Artificial Intelligence
The Gambia’s Pathway to Prosperity
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Good Morning, honored guests, ladies and gentlemen. I would like to express my appreciation to Minister Njie for the kind introduction. It is a pleasure to be here today in Banjul to speak to such a distinguished audience at this moment of new possibilities for The Gambia.
You represent a true cross-section of this society—reflecting many different interests but sharing the hopes of all Gambians. These hopes found expression in the peaceful political transition of 2017. In just two days here, I am struck with admiration by the energy, determination, and patience of this nation. You have embraced your country’s challenges and opportunities, and your efforts are beginning to bear fruit. What I have sensed is a road to hope and a bright future. Or, in other words, a pathway to prosperity. This is what I would like to address in the time I have this morning.
Let me first set the stage by offering a quick overview of the economic setting in sub-Saharan Africa and The Gambia. As you know, the region has benefited from solid growth over the past two decades. But the past four years have proven more challenging. We have witnessed a divergence of economic fortunes—with diversified, well managed economies continuing to grow and many resource-dependent countries encountering difficulties.
While this pattern has continued recently, we are seeing regional growth regain some momentum. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) estimates that growth in sub-Saharan Africa should accelerate this year to 3.5 percent from 3 percent in 2018. We expect it to expand at close to 4 percent over the medium term. This is good news.
We are very pleased to see that the Gambian economy has rebounded strongly. Growth in 2018 reached 6.6 percent and prospects for sustained growth are positive over the medium term. Inflation has dropped to just above 6 percent, and gross official reserves have increased to about 3 months of imports. This remarkable progress has been achieved through your government’s efforts to stabilize the economy with support from Gambians living abroad, the private sector, and international partners.
There also has been progress in developing infrastructure, which is crucial to ensuring sustained growth. The recently opened Senegambia Bridge, which I am going to visit later today, is a prime example of this progress. It is a symbol of The Gambia’s efforts to deepen economic ties to the rest of the region.
The bridge is also a good segue to the theme of my speech: The Gambia’s pathway to prosperity. As a road, it is a pathway in the literal sense. But it is also a pathway in figurative sense, symbolizing the role of enhanced trade and connectivity in building prosperity. At the same time, domestic policy efforts will be needed to build this pathway.
Enhanced trade is one pillar of the pathway to prosperity. Africa is now moving ahead with creating the Continental Free Trade Area, which The Gambia recently endorsed. This initiative has the potential to boost intra-African trade and growth across many dimensions. It can add jobs, foster competition, help increase investment, and spur the spread of knowledge and technology.[1] All of which could provide significant benefits to The Gambia.
The agreement itself, however, is but one step. To fully benefit from it, the significant nontariff bottlenecks to trade that exist across the region will also need to be tackled. These include infrastructure shortcomings, logistical costs, and other hurdles that hinder cross-border trade.
If these issues are addressed, regional trade integration can help maximize the returns on important public investment, such as the Senegambia bridge, and consolidate the recent pick-up in private sector activity and lending that is integral to sustainable development in The Gambia. On this point, it is important to note that this private sector-led growth needs to be supported through responsible lending by financial institutions to Gambian businesses large and small. Vigilant supervision of banks and other credit institutions will help to ensure financial stability in the face of growing private capital inflows.
Trade integration will also help frame the reforms of this country’s state-owned enterprises. In many cases, the long-term viability of those companies will depend on increasing their regional orientation.
Take the example of the energy sector. The stabilization of electricity output has contributed to your country’s stronger growth. So, the ongoing investment in the electricity transmission not only will link the Eastern and Northern parts of the country, it will also open doors to West Africa’s power networks by enabling cross-border energy trading, including under the flagship OMVG project uniting The Gambia, Guinea Conakry, Senegal, and Guinea Bissau with the aim of harnessing the water resources of The Gambia River Basin to produce low-cost renewable energy for the member countries.
