Obama Health Care

Hypnotherapy – a new way for people to be rid of anxiety and panic attacks. For some, hypnotherapy can be effective in reducing the amount of attacks they have and experience each month.

How hypnotheraphy works –

It targets the attack triggers and the psychological as well as physical symptoms associated with anxiety attacks.

How to Use hypnotherapy –

Should someone feel they would benefit from this type of therapy, they will need to seek out someone who is qualified and experienced in dealing with panic attacks. There is not just one kind of hypnotherapy but many kinds so someone who knows how to deal with panic attacks is preferable. Panic disorder hypnotherapy deals with the psychological as well as the physical symptoms.

Using hypnotherapy for panic attacks can reduce the number of attacks a person suffers from. It works by using the person’s unconscious mind and deals with anxiety provoking situations.

The Hypnotherapist’s Job to Cure

The sufferer’s physician or hypnotherapist will put them under into a relaxed and vulnerable state. Then, while the person is under the “spell”, the hypnotherapist will tell the sufferer ways he or she can decrease their anxiety in the ways the unconscious will respond. Then the hypnotherapist will get the subconscious to resist anxiety when faced which would normally cause the person to get fearful.

Should it be an object or certain setting that typically causing the panic attacks, then using hypnotherapy can help to let go of the terror that is experienced. Hypnotherapy, it seems, works much better than plain old medication. Why? Because the hypnotherapist can train the person’s unconscious and subconscious to “obey” and understand the anxious state the person feels.

This type of treatment helps to reduce and get rid of the physical symptoms that are experienced in an panic attack. The hypnotherapist will go over the details with the patient and calm them down when they start feeling anxious and worried. After doing this a few times, the body can come into contact with the situation without a panic attack.

Hypnotherapy Works in Two Ways

Hypnotherapy can work in two ways… getting the anxiety level down to reasonable level and controlling the physiological responses in the body when it is thrown into a “pressured” situation.

Like the physiological responses that the hypnotherapist attacked, he or she can also relieve the problems that affect the person’s physical symptoms as well. Bringing the patient into a relaxed setting and then reviewing the situation or detail so the person will feel anxious. When the anxiety levels reaches a high point, he or she will bring it back down to focus on those physical symptoms.

Panic Attack Symptoms –

There are several signs that a person can have during physical panic attack. They are:

* Racing heart
* Chills
* Hot flashes
* Nausea
* Headaches
* Stomach upsets (including other bodily issues)

One technique the hypnotherapist will tell thepatient and it should be used most often is take a deep breath to get the heart rate back down and stay calm. Doing this calms other physiological reactors. If a person can calm down while in the middle of a panic attack, then facing the situation head on will not be near as hard. It trains the body and mind to stay calm during stressful times.

Hypnotherapy is good for those who have frequent and serious panic attacks. While some people find using medications with seeing a hypnotherapist works better than going it alone.

By contacting a hypnotherapist for panic attacks, go to the local healthcare professional.

Abhishek Agarwal
http://www.articlesbase.com/mental-health-articles/panic-disorder-cure-how-hypnotherapy-can-eliminate-panic-disorder-709408.html

India has become the preferred choice of many US company’s wanting to assign vendors who can provide low-cost transcription services, that will cut down operational costs at home and marginally benefit shrinking profits.

The healthcare companies, private practice doctors and hospitals have immensely benefited in assigning transcription services to India, which has the third largest scientific manpower in the globe, and combined with low wages that are paid out to this educated class.

Doctors and hospitals are able to provide healthcare at moderate costs, remember the healthcare industry is growing at 3.5% annually, even in these turbulent times in which major financial companies and automobile companies are in the ‘red’.

Even though transcription services can at best be described as secretarial services, but when you consider the level of importance it has on our day-to-day lives, you will realize that a transcriber is as important as a doctor, a solicitor or a television producer.

What would happen if doctors would have to make do without a transcriber, how would their dictations be documented for the benefit of the patient, or how the insurance company would process the claims of numerous patients in need of healthcare?

And how would a solicitor or a legal company manage without the services of a transcriber, what would happen to the hearings, pleadings, depositions, legal examinations etc, if these were not documented or transcribed.

How would the multimedia industry cope without the services of a transcriber? Imagine podcasts, web cast and television programming, every segment of the media industry would be paralyzed if text services or transcripts would not be easily available.

Closed captioning for television programs would not be possible without a transcript, consider the plight of people with hearing impairment if a text caption was not displayed on television, or for that matter webcasts and podcast will not be easily displayed or indexed in search engines without a transcript attached to the video clippings shown on Google video or YouTube, many internet surfers would thus be deprived of viewing them.

All said and done, transcription service providers are as important as professionals hiring them, and India is notably assisting US companies in no small measure.

robert08
http://www.articlesbase.com/business-articles/transcriptions-why-india-is-the-preferred-choice-of-most-us-companies-687286.html

The recent elections in Ghana have been hailed as a successful African story. The praises, admirations and messages of commendations coming from all corners of the globe is an indication that the world is hoping for a change in Africa. It is also an indication that the world is expecting something different, different from the way things are done all the time on the continent.

Having experienced political instabilities for most of her modern existence Africa has often been described as a failed continent – a continent where everything is depressing. So it came as a surprise when Ghana managed to conduct one of the best successful elections on the continent. The successful elections in Ghana have indeed opened a different chapter for the continent. It has shown the rest of countries on the continent that there is the need for democracy to be given a chance in Africa. The elections have sent a powerful message to the continent that democracy as a form of government should be widely adopted and practiced by all the countries so that there will always be peaceful means of electing leaders and transferring power from one administration to the other.

I strongly believe that Ghana’s elections are sending the following message to the African Union and its members.

That the constitutions of the various African states should stipulate the number of years and number of terms one could occupy the office of president or prime minister. To alleviate the continent from political diarrhoea, poverty and economic melancholy the governments must as a matter of urgency embark on democratic reforms. The years where leaders rule till they die or are chased out of office should be a thing of the past. The leaders should allow free and fair elections to be held every 4 or 5 years depending on what the constitution says. Elected leaders must have fixed term of office and on no account should they try to manipulate the system in order to remain in power.   The elections in Ghana which attracted a lot of international commendations around the world are indicating to the rest of Africa that the people want something different. Our image as a continent can improve considerably if we allow democracy to flourish, if we allow rule of law to work, if we embark on a new path-a path where it is possible for the incumbent to lose elections and hell does not break loose, a path where judges are free to dispense justice without fear or favour, a path where members of the opposition are not seen as enemy combatants but as contributors of our democracy and development, and a  path where policies and ideas dominate political discussions and elections instead of the whipping of tribal and ethnic sentiments.

The leaders on the continent must realize that the existence of a vibrant democracy is in the best interest of the people and the continent as a whole. The politicians must know that vibrant democracy is a necessary condition if Africa is to come out of her current political and economic misery.

More often than not, lack or absence of democracy, corruption and abuse of power has often been cited by coup plotters as reasons for overthrowing governments in power. To prevent such incursions by the army political accountability on the continent must be nurtured strengthened. That means the three organs of government namely the executive, legislature and the judiciary must first be independent of each other and secondly they should powers that checks and balances each other so as to prevent one arm from amassing too much power.  History has shown that a situation where one arm of government amasses power only breeds envy and instabilities. The Judiciary should be given enough powers to investigate allegations of corruption so as to prevent the repetition of corrupt practices that fuelled the wars on the continent.

