APA – Accra (Ghana)
The threat of indefinite strike over unpaid salaries by the Judicial Service Staff Association of Ghana (JUSAG) and the commencement of the second phase of the reaffirmation of the Ghana-Togo international land boundary are some of the leading stories in the Ghanaian press on Monday.
The Graphic reports that the Executive Secretary of the National Labour Commission has in a letter addressed to the Judicial Service Staff Association of Ghana (JUSAG) threatened to go on an indefinite strike if a salary increase and arrears from January 2023 is not approved for them.
The letter, signed by JUSAG’s General Secretary, Abdulai Yakubu, states that the government has until Friday, May 12, 2023, to approve and implement reviewed salaries with all the arrears from January 2023, failing which the association will proceed with the strike.
The letter referred to a previous letter dated May 5, 2023, addressed to the President, which requested approval of the recommendation of the Judicial Council on the review of salaries and related allowances for staff of the Judicial Service in line with Article 149 of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana.
The letter also acknowledged the economic challenges in the country and the withdrawal of the Cost of Living Allowance in December 2022, but noted that members of JUSAG had shown patience for the past four months.
JUSAG has reiterated its notice to the National Labour Commission, stating that if the approval is not received by the stated date, members will wear red armbands to work from May 15, 2023, for one week.
The letter further states that if no approval is received by May 19, 2023, JUSAG will embark on an indefinite strike. The association’s leadership urged the President to act swiftly to prevent adverse consequences to justice delivery.
The newspaper says that the second phase of the reaffirmation of the Ghana-Togo international land boundary has commenced.
The reaffirmation exercise will cover a distance of approximately 80 km from the main border at Ave Dakpa to Wli Afegame in the Volta Region of Ghana.
The exercise, which is said to be consistent with the mandate of the Ghana Boundary Commission and the AU Convention on Cross-Border Cooperation, is being funded by the German Development Cooperation (GIZ), through the Africa Union Border Programme (AUBP).
It will lead to the reconstruction of the boundary pillars or markings defining the land boundaries between the two countries.
A number of boundary pillars along the Ghana-Togo border had been removed due to factors such as erosion, tampering or outright removal of the pillars.
It is expected that the reaffirmation will also see to the construction of new main, intermediary and border post boundary pillars across Ave Hevi, Batume Junction, Wudome, Nyive, Shia, Honuta, Leklebi Dafor and Wli Afegame, all in the Volta Region which share borders with sister communities in Togo.
Boundary pillars are physical concrete pillars constructed on the ground along the international boundary line to define the sovereign limits of neighbouring states.
Reaffirming the boundaries, therefore, provides the opportunity for states to jointly confirm international boundaries to avoid any future disputes.
The Ghanaian Times reports that the Second Deputy Governor of Bank of Ghana (BoG), Mrs Elsie Addo Awadzi, has called for a unified data architecture to help connect existing databases for effective policy formulation and regulation of the financial sector.
According to her, a unified data architecture would help for the design of appropriate financial products and services to meet the needs of all economic actors in Ghana.
Mrs Awadzi made the call at the maiden Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research (ISSER) and World Bank Inclusive Finance Development Series on the theme “Financial Inclusion for All: An Analysis of Ghana’s Findex Data”.
Speaking on the topic “Monitoring for Inclusion; The role of an inclusive Financial Sector Data Architecture”, the Second Deputy Governor said a unified data architecture had become necessary in view of the financial inclusion efforts of the government to help all economic actors to have access to financial services.
“As we work towards a unified data architecture, efforts must be put in place to promote data integrity, data privacy, systems robustness, and effective data governance,” she stated.
The Second Deputy Governor said the roll-out of the biometric Ghana Card, which was now designated as the single identity card for purposes of financial transactions, held promise for promoting unified data architecture for monitoring financial inclusion.
She said the exclusive use of the Ghana card for financial transactions would help track users across the whole spectrum of financial services, and will facilitate both demand and supply-side data collection and analysis to measure progress in access to finance.
Mrs Awadzi said the forum provided a unique platform to deliberate on the role of data in promoting financial inclusion to advance our socio-economic objectives as a nation.
She said data was essential to help measure gaps in financial inclusion, design appropriate evidence-based interventions, and monitor their implementation and effectiveness.
The newspaper says that the participants at a High Tea event to inspire, connect and empower women have hailed Access Bank for its continued commitment to women empowerment.
The conference, organised by Access Bank under its flagship women initiative ‘W’, brought together reputable female-thought leaders from various industries and professional fields, including finance, entrepreneurship, academia, and technology, to foster conversations around gender equality, technology, and innovation.
The ‘W’ Initiative is meant to inspire, connect, and empower women to be resilient and succeed in their business.
Organised in partnership with The Fitzgerald and Curate Marketing, the event also provided opportunities for networking and mentorship.
The Executive Director for Retail and Digital Banking at Access Bank, Pearl Nkrumah, spoke on the importance of partnerships and collaboration to enable women-owned businesses to thrive.
She said women businesses must always focus on the bigger picture and learn to tell their stories using technology to access the best interventions from financial institutions.
“Be proactive, deliberate, and intentional about telling your story for a favourable disposition to attract the needed funding for growth” she told the audience.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for the MasterCard Foundation, Rosie Fynn, speaking on soft skills women need to excel in male dominated sectors, highlighted resilience and excellent communication skills, both written and oral.
She encouraged women, especially the young ones, to build exceptional work ethics, explaining that investing in themselves was critical to positioning women to attain equity.
Commissioner of Police (COP), Maame Yaa Tiwaa Addo-Danquah, Executive Director of Economic and Organised Crime Office, shared precious moments of her career life as the first highest female ranked police officer in Ghana.
COP Addo-Danquah stressed the importance of planning, relying on available support systems, time management, creating opportunities for others and depending on available talents as building blocks for her career advancement.
“You cannot get to the top if you want to be in your comfort zone. You need to stand tall by doing more, by going the extra mile to get your work done properly,” she stated.
The Group Head of Retail Banking at Access Bank, Matilda Asante-Asiedu, in her remarks, acknowledged the significant role and contributions of women towards Ghana’s economy, and was optimistic the connections and networks generated at the event would lead to fruitful relationships and partnerships.
“The High Tea event has brought together women from different facets of life to connect, inspire, build new networks, and entrench existing ones to meet the needs of women. We are dedicated to supporting women as a bank because we believe women have great potential which can be beneficial to all when harnessed,” Matilda-Asiedu stated.
GIK/APA
