Business24 Newspaper 2nd July, 2021

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FRIDAY JULY 2, 2021

72 requests granted under RTI law

Season 2 of Access Bank's "All Walks of Life" to premier July 2

See page 7

See page 11

BUSINESS24.COM.GH

NO. B24 / 216 | NEWS FOR BUSINESS LEADERS

FRIDAY MONDAY JULY MAY 2, 2021 3, 2021

Industries endorse nuclear power move

Wilmar Africa’s US$30m detergents factory opens in Tema

By Benson Afful

By Patrick Paintsil

affulbenson@gmail.com

p_paintsil@hotmail.com

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research by the Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research (ISSER) of the University of Ghana has revealed that majority of firms believe nuclear energy should be introduced in Ghana’s electricity generation mix as it is cheaper than other energy sources.

Dr. Simon Bawakyillenuo, a research fellow with the

eading fast moving consumer goods manufacturer Wilmar Africa has opened its new state-of-the-art detergents Cont’d on page 3

GETFund to use 60% of inflows to service debt

Cont’d on page 2

By Eugene Davis ugendavis@gmail.com

Outgoing Netherlands Ambassador pays courtesy call on Business24

By Benson Afful affulbenson@gmail.com

T (L-R) Richard Annerquaye Abbey, Managing Editor; Ruth Fosua Tetteh, Business Development Manager; Ron Strikker, outgoing Dutch Ambassador; Gifty Baaba DesBordes, Communications Officer at the Dutch Embassy; and Benson Afful, Editor of Energy sub-desk, Business24

he outgoing Netherlands Ambassador to Ghana, Ron Strikker, has paid a courtesy call on the management of Business24 to bid the company farewell as his tenure of office comes to an end after five years of serving in the country.

Cont’d on page 3

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he Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) will use GH₵866m from its total projected inflows of GH₵1.4bn in 2021 to service debt, a parliamentary report has revealed.

The situation, according to the report of Parliament’s Committee of the Whole Cont’d on page 5

Follow us online: facebook.com/business24gh twitter.com/business24gh linkedin.com/pg/business24gh instagram.com/business24gh

Cont’d on page 2

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Editorial / News

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Editorial

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Flood control investment must yield fruits

hanaians have persistently suffered perennial flooding which has led to the loss of lives as well as devastation to properties.

Over the years, many areas continue to suffer from these deadly floods and their attendant effects.

According to the government, since 2017 it has invested GH¢450m in the National Flood Control and Priority Drainage Programme.

Minister for Works and Housing Francis AsensoBoakye has told Parliament the investment in flood control since 2017 compares with GH₵88m invested between 2011 and 2016.

“Clearly, this level of commitment to tackling the

problem, which has resulted in a reduction of flooding incidents in the past few years, is unprecedented and commendable,” he added.

Ghana ranks highly among African countries most exposed to risks from multiple weatherrelated hazards. In the past three decades, the country has experienced seven major floods, leading to significant loss of lives and property.

The Minister explained that the causes of flooding in the country are multi-faceted and include inefficient drains, undersized culverts, and uncontrolled development in flood plains, wetlands and waterways.

Additionally, indiscriminate

dumping of solid waste into drains contributes significantly to urban flooding, while across the country, new developments and buildings in waterways and flood plains (buffer zones) block the flow of stormwater and worsen the risk of flooding.

There is no denying that given all that this government has done to solve the perennial the issue still remains.

This paper would want the government to double up its efforts to arrest the situation as the wet season is upon us once more.

Absolutely no one deserves to lose their lives in these perennial floods as we have seen over the years.

Industries endorse nuclear power move Continued from cover

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institute, presenting the findings to stakeholders in Accra, said of about 200 firms surveyed across the country, 75 percent endorsed the country’s plans to generate nuclear power.

Moreover, a great number of the firms—92 percent—said they were aware that nuclear energy can be used to generate electricity.

“These firms, who have been in business for more than 10 years and mostly relied on the national grid for electricity, also said nuclear power is safe,” said Dr. Bawakyillenuo.

While industries support nuclear power generation, the research also revealed that majority of households do not have any knowledge of nuclear power, with the few who had such

knowledge being urban residents mostly.

“Interestingly, those who have knowledge about it are those below the age of 30 years, falling within the youth bracket,” Dr. Bawakyillenuo said.

Compared to other educational level categories, he said a greater proportion of tertiary degree holders think that nuclear energy can be used to generate electricity, with the proportion reducing as the educational attainment reduces.

The research also found that many individuals held negative perceptions about nuclear energy.

Dr. Bawakyillenuo quoted a survey respondent from the Western Region, for instance, as saying: “I only know that there are a lot of dangers associated with the use of nuclear plants.

Typical examples are the nuclear disasters that occurred in Ukraine and Fukushima, Japan, in the 70s.”

According to Dr. Bawakyillenuo, the negative perception about nuclear power needs to be addressed in order to make its implementation in Ghana a success.

