Day: November 29, 2023

A day’s consultative stakeholders forum to explore the safety of digital space and the need to enhance the overall security of the public has been held in Tamale.

It was to trigger a conversation on cyber security and help expose some of the key tactics and tricks fraudsters deployed to entice their unsuspecting victims.

Participants included students from selected Senior High Schools in the Northern Region and selected youth groups.

The event, dubbed: ‘Ghana Information Security Summit 2023’ was organised by Africa Research Centre for Information Security (ARCIS), an NGO, in partnership with Norsaac among other partners, on the theme: ‘Securing Ghana’s Digital Space: Protecting Economic Prosperity and People.’

Dr Arnold Mashud Abukari, Executive Director of ARCIS, and Senior Lecturer at the Department of Computer Science, Tamale Technical University (TaTU), speaking during the event, said it was to provide guidelines and insights on how the safety of the public could be maximised in the digital space.

He said, ‘We have realised that over the years, there has been a significant increase when it comes to cyber-related fraud. Our goal is to sensitise the public on how to safely use their computing devices,’ adding that many of the unsuspecting citizens in the digital world had been exploited.

Professor Abass Braimah Salifu, Vice-chancellor TaTU, who spoke on why Africa must take advantage of the digital space for rapid socio-economic development, charged participants to use the prospects of technology for a good cause.

He said the revolution and transformation of Africa would require the youth to eschew fraud and digital bullying and endeavour to use the same space to produce inventions and innovations that would help improve livelihoods.

Mr Ahmed Mohammed Yakubu, Sagnarigu Municipal Chief Executive, commended the partners for coming out with the initiative and added it would help protect members of the public from internet bullying.

The event provided a platform for some victims of internet bullying to s
hare their experiences and encounters with fraudsters.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Mr Kwaku Ampratwum-Sarpong, a Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, says Ghanaians are underpaying for passport services compared to other countries in the sub-region.?

He said Ghanaian passports were the cheapest in the West African region, costing eight dollars compared to Liberia where it cost 40 dollars to acquire a passport even though the same company supplied passports to the two countries.?

Mr Ampratwum-Sarpong, in charge of Political and Economic Affairs matters at the Ministry, giving an update on passport and consular services, emphasised that ‘Ghanaian passports are heavily subsidised.’?

He said, ‘Until we get the full complement of equipment, computers, and giant printers, we will continue to have problems. Until we are ready to invest, we will continue to have problems. Until we are ready to pay the realistic fees for passports, we will have problems.’?

On the average, some 5,000 passport applications are processed daily.?

Out of the number, only a maximum of 3,000 o
f the passports are printed, despite a 10-hours daily operation.?

As a result, there is a back lock of 2,000 passports daily, 10,000 by close of week and between 40,000 to 50,000 in a month.

?As of the close of Friday, 24th?November 2023, the Passport Office had printed a backlog of about 310,513 passports dispatched to the various Passport Application Centres for collection.?

That, Mr Ampratwum-Sarpong said, was simply because the Ministry did not have the resources to buy printers, and other equipment, ‘creating room for corruption.’???????????

He said, ‘The problem we have, which has contributed to the activities of ‘Goro boys,’ is because we are not on top of what we are supposed to be doing. For example, we are not able to undertake the capturing of biometric data as people would have expected and, we are not able to print the booklets as stipulated in our service arrangement. It all boils down to the issue of resources.’?

‘As we speak, we don’t have enough computers to be able to do the capturing.
We don’t have enough printers to print the passport booklets,’ he added.?

According to the Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister, monies expected to be used to purchase computers and printers and other equipment to provide quick service delivery, was used to subsidise passport applications.?

‘About 80 per cent of the people who apply for passports don’t really need it at the time they are applying for it.’ Mr Ampratwum-Sarpong noted.?

He stated that the Ministry was in consultation with various stakeholders, including Parliament to consider an upward review of passport fees which would cushion it to buy more equipment and to improve the turnaround time for passport acquisition. ?

Highlighting some initiatives undertaken by the passport Office, Mr Ampratwum-Sarpong said as part of efforts to speed up the printing and delivery of passports to applicants, the Passport Office acquired two Dilleta 900i manual printers this year which had contributed to clearing back logs of passport applications.?

