Business24 Newspaper 14th May, 2021 by Business24 Online

FRIDAY MAY 14, 2021

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NO. B24 / 195 | NEWS FOR BUSINESS LEADERS

MONDAY FRIDAYMAY MAY3,14, 2021 2021

Inflation back to single digit

Gov’t takes steps to tackle fisheriesrelated crimes By Patrick Paintsil p_paintsil@hotmail.com

overnment has moved to enact a new Fisheries Act that will incorporate measures to tackle unreported and unregulated fishing and prescribe stiffer sanctions against infractions of the nation’s fisheries laws. Cont’d on page 3

Trade Min. calls for value-added services to exporters nationwide By Eugene Davis ugendavis@gmail.com

By Joshua Worlasi Amlanu macjosh1922@gmail.com

onsumer inflation dropped by 1.8 percentage points to 8.5 percent in April, driven by a large drop in food inflation, which fell by 4.3 percentage

points to 6.5 percent in the month, according to data from the Ghana Statistical Service. Although this indicates that the Covid-induced price hikes from last year continue to ease off, inflation on a monthly basis increased from 0.9 percent in March to 1.5 percent in April, the data showed.

ECONOMIC INDICATORS EXCHANGE RATE (INT. RATE)

POLICY RATE

14.5% 14.77%

OVERALL FISCAL DEFICIT

11.4% OF GDP

AVERAGE PETROL & DIESEL PRICE:

4.2% GHC 5.13

he Minister for Trade and Industry, Alan Kyerematen, says the Ghana Export Promotion Authority’s (GEPA) Impact Hub should be extended to regions outside the capital to help improve service delivery to exporters nationwide.

Cont’d on page 2 INTERNATIONAL MARKET

US$1 = GHC 5.7606

GHANA REFERENCE RATE PROJECTED GDP GROWTH RATE

“April 2021 inflation was 8.5 percent. This shows that the effect of price hikes recorded at the onset of Covid-19 is waning, and inflation is almost at pre-Covid rates,” said Government Statistician Prof. Samuel Kobina Annim.

BRENT CRUDE $/BARREL NATURAL GAS $/MILLION BTUS GOLD $/TROY OUNCE

CORN $/BUSHEL

$543.75

COCOA $/METRIC TON

$123.55

COFFEE $/POUND:

Cont’d on page 3

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Editorial / News

FRIDAY MAY 14, 2021

Editorial

Illegal fishing needs lasting solution

llegal and unregulated fishing poses a grave danger to the country’s predominant artisanal fishing industry which is a source of employment for the majority of the communities dotted across the coast. According to estimates, nearly US$300m is lost per annum to these activities which do not only deplete the country’s fisheries stock but also increase the risk of driving local fisherfolks out of employment. The practice is one of the drivers for a new Fisheries Act which government is betting on to help tackle some of the problems inherent in the sector. According to governmenmt, a new Fisheries Act will

incorporate measures to tackle unreported and unregulated fishing and prescribe stiffer sanctions against infractions of the nation’s fisheries laws. The fisheries ministry, according to the sector minister, has also initiated processes towards the preparation of a new marine fisheries management plan for the next five years, with plans to procure four patrol vessels and a research vessel. According to the Fisheries and Aquaculture Development Minister Hawa Koomson, these efforts are part of reforms to help the nation tackle the menace of illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing and allied fisheries crimes.

There is no denying the fact that IUU fishing and other fisheries crimes remain worrisome due to their negative impact on fisheries resources and the loss of revenue to the state. IUU fishing depletes fish stocks, destroys marine habitats, distorts competition, puts honest fishers at a disadvantage and weakens coastal communities, particularly in developing countries. This paper would like to call on the government to live up to its promises of delivering a fisheries sector devoid of some of these illegal practices. This would no doubt curb the potential of job losses within the sector.

