Author: hammad

Emirates, the Premier Partner and Official Airline of Expo 2020 Dubai has launched its latest initiative under a global campaign to promote destination Dubai to people from all walks of life this winter season.

The airline’s Early Bird Expo 2020 Dubai deal, launched this week across its global markets, will enable customers to save up to 20% on fares to Dubai when they book their flights early.

Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ Chief Commercial Officer said: “Dubai truly has something for everyone and this winter, as our home city hosts Expo 2020, the excitement and range of attractions for visitors will ratchet up, including various once-in-a-lifetime experiences.”

He added: “As Dubai’s home airline, Emirates is launching a series of initiatives to make it even more compelling for travelers to plan their visit and experience Dubai. Last month, we announced that we’ll give a free Expo Day Pass to every Emirates customer traveling to Dubai during the Expo period, and we introduced an innovative ‘mile a minute’ offer for our Skywards members.

Today we are launching an early booking discount on flights to Dubai across all our markets. In the coming weeks, we plan to roll out offers tailored for families, a special Expo edition of our popular ‘My Emirates Pass’ product, a celebratory offer for the UAE’s 50th jubilee anniversary, and more, so stay tuned.”

Whether exploring Dubai solo, as a family, or reconnecting with family and friends, there has never been a better time to visit Dubai than this winter season. Emirates’ current special promotions include:

1. Early bird discount: This special offer is valid on any return tickets booked to Dubai as the final destination for travel dates between 26 September 2021 and 31 March 2022. It is applicable to bookings made from 6 – 27 September 2021 via Emirates.com, through Emirates call centre or retail outlets, or via a travel agent. The offer applies to Emirates Business and Economy base fares; on Saver, Flex, Flex+ fare brands.

2. Free Emirates Expo Day Pass: Emirates customers visiting and travelling through Dubai anytime during the much-awaited Expo 2020 mega event, will be eligible to receive a free Emirates Expo Day Pass for every flight ticket booked with the airline. For more information on this promotion, please visit the dedicated offer page.

3. Earn a mile a minute in Dubai: Emirates customers can earn 1 Skywards Mile for every 1 minute spent in Dubai between 01 October 2021 and 31 March 2022. Existing and new Emirates Skywards members who sign up for the program before 31 March 2022, can avail of the offer on Emirates.com and will earn up to 5,000 Miles. The offer is applicable on all Emirates flight tickets purchased between 01 August 2021 and 31 March 2022, for travel during Expo 2020 Dubai. Emirates-marketed, flydubai-operated flights with an Emirates (EK) flight number are also included in the offer.

4. Extra Baggage allowance: During this offer period, passengers from Ghana will be able to enjoy an extra baggage allowance of one additional piece of luggage to and from Dubai.

As international borders reopen and travel restrictions ease, Emirates has resumed passenger services to over 120 destinations and currently operates 7 weekly passenger flights from Accra to Dubai.

Explore Dubai with Emirates Holidays and Dubai Experience

Dubai safely re-opened for international business and leisure visitors in July 2020, and it remains one of the world’s most popular holiday destinations. From sun-soaked beaches and heritage activities to world-class hospitality and leisure facilities, Dubai offers a variety of world-class experiences.

It was one of the world’s first cities to obtain the Safe Travels stamp from the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) – which endorses Dubai’s comprehensive and effective measures to ensure guest health and safety. Customers can book their holiday to Dubai, through their nearest travel agent or www.Emirates.com, including Expo-themed packages through Emirates Holidays, or create their own itinerary with Dubai Experience.

Expo 2020 Dubai

Dubai will host the world for Expo 2020 between October 2021 and March 2022. Through the theme of Connecting Minds, Creating the Future, Expo 2020 Dubai aims to inspire people by showcasing the best examples of collaboration, innovation, and cooperation from around the world.

Expo 2020 Dubai is the first World Expo ever hosted in the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia (MEASA) region. Its six-month program is packed with experiences to suit all ages and interests, including a rich line-up of themed weeks, entertainment, and edutainment.

Art and culture fans, as well as food and technology enthusiasts, can explore exhibits, workshops, performances, live shows, and more. Visitors can also drop by their national pavilion for a taste of home or experience the 190 other country pavilions.

Architecture aficionados can look forward to soaking in the many inspiring designs throughout the Expo 2020 site, while those interested in future innovations that are making a difference in tomorrow’s world can stop by the various thematic and special pavilions.

Travelling with Emirates

Health and wellbeing: Keeping the health and wellbeing of its passengers as a top priority, Emirates has introduced a comprehensive set of safety measures at every step of the customer journey. The airline has also recently introduced contactless technology and scaled up its digital verification capabilities to provide its customers with even more opportunities to utilize the IATA Travel Pass this summer.

Travel assurance: Emirates continues to lead the industry with innovative products and services that address traveller needs during a dynamic time. The airline has taken its customer care initiatives further with even more generous and flexible booking policies, an extension of its multi-risk insurance cover, and helping loyal customers retain their miles and tier status.

Customers are encouraged to check the latest government travel restrictions in their country of origin and ensure they meet the travel requirements of their final destination. For more information on entry requirements for international visitors to Dubai visit: https://www.emirates.com/gh/english/help/covid-19/dubai-travel-requirements/

Source: Ghana Web

Accra.- SEND GHANA, a non-profit organization, has appealed to the Government to prioritise the payment of LEAP grant to enhance poverty reduction in the country.

