Business24 Newspaper 28th July, 2021 by Business24 Online

WEDNESDAY JULY 28, 2021

Government denies 15% base pay increase rumours

Experts discuss security to bolster Africa’s economic integration See page 5

See page 9

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NO. B24 / 227 | NEWS FOR BUSINESS LEADERS

WEDNESDAY MONDAY MAY JULY 3, 2021 28, 2021

Covid resurgence a peril to economic outlook

Veep: central banks must connect directly to Pan-African payment system

By Mohammed Thaani

By Henry Martinson

conomist Prof. Godfred Alufar Bokpin has cast doubt over Ghana’s health and economic outlook as the country grapples with a third wave of Covid-19 infections, driven by the more transmissible delta variant. The International Monetary Fund and African Development Bank had forecast the country’s economic growth to rebound to 4.7 percent and

ice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has urged central banks in Africa to ensure that their national switches are connected directly to the Pan-African Payment and Cont’d on page 3

Prez charges SOEs to expand, create more jobs

Cont’d on page 2

Bagbin urges ECOWAS to implement mobile roaming By Eugene Davis ugendavis@gmail.com

he Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, has charged ECOWAS member states to strive to implement the regulation on roaming on public mobile communications networks to reduce the

By Eugene Davis ugendavis@gmail.com

President Nana AkufoAddo has asked managers of State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) to expand their operations and use Ghanaian entrepreneurs in their supply chains so as to boost micro, small and medium enterprises and create jobs. Speaking at the 2021 Cont’d on page 5 Follow us online: facebook.com/business24gh twitter.com/business24gh linkedin.com/pg/business24gh

Cont’d on page 3

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Cont’d on page 2

Editorial / News

WEDNESDAY JULY 28, 2021

Editorial

Enhanced regional security will be critical to the success of AfCFTA

uch has been said about the prospects of the single continental market for Africa’s social and economic advancement and the wealth of its people. It is without a doubt the most ambitious integration tool with several opportunities for the teeming youth of the continent. Despite the prospects, the smooth implementation of the AfCFTA is highly linked to peace and security in the region. Trade, investments and job creation cannot take place in a politically unstable environment. Threats of terrorism and insurgences in some parts of the continent pose serious concerns to the seamless implementation

of the AfCFTA and this is one area that governments of the region take into serious consideration. The ongoing tensions in the Sahel belt of Africa is one such act that threatens the sustainability of the single market. That, and others similar situations across the continent, could hinder the flow of foreign direct investments that is needed for jobs and wealth. Discussants at a highlylevel meeting on the Sahara situation reiterated the security implications of the feud in the Sahel region to Africa’s economic integration agenda, especially the implementation of the single continental market. They also highlighted the

security implications of the feud in the Sahel region to Africa’s economic integration agenda, especially the implementation of the single continental market. According to them, the gains of political and economic integration that have been achieved over the years could be erased if the problem is not swiftly brought under control. Political deadlocks like this remain obvious hindrances to the region’s growth and development. We urge governments currently faced with insurgences to employ continuous dialogue and mediation in dealing with such situations to avert possible spillovers and conflicts.

Covid resurgence a peril to economic outlook Continued from cover

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4 percent, respectively, in 2021, supported by stable inflation and strong cocoa, mining and services output. However, Prof. Bokpin said the resurgence in infections will temper the optimism about a quick recovery from the pandemic. “All the growth projections are at risk because of the uncertainties presented by the third wave. [The projections] were made on the back of declining infections and a robust vaccination campaign. Unfortunately, the situation is getting out of hand,” the professor of finance at the University of Ghana Business School told Business24. Health experts are not surprised about the third wave given the country’s sluggish vaccination campaign, which has seen just about 2 percent of the adult population fully vaccinated. The government is targeting to vaccinate 20m people by the end of the year to achieve herd immunity. “The slow vaccination drive is a hindrance to medium-term growth potential,” Prof. Bokpin said. Since the outbreak of the pandemic in March last year, the country has reported a total of 102,103 confirmed cases, including 823 deaths, according

to data from the Ghana Health Service. Active cases have surged from 1,200 in June to 4,521 in late July. “Increasing vaccination rates is the most important thing the government can do now to boost confidence and sustain the economy till the end of the year,” the economist advised. Prof. Bokpin called for moderate expectations as rising infections present new uncertainties. “The outlook is shaky and so we need to be moderate in our optimism.” Supply constraints derail vaccination drive Ghana’s mass vaccination campaign took off on March 1 when it became the first country to receive the AstraZeneca vaccine

through the COVAX facility. However, hopes of achieving herd immunity by October were dashed by vaccine nationalism, which has seen producing nations adopt export control measures to meet domestic demand. Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta told Business24 it was a shame for the world’s most powerful nations to hoard vaccines, but was delighted with recent commitments by the UK and US to support developing nations with the jabs. President Akufo-Addo on July 25 disclosed efforts to procure 17m single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccines to boost the vaccination drive. The government also expects more than 1.5m doses of other vaccines from COVAX and the Africa Medical Supplies Platform.

WEDNESDAY JULY 28, 2021

Bagbin urges ECOWAS to implement mobile roaming Continued from cover bottlenecks associated with interconnectivity in the subregion. According to the Speaker, to achieve regional development through the use of ICT tools, there is the need to address concerns regarding mobile roaming services in the sub-region. Speaking at the opening of a five-day Delocalised Meeting of the Joint Committee of the ECOWAS Parliament, he noted that most ECOWAS nationals who travel to other countries in the sub-region have to pay higher premiums on mobile usage, while others have to change their SIM cards to have access to the network available in their new destination. “We can only achieve regional development by ensuring that the regulation on roaming on public mobile communications networks in the ECOWAS space, which was adopted by the Council of Ministers on 16th December, 2017, is implemented. This regulation is intended to reduce charges paid by ECOWAS citizens for communication services while roaming within the community,” he said.

He added that it was more imperative now than ever to deploy the use of telecommunications and information technology to advance all sectors of the economy and also promote the development of the sub-region. The delocalised meeting, by the Joint Committee of the ECOWAS Parliament on Political Affairs, Peace, Security and APRM; Legal Affairs and Human Rights; and Telecommunications

and Information technology, was on the theme “The Role of Telecommunications and Information Technology (TIT) in Achieving Regional Development, Peace, Security and Human Rights.” Speaking at the same programme, the Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, Dr. Sidie Mohammed Tunis, said more needs to be done to optimise the gains of ICT in the community.

“Our continent and, in particular, our region is still lagging as this sector remains largely under-tapped. Today, virtually all advancements in the developed countries are tied to the strings of innovations derived from ICT. “Whilst we crave and yearn for more advancement in digital transformation, we must equip IT professionals and stakeholders with necessary policies to improve the functioning and efficiency of administrations, public policies, and economies, as well as the wellbeing of our population.” The leader of Ghana’s delegation to the ECOWAS Parliament, Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin, indicated that access to the internet remains a major challenge across Africa. He also bemoaned the activities of terror organisations which continue to create a huge sense of insecurity in some parts of the region. “These worrying developments demand robust action by national governments and regional institutions including the ECOWAS Parliament to help citizens feel safe,” he said.

Veep: central banks must connect directly to Pan-African payment system Continued from cover Settlement System (PAPSS), the payment system backbone of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). Developed by the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) on the initiative of the African Union and the AfCFTA Secretariat, PAPSS will enable intra-African trade and commerce payments to be made in African currencies in furtherance of the

goals of the AfCFTA. Speaking in Accra at the 5th Ghana International Trade and Finance Conference, held under the theme “Facilitating Trade and Trade Finance in AfCFTA: The Role of the Financial Services Sector”, the Vice President said with intra-Africa trade expected to improve significantly under the AfCFTA, PAPSS will allow businesses on the continent to clear and settle transactions in their local currencies without

depending on a third-party currency. He added, however, that the current strategy and mode of implementation of PAPSS, whereby individual financial institutions are being requested to connect to the system, is “very inefficient”. “I think the easiest and quickest way for us to go as a continent is to have the national switches connect directly to the Pan-African Payment and

Settlement System,” he said. “So when the national switch in Ghana, for example, under GhIPSS, connects to PAPSS, it brings along immediately all the 23 or so banks that are functional. It would be similar in Nigeria, similar with the BCEAO. If we want to wait for each individual financial institution to connect directly, there will be a long delay in the process, but we don’t have time,” he added. The roll-out of PAPSS, the Vice President further told the conference, will provide an alternative to the current high cost and long corresponding banking relationship by facilitating trade and other economic activities across African countries through a simple, low-cost and riskcontrolled payment clearance and settlement system. He added that said since payment systems are crucial to the day-to-day operations of a free trade system, negative spillover effects can be detrimental to the platform if something goes wrong, hence the need to ensure that the payment system runs effectively and is subjected to a robust legal and regulatory framework.

