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speech after speech after speech. Meetings and meetings that have been going on for years. The government does not seem to succeed in organizing the Manono mining permit. What good is having all these resources if they are not used.
speech after speech after speech. Meetings and meetings that have been going on for years. The government does not seem to succeed in organizing the Manono mining permit. What good is having all these resources if they are not used.
Can't we just write off the duffel bags as corporate expenses and be done with it?
Here ya go Felix, here you go Jean.
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A few paper bags for the others.
Here you go mom and adèle.
One for all the judges and the guys at Cominière.
Can probably fit half a Mil in the larger brown bags.
Hell sign me up for the cap raise if it gets things moving.
Every one of them is probably sitting there thinking - we're ready to go for 12 months so where the hell are my snacks??
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WHY DO DRC CITIZENS REPORT SUCH HIGH LEVELS OF CORRUPTION?
Transparency Int'l11 July 2019
Picture a sinking ship in which a large group of people are fighting for a few, increasingly torn life jackets. Something similar is happening in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) at every point in a chain of bribe-taking that stretches from the lowest public officials to the top of the government. The DRC’s people are being harmed by a semi-official culture, known as “débrouillez-vous” (fend for yourself).
What the Congolese think about corruption & bribery
In our survey of 47,000 citizens in 35 African countries, the Global Corruption Barometer, we asked DRC citizens about their views on and experiences of corruption. Eighty-five per cent said that corruption is increasing, 80 per cent said that the government is doing a bad job at tackling it, and 80 per cent said they need to pay bribes for public services, like the police, water supply and identification documents.
It comes as little surprise that the Congolese see institutions like the police, the judiciary and the government as full of corruption, nor sadly, that less than a third think that ordinary people can make a difference in the fight against corruption.
These findings are far worse than in most other African countries: slightly over half of all Africans think that corruption is getting worse, while 28 per cent of Africans have to pay bribes for public services.
Why is corruption so prevalent in the DRC, why is bribery so commonplace and why do two thirds of citizens feel powerless?
The state of corruption in the DRC
A range of factors contribute to the DRC’s high corruption levels. Weak democracy allows corrupt politicians to maintain power, while ineffective institutions give opportunities for corruption rather than preventing it. People who expose or oppose corrupt systems are suppressed. The country also has low levels of stateness, a key tool that undemocratic regimes can use against corruption: the government doesn’t control its own army, competes for local power with many militias and has little control of movement through its eastern borders.
The DRC’s leaders tend to drive corruption rather than try to clean it up. This is done through patronage networks where those with power give others jobs and contracts in exchange for bribes. This makes the powerful very rich — former President Joseph Kabila owns more than 80 companies and 71,000 hectares of farmland — and means that poorly paid low level officials have to demand bribes to survive.
This act of preying on the people with less power is made more aggressive by job insecurity; leaders tend to strategically and regularly fire public officials to stop them from getting too much power. This encourages many officials to grab as much money as they can — through bribes and also embezzlement — as quickly as possible.
They are able to do so undetected and with impunity because the DRC’s institutions are frequently not transparent — the state-owned oil company Cohyrdo is one of the world’s least transparent state-owned companies — and have low capacity to effectively monitor and manage their activities. This has led to hundreds of millions of dollars in infrastructure loans from the Chinese government going missing, for example.
The chances of officials being sanctioned for corruption are further reduced by the DRC’s anti-corruption framework being very poorly implemented. Laws criminalising public sector corruption and requiring officials to report any bribery are rarely acted on, and any well-connected official who is prosecuted for corruption can expect an acquittal, as the judiciary is controlled by politicians and bribes.
Citizens footing the bill
Whether it’s through slowed development or bribe-taking, it is ordinary citizens who suffer.
The DRC’s 10 million market sellers are one of many demographics who get asked for bribes on a regular basis. A market seller’s drive to pick up goods might involve a traffic police officer demanding a bribe, an army run roadblock taking some of those goods and then a local government official requiring an unofficial tax to let the market seller trade.
Local and provincial governments are known to demand hundreds of types of taxes, frequently for services that aren’t delivered. Many officials also pocket — and then bribe superiors with — large proportions of the taxes that they collect. Additionally, their need to deliver sufficient tax revenues to government accounts, whilst taking tax money for themselves, means that officials tax impoverished Congolese citizens at very high rates, taking 40 to 50 per cent of their income.
There are, unfortunately, several reasons why two thirds of citizens don’t feel like they can make a difference against corruption: their votes are apparently not being counted in elections; the reported landslide winner of the 2018 general elections, Martin Fayulu, did not become president. Instead Felix Tshisekedi became president after an election involving many irregularities. Citizens are discouraged by protesters and opposition politicians being violently suppressed, and worry that the culture of fending for yourself is too deeply ingrained in their society.
