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Mexican Ambassador to Ghana talks to Business24
World Bank Group’s $157b pandemic surge is largest crisis response in its history
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In the shadow of the Accra Mall, a street market bustles
GRA to review customs law By Eugene Davis ugendavis@gmail.com
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he Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) is to review its customs administrative law to make it simple and clear for tax payers, Mr. Dominic Naab, an auditor and special aide to the authority’s Commissioner-General, has said.
By Benson Afful affulbenson@gmail.com
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t the heart of the capital, near the Tema Motorway, sits the nation’s premier shopping mall, the Accra Mall, which boasts more than 70 shops on 21,311 square metres of retail space. The mall hosts some of the world’s top brands, including fast-food chains Burger King and KFC, and South African retail giants Game and
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Mid-year review: economist urges passage of exemptions bill By Henry Martinson
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ourage Kingsley Martey, senior economist at asset manager Databank, is urging government to ensure the passage of the Tax Exemptions Bill into law as the Finance Minister prepares to present the mid-year budget review to Parliament on July 29.
Mexico seeks strategic partnership with Ghana By Patrick Paintsil p_paintsil@hotmail.com
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he Mexican Ambassador to Ghana, Enrique Escorza, has indicated the Latin American nation's desire to forge strategic bilateral relations with Ghana beyond trade Cont’d on page 5
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Editorial / News
MONDAY JULY 19, 2021
Editorial
Time to take a firm stance on tax exemptions
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ax exemptions, which is tax waiver and incentives given to business, mostly foreign-owned enterprises, cost the economy over 2percent of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Much as the rationale this gesture is genuine for foreign direct investments, its longterm impact on the national economy is dire. It is estimated that the country has lost about US$10billion to tax exemptions in the last two years. The reason are special incentives to reduce the tax burden on businesses, especially foreign multinational firms that are investing in the local economy with the primary of aim of providing a favourable
environment for investments. The loss of money through the tax exemption regime has prompted the enactment of a bill to plug the loopholes in the tax system. Tax experts have warned that government may want to review its exemption regime if it wants to rake in more revenue from domestic sources. Much as the rationale this gesture is genuine for foreign direct investments, its longterm impact on the national economy is dire. It is estimated that the country has lost about US$10billion to tax exemptions in the last two years. Much as the rationale this gesture is genuine for foreign
direct investments, its longterm impact on the national economy is dire. It is estimated that the country has lost about US$10billion to tax exemptions in the last two years. Recovering from an unprecedented pandemic, tax exemptions is one area that must be relooked as we seek to increase domestic revenue mobilization which is critically needed for national development. Admittedly, we need foreign investments to fast-track national growth through job creation and shared prosperity but we must equally have in place a tax regime that is investor-friendly but with minimal impact of the nation’s tax fortunes.
In the shadow of the Accra Mall, a street market bustles Continued from cover
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Shoprite, targeting the middle to upper classes of society. Across the road, facing one side of the mall, is a bustling street market whose vendors sell items ranging from second-hand clothing to shoes, mobile phones, watches and other wares. There are about 200 traders in this outdoor market on the edge of the street, which also features sellers of “store rejects” (that is, discarded or damaged products obtained from mainstream shops) and fast-food joints. Looking at the mall vis-à-vis the street market, the scene may be described as the case of a titan and a mite. However, the mite in this instance is not to be unduly underrated, as the street market offers many of the things for which people patronise the mall, except perhaps there may be differences in quality and price. Initially, the Ledzokuku Municipal Assembly (LEKMA), which oversees this part of the city, did not tolerate the presence of the traders, who were causing a nuisance by occupying the pedestrian walkway, and tried to stop their activities. This forced some of them to resort to doing their business at night, when the
municipal taskforce ejecting them from the area was away. However, since the coming into office of Mr. Henry Quartey, the Greater Accra Regional Minister, whose vision is to “make Accra work again”, a dedicated space has been demarcated for the traders, and the previous chaos has given way to a better-organised setting. This has no doubt brought life to the place, and when Business24 visited the market at night recently, the traders had set up their stalls under tents lit by solar lamps. Some of them told Business24 they are now able to open their shops from morning till evening without facing any challenges from the municipal taskforce. “Initially, the municipal authorities used to worry us a lot because we were operating on the pedestrian walkway. I only came
to sell in the evening and I wasn’t making much. But now, they have organised us very well, and things are moving very well for us,” said Joseph, who sells ladies’ clothing. A second-hand wares seller, Felix, agreed: “Because we were close to the mall, I think they didn’t like the idea, so we used to face many challenges with the authorities and the mall operators.” He added that he liked the new arrangement, which has brought them peace and serenity to go about their work daily. In many ways, this story of the upscale mall neighboured by a downscale street market, both contending for the consumption cedis of the rising urban middle class, is the story of Accra itself—a fast-modernising and increasingly prosperous city struggling to pull along those inevitably left behind.
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Mid-year review: economist urges passage of exemptions bill Continued from cover According to him, the current tax exemptions regime costs the nation over 2 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), a situation he described as worrying given the government’s persistent revenue mobilization challenges. “The mid-year review presents an opportunity for government to give an update of what it is doing in relation to the review of the tax exemptions regime,” said Mr. Martey in an interview with Business24. “In the 2021 budget, the new taxes and levies introduced were expected to rake in about GH¢2.1bn, so if the tax exemptions regime is reduced by 0.5 percent of GDP, [the government] would be earning or saving just what [it is] expecting to get from new taxes to support or increase revenue performance,” he added. He clarified that his call does not mean tax exemptions are unnecessary. “There are some necessary tax exemptions for our stage of development to attract capital into our economy, but it
tends to be abused,” he said. “You can have people whose tax holidays have expired, but then they change the form of their business to enjoy a new set of tax holidays. We need to find a way of closing those loopholes to prevent people, particularly
non-indigenous businesses, from exploiting them—and then we will be making savings for the state.” Savings from cutting exemptions, in addition to broadening the tax base, will reduce the need to increase taxes on existing tax payers, he added.
Mr. Martey also described the government’s revenue expectation for 2021 as quite ambitious, adding that the state may have to revise down its expectation or do a lot more to achieve it.
GRA to review customs law Continued from cover “Some stakeholders have raised concerns about certain
Items due for export
aspects of the customs tax and administration [system], and the Commissioner of Customs has been directed to look at it and
try to simplify the laws,” said Mr. Naab at a virtual UK-Ghana Chamber of Commerce (UKGCC) quarterly tax dialogue on “Tax
Implications from Ghana’s 2021 Budget Statement.” The Customs Act 2015 (Act 891) was passed to provide for the imposition, collection and accounting of customs duty, tax and for related matters. It entails provisions for imposition of rate of duty and tax on goods, exemptions, customs controls, release of goods, postclearance audit, authorised economic operators, record keeping, customs information, objection, arrival and departure of conveyance, mooring and unloading, and goods for exports or use at stores, among others. Mr. Naab disclosed that government will introduce a non-citizens identity card for foreigners working in the country, while the GRA will set up a desk at the Registrar-General’s department to respond to the tax issues of foreigners who are in the country to transact business for a period of not more than 90 days.
