Just plain business sense

When I submitted my first visa application, a very charming man on the embassy reception apologised for the amount of bureaucracy required, adding with a wink, 'us Angolans, we like our bureaucracy'.

Although I picked up my first visa from Mr Charming hassle free the first time round, I was to be less fortunate on my second application.

After spending a thoroughly enjoyable, but not in the least bit necessary bank holiday at a friend's residence waiting for the next working day to submit my application, and after over three hours queueing in the embassy itself, I would be told my application could not be accepted as it needed to be on plain, non letter headed paper. In fairness I also required a bank statement, which in my haste I had forgotten to bring along. My offer to race to the nearest bank around the corner and supply the said statement in five minutes was flatly refused. Besides, no plain paper, vo visa I was warned. It was no use arguing.

I am informed from non native British residents it is equally hard to do business or indeed leisure in the UK. It seems Britons are so paranoid with system cheats that we close the net in on those we should be welcoming opened armed. Anyway I digress...

Dambisa Moyo's 'Dead Aid- Why aid is not working and why there is another way for Africa' also complains about the levels of bureaucracy in African business. She claims that whilst in the USA an average of 40 days and 19 procedures are required to arrange a business license, compared with a woeful 119 days and 12 procedures in Angola.

This does seem a shame in a country which is can boast such powerful resources- the Angola is the largest supplier of oil to China, even knocking Saudi Arabia off the top spot.

It is also true that some of the blame lies in Europe, not Africa. One friend recently pointed out that visas are mutual understandings between countries and if countries like the UK are going to restrict Africans from entering, it is more than understandable that Angolans protect their resources from resource hungry expats. Whilst I wouldn't classify myself as an oil tycoon, I will be relieved to greeted by Mr charming on the embassy reception again.