WEDNESDAY JULY 28, 2021

News

WEDNESDAY JULY 28, 2021

Prez charges SOEs to expand, create more jobs Continued from cover performance contract signing ceremony for 73 SOEs in Accra, under the auspices of the State Interests and Governance Authority (SIGA), the President also urged the managers to adopt best corporate governance practices to help achieve their objectives for the year. He noted that though Ghana, like many other nations, has taken a severe hit to its economy and social life as a result of the pandemic, fortunately, through hard work and determination, the country has gotten back on track to recovery and has been projected to be one of the fastestgrowing economies in subSaharan Africa this year. Speaking at the same event, and bemoaning the financial

performance of SOEs, Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta said the aggregate net loss of these enterprises worsened from GH₵188.9m in 2018 to GH₵586.49m in 2019. He added

that between 2015 and 2019, SOEs consistently posted negative profits and margins, averaging around 10 percent. He said it was time CEOs demonstrated a “unified

commitment to ensure that SOEs achieved the objectives they were set up for to allow access for the private sector to create jobs.” The Minister for Public Enterprises, Joseph Cudjoe, announced that his ministry and SIGA are working on a plan to secure strategic partnerships for some SOEs. He also appealed to the President to help get a legislative instrument to the SIGA Act (Act 990) enacted. The Director General of SIGA, Stephen Asamoah-Boateng, said the passage of the legislative instrument will institutionalise the performance contract signing ceremony, which will ensure that SOEs, joint-venture companies and other state entities adhere to the best corporate governance practices globally.

Experts discuss security to bolster Africa’s economic integration

olicy think-tank IMANI Centre for Policy and Education has convened a top-level panel to deliberate on the ongoing tensions in the Sahel region as part of efforts to promote lasting peace and coexistence among the feuding parties. The meeting discussed how the resolution of the Sahara issue could strengthen Africa’s regional and continental integration. IMANI’s Founding President and Chief Executive Officer, Franklin Cudjoe, indicated in his opening remarks that the situation in the Sahel belt is a thorny issue that does not only derail the economic and political integration efforts of the northern part of Africa, but also has the potential to cause a lasting debilitating impact on the continent’s integration efforts. “This is a crucial matter that needs discussion, not just by the politicians but also think-tanks; IMANI is interested in having the global understanding of how integration works. We understand that there’s unequal terms, but where conflict exists, such as that of the Sahara, everything must be done to solve it properly,” he told Business24 in an interview. Discussants at the meeting highlighted the security implications of the feud in the Sahel region for Africa’s economic integration agenda, especially the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area

(AfCFTA) agreement. The AfCFTA is the biggest economic initiative on the continent, with huge prospects for economic emancipation and wealth creation. Humphrey Ayim-Darke, Vice President of the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI), said there is a direct link between the smooth implementation of the AfCFTA and the marked insecurity across Africa, and that failure to address the insecurity challenge could derail the agenda for a continent-wide market. According to him, the threats of terrorism and other acts of insurgence being witnessed in

some parts of Africa are political bottlenecks that could inhibit the growth of the single continental market. “[African governments] should allow the rule of law to operate so that the AfCFTA agenda with which we seek to create economic empowerment and wealth for the continent’s people could be realised,” he said. He added: “We should be guided by that ethos and make sure we do what is needful to bring about the African integration agenda.” Aside security-enhancing interventions, countries will need structured policies to bridge the infrastructure gap across the

continent, said Joseph Adelegan, Founder of Green Globe SME Funds. He said the continental market has tremendous potential to achieve economic convergence and poverty reduction, but policies on infrastructure expansion must be harmonised to attract investments to that area. “Across Africa, we have countries with different policies for roads, transportation and infrastructure. There is the need for each government to create an enabling environment that will allow investments to flow in the area of critical infrastructure.”

WEDNESDAY JULY 28, 2021

News

WEDNESDAY JULY 28, 2021

Bank of Ghana maintains policy rate at 13. 5%

he Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the Bank of Ghana has maintained the policy rate at 13.5 per cent, determining that the risk to inflation and growth were broadly balanced. Inflation has fallen in recent months from 10.3 per cent in March to 7.5 in May within the Bank of Ghana target band of 8 per cent plus or minus two percentage points. “The latest forecast remained broadly unchanged with inflation projected to remain within the band and around the central path in the forecast horizon barring any upside risks from fiscal pressures,” the Committee said in a statement after its meetings. The statement said while global growth recovery was ongoing, driven by continued policy support and rising consumer confidence, the outlook remained uncertain due to uneven vaccination across regions, rising COVID-19 infection rates fueled by new variants of the virus, cases of vaccine hesitancy and divergence in the recovery across jurisdictions. It said the opening-up of economies, rising inflation abroad, stronger growth outcomes in advanced economies with possible interest rate responses from central banks were beginning to shape investors’

It said the slow growth in lending reflected increased credit risks on account of uncertainties in the business environment due to the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the real sector, coupled with very high yields offered on Dr. Ernest Addison is the Governor of the Bank of Ghana Government securities behaviour with potential impact due to increased Government borrowing. on the domestic bond market. On fiscal operations, the However, the banking sector performance reflected sustained Committee noted that the growth in customer deposits, budget deficit exceeded its investments, total assets, target in the first five months and profits and key financial mainly on the back of revenue soundness indicators remain underperformance. Going forward, expenditure healthy in relation to liquidity has to be aligned to revenue and solvency. The Committee based on macro- performance to support the fiscal prudential risk assessments consolidation efforts. “At 76.6 percent of GDP in May expected the banking sector to withstand mild to moderate credit 2021, the level of public debt raises risk shocks although a new wave debt sustainability concerns and of the pandemic in Ghana could the Committee reiterated the further elevate credit risks and importance and urgency of fiscal would require close monitoring consolidation efforts,” it said. The Committee said greater of banks’ capital and liquidity efficiency in debt management buffers. “The growth rebound which would be required, especially began in the last quarter of 2020 in the face of potential further has continued into the first half of tightening of global financing conditions, which could heighten 2021,” it added. The Committee expressed rollover risks and access to new concern about the continued financing in the outlook. It, therefore, called for strong sluggishness in new lending by banks which could undermine vigilance and complementarity in fiscal and monetary policies the growth momentum.

to signal to the markets a strong commitment to consolidation. The capital and financial accounts recorded an inflow of $3.3 billion compared with $1.6 billion for the same period in 2020, driven by higher portfolio and foreign direct investments inflows. As a result of these developments, the overall balance of payments recorded a surplus of $2.4 billion in the first half of 2021, against a surplus of $1.0 billion in the corresponding period of 2020. The improved balance of payments outturn supported the build-up in Gross International Reserves (GIR) to $11.0 billion, equivalent to 5.0 months of import cover at the end of June 2021. At end December 2020, Gross International Reserves stood at $8.6 billion (or 4.0 months of import cover). On exchange rate performance, available data as at July 22, 2021, shows that cumulatively, the Ghana cedi recorded a depreciation of 0.6 per cent against the US dollar, compared with a depreciation of 2.5 per cent for the same period of 2020. The Ghana cedi also depreciated by 1.2 per cent against the Pound Sterling but appreciated by 3.6 per cent against the Euro over the same period.

New terminal for Kumasi International Airport to be ready in October 2022

ngoing works on the construction of a new terminal at the Kumasi International Airport will be completed in October, 2022, Mr. Yaw Appiah-Danquah, Director, Airports Planning and Projects at the Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL), has disclosed. The project, being executed by Messrs. Contracta Construction UK Limited, is in line with the government’s agenda to expand the aviation industry for accelerated socio-economic development. “The construction of a new terminal building is a necessity since the old facility is a constraint to the operations of the airport,” Mr. Appiah-Danquah said. He cited the extension of the runway to accommodate Boeing 737-800 series aircraft and construction of a new arrival halls as some of the works being done. Additional aprons, as well as the provision of car parks and other ancillary facilities such

as the building of two new fire stations, control towers and two new boarding bridges are under construction. Mr. Appiah-Danquah indicated that on completion, the new terminal would have the capacity to handle one million passengers per annum. According to the GACL Official, the idea “is to relocate all the operational areas, including; the control tower, terminal building and also extend the apron for the benefit of larger aircraft.” The construction of the Kumasi Airport Phase Two commenced in June 2018, at the cost of about 66.3 million Euros. Mr. Appiah-Danquah said originally expected to have been completed in 24 months, the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic slowed down ongoing works considerably. However, the contractors had given the assurance to step up work in order to meet the projected deadline.

About 75 per cent of the work components had so far been done, ranging from engineering, procurement and some construction projects. The GNA gathered that the Airport was originally constructed in 1943 with some extensive developments in the late 1950s by the government on the runway and taxiway lights, as well as the extension of the main runway to the southern part in the 1970s. The building of a new terminal and installation of a VOR/DME, commissioned in December, 1993, completed the modernization process. In 2003, the Kumasi Airport was elevated to international status primarily for regional operations with the addition of security, customs and immigration staff. In 2014, the newly-rehabilitated runway installed with Aeronautical Ground Lighting Systems was inaugurated. The President, Nana AddoDankwa Akufo-Addo, who cut the

sod for commencement of the Second Phase of the expansion project, in June 2018, was hopeful that when completed, the International Airport would improve the country’s operational capacity in the aviation industry and also increase passenger traffic. “Kumasi being a place for business, this is going to make it possible for moving in and out to wherever we need to go,” he noted at that time. GNA

WEDNESDAY JULY 28, 2021

News

WEDNESDAY JULY 28, 2021

Government denies 15% base pay increase rumours

he Ministry of Finance says government has not granted any 15 per cent increase in base pay to any public sector institution on the Single Spine Salary Structure. The ministry explains that

the only adjustment on the base pay for the public service still remains the 4 per cent for the 2021 financial year, and that no new agreement has been reached on the payment of premium. “The Finance Ministry

attention has been drawn to media publications and agitations within the public domain in respect of this ministry's letter dated 12th July, 2021 on the payment of fifteen percent (15%) interim premium to staff of the

Civil and Local Government Services (CLOGSAG). These agitations, we believe have arisen because the public consider the above-mentioned approval to be a new agreement. The Ministry of Finance wishes to clarify that this is not a new agreement as it has been in existence since 2016 and fully implemented in 2020,” the ministry said in statement. It added that since the interim premium of 15% is on the base pay, it became necessary to do the relevant adjustments to reflect the negotiated 4% increase in the public sector base pay for the 2021 financial year. Given the above, the ministry as part of its communication to the Controller and AccountantGeneral's Department on implementation of the agreement on the 2021 and 2022 base pay, authorised the payment of premium and its associated arrears to CLOGSAG for 2021 in line with the existing agreement, it said.

