ECSL’s Exhibition of Provisional Voters List Commences

November 25, 2022

By Amin Kef Sesay (Ranger)

The Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone (ECSL) has stated that it has the legal mandate to exhibit the review of captured information of all eligible Sierra Leoneans who presented themselves for registration during the 3rd September to 8th October 2022.

According to the ECSL, the exhibition of the Provisional Voters List
will include the display of the Provisional Voters List ( PVL) from the 24th to 28^th November 2022 and Inquiry from the 4th to 5th December 2022.

It stated that the purpose for displaying the Provisional voters list is for all registrants who took part in the registration process to; confirm their information, correct errors if any, or be opportune to have their omitted names included or object to certain names on the PVL on grounds of ineligibility.

The Commission said objection must be made from the 24^th to 28^th November, 2022 to enable the Commission make decisions and take appropriate action in time.

It must be noted that the Exhibition exercise will be conducted simultaneously in all 446 Wards hosting 3,630 Centres the country.
Each centre will have an Exhibition Officer and two Assistant Exhibition Officers to serve the public.

The Commission reiterated that the Inquiry period is from 4th to 5th
December, 2022 during which all objections and appeals made will be looked into by the Revising Officers, who are seasoned Sierra Leoneans selected for their integrity and impartiality.

Tourism Ministry Unveils UNESCO Regional African Film Industry Report

November 25, 2022

By Abubakarr Harding

The launching of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) African Film Industry Report was done on the 22^nd November 2022 by the Ministry of Tourism and Cultural Affairs, under the supervision of its cultural division. It was held at the Council of Churches in Sierra Leone (CCSL) complex, Kingharman Road, Freetown.

This is a novelty for UNESCO to produce an African Film report showing a complete mapping of the film and audio-visual industry in 54 states of the African continent including quantitative and qualitative data and an analysis of their strengths and weaknesses at the continental and regional levels. The report proposes strategies recommendations for the development of the film and audio-visual sectors in Africa and invites policymakers, professional organizations, firms, filmmakers, and artists to implement them in a concerted manner.

In his opening remarks, the Director of Culture, Foday Jalloh intimated that the UNESCO Regional Office in Abuja gave them the privilege to release the UNESCO Regional African Film Industry: trends, challenges and opportunities for growth report. He continued that the launching will be followed by a three-day capacity building workshop for women film and television entrepreneurs which is sponsored by the UNESCO Abuja Office and facilitated by the Ministry of Tourism and Cultural Affairs.

In his welcome remarks, the Director of UNESCO Regional Office in Abuja, Dimitri Sanga appreciated the Government and people of Sierra Leone for accepting to host this regional event and also other Ministers and cultural stakeholders who joined virtually to participate and witness the unveiling. He mentioned that the African Film Industry Report was part of UNESCO’s contribution of the year of Arts, Culture and Heritage of the African Union (2021) and to the celebration of 2021 as the International year of creative economy for sustainable development declared by the United Nations. He added that the African Film Industry Report has attracted comments from critical stakeholders in the cultural and creative industry space. He said that the presentation of the report at the regional level underscores the emergence of Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia and Sierra Leone as frontline players in the ever-growing cultural and creative industries of Africa and the World while calling on stakeholders in the cultural domain to work together and ensure the domestication and effective implementation of the recommendations of the report.

Launching the report, the Deputy Minister of Tourism and Cultural Affairs, William I.K. Robinson thanked UNESCO for the unveiling of the report and also supporting the training workshop as it relates to the empowerment and capacity building of women in the film industry. He maintained the empowerment of film makers resonates with the government’s human capital development initiative; hence he was thrilled to be part of the all important occasion. He called on the participants to take the three-day capacity building workshop seriously and use the knowledge gained to better their lives.

Representatives from UNESCO Office in Sierra Leone, Tertiary Education and other Ministers from Ghana, Nigeria and Liberia all made valuable contribution to the occasion.

