Category: General

Mr Abdul-Razak B. Adama, Operations Manager, Maphlix Trust Ghana Limited, says one of the strategies farmers in the Horticulture sector could employ to be successful in their exports was meeting international standards. He said it was important that their products met the specifications of their destination countries. Mr Adama speaking during a workshop on Horticulture in Ho as part of activities for the sixth Volta Trade and Investment Fair, said the farmers must also understand the market preferences, trends and consumer demands to tailor their products. He said they must also explore the export potential map which evaluated a country's export performance, target market's demand, market access conditions and bilateral linkages between the exporting and importing countries. Mr Adama said the farmers must also seek expert services to guide them in market compliance, logistics, quality assurance and export regulations to ensure success. He urged farmers to partner and network by collaborating with distri butors, retailers, or importers to establish reliable supply chains and market presence. Mr Adama encouraged the farmers to take advantage and utilise opportunities under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and other government-backed schemes and funding opportunities aimed at assisting growers. He noted logistics and infrastructure remained challenges to be addressed in the sector. Mr Samuel Darbah, National Coordinator, Archipelago project, said it was time for agriculture to be seen as a business instead of a hobby. He urged farmers to maximise their outputs beyond growing to feed families to exporting on large scales. Mr Anthony Tamakloe, Executive Secretary, Green Label Ghana Foundation, said many sources of finance available to farmers in the sector included grants and investments, crowd funding, angel investors and microfinance and commercial banks. He said they could still explore other sources such as the USAID-Ghana Trade and Investment or USAID-Africa Trade and Investment grants. Mr Tamakloe urged them to keep adequate and proper financial records of their businesses and ensure regulatory and tax compliance irrespective of their business size. Mr Barnabas K. Apom, Senior Project Manager, Horticulture Business Platform (HBP) and Project Lead, Ghana Netherlands Business and Culture Council (GNBCC), said opportunities under the HBP included business networking. He said members also enjoyed access to industry insights and expertise as well as business development services while urging the farmers to join the platform. Mr Fred Avornyo, Chief Operations Officer of the Volta Fair, said the workshop would enable the farmers under the sector to know the opportunities available and join various groups to be able to network. The workshop is in conjunction with the Royal Netherlands Embassy in Ghana and the Horticulture Business Platform and on the theme: 'Leveraging Horticulture to access the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA.).' Source: Ghana News Agency

Mr Mark Amoamah, President of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport, (CILT) has emphasized the role Transportation and logistics play in supporting economic growth and facilitating trade. Notwithstanding, he established the need for technological advancements that enabled practitioners to streamline processes, improve efficiency, and reduce carbon footprint. The President was speaking at the Annual General Meeting of the Association at Takoradi on the theme:'Innovation and sustainable Supply Chain and Transport Management: The Role of Technology and Legal Framework' The theme reflected the pressing need for industry Practitioners to adapt to the ever-changing landscape of supply chain management. 'As we navigate the challenges posed by globalisation, climate change, and technological advancements, it is crucial that we harness the power of innovation to foster sustainable practices', he added. He said government's initiative for prioritizing the following tax reliefs for implementation as c aptured in the 2024 budget was a step in the right direction; Eight years import duty waiver on importation of electric vehicles for public transportation, semi-knocked down and completely knocked down Electric vehicles imported by registered EV assembly companies in Ghana and Two years' extension of zero rate of VAT on locally assembled vehicles. These tax reliefs and policy initiatives do not only aim to give significant relief to the private sector, but also to reduce fuel usage and subsequently greenhouse gases, aimed at showing its commitment to reaching net zero carbon emissions and also contributing to the UN Sustainable Development Goal 13 - Climate Action. 'To realise the full benefit of these reliefs for the citizenry, we urge the government through the Ministry of Energy to provide enough charging points to sustain the operations of the Electric vehicles.' He called for adherence to ethical principles, social responsibility and the prevailing legal frameworks throughout the supply chain process. By complying with regulations, we can maintain safety standards, protect the environment, and cultivate a culture of transparency and accountability. This involves responsible sourcing of raw materials, ensuring fair labour practices, promoting environmental sustainability, and maintaining transparency in business operations. The CILT Ghana had signed a Memorandum of Agreement with GPHA to certify the competence of its trainees in cargo handling equipment to build the human resource capacity base to address the skills shortage in this sector. Mr. Micheal Luguje, FCILT and the Director of Tema Port also praised government for the introduction of ICUMS which was substantially delivering on expected benefit of harmonisation to advance efficiency in that industry. He called for a robust legal regime, active cyber security infrastructure and systems to encourage a serene Business environment. The Western Regional Minister, Mr. Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah lauded the professionals for the impact they were making in shaping the future of logistics and supply chain management in the country. 'I commend the Institute for its significant contributions to academia, fostering a vital link between industry and education. Your efforts in bridging this gap have undoubtedly enriched both sectors, ensuring that knowledge and practice evolve hand in hand'. He added that the Institute's role as a policy advisor, influencing governance in the realm of logistics and transport was also crucial adding that effective policy was crucial for sustainable development, 'your contributions serve as a beacon, guiding decision-makers towards informed and forward-thinking choices'. The Regional Minister hinted that to make the logistics and transport industry competitive on the global stage, Government was already working to foster an environment where innovation was nurtured, sustainability championed, and legal compliance was second nature. The government, he reported had been investing in the improvement of transport infrastructure, inc luding roads, ports, and airports, to facilitate smoother movement of goods and people…' The government has encouraged PPPs to attract private investment in the logistics and transport sector, fostering collaboration between public and private entities to improve services.' The Minister urged the professionals to embrace technology for logistics management, tracking systems, and e-commerce platforms to improve overall efficiency and transparency in the supply chain. The infusion of technology into our supply chains and transport systems should be nothing short of revolutionary. From automation and artificial intelligence to blockchain and data analytics, to redefined efficiency, transparency, and sustainability. Mr. Mireku Duker, the Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources called for capacity building among members in areas of safe transportation, Health, Safety and environmental sustainability. Source: Ghana News Agency

