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MEXICO CITY, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) — The Commonwealth of Dominica has condemned U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to China’s Taiwan.

The Commonwealth of Dominica shares the concerns of the international community over Pelosi’s visit to China’s Taiwan region, said a statement released Wednesday by the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Business and Diaspora Relations.

“Such a visit represents a serious violation of the one-China principle and of the provisions of the three China-U.S. Joint communiques, seriously infringes on China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and gravely undermines peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait,” said the statement.

“The Commonwealth of Dominica firmly supports the one-China principle, recognizing as its core concept that there is but one China, and Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory,” it noted.

Stressing that “the government of the People’s Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China” is the core of the one-China principle, the statement said, adding that the one-China principle has become a consensus of the international community and a basic norm in international relations.

Dominica maintains that Taiwan is wholly China’s internal affair, and urges the international community to refrain from meddling in Taiwan affairs or engaging in any official interactions with China’s Taiwan region, in the interest of China-U.S. relations and cross-Strait peace and stability.  ■

In the wake of Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan, over 170 countries and international organizations have condemned the visit as a serious, reckless and irresponsible provocation and expressed their commitment to the one-China principle.

BEIJING, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) — Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi recently made a provocative visit to China’s Taiwan region in disregard of China’s strong opposition and serious representations. The visit is a serious violation of the one-China principle and the provisions of the three China-US joint communiqués. It has a severe impact on the political foundation of China-US relations, seriously infringes on China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and gravely undermines peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.

By visiting Taiwan, Pelosi has made six mistakes: reneging on past commitments, trampling the rule of law, undermining peace, meddling in China’s internal affairs, political manipulation and abusing power for selfish purposes. The visit is bound to face the judgement and punishment of history.

Reneging on Past Commitments

The visit is a gross violation of the US commitments in the three China-US joint communiqués. In 1972, the US made a clear commitment in the Shanghai Communiqué that “the United States acknowledges that all Chinese on either side of the Taiwan Strait maintain there is but one China and that Taiwan is a part of China. The United States Government does not challenge that position”. In 1979, the US clearly pledged in the Sino-US Joint Communiqué on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations that “the United States of America recognizes the Government of the People’s Republic of China as the sole legal Government of China. Within this context, the people of the United States will maintain cultural, commercial, and other unofficial relations with the people of Taiwan”. In 1982, the US clearly promised in the Joint Communiqué of the People’s Republic of China and the United States of America that “the United States of America recognized the Government of the People’s Republic of China as the sole legal Government of China, and it acknowledged the Chinese position that there is but one China and Taiwan is part of China”, and that “the United States Government … reiterates that it has no intention of infringing on Chinese sovereignty and territorial integrity, or interfering in China’s internal affairs, or pursuing a policy of ‘two Chinas’ or ‘one China, one Taiwan'”. The three joint communiqués constitute the political foundation of China-US relations.

In recent years, the US, with its double-dealing, has kept fudging and hollowing out the one-China principle and challenging China’s red line with salami tactics. The US Congress keeps making toxic rhetoric on Taiwan and proposed and adopted many negative bills regarding Taiwan. These have seriously undermined the political foundation of China-US relations.

Since the Biden administration took office, rather than undo the serious mistakes of the previous administration, it has gone further in ganging up with US allies to play the “Taiwan card”, spreading the idea that “the status of Taiwan is undetermined”, and attempting to make the Taiwan question an international issue, thus sending a very wrong signal to “Taiwan independence” separatist forces.

There can be only one foreign policy of the US as a country. The House of Representatives of the US Congress, as part of the US Government, is obliged to strictly follow the one-China policy of the US Government and not engage in any official interactions with China’s Taiwan region. Pelosi is the third-highest ranking political figure in the US and second in line following the Vice President to succeed the President. Her visit to Taiwan, in whatever form and under whatever pretext, carries high political sensitivity, and marks a major political provocation upgrading the official interactions between the US and Taiwan, and a breach of the political commitment of the US.

Trampling the Rule of Law

Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan is a serious violation of the one-China principle. This principle is the prevailing consensus of the international community and a widely-accepted basic norm in international relations.

