Day: April 13, 2024

WINDHOEK: Windhoek residents can now earn an income from their solid waste material following the inauguration of the City of Windhoek (CoW) first Solid Waste Buy-Back Centre in Katutura on Friday. The four-year pilot project is a partnership between CoW and the city of Bremen in Germany, funded by the European Union (EU) to the tune of N.dollars 36 million to promote recycling and environmental awareness. Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, Windhoek Mayor Queen Kamati said the project aims to instil a culture of waste management amongst the residents of Windhoek and promotion of a circular economy. 'With this facility, residents can now deposit their solid waste here and earn an income. The project is expected to provide direct job opportunities to 10 people including administrative staff and operators of the facility,' she said. She noted that the establishment of the facility is in alignment with the objectives outlined in the 2018 National Waste Management standards by 2028, which is a subsequent f ocus on waste reduction and achieving zero waste to landfill. At the same event, EU Ambassador Ana Beatriz Martins said one of the objectives is to support Namibia to shift towards a more sustainable model known as circular economy for Windhoek as a pilot, and for Namibia as a whole in the future through mitigation of environmental harm and promoting growth by recycling waste and raising awareness through environmental education. 'In line with EU's strategic priorities and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals we recognise the importance of high-quality solid waste management to safeguard public health, protect the environment and transition to a circular economy,' she said. CoW's Solid and Waste Management acting chief engineer, Stellio Tsauseb indicated the centre will be open to the public in May 2024, noting that different types of solid waste materials will have different price structures which will be measured in kilograms to determine the price. 'If you bring in the waste, it needs to be separated as well and there are different elements. So if you bring in aluminium, plastic, papers and all those, it should be separated so that it can be weighed as per the type of waste and you can get your price based on that,' he said. Source: The Namibia Press Agency

Tataouine: Reports circulating on social media of heavy traffic and congestion for several days at the Dehiba-Wazen border crossing between Tunisia and Libya in Tataouine, with waiting times of more than a week to complete crossing formalities, are «incorrect,» an official source at the border post said on Saturday. The same source told TAP that the closure of the Ras Jedir border crossing by the Libyan authorities since the end of March has led to an increase in lorry and passenger traffic at the Dehiba-Wazen crossing in recent days, adding that waiting times remain acceptable and do not exceed 24 hours in extreme cases. In recent months, traffic between Tunisia and Tunisia via the Dehiba-Wazen crossing has reached around 4,000 passengers, 1,000 cars and 100 commercial vehicles per day, which is higher than in normal times when the flow is estimated at 1,500 passengers, 500 cars and 40 commercial vehicles per day. This explains the delays and congestion recorded and the dissatisfaction of passengers in co mpleting customs formalities. According to the same source, despite the interruption of the expansion and renovation works at the Dehiba-Wazen border crossing, which began in April 2016, the crossing has managed to handle the increased movement of passengers and vehicles efficiently and without incident. This is despite the lack of equipment and the existence of only one crossing corridor, he stressed, adding that the Tunisian authorities are working to speed up procedures to reduce waiting times. Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

Mr Kwaku Ofori Asiamah, the Minister of Transport, has touted the achievements chalked in the transport sector over the past seven years under his leadership. He said despite the numerous challenges, the sector since 2017 had seen tremendous transformation in aviation, maritime and road transports. Speaking at the opening session of the 2024 strategic meeting of the Ministry in Cape Coast, the Minister highlighted some of the major achievements in the aviation sector including the upgrade of the Tamale Airport to an international status. He said it had also rehabilitated phase one of the Sunyani Airport, completed the Kotoka International Airport Terminal Three project, established an independent body responsible for aircraft incident and accident investigations and prevention, and now expanding the Kumasi Airport to international status. In the maritime space, Mr Asiamah said it had constructed a new liquid bulk terminal at the Takoradi Port and completed the construction of a container terminal at Tema Port. He added that 12 fish landing sites along the coast and a fishing port for Elmina had been constructed while a port for James Town was near completion, and the Meridian Port Services Terminal retooled with 15 modern ships and other logistics. 'We are developing the Boankra integrated logistics terminal, which is ongoing, removed tree stamps along parts of the Volta Lake, completed an assessment of the Volta Lake, acquired a total of seven high speed patrol and rescue boats and trash skimmers to remove rubbish from waterbodies and protected sea life,' he added. In road transportation, Mr Asiamah said the government acquired 200 intercity buses for Metro Mass Transit and 100 intercity buses for STC. The Ministry had also passed the National Road Safety Authority Act 2019 (Act 993) and the National Road Safety Authority Regulation 2022, and digitalised and improved services of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA). In addition, the National Transport Policy has been revised, the National E lectric Vehicle Policy developed, and again, championed the 'arrive alive and stay alive campaign to ensure road safety.' The two-day strategic meeting assembled all relevant stakeholders to review the performance of the sector from 2017 to date, reflecting on the achievements, development issues and identifying areas for improvement. This, among others, seeks to enable the various agencies and stakeholders under the sector to align their vision towards that of the President's to improve the quality of life and spur development. As part of the meeting, the stakeholders underwent a leadership and management training session to equip them with the skills to navigate the evolving landscape of the transport sector. Despite the achievements, the Minister acknowledged that the sector was faced with countless challenges including a growing demand for the reduction of urban traffic crashes and fatalities. He said there was also the pressing need to reduce Ghana's carbon footprint and mitigate the impact of clima te change as well as deal with the deteriorating condition of the Volta Lake. Beyond that, Mr Asiamah alluded to some institutional framework challenges which needed urgent rectification. 'We can only move forward if we take steps to address development issues facing the sector,' he observed, adding that the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority, Ghana Shippers Authority and the DVLA were at various stages of reviewing their Acts to address some identified challenges and adopt emerging practices in the industry. 'It is important that we speed up the processes and in particular, the engagement with various stakeholders to ensure that the reviews are all-encompassing and can withstand the test of time,' he said. The Sector Minister commended and thanked all stakeholders for peacefully collaborating with him over the years. Dr Evans Aggrey Darko, Head of Civil Service, reflecting on the successes achieved, commended the sector for the growth despite the bottlenecks. He noted that each stakeholder had a crucial ro le to play in shaping the future of transportation in Ghana. He added that it was imperative to embrace the global technological advancement in the sector, citing autonomous vehicles to smart infrastructure, among others. 'We must foster a culture of excellence, efficiency and continuous improvement in the public sector,' he noted. Mr Justina Marigold Assan, the Central Regional Minister, underscored the importance of the sector to human life and economic outcomes and commended government and the Ministry for the various initiatives propelling the advancement of the sector. 'It is my prayer that the challenges confronting the sector will find lasting and sustainable solutions through this strategic review meeting. I, therefore, pray you to show active interest in the ensuing discussions,' she stated. 'Let us all bring on board contributions from our various rich and diverse backgrounds so as to collectively put our shoulders to the wheel for optimum results,' she added. Stakeholders including transport operators, NRSA and staff of the sector ministry praised the minister for demonstrating exemplary leadership. Source: Ghana News Agency

