The government’s restriction of the export from the country of maize and soya beans, two important commodities in the poultry sub-sector is one of the trending stories in the Ghanaian press on Monday.
The Graphic reports that the government has restricted the export from the country of maize and soya beans, two important commodities in the poultry sub-sector.
It is part of measures to ensure food security and increase local poultry and livestock production.
Subsequently, the Plant Protection and Regulatory Services Directorate (PPRSD) has stopped issuing phytosanitary certificates for the export of both commodities.
This follows a directive from the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MoTI) to restrict their export to ensure the availability of the produce, whose production is subsidised.
A highly placed source at the PPRSD told the Daily Graphic last Friday that the directive from MoTI meant that the directorate could no longer issue new certificates.
The directive restricts Ghana’s export of the commodities to Niger, Sierra Leone, the Republic of Congo, the United Kingdom, Qatar, the United States, Italy and Canada.
The newspaper says that efforts to make the national capital, Accra, the cleanest city in Africa are being thwarted by the invasion of some principal streets and areas by cattle.
A week-long observation by the Daily Graphic has revealed the invasion by herds of cattle of the central business district.
It is particularly common on the Graphic Road, precisely the Toyota/Beyeeman traffic intersection, near the Graphic Road BRT flyover, and the Agbogbloshie stretch.
On April 10, 2022, our ace cameraman, Ebow Hanson, captured some of the stray animals roaming.
The most worrying aspect was that there were no herdsmen herding the cattle.
If such situations continue without effective checks and control, then clearly the country will miss the target of making the city the cleanest in Africa.
We are, therefore, calling on duty bearers, especially officials of the Klottey Korle Municipal Assembly, the Accra Metropolitan Assembly, the Ablekuma Central Municipal Assembly and the police, to strictly enforce the city’s by-laws to rid the city of miscreants that cause such an eyesore.
It is time to ensure that the lawlessness in various cities were halted.
The Graphic also reports that the implementation of the Electronic Transfer Levy Act 2022 (Act 1075) which imposes a 1.5 per cent tax on all electronic transactions and money transfers will commence on May 1, 2022, the Commissioner-General of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), Mr. Ammishaddai Owusu-Amoah has announced
A public notice issued by the GRA said following the passage of Act 1075, implementation of the levy will commence on May 1.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo assented the Electronic Transfer Levy Bill (E-Levy) Bill into law just before the start of the Cabinet meeting at the Jubilee House in Accra on March 31.
Parliament had approved the bill on March 29, 2022, after the Minority had walked out in protest.
The bill initially imposed a 1.75 per cent tax on all electronic transactions and money transfers, but the rate was reduced to 1.5 per cent before its passage.
The bill, which was first laid before Parliament by the Minister of Finance on November 17, last year, had to be withdrawn because the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Minority in Parliament felt that the First Deputy Speaker, Joseph Osei-Owusu, who was presiding as Speaker, committed an error when he vacated his chair to cast a vote to approve the bill.
That led to a melee and some exchanges, including fisticuffs, on the floor of Parliament, leading to the abrupt adjournment of the House for the Christmas holidays.
Subsequently, the Minister of Finance conducted a series of public consultations, mainly in the regional capitals, to solicit support for the levy, seen as a new major revenue stream for the government.
The Ghanaian Times says that the Ghana Institute of Freight Forwarders is making a case for the reintroduction of a national shipping line, the Black Star Line.
According to the institute, this will help bring competition among the various shipping lines while helping to address the issue of the depreciating cedi due to significant funds that are repatriated out of the country by these international liners.
Speaking to Citi Business News, a member of the Ghana Institute of Freight Forwarders Communication Team, Jacob Agyeman said the government ought to prioritise bringing back the national shipping line in the interest of the local currency.
“Now we have AfCFTA, we can even take advantage of that. The government sets up Black Star line, then at least the transhipment cargoes will be transported by Black Star Line. The advantage here is you create employment for your people. You can even help stabilize this cedi that we are complaining about because most of these multinationals cause capital flight as at the end of the day they send their monies out of the country. If the Black Star line is here, the money stays here because if it makes $1,000,000 or $2,000,000, a chunk of it stays here. It stabilizes the Cedi against the dollar.”
He added that the commencement of the operations of Black Star Liine will also create jobs while regulating the sector.
“I’m sure they may have policies in place, but the implementation is the issue. We must begin to see practicals, they must set it up, and it must work. And I believe this is the best moment for us to revive Black Star lines, create employment for your people, stabilize your cedi, and then create competition so that your people will get quality service. There’s no competition.”
Ghana has not had a shipping line since the early 90’s when its Black Star Line folded up after some challenges with operating the entity.
There have been many calls from various stakeholders for a national shipping line across successive governments, but not much has been done yet.
GIK/APA