Day: June 6, 2023

Solution Oriented Youth Africa (SOY Africa), a group of young Africans pioneering change of sanitation and climate change have undertaken a clean-up exercise at the Laboma Beach in Accra. The exercise was done ahead of the World Environment Day and was supported by Intertek, BudgIT Ghana and the Students Representative Council of the University of Professional Studies which mobilised and transported their colleagues to help in the exercise. The gesture formed part of SOY Africa's activities prior to the celebration of the World Environment Day on June 5, 2023, to lessen the consequences of climate change and contribute to the preservation of the natural environment for future generations. Members of SOY AFRICA, Intertek, BudgIT Ghana and the Representatives from UPSA embarked on a sensitisation drive through the shores of the beach to educate the revelers and community members on the need to keep the beach clean. Mr Justice Gadugah, Executive Director, SOY Africa, said climate change was a major threat to humanity, hence the need for adopting measures to preserve the environment. 'So, we are here today to clean up the beach and to also champion collective actions towards combating climate change,' he added. He said most of the rubbish gathered were plastics which were finding their way into the sea and lagoon, which could adversely affect marine and human life. Mr Gadugah advised the community members and revelers to abstain from littering plastics and others into the sea and the lagoon. Mrs Theresa Aning, Regional Human Resource Manager, Intertek West Africa, said there was the need to contribute to building the nation by preserving the environment and 'making sure that our activities do not negatively affect the environment.' She said the environment preserved the lives of humanity and that destroying it would make them homeless, hence the need to dump all refuse into dustbins. 'We realised in the clean-up that a lot of the rubbish is also coming through the lagoon, which means that people are dumping refuse into it from upstream, so we plead with the public to be more conscious when disposing of their refuse,' Mrs Aning added.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Ghana Enterprises Agency (GEA) has launched the Persons With Disabilities (PWD) Enterprise Support Programme to help improve businesses owned by PWDs. The programme, under the World Bank supported Ghana Economic Transformation Project, will provide technical and grant support worth about GHS12 million to 150 owned businesses of Persons With Disabilities (PWDs). The PWD Enterprise Support Programme will provide technical assistance in forms of modules that will equip the SMEs with the basic knowledge of how to utilize technology to augment their operational capacity, business plan development and marketing to help attract investments and funding. The programme will focus on agribusiness, transport and logistics, construction firms, manufacturing, hospitality and Information Communication Technology, among others. Speaking at the launch, Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Dr. Stephen Amoah said the initiative is intended to foster job creation and the competitiveness of PWDs in the country. 'I'm pleased to see many enthusiastic people gathered here who are eager to contribute to our country's development. These are individuals who have the resilience and willingness to make a difference.' The objective is to promote inclusive economic growth and gender equality. This time round. The persons with disability Enterprise Support Programme will focus on promoting the welfare of enterprises owned by persons with disability through business and financial management. 'Supporting persons with disabilities is essential for upholding quality inclusivity and fostering economic empowerment,' he said. Dr Amoah said the interventions and programmes would allow the government to provide training capacity development, funding access to market and technology to enable the enterprises to scale their businesses and transition into the next stage of growth, thereby improving the ability to increase sales and exports. Dr Amoah said the government's strategic objective was to foster a job creation and income generation through the promotion of new and existing micro small and medium enterprises. 'Furthermore, we strive to improve their competitiveness to enhance your participation and contribution to the Ghanaian economy based on a guiding principle to promote equity in terms of gender with a strong focus on women and the vulnerable this project will be sensitive to the needs of PWDs.' Country Director of the World Bank, Pierre Frank Laporte stated that the programme will generally contribute to the growth of the private sector. The Chief Executive of the Ghana Enterprises Agency Kosi Yankey-Ayeh said the programme was designed in partnership and consultation with persons with disabilities, various associations to ensure that it addressed challenges faced by PWDs. Fund sizes will be approved and disbursed based on the firm's capacity to absorb the new investments and the grants may be used for equipment repair and equipment installation, working capital expenditure including raw material costs, rental payments and product certification.