Business24 Newspaper 18th June, 2021 by Business24 Online

FRIDAY JUNE 18, 2021

Genocide in Xinjiang an outright lie

Access to capital ranks high as inhibitor to doing business in Ghana See page 5

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FRIDAY MONDAY JUNE MAY 18,3,2021 2021

Private universities overburdened by affiliation system—report By Benson Afful

affulbenson@gmail.com

hana’s economic growth in the first three months of the year fell to 3.1 percent yearon-year compared to 4.9 percent in the same period last year.

rivate universities continue to pay hefty affiliation fees to their mentor universities, Business24 analysis of a report by the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC), the regulator of tertiary education in the country, has shown. The affiliation system is a relationship agreement between a newly established tertiary institution and a chartered tertiary institution. Cont’d on page 2

Q1 GDP shows slowing postpandemic recovery

Cont’d on page 3

Yaw Osei Adutwum, Education Minister

BoG to buy domestic gold to shore up reserves

By Nii Annerquaye Abbey abbeykwei@gmail.com

he Bank of Ghana (BoG) has commenced buying gold from domestic producers in a move to diversify the central bank’s foreign reserves. Speaking at the launch of the BoG Gold Purchase Programme, Dr. Ernest Addison, Governor, stated that the central bank is targeting to double its gold reserves over the next five years. With Ghana being one of the lead producers of the yellow metal in Africa,

United Nations Capital Development Fund to deepen financial inclusion in Ashanti, Western regions By Henry Martinson

rianna Gasparri, Financial Inclusion Specialist at the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), has said his outfit is partnering with Zeepay, an indigenous fintech, to bring Cont’d on page 5

Cont’d on page 2

instagram.com/business24gh

Cont’d on page 2

Editorial / News

FRIDAY JUNE 18, 2021

Editorial

Transporters need right push to thrive in AfCFTA

he implementation of the single continental market for trade has been met with applause from players in almost all sectors of the economy. The reason is obvious. In this arrangement, there are limitless opportunities for business growth and expansion, jobs and wealth. The latest group of workers to throw their weight behind the continental project are those in the transport and logistics sector, specifically truckers and haulers who cart cargo through the nation’s transit corridors. Coming from the heels of a pandemic that seriously harmed their businesses, transporters say the AfCFTA will be their

trump card to speedy recovery. To them, an open market means more cargo to move across borders, especially from one landlocked country to another, something that is not permissible currently despite numerous existing trade protocols. But the fortunes of these critical businesses in the shipping industry in their dealings continent-wide will come from prudent policies and interventions from both government and direct stakeholders. This is because Ghanaian transporters been faced with serious challenges from their counterparts in landlocked countries for quite a long time.

They have now asked government to use the Ecowas protocols as a case study to identify similar issues that may arise and tackle it head on. This is a noble call to action because the role of government in trade facilitation is very vital to the success or otherwise of those that engage in the business itself. We urge that trade stakeholders will heed this call to action and help return the cargo transport and logistics sector back to sustainable path. This paper believes that for AfCFTA to succeed, it needs a wider stakeholder buy in and as such it is refreshing to see important players identifying opportunities they can leverage.

Private universities overburdened by affiliation system—report Continued from cover

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The objective is to ensure the attainment and maintenance of high standards for the promotion of academic quality. The report revealed that affiliate institutions pay a range of fees which include dollarised institutional fees, programme subscription fees, and admission fees levied by the mentor institutions. “Fees paid by university colleges to mentor institutions

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One of the leading private universities in Ghana

include university affiliation fees, programme affiliation fees, and external moderation fees for questions, marked examination scripts and long essays,” the report, titled “Ghana— Assessment of the Mandatory Requirement for Affiliation and Mentorship”, said. “Additional charges include certificate and transcript issuance fees, students’ enrolment fees, and sitting allowances for prescribed meetings of committees with mentor’s

representative,” it added. The report said apart from fees levied by the mentoring institutions, university colleges also pay accreditation fees to GTEC for accreditation renewals and approval of new programmes. According to the report, a private university college pays between US$5,000 and US$7,000 to a mentoring institution, which is renewable annually. Again, a private university pays GH¢6,000 as programme accreditation fee and GH¢3,000 to the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission for a certificate. Aside these obligations, a private university pays US$15 per student to a mentoring university. These financial requirements, the report said, have overburdened most private universities and denied them resources for innovation and infrastructure development. Meanwhile, the government has enacted the Education Regulatory Bodies Act 2020, which has scrapped the affiliation policy and requires all existing private university colleges currently under affiliation to expedite action towards chartering.

FRIDAY JUNE 18, 2021

BoG to buy domestic gold to shore up reserves Continued from cover the central bank governor said there are numerous benefits that building gold reserves would yield to the bank and the economy as a whole. “The domestic gold purchase programme will pave the way for BoG to grow its foreign exchange reserves to foster confidence, enhance currency stability, [and] create a more attractive environment for foreign direct investments and economic growth. This programme will also enable the bank leverage its gold holdings to raise cheaper sources of financing to provide short-term foreign exchange liquidity,” Dr. Addison said. The governor added that the gold acquisition programme is not only an efficient way of growing the foreign exchange reserves of the country, but it will also supplement the traditional ways in which Ghana has built reserves over the years. According to Dr. Addison, the programme will transform the small-scale gold mining sector, as it has the potential to guarantee

Dr. Ernest Addison

operators a fair purchasing price for their gold and provide an incentive to formalise and move away from damaging environmental and social practices. The governor also envisaged that the programme would improve small-scale miners’ ability to sell into formal gold markets and thereby reduce their vulnerability to illegal actors in the domestic and international gold supply chains.