What’s next for the DRC?
The Congolese can change their country and Felix Tshisekedi’s government has a chance to bring integrity to the DRC. It should start by strengthening democracy with a free press and judiciary, and full political rights. Tshisekedi must also adequately fund independent anti-corruption agencies, and fully implement the DRC’s anti-corruption framework. This will help strengthen its institutions while ensuring that state funds aren’t embezzled, procurement is ethical and corrupt acts are punished.
GCB
Why do DRC citizens report such high levels of corruption? - Blog
Transparency International is the global civil society organisation leading the fight against corruption.www.transparency.org
Australia has a CIA, or just a lady waiting with iced buns and tea on a Sunday afternoon in Harare?Can't we just write off the duffel bags as corporate expenses and be done with it?
Here ya go Felix, here you go Jean.
View attachment 17155
A few paper bags for the others.
Here you go mom and adèle.
One for all the judges and the guys at Cominière.
Can probably fit half a Mil in the larger brown bags.
Hell sign me up for the cap raise if it gets things moving.
Every one of them is probably sitting there thinking - we're ready to go for 12 months so where the hell are my snacks??
View attachment 17156
WHY DO DRC CITIZENS REPORT SUCH HIGH LEVELS OF CORRUPTION?
Transparency Int'l11 July 2019
Picture a sinking ship in which a large group of people are fighting for a few, increasingly torn life jackets. Something similar is happening in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) at every point in a chain of bribe-taking that stretches from the lowest public officials to the top of the government. The DRC’s people are being harmed by a semi-official culture, known as “débrouillez-vous” (fend for yourself).
What the Congolese think about corruption & bribery
In our survey of 47,000 citizens in 35 African countries, the Global Corruption Barometer, we asked DRC citizens about their views on and experiences of corruption. Eighty-five per cent said that corruption is increasing, 80 per cent said that the government is doing a bad job at tackling it, and 80 per cent said they need to pay bribes for public services, like the police, water supply and identification documents.
It comes as little surprise that the Congolese see institutions like the police, the judiciary and the government as full of corruption, nor sadly, that less than a third think that ordinary people can make a difference in the fight against corruption.
These findings are far worse than in most other African countries: slightly over half of all Africans think that corruption is getting worse, while 28 per cent of Africans have to pay bribes for public services.
Why is corruption so prevalent in the DRC, why is bribery so commonplace and why do two thirds of citizens feel powerless?
The state of corruption in the DRC
A range of factors contribute to the DRC’s high corruption levels. Weak democracy allows corrupt politicians to maintain power, while ineffective institutions give opportunities for corruption rather than preventing it. People who expose or oppose corrupt systems are suppressed. The country also has low levels of stateness, a key tool that undemocratic regimes can use against corruption: the government doesn’t control its own army, competes for local power with many militias and has little control of movement through its eastern borders.
The DRC’s leaders tend to drive corruption rather than try to clean it up. This is done through patronage networks where those with power give others jobs and contracts in exchange for bribes. This makes the powerful very rich — former President Joseph Kabila owns more than 80 companies and 71,000 hectares of farmland — and means that poorly paid low level officials have to demand bribes to survive.
This act of preying on the people with less power is made more aggressive by job insecurity; leaders tend to strategically and regularly fire public officials to stop them from getting too much power. This encourages many officials to grab as much money as they can — through bribes and also embezzlement — as quickly as possible.
They are able to do so undetected and with impunity because the DRC’s institutions are frequently not transparent — the state-owned oil company Cohyrdo is one of the world’s least transparent state-owned companies — and have low capacity to effectively monitor and manage their activities. This has led to hundreds of millions of dollars in infrastructure loans from the Chinese government going missing, for example.
The chances of officials being sanctioned for corruption are further reduced by the DRC’s anti-corruption framework being very poorly implemented. Laws criminalising public sector corruption and requiring officials to report any bribery are rarely acted on, and any well-connected official who is prosecuted for corruption can expect an acquittal, as the judiciary is controlled by politicians and bribes.
Citizens footing the bill
Whether it’s through slowed development or bribe-taking, it is ordinary citizens who suffer.
The DRC’s 10 million market sellers are one of many demographics who get asked for bribes on a regular basis. A market seller’s drive to pick up goods might involve a traffic police officer demanding a bribe, an army run roadblock taking some of those goods and then a local government official requiring an unofficial tax to let the market seller trade.
Local and provincial governments are known to demand hundreds of types of taxes, frequently for services that aren’t delivered. Many officials also pocket — and then bribe superiors with — large proportions of the taxes that they collect. Additionally, their need to deliver sufficient tax revenues to government accounts, whilst taking tax money for themselves, means that officials tax impoverished Congolese citizens at very high rates, taking 40 to 50 per cent of their income.
