Mean in your minutes im going. To talk what im going to miss you know what im what what im working mostly dont know what is it that im. Going to leave because i see its a serious are going on i will only say it but i caught it going on where theyre being funded. A rocky road to recovery and the International Monetary fund warned phelps to hire an african country to expect hardship government caracal with both a health and an economic crisis well talk to the i. M. F. The african director. Also coming up keep africa green environmentalists in kenya are furious the report thank Us Oil Industry is lobbying trade negotiators to expect america clock ticks waved. Thanks for joining me. African economies can expect to face think mythic and hardship as they embark on a recovery from the coronavirus that the warning from the International Monetary fund latest regional report 1st of her in africa countries in the region are expected to be a 3 percent contraction in Economic Activity if here the worst outcome on record other factors affecting the recovery include the resilience of help the firms and the availability of tunnel funding experts warn it could take up to 4 years for african country to return to pre pandemic level of wealth. That talk about this report with a baby philosophy hes the director of the i. M. F. African department hi mrs leslie welcome to the show so not all african countries are suffering equally because of this pandemic what countries are hurting the most and why. You know in the context of this time democrats are countries that have been most impact that are small Island Tourism and travel dependent country so the likes of more we should say shelves are going to see contractions over the order or 17 percent this year but so huge huge hits and for obvious reasons because travel times was in its course was going to fix that but really no countrys been left spared by the standard make and economic crisis that has brought so larger economies in the region and so are going to be feeling very very difficult. During this year for example south africa will talk by 8 percent nigeria by around 4 and a half percent a very difficult time for the continent across the board now your met your report mentions that african policymakers will have to make some difficult choices what are they. So you know one of the difficulties for the region is that even proceeding the crisis debt levels what elevated and so once the crisis hits that has been exacerbated for many countries that has limited the policy space that countries have to cushion the effects of the crisis its also why as in the situation weve moved really aggressively this year to provide financing about 10 times what we would normally to help question the effects of the pandemic to protect lives to protect livelihoods which of course has to be the immediate sort of policy response. And are there any hard knocks at all could it even be an opportunity to implement some reforms. You know of course the reasons are very jinsa tremendous you know potential remains there still and the pandemic while its. Months or temporary setback shouldnt be a real long term recovery subject to a couple of things 1st and foremost i think theres going to be a need for transformative result good forms to promote a resilient in the region so things like revenue modernization and promoting technology. Progress will be very very important in the digital sphere for example climate williams will be another portland area and coupled with the additional concessional external financing we should see a decent recovery in the next 3 years to bring the countries back to their. Strong project that. And i with a laugh the director of the i. M. F. African department of thanks so much thank you. The United States and kenny our in talks to reach a Free Trade Agreement bus allegations that u. S. Oil companies are lobbying for kenya to lift the environmental regulations have drawn ire from environmentalists and taken to the streets to voice their anger. You know one guy was 21 now that fischer combo is angry she and her fellow campaign has from fridays a future of protesting against reported plans by u. S. Companies to import plastic was to kenya we know it is because cain is up or not. Thats why they found a good quote hes forced to want to force structure in the country but he studies like that to say we think youve got it changing were not going to i love clorox he has to accept all i do verily. The New York Times and the greenpeace platform on earth reported that major oil and Chemical Companies are pushing the us to export Plastic Waste to kenya according to the report industry lobby Group AmericanChemistry Council wants kenya to quote serve as a hub for supplying u. S. Made plastics to other markets in africa and it urges the u. S. And kenya to prohibit domestic limits on production or consumption of plastic environmentalists say the goal is a trade agreement that would weaken kenya strict limits on plastics. The threat is that kenya and africa is going to be a dumping ground for western nations in the problem particularly Plastic Waste which they have not been able to recycle a National Level last year the u. S. Exported more than 450000000 kilograms of Plastic Waste to countries including kenya but studies show that only 9 percent of it gets recycled the rest and up in landfills or in the environment kenya is a role model in the region because of its strict anti plastics agenda james work e. B. I. Is one of those responsible for this reputation and 2014 he campaigned to ban plastic bags 3 years later a strict ban on selling manufacturing or using plastic bags took effect you know when the ban on cross about scanning our or so for our you know i felt so happy that it was my walk was not in a very. But i would d feel buds in my heart toward would be wrecked if all the gains you know i fought for. You know are made to be nothing kenyas trade secretary denies that a proposal by the American Chemistry Council is being negotiated and the lobby group wrote to the w that a trade agreement would not override kenyas domestic approach to managing Plastic Waste. Patricia and her friends say they dont trust these assertions that its going to stop well fight and fight and plastics out of africa. Whether they want to but they plan to keep on protesting. Lets bring in heat of these correspondent so its a rain barrel and as shes joining us from nairobi choi what do you know about the kind of lobbying thats going on behind the scenes of these negotiations well as of now according to what some of the government doesnt say there is nobody doing negotiation about dumping waste in kenya and yet they could be nigels of fashions whether or not. This is true or not one cannot tell but when it comes to the trade talks and whether or not dumping of waste is part of the negotiations government sources have denied this but they said that they could be separate conversations about proposals for American Companies to set up shop here in kenya but that is to talk into the african continent a free trade area that is meant to take effect january 2021 and so those conversations that are going on that have nothing to do with the can with the free trade area a conversation between kenya and the United States tell me a bit more about what stage these try talks are there was a theres no hope of a deal decide if the u. S. Elections. Yes right now as we speak the talks are still in technical stage and due to the current u. S. Election and of course some of the changes that could come the corbett 19 pandemic in changes in trade and how trade is conducted between the 2 countries these likely not to be a deal any time soon and even if were going to look at the deal in the house negro they have negotiated also about recognizing the environmental importance and supporting multilateral environment to agreement and also making sure that they do not compromise kenya already exists and flows that they have ratified both at the National Level at the regional level in terms of the east african trade level as well as the continental level and the World Trade Organization level so if anything the ban on plastic containers came into effect in june of 2020 and the country as of now if were going to go by because. They say nothing is going to compromise what has already been put in place but you know these are just the sessions we cannot tell for sure if this is true or not join train fare and nairobi thank you so much test last reported its 5th quarterly profits in a row along with a record revenue of 8800000000. 00 a Strong Performance was driven by an increase in vehicle to less brain sales of environmental regulatory kratos to other carmakers. The Great Barrier reef has lost more than half its coral in the last 3 decades now the state of queensland in a strange and h. S. B. C. Bank say theyre planning to buy socalled race class at the tradable units put a value on the work done to improve Water Quality flowing on their feet. Britain has been especially hard hit by the pandemic with more than 44000 people having died from the disease so far in an attempt to flatten the car of Greater Manchester one of the u. K. s biggest urban areas in the north of the country is to enter a new lockdown on friday its a major blow for the regions economy which is a ready is struggling with high unemployment. Manchester is going back into lockdown on the orders the Prime MinisterBoris Johnson on against the will of the citys mayor burnham from friday there will be strict limits on going out and pubs restaurants and most shops will close. In the go she ations with the government we were prepared to reduce our requests to 75000000. Even with prepared to go even lower 65000000. 00 is the bare minimum to prevent. Real hardship here is what we believe we need it to prevent poverty to prevent hardship to prevent homelessness. The lockdown will hit the working class city of manchester particularly hard as many monk unions live in poverty and unemployment was high even before the pandemic. Other cities in the north are also affected. Earlier we thats all for me thanks so much for watching and taking. The for food. Program. W dot com highlights. Carefully. The some choose to do good. Discovered. The lead. Documentary. Youre watching news coming up today protestors of the world unite we take a closer look at how activists in thailand and on call are supporting each other in their respective democracy movements. Plus in afghanistan how high demand for the says triggered a deadly stampede texts and well show you how living with a disability has not stopped this man from finding purpose and enjoyment at the Snooker Table to