Day: March 18, 2022

GNA-Kourage Investment Matrix, a business-oriented company in collaboration with the Akatsi South Municipal Assembly have held a two-day business forum aimed at building and expanding sustainable businesses.

The encounter, which brought together both young and old business entrepreneurs from within and Akatsi South, was also targeted at promoting social enterprises and small enterprises to create jobs and effect sustainable changes in rural communities in a bid to achieve the sustainable development goals.

Mr Courage S. K Quarshigah, Chief Executive Officer of the Company, during the fora, highlighted opportunities that could be harnessed from the global business market

This included business ethics, understanding business, business plan, how to become exporter, business mentorship scheme, government policies, business digitisation, understanding the local and international market, business registration, capital alternative funding, among others.

Mr Godfred Gobah, a representative from the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MOTI) in his presentation, said there was the need to adhere to all the necessary elements regarding business ethics such as loyalty, fairness, trust, corporate responsibility, and others if a business venture wanted to survive and expand.

Mr Chris Amponsah Sackey, the Volta and Oti Regional Head of the Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA), touched on things to know when venturing into export business and the new reforms and developments in the export sector in Ghana.

He said it was important for every business owner and business association to get connected with the Authority for advice.

Mr Kofitsey Martin Nyahe, the Municipal Chief Executive for Akatsi South, who attended the event, said the assembly was working tirelessly in reviving the economic fortunes in the area.

This, he said led to the construction of an ongoing Business Advisory Center, where there would be several business capacity building workshops for both private and public enterprises.

There were other facilitators from the Ghana Enterprises Agency, Social Enterprises, and the Akatsi South Municipal Assembly.

Over 40 participants were in attendance during the event, which was held at the conference room of Viva Vegas Hotel at Akatsi, dubbed ‘Akatsi South Business Forum.’

There were also networking and brainstorming sessions, where issues regarding business growth were discussed.

Participants were presented with certificates for the two-day encounter.

Source: Ghana News Agency

GNA- Mr Wamkele Mene, the Secretary-General of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, says Africa is reshaping her small and fragmented markets to create one integrated market with large economies of scale and scope.

He said Africa’s economic integration was no longer a matter of choice, it was necessary if Africa was to industrialise, develop intra-regional trade, strengthen capacities to benefit from globalisation, reduce vulnerability to fluctuating overseas markets, mobilise and maximise scarce resources of capital and skills.

Mr Mene was speaking at the ongoing Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Turkey on the theme: “A vision for Development in Africa.”

The forum is to stimulate discussions on continental development efforts and beyond Africa with emphasis on AfCFTA.

“Africa needs to forge the way to effective African unity, both political and economic,” he said, noting that currently, countries on the continent survived mainly on exports of a very narrow range of primary commodities to traditional markets of the North while being heavily reliant on the import of capital goods.

The Secretary-General said, as a result, African countries did not trade with each other that much.

In Europe, 70 per cent of trade happens within the continent, in Asia, it’s just over half (51 per cent); but in Africa, no more than 18 per cent of trade is between African countries.

He said as it was well known, Africa’s overreliance on exports of primary commodities was detrimental to the achievement of its economic development vision.

The Secretary-General said exports of raw commodities generally attracted low prices with insufficient foreign exchange revenues, while downstream, along the traditional exports value chains in the destination market countries, considerable wealth and jobs were created.

“There is, therefore, the need to take action to dismantle this colonial economic model by transforming the structure of Africa’s economy from the primary commodity export-based one to a manufacturing industrial export-driven economy.”

He said AfCFTA presented a renewed opportunity for Africa to steer its economic relations away from excessive primary commodity dependence and reliance on external creditors/donors to a new economic model based on self-reliant cooperation, value-addition and industrial activities.

“With the AfCFTA, we have an opportunity to accelerate intra-African trade and to use trade more effectively as an engine for growth and sustainable development,” he added.

He said beyond trade in goods, AfCFTA covered other trade-related issues that were critical to foreign direct investment strategies and activities.

These include trade in services, competition policy, intellectual property rights, investment, dispute settlement and digital trade.

Mr Mene said the finalisation of all the protocols would greatly contribute to deepening economic integration in Africa.

“With these additional protocols, we are further transforming the continent by removing physical and commercial barriers that have hitherto hindered trade among our countries,” he said.

Source: Ghana News Agency

GNA – The Dutch Government has given assurance of its commitment to support sustainable cocoa production in Ghana as the biggest importer of the country’s cocoa beans.