This should be helped by the fact that a very high number of people indicated their willingness to learn more about nuclear power, he added.

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Outgoing Netherlands Ambassador pays courtesy call on Business24 Continued from cover Ambassador Strikker expressed his gratitude to Business24 for promoting and supporting the Dutch-Ghana relations as well as Dutch businesses in Ghana via its innovative digital publication.

Mr. Strikker was hopeful that the good relationship the embassy enjoyed with the digital media outfit will be accorded to his successor.

The Managing Editor of Business24, Richard Annerquaye Abbey, said the company has a mandate which includes promoting businesses in the country and to ensure that the investor community is kept wellinformed about happenings in the economy.

He expressed gratitude to the Ambassador for the visit and promise to work with his successor to promote Dutch relations with Ghana.

On her part, the Business Development Manager of Business24, Ruth Fosua Tetteh, assured the Ambassador that

the company will continue to keep the relationship between the embassy and the digital newspaper as the embassy looks forward to welcoming its new Ambassador.

Mr. Ron Strikker also presented a symbolic token to the Business Development Manager for being a friend to the embassy and her dedication to promoting the embassy’s events to the

newspaper’s readers.

Accompanying the Ambassador on the visit was the Administrative, Communication Officer of the embassy, Gifty Baaba DesBordes.

Wilmar Africa’s US$30m detergents factory opens in Tema Continued from cover manufacturing plant in response to increased domestic and regional demand for the commodity.

The new detergents plant will provide about 220 direct employment and would boost government’s efforts at import substitution, especially in sectors with local capacity for value addition.

Trade and Industry Minister, Alan Kyeremanten, who inaugurated the new factory, said that the facility signaled a giant step in the nation’s industrial transformation agenda as the manufacturing hub of the continent and a good testament of the strategic partnership between government and the private sector.

“Government recognises the relevance of attracting private sector operators to invest in the productive sectors of the economy by taking advantage of available

Alan Kyerematen, Trade and Industry Minister

local resource endowments.

This state-of-the-art factory underscores the importance of such partnerships in pursuit of our common goals of creating jobs and bringing prosperity to our people,” he said.

He added: “Ghana is on the path towards a major industrialisation take-off and there could be no better time than now for this new industrial facility.”

Ghana imported soaps and detergent products worth

US$40million last year whilst increased awareness about personal hygiene and care has driven up demand for household cleaning products.

With an installed capacity of 60,000 metric tonnes of soap annually, the trade minister tips the factory to help bridge the demand and supply gap in the soaps and detergents market— with national demand estimated at 100,000 metric tonnes.

“With the detergents market

projected to register a cumulative 4 percent annual growth, this factory will flourish not only in Ghana but Africa as a whole, taking advantage of the single continental market,” he added.

Chief Executive Officer of Wilmar Oils and Fats Limited, Santosh Pillai, told Business24 that the factory fulfils the company’s quest to offer high-quality detergent products to Ghanaians whilst driving its distributions across the sub-region.

“Ghana is a strong and stable economy but we are looking beyond the domestic market into the West Africa sub-region.

We hope to leverage the strong local demand into the sub-region then we have a very viable opportunity of creating a manufacturing base in the country,” he said.

He added: “As manufacturers, we would love to see the creation of a level playing field for competition in terms of infrastructure, accessing to neighboring markets and differential treatments for industry.”

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GETFund to use 60% of inflows to service debt Continued from cover on the proposed formula for the distribution of the fund, will leave the institution with only 40 percent of its inflows to spend on projects and programmes for the year.

The Administrator of the fund, Dr. Richard Boadu, told lawmakers on the committee that the situation was of “grave concern” given that it will impact on other activities.

The committee suggested to officials of GETFund that since the fund’s inflows are tied to a percentage of projected revenues, which could sometimes experience shortfalls, the fund should focus on utilising its

inflows to fund projects instead of resorting to borrowing.

Justifying the fund’s

borrowings, GETFund officials said it allows the fund to adequately finance and complete

its projects on schedule, which helps to avoid high variation costs caused by delayed completion of projects.

This project variation cost, which typically adds 40 percent to a project’s initial cost, is much higher compared with GETFund’s average borrowing rate of 20.5 percent, they added.

This year GETFund will spend GH₵175m, constituting 12.2 percent of its projected inflows, on projects and programmes in tertiary education, with secondary education allocated GH₵74m and basic education GH₵66m.

The fund has also set aside GH₵30m for MPs Emergency Projects and Monitoring Activities.

Higher oil prices, vaccinations expected to fuel Ghana economy

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and Merchant Bank (RMB), the Corporate and Investment Banking arm of First National Bank, projects that a combination of exceptional services sector growth, a faster than expected rate of vaccinations, and higher than expected oil prices are to fuel economic growth in Ghana to pre-COVID-19 levels. This is on the back of 3.3% growth y/y in the fourth quarter of 2020.

