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Study: Skilled labor force key for Chinese firms in Kenya

The success of Chinese businesses in Kenya hinges on the creation of a critical mass of skilled personnel across various sectors of the economy, says a report published in Nairobi.

The Business Perception Index 2014 survey released on Jan 16 highlights bottlenecks that Chinese firms face in Kenya and recommended a raft of interventions to solve them.

Researchers at the Sino Africa Centre of Excellence Foundation noted that bureaucracy, insecurity, a cumbersome tax system and an inadequate labor force were major obstacles that Chinese enterprises face in Kenya.

Lu Jinghao, SACE project manager, said the Business Perception Index debunked the myth that Chinese firms do not hire local employees.

"Contrary to a widely held view, Chinese companies source the bulk of their workforce locally. The Business Perception Index is categorical that 78 percent of full time employees in Chinese companies operating in Kenya are local," Lu said.

35 Chinese troops arrive in Brunei for global contest

After a flight of four and a half hours, 35 troops from the People's Liberation Army arrived at Brunei's Rimba Air Base on Jan 15 to attend the 11th Brunei International Skill at Arms Meet.

In the international competition, hosted by the Royal Brunei Armed Forces, Chinese soldiers will participate in shooting contests and combat competitions.

About 600 servicemen from 18 contingents and 16 countries, including China, Brunei, the United States and Australia, will take part in the competition, which will take place in late January.

Macao casinos face scrutiny

China will more closely watch for assets that corrupt officials transfer abroad illegally through gambling houses in Macao, the Ministry of Public Security said on Jan 20.

"Once a suspicious flow of capital being sent overseas through casinos is discovered ... the People's Bank of China will inform us quickly and provide intelligence for us to conduct further investigations," a senior official from the ministry said.

The South China Morning Post in Hong Kong reported that ministry officials will travel to Macao to meet with directors from Macao's financial supervisory authority and bankers to discuss combating the laundering schemes.

In recent years, many corrupt Chinese officials have transferred their assets acquired illegally to overseas destinations through money laundering and some underground banks, including through Macao casinos.

They have then fled, often to the United States, Canada and Australia, to avoid punishment.

According to the Macao Financial Intelligence Unit, from January to June 2013, the city's gambling industry received more than 900 reports of suspicious activity, an increase of more than 31 percent compared with 2012.

Nation gives all civil servants salary hikes

China sharply raised salaries for public employees this year after a yearslong salary freeze and a raft of government officials leaving their jobs.

It is the first time since 2006 that civil servants have received a salary raise. The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security said on Jan 19 that the three notices issued on Jan 12 cover all civil servants.

The basic monthly salary for national-level officials, including President Xi Jinping and the members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, will rise by about 60 percent, from 7,020 yuan ($1,130; 975 euros) to 11,385 yuan.

Salaries for the lowest-level civil servants will rise from 630 yuan to 1,320 yuan.

ISIS group asks $200m for Japanese hostages

An online video released on Jan 20 purported to show the Islamic State group threatening to kill two Japanese hostages unless a $200 million ransom is received in the next 72 hours.

The video, identified as being made by the group's al-Furqan media arm and posted on militant websites associated with the extremist group, mirrored other hostage threats the group has made.

The militant featured in the video directly addresses Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who is on a six-day visit to the Middle East with a delegation of more than 100 government officials and business executives.

In the footage, a black-clad militant brandishing a knife addresses the camera in English, standing between two hostages wearing orange jumpsuits.

"You now have 72 hours to pressure your government into making a wise decision by paying the $200 million to save the lives of citizens," he says.

The militant says the ransom demand is to compensate for nonmilitary aid that Abe pledged to support the campaign against ISIS on the Middle East tour. The Japanese government said it is investigating the threat.

Medical team returns after battling Ebola

After traveling for more than 20 hours, the first team of military medical workers dispatched to Liberia to help fight Ebola returned to Chongqing on Jan 16.

The Chinese military medical rescue team completed two months in Liberia, which was hit hard by the Ebola virus. The team comprised 82 medical experts, doctors and nurses. After undergoing a disinfection treatment and inspections, the medical workers disembarked from their plane wearing masks.

For safety concerns, they are not allowed contact with others but will live in isolation under medical observation for 21 days before reuniting with their families.

Graft fight targets city-level officials

President Xi Jinping told Party committees on Jan 20 to support and create a favorable environment for judicial departments in the fight against corruption.

Xi told officials from legal affairs departments to strengthen Party discipline and prevent judicial corruption. The country's top anti-graft watchdog said it would intensify anti-corruption efforts to net more lower-level government officials.

The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection said it will target city-level officials this year. The commission also urged more reform to the Party's disciplinary mechanism, signaling bolder moves in the crackdown on corruption this year.

Decline in home prices continues to level off

Fewer cities saw falling home prices in December, the National Bureau of Statistics said on Jan 18.

Prices of new homes dropped from the previous month in 65 of 70 cities that the bureau tracks. That compares with declines in 67 cities in November.

New home prices rose 1.2 percent in December in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, the only city among the 70 that saw a month-on-month price increase. It is the first time in four months that an NBS-tracked city saw an increase.

Nation pushes for renewable energy

China is the world's leader in renewable energy generation, which will allow it to reduce its dependency on coal power and cut carbon emissions, claims a senior energy official.

By the end of 2014, China had installed 430 million kilowatts in total renewable energy power generation, according to the National Energy Administration, the nation's top energy planner.

That is up from only 52 million kW in 2011 and represents an increase from 4.8 percent of total power generation capacity to 32 percent, according to data from the China Electricity Council.

(China Daily Africa Weekly 01/23/2015 page2)