Margaret Yainkain Mansaray Shortlisted to Compete for the 2023 Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation

November 25, 2022

By Amin Kef Sesay (Ranger)

Margaret Yainkain Mansaray, a Sierra Leonean energy practitioner and gender expert, is among the fifteen (15) that have been selected for the 2023 Africa Prize. The 15 African entrepreneurs and their pioneering technologies, aimed at environmental rehabilitation, education, and human health and safety were selected for the 2023 Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation, founded by the Royal Academy of Engineering.

The 2023 shortlist represents ten African countries, including for the first time Angola and Sierra Leone, and demonstrates the importance of engineering as an enabler of improved quality of life and economic development.

Margaret created the Smart Green Stove to reduce the time girls and women spend cooking food, helping to mitigate energy poverty which is caused by energy poverty. Mansaray established Women in Energy, a Sierra Leone-based company, to launch her product and work to improve the lives of girls in her country.

Her stove comes with instructions for making Green Briquettes from trees like coconuts with high calorific content. The waste is carbonized by burning in a closed drum, then mixed with cassava starch to bind it, before being left to dry. Green Briquettes last longer than charcoal, reducing energy consumption. The stove can also be operated with ordinary charcoal or wood, but requires less fuel.

Smart Green Stove is an efficient non-electric cooking device designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and health risks that disproportionately affect women and girls in Africa. It also saves time spent cooking and reduces energy use by 70%.

The stove burns briquettes made from recycled local materials such as coconut and jelly shells which are usually discarded. Its frame is made from recycled metal which houses a ceramic insulator made of clay mixed with waste coconut fibre and sawdust.

The insulator absorbs most of the heat and makes the stove nearly smokeless, reducing the soot which would otherwise be released into the environment and inhaled by those cooking a meal. Inhaling the smoke of typical cooking stoves while preparing a meal in one hour is equivalent to smoking four hundred cigarettes.

The chimney of the Smart Green Stove can be opened and closed to ensure efficient combustion, and to regulate temperature and minimize heat loss. The device is portable, suitable for indoor and outdoor use, and comes with a two-year guarantee, after which the insulator needs replacing.

It must be noted that the innovations shortlisted in 2023 tackle challenges central to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, including quality education, clean water and sanitation, sustainable cities and communities, good health and wellbeing, and clean energy.

Launched in 2014, the Africa Prize is awarded annually by the Royal Academy of Engineering to ambitious African innovators creating local and scalable solutions to pan-African and international challenges. Innovators shortlisted for the Africa Prize will benefit from a unique package of support including business incubation, mentoring, fundraising and communications.

The package also includes access to the Academy’s global network of high-profile and highly experienced engineers and business experts in the UK and Africa.

In mid-2023 four finalists will be chosen to pitch their innovations and business plans to Africa Prize judges at an event in Accra, Ghana. The winner will receive £25,000, and three runners-up will win £10,000 each. An additional One-to-Watch award of £5,000 will be given to the most promising innovator.

EU-Sierra Leone Dialogue on Peaceful, Inclusive, Transparent & Credible Elections

November 25, 2022

By Amin Kef Sesay (Ranger)

According to a joint Press Release, the 2022 annual Political Dialogue between the Government of the Republic of Sierra Leone and the European Union (EU), chaired by H.E. Rtd. Brigadier General Dr. Julius Maada Bio, President of the Republic of Sierra Leone, took place at State House in Freetown on the 17th November 2022.

During the 2022 Dialogue between Sierra Leone and the European Union, both sides discussed a number of points of mutual interest.

The dialogue started with a fruitful exchange on the development cooperation between “Team Europe” (European Union and EU Member States) and Sierra Leone. This exchange was a follow up to the participation of H.E. President Bio at the EU-Africa summit in Brussels in February 2022, where the President had discussed with EU Commissioner for International Partnerships, Ms. Jutta Urpilainen, the 2021-2024 portfolio of 245 million Euros to support Sierra Leone’s development priorities in the sectors of Green Economy, Education and Good Governance in Sierra Leone.

The dialogue also included an exchange on the state of play of the preparations for peaceful, inclusive, transparent and credible general elections in Sierra Leone in 2023 and Team Europe’s support to the work of the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone and other Electoral Management Bodies in cooperation with the United Nations Development Program.