‘Well prepared for travel with KLM's COVID-19 check’

LM has announced that its customers travelling to a selected number of destinations can now have the necessary COVID-19 travel documents checked in advance. “KLM's COVID-19 check, Upload@Home, is a new service that allows customers to travel well-prepared and smoothly,” the company said. The airline company said it understands that travelling with all the COVID-19-related requirements can be a challenge at the moment, especially because the rules change and can vary from country to country. Pre-validating the documents required by the destination via Upload@Home means that customers can be sure in advance that their documentation is in order. Also, checking COVID-19 documents in advance can speed up the check-in process at the airport, it added. Participation in Upload@Home is free and voluntary. With this innovative digital self-service, KLM wants to help its customers as best as possible with the complex entry regulations of the country of destination regarding COVID-19 travel documents. KLM's online check of COVID-19

documents is now available for all KLM flights to Amsterdam, and for KLM flights from or via Amsterdam to Curaçao, Dubai, Lima, St Martin, Istanbul, Germany and Spain. The number of destinations for which Upload@Home is available, is expected to increase in the near future. Customers who have booked a flight to one of these destinations and are eligible for this service will receive an invitation to participate. They collect the required documents and upload them up to five hours before

departure. They will be sent the result by e-mail, usually within an hour. KLM staff performing the check are available between 06.00 and 22.00 CET. At the airport All customers who need COVID19-related travel documents for their journey can collect their boarding pass and check in their baggage at the check-in desk at the airport. If they have had their documents checked online via Upload@Home beforehand, all they need to do is show their passport or ID card and any visa. However, KLM recommends

always bringing hard copies of the required COVID-19-related documents with them to the airport, as customers may have to show them upon arrival at their destination. “Travel is complicated at the moment, as countries set different entry requirements, which can also change quickly. It is important for KLM to unburden our customers as much as possible. That is why KLM's COVID-19 check | Upload@Home was devised. This innovative service enables KLM customers to go to the airport with peace of mind, because they know for sure that they have the necessary COVID-19 travel documents in order. Boet Kreiken, Executive Vice President Customer Experience KLM” “KLM's COVID-19 check | Upload@Home is a great example of how digitization and human work can go hand in hand to offer the customer the best possible experience. This innovative selfservice was developed quickly and in-house. In the near future we will look at which new destinations we can offer Upload@Home to,” Pieter Groeneveld, Senior Vice President Digital

Maritime

WEDNESDAY JULY 28, 2021

WIMOWCA launched to drive women empowerment in maritime sector

he Secretary General of the International Maritime Organisation, Kitack Lim has inaugurated the Women in Maritime of West and Central Africa (WIMOWCA), the newest IMO regional association for women in the maritime sector. Attended by a plethora of industry players, the semivirtual inaugural ceremony and conference held in Accra, at the Shippers’ House also saw the swearing-in of the association’s executives. Key among the discussions held was the topical Maritime Insecurity in the Gulf of Guinea, where various resource persons across the subcontinent made presentations on its impact on shipping, challenges, and the way forward. The IMO Secretary General, Kitack Lim, expressed his organization’s support for springing women’s associations in order to ensure that the 2030 UN Sustainable Development Goal 5 for gender equality and women empowerment is attained.

He disclosed that the IMO “recently awarded fellowships to nearly 50 women to take maritime courses in Le Havre, France and Galilee in Israel with a priority given to female officials from Africa, small island developing states and the least developing countries.” The Minister of Transport, Kwame Ofori Asiamah, echoed the IMO Secretary-General’s

sentiments, and said women’s participation is crucial to growing Africa’s Blue Economy. He said, “in the maritime industry today, there is an increasing awareness of the importance of impact of women as leaders. Increasing gender diversity means exposure to variety of new ideas and information from people of

different backgrounds. As noted by the secretary General, gender balance is not a women’s issue. It is a business issue.” The President of WIMOWCA, who is also the Deputy Chief Executive of the Ghana Shippers Authority, Sylvia Asana Dauda Owu assured of the association’s contribution towards the regional efforts to combat the menace of piracy.

IMaH engages health practitioners on its first-class cancer treatment facility

he International Maritime Hospital has engaged Doctors and health professionals within the Tema Metropolis to convey to them the services they offer in the area of oncology. The oncology unit has a firstclass Chemo suite, existing and specialist care facility and a whole

spectrum of cancer management. A Consultant Radiation Oncologist, Dr. Baffour Awuah, identified late diagnosis and poor referral practices, poor communication between patient and caregivers, among others, as some challenges in the treatment of cancer. He commended IMaH for

making its oncology unit a one stop shop for cancer treatment. Dr. Baffour Awuah said “patients now want everything delivered in one facility. They do not like to move. So, it is good that IMaH has everything.” The Chief Executive Officer of the International Maritime Hospital, Dr. Sylvester Oppong entreated medical professionals in the area of cancer not to add

to the woes and agony of their patients but instead treat them with comfort, empathy and compassion. Dr. Oppong explained that “cancer is already a depressing illness which comes with a whole lot of psychological challenges. It comes with pain and a lot of anxiety as well as all the drainage from the chemo treatment. So, let us be aware of that.” He said the IMaH oncology unit will grow to become one of the best in the country. The Country Manager for Roche Ghana, Philip Anderson said his outfit was impressed with the sterling oncology services being offered by IMaH and will continue to partner the hospital to build the needed human capacity in line with advanced medicine. “After launching the oncology service in October last year, IMaH has done excellent with how they have set up. They have done particularly well in trying to identify patients at the very early stage with their screening. The pathologist is offering comprehensive diagnosis and they have a very good ambience for the administration for chemotherapy,” he touted.

News

WEDNESDAY JULY 28, 2021

Digitising the economy: The role of people and culture

Patrick Quantson, Head, Digital Transformation, Stanbic Bank

onversations about the effect and impact of technology in transforming societies have almost become commonplace these days. The world has witnessed the power technology in human interactions either with themselves or their environment. In the business environment, rapid advancement in technology has fundamentally changed the environment of firms, the competitive dynamics within industries and consumer demands of goods and services. But for technology, the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic would have had a much more disturbing impact on the world than has been so far felt. Although the pandemic changed the way of doing things, social distancing was easier because people were still able to keep in touch because of the many avenues provided by technology

for business meetings, social calls and other human interactions. Technology and its impact has become so commonplace that for most people, it is impossible to imagine life without technology. Its impact notwithstanding, the benefits of technology has not been evenly realised across different countries of the world. This can be attributed to a myriad of things ranging from infrastructure to policy to investment. In this article, however, we will consider one critical element that influences technological innovation and its impact in human societies. It has been argued variously that to fully leverage the benefits of technology, the implementation of it needs to be accompanied by a certain level of cultural transformation. For technological innovation to have the desired impact, there has to be a certain culture of acceptance and adoption by the users of that technology. Digital

transformation exceeds the mere digitalisation of products and services to include the whole gamut of people’s lifestyles. The mindset of people and cultural change are perceived as essential for successful digital transformation, especially for people who have to cope with disruptive technologies. This, amongst other things, has accounted for the differences of the adoption and use of technologies among different countries. As has been said several times in conversations about technology, technology in itself is of no use except it is used for the benefit of society. Within this context, the users of any said technology must be ready and willing to accept the use of that technology before any conversation about impact could be had. Technology must therefore take into serious consideration socio-cultural and economic specificities that informs the different needs and priorities of the beneficiaries of

GRIDCo gets new boss

irector of Operations Ghana Grid

System at the Company

(GRIDCo), Mark Awuah Baah, has been appointed as the new Chief Executive Officer of the

Company. According to a circular to staff, Ing. Awuah Baah’s appointment

the technology. It has been argued that digital transformation should not be superimposed on cultures and people otherwise the rate of rejection and/or the optimization of such transformations will be minimal. People are similar but very different depending on the geographical locations, socialization, nurturing, education and life experiences. It is for this reason that the wholesale and blanket implementation of technology might not achieve the same results across these different human elements and factors. If technology has to be effective, it has to address the specific and felt needs of the people who will use the technology. There is within this framework talk of the inclusiveness of technology, meaning technology must emanate from the people and not imposed on them. When the latter is the case, there will be a sure incidence of resistance, which will defeat the entire purpose of technology, which is to transform society. It is therefore important that in the conversation of technology, we do not lose sight of the critical role of people and culture in its impact. One other critical area of interest in the conversation about people and culture within the context of technology is education. If people will appreciate technology and inculcate its use in their everyday lives, technology has to be part of the socialization and education. Throughout their education process, whether formal or informal, the use of technology and digitalisation must feature prominently. Without this, technology will exist without social and human relevance.

took effect from Friday, July 23. “This follows the successful end of the tenure of Mr. Jonathan Amoako-Baah as Chief Executive of the company,” said the circular signed by Board Secretary Monica Senanu, who is also the Director of Legal Services. “We take this opportunity to congratulate Ing. Mark Awuah Baah on his appointment and wish him well as he begins his tenure.” It also expressed gratitude to the outgone Chief Executive Officer for his services and contribution to GRIDCo.

