Day: April 14, 2024

Goldstar Air, the wings of Ghana, aims to accelerate the country’s economic growth by leveraging aviation and tourism to boost Ghana’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

The airline seeks to stimulate increased trade volume, investment, and business activities in the country.

According to the Chief Executive Officer, Eric Bannerman, Goldstar Air sets its sights on becoming a leading contributor to the Gross Domestic Product.

Commercial aviation is a valuable contributor to global economic prosperity and provides the only rapid worldwide transportation network, which makes it essential for global business. It generates economic growth, creates jobs, and facilitates international trade and tourism.

Commercial aviation drives 5% of the United States GDP, the equivalent of $1.37 trillion in 2023. Every day, United States Airlines operates more than 26,000 flights carrying 2.6 million passengers to and from nearly 80 countries and 61,000 tons of cargo to and from more than 220 countries.

One of the industries that
relies most heavily on aviation is tourism. According to the (UNWTO) World Tourism Barometer, global tourism continued its recovery in 2023, ending at 88 percent of pre-pandemic levels with an estimated 1.3 billion international tourist arrivals. By facilitating tourism, air transport helps generate economic growth, alleviate poverty, and provide a lifeline for remote communities.

Goldstar Air will leverage key sectors of the economy to stimulate over half a percentage point of Ghana’s Gross Domestic Product in the quest to revive intriguing parts of the Ghanaian economy, using our 24/7 service operations to showcase our capabilities as an economic tool for the country.

Services remained the largest sector of the Ghanaian economy, accounting for 47% of Gross Domestic Product at basic prices, to which Goldstar Air wants to contribute half annually. Industry and agriculture accounted for 32% and 21% of the Gross Domestic Product, respectively.

In 2022, travel and tourism contributed 168 billion U.S. dollars
to Africa’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). This was a 40.9 percent increase from the year before. Despite the growth, the value added to the GDP remained below that recorded in 2019, some 186 billion U.S dollars.

In 2023, travel and tourism’s contribution to Gross Domestic Product was forecast to reach around 183 billion dollars. Africa stands out as the continent with the fastest tourism growth in 2023, with international tourism arrival numbers at 96% in 2019 levels, according to UN Tourism, the highest recovery percentage in the world. This translated into total international tourist movements reaching 66.4 million.

With the support of their flag carriers, some African Countries even exceeded their 2019 numbers by October or November 2023, including Ethiopia (+30%), Tanzania (+20%), and Morocco (+11%). North Africa as a whole recorded 26.8 million international arrivals up by 4.6% over 2019.

Throughout most of the world, countries’ Gross Domestic Products fluctuate with the phases of different economic c
ycles, against a backdrop of longer-term economic growth. However, despite these ups and downs, the top economies as measured by GDP don’t budge easily from the positions that they hold.

The United States, China, Japan, Germany, and India are some of the top economies in the world, based on gross domestic product (GDP). GDP estimates the total value of finished goods and services produced within a country’s borders during a specified period, usually a year. Gross domestic product is popularly used to estimate the size of a country’s economy and its impact on the global economy. There are several popular ways to measure GDP, all of which are drawn from the World Bank database.

However, some big movers have been on the list in the last 20-plus years. China was in 13th place in 2000 but has been sitting in second place since 2010. Further down the list, Indonesia vaulted from the 27th largest economy in 2000 to the 16th as of 2022. In 2022, Saudi Arabia climbed from 18th to 17th, and Argentina jumped to 22nd f
rom 28th last year.

The saying ‘Cocoa is Ghana; Ghana is Cocoa’ portrays the important role cocoa plays in the economy of Ghana one of the largest cocoa-producing countries, supplying around 20% of the world’s cocoa. Cocoa is vital to the national economy, accounting for 15% of GDP and employing approximately 800,000 farm families spread over six of the sixteen regions of Ghana.

The crop generates about $2 billion in foreign exchange annually. It is a priceless contributor to government revenue and GDP. In 2021, in real terms, the contribution of cocoa to GDP was GHS3.1 billion, or around 533 million U.S. dollars. In the 2020-2021 crop season, a little over one million metric tons of cocoa beans were produced in Ghana. What is pertaining now is not enough.

