Day: March 20, 2024

Ms Cynthia Anima Boadu, the Bono Regional Director of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) has advised students to take matters of security seriously to prevent violence in the country.

Ms Boadu stressed the need for students to be vigilant and report any suspicious activities of individuals or groups of people to the security agencies in time to stop distractions in society.

She gave the advice at a sensitisation and awareness campaign organised by the NCCE at separate programmes for Senior High Schools in the Sunyani West and Sunyani East Municipalities.

The campaigns were part of the NCCE’s Preventing and Containing Violent Extremism (PCVE) Action programme, supported by the European Union (EU) to raise awareness about the activities of extremists and their threats to national security.

Among the schools educated were the Notre Dame SHS, Sunyani SHS, Odumaseman SHS, Twene Amanfo SHS, SDA SHS, Social Welfare Technical Institute, and Sunyani Technical Institute.

The students were engaged t
hrough film screenings to increase their understanding of the dangers of violent extremism and its impact on the security and stability of the state.

Ms Boadu emphasised the importance of peaceful co-existence among students, regardless of their differences, while urging them to avoid marginalization, unhealthy debates, and online radicalization that could lead to violence.

She indicated five other Districts and Municipalities in the Region were undertaking the same educational programmes at Banda Adentro, Dormaa Central, Dormaa West, Jaman North, and Jaman South communities on preventing and containing violent extremism.

Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Conrad Bombayireh, in Charge of the Sunyani Police Hospital, explained that extremists use unlawful methods to achieve political, ideological and religious goals by targeting the youth who are vulnerable with promises of scholarships, money, and indoctrination.

He therefore urged students to stay vigilant and report any suspicious activities to th
e police.

ASP Conrad Bombayireh gave assurance that their identities would be protected, saying ‘security is a shared responsibility.’

Source: Ghana News Agency

Dr Mark Anderson, the Administrator of Good Foundation International School, has urged the youth to aspire to become good future leaders by taking their education seriously.

He said the future of the country lay in their bosom; hence they must eschew all forms of irresponsible acts, focus on their education, and strive to attain higher laurels in the future.

Dr Anderson made the call during the annual Careers Day Celebration held at the school premises at Nsawam in the Eastern Region.

He said: ‘Concentrate on why your parents have enrolled you in school and stay away from all forms of vices like smoking and drinking. This will help you focus and become successful in future, to be able to contribute to the economic growth of the country.’

He further urged them to take advantage of every good opportunity that comes their way in school and society, and always show love and respect to their parents and teachers.

Dr Anderson commended the government for recognizing the school during this year’s Presidential A
wards and called on the government to give an equal playing field to private school children in the government education policy since all children in the private schools were equally Ghanaians.

Mr Daniel Agyarko, Headmaster of the School, appealed to parents and guardians to enrol their wards and invest in their education to help them achieve their future goals.

He said the school was founded in 2004 with few children, however, the school currently has a student population of over 700 and hoped it would continue to provide quality and holistic education to the students in the coming years.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Hailed as a springboard for global companies looking to dive deep into the Chinese market or expand their business, the China International Import Expo (CIIE), the world’s first import-themed national-level trade fair, is scheduled to take place for the seventh time this November in Shanghai.

The preparation work is in full swing, as over 240,000 sqm of the Business Exhibition area have been booked by early exhibitors, including nearly 200 Fortune Global 500 companies and industrial giants.

Foreign businesses reap the fruits of the past CIIEs

Over the past six years, companies from 173 countries and regions have made appearances in the CIIE and achieved tentative transactions worth $424.23 billion.?

‘The CIIE provides a?platform for international trade cooperation and exchange, where global companies and agencies can interact directly with Chinese consumers while networking with industry players and possible business partners,’ said Jorge Viana, president of the?Brazilian?Trade and Investment Promotion Ag
ency.

Triunfo,?Brazil’s largest producer of organic?Yerba Mate, has become increasingly-reputed among Chinese consumers since its top-quality products showed up at the fourth CIIE. ‘The expo not only helps us grow our business in the Chinese market, but it promotes cooperation between raw material suppliers, buyers and distributors,’ stated?Leon Lee,?a representative of the firm.

In addition to the Business Exhibition,?72 countries and international organizations?wowed visitors with?their scientific and technological achievements, culture and art?at the?Country Exhibition?of the sixth CIIE.

‘The Netherlands?has increased its international presence through the CIIE in areas including investing environment, technical advancements, environmental preservation, and life and well-being,’?said?Wim Geerts, ambassador of the Netherlands to China.

Hongqiao International Economic Forum puts spotlight on global issues

The sixth Hongqiao International Economic Forum, had a record attendance of over 8,000 participants
and featured 22 sub-forums on a range of subjects.

Eyeing to become a more productive and impactful event, the forum’s organizers held a symposium in Beijing and invited more than 130 persons to contribute to this year’s themes and topics.

Yi Xiaozhun, former deputy director-general of the World Trade Organization, pointed out the?forum?should?maintain its focus on openness to promote cooperation and mutual benefits?amid the fragmented world economy.

