Samawade's Take

            Today, The Ministry of Commerce and Industry in cooperation with The Somali Bureau of Standards unveiled the bid opening ceremony for Pre-shipment Verification of Conformity(PVoC). This is part of the consignment-based conformity assessment (CBCA) which is the standard for international shipping and trade. It is a step in the right direction to ensure that Somalia is able to play a vital role in international trade and while reducing trade barriers.           Consignment-based conformity assessment (CBCA) is a process used to ensure that goods shipped to a country comply with that country's regulations. In CBCA, the exporter submits a package of documents to the importer, which includes information about the goods being shipped, the standards they must meet, and the results of any testing that has been done. The importer then reviews the package and, if satisfied, issues a certificate of conformity. This certificate allows the exporter to ship the goods without further

Richard H. Riley, IV, Nominee for Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Federal Republic of Somalia           Richard H. Riley, IV is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, class of Minister-Counselor. He currently serves as Minister Counselor for Economic Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Ottawa, Canada.  Previously, Riley was the Consul General at the U.S. Consulate General in Peshawar, Pakistan.         He has also served in senior leadership assignments such as Charge d’Affaires, ad interim, and Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Oslo, Norway, Assistant Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan, Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Sana’a, Yemen, and Senior Civilian Representative (Team Leader) at the Provincial Reconstruction Team in Nangahar Province, Afghanistan.            Earlier, he was Deputy Director of the Office of Egypt and Levant Affairs at the Department of State, Senior Coordinator for Democracy and Human Right

          The African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) is a United States trade act that was passed in 2000. The act provides eligible sub-Saharan African countries with duty-free access to the US market for over 1,800 products, in addition to the more than 5,000 products that are eligible for duty-free access under the Generalized System of Preferences program.           AGOA was designed to promote economic growth and development in sub-Saharan Africa by increasing trade between the United States and the region. The program has been successful in increasing trade between the United States and sub-Saharan Africa. In 2019, the United States exported over $29 billion worth of goods to sub-Saharan Africa under AGOA, and the region exported over $32 billion worth of goods to the United States.           The AGOA has also had a positive impact on economic development in sub-Saharan Africa. A study by the World Bank found that the AGOA has helped to create over 2 million jobs in the regio

Crab Mentality           Crab mentality is a metaphor for the way people react negatively to the success of others. It is named after the behavior of crabs in a bucket, who will try to pull down any crab that tries to escape. The metaphor is often used to describe people who are jealous of others' success and who try to sabotage their progress.           This type of mentality can be a destructive force in relationships and in the workplace. It can lead to envy, jealousy, and resentment. It can also lead to people trying to undermine each other's success. People who exhibit crab mentality often feel threatened by the success of others. They may feel like they need to put others down in order to make themselves look better.            There are a number of things that can contribute to crab mentality. One factor is the feeling of competition. When people feel like they are competing with others, they may be more likely to try to pull others down in order to improve their own ch

Confessions to Make           Prejudice is frowned upon, but have you ever guessed someone's tribe solely based on their view of the world and the basis of their thoughts towards a subject? I have done it so many times, betting against myself, and I have not lost majority of the time! Are people's opinions shaped by their surroundings? What about the people who grew up outside of their tribe or group? Is there an exception to the rule?  Different School of Thought           The term is used for any group of people who have common thinking towards a specific subject or issue. For example, there is a group of people who think the earth is flat, the Flat-Earthers. These groups share an opinion or an outlook discipline, belief, economics, cultural movement and so on. In academic sense, it is used to refer to a group of thinkers who share a more common approach to a field of study. Is it hereditary to come from the same school of thought as your fellow tribal men and women? Common I

  DP World History           DP World is an Emirati multinational logistics company based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It specialises in cargo logistics, port terminal operations, maritime services and free trade zones. DP World handles 70 million containers that are brought in by around 70,000 vessels annually. This equates to roughly 10% of global container traffic accounted for by their 82 marine and inland terminals present in over 40 countries.           One part of the company was initially founded in 1972 by Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the first President of the United Arab Emirates. The company was named Dubai Port Authority and was responsible for the operation of the port of Dubai. Then, a subsequent small company, named DP World was founded in 1989 by Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, the current CEO. The company started out as a small port operator in Dubai and has since grown to become one of the largest logistics companies in the world.  Formed in 2005 by the merger of