Day: October 15, 2023

Ghana is passionate to be a global beacon of advocacy for climate mitigation and adaptation for a liveable planet, climate prosperity, and debt sustainability. This comes as the country prepares to host the global Secretariat of the governments of the Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF) and the Vulnerable Twenty Group of Finance Ministers (V20). ‘Having the main advocacy for climate change adaptation and mitigation coming from our country, joining the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), will have an incredible benefit going forward,’ Mr Ken Ofori-Atta, Finance Minister, said, signalling that Ghana is beginning to build an international centre for climate mitigation and adaptation. He was speaking with journalists on the sidelines of the 2023 International Monetary Fund (IMF)/World Bank Group (WBG) Annual Meetings in Marrakech on Friday evening. ‘V20 headquarters will be a phenomenal addition to Ghana. This is an organisation that currently has 68 countries, representing about 1.7 billion people, so, we’re pleased about the development,’ he said. Meanwhile, a meeting has been scheduled by the Group on Sunday, October 15, 2023, to discuss sustainable ways to gather resources ‘to make sure that if we strand our assets, there are alternative ways for growth,’ Mr Ofori-Atta said. Already, the IMF has called on the international community to scale up climate financing to ensure that important efforts to tackle climate change do not crowd out basic needs, like health and education. Ghana is seeking to strengthen policies to adapt to and mitigate climate change through investment in resilient public infrastructure, particularly, in agriculture, urban development, and coastal protection. The country is expected to soon set up a Climate Division at the Finance Ministry to tap into financial resources being dedicated by multilateral development finance institutions and climate investors across the world. That formed part of structural reforms to support inclusive growth through the Post-COVID-19 Programme of Economic Growth (PC-PEG)-US$3 billion loan-support with the IMF. Such move is expected to mitigate the effects of climate stressors and enhance Ghana’s resilience to climate change, while contributing to global efforts to addressing the challenges of climate change, and its impact on the environment, businesses, and human lives. Ghana’s forest cover has been depleted by deforestation, illegal logging, and unsustainable land-use practices, which had reduced the eight million tropical forest in 1900 to the current 2.7m. The government has, therefore, instituted a Green Ghana Day, where on annual basis, various tree species are planted across the country, to help restore the lost forest cover and make the environment conducive for both people and other living things.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Love said establishing the fund was crucial in strengthening the country’s response capacities to such situations timeously and effectively. Mr Ayayi said this during an engagement with some selected assembly and unit committee members, social service committee chairperson and the presiding member of the Ho Municipal Assembly. The engagement was to sensitise the participants on the relevance of such fund in efficient and emergency health service delivery to the country and to empower them to be advocates of the fund at the local level. The Programmes Director said Ghana would not have felt the impact of the COVID-19 the way it did if there had been a fund in place for such emergencies. Mr Ayayi stressed the need for stakeholders to recognise the importance of disaster preparedness as a critical component of national development and prioritise it in the budget allocation process. He urged government to strength the capacity of relevant institutions responsible for disaster and epidemic management by equipping them with the necessary resources. Mr Ayayi said it was important for the state to conduct a comprehensive risk assessment to identify the potential hazards and vulnerabilities in different regions, saying, this would help in understanding the specific needs and allocating resources.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Central Regional Office of the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has engaged Kenkey sellers on best practices and procedures of producing Kenkey at Yamoransa in the Mfantseman Municipality for consumer safety. This was at the back of a recent research conducted on the production of Kenkey which revealed a serious threat to human health and needed urgent attention to safeguard the health of consumers. It came out that some producers were wrapping the mixture of corn dough in flexible plastic films (polyethylene) before boiling which gave way for chemicals and toxins in the rubber to contaminate the Kenkey. These chemicals have also been linked to a range of health problems, including cancer, reproductive issues, and damage to the immune system. Madam Franscisca Obeng, Acting Regional Head of the FDA who led a team to interact with the women, explained how health practitioners had on countless times spoke against the use of polyethylene in the production of Kenkey, linking it to increased cancer cases in the country. She, therefore, advised the Kenkey producers to desist from using the illegal method and go back to the traditional method of using all leaves to wrap Kenkey for consumer safety. ‘Plasticizers such as bisphenol A (BPA) and phthalates have been linked to various health problems, including hormonal imbalances, reproductive issues, and cancer,’ She further indicated that when plastics were heated, plasticizers could leach into the food they are in contact with, causing food contamination. Another concern is the release of dioxins and furans, which are toxic chemicals that can form when polystyrene plastics are heated to high temperatures. The Acting Head and her team took the Kenkey sellers through the proper uses of plastic packaging materials in food production in the markets and homes and admonished them to make sure their hot foods, at the point of sale, were not primarily wrapped in plastic bags. The team with placards, some of which read ‘stop wrapping kenkey with polyethylene’ and ‘don’t use your dirty oil to prepare shito’ paraded the streets of Yamoransa to educate pedestrians and passengers to avoid rubber wrapped Kenkey for their own safety. Madam Adoma Amanda, a Kenkey seller at Yamoransa in an interview claimed that the rubber extends the shelf life of the kenkey as it prevents moulds from forming directly on the kenkey. She raised concerns on how they incurred losses without the rubbers which could last for only three days instead of two weeks with the rubber wrappers. Madam Amanda pleaded with the government to support Kenkey production and assist food scientists to come out with the best method that would extend the life span of Kenkey on the shelf. She hoped the FDA’s sensitisation exercise would go down well with consumers to purchase only the traditional leaves packaging. A section of the sellers told the GNA that those who export Kenkey preferred the polyethylene wrapper because they had to remove all the leaves to lighten the weight to help reduce taxes at the airport. The sellers have pleaded with authorities to bring out alternative methods to replace the polyethylene packaging to help them make good sales and protect consumers.

