Day: June 19, 2024

Alhaji Ibrahim Jabiru, Agona East District Chief Imam, has advised Muslim youth to endeavour to eschew electoral violence and other forms of negative tendencies in the upcoming 2024 presidential and parliamentary elections.

He asked the youth not to allow themselves to be used as tools to cause mayhem before, during and after the polls to ensure peace, stability and development in the country.

Alhaji Jabiru gave the advice when he addressed the Agona East Muslims to mark the Eid-ul-Adha, at Agona Oketsew in the Central Region.

The Chief Imam stated that Islam was a peaceful religion and called on the youth to uphold its virtues and values.

He urged Muslim parents to advise their children, especially the youth to distance themselves from negative acts in the upcoming election and called on the political parties to carry out their campaign messages on issues and not insults and acrimony.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Concerned Youth of Bunkpurugu are discontented with the perceived marginalisation and discrimination of their district in the distribution of tertiary institutions and developmental projects in the North East Region.

In a statement copied to the Ghana News Agency, Mr. Francis Yennumi Lambon, spokesperson of the youth, highlighted the disparity in infrastructure development between Bunkpurugu and other towns like Nalerigu, Gambaga and Walewale.

While these towns enjoy asphalt roads, astro turfs, and nursing schools, according to the youth, the roads leading to Bunkpurugu and its environs remain in bad condition while the area lack recreational facilities and higher educational institutions.

Mr. Lambon questioned the rationale behind the establishment of a nursing school in smaller districts like Yagaba-Kubori while Bunkpurugu, with a larger population and land area, remained neglected.

He indicated that the perceived bias was fueling a sense of alienation among the youth and the people of Bunkpurugu, w
ho feel overlooked in the region’s development plans.

He called on the government to address the imbalance and ensure a fairer distribution of resources across the newly created region as part of Ghana’s decentralization agenda.

He emphasised that the Bunkpurugu District’s potential for economic growth and development highlights the need for equitable investment in infrastructure and educational facilities.

The youth appeal sheds light on the broader issue of regional disparities in the country’s development, a challenge faced by many rural districts.

Their call for fairness and inclusivity also resonates with many communities and towns across the region and beyond, who seek equitable access to opportunities and resources.

While experts acknowledge efforts by government to navigate the complexities of regional development, they maintain that the voices of the Bunkpurugu youth serve as a reminder of the importance of inclusive policies that benefit all communities, regardless of their size or location.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Mr. Kwasi Ameyaw-Cheremeh, the Member of Parliament for Sunyani East Constituency is funding the renovation of the Bono Regional Office of the Police Intelligence Directorate (PID) to provide a decent working environment for the personnel.

In that regard, the MP, also the Board Chairman of the Bui Power Authority (BPA), the managers of the Bui Generating Station, Wednesday presented 10 packets of roofing sheets for the directorate to re-roof the dilapidated structure.

Checks by the Ghana News Agency (GNA) revealed that the long-abandoned building, located in the enclave of the Sunyani Residency was the official residence of the Sunyani Divisional Police Commander.

On completion, the facility will contain a temporary holding detention center, general office, washrooms for male and female personnel, a kitchen, dining hall and an interrogation room.

Mr. Abubakar Yakubu, the Sunyani East Communication Officer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and Special Aide, made the presentation on behalf of the MP, indicat
ing that modern policing remained a shared and collective responsibility.

He explained the gesture followed an appeal made to the police and assured the MP’s commitment to help improve security in the constituency and the region by extension.

Alhaji Shaibu Yakubu Damuin, the Bono Regional Director of the PID, thanked the MP for the gesture.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Nana Obrenpong Kanya III, President of Nchumuru Traditional Area has appealed to the government for the provision of Telecommunication networks, road and education facilities to increase economic activities in area.

He said the poor nature of the roads linking Borae No2 to Chinderi, the District capital through to Grubi, Akaniem, Banda and Anyinam, the people, who are predominantly farmers have to walk long distances with their farm produce to marketing centres.

‘It is sad that pregnant women in the area have to be carried on shoulder to seek medical attention at Chinderi, Banda and Borae No2’.

In an exclusive interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), the Paramount chief gave assurance that they were ready to provide communal labour to support any developmental projects that the government would extend to the area and expressed concerns over the poor telecommunication networks in the district.

He confirmed to the GNA that teaching and learning had been affected because students and teachers must trek lo
ng distances to access stable internet service.

Nana Kanya again appealed to the government to provide educational infrastructure for students of Krachi Nchumuru District.

He said most of the students attended classes in a dilapidated mud structures which was affecting teaching and learning in his locality, he added that, considering the high increase in population, it was crucial for the government to consider building school blocks for both junior high and primary levels to save the students from traveling far to attend schools.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Eighty-six thousand printed passport booklets are gathering dust at the Passport Offices across the country because applicants have failed to collect them.

The refusal by passport applicants to collect them comes at a great loss to the Government since it subsidises each passport printed by more than 70 per cent.

For instance, there are 8,000 uncollected printed passports in Takoradi Office, 8,696 in the Cape Coast Office and 19, 500 in the Accra Office.