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Mexico seeks strategic partnership with Ghana Continued from cover and commerce, with a strong focus on critical sectors that could offer value and prosperity to both nations. In an exclusive interview with Business24, he said Mexico seeks to leverage its excellent relations with Ghana to boost trade and investment opportunities. “We believe that there is plenty of room to find areas where we can identify potential for further cooperation and build around those a myriad of success stories that can impact the way our business communities behave,” he said. He added: “We have so many things in common, and both countries share the idea of identifying creative ways to conduct a highly effective transformation of our respective national realities.” According to the Ambassador,
the two nations boast vibrant economies, with social and political stability that are conducive for trade and
investment. He said the Mexican Embassy is willing to promote dialogue and business opportunities between Mexican businesses and their Ghanaian counterparts to enhance trade and investment for
both sides. “To achieve that we need to analyse and consolidate areas that render true potential. Tourism is an area in which we can certainly work together in highly effective ways,” Mr. Escorza said.
CIB partners UNC and CSDA to eradicate financial marginalisation
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s further evidence of its commitment to eradicating financial marginalisation and exclusion, the Chartered Institute of Bankers (CIB) Ghana has partnered with the University of North Carolina (UNC) School of Social Work and Centre for Social Development in Africa (CSDA) to launch the Financial Capability and Asset Building (FCAB) Africa project. The project, which seeks to broaden the financial capability of vulnerable populations through financial inclusion and professional training, was virtually launched at the 22nd edition of the Biennial Conference of the International Consortium for Social Development Speaking at the event, which brought together academics, professionals, and policymakers, President of CIB Ghana, Patricia Sappor suggested that the overarching goal of financial service delivery via banks and other institutions alike was to ensure financial inclusion, especially of the most vulnerable. Short of that, she argued, financial institutions would have failed. “The Chartered Institute of Bankers, Ghana, is very pleased to be the lead partner of the FCAB project on the continent and also in Ghana. This is because the objectives of FCAB
Patricia Sappor, President of CIB Ghana
Africa tie into the mandate of the Institute to promote not only the study of banking and regulate it but to ensure that all these impact vulnerable households positively,” she said. The initiative, she added, could not have come at a better time, as the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated prevailing financial inequalities, with the already vulnerable - women, children, and the elderly in rural areas - being the worst hit. The International Monetary Fund, in its Regional Economic Outlook published in April, 2021 acknowledges that economic recovery across the globe will not be evenhanded. Touching on Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), the report says, “Looking ahead, the region will grow by
3.4 percent in 2021, up from 3.1 percent projected in October, and supported by improved exports and commodity prices, along with a recovery in both private consumption and investment. However, per capita output is not expected to return to 2019 levels until after 2022—in many countries, per capita incomes will not return to pre-crisis levels before 2025.” In view of this, Vice President, Dr. Mahamoud Bawumia, who was the special guest of honor at the launch gave assurance that government is working assiduously to ensure the nation reaches full recovery and is positioned to lead, economically on the continent. Referencing the state’s handling of the pandemic - which
was very recently commended by the IMF - Dr. Bawumia stated that evidence abounds to measures that have been out in place to aid the recovery process. “One thing is clear; the pandemic has revealed that the importance of digitalisation in reducing the cost of running brick and mortar businesses. Government will continue to support digital innovations with good governance and policies around data privacy, data sharing, and cybersecurity,” he added. Head of the Special Studies Unit at the Research Department of the Bank of Ghana, Phillip AbraduOtoo, who also joined the launch virtually, echoed sentiments expressed by the Vice President and the President of CIB Ghana. He indicated the bank’s readiness to continue doing its part in providing an enabling economic environment and reducing financial marginalisation. “The agenda being promoted by the FCAB is intricately linked to the mandate of most central banks. When a central bank delivers on its mandate, whether through conventional or unconventional means, the socio-economic conditions of the financially marginalised segments of the population will improve,” he explained.
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GCB tops banks media visibility ranking for Q1&Q2 – IBNA research By Messan Mawugbe (PhD)
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hanaian banks media visibility ranking study conducted by the Institute of Brands Narratives Analysis (IBNA), a strategic media intelligence agency in Accra, has revealed that GCB Bank toped the IBNA’s Ghana Banks Media Visibility Index (IBNA-MVI) in the first and the second quarter of 2021. Ghana Banks Media Visibility Index is a consistent quarterly scientific model designed to track and measure banking corporates’ media coverage and the extent of its visibility. IBNA takes key interest in corporate visibility matrices such as the corporate news story strength, CEO’s visibility, news story reach, banking brands media narratives, attributes and many more. At IBNA, we strongly support the effective relation between corporate visibility and consumer relations. IBNA encourages banking strategic communication departments to step up media intelligence efforts in this era of fleeting content. A critical analysis of Ghana’s banking corporates continues to suggest many strategic communications departments are underperforming. For
instance, none of the banks could generate even 30 news stories for Q1 to Q2, 2021. Total 94 banking news stories were recorded in Q1, but jumped to 146 in Q2. All the same, the dynamism within the banking sector is yet to be fully experienced in unpaid media content such as news. GCB Bank was the most visible bank for the period of first quarter (Q1) and second quarter (Q2), 2021. GCB Bank, seems to be entrenching its Media Visibility position as it toped IBNA’s 2020 Annual Banking Media Visibility ranking in Ghana but lost the banking CEO’s media visibility for 2020 to ADB bank. For Q1&Q2 2021 news narratives, GCB recorded a total of 26 (19%), FBNBANK 22 (16%), Ecobank 20
(15%), STANCHART 4%, FNB (2%). In terms of corporate news narrative reach, that is the extent of the penetration of a bank’s news story across the various media platforms. GCB bank also recorded the highest story reach of 88 (20%), Fidelity 72 (17%), FBN Bank 60 (14%), ADB 50 (12%), ABSA, Access and Ecobank recorded (11%) each whilst StanChart recorded (5%) media reach. GCB bank’s media reach was influenced by these news stories: “Be cautious of inherent risks of digital transformation”, “GCB holds 27th Annual General Meeting (AGM)” and “GCB grants GHC156.1M personal loans to over 9000 customers”
Ghanaian banking sector is encouraged to pay attention to
their brand’s earned media. This study revealed many banks couldn’t made it to Top 10 positions. Its time banks’ communication departments evolve their corporate activities into news narrative to leverage on corporate visibility and brand reach. Attention should be paid to corporate media visibility. For, it is not just about paid media content for Q1 and Q2, but adopting measurements for each of the corporate Media Platform Visibility Matrix (MPVM): For instance, what is your bank’s media visibility value in terms of number of stories? How many media platforms covered your brand’s story? What communicationvisibility objective did you set for your brand? In addition, what is the visibility, mentions, and reach levels of your corporate activities in the first and second quarter of 2021? Finally, and strategically, communication departments shouldn’t be apologetic for failing to gain a single visibility in Q1 and Q2, 2021. Simply, this strategic corporate communication failure is unpardonable! The writer is a lecturer at the Communications Studies Department of the University of Professional Studies Accra (UPSA) and Founder of the Institute of Brands Narrative Analysis (IBNA): Email- nekzy@yahoo.com
Fidelity Bank expands agency banking network
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idelity Bank has expanded its agency banking network and cemented its status as the country’s leader in agency banking with the launch of the “We Dey Everywhere” campaign. The campaign seeks to create awareness on the bank’s extensive network of community agents who are bringing banking to the doorsteps of Ghanaians. The bank, in a statement, said it pioneered the ‘agency banking’ model in Ghana in 2013 when it launched it as a key stratagem to meet the financial needs of the huge population of the underbanked and unbanked Ghanaians. The ‘agency banking’ model allows Fidelity Bank to set up a widespread network of agents in communities across the country by partnering with consumer outlets such as neighbourhood pharmacies, mobile money
venders, grocery shops and supermarkets to provide services to the unbanked. The outlets are accordingly branded and provided with an onsite ‘agency banking’ software solution to offer basic financial services to the public on behalf of the bank. Customers, it said, could undertake transactions such as withdrawals, deposits, interbank transfers, fund transfers, bill payment, airtime top-up, balance enquiry, and statement request at the agent points. Mr. David Okyere, the Head of Agency Banking, said in 2013, the bank launched the model and promised to give customers a full bank account within five minutes though the idea seemed overlyambitious and unrealistic to some people. “However, the agency banking channel has grown massively and
serves as one of the key drivers of financial inclusion in the country,” he noted. He said from the pilot project of approximately 100 agents, they could now boast of an agent network of about 5000 who currently served close to a million
unique customers. “Indeed, we are literally everywhere and we want Ghanaians to know that wherever they are, we are also present in their communities and ready to serve,” he said.