With regard to the importance of multilateralism, both sides underlined their commitment to a rules-based world order in the framework of the United Nations. The Government of Sierra Leone gave an overview of the Sierra Leonean priorities as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council in 2024-2025. Both sides underlined their commitment to universal respect for, and observance and protection of, all Human Rights and fundamental freedoms for all.

Team Europe and representatives of private companies from the European Union active in Sierra Leone had a fruitful exchange with the Government on the conditions for an enabling business and investment environment. This was the second time that private companies participated in the annual Political Dialogue addressing their suggestions directly to the Government of Sierra Leone.

At the end of the dialogue, both the Government of Sierra Leone and the European Union reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening the partnership between Sierra Leone and the European Union, including their commitment to continue to hold regular political dialogues on issues of common interest, and to follow up on the conclusions and agreements reached in the course of these dialogues.

Members of the Sierra Leonean delegation led by H.E. Dr. Julius Maada Bio, President of the Republic of Sierra Leone, who chaired the dialogue, were Mr. Jacob Jusu Saffa, Chief Minister, Denis K. Vandi, Minister of Finance, Dr. Francis Mustapha Kai-Kai, Minister of Planning and Economic Development, Ms. Mamadi Ngobeh Kamara, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Sahr L. Jusu, Financial Secretary, Peter N. Sam-Kpakra, Development Secretary, Dr Samuel Jibao, Commissioner General, National Revenue Authority, Dr. Marda Mustapha, Executive Director, National Investment Board, John O. Benjamin, Adviser to the President, Ambrose James, Director, National Authorizing Office and Ms. Abie Elizabeth Kamara, Director, Development Assistance Coordination Office.

The European Union was represented by H.E. Manuel Müller, Ambassador of the European Union to Sierra Leone; H.E. Claire Buckley, Ambassador of Ireland to Sierra Leone; H.E. Jens Kraus-Massé, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Sierra Leone;H.E. Urban Sjöström, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Sweden to Sierra Leone;Mr. Romain Vuillaume,Chargé d’Affaires a.i. of the Embassy of France;Ms. Katja Lasseur, Chargé d’Affaires a.i., Embassy of the Netherlands, Mr. Gerald Hatler, Head of Cooperation of theDelegation of the European Union to Sierra Leone, Mr. Bram van Opijnen, First Secretary, Embassy of the Netherlands, Ms. Elisa Tesselli, Second Secretary, European Union Delegation to Sierra Leone, Ms. Emma McLoughlin, Second Secretary, Embassy of Ireland, Mr. Nikola Kutin, Second Secretary, European Union Delegation to Sierra Leone.

Private companies from the European Union active in Sierra Leone were represented by Ms. Estelle Van Eeckhout, General Manager of Brussels Airlines, Mr. Laurent Bukasa, Managing Director of Sierra Leone Brewery, and Mr. Sékou Amadou Bah, CEO of Orange-Sonatel.

Mohamed Cellu Bah Aspires for Constituency 114 Parliamentary Seats

November 25, 2022

By Abubakarr Harding

It has been proven beyond all reasonable doubt that the best and greatest politicians ever to emerge in human history were personalities considered to be too overwhelmed with tender compassion for the welfare of others as opposed to those who are introverts and self-centered.

That innate ability to always show concern and compassion for others, it has been established, had been the driving force that propelled certain individuals to vie for elective positions in order to be at vantage positions to selflessly advance the interests of others, especially the masses either in the form of advocacy or lobbying for resources to fund certain development projects that will positively impinge humanity and improve lives.

As the country is gearing up for an election year, 2023, when Presidential, Parliamentary, and Municipal Elections are to be held, various individuals have manifested interests to vie for certain positions under political parties, and as it is the case for now, as independent candidates.

Among such individuals that have so far surfaced is a young unassuming, attractive, ambitious, and compassionate personality in the person of Mohamed Cellu Bah aka Lucky.

