APA – Accra (Ghana)
The signing of an agreement for the development of a framework for collaboration between the Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia and her Colombi¬an counterpart, Francia Elena Márquez Mina, yesterday is one of the trending stories in the Ghanaian press on Friday.
The Ghanaian Times reports that Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia and her Colombi¬an counterpart, Francia Elena Márquez Mina, yesterday signed an agreement for the development of a framework for collaboration between the two countries.
The framework is expected to encompass diverse issues, including government support, private sector engagement and the development of strong bilateral partnerships and linkages.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and the Columbi¬an President would endorse the framework and trigger its imple¬mentation when he visits Columbia in the coming months.
The signing of the agreement was the highlight of the Gha¬na-Columbia Business Forum held in Accra as part of the Colombian Vice President’s two-day visit to Ghana.
The visit formed part of her tour of some African countries in pursuant of her government’s effort to build and strengthen South-South cooperation, racial and climate justice and historic reparations.
The business forum which was on the theme “Business and In¬vestment Opportunities” sought to explore new avenues of collabora¬tion and partnership between the two countries.
Officials of the Ghana Invest¬ment Promotion Centre; Ghana Export Promotion Authority, Ghana Free Zones Authority and the Ghana National Chamber of Commerce and Industry took turns to highlight investment and trade opportunities in Ghana to their Colombian counterparts.
Touching on the importance of the framework, Dr Bawumia said it would help unlock these oppor¬tunities that lie in collaboration between the two countries in areas including trade, agriculture, energy, technology and digital economy.
The newspaper says that the Black Stars fought hard to seal qualification for the next African Cup of Nations (AFCON), as they tamed the Wild Beasts from the Central Africa Republic 2-1 in a final qualifier at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium, yesterday.
By the victory, Ghana topped Group E with 12 points.
In June, the two countries met but it ended in a one-all draw at the Estadio 11 de Novembro in Angola.
Expectation was high as both teams wrapped up their 2023 AFCON qualifiers with Ghana needing a point to scale through.
While Ghana was eyeing her first win over the Central Africans, the Wild Beasts eyed an upset to make history with a first AFCON qualification.
The Ghanaian Times also reports that a concerted effort is required to help improve the region’s macroeconomic environment and place it on a stronger convergence path for a viable monetary union, Governor of the Bank of Ghana (BoG), Dr Ernest Addison, has stated.
That, he said, would help facilitate the move by Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) for a single currency by 2027.
According to him, the assessment of the regional economies for 2022 showed that no member state satisfied the four primary convergence criteria, and same cannot be achieved in 2023.
The convergence criteria include a single-digit inflation, a fiscal deficit of not more than four per cent of Gross Domestic Product, and central bank deficit financing of not more than 10 per cent of previous year’s tax revenue.
ECOWAS initiated a move two decades ago for a single currency as pertained in Europe and the Authority of the ECOWAS Heads of State and government adopted a new roadmap for the launch of the ECO and a new Macroeconomic Convergence and Stability Pact, which should be met by member states by December 31, 2026.
The Graphic says that a health outreach programme has been launched in Accra, with a call on stakeholders to partner and collaborate with the secretariat to provide affordable and accessible healthcare service to vulnerable individuals within the zongo communities in the country.
The National Coordinator of the Zongo and Inner Cities Development Secretariat, Abdallah Banda, who made the call, indicated that access to adequate, accessible, affordable, appropriate and available health care engendered a healthy population and brought about effective and efficiency in the socio-economic development of the country.
He said although the zongo and inner-cities were culturally rich and vibrant, they were faced with unique challenges in terms of access to quality health care.
“I, therefore, respectfully call on all stakeholders, including chiefs, Imams, youth, pastors in Zongo and inner-city communities and other parts of the country to partner and collaborate with us so that together we can be the architects of present and future healthier populations and citizens in Ghana,” he said.
He was speaking at the launch of the Health Outreach Programme for Inner-City and Zongo Communities on the theme: “Improving the health of Inner-City and Zongo Residents; A Prerequisite for Socio-Economic Development”.
The launch was undertaken by the Zongo and Inner-Cities Development Secretariat in partnership with the Iranian Red Crescent Society and Iran Clinic Ghana to provide essential medical care, health education and support services to over 20,000 residents within the inner-cities in the zongo communities across the country.
The ceremony was attended by the Iran Clinic Ghana Medical Director, Dr Sayeed Salahatpour; Iran’s Ambassador to Ghana, Bijan Gerami Nazoksara; the Member of Parliament (MP) for Ahafo Ano North, Sanid Adamu Sukeman; MP for Effia Constituency and Minister for State Enterprises, Joseph Cudjoe, and MP for the Klottey Korle Constituency, Dr Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, among other dignitaries.
GIK/APA
Ghana: Press zooms in on signing of pact between Ghana, Colombia to deepen bilateral ties, others