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CDC Group announces US$50m trade finance facility with Ecobank
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DC Group, the UK’s development finance institution and impact investor, has announced a US$50 million trade finance facility for Ecobank International (EBI SA), the Paris based member of the Ecobank Group. This marks CDC’s first partnership with EBISA with the commitment aimed at providing systemic liquidity to underserved markets and crucial trade finance support to local banks and businesses across Africa. The Covid-19 crisis has had a significant adverse effect on trade flows, business operations and jobs in Africa’s markets. This CDC facility will support the continent’s economic recovery and is expected to generate between US$70 - $140 million in additional trade annually. The investment will enhance the import of essential goods, commodities and capital equipment, while also helping to expand access to goods and services in general. EBI SA, the international subsidiary of Togo-based Ecobank Group, is an ideal partner to boost CDC’s impact across Africa and help strengthen financial support for local banks and the businesses that they serve.
With the Ecobank Group’s extensive footprint and operations across 33 countries on the continent, the facility will broaden economic opportunities and inclusive growth, particularly in markets such as Togo, Burkina Faso and Chad. The trade finance risk-sharing facility will meet the liquidity needs of local African banks at a crucial time especially with the economic impact of the pandemic. By committing capital to address these shortfalls, CDC is taking on additional risk and providing further credit support and trade finance lines to local banks, thus protecting commerce
across the continent. The facility contributes to the UN Sustainable Development Goals Zero Hunger (SDG 2) and Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG 8). Admir Imami, Director, Head of Trade & Supply Chain Finance, CDC Group, said: “Our partnership with Ecobank presents an opportunity for CDC to provide trade support where it is most needed. Keeping trade flowing across the continent is a key objective in CDC’s Covid-19 response, and we are thrilled that our patient capital can support businesses that are at the centre of economic activities in our markets.
We remain committed to playing our part in closing the trade finance gap in Africa, by helping to facilitate business and job growth, and building resilience for the long term.” Akin Dada, Ecobank Group Executive Corporate and Investment Banking, said the company’s partnership with CDC to enhance finance and capacity comes at a crucial time in Africa’s history with much-needed recovery from the challenges of Covid-19 and the immense trade and investment opportunities being created by the African Continental Free Trade Area. “We welcome the opportunity to work with development finance institutions such as CDC to help realise Africa’s potentials and sustainably drive its economic development.” Jean Erwin NIZET, Ag. Managing Director at EBI SA, said The partnership with CDC will allow EBI SA to provide further support for African trade. In this challenging Covid19 environment, this represents an important step in increasing Ecobank’s trade capacity and better serve its clients in Africa. This will ensure that Ecobank continues to contribute to the creation of value and sustainable growth across the continent.
MTN introduces new network codes MTN Ghana has announced the addition of new network codes after it received new blocks of numbers from the National Communications Authority (NCA). The new network codes are; 059-7, 059-8, 059-9, 025-6 and 025-7. These new network codes come to add to the existing codes of 024, 054, 055 and 059. Commenting on the addition of the new codes and block of numbers, the Chief Corporate Services Officer of MTN Ghana, Sam Koranteng, noted that the addition will help meet the needs of customers who require numbers for their personal use, businesses, mobile money business as well as other digital devices. The new number block will also help MTN Ghana in optimising its services with high quality data, voice and mobile money services.
He said: “we are excited about these new blocks of numbers because it will facilitate the fulfilment of our belief that everybody deserves the benefit of a modern connected life which starts with gaining access to a SIM card that connects you to the network”. Sam Koranteng urged customers acquiring these new numbers to ensure that they register their sims using valid documents as required by law. Mr. Abubakar Mohammed, the acting Chief Sales and Distribution Officer of MTN indicated that the new numbers are available at all MTN service centers and connect shops across the country. Customers will enjoy the opportunity of dynamic numbering service where the system generates a list of random numbers for the customer to choose their preferred number.
The public is advised and reminded to take note of the addition of the new network codes to the list of MTN codes and to accept them for their activities. The format for making calls with these block of numbers
remains the same. To make calls or send SMS customers are required to add relevant prefix to the number being dialed e.g. 025 and the customer’s unique number (0257000000). For international calls, customers will have to dial the country code, the relevant prefix and customer’s unique number e.g. +233 25 7000000. Customers are also to note that the official number of MTN Ghana remains 0244300000 and as a result, they are to be mindful of the activities of fraudsters and scammers who may take advantage of the new network codes to undertake fraudulent activities, the company said.