The bullish scenario pegs growth at 5.5%. Having avoided a recession in 2020, the economy is expected to continue growing in 2021 with the base case at 4.2% as exports increase and consumer activity improves.

Neville Mandimika, Economist and Fixed Income Analyst at RMB, has cautioned that delays to the vaccine roll-out and the threat of another lockdown are likely to dampen the recovery. “The bearish outlook for growth would then be 2.0%.”

Inflation is expected to increase as economic activity picks up, with the inflation rate at 10.5%, marginally above the Bank of Ghana’s target band. The Bank of Ghana is then expected to hike rates to anchor inflation expectations.

“However, the base case is that inflation would moderate to 9.0%, which would then mean no interest rate cuts in 2021 as the economy shows signs of improvement while inflation remains contained,” Mandimika

expects. The bearish outlook is for inflation to be pushed down to the lower end of the inflation target band of 6% - 10% due to lack of aggregate demand.

Improved economic growth would boost revenue generation but the deficit remains outside the threshold of minus -5% of GDP. And as economic growth picks up and expenditure is contained, the fiscal deficit narrows from 2020 levels to -9.6%. Funding needs escalation beyond projected on weak revenue collections due to a protracted economic slowdown.

The sizable Eurobond issuance during 2021 bolstered the cedi.

However, the twin deficits continue to exert moderate pressure on the currency, but the pace of depreciation is capped due to the sizeable portfolio inflows Ghana is expected to enjoy in 2021.

“The economy recorded 0.4% full-year growth in 2020, which was softer than our expectations, but a relatively brief lockdown of three weeks helped in avoiding a recession,” Mandimika says. Most sectors registered growth for the year but lacklustre performance in the hotel and restaurant sector (3% of GDP) nearly offset the notable gains in the other sectors.

The oil sector contracted 7.4% last year compared to the 15% growth in 2019 while mining and quarrying (mainly gold) registered an 11% contraction, with both suffering from drops in production and weaker resources

Neville Mandimika

prices.

“Recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic is dependent on strengthening the sectors that can quickly stabilise the human capital and then, further mobilise the resources relevant to stimulating the economy. Surely the gains of the oil market, mining and other essential services will benefit Ghana greatly” Dominic Adu, Chief Executive Officer of

First National Bank Ghana added.

Information and communications sectors registered 23%, benefiting from people working from home and cocoa 33%.

“We expect growth at 4.2% in 2021 with the services sector, to recoup some of the losses made during the pandemic,” concludes Mandimika.

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72 requests granted under RTI law

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he Minister of Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, has told Parliament a total of 72 out of 85 requests have been granted by the Right to Information Commission since the implementation of the Right to Information (RTI) Act began.

Submitting the annual report of the Ministry on the implementation of the RTI Act in respect of the year 2020, Mr. Oppong Nkrumah disclosed that a total of 285 public institutions were found to have complied with significant requirements of the act, including the publication of an information manual documenting the nature of information sourced for.

“I am happy to inform this august House that for the first twelve months after the commencement of this act, significant gains have been made in the implementation of the law by public institutions,” he said.

Following the passage of the law, the Ministry of Information, which has the responsibility of

ensuring that public institutions are adequately prepared and ready to deliver satisfactorily on their obligations under the act, led the process for the planning and implementation of a roadmap.

This was done in consultation

with major stakeholders, including the Parliamentary Select Committee on Communications, the RTI Coalition, the Data Protection Commission, UNESCO Ghana, and the Heads of the Civil and Local Government Services.

The stakeholders guided the formation and development of appropriate and standardised systems, and a framework for implementation of the act aimed at avoiding breaches and ensuring uninterrupted operationalisation.

GH₵450m spent on flood control since 2017

By Eugene Davis ugendavis@gmail.com

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overnment has since 2017 invested GH₵450m in the National Flood Control and Priority Drainage Programme, Minister for Works and Housing Francis Asenso-Boakye has told Parliament in Accra.

Presenting a statement to lawmakers on “Addressing the Increasing Risk of Flooding across the Country”, he said the investment in flood control since 2017 compares with GH₵88m invested between 2011 and 2016.

“Clearly, this level of commitment to tackling the problem, which has resulted

in a reduction of flooding incidents in the past few years, is unprecedented and commendable,” he added.

Ghana ranks highly among African countries most exposed to risks from multiple weatherrelated hazards. In the past three decades, the country has experienced seven major floods, leading to significant loss of lives and property.

“The World Bank estimates that US$3.2bn (4.45 percent of GDP) worth of economic assets are at risk of flooding in the Greater Accra Region alone, and this figure is expected to quadruple by 2050 without urgent action.

One can only imagine the value of

assets that are at risk to flooding across the country,” the Minister said.

He explained that the causes of flooding in the country are multifaceted and include inefficient drains, undersized culverts, and uncontrolled development in flood plains, wetlands and waterways.

Additionally, indiscriminate dumping of solid waste into drains contributes significantly to urban flooding, while across the country, new developments and buildings in waterways and flood plains (buffer zones) block the flow of storm water and worsen the risk of flooding.

