The pledge by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo that Ghana is implementing a National Plan of Action to curb the menace of illegal and unregulated fishing is one of the leading stories in the Ghanaian press on Tuesday.
The Graphic reports that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has said Ghana is implementing a National Plan of Action to curb the menace of illegal and unregulated fishing.
He explained that components of the plan included fish catch certification, the reactivation and installation of vessel monitoring systems (VMS), automatic identification system (AIS) on vessels, port and beach inspections and sea patrols.
The President made this known in a speech at the One Ocean Summit in Brest, France. He was in France at the invitation of the French President, Mr Emmanuel Macron.
President Akufo-Addo indicated that Ghana and its neighbours, Togo and Benin, had signed a pact to implement a joint fisheries observer programme as part of efforts to ensure that safe, secure and legal fisheries were maintained across the Gulf of Guinea.
“We are completing work on our Ocean Governance Study and putting in place the requisite structures and processes to ensure that we complete our Sustainable Ocean Plan by 2025, as prescribed by the High-Level Panel on the Ocean Economy on 20th December, 2021,” he added.
He said Ghana had been compelled to spend some $200 million annually to import fish to shore up its fish requirements due to illegal, unregulated and unreported (IUU) fishing activities, which had contributed significantly to the decline in fish stocks in the country.
The newspaper says that the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC), in collaboration with the Ministry of Trade and Industry, and the Embassy of Ghana in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), will today, organise the Ghana Round-table Meeting during the Gulf Food Exhibition in Dubai World Trade Centre.
The event is expected to create a cohesive platform for key stakeholders from UAE and Ghana to explore trade and investment opportunities along the agricultural value chain.
The Ghana Round-table Meeting will feature informative dialogues from high-level dignitaries and avail a platform to showcase the latest trends and innovations in the agriculture industry.
In a release issued by the GIPC, it said it would also use the occasion to introduce the Ghana Investment Week initiative, which would include a series of networking events from February to March 2022.
The investment week initiative is expected to bring Ghanaian companies along with other key industry players to Dubai-UAE to network and explore areas for collaboration with companies from around the globe.
Commenting on the initiative, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of GIPC, Mr Yofi Grant, said “Ghana Investment Week Dubai provides a platform for like-minded entrepreneurs and business people to share valuable insights, have engaging discussions, and establish key connections.”
He said it would cover a wide variety of cutting-edge topics, keeping the pulse on today’s business world.
The Graphic also reports that the Ghana Nigeria Business Council (GNBC) and the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC) will hold a maiden CEO Forum in Nigeria this week.
The event will take place in Lagos and Abuja on Wednesday, February 16 and Thursday, February 17, 2022.
The event is in collaboration with the Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA), Ghana Free Zones Authority, Ghana High Commission to Nigeria and Nigeria Ghana Business Council.
The theme for the maiden event is Ghana and Nigeria Stronger Together as the event aims to strengthen Ghana and Nigeria’s longstanding relationship, inform businesses of opportunities available in Ghana and also provide insight business operation laws to ensure compliance.
“As a council, we have progressively been making steps to further deepen ties, promote opportunities and drive engagement between businesses in Ghana and Nigeria.
“It is a great milestone that we have reached by organising the CEO Forum with key government partners and stakeholders which shows our seriousness as a country in ensuring we continue to build our age old relationship with Nigeria” the Chairman of the Ghana Nigeria Business Council, Mr Reginald Laryea stated.
“The 2022 CEO Forum will be engaging 100 CEO’s in Lagos on Wednesday 16th February at Eko Hotel & Suites on Victoria Island and Thursday 17th February at NAF Conference & Suites in Abuja. We are really looking forward to this being one of many trips organised by the council with our partners to really drive home our enthusiasm to further project Ghana and Nigeria’s trade”, he further stated.
He added that each key stakeholder was happy to be partnering with the Ghana Nigeria Business Council on the event as they feel it is a laudable and necessary event for Ghana to embark on.
Ghana and Nigeria are the two largest economies in West Africa, and there are many opportunities to be explored within each country.
The Ghanaian Times says that cumulative direct investments into the country through the Export Processing Zones (EPZs) under the management of the Ghana Free Zones Authority (GFZA) have topped $4 billion as of the end of 2020data has shown.
The figure, from the GFZA, translates to an average annual investment in the region of US5160 million from domestic and foreign sources since the establishment of the GFZA in 1995, a move that formed part of measures aimed at promoting the manufacturing and export base of the country.
The investment value has so far yielded a total production value in excess of US$21 billion over the period, from value-addition in sectors such as agro-food processing, floriculture, petrochemicals, textile manufacturing, metal fabrication, and ethnic beauty products, among others.
Additionally, a look at the total value of exports since inception currently stands at US$27 billion, with the past five years averaging U551.5 billion in exports from the Zones. During the period under consideration, some 30,000 direct jobs have been created, with an additional 25 000 indirect jobs, the data suggests.
The notion that the GFZA was overly focused on foreign investors, its Chief Executive Officer, Ambassador Mike Oquaye Jnr, stated in a wide-ranging interview with the B&FT that the prevailing regulatory regime ensures “fairness and equity” for domestic and foreign investors, alike.
The newspaper reports that the leadership of the Christian Community in Ghana yesterday conferred with former President, John Dramani Mahama, on various issues affecting the country’s development in areas including governance and the economy.
The meeting, held behind closed doors for about two hours, is believed to have centred on how the country could forge ahead together to address the challenges confronting the country.
It was convened at the instance of the community which included the Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference (GCBC), Christian Council of Ghana (CCG) and the Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council (GPCC).
They were represented by Most Reverend Dr Paul K Boafo, the Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church Ghana; Apostle Eric Nyamekye, Chairman of the Church of Pentecost; Rev. Dr Cyril Fayose; Rev Emmanuel Barrigah; Apostle Kumi Larbi; Rev. Lazarus Anondee and Apostle Aaron Ami-Narh.
In attendance from the National Democratic Congress (NDC), were its National Chairman, Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo; 2020 Vice Presidential Candidate; Prof. Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang and Dr Cassiel AtoForson, Ranking Member of Parliament’s Finance Committee.
Briefing journalists after the meeting held at the office of the Former President, Mr Ofosu-Ampofo said former President Mahama expressed his readiness to contribute to the resolution of the economic challenges.
“Former President John Mahama and his side have given very clear indication that we will put the nation ahead of our personal and parochial partisan interest and are prepared.
GIK/APA