Therefore, Goldstar Air will boost this growth by promoting Ghana’s cocoa – through the patronage of various products such as Chocolate by Cocoa Processing Company and cocoa drinks on board our flights.

Ghana’s mining sector predates the colonial era. H
istorically, Ghana was known as the Gold Coast. Ghana is one of the largest gold producers. Gold is Ghana’s most commercially exploited mineral, accounting for about 95% of the country’s mineral revenue. Other commercially exploited minerals in Ghana are manganese, bauxite, and diamonds.

The country is also endowed with deposits of iron ore, limestone, columbite-tantalite, feldspar, quartz, and salt, and there are also minor deposits of ilmenite, magnetite, and rutile. In 2018, Ghana discovered commercial quantities of lithium. What is also about the mining sector now is also not enough, therefore Goldstar Air will help boost this growth by promoting and selling made-in-Ghana jewelry on board our flights.

As China and Ivory Coast become the world’s top gold and cocoa-producing countries respectively, Ghana must shift its focus to aviation and tourism. The aviation and tourism industries depend on each other for sustainable growth and are essential to economic development strategies in many countries, partic
ularly in remote regions far away from their source markets that rely on a steady inflow of tourists. Without the influx of tourists, their economies would decline significantly.

Developing countries are becoming more competitive in the tourism market, most notably in Asia-Pacific, and developing economies are growing steadily as a result.

Visa restrictive regimes remain an obstacle to international travel, even for tourism purposes, but the good news is that these countries realize the unnecessary barrier that these entry procedures place on their tourism sector, curtailing economic opportunities and job creation.

According to 2018 UN World Tourism Organization data, destinations worldwide required 53% of the world’s population to obtain a visa before departure, a significant improvement from 2008, when 77% required one. Over the same decade, the number of destinations without visa requirements has only increased from 17% to 21%.

Goldstar Air will initially operate flights from Kumasi International Airpo
rt to Rome, Madrid, Hamburg, London, Dusseldorf, and Milan and flights from Accra Kotoka International Airport will include destinations such as Washington, Dubai, Lagos, Toronto, Monrovia, Conakry, Abidjan, Guangzhou, Dakar, Banjul, Rhode Island, London, and Freetown.

Source: Ghana Web

About 26 market women groups in the Ashanti and Ahafo regions have threatened to vote against the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) if the party’s flagbearer Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia fails to choose a female running mate from the Ashanti region.

According to the groups, the male-dominated leadership of the ruling New Patriotic Party which has formed government for about 16 years has not served the interest of the women’s caucus of the party and the country.

Addressing a news conference in Kumasi, Madam Ama Brago who spoke on behalf of the Racecourse Market women’s branch of the Ashanti Region, said the women are tired of male dominance in government and politics.

‘Our plea to the New Patriotic Party is that the time has come for the party to stop picking males as the running mate for the New Patriotic Party. We are calling on President Nana Akufo Addo, Vice President Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia, and the entire leadership of the party to learn from the NDC and settle on a female running mate from Ashanti else the NPP s
hould forget about market women’s votes.

“We want a caring woman who listens to our concerns and develops policy that will serve the interest of the women group that form the majority population of Ghanaians” she warned.

The Ahafo Regional representative of the market women groups also reiterated the concerns of their colleagues from Ashanti, registering her disappointment in the management of women’s affairs by the ruling government.

She said’ Our call is simple, once the NDC has chosen Prof. Jane Naana Opoku Agyemang as the Running Mate to partner with former President John Dramani Mahama in elections 2024, we are begging the NPP to also repeat the same. If the NPP refuses to listen to our call we will never vote for the NPP.

Source: Ghana Web

In one of my previous articles titled ‘Government’s dereliction of duty: The sad case of Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital’ I deprecated the government’s decision to ignore the sorry state of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) to the mercy of Asantehene Osei Tutu II.

I explained how disheartening it is for the government to show a lack of interest in the renovation of such an important medical institution. Little did I envisage that, the government would go a step further to frustrate and exasperate the team in their effort to accomplish the project.

The Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital is the second biggest hospital in the country with a bed capacity of over 1,200, and twelve out of the sixteen regions in this country have their patients referred to this hospital.

The Asantehene launched an initiative to mobilise $10 million for the renovation of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, because the current state of the hospital is nothing to write home about, and the current government has shown no interest.
The initiative was dubbed ‘Heal Komfo Anokye’.

Individuals and corporate organisations have listened to the Asantehene’s clarion call and donated massively towards this project. The project coordinators have imported materials (tiles) for the purpose of renovating the hospital, however, the government is refusing to aid the project coordinators in clearing the tiles.

Meanwhile, leaking roofs at the Gee block and other facilities cry out for renovation and expansion, and critical construction materials remain stranded at the Tema port, aggravating the dire situation.

Tema port authorities are demanding GHC180 million as import tariff before the tiles can be cleared, this is supposed to be the primary responsibility of the government, because the hospital is a state-owned revenue-generating entity, with all revenues going to the government and not to the Asantehene.

In an attempt to minimise renovation expenses and maximize the utilization of the funds raised so far, the project coordinators and the hospita
l authorities sent a letter to the government through the Ministry of Finance, requesting an import duty waiver on the materials and equipment designated for the project.

However, the government have remained adamant and unmoved. This is the zenith of irresponsibility exhibited by any government in a glaring and disrespectful manner.

Here is a government that has given import tariff waivers to foreign companies as announced by the Minister for Finance during the 2024 budget speech, but is reluctant to do same to the KATH project. This is beyond comprehension.

As a result of the government’s intransigent stance, the project has found itself at a standstill, leaving citizens angry and questioning why the government is not committed to waiving the costs for the goods to be cleared. It is obvious that the concerns raised by Ghanaians have fallen on deaf ears.

The Akufo-Addo-Bawumia administration is being overtly insensitive to the plight of the people who receive medical treatment at the hospital. The hospit
al is owned by the government, and all proceeds go to the government, renovating the hospital is the responsibility of the government, but due to its negligence, the Asantehene took it upon himself to mobilise funds for this wonderful project, how and why the government is being intransigent in issuing a waiver is a confirmation of its irresponsibility and disregard for the people in the Ashanti region.

Ironically, the hospital is located in the Ashanti region which is the stronghold of the ruling party with forty-two Members of Parliament on the ticket of the president’s party, the NPP and one independent Member of Parliament who has declared his allegiance to the ruling government making forty-three out of forty-seven including the chief of staff and about eight cabinet ministers all hailing from the region.

Yet, they cannot impress upon their own government to make funds available to renovate the hospital and cannot impress upon their own government to issue a waiver to clear the tiles from the Tema port
, after the Asantehene’s initiative.

These powerful and influential personalities from the Ashanti region have become synonymous to tasteless salt that has lost its value, is good for nothing and must therefore be thrown away.

Some Ghanaians have expressed their displeasure with the government’s failure to assist the Heal Kath Project team in clearing the goods at the port, however, the government remains unperturbed.

The action of the government is reprehensible and shameful, I, therefore, urge all well-meaning Ghanaians to compel the government to issue the waiver to facilitate the successful renovation of this important hospital.

Source: Ghana Web

The Member of Parliament for Builsa South, Dr Clement Apaak, has described the performance tracker launched by the government this week as fraudulent.

The Performance Tracker, introduced by the government on Wednesday, April 10, aims to promote transparency and accountability in the implementation of infrastructure projects nationwide.

The government has also indicated that the tracker will enhance transparency and accountability in infrastructure projects across the country.

However, Dr. Apaak has raised some concerns and is questioning the cost to the taxpayer.

In a tweet on X, formerly Twitter, Dr. Apaak said the money used for the tracker could have served a better purpose, including the purchase of furniture for over 1 million pupils.

The MP, who is also the Deputy Ranking Member on the Education Committee of Parliament, slammed the president and his vice, accusing them of continuing to waste state resources on frivolous things.

The government has admitted that 67 entries were mistakenly included o
n the list of projects featured on the performance tracker following its launch.

