MTLNOVEL Chapter 1116: Bossosa
When the conflict in Yemen and the chaos in Syria drew the world's attention, a group of African soldiers wearing lion badges quietly arrived in Bossaso, Somalia.
The construction personnel left by the giant infrastructure in Djibouti arrived here by ship, bringing a large number of construction machines.
A cargo ship anchored in the Gulf of Aden quietly turned and docked at the dilapidated pier in Bossaso, bringing tens of thousands of tons of food to a hungry Somalia.
As time passed and personnel continued to arrive, a simple military base, originally belonging to the African Union, raised the flags of the United Nations and P.B.
A senior advisor from the Somali Federal Ministry of Constitutional Affairs led a team to Bossaso, and in the presence of an African Union representative, they had a 14-hour meeting with the legendary Hu Lang and representatives from the United Nations Humanitarian Affairs Department.
During most of the meeting, it was the P.B people explaining to the Somali officials via PPT, thoroughly laying out sections on electronic trade as described by Mr. Qiao.
Somali high official Hamza Barre was in a state of shock when he heard that P.B was willing to establish a trading company and was willing to invest upfront to integrate Somalia's internal resources, converging those fragmented resources that were previously unable to be exported into Jia Liang Trade's internal trading system...
As the second-most powerful person in Somalia, Hamza originally thought that the legendary P.B came here to help combat the Al-Shabaab in exchange for some resource income.
Who knew Mr. Qiao's display was completely different from what he imagined!
Combating Al-Shabaab seemed trivial to Mr. Qiao. In Mr. Qiao's eyes, economic development was the primary task.
Hamza is also highly educated and has lived through the terrifying civil war in Somalia from the beginning to the end.
He certainly knows what Somalia needs now, and he also knows why past Somalia couldn't achieve its desires.
Clan militias and politics are the main reasons for Somalia's division. The rise and growth of Al-Shabaab made those greedy clans unbearable.
Finally, under the efforts of the African Union and the United Nations, those greedy clans finally chose to sit down and negotiate, ultimately forming the Somali Federal under the condition that each major clan has autonomy.
Currently, Somalia is roughly divided into three major parts, namely Somaliland (autonomous), Puntland (semi-autonomous), and Baidoa.
Ironically, the Baidoa region, which should have been the most authoritative, meaning the area under the political influence of the capital city Mogadishu, is the most chaotic region in all of Somalia.
The territory of Al-Shabaab almost surrounds Mogadishu, and the area directly controlled by the Federal Government is very small.
If it weren't for neighboring Ethiopia and Kenya supporting several pro-government armed forces as a border buffer zone, along with the pro-government political inclination of the Puntland region where Bosaso is located, the control area of the Somali Federal Government would be laughably small.
This massively troubled nation can't even achieve basic political synergy, let alone talk about any development.
Since the formal establishment of the Somali Federal in 2014, in less than three years their total external debt reached 2.9 billion US dollars.
Currently, their annual export volume is about 400 million US dollars, while imports due to food demand and development needs have reached about 2.5 billion US dollars.
The huge deficit keeps the Federal Government constantly on the brink of bankruptcy, solely relying on loans from the World Bank and the African Union Development Bank for survival.
However, the International Monetary Fund has already issued a warning, predicting that Somalia will reach a heavily indebted poor country decision point within two years.
This means that if the current situation continues, the IMF estimates that in two years, Somalia will entirely lose its investment value, and they will no longer be able to garner loans and assistance from the international community.
The only way out for Somalia at this stage is to quickly eliminate Al-Shabaab, integrate the central region of Somalia, then focus on developing the internal economy to form valuable assets, and then find ways to promote export trade to reduce its debts as much as possible.
Everyone knows what needs to be done, but no one has the capability to do it!
To be honest, the African Union has been quite worried about Somalia. South Africa, Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia, and Burundi have successively dispatched troops to assist the government forces to combat Al-Shabaab but to little effect.
Somalia's troubles started at the root, with clan division, government corruption, and uncommunicated political directives...
In most parts of Somalia, people are basically in a state of anarchy, with military uniforms being more useful than business suits, and the gun barrel being more effective than the pen.
In such a situation, Mr. Qiao came forward, saying let me help you...
This made Hamza extremely excited!
In Hamza's mind, P.B actually seemed like a warlord force with a strong idealistic color.
Because he established a disciplined and highly honorable army in Central Africa!
Most African politicians who have attended meetings at the African Union Headquarters will hear about what Mr. Qiao has done, his power, and his reputation through some people's publicity.
Aside from the leaders of a few major countries, most small countries actually envy Central African President Francois, who, when he first took office, was handling an internal economic crisis by begging everywhere, but suddenly, a strong man descended from heaven, helping him and Central Africa sprint forward on the path of development.
From initially begging everywhere, Francois can now stand with his back straight at any meeting, even sneering at some of his peers' performances...
