Business24 Newspaper 27 June 2022

MON DAY, JU N E 27, 202 2

BUSINESS24.COM.G H

Bawumia opens US$48m Data center in Accra //STORY ON PAGE 3

NEWS FOR B U SINESS LEA DERS

Letshego grows assets to GH¢1bn in pandemic year; biggest SDI in Ghana now

By Patrick Paintsil

//STORY ON PAGE 3

Ofori-Atta woos Parliament to approve US$1bn syndicated loan

By Eugene Davis

//STORY ON PAGE 2

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News/Editorial

THEBUSINESS24ONLINE.COM

A green port is the way to go!

State ports operator, Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, has lined up strategic alliances and initiatives that seek to protect the environment for human, plant and aquatic life in it’s operations.

Among the initiatives is a mass tree planting exercise that is intended to create a carbon sink in the port area in order to absorb the carbon emissions that emanate from direct port operations and ancillary operations.

Whilst ports will have different perspectives as to what ‘sustainable’ operations truly are, broadly there are new green technologies and low and zero-carbon alternatives to fossil fuels and powerintensive terminal equipment.

Globally, international maritime and shipping consortia is bringing together supply chain stakeholders to collectively reduce power

consumption and carbon emissions: The port authority has also begun the separation of plastic and paper waste for recycling while giving out wooden waste for re-use, with an initiative to embark on a reduction of waste generation as well as measures taken for waste segregation at the ports.

Port activities, being industrial in nature can pose risk to the environment and that is why the move towards a green port is the sustainable ports agenda and this would be successful with the collaboration of stakeholders.

The use of green of innovations in the ports could significantly play down the cost of doing business within the port community aside making the industry more sustainable and future-fit.

Ofori-Atta woos Parliament to approve US$1bn syndicated loan

By Eugene Davis

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Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta has asked Parliament to support the country by expediting the approval of a US$1bn syndicated loan which is before the house.

Ghana has secured a US$1 billion syndicated loan to support its 2022 budget and it is presently before Parliament awaiting approval.

Appearing before parliament last week to answer some questions of the cedi slide and general economic conditions in the country, Mr. Ofori-Atta said “We have a syndicated loan facility here and we hope that Parliament will help facilitate that, as you know we have not been able to go to the capital markets as we usually do, due to global inflationary rise, changes in global economy -those are pressures we are all dealing with and how quickly we are able to find external resources in terms of foreign exchange is going to be important and I ask for your support as we bring the syndicated loan into this house.”

Some international banks have pledged to lend Ghana US$1 bn for budget purposes and to boost central bank reserves as the country seeks to cut its fiscal deficit and stabilize the currency.

Ghana raised US$750m through syndicated loans with the participation of about eight African and European banks and US$250m from multilateral lenders, according Business24 sources.

We will not throw our hands Further, the finance minister assured Ghanaians that despite

the economic difficulties government is working around the clock to ensure it rebounds with the availability of basic commodities.

“We would not throw our hands in the air because of the headwinds we will confront and you realise that from 2017 unto the covid period we perform very creditably on these issues.

There is no way we would throw our hands as government and as Ghanaians we are resilient and we would find solutions to that, what that will mean is; we are still working hard to look at how to ensure that there is food, and look at how we find ways, to ensure we have the least amount of debt on the continent and in the world generally.

We are ensuring that there

is fuel in the country and it continues so that business goes on as it should and we will ensure we come out with other strategies to ensure that food is available and movement of business also continues. We shall persevere and we shall win.”

Ghana’s economy grew 3.3% year on year in the first quarter of 2022, according to the statistics service, marking a setback in the country’s post-pandemic recovery as it battles soaring inflation, a depreciating local currency and high public debt.

The growth figure is less than half the 7% growth seen in the last quarter of 2021, and slower than the 3.6% growth in the first quarter of last year, the statistic service noted.

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MONDAY, JUNE 27, 2022

Bawumia opens US$48m Data center in Accra The Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has launched the first-ever Tier 4 Data centre in Ghana, ONIX Data Centre.

The centre, which is one of the few tier 4 digital centers in Africa, adds to Ghana’s existing data center, which will serve, not only the local market, but also the sub region.

Launching the centre, Vice President Bawumia said the certification to establish a tier 4 data centre in Ghana by Onix , is a major milestone in the strategy to create a world class data hub in Ghana to service the local and sub-regional market, “The accreditation will satisfy the increasingly stringent requirements laid down by regulated entities such as banks, healthcare providers and certain arms of Government which manage sensitive information,” Dr. Bawumia said.

The Vice President said the establishment of the ultramodern data centre, is in line with government’s vision to make Ghana a digital hub in the sub-region, and the massive investment, Dr. Bawumia noted, will offer businesses more

alternatives for sensitive data storage.

“The launch of this data center feeds perfectly into government’s passion and drive to ensure that we have adequate data of the country upon which our digitalization agenda will thrive.”

“Data centers such as this 12-megawatt ONIX facility provide the launch pad for a wave of transformation at organization and

business process level. Local CEOs can now adopt and implement world-class solutions and be hosted in-country without having to invest in on premise equipment and infrastructure which is costly and is frankly not economically viable.

While pointing out the magnitude of work government has done in its digitization drive, Dr. Bawumia reiterated government’s commitment

to creating enabling environment for businesses to flourish in the digital space.

“Government can point to several successful and on-going projects within our digitalization agenda, namely the implementation of the property address system, unique identification through the Ghana Card, as well as mobile money interoperability, among others.

“Looking forward, the next frontier lies in digital infrastructure which enables adoption of new business processes. Our role in government is to design enabling policies for businesses such as yours to invest and deliver sustainable results.

The tier 4 data storage, is the most complex data storage system, which has the most redundant components and only a few countries in Africa have it.

It is built to be completely fault tolerant and has redundancy for every component.

Letshego grows assets to GH¢1bn in pandemic year; biggest SDI in Ghana now Letshego Ghana, subsidiary of Pan-African inclusive finance entity, Letshego Group, showed strong resilience to the harms of the Covid-19 pandemic to post an impressive full-year result for the 2021 operational year, registering a billion cedis in total assets, a 93percent surge over the previous year’s figure.

The company also grew its loans and advances to customers by some 58percent as a result of increased loan disbursements, driven by focused initiatives and strategic campaigns to drive volumes.

There was a staggering 191percent surge in deposits, triggered by strengthened partnerships as institutional and individual customers increased their uptake of the company’s LetsGo Accounts that offer highly competitive yields and convenient transaction capabilities.

Letshego Ghana’s operating expenses decreased by 23percent year-on-year due to robust cost management measures to deliver operational efficiencies and a tight budget focus.

“Letshego 2021 performance was largely positive, despite navigating our way through an ongoing global pandemic,” Arnold Parker, Letshego Ghana’s Chief

Executive Officer at the firm’s turn on the Ghana Stock Exchange’s Fact behind the Figures series.

“We are advancing in our digital transformation journey as we shift gears to become a

world class financial services organisation that leverages digital and end-to-end automation to unlock significant enterprise value to improve the lives of our customers and communities

across Ghana,” he added.

Being the only listed bond on the GSE with a rating, the company says it seeks to consistently outperform the benchmark rate of 150percent with deposit mobilisation remaining a priority as evidenced by the increase in number of deposit clients.

Letshego Ghana remains passionate about up-skilling and empowering employees, customers and members of the community with future-fit, digital skills that support sustainable financial inclusion and digitalsavvy economies for Ghana’s longterm benefit.

Other people-first initiatives include the introduction of agile ways of working and the extension of Letshego Group’s online digital learning portal, where all employees have access to over 4,000 globally accredited training and skill-enhancing courses.

Letshego Ghana first opened its doors in September 2010 and has since grown to a staff compliment of 190 employees, spread across 26 branches and serving over 3.7 million customers who enjoy expanded access through strategic partnerships, innovative technology and digital delivery channels.

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MONDAY, JUNE 27, 2022

FAO outlines five urgent steps to address the global food crisis Today the Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), QU Dongyu, outlined five urgent steps to halt the global food crisis and transform agrifood systems, as he addressed the G7 Ministerial Conference “Uniting for Global Food Security.”

Among the major threats to global food security and the functioning of agrifood systems, Qu cited the COVID-19 pandemic; the global interruption of supply chain and rising costs of major primary commodities; the war in Ukraine, and other top ten conflicts and humanitarian crises across the world and their detrimental consequences.

