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April, 2016

April 6, 2016

Program lunched.

1. The leader of the “New Departure”, President Patrice TALON of Benin Republic announces new guidelines for Benin development in an inaugural speech.

The guidelines contains key essential parameters for a sustained development equation, including:

1. The initiation of a knowledge council that will promote innovation
2. Empowering the private sector
3. Improvement of the country; s competitiveness through a merit based award system
4. Elimination of corruption
5. The use of all securities forces of the country toward fighting terrorism and securing the people, an essential requirement for any society seeking a sustained development
6. A new consciousness that will reward good behaviour and punish violations of established rules
7. Empowering local government at community level.
8. Here, we analyse the Benin “New Departure” reforms for for potential impact on the country’s long term development in light of proven global development concepts that have demonstrated positive transformational changes toward a sustained long term development in developing countries: The United States Millennium Challenge Corporation (US MCC) and the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (UN MDG) now Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDG).

9. We will then discuss the Benin “New Departure” guiding principles for consumption capabilities of new technologies and for potential to promote technological innovation as a driving force for socio economic change.

   Work in the Biotech tropicana Systems is guided by the US MCC and the UN MDG. The two global development concepts differ in implementation approaches. The US MCC is implemented through independent country owned Millennium Challenge Accounts that is operated by an independent body formed by members of the private sector, the civil society, and the public sector. The UN MDG operates through the UN owned United Nations Development Program (UNDP)., aided by country level offices, and  implements the UN MDG in collaboration with developing countries governments through a country level re-interpretation of poverty reduction guidelines as set in a Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper. But the differences implementation strategies, the two global development concepts share the same core criteria for poverty reduction and promotion of sustainable development. The US MCC  aims directly toward the private sector or indirectly through public projects such as roads, and energy to reduce poverty by empowering the private sector for creation of new wealth. The UN MDG focuses on improving public governance to reduce poverty.

   The guidelines set forth in the Benin “New Departure” reforms as mentioned above, align in all points with the guiding principles of these major development concepts designed for developing countries to achieve long term sustainable development. It is there fair to conclude that the Benin “New Departure” program is ambitious enough to put the country on track for an emergence toward a sustained development. The question now is how the new government will implement its short term year by year program without deviating from its long term objectives? This is the missing link.

   The Missing Link:

   Characteristic of many developing countries, the private sector in Benin Republic is small and weak. Tax revenues are consequently small. Export revenues are also weak like   many of these developing countries with a weak industrial sector. Country revenues are not enough to cover the daily needs of their people, making many of these economies dependent on foreign aid. This is what we call in the Biotech tropicana Systems, the short term development equation.

   Balancing the short term development equation with the long term development equation is the primary criteria we evaluate in the Biotech tropicana Systems to determine whether we will engage our biotech systems in a developing country.

   Applying guidelines as set in the Benin Republic “New Departure” reforms, the tigers economies in East Asia move from developing to emerging economies with advanced technological innovation capabilities in less than a quarter of a century (1 x 25 years) . The tigers benefit from high savings and a though discipline in implementing their programs.(see The East Asian Miracle).

   Applying the same principles, as set in the US MCC and the UN MDG, with household savings and though discipline we could move our Biotech tropicana Systems from a shelf  company with a single biotech system in our innovation box in the early 2000s, to a global authority in biotech innovations adapted to the developing world settings, with more than 50 biotech innovations by 2015. The Biotech tropicana Systems are by now a self sustainable emerging Biotech company with a market value in the order of billions of dollars.

   Benin Republic lacks both the high savings and the tough discipline of the tigers. The country failed to emerge toward a self sustained development after more than two quarters of a century terms (2 x 25 years) . The country suffers a high corruption index as illustrated by numerous postponing of the country’s re-application for a second US MCC compact for failure to meet the program’s corruption standard.

   Official Development Assistance (ODA) as proposed in the US MCC and the UN MDG was proven to help well governed developing countries to stay on track toward long term sustainable development. (See Sachs et al;  In Investing in Development). However, many developing countries will get stuck in poverty traps seeking for more aid coming with conditions set forth by the donors. (See Sachs et al;  In Ending Africa’s Poverty Trap).

   Technological Innovation was proven to be a major driver of socioeconomic change toward sustainable development. (See Juma et al; In Innovation: Applying Knowledge In Development) .Technological Innovation in Benin Republic is limited to bottling some traditional sodas with no defined protocol specifying the chemical make up  nor the nutritional value of the soda. To our Knowledge the impact of technological innovation on Benin economy is nil to minimal. Benin Republic depends almost exclusively on foreign technology for its technological needs.

   Discriminating well governed ODA from foreign aid coming with poverty traps is a major challenge for developing countries in balancing short term development equations with long term development equations. In our view the ability of the new Benin government to meet its goals set forth in the “New Departure” will depend heavily on their ability to discriminate between “good ODA” from “bad aid” and to properly manage their own resources in combination with well governed ODA in short term to stay on track toward their long term development goals. We wish them good luck.