This transformation took less than four years!
What makes it most enviable is that P.B never asked for rights beyond the contractual content.
This situation is currently repeating in Congo!
Though the situation there is more complicated, the business integration progress in North Kivu and South Kivu Province of Congo is rapid, and now President Kabila, who has just gone through internal turmoil, is also starting to rise up.
But these aren't the only things that make peers envious and resentful. What truly gnashes everyone's teeth with hatred is that PB Bank has prepared enticing stock dividends for these high-ranking bastards.
Compared to others who still need to work hard to scrape by, Central Africa and Congo's core politicians only need to seriously carry out their duties to receive benefits that make everyone envious.
Although these dividends are tied to positions rather than specific individuals, what does that matter?
Whether president or prime minister, as long as they diligently complete two terms and earnestly fulfill their duties during transitions, while smoothly passing on responsibilities to successors, they can ensure a life of luxury for their entire family anywhere in the world.
What is there to criticize about this?
The most infuriating part is that all of this is legalized through complex legal and financial channels!
Working earnestly while enjoying eight years of glory, and finally retiring amid public praise and pleas for them to stay, is a dream come true that African politicians dare not even imagine!
Now the legendary Hu Lang suddenly arrived in Somalia, skipping over the issue of the Youth Party, directly proposing a trade agreement genuinely benefiting Somalia...
Hamza glanced at the sunset outside the conference room window, then rubbed his eyes and stood up to give Boss Qiao a forceful hug...
"Hu Lang, you will be a lifelong friend of Somalia!"
Boss Qiao wasn't much interested in the formalities; his schedule was tight, and he had secretly rushed here to quickly finalize the agreement, ensuring PB Bank's acquisition of the port of Bossosa without external interference.
Looking at the excited Hamza, Joe Ga smiled and said, "Sir, whether you believe it or not, I've come to see Africa as my second home.
I believe this world holds hope, and I hope to show more people that our world isn't as bad as they think.
Bossosa is in disrepair, but looking at the Yemeni refugees arriving by boat shows it's slightly better here than Yemen.
Hand the wharf over to me; I'll take care of repairs and maintenance...
I've ordered 500 fishing boats from China, which will be distributed according to Mukalla and Bossosa's needs and rented to fishermen at the lowest price.
Tapping into foreign trade potential needs time, but as long as one can sail and cast nets, a fishing boat's benefits directly affect at least 20 people, which means 20 families...
If we can develop fisheries, this impact range will expand tenfold as fishery trade grows.
As long as I can prove my vision works, I'll continue to increase investment in this area."
Saying this, Joe Ga looked at Hamza, whose eyes were about to pop out, and laughed, "Somalia isn't lacking sailors, right?"
Boss Qiao's words elicited laughter in the conference room, and Hamza helplessly shook his head, saying, "Of course, Somalia has never lacked sailors!
But if PB does this, won't the profit margin be too low?
Repairing Bossosa's port requires a lot of funds. If in the future..."
Boss Qiao did not explain his ideal trade network's profit model in detail to Hamza...
Bossosa's location is excellent, with foundational port facilities still intact; a simple repair won't cost much. As long as safety is ensured, Bossosa's location alone prevents price declines.
Moreover, Boss Qiao never intended to profit from such infrastructure construction. As a node in the trade network, the capital turnover and retention generated by trade exchanges can already yield adequate returns for PB Bank.
Such endeavors may not yield substantial gains; the breakeven period is long, but it generally won't lose money.
The only potential loss scenario is if PB fails against the Youth Party, or if the Somali Federal turns hostile.
Both situations would escalate PB's military expenses!
However, if PB can't suppress the Youth Party or subdue the Somali Federal government, it indicates Boss Qiao should retire!
This scenario is utterly implausible for Boss Qiao at this current stage, as his ability to engage in such business stems from his overwhelming military capability in Somalia.
Boss Qiao isn't afraid of them breaching agreements and can direct them to act according to his guidance.
The multiplier effect of derivative influence is what Boss Qiao truly pursues!
Seeing Hamza appear hesitant to speak, Boss Qiao smiled and said, "Our time today is limited, but my lawyer, Jori Amon, will stay here for a while with a team. They will explain the benefits and usage of the electronic trading platform to you in detail.
I know you're concerned about the Youth Party issue because as long as the Youth Party exists, Somalia cannot stabilize."
Saying this, Joe Ga nodded towards a PB technician and then looked at the attendees and laughed, "Gentlemen, defeating the Youth Party isn't particularly challenging for me.
The real challenge is how to transform the mindset of civilians in the Youth Party control zone, which requires you to establish a complete social and educational system.
I understand this is challenging for Somalia at this current stage, but I've set up a broadcasting network in Central Africa, and there's a network TV company.
If you're interested, I can have these networks transplanted into Somalia.
But before that, I can show you how we operate!"