The situation has been further aggravated by the long-term decreased investment in agrifood systems, facing pressure under climate change and population growth, he noted.

“We are at serious risk of facing a food access crisis now, and a food availability crisis for the next season,” the Director-General said.

To address this situation, Qu outlined the following urgent steps:

First, it is vital to invest in countries most severely affected by the increase in food prices. In addition to food aid, supporting local production of nutritious foods is also key. Currently only eight percent of all food security funding in emergencies and crisis aids goes to assist agricultural production.

Second, Qu called for greater support for the Integrated Phase Classification (IPC) multi-partner initiative for improving food security and nutrition analysis and decision-making to expand the country coverage.

The IPC provides information on the scale and severity of food insecurity and famine situation.

In 2021, the G7 recognized the IPC as the ‘gold standard’ for food security analysis, underscoring its role as the critical pillar of global responses to hunger. “IPC coverage needs to increase from 46 to at least 84 countries facing a challenging situation,” Qu said.

Third, countries need to foster policies that increase productivity, efficiency, resilience, and inclusivity of agrifood systems. That will require significant financial investment,

estimated at eight percent of the size of the agrifood market, the Director-General noted adding that investment should cover hard infrastructure, value chain infrastructure, innovation, new technologies and digital inclusive infrastructure.

Fourth, reducing food loss and waste can improve food security and nutrition. Foods currently lost and wasted could feed around 1.26 billion people per year. “If we try to reduce 50 percent of food loss and waste, there would be sufficient fruits and vegetables for all”, the Director-General stressed. FAO developed the comprehensive plan of actions for 52 Hand-in-Hand Initiative countries to achieve this goal.

Fifth, ensuring better and more efficient use of available fertilizers is of paramount importance. It is crucial that all key partners work in a coherent way to get necessary fertilizers available to farmers in time, Qu said urging countries to improve fertilizer efficiency to fit local farming systems. For example, fast implementation of detailed soil maps would support the most vulnerable countries to use their fertilizers more

efficiently.

Speaking about market transparency and the need to stabilise prices, the DirectorGeneral highlighted the importance of keeping global trade system open. He reiterated FAO’s commitment to enhancing global market transparency through the Agricultural Market Information System (AMIS), which is an essential tool to foster confidence in global markets.

The international conference was hosted by German Government, represented by Minister for Foreign Affairs Annalena Baerbock, Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development Svenja Schulze and Minister of Food and Agriculture Cem Özdemir.

The conference brought together ministers and representatives from a diverse group of countries, including the G7, the UN Global Crisis Response Group Champions, key donor states, and the most vulnerable and affected countries, as well as leaders from international organizations such as the United Nations and from civil society.

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MONDAY, JUNE 27, 2022

Ghana hosts ECOWAS statutory meetings On Wednesday Ghana will from Wednesday June 29 to Sunday July 3, 2022, host the statutory meetings of the Economic Community of West African State (ECOWAS).

The meetings will be held for 5 days continuously.

The Ordinary Meeting of the

ECOWAS Mediation and Security Council at the Ministerial Level will be held on Wednesday June 29, 2022 followed by the Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Council of Ministers on June 30 to July 1, 2022 then the Ordinary Session of the Authority of Heads of State

and Government will take place on Sunday July 3, 2022.

The 29th Ordinary Session of the Administration and Finance Committee, outcomes informed the work of the Council of Ministers which was held at the last meetings of ECOWAS. The Administration and Finance Committee is made up of Experts from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Finance of ECOWAS Member States, who met at the Alisa Hotel from June 8 to June 12, 2022.

In line with the practice of ECOWAS, the Sessions deliberated on important regional matters germane to West African States, including

recent political and security developments that have threatened the peace and stability in the region.

The agenda for the sessions was focus on the progress of ECOWAS Institutional Reforms; ECOWAS Vision 2050; the Status of Tasks assigned by the 85th Ordinary Session of the Council of Ministers; the ECOWAS African Research and Innovation Forum (FARI); as well as the Humanitarian situation in the region, among others.

All Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS, with the exception of Mali, participated in the summit with the President, Vice President and support staff of the Commission.

Other guests include the former President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and ECOWAS Special Envoy and Mediator for Mali, Goodluck Jonathan.

‘Government committed to empowering local industries to face emerging global architecture’ The Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has reiterated government’s commitment to empowering indigenous industries in order to get them ready for the emergence of what he called, a new global architecture.

Speaking at the 25th Anniversary of the establishment of Tropical Cable and Conductor Limited in Tema on Wednesday June 22, Vice President Bawumia said, the ongoing global economic crisis will bring about a new phenomenon, where countries would no longer have to depend much on external products and services, but depend on their local industries.

He therefore, called for a rethink, and the offering of more support to local Ghanaian industries, to empower them and become as successful as Tropical Cables in order to be internationally competitive.

“The on-going global economic crisis, which is the result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the RussiaUkraine war, will bring about a new global architecture, where countries will have to be more dependent on themselves,” Dr. Bawumia said.

“If we are going to succeed in this new global architecture, we have to support our local industries to succeed and that is what other countries are going to do.”

“So there has to be a rethinking of the policy environment; what can we do to empower our local industries.

We don’t know when this war between Russia and Ukraine will end but it will end, even if it is five years, it will end.”

“But we have to be prepared for the new emerging global architecture and we can only be prepared for it if we are empowering our local industries to produce and to compete globally,” he said.

Government’s industrialization vision The Vice President stressed that the Akufo-Addo government’s industrialization agenda, which was initiatiated right from the onset of the government in 2017 before the current global crisis struck, could not have been done at a better time, as it fits into the agenda to boost local industries, be self-reliant, create jobs for the youth and also boost the economy.

“Industrialization has been a strategic priority of the President Akufo-Addo government. The One District-One Factory (1D1F) initiative has been transformed from a

political mantra into an effective flagship programme geared towards revamping of the economy to create job opportunities for our teeming graduate youth,” added the Vice President.

“At the heart of the One District One Factory (1D1F) concept lies government’s firm determination to transform the Ghanaian economy from one known as a supplier of raw materials to the international market, supplying foreign industries with our natural resources to the detriment of our locally based ones, to one that feeds local value enhancing entities in the country.”

“This is why our government in 2019 launched the Ghana Beyond Aid program, with the overriding objective of adding value to our raw materials at source.”

25 years of TCCL excellence Congratulating Tropical Cable on

its 25th Anniversary, Dr. Bawumia expressed joy that an indigenous Ghanaian company, which started on a modest note and went through the challenges of industrialization, has grown to be an industry leader and has also become globally competitive.

“Twenty-Five years in the life of any business is certainly worth celebrating but if one appreciates the unique challenges of the manufacturing sector, then the significance of this achievement stands out even more,” Dr. Bawumia said.

“We are gathered here to congratulate and to celebrate you as a company on the attainment of this remarkable milestone. I am sure that, 25 years ago the scale of what we see here today was probably difficult to imagine but due diligence, discipline and innovation and hard work, have paid off and propelled you to sit at the top of your industry, serving power utilities, the real estate and construction sectors, the mining sector, and son on, with internationally certified cables and conductors.”

“As a nation, we are indeed proud to have an indigenous company like Tropical Cable. Its achievements over the years, have given meaning to the belief that this nation is capable of producing and sustaining industrial excellence.”

At the ceremony, the Vice President also launched Tropical Cable’s CAT-6 cable, which is the first certified CAT6 cable to be manufactured in Ghana.

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MONDAY, JUNE 27, 2022

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MONDAY, JUNE 27, 2022

MTN celebrates 12 years of Ashantifest with exciting activities MTN Ghana is pleased to resume the celebration of Ashantifest, its month-long festival for the people of Asanteman. The festival was put on hold following the outbreak of COVID 19.

Ashantifest is an annual regional festival created by MTN to bring the brand closer to Asanteman while appreciating the loyalty of its cherished subscribers in the region for contributing to the success story of MTN. Since the inception of the festival over eleven years ago, various life enriching initiatives including the provision of community improvement projects, sports and entertainment have been brought to the doorsteps of several communities in the region. The celebration also comes with specific promotional offers for customers in the region.