In the same vein, investment to upgrade the port of Banjul could create a new trans-shipment hub for the region. Seen in this context, the Senegambia Bridge could be just one step in the development of the Trans-Gambia corridor within Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
Regional integration and cooperation are particularly important for improving the structure of the economy and enhancing competitiveness. Let me offer two examples:
First, agriculture could be an important contributor to The Gambia’s pathway to prosperity. Regional trade integration and improved infrastructure will be key to growing this important sector of the economy.
On Sunday, I visited Radville Farms, outside Banjul and their processing plant and transit facility near Yundum airport. It was great to see how automation and advanced irrigation techniques are helping to produce high-value and high-yielding crops, boosting exports, and providing high-value employment for many skilled workers, especially women.
In the future, weather tracking, satellite imaging and other sophisticated technological solutions (including artificial intelligence) will be needed to modernize agriculture. They will help to create a farming sector that is more environmentally attuned and resilient to climatic shocks. This is especially important for small and fragile ecosystems like The Gambia’s. Agriculture will then be better able to meet national goals of food self-sufficiency and creation of new export markets.
Second, tourism and other services also remain essential to your future. Regarding tourism, it is great to see The Gambiaattracting record numbers of visitors. New hotels, roads, and other amenities will attract more tourists and will help rebrand your country’s tourism offerings, including by branching out into eco-tourism and water sports. The ongoing expansion of transport infrastructure will facilitate tourism, including better connections to the region. These connections, importantly, will also allow goods to move around the region and help develop trade-related services, including re-exports.
Regional economic integration and cooperation will also strengthen The Gambia’s external position. Exports, private capital inflows, and remittances from Gambians working abroad are rebounding and are likely to increase further with regional integration. This will help build foreign exchange reserves and strengthen confidence in the Dalasi.
So, there are grounds for optimism about the economic outlook. The gains we are witnessing will support your efforts to improve the quality of life for all Gambians. We are already seeing progress in the reduction of maternal and infant mortality rates, and so much more is envisaged under the National Development Plan.
This highlights that, beyond regional integration, there are other important areas of reform to move The Gambia along the pathway to prosperity, which are also key for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. I would like to highlight three areas:
First, unlocking financial support from donors is one critical challenge. This can be addressed by resolving The Gambia’sunsustainable public debt situation. In this regard, I am pleased to report that at a recent roundtable meeting in Washington, D.C., most creditors indicated support for debt relief. Your government and its advisors are following up on this development.
Second, fostering inclusive growth and addressing social needs is another priority. This means attacking poverty through programs aimed at aiding vulnerable households and creating jobs for unemployed youth. By lowering debt service costs, debt relief can also create budget room to address these needs as well as other budget priorities, including the reform of state-owned enterprises.
Third, strengthening the rule of law and increasing accountability and transparency will also be crucial steps toward sustainable growth. The Janneh Commission revealed the extent of financial mismanagement and misappropriation during the previous regime. More focused efforts will be needed to recover stolen domestic and foreign assets.
The IMF joins the rest of the international community in applauding the governments’ commitment to transitional justice reform through the work of the Commission of Enquiry and the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission, and the recently established National Human Rights Commission. We also note the plans to establish an Anti-Corruption Commission.
We also join the international community in support of the security sector reforms, which are essential for modernizing the state and strengthening the rule of law.
To conclude, I would like to discuss the role of the IMF.
The Fund provided emergency support in 2017 and is continuing our engagement through a Staff-Monitored Program. In the future we may be able to move to a medium-term program with concessional financing.
In addition, along with international partners and supporting countries, the IMF is strongly committed to helping The Gambia strengthen key institutions, including by providing our technical expertise and training.
It is essential that the assistance of the international community, including the IMF, is closely linked to your country’s development priorities. Please be assured that we stand ready to listen to your ideas and proposals—and to provide all the help we can.
We look forward to working with you as you proceed along your pathway to prosperity.
