President Akufo-Addo’s call on the global community to inspire new partnerships to deal with global crisis, particularly the COVID-19 pandemic and the report that Ghana and Malta have expressed their commitment to deepen relations in the fields of tourism and culture, as well as trade and investment are some of the leading stories in the Ghanaian press on Wednesday.
The Graphic reports that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has called on the global community to inspire new partnerships to deal with global crisis, particularly the COVID-19 pandemic.
He said the pandemic had reversed years of progress and revealed critical gaps in infrastructure in areas such as health care and digital connectivity.
He also observed that global efforts to help countries correct the devastation caused by the pandemic and also achieve the United Nations (UN) 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were coming up short.
The President was speaking at this year’s European Union Development Days (EDD) Conference in Brussels, Belgium yesterday.
The EDD Conference 2022, which is on the theme: “Global Gateway: Building sustainable partnerships for a connected world”, is Europe’s leading forum on international partnerships and organised by the European Commission (EC).
The forum brings key actors together to share ideas and experiences in ways that inspire new partnerships and innovative solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges.
Stressing the need for an enhanced relationship between Africa and Europe to safeguard the prospects of the development of Africa, President Akufo-Addo said Africa welcomed the establishment of the 300 billion Euro global gateway package by the EU.
The package aims at boosting public and private investments in the areas of infrastructure, energy and green transition, digital transformation, growth and jobs, transport and human development over the next seven years.
He was hopeful that the conference would produce outcomes that would prove beneficial in the successful implementation of infrastructure development across Africa.
The newspaper says that Ghana and Malta have expressed their commitment to deepen relations in the fields of tourism and culture, as well as trade and investment.
To this end, the two countries will establish special committees to work out the modalities for the attainment of the objectives.
This was the outcome of a meeting between the President of Malta, Dr George Vella, and the Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Dr Ibrahim Mohammed Awal, when the latter paid a courtesy call on Dr Vella in his office in Valletta, Malta, last Monday.
Dr Awal was in Malta to attend the Mediterranean Tourism Investment Forum organised by the Mediterranean Tourism Foundation.
He was accompanied by Ghana’s High Commissioner to Malta, Barbara Akoukor Benisa, and some members of staff of the High Commission and the ministry.
The team also paid a courtesy call on the Prime Minister of Malta, Robert Abela, as well as the Maltese Minister of Tourism, Clayton Bartolo, and the Minister of Justice, Culture and Local Government, Owen Bonnici.
The Maltese President described the relationship between Malta and Ghana as very cordial and expressed the need for both countries to step up cooperation, particularly in the areas of tourism, culture, trade and investment.
Dr Vella disclosed that tourism accounted for over 40 per cent of Malta’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and said the two countries could share knowledge and experience on tourism development as a window for trade and investment.
He said Malta could be the gateway for Ghana to attract tourists and investment from the over 23 Mediterranean countries, including Turkey, Libya, Algeria, Egypt, Croatia, France, Italy, Spain and Greece.
The Ghanaian Times reports that the organized labour has once again kicked against the suggestions and consideration by the government to return to the International Monetary Fund for an economic programme if its home-grown programme fails.
The Secretary General of the Ghana Trades Union Congress (GTUC), Dr Yaw Baah, has therefore reiterated the call for a home-grown national policy to transform the country’s economy rather than an IMF sponsored programme.
Speaking to endorse the National Employment Insurance Scheme under the Ghana Cares Obaatanpa initiative, DrBaah said the country will be transformed with the tactical approach by all stakeholders to address the present challenges.
He believes the scheme will be a game changer, hence no need for an IMF programme.
“I’m glad to see this national programme have all kinds of stakeholder approach. I think this is the best way we can develop this country.”
To him, the concept and the skills training in the programme will see the transformation of the job market in the next two years.
“Looking at the concept and all the skills training included in the programme, I can see our job market transforming in the next two years and the economy will be transformed. We have a serious problem with the economy and these domestic stakeholder initiatives have the potential to turn things around for the economy.We don’t need the IMF to change things because we can do it as a nation; and this is what will bring back the hope,” he charged.
The training programme is focused on skills upgrading, work ethics, productivity and attitudinal change aimed at enhancing workers prospects for re-entry into the labour market at higher levels of productivity or performance. –Myjoyonline.com
The newspaper says that the Chief Director at the Ministry of Youth and Sports (MoYS), Alhaji Hafiz Adam has asked Ghanaian football fans travelling to Qatar for the 2022 World Cup to be disciplined and protect the image of the country.
Launching government’s official travel agent for the World Cup, Kenpong Travel and Tours’ packages for football fans in Accra, yesterday, he said, he urged fans to comport themselves and avoid the repeat of the infamous ‘Australia Visa Saga’ in 2019 that dented the image of the country.
“The World Cup presents another opportunity for Ghanaians to showcase our capabilities. Let us look at the past events and ensure we do not repeat such mistakes,” he stated.
He commended Kenpong for the exciting packages for football fans to have a great experience in Qatar.
Announcing the packages, Spokesperson for Kenpong, Mr Carl Tuffour said, the platinum (Category A) package would go for $10,610 and include business class flight ticket, accommodation (single occupancy in a four or five star hotel), feeding, three category one ticket for Ghana matches, Covid-19 test, travel insurance, medicals, internal transport and police report while the Platinum Category B which excludes feeding would go for $9,210.
The Gold Package(category A) which would go for $8,020 would have flight ticket(economy), accommodation (single occupancy in a four or five star hotel), feeding, three category two ticket for Ghana matches, Covid 19 test, travel insurance, medicals, internal transport and police report with Gold Category B which excludes feeding going for $6,620.
The Silver Package(category A) would cost $6,900 and consist of flight ticket (economy), accommodation(double occupancy),feeding, three category two ticket for Ghana matches, Covid 19 test, travel insurance, medicals, internal transport and police report while Category B for Silver will exclude feeding and is fixed at $5,500.
The last package which was Bronze had the category A going for $6,110, coming with flight ticket(economy), accommodation(three to four persons in a room), feeding, three category two ticket for Ghana matches, Covid 19 test, travel insurance, medicals, internal transport and police report while Category B for Bronze which excludes feeding was settled at $4,710.
The Chairman for the occasion and Deputy Director of State Protocol, Mr Philip Kofi Aning, said it was necessary for people travelling to Qatar to comport themselves as there were a lot of restrictions in the country.
GIK/APA