Inflation back to single digit Continued from cover

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Despite the fall, market analysts have predicted that beyond April, upside price pressures could cause some modest increases in inflation, before a slowdown is seen again in August and September. The expected increases are based on the recent tax increases, higher fuel costs, and higher transport fares. It is anticipated, however, that the food harvest in August and September could bring down inflation for the period. In contrast to food inflation, non-food year-on-year inflation went up in April compared to March, from 10 percent to 10.2 percent. Analysts have said the central bank’s monetary policy committee is likely to keep its benchmark policy lending rate at 14.5 percent this month and through the rest of the year given the upside risks to inflation beyond April. According to Courage Martey, a senior analyst with Databank, the asset management company, a favourable inflation would allow BoG to keep policy rate unchanged. “Against this backdrop, I expect the MPC to leave the policy rate unchanged at 14.5

Prof. Samuel Kobina Annim, Government Statistician

percent to observe the price dynamics between May and July 2021,” he predicted. The Bank of Ghana’s current forecast is for headline inflation

to return to the target band of 8–10 percent in the second quarter of 2021. However, this could soon be revised in view of recent tax and fuel cost increases.

FRIDAY MAY 14, 2021

Gov’t takes steps to tackle fisheriesrelated crimes Continued from cover The fisheries ministry has also initiated processes towards the preparation of a new marine fisheries management plan for the next five years, with plans to procure four patrol vessels and a research vessel. These efforts, according to Fisheries and Aquaculture Development Minister Hawa Koomson, are part of reforms to help the nation tackle the menace of illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing and allied fisheries crimes. The minister disclosed this in Tema on Wednesday when she opened a new regional monitoring, control and surveillance centre (RMCSC) to help curtail IUU fishing and other fisheries-related crimes. She said IUU fishing and other fisheries crimes remain worrisome to the government due to their negative impact on fisheries resources and the loss of revenue to the state, describing the newly opened facility as a timely intervention.

“No single country can combat IUU fishing, and the launch of the RMCSC has come at an opportune time. Now is the time for us to collectively tackle the menace,” she added. “Through this facility and other efforts of the FCWC (Fisheries Committee of West and Central Gulf of Guinea) and its partners, the menace of IUU and other emerging issues confronting the fisheries sector, such as maritime security, could be dealt with in a more decisive manner.” Unreported and unregulated fishing continue to undermine sustainable marine fisheries across West Africa, with high economic losses and increasing levels of marine insecurity along the Gulf of Guinea region. The practice costs the fisheries economy an estimated US$300m annually. The monitoring facility, established by the Fisheries Committee of West and Central Gulf of Guinea (FCWC), an intergovernmental fisheries supervisory body, will undertake vessel monitoring and analysis

The cost of illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing to the industry is estimated at US$300m per annum.

to support coordinated efforts of fisheries inspection at port and at sea. It will also host a regional record of authorised and IUUlisted fishing vessels. The centre was funded under the European Union’s Improved Regional Fisheries Governance (PESCAO) project, which is investing some €16.5m into the tracking and monitoring of fishing activities across the subregion. Ambassador and Head of the European Union Delegation to Ghana, Diana Acconcia, said the core aim of the PESCAO project is to improve fisheries governance

through better coordination of national fisheries policies. The RMCSC, she said, will be paramount in enhancing regional cooperation in the fight against IUU fishing. “IUU fishing depletes fish stocks, destroys marine habitats, distorts competition, puts honest fishers at a disadvantage and weakens coastal communities, particularly in developing countries. The EU is firmly committed to eradicating IUU fishing around the world and is taking strong and structured action towards this goal.”

Trade Min. calls for value-added services to exporters nationwide Continued from cover GEPA’s Impact Hub is a technology-driven export trade information centre set up by the export promotion agency to provide up-to-date export-related information to the exporter community. It is meant to add value to services the organisation provides to the exporter community in Ghana. These efforts are meant to make an input to the National Export Development Strategy, which has the ultimate objective of attaining US$25.3bn in nontraditional export earnings by the year 2029. The Hub, located inside the Africa Trade House building at Ridge in Accra, has computers, online resources, and a library where clients can access exportrelated information. Speaking at the launch of the Hub in Accra, the Trade Minister told GEPA: “[My request] is for your leadership to scale up this partnership so that the various

regions have a similar set-up to build the capacities of exporters in the regions as well. Over time, together with the regional Business Resource Centres, we would be more than ready to be export-oriented for an industrialised Ghana.”