In October 1971, the 26th session of the United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution 2758, which decided to “restore all its rights to the People’s Republic of China and to recognize the representatives of its Government as the only legitimate representatives of China to the United Nations, and to expel forthwith the representatives of Chiang Kai-shek from the place which they unlawfully occupy at the United Nations and in all the organizations related to it.” This resolution has not only solved once and for all in political, legal and procedural terms the issue of representation of the whole of China, including Taiwan, in the United Nations, but also made it clear that there is but one seat of China in the United Nations, not two, and that there has never been an issue of “two Chinas” or “one China, one Taiwan”. The one-China principle has been an integral part of the post-WWII international order. To date, 181 countries around the world have established diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China on the basis of the one-China principle.

Pelosi argues that the visit does not contradict the long-standing US policy guided by the Taiwan Relations Act of 1979, the China-US Joint Communiqués and the Six Assurances, citing that as the excuse for the visit to Taiwan. As a matter of fact, both the so-called Taiwan Relations Act and the Six Assurances to Taiwan are unilaterally concocted by some forces in the US. This is, in nature, putting US domestic laws above international law and international obligations, and ignoring and infringing on international law and norms of international relations.

Undermining Peace

The root cause to the current tensions across the Taiwan Strait is that the Taiwan authorities have kept seeking US support for their independence agenda, while some in the US intend to use Taiwan to contain China. Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan is the latest example of the US conniving at and supporting “Taiwan independence” separatist forces. It gravely undermines peace across the Taiwan Strait and regional stability. The US should and must bear all responsibilities for that.

Over the past few days, many countries have issued official statements condemning Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan, which leads to escalation of situation in the Taiwan Strait, and constitutes a deliberate political and military provocation as well as a malicious act that undermines peace and security in the region. They have expressed firm support for China to take all necessary measures in defence of its sovereignty, security and development interests. Pelosi’s provocative visit to Taiwan is also opposed and criticized by many sensible people in the US. Many publicly stated that Pelosi’s grandstanding visit was extremely dangerous and irresponsible. A poll conducted inside the Taiwan island shows that nearly two thirds of the respondents believe this visit has undermined peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.

The one-China principle is the anchor for peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. History and practice have proven time and again that when the one-China principle is fully endorsed and earnestly observed, the Taiwan Strait would remain calm and tranquil, and the two sides across the Taiwan Strait would enjoy peace and development; but when the one-China principle is willfully challenged or even sabotaged, there would be dark clouds or even fierce storms in the Taiwan Strait. The position of the Chinese Government and people on the Taiwan question has been consistent. It is the firm commitment of the more than 1.4 billion Chinese people to resolutely safeguard state sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Whoever acts against the overwhelming historical trend of peace and development will become a huge disgrace in history.

Meddling in China’s Internal Affairs

While visiting Taiwan, Pelosi exploited various occasions to make outrageous slanders against China on issues including democracy, human rights, Hong Kong, Tibet, Xinjiang and religion, which reflected her long-standing, anti-China position.

Over the years, Pelosi has been using the anti-China card and China hate for political gains, and grossly interfered in China’s internal affairs. In 1991, Pelosi disturbed public order by grandstanding in the name of supporting so-called “democracy” during her visit to China. In 2008, she went out of her way to stir up trouble on Tibet, and urged President George W. Bush to boycott the Beijing Summer Olympics. In 2019, she met in D.C. with anti-China, destabilizing forces from Hong Kong, and described the violent demonstrations in Hong Kong as “a beautiful sight to behold”. In 2019, she met with Rebiya Kadeer, a principal figure of “Xinjiang independence” separatists. In 2021, she played the same old trick by advocating a US “diplomatic boycott” of the Beijing Winter Olympics. On the Taiwan question, Pelosi’s influence is surely behind all the so-called “Taiwan-friendly” bills passed by the US Congress in recent years.

Pelosi has turned a blind eye to the myriad domestic challenges in the United States and shown little interest in the welfare of the American people. Instead, she is obsessed with repeating what have been repeatedly proven to be lies of the century. This fully reveals how far she is prepared to go only to pursue her anti-China agenda. She may well choose to make a show in whatever form, but what she does will end up in vain. If anything, it will only go down in history as additional evidence of the US’s gross interference in other countries’ internal affairs.

Political Manipulation

Pelosi claimed that “today the world faces a choice between democracy and autocracy” and that “Our congressional delegation’s visit to Taiwan honors America’s unwavering commitment to supporting Taiwan’s vibrant Democracy.” Yet in reality, what Pelosi has done is by no means for the sake of defending democracy, but to infringe on China’s sovereignty, undermine China’s stability and hold back China’s development in the name of democracy. It is political manipulation out and out.