Mr. Asenso-Boakye announced

that the government is collaborating with the World Bank to invest more than US$200m to address solid waste and flood risk challenges in the Odaw Drainage Basin. The project will see the development and implementation of a Flood Early Warning System to enhance community safety and resilience.

Furthermore, he indicated that Cabinet has approved, for the consideration of Parliament, the bill for the establishment of the Ghana Hydrological Authority.

The authority will undertake hydraulic modelling to inform housing and infrastructural development planning across the country to ensure that they are steered away from flood-prone areas.

It will also develop and promote higher drainage standards, including the use of nature-based drainage solutions, and ensure that flood risk assessments are undertaken for all major infrastructural developments to make them resilient to both current and future flood risks.

The bill will further create a National Hydrology Fund which will facilitate the effective functioning of the authority, including attracting private sector participation in drainage provision.

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Eastern Corridor roads get EUR280m funding from Standard Chartered Bank

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tandard Chartered Bank has signed a EUR 280 million Social Loan with Ministry of Finance to develop a section of vital highway, the Eastern Corridor, which will transform the country’s transport infrastructure.

A statement from the bank said the financing is backed

by Euler Hermes, the German Export Credit Agency, and INZAG Germany GmbH, a client of the Bank, which has been chosen Engineering, Procurement and Construction contractor.

“Standard Chartered is acting as Bookrunner, Mandated Lead Arranger, Structuring Bank, Social Loan Co-ordinator, Original Lender1 and Agent,” the bank said.

It said Standard Chartered structured the financing to fully comply with the recently published Social Loan Principles2 (SLPs).

The statement said this is the first time a social loan has been structured not only in Ghana, but also on the wider African continent.

The project is eligible because of its objective to improve basic transport network, which is categorised as affordable basic infrastructure.

The project will also contribute

towards meeting the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 93, which relates to industry, innovation and infrastructure.

Desislava Radeva, Director, Structured Export Finance, Standard Chartered Bank, said: “We are proud to build on our strong relationship with the Ministry of Finance, Ghana to deliver a bespoke ECAbacked solution to enable the development of this critical infrastructure project.

We are equally excited to have signed the first Social Loan in Sub-Saharan Africa.”

The Ghana Eastern Corridor is the National Road N2 that starts at the Tema roundabout and ends in Kalungugu, the northeastern border with Burkina Faso.

Standard Chartered’s financing will fund a particular intersection of the road, otherwise known as Lot 1, which includes two flyovers and interchanges, pedestrian bridges and three mixed bridges in dual carriageway.

It stretches from the Ashaiman roundabout and ends at the Akosombo Junction, Madina; a distance of 64km.

When completed, the Ministry of Roads and Highways expects the upgraded, tolled route to positively impact the lives of around 500,000 local

residents from underserved populations.

It will drive employment opportunities and trade, providing shorter access to the port of Tema and will link regions within Ghana, and also to neighbouring countries.

Additionally, the intersection will improve road safety and better access to healthcare and other essential services.

Xorse Godzi, Head of Corporate, Commercial and Institutional Banking, Standard Chartered Bank Ghana Plc, said the bank’s involvement in the project is a prime example of Standard Chartered living up to its brand promise, here for good, and supporting it communities.

“Having operated in Ghana for over 125 years, we are able to advise and play a leading

role in tapping liquidity around the world for major sustainable infrastructure projects in the country to help Ghana achieve the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals,” he said.

Naim Danji, Head of Export Finance, INZAG Germany GmbH, said NZAG is delighted to execute this project and looking forward to the successful development and construction of this flagship infrastructure for the country of Ghana.

The transaction is the sixth ECAsupported deal in Ghana arranged

by Standard Chartered Bank in the past 12 months, bringing the total amount of financing to over EUR 560 million delivering a wide range of transport and healthcare infrastructure for the Government of Ghana.

VGMA Artiste of the Year pays courtesy call on Vodafone Ghana

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ospel musician and 22nd Vodafone Ghana Music Awards (VGMA) Artiste of the Year, Diana Antwi Hamilton, has paid a courtesy call on the senior management team of Vodafone Ghana.

In a short remark, the multiple award-winning singer commended Vodafone Ghana for continuously supporting Ghana’s music industry said her team came to officially thank Vodafone Ghana for continuously supporting the music industry and to celebrate with them.

“Out of six nominations, I won four awards, Gospel Artiste of the Year, Best Gospel Song of the Year, Vodafone Most Popular Song and the ultimate, Artiste of the Year. You are the name and brand behind these awards, and I commend you for that. You have also supported the music industry throughout these years. We are here to say thank you,” she said.

On her part, Patricia OboNai, Chief Executive Officer of

Vodafone Ghana, congratulated Diana and encouraged her to continue touching the lives of many with her inspirational songs.