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MONDAY JULY 19, 2021
Mexican Ambassador to Ghana talks to Business24
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n an exclusive interview with this paper, Enrique Escorza (EE), the Mexican Ambassador to Ghana, discusses a range of issues, including the state of the bilateral relationship and his personal impressions of Ghana. B24: Mr. Ambassador, kindly tell us a bit about yourself? EE: Thank you for this incredible opportunity to present myself before your very distinguished audience. My name is Enrique Escorza. I was born in Mexico City. I studied International Relations at the National University of Mexico. Thirty-one years ago I became a member of the Mexican Foreign Service, and I have had the honor to serve my country in Ottawa, Canada; Washington DC, USA; and Beijing, China. It has been the honor of my life to receive from President Andrés Manuel López Obrador the responsibility to become the Ambassador of Mexico in Ghana and to present my country to the proud people of Ghana as a nation proud of its history and committed to build the fourth transformation of our national life, which is our President´s vision to put Mexico at the forefront of the world with social responsibility and putting the people first. B24: How would you describe the current state of GhanaMexico relations? EE: I think we are living a unique moment. Our relationship is very promising. We have so many things in common, and both countries share the idea of identifying creative ways to conduct a highly effective transformation of our respective national realities. We want to deepen and strengthen our bilateral links. Sixty years after the establishment of bilateral relations we have walked a long way together, and we have been able to build a very respectful and cordial relationship. Therefore, we want to take advantage of the excellent condition that we enjoy now so we can put the relationship where it belongs. In Mexico we believe that Ghana is not only a beacon of democracy, peace, stability, and growth, but also is ready and resolved to occupy its rightful place in the world scene. We can benefit from working together to address the different challenges that our respective countries face. B24: What are your priorities
sure that the tourist destinations that Mexico has to offer will deliver the results we look for. We are more than willing to work with tourist authorities in Ghana to share the lessons we have learned and the good practices that have made Mexico one of the favorite destinations of travelers all around the world. B24: What do you like most about Ghana, having been here for the past six months?
or goals for Ghana-Mexico cooperation as the chief representative of Mexico in Ghana? EE: My main goal is to move the relationship forward. We want to develop with Ghana a strategic partnership. This is to say that we should not focus only on the trade and commercial dimensions, which indeed are truly relevant, but also on those areas that can add value to our efforts in other fields such as culture, social development, climate change and global issues, and sustainable development goals in general that, if not properly attended to, could have negative effects in our path towards prosperity. We need to work more in the multilateral dimension of the agenda. We believe that there is plenty of room to find areas where we can identify potential for further cooperation and build around those a myriad of success stories that can impact the way our business communities behave. Distance is a factor indeed. But we are confident that it will change as soon as we learn to recognize each other, learn more about each other, build more and more trust so our entrepreneurs will be willing to step up to the plate and discover the tremendous potential that both countries have to offer. B24: What are your plans to improve commercial relations between the two countries, such as in the areas of trade and investment? EE: Step one is to promote more business fora where our communities can interact. Seminars, roundtables, symposia are simple examples of what we need to put together so our communities can understand the multiple opportunities that
are there to grasp. Nowadays possibilities to build successful deals and a robust trade flow are limited because we have not taken advantage of a potential that sometimes they don’t know it exists. Therefore, it is our mission to promote an intensive dialogue among our business communities. Step two would be to organize trade missions so they can see that both countries offer a fertile ground to conduct successful businesses. We have vibrant economies, with a general population and political stability that undoubtedly are conducive to more trade and investment. We need to see more and more Mexican products in the table of the proud Ghanaian people. Likewise, we need to see more products of Ghana in the markets in Mexico. To achieve that we need to analyze and consolidate areas that render true potential. We are working on that in close collaboration with the Honorable Minster of Industry and Trade that has been a true champion in this area of the bilateral relation. B24: When the pandemic is finally gone and normal travelling resumes, do you have any plans to boost tourism, on both sides, between Ghana and Mexico? EE: Tourism is an area in which we can certainly work together in highly effective ways. But again, I don’t think it’s just a matter of numbers, because we have to recognize that we need to offer experiences that are unique in its kind. We need to resort first to specific niches in the marketplace that can attract the young and adventurous population seeking new experiences. The natural beauty of Ghana can be irresistible for many Mexican travelers and I’m
EE: I can summarize my impressions with one simple word: everything. I love every single aspect of the Ghanaian society. I admire the resilience and the sincerity of its people, the generosity of the weather, the safety and the sense of security that you can feel wherever you go, the mosaic of colors in the beautiful traditional dresses, in the kente. The vibrant business community that show with their daily actions that Ghana is meant to continue growing at a rapid pace. And last but not least, the food. In this short period of time I have been able to develop a love story with the Ghanaian food, from fufu and banku, to kenkey, red red, ampesi, and eto. I like the spiciness, the intensity of the flavors and the multiple combination of ingredients that render an amazing gastronomic experience. B24: Tell us about how Mexico is handling the Covid-19 pandemic and the impact the response is having. EE: Mexico has been seriously affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Our government has been on top of things since the inception, making thorough plans to respond to this tremendous challenge that took the world by surprise. In the first moment of the emergency, we deployed an intensive strategy to gather personal protective equipment, ventilators, facemasks and re-converting health centers to accommodate patients that demand different levels of attention. Soon after that, our government started comprehensive negotiations to consolidate an extensive portfolio of vaccines to ensure that we could inoculate our population on a timely basis. It has been a tremendous effort. At the forefront of such endeavor has been the Mexican Minister of Foreign Affairs.
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Maritime security experts brainstorm to boost blue economy
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he Security Governance Initiative (SGI) and partners have held a threeday workshop on its National Integrated Maritime Strategy (NIMS) to find effective solutions to Ghana’s ocean governance challenges, to fully harness the great potential of the country’s maritime sector. This comes on the absence of proper coordination within Ghana’s maritime space over the years that have contributed to challenges confronting the Gulf of Guinea states including Ghana. The NIMS seeks to strengthen the framework for maritime governance, ensure the safety and security of Ghana’s maritime domain, develop a thriving blue economy as well as protect the marine and coastal environment. Speaking at the workshop, former Security Coordinator Maj.Gen Francis Adu-Amanfoh said that a comprehensive implementation of NIMS, with
the necessary strategic direction, would boost Ghana’s fisheries sector with an added value of over 30percent which will translate directly into enhanced livelihoods in coastal communities, the fishing industry and the country as a whole. “Ghana’s prospects in
developing a robust and sustainable blue economy are invariably dependent on the security of her maritime domain and by extension adjoining waters. It is thus necessary to adopt policies and strategies that will help the nation address ocean
governance and maritime security challenges while exploring all opportunities,” he said. He also indicated that Ghana’s geostrategic location affords the country easy access to navigational routes linking the rest of the world; hence it is crucial to endorse the NIMS implementation plan. Chief Legal Advisor of Ministry of National Security and SGI Coordinator, Mr. Dickson Osei Bonsu, who chaired the occasion, said government, is poised to use the NIMS Implementation Plan as a clarion document for an integrated response to Ghana's maritime challenges, particularly piracy, kidnapping and armed robbery at sea. On his part, Executive Director, Center for Strategic and Defense Studies, Africa (CSDS AFRICA) Dr. Angela Lamptey called on the National Security Secretariat and the Ghana Maritime Authority to give primacy to the development of strategic communications for the NIMS.
