Business24 Newspaper 8th October, 2021

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FRIDAY OCTOBER 8, 2021

BUSINESS24.COM.GH

Friday October 8, 2021

NO. B24 / 258 | News for Business Leaders

GCB supports ECOWAS Parliament to promote regional integration and good governance

Access Bank, Coronation Insurance to support SMEs

See page 7

See page 8

FDA boss backs MSMEs to compete in AfCFTA

Commodity markets to remain volatile—ECA

By Benson Afful

By Eugene Davis

affulbenson@gmail.com

ugendavis@gmail.com

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ommodity markets in Africa are expected to remain volatile in the coming months following the persistence of Covid-19 constraints in the supply chain and other global economic pressures, says Stephen Karingi, Director of Regional Integration and Trade Division at the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA).

Mr. Karingi was speaking at the ECA Price Watch session with African finance

roducts from local micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) can compete strongly with products from other countries in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), but MSMEs will need more support from bigger firms to grow, CEO of the Food and Drugs Authority, Delese A. Darko, has said.

According to her, since the FDA launched a scheme to raise the standards of products produced

by MSMEs, major retail shops

See page 3

Cont’d on page 2

Samba Foods repositions for growth, eyes West African market

By Patrick Paintsil p_paintsil@hotmail.com

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amba Foods Plc, the wholly Ghanaian-owned food processing and preservation company, is seeking to return to profitability and reposition as the leading player in its market.

The publicly-listed brand is also seeking to explore opportunities outside Ghana, with plans to

Dr. Leticia Osafo-Addo is the CEO of Samba Foods Plc.

Cont’d on page 3

Cont’d on page 2 Cont’d on page 2

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Editorial / News

FRIDAY OCTOBER 8, 2021

Editorial

Successful Ghanaian firms could help to groom SMEs on packaging

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hief Executive Officer of the Foods and Drugs Authority (FDA) has made a noble call to well-established Ghanaian brands and entrepreneurs to mentor small and medium enterprises on some basic standard requirements that could propel their growth and competitiveness.

One of such requirements is packaging, which is trump card on which every product or service could survive in any given market because a buyer or consumer will first get attracted to product before deciding to make a purchase or not.

The inability of most Ghanaian businesses, especially SMEs to package what they produce has seen them losing out to foreign

consumables and other items across the retail landscape as our malls and shopping centres are flooded with imported goods.

Packaging is a standard requirement that producers of fast-moving consumer goods especially will have to prioritise if we really want to change the average Ghanaian’s taste for foreign goods and also make a headway with the Buy Ghana agenda.

This paper sides with the FDA boss on the need to enhance the knowledge of SMEs and start-ups to get them appreciate the benefits of branding or packaging, which is very critical to the marketability of whatever they produce.

It is quite commendable

that the FDA, on its part, has already launched a Progressive Licensing Scheme (PLS) provide the needed support to cottage/ micro, small and medium scale enterprises (MSMEs) to meet FDA’s regulatory requirements in a systematic manner without compromising on the standards of quality and safety.

We hope that building the capacity of small enterprises on packaging and branding with be well pursued as part of this initiative.

As host of the AfCFTA Secretariat, we must be actively involved in this market but that can only happen with products that are of standard quality and with the right packaging.

FDA boss backs MSMEs to compete in AfCFTA Continued from cover

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including Shoprite, Koala, and Maxi Mart have agreed to put Ghanaian products on their shelves if they are registered and well-branded.

“We have to showcase what we have. Given that AfCFTA is in Ghana, we cannot embarrass ourselves,” she said at a presentation ceremony for 30 MSMEs on the FDA’s Progressive Licensing Scheme (PLS).

The PLS is a certification mechanism aimed at supporting the cottage industry in Ghana to meet the FDA’s required standards for products. A key PLS goal is to have at least 60 percent of products sold in major grocery shops and supermarkets being made-in-Ghana products.

To date, the FDA has registered 1,522 food and cosmetics products and 527 food and cosmetics manufacturing facilities under the scheme.

“We want all the products [produced by MSMEs] that are on the markets to be registered. As many as are manufactured, we want to register them,” Ms. Darko said.

Delese A. Darko, FDA boss

“We hope that some of the bigger industries will support [the MSMEs],” she added.

The 30 MSMEs who took part in the presentation ceremony were selected with the help of the Ghana Enterprise Agency and have successfully completed a series of intensive trainings in good manufacturing practices,

effective product labelling and food safety.

The FDA boss said the activities of the beneficiaries will be closely monitored, and they will be given the necessary technical support to ensure their steady progression to the final stage of the licensing scheme.

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News

FRIDAY OCTOBER 8, 2021

Samba Foods repositions for growth, eyes West African market Continued from cover enter the West African market, specifically Togo and Côte d’Ivoire.

According to its Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Leticia Osafo-Addo, the strategic direction of the company also includes retaining its prime position as the best food brand and manufacturing business in Ghana.

“Our focus is on the retail segment and channel of distribution to the local and international market. We intend to achieve this through increased customer retention and an enhanced product portfolio, with the introduction of new processed food items to new and existing markets such as Togo and Ivory Coast,” she said during the company’s turn on the Ghana Stock Exchange’s Fact behind the Figures platform.