Ms. Wieneke Vullings, Leader of a Delegation from the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it was important for the Netherlands to contribute to the sustainable production of cocoa in the country as one of the huge beneficiaries of the industry.

“Many of the cocoa produced here come to the Netherlands and we want to make sure that the cocoa beans are produced in a sustainable way,” she told the media after a visit to a cocoa farm and other project sites funded by the Dutch Government at Dunkwa-On-Offin in the Central Region.

The delegation is in the country to learn at firsthand the realities of cocoa production and how the implementation of the Cocoa Rehabilitation and Intensification Programme (CORIP II) is impacting the lives of beneficiaries as well as the cocoa sector.

Funded by the Dutch Government, CORIP II which was implemented by Solidaridad West Africa is a four-year project that sought to provide economic, social and environmentally sustainable support for farmers to address institutional challenges in the cocoa supply chain.

Following the successful implementation of CORIP I between 2013 and 2017, the programme was extended for four more years under CORIP II, having made a significant impact.

Accompanied by officials of Solidaridad, the Dutch delegation paid a courtesy call on the Municipal Chief Executive for Upper Denkyira East, Mr Ebenezer Forson Appiah and the Regional Manager of Cocoa Health and Extension Division (CHED) of COCOBOD, Mr Samuel Asare Ankamah.

They then interacted with Women in Cocoa Cooperative (Cocoa Mmaa), a group that mobilizes over 600 women, cocoa farmers, at a Rural Service Centre (RSC) established with the support of Solidaridad under CORIP II.

As part of the programme, CORIP has facilitated access to GHS 167,000 in concessional financing in working capital and purchase of mechanised tools.

The women have also been supported to set up Village Savings and Loans Associations (VSLAs) to enhance access to microcredit and support each other as a group.

The delegation also visited rain-fed and irrigated cocoa farms at Bebianiha and Asikuma to assess their performance in terms of yields during the harsh climatic conditions.

Ms Vullings said the visit was to see firsthand the factors militating cocoa production from the source as well as the difficulties farmers faced to inform them what kind of interventions to pursue, going forward.

“I am really impressed about the collective empowerment of the women and the strength that they show in doing these themselves as a group,” she commended the women cocoa farmers.

She applauded Solidaridad for setting up the RSCs and other initiatives that were transforming the lives of cocoa farmers, especially women.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) will host the 2022 edition of the Stakeholder Dialogue Series in Senegal and The Gambia.

The event is being organised in Senegal on March 22, and The Gambia on April 5, respectively, and is supported by the German Development Agency (GIZ).

A statement issued by the KAIPTC, copied to the Ghana News Agency, said the two countries would host the Second Edition of the KAIPTC Annual Stakeholder Dialogue Series (SDS), a forum which seeks to strengthen partnerships with relevant stakeholders towards the promotion of peace and security in the sub-region.

It said the event was on the theme; “Contributing to the Implementation of ECOWAS Conflict Prevention Framework: Promoting Partnerships with Civil Society Organizations on Peace and Security in West Africa.”

It noted that the event, which was being organised by the KAIPTC in collaboration with the West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP), falls under the KAIPTC’s five-year strategic plan to strengthen collaborations with CSOs, Think Tanks and the private sector to advance policy dialogues and improve peace and security in Africa.

The statement said it was also in keeping with WANEP’s strategic objective to play a facilitation role in the implementation of the ECOWAs Conflict Prevention Framework as well as the requirements enshrined in the framework of a five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the KAIPTC and WANEP.

It said over the years, the two institutions had sustained a great partnership and worked together in many areas in furtherance of peace and security on the continent.

It said the 2022 SDS was aimed at leveraging the strengths of both institutions to engage with relevant CSOs in West Africa, to contribute to the implementation of ECOWAS’ Conflict Prevention Framework (ECPF).

The statement said a total of 40 participants were expected to participate in the one-day workshop in Dakar, Senegal, (Tuesday, 22nd March) and Banjul, The Gambia (Tuesday, 5th April) respectively. It said participants would be drawn largely from CSOs in West Africa, specifically, Senegal and The Gambia, ECOWAS, Development Partners, Government Agencies and Non-Governmental Organisations.

It said the KAIPTC, as part of its five-year strategic plan, instituted the SDS in 2021, with the aim of creating a platform to engage its clients, development and institutional partners as well as its stakeholders on specific issues of concern within the Peace and Security landscape.

