Day: May 20, 2024

One of the major markets in the capital, Accra, has been facing a shortage of enema bulb syringes, commonly known as “bentua”.

The “bentua” is a bulb syringe used for administering liquid through the anus for various health and traditional purposes.

According to a report by Accra-based newspaper, The Mirror, this shortage has left many customers and vendors in disarray. They have not been able to access the product on a wholesale basis for the past three months.

Checks by the portal to the Accra Central Market have confirmed this shortage, with some vendors explaining the reasons behind it.

Some vendors have accused a licensed importer based in Kumasi of monopolizing the importation of the product into the country, leading to the shortage.

Georgina, who sells “bentua” at UTC in Accra, mentioned that the wholesaler mostly supplies stock to Kumasi and some West African countries, including Cote d’Ivoire. This had led to a limited supply for Accra.

Another vendor expressed to The Mirror that the exclusive
importation arrangement from China is negatively affecting trade activities and their livelihood.

“Frequent complaints and agitation from potential customers have been overwhelming,” the vendor added.

Maame Bee, another vendor of “bentua” at Kingsway in Accra, stated, “If the woman in Kumasi does not supply the Accra Central market, no one else seems to have the right to import into the country.”

“Unfortunately, we cannot produce ‘bentua’ in Ghana,” another vendor named Naa Tsotsoo said.

“China, Germany, and Holland all produce ‘bentua’. There is also an Indian company in Abidjan making them. Our great, great grandmothers have been using this; Why can’t we produce some here?” Naa Tsotsoo questioned.

Currently, the shortage of “bentua” is significantly impacting businesses, vendors, and customers who rely on the product for various health and traditional purposes.

The profitable item is being sold for prices ranging from GHS25 to GHS70, depending on the size.

Source: Ghana Web

Delta Air Lines has unveiled its custom ‘Airbus A350 Team USA’ aircraft in Toulouse, France, as part of its support for United States’ athletes taking part in the 2024 Olympic games in Paris.

The unveiling on May 2, 2024, was described as a ‘major milestone’ and celebration of Delta’s Airline’s eight-year partnership with the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee, a press release issued to the Ghana News Agency, in Accra by the Kingdom Concepts Consult said.

The support from the company is expected to help the US team connect to their destination safely and achieve their dreams at the tournament, which starts in July.

‘This plane, designed by our in-house creative team, represents Delta’s commitment to Team USA and our partnership to elevate these athletes to reach their highest potential.

‘As this plane flies around the world in the coming months and years, we hope it is seen as a symbol of hard work, dedication and the upward momentum to being the best that Team USA and Delta innately share,’ C
hief Marketing Officer Alicia Tillman said in the release shared.

The celebration in Toulouse, Airbus’ global headquarters, where the plane was built and painted, was attended by the airline’s top 100 employees known as ‘Chairman’s Club Honorees’ nominated from divisions across the company.

The 2023 ‘honorees’ unveiled the brand-new Team USA ‘livery’ design and were the first to fly on the newly minted plane, as recognition of their commitment and dedication to the brand.

Delta’s Chairman’s Club Honorees flew the aircraft back to Atlanta, Georgia on May 3. The honorees, according to the company ‘are selected annually, based on their merit and ability to exemplify the Delta brand each day’.

‘Team USA athletes are resilient and perseverant – much like Delta’s own people who work each day behind the scenes to connect the world,’ Vice President of Global Communications, Gina Laughlin said.

‘Celebrating this moment alongside our 2023 Chairman’s Club Honorees is only fitting as Delta’s people and Team USA work
diligently each day to bring the best of themselves to their work.

‘No one better understand what it means to keep climbing to the top,’

The new customised aircraft, according to Delta Air Lines, was designed over several months by Alessandra Rabellino and Delta’s internal brand design team.

‘The bespoke design boasts red, white and blue colors with ‘Team USA’ proudly written across its side and maintains elements of the Team USA Livery design for the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games Beijing 2022, as a nod to the beginning of the partner journey, while also incorporating features that look ahead to Paris and beyond.

‘…The brand-new plane flew the 2023 Chairman’s Club Honorees on a special route from Toulouse to Atlanta, landing to a celebratory water cannon salute at Atlanta Hartsfield Jackson International Airport,’ the release added.  