Activities planned for this year’s celebration are: Community Soccer (MTN Ashantifest Cup) twelve communities including Asokore Mampong, Dichemso,

Bantama and Asafo. The other competing teams are Tech, Abrepo, Suame, Asokwa, Aboabo, Tafo, Fante New Town and Kotei Deduako. MTN FA Cup Final at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium on 26th June. Courtesy calls on the Ashanti Regional Minister and the Mayor of Kumasi, Community forum at Effiduase, Media Editors forum to update the media on

issues regarding MTN’s business, SME Fair and Y’ello Care Staff Volunteering program.

During this year’s Ashantifest, MTN is making available to its customers a special offer on *141# of 120MB @GHC 2 + 500MB Bonus.

This is a unique data offer created just for Asanteman.

Commenting on the festival, the General Manager for the Northern

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Sector Nii Adotey Mingle said, “We cannot overlook the relationship between us and Asanteman.

MTN has continued to remain a market leader in the telecoms industry because of your loyalty and support. This is the reason why all these years we set aside a month each year to renew our commitment to deliver distinct customer experience and embark on community activities to brighten the lives of people in the region”.

Ashanti Fest is one of the several regional festivals designed and celebrated by MTN across the country to bring the brand closer to the communities in which the company operates.

It is held in appreciation of the continuous support of the region to the growth of MTN. Other MTN initiated regional festivals include Suncity fest (BABE Regions), Twin City fest (Western Region) and Savanna fest (for the five regions of the North).

GIFEC administrator concludes inspection of projects in Ashanti Region The Administrator (CEO) of Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communications (GIFEC), Mr Prince Sefah, together with a support team have completed a working visit to the Ashanti region. The visit was focused on inspecting newlybuilt Community ICT Centre (CIC) projects in the region.

Another purpose of the working visit to the region was to deepen collaboration with stakeholders, including Municipal/District Assemblies, traditional authorities and school authorities.

The working visit took Mr. Sefah and team to Ejura, Kokofu, Gyadam and Abankro.

In Ejura in the SekyeDumase District, the team inspected the newly-completed CIC at Aheneboano. There, Mr Sefah engaged the District Coordinating Director, select staff of the assembly, some community leaders and the assistant headmaster of the Ejura Anglican School, whose campus the CIC is located in.

He informed the hosts that the purpose of the visit was to check on the project, to ensure the readiness of the facility for the deployment of computer equipment, and its operationalisation, for the benefit of the community.

He expressed his gratitude to the assembly and the community

for their cooperation and support throughout the construction phase, and further requested for their support, for the efficient management of the facility.

He said that a key component of GIFEC’s mandate is to build the capacity of citizens to take up opportunities in the 4th industrial age that we are in, which is driven by digitalisation.

According to him, it was in this vein that GIFEC is expanding its Cyberlabs Programme to more communities, to increase access to ICT equipment and services, especially, in underserved and unserved communities.

The District Coordinating Director, Mr. Emmanuel Armah, who represented the District Chief Executive, said that the assembly is grateful to be included in GIFEC’s interventions, and pledged support for the management and maintenance of the centre.

He requested additional support from GIFEC for schools and other communities within the district, considering the large size and population of the district.

Kokofu In Kokofu, in the Bekwai District of the Region, Mr Sefah and Team paid a courtesy call on the Paramount Chief of the Kokofu Traditional Area, Barima Offe Akwasi Okogyeasuo II and his sub-

chiefs.

Mr. Sefah apprised them of GIFEC’s developments in the Ashanti region in general, and in the Bekwai District in particular.

He said that despite the delay caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the biggest investment in the telecommunication infrastructure implemented by GIFEC on behalf of the Ministry of Communications and Digitalisation is expected to be completed by December 2023.

He also said the Ghana Rural Telephony and Digital Inclusion Project (GRT&DIP), has built 1,006 to date, out of a planned 2,016 sites, since late 2020.

He mentioned that previously, until the GRT&DIP, GIFEC was building about 10 such sites per year, in the era of the previous NDC government.

In the Ashanti region, he said that, specifically, 119 GRT&DIP sites have been built, out of which 70 are already activated and delivering voice and data services to the citizens of Asanteman.

He said that his team is working in collaboration with relevant stakeholders in Asanteman to ensure that the region gets its due share of the remaining sites to be built, and also, get the remaining built sites activated.

Further, he said that GIFEC’s Cyberlabs Programme will establish

200 ICT labs across the country this year, to increase access to ICT. Finally, the Administrator informed the Omanhene and his people gathered that another unprecedented 14,000 citizens will receive various ICT training this year, under GIFEC’s ICT Capacity Building Programme.

Barima Offe Akwasi Okogyeasuo II, articulated his excitement about GIFEC’s laudable projects, especially the Cyberlabs Projects.

He requested an expansion of the Programme to cover more persons and communities in Kokofu.

Gyadam & Abankro As part of his inspection of the Gyadam CIC in the Asante Akim South District, Mr. Sefah also paid a courtesy call on the traditional rulers of the area, including the Queen Mother of Gyadam Paramountcy, Nana Kwatemaa Morongo II, who expressed gratitude for the opportunity and pledged their support in ensuring effective management of the facility.

Mr. Sefah was accompanied by the Development and Planning Officer and the Director of Education of the Asante Akim South District.

At Abankro in the Ejisu Municipality, he visited the newly constructed centre and interacted with some leaders of the community as well.

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MONDAY, JUNE 27, 2022

2022 United Nations, African Union Public Service Day

By Victor Way Kuvodu Africa Public Service Day (APSD) is an event entrenched in the African Union calendar. Its origin is traced from the Conference of African Ministers for Public or Civil Service held in Tangier, Morocco in 1994.

It was agreed at this Conference that June 23, should be celebrated annually as Africa Public Service Day to “recognise the value and virtue of service to the community”.

It is also a platform to reflect and share practical recommendations on women empowerment in public service nationally and across the African continent.

At the global stage, the UN General Assembly designated June 23, as Public Service Day by adopting resolution 57/277 on December 20, 2002.

Consequently, the African Ministers for Public or Civil Service reaffirmed their commitment for the APSD in the Stellenbosch Declaration adopted at the fourth Pan-African Ministers’ Conference held in Stellenbosch, South Africa (SA) in 2004.

The UN/AU Public Service Day therefore, is designated to celebrate the value and virtue of public service to the community; highlight the contribution of public service in the development process; recognise the work of public servants, and encourage young persons to pursue careers in the public sector.

To bolster recognition of the Day and the value of public service, the United Nations established the UN Public Service Awards (UNPSA) programme in 2003, which was reviewed in 2016 to align with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The UNPSA aims to promote and reward innovation and excellence in public services by recognizing the creative achievements and contributions of public institutions that lead to a more effective and responsive public administration in countries worldwide in support of sustainable development.

Inception Since the inception of the APSD in 1994, its annual celebration has grown from strength to strength, both in numbers of participants and the sophistication in the event’s organisation. Thus, from 2004, the AU member states have celebrated the UN/AU Public Service Day (ASPD).

The UN/APSD now enjoys the support of the majority of the African Union Member States that are collectively responsible for the welfare of an approximate one (1) billion of the Continent’s residents.

The commemoration of the APSD takes place at national and continental levels. The continental

celebration is a biennial event while the AU Member States are mandated to celebrate the National Day, every year.

The continental APSD has been celebrated eight times so far: in Namibia (2007); in Tanzania (2009 & 2011), in Ghana (2013) in Congo (2015), in Rwanda (2017) in Kenya (2019); and in Zimbabwe (2021). This year, 2022, AU Member States are mandated to celebrate the APSD at national level, on June 23.

National commemoration, APSD The 2022 National APSD commemoration is celebrated in a dispensation where African countries are slowly emerging from the effects of COVID-19 and are directing efforts at the resumption of full-service delivery and generally instituting counter-measures to avoid the resurgence of the COVID-19 waves among the population.

The 2022 National APSD Celebration will be informed by the overarching AU theme, but more fundamentally, a COVID-19 dispensation that has challenged the public service to work better, smarter and more innovatively to ensure continuity, improvement and recovery in service delivery in the face of a festering pandemic.

The pandemic has exposed the benefits of a stronger, flexible, and more responsive civil/public service which can incorporate risk management and has access to contingencies in an emergency. It has also stressed the need for sound procurement policies, systems and processes. Helping countries to procure lifesaving goods and services on an emergency basis is critical to blunt the impact of COVID-19.