Dr Emmanuel Ayifah, Deputy Country Director, SEND GHANA, said the undue and incessant delay in payment of the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) grants were worsening the plight of beneficiaries.

He added that, the current delayed payment had resulted in the denial of income to 344,023 households made up of approximately 1.5 million Ghanaians who depended on it for their daily sustenance including orphans and vulnerable children, people living with severe disabilities, and elderly people without any support.

Speaking at a press conference organised by SEND GHANA, on the delay of the payments of LEAP grants to beneficiaries, on Tuesday in Accra, Dr Ayifah said the adverse effect of the delays in the LEAP cash grant payments were not farfetched.

The households, he explained, were poor because they did not have reliable and regular source of adequate income, hence, the promise of a bi-monthly income flow seemed very important in their budget, the LEAP beneficiary household’s budget could be thrown overboard where the expected cash inflows delayed.

The Deputy Country Director said, it could affect the nutrition, education and health of beneficiary household members, thus, rendering household members much more miserable than they were initially.

He said it behooved Government to place high premium on the LEAP grant payments and on effective and efficient social protection delivery now, especially due to the COVID-19 pandemic since it could potentially worsen the widening inequality already present in the country.

“The public is quickly losing confidence in the effectiveness of the LEAP and other such social protection programmes to defeat poverty and address inequality, owing to rampant delays in paying beneficiaries grants,” he said.

Dr Ayifah said the Organisation had consistently urged the government to aggressively put in measures to address the continuous delays in the LEAP payments, however, it appeared that the calls had not elicited the necessary attention.

“In January 2021, the government combined the 69th and 70th cycle payments that went out to 333,967 LEAP beneficiary households, the 71st and 72nd cycle payments, due in March and May 2021, respectively, were delayed and paid together in June. The 73rd payment cycle was due in July, but our investigations revealed that beneficiaries are yet to receive their cash support. It is unclear when the 74th cycle, which is also now due, will be paid,” he said.

He urged the Ministries of Finance and the Gender Children and Social Protection to take decisive actions in the 2022 budget statement and economic policy, to improve social protection delivery including the Ghana National Household Registry, Financing for social protection interventions, Coverage of Flagship Social Protection Interventions and Social protection bill.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Two Credit Rating Agencies – Moody’s Investor Services (“Moody’s”) and Standard and Poor (“S & P”) affirmed Ghana’s Credit Rating at B3 and B- respectively. The Rating Agencies also maintained Ghana’s outlook. In making their decision, the credit rating agencies considered Ghana’s improving growth prospects, resilient external sector performance, and continued access to the capital markets [domestic and international] as essential factors in maintaining the rating and the outlook. Notably, the two rating agencies recognized the efforts of Government to “build back better” through the innovative Ghana CARES (Obaatanpa) Programme.

Furthermore, both credit rating agencies (Moody’s and S & P) acknowledge that Ghana’s economy is recovering from the effects of the pandemic faster than its peers. Hence, we should focus more on growth and the implementation of the Ghana CARES Programme.

S & P, in particular, maintained Ghana’s rating on the back of the growing economic prospects and the relatively transparent and responsive political institutions. The stable outlook balances risks from fiscal and external financing pressures against the country’s medium-term economic growth prospects.

Understandably, both credit rating agencies raised some concerns about Ghana’s debt affordability and levels. The government, however, is committed to debt sustainability and fiscal consolidation. As such, between 2019 and 2021, the government has undertaken various liability management measures to proactively reduce the external debt stock and the interest expense burden. As a result, the government bought back and retired over US$900m worth of Eurobonds which has reduced the external debt stock significantly.

On the domestic front, Government continues to conduct active liability management. This year alone, an amount of GH¢4.84 billion has been used for domestic liability management, which involves the buy-back of 3-yr and 5-yr bonds. This has reduced the refinancing and rollover risks and interest cost inherent in the public debt portfolio. Our strategy has also positively impacted the interest rates on the primary and secondary securities markets.

This Ministry will like to assure the general public that Government is doing its possible best to vaccinate the majority of adult Ghanaians in order to achieve herd immunity, a need that has become even more imperative with the seeming third wave upon us. To this end, Ghana is in constant talks with the African Vaccination Acquisition Trust (AVAT) for the supply of 17 million Johnson and Johnson doses.  Ghana is among the 27 African countries that have made the initial deposit and completed the legal requirements, readiness checklist and emergency use authorization required. The first batch of the vaccine is expected this month under the programme.

As previously stated in numerous publications and media interactions, the primary aim of the government of Ghana, especially during the onset of the Pandemic, was to save lives and livelihoods. As such, the government has implemented various life-saving initiatives and interventions in 2020/21 to protect the general population against the pandemic’s adverse social and economic effects.

These interventions led to significant unbudgeted expenditures and elevated debt levels. However, Ghana’s economic fundamentals remain strong despite these interventions, and recovery prospects are high. This is reflected in the positive narrative by both rating agencies and other organizations such as the IMF, on how well Ghana has managed the economy under the Pandemic.

In addition, Ghana’s medium-term plan is underpinned by a robust strategy to safeguard growth beyond 5% over the medium term, return to the fiscal path of under a 5% of GDP fiscal deficit and attain a positive primary balance by 2024.

We will sustain our progress and accelerate this through the GHS 100 billion Ghana CARES transformation program within the general policy framework of Ghana Beyond Aid and certainly beyond the pandemic

Source: Ministry of Finance