There are, unfortunately, several reasons why two thirds of citizens don’t feel like they can make a difference against corruption: their votes are apparently not being counted in elections; the reported landslide winner of the 2018 general elections, Martin Fayulu, did not become president. Instead Felix Tshisekedi became president after an election involving many irregularities. Citizens are discouraged by protesters and opposition politicians being violently suppressed, and worry that the culture of fending for yourself is too deeply ingrained in their society.
What’s next for the DRC?
The Congolese can change their country and Felix Tshisekedi’s government has a chance to bring integrity to the DRC. It should start by strengthening democracy with a free press and judiciary, and full political rights. Tshisekedi must also adequately fund independent anti-corruption agencies, and fully implement the DRC’s anti-corruption framework. This will help strengthen its institutions while ensuring that state funds aren’t embezzled, procurement is ethical and corrupt acts are punished.
GCB
Why do DRC citizens report such high levels of corruption? - Blog
Transparency International is the global civil society organisation leading the fight against corruption.www.transparency.org
Thank you,We might be able follow the progress of the Manono SEZ project from this site while we’re waiting for the ML.
Search Projects | Ventures Onsite
www.venturesonsite.com
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"I’ve seen statistics by China’s Ministry of Industry and information technology that regularly prefaces lithium with ‘battery grade’."These are spot prices and may not last.
Also, battery grade is also a material fact in the markets. PLS is not saying what this 5.5 SC is rated at. Does it matter? Depends on end market.
I’ve seen statistics by China’s Ministry of Industry and information technology that regularly prefaces lithium with ‘battery grade’.
So this is another still hidden from general market view strategic factor for Manono.
So wonder the Americans are poking around they finally realise they can’t ignore lithium in DRC, which is obviously Manono…
It may be difficult if we don’t want to rely on China at all. Does the US and Europe want to do it on their own without China?The Russian invasion of Ukraine highlights how our reliance on fossil fuels is so problematic.
If the US and Europe want to completely develop their own supply chains by scratch, that’s going to be very challenging
Wondering if I really should get that hearing test Frank. Did you hear the actual mention of AVZ?
Suncoast as well mate, might be able to sort you out re flights, if indeed it’s worth goingChances of Nigel showing up for the AGM if this shit ain't sorted? I live on the Sunshine Coast QLD . It's a long way to go if it's a company robot reading off a script and then doing a runner . Need to know if Nige will be attending before I book a ticket . Otherwise it would be a waste of money/time . Love Perth though . Lived there for a stint in my youth .
Wombat goes via private jet to sort out the bullshit at the agm.Suncoast as well mate, might be able to sort you out re flights, if indeed it’s worth going
Suncoast as well mate, might be able to sort you out re flights, if indeed it’s worth going
From Brisbane, I will give you guys some to carry on our behalf and place them in front of the board members to get some real answers.Suncoast as well mate, might be able to sort you out re flights, if indeed it’s worth going
Wondering if I really should get that hearing test Frank. Did you hear the actual mention of AVZ?
Lived-in perth and wait a while for over 10 oor smoothing years. Not there anymore tank ch but would definitely book a flight to find out wtf is going on. If nothing but to see the troughs of all troughs. Win or lose that would be worth seeing.Chances of Nigel showing up for the AGM if this shit ain't sorted? I live on the Sunshine Coast QLD . It's a long way to go if it's a company robot reading off a script and then doing a runner . Need to know if Nige will be attending before I book a ticket . Otherwise it would be a waste of money/time . Love Perth though . Lived there for a stint in my youth .
Vidiye Tshimanga placed under provisional arrest warrant
After a long interrogation, from 11 to 18 hours at the general prosecutor's office near the Kinshasa-Gombe Court of Appeal, he was invited to answer questions relating to the facts constituting the prevention of corruption.
Vidiye Tshimanga is indeed at the heart of a scandal linking him to an attempt to peddle influence with supposed investors in the mines.
He resigned from his post on Friday, September 16, following a series of videos that went viral on social networks, where he speaks with these supposed investors.
In a video published by "Le Temps", a Swiss media, he was shown promising his interlocutors security, asking them in return for a 20% commission on future operations.
The lawyers for the former adviser, approached by Radio Okapi after the hearings, refused to speak.
As for the Agency for the Prevention and Fight against Corruption, it confirms that it has opened an investigation against Vidiye Tshimanga.
*Place your Bets on how long he spends behind bars ( Made an example of / Pays for his Dirty Deeds )
Gets off with a slap on the wrist by a corrupt Judge
Squeals like a Pig and gets off anyway
Pigs Arse
Frank