Emerging lessons from the immediate response to the pandemic point to the need to adapt models of government operations, service delivery and interactions with citizens – which includes Information Communication Technologies (ICT) options for modernisation of services to citizens and businesses.

As part of the long-term vision set out in Agenda 2063, the Assembly of Heads of States and Government of the African Union has adopted common African aspirations, drawing on the potential of its populations, in particular, a human capital wellnourished and in good health with a particular emphasis on women, adolescents and children.

The AU appreciates that human capital is key for development as it leads to improved lives for individuals, higher earnings, and improved incomes for countries.

So, therefore, and from the AU, efforts must be focused on the fight against malnutrition in Africa and

this demands multiple programmatic efforts such as; political and resultoriented commitments enhanced at continental and national levels where public servants play a central role to make it possible to build resilience in nutrition across the African continent.

As a result, the commitments will sustain a strong political momentum, sustained by African administrative resilience, which is imperative, particularly in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Guided by the AU 2022 theme and drawing lessons from the 8th Continental Celebrations where the resilience of public administration was advised, the theme for the 2022 National APSD Celebration is “Enhancing the Resilience of the African Public Administration to Support and Facilitate the Realization of Africa’s Nutritional Needs during and post COVID-19 Pandemic”.

Sub-themes The theme for the 2022 National APSD Celebration will be supported and enhanced by the following subthemes: a. Ensuring state continuity during and post coronavirus pandemic towards food security and nutritional resilience. b. Driving the COVID-19 Response from the Center: Institutional Mechanisms to ensure Whole-ofGovernment Coordination. c. The Role of the 4th Industrial Revolution in reimaging service delivery, provision and recovery during and post-pandemic. d. Assessing state capability in achieving the Africa We Want in the backdrop of instability caused by pandemics and war.

Objectives The key objective of the 2022 National APSD celebrations is to afford AU Member States the opportunity to reflect on and assess the efficiency of service delivery tools at its disposal during and after a pandemic and more specifically how the journey on Africa has been progressed on disciplines such as achieving food security, resilience in nutrition and other commitments under the SDGs and Agenda 2063.

The specific objectives are to provide the opportunity for the member states to: 1. Reflect on the function of the civil/public service, its mission and objectives, programmes and projects, successes and challenges; 2. Give recognition to and make known the importance of the civil/public service, its positive contribution and benefits to public servants, population, civil society, private sector and

government; Motivate and encourage public servants to continue the good work done, more especially during the COVID-19 pandemic and to come up with new initiatives and innovations; 4. Obtain feedback from the citizenry on services rendered; and 5. Prepare the public service and administration for a better future by proposing change for the social wellbeing of the population; 6. Leverage on pathways presented by the 4th Industrial Revolution as a powerful tool and enabler to innovative service delivery during the challenging times of pandemics and wars.

The Ghana National Celebration of APSD Ghana as a member of the UN and AU shall celebrate the UNAPSD. The Public Services Commission (PSC) of Ghana continue to play the lead and coordinating roles for the celebration by all public service institutions and organisations in Ghana.

Public Services Commission The Public Services Commission, in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Office of the Head of Civil Service, Office of the Head of Local Government Service and Public Sector Reform Secretariat shall host a Colloquium on the Theme: “Enhancing The Resilience of the African Public Administration to support and Facilitate the Realisation of Africa’s Nutritional Needs During and Post COVID-19 Pandemic” to mark the Celebration.

The colloquium shall be held at the Ministry of Information’s Conference Room, Accra at 9:00 am today.

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The writer is the acting Deputy Secretary in charge of Research, Monitoring and Evaluation Division, PSC. Credits: African Union Commission- Department for Political Affairs, Peace and Security.

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MONDAY, JUNE 27, 2022

Surviving a future of extreme heat

By Kristie L. Ebi Although nearly all heatrelated deaths are preventable, heatwaves kill thousands of people worldwide every year. At this very moment, an extreme heatwave in India and Pakistan, affecting about one billion people, is “testing the limits of human survivability,” warns Chandni Singh, a lead author for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Sixth Assessment Report. In April, the average maximum temperature for northwest and central India was the highest in 122 years.

This is not just a South Asian problem. In recent years, similarly extreme conditions occurred in the United States, Australia, Europe, Scandinavia, and Japan, resulting in thousands of hospitalizations and excess deaths. Extreme heat is also linked to increases in premature births, low birthweight babies, and stillbirths; reductions in worker productivity; higher rates of chronic kidney disease of unknown origin; and increases in suicide.

Extreme temperatures are thus an “all of society” problem. Such conditions not only harm human health; they also have detrimental effects on infrastructure, crop yields, and poultry mortality, threatening livelihoods and undermining food security. The 2021 heat dome in the Pacific Northwest and western Canada was a case in point.

It was an event that would have been virtually impossible without climate change. Temperature extremes were about 5° Celsius above previous records, causing

approximately 1,000 excess deaths and a 69-fold increase in heat-related hospitalizations.

Yields from wheat and cherry crops plummeted, and millions of mussels, clams, and oysters were cooked in their ocean habitats, threatening food security and livelihoods for indigenous peoples and low-income communities.

Already, nearly 40% of heatrelated deaths are attributable to climate change. And because climate change is expected to increase the frequency, intensity, and duration of heatwaves, the need for additional measures to protect people will only become more urgent. Without immediate and significant investment to enhance community and healthsystem resilience, the deaths associated with heat exposure will increase.

Well-communicated, evidencebased action plans are needed to keep people cool and reduce hospitalizations and deaths. In addition to early-warning and response systems, longer-term planning is needed for life on a warmer planet. That means providing more blue and green spaces, changing building materials, and focusing on ways to cool people, rather than the surrounding environment.

Early-warning and response systems require more than just a single threshold for determining the start of a heatwave. Effective systems also should include collaborative processes to ensure that interventions account for local capacities and constraints.

Health ministries will need to

work closely with (among others) hydrometeorological services, police and fire departments, emergency services, agencies responsible for elder care, and trusted voices for vulnerable populations (such as adults over 65) and marginalized communities.

Resources should not be a barrier. Effective early-warning systems already exist worldwide, including in low-resource settings such as Ahmedabad, India.

Moreover, organizations like the Global Heat Health Information Network are collecting and sharing data on local and national experiences and best practices.

The demand for additional guidance is growing rapidly, in tandem with the increasing frequency and severity of heatwaves.

But most of today’s earlywarning systems do not explicitly account for the risks of a changing climate. To be more adaptive, planners should adopt timelines for reviewing changes at the beginning and end of the summer season, while also developing regional collaborations to ensure consistent messaging. There will also be a greater role for tiered early-warning systems that account for multiple thresholds, such as temperature readings combined with local knowledge of particularly vulnerable populations.

For example, initial warnings might be issued several days before the peak of a heatwave to alert at-risk groups such as older adults, young children, and pregnant women. A second set of

warnings could then be issued at somewhat higher temperatures for outdoor workers and people engaged in sports or related activities, followed by a third set of warnings for the general public at the usual threshold for declaring a heatwave. These warnings would need to be paired with effective communications, so that people are properly motivated to take the appropriate measures to stay cool.

Even after these improvements, early-warning systems should then be stress-tested to determine their robustness to unprecedented heat. This could be done through desk-based exercises to identify weaknesses. Stress tests should incorporate not just heatwaves but also compound risks such as back-to-back events: a heatwave combined with a wildfire; or a heatwave coinciding with a pandemic, as the Pacific Northwest experienced in 2021.

Vulnerability mapping can be an effective tool to help decisionmakers determine where interventions are needed most to protect human health and wellbeing.

A much warmer future requires urgent and immediate investments that capitalize on best practices and lessons learned from existing heat adaptation plans. Proven models need to be scaled up to enhance resilience and sustainability.

Unprecedentedly higher temperatures are survivable, but not unless we prepare for them.

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| E-COMMERCE

MONDAY, JUNE 27, 2022

Open the box: tasty goodies for Ghanaians as Jumia celebrates #10yearstogether

By Bennet Otoo

“The greatest gift you can ever give another person is your own happiness” ― Esther Hicks Who doesn’t love a good gift?

