L' Observateur Burundi

Mr Alhassan Andani, an Economist and a former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Stanbic Bank, has advised the government to adopt effective and efficient digital systems for Ghana’s credit management.

Mr Andani asked the government to build robust technological infrastructure that would limit human control in loan acquisitions and implement mechanisms that would monitor the efficient use of such monies.

The former Banker was speaking with the Ghana News Agency on Thursday evening, on the margins of the launch of the 10th anniversary of the Chartered Institute of Credit Management (CICMG), Ghana, in Accra.

He said doing so would go a long way to curb the recurrent debt crisis and called on Ghanaians to seek accountability from the government, while limiting their expectations not to pressure for debt accumulation.

He also advised political leaders against making ambitious promises in their bid to be elected to offices from the District Assembly level to Parliament, and the Presidency, which put pressure on
the government to spend beyond budgets.

Mr Andani, who is currently the Executive Chairman, LVSAfrica – an integrated business advisory and enterprise development firm, said this while bemoaning the recurrent Ghana’s debt crisis.

Ghana’s debt is now ‘unsustainable’, with the government implementing a US$3 billion loan-support programme with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to overturn the situation and reach 55 per cent debt to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of 55 per cent by 2028.

‘Our current debt situation leaves so much to be desired; I’ve been in finance for a very long time, but we’ve not seen this level of despair within our credit system, and the impact on financial services,’ Mr Andani said.

The former Banker of more than 20 years of experience, including credit management, attributed Ghana’s frequent debt crisis to the inability of governments to select people that would use the funds borrowed optimally.

He, therefore, recommended the utilisation of digital technologies to allocate loans to
the most efficient users and ensure proper monitoring to yield good returns in the country’s productive sectors so it could pay back.

He explained that credit was invariably at the centre of financial services because it was often the means of getting adequate funds from those who had the money, investing it to get profit to repay as loan.

‘Financial service providers gather resources from surplus owners who want them for safe keeping and access it anytime they want and also make it available to those who want to use it create asset and develop enterprises,’ he said.

‘It’s for all the operators; the government, citizenry, financial service providers, and regulators to rethink our role and manage expectations, and rearrange the payment, which is what’s been done, and be able to pay back,’ he advised.

Speaking at the event, Dr Anthony Aubynn, Chairman, CICMG, urged credit management professionals to continue to be agents of change, advocating policies that would promote responsible lending practices and fin
ancial inclusion.

Dr Aubynn said it was important to ’embrace innovative technologies, such as blockchain, artificial intelligence, and big data analytics to streamline processes, mitigate risks, and extend financial services to underserved communities.’

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Ambassador of Cameroon to the United States of America, Henri Etoundi Essomba, revealed that members of the Elections Cameroon shall visit the embassy in line with drawing up and revising the voter register.

He added that the delegation would consult administrative and political stakeholders within the jurisdiction of the Embassy of Cameroon in the USA.

Between April 22 and May 22, 2024, these political parties are expected to appoint their representative to be included in the registration commission.

The AMbassador did not mention whether this registration will lead Cameroonians living in the US to vote from abroad.

While some African countries allow their Diaspora to vote from their countries of residence, Cameroon does not allow such voting. Anyone with a voter’s card is expected to travel home and vote.

Source: Cameroon News Agency

Kasapreko Company Limited, producers of Awake Purified Drinking Water, has increased its financial commitment to the Cardiothoracic Centre at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra.

On Wednesday, April 24, 2024, the Awake Purified Drinking Water brand donated GHS150,000 to the Cardio Centre, a 100% increase from previous donations of GHS75,000 over the years.

The GHS150,000 amount donated by Kasapreko Company, through its ‘One4Life’ charity-driven project, was the first-quarter payment of 2024 as they continue to support patients with heart conditions.

Since its inception, the ‘One4Life’ campaign has saved hundreds of children with severe heart conditions by setting aside 10 pesewas from the purchase of every 500ml of Awake Purified Drinking Water for donation.

Madam Linda Aidoo, Brands Manager at Kasapreko Company, stated that the company’s intention to increase support for the Cardio Centre was to make the funding accessible to more Ghanaians.

‘We want to thank Ghanaians for the Awake brand and their
continuous support towards donating to the Cardiothoracic Centre. We are committed to this partnership with Cardio Centre, as we financially support children with heart conditions.

‘We remain hopeful that our support will help facilitate better treatment and ease their financial burden while urging Ghanaians to patronise our products,’ she said.