The statement said the maiden edition, which was organized in 2021, in collaboration with the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) focused on fostering strategic partnership between the KAIPTC and the private sector and explored opportunities in the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) in the context of peace and development.

“This year’s forum will among others discuss and agree on innovative strategies to support and complement ECOWAS’s conflict prevention and management efforts as well as forge partnerships and enhance networking among relevant stakeholders such as KAIPTC, WANEP and other relevant CSOs within the peace and security environment,” it said.

“In 2008, ECOWAS adopted the ECOWAS Conflict Prevention Framework (ECPF) to serve as a strategic framework for improving conflict prevention and human security in the West African Region.”

The statement said to contribute towards the operationalisation of the ECPF, the KAIPTC and WANEP as part of their mandates have worked extensively to advance peace and security in the region.

It said the KAIPTC had provided consistent world-class training, research and policy support to ECOWAS and its Member States and other international partners in pursuit of the goal for a peaceful and prosperous region.

It said similarly, WANEP had also worked with ECOWAS to strengthen community resilience and build capacities to respond to the peace and security challenges confronting the region.

“It has been recognized that there are untapped opportunities and unsystematic engagement with CSOs to harmonise their interventions in the areas of capacity building, research, and policy advocacy in support of the implementation of the ECPF.”

It said the 2022 SDS was expected to proffer practical measures to address this seeming gap.

The KAIPTC was established as an institution of the Ghana Armed Forces in 1998 and commissioned in 2004 by the Government of Ghana.

As an international ECOWAS mandated Training Centre of Excellence, the KAIPTC’s main mission is to provide globally recognised capacity for international actors in the African Peace and Security landscape through training, education, and research to foster peace and stability on the continent.

Officially launched in 1998, WANEP is a leading regional Non-Governmental Organization focused on contributing to peace and security in West Africa.

As part of its mission, WANEP works to enable and facilitate mechanisms for cooperation among civil society-based peacebuilding practitioners and organisations in West Africa.

It is the official CSO partner to ECOWAS in the development and operation of Early Warning and Early Response in West Africa.

Source: Ghana News Agency

GNA-Squatters have invaded the premises of the Tema General Hospital, posing danger to residing medical staff and patients at the facility.

There have been several reports of robbery attacks on the hospital premises, which the Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA) believed were linked to the squatters; Mr Yohane Amarh Ashitey, the Tema Metropolitan Chief Executive stated during a tour of facilities within the metropolis including the hospital.

Mr Ashitey, therefore, warned people who have erected structures at unauthorized places within the metropolis to remove them as the Assembly was about to embark on a demolition exercise to remove all nuisance structures.

The Tema Metropolitan Chief Executive and Mr Samuel Mankye, the Assembly’s Engineer, sensitized owners of affected structures and appealed to them to voluntarily vacate the place before the set date of three weeks planned demolition exercise.

He said the demolition exercise team would clear the Tema Motorway interchange towards the Harbour Roundabout of all structures without permits to ensure that the Assembly’s agenda to make Tema shine again.

Mr Ashitey said the engineers of the Assembly had started engaging them since last December 2021 to create awareness on the exercise.

“Our team has been meeting them every month to ensure that they vacate the place before the exercise,” the TMA MCE stated.

He stated that the Assembly should be able to check and ensure that people who were building but do not have permits regularized their documents.

The MCE said the demolition exercise would see to the clearing of structures from the entire stretch from the motorway interchange towards the Tema Port, the TMA head office enclaves, and parts of the central business district.

Source: Ghana News Agency

GNA – The Dunkwa-on-Offin District Branch of the Forest Services’ Division of the Forestry Commission (FC) has expressed readiness towards the second edition of the Green Ghana Day slated for Friday, June 10.

Mr Maxwell Agyekum-Oteng, the District Manager of the Service said the Region had targeted to plant 16 million trees and the district was poised to plant 200,000 trees on that day which is to be observed on the theme “Mobilising for a Greener Future”.

In an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), Mr Agyekum-Oteng said the seedlings would be planted at the premises of churches, mosques, schools among other designated areas.

“All the sites for planting will be demarcated, and available trees will be placed at vantage points”.

He said his office has begun nursing seedlings to be sent to distribution points across districts for planting and urged members of the public to register for the seedlings and plants at their preferred areas.

Mr Agyekum-Oteng said his office had begun the distribution of letters to various stakeholders such as the Ghana Health Service, Police, Ghana Education Service (GES), traditional leaders, the Municipal Assembly among others to get them informed on the upcoming event.