Gold purchasing scheme The bank will buy domestically produced gold from selected gold aggregators and mining firms and pay in the local currency at the prevailing market price. The bank will buy both refined and unrefined gold from selected companies. The unrefined gold will be assayed by the Precious Minerals Marketing Company (PMMC), the national assayer. The bank has also engaged other domestic mining firms in

collaboration with the Ghana Chamber of Mines to buy refined gold from their refineries. Currently, only one gold aggregator has been selected for the programme, after an independent due diligence was conducted. In the near term, however, other gold aggregators will be eligible to participate in the programme once a roadmap is developed to ensure they meet the governance, risk, compliance and supply chain requirements.

Q1 GDP shows slowing post-pandemic recovery Continued from cover The growth was also lower than the expansion of 3.3 percent in the last three months of 2020, when the economy began its recovery from the pandemic. Government Statistician Kobina Annim, speaking at a news conference on Wednesday to announce the GDP data, said manufacturing, which expanded

by 1.3 percent in January to March after contracting in the last quarter of 2020, was one of the main drivers of growth. The agricultural sector also grew at a rate of 4.3 percent, even though this was slower than the 8.2 percent expansion in the previous quarter. Oil and gas however contracted by 16.2 percent, while the hospitality sector continued

GDP (quarter-on-quarter) performance in the last three years

its downward spiral caused by the coronavirus, recording a contraction of 10.7 percent. The contraction recorded in the oil and gas sector comes on the back of a forecast by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), the London-based research firm, of stormy times ahead for the sector. In addition to the pandemicinduced price collapse recorded

last year, the country’s inability to develop planned oilfields will lead to a stagnation in the sector’s growth, further hampering its contribution to the economy, the EIU said in its May country report. Ghana’s economy is projected to grow at 5 percent both this year and in 2022. Growth is expected to inch up marginally in 2023 before falling to 4.9 percent in 2024.

FRIDAY JUNE 18, 2021

News

FRIDAY JUNE 18, 2021

Access to capital ranks high as inhibitor to doing business in Ghana By Eugene Davis ugendavis@gmail.com

he UK-Ghana Chamber of Commerce (UKGCC) has released its 2020 Business Climate Survey Report, with access to capital among the key barriers in ensuring smooth business operations in Ghana. Covering a variety of themes, the survey sought to capture the perception of businesses on recent policy and regulatory developments, as well as the economic and investment outlook, through the analysis of ten business environment components. According to the report, Ghana’s business environment is generally challenging, encumbered by such factors as limited access to

capital; lack of logistics partners and other service providers; low-quality infrastructure; tedious and onerous government processes; taxation policy; and the regulatory framework. The level of corruption was

assessed by businesses as very high, the report said. On the other hand, the stability and effectiveness of the political system received a favourable rating. Respondents cited access to

telecommunication facilities and utilities (water and power), security, a crime-free environment, the effectiveness of the legal system, and quality labour as ameliorating factors to doing business in Ghana. The report recommended increased efforts in addressing both access to and cost of capital to enable businesses increase production and recover faster from the COVID-19 shock. It also recommended lowering of taxes to lessen the burden of operational costs to attract more investments, and continued dialogue with the private sector to ensure they thrive under the AfCFTA. UKGCC was established in 2016 to promote bilateral trade between the UK and Ghana. It is the leading UK business support organisation in Ghana.

United Nations Capital Development Fund to deepen financial inclusion in Ashanti, Western regions Continued from cover innovative financial products to the Ashanti and Western regions. According to her, over the next two years, innovative financial products such as insurance and other services will be made available to especially underserved communities in the two regions. Ms. Gasparri made this known during a panel discussion at the 2021 International Day of Family Remittances (IDFR), a thoughtleadership event organised by Zeepay under the theme: “Bridging the Last Frontier – A Case for Digital Remittance PostCOVID-19.” The move, she said, will ensure remittances are inclusive and will leverage the flows to link additional financial services to make sure that communities that are not well served can have affordable financial products. According to the World Bank’s 2021 Migration and Development Report, remittances to Ghana grew by 5 percent in 2020 to US$3.6bn, accounting for some 6 percent of GDP. Speaking at the same event, Project Officer for the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), Eric Akomanyi, said even though there is a National Migration Policy, there

has not been any concrete effort to implement it. He also stated that while Ghanaians abroad are expected to regularly send money back home, the framework to constantly engage them has been on the drawing board for the past eight to 12 years. According to him, the framework policy was sent to Cabinet before the 2020 elections but was not approved, hence the need for the process to be fasttracked to give confidence to Ghanaians in the Diaspora that their efforts in the development of the country are appreciated. Meanwhile, the impending nationwide re-registration of Subscriber Identification Module (SIM) cards is expected to impact positively on the inflow, distribution and use of remittances in the country. According to the Minister of Communications and Digitisation, Ursula Owusu Ekuful, in a speech read on her behalf by the Chief Director of the Ministry, Magdalene Apenteng, the exercise will curb fraud while ensuring remittances are accessed by the intended recipients.

