Japan gives Bangui $705,455 to computerise financial services

Japan has given the Central African Republic (CAR) 49 computers and other equipment worth 388 million francs CFA (US $705,455) to enable the government computerise its customs and tax collection services, state-owned Radio Centrafrique reported on Friday. The computers will be distributed among the different customs and tax collection services in the country, the radio reported. "We hope that the aid will help the government increase the income generated," Nabuyoshi Takabe, the Japanese ambassador, was quoted as saying. Receiving the donation, the junior minister in charge of planning and international cooperation, Philippe Waradague, said the equipment marked the first computerisation stage. He said the second phase would involve the establishment of a network linking all the country's financial services and the training of technicians on the appropriate computer programmes. The aid has come as the government investigates the alleged misappropriation of another $8.7 million Japan grant to the previous administration of President Ange-Felix Patasse in November 2000. Former army chief of staff Francois Bozize overthrew Patasse on 15 March. Meanwhile, the CAR ministry of mining has authorised a privately-owned Belgian firm, Diamond Distributor Centrafrique (DDC), to resume operations countrywide, after more than two months of suspension, state-owned Radio Centrafrique reported on Friday. Mining activities by DDC, as well as by 30 other firms including Patasse's Colombe Mine, were suspended in April and May to facilitate an investigation by the government into the firms' fiscal situation. The authorisation occurred less than a month after a national conference on mining, which recommended the reinforcement of mining police brigades on borders, and stricter measures against smugglers. The conference also addressed the establishment of a new mining policy. In an unrelated development, a preparatory meeting for a national conference on forestry and water is underway. The conference, whose agenda and date are yet to be fixed, is aimed at drawing up the country's new timber policy. Timber is the highest revenue-generating source for the government. Logging by timber firms has been banned countrywide, pending investigations and the drafting of the government's timber policy.