OCDI

The Africa Japan Business Investment Forum organized by Nikkei BP etc. was held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from 31 August to 2 September 2015. Mr. Tatsuo Harada, Director of the 2nd Research Division, attended the forum. Approximately 300 participants from governments and the private sector from Japan and Africa, including Mr. Kazuyuki Nakane, Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, attended the forum where panel discussions on issues surrounding infrastructure, energy, agri-business, manufacturing and finance, among other topics were held under the theme of “Africa-Japan partnership for Business Innovation in Africa”.
Mr. Harada was involved in a panel discussion entitled “Logistics and Ports: Building and expanding Africa’s trade gateway” as a panelist. He introduced Japan’s assistance in port development and management in Africa, and shared his view on the need for collective efforts by the public and private sectors and development partners for timely port development, in the light of continuously increasing traffic at African ports, so as to avoid the port sector becoming a bottleneck to the economic growth in Africa. Specifically, he stressed the importance of 1) proactive project preparation by the public sector, especially port PPP projects in which the public sector is interested, and relevant assistance by development partners; 2) transport corridor development comprising development of ports and access to their hinterlands including land-locked countries; and 3) dissemination of data and information of ports which will facilitate the public and private sector as well as development partners to consider involvement in port development.

Mr. Harada in the panel discussion