WEDNESDAY JULY 28, 2021

News

WEDNESDAY JULY 28, 2021

GOIL wins Best Corporate Governance at Millennium Excellence Awards

OIL Company Limited (GOIL) has been honoured as an indigenous company successfully practising good corporate governance over the past years, catapulting it to become the market leader in the downstream petroleum industry. The prestigious award was conferred on the company at the 20th edition of the Millennium Excellence Awards held at the Manhyia Palace in Kumasi at which more than 60 personalities and corporate bodies were also awarded. The award scheme seeks to recognise and award individuals and organisations who have risen beyond all odds to achieve excellence in their various fields of expertise and practice. The citation accompanying the award read: “the Life Patron, HRM Otumfuo Osel Tutu I – Asantehene and the illustrious Board of Governors of the Millennium Excellence Foundation are

pleased to confer on GOIL Ghana Limited the coveted Millennium Excellence Award for Corporate Governance in high recognition of your well-established brand presence and great service to the nation. “From near collapse, the visionary leadership of the

Board and Management of GOIL has transformed the company into a commanding market leader through rebranding and restructuring into a fully integrated petroleum services provider with a very strong brand. “With the vision to list the company on the stock exchange,

obtain ISO Certification and establish GO Energy as a BDC wing, it is no surprise that GOIL leads the market. “The MEF salutes the Board and Management of GOLL for stabilising petroleum supply in Ghana. Ayekoo!” The Managing Director and Group CEO of GOIL Company Limited, Mr Osei Kwame Prempeh, picked up the award on behalf of the company. The President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, who also serves as life patron of the Millennium Excellence Foundation, graced the occasion. Reacting to the award, the CEO and MD of GOIL, Kwame Osei-Prempeh, lauded the contribution of staff for the successes chalked and saluted customers for staying loyal to the company. He promised that GOIL will continue to seek the interest of the consumer.

President leaves for education summit in London

resident Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, is leading a Ghanaian delegation to the Global Education Summit in the United Kingdom. His official visit to the UK is at the invitation of his Kenyan counterpart, Uhuru Kenyatta, and the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Boris Johnson. The two-day London summit which runs from July 28 to July 29, 2021, will be a key moment for the global community to come together and support quality education for all children. A centre-piece of the summit will be the opportunity for leaders to make 5-year pledge to support Global Partnership for Education's (GPE) work to help transform education systems in up to 90 countries and territories. The GPE is a multi-stakeholder partnership and funding platform that aims to strengthen education systems in developing countries in order to dramatically increase the number of children who are in school and learning. The President will also, at the invitation of the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Emerging Business Intelligence & Innovation (EBII) Group of the UK, attend as special guest of honour,

and deliver the keynote address at the 2021 African Investments Risks and Compliance (IRC) Summit, on July 30, 2021 at the University of Oxford.

He was accompanied by the Foreign Affairs Minister, Shirley Ayorkor Botchway, Education Minister, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, and officials of the presidency

and Foreign Ministry. The President will return to Ghana on Sunday, August 1, 2021. Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, will act in his stead.

WEDNESDAY JULY 28, 2021

Feature

WEDNESDAY JULY 28, 2021

Bridging health’s racial divide

The world is poised to make transformative advances in disease prevention and control over the coming decades. But this revolution needs to include and benefit all people, and not become skewed disproportionately toward those with a particular skin color or socioeconomic status. After the late Arthur Ashe contracted HIV/AIDS, he commented that the heaviest burden he had to bear was not the disease but being born black in America. In addition to facing systemic racism, black people in the United States suffer disproportionately from disease and have shorter life expectancies and less healthy lives. During the COVID-19 pandemic, African-American and indigenous communities have suffered dramatically higher rates of hospitalization and death and vaccine hesitancy among some black people – due to their history of being medically exploited – remains a challenge. Bridging this racial divide is a prerequisite for achieving a new and equitable era in global health. But today, there is far less clinical research involving people of African descent than white populations, particularly in genetics, immunology, and related disciplines. Unless we redress this racial imbalance, black people – as well as indigenous groups, Latinx, and other people of color – will continue to be left behind. For example, people with European ancestry make up just 16% of the global population, but account for nearly 80% of participants in genetic studies. Moreover, less than 2% of genomes analyzed to date are from African people, even though the African diaspora contains the greatest genetic diversity. Thus, as scientists race to unlock the secrets of our DNA, the knowledge gained so far is heavily biased.

Likewise, our knowledge of the human immune function is being distorted by data that vastly overrepresent certain populations, primarily those of white European descent. This can lead to mistakes, such as researchers’ former erroneous belief that cystic fibrosis, a genetic disorder, was not present in African populations. Genetic diagnosis had focused on variants found in European populations and missed those occurring among Africans. Twenty years ago, the sequencing of the human genome launched a revolution in biomedical research. But the technologies back then were not advanced enough to decode the human immunome, the body’s complex immune system for preventing and controlling diseases. Today, with the convergence of recent advances in biomedical sciences and artificial intelligence, we have the tools to do this – and potentially transform the future of human health. But we need to make sure that this revolution benefits everyone, and not just a privileged few. Unfortunately, racial inequity in biomedical research remains a major obstacle to achieving this vision. In the US, black people are glaringly underrepresented in clinical trials, and experience higher rates of illness than white Americans. Black babies are nearly two and a half times more likely to die in infancy than white babies, while black women are two to three timesmore likely than white women to die in childbirth. Black Americans are three times more likely than white Americans to die from asthma and their average life expectancy is over four years shorter. AfricanAmerican communities also have worse health outcomes with cancer, heart disease, and HIV, and are more susceptible to some

autoimmune diseases, such as systemic lupus erythematosus. Many of these health outcomes are linked to systemic racism and poverty, and to differences in income, education, housing, employment, and access to health care. But limited biomedical research in these populations – combined with the social factors contributing to increased poverty and disease – impedes progress and serves to reinforce health inequities rather than mitigate them. Tackling racial inequity in biomedical research requires a multipronged approach, starting with addressing the structural racism that has existed within the medical system. Given the previous exploitation of these communities in clinical research – from Tuskegee to Henrietta Lacks – many populations have longstanding and justifiable mistrust of the medical-research system. To address this, the scientific community must continue to expand its diversity and inclusion of both researchers as well as study participants. This includes much greater community involvement and outreach, and building understanding of the risks and benefits of research findings for individuals and communities. Second, we need a significant increase in resources for population-based clinical research studies of genetics, immunology, and related disciplines among the African diaspora, as well as indigenous and Latinx communities. These resources could come from both the private and public sectors, including corporations, foundations, and government. The recent call for the Three Million African Genomesproject is a step in the right direction. Ethics committees should examine the recruitment balance between different groups as part of their

assessment of trial protocols, and make sure that populations are equitably represented. Lastly, we need to address black communities’ concerns and participation in biomedical research by building equitable and inclusive coalitions of scientists and medical professionals (giving particular attention to including black voices), health activists and advocates, and community members. These groups could serve as a conduit for people to share their medical concerns and past traumas. They could lead significant, grassroots educational efforts, based on open exchange and trust, to persuade AfricanAmericans of the benefits of participating in research, while also allowing health-care workers to share information and best practices. The world is poised to make transformative advances in disease prevention and control over the coming decades. The global COVID-19 response, with scientists developing multiple effective and safe vaccines in under a year, was unprecedented and underlines the potential to build a new, equitable age of global health. But this revolution needs to include and benefit all people, and not become skewed disproportionately toward those with a particular skin color or socioeconomic status. Bridging the current racial divide in medical research will benefit us all, and it has never been more important. Jeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe, a fine-art photographer and author, is a director of the Arthur Ashe Endowment for the Defeat of AIDS. Wayne C. Koff, President and CEO of the Human Vaccines Project, is an adjunct professor of epidemiology at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Feature

WEDNESDAY JULY 28, 2021

Making a difference with timely support and investment – Osman’s story Reducing malnutrition and child deaths through timely actions

By UNICEF

ahmed and Bahsira couldn’t help but smile every time they looked at their 1-yearold son Osman. He was looking healthier and stronger every day. Behind their smiles are memories of Osman’s dire condition just two months ago. They were on the verge of losing hope “When we brought Osman to the hospital, he was very frail, and I’ll admit I was so scared that he may not survive. Even my parents told us that it would be better if he passed on so he would be put out of his misery. He could not eat at all and was looking very thin.” Osman was admitted to the Baptist Medical Center in Nalerigu in the East Mamprusi district of the North East region in April 2021 and immediately, health and nutrition officials of the hospital started working to bring him back to good health. Upon admission, his mid-upper arm circumference measurement read less than 11.5 centimeters. He was in critical condition. Undernutrition is still threatening the survival and development of young children in Ghana and accounts for approximately 24% of child deaths and stunts children’s growth and cognitive development. This, coupled with multiple shocks brought on by the COVID-19 crisis worsened the situation. For example, economic difficulties, reduced food supply and spikes in food prices on the market after the lock-down period, threatened to derail progress made to improve nutrition of children. In addition, the newly created North East region, even before the COVID-19 pandemic, recorded some of the worst indicators for health and nutrition of children in the country. To address this, UNICEF in partnership with China AID is providing support to the Ghana Health Service to reduce stunting, wasting and severe acute malnutrition in the North East region. With an investment of $1 million, nutrition supplements and supplies such as iron-folic tablets, vitamin A supplements, weighing scales and height boards, ready-to-use therapeutic foods, therapeutic milk and essential medicines

Health workers on a monitoring visit to a mother who child is being treated with therapeutic supplements.