Similar seminars will ensue to solicit opinions, ideas and suggestions for topics to be discussed during this year’s forum.

CIIE 2024 welcomes more participants.

The seventh CIIE?will hold another series of global roadshows from?March?20?to?28?in?Brazil,?Portugal?and?the Netherlands, and more local firms?are invited?to participate in?CIIE.?

Source: Ghana News Agency

Stakeholders at a workshop on the agrifood system outcomes from COP 28 have called for the promotion of more demand-led and user-responsible research for development, and increase the inclusion of indigenous knowledge, seeds, and breeds in Ghana’s agrifood system.

The participants also agreed to continuous dialogue on the food system to bring clarity to the expected roles of all key stakeholders, including policy makers, the research community, private sector, financial institutions and traders, among others.

There is also the need for engagement on how to innovatively integrate food systems into international conventions and frameworks to ensure sufficient mainstreaming.

The event was organized by the International Water Management Institute, CGIAR Ghana and the Ministry of Food and Agriculture under the Resilience Against Climate Change-Social Transformation Research and Policy Advocacy (REACH-STR) project, of the European Union-funded Ghana Agriculture Programme.

It was in collaboration with CSIR-Scien
ce and Technology Policy Research Institute (STEPRI), and the Environmental Protection Agency on the theme ‘COP 28 Declaration on sustainable agriculture, resilient food systems, and climate action: Implications for Ghana’s agrifood system.’

It provided a forum for stakeholders to identify policy incoherences, research priorities and capacity strengthening needs, mechanisms for functional partnerships, and investment opportunities to contribute towards the achievement of the COP 28 agrifood system commitments.

Ghana’s agrifood system plays a critical role in rural livelihoods, food security and economic growth, yet it is highly vulnerable to climate change impacts, due to its huge dependence on rainfed agriculture production. Climate change threatens Ghana’s food and nutrition security,and the achievement of the SDGs.

The Heads of State and governments (including Ghana) at COP 28 in December 2023, acknowledged the increasing threat of adverse climate change impacts on agriculture and food systems.

In his
presentation on the COP 28 agrifood systems, Dr Kingsley Amoah of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture said Ghana had identified some key priorities that would enable the country to meet its UNFSS and Nutrition for growth commitments by 20230.

The pillars include strengthening the food supply system by reducing post-harvest loss by 25 per cent through investments in appropriate infrastructure as well as reducing food waste, investment in irrigation systems to allow for dry season farming and increasing the availability of food to the poorest.

He said to make a headway Ghana needed to overcome challenges as poor agrifood infrastructure, weak coherence, coordination and partnership barriers and food system actors lack of bargaining as well as price fluctuations.

Dr Amoah said there was a need to strengthen existing partnerships and enhance coordination in the implementation of projects.

There was also consensus on the dissemination of research findings for increased agriculture productivity and effective po
licy-making, enhancing food safety and preserving biodiversity through the promotion of environmentally safe inputs in agrifood systems and decentralising and depoliticising of national flagship agriculture programmes and investment.

Dr. Olufunke Cofie, Head of the West Africa Office, International Water Management Institute, called for coordinated action to deal with the issues in the agrifood system.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Mr Godsway Kubi, an Information Technology (IT) expert with the Internet Society of Ghana, has urged the youth in Ghana to be web-wise kids to ensure their safety when using the internet.

Mr Kubi said their digital footprint might reflect positivity or negativity on them as a person; therefore, there is a need for them to guard their activities on the web and use the internet wisely.?

He explained that a digital footprint is the trail a person leaves in cyberspace and on any form of digital communication, adding that the internet never forgets, as whatever they say and post feeds the web.

He gave the advice at a one-day workshop for female students of Chemu Senior High School organised by the Ghana Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) in collaboration with Internet Society Ghana, with support from Sunday GM Manufacturing Company, Floral Tissue, and Topchoco.

‘The internet can open all kinds of new worlds but remember to be a web-wise kid and be safe,’ he stressed, adding that, ‘some of your online frie
nds may not be who they say they are.’

The IT expert said online safety is being aware of the nature of the possible threats that one could encounter whilst engaging in activity through the internet, adding that it could be security threats, protecting and managing their data, online reputation management, and avoiding harmful or illegal content.

He urged the youth to keep their personal information private when using the internet, indicating that parents, teachers, law enforcers, online predators, future employers, and college admission officers might be watching the space.

Mr Kubi said to keep safe on the net, the youth should never share their names, ages, phone numbers, addresses, or even their school’s name online, adding that they should desist from sending their pictures to strangers online as well as visiting age-appropriate sites.

He said that to ensure the safety of youth and children’s online safety, schools or libraries must certify that they have an internet safety policy that blocks or filte
rs access to pictures that are harmful to minors.

Touching on online-based gender violence urged female students to be cautious, indicating that it was real, revealing that 32 per cent of users have been bullied or harassed online.

The IT expert further said 15 per cent of teens have had their private conversations made public, while 13 per cent of teens have had rumours spread about them online, and another 13 per cent of teens have received abusive messages online.