Additionally, the fourth arm of government that is the media should be enshrined in the constitution and the AU Charter. The mushrooming of public and private media on the continent especially electronic media should be seen as an encouraging development and governments should be encouraged to allow such private stations to be established unconditionally. The freedom of the press must be safeguarded so as to prevent unscrupulous politicians from attacking them and subjecting them to all sorts of negative tactics. The media should be allowed to play its role as the watchdog of the state and every law that will intimidate them and undermine their ability to work should be repealed.

The various institutions of government such as police, military and the ministries should work to promote democracy and development. Rule of Law should be employed by the state. Everyone should be equal before the law. Instances where there are two separate laws for the rulers and the ruled is not only affront to rule of law but affront to democracy and justice. The office of the Ombudsman and other independent bodies should be established to protect the citizens from the state.

That brings us to one of the most important institutions of democracy .i.e. electoral commission. The role of the electoral commission must also be enshrined in the constitution. This office must be independent of the executive branch of government. It must be well resourced so that it can organise elections without any difficulties. The role played by Dr. Afari Gyan in conducting Ghana’s election can only be described as excellent. The electoral commission must be impartial so as to prevent the electoral disputes that characterised the elections in Kenya, Zimbabwe, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria. 

The constitutions of the various countries should guarantee the existence of opposition parties. This will prevent the one party state found in most countries from gaining root. Absence of official opposition not only prevents the people from having a choice but also discredit any advantage democracy or elections may have. Therefore, constitutional and electoral courts should be established in member countries so that matters of political and electoral disputes could be settled amicably.  Corruption should be punished severely and every effort should be made track down every penny stolen from the countries.

The AU

The African Union as a continental body has a lot to learn from Ghana’s elections.

The AU Charter should be reformed, strengthened and implemented to the letter. All regional bodies such as ECOWAS, SADC and the rest should be streamlined to work within the broader framework of the AU. The AU must not be a talking shop anymore. It must not be a gathering of corrupt, despotic and kleptocratic rulers but rather a gathering of true democrats. The AU must be a platform of action and concrete decision making, a platform where issues affecting the people are addressed. This will require strong, determined and visionary leadership. A leadership who share the thoughts and ideas of Nkrumah, Lumumba, Seketuri and Nasser and who are committed to fighting poverty and improving the lots of the people. The AU must have a full time foreign policy chief who will be the mouthpiece of the continent and who will articulate the needs and concerns of the people to the outside world. The AU should establish special bodies of experts who will serve as advisory bodies to the AU. The complete silence exhibited by the AU during the current global financial crisis necessitates for the establishment of such bodies of experts. These bodies may include health, economics, environment, resource, science and technology.

Each country should strengthen her intelligence capabilities so as to ward off the undesirables of the cold war tactics where Africa was destabilised by the west using their intelligence branches and the various African countries should share vital information about what the west is up to. Every effort should be made to prevent arm struggles either within the countries or between the countries.

The days where suspensions are used as a form of punishment for coup plotters should be things of the past. Instead there should be a strong, well funded standing army (Africa High Command) ready to be deployed to any country where the army will try to cease power. Such an army should also be used to crash any arm insurgence that will show it ugly head onto the Africa political scene.

The Pan African Parliament should be strengthened and its decisions binding on all member countries. An African Court of Justice should be established to settle disputes between nations and within nations and its decisions must be binding on all members as well. This court must be the highest court on the continent. It must be modelled in line with European Court of Justice. Individuals could take their case to this court for dispensation of justice. These democratic and constitutional measures will definitely help to reduce conflicts and human rights’ abuse which is rife on the continent. 

Africans must unite and form a common front so as to make their voices heard on the international stage. We must unite against all forms of propaganda from the rest the world. The positive effect that Aljazeera is having on the world is an indication of what positive thinking could bring to the world. Aljazeera has done well in shaping the world opinion about Islam, Arabs and issues affecting Muslims, Arabs and people of the developing world. To counter the growing influence of Aljazeera, BBC for example has had to close down some programmes in order to launch an Arabic version of the BBC. Africans must know that our coming together will be interpreted differently by many who do not share our interests. As a result every effort would be made to thwart these laudable efforts in order to maintain the status quo of having a north –south divide. We must also know that our effort to change our predicament would meet several challenges among them the huge financial requirement, the human and material resources needed and many others. But we must put ourselves together and start doing something now because a journey of a thousand miles begins with a step.

Finally it is time for the old guard of African politics to leave the scene and give way to the younger generation. There are a lot of Barak Obamas on the continent but they have been prevented by the old guard from making any economic, social and political contribution towards Africa’s development. It is very sad that even in this 21st Century these old guards still think they only hold the key to wisdom. Some of these old guards have been in power for more than 3 decades yet they still want to continue to rule. For example Gaddafi of Libya has been in power for 39 years now. Omar Bongo of Gabon 31 years, Teodoro Obiang Nguema of Equatorial Guinea 28 years, Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe 28 years, Hosni Mubarak of Egypt 27 years, Paul Biya of Cameroon 26 years, Yoweri Museveni of Uganda 22 years, Omar Al Bashir of Sudan 19 years, Iddriss Derby of Chad 17 years, Yahya Jammeh of Gambia 14 years, and the list goes on unending. Recently the president of Tunisia has decided to make himself a life president of the country. The presence of such dictators is not only harmful to the image and the development of the continent but a major factor why impoverishment and underdevelopment is prevalent on the continent. Every effort should be made by the AU and the regional bodies to discourage such blatant abuse of power. It is against this background that Ghana should be commended again and again for conducting one of the freest elections on the continent.

Ghana’s elections are a straight message to the African Union and its members that democratic reform needed on the continent is long overdue and that the African Union should take notice of it. Let this 21st Century be a century of hope, a century of development, a century of prosperity and a century of peace for Africans and the world.

Lord Aikins Adusei
http://www.articlesbase.com/politics-articles/did-the-african-union-get-ghanas-message-726487.html

2008 Global Digital Economy – E-Government, E-Health & Tele-education Report ( http://www.bharatbook.com/Market-Research-Reports/2008-Global-Digital-Economy-E-Government-E-Health-Tele-education.html ) provides an outline of the benefits of such services and explores the issues surrounding their development.
 
 There is no doubt that e-health is going to totally transform the national healthcare systems and that society will need time to make the adjustment. Training is vital, and not just of medical professionals. Equally important is the training of other carers, volunteers, and the patients themselves. This is where tele-education can play an important role. Tele-education is becoming more and more important, particularly in developing markets, as it offers the potential for millions of people to access education that they would not be able to otherwise. Telecommunication technologies, such as mobile devices, the Internet and associated Web 2.0 applications, have further broadened the quality and possibilities for remote education and the ‘virtual classroom’.
 
 Now that the broadband markets are moving in the right direction, we have shifted our focus from access to actual broadband services and applications – such as e-government. While one of the primary aims of e-government is to improve customer service for citizens; e-government applications can also assist in improving communication and information sharing between government departments. For citizens, one-stop services can reduce time and confusion when dealing with a number of departments. Interactions between government, business and industry can also be improved via e-government applications and the increased transparency of such services can lead to less corruption. In addition, streamlining services can lead to cost cutting and less waste of public resources.
 
 Key highlights:
 
 The ‘business case’ for FttH networks is also no longer based solely on the commercial returns from Internet access and other communication services. It also incorporates the social and economic benefits provided by such infrastructure.
 Millions of people worldwide can potentially benefit from e-health applications. There is currently an estimated shortage of over 4 million doctors, midwives, nurses and support workers worldwide.
 In North America, many e-health initiatives are still in early formative stages, although during 2008 a number of significant ventures started moving from the drawing board to implementation.
 E-health schemes are pivotal to the broadband strategies of Europe’s Member States. Alleviating cost pressures on overburdened hospitals and health services is a key justification for governments to part-fund NGNs.
 While there are many successful examples of e-health development taking place in Asia, this is not widespread. Much more can be done in the health sector for providing basic health care and services, especially for the poor communities.
 Tele-education is being used around the world for training, vocational training and formal education.
 The E-education sector in North America has grown rapidly in the last 10 years, both at the secondary school and post-secondary level, and will continue its expanding role in the broader education sector.
 