BoG reviews Collateral Registry Service fees By Benson Afful affulbenson@gmail.com

he Bank of Ghana (BoG) has announced a review of Collateral Registry Service fees paid by banks and financial service institutions with effect from July 1 this year. The central bank said the fee for registration of secured interest has been pegged at GH¢20 and for searches at GH¢10. The new fees are double the previous rates, which were fixed eight years ago. “All banks, specialised deposit-

taking institutions, non-bank financial institutions, and the general public are to take note and be guided accordingly,” the BoG said in a statement. The Collateral Registry is one of the innovations in the credit market introduced by the Bank of Ghana to reduce information asymmetry between borrowers and lenders in credit transactions. It operates a 24/7 web-based system, which serves lending institutions and the general public.

FRIDAY JUNE 18, 2021

Opinions

FRIDAY JUNE 18, 2021

Genocide in Xinjiang an outright lie

Xi Jinping

By Lu Kun, Chinese Ambassador to Ghana

n June 11, Graphiconline published an article by BBC that, according to a report by Amnesty International released on June 9, China is committing crimes against humanity in Xinjiang by creating “a dystopian hellscape on a staggering scale”. Such accusation is an outright lie. The fact is that there is no so-called “genocide” or “crimes against humanity” in any form in Xinjiang. The purpose of spreading such lies is to discredit China, undermine the security and stability in Xinjiang, weaken the local economy and contain China’s development. Such a scheme is doomed to failure. The Xinjiang-related issue is, by no means, an issue concerning human rights, ethnic groups or religions, but an issue pertaining to fighting violent terrorism, separatism and extremism. Since the 1990s, especially after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, terrorist, separatist and religious extremist forces have launched thousands of violent attacks in Xinjiang, resulting in devastating casualties of innocent people and huge loss of property. The riots on July 5th, 2009 claimed 197 lives and more than 1,700 people were injured. In the face of such grave situations, the Government of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region has struck down upon

violent terrorist activities in accordance with law and adopted de-radicalisation measures to address the root causes. By setting up Vocational Education and Training Centres, Xinjiang has helped students learn knowledge, master skills, find jobs and increase income, which is not different from the measures taken by other countries and regions in the world to eliminate extremism. These measures have yielded remarkable results. There has not been a single terrorist attack for more than four years in a row in Xinjiang, and the basic rights of all ethnic groups, especially the rights to life, health and development, are fully safeguarded. Therefore, these measures have won extensive and heartfelt support from people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang. Xinjiang is now witnessing sustained economic growth, social harmony and stability, improved well-being and unprecedented cultural prosperity. People of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang are leading a life of peace and harmony. Their freedom of religious belief is fully protected by law. In 2020, GDP in Xinjiang exceeded US$217.5bn, the per capita disposable income of urban residents reached US$5,490, an increase of 3.4 percent on a year-on-year basis and 2.41 times that of 2010. In the first quarter of 2021, Xinjiang’s GDP reached US$53.6bn, increasing by 12.1

percent on a year-on-year basis. By November 2020, all 3.089 million rural people in Xinjiang living under the current poverty line were lifted out of poverty. On Xinjiang issues, some international anti-China forces have concocted one lie after another in recent years, such as “genocide”, “forced sterilisation” and “forced labour”, with an attempt to demonise Xinjiang. These lies are nothing but absurd. According to the data of the seventh population census released on June 14, Xinjiang’s permanent population had reached 25.85 million by October 2020, an increase of 18.52 percent from the sixth population census in 2010. The population of the Uygur ethnic group reached 11.6 million, a rise of 1.62 million, or up 16.2 percent from 2010. The Uygur ethnic group accounts for 44.96 percent of the total population and 77.85 percent of the population of all minority ethnic groups in Xinjiang. The average life expectancy has risen from 30 to 72 years over the past 60 years. Has anyone ever seen such a “genocide”? Picking cotton in Xinjiang is a lucrative job. Nobody needs to be forced to earn more money and make a good living. There is no need for “forced labor” as 70 percent of cotton in Xinjiang are picked mechanically. To our delight, more and more countries support China’s just cause to safeguard its sovereignty, security and development

interests. In March this year, 64 countries made a joint statement at the 46th Session of the Human Rights Council in support of China’s position and the counterterrorism measures in Xinjiang. I’d like to stress that Xinjiangrelated issues concern China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. We are firmly opposed to any country interfering in China’s internal affairs or undermining China’s core interests under the pretext of the Xinjiang-related issue. Should any foreign country attempt to impose sanctions upon China’s state organs, organisations and individuals by using the pretext of Xinjiang-related issues, the Chinese government will resolutely take counter measures. On June 10, the 13th National People’s Congress (NPC) of China approved The Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law, providing legal basis and guarantee for the Chinese Government to counter discriminatory measures by foreign countries. China will safeguard its sovereignty, dignity and core interests on the basis of the UN Charter and other principles of international law. Xinjiang is an incredible place. I welcome Ghanaian friends to visit Xinjiang to experience the joyful and harmonious life of people of all ethnic groups and its brilliant and diversified culture. I firmly believe that as more and more countries realise the truth, lies will be defeated eventually.