One that is borne of happiness and joy. A gift truly given from the bottom of the heart. On many occasions such as birthdays, we receive all manner of gifts. From jewelry to clothing, electronic gadgets, cash, vacations and many others. Have you ever imagined celebrating your birthday while giving out gifts to your friends and family instead of receiving them? That is exactly what Africa’s leading e-commerce ecosystem is doing this year as it turns 10. The anniversary celebration comes with a massive sale campaign which started on June 13th and runs until July 3rd 2022.As Jumia chalks 10 years of e-commerce in Ghana and Africa, here are some of the goodies lined up for Ghanaians and how you can enjoy them.

1. Up to 50% OFF - Did I hear anyone say half price? Yes! Just as you heard it, all through the anniversary celebrations, Ghanaians can enjoy 50% off on Jumia food deals plus free delivery on selected partners such as Burger King, Pizza Inn, Chicken Inn, Pizza Man / Chicken Man. Every Friday of the week till the end of the campaign, you also get storewide discounts of up 50% across all categories such as groceries, phones, appliances,

electronics, fashion and beauty among others.

2. Free delivery - One of the major challenges of e-commerce today is delivery. After an online order is made, how that package or item gets to the consumer is often a challenge with a lot of factors contributing to the high delivery fees. Jumia is offering free delivery on thousands of products in Accra and Kumasi. All you need to do is lookout for the free delivery tag on the products listed on the app or website to enjoy this.

Alternatively, all consumers can select any pick-up station close to their locations for reduced delivery fees.

3. Extra 10 - As Jumia leads the way in promoting e-commerce and digital payments in Ghana, the company has partnered with payment giant Mastercard to ensure that all

Jumia customers get an extra 10% off on all purchases using Mastercards. What’s more, every day at 10am during the Jumia Anniversary sale, you get an extra 10% off all orders. Yes, extra 10!

4. Treasure Hunts / Flash Sales - Now here comes the exciting part. There are many games on the Jumia app and website that everyone can play, have fun with and win several prizes.

From wheels of fortune to puzzles, there are many games to choose from. However, the best of them all is the treasure hunt that gives customers up to 99% off. Yes! Almost free. This is available only on the Jumia app and all you need to do is find the hidden treasure and be the first to purchase it at the crazily discounted price. Many items have already been won and many more are up for grabs.

Some of the items available are washing machines, laptops, TV’s, refrigerators, mobile phones, air conditioners and many more. There are daily flash sales as well with exciting offerings at regular intervals.

Visit the app to find out the times and items on offer.

5. Brand Days - Apart from the above listed goodies, Jumia is also making sure that customers who love specific brands get the best deals from their favorite brands. Top quality products at mind blowing prices are on offer on specific days during the anniversary campaign.

Some of the top brands on offer include but are not limited to Samsung, Unilever, Pernod Ricard, Samsung, Telefonika.

Other Partners are Tecno, Oraimo, Infinix, Coca-cola, Diageo, Nivea, Mooved and Legacy.

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| NEWS

MONDAY, JUNE 27, 2022

BIC’s art competition kicks-off in Africa and Middle East BIC, a world leader in stationery, lighters, and shavers, announced today the kick-off of its flagship art competition, Art Master Africa, in its fifth edition. The competition invites talent across Africa and the Middle East to express their creativity by producing artwork using the infamous BIC ballpoint pen. This year’s competition theme is ‘Celebrating Africa’, inviting artists to present their identity as well as their different perceptions of the African continent and cultures.

Art Master Africa is an annual competition that is open to artists and creatives across the Middle East and Africa region.

The competition was incepted in 2017 in South Africa. Following its success, Art Master Africa expanded into the Africa region in 2019 and into the Middle East in 2021.

Artists can enter the competition by submitting up to three original artworks of what ‘Celebrating Africa’ means to them. Submissions will then be reviewed and shortlisted by a panel of judges including artists, art professors, art collectors, as well as winners from the 2019 and 2021 competition – Gayi Eric and Oscar Ukonu. The submission phase will run from 15-06-2022 until 31-08-2022. Once the judging phase is completed in September, winners will be announced and celebrated by the 15th of October 2022.

Commenting on the occasion, Peter Van den Broeck, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Middle East and Africa at BIC, said: “We are ecstatic to announce the kick-off of the fifth edition of the Art Master Africa competition.

Our flagship competition speaks to our belief in the importance and power of creativity and self-expression. Through Art Master Africa we have touched and impacted many across the region, and we plan to continue to motivate and encourage the younger generation and creative community to express themselves innovatively, as we build on and

elevate our campaign year-onyear.”

First, second, and third place regional winners will be named Africa’s Art Masters, will be celebrated in their respective countries, and will receive cash prizes of USD 2,000, USD 1,000, and USD 500 respectively. The first-place regional winner will also get their online personal gallery as well as the opportunity to join the BIC Art Collection exhibited in Paris, France. National winners will receive a prize of USD 500 each. To find out more about the Art Master Africa competition, visit the website here.

BIC’s connection to art spans more than 60 years. The brand regularly celebrates the creativity and originality of artists who find great inspiration in creating masterpieces using BIC’s products. BIC’s Art Collection includes over 250 works of art by 80 international artists. BIC has several established partnerships with art institutes around the world and has its products displayed in renowned museums around the world.

About BIC A world leader in stationery, lighters and shavers, BIC brings simplicity and joy to everyday life. For more than 75 years, the Company has honored the tradition of providing high-quality, affordable, essential products to consumers everywhere. Through this unwavering dedication, BIC has become one of the most recognized brands and is a trademark registered worldwide.

Today, BIC products are sold in more than 160 countries around the world and feature iconic brands such as BIC ® Kids, BIC FlexTM, BodyMarkTM by BIC ®, Cello®, Djeep ®, Lucky ® Stationery, Rocketbook ®, Soleil®, Tipp-Ex®, Us.TM, WiteOut®, Inkbox TM and more. In 2021, BIC Net Sales were 1,831.9 million euros. The Company is listed on “Euronext Paris,” is part of the SBF120 and CAC Mid 60 indexes and is recognized for its commitment to sustainable

development and education. It received an A- Leadership score from CDP. For more, visit about.

bic.com or follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, or YouTube.

12

| AFRICA BUSINESS

MONDAY, JUNE 27, 2022

Uganda contributes nearly $10 million to SouthSouth Cooperation project with FAO and China Uganda is contributing nearly $10 million to the latest phase of a South-South Cooperation project focused on crop and animal production with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Chinese government after the first two phases yielded dramatic results, including a quadrupling of rice production per hectare.

In one of the most significant contributions of its kind from a beneficiary country under the initiative, the Ugandan government is putting in $9 623 703 through a Unilateral Trust Fund (UTF). This comes in addition to $2 389 138 contributed

by China to Phase III of the project through the FAO-China South-South Cooperation (SSC) Programme Trust Fund.

Under an agreement signed in Kampala by FAO Representative Antonio Querido and Uganda’s Finance Minister Matia Kasaijia, the Uganda UTF will be used to support overall implementation of Phase III of the project. It will focus on four areas, namely: 1) establishment of an integrated technology transfer base; 2) development of high yielding schemes for rice and foxtail millet; 3) support for livestock improvement programmes; and 4) development of the aquaculture

value chain.

“The Uganda Trust Fund contribution to Phase III of the SSC project marks a strong endorsement of the significant impact it has already had and a resounding vote of confidence in its potential for continuing improvements to the lives and livelihoods of Ugandan farmers and those who depend on them,” Querido said.

The support will directly reach a minimum of 9 600 farmers, of whom at least 30 percent will be women, as well as provide training for 200 technical officers in Uganda and China.

China’s technical assistance to Uganda under Phases I and II has already brought significant results, addressing the East African country’s longstanding issues of poor agricultural productivity.

One project area saw a fourfold increase in rice production per hectare, while in other areas, milk production increased from 2 to 7 litres per cow per day. More than 3 000 Ugandan farmers and 80 government staff have been trained, while high-quality, low-cost fish feed techniques have increased aquaculture production.

Knowledge transfer at the heart of the collaboration Through the initial two

Phases of the FAO-China SSC Programme, 47 Chinese experts and technicians were deployed in Uganda over a two-year period, where they helped to improve technologies used to produce rice, foxtail millet, maize, grapes, apples and cherry tomatoes, as well as animal reproduction including goats, pigs, sheep and in fisheries. Projects also focused on mechanization, agro-processing and value-addition.