WTO outlines blocks and enabling measures on critical COVID-19 products
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he WTO Secretariat has issued an indicative list of trade-related bottlenecks and trade-facilitating measures on critical products to combat COVID-19, including inputs used in vaccine manufacturing, vaccine distribution and approval, therapeutics and pharmaceuticals, diagnostics and medical devices. The list is being released in advance of a High-Level Dialogue by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the WTO on 21 July on expanding COVID-19 vaccines manufacturing to promote equitable access. The indicative list is based on issues identified and suggestions made by speakers at the WTO webinar Regulatory Cooperation during the COVID-19 Pandemic, on 2 June 2021, and the WTO symposium COVID-19 Vaccine Supply Chain and Regulatory Transparency, on 29 June 2021. On trade-related bottlenecks, the list identifies a series of issues raised by speakers at those events in relation to: vaccine manufacturing and its inputs; vaccine
regulatory approval; vaccine distribution; therapeutics and pharmaceuticals; and diagnostics and medical devices. Regarding possible trade-
facilitating measures, the list includes suggestions by speakers in connection with: general import, export and transit procedures; vaccine
manufacturing and its inputs; vaccine regulatory approval; therapeutics (pharmaceuticals); diagnostics and medical devices; and general regulatory aspects
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Qatar Airways named Airline of the Year
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atar Airways has unseated Air New Zealand as the world's best carrier, as judged by AirlineRatings.com. The Australia-based aviation specialist site also awarded Qatar the best Middle East airline, best catering and best business class. Air New Zealand has been a regular winner of the top award, winning it six times, including for 2020. That title was awarded just before the pandemic hit. AirlineRatings judges assess airlines on 11 criteria including customer reviews, product offerings, safety, fleet age, profitability and environmental leadership and now Covid compliance. Qatar Airways this year beat out Air New Zealand, Singapore Airlines and Qantas for the top award. Air New Zealand picked up best premium economy and best economy. Qantas, won best domestic airline service, and best lounges while Singapore Airlines picked up best first Class. Virgin Australia won best
cabin crew while best in-flight entertainment went to Emirates. Qantaslink won best regional airline and VietJetAir took out best ultra low-cost airline Excellence in long haul travel: United Airlines (Americas), Lufthansa (Europe), Qatar Airways (Middle-East/Africa), Singapore Airlines (Asia) and Air New Zealand (Pacific).
Qatar Airways group chief executive, Akbar Al Baker, said receiving the awards by AirlineRatings was particularly special for his airline. ''Over the past 16 months, the aviation industry has witnessed some of its darkest days, but Qatar Airways has continued to operate and stand by our passengers despite many other
airlines halting operations due the pandemic.'' The Doha-based airline has continued to fly to New Zealand and flies to more than 140 destinations. In March schedule analysers OAG said Qatar Airways was the largest airline in the world by available seat kilometers (ASKs), with 2.6 billion of them that month. It succeeded arch-rival Emirates as the world's biggest carrier. While many other airlines slashed their networks, Qatar added seven new destinations in the past 12 months, The awards are judged by global editors with more than 100 years' industry experience. AirlineRatings.com Editor in chief Geoffrey Thomas said: "In our objective analysis Qatar Airways came out number one in virtually all of our audit criteria, which is an exceptional performance." Ein news
CSO inaugurated to revolutionise cashew sector
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ashew Watch Ghana (CWG), a civil society organisation, has been inaugurated to champion the growth and development of the cashew industry in the country. CWG is a network aimed at promoting revolution in the commodity space through advocacies for the formulation and implementation of national policies that would transform the industry as a vehicle to push rapid socio-economic growth and development. Among other objectives, the network seeks to advocate competitive price for the commodity for the betterment of all the value chain actors. A statement issued and signed by Mr. Raphael Ahenu, the acting National Convener of CWG, said market statistics show global demand for cashew products, particularly the kernel was increasing year on year and underlined the need for the industry to be streamlined through formulation and implementation of pragmatic policies. “Demand and consumption of cashew kernel have soared since 2011. The taste for the commodity in 2021 will remain stronger, especially in Europe and America. In 2020, the USA, the largest import market for cashew kernel
in the world increased demand and consumption growth by eight per cent (African Cashew Alliance). “The CWG has observed that notwithstanding Ghana’s position as a major producer of cashew in Africa and the world at large, the country is yet to fully capitalize on the growing market demand and consumption of the commodity to drive desired socio-economic change,” the statement said. Ghana’s annual raw cashew nuts (RCNs) production is estimated at 110,000 metric tonnes. It said Cashew for some
time now has been the leading non-traditional export (NTE) commodity. Statistics from the Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA) indicate that cashew nuts export earnings surged by 43.84 percent from US$262.95 million in 2017 to US$378.21 million in 2018. The statement indicated the country had the potential to derive far more from the crop if the necessary measures were adopted and implemented across the value chain, saying it has become imperative for authorities
to show utmost commitment to adding value to RCNs to create more employment and increase earnings. “In the past, there were about 13 cashew processing factories in the country, but currently, a few of them are operational, the rest are all defunct due to plethora of challenges such as noncompetitive RCNs price and lack of modern industrial equipment. The few cashew factories in business are also producing below their installed capacities,” it added.
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The variant threat is real
By Carl Bildt
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ather than translating their own COVID-19 vaccination successes into a renewed global push to end the pandemic, rich countries are becoming complacent while the rest of the world grows increasingly desperate. But the emergence of dangerous new variants threatens everyone. It has now been 18 months since the SARS-CoV-2 virus was first sequenced in China. Within a month, the World Health Organization had issued its highest possible global alert, declaring the COVID-19 outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. Weeks later, the WHO declared a pandemic. Yet we are nowhere near the end of the crisis. On the contrary, we have entered a dangerous new phase in its evolution. While complacency sets in among richer, more vaccinated countries, a cloud of despair has descended on lower-income countries that lack the means to fight new variants of the virus. And, after reporting declining numbers of new infections for seven consecutive weeks, the WHO is now recording an increase in confirmed cases practically everywhere. In its weekly epidemiological update on July 6, for example, it found that there had been a 30% increase in COVID-19 incidence in Europe, even though the European Union had delivered enough vaccine doses to immunize 70% of all adults. The reason for this global resurgence is well known. The Delta variant, now identified in 111 countries, is significantly more contagious than previous strains of SARS-CoV-2, and it is spreading very fast. The rise of new variants serves as a reminder that we are
dealing with a living organism that can and will evolve in response to the measures (and half-measures) that we deploy to fight it. While the Alpha and Beta variants were somewhat less problematic, the Delta variant has proved ruthless, and it is anyone’s guess what future mutations will bring. The only certainty is that with the virus raging around the world, new variants are inevitable. With a growing share of the population receiving vaccines in Europe and North America, lockdowns, mask mandates, and other measures are being eased, leading to unfortunate but predictable results. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte recently had to apologize for his country’s rapidly rising infection rate, and he is unlikely to be the last leader who finds himself or herself in that position. Worse, rich countries remain reluctant to step up and help. After multiple G7 and G20 meetings, the international community still has not closed the $16 billion funding gap for the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator (ACT-A), the international coordinating mechanism for equitable access to vaccines. That sum is miniscule compared to the trillions of dollars being spent to support national economies. While rich countries become complacent, many others are growing desperate, owing to a lack of vaccines, respirators, oxygen, and testing and sequencing supplies. With the rise of the Delta variant, they are essentially flying blind. On July 6, the WHO’s technical lead on COVID-19 warned that there are more than 20 countries “with exponential growth in cases … in all regions of the world.” And because many of these countries have low vaccination rates, a higher death toll is sure to follow.