The Export Promotion Center (CEPEX) is organizing the participation of Tunisian companies in the 2024 Mobile World Congress (MWC) to be held from February 26 to 29, 2024, in Barcelona (Spain). CEPEX invites Tunisian companies wishing to take part in this event to register via the following link: https://www.e-cepex.tn/c/foires-et-salons/details/205 Stretching over an area of 74 m², the national pavilion will house the participation of Tunisian SMEs, VSEs and startups operating in the mobile telephony sector. According to CEPEX, the MWC represents a real opportunity to discover the latest technologies, trends and innovations in the mobile telephony industry. Several themes will be discussed during the event, particularly the 5G connection, Artificial Intelligence, digital DNA, etc. In 2023, the MWC welcomed nearly 2,400 exhibiting companies and over 88,500 participants from 202 countries. Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

The Tunisian trade union movement is the most deeply rooted in the world and is part and parcel of the Tunisian National Movement, said President Kais Saied as he chaired Tuesday a ceremony to commemorate the 71st anniversary of Farhat Hached's assassination. Stances taken by the trade union movement since the 1920's have been the most deeply rooted in the world, the President told members of the late Hached family, led by his son Nourredine Hached, Secretary-General of the Tunisian General Labour union (French : UGTT) and members of its executive bureau. The trade union movement put forward constructive and new solutions. To have a better understanding of the high moments of the trade union movement, Saied said, it is necessary to read again the periodicals, mainly Eshaab newspaper and manuscripts in the National Library. The President recited the Fatiha in the memory of the late Farhat Hached . He also expressed the hope to create a museum which traces the history of the National Movement, one which, h e said, is home to books, studies, lectures and conferences on the lives of labour and national movement leaders, mainly Mohamed Ali Hammi and Farhat Hachad. The President said, in another connection, he hopes to have quotes by the late leader engraved as they had been engraved in history. The ideas and principles embraced by Hached show he had been well ahead of his time as regards social development. President Saied said a number of National Movement documents had been recovered under bilateral cooperation from the French national printing agency. SG Nourredine Tabboubi called for recovering the labour movement archives seized back in 1978 and 1985. Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

Mr Sylvanus Tettey, South Dayi District Planning Officer, has extended a call to investors to explore the opportunities available in the district for development and growth. He said the three major investment opportunities were honey production and processing at Peki Agbateh, fish processing at Dzemeni and Abui, and commercial cassava plantation and processing at Sanga, Agbateh and Tsatee. Mr Tettey speaking during the sixth Volta Trade and Investment Fair in Ho, said the district was also developing the 'one area one product' initiative to help explore and utilise available resources in the areas within the district. He said other products being produced in the district included cosmetics and artifacts. Mr Tettey said the Assembly had vast lands that investors could acquire for commercial purposes without issues. He said the district's focus in agricultural development remained the planting of cash crops in commercial quantities with crops such as cashew, oil palm, cassava, and sweet potato under consi deration. 'The goal is to create a high raw material base for the district thus creating opportunities for processing factories to add value for local consumption and export'. Mr Tettey said the Volta Lake offered opportunities for aquaculture development adding that there were some investors along the lake who were into fish farming. He said some tourist sites in the district were plateaus and conical hills that had the potential to develop paragliding sites while developing resorts along the lake and on the lake for leisure. Mr Tettey noted that the rich types of soil in the District was good for agricultural production and positioned it to benefit from government's food and jobs export programmes. Source: Ghana News Agency