Democracy is a common value of humanity. It is an entitlement of people in all countries, not a prerogative of only a handful of countries. Whether a country is democratic or not can only be left to its own people to decide. It should not be subjected to the finger-pointing of some people from outside. Pelosi and some other American politicians, styling themselves as champions of “freedom, democracy and human rights”, have defined other countries as a democracy or otherwise simply based on their own liking, and spun the “democracy versus autocracy” narrative in the international community. Their behavior is, in essence, an anachronism of the Cold War mentality and zero-sum mindset. It features the use of ideology and values as a tool to create confrontational blocs and advance a geopolitical agenda, for the purpose of protecting the vested institutional power of the US and other Western countries and defending Western-centrism and White Supremacy centering on Anglo-Saxon culture.

Over the years, the US has used democracy as a label, a political tool and a weapon to advance “democratic transformation” and orchestrate “color revolution”, causing disastrous consequences. Since 2001, the wars and military operations that the US waged under the pretext of democracy, in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya and Syria, have claimed tens of thousands of lives and left millions injured and tens of millions displaced. What Pelosi is doing now is no different. It is just another example of the US’s despicable pursuit of hegemony under the guise of democracy, which will be strongly condemned and opposed by the international community.

Abusing Power for Selfish Purposes

As pointed out by American media, with the upcoming US midterm elections and a declining Democratic Party, Pelosi seeks to win political points by playing the “Taiwan card” and leave behind so-called political legacy. But “Pelosi’s achievements in Taiwan are largely personal, symbolic and short-term.” The regional security tensions thus caused, as well as other serious consequences, are to bring long-term impacts and inflict profound damage on China-US relations.

US Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene censured Pelosi on Twitter, pointing out that Pelosi’s going to Taiwan, putting so much under risk, is only for her husband Paul Pelosi to profit from his recent investment in the chip industry. “Americans have had enough with a woman obsessed with her own power she’s held for decades while our ENTIRE COUNTRY CRUMBLES.”

Greene’s words do not come from nowhere. Recently, Pelosi and her husband have had repeated scandals and come under severe skepticism. Multiple pieces of media coverage in the US have revealed that Paul Pelosi, having become a prominent figure in the US stock market in recent years, is always able to make the right investment decision just ahead of the government’s policy roll-out. In 2020, the couple’s investment return was as high as 56 percent, compared to the legendary Warren Buffett’s 26 percent during the same period. As a result, the Pelosi family’s net worth is now over US$100 million. Before she went to Taiwan, when asked at a press conference “has your husband ever made a stock purchase or sale based on information he received from you”, Pelosi was quick to deny and rushed to leave.

Pelosi’s reckless Taiwan drama is another debacle of US politics, diplomacy and credibility. It is doomed to be despised by the world and swept into the dustbin of history.  ■

BEIJING, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) — The political nature of Tsai Ing-wen and the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities was exposed by the clumsy performance of the visit to China’s Taiwan region by Nancy Pelosi, speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, according to experts on both sides of the Taiwan Strait.

Fawning on the United States, seeking “Taiwan independence,” and betraying Taiwan’s interests. These are the nature of Tsai and the DPP, the experts said.

Liu Xiangping, an expert on Taiwan studies at Nanjing University, listed Tsai’s misdeeds in U.S.-Taiwan collusion, including flattering visiting U.S. officials as “distinguished guests” regardless of their rank and intentions, and “shedding tears of gratitude” for U.S. support.

More than once, Tsai offered U.S. politicians a so-called “award” to showcase “friendship,” Liu said. These politicians included not only Pelosi but also former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

“The fact cannot be changed that the United States takes Taiwan as its ‘pawn’ and ‘ATM’ no matter how the DPP authorities cover things up with so-called Taiwan-U.S. friendship,” Liu stressed.

The obedience of Tsai and the DPP authorities to the United States has also prompted criticism in Taiwan. Chang Ching, a research fellow from the Taiwan-based Society for Strategic Studies, said such compliance would only make Taiwan a minion or pawn of the United States.

Experts said they believe Tsai and the DPP authorities had multiple purposes in staging the show: to mislead the public to gain advantage in upcoming local elections; to express obedience to the United States in return for more support on “Taiwan independence”; and to resist reunification through taking shelter with the United States.