“On behalf of the management

and all employees of Vodafone Ghana, I would like to congratulate you for winning the Artiste of the Year. Over the years, you have done exceptionally well in the gospel fraternity and the music

industry at large. You have made great impact and touched many lives with your music. Continue what you have started because you are truly making an impact,” she said.

Reiterating Vodafone’s commitment to Ghana Music Industry, Patricia said the company has been a decade of empowering artistes and transforming the music industry through Vodafone Ghana Music Awards.

“We will continue to support this award characterised by innovation, creative concepts and unique programmes, because it is designed to empower Ghanaian artistes, enhance their craft and project them onto the world stage,” she added.

The 22nd edition of the Vodafone Ghana Music Awards was held over the weekend with gospel singer Diana Hamilton picking up the most prestigious award.

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Vodafone Cash, miLife and Millennium Insurance launch miFuture micro-insurance

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odafone Cash, miLife and Millennium Insurance have launched their redesigned and improved microinsurance product under the new name, miFuture.

The revamped life and disability insurance product can be accessed by dialing *462# from any Vodafone number or via the Vodafone Cash platform *110# menu. miFuture is born out of a collaboration between Vodafone Cash, miLife, Millennium Insurance and powered by an advanced digital platform. The product was designed with the main objective of providing the informal sector with a platform to save and have insurance.

The investment-linked microinsurance (MI) plan allows customers to select insurance benefits with corresponding monthly premiums plus additional savings contributions at inception. miFuture customers can make withdrawals from their savings with ease. Customers can opt to change their plan at any time.

Speaking at the launch of the product, Head of Vodafone Cash, Martison Obeng-Agyei said they are excited about the launch of miFuture as this is part of their effort aimed at liberalising

the mobile money platform to embrace all and sundry.

“Vodafone Cash has been proactive in the introduction of innovative and industry first initiatives. miFuture will definitely deepen financial inclusion and redefine the insurance landscape in the country. Customers have options to choose from a varied number of packages that are convenient, reliable and guarantee total fulfilment of customers’ financial obligations,” he said.

The Chief Executive Officer of miLife, Kwaku YeboahAsuamah said since the launch of the miLife brand, they have

committed themselves to making life insurance simple, affordable and more accessible.

“This partnership with Vodafone, and with support from Millennium Insurance to birth miFuture, is one of the ways we are living that commitment. miFuture offers the ordinary Ghanaian the opportunity to save for their everyday needs such as rent, school fees, raising seed capital and other projects while enjoying life insurance cover for death and disability,” he said.

Traditionally Ghanaians have been used to the daily savings / deposits often referred to as SUSU. miFuture presents a secured,

affordable and easily accessible means of doing your savings and at the same time having life insurance.

This is in addition to the diverse ways miLife is helping Ghanaians to build their dreams.

Commenting on the partnership, Chief Executive Officer of Millennium Insurance, Oliver Akubia said Millennium Insurance believes in partnerships of this nature directed towards deepening the understanding of insurance and the benefits thereof.

“This belief underpins our tag line, your trustworthy partner in providing the much-needed compensation following partial and total disability and death.

Being a property and liability insurer, our objective is not only to offer protection for your property but your very person and we are thus excited about this product as it offers ordinary Ghanaians the opportunity to access insurance at affordable cost,” he added. miFuture covers death and disability for GHc2,000, GHc,6000 and GHc 12,000. A customer would have to choose a monthly savings starting from GHS10; however, customers may make additional contributions as and when they have excess income to save.

Season 2 of Access Bank's "All Walks of Life" to premier July 2

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fter a thrilling first season of 10 episodes, the Access Bank online TV series “All Walks of Life” is returning for a second season starting at 9:01pm on July 2, 2021.

The series, which airs on the YouTube channel of the Bank, will witness some new faces such as James Gardner and Mikki Osei Berko (Dada Boat), bringing their craft to make the second season

The cast of All Walks of Life

even more exciting.

Other notable actors in the Ghanaian movie industry featuring in the series include Adjetey Annang, Nikki Samonas, Roselyn Ngissah, Belinda Dzattah among others.

Giving insights into the second season of “All Walks of Life”, the Acting Head of Corporate Communications at Access Bank Ghana, Oluwaseun David-

Akindele, highlighted that the season 2 is laced with surprises, twists and turns that will keep viewers at the edge of their seat as the story builds up.

He added that, “Online tv content has come to stay and with the pandemic, more people have switched to this platform to get some distraction and entertainment.” Olumide Olatunji, Managing Director of Access Bank Ghana Plc. elucidated that the Bank is glad to be investing in the creative arts industry to ensure Ghana can be the ultimate beneficiary.

Launched last year during the height of the pandemic and restrictions, the online tv series forms part of the Bank’s commitment to positively change the narrative about Africa and showcase Ghanaian creativity across the continent.

“All Walks of Life”, which is co-created by Access Bank and Emerge Advertising with sponsorship from Kasapreko

Carinval Liquor, puts a microscope on the unavoidable relationship between people from every social bracket in society, what everyday life looks like for the typical Ghanaian and tackles social, economic and various life topical issues.