He said to reduce
overcrowding at the passport head office, access to the public had been drastically limited as only passport applicants who had genuine reasons to be at the passport headquarters were allowed to access the office.?

To further improve security at the passport office, CCTV cameras had been installed in passport offices at the head office to monitor the activities of the officers and to ensure that officers were actively working to achieve set targets. ??

Mr Paul Cudjo, a Director at the Passport Office, reiterated that despite efforts in reducing the waiting period for new passport applicants and clearing backlog, there would still be some challenges as the passport offices continued to have limited resources to process passports on time.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Bui Power Authority’s Hydro-Solar Hybrid plant has made significant strides in revolutionizing the energy landscape and propelling local industries forward sustainably.

Ghana, like many African nations, has long grappled with energy access and reliability issues, hindering industrialization in both urban and rural communities.

A statement issued in Accra by Huawei said between late 2012 and 2016, Ghana experienced a severe electricity crisis called ‘Dumsor’.

This crisis was caused by a drought from the Volta Lake that threatened electricity production from the Akosombo dam; Ghana’s largest energy generating station.

It said the crisis triggered a severe power rationing programme resulting in heavy load shedding throughout the country.

The statement said at the height of this crisis, consumers faced at least 16-hour power cuts within every 24-hour period.

It said although the country had made significant strides in increasing electricity access to 86 per cent- ranking first in Sub-Saharan Africa, th
e reliability and affordability of power remained ongoing challenges and Ghana still faces persistent power supply challenges.

The statement said to address these shortfalls, the government introduced policy interventions in 2019.

The Policy aimed at boosting the utilization of renewable energy and fulfilling its commitments to achieving Sustainable Development Goal 7.

The key to these interventions was the Government’s Renewable Energy Master plan, which sought to among others, increase the proportion of renewable energy in the national energy generation mix from 42.5 MW in 2015 to 1,363.63 MW by 2030.

It said through this, Ghana integrated some renewable energy solutions into its national grid which also includes a Hydro-Solar Hybrid (HSH) plant at Banda in the Bui enclave.

The HSH plant, managed by the Authority, has a hydro capacity of 404MW and a solar capacity of 55MW.

It said the plant makes use of Huawei’s Smart Photovoltaic (PV) Solution to fuel the national grid which supports communities, fac
tories, enterprises, and small-scale businesses of over 24,000 locals in the Banda community.

The statement said the locals, whose primary occupation was cashew and sugarcane farming, rely heavily on the energy produced to operate the machinery required for planting, harvesting, and processing of these raw materials into valuable end products, such as sugar and cashew oil.

Among these is a Cashew Nut Processing Factory located within the Bui enclave called Bui Cash-U Factory.

It said covering an expansive area of about 2000 m2, the factory currently employs about 150 people to process between 6 to 8 tons of cashews daily.

‘Beyond providing employment opportunities, the factory also focuses on equipping locals of the Bono Region in the cashew nut value chain business,’ it said.

It said cashew holds significant importance for Ghana, especially in terms of foreign exchange revenue.

According to a United Nations Conference on Trade and Development report, the country was the world’s largest exporter of cash
ews in 2021, earning over $128.70 million from cashew nut exports in the first quarter.

As home to 10 active cashew processing plants, Ghana has the capacity to process 65,000 tons of raw cashews annually.

The country’s cashew industry currently employs over 800,000 people directly and indirectly across the cashew supply chain, including farmers, factory workers, buyers, and exporters.

The statement said Huawei’s Smart PV Solution extended beyond power generation.

It said by collaborating with Meinergy, the owner of the cashew factory and the Authority, the company sought to provide industrial training for 800 locals in the cashew nut value chain business.

‘Through this factory, I have learnt to how to plant, harvest and select the best cashew for processing’, said Afeke, a worker at the factory.

She indicated that the factory provided a stable and better source of income as compared to her previous seasonal job.

The First Lady, Mrs Rebecca Akufo-Addo indicated that, her office remained committed to wo
rking closely with industry partners and Huawei, to help bridge the gender divide and transform the lives of Ghanaians.

She said, ‘the world is going green and projects such as the Hydro-Solar Hybrid plant fueling activities of a huge cashew factory at a rural town, is an indication that Ghana is on the right path towards the realization of a sustainable and eco-friendly digital future.’

