and environmental risks. Transparency International Madagascar has not failed to alert about the project’s financing. According to the available information, $920 million will be allocated to this project, with 20% covered by the Malagasy government, which amounts to $184 million. The origin of this amount is unknown to the public, as well as the potential project donors who will finance the remaining 80%, which amounts to $736 million.
Date: 10/07/2024 13:00
UNICEF IN MADAGASCAR
The cooperation between UNICEF and Madagascar was discussed during meetings conducted last week by the UNICEF Board with government partners, including key ministries such as Foreign Affairs, Health, Education, Population, Justice, and Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene. Therefore, key initiatives such as vaccination to ensure the health and safety of children, and the strengthening of efforts to ensure access to essential services for every Malagasy child, such as clean water, hygiene services, etc., will be maintained. For education, UNICEF and its partners, such as the Global Partnership for Education, are intensifying their efforts to address the learning crisis in Madagascar and support the government, particularly during this African Year of Education.
Date: 10/07/2024 14:00
AIR TRAFFIC
In May 2024, more than 93,000 passengers were transported, with 51% on the regional network, 27% on the domestic network, and 22% on long-haul flights, reports the Civil Aviation of Madagascar. Passenger traffic is experiencing a growing trend and shows a 9-point increase since the beginning of the Summer IATA 2024 season, according to the ACM. A 12-point increase is noted compared to the previous year. Furthermore, with a marginal difference of one point, the achievements of 2019 have been reached at 99%. Regarding the evolution of available seats, a slight increase of 3% is noted compared to April 2024, and a 13-point increase is recorded compared to the previous year. However, the availability of available seats over the past twelve months has not been met and shows a 22% difference compared to the same period in 2018/2019. Compared to the previous month, the load factor has increased by 4 points to reach 65%. This load factor is 13 points higher than that of 2019 for the same month.
Date: 07/10/2024 15:00
NTSAY GOVERNMENT
President Andry Rajoelina has signed today the decree accepting the resignation of the Government Christian Ntsay. During today’s Council of Ministers, the Prime Minister indeed presented his resignation as well as that of his government. Join our WhatsApp channel: https://bit.ly/3Ua8fMQ
Date: 07/10/2024 15:52
FAPBM
The evolution of financing from the Foundation for Protected Areas and Biodiversity of Madagascar (FAPBM) has had a significant impact on the quality of life of local populations. It is indicated that 13.5 million individuals living in the peripheral areas of the protected areas financed by the Foundation were able to benefit from the ecosystem services derived from these sites in 2023, which is triple the number of individuals affected in the previous year (4.2 million in 2022). By the end of 2023, FAPBM’s funding for protected areas amounted to approximately 22.6 billion Ariary, allowing it to support an additional 16 protected areas and bringing the total number of funded protected areas in 2023 to 64, covering a total protected area of 5.3 million hectares. This year, 70 protected areas of the Madagascar Protected Areas System (SAPM) benefit from the annual subsidies from FAPBM. The funding amounts to 25 billion MGA, approximately 5 million USD, covering nearly 6 million hectares, or 85% of the total SAPM area.
Date: 07/10/2024 16:00
JIRAMA
The General Manager of Jirama, Ron Weis, proposes a recovery plan for the Malagasy State for the national electricity and water distribution company. This plan involves the establishment of a new structure within Jirama, including Coordinators for each sector of activity (Electricity Production and Distribution, Water Production and Projects, Fuels, Finance, etc.). According to Ron Weis’ assessment, most of the electricity and water infrastructure in Madagascar is old, dating back 60 or even 118 years, but still operational. The General Manager of the national electricity and water distribution company indicated that many projects are being implemented in collaboration with Technical and Financial Partners, including the World Bank, which has provided funding of 5.5 million euros for emergency works in the Electricity Sector, such as improving electrical distribution equipment, purchasing spare parts, etc. The “LEAD Tana Ring” project is also underway, aiming to improve substations such as the Tana-Sud one. The Water Sector also benefits from a funding of 10 million euros. The recovery plan for this sector includes, among other things, the construction of new pumping stations and the replacement of water distribution pipes. The problem related to water supply exists almost everywhere in the country, with the highlands being the most affected.
Date: 10/07/2024 17:00