Mohamed Cellu Bah has made intention known to contest for the Parliamentary Seat of Constituency 114, located within Calaba Town, after Wellington in the East End of Freetown.

Hailing from Koinadugu District, Northern Sierra Leone, and Mohamed Cellu Bah spent most of his lifetime in Freetown, to be precise in the Calaba Town Community, where his family has settled years back. His father, Mr. Rahim Bah, a renowned business man, who way back invested in the petroleum marketing sector, is said to be very influential, owning various Filling Stations in different parts of the country.

Mohamed also acquired his education in Freetown, attending primary school, the St Edwards Secondary School and is currently studying at Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone in addition to the various short courses he completed in and out of the country plus the numerous international conferences and trainings he has so far attended.

As a fully paid up member of the current opposition All People’s Congress (APC) Party, under which he intends to contest, he has been very active and is very well known by the party’s hierarchy for his instrumental roles he had played, at various times, in advancing the interests of the party with some already expressing the view that there is no iota of doubt that the big vons of the party will not hesitate or stop at nothing to endorse his election bid.

Mohamed Cellu Bah is the current Director of the National Emergency Advocacy Team-Sierra Leone (HEATS), a Civil Society Organization, that is mainly focused on advocating for the rights and privileges of the down trodden, the marginalized and disadvantaged members of society with premium being placed on promoting the welfare of women and children, considered to be the most vulnerable in society.

This advocacy team, which he personally founded, was very supportive to victims during various disasters that have befell residents in that part of the country with the provision of food and non food items to those that were affected.

As a matter of fact the Civil Society Organization developed an App which was able to capture the exact data of victims of the flash flood disaster that recently affected a community in Freetown, with the information or data turning out to be very significant to the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) and other Non-Government Organizations in their response interventions.

He has to his credit the offering of scholarships to deserving children residing within the community, some in primary and secondary schools and others in tertiary institutions. He has also assisted young ambitious residents, who were opting to get the right entry requirements to enter Universities, succeed in doing so through his financial supports.

As insinuated, the compassionate thrust to do more to uplift humanity out of poverty may be the underlying factor that could have propelled Mohamed Cellu Bah to shift a bit away from advocacy in order to enter real politics where he is of the firm conviction that he will be at a very vantage position to continue to improve the standards of living of the vast majority.

His willingness and determination to turn around or improve on the terrible road network within the Calaba Town community, when he becomes the elected Member of Parliament of Constituency 114 and his stance to continue his educational empowerment of young people within and out of the Calaba Town Community through his sponsorships could be a confirmation that Mohamed Cellu Bah ,being a consummate human rights advocate could turn out to become an outstanding Politician, who will eventually turn out to be the true and ultimate Liberator of Calaba Town.

Health Reporters Network Presents Prestigious Award to Choithram Memorial Hospital

November 25, 2022

By Amin Kef (Ranger)

One of the vibrant Networks that have been tirelessly working towards ensuring that the health sector continues to provide the essential medical services required to save lives, through authentic reportage and awareness raising, the Health Reporters Network- Sierra Leone, that draws its membership from the print, electronic and online media operating in Sierra Leone, on the 23rd November 2022, awarded the Choithram Memorial Hospital as the Best Private Hospital for the year,2020, during a short but very impressive ceremony held within the precinct of the hospital situated on Hill Station in the West End of Freetown.

Present were the Head of Medical Services /Medical Superintendant- Dr. Gowrinath M. George, the Deputy Matron- Christiana Tucker, Medical Officer-Dr Mamadu Barrie, Harish Agnani- Head of Choithram Group, President of the Health Workers Network- Swaliho Vandi, some members of the Network and members of the Press.

President of the Health Workers Network –Sierra Leone, Swaliho Vandi, in his address stated that one of their functions every year is to conduct surveys geared towards capturing the views and perceptions of ordinary people about various aspects of the country’s health sector.

“Through these surveys we sound the views of the general populace which most times inform our next line of action with regards our intervention as to what should be done to improve the health sector,” he stated furthering that in 2020 when they conducted a survey it happened that the Choithram Memorial Hospital turned out to be or emerged as the Best Private Hospital of 2020.