 For more information please visit : http://www.bharatbook.com/Market-Research/Telecommunications.html
 
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bharatbook
http://www.articlesbase.com/communication-articles/trends-and-developments-in-egovernment-ehealth-and-teleeducation-globally-712070.html

Retirement planning is a tricky process, and one that requires careful planning and patience. But even if you have a retirement plan and a clear set of visions and goals, not just financially, but for your lifestyle, it’s important that you be aware of several common missteps that many, even those with a plan, fall victim to.

1 – Underestimating the Costs of Healthcare

As healthcare costs continue to rise dramatically, employers are also shifting more weight of the costs onto their employees. Many companies are beginning to drop retired workers from their health plans, and on top of that, millions of Americans have no form of coverage at all.

So one of the most common mistakes made in retirement, is a lack of preparation for the financial impact of your health. One of the most overlooked and most expensive costs is long-term healthcare. Long-term health costs can be devastating to a financial plan, so buying long-term care insurance early on can help lower its costs immensely.

2- Misjudging How Long you or your Spouse Will Live

A common assumption is that you should have enough retirement assets to last you until your life expectancy is reached.

But today, the world is an ever-changing place. As medical technology increases along with life expectancy, the odds are good that at least you or your spouse will live past age 90. So it’s vital that you are prepared to live longer.

3- Presuming you’ll Work a Long Time

Your generation is famous for working long, hard and abnormal hours to get ahead. And most baby boomers agree that they’ll be working long into retirement. But that can be one of the biggest retirement mistakes you make.

As of now, the average age of retirement in America, is 62. According to the Employee Benefit Research Institute Retirement Confidence Survey of 2004, 40% of retirees had to leave the workforce earlier than planned either because of layoffs, illness, or disability. So even if you want to work as long as you can, it may not always be possible and it’s vital that you plan and save for such a scenario.

Retirement could be the beginning of many great years. Working with a financial professional and having the proper plan in place is a key part of retirement. You should also keep an eye on healthcare costs and stay informed on issues that will effect your retirement. You should always be focused on your plan and be aware of some common pitfalls. That way, you can be prepared to make the best years of your life as good as they can possibly be.

Robert Valentine
http://www.articlesbase.com/non-fiction-articles/3-major-retirement-hazards-to-avoid-57207.html

By all objective standards, we must now have come to the stark realization that the “change of leadership syndrome”, with its resultant enforced public euphoria and sometimes genuine expectations of change our society has continually been subjected to with the Milton Margai, Albert Margai, Andrew Juxon-Smith, Siaka Stevens, Joseph Momoh, Valentine Strasser, Maada Bio, Ahmed Tejan-Kabbah and the current Ernest Koroma regimes have not in any significant and meaningful manner impacted our society and its peoples living standards, infrastructure, socio-economic and political development.

THE CHANGE OF LEADERSHIP SYNDROME:

The concept of the “change of leadership syndrome”, not to be confused with “democracy“, can best be described and characterized as the aspiration to and achievement of political power by a nation’s political elite, without a concomitant vision, knowledge and know-how as to how best the levers of political, economic and social power can positively be utilized in effecting change in one’s society.

This intense urge for naked political power, witnessed especially among our political leaders, devoid of any coherent and sustainable national economic and infrastructural strategy or purpose-driven agenda both in implementation and execution, remains the common bond and thread linking the current Koroma administration to its failed predecessors.

The SLPP LEGACY:

The emergence of Sierra Leone’s socio-political and economic disintegration, though not started under the SLPP government of President Ahmed Tejan- Kabbah, certainly reached monumental proportions during his 10-year stewardship, as the country remained at the bottom strata of every index used in measuring societal growth and development in the world.

Despite the rising crescendo for change leading up to the elections in 2007, the SLPP leadership and elite had become resolutely tone deaf and exhibited such callous disregard for the peoples genuine aspirations for development and change that even their traditional power base in the south and eastern regions of the country could no longer hold.

The RUF war in the 1990’s had caused untold destabilization in the country with wanton and rampant destruction of lives and property being the order of the day. The destruction was even more acute in the regions of SLPP traditional support, the south and eastern regions. The election thus of the SLPP government in 1996 and to a subsequent second term in 2002 was meant to signal our peoples overwhelming desire and hope for security, reconstruction of the country’s basic infrastructure, governance and for a sustainable economy and development.

However, despite the enormous mineral and natural resources, together with the overwhelming international donor financial support afforded the Kabbah administration, in combating not only the RUF menace but the economic challenges confronting the country, it had become glaringly clear to every objective commentator and observer, by the time of elections in 2007, that the country, and certainly the regions of the south and east, had not seen any appreciable change in their living standards and economic development.

During annual visits to Sierra Leone, between 2002 and 2007 and in social and business interactions with SLPP ministers, permanent secretaries, the police brass, parastatal heads, civil servants, business owners and a cross section of the populace, it quickly became crystallized in my mind that the SLPP leadership was not only lacking in the requisite political and socio-economic vision but was alarmingly incompetent and inarticulate in mapping out and implementing a strategy for sustainable development needed to effectuate transformation of our country in the wake of the civil war.

While the beneficiaries of the party’s largesse, in an effort at self-preservation of their way of life banded themselves into support groups like the so-called “Reform Group” and the “Friends of Solo B“, with ostentatious living and verbal and physical assaults against perceived opponents, the administration had by the elections effectively succeeded in squandering even the goodwill of the international community.

Regrettably though our compatriots by an large not only seemed to have succumbed to the avarices and greed the system afforded it’s participants, but most detrimental was their utter lack of understanding of our peoples mood for change, lack of critical thinking and policy innovation exhibited by the likes at “Stop Press” and regulars at “Jay Bees”, with whom I had come into contact. For while even the “Joe “ in the village was aware that the leadership needed to change course and direction, the SLPP was totally deluded and thus became incapable of effecting this change.

One of the most shocking aspects of the disconnect in the country was that some of the top members of the ruling elite were either former school mates, college mates and or friends who during our transformative years had engaged in the kind of development-vision discussions we all longed to see for our country. I was disappointed with the type of development projects organizations like NACSA, headed by a former college mate of mine, were embarking on as development projects.

While the construction of water wells and court barrays became the symbol of development under the SLPP administration, some of us became increasingly disenchanted as such projects only served to foster and portray the level of backwards the country was wallowing in and further epitomized the bankruptcy and vision deficiency exhibited by the leadership.

THE ERA OF “TALK-SHOPS”:

As a local musician aptly put it, millions of dollars in development assistance was being spent on workshops, seminars and “talk shops“ while essentials as electricity, roads, pipe borne water supply and youth employment were left unattended.

It was not uncommon to find people with questionable local NGOs being awarded large sums for merely organizing seminars and writing proposals or party stalwarts given contracts which knowingly would not be completed or performed at all, while the bread and butter issues relevant to the peoples welfare and development were ignored and remained unaddressed.

Such was the modus operandi permeating developmental programs operated by NACSA, SABABU Educational Project, HIV-AIDS to name but a few, whose collective legacy remains 19th century type water wells, shoddy school buildings, court barrays and non-existent project signs that dotted the cities and the nation’s countryside.