The Ministry of Information in a tweet said: ‘Following the successful launch of the Performance Tracker, the Government expresses gratitude for the remarkable interest and scrutiny from citizens.

‘This level of engagement demonstrates the public’s commitment to ensuring the accuracy and integrity of the information provided. Within 48 hours following the launch, our attention has been drawn to 67 entries which were erroneously included,’ the tweet concluded.

Reacting to this, Dr Apaak underscored the need for the government to tell Ghanaians how much was used in designing the tracker.

He also described it as useless saying ‘How much did the USELESS and FRAUDULENT performance tracker cost? Wouldn’t it have served Ghanaians better if the funds wasted on this fraudulent tracker were used to buy furniture for some of the over 1 million pupils without furniture to sit on in our public basic schools? It’s amazing how this failed A
kufo-Addo/Bawumia NPP gov’t continues wasting public resources on useless pet projects’.

‘This is the record of our driver [NADAA] and his mate [DMB]. Yet this terrible driver wants us to give our car to his mate [DMB] after we part ways with him? We can’t make such a dangerous mistake. We must take our car back and give it to our former driver [JDM]. We know the record of our former driver. #VoteJDM #VoteNDC.’

Source: Ghana Web

Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has vehemently denied any involvement with the GNPC Foundation Foreign Scholarship scheme.

His statement comes in response to a circulated list that names him and other members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) as beneficiaries of the scheme during the Mahama administration.

Taking to his X handle on April 13, 2024, Ablakwa urged the general public to disregard the list, which he described as ‘malicious’ and ‘fake’.

Ablakwa also expressed his disappointment in the journalists who published the list without proper verification, a step he deems a fundamental journalistic duty.

He stated that he has alerted his legal team about the matter and will announce his next course of action.

‘I have never applied for nor been a beneficiary of a government scholarship of any kind. I, therefore, implore the general public to treat with utter contempt the deplorable circulation of this malicious and fake GNPC Foundation Foreign Scholarship list.

‘I
t is most condemnable that some journalists I hitherto had enormous respect for would proceed to further publish this defamatory list without conducting the basic ethical and professional journalistic requirement of verification,’ he posted.

I have never applied for nor been a beneficiary of a government scholarship of any kind.

I therefore implore the general public to treat with utter contempt the deplorable circulation of this malicious and fake GNPC Foundation Foreign Scholarship list.

It is most condemnable… pic.twitter.com/rcRhHzuFTQ

– Sam Okudzeto Ablakwa (@S_OkudzetoAblak) April 13, 2024

Source: Ghana Web

The Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) in collaboration with the Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU) has initiated moves with other stakeholders with the focus of developing a policy framework for distance education (DE) regulation in Ghana.

One such move was a one-day workshop organized by GTEC with all the other stakeholders and was aimed at shaping the future of education in the country through a constructive dialogue that will pave the way for a robust and inclusive policy framework.

Speaking at the workshop in Accra, the Director General of GTEC, Prof. Ahmed Jinapor Abdulai, stated that ‘Distance education presents a unique opportunity to address the challenges of access and equity in education, particularly in a country as diverse and geographically dispersed as Ghana’.

Creating a balance

‘It is equally important to recognize that in providing a robust D E, its quality, integrity, and effectiveness rely on the bedrock of an effective regulator system. As we navigate the complexiti
es of distance education, it becomes increasingly imperative to establish a robust regulatory framework that ensures accountability, safeguards standards, and fosters innovation,’ he said.

The workshop with the theme: ‘The development of a policy framework for distance education in Ghana’, among other things was to help shape distance education to perfection.

It brought together stakeholders from diverse backgrounds such as policymakers, educators and industry experts dedicated to crafting regulations that reflect the needs and aspirations of all those impacted by distance education in Ghana.

A team from the Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU) who for the past two and half years under the Partnership Education Blended Learning Project (PEBL) have been supporting GTEC in its activities also joined online.

The members participated in this important dialogue with their expertise, insights, and commitment which are invaluable towards the development of a policy framework for distance education regu
lation in Ghana.