Mr. Yaw Osafo-Maafo, a Senior Presidential Advisor, announced this at a media briefing in Accra on Wednesday, to update the public on the Public Sector Reform for Results Project (PSRRP).

Mr. Osafo-Maafo, who also has an oversight responsibility over the Public Sector Reform Secretariat, therefore, called for comprehensive research to ascertain why people were so anxious to apply for passport and later refused to collect them.

‘It’s a big problem and you can’t even understand it,’ Mr. Osafo-Maafo said.

Currently, a 32-page leaflet Ghanaian passport cost
GHc500 after a legislative instrument allowed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration to increase from GHc100.

Detailing the achievements of the Public Sector Reform for Results Project (PSRRP), Mr Osafo-Maafo said the World Bank provided a credit facility amounting to $35 million in 2018 for the PSRRP.

However, he said, the project was restructured within the period July to December 2021, which reduced the amount to $24 million to cover 13 Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).

The Financing Agreement was signed on November 12, 2018. It was intended to improve efficiency and accountability in delivering selected services by selected entities.

The beneficiary institutions were Driver Vehicle and Licensing Authority, Passport Office, Births and Deaths Registry, Public Services Commission, Office of the Head of Civil Service, Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice and Monitoring and Evaluation Secretariat.

Other institutions were the Public Sector Reform Secretariat, m
inistries of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development, Transport and Environment, Science Technology and Innovation.

The funding for the PSRRP was also to strengthen the capacity and organisational management of the beneficiary institutions and expand access to public services by the citizenry.

Mr. Osafo-Maafo,for instance, stated that the funds enabled the Passport Office to purchase biodata equipment for capturing the biometric data of passport applicants.

That, he said, enabled the Passport Office to clear the backlogs of unprocessed applicants which significantly improved the passport application ecosystem.

Since August 2023, Mr. Osafo-Maafo said, the Passport Office processed and printed about 700,000 passport applications including 100,000 passport application backlogs as against the annual average target of 500,000 printed booklets.

On efficiency at the DVLA, he said, the 33 operational centres of the Authority were offering standard servic
es to clients and had reduced the vehicle registration time per day from six hours to two hours.

Also, the production of driver’s licenses increased from 700 to 2,500 per day in 2022, while the backlog of driver’s licenses reduced from 76,000 to 8,455 as of March 2024.

The Public Services Commission, he said, also conducted 510 interviews using the video conferencing facility while the Office of Head of Civil Service cleared backlogs of 14,657 staff promotions using the video conferencing facility for the interviews.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Ethiopian coffee has been rapidly gaining traction in the Chinese market in recent years, with sales growing at a staggering rate of 27 percent annually.

This rapid growth has been significantly boosted by platforms such as the China International Import Expo and cross-border e-commerce, which serve as effective gateways for overseas brands to enter China and present numerous opportunities for Ethiopian businesses.

One standout success story is the Ethiopian coffee brand Gera, which showcased roasted coffee beans at the third CIIE. During the expo, the brand’s Yirgacheffe and Sidamo coffees were signed up to a prominent cross-border e-commerce platform, immediately available for consumers.

During the fifth CIIE, Ethiopian highland coffee with vibrant orange packaging was drawing eyes. After being showcased in an e-commerce livestream during the expo, 17,000 boxes were sold in just one evening. Online sales of Ethiopian coffee surged 300 percent during the sixth CIIE.

Traditionally, Ethiopian coffee grower
s and processors only accounted for less than 10 percent of profits in the export trade, with the majority of profits lying in distribution and sales. Leveraging the CIIE for cross-border e-commerce sales has effectively reduced trade costs, benefiting Ethiopian coffee farmers and allowing Chinese consumers to enjoy premium coffee beans at more affordable prices.

Witnessing the growing popularity of Ethiopian coffee among Chinese consumers, Tefera Derbew Yimam, Ethiopian ambassador to China, expressed great delight. He noted that China has become one of the primary importers of Ethiopian coffee. Ethiopian coffees have received rave reviews at the CIIE over the years, prompting many businesses to showcase their products at the event. ‘The embassy will continue to facilitate Ethiopian business participation in the expo,’ Yimam said.

Coffee trade is just one aspect of the trade relationship between China and Ethiopia. Products like sesame seeds and green beans from Ethiopia have also made their way to supermar
kets, stores, and retail markets in China.

At the sixth edition of the expo, Ethiopian sesame trader Duka Engineering and Trading Plc reached a preliminary cooperation agreement with Shandong’s Ruifu Sesame Oil Co Ltd, which would purchase 6,000 metric tons of sesame seeds.

In October 2023, Ethiopia and China upgraded their bilateral relationship to an all-weather strategic partnership. In a joint statement, China expressed its desire to continue encouraging and supporting Ethiopian exports to China, including agricultural and food products.

With the Chinese market serving as a key driver of Ethiopian exports, Ethiopia’s distinctive offerings are expected to make a splash at this year’s expo, presenting vast business opportunities for its enterprises.

Source: Ghana News Agency