Thank you for your time and attention. I am happy now, together with IMF colleagues, to answer any questions you may have.
SOURCE International Monetary Fund (IMF)
Artificial Intelligence
LG STRENGTHENS EUROPEAN PRESENCE WITH ITS KITCHEN SOLUTIONS SHOWCASE AT MDW 2024
Featuring Advanced AI Technologies and Sleek Design, Company’s Expanded Lineup of Built-in Appliances Brings Outstanding Convenience and Style to the Kitchen
SEOUL, South Korea, April 18, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — LG Electronics (LG) is unveiling its latest built-in kitchen appliances at Milan Design Week (MDW) 2024, taking place in Milan, Italy, from April 16-21. At the center of LG’s Milan showcase are the brand-new Signature Kitchen Suite built-in oven, free zone induction hob, and downdraft hood. Boasting innovative, premium design and highly-convenient features, the company’s refined built-in solutions bring exceptional ease-of-use and effortless elegance to the kitchen.
Signature Kitchen Suite Built-in Oven with Advanced Cooking Technologies
Debuting at MDW 2024 and designed with European consumers in mind, the Signature Kitchen Suite 60-centimeter (24-inch) built-in oven offers a variety of cutting-edge features and AI technologies to elevate the culinary experience. Equipped with Gourmet AI™️, the oven can identify what the user is cooking and automatically select the appropriate cooking mode from 130 recipes. Gourmet AI also enables ‘browning’ control for foods such as pizza and steak, actively keeping tabs on the cooking process and notifying users via the ThinQ™️ app as soon as their food is done. Thanks to video-recognition, LG’s intelligent oven can suggest the optimal settings for the dish being prepared, while real-time video monitoring and time-lapse recording make it easy to check on the progress of one’s meal using the ThinQ app.
Employing enhanced ProBake powered by inverter technology, the new oven delivers uniform heat and fast, efficient cooking with an A++ energy rating. LG’s innovative technology rotates the convection fan back and forth to ensure shorter preheating times, even heating, and crispier results when using the oven’s Air Fry mode. The company’s unique InstaView™️ technology further enhances user convenience, making it possible to see inside simply by knocking twice on the oven door.
Free Zone Induction Hob for Convenient and Flexible Cooking
The Signature Kitchen Suite’s 90-centimeter (36-inch) free zone induction hob presents next-level flexibility and ease-of-use, allowing users to place any size and type of cookware – such as Paella pans and moka pots – anywhere on its cooking surface.* The new appliance can detect and track the position of cookware, eliminating the need to manually cancel and reapply settings when moving a saucepan or skillet from one part of the cooking surface to another. What’s more, the AI technology embedded in the hob can detect the temperature of cookware and automatically lower the heat when necessary, helping to minimize spills and splatter when boiling water or preparing soups and sauces.
Expanded Built-in Lineups for Diverse Kitchen Lifestyles
LG is further bolstering its built-in product lineup with the introduction of the new Signature Kitchen Suite downdraft hood. Made to integrate seamlessly into islands and countertops, the 90-centimeter (36-inch) hood offers a sleek, sophisticated look with its chic black glass and modern frame design. It also provides powerful ventilation, effectively extracting steam and odors for a more pleasant cooking experience.
Additionally, LG has expanded its portfolio of built-in appliances for the European market. Along with new products, such as an 80-centimeter (30-inch) induction hob and built-in combi refrigerators and microwave ovens, the company now provides a wider range of options within its oven lineups – from more product variation to a greater choice of colors and sizes. Among the new models are the Signature Kitchen Suite 122 centimeter (48 inch)-wide French-door refrigerator and stunning appliances from the Transitional lineup, featuring slim handles and satin stainless steel exteriors with a velvety matte finish. To help customers create a curated kitchen aesthetic, the company offers an array of new finishes for its premium built-in products, with black stainless steel and stainless steel joining the previously-introduced black glass finish.
