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IATA urges gov’ts to prioritize testing over UK border closure
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he International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) Regional Vice President for Europe, Rafael Schvartzman, has called for systematic testing of travelers instead of increasing border closures from the UK. His call comes on the back of major European nations imposing travel bans on the UK after it reported a more-infectious and “out of control” coronavirus variant. Ireland, Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands and Belgium are all halting flights. The measures vary and are initially short-term but the French rules also affect Channel freight, reports the BBC. “This latest situation once again reinforces the urgent need for coordinated recognition of systematic testing of travelers. Governments must cooperate to put mutually recognized testing capacity in place so that borders can remain open to the vast majority of healthy passengers.
IATA appoints new Regional Vice President for Africa and Middle East Kamil H. Al-Awadhi has been appointed as the IATA Regional Vice President for Africa and Middle East (AME), effective March 1, 2021. Al-Awadhi succeeds Muhammad Albakri who will become IATA’s Senior Vice-President for Customer, Financial, and Digital Services (CFDS), also effective March 1, 2021. PAGE 02
“COVID-19 is likely to be with us for some time, so rather than travel bans, governments must adopt more flexible and practical policies to manage the risks in a way that enables people to safely work and travel. ‘“Test, test and test again’
has been the mantra of the WHO for almost a year now, and we implore governments to act on this advice,” Schvartzman said. The new variant has spread quickly in London and south-east England.
Uganda Airlines flies further with its brand-new A330neo Uganda Airlines, the country’s flag-carrier, has taken delivery of its first A330neo, the latest version of the most popular widebody airliner. It is the first Airbus aircraft delivered to Uganda Airlines, which was established in 2019. In line with the Company’s strategy to keep offering its customers unbeatable economics, increased operational efficiency and superior passenger comfort, the A330-800 is the latest PAGE 03
Maintaining Ghana’s 3rd Most Peaceful Country In Africa Ranking Part II PAGE 05
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IATA appoints new Regional Vice President for Africa and Middle East Mr. Albakri will replace Aleks Popovich in the CFDS role upon his retirement. Most recently, Al-Awadhi was CEO of Kuwait Airways, a responsibility he held from November 2018 through August 2020. That capped a 31-year career at Kuwait Airways during which his positions included Deputy CEO and Chief Operating Officer. AlAwadhi has also held several positions in the areas of safety, security, quality management and enterprise resource planning. At IATA, Al-Awadhi will lead the Association’s activities across AME from its regional office in Amman, Jordan. He will report to the IATA Director General and CEO and join IATA’s Strategic Leadership Team. “Muhammad has reinforced IATA’s strong presence in the AME region. As he moves to take on the challenges of leading our CFDS activities, Muhammad will leave in place a strong team for the capable leadership of Kamil. Kamil is an industry veteran who brings a tremendous depth of airline expertise and regional experience. These will be critical in leading IATA’s activities in the AME region at this very challenging time. “As a former CEO, he knows what member airlines expect of IATA. And, I have no doubt that Kamil has the skills and determination to exceed those expectations as we aim to reconnect
the world amid the coronavirus pandemic,” said Alexandre de Juniac, IATA’s Director General and CEO. “I look forward to getting started at IATA. Like all regions, AME will need a strong air transport industry to kick-start the economic recovery from COVID-19. The priority to revive aviation is clear and IATA is at the
center of this effort. There is no time to waste. We must help governments to re-open borders without quarantine and we need to ensure that the industry is ready to safely scale-up operations and implement the global standards that will keep passenger and crew safe during the pandemic and beyond,” said Al-Awadhi.
A national of Kuwait, Al-Awadhi holds an MBA in Aerospace Management from the Toulouse Business School and an Engineering degree in Aircraft Maintenance Management from Air Service Training (AST) in the UK.