Source: Ghana News Agency

said research had shown that engaging all stakeholders affected by a policy for their input into the design and implementation would lead to better outcomes. Mr Abdulai said this in Wa during a policy dialogue on the inclusion and active participation of women in agricultural policy and governance processes as part of activities to commemorate the International Day of Rural Women (IDRW). The event, which was on the theme: ‘Shaping Ghana’s Agricultural Future: The Role of Rural Women,’ brought together women groups and associations in agriculture within the USAID Zone of Influence (ZOI) and stakeholders in the agricultural sector. The United Nations (UN), in 2008, set aside October 15 annually to recognise the critical role and contribution of indigenous women in enhancing agricultural and rural development, improving food security, and eradicating rural poverty. Mr Abdulai said over the years the USAID Feed the Future Ghana Policy LINK had activity been working through the government and ministries, to address issues that affected women in general and rural women in specific. He said Policy LINK, in its work to address policy issues affecting the agricultural sector, focused inclusivity on the marginalised groups including rural women who are also farmers, and persons with disabilities among others, to help make the Ghana agricultural and food system process more inclusive. He therefore urged stakeholders to support the efforts of rural women towards the advancement of their livelihoods and general well-being. A citizen poll conducted by Policy LINK presented at the dialogue forum indicated that fewer women than men were aware of agricultural policies on inputs, trade facilitation, ease of doing agri-business, and climate risk management. The poll, which involved 1,019 respondents across the country, comprising 347 females and 672 males, also revealed that ‘Fewer females than males are of the view that agricultural policy formulation are effective.’ Mr Iliasu Yakubu, a Research Consultant with Saha Consulting and Services Limited presented the poll findings dubbed, ‘Voice and Perspectives of Ghanaian Women on Agricultural Policies: The Case of the Citizen Poll.’ He recommended public education on existing agricultural policies and programmes targeting more women to increase their awareness levels of those policies and programmes. Mr Yakubu also recommended that: ‘The government and its development partners should prioritise women’s education on the policy development process to enable them to appreciate how they can also be involved as stakeholders.’ Madam Rashida Iddrisu, the Head of the Women in Agricultural Development (WIAD) unit, Upper Regional Department of Agriculture, said Ghana had made remarkable progress in agricultural development but said that progress could be accelerated by harnessing the potential of rural women. She called for stakeholders’ commitment to addressing challenges confronting rural women such as limited access to land and resources, gender-based discrimination, and unequal access to healthcare and education. Some of the women farmers at the event mentioned access to tractor services as a major challenge to rural women in their efforts to improve their agricultural activities and appealed for tractors dedicated to women farmers to help reduce their challenges.