FRIDAY JUNE 18, 2021

Feature

FRIDAY JUNE 18, 2021

Genocide in Xinjiang an outright lie

By Lu Kun, Chinese Ambassador to Ghana

accordance with law and adopted de-radicalisation measures to address the root causes. By setting up Vocational Education and Training Centres, Xinjiang has helped students learn knowledge, master skills, find jobs and increase income, which is not different from the measures taken by other countries and regions in the world to eliminate extremism. These measures have yielded remarkable results. There has not been a single terrorist attack for more than four years in a row in Xinjiang, and the basic rights of all ethnic groups, especially the rights to life, health and development, are fully safeguarded. Therefore, these measures have won extensive and heartfelt support from people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang. Xinjiang is now witnessing sustained economic growth, social harmony and stability, improved well-being and unprecedented cultural prosperity. People of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang are leading a life of peace and harmony. Their freedom of religious belief is fully protected by law. In 2020, GDP in Xinjiang exceeded US$217.5bn, the per capita disposable income of urban residents reached US$5,490, an increase of 3.4 percent on a year-on-year basis and 2.41 times that of 2010. In the first quarter of 2021, Xinjiang’s GDP reached US$53.6bn, increasing by 12.1 percent on a year-on-year basis. By November

2020, all 3.089 million rural people in Xinjiang living under the current poverty line were lifted out of poverty. On Xinjiang issues, some international anti-China forces have concocted one lie after another in recent years, such as “genocide”, “forced sterilisation” and “forced labour”, with an attempt to demonise Xinjiang. These lies are nothing but absurd. According to the data of the seventh population census released on June 14, Xinjiang’s permanent population had reached 25.85 million by October 2020, an increase of 18.52 percent from the sixth population census in 2010. The population of the Uygur ethnic group reached 11.6 million, a rise of 1.62 million, or up 16.2 percent from 2010. The Uygur ethnic group accounts for 44.96 percent of the total population and 77.85 percent of the population of all minority ethnic groups in Xinjiang. The average life expectancy has risen from 30 to 72 years over the past 60 years. Has anyone ever seen such a “genocide”? Picking cotton in Xinjiang is a lucrative job. Nobody needs to be forced to earn more money and make a good living. There is no need for “forced labor” as 70 percent of cotton in Xinjiang are picked mechanically. To our delight, more and more countries support China’s just cause to safeguard its sovereignty, security and development

interests. In March this year, 64 countries made a joint statement at the 46th Session of the Human Rights Council in support of China’s position and the counterterrorism measures in Xinjiang. I’d like to stress that Xinjiangrelated issues concern China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. We are firmly opposed to any country interfering in China’s internal affairs or undermining China’s core interests under the pretext of the Xinjiang-related issue. Should any foreign country attempt to impose sanctions upon China’s state organs, organisations and individuals by using the pretext of Xinjiang-related issues, the Chinese government will resolutely take counter measures. On June 10, the 13th National People’s Congress (NPC) of China approved The AntiForeign Sanctions Law, providing legal basis and guarantee for the Chinese Government to counter discriminatory measures by foreign countries. China will safeguard its sovereignty, dignity and core interests on the basis of the UN Charter and other principles of international law. Xinjiang is an incredible place. I welcome Ghanaian friends to visit Xinjiang to experience the joyful and harmonious life of people of all ethnic groups and its brilliant and diversified culture. I firmly believe that as more and more countries realise the truth, lies will be defeated eventually.

FRIDAY JUNE 18, 2021

Feature

FRIDAY JUNE 18, 2021

Open Data Journalism, Making Stories Better

ata is everywhere—from government statistics to the architect creating new concepts of the world through to companies and businesses analyzing historical data for accurate projections. Similarly, the journalist must have access to data to produce reliable news and stories. By this, we mean open data access. This is the idea that some data should be freely available to everyone to use and republish as they wish, without restrictions from copyright, patents, or other mechanisms of control. It is data anyone can access, use, or share. Where journalism is telling a story, open data gives stories new perspectives, more credibility, and easier means to explain complex topics and issues to the audience. The growth of data is the next significant thing. With data, we can respond to problems around us, such as financial, transport, science and environment, natural disasters, climate change, and to which we can have structured solutions. How do we then combine data, technology, and writing in the service of telling stories about our world today and yesterday? Although journalists can go all out independently to gain such additions to their skills, curricula must move forward, and teach us more of what we need to know, show us these possibilities exist and are helpful–to face the growing trends of digitization. Traditional journalistic work is presented to the reader in its complete, hopefully perfect form, while open journalism encourages reader participation from the start. It represents a key change in the role’s perception of news agencies—rather than being a sheer distributor of the news; it becomes a knowledgeable voice that steers a discussion around the news. Open journalism has the power to turn all of us into experts, each with our own unique experience, skills, and perspective that contribute to the global story, and reporters who can use the power of the web can produce stronger, better stories. What then is data journalism? It is a journalism specialty reflecting the increased role that numerical data is used in the production and distribution of information in the digital era. It reflects the increased interaction between content producers ( journalists) and several other fields such as design, computer

