Month: May 2021

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Micro Insurance Company and ImaliPay Partner to Deliver Digital Insurance Products to Africa’s Gig Workers

Micro Insurance Company x ImaliPay

Partnership

NEW YORK, May 31, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — MicroEnsure (now part of the Micro Insurance Company) and ImaliPay are partnering to deliver digital insurance products to Africa’s gig workers. These unique insurance products will provide this underserved sector with a safety net, so when the unexpected happens, people are able to bounce back swiftly.

Micro Insurance Company (MIC) is focused on providing end-to-end microinsurance products to the mass market at affordable premiums. ImaliPay is a fast-growing Pan African and VC-backed financial services platform focused on offering credit, savings, and insurance via a single channel or API to Africa’s gig economy platforms. ImaliPay deploys short-term finance easily and quickly to enable their customers to generate more revenue from their gig work.

ImaliPay is partnering with MIC to deliver insurance products to their growing customer base of gig workers in Kenya. This partnership will empower gig workers by providing insurance tailored to their needs and their level/proportion of income generation. Furthermore, the addition of this insurance product will help improve the quality of life for delivery, ride-sharing, and mobility sector workers.

The majority of gig workers, especially in the ride-sharing sector, remain active despite the Covid-19 pandemic. Due to the nature of their jobs, they remain at high risk for contracting Covid-19 with minimal access to insurance coverage to protect them. Therefore, this insurance product being offered through the partnership between MIC and ImaliPay will cover Covid-19 as well as a range of other risks including health, death, disability, and property destruction.

Micro Insurance Company brings its comprehensive trajectory and track record in providing microinsurance which ImaliPay will leverage to provide insurance products to its customers.

Ms. Wairimu Njoki, Country Manager, MicroEnsure East Africa, says: 

“We are delighted to be partnering with ImaliPay to boost the rising gig economy by providing social protection through innovative, need-based insurance. This is in line with our audacious goal of insuring the 4 billion un/underinsured lives globally.”

Uptake of insurance remains low in Kenya, with poor product design and constrained distribution channels contributing to low insurance penetration levels. MIC and ImaliPay join forces to address both of these issues – using ImaliPay’s platform as a route to access these services along with their knowledge of the gig workforce, and MIC’s expertise in product design to ensure optimal product consideration and adjusted premiums.

Tatenda Furusa, Co-founder of ImaliPay, says:

“At the very heart of our business, we are concerned with re-defining our customer experience by providing a wider product basket and prioritising the products that are most important/necessary to our customers. Insurance sits right at the forefront of our customer needs and we’re happy to be catering to those needs with this collaboration.”

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a03b4557-90ee-4a47-9930-15ef8fe577c7

For more information, please email hello@imalipay.com or visit https://imalipay.com/ or email kenya@microensure.com or visit https://microinsurance.com/.
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Marine Online’s Global Connectivity Sustains Full Service Shipbroking

Vessels’ ship sales and purchase unfazed by pandemic

SINGAPORE, May 31, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Across the last decade, the global shipbroking market enjoyed growth from various drivers including increasing global seaborne trade, falling oil prices, swift economic growth and rising energy consumption. Unfortunately, the pandemic disrupted shipping industry, and made its way into vessel sales and purchase.

Travel restrictions made it significantly harder for buyers to source for the right ships. Similarly, a smaller pool of buyers compelled sellers to release their vessels at a loss. Tightened safety controls thwarted vessel inspections which further threatened sales and purchase – causing buyers and sellers to reconsider their decisions.

Marine Online helps both buyers and sellers bypass disruptions in vessels sales and purchase. Unrestricted geographically, its platform offers a broad network, acting as an effective bridge between both buyers and sellers. Surveys can also be carried out by Marine Online’s authorised service providers worldwide upon a successful transaction.

Bharat Bahl, Marine Online’s Sales and Purchase Manager highlighted: “In this challenging economic climate, our platform effectively converges all buyers and sellers. Additionally, our wide network of authorised service providers is able to carry out necessary surveys, clearances and other marine services wherever the vessel is located. Marine Online’s team of experienced professionals would be overseeing the whole process, ensuring smooth and secure transactions.”