On her part, the CEO of GEPA, Dr. Afua Asabea Asare, stated that the Hub will save clients a considerable amount of time, energy and resources in accessing information relating to exports. She also added: “It is our hope and my expectation that we

will be able to drive the young entrepreneurs who are aspiring to be the big-time exporters of tomorrow to the Hub, as it also serves as an incubator for potential exporters, especially young aspiring exporters who need guidance and training on accessing trade information. Indeed, they are our primary target because the future belongs to them.” In addition to the services the Hub offers, key export sector regulatory agencies have permanent desks within the Hub. These are the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA), the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), and the Plant Protection and Regulatory Services Directorate (PPRSD) of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture. These three agencies are providing part of their services from the Hub to curtail the time and effort spent by clients moving from one office to the other in search of relevant information. The Hub is open to the exporter community, with GEPA-registered exporters benefitting from valueadded services.

FRIDAY MAY 14, 2021

News

FRIDAY MAY 14, 2021

USDA-GPP, ADB, others partner Agrihouse for third LiPF Tradeshow

grihouse Foundation, in partnership with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) - Ghana Poultry Project (GPP), is set to host the third edition of the Livestock, Poultry and Fisheries Tradeshow (LiPF), in Accra, at the Efua Sutherland Children’s park, May 21-22, The two-day training and exhibition tradeshow, which is on the theme, “We Move! W) Yaa,” is also in partnership with the Agricultural Development Bank, Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA), the United States Department of Agriculture, National Board for Small Scale Industries, and National Farmers and Fishermen Award Winner’s Association of Ghana (NFFAWAG). This year’s LiPF tradeshow, according to the Executive Director of Agrihouse, Ms. Alberta Nana Akyaa Akosa, will afford participants, including, livestock, poultry and fisheries farmers and exhibitors; tertiary and financial institutions; agriculture and media organizations; and development partners, a learning environment to explore deeper ways to take advantage of opportunities in the animal agricultural sector. LiPF, she emphasised, has come at an opportune time to

Ms. Alberta Nana Akyaa Akosa

inform and educate the public about alternative means to create jobs and make additional income, especially, in the animal agricultural sector, since many people in the country now have lost their jobs as result of the COVID-19 pandemic. “Now more than ever LifP is relevant as we seek to build resilience and confidence in individuals who have lost their source of income and are looking for alternate means in these times,” she noted. The tradeshow will also be a motivational platform to encourage people who are passionate and interested in the animal agricultural sector, to take steps towards it. Through LiPF,

such individuals will become aware of the multiple career opportunities within the animal agricultural sector, to help them make relevant choices. There will be capacity-building training sessions in areas including, cattle production (Beef and Dairy), Poultry farming, Rabbit and Grass cutter farming; Pig farming, Fish farming; Snail farming; Mushroom production; Bee keeping; Goat and Sheep rearing; and Milk processing (Yoghurt making). Chief of Party at the USDA, Ghana Poultry Project (GPP), Ms. Carianne De Boer, noted that her department’s desire to contribute to Ghana’s animal farming sector is a priority, thus,

the need to work with Agrihouse to ensure sustainable growth and innovation in the sector. She said, donor investor policies must truly reflect the resilient and prosperous future development partners and agristakeholders envision for the agricultural sector. She said the youth must also take a fresh look at the agricultural sector, especially, platforms like LiFP that offer modernized approaches to agriculture, where they are taught to utilize new technologies to manage their agricultural setups. Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) has commended LiPF as a project in the right direction, as it continues to promote the poultry, livestock and fisheries value chain and its agribusiness potentials. Agricultural Development Bank (ADB), in a statement, described LiPF as an integral platform that offers agri-stakeholders an opportunity to engage, dialogue, and build capacity in ways that boost growth within the sector. “We, therefore, find it very important to support such an event,” it said. ADB will lead two knowledge-sharing sessions at the tradeshow: “assessing funds and funding opportunities available for the animal businesses, and Marketing effectively, via digital channels.”

