2006年VOA标准英语-Conference Seeks Increased US Investment in Afr

By William Eagle
Washington
27 September 2006

A first of its kind conference meant to outline the challenges and potential of investing in areas that will lead to economic growth in Africa is being held near Washington this week. American investors¹ and African businessmen and government officials are discussing water, energy, transportation and communications technology. VOA reporter William Eagle reports from Washington on the U.S.-Africa Infrastructure² Conference.

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Development specialists say Africa's economic potential cannot be tapped until the continent has a well-developed infrastructure. The conference is intended to mobilize American investors to help in that effort.

It is organized by the Washington-based Corporate³ Council on Africa, and among the many sponsors are General Electric and the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Stephen Hayes is the president of the Corporate Council on Africa, the CCA. He says Africa offers many opportunities for U.S. investors, and the conference will bring people together to capitalize on those opportunities.

"Road systems are very much available for American companies; most countries with major ports are building and expanding [them]; airports have got to be built and expanded," he said. "Infrastructure [also] includes telecommunications, optics and fiber⁴ optics, and computer networks. So a lot of things are available. It is a matter of trying to find out who the right contacts are and how to develop those relationships."

Hayes says he is concerned that American investments in Africa, with the exception of the energy sector⁵, are lagging behind investments from China, India and Europe.

One of the problems, he says, is that while the United States has the expertise⁶ to help develop African agribusinesses, telecommunications, and roads, railways and ports, many American investors are not familiar with Africa's financial environment. For that reason, the CCA invited U.S. government officials and representatives of international lending institutions who can lend support to U.S.-African partnerships⁸.

Among those scheduled to attend are representatives of the Department of Commerce, the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), the United Bank for Africa, and NEPAD, the New Partnership⁷ for Africa's Development.

A scheduled speaker is the Transportation Department deputy assistant secretary for aviation and international affairs, Susan McDermott, who says she will emphasize U.S. support for strengthening Africa's infrastructure.

In an interview with VOA before the conference, she explained how improvements in the continent's transport system will affect Africa's trade with the United States.

"Today, Africa has some of the highest transportation costs in the world," she said. Some commentators⁹ have indicated that many of the tariff¹⁰ benefits of AGOA and other traditional advantages have been diminished, if not lost, because of the high cost of transporting goods to and from Africa. So improved transportation is going to play a critical role in strengthening, improving and sustaining U.S.- Africa trade flows."

Also participating in the first annual U.S.-Africa Infrastructure Conference is the law firm Hunton and Williams. It will help with workshops on the legal aspects of investment, including public-private partnerships, project finance, and contemporary business practices that encourage transparency.

The conference will also look at the importance of regionalism in African infrastructure projects.

Hunton and Williams partner Rob Edwards explains.

"While Africa as a continent is very large, it is broken into 54 countries, and in order to develop infrastructure on an economic scale, many [projects] will [need] to be done on a regional basis," he said. "For example, if you build a power plant in one particular country, it has to be anticipated that power would be [also be] exported to neighboring countries. If you are talking about roads, bridges and transportation, you need to connect up the economies of neighboring countries. So if Cote d'Ivoire has lots of cocoa, there has to be efficient way to get it to the coast and to foreign markets for sale."

The Department of Transportation's McDermott says the rapid globalization of commerce means that increased trade, and the potential wealth that comes with it, is no longer the province of developed nations. Interconnected markets now allow small and medium-sized businesses to become part of the world of buyers and sellers.

1 investors   

n.投资者，出资者( investor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子
• a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会

2 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

3 corporate   

adj.共同的，全体的；公司的，企业的

参考例句：

• This is our corporate responsibility.这是我们共同的责任。
• His corporate's life will be as short as a rabbit's tail.他的公司的寿命是兔子尾巴长不了。

4 fiber   

n.纤维，纤维质

参考例句：

• The basic structural unit of yarn is the fiber.纤维是纱的基本结构单元。
• The material must be free of fiber clumps.这种材料必须无纤维块。

5 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

6 expertise   

n.专门知识(或技能等)，专长

参考例句：

• We were amazed at his expertise on the ski slopes.他斜坡滑雪的技能使我们赞叹不已。
• You really have the technical expertise in a new breakthrough.让你真正在专业技术上有一个全新的突破。

7 partnership   

n.合作关系，伙伴关系

参考例句：

• The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
• Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。

8 partnerships   

n.伙伴关系( partnership的名词复数 )；合伙人身份；合作关系

参考例句：

• Partnerships suffer another major disadvantage: decision-making is shared. 合伙企业的另一主要缺点是决定要由大家来作。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件
• It involved selling off limited partnerships. 它涉及到售出有限的合伙权。 来自辞典例句

9 commentators   

n.评论员( commentator的名词复数 )；时事评论员；注释者；实况广播员

参考例句：

• Sports commentators repeat the same phrases ad nauseam. 体育解说员翻来覆去说着同样的词语，真叫人腻烦。
• Television sports commentators repeat the same phrases ad nauseam. 电视体育解说员说来说去就是那么几句话，令人厌烦。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 tariff   

n.关税，税率；(旅馆、饭店等)价目表，收费表

参考例句：

• There is a very high tariff on jewelry.宝石类的关税率很高。
• The government is going to lower the tariff on importing cars.政府打算降低进口汽车的关税。