He said, however, because of the prevailing health situation in the country at that material time, with the prevalence of COVID-19, they were prevented from dishing or giving out awards to individuals and entities that emerged as winners in various categories.

The President of Health Reporters Network continued that in as much as the health situation has now seemingly return to normalcy they thought it fit that they should formally present awards to individuals and entities who at that time emerged as winners.

“If we are all gathered here today this is the main purpose for doing so,” he said while presenting the plaque to the Assistant Deputy Matron of the Choithram Hospital, Christiana Tucker, who received it on behalf of the Management of the hospital.

In her remarks, the Assistant Deputy Matron, Christiana Tucker, said it is good to show appreciation for a work well done as such will help to motivate others to continue to do more. She said they are overwhelmed with the recognition and honour that are been bestowed on the hospital adding that they are looking forward to such gestures in the future.

She said that the period under review, when they emerged as a winner, was indeed a trying one, really not an easy one for them as medical personnel but they persevered and did their best.

She commended all their Directors and more especially the Medical Superintendent for holding the fort during those trying times maintaining that their resilience was a major source of inspiration for them to continue to do the job they have dedicated themselves to do.

“Let me assure all that we will continue to do our best by putting greater efforts to ensure that we reach the point we want to go,” she stated maintaining that by God’s grace many good things will be achieved.

On his part, Harish Agnani, Head of Choithram, used the opportunity to intimate all present that the hospital has recently undergone various renovations, which according to him, are necessary to be done from time to time with a view to improve standards and bring the entity up to speed.

He intimated how renovation work was done at the reception in order to accommodate more patients adding that the hospital is now fully digital, with less time spent on paper work or files. He also disclosed that the hospital now has a dialysis unit after they decided to secure one due to the limited ones available in the country and more especially because dialysis helps greatly in saving lives.

“We now have a well-stocked pharmacy where essential medicines could be procured and it was also recently rehabilitated,” he revealed. He further informed of the advanced arrangements they have reached for an MRI machine to be set up at the hospital expressing optimism that the deal will go through underscoring that having an MRI machine at the hospital will help people who are required to do tests overseas and the country to save the much needed foreign exchange, time and energy to be expended.

Dr. George added to the various developments that have transpired recently including improvements made for the easy movement of disabled patients and securing electronic beds even for the Labour Unit of the hospital.

Xi Jinping on Sharing China’s Development Opportunities with the World

November 25, 2022

Source: Xinhua

BEIJING, Nov. 22 (Xinhua) — Chinese President Xi Jinping, also General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chairman of the Central Military Commission, has emphasized sharing China’s development opportunities with the world on many occasions. The following are some highlights of his remarks.

— China is ready to work with all countries to practice true multilateralism, build more consensuses for openness, jointly overcome the difficulties and challenges confronting global economic growth, and make sure that our commitment to openness will bring about broad prospects for global development.

— We will strive to safeguard world peace and development as we pursue our own development, and we will make greater contributions to world peace and development through our own development.

— We will advance a broader agenda of opening up across more areas and in greater depth, follow the Chinese path to modernization, put in place new systems for a higher-standard open economy, and continue to share our development opportunities with the world, particularly with the Asia-Pacific region.

— The Global Development Initiative that I proposed is aimed at meeting the long-term objective and immediate needs of common development of the world, fostering international consensus on promoting development, cultivating new drivers for global development, and facilitating common development and progress of all countries.

— Today, the China International Import Expo has become a showcase of China’s new development paradigm, a platform for high-standard opening-up, and a public good for the whole world.

NP-SL Exemplary Business Style Could Serve as a Model for Up-Coming Entrepreneurs

November 25, 2022

National Petroleum Sierra Leone Limited (NP-SL-Ltd)

By Amin Kef-Ranger

NP-Sierra Leone Limited (NP-SL Ltd) is currently a very reliable source of drawing inspiration by indigenes that have big dreams of coming together to establish a company which they may want to see grow exponentially into becoming a towering business entity.