The First Lady said in harnessing the power of renewable energy, this initiative does not only address the nation’s energy challenges but also paves the way for economic growth, bringing hope to rural communities and empowering them for a brighter future.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Ghana Real Estate Developers Association (GREDA) recognised some top players in the industry as it climaxed its 35th Anniversary with an awards and dinner night in Accra over the weekend.

Notable among the awardees was Lakeside Estates Limited, which took home a number of plaques, including the Green Awards and Overall Real Estate Company of the Year.

The Association also conferred the posthumous award of Housing Personality of the Year on the late Mr. Torgbor Mensah, for his outstanding role in the development of the Association.

It was an enthralling and reflective moment as distinguished industry players converged on the theme: ’35 years of Successful Housing Through Stakeholder Collaboration’.

In his address, Mr Patrick Ebo Bonful, GREDA President, stressed the importance of various stakeholders in creating ‘sustainable and inclusive housing solutions.’

He called on the government, private institutions, and individuals to tap into their expertise, resources, and perspectives to help address hous
ing challenges in the country.

Touching on progress made by the Association, Mr Bonful said the real estate sector, had contributed about GHS 11 billion to Ghana’s Gross Domestic Product in 2020 compared with GHS 9 billion recorded in 2019.

He, however, described the indicator as a ‘notable reduction’ from the 44 percent growth witnessed between 2018 and 2019.’

Emphasing the role of partnerships, he said collaborations in the sector should be built on trust, effective communication, and strong leadership.

He again urged non-profit organisations to ‘contribute their experience and collaborate with real estate developers to access grants for social housing or subsidised housing.’

In a speech read on his behalf, Mr Francis Asenso-Boakye, Minister for Works and Housing, encouraged GREDA leadership to continue to deliver on its mission.

He commended GREDA’s contribution to the real estate industry, saying the Association ‘has not only built structures but has laid a foundation for vibrant thriving communitie
s.’

‘GREDA is poised to addressing the evolving needs of our society. Affordable Housing, Urban Planning, and integration of technical advancement are at the forefront of this mission…It is my hope that GREDA will continue to be driving force in creating not just houses but homes where families flourish and communities thrive,’ he said.

Mr Asenso-Boakye highlighted government initiatives aimed at addressing housing challenges in the country, including efforts to establish the Ghana Housing Authority, review of the Rent Act, and introduction of the National Rental Assistance Scheme.

He said feasibility studies were on-going for the construction of a 6000-housing unit at Dedesua in the Ashanti Region, under the Revised National Affordable Housing Programme.

The Minister urged individuals to take advantage of the National Rental Assistance Scheme which aims to ease rent financing burden on citizens.

Republic Bank was adjudged Best in Mortgage Finance while Interplast Limited was named Best in Plastic Buildi
ng Materials.

Other award winners included: Tropical Cables (Electrical Cables Manufacturing) Somotex Ghana (Best in Electric Material) Regimanuel Gray Limited (Best in Exterior Works Landscaping) West Africa Hardware and Decor Limited (Best in Tererrior Deco) Sethi Brothers (Best in Steel Products).

Source: Ghana News Agency

Mrs. Ellen Amankwa, the Afadzato South District Director of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), has appealed to Ghanaians to rekindle the communal labour spirit.

She noted that spirit had died down in many communities across the country for reasons she was yet to know.

Mrs Amankwa made the call at Logba-Alakpeti during communal labour organised by the Commission in collaboration with the Community.

The NCCE District Director said communal labour was a civic duty as enshrined in Article 41 (g) of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana and that everyone ought to partake in such activity.

She also called on them to participate actively in the upcoming district-level elections as it was important just like that of Presidential and Parliamentary polls.

Mrs. Amankwa bemoaned the voter apathy among the populace towards that election; adding that if the trend did not stop it would defeat the essence of introducing the local government system in the country.

She also charged them to be tolerant and law-
abiding citizens as these were cardinal to peace and national cohesion.

Ms. Favour Esenam Fudzi, the District Operations Manager of Zoom Lion Company, Afadzato South urged the citizens to stop disposing of hot ashes with fire into the refuse containers.