According to him they had tasked resource guards and range supervisors in charge of various ranges to engage community leaders at remote areas on the impending day to get them involved and fully participate in retrieving the country’s lost forests.

The District Manager said they had begun sensitisation and stakeholders’ engagement to solicit for ideas and support

Mr Oteng-Agyekum emphasized that the seedlings were free of charge and advised all residents to take interest in the exercise, adding that “let’s go planting”.

He said the FC would ensure that site-specific species would be planted in the district; “we are planting species that can be able to adapt to the conditions here. Certain species planted elsewhere cannot be planted here”.

He said baobab, teak, cashew, neem, the khaya senegalensis, timber, tamarine, acacia, rosewood, cassia, albizia lebbeck, and ceiba (kapok), among others, were some of the species of tree seedlings to be planted.

Mr Agyekum-Oteng, said various planting techniques would be used to plant the trees, including the use of mulch to retain moisture.

He called on the citizenry to consistently water the seedlings after planting, protect and nurture them well to ensure their survival.

The Green Ghana project, he indicated will help restore the environment and ensure continuous human existence as one big tree could provide oxygen to about four people a day.

He said tree seedlings to be planted across the country included native timber species, shade trees, multi-purpose leguminous trees, ornamentals and fruit trees.

“This is an ambitious target to plant trees on available sites within communities, parks, roadsides, homes, farmsteads, churches, mosques and schools”, he added.

The Green Ghana initiative was under the distinguished leadership of the President Nana Addo-Dankwa Akufo-Addo and forms part of government’s aggressive afforestation programme to restore lost forest cover and contribute to the global efforts to fight climate change.

It was also intended to create enhanced national awareness on the necessity for collective action towards the restoration of degraded landscapes in the country and inculcate in the youth the values of planting and nurturing trees.

Source: Ghana News Agency

GNA – Mr Ignatius Baffour Awuah, Minister for Employment and Labour Relations, has urged Cooperative Societies and Credit Unions in the country to learn from countries with cooperative success stories like the United States of America, Canada, South Korea, and Kenya.

He underscored the importance of cooperatives to the employment creation agenda of the government and pledged his support to the revival and development of the cooperative movement in Ghana and said lessons from best practices was necessary.

Mr Baffour was speaking at the fourth West African Credit Union Regional forum under the auspices of the African Confederation of Cooperative Societies and Credit Associations (ACCOUSCA) held in Accra.

The forum was on the theme: “Cooperative Business Model – Adding Value to Members in a Disruptive Environment.”

It was a five-day meeting of Board members of Credit Unions and National Associations, Chief Executive Officers and Managements of Credit Unions and stakeholders within the Cooperatives and Credit Union Sectors in the West African sub-region.

The Minister called on stakeholders to be transparent and diligent in their operations towards team building and collective development.

He said being diligent and transparent would lead to a revitalised, united, and sustainable cooperatives movement for rapid socio-economic development.

“I entreat members of Credit Unions and Cooperative Societies to work together to enhance the living conditions of their members as well as their communities,” he added.

The Minister commended the stakeholders for making substantial input into the proposed Cooperatives Bill, which would be submitted to Cabinet for consideration and later laid in Parliament to be passed into law.

Source: Ghana News Agency

GNA – The National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) has appealed to private companies to partner the authority to build rest stops along the major highways in the country to curb the rampant trend of road carnages.

The NRSA explained it would effectively enforce road safety regulations which mandate drivers to rest after every four hours.

Speaking to the media on the sideline of an event in Tema to sensitize truck drivers on vehicle, driver, passenger and pedestrian safety, Mr Daniel Wuaku, Deputy Director Planning and Programmes of the NRSA stated that rest stops were an issue of great concern to the authority.

He added that rest stops offered drivers and passengers on a long journey the opportunity to rest and then later continue with their journey to their destinations.

Mr. Wuaku explained that other stakeholders including the various Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) could also take up the challenge to ensure that enough rest stops were built at vantage points on the major highways for use.

He said building rest stops would also create job opportunities for people in the benefiting communities, saying it would also help save lives and property, especially on the major highways.

Chief Superintendent Dr. Samuel Sasu Menah, Director of Operations, Motor Transport and Traffic (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service Headquarters Accra, stated that it was the duty of the police to ensure the various road safety regulations were strictly enforced to curb road carnages.

He explained that haulage drivers played an integral role in the country, adding that it was imperative to sensitize them on the various road safety measures to ensure the drivers and other pedestrians were always safe.

Source: Ghana News Agency