“Out of their selfish motives, Tsai and the DPP authorities bent their knees and betrayed the Chinese nation in exchange for external support,” Liu said.

Echoing the anti-China forces in the United States, the DPP authorities have whitewashed its separatist agenda by acting as a so-called defender of democracy.

Since coming to power in 2016, Tsai and the DPP authorities have spared no efforts in promoting “Taiwan independence,” which posed the biggest threat to peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.

“For the sake of its own agenda, the DPP authorities do not hesitate at dragging the people of Taiwan into the abyss of disaster,” Liu said.

Tsai and the DPP authorities actively served as Washington’s foot soldiers to contain the Chinese mainland in political, military and economic domains, regardless of the price the people of Taiwan would pay for their actions.

The huge amount of public resources the DPP authorities have spent on arms deals and in lobbying U.S. politicians should have been used to improve the welfare of people in Taiwan, according to Liu.

“Pelosi’s visit revealed clearly that Tsai and the DPP authorities put the interests of their party over the interests of the Chinese nation, and election gains over the wellbeing of the people,” Liu said.  ■

BEIJING, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) — U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited China’s Taiwan region earlier this week despite Beijing’s strong opposition and stern representations.

Out of her self-interests, Pelosi staged such a pure political stunt. Insisting on going to the island, she apparently does not care about harming China-U.S. ties, or putting peace across the Taiwan Strait on the line.

This unscrupulous farce has only laid bare in front of the international community the nature of Washington politicians: a bunch of egoists, opportunists and hypocrites, who prioritized their own political calculations ahead of and above everything else.

It is certainly not that Pelosi was not clearly aware of the fallout ahead. She just wanted to make global headlines. She has no regard for Washington’s promises or due responsibilities in global affairs.

The sneaky visit has already stirred sharp criticism both inside the United States and around the world.

For sober minds worldwide, the move is merely a political gamble for the scandal-ridden Pelosi herself, and for the Democratic Party, whose outlook in the coming midterm elections does not augur well.

The China Times, a Taiwan-based Chinese-language daily, commented recently that Pelosi is using Taiwan as a bargaining chip for the Democratic Party’s midterm race, which is “not only immoral, but also likely to generate terrible war risks.”

“The intention of directly roasting Taiwan on the stove regardless of Taiwan’s interests is really sinister,” it argued.

U.S. media have analyzed that with a visit to China’s Taiwan region, Pelosi intends to turn the tables for Democrats and deflect popular attention from the scandal of her family. Her husband Paul Pelosi has recently come under fire for a stock insider trading scandal and involvement in a drunk driving accident.

An experienced opportunist, Pelosi is clear-eyed about an anti-China countercurrent surging in U.S. politics. She knows all too well how she can cash in on China-bashing or CPC-bashing for political gains.

Pelosi’s provocative visit capped her three decades as a veteran China hawk, who has been at the forefront of Washington’s anti-China campaigns.

In 2008, she urged then U.S. President George W. Bush to boycott the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics. In 2020, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a so-called bill on Tibet-related issues, a gross interference in China’s internal affairs. In 2021, she picked up the same old trick again by boycotting the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.

During her sneaky visit to Taiwan this time, she rehashed the unfounded “human rights” and “democracy” charges against Beijing.

As the third highest-ranking U.S. government official, Pelosi has been bent on finding fault with other countries while turning a blind eye to the backsliding democracy and deteriorating human rights conditions back in her own country. What a ruthless hypocrite!

Within its borders, the United States has been plagued by ever rampant and bloody gun violence, a botched COVID-19 response leading to the death of more than 1 million Americans and deeply entrenched racism that can arbitrarily take away the lives of people like George Floyd.

Beyond, bloody wars and conflicts pushed by Washington have wreaked appalling havoc on Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan, among other regions.

The world will not forget how back in 2019, she thumbed up to the disruptive, violent activities in Hong Kong as “a beautiful sight to behold,” seeking to whitewash the illegal demonstrations and cheer up the anti-China rioters.

In fact, many in Taiwan are well aware of her hypocrisy and evil intentions. The local United Daily News reported that a recent poll showed 63 percent of Taiwan netizens clearly did not welcome her to the island.