Study tours to China for highlevel Ugandan agricultural officials and technicians have helped to build capacity, and the Programme has directly targeted female agriculturists, helping increase income and improve employment, nutrition and livelihood of thousands of farmers in Uganda.

Phases I and II were carried out under a cost-sharing arrangement between the Governments of China and Uganda and FAO. The government of China provided financial and technical resources, while the government of Uganda provided in-kind contributions, including lodging, transportation, medical services and health insurance for the Chinese staff. FAO provided technical support and backstopping, as well as project supervision and monitoring.

The FAO-China SSC Programme was established in 2009 with a USD 30 million contribution from China, followed by two further USD 50 million pledges in 2014 and 2020 respectively. The Programme has seen a total of 25 national, regional, inter-regional and global projects implemented to support agricultural development and food security, reaching more than 100 000 direct beneficiaries and several hundred thousand indirect beneficiaries at grassroots level in rural areas.

Chinese experts fielded in host countries have transferred practical and adaptable technologies by providing demand-driven demonstrations and training in collaboration with local counterparts.

FAO’s role in South-South and Triangular Cooperation FAO’s successful implementation of South-South and Triangular Cooperation (SSTC) in many countries has contributed to increased food security, especially through the improvement of agricultural productivity, diversification of food crops, small animal and fish production, and rural incomes.

Over the past two decades, $435 million has been invested in SSTC projects and activities.

| NEWS

MONDAY, JUNE 27, 2022

13

FDA destroys expired products worth over GH₵300,000 The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has safely disposed of some expired and unwholesome products worth GH₵312,720.

00 in the Upper East Region.

The disposal was done through burning at the Sherigu refuse dump in the Bolgatanga Municipality, in the presence of major stakeholders including the Environmental Health and Sanitation Agency, Ghana Police Service, Ghana National Fire Service and the media among others.

The items were seized from the marketplaces, over-thecounter medicine seller shops, provision shops, pharmacies, drug warehouses, herbal shops, and medical centres across the 15 Municipal and Districts in the region.

Mr Sebastian Mawuli Hotor, the Regional Head of FDA, said the disposal was in line with the FDA’s established mandate and the provision spelt out in the Public Health Act of 2012, Act 851 to regulate and undertake disposal of expired and unwholesome products in the country.

He said the exercise was a routine one where FDA periodically undertook inspection exercises and seized regulated products that had expired or were unwholesome and posed a danger to public health and safety.

This, he said, was to ensure that all products consumed by the public were safe and healthy and did not endanger people’s lives as well as prevent the reentry of such products unto the market.

“FDA wishes to emphasize that ensuring public health safety is our prime objective and that our activities are always geared toward providing assurance of safe food, drugs, cosmetics, household chemicals, medical devices and all regulated products in Ghana,” he said.

The Regional Head advised the public to be vigilant and circumspect by checking the date of expiration, accreditation and good storage practice of products before purchasing any regulated product, to avoid risks.

Due to their efforts and sensitisation, Mr Hotor noted, most of the regulated shops and

institutions had begun engaging the FDA in their operations and some had asked for disposal certificates to safely dispose of their expired products which enabled them to get a tax rebate on their expired products.

Mr Hotor said although the FDA had not yet prosecuted anyone in the region for non-compliance because the defaulters usually acknowledge their offence, such stores had been closed down to ensure safety while they were

made to pay for the disposal and other costs.

He said, “safe disposal of food and drugs are the sole responsibility and duty of the FDA per the Public Health Act 2012, Act 851 and so all need to note and ensure that when you have expired products in your facility, just alert the FDA and we know what to do because we have been trained on how to dispose of off expired products so that we can all ensure public health.”

Tullow, Petroleum Commission hold workshop on security, other services In line with Tullow Ghana’s deep-rooted commitment to support Ghanaian suppliers and subcontractors in the oil and gas industry, the company in collaboration with the Petroleum Commission (PC) has held the third session of its webinar workshops on security and manguarding services.

Organised under the Tullow Ghana and Petroleum Commission Business Academy Partnership, the session focused on local content requirements, contracts and procurement process, technical requirements, environment, health & safety evaluations, and due diligence requirements.

Over 80 participants drawn from the local security and manguarding services community took part in the webinar to get adequate information on Tullow’s requirements for the provision of security and man guarding services.

Opening the webinar, Dr. Jennifer Bruce-Konuah, Tullow Ghana Local Content Manager,

said, Tullow’s collaboration with the Petroleum Commission on local capacity development is part of Tullow’s local content commitment, which aligns with the government’s local content delivery targets.

“The workshop aimed at building the capacity of local companies, demonstrating transparency in the contracts and procurement processes, and highlighting key requirements for companies who want to provide security and man guarding services for Tullow Ghana,” she disclosed.

Mr. Kwaku Boateng, Petroleum Commission’s Local Content Director, expressed appreciation

to Tullow for the partnership and for taking practical steps to deepen local content participation by supporting indigenous companies.

“The Petroleum Commission is committed to ensuring that the government’s local content agenda in the extractive industry is implemented and benefits local companies,” he stated.

Webinar Takeaways On local content requirements, participants were taken through the eligibility criteria which a strong focus on indigenous Ghanaian businesses, local content questionnaire and the local content development plan.

The topic on contracts and

procurement explained the prequalification structure, commercial requirements and tentative timelines stating the start and end of the entire tendering process until the contract is awarded.

Further, the technical requirements session of the webinar focused on the scope of work, locations, and Tullow’s facilities of focus, services required and contractor’s responsibilities.

To ensure that selected contractors have the requisite capacity to carry out the task safely and to ensure that they have a commitment to prevent injury, protect assets, environment, and promote good occupational health, participants were taken through the Environment, Health & Safety (EHS) requirements.

Finally, ethics and compliance constitute key aspects of Tullow’s operations, hence suppliers were trained on Tullow’s due diligence requirements and expectations from contractors in the execution of work.

14

| FEATURE

MONDAY, JUNE 27, 2022

15

| NEWS

MONDAY, JUNE 27, 2022

Rwanda, Ghana FDAs collaborate to regulate medicines and vaccines Rwanda Food and Drugs Authority (Rwanda FDA) on June 24, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Ghana FDA that will allow both national regulatory authorities to collaborate in areas of mutual interest, especially in the processes and procedures of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Global Benchmarking Tool (GBT) and technical assistance related to the regulation of medicines and vaccine.

The MoU was signed by the Director-General of Rwanda FDA, Dr. Emile Bienvenu, and Delese Mimi Darko, Chief Executive Officer of Ghana FDA. It will therefore see Ghana FDA support Rwanda FDA in the attainment of WHO Global Benchmarking Maturity Level 3 (WHO GBT ML 3) since the latter has already reached Maturity Level 3.

On hand to witness the signing of the MoU was Rwanda’s State Minister of Health, Dr. Mpunga Tharcisse.

“It is incredible that we are strengthening our collaboration with Ghana FDA since they have already attained ML3, this shows that we are on the right path.

Ghana FDA has already been assisting us with reviewing some of our documents and evaluating the level of preparedness, since our self-benchmarking which was conducted last year in September,” said Bienvenu.

Rwanda FDA has to attain World Health Organisation maturity

level 3 which is a prerequisite level for Rwanda FDA set by WHO to allow manufacturers in Rwanda to apply for vaccine prequalification.

Rwanda FDA was self-assessed in September 2021 and aims to be formally assessed by WHO by end of 2022.

Mpunga said this memorandum comes after President Paul Kagame and Nana Akufo addo, Ghana president’s commitment to establish a vaccines factory.

He added that this agreement is for the vaccines that will be manufactured in Rwanda to undergo the final stage in Ghana.

“Though the vaccine factory was established in Rwanda Wednesday, June 24, vaccine production is made of two phases, the first phase which ‘production,’ will take place in Rwanda whereas the second phase which is ‘Fully finishing’ will be done in Ghana,” Mpunga said.

Darko said this agreement will increase the strength of FDA regulators, because the country that is low in regulation will affect other countries.

“The more we strengthen each other, the better it is safer medicine security,” Darko said.