Without any gainsaying, there are many useful lessons that aspiring entrepreneurs could learn from NP-SL which would definitely serve as a roadmap to navigate through the business landscape in order to crystallize their dreams into reality.

The company was founded decades ago by thirty-five Sierra Leoneans who were erstwhile employees of the British Petroleum Company which decided to fold up and sell its shares to the Government of Sierra Leone. Based on technical advice, the Government also decided to sell its shares and the 35 former workers bought those shares to set up what became known as NP-SL Ltd.

It must be highlighted at this juncture that the company is a private-owned business entity and the Government has no hands in it, does not decide how it is operated and grappling with challenges.

One of the underlying factors that have been identified for the meteoric rise of the company could be attributed to the selflessness of its shareholders. These ambitious Sierra Leoneans were so dedicated to the cause of catapulting their “baby” to higher height to such an extent that they put all their best initiatives into play that culminated into the company becoming a formidable force to reckon with.

These fine business initiatives were well implemented to the letter which led to the realization of fruitful dividends. Selflessness, in this context, could mean putting aside ego, working with a collective sense of purpose, brushing aside deceit, greed and ready to give as well as take. This could be the first Lesson.

The next lesson borders around enhancing customer care with the avowed objective of giving optimum satisfaction. The Shareholders and various Management teams harnessed this so well to an extent that they have succeeded in broadening their customer base. As far as they are concerned it is the interests of customers which are paramount and therefore everything must be done to ensure that those interests are given due consideration whenever decisions are taken to push the company forward.

It is in this regard that the shareholders decided to go in for modern calibrated pumping machines which are capable of churning out the right quantity of fuel that a buyer puts in for as well as displaying the price. These machines make fuel transactions become very transparent, thereby giving customers’ satisfaction and confidence that they are deriving their monies worth.

Within that realm, the Shareholders also thought it prudent to introduce NP Smart Card which is now in vogue. This Smart Card can be used to purchase fuel, petrol and diesel, with ease avoiding the hassle of having to be rushing to the banks to re intermittently withdrawing monies for the purpose of purchasing fuel. The card could be credited with a certain amount of money and whenever transaction transpires the amount utilized is debited. Its greatest advantage is that it avails the holder of the Smart Card the opportunity to programme or budget him or herself to purchase fuel on a periodic basis.

NP Gas is now going like hot cakes on the market. It is a cooker which has been proven to be very effective in terms of performance. Manufactured in different cylinder sizes it has been attested to be environmentally friendly in terms of less gaseous emissions that could pose health risks. NP Gas can be secured at all the leading Filing Stations of the company and its authorized dealers.

With all these attractive offers, there is a lesson that enhancing customer care is very key to the growth of any business enterprise. Aspiring entrepreneurs could learn from this.

What also has been identified as a good business initiative which the company has mastered so effectively has to do with promoting the country’s Local Content Policy. The intent of this policy is geared towards ensuring that we make proper use of our local resources, human as well as material, in the production chain. It is against such a backdrop that the company limits employment opportunities to qualified Sierra Leoneans instead of bringing over expatriates to perform tasks that could be better done by indigenes. Knowing that they are employed by an indigenous company such gives the employees the sense of ownership and the extra motivation to give their best to the company.

Another Lesson: Make use of local resources which could be cost effective instead of spending much to use expatriates just for the sake of showing off. Besides, monies, in the forms of salaries and end of service benefits are retained and not taken out of the country. It gives any company operating with such a policy a nationalistic flavour.

To give back to society, in the form of Corporate Social Responsibility, brings with it respectability and integrity. It is very important to be in a position to always assist residents in communities where a business entity operates or to the country as a whole.

NP-SL Ltd has been very consistent in that regard as it manifested when the company donated One Billion Leones to the Government of Sierra Leone as a complementary move to assist the latter in its strides to combat COVID-19. Apart from this, the company has been supporting various humanitarian causes as long as such assistances will cascade to impact meaningfully on the less privileged in society.

From all what have been said so far, it could be seen that NP-SL Ltd has valuable lessons which aspiring entrepreneurs could imbibe and infuse in their activities if fruitful dividends must be realized. Indeed, NP-SL Ltd is really a source of inspiration and a reservoir of good business initiatives.

