DOT DEPUTY SECRETARY VISIT TO SOUTH AFRICA, APRIL 12-16,

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 PRETORIA 000937 SIPDIS SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ETRD EAID EAIR ELTN EWWT EIND EINV SF LI KE SUBJECT: DOT DEPUTY SECRETARY VISIT TO SOUTH AFRICA, APRIL 12-16, 2008 REF: CAPE TOWN 72 ¶1. (U) Summary. Deputy Secretary of Transportation Admiral Thomas Barrett led the U.S. delegation to the first African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) Transport and Trade Forum in South Africa April 12-16. The delegation met with a wide range of transport sector officials and industry representatives from throughout Africa and discussed many of the pressing transport issues facing the continent. Congressman Donald Payne (D-NJ) met with the delegation on April 13 and discussed the role of transportation as an engine for economic growth in Africa. The delegation held bilateral meetings with South Africa, Liberia, and Kenya to discuss transport challenges and offer U.S. assistance. The AGOA Forum proceedings will be reported in greater details in septel. The U.S. mission thanks the Department of Transport for sponsoring a timely forum to promote African transport infrastructure investment and U.S. trade with the continent. End Summary. ¶2. (U) Deputy Secretary of Transportation Admiral Thomas Barrett led the U.S. delegation to the first African Growth and Opportunity Act Transport and Trade Forum in Cape Town, South Africa April 12-16. The Department of Transportation (DOT) led the delegation, which included senior officials from the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC),the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA),and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR). The delegation brought together technical transport sector specialists and MCC, USTDA, and USTR representatives, who could address the issue of transport finance. U.S. DOT delegates included experts from all transportation modes (aviation, land, maritime, and rail). The delegation met with a wide range of transport sector officials and industry representatives (i.e., Boeing, FEDEX, Maersk and GE) from throughout Africa and discussed many of the pressing transport issues facing the continent. The delegation visited the Port of Cape Town and Villafont Winery (a US-SA joint venture) as a part of a supply-chain logistics familiarization tour. ¶3. (U) USTDA Director Larry W. Walther officially launched the African Trade Lanes Partnership during a press conference at the Forum. The Partnership will support a coordinated intermodal transportation infrastructure program in order for Africa to take advantage of AGOA benefits. The initiative is designed to promote regional cooperation and connectivity in all modes of transportation, including aviation, land, maritime, and rail. During the two-year initiative, USTDA will provide $4 million for transportation infrastructure planning across sub-Saharan Africa, including technical assistance, investment analysis, business workshops, training, project definition, and other critical capacity-building activities. -------------- Congressman Donald Payne -------------- ¶4. (SBU) Congressman Donald Payne (D-NJ) met with the delegation on April 13 and discussed the role of transportation as an engine for economic growth in Africa. Congressman Payne was in Cape Town to attend the 118th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (reftel). Barrett stated that the delegation was approaching transport and trade in a holistic manner. Barrett sought advice on working on African transportation issues. Congressman Payne cited border control issues (e.g., customs and long border delays),bureaucratic red-tape, and corruption as areas for concern. Deputy Secretary Qred-tape, and corruption as areas for concern. Deputy Secretary Barrett agreed and noted that a little more regionalism would help the transport sector in Africa. Congressman Payne called for more regional and less country-specific assistance through the MCC. Deputy Secretary Barrett stated that discussions about recent MCC transport programs in Kenya and Tanzania highlighted the need for more regional assistance and hoped to "get more dialogue" on promoting regional programs during the forum and in follow-up discussions in D.C. -------------- -- SA Bilateral - Assistance Offered for World Cup Preparations -------------- -- ¶5. (U) A South African Department of Transport delegation led by Director General Mpumi Mpofu met with the U.S. delegation on April ¶14. Deputy Secretary Barrett was positive about the opportunities for bilateral cooperation, which could be used as a model for the rest of Africa. He stated that "South Africa was the right place on the continent to host the first AGOA Forum on Transport and Trade because of the leadership role South Africa played on the continent". Director General Mpofu agreed, but added that South Africa's leadership role on the continent and in the African Union sometimes constrained its ability to act unilaterally. Barrett also emphasized that improving regional transport infrastructure would be beneficial to trade development. Deputy Secretary Barrett congratulated South Africa for its winning bid to host the FIFA 2010 World Cup. PRETORIA 00000937 002 OF 004 ¶6. (U) Deputy Secretary Barrett offered technical assistance with transportation planning, outreach, and development for the World Cup and beyond. He noted that the U.S. DOT was already providing road safety assistance for World Cup preparations and inquired how the U.S. could provide further assistance. Barrett said the U.S. had comparative advantages in intelligent transport technology programs, which South Africa could benefit from. For example, the U.S. DOT's 21st Century Solutions program utilizes technology to improve efficiencies of existing infrastructure and infrastructure investment. ¶7. (U) Mpofu stated that at this point all of the infrastructure plans for 2010 preparations were already in place and now the focus was on implementation. She requested assistance to operationalize these transport infrastructure plans. She said that the SAG viewed the 2010 World Cup as a catalyst to implement long-term, sustainable transport systems. -------------- -------------- Implementation - Leveraging Private Finance and Skills Development -------------- -------------- ¶8. (U) Mpofu said that SA DOT needs assistance with operational plans and implementing ticketing systems. The SAG has placed great faith in the transport sector and has dramatically increased investments in the transport sector from R6 billion ($779 million) to R20-24 billion ($2.6-3.1 million) per year. The SAG has also launched a R300 billion ($39 billion) overall infrastructure development program. It is receiving technical assistance on traffic management from the U.S. Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) program. SA is implementing a highway improvement scheme with assistance from ITS. This R23 billion ($2.9 billion) program is one of the SAG's biggest transport investments. New highway construction plans that will feature Easy Pass systems are in place for completion in 2011. ¶9. (U) Mpofu stated that leveraging private sector finance is another major area where SA could use technical assistance. Mpofu described World Cup preparations as the first phase of a larger ten-year transport development program. The SAG needs to better understand investment mechanisms and determine which financial instruments to use to best leverage private sector financing. Deputy Secretary Barrett responded that the U.S. faces the same challenges. The U.S. DOT is willing to follow-up and assist with increasing private sector finance. One of the goals of the U.S. DOT 21st Century Solutions program is to increase public private partnerships, which address transport technology and finance. The U.S. can share best practices regarding public private partnerships. Mpofu thanked Barrett and reiterated that this was a key strategic issue. SA already has public private partnerships in different sectors, but more are needed in the transport sector. ¶10. (U) According to Mpofu, FIFA chose the nine host cities well in terms of existing transport infrastructure, but the principle challenge has been stadium construction. According to the SA DOT delegation, the 2010 transport projects are "feeling the bite of skills shortage" since stadium construction is absorbing skilled professionals. Engineers and other skilled specialists are in demand, but in short supply. SA DOT delegates asked for U.S. assistance in the form of skills transfer and other training programs. They requested a program similar to an existing USAID Qprograms. They requested a program similar to an existing USAID training program in Kenya. Deputy Secretary Barrett responded favorably to the request. He also encouraged the development of community colleges, technical institutes, and career development programs linked to businesses as means of addressing skills shortage. -------------- Collaboration on Intermodal Linkages -------------- ¶11. (U) Deputy Secretary Barrett also raised the importance of intermodal linkages during the discussion. He informed Mpofu that the delegation would be touring the Port of Cape Town to learn about its expansion program. Mpofu said that the U.S. was a world leader in driving efficiency and SA DOT would like to engage with the U.S. on intermodal transport linkage issues. SA has started creating regulatory bodies and intermodal plans and she proposed looking at freight, rail, and maritime transport to explore collaboration. ¶12. (U) Mpofu stated that great opportunities for collaboration existed in the maritime sector. The current problem with the SA maritime sector is its fragmented structure. Transnet, the government-owned company which operates the ports, is under the authority of the Department of Public Enterprises and operates in a monopoly environment. According to Mpofu, Transnet focuses on freight transport and logistics at the expense of maritime transport PRETORIA 00000937 003 OF 004 development. She said that SA needs significant assistance with port operations. Deputy Secretary Barrett cited public private partnerships as a means for improving port operations efficiency. He also warned Mpofu not to lose total jobs due to increased port mechanization; but to also think about investing in areas that would spur further investment, development, and job growth. He explained that a container facility in Port Smith, Virginia, was able to increase efficiency and double stack containers by raising the height of its tunnels. ¶13. (U) Mpofu said SA also has an ambitious program to rehabilitate its rail infrastructure. She added that SA could learn from U.S. experiences in operational efficiencies, refurbishing, and the establishment of finance mechanisms for rail infrastructure. For the World Cup, SA is creating a high-speed rail system (Gautrain) in the Gauteng province linking Johannesburg and Pretoria. Post 2010, SAG would like to implement similar systems in other urban areas such as Durban. SA would also like to implement a bus rapid transit system. SAG and the host cities are also procuring 1,200 new buses for the 2010 games. -------------- -------------- Open Skies - SA Frustrated by African Union Process -------------- -------------- ¶14. (SBU) Deputy Secretary Barrett said that the U.S. has been unsuccessful in increasing aviation linkages through an Open Skies agreement with SA. He reiterated that the World Cup could be a real catalyst for tourism growth if the number of direct flights to the U.S. were increased. He added that an Open Skies agreement would signal that SA was open for business. Mpofu responded by stating that bilateral Open Skies negotiations should be viewed in the context of aviation liberalization negotiations within the African Union. She said that SA is looking at the recent U.S. Open Skies agreement with the European Union with interest. SA is trying to get to an Open Skies agreement through the African Union, but is frustrated by the