Seed traceability programme will eliminate charlatan seed producers

r Zakaria Issahaku, Technical Advisor, German Development Organisation-Market Oriented Agricultural Programme (GIZ-MOAP), has stated that the introduction of the seed traceability programme will help eliminate charlatan seed producers from the seed market. This, according to him, would contribute to an increase in the availability of quality seeds in the market, thereby, playing a key role in enhancing productivity of farmers. Dr Issahaku stated this during a day’s training programme on seed traceability systems for agro input dealers drawn from North East, Savannah and Upper West Regions. The seed sector, described by Dr Issahaku as the sleeping giant in the agriculture sector has not experienced the expected growth

trajectory and at the centre of the challenge according to him was the issue about the quality of seeds produced and sold to farmers. “Farmers have not been served with the best of quality seeds over the years, which have created deep suspicion about the use of seeds,” he emphasised and attributed the challenge partly to the adulteration of seeds and poor policy regulation. He said the decision by MOAP North West, the National Seed Trade Association of Ghana (NASTAG) and the Plant Protection and Regulatory Services Directorate (PPRSD) to collaborate in this direction, was not only timely but also revolutionary. Dr Issahaku pointed out that the collaboration would also ensure a more strengthened PPRSD, which ensures the provision of much

better regulatory oversight in the industry. “Beyond this training, the partners are committing themselves to ensuring that

rigorous monitoring is undertaken to guarantee a successful pilot of the scheme leading to a possible nationwide adoption in the years to come,” he said. GNA

FRIDAY MAY 14, 2021

International

FRIDAY MAY 14, 2021

Norway announces further drawdown from pension fund

he Norwegian government will draw down a record NOK402bn (£34bn) of funding from its national pension fund, to help mitigate the economic impact of Covid-19. The spending was confirmed in Norway’s revised budget for this year, with almost NOK90bn more funding than originally proposed in the 2021 budget last autumn. The bulk of the investment from the Government Pension Fund of Norway will be used for extraordinary economic support measures related to the pandemic, the finance department said. Finance minister, Jan Tore Sanner said: “To meet the crisis with forceful economic measures has been crucial.” The revised figure for oil revenue spending, one of the two funds in the GPFN, is estimated at 3.7% of the fund, up from the 3.0% in the earlier version of the

budget, the ministry said. Sanner said: “Increasing the petroleum revenue spending to this end is also in line with the fiscal rule. “To maintain fiscal sustainability and support the economy’s growth ability, postcrisis spending must be brought down.” According to Norway’s financial rules, transfers from the GPFG to the central government budget are to equal the fund’s expected real return, estimated at 3%. Norway forecasts that GDP will rise by 3.7% this year, following a contraction of 2.5%, the finance department said. The Norwegian government first started withdrawing funds from the GPFG in 2016, 26 years after a second oil fund was launched in 1990. The net withdrawal from the fund in 2016 was NOK101bn,

according to the fund’s manager Norges Bank Investment Management. Last year, the net withdrawal from the Norwegian government was NOK298bn. Last month, the IMF praised Norway’s management of the pandemic, as support schemes helped to prevent a large

contraction in its GDP. However, the fund said that the Scandinavian nations faces difficult policy decisions in the longer-term, due to declining oil revenues and an ageing population. Publicfinancefocus.org