The plane was met by Delta leadership,

Team USA athletes and past Chairman’s Club Honorees who were able to see the livery for the first time. The aircraft, the comp
any said, ‘will complete final certifications before beginning flying routes and carrying customers in a few weeks.’

‘As Team USA’s official airline, Delta will manage travel for all U.S. Olympic and Paralympic athletes to the Olympic and Paralympic Games Paris 2024, Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games Milan 2026 and Los Angeles 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, where it also is an inaugural founding partner,’ the Company added.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Do you know that the Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II has a daughter who is not only a medical doctor by profession but also an entrepreneur?

Dr. Caryn Agyeman Prempeh, widely known as Ohemaa, despite being a princess of the Ashanti Kingdom, did not let the pride and pageantry that come with royalty stand in the way of her education and aspirations.

The mother of two and the Chief Executive Officer of Ohemaa Detergents, in an interview with Lexis Bill on JoyFM’s Personality Profile show, disclosed that her childhood dream was not to become a medical doctor but a mining engineer.

Dr. Agyeman Prempeh said she dreamt of becoming the ‘female version’ of Sir Dr. Sam Jonah, one of the most prominent and wealthiest Ghanaian businessmen and former CEO of Ashanti Goldfields, whom she described as ‘a great man’.

However, this dream of hers ended when she visited a mining site with her icon, Sir Sam Jonah.

‘At a very young age, I wanted to be a mining engineer. I was looking up to being a female version of Sir Sam J
onah,”

‘However, I spent a weekend in Obuasi with him (Sam Jonah) and my dad at my early age. He took me down the mines and I realised that it was very dark down there. I asked the controller of the vehicle to take me back and he said, ‘We can’t go back, we have to keep going till we come out of it,” Ohemaa narrated.

She added, ‘I think at that point I got discouraged and I was like, no, I don’t want to be down there. However, recently I realised that the mining sector has changed tremendously so you can even eat down there, have a good time down there. Maybe I should have just stayed there.’

The princess said that after her dream to become a female mining engineer extraordinaire ended, she wanted to go into medicine right from Senior High School.

She said that her father, the King of Asanteman, was very supportive of her decision to become a medical doctor and pushed her to achieve it.

‘After JHS, I went to St Roses Senior High… from there I had to do my A levels at Edmonton Girls’ School in Oxford. Th
en I came back to KNUST for medical school. From St Roses, I was convinced I was going into medicine.

‘He (the Otumfuo) wanted me to be a doctor. He has always loved education and he felt like if you are doing so well, why not be pushed to the highest level? You know our parents wanted you to be either a doctor or a lawyer but today things have changed.’

Dr. Agyeman Prempeh added that aside from practising medicine, she wanted to do more, which led to her establishing the CERVIVA Foundation in her 5th year at medical school to create awareness about cervical cancer, which many women were reporting at a very late stage, making it difficult for them to get the necessary medical care.

She also said her desire to help with the shortage of detergents and sanitisers during the COVID-19 pandemic led to her establishing her company, Ohemaa Detergents.

Source: Ghana Web

Fidelity Bank Ghana, the largest privately-owned indigenous bank, has announced a dedicated space for Agric-Tech within the Fidelity Young Entrepreneurs Fund (FYEF) through an upcoming Agric-Tech competition.

This initiative aims to support the development of groundbreaking solutions that address pressing challenges faced by players in the Ghanaian agriculture value chain.

Julian Opuni, Managing Director at Fidelity Bank, made this announcement during the Agriculture and Fintech Forum at the just ended 3i Africa Summit.

The forum, hosted by Fidelity Bank, brought together stakeholders to bridge the gap between agriculture and fintech and showcase how technology can overcome longstanding barriers in the agricultural value chain.

In his keynote address titled, ‘Seeding Innovation: The Convergence of Agriculture and FinTech in Africa’, Mr. Opuni emphasised the crucial role of the youth in driving technological adoption and innovation within the agricultural sector.

He highlighted the demographic advantage o
f Africa, where 60% of the population is under 25 years old, but noted the underutilisation of this potential due to the perception of agriculture as an unappealing profession for the young.

‘Africa’s youth, aged under 25, make up 60% of the population, with over 200 million young people residing on the continent,’ Mr. Opuni stated. ‘Despite this demographic advantage, the agriculture sector remains largely untapped by Africa’s youth, who often view farming as a profession for the elderly.’