All told, nearly one-quarter of the global population has been vaccinated. That might sound impressive; but the distribution has been grossly and immorally skewed toward richer countries. Moreover, the WHO estimates that 70% of the world will need to be vaccinated to end the pandemic. That means there is still a long way to go. Yes, vaccine production is increasing fast, and pharmaceutical industry leaders are talking about producing 11 billion doses (the number needed for a 70% global immunization rate) this year. But that supply would come on top of the 3-4 billion annual vaccine doses that the world already needs to fight other diseases. And make no mistake, producing the COVID-19 vaccines is a complicated process. The Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine requires 280 inputs from suppliers in 19 countries. Boosting its production has required an unprecedented 200 new technology-transfer agreements. While new efforts are underway at the WHO and the World Trade Organization to facilitate more of these kinds of arrangements, trade restrictions and vaccine nationalism remain a serious problem. The WTO recently noted that while the number of trade restrictions affecting vaccines has fallen from 109 at the beginning of the pandemic, there are still 53 provisions slowing down the hoped-for production increase. In the meantime, more oxygen is urgently needed to avoid a repeat of the tragedy we witnessed in India. Multilateral institutions and NGOs have brokered important agreements with key global suppliers, but more must be done to keep up with the rising need across Africa and in parts of Asia. Testing and sequencing supplies are also critically
important, both for managing outbreaks and for detecting and quickly understanding new variants. In addition to the four current “variants of concern,” the WHO is monitoring four other “variants of interest,” one of which – the Lambda variant – has now been found in 29 countries. The variant problem attests to the global nature of this crisis. Though the virus was first identified in China, the four variants of concern were identified far afield, in South Africa, Brazil, the United Kingdom, and India. Lambda was first uncovered in Peru. Because the next variant could come from anywhere, this is no time to ease our response. If we are going to avoid successive waves of new variants, we must redouble global vaccination efforts. This is a test of political leadership. All governments must take seriously the dictum that no one is safe until everyone is. National successes in beating back the pandemic could easily be unraveled by national failures to fight it elsewhere. Let’s not learn that the hard way. Carl Bildt was Sweden’s foreign minister from 2006 to 2014 and Prime Minister from 1991 to 1994, when he negotiated Sweden’s EU accession. A renowned international diplomat, he served as EU Special Envoy to the Former Yugoslavia, High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina, UN Special Envoy to the Balkans, and Co-Chairman of the Dayton Peace Conference. He is Co-Chair of the European Council on Foreign Relations.
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FAO Director-General: The future of food belongs to the young people of today
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he Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) QU Dongyu has emphasised the role of young people as a key driver towards the transformation of agri-food systems and achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, as he spoke at the Y20 Summit, the official G20 engagement group for youth. "There is one concept that cannot be overlooked when it comes to the future state of food, agriculture and the path to achieve Zero Hunger for all: the future of food belongs to the young people of today!" stressed the Director-General. "It is therefore our responsibility to join forces and ensure that the youth inherit a world where affordable, nutritious food is available for everyone, everywhere." The Y20 Summit, taking place in Italy from July 19 - 23, aims to give young people the opportunity to express their vision and ideas to the G20 Heads of State and Government. It addresses many areas of key relevance for the work of the G20, particularly topics related to entrepreneurship, labour, youth, women's empowerment, urban policies, sustainable development and the fight against inequalities. QU Dongyu stated that more systematic and meaningful inclusion of youth in decision-
making processes is instrumental to transforming agri-food systems and achieving the SDGs. "I am a firm believer in the necessity to leverage the passion, creativity and commitment of youth as a key driver towards positive change," he said. The cities of Milan and Bergamo are hosting the Y20 Summit over the course of the week, with a focus on three priorities: Innovation, digitalization and future of work; Sustainability, climate and energy; and Inclusion and equal opportunities. Youths' recommendations will be reflected in a final communiqué that will be handed over to the current Italian G20 Presidency on the last day of the summit. Other speakers included Alberta Pelino, Y20 Chair and President of the Young Ambassadors Society; Giuseppe Sala, Mayor of Milan; Massimo Gaudina, Representative of Milan to the European Commission; Enrico Giovannini, Italian Minister of Sustainable Infrastructures and Mobility; Alessandro Spada,
President of Assolombarda; and Diana Bracco, President and CEO of Bracco Group. FAO's work with young people In his speech at the event, the FAO Director-General also took the opportunity to highlight some of the ways the Organization routinely supports and engages young people as part of its work. He drew attention to the establishment, for the first time in FAO history, of a FAO Youth Committee,in September 2019, and the launch of the World Food Forum (WFF)in March this year, which was conceived by the Youth Committee. The WFF, whose flagship event will be a week-long celebration from 1 to 6 October this year, features a range of interactive online events, networks and content platforms in the areas of cooking, education, film, innovation, music and policy. It gathers major youth groups, influencers, companies, academic institutions, nonprofits, governments, media and the
public to drive awareness, foster engagement and advocacy, and mobilize resources in support of agri-food systems transformation. The Director-General also drew attention to FAO's hosting of the Youth and United Nations Global Alliance (YUNGA), a partnership formed by UN agencies and youth organizations, and the First Global Indigenous Youth Forum, which took place over three days in June 2021. Furthermore, FAO provides capacity development for young family farmers to increase their active engagement in decisionmaking processes; and to strengthen their participation and leadership role in rural organizations. In this regard, the Organization has recently launched the FAO Rural Youth Action Plan, developed in collaboration with governments, UN entities and youth organizations. The Y20 Summit has been coordinated by the Young Ambassadors Society, the association responsible for the youth engagement groups of the G7/G20 Summits for Italy, and supported by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. The main goal of YAS is to give voice to young generations and their ideas, and to introduce young people to international politics and diplomacy.