Tackling the informal economy ‘key to economic recovery in developing countries’

he widespread nature of the ‘informal economy’ in developing countries leaves governments with fewer resources with which to support the economic recovery from Covid-19, a World Bank study has found. The informal economy, typically larger in poorer countries, constitutes legal activities hidden from public authorities for reasons such as avoiding tax and regulations, corruption and poor-quality political institutions. More than 70% of employment, and nearly one-third of GDP, in emerging market and developing economies are in the informal sector, according to the paper. Such a high level of informality leaves governments less able to raise the revenue needed to support their economies through a crisis and encourage development in the long term. “More pervasive informality is associated with significantly lower government revenues and expenditures, less effective institutions, more burdensome tax and regulatory regimes and weaker governance,” the study said. “Weaknesses in governance

and revenue collection constrain the provision of public services, contributing to poorer development outcomes and poorer access to, and lowerquality, infrastructure.” Government revenues in emerging and developing countries with above-average informality are about 20% of GDP – between five and 12 percentage points lower than revenues in their peers. Their expenditures are also

lower, by as much as 10 percentage points as a proportion of GDP. Countries with larger informal sectors also have generally lower income levels, more poverty, greater income inequality and are further away from meeting sustainable development goals. The scale of the phenomenon in emerging and developing countries varies across regions: it is highest as a percentage of GDP in Sub-Saharan Africa at 36% and lowest in the Middle East and

North Africa at 22%. It has been declining for three decades before Covid-19, the World Bank said, falling on average by seven percentage points of GDP between 1990 and 2018. The study put this down to tax reforms, increased access to banking and finance (less than a quarter of small informal firms use bank accounts) and stronger governance. “The key, however, is to recognise informality as a phenomenon that reflects broadbased underdevelopment, rather than a challenge that can be considered in isolation,” the paper said. “For that reason, measures to address informality need to be equally broad-based.” In order to unlock the potential resources that could help them drive their economies through the recovery and beyond, the World Bank urged governments to improve access to education, markets and finance. Tax regulation should also be “streamlined”, the report said, to reduce the cost of operating formally and increase the cost of operating informally. Publicfinancefocus.org

FRIDAY MAY 14, 2021

Feature

FRIDAY MAY 14, 2021

Defying predictions, remittance flows remain strong during covid-19 crisis

espite COVID-19, remittance flows remained resilient in 2020, registering a smaller decline than previously projected. Officially recorded remittance flows to low- and middle-income countries reached $540 billion in 2020, just 1.6 percent below the 2019 total of $548 billion, according to the latest Migration and Development Brief. The decline in recorded remittance flows in 2020 was smaller than the one during the 2009 global financial crisis (4.8 percent). It was also far lower than the fall in foreign direct investment (FDI) flows to lowand middle-income countries, which, excluding flows to China, fell by over 30 percent in 2020. As a result, remittance flows to low- and middle-income countries surpassed the sum of FDI ($259 billion) and overseas development assistance ($179 billion) in 2020. The main drivers for the steady flow included fiscal stimulus that resulted in better-than-expected economic conditions in host countries, a shift in flows from cash to digital and from informal to formal channels, and cyclical movements in oil prices and

currency exchange rates. The true size of remittances, which includes formal and informal flows, is believed to be larger than officially reported data, though the extent of the impact of COVID-19 on informal flows is unclear. “As COVID-19 still devastates families around the world, remittances continue to provide a critical lifeline for the poor and vulnerable,” said Michal Rutkowski, Global Director of the Social Protection and Jobs Global Practice at the World Bank. “Supportive policy responses, together with national social protection systems, should continue to be inclusive of all communities, including migrants.” Remittance inflows rose in Latin America and the Caribbean (6.5 percent), South Asia (5.2 percent) and the Middle East and North Africa (2.3 percent). However, remittance flows fell for East Asia and the Pacific (7.9 percent), for Europe and Central Asia (9.7 percent), and for Sub-Saharan Africa (12.5 percent). The decline in flows to Sub-Saharan Africa was almost entirely due to a 28 percent decline in remittance flows to Nigeria. Excluding flows to