Non of the hugh resources available for development at NACSA’s disposal were channeled into creating an infrastructure for sustainable economic and jobs activity in the country. Apparently the model of the government’s development strategy was one of building court barrays, water wells, community centers and other non-economic infrastructure as “talk-shops”.

The problems of youth unemployment, lack of adequate electricity and energy, clean pipe borne water supply, dilapidated roads, corruption, lack of vision and innovation in stimulating sustainable economic growth, unhygienic environs and over dependency on NGOs and international donors, were all too conspicuous throughout the country.

To the common man, the SLPP bureaucracy and elite became increasingly viewed as not understanding their plight, not innovative in addressing the country’s problems, was out of touch with basic management risk analysis and implementation required to lift and transform their various departments, agencies and ministries into revenue generating sources, were fearful of agents of innovation and change, were corrupt to the core and lacked apathy for the plight of the average Sierra Leonean.

It was thus against this backdrop and political landscape that the 2007 elections was fought between the SLPP, APC, PMDC, NDA, CPP, PLP and UNPP parties. 

THE APC PURSUIT OF THE SAME FAILED POLICIES ?

This change of leadership syndrome, devoid of any reasoned programs and policies designed, articulated and implemented to provide alternatives to the current economic malaise in the body politic of our nation, is again being manifested in the perceived polarization the country has been plunged into as a result of policies and personnel changes pursued by the current APC administration.

While, it is reasonable to expect personnel changes with every new administration, the APC must seek to ensure that “balance” is maintained in governance structures and institutions in order to promote national cohesion and forestall the perception of an imbalance and thus non- representation by their political opposition.

Whilst a host of coercive and unprogressive measures during past regimes succeeded in creating an apathetic atmosphere, I am alarmed at the preponderance of tribal political consciousness and identity witnessed among Sierra Leoneans abroad since the last general elections ushered in the APC administration. This situation if allowed to fester will in both the short and medium terms represent the single most impediment to development and a true democracy.

However, with the new Koroma administration, there is still hope that the President might reverse course and seek to rectify some of the mistakes and hurdles encountered in the learning curve this past year. For the APC’s failure to change course risks relegating it to the dustbin of unresponsive failed administrations to have dotted the Sierra Leone political landscape.

The level of our societal disintegration has continued to remain pervasive to such an extent that the recent 2008 United Nations Human Development Index again ranked Sierra Leone the very last in the world; a dubious position and distinction not unknown to her peoples, as the country has over the past decades being so placed at or near the bottom consistently and with such regularity that progressive Sierra Leoneans must step up to this challenge and spearhead policies and efforts to salvage our country.

The Finance Minister, Mr. David Carew’s recent expression of “disappointment” over the low level of donor support or “delays in the disbursement of external budgetary support” resulting in adverse economic management and budget execution, highlights a failure of the administration’s economic team in charting an economic vision, that is bold and development oriented, devoid of donor reliance, that so characterized and doomed the prior Tejan-Kabbah administration.

The APC government in order to get a handle on this economic stagnation, underdevelopment and growth must start thinking bold and designing programs not in the 300 million dollar national budget range, as is currently the case, but in the billions of dollar range. Through leveraging of the nation’s marketable mineral resources, such as along lines recently proposed by Mr. Patrick Bockari’s SLID proposals, our nation’s perennial disappointments over delays and outright non-existent pledges of external budgetary support from donors will be a phenomenon of the past.

To paraphrase a common saying, performing the same tasks and expecting always a different result is tantamount to lunacy. For as a people with a strong sense of knowledge and education, this apparent dichotomy in our political leadership’s penchant for resorting to the same old tried and non performing policies of dependency, despite abundant resources stems directly from the utter bankruptcy of initiatives and ideas coupled with the inordinate penchant for power so far glaringly exhibited, not only by the political leadership but of greater concern to this author, the educated elite that any nation must depend on to facilitate her development.

An immediate area of implementation that can help alleviate the issues of unemployment, infrastructure development and maintenance is through a coordinated pubic works program that will provide employment and training to youths while at the same time modernizing the nation‘s dilapidated infrastructure.

CONCLUSION:

The challenge thus to progressive Sierra Leoneans is to utilize and express their various expertise’s in formulating models, institutions, businesses and programs of workable alternatives to pull our nation from the near-perpetual last position on the human development index.

It is hoped that a consensus emerges in creating new models and institutions of governance to replace the old and current models of local government administration, reform of the institution of chieftaincy, health care delivery and financing, taxation, job creation, pubic works programs, management and leveraging of mineral resources towards economic development, a proactive and functional privatization program and a robust public-private partnership arrangements for management of the nation‘s unproductive parastatals.

For if we as a society were to pause and objectively reflect upon the stewardship of our leaders and their policies since independence in 1961, we will find and conclude that despite the several leadership changes, Sierra Leone has woefully failed in the pursuit of sustained socio-economic and political development deemed essential and necessary for the betterment of her peoples. Rather the country continues to plunge into the abyss and bottomless perdition of poverty and underdevelopment hitherto unknown in any society of such economic abundance and developmental potential.

Finally, we must realize that the intractable significant problems facing our nation cannot be resolved at the same level of thinking and perception as we were when they were either created by our forefathers or by ourselves. I have always believed that the change of leadership syndrome and its resultant negativity towards effective participation in our country’s economic and socio-political processes remains the single inhibiting factor to our democracy and nation‘s development. The nation’s experience must make it abundantly clear that by just engaging in a change of leadership syndrome, without addressing the essential underpinnings of societal reformation, risks bring about no significant change to the now descredited status quo.

Kortor Kamara
http://www.articlesbase.com/politics-articles/sierra-leone-democracy-requires-more-than-a-leadership-change-699982.html

Obama health care has received mixed emotions from people all over the nation.  Some are in favor, others feel that the government has completely taken control of their rights.  For the middle class Americans, many believe Obama care will adversely affect themselves and the upper class.  While it does make significant changes to our current system, every class will be affected in one way or another.

It is believed by many individuals and institutions that low-income families will benefit greatly, and have health insurance for perhaps the first time ever.  However, this benefit to the lower income class means that high-income families will pay considerably, most of it in the form of increased taxes.  Obama care is a touchy subject with many Americans, who feel they will be forced to pay stiff penalties if they do not buy health insurance coverage.

Middle class Americans feel that they may suffer the most, and cannot see a way out as they attempt to pay for basic necessities such as childcare, food, housing, utilities, etc.  In their minds, it they are already struggling to meet these obligations, how in the world can they afford health insurance?  But if they don’t purchase it, according to Obama laws they will face penalties if they fail to get health insurance coverage.

Struggling with the rising cost of insurance has been a problem for years, and the debate has continued regarding how to get the United States health care system under control.  Under Obama health care, families who earn in excess of $250,000 per year will face an increase in Medicare tax from 1.45% to 2.35% – same for individuals who earn $200,000 per year.  Since there is now no option regarding whether an individuals decides to purchase health insurance coverage or not, they will face penalties.

Americans who already have health insurance may think “So what? What’s the big deal?”  In fact, Obama health care may affect those who previously had health insurance coverage.  While it seems that having more people paying in to the system would mean lower insurance premiums, that may not be the case.  According to congressional estimates, by the year 2016 individual premiums may be 10 to 13% higher than they are currently.