Dr. Mark Mawutor Tettey, Acting Executive Director of the Cardiothoracic Centre, Korle-Bu Hospital, expressed gratitude to the Kasapreko brand for their increased support package for the centre.

He noted that the cost of administering better health care to people had increased over time, and it was essential for corporate Ghana to support their quest to render improved health services.

‘There are lots of patients who cannot afford the services we provide here, so this kind gesture by Awake is very much welcomed, and it would go a long way in supporting those who cannot afford it.

‘There is so much financial cost in the repair of machines or importing new ones for
centres, so this kind of support helps us mitigate the huge cost that comes with operating the centre.

Renowned Ghanaian gospel musician Diana Hamilton, who is also the brand ambassador for Awake Mineral Drinking Water, expressed excitement over the increased financial support for the centre.

‘It is a joy to see this day, and we are thankful for the ‘One4Life’ project, and hopefully we can do more in the future. Thank you to Ghanaians for patronising Awake Purified Drinking Water, knowing that a quota of their purchase goes to funding the Cardio Center. May God bless them,’ she said.

The ‘One4Life’ initiative has made a tangible difference in the lives of hundreds of children, and this increased funding will further support the Cardiothoracic Centre’s mission to provide quality care to those in need.

Source: Ghana News Agency

By Joy Bikom

On Thursday, April 25, 2024, Local Youth Corner Cameroon (LOYOC) gathered some Cameroonian entertainers for a one-day Masterclass workshop titled ‘Engaging Entertainers in Sustainable Development.’

They organized the meeting on the sidelines of the Cameroon International Film Festival (CAMIFF) currently taking place at Mountain Hotel Buea, the workshop aimed to amplify the voices of entertainers in shaping societal dialogue and fostering peace and development initiatives across Cameroon and beyond.

The event brought together a diverse array of filmmakers, actors, musicians, and administrative authorities like the Canadian High Commissioner to Cameroon, famous movie producer Onyama Laura, and seasoned skitmakers.

It served as a platform for these young creatives to delve into the intersection of entertainment, societal change, and the promotion of peacebuilding efforts.

Christian Achaleke, Executive Director of LOYOC, emphasized the significance of creating a space for entertainers to share
experiences and insights. ‘Our objective for this masterclass,’ he stated, ‘was to be able to create a space where entertainers could have the opportunity to hear from their peers in the entertainment industry who have been able to find their niche and their passion when it comes to development issues.’

Zaiter Etoundi of the popular music group X-maleya who was a facilitator at the masterclass highlighted the power of artists to effect change through their platforms. ‘One of the powerful tools that an artist has is attention,’ he remarked. ‘You can use this attention to promote development, to denounce injustice such as gender-based violence, incest, and all that is not good for the development of countries.’

Another facilitator, Cameroonian artist Mr. Leo emphasized the importance of collaboration among artists. ‘We lack collaboration. Any instance where I see people trying to bring artists together, trying to create a space where connection can happen, it’s a go for me.’

The workshop also provided a spac
e for introspection, encouraging participants to reflect on their roles as entertainers in society.

Addressing young artists, Etoundi posed a thought-provoking question: ‘What is the message you have for the public as far as using context, idea, and artistic skills to produce social action?’ He emphasized that while entertainment is vital, incorporating social action into artistic endeavors can be a powerful means of giving back to the community.

Achaleke while talking to the press shared his hopes for the impact of the workshop. He expressed his desire for continued networking and reflection among participants. ‘Some of them may want to look for us on social media for us to keep communicating, and I’m hoping that too should happen.’

The workshop equally served as a platform for dialogue, collaboration, and introspection among young entertainers, with the main aim to drive positive change.

Source: Cameroon News Agency

The Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana (PFAG) has asked the government and the various political parties to strategically incorporate and prioritise agriculture policies aimed at investing in irrigation infrastructure in their 2024 general election manifestos.

It said in the midst of climate change impacts leading to erratic rainfall, prolong droughts and perennial floods which were adversely affecting food production, there was the need for climate-smart and adaptive agriculture to address threats of food insecurity.

It said investing in viable irrigation infrastructure would not only help to promote all year farming but would propel smallholder farmers to remain in business and contribute to achieving sufficiency.