Vodafone Business offers SMEs, affordability and flexibility with ‘Vodafone Too Moorch Business’ telecommunications services,
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s part of efforts to bring relief to businesses and SMEs amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, Vodafone Business, the enterprise arm of Vodafone Ghana has developed a unique product ‘Too Moorch Business’ to offer SMEs, affordability and flexibility. The innovative mobility product which is presently the industry’s No.1 in terms of the value it gives to customers and the flexibility to own data and voice plans for their businesses. Speaking at the launch of the product, Director for Enterprise Business Unit and Wholesale at Vodafone Ghana, Tawa Bolarin said her outfit considers it a responsibility to find ways that businesses can take advantage to succeed amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
“SMEs account for a vast majority of companies in the country. They also represent the very fabric of our society; they contribute the greatest of percentages to economic growth. We therefore consider it our responsibility to find ways that these businesses can take advantage of in order to be successful”. “The pandemic has shown us the power of flexible mobile solutions – and for SMEs, the evidence is very clear – it’s all about being MOBILE and utilising it to the best of their ability. For there’s no doubt about it; Technology is and will continue to be the single most important tool in harnessing the growth potential of SMEs. And as a caring organisation, we are aware that keeping up with monthly expenses including
during this period has not been easy for SMEs and that is why we have designed the Vodafone Too Moorch Business,” she added. Ms Bolarin noted that the unique mobility product enables customers both SMEs and Corporates to create their own mobile plans; voice, SMS, and data that best suit their businesses. “This package is the most ideal voice and data product for businesses that want real value as they focus on growing revenue. It is tailored to fit each business’ need and allows them to remain confidently connected. We believe our customers know their businesses better and can select offerings that best suit them. To access our Too Moorch Business offer, just send the word ‘start’ via SMS to 050 777 9000 or email vodafonebusiness.gh@vodafone. com,” she concluded.
Vodafone Business is interested in delivering initiatives that are positively shaping the outcomes of SMEs. Vodafone Business has provided tailor-made solutions that are transforming and maximizing the digital potential of businesses across the length and breadth of this country including ‘My Business Online’ and ‘Red Trader’.
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Allianz Insurance launches ‘Allianz Heroes’ to reward sales agents
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llianz Insurance, a subsidiary of Allianz Group has launched a new initiative ‘Allianz Heroes’ that will reward sales agents for their contribution to the company. Based on their achieved targets, the sales agents across the country will receive airtime and home appliances on a monthly and quarterly basis. In addition, the three top agents for the year will also get an all-expense paid trip to Germany as the ultimate prize. Expressing his excitement about the initiative, the Head of Agency and Retail at Allianz Insurance, Paul Therson, said: “We can’t stress enough how thankful we are for the commitment, hard work and loyalty our sales agents continue to show at all times and help us to increase our customer satisfaction and this is one way we want to celebrate them.” He explained that the initiative is essential to encourage and empower the sales agents to advance the products and
services of the company to secure the future of its customers. He added that the company will continue to equip sales agents with customer engagement skill sets that will see them become more efficient, knowledgeable and improve on their individual
performance. “We have demonstrated commitment to helping and empowering young Ghanaians and will continue to find innovative ways through which we can empower many more young people in the insurance
industry.” Allianz Insurance has operated in Ghana since 2009, securing the future of both individual and corporate customers. The distribution of products and services is enabled through the Allianz Business Systems, partnerships with financial institutions, brokers and an agency network covering the entire country. Allianz provides a wide range of products and services, from Motor, Home, Marine, Assets to Cyber Crime insurance. Each product is designed to meet the specific needs of our customers. Allianz is recognized in the insurance industry for our prudent underwriting practices, customer focused and our unique claims advocacy services. The Allianz Group, is the number one insurance brand in the world operating in more than 70 countries. In Africa, Allianz is present in 12 countries and accompanies clients in 49 markets with 2,908 employees.
Ghana to host Pan African Heritage conference in August
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r Yaw O. Adutwum, the Minister of Education, will deliver the keynote address at the first Pan African Heritage conference in Accra on August 6, 2021. The three-day event from August 5 to 7, 2021 would be a hybrid and virtual at the Association of African Universities in Accra, Ghana. The theme for the conference
is "Building Bridges among Africans worldwide through Scholarship, Culture, Technology and Innovation". The conference will bring together Pan African visionaries and innovators, scholars and educators, religious and spiritual leaders, entrepreneurs, activists, techs and Pan African student organisations and institutions from all around the world.
Among the many speakers featuring at the conference would be: Professor Molefi Kete Asante of Temple University, USA, Dr Runoko Rashidi, historian and public lecturer, Professor Maulana Karenga, professor on African Studies and founder of Kwanzaa Festival, Emeritus Professor Kofi Asare Opoku of Ghana, and Emeritus Prof Rupert Lewis of Jamaica,
The rest are: Emeritus Professor Iva Carruthers of California, Mr. Onyekachi Wambu of AFFORDUK, Dr Aurola Vergara-Figueroa of Colombia, Professor Toyin Falola of University of Texas at Austin, and Dr Sheila Walker, Cultural Anthropologist, USA. The conference follows the groundbreaking sod cutting for the construction of the Pan African Heritage World Museum, which would be completed in December 2022 and commissioned in Ghana in July 2023. The Heritage Museum Complex will provide the opportunity to unlearn and relearn the history, culture, ideals, and civilisation of Africa from mankind’s creation till the present. The complex- the first living museum of its kind in Africa, will host the Pan African Heroes Park, the Palace of African Kingdoms, the African Herbal Plant Village, and a host of experiential programmes and activities. The museum project is endorsed by the African Union Commission, the Association of African Universities, UNESCO, the NAACP, and other international organisations.
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Facebook should ban more world leaders By Courtney C. Radsch
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n many countries, Facebook is one of the few alternatives to the government-aligned outlets that dominate national media ecosystems. That is why authorities have devoted so many resources to manipulating it, and why the company must take responsibility for stopping them. I’ve been a professional freeexpression advocate for more than a decade. That is why I support the Facebook Oversight Board’s recent decision to uphold former President Donald Trump’s suspension from the platform and Facebook’s new protocol whereby public figures may be banned for up to two years during times of civil unrest. In fact, the platform should go further. Trump used his bully pulpit on social media to attack and harass news organizations, political opponents, and former political allies. He used it to undermine confidence in the 2020 presidential election, with a significant share of Americans continuing to doubt the outcome, despite the absence of any evidence of widespread irregularities or fraud. And he used it to perpetuate misinformation during the COVID-19 pandemic. In other words, with the help of social-media platforms, Trump undermined the norms and institutions that underpin the functioning of representative government, while increasing the coronavirus death toll in the United States. And he engaged in precisely the kinds of harassment and hate speech that social-media platforms prohibit. Yet, for four long years, Trump was given a pass for this behavior, because platforms deemed carrying his statements, however erroneous or dangerous, to be in the public interest. Facebook introduced this so-called newsworthiness exemption shortly before the 2016 presidential election. But there is a circular logic at work here: world leaders are exempted from following community standards because their statements are “newsworthy,” but it is the incendiary nature of standardviolating posts that causes them to make the news. In any case, world leaders – especially the US president – can get news coverage whenever they want, simply by holding a press conference or issuing a press release. The suspension of Trump’s social-media accounts after he
incited the January 6 insurrection at the US Capitol was clearly a step in the right direction. Twitter has since made its ban permanent. But Facebook left the door open for Trump to return to its platform. Facebook’s Oversight Board upheld the original suspension, but took issue with its indefinite nature, arguing that the company should not devise rules on the fly, and must develop “clear, necessary, and proportionate policies that promote public safety and respect freedom of expression.” Crucially, Facebook’s response must be “consistent with the rules that are applied to other users of its platform.” This is where the Oversight Board got things wrong. Yes, consistency should be a goal. But world leaders are not just any users; they should be held to a higher standard. After all, they can incite violence far more easily than the average Joe or Jane can. Moreover, much of what happens on social media challenges existing norms. In exceptional circumstances, exceptional decisions must be made. Facebook’s new policy at least partly recognizes this. Its policy states: “Our standard restrictions may not be proportionate to the violation, or sufficient to reduce the risk of further harm, in the case of public figures posting content during ongoing violence or civil unrest.” But this logic must be applied more broadly. Trump is hardly the only world leader who has used social-media platforms to incite and manipulate public opinion with the help of tools like computational propaganda and astroturfing. And, while Facebook has acted against such abuses in countries like the US, South Korea, and Poland, it has so far done little or nothing in countries like Iraq, Honduras, and Azerbaijan. This discrepancy is no accident.