Marine Online is a client-centric platform providing maritime professionals with effective vessel sales and purchase solutions. To date, Marine Online has transacted for both buyers and sellers worldwide including Indonesia, China, Singapore and Vietnam.

About Marine Online (Singapore) Pte Ltd

Marine Online is the world’s first one-stop integrated platform specialising in maritime services for the global market. Launched in 2019, it has provided various maritime services through its revolutionary A.I and Big Data enabled platform to regional ship and cargo owners. With its portfolio of 8 major services, Marine Online shapes the future of maritime by using cutting edge technology to create business opportunities and connections. For more information, visit marineonline.com

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Mindray Defines Future of Imaging Technologies with New General Imaging, Women’s Healthcare and Cardiology Ultrasound Solutions

SHENZHEN, China, May 31, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Mindray (SZSE: 300760), a global leading developer and provider of medical devices and solutions, has announced the launch of its new General Imaging, Women’s Healthcare, and Cardiology ultrasound solutions on May 28, 2021. Underpinned by the theme “Innovation Defines”, each solution is specifically designed to increase the strength of diagnostic evidence available to doctors to ensure better patient care.

Mindray Defines Future of Imaging Technologies with New General Imaging, Women’s Healthcare and Cardiology Ultrasound Solutions

“For over 30 years, innovation has been deeply-rooted in Mindray’s DNA. With hospital systems growing and expanding, it is imperative for the healthcare industry to continue to go beyond designing individual products to engineering connected healthcare solutions. It is with this holistic view that we can ensure an improved healthcare experience for patients, whilst helping to expand clinical capacity,” said He Xujin, General Manager of Mindray Medical Imaging Systems. “The launch of our latest ultrasound solutions marks a milestone for Mindray, as we continue to pioneer new platforms under the guiding principle, ‘Innovation Defines’”.

Mindray’s General Imaging ultrasound solutions are equipped with a number of advanced technologies, including high frame rate contrast-enhanced ultrasound (HiFR CEUS), comprehensive HiFR elastography, and enhanced quantification measurement for a new level of image clarity. These features provide clinicians with extensive tools for more precise diagnosis and treatment — giving them reinforced confidence for improved patient outcomes.

The Women’s Healthcare ultrasound solutions offer a diversified range of expert tools that includes Smart Scene 3D, Smart Planes CNS, Smart ICV, Smart Pelvic and Smart ERA. These features have been designed and inspired by the daily work of clinicians with the aim of enhancing efficiency for OBGYN applications, including IVF, neonatal and postpartum.

For cardiovascular clinicians, Mindray’s new Cardiology ultrasound solutions include TEE imaging, HiFR V-Flow, Wall Shear Stress (WSS), real time IMT. These technologies allow for truly accurate visualization, which arms clinicians with extra evidence for diagnostic certainty.

Mindray draws upon its deep insights into unmet clinical needs to provide clinicians with comprehensive imaging solutions that allow for precise diagnoses and treatments across different applications. The three latest medical imaging solutions combine extraordinary technologies with smart applications and an intuitive workflow that elevates the quality of clinical data to a higher level. At the same time, patients can benefit from faster medical imaging and more accurate detection of potential complications, all at the point of care.

Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1516663/Innovation_defines.jpg

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Cameroon Investigates Missing $335 Million in COVID Funds

Cameroon rights groups, opposition parties and local media are asking the government to publish its findings after most of a $335 million loan from the IMF could not be accounted for. At least 15 officials have appeared before commissions of investigation.

A government statement read on Cameroon state media Monday calls on civilians to remain calm as investigations on missing funds continue. The statement from government spokesperson Rene Emmanuel Sadi states that justice will take its course.

The statement comes after Cameroon rights groups and opposition asked the government to explain what happened to about $335 million loaned by the International Monetary Fund to fight COVID-19.

Cameroon says within the past week, 15 ministers have appeared at the audit bench of the Supreme Court and a special criminal tribunal to account for the funds.