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Uganda Airlines flies further with its brand new A330neo addition to Airbus’ commercial aircraft product line. Thanks to its tailored, mid-sized capacity and its excellent range versatility, the A330neo is considered the ideal aircraft to operate as part of the post-COVID-19 recovery. The A330neo will enable the new airline to launch its longrange operations with non-stop intercontinental flights to the Middle East, Europe and Asia. Featuring Airbus’ Airspace cabin, passengers can enjoy a unique experience and explore its full comfort with 20 full-flat, business-class beds, 28 premium-economy seats and 210 economy-class seats, totalling 258 seats. The A330neo is a true newgeneration aircraft, building on the features of the popular A330 and using technology developed for the A350. Powered by the latest RollsRoyce Trent 7000 engines and featuring a new wing with increased span and A350-inspired Sharklets, the A330neo provides an unprecedented level of efficiency. The aircraft burns
25% less fuel per seat than previous generation competitors. The A330neo cabin offers a unique passenger experience with more personal space and the latest generation inflight entertainment system and connectivity. (Source: Airbus)
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Maintaining Ghana’s 3rd Most Peaceful Country In Africa Ranking Part II
(CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5 OF MONDAY, DEC 21, 2020 EDITION)
BY PHILIP GEBU
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eace, some people say, starts with a smile. But ask anyone who lives in one of the most peaceful countries in the world, and they will probably tell you that it is the other way around. These most peaceful nations also enjoy lower interest rates, a stronger currency and higher foreign investment—not to mention better political stability and stronger correlation with the individual level of perceived happiness. Sadly, the economic impact of violence is quantifiable too: on a global scale, in 2019 the total cost amounted to $14.5 trillion in purchasing-power parity (PPP) terms, or to 10.6% of the total global gross domestic product. If the sheer scale of these numbers makes them a little hard to grasp, we are talking about $1,909 for each person on the planet. These are the most significant takeaways from the 2020 Global Peace Index. The ranking, which is based on 23 indicators grouped into three criteria (societal safety and security; extent of ongoing domestic and international conflict; and degree of militarization), paints a sobering picture: with 81 countries improving and 80 recording deteriorations, the level of global peacefulness decreased in 2019 by 0.34%. If it might not seem much, it is worth noting that
it is the ninth time in the last twelve years that the average has declined, for an overall reduction of 2.5% since 2008. In the meantime, the number of refugees has rocketed to 1% of the global population, the highest level in modern history. It should come as no surprise that many longstanding tensions and conflicts across the globe remain unresolved. Last year, Syria, South Sudan and Afghanistan incurred the largest economic cost of violence, equivalent to 60%, 57% and 51% of their GDP, respectively. By contrast, in the 10 most peaceful countries the proportion drops to under 4%. Europe remains the most tranquil region with 13 nations ranking in the top 20. Some improvement in the level of overall peacefulness was also recorded in the Russia and Eurasia region, while South America and Central America and the Caribbean recorded the largest deterioration on the index. And what about the United States? While maintaining last year’s position in the ranking (121), the report points out that the US overall score improved by 1.54%, marking an increase in peacefulness for the first time in years. That, of course, is no longer the case. As the ranking was being released, protests over the death of George Floyd and racial injustice had already begun erupting all over the US. Similarly, it is unquestionable that many statistical data and assessments
contained in this edition of the report will be turned inside out next year. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the document says, will be felt for a very long time across all regions. The crisis has sharpened contrasts between the US and other countries—China chiefly but not only—over the origins of the virus and the role of the World Health Organization, with repercussions over diplomatic and trade relationships not limited to the two superpowers. As economies face protracted downturns, most indicators in the Global Peace Index are projected to deteriorate. As a result of the renewed focus on growing inequality in wealth, poor labor conditions and access to health care, widespread increases in political instability, including riots and general strikes, are to be expected. Some nations will also find it more difficult to repay existing debt, leading to a further rise in poverty—yet, while foreign aid to struggling countries is all but certain to shrink, global military expenditures are anticipated to grow significantly. In the meantime, reports of domestic violence, suicide and mental illness have already increased in many nations. Peace has never been a more endangered and precious commodity. As the conversation on post-election continues, we all have to consider the economic benefit of tourism to the country and casting back our eye to the year 2019 and the economic gains and
considering the fact that COVID-19 still lingers on we can’t afford to fail this test. The earlier the protests stop the better it will be in sustaining our ranking.
Philip Gebu is a Tourism Lecturer. He is the C.E.O of FoReal Destinations Ltd, a Tourism Destinations Management and Marketing Company based in Ghana and with partners in many other countries. Please contact Philip with your comments and suggestions. Write to forealdestinations@gmail. com / info@forealdestinations. com. Visit our website at w w w. fo re a l d e s t i n at i o n s . com or call or WhatsApp +233(0)244295901/0264295901. Visist our social media sites Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: FoReal Destinations.
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Accra lights up ahead of Christmas Street corners and road intersections in Ghana’s capital, Accra, are being smartened ahead of the yuletide. Shoulders and kerbs of principal streets have been painted, lawns neatly mowed and decorated with Christmas lights, a few days to the celebrations. The Ghana News Agency (GNA) also spotted contemporary art works and paintings, murals on plain surfaces, fishing boats and old vehicles placed at vantage points giving the city an alluring look. The ‘dress up’ is being done by Jandel Limited in collaboration with the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) to make Accra an “art city”. Mr Gilbert Ankrah, Public Relations Officer of AMA, said the initiative formed part of the Assembly’s vision for Accra to become a city of “art and style.” “The AMA has a vision to make Accra a city of art and creativity where young people can bring out their creative best, so when Jandel Limited brought this vison, we decided it was the right partnership,” he said.