The series will also feature some of the Bank’s digital products such as the PayDay loan service, *901# mobile banking service, AccessMobile app and card payment options among others.

Currently operating from 52 business locations across the country, the Bank continues to build long-term relationships with its customers based on trust, digital innovations, good customer service and transparency. The Bank has over the last ten years developed a deep understanding of its customers, delivering excellent service and empowering them to achieve more through financial education.

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Child Online Protection (COP) related provisions in the Cybersecurity Act, 2020 (2)

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very child must be protected from violence, exploitation, and abuse on the internet - UNICEF Child Online Protection (COP) is a global challenge that needs urgent attention. Children today have varied access to the internet through laptops, desktops, mobile phones, and tablets, with all types of information available to them.

According to a UNICEF report (Children’s Online Practices in Ghana, 2017), about 8 in 10 children visit Facebook, 5 in 10 visits WhatsApp and 2 in 10 visit YouTube. For the top three visited social networking sites/ platforms, more boys and urban residents visit the sites most. 3 in 10 children have experienced something that bothered them online. 4 in 1O children will accept all requests made to them online. 2 in 10 children have met someone in person who they first got to know online. Only 1 in 1O children sends a photo or video of themselves to someone they have not met face to face, and 2 in 10 children have been treated in a harmful way or in a way they did not like while online. The report also states that about 2 in 10 parents/guardians never check what their children are doing on the internet.

The phenomenal growth of internet usage provides opportunities for these children to access and share useful materials for learning. However, the lack of digital literacy and online safety measures will expose these children to the dangers of cyberbullying, sexual extortion, and other crimes as mentioned in the part one (1) of this article.

These and other findings give rise to the need for stiffer controls and measures in child online protection.

In this second part, we shall focus on other online sexual offenses as per sections 67 (Nonconsensual sharing of intimate image), and 68 (Threat to distribute prohibited intimate image or visual recording). To sum it up, I will discuss matters of legislation and service providers in section 87 (Blocking, filtering, and taking down of illegal content) of the Cybersecurity Act, 2020.

Section 67: Non-consensual sharing of intimate image A non-consensual intimate image is a sexually explicit material (images, videos, animation, etc, as clarified in the previous article) captured, published, and shared without the consent of one or more

persons in the material. It is illegal to electronically share sexual images of a person, taken without their knowledge or consent. This is likened to sending nude photos and other explicit images through email, text, and/or social media platforms to exposing oneself in public to strangers, which is referred to as indecent exposure.

Also, an intimate image is a picture or recording in which a person is nude, partially nude, or engaged in explicit sexual activity that is made in circumstances that give rise to an expectation of privacy in the picture or recording.

Section 67 states that “a person shall not, with intent to cause serious emotional distress, intentionally distribute or intentionally cause another person to distribute the intimate image or prohibited visual recording of another identifiable person without the consent of the person depicted in the intimate image and in respect of which, there was a reasonable expectation of privacy both at the time of the creation of the image or visual recording and at the time the offence was committed.”

In this case, “serious emotional distress” includes any intentional conduct that results in mental reactions such as fright, nervousness, grief, anxiety,

worry, mortification, shock, humiliation, and indignity, as well as physical pain.

It is important to know that, in most cases, these intimate images or videos are stolen from the victims' phones or laptops.

They are also captured from the bathrooms, swimming pools, and changing rooms. Those nonconsensual intimate images are later used to stalk and extort money from victims, their families, or even friends.

Simply, do not leave your phone or devices unlocked. The only immediate option available currently to prevent incidents of non-consensual intimate images is to practice good digital security, as there are other threats such as spyware used to spy on people, that allows greater perpetration of such incidents. Spyware can be installed without the device owner’s consent to secretly monitor, or stream the victim’s personal information—images, videos, and geolocation data.

Section 68: Threat to distribute prohibited intimate image or visual recording As defined earlier, an intimate image here comes with an

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15 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11 expectation of privacy. “A person shall not threaten another person to distribute a prohibited intimate image or visual recording of that person in a way that would cause that other person distress reasonably arising in all the circumstances and the threat is made in a way that would cause that other person fear, reasonably arising in all the circumstances, of the threat being carried out.”

In a street sense, this is like intimate image abuse or cyberbullying committed by anyone, sometimes an aggrieved former partner, but NOT always.

The content is shared in an act of revenge to embarrass, humiliate, or cause distress to a person. You do not have to be in a relationship with the perpetrator for it to be considered intimate image abuse.

Although it is a crime to distribute prohibited intimate images or visual recording, many women face different means of extortion such as blackmailing.

Once their images or videos are being leaked, victims are sometimes asked to pay amounts of money for their intimate images 'not to be publicly' distributed online—online violence.