Several factors that play in to the equation include the fact that in 2014, insurance companies will no longer be able to deny coverage or charge increased premiums due to existing conditions.  Add to that the fact that shortly thereafter, insurers will no longer be able to set lifetime limits on coverage, nor will they be able to drop insured individuals who become ill.  What does this mean?  In a nutshell, Obama health care means that more sick people will be covered, and those costs are greater to insurance companies than those of healthy individuals.   All of this may ultimately counteract the benefits of a larger health care pool.

At the current time, it is difficult to determine exactly how it will affect Americans in specific classes, or who will ultimately end up paying the most for mandatory health care coverage.  One thing is for certain – while some believe that this is the best thing since buttered bread, others aren’t nearly so optimistic.  In a few years, we will all be able to determine just how Obama health care has affected our lives personally.

Mark  South
Obama health care

Blog destaque em tecnologia, o Blog ATI & D do amigo Tiago Dias, com a notícia YouTube chega ao PlayStation 3 e Wii.

O Blog ATI & D do Tiago Dias leva você leitor a conhecer as loucuras da tecnologia, e vídeos impressionantes. O artigo que levou o Metal Ômega a escolher para o Top Ten foi a notícia: YouTube chega ao PlayStation 3 e Wii.

Porquê eu escolhi esta notícia. Primeiro porque tudo que o Google faz, faz a diferença. Segundo porque isso será revolucionário. O Youtube rodando direto no PlayStation 3 e no Nintendo Wii, isso é fantástico, e impenssável. É uma revolução. O Tiago Dias acertou a mão noticiando o artigo: YouTube chega ao PlayStation 3 e Wii.
Certamente em fóruns, por todos os lados já estão questionando, como o Youtube rodará direto no PlayStation 3 e no Nintendo Wii. Talvez você esteja se perguntando: Mas se o Google está preparando o Youtube para rodar no PlayStation 3 e no Nintendo Wii, então quer dizer que quem tiver o XBox ficou de fora? Repondo: sim e não. Sim porque como todos sabem o XBox é da Microsoft o arquirival do Google. E não porque o Google ganhará em cima da Microsoft deixando o serviço pago, e mostrando superioridade total em cima da Microsoft.

Agora é hora de você ver a notícia na íntegra do Tiago Dias do Blob ATI & D

Artigo: http://siteatied.blogspot.com/2009/01/youtube-chega-ao-playstation-3-e-wii.html

Aproveite e baixe a nova Toolbar (Barra de Ferramentas) do Metal Ômega, acompanhe os Feeds do Metal Ômega e dos vencedores do Top Ten, além de outros sites de notícias que são referência no Brasil. Tem a vantagem de ter um chat, para falar com o Metal Ômega, e um buscador do Google e dos Blogs campeões do Top Ten Metal Ômega, para você achar o que precisa.
A instalação é simples e rápida, não pesa no seu navegador, e ainda ajuda financeiramente o Metal Ômega. Não fique de fora, baixe já:

Agora a notícia que eu me encontro, o artigo: Desemprego, o lado mais cruel da crise mundial, noticiado pelo amigo Catarino, do Blog do Catarino.

O Blog do Catarino nos dá uma visão geral do país, dos problemas recentes, e alguns alertas e dicas. O Catarino tem uma visão privilegiada da sociedade, e expressa bem no seu blog, o Blog do Catarino, tanto que é o maior sucesso, inclusive internacionalmente… quem diria. Mas então, o artigo: Desemprego, o lado mais cruel da crise mundial, realmente é impactante, pois tudo está gerando em torno desta crise mundial, e muitos estão perdendo seu emprego. O Catarino foi feliz em escrever um artigo sobre o desemprego, dando uma visão do lado mais cruel da crise mundial. Eu por exemplo já estou sentindo na pele esta crise, mas é bom conferir a visão do Catarino sobre o assunto. Acesse lá:

Artigo: http://www.blogdocatarino.com/2009/01/desemprego-o-lado-mais-cruel-da-crise.html

Outra notícia que merece atenção, e já tão conhecido por nós, foi publicado pelo amigo Eli Raimundo, este o mais privilegiado por ter cinco Blogs, foi o artigo: Cuidado com o mosquito da dengue, publicado no Blog Online na Web, onde ele se diverte com tudo que acontece na web, encontra dicas de cinema, saúde, jogos e outros artigos.

Embora esta notícia: Cuidado com o mosquito da dengue, já ter em um monte de lugares, sempre é bom atentar-nos, pois todos esquecem, assim que passa a temporada de chuva ninguém mais liga, aí a crise do mosquito da dengue volta.

Por ser um assunto sério, é sempre bom lembrar: Cuidado com o mosquito da dengue!
Visite o Blog Online na Web e veja o artigo:

Artigo: http://online-naweb.blogspot.com/2009/01/cuidado-com-o-mosquito-da-dengue.html

Vocês irão achar estranho do porque eu escolhi uma piada como um Artigo de Impacto. A razão é bem simples, pois esta não é uma piada qualquer, embora seja muito engraçada, pois ela remete-se ao dia-a-dia, e não duvido que algo parecido já tenha ocorrido. É um assunto muito sério, e, por isso, escolho o Blog Só Piadas, onde você irá morrer de rir, e se divertir. Mas voltando a atenção ao assunto impactante, a notícia é: Esta sogra é muito esperta.

Muita gente não gosta de sogra, eu por exemplo sou um dos raros prefiro minha sogra ao meu sogro. Mas não vem ao caso. Esta piada do cotidiano é um ato muito sério, pois fala de traição. Quem gosta de ser traído? Vale a pena? Por que trair o cônjuje?

Somente entrando no site do amigo Eli Raimundo mesmo para entender esta piada, que se tornou a notícia impactante.

Artigo: http://sopiadasaqui.blogspot.com/2009/01/esta-sogra-muito-esperta.html

Mais um site do Eli Raimundo. E este assunto dá o que falar: Relações de valor. Noticiado no Blog Minha Empresa o artigo “Relações de Valor” fala não somente o que tem que ser feito para o sucesso da empresa, seu valor de mercado, sua imagem. Fala também para nós, bloggeiros, sobre a relação do seu blog para os visitantes, a sua imagem, se condiz com o que você transmite, pois não adianta nada ser apenas maquiagem, pois um dia a casa cai, e mancha seu blog e sua imagem. Mas aplica-se também na imagem pessoal, embora um pouco diferente, você verá como se aplica. Veja o artigo, não deixe passar, e boa leitura:

Artigo: http://eli-minhaempresa.blogspot.com/2009/01/relaes-de-valor.html

Agora o último Blog de Eli Raimundo: Receitas. Apesar de que o artigo escolhido não seja uma receita, mas faz parte, afinal para a realização de uma boa receita exige-se um bom Fogão. E como escolher um bom fogão? Você acha isso fácil? Pois não é tanto quanto se parece, pois os Fogões exigem maior investimento financeiro e devem ser escolhidos pensando ao longo prazo. As necessidades são diferentes para cada pessoa, sendo grande a variedade de escolha.