Dr Charles Nyaaba, Chief Executive Officer of Akuafo Nketewa, a Business Unit of PFAG, made this call during the Inaugural Peasant Farmers Day Celebration held at Navrongo in the Kassena-Nankana Municipality of the Upper East Region.

The celebration was organised by PFAG in collaboration wi
th the Akuafo Nketewa and the Ministry of Food and Agriculture on the theme: ‘Deepening the Role of Smallholder farmers in Promoting Food and Nutrition Security in the Midst of Climate Change and Global Crisis.’

Dr Nyaaba explained that the agriculture sector played a critical role in the socio-economic growth of the country and there was the need for political parties seeking to govern the country to prioritise and advance policies that would attract the youth to the sector.

‘One cannot do meaningful farming today by just relying on rain fed farming. Across the globe, irrigation is being prioritised as a keen catalyst for agricultural development.

‘We plead with government and all political parties to re-invigorate interest in constructing the Pwalugu Multi-purpose dam, re-engineering and desilting all our silted dams including the one-village one dam and supporting the youth with one household, one borehole to help them to do dry season farming,’ he said.

Dr Nyaaba explained that the PFAG was committed
to collaborating with the government and other private sectors to improve food production and contribute significantly to ensuring food security and reducing poverty in Ghana.

‘We cannot do that without commitment from our policy makers in ensuring comprehensive policies and initiatives that prioritise agricultural investment, modernisation of agriculture and the welfare of our farmers,’ he said.

Apart from the high cost of production due to high cost of inputs, Dr Nyaaba indicated that lack of access to markets for food produced in Ghana had been one of the major challenges facing smallholder farmers.

‘One of the biggest challenges we have identified is corruption and politisation of agriculture policies and it is not only one government, when government brings inputs, tractors and any support for farmers, those who are not farmers are the ones who are benefiting, so apart from calling on the political parties to come out with agriculture policies, we want to see their commitment to fighting corruption,’
he said.

Mr Wepia Awal Adugwala, President, PFAG, said the smallholder farmers produced most of the food consumed in Ghana, however, they had not been given the needed support since 2021 and there was the need to address challenges such as high cost of inputs, mechanisation services, among others to help them increase productivity.

The occasion was also used to launch the Peasant Farmers Cooperative Credit Union, Pension and welfare scheme for peasant farmers, training for farmers on agro-ecological practices whilst some farmers received awards.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Four unions under the Trades Union Congress (TUC) of Ghana in the Central Region in collaboration with Agyare Realty Limited, a real estate company, have held a workshop on property acquisition for their members.

The session sensitised the workers on the importance of acquiring property before retirement and how to procure genuine property without losing their investments.

The participating workers numbering about 100, were drawn from the Public Services Workers Union (PSWU), Teachers and Educational Workers’ Union (TEWU) and the Local Government Service.

The real estate company, as part of the collaboration, also offered to sell plots of lands to the members of the unions and their associates on instalment basis over a period of 48 months.

Mr Stephen Kwame Mensah, Regional Industrial Relations Officer, Health Services Workers Union of PSWU, observed that many public sector workers could not acquire property before retirement due to their meagre salaries.

‘And even when you have your own money to pay fo
r the land, sometimes you are faced with issues of land guards and unnecessary litigations,’ he said.

The partnership was therefore to offer innovative assistance, particularly to public sector workers to get their own property at affordable rates with convenience.

‘The Health Services Workers’ Union has already taken the lead and the process has started, going for it in our numbers will help beat the price rate of the land down,’ Mr Mensah said.

Mr Stephen Ofosu Agyare, Chairman of Agyare Realty Limited, maintained that it was better to buy land earlier, than to wait till one is ready to build, given the perpetual increase in land prices.

He, however, cautioned the public to be vigilant when purchasing land by following all legal procedures and buying from the right sources.

He explained that aside from real estate companies, it was safer to buy land from families or stools instead of individuals to avoid falling victim to scammers.

He acknowledged that the salaries of public sector workers were meagre
but insisted that one did not need huge sums of money to acquire property.

‘We believe that with a good payment structure and a good opportunity, you can have a property and buy it with ease,’ he stressed.

Mr Agyare expressed the company’s commitment to helping workers secure litigation-free property to give them a comfortable retirement.

‘We want to make sure that we help our clients get affordable litigation-free lands with flexible payment structure taking into consideration, our salaries, gathering money to buy property is quite challenging.

‘If you are a government worker, a structure like this is something that you should always be opting for,’ he encouraged.

Source: Ghana News Agency