Throughout her conscienceless political career, Pelosi believes nothing but political showmanship. In her eyes, politics is just a business. Although Washington does not lack such politicians, she is so much more prominent for being an egoist, opportunist and hypocrite at the same time.

While she was betting on her visit to Taiwan as a highlight moment of her political career, the world has already seen through the preposterous stunt as well as the true and ugly face of her and her like.  ■

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and the Ethiopian Government Refugees and Returnees Service (RRS) appealed today for US$73m to provide food rations to over 750,000 refugees in Ethiopia, over the next six months. WFP will completely run out of food for refugees by October, leaving vulnerable families who are dependent on food assistance at risk of undernutrition, micronutrient deficiency, susceptibility to diseases/infection and increased protection risks, the three agencies warn.

Due to protracted funding shortfalls, WFP has already been forced to cut rations for 750,000 registered refugees living in 22 camps and five sites in hosting communities in Afar, Amhara, Benishangul-Gumuz, Gambella, Somali and Tigray regions of Ethiopia.  

Food rations for refugees in Ethiopia were first reduced by 16 percent in November 2015, by 40 percent in November 2021, and by 50 percent in June 2022. Food insecurity amongst the refugees has risen as a result of the cuts and is even further compounded by current global limitations to food availability, economic shocks, rising costs of food and energy, the fallout of COVID-19, conflict and insecurity.

To understand the impact of ration cuts on the food security and socio-economic situation of refugees, WFP, UNHCR and RRS conducted a rapid assessment in April which was based on 1,215 households residing in camps located in Afar, Beneshangul-Gumuz, Gambella, and Somali regions.

The results show that more households continued to adopt negative coping strategies by reducing the number of meals eaten in a day, consuming less expensive or less preferred foods, or limiting the portion of the meals served. More households reported to have engaged in demeaning activities, including engaging children in income generation activities, the collection and sale of firewood, while several borrowed cash, relying on friends/relatives for food. This forces refugees to rely on the resources of the hosting community and environment they live in which also increases the likelihood of resource-based conflicts between refugees and host communities.

More resources must be mobilized urgently to meet immediate food and non-food needs of refugees to avert further suffering, whilst similar investments are made to enable sustainable food solutions embedded in the commitments made under the Global Compact for Refugees (GCR)[1] and the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework (CRRF)[2] for refugees and hosting communities through livelihoods and cash programmes, in line with the UNHCR and RRS strategies. As a short-term measure, WFP and its partners continue to prioritize the needs of children aged 6 to 23 months and pregnant and breastfeeding women under the undernutrition prevention programme (blanket supplementary feeding). 

“Three quarters of a million refugees will be left with nothing to eat in just a matter of weeks unless we receive funding immediately,” said Claude Jibidar, WFP’s Representative and Country Director for Ethiopia.

“The priority for us all must be to restore assistance to at least minimum levels for refugees, all of whom are solely reliant on WFP’s cash and food assistance for survival.”

“We have a shortfall of US$73 million for refugees’ minimum needs and we are deeply concerned that if funding cuts continue, they may consider returning to their places of origin when it is unsafe.”

If there is an immediate response from donors, WFP will be able to buy food available in the region and transport it to meet the dietary needs of the refugees. WFP will also transfer cash to the refugees which gives them the choice of how to meet their immediate needs and stimulates local markets.

“We are very concerned about the lack of food for refugees. The continued lack of full rations for refugees, coupled with the impact of the most severe drought that the country has experienced in over 40 years, will greatly undermine the gains made in refugee protection and risk impacting the peaceful co-existence between refugees and their host communities,” said UNHCR’s Deputy Representative in Ethiopia, Margaret Atieno. “We are grateful for what donors have provided so far, but more funding is needed and quickly.” 

Mali authorities should act to uphold fundamental freedoms and the rule of law during the new two-year timetable for transitioning to civilian rule, Human Rights Watch said today. They should promote respect for freedom of expression and the media, ensure due process rights for criminal suspects, and end torture and enforced disappearances.

On July 3, 2022, the regional Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) lifted economic and financial sanctions, imposed in January, after Mali’s transitional government agreed to a new timeline for elections and other reforms by March 2024. The ECOWAS mechanism set up to monitor adherence to the timetable should include benchmarks on improved respect and protection of human rights, Human Rights Watch said.