Portanto, uma notícia mais que útil, e que merece toda a sua atenção. Você vê aqui no blog Receitas:

Artigo: http://eli-receitas.blogspot.com/2009/01/escolha-um-bom-fogo.html

Agora vou falar de outro assunto que você se perguntará: esta notícia é impactante, ela faz diferença? A resposta é sim, e desde já não é notícia, e sim Poemas e Poesias, do Luciano Tulr, que é autor de 10 Blogs sendo 4 em línguas estrangeiras.
Desta vez, foi escolhido o blog inteiro, Poemas e Poesias, já que o blog tem artigos pequenos, frazes e imagens com artigos, o que não caberia falar apenas de um. Mas todos são impactantes, e muito forte, alertando-nos em diversas situações. Frases de encorajamento e de amor. Frase de reanimar, e de reestabelecer. Vale a pena acompanhar, veja o que a palavra pode fazer, e realmente faz, toda a diferença.
Visite já:

Artigos: http://poesiasnanet.blogspot.com/

Outra vez você pode se perguntar: ah, mas essa notícia todos os blogs e sites grandes noticiaram. Tudo bem, mas não desta forma, confira e veja. Embora possa ter igual, o artigo do Marcelo França, em seu Blog Último Click, foi merecedor do prêmio Top Ten Metal Ômega pelo fato de apresentar de maneira diferente a notícia da Posse de Barack Obama, notícia mais impactante para o mundo, pois todos nós dependemos de seu governo, direta ou indiretamente. Mas tudo gira em torno do discurso, pois é a pedra fundamental do período de eleição.

Todos os presidentes batem a mesma tecla em seus discursos, portanto, seu governo se baseará nelas. E de forma muito inteligente, o Marcelo França, no Blog Último Click, mostra todas as palavras chaves de Barack Obama e também de outros presidentes, na forma de nuvens de tags, um tanto diferente. Muito criativo da parte do Marcelo França, e é bem interessante você comparar as palavras chaves do Barack Obama com o dos presidentes anteriores, tais como: Bush, Clinton, Reagan, e Lincon.
Veja como ficou no Blog Último Click:

Artigo: http://www.ultimoclick.net/2009/01/21/a-posse-de-barack-obama/

Agora você poderá se questionar: o que tem haver imagens com notícias impactantes? Simples, imagens falam mais que palavras. Este outro lado das notícias, são apresentadas diferentemente pelo Rodrigo Piva, em seu Blog Curiosando com imagens incríveis, e de arrepiar.

A sessão escolhida foi Fim de Semana Animal, pelo simples fato de que se há desmatamentos, não há como tirar estas lindas imagens. Se o homem destruir as matas, e acabar com os animas, estas imagens simplesmente ficarão somente na memória. Por isso é importante alertá-los. Não somente o desmatamento em si, mas muito provém da poluição, automotiva e industrial, barcas cheio de petróleo e etc… É inacreditável de quantas maneiras o homem destrói a natureza. Por isso digo, entre e visite o Blog Curiosando, veja estas imagens, analise-as, e repense da próxima vez que tiver poluindo e destruindo parte do nosso planeta.

Artigo: http://www.curiosando.com.br/01/2009/fim-de-semana-animal-2009-wallpapers-24-de-janeiro/#more-2886

Parando de falar sobre destruição, vamos falar de construção, recuperando o que está perdido, levantando o que estava caído, dando Vida às Traças. Esta foi a proposta do Monthiel, autor do Blog que leva o seu nome, ao falar sobre o artigo dando Vida às Traças. Monthiel expõe um artigo que nos faz pensar, analisar, rever o que deu errado e tentar consertar, para assim chegar-mos ao sucesso. Fala sobre estrutura, que é a base para a realização dos nossos objetivos, que creio que todos temos. E o Monthiel dá o exemplo de homens vencedores, embora o que ele tenha usado como exemplo, Lula, que é um vencedor, mas que trilhou caminho diferente, dando um “geitinho brasileiro” do qual eu quero distância. Sigo o exemplo do maior vencedor, e mais importante dos últimos tempos, o Barack Obama, já que venceu as eleições de maneira impressionante num país onde o racismo é como briga entre Palmeirense e Conrinthiano, ou como a Favela da Rocinha e os Policiais.

Obama é um estudioso, e seguiu caminhos certos, e é respeitado por onde passou, não está envolvido em encrencas como o caso do Lula, e é tão inteligente quanto.

Este artigo irá fazer você refletir melhor sobre como estruturar a sua vida. Vale a pena ler, e se você quer vencer, leia:

Artigo: http://monthiel.com/2009/01/vida-as-tracas.html

Top Ten é dez! Mas… com para toda regra há uma excessão (e eu gosto disso) vou lhes apresentar um site de Arrepiar. O porque? É ver pra crer!
Deixo a curiosidade com vocês, saiba o porque, mas por favor, não entre várias vezes, isso irá atordoar a sua mente, é sério:

http://www.goldenmean.info/

Aqui eu finalizo o 1º Top Ten do Metal Ômega, e se o seu Blog não está aqui, então não perca tempo, mande seu artigo de maior destaque que irei analizar, faça um bom conteúdo, um bom título principalmente, e mãos a obra. Espero premiar o maior número de pessoas possíveis, mas… desde que seja impactante. Boa sorte na próxima edição, e tomara que você seja o escolhido.

Pegue o seu selo, você que foi selecionado, aqui e veja as regras:
Regras para o Top Ten Metal Ômega

Veja:

http://metalomega.blogspot.com/2009/01/primeiro-top-ten-metal-omega-artigos.html

Metal Ômega
http://www.articlesbase.com/blogs-articles/1-top-ten-metal-mega-artigos-da-semana-739134.html

Sierra Leone: Building on an Export-Sector-Led Economy By Kenday S. Kamara, October 4, 2008

Export sector development has become one of the most discussed issues in Sierra Leone’s development politics. The previous administration of Tejan Kabbah introduced some credible initiatives to promote Sierra Leone’s export trade worth pointing out. The investment code enacted in 2004 could actually increase visibility for Sierra Leone’s progress in creating an environment conducive to investment and poverty reduction if properly utilized. Empowering SLEDIC (Sierra Leone Export Development and Investment Corporation) as a “one-stop-shop” parastatal that simplifies business registration and minimizes transactions cost was also of strategic importance. But years of mismanagement of opportunities stifled the successful implementation of these initiatives. Today, however, there is reason to believe that commitment in implementing export sector development initiatives with the APC-led administration of Ernest Koroma can change.

Vast stretches of arable lands and abundance in mineral resources offer a natural comparative advantage for agricultural and technological development in Sierra Leone. The right commitment, in other words, can greatly square President Koroma’s goal of making government work in Sierra Leone.

The prognosis in Sierra Leone’s politics of self destruction has been hopelessly grim for decades. The country has consistently suffered decades of severe economic hardship and struggling with chronic problems of corruption and a broken management system at national proportions. The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has not looked good for decades and the country has consistently ranked very low in the United Nations’ assessments of countries’ human development indices. It might make sense for the new APC administration to be serious about government, commit to a selfless agenda of national development, and expect the best to come out of Sierra Leone. But the commitment to change the pervading prognosis of systematic mismanagement of resources can even be now much more promising than it has been since the APC is being given a second chance, and President Koroma living up to the high standard of expectations Sierra Leoneans have for his government. Apparently, Sierra Leoneans have lost every patience and all they want to see is a government that can build on a pattern of positive change for sustained development.

The last one year Koroma has been in power has brought major changes in the underlying strategic calculus facing Sierra Leone’s governance system – an ACC made stronger, emphasis on performance and fiscal responsibility in public office, and creating new, more positive development dynamics and incentives.  And these developments can be made sustainable with the vast potential in agricultural and technological development. Insisting on excellence in public service and emphasis in export sector development initiatives developed within the framework of the trade agreements and the WTO trade rules that apply to international trade will work under the new conditions in Sierra Leone. President Koroma has shown praiseworthy commitment to “unite both the private and public sectors for a well-ordered society and economic progress”, a position made clear at a private sector forum at the British Council which State House convened in conjunction with the Sierra Leone Business Forum”. However, the laudable efforts of the president require a sustained commitment that supports a liberalized trading system to promote trade and diversify exports.

