Day: October 22, 2023

Mr. Emmanual Awuni, a private sector consultant at the World Bank, says an unfavourable business regulatory framework is hindering entrepreneurial potential and deepening Ghana’s unemployment situation. He said the existing regulatory framework and requirements from state agencies were a major obstacle to the realisation of the entrepreneurial potential of Ghanaian youth. The unfavourable business regulatory framework, which includes business registration, was demotivating the youth from pursuing entrepreneurship. This challenge, he said, could worsen the unemployment situation in the country as 3.87 per cent of the population is currently unemployed. He was speaking at the End Poverty Day Programme which was held at the World Bank office in Accra. ‘We have seen an unfavourable business regulation framework in the country. We are looking at the entry and exit points for businesses. As a young person, you know that when you are starting a business and you want to register, it is sometimes difficult. To even exit the business has its own challenges,’ he said. He called for reforms in the regulatory framework and requirements to encourage youth to pursue entrepreneurship. He said the World Bank (WB) aimed to eliminate the bottlenecks associated with the regulatory framework by engaging the relevant agencies to improve the regulatory quality in Ghana. Thus, the WB had supported the Ministry of Trade and Industry to introduce business regulatory reforms to give agencies the push on how to improve regulatory governance and coordination to encourage entrepreneurship in the country. The reforms, he said, will consequentially reduce unemployment in the country. Mr. Awuni observed that many unemployed youths in the country lacked knowledge of career paths to pursue. He urged the stakeholders in labour and employment relations to welcome the idea of pre-employment services to reduce unemployment in the country. He indicated that economic growth in the country had not been consistent with job creation. He said major progress in terms of economic growth in the country was achieved in the extractive sector, and a significant number of those employed in the sector were expatriates. Therefore, the economic growth was not really creating the jobs needed to reduce the unemployment rate in the country.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, the Member of Parliament (MP) of North Tongu, has announced the commencement of work on a housing project in his constituency for the displaced residents due to the Akosombo Dam spillage. The project would be executed by Construction Ambassadors, a subsidiary of the ‘First Sky Group’ on agreed free lands in the constituency, which would be ‘completed in record time,’ he said. Mr Ablakwa was speaking after a sod-cutting event for construction works to begin to facilitate the relocation of the affected residents. The lands were offered for free at three different locations by the traditional authorities, as part of their contribution to the project. ‘When completed, it would restore the dignity of my beloved constituents as well as ensure they live in healthier conditions,’ the MP said. ‘Additionally, we stand ready to provide communal labour support. North Tongu shall never forget the generosity and humanity of the First Sky Group.’ Mr Ablakwa expressed optimism that lives, education, and businesses would return to normal after the affected residents have been properly housed. Over 12,000 residents within the district were displaced after the controlled spillage of the Akosombo Dam. Houses, businesses, and farms, among others, have been submerged by the floods, causing the closure of some schools for the classrooms to be used as safe havens. Organisations and individuals continue to donate towards the upkeep of the affected residents.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Nana Ete Agrade II, the Chief of Gwira-Banso in the Western Region, has encouraged Members of Parliament (MPs) to be committed to the charge of ensuring the development of their constituencies. He said regardless of whose party was in power, MPs must use their offices to lobby for development projects to benefit the people who they represented. Nana Agrade said this at a public forum organised by the Gwira Traditional Council at Bamiango in the Nzema-East Municipality of the Western Region. It was the duty of every MP to use his or her Common Fund to initiate development projects for the respective constituencies, he said. The chief urged Mr Kofi Arko NoKoe, the MP for Evaloe-Adjomoro Gwira, to lobby for the development of Gwiraman to raise the standard of living of his constituents.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Volta Regional chapter of the Ghana Federation of Disability Organisations (GFD) has called on the Government to factor the needs of Persons with Disability (PWDs) in the provision of relief items for victims of the Akosombo Dam spillage. The Organisation said most of the 24,620 PWDs in the South, Central and North Tongu districts had fallen victims to the flood, yet their needs had not been met. Ms Elikplim Klu, the Volta Regional President of GFD, in a press release issued to the Ghana News Agency, said the Federation had visited the affected areas to assess the extent of damage on members to inform its advocacy in mitigating their plight. Although the floods had a devastating effect on residents of the affected communities, the PWDs were facing double agony due to their vulnerability. She, therefore, appealed to citizens, corporate bodies, international relief agencies, donor partners and the foreign missions to help the victims. Ms Klu said the GFD would continue to create an inclusive society for all persons with disability in Ghana, and those within the three Tongu districts were no exception. ‘The 1992 Republican Constitution of Ghana was not explicitly clear on support services for PWDs in times like this although there is a general provision under Article 37(2,b) and 84(a).’ She said the PWDs Act 2006 (Act 715) did not equally make an explicit provision such as contained in Article 11 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD). She called on the Legislature to help correct the lacuna in the laws and expedite action on the review of Act 715 to commensurate with international disability laws, protocols and conventions. She urged the Volta River Authority and other stakeholders to revisit their disaster prevention and management strategies to prevent the recurrence of such disasters.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Mr John Nkaw, the Country Director of Action Aid Ghana, a global justice Federation has called on the International Tribunal to settle legal disputes violating human rights of transnational corporations. ‘The demand is timely, as the issue of modern slavery lingers in the supply chain.’ Mr. Nkaw made this call at a high-profile Africa Regional Intersessional Consultation on the UN Binding Treaty on Business and Human Rights in Accra. He affirmed that international standards governing commercial practices in connection with human rights were needed, and Africa must take a more active part in determining how they appear. ‘Again, the age long menace of exploitation and child labour is also common due to the delay of structural International Tribunal supervision of transnational corporations’ compliance and sanctions to ensure full respect for human rights. ‘Our engagement in this negotiation process presents an opportunity to reflect on a collective African position towards a more principled, responsible, and accountable business operations. ‘Engaging in the treaty negotiation process presents a critical opportunity for states to demonstrate political will to put gender justice above corporate interests’, he added. The meeting was was to strengthen cooperation, coordination, and solidarity amongst African States and civil society movements for the realization of the Instrument and discuss key articles that were of critical essence civil society groups, social movements, and affected communities in Africa. The consultation also sought to provide states with an overall legal reading of the new treaty content in comparison with the third draft and textual proposals submitted to during the ninth negotiation. Operations of businesses can have a profound impact on the rights of people and communities. ‘While some of these impacts are positive, such as increasing access to employment, others are negative and include forcible eviction, various forms of labour exploitation, and damage to the environment. He said the hardest hit were often women, children, indigenous communities, and other marginalized and underserved groups. ‘It is a known fact that women the world over, are most likely to be employed in the most precarious working environments with the least labour protection, earn the lowest wages, and shoulder the vast majority of the world’s unpaid care work.’ He called for a strong and deliberate gendered approach to remove gender-specific barriers to justice that women experience in holding corporations to account and guaranteeing protection for women. The United Nations Human Rights Council, during its 26th session held on June 26, 2014, adopted Resolution 26/9, marking a pivotal moment in the global pursuit of corporate accountability and human rights protection. The resolution, with the mandate to elaborate an international legally binding instrument on transnational corporations and other business enterprises with respect to human rights, recognizes the dual role of transnational corporations and business enterprises in both promoting economic prosperity and reducing the adverse impacts on human rights. Ghana has taken an active role in advancing this crucial initiative by reaching out to Cameroon, the Africa region representative of the Group of Friends. The meeting was attended by the Deputy Minister of Justice and Attorney General, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration of Ghana, the Vice Minister of External Regions of Cameroon, the Representative of the Africa Union Commission, Ambassadors of African Missions in Ghana, the Ambassador, the Norwegian Embassy in Ghana, the Ambassador of the Netherlands in Ghana, The Country Representatives of United Nations Agencies in Ghana, The Commissioner, Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), The Commissioner, Cameroon Human Rights Commission, and Representatives of civil society organizations.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Holistic Counselling and Training Consult has held a graduation ceremony for 30 students in Accra. The students, who were made up of online and weekend graduates were honoured with Lay Practitioner certificates in Counselling and Psychology. Apostle James Kofi Abbrey, Founder of the Consult said Holistic Care Consult started as a sole proprietorship and was officially launched on Sunday, March 20, 2016 to create awareness and follow-ups via word of mouth, social media, media platforms and programmes. He said the demand for empathic and skilled counsellors had never been stronger in society, which was distinguished by continual change and unprecedented challenges and problems, hence the need for the Consult to train more counsellors. Apostle Abbrey, Speaking under the theme ‘Navigating Minds: Empowering the Future’, said ‘as counsellors you possess the unique ability to uplift individuals and communities, providing them with the tools and guidance to overcome obstacles, navigate complexities and embrace the richness of life. ‘Your influence extends far beyond the counselling room, reaching into the hearts and minds of those you touch,’ he added. He appealed to the graduands to embrace the journey with an open heart and an unwavering beliefs in their own abilities. ‘As you move forward from this moment, remember that you are not alone, you have the support of your loved ones, your mentors, and if ever needed, the counselling community,’ he said. He, therefore encouraged the graduands to remain steadfast in their dedication to the values that had guided them. ‘These values will not only serve as your compass in the counselling field, but also as beacons that illuminate the lath towards a brighter, more equitable future,’ he said. Rev. Dr. Dinah Baah-Odoom, Registrar, Ghana Psychology Council said the theme highlighted the significance of understanding and supporting the human mind while envisioning the profound impact on the lives of others. ‘The minds you will encounter will be as diverse as the stars as each one with its unique challenges, fears, hopes and dreams. It is your role as counsellors to empower these minds and guide them towards a brighter future,’ she added. Dr. Baah-Odoom who is also Reverend Minister of the Methodist Church of Ghana urged the graduands to strive to collaborate with other professionals in the field of practice and beyond applied psychology. ‘As you facilitate the process of moving your clients towards improved psychological and spiritual health, you should also show evidence of self-fulfillment, self-satisfaction, positive self-concept and spiritual maturity. Mrs Agnes Kyerewaa Oppong, a valedictorian of the 2023 batch thanked management of Holistic Counselling and Training Consult for their time, couching, among others. On behalf of the graduands, she pledged to work with the code of ethics and be good counsellors in Ghana. She said ‘with all that we have learnt here, we will work hard and set Holistic Counselling and Training Consult high.’

Source: Ghana News Agency