From the above issues and

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provisions, how can the service provider and authorities take responsive roles in helping to tackle such a situation that plunges many, especially females, into pain, confusion, anger, depression, and worst, silence for the victim? This brings us to the last section of provisions of COP. Section 87: Blocking, filtering and taking down of illegal content “The Authority may, on the order of a court, authorize a service provider to block, filter, or takedown illegal content and phone numbers used for a malicious purpose which seeks to undermine the cybersecurity of the country. The grounds for blocking, filtering, and taking down illegal content and phone numbers include the protection of national security; the protection of children; the public safety; the prevention or investigation of a disorder or a crime; the protection of health; the protection of reputation or the rights of an individual; the prevention of the disclosure of information received in confidence; compliance with a legal order; or any other ground that the Authority may determine.”

A comprehensive framework of law is an essential tool for

promoting a supportive and safer online environment for children and young people.

Such a regulatory model or set of rules may extend the grounds on which blocking, or removal may legitimately be taken even without the need for a court order. Authorities (administrative or police) or public prosecutors can be given specific powers to order internet access providers to block access without advance judicial authority. This requires action on the part of the internet service provider within a specified period, and without any notice being given to the content provider or host themselves. In some countries, where a court order is otherwise needed, hosting providers who have knowledge of such material may be expected to remove it voluntarily without judicial authority and to provide the content provider with due notice.

Conclusion From these provisions of the Act, it is understandable why we must practice online safety, and the need to promote social responsibility for posting and sharing information because no one deserves any kind of

humiliation and indignity, fright, nervousness, grief, anxiety, worry, shock, as well as physical pain.

All stakeholders, Government Ministries/Departments, law enforcement agencies, civil society organizations, private corporations, etc. should join hands to contribute to child online protection.

Parents/ guardians have a significant role to play in supporting, mediating, or monitoring without limiting the rights of children as they use the internet.

To stay safe online, never give out your passwords—keep them to yourself; not everyone online is who they say they are; do not meet up with people you have met online; think carefully about what you say before you post anything online—they are your digital footprints, it stays there forever; think before you share any material online; if you feel threatened, report to the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) or any authority, call or text 292 for help.

Author: Richard Kafui Amanfu – (Director of Operations, Institute of ICT Professionals, Ghana) For comments, contact richard. amanfu@iipgh.org or Mobile: +233244357006

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Feature

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G-7 40 US$ Trillion Program: Development or Rivalry?

By Shakeel Ahmad Ramay

T

he world is facing a huge infrastructure gap, which is widening up with every passing year. The world is unable to meet the ever-increasing needs of infrastructure. MGI, in 2016 estimated that the world on average needs to invest US$ 3.3 trillion on infrastructure, every year. The world is not able to meet the demand and there is a gap of US$ 350 billion on yearly basis. It was calculated that the total gap would be US$ 5.3 trillion by 2030. The projections were made without considering the needs of climate change or financial requirements to achieve the targets identified under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). MGI study underlined that the inclusion of SDGs will triple the gap and it would be around US$ 15.9 trillion till 2030.

POOR COUNTRIES ARE IN DIRE NEED OF INVESTMENT. THEY NEED INVESTMENT NOT ONLY TO IMPROVE THE INFRASTRUCTURE BUT ALSO NEED TO BRING OUT PEOPLE FROM THE POVERTY TRAP. Global Infrastructure Hub (GIH) in 2020 came up with its own projections. It underscored that the participating countries would be in need of US$ 94 trillion by 2040. The current trends show that the real investment will be

around US$ 79 trillion, which means the gap would be around US$ 15 trillion by 2040. GIH made projections on the basis of data collected from 56 leading countries. It did not include other developing and least developed countries. It is quite unfortunate that they were ignored in the study and also are not part of the planning.

World-leading countries are negotiating hard to find solutions for themselves and giving least or no heed to the needs of poor countries. It is against the spirit of the slogan of SDGs “No One Lift Behind”. It is a common and accepted fact that less developed and poor countries are in dire need of investment.

They need investment not only to improve the infrastructure but also need to bring out people from the poverty trap.

China realized the worrisome situation and started to engage with less developed and developed equally. China started with the concrete efforts much before the SDGs commitments, MGI, and GIH projections through a policy of Go Global. China in 2013 launched a comprehensive program with the name of Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). China also pitched the Six-One Hundred programs to help the poor and less developed countries.

Unfortunately, Chinese investment and programs were not welcomed by the USA and Western countries.

They immediately started antiinvestment and anti-China campaigns at one name or other.

Now G-7, the representative group of West proposed its own program with the name of Build Back Better World (B3W).

G-7 defined core principles of B3W as 1) values-driven, 2) good governance and strong standard, 3) climate-friendly, 4) strong strategic partnership, 5) mobilizing private capital through development finance, and 6) enhancing the impact of multilateral public financing.

56 COUNTRIES INCLUDING G-7 NEED US$ 94 TRILLION FOR INFRASTRUCTURE TILL 2040 Investment is good in any form, especially help to bridge the gaps and bring the world closer. Unfortunately, it is not the case, as G-7 has termed B3W a rival program to BRI and Chinese investment. One wonders, why G-7 is presenting it as a rival to BRI or China investment, or does it have instruments that can qualify the conditions of rivalry?