Joseph Lavoisier Tsapy is legal adviser to the opposition Social Democratic Front Party and a member of the Cameroon Human Rights League.

Tsapy says the Cameroon Special Criminal Tribunal should have ordered their arrest after the audit bench of the Supreme Court found out that some ministers stole COVID-19 funds. He says the money should have been invested to save lives and assist suffering people. He says he wants to make it clear that government ministers in Cameroon do not have immunity like lawmakers.

In June 2020, SDF lawmakers complained that the awarding of COVID-19 contracts did not respect procurement procedures and gave room for massive corruption.

Local media like Equinox Radio and TV, Roya FM reported gross cases of embezzlement.

In one case, the Ministry of Scientific Research received $9 million to produce the drug chloroquine. The ministry instead bought chloroquine amounting to 30 percent of the funds from China.

Other cases involve overbilling and failure to render services or provide supplies after payment.

André Luther Meka speaks for the ruling CPDM party, to which all of the ministers called up for questioning belong.

Meka says Cameroonians should stop asking for ministers to either be punished or to refund COVID-19 funds. He says Cameroon considers all suspects innocent until found guilty by the law courts. He says Cameroon President Paul Biya has a strong political will to punish everyone who has either mismanaged, embezzled or siphoned state money.

Angelbert Lebong is a member of the Cameroon Civil Society. He says President Biya should explain to the Cameroonian people how his government has managed the COVID-19 funds.

He says Biya should for once speak out against embezzlement and publicly condemn his collaborators who have stolen COVID-19 funds. He says Cameroon has more serious life-threatening issues to handle than the heavily publicized receptions Biya gives diplomats in his office.

Last month, Human Rights Watch urged the IMF to ask Cameroon to ensure independent and credible enquiry on the management of COVID-19 funds before approving a third loan.

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in Cameroon in March 2020, the IMF has approved two emergency loans to the central African state totaling $382 million.

Source: Voice of America

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Morocco, Spain Trade Accusations of Violating Good ‘Neighborliness’

Morocco and Spain traded new accusations on Monday in a diplomatic row triggered by the Western Sahara territorial issue that led this month to a migration crisis in Spain’s enclave in northern Morocco.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez described Morocco’s actions in appearing to relax border controls with the enclave of Ceuta as unacceptable and an assault on national borders.

Morocco’s Foreign Ministry meanwhile blamed Spain for breaking “mutual trust and respect,” drawing parallels between the issues of Western Sahara and Spain’s Catalonia region, where there is an independence movement.

The dispute was sparked by Spain admitting Western Sahara independence movement leader Brahim Ghali for medical treatment without informing Rabat.

“It is not acceptable for a government to say that we will attack the borders, that we will open up the borders to let in 10,000 migrants in less than 48 hours … because of foreign policy disagreements,” Sanchez said at a news conference.

Most migrants who crossed into Ceuta were immediately returned to Morocco, but hundreds of unaccompanied minors, who cannot be deported under Spanish law, remain.

The influx was widely seen as retaliation for Spain’s decision to discreetly take in Ghali.

Morocco regards Western Sahara as part of its own territory. The Algeria-backed Polisario seeks an independent state in the territory, where Spain was colonial ruler until 1975.

Describing Spain as Morocco’s best ally in the European Union, Sanchez said he wanted to convey a constructive attitude toward Rabat but insisted that border security was paramount.

“Remember that neighborliness … must be based on respect and confidence,” he said.

Morocco’s foreign ministry said in a statement that Spain violated good neighborliness and mutual trust and that migration was not the problem.

Rabat added that it has cooperated with Madrid in curbing migrant flows and in countering terrorism, which it said helped foil 82 militant attacks in Spain.

The case of Ghali “revealed the hostile attitudes and harmful strategies of Spain regarding the Moroccan Sahara,” the ministry said in a statement.

Spain “cannot combat separatism at home and promote it in its neighbor,” it said, noting Rabat’s support for Madrid against the Catalan independence movement.

