Speeches Shim
As the USAID/Southern Africa Mission Director, it is my distinct pleasure to join you on behalf of the US Government to mark the close of the 2017 SADC Seed Technical Meeting. Let me begin by thanking the Government of South Africa for hosting this important regional event. I would like to thank Chairperson Ramashala for his stewardship over the last four days. We are also extremely grateful to the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) for its ongoing leadership and its hospitality towards Member States and implementing partners.
Today, I'm announcing that we are expanding the Global Alliance for Trade Facilitation from its initial pilot roster of four countries to 20, and we're especially excited because we believe that the new Alliance focus countries, including Argentina, Brazil, and Sri Lanka -- they represent some of the most exciting opportunities and some of the most important emerging export markets worldwide.
This is good for business, but we believe it's just as good for development. Nothing attacks poverty, nothing lifts lives, nothing pushes back against hopelessness and despair, nothing better than inclusive economic growth. So, I hope the crux of my message is clear. The future of international development is enterprise-driven, and we at USAID, working with all of you, we will embrace it.
It's great to be here in Senator Coons' state, and constituency, and I've got to tell you, I feel blessed to be here. Senator Coons is a huge supporter of the work that we do at the USAID and also, quite frankly, he's a just great friend. We share a lot of values, and we share a passion for lifting lives and building communities. And there are very few people in Washington D.C. who are doing more for the cause than Senator Chris Coons.
It is a great pleasure to be with you today here in Soweto to share in the excitement of the launch of the Knowledge for Action website, which is part of the continued relationship between USAID, the ELMA Foundation, the Department of Basic Education, the Department of Higher Education and Training and the University of Johannesburg.
As former foreign policy and defense leaders have often said, and as was cited in the opening remarks, in a world as complex as ours, with our national security under greater threat than perhaps ever before, we need to be able to deploy the entirety of our statecraft toolbox. This must include our most sophisticated development and humanitarian tools. At USAID we embrace this mission.
We are here to celebrate the extraordinary success of Cambodia Technovation. Over the past four years, Cambodia Technovation has helped assemble 50 teams of around 200 girls to compete in the program using the funding and support from USAID through its Development Innovation project. Today represents an important chance to share experiences and network among all the Cambodian Technovation girls and their mentors. In addition, our hope is that events like these will continue to inspire you to seek out new opportunities for careers in science technology engineering and math fields – or STEM as it is often called -- and make positive contributions to Cambodia’s development
I am happy to be at the inauguration of Coca Cola Cambodia’s very first EKO-Center. Just five kilometers from here, stands Coca Cola Cambodia’s newly built bottling plant in the Phnom Penh Special Economic Zone. This bottling plant shows the success of the Government’s hard work over many years to attract foreign investment. That success has come through an open investment framework, modern special economic zones, improved tax administration, and other business-friendly reforms.
ក្នុងបរិបទនេះ ខ្ញុំមានមោទនភាពក្នុងការនិយាយថាទីភ្នាក់ងារជំនួយអាមេរិក USAID និងក្រុមហ៊ុន កូកា កូឡាកម្ពុជា បានឯកភាពរួមគ្នាកសាងនូវភាពជាដៃគូសាធាណៈ និងឯកជនមួយ ដើម្បីពង្រីកការងារជួយដោយផ្ទាល់ដល់ប្រជាជនកម្ពុជាតាមរយៈការបណ្តុះបណ្តាលផ្នែកធុរកិច្ច ឱកាសការងារ និងការទទួលបាននូវសេវាទឹកស្អាត។ កិច្ចគាំទ្ររបស់ទីភ្នាក់ងារ USAID នឹងជួយធានាថាចំណុចទាំងអស់ខាងលើនឹងផ្តល់អត្ថប្រយោជន៍ដល់ប្រជាជនដែលងាយទទួលរងគ្រោះដោយការជួញដូរមនុស្ស ជាពិសេសស្ត្រី។ ភាពជាដៃគូនេះក៏នឹងជួយផ្តល់នូវរទេះរុញដល់ស្ត្រីចំនួន ២០នាក់នៅតាមទីជនបទ ដើម្បីឲ្យពួកគេអាចលក់ផលិតផលកូកា កូឡា ក៏ដូចជាបង្កើនប្រាក់ចំណូលរបស់ពួកគេផងដែរ។ ប្រសិនបើការងារដំណើរការបានរលូន ក្រុមហ៊ុនកូកាកូឡា និងទីភ្នាក់ងារ USAID នឹងធ្វើការសិក្សាពីលទ្ធភាពពង្រីកចំនួននៃការផ្តល់រទេះរុញបន្ថែមទៀត។
I am pleased to join everyone here today at the formal launch of the Pay Tax Online service, an online electronic payment, or e-payment, facility for internal revenue taxes. This e-payment platform is the product of a strong partnership between the Bureau of Internal Revenue and the Development Bank of the Philippines, with support from USAID. The U.S. government, through USAID, is delighted to support the Philippine government’s growth-enhancing tax administration and governance reforms as part of our shared goal of broad-based and inclusive growth for Filipinos.
It’s very clear that Cambodia will remain a country that depends on agriculture for economic growth and poverty alleviation for the foreseeable future. And despite a great deal of progress in Cambodian agriculture, there is still a lot of work to be done and a lot of room for innovation.
Cambodia should feel proud that it has produced enough rice for its people for over 20 years now. That is a very important milestone. But Cambodia still imports a majority – 70 percent – of its fruits and vegetables, so one of the next key challenges is developing the horticulture sector as part of overall agricultural diversification.
Pages
Comment
Make a general inquiry or suggest an improvement.