UNICEF Supply and Procurement Officer, Pharoah Semanhyia checks nutrition supplements before transportation to health center in Gamabaga, Northeast Region.

have been provided for children and adolescents in the region. Through this support, mothers, such as Bahsira, whose children are at risk of severe malnutrition receive counselling from health officials both at the health center and during home visits. "Now that Osman has been cured and is going home, we have to keep working and monitoring to ensure that he does not

relapse. We will be doing this through regular home visits and providing nutrition counseling to his mother and family on the variety, consistency and combination of foods that will help boost Osman’s growth and development.” Amos Bukari Nutrition Officer of Baptist Medical Center is one of the officials responsible for the improvement in Osman’s health. Dr. Abdulai Abukari, Regional

Director for Health Service in the North East shared his sentiments about the programme. “Thanks to support from China AID, more children, just like Osman are receiving timely and necessary treatment. Malnutrition in children if ignored or not treated will lead to poor academic performance, which in the long run will not help Ghana’s development.

News

WEDNESDAY JULY 28, 2021

Korsi Senyo appointed to CILED Global Council and Country Director for Ghana

usinessman and civil rights activist, Mr. Mawuli Korsi Senyo, has been appointed as a member of the Global Council of the Chartered Institute of Leadership, Education and Development (CILED), USA. In a statement signed by the Secretary to the Global Council, Dr. Emmanuel Ande Ivorgba, FCILED, the investigative journalist is also appointed to serve as Ghana's Country Director for the professional body. According to the statement, Mr. Senyo's "worth of experience spanning several sectors, CILED believes Mr. Senyo has the capacity and leadership expertise to contribute the growth of the professional body and establish its presence in Ghana." Mr. Senyo is an entrepreneur, social worker, IT expert and journalist with over ten years of worth of experience in the areas of peace-building, media, business development, informational and communication technology at both national and international levels.

He is the co-founder of Africa Centre for Peace Building which he been the Executive Director since January 2010. Mr. Senyo is the founder of IT firm, Senyo Global Solutions; business consultancy firm, SEMPEG Consult; and media firm, AM Networks – publishers of the Awake News and Awake Africa. In February 2014, he was invited by H.E. Dennis Sasso Nduaso, the President of the Republic of Congo

to join five Head of States, Nobel Peace Prize winners, Defense Ministers, Senior Government Officials and other world leaders to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of Signing of Brazzaville Peace Accord. At this world peace gathering, Korsi Senyo joined in discussions in shaping world peace and development. From May 2014 to August 2016, Korsi Senyo was appointed CC Liaison Officer of United Religions

Initiative for West Africa where is played the role of communicating and disseminating information of URI Global Office to URI West Africa member organizations and facilitating training workshops for member organizations in West Africa. He served as a member on 2015 Peace Awards Giving Committee of the Millennium Excellence Award. He also a Mentor on the Mandela Washington Fellowship of the Youth African Leaders Initiative and Mentor of the Tony Elumelu Entrepreneurship Programme. In 2018, he was invited by the former President of South Africa and Tanzania to join the Africa Leadership Forum to discuss peace and security issues in Africa. With this worth of experience spanning several sectors, CILED believes Mr. Senyo has the capacity and leadership expertise to contribute growth of the professional body and establish its presence in Ghana.

Stakeholders call for concerted efforts towards sustainable waste management

takeholders in the waste management value chain have called for deepened collaboration and commitment among key actors to promote sustainable waste management and circular economy in Ghana. This call was made at the maiden Ghana Waste Fair organized by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in partnership with the Coca Cola Foundation and the Ghana National Plastic Action Partnership under the Waste Recovery Platform. Speaking at the Fair, the Resident Representative of UNDP Ghana, Dr. Angela Lusigi urged all to leverage inclusive partnerships to mobilise support to help in the scaling up of innovative solutions for sustainable waste management. She further called on stakeholders to recognize the urgency of environmentally sound waste management as a gateway to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and take action for the prosperity of people and the planet.

‘It is time to make the right choices for equitable and lasting prosperity for all people across generations by prioritising waste prevention, reduction, recycling, and re-use”, Dr. Lusigi added. The Chief Director at the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology, and Innovation, Ms. Cynthia Asare Bediako underscored the importance of sustainable waste management to job creation and urged all stakeholders, especially households to actively participate in the waste management agenda. ‘’The time to make good use of our abundant resources is now. We must therefore deepen our partnerships across all sectors to support innovations that will transform waste management into a profitable venture’’, Ms. Asare Bediako stated. Key actors in the waste value chain underscored the need for a policy intervention to support innovation in the waste management ecosystems that will motivate more people and companies to find innovative solutions for sustainable waste

management and promote circular economy. ‘’Whilst we do our best as individuals and companies to solve the waste problem through our innovations, government should incentivize us with tax exemptions and other support to enable us scale up for a deepened impact’’, noted Matilda Payne Boakye-Ansah, Founder of MH Couture and Extreme Upcycle, who was a panelist. The stakeholders also highlighted the need for an inclusive policy making processes to allow innovators and waste collectors at the grassroot level to make inputs towards waste management policies. Exhibitors at the fair expressed their satisfaction and called for

sustained efforts to build more partnerships for an improved waste management system in Ghana. ‘’This fair has been a great platform for us to showcase the potential of waste recycling. Apart from the huge sales we have made here, we have also built some partnerships that we are going to leverage to scale up our business’’, said Amos Gbortse Kokoti, Operations Manager of Fibre Wealth, a company recycling coconut husk into organic fertilizer. The Ghana Waste Fair 2021 brought together over 300 stakeholders to dialogue and share ideas on how innovation can be leveraged to promote sustainable waste management in Ghana.

Feature

WEDNESDAY JULY 28, 2021

Game on for green growth

ountries in a sustainable world will still have opportunities to grow, trade, innovate, and move up the value chain to secure a brighter future. But they will need to realize these opportunities in an economy that is at one with nature, not external to it. Research into economic growth has a long and distinguished history, but the recent introduction of sustainability into the debate has given the field a necessary and overdue shakeup. In particular, a report on the economics of biodiversity, commissioned by the UK government and led by Partha Dasgupta of the University of Cambridge, represents a tectonic shift in thinking, rather than only a logical extension of previous growth models. While this may be unsettling to some, it provides a great opportunity to use the power of data and analytics to put growth and finance on a more sustainable path. In a nutshell, the new economics of growth no longer regards the environment as external to the economy. Rather, the economy is embedded in the environment, and can prosper and grow sustainably only as long as we manage nature wisely. While some “exploitation” of the environment is possible, there exists a tipping point beyond which it can never recover. There is thus a new bottom line for thinking about growth.

Bigger is no longer better; nowadays, sustainable is better. Previous growth models regarded the accumulation of human and physical capital – through education and training, and investment in plants, equipment, and infrastructure – as good, because they expanded the economy. Combining these factors in more efficient ways through technological innovation was seen as beneficial for the same reason. The problem was that these models never explicitly considered the environment, or natural capital. Some simple accounting highlights the adverse consequences of this approach. According to the Dasgupta report, at the global level between 1992 and 2014, physical capital per capita roughly doubled, while human capital per capita rose by 13%. But natural capital per capita declined by 40%. This obviously is not sustainable, particularly if the environment faces an irreversible tipping point. Growth has become unsustainable mainly because market prices did not capture the negative environmental externalities of economic activity. Resource allocation that followed these price signals thus led to environmental degradation. Moreover, conventional GDP measures scored increases in output per capita as raising living standards. While this was true in a narrow sense, a balance sheet for the environment, or some way to

adjust GDP figures for ecological damage, was missing. Many economists and policymakers thus largely ignored this negative externality. The textbook way to create more sustainable growth is to tax things that are bad for the environment, and the simplest instrument is a carbon tax. The amount of the tax should raise the private cost of economic activity to the social cost, which includes the environmental impact. This modified market signal will then help to allocate resources in a more sustainable way. But the private sector can go beyond being a mere price taker in the green transition and play an active role by internalizing the negative externality. Already, sovereign wealth funds, university endowments, and insurance and pension funds are seeking to invest their assets in more sustainable ways. Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) principles and other green financing tools are increasingly available to guide investment. This market segment has exploded in recent years, but more needs to be done to harmonize definitions and track results more accurately and consistently. The key to prospering in a sustainable world will be to foster economic growth while managing the natural capital stock. Size still matters, but now in a negative way. For example, there is no demographic dividend. In traditional growth models, more

labor leads to more output. But in a sustainable-growth world, higher output lowers natural capital. The corollary of this is that population declines are good, so Japan and Europe need not despair. A command-economy model of financial repression to fund rapid investment and growth doesn’t look too promising, either, unless it can enable an upgrade to a cleaner capital stock with a lighter environmental footprint. Technology for its own sake is out as well. In a sustainable world, technology needs to reduce the environmental impact of economic activity, and innovations that increase it are unlikely to be adopted. Countries will still need technological change to drive growth, but the focus must shift to environmental efficiency. Recasting the challenge of growth means altering priorities and policies. Countries will still have opportunities to grow, trade, innovate, and move up the value chain to secure a brighter future. But they will need to realize them in an economy that is at one with nature, not external to it. Paul Gruenwald is Global Chief Economist at S&P Global Ratings.