science, data science and analytics, and statistics. Data journalism can be based on any data that has to be processed first with tools before a relevant story is possible. Here, we consider computer-assisted reporting, data-driven journalism, coupled with data visualization. Computer-assisted reporting describes the use of computers to gather and analyze the data necessary to write news and stories. Using computers, software, and the Internet has changed how reporters work across the world. Reporters routinely collect information in databases, analyze public records with spreadsheets and statistical programs, study political and demographic changes with geographic information system mapping, conduct interviews by e-mail, and research background for articles on the Web. Collectively this has become known as computer-assisted reporting or CAR. Data-driven journalism describes a journalistic process based on analyzing and filtering large data sets for the purpose of creating a news story. This process thrives on resources such as open-source software, open access publishing, and open data. It covers a wide range of tools, techniques, and approaches to storytelling, aiming at providing information and analysis to help inform us all about important issues of the day. It is primarily a workflow that consists of digging deep into data by scraping, cleaning, and structuring it, filtering by mining for specific information, visualizing and making a story. When information was scarce, most of our efforts were devoted to hunting and gathering. Now that information is abundant and overflowing, the processing is more important—the need to analyze to bring sense and structure out of the never-ending flow of data, and presentation to get what is relevant to the consumer. Like science, data journalism discloses its methods

and presents its findings in a way that can be verified by replication. It builds on the growing availability of open data that is freely available online and analyzed with open-source tools. It strives to reach additional levels of service for the public, helping consumers, managers, and politicians to understand patterns and decide based on the findings. Data-driven journalism might help to put journalists into a role relevant to society in a new way. Simply, it is about journalists using data to enhance their stories. If you have ever seen a graph or an infographic in a news story, then you have been exposed to data journalism. Data is a significant source for journalists to use because it lends credibility to their sources and can help explain complex topics to the public visually. See it as a new set of skills for searching, understanding, and visualizing digital sources in a time that basic skills from traditional journalism just are not enough. It is not a replacement of traditional journalism, but an addition to it. Data-driven journalism is the future; hence journalists need to be data-savvy. Traditionally, you would get stories by chatting or interviewing people. Today, a more effective way is the use of data and equipping yourself with the tools to analyze it, picking out what is interesting and keeping it in perspective, helping people out by really seeing where it all fits together. It is bridging the gap between statistics users and a skilled user of words—identifying trends that are not just statistically significant, but relevant to decoding the integrally complex world of today. Talking about data visualization involves the creation and study of the visual representation of data, meaning information that has been abstracted in some schematic or graphic form, including attributes or variables for the units of information. A primary goal of data visualization is to communicate information clearly and efficiently via

statistical graphics, plots, and information graphics. Numerical data may be encoded using dots, lines, or bars to visually communicate a quantitative message. It is a general term that describes any effort to help people understand the significance of data by placing it in a visual context. Patterns, trends, and correlations that might go undetected in text-based data can be exposed and recognized easier with data visualization. It makes complex data more accessible, understandable, and usable. However, the challenges and opportunities presented by the digital revolution continue to disrupt journalism. In an age of information abundance, journalists, and citizens alike all need better tools, whether we are gathering health data to analyze causes and effects of Ebola on the West African subregion; the extent of damage to natural resources in DR Congo; processing a free school feeding exercise data dump; looking for the best way to visualize the number of illegal Ghana electricity connection points or visualizing the number of Ghana water company burst pipes. Today, for news to even reach citizens, journalists must get creative and ensure the content that matters to people is reaching them in quality. Only quality journalism can survive the ‘disruption’. Journalists must improve and increase the value of data for the public by picking through datasets. Adding visualizations and infographics further enhances journalists’ stories, and shapes new angles to narrate and discuss topics. Thus, journalists are becoming data providers to the audience and are on the front-line making data into knowledge. Author: Richard Kafui Amanfu – (Director of Operations, Institute of ICT Professionals, Ghana) For comments, contact richard. amanfu@iipgh.org or Mobile: +233244357006

FRIDAY JUNE 18, 2021

News

FRIDAY JUNE 18, 2021

Vodafone plants 4,000 trees throughout the month of June

elecommunication giant, Vodafone Ghana, has planted trees of various species across the country to help restore depleted vegetation and address issues of climate change. The day also falls in line with Vodafone Ghana’s Planet goal, an initiative to save the country’s forest from further depletion. The exercise, done in collaboration with the Forestry Commission and the Ghana International School, was also in support of the government’s “Green Ghana Project.” Under this project, Vodafone Ghana is expected to plant 4,000 tree seedlings in the month of June this year, out of this, some were planted at the Accra Zoo Car park. Speaking with the media after planting some of the trees at the Achimota Forest, Accra Zoo, Director of Human Resource at Vodafone Ghana, Hannah Ashiokai Akrong, said forest played an important role in

the economic advancement of every nation, as it could not be separated from food security, clean and abundant water resources, energy, climate change and biodiversity conservation. Ms. Akrong said reversing the country’s forest depletion, therefore, called for measures that were drastic and continual. She said the Green Ghana initiative fitted into the company’s Planet Goal Project, which started three years ago, which seeks to deliver initiatives that protected the planet and ensured the success of businesses did not come at a cost to the environment. She disclosed that more than 3,000 trees were planted by the company across the country since last year through a partnership with the Forestry Commission and Ghana International School. “As a purpose-led organisation, we committed to helping ensure a sustainable future for all by embarking on a campaign that will save the country’s forest from

depletion. This is why we are supporting the President’s call to help regain the enormous forest cover that the nation had, by once again partnering the Forestry Commission and Ghana International School to plant 4,000 seedlings throughout the month of June,” she said. She added that the company

had outlined several initiatives throughout June, to contribute to the Green Ghana agenda, as well as inspire Ghanaians and other organisations to take steps to protect the planet. Ms. Ashiokai Akrong also hinted plans to make internet connectivity accessible to persons who visit the zoo.