This Memorandum shall establish collaboration in vaccine manufacture regulatory oversight, and assess staff capacity requirements including but not limited to Vaccine manufacturing and finishing facilities inspection as well as vaccine quality control, and lot release.

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| ADVERT

MONDAY, JUNE 27, 2022

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| FEATURE

MONDAY, JUNE 27, 2022

17

Not so favourite airline

By Abyna Ansaa Adjei

I am a fan of British Airways, it has always been my favourite airline. I am their Ghanaian customer who refuses to take the shorter route to Singapore by flying Emirates and is happy to spend 12 hours in transit at Heathrow just to be on my favourite airline.

I am their passenger who preaches the BA gospel loudly and gets people to fly them and sign up to their Frequent Flyer programme, the Executive Club.

In the past two years though, I have had reason to doubt my own judgement as to what makes them my favourite.

First, there was my late Dad’s ticket, purchased in September 2019, which was not used and after his death in April 2020, I had to go through unbelievable contortions to get a refund which only came on June 8, 2022, almost three years later. During the chase for the refund, BA employed every subterfuge in the book to avoid making the refund.

Then there was my own ticket from the same period which they had downgraded from First Class to Business because they had changed aircraft, for which I had been chasing them from September 2020. Again, every subterfuge was used; they said they had already refunded it; then they claimed the money had been wired; weeks later, they said they were working on it. They probably thought they would wear me down and I would give up, but no, I was relentless! Last week, the refund was finally made. Nearly 2 years on.

Then last Saturday, June 18, I got on a flight home from London.

Earlier in the week, my attempts to purchase excess baggage had

failed with a message on the BA website screen asking me to contact British Airways. It turned out BA had taken the money twice from my credit card for the three extra bags on Tuesday, June 14, and had not sent any confirmation email. After hours on the phone with BA on Friday evening, I was finally asked to make another payment and patiently wait for the earlier payments to be refunded in a fortnight.

Massive queue When I arrived at Heathrow on Saturday morning, there was a massive queue at the business class counter. I asked why the queue was so long and was told rudely by a woman in a BA uniform it wasn’t their fault the belt was not moving. True, I told myself, the fault was mine. I had bought a BA ticket.

I left the business class counter and joined the economy check-in, at least that was moving. There I met another rude BA woman bossing passengers around. It has to be said that on flights to and from Ghana the falsettos of BA staff and their condescending manner of speech can be overwhelming.

When it got to my turn at the check-in counter, the conveyor belt properly gave up the ghost.

Third World experience! Quick correction, never seen that at Kumasi and Tamale Airports!

Check-in experience The check-in experience was novel. I was asked to weigh my bags, place them back on the trolley and leave them at a specified corner of the check-in area. Alarm bells began to ring, since I, like the rest of the world, had seen the shambolic scenes on television from Heathrow in the past few weeks. I stopped a

manager and asked her whether the bags were going to make it.

She said: “as far as I know.”

I was the last passenger to make it on board. I asked the flight manager about the luggage situation. He said: “I was able to load 600 bags, some won’t make it.”

On board, there were smiley faces, but let’s say the menu was nothing like the Business Class menu of old. Gone was the variety of snacks.

Gone was the ice cream. I didn’t sight a single sandwich in the galley either. Post-Covid, it appears British Airways has metamorphosed into one of those budget airlines of old. Cheap, cheerful and corner-cutting they were; this BA is expensive, dour, chaotic but still very pretentious!

And then we got to Accra at 8:50 pm, instead of 7:35 pm. Two hours after we landed, the baggage handlers announced there were no more bags as the hold was empty. None of my five bags came.

Not even the three for which I had paid excess baggage fees.

I saw in front of me, on full display, the myth of BA being a leading world airline, broken into smithereens, the condescending tones of their rude ground staff notwithstanding.

There were a lot of fraught tempers at Kotoka on Saturday night. There were the passengers heading to Cape Coast, Kumasi and beyond with no luggage and those who had arrived for events on Sunday with no change of clothes.

Of my five suitcases, there is one I would miss dearly. It was full of goodies for Father’s Day breakfast, lunch and dinner for the fathers God has blessed me with - Prof,

Uncle Ken and Uncle Charles – who I had meant to shower with proper daughter culinary love.

Trauma After the trauma of Saturday night, I was hoping the bags would come on Sunday night. After all, they had been tagged “priority” and after I checked my dictionary earlier in the day, I was confident the meaning hadn’t changed. I also checked the definition of Business Class just to be sure. The definitions emboldened me to get ready to leave for the airport.

Then I got a message stating that on Tuesday, June 21 one suitcase would arrive, two others on Wednesday, June 22 and the final two on Friday, June 24. I burst out into laughter and said a silent prayer for the baggage handlers of the soon-to-be rotten fresh salmon, venison and blue cheese.

Oh, there was one other thing I would miss…the birthday dress which I had hoped to wear to lunch today.

Happy Birthday to me! New year! New resolutions! Air Ivoire, Rwanda Air, Kenya and Ethiopian Airlines, You are definitely seeing me on board soon.

After all, being a student in London means I have a few trips to make to and from London each year. And I’d rather travel to London through Africa and get to know Abidjan, Kigali, Nairobi and Addis Ababa better.

I no longer want to be deluded by a direct British Airways flight to London on which rudeness, presumptuousness, disrespect and incompetence are served in abundance, topped with a gargantuan portion of past glories.

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| MARKET REVIEW

MONDAY, JUNE 27, 2022

WEEKLY MARKET REVIEW FOR WEEK ENDING - JUNE 17, 2022 MACROECONOMIC INDICATORS Q3, 2021 GDP Growth

7.0%

Average GDP Growth for 2021

5.4%

2022 Projected GDP Growth

5.5%

BoG Policy Rate

19.0%

Weekly Interbank Interest Rate

19.96%

Inflation for February, 2022

27.6%

End Period Inflation Target – 2022

8.0%

Budget Deficit (% GDP) – Dec, 2021

2.6%

2022 Budget Deficit Target (%GDP)

7.4%

Public Debt (billion GH¢) – Dec, 2021

391.9%

Debt to GDP Ratio – Dec, 2021

78.0%

STOCK MARKET REVIEW The Ghana Stock Exchange weakened for the week on the back of losses posted by 3 counters. The GSE Composite Index (GSE CI) lost 55.50 points (-0.33%) to close at 2,496.24 points, reflecting year-to-date (YTD) loss of 10.51%. The GSE Financial Stocks Index (GSE FI) also lost 15.47 points (-0.71%) to close at 2,171.56 points, reflecting year-to-date (YTD) gain of 0.92%.

Market capitalization declined by 1.15% to close the week at GH¢61,528.03 million, from GH¢62,244.68 million at the close of the previous week. This reflects YTD decrease of 4.60%.

Trading activity recorded a total of 29,705,115 shares valued at GH¢25,805,228.99 changing hands, compared with 2,429,825 shares, valued at GH¢2,174,862.13 in the preceding week.

MTN dominated both volume and value of trades for the week, accounting for 98.16% and 97.29% of volume and value of shares traded respectively.

The market ended the week with 1 advancer and 3 decliners as indicated on the table below.

THE CURRENCY MARKET The Cedi weakened against the USD for the week.

It traded at GH¢7.2030/$, compared with GH¢7.2000/$ at week open, reflecting w/w and YTD depreciations of 0.04% and 16.62% respectively. This compares with YTD appreciation of 0.16% a year ago.

The Cedi appreciated against the GBP for the week.

It traded at GH¢8.7823/£, compared with GH¢8.8787/£ at week open, reflecting w/w appreciation and YTD depreciation of 1.10% and 7.46% respectively. This compares with YTD depreciation of 0.89% a year ago.

The Cedi also appreciated against the Euro for the week. It traded at GH¢7.5394/€, compared with GH¢7.5786/€ at week open, reflecting w/w appreciation and YTD depreciation of 0.52% and 9.43% respectively.

This compares with YTD appreciation of 3.52% a year ago.

The Cedi further appreciated against the Canadian Dollar for the week. It opened at GH¢5.6244/C$ but closed at GH¢5.5224/C$, reflecting w/w appreciation and YTD depreciation of 1.85% and 14.14% respectively. This compares with YTD depreciation of 1.98% a year ago.