News

WEDNESDAY JULY 28, 2021

FAO Director-General: World faces historic task to turn the tide on ending hunger and poverty

holistic and coordinated approach is urgently needed to transform agrifood systems and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. This was the call made by the QU Dongyu, Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) to world leaders participating in the opening today of the Pre-Summit of the UN Food Systems Summit. "Our agri-food systems are not delivering properly, and in many parts of the world these systems were not efficient, inclusive and sustainable," Qu said, noting that the COVID-19 pandemic has aggravated the situation. According to a report issued this month by FAO and its partners, around a tenth of the global population - up to 811 million people - were undernourished last year. The number suggests it will take a tremendous effort for the world to honour its pledge to end hunger by 2030. The FAO Director-General stressed how at this "critical moment in time" the world faces "the historic task" to transform the agri-food systems and put back on track the achievement of the SDGs. "To achieve this ambitious transformation; we need to change policies, mind-sets, and business models," he told participants at the Pre-Summit opening ceremony that saw the participation of dozens of heads of state and government,

ministers and other high-level representatives, some present in person while others connected by video. Speakers included Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres - the UN and the Government of Italy are the Pre-Summit co-hosts - the President of Rwanda and Chair of the African Union Development Agency Paul Kagame and, representing Pope Francis, Archbishop Paul Gallagher the Holy See's Secretary for Relations with States. The day's proceedings had begun earlier with an address by UN Deputy SecretaryGeneral Amina J. Mohammed. Later the FAO DirectorGeneral participated in a panel discussion, on What It Will Take to Rise to Our Ambition for 2030 together with the heads of the other Rome-based UN agencies, International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) President Gilbert Houngbo, and

the World Food Programme (WFP) Executive Director David Beasley. They were joined by the UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Inger Andersen, while the Special Envoy of the UN Secretary-General for the 2021 Food Systems, Agnes Kalibata, also made remarks. FAO's contribution to transforming agri-food systems In his opening ceremony address, the FAO DirectorGeneral outlined how in the past two years, the Organization has become a more efficient, inclusive and fit for purpose and is strategically poised to drive many of the changes needed to transform agri-food systems. FAO's new Strategic Framework for the next decade, endorsed last month by the FAO Conference focuses on the transformation to more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agri-food systems, and hinges on the Four Betters - better production, better

nutrition, a better environment and a better life - to leave no one behind. In addition, FAO's flagship match-making Hand-in-Hand Initiative aims to accelerate agricultural transformation and sustainable rural development to eradicate poverty and end hunger. The Director-General also cited the Food Coalition an initiative conceived in partnership with the Government of Italy, and FAO's COVID-19 Response and Recovery Program which complement the UN agency's holistic approach. "FAO continues to build and strengthen joint efforts across sectors, regions and communities with all stakeholders he said, adding: Together, in solidarity, effectiveness and determination!" The FAO Director-General also highlighted the crucial role played by young people and described how shortly after taking office in 2019 he launched the FAO Youth Committee and FAO Women's Committee to increase youth engagement, help empower women and foster their innovative spark, also by reaching out to major youth groups from around the world with the launch of the World Food Forum (WFF). "I invite you all to join the WFF," which will be held for the first time from 1 to 6 October 2021 he said. "We must seize this opportunity to uplift our taking the world from Zero waste first, to Zero hunger final!".

National service personnel call for allowance increment

he National President of the National Service Personnel Association (NASPA), Mr Emmanuel Brimpong Akosah, has appealed to the government to consider increasing the allowance paid to service personnel to enable them make a meaningful living. He noted that the minimum wage has been increased and looking at the fact that service personnel have to pay high fees for accommodation, high cost of transportation and other responsibilities they have to undertake. Speaking at the national launch of the NASPA Week Celebration in Takoradi on the theme, “Sustainable Mining for National Development, An All in All Call”, he described the theme as

appropriate since illegal mining activities were on the increase. He said the drive against the menace cannot be achieved without the support of all and sundry and called on the personnel to add their voice in advocacy for the sustainable mining development drive to be achieved. Mr Akosah announced that the National Service Personnel Week Celebration would start from July 26 - August 1 throughout the districts in the country. Mr. Okatakyie Amankwa Afrifa, Western Regional Director of the National Service Secretariat Scheme, indicated that accepting postings to teach and going into the hinterlands to serve should not be seen as punishment and urged incoming personnel to

accept postings to rural areas He said the scheme was not happy with the special posting adverts going on among personnel, posing some security threats which he said was being investigated by the National Security and cautioned that there was nothing like special postings. He alleged that culprits who posed as agents take money illegally from entrants under the pretext of sending them to special offices which oftentimes resulted in rejection by the companies because they did not make such

requests. Mr. Afrifa said the issue was worrying to the scheme and that the scheme was therefore leaving no stone unturned to bring perpetrators to book to discourage the practice. He urged the personnel to be brand ambassadors of the scheme and to demonstrate the skills and knowledge acquired while at post wherever they found themselves as they exit the Scheme. GNA

Feature

WEDNESDAY JULY 28, 2021

Elevating the SMME sector is key to ensuring long-term economic viability in Africa

By David Mparutsa, Head of Ent. & Supply Chain Development at Absa Regional Operations

espite commendable efforts and interventions by various state and private sector entities, there is no silver bullet to how economies across Africa and the small and medium enterprise sector will recover from the global health pandemic. Across the continent, we see a K-shaped recovery as different economies and sectors recover at differing rates from the worst effects of COVID-19 through stimulus packages and global support funds. Countries that acted early and decisively and have the mechanisms to channel support to sectors in critical need of assistance are better placed to lead the recovery. From a business perspective, sectors such as tech and telecoms are running ahead while leisure and tourism and aviation have a long road to regain lost ground. Simply put, one year on from the pandemic, there is no linear or homogenous road to economic recovery. So, where does this leave the critical SME sector in Africa? According to the African Development Bank's report African SMEs Through COVID-19, small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) account for more than 90% of businesses and almost 80% of employment in African economies. The majority of these enterprises are to be found in the informal sector. Small business owners, particularly in the informal sector, can start afresh and pivot their business offerings according to the market needs.

But this adaptability and agility - the very qualities that make SMEs such a feature of the African economic landscape – are also the sector's biggest Achilles heel. Anyone with an idea, the drive and the perseverance can start a small business in support of their families and even communities, but by its nature, it does not lend itself to long-term sustainability. A 2020 Catalyst for Growth report found that the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic was felt to a far greater extent in emerging markets due to SMEs in these markets being constrained by institutional inadequacies. Depending on the scale of the SME, when COVID-19 hit, some were unable to pay their own and employee wages, others were forced to retrench staff, while many were unable to meet financial obligations as they were not prepared and equipped to withstand such a tremendous economic shock. SMEs with very little in the balance sheet in terms of investments or liquid assets and highly geared struggled for survival during the pandemic. It goes back to only borrowing money for necessary projects and where the business owner has a line of sight of cash flow to service that debt. The April 2021 AfDB report African SMEs Through COVID-19 stated that in addition to immediate support and relief measures, governments should also "consider mid-to-long term structural policies for African SMEs that would enhance their resilience after the crisis". Key recommendations include: • strengthening awareness of opportunities for SMEs, • investing in skills and capacities, • speeding up the adoption

also incentivised the use of of digital technologies, and • strengthening credit digital channels for convenient and safe transaction; in a market reporting institutions. like Ghana, this translated into some fee waivers for online The way back from the brink transactions. Furthermore, we provided Education to support the SME sector will be crucial, and this is counsel to small business and through our where corporates such as Absa owners Bank play such a critical role business development support through enterprise supply chain programmes such Absa SME development programmes and Clinics, Absa Business Connect series & Absa StartUp Training supporting initiatives. Africa is a vibrant and growing sessions, designed to upskill and economic pot but still subject to empower SMEs. Meaningful support of this regular economic shocks and bouts of turbulence, be that due critical economic sector requires involvement to political instability or natural multi-stakeholder from both the public and private disasters. The SME sector, in particular sectors. The economic green shoots micro-enterprises, will have to learn the importance of of recovery can be seen all over contingency reserves and a the continent in key data points culture of saving instead of a hand- such as the GDP outlook, which to-mouth approach, which leaves the African Development Bank zero room to manoeuvre and too predicts will grow at 3.4% in 2021, as opposed to a contraction exposed to external factors. SMEs can adapt to changing of 2.1% in 2020, and there has circumstances, but the sector also been a solid rebound in needs to incorporate contingency commodity prices. Allied to that and succession planning as are vaccine roll-out programmes, critical parts of its make-up. In which will help boost confidence addition, adequately documented in various economic sectors. As a small business owner can procedures which allow your business to continue to operate adapt quickly, it is imperative in your absence as well as optimal that SMEs keep their ears close stocking and resourcing levels to the ground in terms of sector to drive efficiency will have to recoveries and quickly try and become part of the fabric of the plug into those sectors that are potentially doing well and SME sector. During the pandemic, Absa leading the economic recovery. provided financial assistance in Understand what your business payment relief to at least 670,000 can offer and link into the value customers in Africa, with chains of large firms in those approximately US$72m dollars sectors, maybe as a supplier or as in cash flow relief provided to a distributor. The opportunities will be there. our retail and business banking customers. In Ghana this included However, the SME sector will repayment moratorium of up to need to be agile and increasingly six months to businesses who resilient in ensuring its longhave been impacted by COVID-19 term sustainability and ability to and a reduction in lending rate withstand any future shocks. by 2% on qualifying SMEs. We