World Bank, AU to deploy Covid vaccines for 400 million Africans

he President of the World Bank, David Malpass, and his senior management team comprised of Dr. Axel van Trotsenburg and Dr. Makhtar Diop met with the African Union’s COVID-19 Vaccine Acquisition Task Team (AVATT) to discuss modalities for a partnership that will accelerate vaccine deployment to Africa. In a historic COVID-19 vaccine procurement agreement signed on 28 March 2021, the AVATT had previously successfully secured up to 400 million doses of the Johnson and Johnson singleshot COVID-19 vaccine with the support of the African ExportImport Bank (Afreximbank). “In providing a US$2billion guarantee on behalf of the African Union member states, we were able to help put Africa in a strong negotiating position with producers as we negotiated vaccine procurement. It was obvious to us at AVATT that no deal will have been possible without a strong financial backing“ the President of Afreximbank, Prof Benedict Oramah said. “The Johnson and Johnson doses are a critical step towards the continental goal of

vaccinating at least 60 per cent of Africans. Reaching this target is a prerequisite to saving African lives and livelihoods, safely reopening our economies and resuming our economic development agenda,” said Dr. John N Nkengasong, Director of the African Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and Member of the AVATT. With over 41 countries at different stages of finalising their orders for purchasing the vaccine and with vaccination momentum

growing, it is essential that countries feel they can get sufficient doses quickly and in an affordable way. The World Bank’s decision to partner with AVATT on the heels of the US announcement about dose sharing means countries can be assured they can both access and finance the vaccines they need, “ said Mr Strive Masiyiwa, African Union Special Envoy and coordinator of the AVATT. Under the AVATT structure, AU Member States are allocated

vaccines according to the size of their populations for purchase through a pooled procurement mechanism. These vaccines complement the vaccines offered through the COVAX Facility, which has set out to deliver vaccines for up to 30 per cent of participating countries’ populations, to enable the AU Member States to reach the continental target. His Excellency President Cyril Ramaphosa of the Republic of South Africa, in his capacity as Chair of the African Union, established the AVATT on 6 November 2020 and mandated it to ensure equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines for AU Member States and provide the required financing. The World Bank team and the AVATT team agreed to fast track all administrative procedures in order to ensure vaccines get into countries as early as possible. Once the vaccines arrive in the Member States, additional efforts will be required to support their deployment. This includes incountry distribution (logistics and storage in line with the coldchain requirements), securing the required systems, capacities and capabilities for vaccination.

FRIDAY JUNE 18, 2021

Feature

FRIDAY JUNE 18, 2021

A half-century of endless drug war

By Helen Clark, Olusegun Obasanjo and Ricardo Lagos

ifty years ago this week, US President Richard Nixon declared that drug abuse was “public enemy number one” requiring a “tough on crime” approach in the United States and abroad. The “war on drugs,” which expanded in parallel with the global political, military, economic, and cultural hegemony of the US in the post-World War II decades, has delivered the exact opposite of its own stated aims. Today we have both plantbased and synthetic production; low-scale and high-level trafficking of illicit narcotics; disproportionate sentencing and over-incarceration; violence and rights violations; and money laundering and enrichment of organized crime – all strengthened, not weakened, by repressive responses to illegal drugs. Since 1971, every US administration has reaffirmed the war on drugs approach. This policy choice has become so culturally, socially, and politically embedded in our societies that political leaders feel constrained not to change it. Under President Barack Obama, an assertive policy known as the Attorney General’s Smart on Crime Initiative attempted to address the disproportionately harsh and ineffective federal prison sentences for drug offenses, but without questioning the deeprooted flaws of the war on drugs, this initiative ended up merely tweaking incarceration rates. In 2018, President Donald Trump’s administration sought to re-energize the war on drugs

by hosting a global call to action at the United Nations General Assembly. This diplomatic display, which lasted 15 minutes, highlighted the end of the prohibition consensus: a number of countries, including Germany and New Zealand, refused to endorse it. Until now, there has been scant support for lifesaving and cost-effective harm-reduction services among US policymakers. These services are concerned with reducing the health and economic costs of problematic drug use. By providing a clean needle to a person who injects drugs, public policy accepts that that person will engage in an illegal activity, but also that the higher priority is to ensure that the person does not die of an overdose, become infected, transmit HIV or hepatitis, or resort to petty crime to buy drugs and drug paraphernalia. Harm-reduction services are needed now more than ever. Some 81,000 Americans died from drug overdoses in the year ending in May 2020, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – owing to a record number of opioid overdoses. Fortunately, this death toll seems to have awakened US policymakers. In 2021, President Joe Biden’s administration unveiled a surprisingly bold drug policy initiative that emphasizes expanding treatment and harm reduction. By committing to an evidence-based, public-health approach, Biden is signaling that the strategies of repression and punishment have failed. The Biden administration’s emphasis on “evidence-based harm-reduction efforts” is a radical departure from the drug-