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) taskforce has arrested four managers of enterprises in Accra for not issuing tax invoices. The companies are Buildmart Company Ghana in Adabraka, Bedarts Cold Supplies in Lashibi, Yat Ventures in Mamobi and Excellence Boutique at Spintex Road. The managers were taken to the Customs Office at the headquarters for their statements before being handed over to the Criminal Investigation Department of the Police. Mr Joseph Annan, Area Enforcement Manager of GRA, in charge of Accra Central, said the companies had not comply with Section 41 of VAT Act which mandated them to issue the tax invoice at all times. He said the exercise was part of the Authority's plans to ensure tax compliance and retrieve taxes due the state. He said the Division had several options at its disposal to aid in revenue mobilization, including already existing initiatives such as auditing and test purchasing, among others. Mr Annan said the test purchases conducted on 115 taxpayers that were sampled for a week revealed that a total of 93 taxpayers were not issuing the VAT invoice. The figure, he stressed translated into a non-compliance rate of 80.9 per cent and said it was an offence for a registered taxpayer to fail to issue a VAT invoice for purchases made. He said the division would continue with the enforcement exercises with an eye on the implementation of the electronic invoicing system and other tax types. The government has tasked the GRA with raising a revenue target of GHc 106 billion for the 2023 fiscal year. Out of this figure, the Domestic Tax Revenue Division is expected to collect 70 per cent of the total revenue. Mr Annan said the Authority would continue to embark on surprise exercises across the country to apprehend culprits evading tax. He urged the public, especially customers who make taxable purchases, to always request and insist on their VAT invoices.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Urbanet, a social impact organisation, has presented 25 bicycles estimated at GHc25,000 to 25 Female Extension Agents (FEVs) under the Northern Ghana Integrated Development Project (NGIDP) in the Gushegu Municipality. The FEVs are expected to support Agricultural Extension Agents (AEAs) to enhance women farmers' agricultural extension services in the Gushegu Municipality of the Northern Region, and work for colleague women farmers in their communities. The beneficiary communities included Wantugu, Gbagu, Kpaatili, Gbambu, Nyensung, Kpana Yapala, Laligu, Zanteli, Zamashegu, Pulo, Pumo, Lunlua, Damdaboli, Yishie, Jinwoo, Prinkpamo, Yawungu, Bulgu, Naawuni and Kpugi. The NGIDP seeks to contribute to rural poverty reduction in the country through economic development, adoption of environmentally-sustainable agriculture policies and practice, and greater access to social protection in Gushegu Municipal, and Mion, Central Gonja and Kpandai Districts. Mr Yaja Robert Dawuni, Gushegu Municipal Chief Executive, speaking at the ceremony to present the bicycles to the beneficiaries at Gushegu, expressed gratitude to the partners for the support and said it would help monitor farms and identify challenges farmers faced regarding the crops and report same to the appropriate quarters for immediate solution. It was organised by Urbanet in collaboration with ActionAid and Tree Aid with financial support from the European Union. Mr Dawuni said the bicycles were for the communities to support efforts of AEAs to ensure that the farmers got enough yields and urged the beneficiary communities to focus particularly on activities that affected crop yield of the ordinary farmer, especially strange diseases, pests, and rodents. Mr Iddrisu Adam, Project Coordinator of Urbanet said agricultural extension was a critical service to bring about sustained increase in productivity, incomes, and food security. He said women farmers were confronted with serious challenges of inadequate and untimely access to extension services, adding that the average ratio of AEAs to farmers was 1:1,850 in the country as against Food and Agriculture Organisation's recommendation of 1:500. He said it was against this background that the NGIDP established the FEVs with women farmers drawn from 20 farming communities in the municipality to address the imbalances. Mr Adam said three women from each community were trained by the Agricultural Department, and accordingly, awarded some tools, and certified to offer agricultural extension services to colleague farmers indicating that the FEVs were expected to work closely with the AEAs to enhance women's participation in agricultural activities as well as boost agricultural productivity. Braimah Mieli, one of the group magazias (leader) from Zanteli, who spoke on behalf of the beneficiaries, thanked Urbanet for the gesture and said aside using it for the purpose, it would be useful to them to run errands from one village to another as well as go to markets and attend other social gatherings.

Source: Ghana News Agency

(TAP) - President Kais Saied stressed the need to ensure supply of grain in different regions of the country to put an end to dysfunctions in this area. He was speaking at a meeting with Minister of Agriculture, Water Resources and Fisheries Abdelmonem Belati Tuesday in Carthage. The meeting also discussed the situation of dams, grains and fodder. The Head of State said fodder management should not be monopolised by a single party that controls its prices, considering these practices "unacceptable." Fodder has not been fairly distributed recently, he pointed out, adding that the State should be the only party to ensure that fodder is imported and distributed on an equal basis. The concept of freedom in a market economy requires fair competition rather than speculation and monopoly, he emphasised.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse