VOA常速英语2008年-Guinea-Bissau Frustrates Entrepreneurs

By Phuong Tran
Bissau, Guinea-Bissau
01 April 2008

Guinea-Bissau, like many African countries, is a difficult place to do business. Some of the obstacles include unclear regulations, pervasive¹ corruption², political instability and the lack of infrastructure³. Phuong Tran met with entrepreneurs who say the coastal⁴ country presents some business opportunities, but also a lot of frustration⁵.

Yves Robles has managed the European-owned bottling plant Naturalis for the past year. He says the company's $1 million investment to bottle spring water has not yielded profits. Plans to expand to bottled wine and fruit juices are on hold.

He says the plant operates at only about 30 percent of its capacity. Robles says the biggest expense and problem is electricity. The state electricity company still uses decades-old, Portuguese-colonial era equipment that fails to provide even half of the country's energy needs.

Robles says his company's generator⁶ uses 200 liters of costly⁷ oil per day, which means thousands of dollars less per month in profits.

Though the government is pursuing investments that may boost energy services in the next few years, including a regional hydroelectric project with Gambia, Guinea and Senegal, Robles says this may not be enough for his company's investors⁸. He says they are giving his Bissau plant five years to improve profits.

Robles also says government inspectors¹⁰ can visit his company at any moment, enforcing certain rules such as the temperature at which it is supposed to store bottles. He says it is difficult to maintain that temperature because of energy problems. By paying the inspector⁹, he says, the company is allowed to continue production. But Robles says within months, the inspector changes, and the company must pay again.

The government has appealed to investors for help in building processing factories that can turn the country's natural wealth - including wood from its forests, and fish, fruit and cashews - into local revenue.

The country's main export is cashews that are sold mainly to companies in India and Brazil, which process the nuts to earn much higher profits than the growers in Guinea-Bissau.

Romain Boitard, an aid worker in Bissau who works with civil society groups, says cashew processing could be profitable in Guinea-Bissau, if it were not for the taxes, delays and general headaches entrepreneurs face.

"For an entrepreneur to start up a business here, he really has to be an adventurer," said Boitard. "There is quite a bit of equipment involved. You need to dry (the cashew], grill¹¹ it, break the outside, break it just right so the nut looks at the end, looks good, and you feel like eating it. You need to get a machine. If you wanted to get one of these machines, it would take you months to get it out of the port. It makes it difficult for anybody with good ideas to implement¹² them."

Boitard says the capital's port does not operate regularly, adding another hurdle¹³ to any would-be entrepreneur.

According to the U.S.-based Heritage Foundation, starting a business in Guinea Bissau takes more that five times the world average of 43 days.

1 pervasive   

adj.普遍的；遍布的，(到处)弥漫的；渗透性的

参考例句：

• It is the most pervasive compound on earth.它是地球上最普遍的化合物。
• The adverse health effects of car exhaust are pervasive and difficult to measure.汽车尾气对人类健康所构成的有害影响是普遍的，并且难以估算。

2 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

3 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。

4 coastal   

adj.海岸的，沿海的，沿岸的

参考例句：

• The ocean waves are slowly eating away the coastal rocks.大海的波浪慢慢地侵蚀着岸边的岩石。
• This country will fortify the coastal areas.该国将加强沿海地区的防御。

5 frustration   

n.挫折，失败，失效，落空

参考例句：

• He had to fight back tears of frustration.他不得不强忍住失意的泪水。
• He beat his hands on the steering wheel in frustration.他沮丧地用手打了几下方向盘。

6 generator   

n.发电机，发生器

参考例句：

• All the while the giant generator poured out its power.巨大的发电机一刻不停地发出电力。
• This is an alternating current generator.这是一台交流发电机。

7 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。

8 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

9 inspector   

n.检查员，监察员，视察员

参考例句：

• The inspector was interested in everything pertaining to the school.视察员对有关学校的一切都感兴趣。
• The inspector was shining a flashlight onto the tickets.查票员打着手电筒查看车票。

10 inspectors   

n.检查员( inspector的名词复数 )；（英国公共汽车或火车上的）查票员；（警察）巡官；检阅官

参考例句：

• They got into the school in the guise of inspectors. 他们假装成视察员进了学校。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Inspectors checked that there was adequate ventilation. 检查员已检查过，通风良好。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 grill   

n.烤架，铁格子，烤肉；v.烧，烤，严加盘问

参考例句：

• Put it under the grill for a minute to brown the top.放在烤架下烤一分钟把上面烤成金黄色。
• I'll grill you some mutton.我来给你烤一些羊肉吃。

12 implement   

n.(pl.)工具，器具；vt.实行，实施，执行

参考例句：

• Don't undertake a project unless you can implement it.不要承担一项计划，除非你能完成这项计划。
• The best implement for digging a garden is a spade.在花园里挖土的最好工具是铁锹。

13 hurdle   

n.跳栏，栏架；障碍，困难；vi.进行跨栏赛

参考例句：

• The weather will be the biggest hurdle so I have to be ready.天气将会是最大的障碍，所以我必须要作好准备。
• She clocked 11.6 seconds for the 80 metre hurdle.八十米跳栏赛跑她跑了十一秒六。