Ms Delali Buahini, the Tema Regional Manager of GNCCI, said the workshop was part of the Chambers’ activities to mark the International Women’s Day celebration, which was on the theme ‘inspiring inclusion.’

Ms Buahini said that apart from providing the girls with entrepreneurial skills, her outfit provided an insight into the internet world to guide their online activities and encourage them to use the internet for good instead of bad.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Ghana International Bank (GHIB) has renewed its commitment to bridge Africa’s US$100 billion trade financing gap, and support the achievement of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) initiative.

The international trade finance institution made this commitment at the launch of its 65th anniversary on Tuesday evening, March 19, at the Kempinki Hotel – Gold Coast City, in Accra.

‘We’re poised to become much bigger and to achieve more scale and more consequential in trade finance across sub-Saharan Africa,’ Mr Dean Adansi, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), GHIB, said in an interview with the Ghana News Agency.

He said the bank had repositioned itself to increase its support activities in corporate and institutional banking, retail and small business banking, and mitigate risks for importers, exporters and suppliers in Ghana and other African countries.

‘We want people to think about GHIB in the future as a major provider of trade finance, a major correspondent bank, and as a bank that have an impa
ct on the lives of people across markets,’ Mr Adansi said.

He also said the bank would commit more to supporting the achievement of AfCFTA, because GHIB sees the pact as one that would promote intra-African trade significantly.

‘It makes a lot of sense for that kind of cooperation to take place and tariffs and barriers to be broken down so they can be more trade, which will help create wealth across our markets,’ he said.

Looking back on the bank’s six-and-a-half decade journey, Mr Adansi said GHIB’s story has been one of resilience, with the bank been able to go through various phases of difficulties.

‘We’ve gone through many trying times; recessions, macroeconomic difficulties, oil crisis, global financial crisis and we’re still here. So, it means we are resilient bank,’ he said.

The Chief Executive Officer, however, noted that through all those difficult times, GHIB continued to be a reliable institution in Ghana and elsewhere in sub-Saharan Africa.

‘Without GHIB’s support for Ghanaian financial inst
itutions, it would have been difficult for some of them to survive. We provide them with trade finance, lend to them short-term and long-term basis, and provide them with advice,’ he said.

‘The lessons learned are that, you have to manage your risk properly whether is credit risk or prudential risk or operating risk, by treating your clients well, and having a strong balance to stand shocks,’ Mr Adansi stated.

Dr Ernest Addison, Chairman of the Board of Directors for GHIB, and Governor of the Bank of Ghana (BoG) lauded the bank for evolving into a transnational banking institution, with footprints across West and East Africa.

‘In 2023, for instance, GHIB intermediated over US$8 billion in payments for financial institutions in West Africa,’ Dr Addison said.

He indicated that in Ghana, the bank has provided critical documentary collection services to the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) over the last 25 years in support of the nation’s cocoa export business.

The Governor also stated that the philanthropic acti
vities of the bank’s had been helpful in alleviating hardship in rural communities, schools, hospitals, and other deprived areas of the Ghanaian society.

He encouraged the bank to continue to play a critical role in the transformation of trade in Africa and rise to greater heights in the coming years as the continent navigate through the challenges and complexities of the global financial markets.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Ashaiman Municipal Transport Operation Council has appealed to the government to expand and asphalt the single-lane road connecting the municipality to other communities.

The single-lane road connects Ashaiman to Kubekro, Tema, Katamanso, and Oyibi, among others.

Mr Albert Kumade, a member of the Ashaiman Municipal Transport Operators Council, making the appeal, said the main link road to various communities in Ashaiman has not seen any facelift despite many appeals and demonstrations embarked on by the operators and residents.?

Mr Kumade made this known when former President John Dramani Mahama, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) flag-bearer, interacted with them and other informal sector workers during the flagbearer’s ‘Building Ghana Tour.’

He said there was a vast disparity in road infrastructure between Ashaiman and neighbouring Tema.

He added that there was also inadequate drainage infrastructure, which often leads to flooding at the main terminal any time it rains, noting that this poses s
ignificant challenges to drivers and pedestrians.

He said the situation sometimes got so bad that they had to volunteer to carry the vulnerable ones on their backs to safety.?

He added that the roads increased their vehicle maintenance costs, which affects their profit as they put their earnings into maintenance.

Mr Ernest Norgbey, the Member of Parliament for Ashaiman, briefing the NDC flag bearer, said the area has been neglected, noting that Ashaiman could only boost 166 kilometres of roads out of which 22 kilometres got asphalted in 2016.

Mr Norgbey said the Lashibi Under-bridge, which links Ashaiman to the Tema West Municipality is horrible, forcing drivers to use it to their destinations for too long in traffic.

The MP also pleaded on behalf of the youth for a befitting?football pitch, stressing that there was no astroturf park in Ashaiman.

He said all the issues raised were reminders of some promises Mr Mahama had made to the residents; therefore, when he wins the December elections, he should pa
y back their loyalty by fulfilling all his promises.

Source: Ghana News Agency