   In the Biotech tropicana Systems we set out a strict policy oriented protocols to protect our system from poverty traps. We are in the developing world, now and forever, to contribute to development, the best we can, from the private sector. Our aid recipients encompass all developing countries, including Benin Republic. In our view, we can bring our modest contribution to the development of Benin Republic applying our technologies, if the country authorities  allow us to do so in compliance with all applicable Biotech tropicana Systems policies, in country laws and regulations, and international laws and regulations. Here, the issues are clear cut, we owned the technologies, they owned the decision.

   Aboubakar YARI & Venus YARI, Owners

   Myra YARI, Marketing Coordinator.

   Biotech tropicana Systems.

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Update 1:

April 14, 2016

Implementation phase of reforms as proposed in the "New Departure" concept initiated in Benin Republic, with first official meeting of a new government.

Analysis for balancing short term with long term development equations in progress.

The Biotech tropicana Systems wish them good luck.

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Update 2:

Late May,2016:

A political and institutional reform committee established in Benin Republic.

Comments:

Process in progress.

Late May,2016

A digital economy program initiated in Benin Republic.

Comments.

Program could substantially increase market reach to entreprises operating in Benin Republic.

Reference:

See the United Nations Commission on Trade and Development e-commerce program.

The Biotech tropicana Systems wish them good luck.

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Update 3:

Mid June, 2016

a) A Bureau of Analysis and Investigation  program announced in Benin Republic.

Comments:

A kind of super police its success will heavily depend on its ability to conform to applicable ethical guidelines, as stressed by the Benin government general secretary on announcement. 

We anticipate that affiliation is another factor that will determine the success of the Benin Bureau of Analysis and Investigation.

Reference:

See the US Federal Bureau of Investigation, affiliated to the US Department of Justice, away from political influences; and not the Office of the president that is a heavy political center.

The Biotech tropicana Systems wish them good luck.

b) The Benin government announced reforms to facilitate acquisition of land title.

Comments;

The US MCC previously implemented a land title acquisition program in Benin Republic. Land title ownership demonstrated its capacity to to reduce poverty and promote sustainable development in many US MCC land title program eligible countries.

c) The world bank announced a program to support implmentation of courts of commerce in Benin Republic.

Comments;

The world bank previously identified Benin Republic as one of the worst place onthe planet to enforce a contract. A first US MCC program in Benin addressed the issue through implementation of a program aiming to reduce case processing time in judicial proceedingsto to promote the private sector.

The world bank initiatiave shall promote the judicial interest of the private sector in Benin.

Late June 2016

a) An institutional and political reform committee submitted its findings to the president of Benin Republic.

Comments:

The next steps of the process include evaluation of the reports by the office of the president and submission to a voting referendum by the people of Benin Republic

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Analysis for balancing short term with long term development equations in progress, in light of UN MDG and US MCC.

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Update 4

July, 2016

Mid July, 2016

1. The Benin government announced measures to increase energy services.

Comments:

The government announcement suggests a funding mechanism from internal sources.

2. A caucus of Intellect of Universities in Benin republic  held a conference on development financing at the ‘Universite de Parakou’.

The conference made numerous recommendations, including:

1. Increase cash capital inflow
2. Mobilize the resources of the diaspora
3. Recover funds from illegal fund transfers
4. Manage traditional sources of funds

Comments:

1. In point b)i the conference did not specify the mechanisms by which cash capital inflow may be improved, when compared with existing mechanisms.
2. In point b)ii the conference did not propose any new incentives that would attract and maintain the diaspora, when compared with existing incentives.
3. Point b)iii may be achieved in good diplomacy and legal actions.
4. Point iv  is a management issues

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Late July, 2016

Reforms initiated in four development areas:

1. Higher Education

The University system is re-organized around four topic focused institutions.

2. Health Systems

A committee is set to propose recommendations for re-organizing the health system.

3. Governance in the Private sector

An investigation is initiated to address governance issues in a network of private companies operating in trade of vehicles. The investigation also addressed the private companies management of public-private relationships.

4. Governance in the public sector

An investigation was initiated to address governance issues in the Public Communication Systems management institutions.

1. The president of Benin Republic announced the opening of negotiations to re-initiate an improvement and extension program of the Benin rail way system.

Comments:

a, b, c, d )The initiatives are in line with the government's "reforms" agenda.

see also e-) see Biotech tropicana Journal, at http://btropicanaforum.ucoz.com/publ/biotech_tropicana_journal_1_5_7_2016/1-1-0-59

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Analysis for balancing short term with long term development equations in progress in light of UN MDG and US MCC.

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UPDATE 5:

Early August, 2016

a) President Patrice Talon of Benin Republic held a press conference with different segments of society,including and the press, the civil society.

The press discussed key points of five program agenda.

Comments:

An opened discussion.

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Analysis for balancing long term with short term development equations in progress in light of the UN MDG and the US MCC.