Category: General

ONANYEGE: Oshikoto Regional Council chairperson, Samuel Shivute is pleading with senior citizens from the region to stop taking alcohol on credit. Shivute on Thursday while handing over late Christmas gifts of maize meal, rice, cooking oil, brown sugar and tomato sauce to 31 elderly citizens at Onanyege in the Oshikoto Region, said the elderly citizens are addicted to taking alcohol on credit. He said many pensioners no longer spend their pension money on useful matters but rather spend it on alcohol. 'Our pensioners buy alcohol on credit, so when they wait for their money they already owe it for alcohol, especially Tassenberg,' said Shivute. He further said they are also the last to leave cuca shops at night, which makes them targets for thieves and other criminals. 'Our pensioners open cuca shops at 06h00, especially when they receive their pension money, and leave around 23h00 in the evening,' said Shivute. He added that pensioners also tend to commit crimes or engage in unusual behaviour when they c onsume alcohol. 'When you are drunk, you do silly things that shock the younger generation or the community at large while you are perceived as a mother or father of the community,' said Shivute. The Ministry of Gender Equality, Poverty Eradication and Social Welfare's Chief Liaison Officer in the Oshikoto Region, Petrus Kuutondokwa encouraged elders to approach their office when they encounter problems. 'We encourage our pensioners to seek support at our office as they are going through a lot in their villages,' said Kuutondokwa. He urged them to visit the ministry offices so they can come up with solutions to their problems, especially where it involves grandchildren. Source: Namibia Press Agency

Yara Ghana Limited, a fertilizer company, as part of its Yara Connect Loyalty Programme, has presented tricycles and a motorbike to its top four retailers as their rewards under the programme. The top four retailers were Hadara Enterprise located in Wa; Saka Enterprise located at Bawku, and Bolnaba Enterprise located at Bawku, all of which received a tricycle each; and Abowine Enterprise located in Bolgatanga, which received a motorbike. The top four retailers accumulated the highest points in the Yara Connect Loyalty Programme in the year, 2023. Ms Theresa Randolph, Managing Director, Yara Ghana Ltd, speaking at a ceremony at Balshie near Tamale to present the rewards to the winners, said Yara Connect sought to provide a strongly connected input channel from Yara to farm, driving sustainable growth and contributing to thriving smallholder farming communities. In a bid to strengthen its connection with the last mile retailer in the distribution chain, Yara Ghana, as part of its digital value chain offeri ngs, introduced an application-based loyalty programme to help it (Yara) connect with its retailers while incentivising them to create loyalty to the Yara brand. This gave birth to the Yara Connect App, which is available on the Android and Google Play Store for all retailers of Yara to download and scan the QR codes on the bags of Yara fertilizers they sell to farmers to enable them to accumulate points to gain rewards. Ms Randolph said through Yara Connect, Yara Ghana was able to provide value added services to retailers in the form of product information, application rates and agronomic advice adding 'Retailers are in turn empowered to advise farmers and recommend Yara as an effective solution to the farmers' needs.' She said so far, 554 Yara input dealers had been registered onto the Yara Connect App where several rewards in the form of Yara branded polos, raincoats, smart phones amongst others had been given in the year 2023. She congratulated the winners and encouraged other retailers to commit full y to using the Yara Connect App in all their transactions to stand the chance of winning the rewards. Mr Yussif Mohammed, Managing Director, Hadara Enterprise expressed gratitude to Yara Ghana for the reward saying the Yara Connect App was helping him to track his transactions. He said the tricycle was useful to his business because he would use it to support his customers by transporting the products from his shop to their final destinations. Source: Ghana News Agency

Some Cold store operators at Kasoa in the Awutu-Senya- East Municipality of the Central Region, have kicked against government's intention to place a 15% VAT on electricity consumption. In an interview with the GNA, they expressed dissatisfaction about the move saying, that will cripple their businesses. Mrs Mary Danquah, a Cold store operator with postpaid meter at the Kasoa old market, in an interview with the GNA said cost of electricity was already high without the tax. She said her monthly electricity bill was between Ghc1,500 and if that tax was imposed, she would have no choice than to close-down the shop. Another operator mentioned GHS1,500 electricity bill every week, and when they tried regulating the power by switching off their refrigerators, their products went bad. They vehemently opposed the move and called on government to rescind the decision. They bemoaned the numerous taxes they were already burdened with and urged the government to be considerate in imposing additional tax on electr icity to save their businesses. Some youth employees expressed frustration that business owners were threatening to shut down their businesses if the new VAT was introduced, saying they would be rendered unemployed. They appealed to the government to reconsider the decision in order not to escalate the unemployment situation in the country. Source: Ghana News Agency

Candidates for the run-off local elections in Siliana are carrying on their campaign until midnight on Friday, before the electoral silence. Candidate Nizar Atiri for South Makther, who secured 330 votes in the first round, pledged to work for upgrading infrastructure, increasing support to farmers, developing the industrial zone and establishing a museum in the region. Hamdi Ben Rebiha, running in the same constituency with 318 votes in the first round, presented a programme aimed to upgrade infrastructure and sports facilities, refurbish schools and build a local hospital. Candidate Mohamed Kamel Arfaoui, running in North Bourouis, undertook develop public institutions, bring administrative services closer to citizens, set up a sanitation network and boost the industrial sector. Bourouis local council is made up of six constituencies, three of which are in the running for the run-off. Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse WINDHOEK: The Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security will as of Monday run a mass outreach program in all 14 regions for the registration of national documents. A media statement availed by the Ministry on Friday indicated that the mass registration will take place until 18 July this year and will include the registration of births of all ages, applications for duplicate birth certificates, applications for identity documents(IDs), and applications for duplicate IDs. The mass outreach registration, it said, will take place in identified places and specific target groups such as those in hard-to-reach areas, vulnerable communities and schools. 'Keeping in line with article 15(1) of the Namibian Constitution which guarantees every child's right to a name and the right to acquire a nationality, the ministry advises that not only do national documents provide a sense of belonging but establish an individual's legal identity and allow one to access services such as education, employment and social grants,' it read. The media statement further noted that the calendar for the outreach program will be publicized on the Ministry's social media platforms, and will also be announced on the national radio and shared with regional councils. Members of the public who wish to apply for national documents are urged to visit the registration points when the mobile teams are in their respective areas, it concluded. Source: Namibia Press Agency

Chief Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Sackey Torkornoo has led a team from the Judicial Service to donate1,000 bags of cement to support the Safe Alternative Housing Project for victims of the Akosombo Dam spillage. The housing project was initiated by Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, the Member of Parliament (MP) of North Tongu, after the spillage of the dam. This followed the MP's efforts to offer temporary structures to accommodate victims of the flood in the constituency. Chief Justice Torkornoo handed over the cement to Mr Ablakwa and pledged to commence the drilling of a borehole to supply water for the flood victims. The Judiciary, as an Arm of Government, would continue to offer its support to the victims, whenever it was deemed necessary, she said. Mr Ablakwa, the chiefs and elders received the donation and expressed gratitude to the Chief Justice and her entourage for the support. He, however, called on corporate Ghana to keep extending their support to the victims. Source: Ghana News Agency