war approach. These efforts embrace a series of effective and evidence-backed health services: the distribution of medications to reverse the effects of opioid overdoses and of sterile injecting equipment, complemented with HIV and hepatitis C testing. In an unparalleled move, the US government will also invest $30 million in harm-reduction services as part of the American Rescue Plan. These new policy approaches are also aligned with a range of state- and city-level efforts to address the overdose crisis. In the last few years, cities as diverse as Philadelphia, Ithaca, Seattle, Santa Fe, and Atlanta have been exploring more balanced policy between repression of and support for illicit drug users, similar to the four-pillar drug strategy in Vancouver, which in turn was inspired by local and national European policies. But now that the Biden administration is changing drug policy for the better, one hopes that the US will champion a shift to harm-reduction policies internationally. In the last decade, the national and international funding of these services has contracted, covering a mere 5% of the estimated global need. More attention should be paid to the experiences of countries like Switzerland, which massively invested in harm reduction and reduced both the size of its druginjecting population and the rate of HIV transmission. Sadly, countries where harmreduction services are either limited or banned outright are the leaders and drivers of the global spread of hepatitis, tuberculosis, and HIV. Just as America is one of the largest

worldwide contributors to the treatment and prevention of HIV/ AIDS, America must now help steer the world away from failed repressive drug strategies. The two issues are closely connected. The US has invested $85 billion in the global HIV/ AIDS response since 2003, saving many millions of lives. But drug policy, too, must change if we are to remove HIV as a global public health threat. As long as people who use drugs engage in dangerous modes of consumption, such as repeatedly sharing needles because they have no access to harm-reduction services, or because they don’t want to use these services in fear of legal sanctions, HIV will continue to stalk our societies. The US led the world into the war on drugs, and now America must help lead us out of it. The war on drugs does not and cannot reduce harm. It fuels negative and perhaps unintended consequences, and it is outdated in the face of new challenges and threats. The illegal-drugs market is rapidly adapting to the twentyfirst century and to the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The production of plant-based drugs is increasingly competing with the production of highly potent synthetic drugs closer to their consumers. The illegal market is slowly shifting away from our streets and towards crypto domains linked directly to our homes. Fifty years of failure is enough. Now is the time for the US to lead the world toward humane, people-centered, and evidencebased drug policy for the twentyfirst century.

FRIDAY JUNE 18, 2021

Feature

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Italian companies in sorting, processing and packaging ready for partnerships

orting, processing and packaging are critical stages in agro-industrial production, requiring the best available technological systems and products supplied by the most specialized and experienced companies in the world. Lately, an increasing number of agroindustry companies in Ghana and in Africa are looking to solutions from Italy, as Made in Italy machinery is well known for its reliability and high standards, allowing producers to improve their performance with consistency and quality output. To respond to such growing interest, the Italian Trade Agency in Ghana is set to bring to the country, through the Ghana-Italy Agribusiness Digital Lab project, major Italian companies in sorting, processing, and packaging to exhibit their expertise to Ghanaian agribusiness operators in the food, beverages, pharmaceuticals, and other agroprocessing sectors. On display will be technologies for sorting of ingredients and raw materials, food processing and preservation, and fresh and safe packaging of produce. Most of these technologies are turnkey and developed to suit customer needs and specifications. Through the Digital Lab, which is slated for June 22, the exhibiting Italian companies will conduct virtual B2B meetings with Ghanaian agribusiness companies, under the auspices of the Italian Trade Agency. The meetings will be hosted

on a dedicated portal, https:// g h a n a - i t a l y. d i g i t a l . i c e . i t , where interested Ghanaian agribusiness firms can register for participation. The following companies engaged in the business of sorting, processing, and packaging will take part in the B2B session and are ready to connect with firms along Ghana’s agribusiness value chain for mutually beneficial partnerships: Systems for extraction—Agrenta Agrenta develops and manufactures natural flavours, vegetable extracts and functional food ingredients to give food products an extra touch, a taste experience or added functional benefits inspired by nature. It designs production protocols and systems for the extraction of active ingredients from plants, herbs, and other vegetable sources, starting from laboratory to commercial scale. Working with public institutions, research centers and non-profit organizations, Agrenta actively promotes the development of human capital in the territories and rural communities in which it operates. Raw materials handling— Agriflex Agriflex is an Italian manufacturing leader in raw materials handling for the food industry. The company designs, manufactures and installs systems

for storing, conveying, dosing and automatically controlling solid and liquid micro and macro raw materials. It is the go-to brand for bespoke solutions for raw materials processing by producers or agrobusinesses that are into value addition for products such as bread, pasta, confectionery, etc. At Agriflex, every system is specifically designed to meet the customer’s needs, from the initial concept to design, manufacturing and installation. De Lorenzo S.p.A. De Lorenzo is a 51-year-old leading Italian company in the design, development and production of technical and vocational training equipment in various fields including food technology. Thanks to its wide experience gained over the years, De Lorenzo is able to provide suitable solutions through the supply of small-scale food plants designed to provide knowledge and expertise on food processing technology related to fruit, vegetables and milk. Clients and users are able to observe a complete production cycle and work on a wide range of machines through hands-on practice of individual operations such as washing, mixing, separating, extracting, etc. Studio Tecnico Appiani srl Studio Tecnico Appiani is an