The data scientist Sophie Zhang recently revealed that during her 2.5 years at Facebook, she found “blatant attempts” to abuse the platform by dozens of governments seeking to “mislead their own citizenry.” Yet Facebook repeatedly refused to act. According to Zhang, “We simply didn’t care enough to stop them.” Beyond apathy, Facebook may have been seeking to protect its own business interests, which probably explains why company executives reportedly protected members of India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party from punishment for violating the platform’s hate-speech policies. Even regimes that block their own populations from accessing Facebook – including in China, Iran, and Uganda – are allowed to use the platform for their own ends. Facebook’s reluctance to act against such governments has had dire consequences. A statement by Alex Warofka, Facebook’s product policy manager, notes that the company “improved proactive detection of hate speech” in Myanmar, and began taking “more aggressive action” against accounts set up to “mislead others about who they are or what they’re doing.” By that point, however, Facebook had facilitated mass atrocities against the country’s mostly Muslim Rohingya minority group. Likewise, while Facebook removed the Myanmar military’s official page in February for “incitement of violence,” it did so only after the military had overthrown the country’s democratically elected government. Like it or not, Facebook wields tremendous power. In many countries, it is one of the few alternatives to the governmentaligned outlets that dominate national media ecosystems. For users, it is often synonymous
with the internet. That is why authorities have devoted so many resources to manipulating it, and why Facebook must take responsibility for stopping them. To be sure, regulators also have a role to play. But, so far, their approach has been deeply flawed. Some – including in Florida, Texas, and Poland – have been pushing in the opposite direction, seeking to prohibit social-media platforms from removing content or accounts that are not illegal. Regulators in the US and the European Union are considering whether some elements of the internet should be treated essentially as public utilities or “common carriers.” But, overall, regulators need to focus less on content and more on platform design, advertising technology, and monopolistic power. In the meantime, it is up to Facebook to rid itself of genocidal militaries, government propaganda that targets and manipulates populations, and leaders who block users. The algorithmic intermediation of the public sphere by private, for-profit platforms designed to maximize engagement and polarization has been anything but emancipatory. For many, it has been deadly. Governments, public officials, and political parties must face swift and severe consequences if they violate a platform’s terms of service and use it to violate people’s rights. Courtney C. Radsch, former advocacy director at the Committee to Protect Journalists, is the author of Cyberactivism and Citizen Journalism in Egypt: Digital Dissidence and Political Change.
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MONDAY JULY 19, 2021
World Bank Group’s $157b pandemic surge is largest crisis response in its history
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n response to Covid-19 severely damaging the lives and livelihoods of millions of people in developing countries, the World Bank Group deployed over $157 billion to fight the pandemic's health, economic, and social impacts over the last 15 months (April 1, 2020 – June 30, 2021). This is the largest crisis response of any such period in the Bank Group's history and represents an increase of more than 60 per cent over the 15-month period prior to the pandemic. Bank Group commitments and mobilisations in fiscal year 2021 (FY21) alone ( July 1, 2020 – June 30, 2021) amounted to almost $110 billion (or $84 billion excluding mobilisation, shortterm financing, and recipientexecuted trust funds). Since the start of the pandemic, the Bank Group supported countries to address the health emergency, strengthen health systems, protect the poor and vulnerable, support businesses, create jobs and jump start a green, resilient, and inclusive
recovery. Following last year's Covidrelated economic deterioration, the global economy is expected to expand 5.6 per cent in 2021. Thus far, the recovery is uneven and many of the world's poorest countries are being left behind. While about 90 per cent of advanced economies are expected to regain their prepandemic per capita income levels by 2022, only about onethird of emerging market and developing economies are
projected to do the same. In 2020, global extreme poverty rose for the first time in over 20 years, with nearly 100 million people pushed into extreme poverty. "Since the start of the pandemic, the World Bank Group has committed or mobilised a record $157 billion in new financing, an unprecedented level of support for an unprecedented crisis," said World Bank Group President David Malpass. "We will continue to provide critical assistance to developing countries through this
ongoing pandemic to help achieve a more broad-based economic recovery. The Bank Group has proven to be a rapid, innovative, and effective platform to support developing countries as they respond to the pandemic and strengthen resilience for future shocks. But we must do more still. I remain deeply concerned about limited availability of vaccines for developing countries, which are critical to save lives and livelihoods."
CSIR, journalists share best practices in agriculture, of a media corps ‘ambassadors’. science & technology reporting “The process has started with
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ouncil for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) as part of its keen interest in developing stronger relations with the media has organised a training workshop for selected media houses in the Ashanti Region. The objectives of the capacity building were to equip journalists to understand the language/ terminologies of science and technology to enable effective communication and understanding between scientists and the media to share knowledge on how to effectively disseminate scientific and agricultural outputs for the benefit of the end-users. The training workshop was with the support from Canadian government through the Modernization of Agriculture in Ghana (MAG) program. MAG is a budgetary support program extended to Ghana by Government of Canada. The
Participants at the capacity building in science, technology and agriculture for journalists in Kumasi
program provides resources to support the delivery of agricultural advisory services to subsistence farmers and farmer groups in Ghana. It is being implemented by the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA), the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development (MLGRD), the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and the Ministry of Finance (MoF). The ultimate outcome is a
more modern, equitable and sustainable agricultural sector that contributes to food security. Media ambassadors Head of Corporate Affairs at CSIR, Ms. Benedicta NkrumahBoateng, in her presentation on the topic ‘CSIR and The Media, Our Powerful past, our Promising present, our Prosperous future’ reiterated CSIR’s keen interest in developing stronger relations with the media with the creation
selected media houses in Accra and following this engagement, ‘ambassadors’ will be established for the middle and northern sectors of Ghana. “Together, we will work to educate the public about technologies, innovations and services provided by CSIR” she added, saying for instance that, the recently launched Digitised Soil Maps of Ghana has reduced the dependency on analogue maps which were open to the vagaries of rodents chewing the maps, and the need to have large and secure rooms for storage. Information was also not easily accessible with end-users having to be physically present in order to access them. Understanding the nomenclature of CSIR was presented by Communications Advisor CSIR/MAG, Donald Gwira, who shared a list 101 acronyms commonly used by CSIR.