The birds-eye view suggests that the B3W can never compete with BRI leave alone the rivalry due to multiple reasons and facts. First, it is well-documented fact that 56 countries including G-7 need US$ 94 trillion for infrastructure till 2040. It is required just to support the business as usual model and trends of development. American

Society of Civil Engineers in 2021, highlighted that the USA will be facing a gap of US$ 2.6 trillion in the next 10 years to meet the needs of investment in infrastructure. Thus, B3W’s US$ 40 trillion will not be able to meet the needs of leading countries, leave alone other countries.

SOUTH ASIA WOULD BE IN NEED OF US$ 2.5 TRILLION TILL 2024 The inclusion of developing and least developed countries will further complicate the situation.

For example, World Bank in 2014 highlighted that South Asia would be in need of US$ 2.5 trillion till 2024 to meet the development goals. Independent experts concluded that South Asia was not able to invest the required financial resources to support the business as usual model. Owning o lack of ability to generate required resources tt is expected that the needs would have been further increased. The major contributing factors are lower development and higher population growth. COVID-19 has further aggravated the situation.

B3W IS NOT A FIRST RIVAL PROGRAM. USA HAS ALREADY LAUNCHED A PROGRAM WITH THE NAME OF BETTER UTILIZATION OF INVESTMENT LED TO DEVELOPMENT (BUILD).

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21 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 15 IT WAS DESIGNED WITH A SINGLE GOAL TO COUNTER CHINA Second, B3W is exclusive in nature, as it has been designed to counter China’s rise. I am unable to understand, how the world will sustain growth by excluding the second largest economy of the world. China also happens to be the largest trader and market of the future. The domestic consumption market is in an expansion mode and it was estimated that around 600 million people will join the middle class till 2049 and the existing middle class would have been graduated to the upper class. It presents huge potential not only to China but also to the world.

Third, B3W is not a first rival program. USA has already launched a program with the name of Better Utilization of Investment Led to Development (BUILD). It was designed with a single goal to counter China. The USA promoted the program with the hope that the private sector will chip in and lead the way.

However, the program could not produce any result, as the USA was not able to support with financial resources. The USA was expecting

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that the private sector will come forward to assist the government, but it did not happen. Australia also launched an initiative of the Pacific Fund of US$ 1.46 billion for the Pacific countries. It was aimed to counter the Chinese investment in Pacific countries.

Japan and India formulated AsiaAfrica Growth Corridor, again the only goal was to undermine the Chinese investment. It was propagated with much pump and show but could not deliver on any front. It is an excellent initiative in theory but no practical actions.

Apart from these facts, it is extremely important to highlight here that in past West developed by exploiting the less developed countries. Western countries colonized Asian and African countries and plundered their resources. Second, they treated indigenous people with cruelty and showed inhuman behavior.

They even did not hesitate to go for the genocide of indigenous people. Red Indians in the USA and Aboriginal people in Australia are still suffering. The UK exploited the sub-continent to the extreme and looted its resources. The UK being the superpower at that time exploited the countries. French did not leave any stone unturned to exploit the African countries.

Still, many African countries are

facing hardships due to France.

However, the circumstances have been changed and there is no space for colonization. By keeping in mind ground realities West has invented new tools and means to keep control over resources. They erected Bretton Wood institutes and promoted globalization, which helped them to maintain control. China has challenged the hegemony of Bretton Woods and the West with better alternatives. West is trying to renew the hegemony and it is one of the objectives of B3W, which seems difficult as now the world has an alternative to West and Bretton Woods.

In this context, the pertinent questions would be, will B3W be successful. Yes, it can be successful, if G-7 tries to build cooperation with China. For that purpose, first of all, G-7 will have to abandon the words of “rival or countering”. They need to look for ways to build connections with BRI and other initiatives. Second, they need to accept the ground realities and accept that China is now formidable global power.

China cannot be single out, as it has its own sphere of friends.

Lastly, they need to realize that the hegemony of the West cannot prolong anymore. So, it’s better to live with new dynamics rather

than beating the drum of the past.

In conclusion, the world needs cooperation, not rivalries, as, the world is facing multiprong challenges. On top of everything, climate change has threatened the very existence of the earth. Thus, the world needs to cooperate. It is pertinent to mention here that China is ready to cooperate, rather China is urging to cooperate.

President Xi Jinping at many times advocated for it, as he believes in “the world is a community and we share resources and future”. Thus, he presented the idea of “Community with Shared Future”.

Note: The writer Shakeel Ahmad Ramay is a Political Economist working with an Islamabad-based Think Tank.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article/Opinion/Comment are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the DND Thought Center and Dispatch News Desk (DND). Assumptions made within the analysis are not reflective of the position of the DND Thought Center and Dispatch News Desk News Agency.

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