Nigeria, remittances to SubSaharan Africa increased by 2.3 percent, demonstrating resilience. The relatively strong performance of remittance flows during the COVID-19 crisis has also highlighted the importance of timely availability of data. Given its growing significance as a source of external financing for low- and middle-income countries, there is a need for better collection of data on remittances, in terms of frequency, timely reporting, and granularity by corridor and channel. “The resilience of remittance flows is remarkable. Remittances are helping to meet families’ increased need for livelihood support,” said Dilip Ratha, lead author of the report on migration and remittances and head of KNOMAD. “They can no longer be treated as small change. The World Bank has been monitoring migration and remittance flows for nearly two decades, and we are working with governments and partners to produce timely data and make remittance flows even more productive.” The World Bank is assisting member states in monitoring the flow of remittances through

various channels, the costs and convenience of sending money, and regulations to protect financial integrity that affect remittance flows. It is working with the G20 countries and the global community to reduce remittance costs and improve financial inclusion for the poor. With global growth expected to rebound further in 2021 and 2022, remittance flows to lowand middle-income countries are expected to increase by 2.6 percent to $553 billion in 2021 and by 2.2 percent to $565 billion in 2022. Even as many high-income nations have made significant progress in vaccinating their populations, infections are still high in several large developing economies and the outlook for remittances remains uncertain. The global average cost of sending $200 remained high at 6.5 percent in the fourth quarter of 2020, more than double the Sustainable Development Goal target of 3 percent. Average remittance costs were the lowest in South Asia (4.9 percent), while Sub-Saharan Africa continued to have the highest average cost (8.2 percent). Supporting the remittance infrastructure and keeping remittances flowing includes efforts to lower fees.

FRIDAY MAY 14, 2021

Travel, Tourism and Aviation

FRIDAY MAY 14, 2021

Emirates to showcase premium economy seats at ATM 2021

mirates will be showcasing its Premium Economy seats for the first time at Arabian Travel Market 2021 (ATM). The region’s leading travel and tourism exhibition will run from 16-19 May, and will be the first inperson travel industry event to take place since the onset of the pandemic. The Emirates stand will offer travel industry visitors from over 60 countries a chance to experience the airline’s signature product and recently introduced service enhancements across every cabin class onboard its iconic A380 aircraft, and is a reminder of the elevated onboard experiences in store for travelers once they get back to the skies. The highly-anticipated Emirates premium economy seat will be on display for visitors to experience.

The seat boasts an abundant pitch of up to 40-inches, and visitors trying out Emirates’ premium economy seat will also notice its generous width of 19.5 inches and ability to recline into a comfortable cradle position with ample room to stretch out. The seats are covered in creamcolored anti-stain leather with automobile inspired stitching details and a wood panel finishing similar to Business Class, all designed to provide optimal comfort and support with 6-way adjustable headrests, calf rests and footrests. Customers will also find other meticulous details including easily accessible in-seat charging points, a wide dining table and side cocktail table, as well as a storage area. Emirates will also showcase its Boeing 777-300ER game-

changer first-class fully enclosed private suites exhibit, Boeing 777 business class seat, the newly refreshed A380 on-board lounge, along with other iconic products such the first-class shower spa and the latest version of the gamechanger economy class seats. Across both the Emirates A380 and 777 Gamechanger products, visitors will notice new interior finishes and design details featuring the Ghaf tree motif, as well as an updated champagne

colour palette. Visitors to the Emirates product exhibits will be able to try out all of the products on the stand, and all seats and surfaces will be cleaned and sanitised after each use. In keeping with ATM’s stringent health and safety protocols, the Emirates stand will operate at limited capacity at all times to ensure proper social distancing of visitors as they explore the products.

Finance Ministry signs two agreements with MOTAC under CARES Programme

he Ministry of Finance has signed the first two out of 8 compact agreements with the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture for an amount of GHS100m as part of modalities to kick-start the implementation of the Ghana Covid-19 Alleviation and Revitalisation of Enterprises Support (GhanaCARES) Obaatanpa programme. This extra allocation falls outside of the ministry’s annual budgetary amount to ensure strategic and catalytic interventions that will foster

a quicker recovery and boost our post COVID-19 economic transformation. The compact is a partnership agreement between the Ministry of Finance, as the Coordinating authority, and sector ministry under the supervision of the Inter-Ministerial Coordinating Committee (IMCC) to ensure effective and timely delivery of the targets set for the various Ministries under the CARES Programme for the 2021 fiscal year.