Purging of the system

The Director General stressed on the need for stakeholders within the distance educational delivery architecture to purge themselves of the culture of criss-crossing the country on the excuse of providing distance education. This, he referred to as distancing education.

The GTEC Director-General indicated that the development of a policy framework for distance education regulation necessitates a thorough examination of the opportunities and challenges inherent in this evolving landscape, adding that distance education offers unprecedented flexibility and accessibility and also poses unique risks related to quality assurance, accreditation, and learner support.

‘Central to our discussions today should be the principle of balance. We must strike a delicate equilibrium between promoting innovation and safeguarding against potential risks and abuses. Our regulatory framework for DE should foster a culture of innovation and experimentation, while also providing clear guid
elines and mechanisms for oversight and accountability’. Prof. Jinapor said.

He explained that by doing so, they could create an environment that encourages the responsible use of technology and pedagogical practices to enhance learning outcomes and expand access to education for all Ghanaians.

Need for uniformity

Mr Dadzie Mensah, a Director at the GTEC said the lack of a policy regulating distance learning has led to several institutions operating distance education with no internal distance learning policies and those with DE policies, the policies are often insufficient or lacking in effectiveness.

He stated that only twelve (12) institutions in the country representing approximately four per cent of institutions in Ghana currently run DE programmes and almost all of them were into technology-mediated learning aspects which present themselves as distance education component of their regular face-to-face delivery of academic instruction.

Mr Mensah mentioned that out of the few that were into DE, about
67 percent of them had DE policies of varying degrees of satisfaction based on the mode of delivery and level of student support required.

The Director said a new policy framework for the country would bring about a uniform regulation to regulate the space in the country properly.

Source: Ghana Web

Amidst the joyous festivities of Eid-ul-Fitr, Mr Jefferson Sackey, the New Patriotic Party Parliamentary Candidate for Ablekuma Central Constituency in the Greater Accra Region, delivered a stirring message of peace and religious tolerance to the gathered Muslim community at Lord’s Wembley Park in Shukura, a suburb in Accra.

In his address, Mr Sackey urged the Muslim audience to uphold the values of peace and harmonious coexistence, regardless of religious beliefs.

He emphasized the importance of embodying principles of peace, love, and tolerance, not only during Eid-ul-Fitr but every day, to foster unity within the community.

Encouraging the congregation to remain steadfast in the values practised during the Holy Month of Ramadan, Mr. Sackey emphasized the importance of selflessness, generosity, and compassion.

He urged attendees to continue supporting and caring for one another, irrespective of religious or political affiliations.

Mr. Sackey’s advocacy for peace and tolerance serves as a testament to h
is dedication to building a cohesive and inclusive society for all residents of Ablekuma Central.

Source: Ghana Web

A group of students enrolled in the Distance Education programme at the St. John Campus of the University of Education, Winneba (UEW), have voiced their disappointment with the institution’s management, urging the Ministry of Education to intervene and uphold standards.

These students, who are on the verge of completing their National Service Scheme (NSS) and awaiting graduation later this month, have encountered a hurdle imposed by the university’s management.

They have been instructed to present receipts for their school fees from 2019 to 2024 before they can be cleared for graduation.

This requirement has sparked frustration among the students, who view it as a display of mismanagement and deficiency in leadership on the part of UEW.

They argue that they had submitted all necessary receipts prior to their final exams last year, and it would be impractical to produce receipts for each academic year over the past four years.

The students perceive this demand as unreasonable and potentially discriminator
y, given the challenges of retrieving receipts from multiple years.

They assert that their compliance with previous financial obligations should suffice for graduation clearance.

Expressing their concerns, the students emphasize the administrative burden placed upon them by this unexpected requirement, particularly as they approach the culmination of their academic journey.

In light of these grievances, the students are calling upon the Ministry of Education to intervene and ensure that UEW upholds fairness and transparency in its administrative processes.

They seek a resolution that acknowledges their prior compliance with financial obligations and facilitates their smooth transition to graduation without undue obstacles.

The dispute highlights broader issues of accountability and student welfare within tertiary institutions, underscoring the need for clear and equitable policies that support student success.

Source: Ghana Web