Mr Ankrah said the whole beautification project was also incorporated in making Accra a clean city, adding that, they would also be cleaning up the metropolis ahead of the yuletide. He said the Assembly was committed to making the yuletide an exciting and safe one, saying it would be meeting stakeholders in the Metropolis soon on how to make the 2020 Yuletide, a memorable one. He said security arrangements had been done to ensure that locals and visitors/ tourists went about their activities safely and “peacefully before, during and after the celebrations. Meanwhile, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, in his 20th address to the nation on how to contain the spread of COVID-19, urged the citizens to strictly observe the COVID-19 safety protocols during the festivity. He advised the populace to celebrate in open spaces and observe social distancing while wearing face masks to curb the spread of the virus. (GNA)
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Can Poor Countries Avoid a Vaccine Bidding War? By Anne O. Krueger
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he world has received the best possible gift for the coming year. The development of safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines in such a short time is something close to a medical miracle and portends an end to the crisis that dominated 2020. But the pace at which we will end the pandemic depends on three factors. The first is the extent of continued compliance with recommended safety measures such as mask wearing, social distancing, crowd avoidance, and hand washing. The second factor is our ability to overcome the many logistical and distributional challenges of administering vaccines globally. And the third is access to vaccines for poorer countries. The pandemic will not be over until the coronavirus has been vanquished everywhere. Some efforts are already underway to achieve this. For example, COVAX, a coalition of 172 countries (not including the United States), is seeking “to guarantee rapid, fair, and equitable access” to vaccines “for people in all countries.” Co-led by Gavi, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, and the World Health Organization, it has already made arrangements with nine pharmaceutical developers to procure vaccines once they have been approved. So far, the European Union and individual EU member states have contributed the most to the effort – €850 million ($1 billion) to date – followed by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and other major donors. COVAX is seeking to raise $5 billion by the end of 2021 so that it can procure two billion doses. But even with a vaccine requiring only one dose (the current approved vaccines require two), two billion would not be enough to cover the developing world’s population. And while there is hope that producers in countries such as India can manufacture vaccines less expensively, the global supply will still fall far short of demand. In addition to COVAX, there are also efforts to provide financing for poor countries directly. The World Bank, for example, has committed $160 billion to its client countries, and many other donors and philanthropic foundations have contributed in a similar fashion. Moreover, under the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund’s joint Debt Service Suspension Initiative (DSSI), 73 poor countries have been offered the
opportunity to postpone debt-service payments until June 2021. As of early December, 45 countries had signed up for the program, with most of them freeing up funds equivalent to 0.1-2% of GDP. While universal access to the vaccine is essential to overcome the pandemic, it is not clear that allocating more money to poor countries for vaccine purchases will actually enable them to obtain more doses, given the anticipated supply issues. Approved producers are already straining against capacity limits, and while there may be favorable surprises, increased demand (and thus the price at which the vaccine may be purchased) is unlikely to stimulate significantly higher production. Moreover, many of the current contracts commit producers to sell at cost, with the quantities already specified. After those stocks are depleted, additional financing to countries pursuing unilateral purchases would likely result in a bidding war, thereby driving up the price and offsetting the gains to overall welfare. To be sure, the companies that undertook the risk of pursuing a safe and effective vaccine deserve to be compensated for their efforts. As productive capacity increases, market forces should be allowed to provide incentives for innovation,
development, and the creation of additional production facilities. But given the extent of demand for vaccines in 2021 is likely to exceed supply, further incentives for additional production cannot be expected to improve the supplydemand balance within the year. And that is hardly the only concern. If some poor countries are sufficiently creditworthy, they may borrow more to finance vaccine purchases at the same time that the price for vaccines rises, leaving them with more debt but not a greater supply of vaccines than they otherwise might have procured. eanwhile, other poor countries that were already highly indebted are confronting debt-servicing difficulties that they would have faced even under normal economic circumstances. And some of those receiving DSSI support may simply use the freedup funds to finance debt-servicing commitments rather than to purchase vaccines. To the extent that other creditors – such as private banks and major bilateral official lenders like China – get paid today, there will be fewer funds available later on for debt restructuring undertaken in conjunction with macroeconomic reforms. These circumstances could result in there being fewer vaccines delivered to poor countries and greater rewards to creditors who received debt-service
payments at the expense of those who offered DSSI forbearance. And in still other cases, the newly available funds might be directed toward other areas of government deficit spending instead of to vaccine purchases. Given all of these complications, the best way to help poor countries obtain more doses is to reach an international agreement, presumably through COVAX and the WHO, to coordinate the allocation of available vaccines. The US is expected to rejoin the WHO after President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration on January 20. Once that happens, a multilateral push to allocate vaccines efficiently to poor countries will have a high chance of success and should be pursued in earnest.
Anne O. Krueger, a former World Bank chief economist and former first deputy managing director of the International Monetary Fund, is Senior Research Professor of International Economics at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies and Senior Fellow at the Center for International Development at Stanford University. Copyright: Project Syndicate, 2020. www. project-syndicate.org
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