V-MALAYSIA 2022: QNET HOSTS PARTICIPANTS FROM 30 COUNTRIES, LAUNCHES NEW HIGH-QUALITY HEALTH AND HOME PRODUCTS

November 23, 2022

International direct selling company QNET welcomed more than 15,000 participants from 30 countries to Penang Island, Malaysia, for its annual convention V-Malaysia 2022 after a 3-year hiatus. The highly anticipated convention, which serves as the company’s flagship event, was also the first major international event in Malaysia in 2022. The 5-day convention held from October 7 to 11 included a mega product exhibition of QNET’s health, wellness, and lifestyle brands, a series of training programmes, new launches, entertainment segments, and an international sports star as guest speaker.

At the convention, QNET, which prides itself on offering high-quality, exclusive products to help customers live a more holistic lifestyle, announced three new product launches at V-Malaysia 2022: HomePure Viva, EDG3 Plus and ProSpark Enhanced. HomePure Viva is a customisable water filtration system equipped with 11 task-specific modes with the ability to produce hydrogen-rich alkaline water that can support the body’s gastrointestinal function, quickly and effectively rehydrate the body and skin, and deliver health-boosting benefits in the long term. EDG3 Plus is a sugar-free powdered supplement that uses a science-backed formula with an optimal blend of turmeric, Vitamin D3, and patented glutathione to strengthen the immune system, lower blood sugar and cholesterol levels, and increase the body’s natural defense against diseases. ProSpark Enhanced is an upgrade to ProSpark, a customer-favorite in the QNET personal care range, which combines Astaxanthin, an antioxidant powerhouse found only in certain microscopic algae that grow in marine environments, and ProImmune®, a patented amino acid formulation that increases glutathione production in the body.

QNET CEO Malou Caluza, says, “Now more than ever, personal health and well-being are top-of-mind for many. Our health, well-being, and nutrition portfolio have seen a huge upsurge in interest over the past three years due to this shift in customer mindsets. Therefore, our goal moving forward is to create accessible, approachable, and holistic products that meet this increase in demand. We are proud to partner with world-class laboratories, researchers, and manufacturers to ensure our products are effective, beneficial, and made to the highest standards.”

Participants of V-Malaysia 2022 were also treated to a special surprise in the form of guest speaker Sania Mirza, an international tennis star. A six-time Grand Slam Champion, former world number one in women’s tennis doubles, and a four-time Olympian, Mirza is the first Indian woman to win a Women’s Tennis Association title. Most recently, she was honoured with CNN’s “Outstanding Achievement Award” for her contribution to the international sports scene and for inspiring a new generation of athletes. Mirza shared her personal story of struggles and failures on her path to championship and reminded the audience of the importance of not giving up in the face of challenges.

Mirza’s message resonated with the audience members, a majority of whom are independent distributors of QNET’s direct selling business focused on building small independent businesses for themselves by promoting QNET’s products and services.

Mr Biram Fall, Regional General Manager of QNET Sub-Saharan Africa, commented on the successful convention: “It was both amazing and fulfilling to experience the first post-pandemic in-person convention. We hosted this year’s convention under strict compliance to CoVID-19 safety protocols. It was heart-warming to see, meet and engage thousands of our QNET family from different parts of the world again. Though 2020 and 2021 were tough years for everyone, our industry maintained a steady and consistent growth. The direct selling industry is generating more flexible and limitless prospects and many people especially, Millennials and Generation Z with their tech-savvy minds, are taking advantage of these life-changing opportunities. And at V-CON 2022, our large global family resolved to “Be the Change” the world is looking for, at a time like this.”

Seasoned journalists and editors from West African countries were flown to Malaysia to attend and witness the life-transforming convention. They visited QNET’s corporate offices, experienced first-hand, the brand’s products and authenticated the depth of the company’s commitment to positively affecting lives and empowering people to lead the best version of their lives.