“We are thrilled to showcase our latest built-in innovations at this year’s Milan Design Week, demonstrating our commitment to leading new design trends and meeting the diverse needs of European customers,” said Lyu Jae-cheol, president of LG Electronics Home Appliance & Air Solution Company. “LG will continue to strengthen its presence in Europe through an expanded range of built-in appliances delivering style, performance and convenience in the kitchen.”
Visitors to MDW 2024 in Milan from April 16-21 can experience LG’s latest built-in lineups at the LG booth at Milan Fairgrounds.
* Cookware recognition may vary depending on the size or number of items placed on the surface.
About LG Electronics Home Appliance & Air Solution Company
The LG Home Appliance & Air Solution Company is a global leader in home appliances, air solutions as well as smart home solutions featuring LG ThinQ. The company is creating various solutions with its industry leading core technologies and is committed to making life better and sustainable for consumers and the planet by developing thoughtfully designed kitchen appliances, living appliances, HVAC and air purification solutions. Together, these products deliver enhanced convenience, superb performance, efficient operation and sustainable lifestyle solutions. For more news on LG, visit www.LGnewsroom.com.
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SINGAPORE, April 18, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — DataTracks, a provider of cloud-based software to automate/generate compliance reports for filing with financial/security regulators to more than 28,000 business enterprises in 26 countries, celebrates the completion of 19 years of service and innovation. Founded with a vision to make regulatory compliance “accurate, reliable, timely, and easy”, DataTracks has grown into a leading name in the industry, worldwide with cutting edge software that incorporates “artificial intelligence” aided features to reduce “time to prepare” and improve “accuracy”.
Decades of Dedication and Expertise
Over nearly two decades, DataTracks has achieved significant growth, with its software delivering more than 400,000 reports, showcasing its pivotal role in regulatory reporting. The software and service address regulations across diverse jurisdictions, including SEC in the USA, HMRC and FCA in the UK, Revenue in Ireland, CIPC in South Africa, ACRA in Singapore, MCA in India, SSM in Malaysia and ESMA, EBA, and EIOPA in Europe.
DataTracks distinguishes itself in the industry
(a) with its global footprint (preferred by business enterprises whose regulatory obligations are spread across multiple jurisdictions)
(b) with its state-of-the art software that incorporates “AI/ML” features and
(c) with its credentials for information security (including ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 27001:2013 certifications)
Addressing the employees and spouses in a town hall meeting to celebrate the event, Vinod P John, President of DataTracks said: “We are happy to start our 20th year in the industry. I have to thank the 28,000 clients who trust us and the several hundred employees who developed our software and who helped customers (and our internal team) prepare compliance reports for reaching this milestone. We’ve always believed in leveraging technology to make regulatory compliance as easy, quick, timely, and accurate as possible for our clients. Our continuous investment in AI and machine learning is a testament to this belief, and it’s what keeps us at the forefront of the industry.”
Looking ahead, DataTracks is ready to address upcoming mandates such as the DATA Act and FTA in the US as well as the MBRS/XBRL mandate by SSM in Malaysia.
About DataTracks
DataTracks is a Singapore-based globally renowned leader in providing cloud-based regulatory compliance software for self-use and “black box services” using the same software, catering to 28,000 clients across 26 countries. In 19 years DataTracks has helped its client enterprises prepare more than 400,000 compliance reports for filing with financial/security regulators in several jurisdictions. Financial analysts have rated the quality of reports generated using DataTracks as top of industry for quality; significantly above that of several of its competitors. For further information, visit www.datatracks.com.
For Business Enquiries: Email: [email protected]; Phone: Singapore: +6531582850, US: +1(646)9048324, UK: +44(0)2036088035
Media Contact: [email protected]
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Tailored, lightweight AI models facilitate rapid deployment with low overhead
LAS VEGAS, April 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — SAS INNOVATE — Today at SAS Innovate, SAS – a pioneer in data and AI solutions – unveiled a game-changing approach for organizations to tackle business challenges head-on. Introducing lightweight, industry-specific AI models for individual license, SAS is equipping organizations with readily deployable AI technology to productionize real-world use cases with unparalleled efficiency.