Both to build on the export sector development initiatives started by Kabbah and to introduce new dynamics, any commitment to good governance, now that the mechanisms of democracy are in place, should be reassuring and taken seriously.

Enabling Environment

Most countries have a mental image of Sierra Leone that is defined by the chaos of a society overrun by corrupt politicians and business people. But Sierra Leone can be made a very different place than for what it was known. Overall development can make paramount the pursuit of accountable, transparent and corruption-free policies to ensure a carefully sequenced opening up of investment opportunities in the country. The effort towards establishing mutual recognition agreements for agricultural exports with other market countries can greatly impact Sierra Leone’s export development sector. The Ministries of Agriculture, Marine Resources, Mineral Resources, Foreign Affairs, Trade and SLEDIC have a role to play. They have to create the environment to attract major investments to develop Sierra Leone’s cottage industries and raise the quality of products made in Sierra Leone. There are certain things the government can also do such as:

· identify and enhance divestiture of state-owned enterprises;

· augment the liberalization of trade and exchange rate, deregulation of prices, strengthening of fiscal management and domestic resource mobilization, and elimination of subsidies (especially on petroleum products and the staple food, rice);

· streamline and facilitate the process for exports by eliminating duplication and ensuring coordination between Government provided services to the export industry; and

· sustained support to the agricultural sector.

In the same token, small and medium-sized enterprises are key drivers of the economy. Helping them to develop is a reaffirmation of the fundamentals of trade sector development which include the establishment of export processing zone, provision of micro finance, and reactivation of skills training centers.

These are remarkable trends that are in sync with trends in facilitating the development of value added products for accessing markets in the United States and Europe through the United States African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) and the European Union’s Everything But Arms (EBA) Initiatives; and formulating transparent investment guidelines.

Sustainable rural development programs that support supply side resources available for export which are in the rural sector and the development of these resources shall also see benefits occur in the development of viable income for the rural sector. The government’s role in facilitating development of the infrastructure for clean water, healthcare, roads, electricity and telecommunications is critical. The European Union, the World Bank and other international development agencies are partners in development for Sierra Leone. The government has to show a sustained responsibility and commitment to cooperate with these world institutions.

Export sector development, and especially its emphasis on enabling investment opportunities for the development of small and medium enterprises and raising standards in product development, will enable the growth of the Sierra Leone economy. Agriculture, combined with financial resources generated from the country’s vast mineral resource base and a strong export sector development knowledge of what standards are required to compete in the global market, will essentially drive Sierra Leone’s engine of growth.

Essentially also, access to information is fundamental to the development of a viable private sector. The private sector needs to know what is out there and how to capitalize on the market access agreements available. To reaffirm its responsibility and commitment, the Government needs to leverage technology to make available such information. A combination of business training and development programs and the one-stop approach to ensuring coherence in private sector development shall result in the sustainability of available resources.

Further, agriculture and fisheries are areas if enabled can quickly develop an export led economy. The APC-led administration seems to recognize this. A successful example of this is the boost in fishery exports since last year when the APC was voted in. The Ministry of Marine Resources (one of the country’s highest employers with over 100,000 employees for those in marketing and processing marine resources and 30,000 employees for local fishing communities) generated Le1,196.42 billion from October to November 2007; Le1.2 billion in December 2007 and Le1.7 billion in January, 2008.  In spite of the persistent pirating by fishing vessels traversing Sierra Leone’s territorial waters, the Ministry has managed to conserve the country’s marine resources and to avoid depletion that has seen stable profitable growth in the sector.

A national export strategy (NES) can be fully developed as part of the Ministry of Finance budget information. Government can support the aggressive expansion of the availability of financing for export development and to assist in the development of standards and regulations of the services sector to provide a base for the export of this sector of the economy. Consistent with what the APC-led administration of Ernest Koroma is trying to do, government should do more to strengthen public-private partnerships and ensure it is never taken for granted.

The private sector can feel appreciated when government can ensure the participation of the private sector in high-level diplomatic missions, assisting companies in accessing trade shows and markets internationally. The ability to access distribution channels for exporters cannot be over-stated as high level missions can open doors that the individual companies cannot open. The opportunity to gain exposure in overseas markets is an underutilized initiative and needs to be strengthened.

Moreover, developing a database/register of customary land based on clear standards of ownership of land is also fundamental to Sierra Leone’s export economy. The net result of all this would be a profound change in the underlying strategic calculus in the APC administration’s commitment to drive economic development in Sierra Leone – building on the essence of an export-led economy which creates jobs and promotes a stable and progressively developing Sierra Leone.  It is worth noting that a combination of initiatives to drive an export-led economy is chief driver of sustained economic development. Much of the country’s GDP remains underutilized but shows great potential. And whereas an export-led economy argument implies that GDP increases are realized, a national export strategy that encompasses all the initiatives of the previous administration and evolving new ideas can be fully integrated in a well articulated national export strategy.

Supply Side Potential

If the APC administration and its leaders are to keep Sierra Leone moving toward economic stability, they must still overcome a range of supply-specific challenges that need to be developed to meet the standards of the global market. These challenges promise to be generally less daunting with the right leadership resolve to drive change, and where resolve is lacking they could still make worse the severe economic woes of the country. Sierra Leone may still rank last in the United Nations Human Development Index (HDI), but as, Dmitry Titov, Assistant Secretary-General of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) puts it, Sierra Leone’s prospects of moving forward and boosting its socio-economic situation is ‘hopeful” (Scoop World Independent News). Achieving this, however, will be the responsibility of the country’s leadership to guide an export-sector-led economy and to develop such economy to meet the standards of the global market. There are a good number of supply-specific areas that can be developed, but it is worth highlighting some of the most important.

First, there is the challenge of developing the country cloth and garments market. This is possible with a garment training center or other body established with industry standards either established through SLEDIC or the Ministry of Trade. The possibilities of a garment training center should be a critical element in growing the garment industry in Sierra Leone. With major production enhanced, the need can be simultaneously created to support fashion or trade shows and a greater interaction between the hospitality industry and the garment industry.

Sierra Leone obtained the AGOA Visa for textiles and garments in April 2004 and that should be an excellent tool for exploring export opportunities available as well as through other initiatives such as those afforded through the European Union-African Caribbean and Pacific (EU-ACP) cooperation, World Trade Organization and the economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). A Standards Bureau can help in implementing standards and quality control measures to make Sierra Leonean products competitive.

The Agriculture and Agro-Processing industry is also with great possibilities if it can overcome sanitary, bio-security and technical barriers to trade. Proper agro-processing adds value in the local environment and achieves a market ready product for immediate distribution or sale reducing offshore costs and maximizing returns. Standardized agro-processing facility can assist rural communities by providing a local base for their exports. SLEDIC should provide guidelines on sustainable processing for better market access and should come up with a quality mark for all Sierra Leonean agro-processed products. Identifying tropical products which have combined high returns to the farmer by either having high yield or high returns has the potential of giving farmers the options to look at more innovative plants that can form a basis for value adding.

Catalyst large farms can provide consistent volumes that can then be used to coalesce the many small community landholdings into a reliable consistent sustainable supplier of produce. More active pest eradication and assessment programs are necessary to build faith in agricultural supplies from Sierra Leone.  Also looking at organic farming as a future for Sierra Leone and as a niche market with high value with government providing certification will have an added virtue of sparking an agricultural boom and thereby helping reduce unemployment. And with standards provided for the output of agricultural products, farmers and exporters would clearly understand the export needs of the different markets.

