Ignore brewing political temperatures, PM tells investors

Written By:PMPS,    Posted: Thu, Mar 31, 2011

Raila said the nation will forge ahead irrespective of the trials

Prime Minister Raila Odinga wants local business community to help the government reassure foreign investors of their security as the country braces for the Hague trials.

He asked the business community to ignore the brewing political temperatures over the impending cases at the International Criminal Court arguing that the nation will forge ahead irrespective of the trials.

"The private sector should not be oversensitive about the unfolding political scenario in Kenya to an extent of sending mixed signals to the international community because the country will survive with or without The Hague trials" Odinga said.

He was reacting to concerns from the business community during the Prime Minister Round table meeting at a Nairobi hotel when the Chairman of the Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA) Eng.  Patrick Obath expressed fears that political climate could scare investors.

During the meeting also attended by four Ministers including Deputy Premier Musalia Mudavadi , the  World Trade Organization (WTO) Director General Pascal Lamy revealed that negotiations over the Doha Development Agenda (DDA) were far from conclusion.

He informed the meeting that African countries failed to influence policies in international circles due to poor percentage in intra trade performance within the continent compared to other players in the world market.

But the Premier insisted that the Doha negotiations must yield the desired results in favour of the Least Developing Countries (LDCs) whose fragile economies he said were pegged on the outcome of the talks.

He asked the developed nations who appeared to have stagnated the negotiations over matters pertaining to market accessibility to reconsider their stance to resolve the stalemate.

"We urge all members particularly the major players to engage constructively in the negotiations so that the remaining issues can be resolved to pave way for the conclusion of the Doha Round of Trade negotiations" Odinga said.

On local issues the premier said the inception of the round table sessions with the private sector was paying after the government reduced red tapes through initiation of reforms in the licensing sector.

He also underscored the need for ministries to hold regular talks with the business community to streamline their operations by designating a stakeholder Forum Desk Officers to liaise with KEPSA.

Odinga announced government plans to spend Ksh 100 billion towards increasing the national per capita water storage capacity through construction of 25 dams in a bid to restore the degraded water catchment areas.

Ministers Present included Prof. Anyang Nyongo, Charity Ngilu, Chris Obure and several Permanent Secretaries.