BY MAHYOUB AL-KAMALI
YEMEN TIMES STAFF
Getting Yemen's government on high-tech information systems was the focus of a meeting that attracted several international companies to Sana'a Dec. 16
The Ministry of Communication organized that event to further move along the move to electronic systems in the government, a program previously authorized by the cabinet.
In the meeting, attended by Eng.Abdu al-Malik al-Mulami, the Minister of Communications, speeches and lectures highlighted a number of projects the ministry has carried out in order to pave the way for better use of information technology.
The meeting included the sharing of expertiese from different companies who are prominent in this field.
That will enable Yemen to properly invest resources to make the project proceeds.
Nine companies from America, Europe, East Asia and Africa answered the invitation to attend and share their previous experiences in preparing electronic government systems.
The meeting has also confirmed the importance of good planning, so that Yemen would benefit from the new knowledge economy to shore up the gross domestic product and increase efficiency of Yemeni productive sectors.
With the spread of the electronic government program in Yemen, it's expected that jobs will be created for Yemen's unemployed.
Dr Ibrahim al-Qadhi, head of the regional bureau of he international union for communications confirmed that Yemen's endeavour is to take serious steps towards finishing the project. An electronic government would it:
-change its production sectors into an economy for knowledge,
-improve services of the sectors of trade, transport, education, health and banking,
-reduce migration from the countryside to major cities,
-narrow the gap between the rural and urban areas.

The consultative meeting gave attention to study the IT master plan, its estimated cost and how to provide necessary funding.
The project comes after Yemen has realized, with a number of Arab countries, the need to move into the age of information and communication, an age that is making a global information community.
The government of Yemen is moving towards implementing the Arab strategy on communications and information prepared by Arab communications ministers who met in Amman in 2000.
Implementation of the IT master plan would facilitate the ongoing process of administrative decentralization and help local councils in the governorates and districts. An electronic government would help local councils in financial independence and ease communication with relevant ministries and institutions through the network.
Local councils will also be linked directly to the ministry of local administration for correspondence through the network of information and communications technology.
It's all geared to help Yemen keeping pace with developments achieved in other world communities.
At the same time, Yemen is preparing to implement a new telecommunication system for rural communications (CDNA) which is a developed model for (GSM) systems. A Korean company (L.G) will implement this project in 2003-2004 covering 78 positions and 50,000 telecommunication lines in Sana'a, Dhamar. Ibb, Taiz, Amran and Saada.

BY YEMEN TIMES STAFF
Hodeidah, one of the major Yemeni sea ports on the Red Sea, is witnessing a vigorous investment movement and large-scale trade activity enhancing the port's position and its relationship with international trade and navigation.
Expatriates have expressed their interest in investing in available opportunities in the port city and the port of Hodeidah, which would help increase the volume of revenues and activate work movement in the port. Figures indicate that the local council at Hodeidah governorate has executed 538 projects distributed among educational, health and road-building at a cost of YR 50 billion and 40 million. Projects of e investment program of the council in 2002 amounted to 65 projects costing YR 1 billion and 844 million. The estimated costs of projects included in the investment program for the year 2003 are expected to be around YR 1 billion and 400 million. Among projects planned for investment in 2003 in Hodeidah are the sewage system, finishing the 22 May medical city and other investment projects estimated at YR 31 billion.
A centre for information is to be established in Hodeidah with the aim of offering facilities to Yemeni expatriate and foreign investors through easing their getting necessary statements and studies for completing investment projects in the governorate and also to obtain information on investment opportunities available at the Hodeidah port, which entertains a vital location on the Red Sea.
The ministry of Planning and Development had enlisted the issue of Hodeidah port development on an agenda of a plan aimed at improving services of the ports of in Aden, Mukalla and Hodeidah at a cost amounting to $ 5 million. Information indicates that there are opportunities for investment in Hodeidah governorate especially in fields of fish wealth, industrial sector, constructions and agricultural development in a manner realising for Yemen an increase in its exports.
Hodeidah governorate is distinguished by its possession of fertile arable valleys with abundance of water for irrigation. Among these valleys are those of Mour, Sardad, Zabid, Siham and Rama'. In those valleys people grow the main fruits of Yemen such as mango, banana, dates, melons and other kinds of fruits in addition to vegetables. Thus investment sources expect that in 2003 the governorate and port city of Hodeidah are going to see active investment and commercial movement that would have good reflections on averages of growth of the national economy.