Film Pitch Series courts investors to creative sector

merica-based Ghanaian filmmaker Alfred Agyapong has expressed interest in Ghana’s film industry with plans to invest heavily in the sector. Mr. Agyapong is set to invest about US$150,000 into the local movie industry this year, which is expected to make the local film business more competitive. This comes on the heels of the government’s introduction of the Film Pitch Series, an initiative to strengthen the creative sector to make it a significant contributor to national development, an action that has drawn the

attention of top investors and movie producers across the world. Presidential Film Pitch Series is a film activation programme in Ghana aimed at creating a platform for Ghanaian filmmakers with projects within the film ecosystem to engage investors, broadcasters, distributors, sponsors, and platforms around the world for potential opportunities. Mr. Agyapong’s passion for the film business was inspired by a close partner and has since then sponsored several films including “

FRIDAY MAY 14, 2021

Feature

FRIDAY MAY 14, 2021

Rotary Club of Accra- Ring Road Central hands over new classroom block to Golden Spring School, Tetegu

ho solicits for books and get classroom buildings in addition? This is exactly what happened to Patience Gamor when she approached the Rotary Club of Accra – Ring Road Central for reading books? Upon conducting a needs assessment, the club members also asked themselves “How do we place books in a termite infected room”. In response to Patience’s request, the club decided to construct and renovate classroom buildings, the school’s library and toilet and water facilities. Children need a healthy school environment for learning and development. The benefits of availability of such important facilities include improved academic performance and attendance; enhanced physical, mental and social state of the children; decreased behavioural issues in school and home. This also produces positive attitude and encourages staff morale and productivity. As Rotarians always do, members of the Rotary Club of Accra – Ring Road Central united in purpose, exchanged ideas on this project and took action. It was exciting seeing the project take shape week by week, month after month. On 24th of April 2021, members of the club trooped down to Tetegu to hand over the completed phase of the project to the school. This completed phase with the support of Domod Roofing Ltd contains eleven classrooms and a renovated library, costing about one hundred and twenty thousand cedis (120,000gh) so far.

When you teach somebody how to read, they have that for a lifetime. It ripples through the community, one by one.” An apt quote by a Rotarian accelerated the idea of a book donation project. So on this day, the club also donated books to the school in a joint project with Rotary Club of Staines UK and Sedco Publishing. It was a day of donations as some club members made personal donations of exercise books, school bags and goodies to the children. Paul Harris who founded the organization once said, “Whatever Rotary may mean to us, to the world will be known by the results it achieves”. Rotarians, all over the world, are constantly depicting his statement by impacting and changing lives in communities through our service projects. We are therefore fighting disease; saving mothers and children;

growing local economies; supporting education, promoting peace, providing clean water and supporting the environment. Supporting Education, one of key areas of focus, is aimed at strengthening the capacity of communities to support basic education and literacy, reduce gender disparity in education and increase adult literacy. We therefore support education for all children and literacy for children and adults. The Rotary club of Accra West chartered the Rotary Club of Accra – Ring Road Central on 24th of April 1986. The journey of thirty-five years has been an interesting, fun and exciting one. Highlights of this journey could be seen mainly in its service projects and growth. The club has grown its membership to almost one hundred and the Rotary family by chartering

five other Rotary clubs, one Rotaract club and two Interact clubs. Its reputation is also shown in leadership roles in the organization. It was the first Rotary club in Ghana to have a major donor pay its $10,000 outright to the Rotary Foundation; a multiple Paul Harris Fellow club and produced two District Governors in recent times. Thirty-five years on, the club is still carrying out acts of humanitarian service through out the country and beyond. It continues to impact lives of the needy, underprivileged and the poor. This fun and dynamic Rotary club is poised for more service to communities; impacting the underprivileged in society and making their lives much much better. We can achieve more with your support. Donate to our fundraising on momo number 0559 35 35 35

