President Akufo-Addo’s call on Africa’s military to combine their capabilities to counter the insecurities that plague the continent and the fines imposed by the NPA on nine oil marketing companies for engaging in illicit third-party trading of petroleum products, and unlawful lifting of petroleum products are some of the trending stories in the Ghanaian press on Wednesday.
The Ghanaian Times reports that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has called on Africa’s military to combine their capabilities to counter the insecurities that plague the continent.
According to the President, the link between transnational organised crime and terrorism was a complex and multifaceted phenomenon, posing a concrete threat to international peace and development of states.
President Akufo-Addo said this in a speech read on his behalf at the opening ceremony of a two day International Defence Exhibition and Conference (IDEC) 2022 at Burma Camp, Accra and was under the theme “strengthening international collaboration to combat terrorism and transnational organised crimes.”
The two-day event brought together delegates from the top hierarchy of Armed Forces, law enforcement agencies, academia, military solution providers and other stakeholders in the defence industry from Africa and beyond.
Also present were international security experts and over 60 exhibitors from across the globe.
The event was aimed at deliberating on the growing threat of terrorism and other transnational crimes that posed significant security concerns in the region and adopt strategies to comprehensively address the emerging security concern.
President Akufo-Addo said there were close linkages between terrorism and criminal groups, whose main agenda was to exploit porous borders and weak governments hence the need to ensure effective and efficient international and regional cooperation in dealing with criminal matters related to terrorism.
“Establishing strong cooperation agreements among member states worldwide will help facilitate request for mutual legal assistance and extradition which plays an important part in the prosecution of cases transcending national borders,” he said.
He mentioned that the use of electronic surveillance, undercover operations and use of informants had proven to be effective techniques that had assisted investigative agencies to combat organised crime and transnational crimes.
The newspapers says that National Petroleum Authority (NPA) has fined nine oil marketing companies GH¢2.2 million for engaging in illicit third-party trading of petroleum products, and unlawful lifting of petroleum products.
Third-party delivery occurs when an oil marketing company supplies petroleum products to a retail outlet or bulk consumer not registered by the Authority under the company while unlawful lifting is lifting petroleum products from an unregistered or unauthorised bulk supply point (depot) without any valid documentations resulting in tax evasion.
The affected companies are Bello Petroleum, Jas Petroleum, Oval Energy, Kros Energy, Safety Petroleum and Santol Energy.
The rest are Riseglobe Energy, Sayon Energy and Cigo Energy.
A statement issued by the NPA in Accra yesterday said all the companies were found to have engaged in both illegal activities.
Detailing the fines, it noted that Cigo Energy was fined GH¢725,000 comprising GH¢30,000 for engaging in third party supplies for the second time and GH¢695,000 for the unlawful lifting of petroleum products.
The statement said Sayon Energy was fined GH¢425,000 comprising GH¢10,000 for engaging in third party supplies for the first time and GH¢415,000 for unlawful lifting of petroleum products.
It stated that Bello Petroleum was slapped with a fine of GH¢120,000 comprising GH¢10,000 for engaging in third party supplies for the first time and GH¢110,000 for the unlawful lifting of petroleum products.
Jas Petroleum, it noted, was expected to pay a fine of GH¢65,000 comprising GH¢10,000 for engaging in third party supplies for the first time and GH¢55,000 for the unlawful lifting of petroleum products.
The statement said Oval Energy would also pay a fine of GH¢245,000 comprising GH¢10,000.00 for engaging in third-party supplies for the first time and GH¢235,000 for the unlawful lifting of petroleum products.
The Ghanaian Times also reports that the government has constituted a five-member committee to lead discussions with financial sector players on the Ghana’s debt management.
The Committee constituted by the Ministry of Finance and the Bank of Ghana (BoG) is led by Mr Albert Essien, with Mr Simon Dornoo as Vice Chair, a statement issued by the Ministry of Finance in Accra yesterday said.
The other members of the committee are Mr Alex Asiedu, Ms Mabel Nyarkoa Porbley, and Mr Peter Enti.
The move forms parts of efforts aimed at ensuring orderliness and confidence in the government’s ongoing negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
“The committee will be consultative and will among other things lead discussions with the financial services industry and other stakeholders to provide industry-wide inputs and transmit industry concerns on debt management strategy to the MoF and BoG,” the statement said.
The statement reiterated the government’s commitment to protect the domestic financial sector.
“The stability of the domestic financial ecosystem is critical to a successful IMF-supported economic programme,” it said.
“The government will take all necessary steps to protect the sector as we have done in the past,” it said.
The statement said the government needed the support and trust of Ghanaians to ensure that a historic arrangement was reached with the IMF.
“We are confident that such engagement and collaboration will enable us to recover very quickly and strongly from our current macroeconomic challenges,” it said.
According to the statement, similar engagement would be held with the Ghana’s external bondholders.
The Graphic says that the Ghana National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GNCCI) and the Council of Exporters and Investors under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, have signed a memoranda of understanding (MoU) to boost trade and investment relations between the two countries.
The signing of the MoU was done during the opening of a business forum between Ghana and Ukraine in Accra and while the President of the GNCCI, Clement Osei-Amoako, signed the MoU on behalf of Ghana that of Ukraine was initialled by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Dmytro Kuleba.
This was after Mr Kuleba had led a high-powered official and business delegation from Ukraine to have bilateral talks with the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey.
Mr Kuleba was in the country to deliver a special message from the Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, to the President, Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo.
He is on a 10-day African tour and had already been to Senegal and Cote d’Ivoire. From Ghana, he was expected to visit East Africa where his first stop would be Kenya.
Mr Kuleba was in the country to deliver a special message from the Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, to the President, Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo.
He is on a 10-day African tour and had already been to Senegal and Cote d’Ivoire. From Ghana, he was expected to visit East Africa where his first stop would be Kenya.
The Ukrainian delegation included the Ambassador of Ukraine to Tunisia accredited to Ghana, Volodymyr Khomanets; Head of the office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Andrii Yanevskyi; Special Representative of Ukraine for the Middle East and Africa, Maksym Subkh, and the Spokesman for the Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Oleh Nikolenko.
Opening the business forum, Ms Botchwey said although the relations between Ghana and Ukraine had seen mutual exchanges, it remained much more on political basis and needed to be expanded further into equally important areas.
She, therefore, expressed the hope that the business forum would provide the needed platform for enhancing trade and investment between them.
“It is my fervent hope that in spite of the current crisis of post-COVID-19 and war in Ukraine, this visit will rekindle economic cooperation between Ghana and Ukraine for our mutual benefit,” she said.
GIK/APA