She said such an act damaged the containers whenever it was due for disposal. Ms. Fudzi also advised the market women to always keep the market clean to avoid diseases because it is the same environment they eat.

Togbe Philip Gablah, on behalf of Togbe Adza Adiaku V of Logba Alakpeti, was very appreciative of the programme and asked NCCE to continue such activities because it was through their eye-opening education on Social Auditing and with the help of the Afadzato South District Assembly that Alakpeti taps are flowing.

Mr. Nestor Amegbletor, the Assemblyman for the Area, thanked NCCE and ZoomLion Company for their initiative and hoped the good look of the streets would remain clean based on the education from both organisations and pledged to ensure the
continuity of such activity.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Mr Brian Acheampong, the Minister for Food and Agriculture, says the country must stop importing basic food items, including vegetables like tomatoes and onions, describing it as embarrassing.

He said this after visiting the exhibition stands of farmers and stakeholders in the agricultural value chain in the 2023 Agrifest as part of the 2023 National Farmers Week celebration.

The Minister said Government was not happy about the situation and that strategic plans had been put in place to change the narrative and called for support of all stakeholders.

Mr Acheampong said with government’s funding of the planting season in the Northern Region, a bag of maize had reduced at the farm gate from 315 to 160 Cedis.

He, therefore, called on traders to let the price reflect in what they sold directly to consumers.

With poultry products importation, Mr Acheampong said Ghana produced only 15,000 metric tonnes, but consumed 325,000, a situation which made it difficult for the local poultry business to develop.

Gover
nment, he said, was going to support the industry with 18 million Cedis next year to revive the sector.

He said government’s food security plan would also increase metric tonnes of poultry and food crops production from 15,000 to over 75,000 and to 150,000 by 2028.

Mr Ken Ofori Atta, the Finance Minister, said government was also allotting one billion Cedis to support the initiative, including planting for food and jobs.

He said about 10 billion would be invested in the sector to stop importation and as well create jobs.

‘2024 will see a deliberate approach for agriculture to make it attractive for people to venture into,’ he added.

Mr Ofori-Atta condemned the over -pricing by some traders, who charged high prices after buying foodstuff cheap at farm gates, saying ‘that has to change’.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Ghana International Trade and Finance Conference – (GITFiC), with support from the World Bank, Accra and the European Union, will Wednesday present two research papers, they have conducted.

The research papers are on ‘Unraveling the Global Central Banks’ Losses (Focus on Africa and Europe) and Global Debt to GDP Post COVID-19 (Focus on Sub Saharan Africa’

A statement signed by Mr Selasi Kofi Ackom, Chief Executive officer of GITFiC and copied to the Ghana News Agency on Tuesday in Accra said the European Union had committed to invite all EU missions in Accra, the US and United Kingdom embassies.

‘Other participants include; African Diplomatic Corps in Accra, five selected industry giants and five students, central bank, heads of commercial banks et al’.

The statement said the two papers would give some revealing findings and brief historic emphasis on the issues, its effects, impacts and recommendations.

‘The two papers are for the purposes of accurate information dissemination, education and sensit
ization on the above subject matters.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Professor Kofi Amegah, an Associated Professor of Epidemiology at the University of Cape Coast, is calling for a dedicated stream of funding for countries on the continent to conduct more studies and implement projects on air pollution.

The intervention, he explained, would contribute to addressing the funding challenge countries at the global south were facing.

For every $1,000 spent by a development funder, just $7 was spent on tackling outdoor air pollution, a latest report by Clean Air Fund indicates.

Reacting to some key aspects of the Report, Prof. Amegah said the lack of data undermined preventive measures and policy decisions.

‘With the development of the specialised funding, call for proposal can be issued for African researchers to compete,’ he recommended.

Professor Amegah said there was stiff competition from developed countries that had favourable research environment, tools and capacity as opposed to Africa that lacked those resources.

‘For some reasons the research and project proposals
of global west attract attention of multinational than that of global south,’ Professor Amegah, who also leads the Breath Accra project, told the Ghana News Agency.

Professor Amegah, recommended researchers in the global north to collaborate with their counterparts in global south to undertake joint research and implement projects to improve the research environment in Africa.