BY ABDUH M. ASSABRI
YEMEN TIMES STAFF
An intensive finance management training workshop was held during December 21-23 by Oxfam GB-Yemen.
During the 3-day training course, finance managers and accountants from different non-governmental organizations operating in Yemen were trained by Oxfam's finance staff.
"The workshop's aim is to build the capacity of Oxfam-GB partners in financial management and to enable partners to produce satisfactory financial reports," Mohammed al-Malahy, the Finance and Administration Officer told the Yemen Times.
Oxfam also plans to conduct another workshop in the financial management during March 2003.
"We are grateful to Oxfam's finance staff for informing us of up-to-date finance techniques and methods,"
Elham Ali from the Aden Women Union highlighted the fact that some organizations were progressing rapidly while their finance affairs were discarded.
On the other hand, and representing the Arab Sisters Forum, Reyadh Farahani, thanked Oxfam's team for their efforts in holding the course. "Such training courses are useful in improving and promoting capabilities of finance representatives and accountants of civil society organizations," Farahani said.
Due to the rapid technological advancement in finance, great importance has been given to up-to-date techniques to cope with the global finance revolution shaping up in the world, Reyadh emphasized.
Abdulrahman al-Oqab, from Khadeejah Women Association clearly mentioned that as a participant he was able to gain a lot of experience in the main principles of finance and accounting. "In this course, we got acquainted with knowing all there is to know about preparing records, files and financial reports. Besides, up-to-date financial methods and techniques were presented by Oxfam's Staff he said.
"As a growing association, we benefit greatly from such courses in improving our capacities in finance and accounting,"
All participants expressed their deep appreciation to Oxfam's finance lecturers and coordinators including Mohammed al-Malahy and Aziz al-Athwari for exerting great efforts to make the training finance course a success.
Oxfam started its operations in Yemen in 1983 soon after the earthquake in Dhamar took place. Oxfam's mandate by then was to help overcome the disaster's consequences in Dhamar. However, ever since then, Oxfam has been quite active in helping Yemenis overcome poverty and suffering through training, technical and other types of assistance.
Oxfam works in Yemen because it believes that Yemen needs a helping hand in overcoming its difficulties due to its status as one of the poorest and least developed countries in the world with an extremely high poverty rate that continues to rise by the day.
Oxfam believes that Yemen's conditions are much more severe compared to the other Arab countries in the region, and hence deserves greater attention and assistance.

The Roa Ahead
BY RAIDAN A. AL-SAQQAF
r_saqqaf@hotmail.com
Very few companies know the importance of creating effective public relations. In fact, the potential of effective public relations acts as a strategic competitive advantage, which can boost the company's image. It is a very important yet sensitive task and has to be handled efficiently and professionally.
While many companies have PR specialists, minimum efforts are made in spite of the enormous potential. It is respectable for a company to find its name referred to regularly in press and in news services; the audience would be more likely to think of that company whenever they have any kind of needs for that company's products and services.
Effective public relations include any kind of reference in the media that results in creating a positive impression of the business. This may take the form of a news story focused around some development in the company, business expansion, new staff appointment, charity fund-raising or a special promotion linked with a local occasion. In fact, effective public relations improves the company's brand awareness by means of continuous reference given to that brand through Press coverage of different events such as a new product launch, winning an industry award or sponsorship of a local charity event, for example, "this school fair is sponsored by Al-Hana juice".
Another advantage is in recruitment, if a company succeeded in creating a positive image, more people would like to work for it and hence the company has more applicants to select the best candidates. In other words, Effective PR can therefore help attract more applicants for advertised job vacancies.
Building effective Public Relations takes time. The first thing to do is to establish strong relationships with appropriate local and national journalists and news services. Then target stories to appropriate media, For example a comment from the company's management about an issue being regularly discussed in the press. Such a comment might work as a reminder about the company and in turn sustains good public relations.
Good relations with the media helps in putting an interesting angle on the business activities, whether in a written press release or local news article, it can catch the readers' attention especially when accompanied with a photograph. On the other hand, an organization must respond promptly to press enquiries and try to think about interesting angles for ordinary events. For example active participation from tobacco companies in the world environmental day can help in creating a positive image about them.
On few occasions, some published news articles in the press and in news services may upset a business due to negative publicity. In such situations the Public Relations specialists should prepare adequate response to what is being published in order to sustain their positive image in the public.
Endnote: Effective Public Relations creates a positive image with the help of the media. It is critical yet sensitive and must be handled professionally.