APA – Accra (Ghana)
The concerns raised by five professional bodies over the lithium mining lease granted to Barari DV Ghana Ltd is one of the trending stories in the Ghanaian press on Thursday.
The Graphic reports that five professional bodies have backed calls for the government to exercise caution over the lithium mining lease granted to Barari DV Ghana Ltd.
The Trades Union Congress (TUC), the Institute of Chartered Accountants, Ghana (ICAG), the Ghana Institution of Engineers (GhIE), the Ghana Institute of Architects (GIA) and the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) have all urged the government to “hasten slowly” to ensure proper consultations were done before the agreement was carried through.
They made their positions clear at a meeting with the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) in Accra last Tuesday.
Present were a former Chief Justice and distinguished scholar of the IEA, Justice Sophia Akuffo; a member of the Council of State, Sam Okudzeto; the Board Chairman of IEA, Dr Charles Mensa, and the Director of Research at IEA, Dr John Kwakye.
A Political Science lecturer at the University of Ghana, Legon, who is also the President of the UG-UTAG, Prof. Ransford Gyampo, said the lithium deal would not be beneficial to the country.
He also accused Parliament of always giving citizens false hope and having the penchant for backing agreements without scrutinising them.
“We are not saying that lithium should not be mined, but if we want to mine it, let’s ensure that it brings benefits to all of us; let’s take control of our natural resources,” the lecturer said.
The national Vice-President of UTAG, Prof. Victor Mogre, also said “our workers are not excited about the lithium deal, and, therefore, the government must hasten slowly in its implementation”.
The newspaper says that the Access Bank Ghana is extending finance and business training, as well as mentorship to women-owned businesses in the agriculture value chain as part of the 2023 Womenpreneur Pitch-a-ton competition.
This forms part of the bank’s commitment to promoting women’s initiatives under its flagship programme for women, the ‘W’ Initiative.
Originally held for all subsidiaries by the Access Bank Group, the past two seasons, four and five have been championed in Ghana to enable more participation from across the country.
Speaking on the latest edition of the Womenpreneur Pitch-a-ton competition, the Executive Director for Retail and Digital Banking at the Access Bank Ghana, Pearl Nkrumah said season five offered opportunity to women in Agribusinesses to build their capacity in business management and receive financial support for their businesses.
“The training will be organised by the GIZ AgriBiz Programme and will cover important topics including Strategic Planning, Digital Marketing, Market Alternatives & Growth Strategies, Business Planning, Financial Management, Costing & Pricing. These are meant to build their capacity to navigate the business terrain to be profitable,” she also shed light on the prizes for season five.
“The top 3 finalists will each receive seed capital of GH¢100,000. Other participants will receive consolation prizes including free website development, digital advertisement and a cash prize of GH¢30,000. All top 50 will also receive post-business coaching support from January to March 2024. The managing director’s special award of GH¢20,000 will go to the most eco-friendly business in the competition.
Speaking at the orientation ceremony, the Zonal Head of Retail Banking, Josephine Eva Arthur, reiterated the bank’s support for women. She said, “the Mastercard Index report on women entrepreneurs in Africa reveals that Ghana is at the top. However, many businesswomen have issues with sustaining their businesses as many fold up within three to four years of operation. She noted that the Access Bank has been proactive in supporting women to change this narrative.
The Ghanaian Times reports that in a ceremony held in Accra on Tuesday, December 5th, 2023, two MoUs were signed between the Government of Ghana and some development partners, pledging a total investment of about US$13.1 million in the agriculture sector, marking a significant milestone in Ghana’s pursuit of a resilient and environmentally conscious agricultural sector.
The first MOU signed was between the World Food Program (WFP) and the Millennium Development Authority (MiDA) to collaborate on a four-year initiative to fund sustainable agriculture in the country.
Under the “Sustainable Offset Credit for Farmers Concept under Ghana Food Systems Strategy” project, the WFP has committed a substantial $7.0 million from its Changing Lives Transformation Fund (CLTF).
The initiative encompasses a strategic plan to address critical issues affecting the agricultural sector, including low productivity, high post-harvest losses, and limited access to markets for smallholder farmers. Key components of the funding focus on activities such as land preparation and development, installation of irrigation systems, support from the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) for sustainable yields, tree planting initiatives, and youth training in climate-smart agriculture.
The second agreement signed on the day sealed a $6.1 million deal to transform the rice value chain. This collaboration between the MasterCard Foundation and the Millennium Development Authority (MiDA) aims to revolutionize Ghana’s rice sector through the implementation of the Harnessing Agricultural Productivity and Prosperity for Youth (HAPPY) Program.
This contract signing marks the commencement of a five-year project that will extend its impact until May 31, 2028. The fund disbursement period is set to span four years, from December 1, 2023, to November 31, 2027. The MasterCard Foundation’s grant will serve as initial working capital for primary production actors involved in the rice sector. This funding will be strategically utilized to elevate the rice value chain and stimulate economic prosperity in the region.
The newspaper says that President Akufo-Addo is scheduled to launch the Evaluation of Ghana’s Maiden National Anti-Corruption Action Plan (NACAP) at the Banquet Hall of the Jubilee House tomorrow Thursday, 21st December 2023.
NACAP constitutes Ghana’s National Framework to drive anti-corruption activities and promote National development.
It contains strategic action plans identified and agreed upon by stakeholders during nationwide consultations.
A statement issued in Accra yesterday, said the implementation of the NACAP is in response to the delivery of Ghana’s obligations under the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC), the 1992 Constitution and the President’s commitment towards fighting corruption.
The greatest strength of the NACAP, the statement said was that its action plans were directly integrated into National Development Planning, making its plans an integral part of the regular annual activities of Public Institutions, including the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs)
“After successfully implementing the plan for several years and in the penultimate year of implementation, it has become necessary for the country to evaluate progress made in the fight against corruption under the NACAP,” the statement said.
The statement explained that the formulation of NACAP was facilitated by a group of experts and anti-corruption practitioners constituted into a working group.
They comprised representatives from the following institutions and organisations:
Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), Office of the President, Internal Audit Agency (IAA), Parliament of Ghana, Judicial Service of Ghana and the Office of the Attorney General and Ministry of Justice.
GIK/APA
Ghanaian press focuses on concerns raised by 5 professional bodies over lithium deal, others