slow progress of the Yamoussoukro agreement. (Note: The Yamoussoukro Declaration outlines the process for aviation liberalization within the African Union and has precedence over any bilateral or multilateral agreements of member-states). ¶15. (SBU) Mpofu expressed the belief that like-minded countries such as Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, and South Africa are ready for Open Skies. She predicted that if the Yamoussoukro agreement does not move forward in the next year, then more countries will lose patience and proceed with aviation liberalization on a unilateral basis. As far as SA is concerned a decision needs to be made in the next year. "If the African Union process is not successful in twelve months, SA will have to rethink its strategy and go solo." In the interim, she suggested renegotiating airlift agreements to make them more liberal. Mpofu noted that increasing airlift would improve trade links with the U.S. -------------- Safe Skies - FAA Visit -------------- ¶16. (SBU) Deputy Secretary Barrett stated that SA had come very close to losing its Category One rating under the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) International Aviation Safety Assessment program in December 2007. He emphasized that SA will not get a "second swing" this time when the FAA team returns. He inquired how the U.S. DOT could assist in resolving safety issues and added that Qthe U.S. DOT could assist in resolving safety issues and added that the U.S. wants SA to be prepared for the June visit. Mpofu was confident about the return visit. She noted that significant progress has been made in improving human resource capacity since December. Mpofu stated that legislative reform was also another major challenge that she expected to be resolved shortly. She expected draft legislation to be ready when the FAA team returns in June. -------------- Liberia Bilateral -------------- ¶17. (U) The delegation met with officials from the Liberian Ministry of Transport to follow-up on President Bush's successful Africa visit. Liberian officials explained that 14 years of conflict had destroyed Liberia's transport systems. Liberia is working to develop transport systems and has attracted Chinese investments. Deputy Secretary Barrett underscored the importance of examining ways to improve the efficiency of existing infrastructure since it would take a few years to built additional infrastructure. He also stated that starting from scratch was not a bad thing since Liberia would not be constrained by existing infrastructure. Barrett outlined technical assistance programs offered by the USG and encouraged the Liberian delegation to speak with U.S. transport experts at the forum. He reiterated that the goal of the forum was PRETORIA 00000937 004 OF 004 to assist Liberia (and other AGOA recipients) according to their needs. USTDA Director Larry Walther offered to fund a USTDA definitional mission to Liberia to identify and define opportunities for USTDA funding in the transportation sector. -------------- Kenya Bilateral -------------- ¶18. (U) The delegation next met with delegates from the Kenyan Ministry of Transport. The Kenyan delegation spoke about a study released by the University of Nairobi, which examined U.S.-Africa trade volumes. The study showed that Africa's share of U.S. trade is still small, but Africa trade with Asia is increasing. Kenyan officials also stated that the number of Asian tourists was growing faster than the number of U.S. tourists. The Kenyan delegation cited the lack of direct transport links as a cause for the low levels of trade with the U.S. The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority is trying to achieve FAA International Aviation Safety Assessment program Category One status so that Kenya Airways would be able to initiate direct or code-share service to the U.S. The U.S. delegation agreed that direct service would increase trade and said that implementation of safety standards would be a key issue in obtaining the Category One status. U.S. officials also noted that Delta Airlines has shown interest in starting direct service to Kenya, but has experienced delays with Kenya's application process. ¶19. (U) Kenyan delegates stated that rail systems currently carried only ten percent of products from Kenyan ports. They hoped to improve the efficiency and reliability of rail service. Kenyan delegates noted that big changes had recently occurred in the Kenyan and Ugandan rail sector. A South African company has won a large concession, which should improve rail capacity. Kenya is also trying to create a second port 25 kilometers from the Mombasa port. According to Kenyan delegates, this would shorten the distance between the Indian Ocean and the Sudan basin. Kuwaiti investors have shown interest in owning and operating this second port on a transfer basis. The Kenyan delegates would like to see more U.S. companies bid on Kenyan tenders. So far, Chinese and European Union companies have been bidding and winning the tenders. USTDA officials encouraged the Kenyan DOT to work with the U.S. Embassy and Foreign Commercial Service in Nairobi to attract U.S. investors. USTDA could also provide funding for orientation visits to the U.S. to build relationships. ¶20. (SBU) Comment. The U.S. mission thanks the Department of Transportation for sponsoring a timely forum to promote African transport infrastructure investment and U.S. trade with the continent. SA DOT officials have expressed gratitude for the networking opportunity presented by the forum and the bilateral dinner hosted by the Ambassador. SA DOT officials have already scheduled follow-up meetings with U.S. DOT experts to discuss technology transfer and skills development. SA DOT officials have also approached the U.S. mission with requests for orientation visits to the U.S. and to learn more about U.S. DOT best practices with respect to public affairs. End Comment. ¶21. This cable was cleared and approved by the U.S. DOT delegation led by Deputy Secretary Barrett. END TEXT BALL