“Mali’s leaders have taken steps toward civilian rule, but achieving a democratic society means ensuring respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms,” said Jehanne Henry, senior Africa adviser at Human Rights Watch. “The authorities should foster open dialogue that allows journalists, commentators, and human rights activists to speak out without fear of reprisals.”

Human Rights Watch researchers visited Bamako, Mali’s capital, between June 29 and July 8, and met with 3 current and former detainees, detainees’ family members, 3 lawyers, and 25 media professionals, civil society activists, political party members, and analysts. Authorities responded to Human Rights Watch’s request for comments by letter on August 6, reaffirming their commitment to protecting human rights as enshrined in international and Malian law, but failed to address specific findings of violations described below.

Mali’s transitional government took over following a military-led coup in August 2020 against then-President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita. In May 2021, military leaders consolidated power through a second coup, installing Col. Assimi Goïta as interim president. Since then, the media, civil society groups, lawyers, and analysts have reported increasing repression by the transitional government.

Violence has surged across Mali during this period. Attacks by armed Islamist groups and government-led counterterrorism operations have resulted in the killing of several hundred civilians since the beginning of 2022. This coincides with the departure of French and other Western forces supporting the government’s military efforts, and the reported arrival of Russian forces from the Wagner Group – a military security contractor with apparent links to Russia’s government.

The transitional government has increasingly restricted the United Nations peacekeeping mission, the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali. It has barred the peacekeepers from areas where government forces were implicated in abusive operations, such as the town of Moura, where Human Rights Watch documented serious abuses in March by the Malian army and foreign soldiers identified as Russian fighters. In June, Malian authorities rejected the UN Security Council’s call to allow the mission access to all areas.

Michael Smollan, Chief Growth and Innovation Officer, Smollan (https://Smollan.com) looks at how the customer experience has changed in the telecom industry and what brands can do to offer a differentiated experience.

Back before the ‘great staggering’ that affected everything in all ways, there was already a shift within the telecom industry as lines began to blur between previously separate consumer channels – creating new synergies for brands and retailers to optimize the customer experience. However, things were set to change at a pace that no one could have predicted as the pandemic accelerated transformation. Comparatively, pre-pandemic shares of employees working from home was only 4% – fast forward to April 2020 with full blown lockdown, that share increased to around 30% [www.Applause.com]

Having to work from home turned the tables as the all-day demand meant that telco’s performance would now be in the spotlight, none more so than the customer experience (CX) from the level of service to how well products fitted into their lives. Amidst these changing expectations and behaviours, the goal posts had to be re-positioned to determine what brands and retailers needed to do differently in 2022 and beyond, to meaningfully connect with customers.

Doxee, specialists in innovating relationships with customers, suggest that there are two tracks which will evolve around the customer experience in telecommunications – the human track and the technology track. Putting the customer at the centre with their specific needs and requirements, and also pushing digital innovation so that offers are broad; interactions are satisfying, and choices are as “human-centric” as possible.

The Telco Trends 2022 (https://bit.ly/3bDB3cA) suggests that getting to what matters will win the hearts of consumers in the Telco space as they don’t just consider each of their interactions with a business when deciding who to select – they also factor in how a brand portrays itself, what it stands for, and how serious the brand is about cyber-security. With the evolution of 5G, telcos must consider new services and revenue streams, along with authentically partnering the customer experience – termed ‘the great brand equalizer’.

With 82% of telecom consumers considering alternatives if they experience a poor customer journey and 27% of them abandoning the purchasing process entirely [source: US Telecom Report] focusing on solving customer pain points and delivering products and services to ease those areas of friction is a must. Today consumers want personalised offers and want to control their own personal data. 22% of consumers are happy to share some data in return for a more personalised service or product [source: Rise of Mass Personalisation]. Businesses need this data to drive these experiences.

“So too, enabling service excellence must be part of the customer experience for brands and retailers in the telecom space, from the moment a customer searches for a product. This has to be part of a brands DNA. In my opinion, it’s bigger than pricing and even some may argue, the product itself. Service has to be the biggest driver of customer loyalty each and every time to create a strongly differentiated experience,” said Michael Smollan, Chief Growth and Innovation Officer, Smollan.

