What they don't tell you about AGOA
Date of publication: August 6, 2009
Source: Pambazuka News
Author: Steve Ouma Akoth
The last two weeks have seen a flurry of activities and media briefings as a preface to the 8th African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) forum in Nairobi from 4-6 August 2009. For a country struggling to overcome the ugly 2007 post-elections upheavals, nothing less would have been expected than the current zeal from the government, individual companies and their associations. As usual, the trade unions are nowhere to be seen in this prefacing. To facilitate benefitting from AGOA, the Apparel and Textile Manufacturers Association has even gone to the extent of asking for more concessions, like a reduction of the price of electricity for corporations and tax waivers...