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Viewing cable 07MASERU510, LESOTHO AUGUST 2007 ECONOMIC ROUNDUP: FOOD INFLATION AND

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
07MASERU510 2007-09-04 08:34 2011-08-30 01:44 UNCLASSIFIED Embassy Maseru
VZCZCXRO7177
RR RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHJO RUEHRN
DE RUEHMR #0510/01 2470834
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 040834Z SEP 07
FM AMEMBASSY MASERU
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3307
INFO RUCNSAD/SADC COLLECTIVE
RUEHC/DEPT OF LABOR WASHINGTON DC
RUEHMR/AMEMBASSY MASERU 3702
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MASERU 000510 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT ALSO FOR AF/S, AF/EPS, AF/EX 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECIN ECON EINV ETRD EAID ELAB AMGT LT
SUBJECT: LESOTHO AUGUST 2007 ECONOMIC ROUNDUP: FOOD INFLATION AND 
TROUBLE FOR TEXTILES? 
 
REF: A) Maseru 491; B) Maseru 403 
 
MASERU 00000510  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
1.  SUMMARY: 
 
-- Rising Food Prices Lead Rising Inflation 
 
-- Responses to Food Insecurity Crisis 
 
-- GOL Signs $10 Million Loan with Arab Development Bank 
 
-- AGOA Review: Trouble for Textiles? 
 
-- Charge Presents Equipment to Aid Labor Standards 
 
END SUMMARY. 
 
---------------------------------------- 
 
Rising Food Prices Lead Rising Inflation 
 
---------------------------------------- 
 
2.  With Lesotho's Consumer Price Index (CPI) basket heavily 
weighted towards food prices, a sharp decline this year in 
domestic cereal production, coupled with rising fuel prices, has 
put strong upward pressure on the nation's overall inflation 
rate.  The food component of Lesotho's CPI jumped into the 
double digits in the past twelve months, averaging 11.1% and 
peaking at 15.2% in April.  Food inflation pulled up the overall 
inflation rate, which averaged 6.6% over the past twelve months 
and peaked at 8.1% in April, although these rates eased slightly 
in May.  These inflation developments are likely to contribute 
to the country's ongoing food insecurity crisis. 
 
----------------------------------- 
 
Responses to Food Insecurity Crisis 
 
----------------------------------- 
 
3.   As Lesotho's food insecurity continues (ref B), the 
Government of Lesotho, donors, and NGO organizations continue to 
mass resources to prevent a humanitarian crisis.  On August 2, 
the UN launched a flash appeal calling for $18 million to assist 
those hardest hit by drought to recover and regain self 
sufficiency (ref A).  The UN Food and Agricultural Organization 
will provide farmers with vouchers to purchase seeds and 
fertilizers.  The UN system, through its Central Emergency 
Response Fund (CERF), has pledged $3.8 million to assist 
vulnerable groups. 
 
4.  In response to the food crisis, the U.S. Government 
(USAID/FFP) has thus far pledged approximately $16.5 million in 
commodities through pipelines such the World Food Program (WFP) 
and the C-SAFE consortium (World Vision, CARE, and Catholic 
Relief Services).  Irish Aid and DFID have committed to 
financing water sanitation and nutritional data initiatives 
through UNICEF Lesotho.  While the priority food and 
agricultural needs cited in the UN flash appeal appear to be 
mostly financed (largely by the United States), other needs such 
as certain water sanitation initiatives are not yet fully 
funded.  The Government of Lesotho has allocated M 45 million 
(approximately $6.4 million) to an emergency fund which will 
provide a 30% subsidy on agricultural inputs needed for the 
upcoming planning season such as seeds, fertilizer, and 
irrigation equipment. 
 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
 
GOL Signs $10 Million Loan with Arab Development Bank 
 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
 
5.  In July 2007, the Government of Lesotho (GOL) signed a loan 
agreement for M 70 million (approximately $10 million) from the 
Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA).  This loan 
will co-finance the construction of the Metolong Dam, which will 
supply water to lowlands towns such as Maseru and Berea where 
industrial and residential water demands are fast increasing. 
Other donors for the dam and water delivery project are the 
United States (through the Millennium Challenge Corporation), 
Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and OPEC.  The GOL signed a loan agreement 
with Kuwaiti Government for four million Dinar (approximately 
$14.3 million) in March 2007.  The GOL has not yet signed loan 
agreements with Saudi Arabia and OPEC, and during the BADEA loan 
signing ceremony, Minister of Finance Thahane urged these 
remaining donors to expedite their borrowings procedures.  The 
Millennium Challenge Corporation will fund $164 million of water 
sector initiatives in Lesotho over the coming five years. 
 
 
MASERU 00000510  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
---------------------------------- 
 
AGOA Review: Trouble for Textiles? 
 
---------------------------------- 
 
6.  Textiles, a critical sector of Lesotho's economy, remain 
under threat from growing international competition.  Lesotho's 
textile industry supplies much of the nation's foreign currency 
reserves as well as provides jobs for over 40,000 workers. 
Textile exports under the African Growth and Opportunity Act 
(AGOA) account for approximately 90% of Lesotho's total exports 
to the United States.  Though there was a 21% increase in 
Lesotho's textile exports to the United States between 2006 and 
2007, certain months experienced precipitous declines in orders. 
 The greatest slumps were the months of February and June, 
during which the value of exports under AGOA declined by 52% and 
20% respectively in comparison to the same months during the 
previous year. 
 
7.  Local industry representatives cite global competition from 
Cambodia and Bangladesh, as well as unfavorable exchange rate 
fluctuations, as the primary reasons for these declines.  An 
unresolved post-election political impasse, which led to work 
stoppages and numerous security incidents in mid-2007, was 
harmful to production and product delivery.  The global 
competitiveness of Lesotho's textiles is expected to take 
further blows as increasing numbers of less developed countries 
acquire AGOA-like trade preferences with the United States. 
 
---------------------------------- 
 
Charge Presents Computer Equipment 
 
to Aid Labor Standards Inspections 
 
---------------------------------- 
 
8.  On August 23, the Charge d'Affaires and the International 
Labor Organization (ILO) handed over equipment including 
computer servers and printers to the Improving Labor Systems in 
Southern Africa (ILLASA) project under the Ministry of Labor and 
Employment.  This equipment was donated to bolster the capacity 
of the Labor Ministry to investigate labor code violations. 
ILLASA is funded by the U.S. Department of Labor.  In his 
remarks, Charge Murphy congratulated the Ministry for its 
progress in strengthening its capacity to enforce national labor 
laws and the principals of the ILO's "Declaration on Fundamental 
Principles and Rights at Work."  He stressed that labor 
protection is vital in open economies which seek a favorable 
investment climate. 
MURPHY