APA – Accra (Ghana)
The report that Ghana and Malawi have pledged their commitment to deepen bilateral and multilateral relations that have existed between them over the years is one of the leading stories in the Ghanaian press on Tuesday.
The Graphic reports that Ghana and Malawi have pledged their commitment to deepen bilateral and multilateral relations that have existed between them over the years.
The two countries said that with their historical relations, it was important to further cement such bond for the mutual benefit of the two countries.
They expressed the commitment when the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, paid a courtesy call on the President of Malawi, Lazarus Chakwera, at the Presidency in the capital, Lilongwe.
The call on President Chakwera was part of a two-nation bilateral visit by the Foreign Affairs Minister which will also take her to Zambia.
Ms Botchwey informed President Chakwera of her nomination by President Akufo-Addo as a candidate for the Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, saying that there was a consensus that the next Secretary-General should come from Africa and that “I am prepared if members find me worthy” and called on Malawi to give her the nod when the time comes.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs outlined areas that she would pursue when she is given the nod for the Commonwealth General-Secretaryship to include climate change and climate financing, education, mobility in the labour market, and investment in the youth including education and startups.
The Ghanaian Times says that a total of 143 Ghanaians who travelled to Libya in pursuit of better opportunities were voluntarily brought back home on Thursday night via a chartered flight.
Comprising 137 men, six women, and five children, 21 of them had moderate medical conditions, including two who were wheelchair-bound and one suffering from blindness.
This brings to total 5,142 Ghanaians who have willingly returned since 2017 under the International Organisation for Migration’s (IOM) Voluntary Humanitarian Return Assistance Programme.
Last year, the IOM, supported by the Migrant Protection, Return, and Reintegration Programme for Sub-Saharan Africa (MPRR-SSA), funded by the European Union, facilitated the safe return of 629 Ghanaians: 555 men, 58 women, and 16 children, via four chartered flights from Libya.
These voluntary returns are often due to unfulfilled dreams.
Upon their arrival at the Kotota International Airport, the latest returnees were welcomed by the IOM and government partners, including the IOM team led by the IOM Ghana Chief of Mission, Ms Fatou Diallo Ndiaye; the Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports, Evans Opoku Bobie.
A wave of nostalgia and excitement swept through some of the migrants as they cheered on musician Kofi Kinaata, an IOM Ghana Goodwill Ambassador, who was present to welcome them back home.
In her address, Ms Ndiaye urged them to view their return as a fresh start, not a failure, assuring that IOM and its partners would provide robust support to aid their reintegration, help them restart their lives, and address the underlying factors of irregular migration.
“It is not a wrong decision to come back. We should be proud of you, and you should be proud of yourself for returning despite all the investment and challenges you have faced,” she said.
The newspaper reports that 50 women entrepreneurs at the weekend graduated from the Access Bank Women Pitch-A-Ton Season five.
The Womenpreneur Pitch-A-Ton is under the W-Initiative which is meant to empower women economically and support them to create thriving businesses.
Each of the participants was presented with a certificate, and the top three participants were each presented with a seed capital of GH¢100, 000.
Another three among the top ten participants were also presented with a seed capital of GH¢10, 000.
The winner of the Managing Director Prize for Most Eco-friendly Business took a seed prize of GH¢10, 000.
This year’s programme, which was focused on agribusiness, was implemented with partners such as GIZ, GOPA AFC.
Speaking at the graduation ceremony, the Executive Director of Retail and Digital Banking, Pearl Nkrumah, said the programme, now in its fifth season, aimed to inspire and empower female entrepreneurs.
She said the Season five was focused on supporting women entrepreneurs in the Agric and Agri-related sectors.
She said about 130 women-owned businesses had benefitted from the programme.
She said the bank would continue to leverage strategic partnerships to develop their skill sets, and create plat¬forms for them to engage with equity investors for further business growth.
The newspaper also reports that the Office of the Registrar of Companies (ORC), has commenced legal processes to remove 8,531 companies limited by shares in default for more than two years from the companies register by the end of May this year.
Consequently, the ORC would commence the implementation of a one off administrative penalty of GH¢1,000.00 against any company in default effective May 1, 2024, which would be strictly implemented in accordance with the Companies Act, 2019 (Act 992).
The decision according to the office, has become necessary to purge the register of dormant companies and companies in default for failure to file their annual returns and update their records as directed by the Registrar of Companies in accordance with Section 126 of the Companies Act 2019 (Act 992).
This was announced in a statement issued and signed by the Registrar of Companies, Ghana, Mrs Jemima Mamaa Oware.
According to the statement, 8,531 companies limited by shares both private and public have failed to comply with the registrar’s directive to file their annual returns each year; hence, they have been found to be in default.
“These companies can, however, still file their annual returns together with their audited financial statements with the office by the end of May 2024 before the process of striking off companies is completed,” the statement said.
“It is worth noting that the ORC has taken this decision after two years of rigorous sensitisation and multiple publications of these companies in default in the media and our official website as the Companies Act, 2019 (Act 992) requires of the Registrar of Companies,” the ORC said.
It said despite all the efforts by the ORC to encourage stakeholders to file their returns, some companies have still not complied with this directive.
The statement said, per section 289 (5) (Act 992), a company that has its name struck off from the register was not permitted to conduct business under the company name for 12 years.
GIK/APA
Ghana: Press zooms in on pledge by Ghana, Malawi to deepen ties, others