AI software provider SAS is uniquely positioned to flex its decades of expertise in applying scalable and trustworthy AI models for prominent global financial, health care, and manufacturing brands, as well as government institutions.
“SAS is evolving its portfolio to meet wider user needs and capture market share with innovative new offerings,” said Chandana Gopal, Research Director, Future of Intelligence, IDC. “An area that is ripe for SAS is productizing models built on SAS’ core assets, talent and IP from its wealth of experience working with customers to solve industry problems.”
In today’s market, the consumption of models is primarily focused on large language models (LLMs) for generative AI. In reality, LLMs are a very small part of the modeling needs of real-world production deployments of AI and decision making for businesses. With the new offering, SAS is moving beyond LLMs and delivering industry-proven deterministic AI models for industries that span use cases such as fraud detection, supply chain optimization, entity management, document conversation and health care payment integrity and more.
Unlike traditional AI implementations that can be cumbersome and time-consuming, SAS’ industry-specific models are engineered for quick integration, enabling organizations to operationalize trustworthy AI technology and accelerate the realization of tangible benefits and trusted results.
Expanding market footprintOrganizations are facing pressure to compete effectively and are looking to AI to gain an edge. At the same time, staffing data science teams has never been more challenging due to AI skills shortages. Consequently, businesses are demanding agility in using AI to solve problems and require flexible AI solutions to quickly drive business outcomes. SAS’ easy-to-use, yet powerful models tuned for the enterprise enable organizations to benefit from a half-century of SAS’ leadership across industries.
Delivering industry models as packaged offerings is one outcome of SAS’ commitment of $1 billion to AI-powered industry solutions. As outlined in the May 2023 announcement, the investment in AI builds on SAS’ decades long focus on providing packaged solutions to address industry challenges in banking, government, health care and more.
“Models are the perfect complement to our existing solutions and SAS Viya platform offerings and cater to diverse business needs across various audiences, ensuring that innovation reaches every corner of our ecosystem,” said Udo Sglavo, Vice President for AI and Analytics, SAS. “By tailoring our approach to understanding specific industry needs, our frameworks empower businesses to flourish in their distinctive environments.”
Bringing AI to the massesSAS is democratizing AI by offering out-of-the-box, lightweight AI models – making AI accessible regardless of skill set – starting with an AI assistant for warehouse space optimization. Leveraging technology like large language models, these assistants cater to nontechnical users, translating interactions into optimized workflows seamlessly and aiding in faster planning decisions.
“SAS Models provide organizations with flexible, timely and accessible AI that aligns with industry challenges,” said Sglavo. “Whether you’re embarking on your AI journey or seeking to accelerate the expansion of AI across your enterprise, SAS offers unparalleled depth and breadth in addressing your business’s unique needs.”
The first SAS Models are expected to be generally available later this year. Learn more about SAS Applied AI and Modeling here: https://blogs.sas.com/content/tag/applied-ai-modeling/.
Today’s announcement was made at SAS Innovate, the data and AI experience for business leaders, technical users and SAS Partners. Keep up with the latest news from SAS by following @SASsoftwareNews on X/Twitter.
About SASSAS is a global leader in data and AI. With SAS software and industry-specific solutions, organizations transform data into trusted decisions. SAS gives you THE POWER TO KNOW®.
SAS and all other SAS Institute Inc. product or service names are registered trademarks or trademarks of SAS Institute Inc. in the USA and other countries. ® indicates USA registration. Other brand and product names are trademarks of their respective companies. Copyright © 2024 SAS Institute Inc. All rights reserved.
Editorial Contact:Jennifer [email protected] 202-210-4180 sas.com/news
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