He said although Clean Air Fund, a U.K – based charity was working towards clean air globally to bridge the gap, ‘We need more substantial funding here because air pollution is big deal here.’

A new Clean Air Fund?report?released reveals that?Africa is home to many of the world’s fastest-growing urban centres – and a crisis of air pollution faces the continent’s rapidly expanding cities.

The continent, home to the world’s youngest population, was expected to see its population nearly double by mid-century, reaching 3.9 billion by 2100.?

However, the report highlights the lack of international and multilateral development funding to
fight air pollution in Africa, with only five per cent of total aid directed at reducing air pollution on the continent.

‘In Lagos, a city home to nearly 16 million people,?the official development funding directed toward air pollution from 2015 to 2020 amounted to a mere $0.25 million. Air pollution claimed 70,000 in the city in 2019 alone,’ it said.?

Between 2015 and 2021, donor governments provided a stunning 36 times more aid for prolonging fossil fuel use in Africa than tackling air pollution, despite the continent facing temperature warming faster than the global average.

The report calls on international and multilateral development banks to provide increased technical support to assist countries in accessing green funds.

About 28,000 Ghanaians die prematurely every year because of air pollution, according to the World Health Organization (2020).

Air pollution is the second highest health risk factor for death and disability, after malnutrition.

Young children and adults over 50 are most at risk
of disease and premature death.?

Poor air quality in Ghana is mainly caused by cooking using wood and charcoal, road transport, slash-and-burn methods of farming, open waste burning, energy generation, accidental fires and industry.

While deaths from household air pollution have decreased since 1997, deaths from outdoor air pollution have increased. ?

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Staff of Standard Chartered Bank has celebrated the International Men’s Day by engaging 100 adolescent boys.

The boys aged between 12 and 17 are students of the Kanda Cluster of Schools and Islamic Basic School.

The students were engaged by staff who volunteered their time in a speed mentoring and coaching session dubbed: Men Mentoring men in the Bank’s head office.

The focus was to expose these boys who live in underserved communities to the opportunities available to them through education and hard work, a release issued to the Ghana News said Tuesday.

The opening session was a talk on Adolescent Reproductive Health and Personal Hygiene.

‘This was an eye opener for the young men,’ the release said.

‘The boys expressed their gratitude for the session and shared their key take out being the session on cleanliness.’

International Men’s Day is celebrated worldwide and focuses on the positive values men bring to the world, their families and communities.

It also offers the opportunity to showcase an
d highlight men as positive role models and raise awareness of men’s well-being.

‘At Standard Chartered, our unique diversity drives our purpose and business success,’ it said.

‘Through Futuremakers by Standard Chartered, we’re championing economic inclusion for young people from low-income backgrounds.’

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) says the mandate of law courts is to apply and enforce the laws of the Republic and not to clothe persons with immunity from criminal investigations and prosecution.

It said the court could, therefore, not injunct the Office from investigating or prosecuting any person.

Mr Kissi Agyebeng, the Special Prosecutor, speaking at a press briefing in Accra on Wednesday, said the OSP needed the support of all stakeholders to fight corruption and corruption-related activities.

He said the decision to investigate and prosecute was the prerogative of investigation and prosecution authorities such as the OSP and that the OSP had at all material times carried out its power to investigate with candour and professionalism being minded of the rights of suspects under its investigation.

The Special Prosecutor said just as it was essential that anyone accused of a crime had free access to the courts so that he may be duly acquitted if found not guilty of the offence, it was also
of the utmost importance that the judiciary did not interfere with investigation and prosecution authorities in respect of matters, which were within their statutory powers.

‘It would be gravely inimical to public policy, the fight against corruption, and the administration of justice if the courts stepped into this arena to decide who should be investigated or prosecuted and who should not,’ he said and lamented that a judge had granted two persons immunity from investigation for suspected corruption and corruption-related offences and hence immunity from prosecution.

‘This decision opens up a calamitous deluge as every person under criminal investigation would be encouraged to take out suits to injunct investigation and prosecution bodies from investigating and prosecuting them.’

‘We are not suggesting that the OSP is infallible and that every case brought by the OSP or against the OSP should end in a favourable outcome – no matter how improbable the evidence,’ he added.

Source: Ghana News Agency