At V-Malaysia 2022, many people re-discovered their purpose, learnt from the best in the direct-selling world, witnessed breath-taking product launches, connected with other like-minded entrepreneurs and were inspired to be the best version of themselves.

QNET’s next annual convention will be held in March 2023 once again in Penang in Malaysia and expects to attract a much bigger audience. For the last three years, the convention took on a virtual format and was condensed into a 3-day online event which reached nearly 500,000 participants in more than 50 countries.

About QNET

QNET is one of Asia’s leading e-commerce based direct selling companies offering a wide range of health, wellness and lifestyle products that enable people to lead better lives. QNET’s grass-roots business model fueled by the power of e-commerce has helped empower millions of entrepreneurs in more than 100 countries worldwide.

QNET is headquartered in Hong Kong and has a presence in more than 25 countries around the world through subsidiaries, branch offices, agency partnerships, and franchisees.

QNET is a member of the Direct Selling Association in several countries, as well as the Hong Kong Health Food Association and the Health Supplements Industry Association of Singapore, among others.

QNET is also active in sports sponsorships around the world. Some of the more prominent partnerships include being the Direct Selling Partner of Manchester City Football Club and the African Club League Championships of CAF.

For more information, please visit QNET’s website at www.qnet.net.

QNET Launches Direct Selling Disinformation Centre

November 23, 2022

QNET, an award-winning direct selling company headquartered in Hong Kong, has announced the launch of the Direct Selling Disinformation Centre (DSDC) to combat the proliferation of disinformation and misinformation about the direct selling industry and its brand.

The Centre will work across the direct selling industry to ensure best practices are followed, including transparency, realistic expectations of partners, and accurate product descriptions and claims. At the same time, the DSDC will collaborate with relevant stakeholders in government and trade bodies, and regulators, to educate them about the business model, its potential, and its impact on the economy.

In the initial phase, the DSDC will have a real-time incident reporting function that will allow anyone in the world to raise a red flag if QNET’s business, products or opportunities are misrepresented as an investment scheme or promoted through improper sales tactics, including on social media. The objective in the longer term is to scale the DSDC to make it available to other companies in the industry.

According to Trevor Kuna, Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer of QNET, “Direct selling is a well-established and strictly regulated industry in many advanced economies. In the US, for example, the business model originated over 100 years ago, and it’s regulated by the Federal Trade Commission. However, in many emerging markets worldwide, the growth of the gig economy and the arrival of innovative new business models, different from traditional trade, is not only unregulated but often misunderstood. No organisation is specifically dedicated to countering the disinformation that can allow rogue operators to abuse the direct selling industry for personal gain or a shortcut. We believe that this new QNET-hosted Direct Selling Disinformation Centre is the only one of its kind dedicated to countering disinformation originating from and about the industry.”

The DSDC can be a critical tool for tackling disinformation in the direct selling industry in new and emerging economies such as in the African continent, where direct selling saw a staggering 18 per cent increase in distributors last year. Youth unemployment poses a significant challenge for many local governments as the number of jobs cannot accommodate a growing labour force.

The DSDC can play a key role in serving as a point of reference for new and existing distributors to understand the regulations and ethics that the direct selling industry upholds on an international level.

“In 2021”, continues Trevor Kuna, “more than 128 million distributors generated US$186 billion in direct selling revenue worldwide. The vast majority had a good experience, including with some of the largest brands in the world. The minority who had a bad experience need protection and reliable guidance.”

Initially, the DSDC will have a staff of twelve people, all with a range of experience in the direct selling industry (including in finance, compliance, legal, and operations). The company states there are ongoing conversations with other stakeholders, including other direct selling organisations, for increased funding and scale of the DSDC.

About QNET

QNET is one of the world’s leading e-commerce-based direct selling companies, with customers in nearly 100 countries. The company is headquartered in Hong Kong and has a global presence through subsidiaries, branch offices, agency partnerships, and franchisees.

QNET is also active in sports sponsorships around the world. This includes being the Direct Selling Partner of Manchester City Football Club and the African Club League Championships of CAF.

For more information, please visit QNET’s website at www.qnet.net.