Automobile

WEDNESDAY JULY 28, 2021

New Mercedes platforms will be EV-only from 2025

ercedes-Benz parent company Daimler rolled out its electrification strategy this week, revealing plans to go all electric by the end of the decade. The automaker is already on its way to offering battery-electric models in every segment—a mark it says it will hit next year—ahead of plans to develop only new battery-electric platforms starting in 2025. Specifically, by the middle of the decade Daimler plans to launch three new electric-only platforms, designed for maximum flexibility and able to underpin a variety of vehicles. The MB.EA architecture is slated to serve as a platform for all medium to large passenger cars, while the AMG.EA platform will be destined for performance models from Mercedes-AMG. The VAN.EA platform, also due in 2025, will underpin commercial vans and passenger vans alike. That's right—this means just one platform will underpin several medium and large Mercedes-Benz vehicles, while the MercedesAMG models will have just one

platform of their own. To enact this strategy, Mercedes plans to ramp up EV research and development, aiming to invest more than €40 billion ($47 billion) between 2022 and 2030. "Thanks to early investments into flexible manufacturing, and the state-of-the art MO360 production system, MercedesBenz can mass produce BEVs already today. As soon as next

year, eight Mercedes-Benz electric vehicles will be produced at seven locations on three continents," the automaker notes. Battery production will be a part of Daimler's plans, with the automaker planning to set up eight gigafactories with its partners, in addition to the nine plants set aside for building battery systems. The automaker plans to use highly standardized

batteries, suitable for 90% of Mercedes-Benz passenger cars and vans, but Daimler is also planning for the next generation of batteries that could use siliconcarbon composites in the anode to increase energy density, cutting down charging times and greatly improving range. Source: Autoweek

There won’t be enough batteries to fulfill the industry’s EV promises

utomakers with relatively short timetables to be electric-only include Volvo, Jaguar, Volkswagen (in Europe), Bentley, Lotus, Cadillac, and, as an aspiration, all of General Motors. GM has said it will have 30 EVs on the market by 2025, 20 of them for sale in North America. Startups ready to deploy EVs include Rivian, Lucid, Bollinger, and Fisker. That’s a lot of electric cars, and that means a lot of batteries. Will the packs and cells be ready to slot into the vehicles? An impressive array of experts say maybe not. Udo Panenka is president for the global industrial automation segment of ATS Automation Tooling Systems in Germany, a

company that sets up battery assembly lines around the world (including for GM). Martin Starkey is managing director at Ricardo Performance Products in the UK, a powertrain solutions provider for niche volume EV applications. Both were guests of an online Reuters forum on battery challenges I moderated July 14. And both are worried. “I hear what the CEOs of auto companies are announcing every day,” said Panenka in an interview. “They have ambitious goals, but not all of them have a firm plan on how to get there. We’re seeing a wave of western companies moving into their own cell production, reducing their dependency on the large

Asian battery manufacturers. It’s necessary—we need more cells and need to produce them in-region. But there’s a lot of pressure to get EVs out there.” Panenka continued, “Everyone is trying to optimize their designs, making the best batteries they can with the evolving technology and declining battery cost, but if they plan to launch vehicles in the next two to three years we will need to change the rules of the game, and approach such complex automation projects differently. Otherwise, OEMs and their tier suppliers won’t be able to produce enough batteries.” Panenka says that if they don’t look at potential future technology changes and design these lines for upgradeability, manufacturers with cell and pack designs that keep evolving may find themselves investing millions of dollars in battery assembly lines that will be obsolete before they’re ever used. And battery packs that were rushed into production are likely to be subject to a greater number of recalls. In the second half of 2020, more than 150,000 EVs were recalled by GM, Hyundai and Ford, all

due to issues with batteries from Tier One cell suppliers LG Energy Solution and Samsung SDI, said Tal Sholklapper, CEO and co-founder of the Berkeley, Californiabased Voltaiq, which provides enterprise battery intelligence to automakers. Owners of recalled 2017 to 2019 Chevrolet Bolts were recently advised to park their cars outdoors. Ricardo’s Starkey points out that the UK government has banned new gas and diesel cars by 2030. “Electric cars are still only accounting for less than 10 percent of sales in the UK, and so the clock is ticking in terms of accelerating the wider adoption,” said Starkey via email. “The UK has a special set of needs around battery supply: not only the higher-volume gigafactories but the requirements of our unique niche vehicle networks, including aerospace, defense, sports cars, luxury vehicles and off-highway machines. We are concerned that this is not being addressed at a rate fast enough to support these key UK markets.” Source: Autoweek

Feature

WEDNESDAY JULY 28, 2021

Actively contributing to building a community with a shared future for mankind

By Col. Zhao Hongquan, Defence Attaché of Chinese Embassy in Ghana

n Aug. 1, 1927, the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) was born out of a mission to seek national independence and liberation of the Chinese people. More than 94 years have passed. And now the PLA, ever developing and modernizing, has not only been standing guard for the security and well-being of the Chinese people, but also contributing to regional and global peace and security. Building a community with a shared future for mankind conforms to the trends of the times for peaceful development, and reflects the common aspirations of all peoples throughout the world. China’s armed forces have responded faithfully to the call for a community with a shared future for mankind. They are actively fulfilling the international obligations of the armed forces of a major country, comprehensively promoting international military cooperation for the new era, and striving for a better world of lasting peace and common security. Resolutely Upholding the Purposes and Principles of the

UN Charter As a founding member of the United Nations and a permanent member of the UNSC, China unswervingly endorses the central role of the UN in international affairs, and resolutely upholds international law and the basic norms governing international relations based on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter. It firmly maintains multilateralism, advances democracy in international relations, participates extensively in global security governance, actively engages in arms control and disarmament, and endeavors to offer Chinese proposals for resolving major issues and formulating important rules. China has played a constructive role in the political settlement of regional hotspots such as the Korean Peninsula issue, the Iranian nuclear issue and Syrian issue. China opposes hegemony, unilateralism and double standards, promotes dialogues and consultations, and fully and earnestly implements UNSC resolutions. China has actively participated in multilateral dialogues and negotiations on cyberspace and outer space, and pushed for the formulation of widely accepted international rules that are fair and equitable.

China actively participates in international arms control, disarmament and nonproliferation. China objects to arms race and strives to protect global strategic balance and stability. To this end, China has signed or acceded to dozens of relevant multilateral treaties including the Treaty on the Nonproliferation of Nuclear Weapons. In 2015 China announced the establishment of the USD1 billion China-UN Peace and Development Fund in the following decade, which was officially put into operation in 2016. Building a New-Model Security Partnership Featuring Equality, Mutual Trust and Win-Win Cooperation China actively develops constructive relationships with foreign militaries. A new configuration of foreign military relations which is all-dimensional, wide-ranging and multi-tiered is taking shape. China has engaged in military exchanges with more than 150 countries and set up 130 offices of military attachés and military representatives at Chinese diplomatic missions abroad, while 116 countries have established military attaché’s offices in China. In addition, China has put in place 54 defense

consultation and dialogue mechanisms with 41 countries and international organizations. Since 2012, high level Chinese military delegations have visited over 60 countries, and defense ministers and commanders-inchief from over 100 countries have visited China. China is strengthening military exchanges with developing countries in Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean and the South Pacific by carrying out personnel training, conducting exchanges between mid-and-junior level officers, and providing assistance in military development and defense capabilities. In Beijing in 2018 China hosted the ChinaAfrica Defense and Security Forum, the China and LatinAmerica High-level Defense Forum, and the Forum for Senior Defense Officials from Caribbean and South Pacific Countries. The PLA adheres to the principles of mutual trust, mutual benefit and win-win cooperation in carrying out pragmatic exchanges and cooperation with foreign militaries. Since 2012, China has held over 100 joint exercises and training with more than 30 countries. These engagements have covered traditional and non-traditional security fields, in locations extending from China’s

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23 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 22 periphery to the far seas, and the participating forces have expanded from land forces to multiple branches including the army, navy and air force. Cooperation and exchanges in personnel training have intensified. Since 2012, the PLA has sent over 1,700 military personnel to study in more than 50 countries. Over 20 Chinese military educational institutions have established and maintained inter-collegiate exchanges with their counterparts from more than 40 countries. Meanwhile, more than 10,000 foreign military personnel from over 130 countries have studied in Chinese military universities and colleges. Building a Regional Security Cooperation Architecture In June 2001, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan co-founded the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. The SCO has now grown into a new type of comprehensive regional cooperation organization covering the largest area and population in the world. The Shanghai Spirit featuring mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respect for diverse civilizations and pursuit of common development has come into being. With its commitment to building an SCO community with a shared future and developing a new model of international relations, the organization has made a new contribution to regional peace and development. In June 2017, the SCO expanded for the first time and admitted India and Pakistan as member states. In April 2018, China hosted the first SCO Defense Ministers’ Meeting since the organization expanded its membership. The member states continue to strengthen defense and security exchanges and cooperation, including Peace Mission exercises, and Fanfare for Peace military tattoos, to further promote good-neighborliness and strategic mutual trust, increase military cultural exchanges, and enhance unity and friendship. China actively supports the institutional development of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA), advocates common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security in Asia, and plays an important role in building an Asian security cooperation architecture. In the principles of openness, inclusiveness and pragmatic