Medenine: The El Kasbah youth club in the Sidi Makhlouf delegation, Medenine governorate was inaugurated on Friday. The 370,000-dinar project is part of a partnership between the regional sports commission and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), through the Ma3an programme. Lassed Amami, regional commissioner for youth and sport, told TAP the club includes a multidisciplinary room, a computer room, a multi-sports field and entertainment areas. Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

Dr Ernest Addison, the Governor of the Bank of Ghana, has expressed confidence about Ghana's foreign currency reserves becoming stronger with the disbursement of a third tranche of US$360 million from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Ghana is expected to get an approval of its third tranche US$360m when the Executive Board of the IMF meet in June, having reached a staff-level agreement on the second review of the loan-support programme. At a press briefing in Accra following the conclusion of a staff-level agreement on Ghana's second review of the three-year Extended Credit Facility (ECF) arrangement, Dr Addison said he was optimistic about the Board's approval in June. The said money, the Central Bank Governor said would help to further boost the country's foreign reserve, which stood at US$6.2bn as of April 5, 2024, and support the attainment of the objectives of the US$3bn loan-support programme. According to the World Economic Forum, foreign currency reserves, comprising cash and other assets li ke gold, and held by central banks are crucial in maintaining stability in domestic currency, liquidity during economic crisis. He stated that the two-weeks of engagement between Ghanaian Authorities and the IMF Staff Mission 'has not been in vain,' as it culminated in reaching a staff level agreement. The Governor said the government's hopeful that the feat chalked would, 'translate into a Management and Executive Board approval with the release of another tranche of IMF's support.' 'After the June Board meeting, hopefully, we'll get another disbursement of US$360m, which will come to us at the Bank of Ghana and help strengthen our reserves further,' Dr Addison said. He indicated that despite delays in the disbursement of some donor support, the country's foreign exchange reserves had remained steady at US$6.2bn as of April 5, 2024. 'We will continue to implement the policies that have helped sustain that progress, including the innovative Gold for reserves programme, which has acted as a game changer i n our foreign exchange management strategies,' he said. On the progress made since the implementation of the loan-support programme, Dr Addison indicated that there had been some substantial macroeconomic dividends. That, he said included a drop-in inflation from the 54 per cent at the end of 2022 to 23 per cent in 2023, saying, 'during the first quarter of this year [2024], this progress has continued although we've witnessed some slowdown in the pace of disinflation.' With the coming of the US$360m, Ghana's total disbursement would reach US$1.560 billion, having already received the sum of US$1.2 bn in the first two tranches since the implementation of the programme. The three-year ECF arrangement is backed by the country's Post-COVID-19 Programme for Economic Growth (PC-PEG). It is aimed at restoring macroeconomic stability and debt sustainability, build resilience, and lay the foundation for stronger and more inclusive growth. Dr Addison stated that since the implementation of the loan-support progr amme, Ghana had shown steadfast commitment to a set of policies, and even under difficult circumstances, had reached a stage of progress. Mr Stéphane Roudet, the Chief of Mission for Ghana, also noted that Ghana's 'external sector had improved significantly, with international reserve accumulation ahead of programme objectives.' He, however, said that: 'Given Ghana's strong progress under the IMF-supported programme, the next key step for the country is to reach an agreement with its official bilateral creditors on an MoU consistent with the terms agreed in January 2024.' Source: Ghana News Agency