Italian company with more than 20 years of worldwide experience specializing in the engineering, supply, and turnkey manufacture of hydrothermal processing plants for the main cereals, mainly focused on parboiled rice, with almost 5 technologies in its portfolio. The company has installed parboiling plants worldwide, including in Thailand, Bangladesh, India, China, Africa, and South America. Thanks to the growth of the international market and the increasing demanding for new processes, the company has studied new lines for the production of quick cooking rice, precooked cereals and pulses lines to reduce the final cooking time of the products, saving household time. Tropical Food Machinery SRL Unipersonale Tropical Food Machinery (TFM) designs and manufactures complete plants for fruit and tomato processing. It develops a range of “turn-key” lines, from receiving to filling, with a capacity ranging from 200 kg/h to 50 t/h, for large industry and for small producers and cooperatives. The production is tailor-made to suit the customer’s needs and the improvements made on the field are integrated in the new projects.

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19 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 17 TFM deals with the construction and commissioning of the machinery without intermediaries. This verticalization of the production guarantees control over quality and unparalleled productive speed, as well as creating a strong sense of community within the company’s workforce. TFM offers the customer the ability to connect by electronic means and to receive assistance remotely for its plant: in this way, the company’s “vertical” style includes buyer’s assistance. Fruits & vegetables processing— Navatta Group Navatta operates directly on the national and international markets as a manufacturer and installer of machines and plants for the processing of fruit, vegetables and tomatoes, with a portfolio of products that makes it one of the main reference companies in the sector. The group produces, installs and starts up lines, systems, and machines for the processing of peeled/diced/pulp tomatoes, tomato sauces and purees, tomato concentrates with fillings in all types of rigid and flexible containers, and aseptic fillings. Navatta also delivers patented high-yield plants for the extraction of fruit purees with “cold extraction” technology, aseptic equalization systems for purees/juices, as well as the processing of vegetables through reception, preparation, cooking, grilling, and freezing. Filling machines—Galdi Galdi is into the design and building of solutions and services including filling machines for food and beverages. The company provides valueadded solutions for the filling and packaging of milk, dairy products, fruit juices, and liquid eggs in Gable Top cartons. The Gable Top cartons guarantee maximum attention to food safety. The client-centered approach oriented towards continuous improvement allows Galdi to constantly expand the resources made available to the customer in order to generate greater value, both in the pre- and post-sales phases. Packaging solutions—Agripak This Italian brand provides turnkey solutions in the

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engineering and manufacturing of machines for reusable and recyclable packaging for fruit, vegetables, food and logistics. A global brand with over 70 years of experience, Agripak sells its machinery, downstream plants, auxiliaries, and endproducts solutions all over the world, expressly tailoring its hightech solutions to any customer’s request or production need. The company focuses strongly on customization, high-standard quality, innovation, productivity, turnkey service, and fast return on investment. The circular economy concept is well enshrined in its operations; thus, it develops specific materials and machines to reduce the weight of the packages, allows reuse of the packages, and finally recycles them back in the production loop. Packaging materials—Graziani Roberto e F.lli & C. Graziani Packaging is the largest Italian manufacturer of packaging materials, specialized in palletization for the logistics and export of fruits and vegetables. For many decades, this brand has been a reliable and experienced international partner for the security of goods during transportation, working in more than 40 countries worldwide and supplying its innovative high-quality solutions

that secure the shipments of fruits and vegetables all over the world. It is the Italian reference supplier for cardboard corners in many of the major fruit and vegetable exporting countries worldwide. Its MAGIC CORNERS® is produced with a mix of the best virgin Kraft Liner papers and selected cardboard together with special glues, which allow it to attain the highest resistance on the market. Graziani operates through a well-structured network of agents and distributors, or directly with prestigious large companies and major brands in the sector. Packaging solutions—Ilip Ilip is a member of the ILPA Group, a European leader in the processing and transformation of plastic and bioplastic raw materials. The company develops and makes available to retailers, food service and the fresh produce and food industry, its innovative and sustainable packaging solutions, in thermoformed plastic, bioplastic and renewable and compostable materials. The company operates three business units: Food Service Packaging, Fresh Produce Packaging and Fresh Food Packaging. The assortment of its fresh produce packaging includes punnets, trays and fruit nest trays made from plastic and R-PET up to 100 percent specially

designed to protect, enhance and preserve the freshness of fruit and vegetables, to meet any need in any situation. Packaging machines—Laferpack Lafer Packaging is a leading manufacturer of horizontal packaging machines and complete automatic packaging lines, offering the very best solutions in the packaging of various agro products. Its quest for quality is driven by its passion for the job, its desire to share knowledge, and the pride of meeting customers’ expectations. It offers customized solutions to satisfy the needs of that person that will employ it; machines with reduced maintenance time and operating costs; and machines easy and intuitive to be programmed. The rationale behind this is to produce a modern technology that reduces energy consumption without losing sight of the needs of those who will daily use the machines that are built. All the above companies will showcase their expertise and technologies, as well as explore potential business relationships with Ghanaian agro-related enterprises, during the GhanaItaly Agribusiness Digital Lab on June 22. It is an opportunity not to be missed by the Ghanaian agribusiness sector.

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Markets

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