The latest South African Telecommunications Sentiment Index in partnership with Deloitte Africa, rated the telecoms sector last, in terms of consumer sentiment when compared to the banking, insurance, and food industries. Despite loadshedding pushing up operational costs and the battle for additional broadband spectrum, telcos have to close the gaps. Understanding customer expectations, delivering omni-channel engagement, reaching out to disgruntled customers, and leveraging the power of big data and analytics will work towards improving customer service as a critical deliverable. Changing the customer experience – for good.

The Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has described the National Chief Imam, Sheikh Osman Nuhu Sharubutu as “a gift to the nation from God” who has contributed immensely to education and national development 

Dr. Bawumia eulogised the 103-year-old Sheikh Sharubutu on Friday August 5, when he commissioned the Sheikh Sharubutu Mosque  – a magnificent edifice built by the National Chief Imam, as well as an Islamic School beside it, in Joma Ablekuma.

“His prolific and unstinting charitable works constantly humble me, and it has always been a pleasure to learn from him. His works align perfectly with the  principles of service to Allah, service to community and service to the country,” Dr  Bawumia said.

“The building of a school and the establishment of a Mosque devoted to the glory of Allah is yet another resplendent addition to an impressive array of beneficial projects commissioned and implemented by our venerated National Chief Imam,” he added. 

“Also, the significance of establishing a Mosque in Islamic life can never be overstated. ‎In all Muslim communities, the Mosque, apart from being an exulted place of worship, also functions as a focal point of education, social welfare, community gatherings and allied forms of important social interaction,” he added. 

The Vice President also commended Sheikh Sharubutu for his selflessness and commitment to promoting the good of society.

“The Chief Imam does his good works from his undoubted commitment to society’s overall betterment. Sheik Sharubutu has always promoted and energetically worked for the balanced and spiritual uplifting of our people. His laudable works and necessary social interventions are never for personal gain or for fame.”

“I have absolutely no doubt that our Almighty Creator will reward him amply and deservedly for his extraordinary good works, such as the establishment of this beautiful Mosque and school  for our Joma-Ablekuma communities.”

Government, Dr. Bawumia noted, recognises the immense role Sheikh Sharubutu has been playing in education in particular, and added that in him, the government has a friend, and vice versa.

President Uhuru Kenyatta on Saturday made a one-day working tour of the Central region where he inspected and commissioned several development projects in Murang’a and Nyeri counties.

President Kenyatta started his tour by inspecting the ongoing expansion of the 84-kilometre Kenol-Sagana-Marua Highway, being upgraded from a two-lane single carriageway to a four-lane dual carriageway, whose construction is currently 75% complete.

Speaking before he started inspecting the road, the President urged wananchi to vote for leaders allied to the Azimio La Umoja-One Kenya Alliance led by presidential candidate Raila Odinga and his running mate Martha Karua.

President Kenyatta pointed out that Mr. Odinga and Ms. Karua are principled leaders who will ensure the development momentum the country has attained over the last 10 years is not derailed.

He emphasized that Kenyans should not elect politicians who are only out to further their personal interests at the expense of the electorate, saying doing so would be gambling with the country’s future.

Emphasizing the importance of infrastructure in boosting economic growth, the President said he was pleased that he has delivered the key road which passes through the trading centres of Makuyu, Makutano, Sagana, Kibingoti, Kibirigwi and ends at Marua.

“I promised to make this road a dual carriage from Kenol in Murang’a County to Marua in Nyeri County so as to boost the economy of the Mount Kenya region.

“This road will reduce congestion and ensure farm produce get to the market on time for the benefit of farmers. We pray to God that those who will take over from us will continue with these developments,” President Kenyatta said.

President Kenyatta was accompanied by Transport Cabinet Secretary James Macharia, Murang’a Governor Mwangi wa Iria and a host of Murang’a leaders including Jamleck Kamau, Kembi Gitura and Waithera Muitherania who are vying for the positions of Governor, Senator and Woman Rep respectively.

From Murang’a County, the Head of State proceeded to Nyeri County where he officially opened the ultra-modern Mwai Kibaki Level 6 Hospital.

At the hospital, President Kenyatta said the facility which boasts of modern equipment will provide quality healthcare services to the residents similar to those offered at the Kenyatta National and Referral Hospital in Nairobi.

“Now there will be no need for the residents of Othaya to travel outside of this place to go and seek medical services elsewhere. This facility is adequately equipped with state-of-the-art various medical equipment and will provide outpatient and in-patient services for both the residents and those from outside,” President Kenyatta said.