Effectively managed agricultural support measures such as the provision of machinery and improved seedlings to farmers and farming communities is expected to help not only in achieving Government’s goal of food security but also encouraging crop diversification for both domestic consumption and export. With support from partners notably UNDP, FAO and the ADB considerable improvement has been made in the agricultural sector with the establishment of more than 130,000 Agricultural Business Units (ABUs) in the rural areas that account for the anticipated increase in agricultural production. These are existing facilities that can be further developed and adequately utilized.

Value adding through drying or smoking as well as packaging should be a priority for the fishing industry as another export sector development possibility. Facilities to handle fishing vessels need upgrade and aquaculture practices developed to meet global standards in fisheries development.

Credible policy reforms in the mining sector are important for sustaining improved minerals production. Modern mining operations require substantial investments. The ability of existing indigenous operators to modernize their operations depends on the availability of foreign investments to acquire the necessary hardware and expertise. What could be done is to promote the effective organization of cooperative joint ventures with owners of diamondiferous lands whose lands could be used as collaterals to secure the foreign direct investments and/or lines of credit needed to acquire modern mining equipment like bulldozers, excavators, front-end loaders, draglines, etc.

Further, setting up of diamond cutting and polishing stations equipped with workbenches designed for use with diamond cutting fly wheels along with several grinding applications is necessary.  Diamond cutting is the art, skill and, increasingly, science of changing a diamond from a rough stone into a faceted gem. Diamond cutting requires specialized knowledge, tools, equipment, and techniques because of its extreme hardness. The history of diamond cutting and polishing has its origins in India, where it was discovered a long time ago by Indian lapidaries that a diamond could be made to glisten simply by grinding another diamond against it. The setting up of these diamond cutting and polishing stations in Sierra Leone will aid the local diamond trade. The goal is to import diamond polishing skills and technology to Sierra Leone to enable the country to compete with other countries like the United States and India in the diamond processing sector. The Government of Sierra Leone should applaud this initiative since it is emphasizing the need for indigenous Sierra Leoneans to share in the downstream benefit of diamonds.

A final export sector development strategy worth noting is the services sector. At present the country does not have a well supported and regulated consultancy sector which could form the bulk of exports in the services sector. The only sector recognized is the Tourism sector which although important is not the only services sector with opportunities. Sierra Leone shows great potential in a number of areas and this expertise is yet to be developed using Government assistance and there should be an export focus on these areas.

Efficient Production Practices

Firms in Sierra Leone are often unaware of their own inefficiency. Such firms attribute too much of their inability to export to external factors and too little to their lack of efficient production. Import restrictions creating protected domestic markets have given entrepreneurs a false sense of competence. These entrepreneurs are only slowly aware of the critical roles that quality control, price and on-time delivery plays in international markets. Once their eyes are opened to the importance of these factors, access to buyers and technical support focused on production constraints can provide them with the means for lowering costs and raising quality.

Filling in specific service gaps can speed up the private sector response to policy improvements, and can accelerate export growth. With more knowledge and contacts, firms will achieve a higher level of export sales and more firms will enter the market. In short, intervention in the market for export services can be justified based on “infant industry” and “learning by doing” considerations.

Finally, the institutional structure of the export support service entity must fit the type of service provided. Membership-based trade groups, such as exporters associations, have been effective in providing basic information on buyers and foreign markets. But private non-profits or freestanding projects have been more effective in providing customized, firm-specific services. The point is that they often have the autonomy, expertise and flexibility to link firms with appropriate commercial sources of services, such as buyers, suppliers, and investors.

Of course, much could be done by utter commitment of the leaders who should understand and accept the importance of private sector input in the formulation of government trade and general economic policies. The potential of the global marketplace as a source of corporate expansion and economic growth is great. The policy makers have the sublime role to support private companies in seizing the opportunities that an integrated world economy offers – access to foreign capital, new market opportunities and increased trade.  A Trade Policy Review with the support of the World Trade Organization (WTO), substantial deregulation to boost investment and private sector development, will yield a stability that endures as Sierra Leone economic growth is defined.

Credit: Cocorioko Sierra Leone Portal

Kenday S. Kamara
http://www.articlesbase.com/business-opportunities-articles/sierra-leone-building-on-an-exportsectorled-economy-589806.html

<h1>Purchasing a private health insurance policy</h1>
Buying a private health care coverage can be scary for anyone who has always been covered by their employer’s group insurance plan. I’ve specialized in helping clients acquire affordable healthcare coverage for well over ten years now and have been a Connecticut insurance producer since 1985. I’d like to share with you the process I use when helping my clients find the best health insurance plan to cover themselves and their families.

The three areas we focus on are affordability, quality of coverage and the strength of the insurance carrier.

• Company- Your health insurance carrier should be stable financially and have a history of paying claims.
• Quality of coverage – The medical coverage must meet your needs. It should cover doctors, hospitals, labs plus drugs. It should also have physicians and hospitals in their networks that are convenient to your home and workplace.
• Price- Your healthcare plan must be priced competitively relative to the benefits provided.

The basic process we use is to:

1. Determine which individual medical companies are worthy of being considered.
2. Determine which insurance plans offered by those medical companies offer proper coverage
3. Determine which choices have the lowest overall cost relative to the health insurance benefits provided

Health Insurance Companies

A personal healthcare provider should have good financial ratings and be in good standing with your state’s insurance department. You may also want to do a Yahoo! search for complaints.

For example type in “Mega Life and Health complaints” before submitting an application with the company. Each medical insurance carrier has some unhappy customers just by virtue of the volume of clients they have. That being said, a be warned when there are too many complaints.

One more thing to look at is how much they pay in benefits as a percentage of the premium they take in. A good company will write checks for about 80% of the money they take in to cover their policy holders’ medical claims.

Benefits – What does your plan cover?

There are two important parts of coverage. One is the treatments that are covered. The second is the network’s list of medical professionals that the insurance policy includes.

Covered Medical Procedures

You should read through your insurance plan’s outline of coverage or official brochure to see how doctors, hospitals and prescriptions are covered. A healthcare policy should cover you in both the doctor’s office and the hospital and should have a good lifetime maximum benefit. I suggest at least 5 million dollars of coverage.

Insurance Exclusions and Limitations in Health care Policies

Most if not all health care insurance plans will have a list of procedures and services that they won’t pay for. Most of the excluded or limited items in this section are reasonable and are included in the policies of most carriers as well. Insurance Plans typically are not designed to cover plastic surgery for example. However, there are often limitations that you will find in one carrier’s contract but not in others. Coverage for preexisting conditions is one example of this. Most policies will not cover the costs of a normal pregnancy. The ones that do will be more expensive when compared to otherwise similar plans that don’t cover pregnancy. The exclusions and limitations section of your policy or its out line of coverage should be read carefully before you make your decision about purchase.

Healthcare Insurance Provider Lists

Knowing which medical professionals are in your medical insurance plan’s network is crucial. You might be able to find a list of doctor’s who accept a given insurance plan by doing a Google search or by calling your health insurance broker.

Affordability – Finding the best low cost health policy

It is easy to compare personal health insurance costs, but its much harder to be certain you’re getting good value for your dollars.

Comparing Medical Insurance Policies

After you have ruled out the companies with poor coverage and/or networks, it is time to look at price as a factor.

The Best Healthcare Insurance Coverage for the Money

The best health insurance coverage, may not be the best plan for you. Often the best plan is overpriced and does not offer an extra dollar in medical benefits for each extra dollar it costs. Make sure that any plan you decide to own is:

• Provided by a good medical insurance company
• Will cover your medical needs well
• Is affordable

Alston Ballkcom
http://www.articlesbase.com/insurance-articles/purchasing-a-private-health-insurance-policy-725447.html