Separately, Ghali, who has been hospitalized with COVID-19 in Logrono in the Rioja region, will attend a Tuesday high court hearing remotely from the hospital, his lawyer’s office said.

Morocco, which has withdrawn its ambassador to Madrid, has said it may sever ties with Spain if Ghali left the country the same way he entered without a trial.

Source: Voice of America

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Tanzania Activists Urge Government to Begin COVID-19 Vaccinations

The president of Zanzibar, a semi-autonomous region of Tanzania, has said his government will soon import COVID-19 vaccines. This puts the region at odds with the national government, which has yet to approve any COVID vaccine. Opposition parties are urging the government to allow vaccinations to begin.

Zanzibar’s President Hussein Mwinyi said Saturday that he will allow COVID-19 vaccines to be administered in the semi-autonomous region. He said the vaccinations, when they begin, will be both optional and safe.

Mwinyi said there will be nobody who will be forced to get a vaccination they don’t want. He added we should not accept people’s sayings that if you get vaccinated would die; all over the world, people have been vaccinated. He said we will bring in the vaccine and those who want it will be vaccinated and those who don’t won’t take the shot.

Former Tanzanian president John Magufuli, who died in March, denied the presence of COVID-19 in the country and dismissed the vaccines as unproven and risky.

The new president, Samia Hassan, accepts that the disease exists and has said she is looking to import vaccines. But still, weeks have gone by without any sign of vaccines being delivered to or administered in Tanzania.

Rights activists like Deogratias Mahinyila say it’s high time the government to follow the world’s approach in handling the infections.

He says what is being done in Zanzibar and here on the mainland should be done quickly and go with this pace. Mahinyila adds that Tanzania is not an island; whatever we are doing should match with other countries in the world how they are handling this.

Some citizens say vaccinations will reduce the fear of infections.

Dar es Salaam resident Jackline Thomas thinks the government should speed up allowing vaccination to be brought in Tanzania “because we all know that vaccination is the main weapon to avoid a person getting ill.” She says if a person gets the COVID-19 vaccine, that means the infections will not spread and we won’t live under fear.

After more than a year of pandemic, Tanzania still has no figures on the numbers of COVID-19 cases or the deaths caused by the disease.

Zanzibar’s president says he’ll import the vaccines by Saturday, although the details of the plan remain unclear.

Source: Voice of America

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At least 55 Killed in Eastern Congo Massacres, UN Says

At least 55 people were killed overnight in two attacks on villages in eastern Congo, the United Nations said on Monday, in potentially the worst night of violence the area has seen in at least four years.

The army and a local civil rights group blamed the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), an Islamist armed group, for raiding the village of Tchabi and a camp for displaced people near Boga, another village. Both are close to the border of Uganda.

Houses were burned and civilians abducted, the U.N. office for humanitarian affairs said in a statement.

Albert Basegu, the head of a civil rights group in Boga, told Reuters by telephone that he had been alerted to the attack by the sound of cries at a neighbor’s house.

“When I got there I found that the attackers had already killed an Anglican pastor and his daughter was also seriously wounded,” Basegu said.

The Kivu Security Tracker (KST), which has mapped unrest in restive eastern Congo since June 2017, said on Twitter the wife of a local chief was among the dead. It did not attribute blame for the killings.

“It’s the deadliest day ever recorded by the KST,” said Pierre Boisselet, the research group’s coordinator.

The ADF is believed to have killed more than 850 people in 2020, according to the United Nations, in a spate of reprisal attacks on civilians after the army began operations against it the year before.

In March, the United States labeled the ADF a foreign terrorist organization. The group has in the past proclaimed allegiance to Islamic State, although the United Nations says evidence linking it to other Islamist militant networks is scant.

President Felix Tshisekedi declared a state of siege in Congo’s North Kivu and Ituri provinces on May 1 in an attempt to curb increasing attacks by militant groups.

Uganda announced earlier this month that it had agreed to share intelligence and coordinate operations against the rebels but that it would not be deploying troops in Congo.

Source: Voice of America