The $2.5 million voted by the Government of the United States of America to support farmers in Ghana to increase food production and mitigate food insecurity is one of the trending stories in the Ghanaian press on Monday.
The Graphic reports that the government of the United States of America (USA) has voted $2.5 million funding to support farmers in Ghana to increase food production and mitigate food insecurity.
The support, which would be made available through the US Agency for International Development (USAID), will be directed into developing and marketing inorganic and organic fertilisers, and support fertiliser importers and blenders, manufacturers, including private sector partners, to bring more fertiliser into the country for particularly the most vulnerable farmers.
Additionally, it is to assist vulnerable households and individuals to protect their health and economic livelihoods and strengthen food systems to mitigate the risks of food insecurity.
The US Representative to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, who disclosed this last Saturday during a courtesy call on the Northern Regional Minister, Shaani Alhassan Shaibu, in Tamale, said the confluence of crises, especially the outbreak of COVID-19 and the Russia-Ukraine war, had pushed many African countries into hunger, while others were suffering severe food shortages and hikes in prices.
Ms Thomas-Greenfield was on a working visit to the region.
She said the US government was concerned about challenges facing farmers in the country, and would be working with them and supporting them to boost food production.
Ms Thomas-Greenfield is in the country to deliver a speech on the global food security crisis and to also interact with farmers and civil society representatives contributing to food security and inclusive economic growth.
She indicated that the new support for Ghana formed part of the US Congress’ bipartisan emergency supplemental law signed by President Joe Biden in May this year.
She stressed the need to strengthen community resilience, build social cohesion, and fight counter-terrorism and violent extremism within sub-Saharan Africa.
She further commended Ghana for being a peaceful democratic nation despite being surrounded by unstable countries within the sub-region.
The newspaper says that the Gold Coast Refinery Limited has been certified to the Code of Practices of the Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC).
It thus becomes the first gold refinery in Ghana and West Africa to be certified to the Code of Practices of the RJC, an affiliate of the London Bullion Market Association (LBMA) responsible for the jewelleries and watches industry.
Gold Coast Refinery was recently handed the right to mint the Asantehene’s commemorative gold coin.
RJC is the leading standards authority in the global watch and jewellery industry and works with members worldwide to create a sustainable supply chain.
By this measure, Gold Coast Refinery is now a certified member of the council for a three-year duration.
The certification is issued in accordance with standards and supporting documentation of the Code of Practices 2019, which is aligned with the OECD Due Diligence Guidance and the UN Guiding Principles of Business and Human Rights.
Through the implementation of the Code of Practices, members contribute towards the United Nations 2030 Agenda and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
The Chairman of Gold Coast Refinery, Dr Said Deraz, commented: “Achieving RJC Code of Practices certification is a continuous improvement process that requires time and investment. All the members of the Gold Coast Refinery team have worked tirelessly to prepare for the rigorous third-party audit”.
“We have learnt a lot about our own operations, improved some of our processes, and developed and implemented new ones. We have also had strong engagement with our business partners and stakeholders.”
The Ghanaian Times reports that the government is seeking to raise GH¢750 million in Ghana following the passage of the Value Added Tax Amendment bill, which introduces the E-Vat policy.
The tax measure broadens the scope of the existing laws to cover electronic commerce, provides for the electronic issuance of a tax invoice, upfront payment of Value Added Tax by an unregistered importer and the zero-rating of the supply of locally assembled vehicles.
A report of the Finance Committee of Parliament indicates that the e-vat policy addresses issues of inequalities and compliance in the payment of tax.
During the mid-year budget review, the Ghana Revenue Authority said it was finalising all relevant processes to facilitate the effective collection of VAT revenue including the proposed amendment of the Value Added Tax Act 870 to enable its electronic collection, effective October 1, 2022.
The government is currently reeling from the disastrous implementation of the electronic transfer levy.
The Ministry of Finance has had to downgrade its projection of revenue expected from the controversial e-levy to GH¢611 million from the earlier projected $1.6 billion.
The newspaper says that Mrs Justina Marigold Assan, the Central Regional Minister, has said the region has the potential to produce enough rice to feed the country and boost the economy and livelihoods of farmers.
She said the Central Region was aiming to be a rice production hub of Ghana and also to produce rice seedlings for rice farmers in the country.
“Undoubtedly, the region has the capacity and prospects to produce rice to meet local demand and for export as well,” she said.
Mrs Marigold Assan said this when she led a 14-member team from Ghana to Seoul, South Korea, to participate in a training on Rice Value Chain Improvement Project in the Central Region.
The 10-day training is organised and sponsored by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA).
The purpose of the training is to let participants get first-hand information on how Korea was able to become rice sufficient and eliminate rice exports which has boost their economy to be one of the best in the world.
It is aimed at equipping the participants with the best practices in South Korea and exposed them to their success story in rice production to the United States level of self-sufficiency and also to broaden and build the knowledge base of Directors of Agriculture and some top officials in rice production to work towards improving the quality of life of rice farmers in the Central Region.
The participants would be taken to, for a study trip to Korea Rural Development Administration, Korea Rice Production complexes and related institutions, field trips to Farmer Federation for Rice Value Chains, visits to quality control and marketing institutions/agencies and study visits to agricultural mechanisation rental service centre.
Mrs Marigold Assan revealed that the knowledge the participants will acquire would help to increase the quality and add value to rice production in the Central Region.
GIK/APA