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A comment on Teacher in Ghana has no computers so he draws Microsoft Word on the blackboard. Parent comment

Re:Teacher in Ghana has no computers so he draws Microsoft W... by stickfigure on Saturday March 03, 2018 @12:26AM (#16508056)
Don't forget 2-3X that for customs duties, bribes, man-hours running across town for paperwork, etc. And that assumes it arrives at the final destination unstolen.

In my travels through poorer countries (and their aduanas) I've noticed an almost overt hostility to importing the very tools that might allow productivity to increase. They seem to perceive computers as luxury goods when assigning duties. It's hard to imagine a public policy that is more self-defeating.

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Re:Teacher in Ghana has no computers so he draws Microsoft W... by contingencies on Saturday March 03, 2018 @12:29AM (#16508063)
Yep. As I stated "I would actually be more worried about corrupt customs officials stealing the hardware." and "Someone who has a Facebook account (I don't) could ask the guy about shipping and customs issues in Ghana". It would probably make sense to expect some extra customs and shipping fees. That said, Ghana is definitely less screwy than many other countries in Africa.
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