Source: Bank of Ghana

MONDAY, JUNE 27, 2022

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| MARKET REVIEW

BUSINESS TERM OF THE WEEK Bottom-Up Investing: Bottom-up investing is an investment approach that focuses on analyzing individual stocks and de-emphasizes the significance of macroeconomic and market cycles. In other words, bottom-up investing typically involves focusing on a specific company’s fundamentals, such as revenue or earnings, versus the industry or the overall economy.

The bottom-up investing approach assumes individual companies can perform well even in an industry that is underperforming, at least on a relative basis.

Source: https://www.investopedia.com/ terms/b/bottomupinvesting.asp

COMMODITY MARKET Crude Oil prices tumbled to a four-week low on the back of concerns of interest rate hikes by major central banks and rise in the US dollar, which could slow the global economy and cut demand for energy. Brent futures traded at US$113.12 a barrel on Friday, compared to US$122.01 at week open. This reflects w/w loss and YTD gain of 7.29% and 45.44% respectively.

Gold prices fell as the U.S. Dollar and U.S. Treasury yields clawed back after a decline during the previous session. Gold settled at US$1,840.60, from US$1,875.50 last week, reflecting w/w loss and YTD gain of 1.86% and o.66% respectively.

Prices of Cocoa inched up for the week. The commodity traded at US$2,387.00 per tonne on Friday, from US$2,385.00 last week, reflecting w/w gain and YTD loss of 0.08% and 5.28% respectively.

INTERNTIONAL COMMODITIES PRICES

GOVERNMENT SECURITIES MARKET Government raised a sum of GH¢1,504.54 million for the week across the 91-Day and 182-Day Treasury Bills.

This compared with GH¢1,102.72 million raised in the previous week.

The 91-Day Bill settled at 24.68% p.a from 23.70% p.a. last week whilst the 182-Day Bill settled at 25.98% p.a from 25.41% p.a. last week.

The table and graph below highlight primary market yields at close of the week.

ABOUT CIDAN CIDAN Investments Limited is an investment and fund management company licensed by the Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC) and the National Pensions Regulatory Authority (NPRA).

RESEARCH TEAM Name: Ernest Tannor Email:etannor@cidaninvestments.com Tel:+233 (0) 20 881 8957 Name: Audrey Asiedua Wiafe Email:aaudrey@cidaninvestments.com Tel:+233 (0) 57 840 2700 Name: Moses Nana Osei-Yeboah Email:moyeboah@cidaninvestments.com Tel:+233 (0) 24 499 0069

CORPORATE INFORMATION CIDAN Investments Limited CIDAN House Plot No. 169 Block 6 Haatso, North Legon – Accra Tel: +233 (0) 26171 7001/ 26 300 3917 Fax: +233 (0)30 254 4351 Email: info@cidaninvestmens.com Website: www.cidaninvestments.com Disclaimer The contents of this report have been prepared to provide you with general information only. Information provided on and available from this report does not constitute any investment recommendation.

The information contained herein has been obtained from sources that we believe to be reliable, but its accuracy and completeness are not guaranteed.

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NO. B24/317 | NEWS FOR BUSINESS LEADERS

MONDAY, JUNE 27, 2022

Mobile application to promote tourism in Ghana and Africa launched

A mobile application to promote tourism in Ghana and Africa has been launched in Accra.

Dubbed ‘Diallos App’ the mobile application created by Pidasmo Technology Group Limited (PTGL) is to help breach the gap in the sector and address the majority of the difficulties facing the industry in the sub region.

Business owners in the sector, employees and customers with an eye toward the African continent have been targeted by the creators of the mobile application.

Mr Paul Isaac Allotey, the Chief Executive Officer, PTGL said business owners in the industry lacked the ability to market and advertise their products and services well, making them invisible in the market space hence the creation of the app to

make the business owners known.

He said some individuals frequently believed that Ghanaians disliked the act of patronizing tourism, but research had indicated that majority of them avoided the hotels and other tourist sites because much awareness had not been made about those facilities.

“Starting in Ghana, we intend to spread it throughout the entire continent. We anticipate adding all companies to the platform in every location so that customers traveling across the nation will have access to everything they require,” he emphasized.

Mr Allotey said buying of tickets to site attraction, paying for rooms and services, buying desired foods, renting vehicles, and the like would be made available on

the application for consumers.

“We are also looking at travel and tours, where we will take into consideration the tour guides, the tour operators who sell tour packages like trip to destinations,” he said.

Mr Allotey added that the application was not restricted to consumers based on the size of the business, no matter how tiny the business was, it was opened for owners to join and market their services since the sole aim of the App was to support every company.

“Not all pockets are the same so every consumer can come on board. We are not targeting just the big businesses, we are also looking at the smaller ones so that whatever their target is they will be able to find something that

meets your demand,” he said.

The CEO reiterated that the ability for one customer to pay for a service and transfer the receipt to another user for use was a crucial feature offered by the application that none of the other mobile applications had.

He said “due to this feature people can exchange contents with their loved ones and even give gifts via the platform. The application is accessible to everyone saying, the interface is user friendly, and economical for business owners.”

He urged business owners and consumers to sign up unto the application to reap all the benefits it comes with.

Voluntary local reviews gain traction in Uganda’s national SDG reporting process after ECA’s support

The Government of Uganda has scaled up the practice of voluntary local reviews – which monitor progress made by local governments towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – and is bringing their outcomes to the forefront of its national SDG reporting process.

This development builds on the country’s first voluntary local review of the SDGs and African Union’s Agenda 2063, which was conducted for Uganda’s eastern district of Ngora in 2019 with support from the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA).

The review has subsequently led to the mainstreaming of voluntary local reviews in Uganda’s SDGs reporting process – managed by the SDG Secretariat within the country’s Prime Minister’s Office.

After Ngora, the SDG Secretariat

has gone ahead to scale up the voluntary local reviews approach in other local governments, including Uganda’s Sheema, Bugiri, Nebbi, Kyotera, Sironko and Kitagwenda districts. Plans are underway to support an additional eight districtlevel local governments to conduct their voluntary local reviews.

As part of this national-wide drive to localise the SDGs, the Government of Uganda last week inaugurated its Annual SDG Conference in Kampala under the theme of ‘Building Effective Models to Accelerate the SDGs in the Post-COVID-19 Era’. At the conference, Ms. Edlam Yemeru, acting Director of ECA’s Gender Poverty and Social Policy Division, was invited to speak about the role of local authorities in delivering on the SDG promise.

In her remarks at the conference, Ms. Yemeru expressed her delight

EDITOR: BENSON AFFUL editor@business24.com.gh | +233 545 516 133.

over Uganda’s leadership in mainstreaming voluntary local reviews as well as their vital contributions in its national SDG reporting process.

“Local communities are at the heart of our shared drive to achieve the SDGs. There is no aspect of the SDGs or the Agenda 2063 where local governments do not play a central role. Without the local ownership and action, the achievement of the SDGs at the national, regional and global levels during this Decade of Action is not possible – and that has been the focus of ECA’s work,” she said.

Ms. Edlam Yemeru added: “Through its knowledge products and in-country technical assistance, ECA has been supporting local governments across Africa to localise the SDGs and conduct their voluntary local reviews. As of 2022, ECA has supported five local African governments in preparing and presenting their local reviews, with several more on the way.”

In particular, she shared the ECA’s Africa Regional Guidelines for Voluntary Local Reviews – developed in partnership with UN-Habitat and United Cities and Local Governments of Africa (UCLG-A) – with the conference participants.

The guidelines offer local governments a common regional

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template to conduct their voluntary local reviews, involving all stakeholders and linking with national review processes, whilst fostering coherent information gathering and reporting process, and streamlining peer learning.

Ms. Yemeru said: “Local authorities are at the forefront of planning, financing and implementing the policies and investments needed to achieve the SDG targets and address challenging impending progress. Therefore, a greater focus on their inclusion in the national SDG reporting process as well as in this conference is a step in the right direction, which should be sustained throughout this decade to coordinate efforts locally, share good practices and mobilise action in the face of emerging challenges such as the pandemic and climate change.”

The conference, held on 16-17 June 2022, aimed to foster greater engagement of stakeholders in the country’s SDG progress report for the year 2021 and to seek their input into the effects of the pandemic on the priorities of Uganda’s third National Development Plan. Among the participants attending the conference were senior government officials, UN representatives, business leaders, civil society delegates, academics and local authorities.