Mr. Opuni the urged the changing of this perception and equipping young Ghanaians with the necessary support and resources to actively participate in the sector’s transformation.

‘This will not only address youth unemployment but also ensure the sustainability and growth of Africa’s agricultural sector,’ he declared.

Building upon the existing FYEF program, which provides financial and non-financial support to youth-led businesses, particularly, those in the agriculture sector, a dedicated space for Agric-Tech will be
carved out within the FYEF framework.

‘Access to opportunities that drive innovation is key to motivating youth involvement in Agric-Tech,’ Mr. Opuni explained. ‘This Agric-Tech competition aims to incentivise the development of innovative solutions that will address critical issues faced by Ghanaian agriculture, ultimately leading to a revolutionized sector.’

Mr. Opuni acknowledged the numerous challenges hindering Africa’s agricultural productivity, including limited investment, inadequate resources, and a lack of access to technology and funding.

He pointed out the risk aversion of financial institutions due to historically high non-performing loan rates in the agricultural sector. However, he called for open dialogue between banks, stakeholders, and policymakers.

‘This forum represents a critical step forward,’ Mr. Opuni declared. ‘By fostering collaboration, we can work towards building a data-driven ecosystem. This will allow banks to more accurately assess risk, design targeted financial products f
or farmers, and ultimately bridge the financing gap for agricultural businesses.’

The forum also showcased Fidelity Bank’s dedication to advancing agricultural development. Divisional Director, Retail and Business Banking, Nana Esi Idun-Arkhurst, participated in a panel discussion focused on integrating technological and financial innovation to reduce risk within the African agricultural value chain.

Additionally, Head of Partnerships, Sustainability and CSR, Nana Yaa Afriyie Ofori-Koree at Fidelity Bank, joined another panel discussion exploring the potential of Measurement, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) technology in unlocking financial flows for sustainable agricultural production in Ghana.

‘Fidelity Bank’s leadership in the Agriculture and Fintech Forum at the 3i Africa Summit, coupled with the creation of a dedicated Agric-Tech space within the FYEF program, demonstrates a strong commitment to supporting young innovators and fostering a more vibrant and technologically advanced agricultural sector
in Ghana.’

The three-day summit opened on Monday, May 13.

It was targeted at players in the African digital economy to catalyse investments and foster economic growth across the continent.

More than 4,000 players participated in the Summit that also aimed to generate partnerships for sustainable development.

Source: Ghana News Agency

To promote access to finance for smaller enterprises, women- owned businesses and under-served individuals, IFC today launched Phase Two of the Global Financial Infrastructure Program (GFIP 2.0) in collaboration with the Bank of Ghana and the Office of the Registrar of Companies.

The program will support Ghana’s credit reporting system to broaden its reach and coverage, help strengthen the regulatory framework for movable asset financing, and promote the introduction of innovative lending products to expand business financing options.

In addition, GFIP 2.0 will support the implementation of legislation that defines how to support businesses that are in financial distress and recovery. The program is supported by the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs, SECO.

Micro, small and medium enterprises, which employ approximately 80 percent of Ghana’s workforce and are key to the economy, struggle to access finance due to a lack of physical immovable property traditionally preferred as collateral by banks,
such as real estate or land titles, as well as a lack of formal credit profiles and strict lending requirements imposed by banks.

A strong credit ecosystem is essential to providing businesses with the capital they need to stay afloat, grow and make a positive economic impact.

‘Access to finance is a critical driver for business growth and innovation,’ said Kyle Kelhofer, IFC Senior Country Manager for Ghana, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. ‘With GFIP 2.0, IFC and our partners aim to bridge the financing gap for women-owned enterprises and underserved individuals, reinforcing our dedication to equality and prosperity for all.’

‘The launch of GFIP 2.0 is yet another milestone in our global partnership with IFC,’ said Simone Haeberli, Head of Cooperation at the Embassy of Switzerland to Ghana, Benin, and Togo.

‘By strengthening Ghana’s financial infrastructure, we are supporting MSMEs and ultimately a broader economic development in Ghana.’

In the last five years IFC and SECO have collaborated on range of advis
ory programs in Ghana, focused on facilitating access to finance for underserved populations and improving the financial infrastructure of Ghana.

Source: Ghana Web