FRIDAY MAY 14, 2021

Feature

FRIDAY MAY 14, 2021

The EU is still flying blind

By Ana Palacio

he much-anticipated Conference on the Future of Europe has begun. Announced by the European Commission and the European Parliament at the end of 2019, the conference is billed as “a citizen-led series of debates and discussions that will enable people from across Europe to share their ideas and help shape our common future.” It is unlikely to deliver. I would like nothing more than for the conference to produce a shared vision of Europe’s future, strengthening the European Union’s foundations and dampening the siren song of populism. But consider this: the conference was nearly canceled before it began, owing to organizational challenges, many arising from institutional wrangling. How can the EU be expected to articulate a shared vision, shaped by the voices of its people, if it can barely even introduce a platform for discussion? Ultimately, European institutions completed their negotiations – after sparring over everything from the conference president’s institutional affiliation to the entity that would channel the discussion into final proposals – and the event was salvaged. Yet, watching the proceedings so far, one would hardly know that its purpose is to restore the

democratic bond between the EU and its citizens. This is partly a matter of politics. From the start, it was an open secret that the conference was timed according to the French and German electoral cycles. Its conclusion was intended to coincide with French President Emmanuel Macron’s re-election bid in April 2022 and France’s assumption of the European Council presidency. And, in fact, it was Macron who kicked off the event. In an introductory speech lasting 20 minutes – double his allotted time – he energetically praised the “European model” of tackling the COVID-19 pandemic and pushed the European Parliament’s plenary sessions to return to Strasbourg. It was not quite the rallying cry for citizen engagement one might have expected. Likewise, the composition of the plenary does not enhance the credibility of the conference’s democracy-enhancing mission: of 433 members, only 108 are citizen representatives (tasked with speaking on behalf of the European and national citizens’ panels). And there are just eight representatives of trade unions, employers, and civil-society organizations. To be sure, the rest of the plenary is hardly undemocratic. The group includes 108 representatives from the European Parliament, 54 from

the Council (two per member state), and three from the European Commission, as well as 108 representatives from national parliaments. But the ratio of political leaders to citizen representatives is not at all what one would expect to see at a conference that is supposed to be dedicated, first and foremost, to direct citizen engagement. The risk now is that the conference will be overtaken by a proxy battle among EU institutions: the European Parliament hopes to launch the right of legislative initiative, and the Council seeks to rein in expectations. Even if that does not happen, those who hope the conference will pave the way for EU reform – much like the Schuman Declaration did in 1950 – will probably be disappointed. The cold reality is that the powers that be (EU member states) lack the political will needed to make meaningful change possible. And we can forget about treaty changes. Admittedly, the EU has demonstrated that it is capable of getting its act together and devising creative reforms that do not require amending its founding treaties. But such events are rare, and they have always occurred at the eleventh hour, after a long, grim look into the abyss, such as during the sovereign-debt and migration crises of the past decade. Reactive, delayed, and piecemeal solutions can stave off

disaster, but they cannot form the basis for a united and credible EU. The conference is unlikely to produce the vision Europe needs. Yes, the EU will publish a list of admirable – and predictable – objectives, covering everything from climate change and innovation to inclusive growth. And the internal market remains as important as ever. But this is not the same as establishing a genuine and concrete understanding of what citizens want their future as Europeans to look like. This is a prerequisite to loosening populism’s grip and restoring key aspects of the social contract. Of course, Europe will never be a homogenous entity, and perspectives will vary. The migration crisis appears very different from Italian and Greek shores than it does from the polders of the Netherlands. An aggressive maneuver by Russia will not strike fear in the hearts of Spaniards as it does to Estonians, Latvians, and Lithuanians. But this does not preclude a broadly shared vision. And, given strong public support for the conference, failure to make at least some strides toward developing one would amount to a major missed opportunity. Worse, it would discourage those who, for better or for worse, have allowed their expectations to be raised. That is certainly not in the EU’s interests.

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