Source: Ghana News Agency

An estimated 37,000 people in the Ashanti Region are expected to benefit from 34 boreholes and 286 micro flush toilet facilities to be constructed by Rotarians in Kumasi and Obuasi. This was made known when the Kumasi Rotary Club was joined by their counterparts from Obuasi to cut sod for the construction of the boreholes and toilet facilities at Kona near Mamponteng in the Ashanti Region. Communities in Obuasi and Kumasi are expected to benefit from these projects which will cost $223,000 with funding from The Rotary Foundation. The project is in partnership with the Salem Rotary Club, Virgina, USA and being sponsored by various rotary clubs, districts non-rotarians and individuals in Ghana, Canada, Australia, Netherlands, and United Kingdom. Nana Effah Mensah, President of the Rotary Club of Kumasi, said Rotary as a human centered institution had over the years demonstrated its commitment to helping improve sanitation and access to potable water which is a key feature in its seven focused areas. ‘Our primary focus as a club is to help the poor and vulnerable in society, a commitment we will not renege on but will continue to make society better through our projects and programs,’ he stated. Expected to be completed in 12 months, Nana Effah Mensah said Rotary Clubs had been deliberate in their quest to promote goodwill and prevent water borne diseases in communities across the country. President Godfrey Mwachande of the Obuasi Club also outlined sustained efforts by forming Rotary Community Corps in its project locations whose mandate would be to sustain the interventions of rotarians in their communities. Nana Amponsah Agyeman III, the Queen mother of Kona who witnessed the sod-cutting ceremony lauded Rotarians for their efforts in improving the lives of mankind through their activities. She was particularly excited that Kona was benefiting from the boreholes and household microflush toilets, stressing that the community leaders would ensure that the facilities were sustained for generations to come. She said the projects would help improve access to good drinking water and resolve issues of poor sanitation which was a problem in the community. The projects form part of initiatives being undertaken by District Governor David Osei Amankwah of District 9104.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has constructed a mechanised borehole in Potrase, in the Abuakwa South Municipality of the Eastern Region, and formally?handed it?over to?the local community. Mr Baba Gana Wakil, Resident Representative of ECOWAS in Ghana, and Barima Ansah Sasraku II, Chief of Potrase, jointly commissioned the borehole, which also has a 5000-liter storage tank. ‘ECOWAS is about community development and promotion of trade, but investing in water is investing in the people because water is life,’ Mr. Wakil said. ‘We shall continue to do other equally important things in education and the areas of trade,’ he added, and remarked that ‘we have taken note of the community’s needs, especially the provision of computer facilities for the school children.’ He also stated that ECOWAS was actively bringing development to the doorsteps of rural communities, ensuring that social and economic development was not limited to the major cities. Madam Neematu Ziblim Adam, Director at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, outlined the overriding objectives of ECOWAS, noting that the West African bloc presently has 15 member states. She emphasised that the bloc is committed to fostering economic integration across various sectors, including industry, transport, telecommunications, energy, agriculture, natural resources, commerce, monetary and financial matters, as well as social and cultural issues. She said public education programmes would soon be rolled out and widely spread to deepen the understanding of people about the issues of ECOWAS in both regional capitals and rural communities. This is expected to ensure that citizens of ECOWAS are well-informed about their rights, obligations, and the importance of being a community member. Barima Sasraku II, Chief of Potrase, expressed his gratitude for the provision of the mechanised boreholes, stating that it would greatly alleviate the burden on community members who previously had to travel long distances to fetch water. He stressed the need for increased access to potable water facilities. However, he requested ECOWAS to consider?setting up a mining company in the area to help generate?employment opportunities for the youth and assured?them that the elders of the town would be willing to donate a plot of land for that purpose.

Source: Ghana News Agency