WEDNESDAY JULY 28, 2021

cooperation, China actively participates in multilateral dialogues and cooperation mechanisms including the ADMMPlus, ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), Shangri-La Dialogue, Jakarta International Defense Dialogue and Western Pacific Naval Symposium, regularly holds China-ASEAN defense ministers’ informal meetings, and proposes and constructively promotes initiatives to strengthen regional defense cooperation. The ChinaASEAN Maritime Exercise-2018, the first between Chinese and ASEAN militaries, was held in October 2018 and demonstrated the confidence and determination of the countries in maintaining regional peace and stability. China has initiated the Xiangshan Forum, a platform of exchange based in Beijing, in the spirit of equality, openness, inclusiveness and mutual learning. In 2014, the Xiangshan Forum was upgraded to a track-1.5 platform of international security and defense dialogue. In October 2018, the Xiangshan Forum was renamed the Beijing Xiangshan Forum. More than 500 participants from 67 countries and 7 international organizations attended the forum and exchanged new ideas and approaches for addressing regional security threats and challenges. Their discussions have played an active role in promoting security dialogue and mutual trust in the Asia-Pacific region. Actively Providing International Public Security Goods China takes concrete actions to safeguard world peace and has actively participated in the UNPKOs. China is the second largest contributor to both peacekeeping assessment and UN membership fees, and the largest troop-contributing country (TCC) among the permanent members of the UN Security Council. Over the past 30 years, China's armed forces have resolutely delivered on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, and sent over 40,000 peacekeepers to 25 UN peacekeeping missions. In the missions, China’s peacekeepers have built and repaired over 17,000 kilometers of roads, cleared and disposed of over 14,000 mines and various items of unexploded ordnance, transported over 1.2 million tons of materials and equipment over a total distance of more than 13 million kilometers, provided medical services to over 246,000 sick and wounded people. Rapid deployment of

peacekeeping forces means greater opportunities to maintain peace and protect lives. China's armed forces fully support the UN in developing the Peacekeeping Capability Readiness System (PCRS) and reinforcing UN rapid deployment capacity. In September 2017, China completed the registration of a UN peacekeeping standby force of 8,000 troops. This force has 28 units in ten categories — infantry, engineer, transport, medical, force protection, rapid response, helicopter, transport aircraft, UAV, and surface ship units. In October 2018, after a satisfactory Assessment and Advisory Visit (AAV) by a UNHQ team, 13 of these units were elevated to PCRS Level 2. In 2019 and 2020, six units were upgraded to PCRS Level 3 from Level 2. The Chinese standby force has been trained in strict compliance with the UN criteria and maintained the requisite degree of preparedness. It is now a well-trained, well-equipped and disciplined specialized force. China has become the country with the largest number of standby peacekeeping troops of the most diversified profile. In line with relevant UNSC resolutions, since December 2008, the Chinese government has dispatched naval ships to carry out regular vessel protection operations in the Gulf of Aden and the waters off the coast of Somalia. Chinese PLAN task groups cooperate with multiple naval forces in the area to safeguard international SLOCs. In the past decade, over 100 vessels and 26,000 officers and sailors have been regularly deployed in 38 convoys, each consisting of three to four ships, in vessel protection operations. They have provided security protection for over 6,600 Chinese and foreign ships, and rescued, protected or assisted over 70 ships in distress. In June, 2018, the 28th Escort Task Group of the Chinese PLA Navy paid an official friendly visit to Ghana and held exchange activities with Ghanaian Navy, which help deepen the traditional friendship and enhance mutual political trust between the two countries. China’s armed forces take an active part in the international efforts for HADR. Military professionals are dispatched to conduct disaster relief operations in affected countries, provide relief materials and medical aid, and strengthen international exchanges in this respect. Since 2012, China’s armed forces have participated in the search for the missing Malaysian Airliner MH370, and in the relief operations

for Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines, the Ebola epidemic in West Africa, the water scarcity in Maldives, the earthquake in Nepal, and the flood caused by a dam collapse in Laos. Since it entered service a decade ago, the PLAN’s hospital ship Ark Peace has fulfilled 7 voyages coded as Mission Harmony and visited 43 countries. During these visits, it provided medical services to the local communities, organized medical exchanges, and helped over 230,000 people. China is active in international and regional counter-terrorism cooperation. It has strengthened such cooperation within the framework of the SCO. China hosts and participates in joint counterterrorism exercises, cracks down on illegal trafficking of weapons, ammunition and explosives, cooperates with SCO members to identify and cut off channels for terrorist infiltration, and promotes international counterterrorism intelligence exchange and information sharing. It hosts the Great Wall International Forum on Counter-Terrorism, and actively participates in multilateral counter-terrorism mechanisms such as the APEC Counter-Terrorism Working Group and the Global CounterTerrorism Forum. Bilateral counter-terrorism consultations have been held with certain countries. China initiated the establishment of the Quadrilateral Cooperation and Coordination Mechanism (QCCM), a counterterrorism cooperation and coordination mechanism by the militaries of Afghanistan, China, Pakistan and Tajikistan. The QCCM has convened military leaders’ meetings and conducted counter-terrorism exchange and cooperation, actively safeguarding regional security. Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Chinese military has strengthened prevention and control measures and shouldered its international responsibility as the military of a major country by carrying out international cooperation against the pandemic and providing public security goods to the international community. On pandemic cooperation, the Chinese military has implemented President Xi Jinping's statement on making China’s COVID-19 vaccine a global public good. As approved by the CMC, the PLA has provided vaccines to armies of African countries, such as the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Tunisia, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Mauritania, Guinea and Mozambique, etc.

BUSINESS24.COM.GH

WEDNESDAY JULY 28, 2021

NO. B24 / 227 | NEWS FOR BUSINESS LEADERS

MONDAY MAY 3, 2021

WEDNESDAY JULY 28, 2021

Professor Amfo becomes first female Vice Chancellor of University of Ghana

he newly constituted University of Ghana Council has appointed

Professor Nana Aba Appieh Amfo, Pro Vice-Chancellor, Academic and Student Affairs, University

of Ghana to act as the ViceChancellor of the University. Madam Mercy Haizel-Asha,

Registrar, University of Ghana, in a statement copied to the Ghana News Agency, said her appointment takes effect from August 1, 2021, until the Council appoints a substantive ViceChancellor. The appointment was made in a short meeting after the inauguration of the new Council, on Monday, July 26, 2021. The statement said the council considered Section 10(2) (b) of the University of Ghana Act, 2010 (Act 806), and Section 6(3) of the University of Ghana Statutes, to appoint the senior of the two Pro Vice-Chancellors, to act.

OTM and MTN launch telco-driven mobile advertising with leading agencies and brands

ut There Media (OTM), a global leader in mobile advertising, has announced its partnership with MTN Ghana to provide digital advertising services for its customers. MTN Ghana will adopt OTM’s award-winning mobile engagement technology platform, Mobucks™, and leverage its network of brands and brand agencies, driving advertiser interaction and engagement with its 25 million subscribers in Ghana, three times the reach of Facebook in Ghana. OTM’s proprietary mobile technology Mobucks will enable MTN Ghana to bring its customers targeted and interactive messaging campaigns from their chosen brands and agency partners. MTN’s telco insights and wide reach combined with Mobucks’s precise targeting and personalization capabilities will enable “micro-targeting at scale” for its future brand clients. This will yield outstanding results, including 70x better performance in terms of engagement, response, conversion and ROI compared with industry benchmarks. Several brand partners have signed up to be among the launch partners and innovation leaders on the Mobucks platform including Cadbury Richoco, Glitz

Natural Care, Mandela Mile, Marie Stopes, Mycare Mobile, Odibets and PharmaAccess. One project came from Cadbury Richoco which ran a mobile messaging campaign to raise awareness for its national educational support program “My Ghana, My Pride”, by inviting school children to enter an essay competition to win scholarship funding. The campaign achieved an average Click Through Rate (CTR) of 5.5% beating current industry benchmarks for campaign engagement levels. Dario Bianchi, Digital Transformation Lead at MTN Ghana, said Ghana has the highest mobile penetration rate in West Africa, and mobile technology plays an increasingly important role in the country. “As MTN works towards becoming a digital operator by 2023, it is extremely important that we partner with the best brands to bring our customers the right content, to enhance their digital experience and enable them to enjoy modern connected life. Out There Media is the perfect partner for this, combining its technology with our data and our reach to deliver impactful engaging, interactive and innovative mobile advertising campaigns for our subscribers. We’ve already seen the impressive

outcomes of the technology and we’re excited to continue seeing similar results with campaigns in the future,” Dario added. He said the announcement builds on OTM’s recent work with MTN Ghana which saw the operator join a humanitarian initiative led by Out There Impact (OTI), OTM’s impact division committed to using the power of mobile technology for the greater good. “Together with several global mobile operators, OTM launched an educational mobile campaign on behalf of the World Health Organization to help contain the ongoing spread of COVID-19. To date, the campaign has reached almost 300 million global citizens via OTM’s global network of mobile operators, including MTN Ghana’s subscribers, making it the largest mobile messaging campaign in the fight against COVID-19 thus far. Telco-driven deterministic data is the richest form of data one can get and we’ve seen firsthand how valuable it is in increasing the impact and reach of advertising campaigns and since we will soon be in a world without cookies, the value of this data is exponential,” says Donald Mokgale, CEO, OTM Africa. “Since this partnership means a mobile solution for a mobile-

first continent, it completely enables the businesses, brands and agencies to target consumers at scale in ways that have not been possible before. We are all mobile subscribers before we are social media users and through this partnership, MTN Ghana is providing brands with an opportunity to go beyond traditional social media advertising channels, and to instead gain access to MTN Ghana’s captive audience,” he added. The contract win with MTN Group, first announced in March 2019, will see OTM’s Mobucks technology rolled out across the 21 countries MTN Group operates in throughout the African continent. The launch in Ghana follows the already successful roll out of Mobucks in other MTN Opcos such as MTN South Africa and MTN Nigeria.