With multinationals handling over 80 percent of the total market share, the company is banking on its investments in equipment and processing facilities to increase its market share and profitability.

“To be able to compete with these multinational companies and win the lion’s share in the industry, we plan to increase revenue and net profit by 25 percent and 20 percent respectively annually,

and to expand sales to existing customers,” Dr. Osafo-Addo added.

Samba Foods grew its sales from GH¢557,965 in 2019 to GH¢672,907 in 2020, representing a 20.6 percent increase, despite

the heavy impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the company’s cash flow.

Incorporated in 1993, Samba Foods has grown over the years into a major player in the processed food industry.

Commodity markets to remain volatile—ECA Continued from cover ministers on “Commodity prices amid Covid-19: prospects and policy implications for African economies.”

He said African economies remain largely dependent on primary commodity exports and that although the commodity sector in most African economies is a significant source of national revenues, high dependence on the sector means high vulnerability to the vagaries of international markets and volatile prices passed on to local markets.

“High commodity dependence is associated with lower human development indicators across the developing world,” said Mr. Karingi, adding that “limited diversification and reliance on the commodities sector are detrimental to long-term development in resource-rich countries.”

The ECA director noted that commodity markets in Africa reacted strongly to Covid-19 in early 2020 owing to restrictions, the economic slowdown and an uncertain outlook.

On the commodity markets’

outlook, he said the upside risk factors for the continent include an improved economic outlook/gradual recovery partly driven by successful vaccines campaigns and control of Covid-19 outbreaks; expansive monetary and fiscal policies to sustain economic activities, like the recent US$1.9 trillion rescue plan in the US and the €750 billion recovery effort in the EU area; dynamic construction and infrastructure sectors worldwide to support markets of some commodities; high production costs to put upward pressure on food costs; and low carbon energy and electric vehicles to sustain markets for products such as cobalt, lithium and nickel.

The downside risk factors include the gloomy economic prospects, especially in industrialised economies if the new Covid-19 variant is not controlled, and slower growth in major commodity importing countries.

Mr. Karingi recommended that countries should overhaul their policies to reduce

strong dependence on global commodity markets. African countries, he said, should also promote economic and fiscal diversification, including through the landmark African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

“AfCFTA will assist with Covid-19 recovery but expected benefits from AfCFTA will not be automatic. Member states must pursue ratification of the agreement and implement it effectively,” he noted.

Oliver Chinganya, Director of the African Centre for Statistics (ACS) at the ECA, said while the macroeconomic effects are well known, the trends in commodity prices and their influence on the revenue of African countries require delving into deeper analysis to have a good grasp of the situation.

“The recent commodity price movement raises questions on critical points that economic policies should consider, both in the current situation as well as for longer-term perspectives,” he said.

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FRIDAY OCTOBER 8, 2021

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News

FRIDAY OCTOBER 8, 2021

Prez commissions Gh¢6.2m shoe manufacturing factory P resident Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has commissioned Shoe Fabriek Limited, the GH¢6.2 million shoe manufacturing company, operating under Government’s 1-District-1-Factory initiative.

The state-of-the-art factory is fitted with the requisite infrastructure and equipment capable of producing 800 pairs of high-quality shoes, including security boots, school shoes and casual shoes for men, women, and children per day.

According to the promoters of the project, the siting of the factory in the Akuapem North District is going to create jobs for the residents, which will help reduce rural-urban migration.

Shoe Fabriek has, so far, created jobs for one hundred and fortyfour (144) people in the district, and is a classic example of the import substitution programme being implemented by the Ministry of Trade and Industry, as part of the 1D1F initiative.

President Akufo-Addo congratulated the promoters of the factory, Michael Asare

Bediako, Opoku Benson and Salomey Gyamfi, for supporting the industrial transformation agenda of his administration.

Whilst encouraging Ghanaian institutions, such as schools, to patronise made in Ghana shoes from this factory, the President expressed gratitude to the traditional authorities and the residents of the community for their unflinching support to the company, and advised the workers to put in their best to ensure sustained growth of the

company.

As of September 2021, 278 1D1F projects are at various stages of implementation under the 1D1F Initiative. Out of this number, 104 are currently in operation, 150 are under construction and 24 are at the mobilization stage.

One hundred and sixty-five (165) out of the 278 are new projects representing 60% whilst 113 companies are existing projects being supported, representing 40%.

In promoting the 1D1F initiative,

the Akufo-Addo Government is seeking to address the youth unemployment challenge, by attracting private sector investments into the development activities of these communities.

Adukrom-Nkurakan road 30% complete The President also inspected ongoing work on the reconstruction of Nkurakan – Adukrom – Trom Junction Road.

This bituminous road has not seen any major intervention for a very long, as such the road is narrow and in poor condition.

The road was awarded on 23 rd December 2020 to Messrs.

General Construction & Development Limited, with work commencing on 19 th July, 2023.

It is expected that, when the road is completed, it will bring relief to both motorists and pedestrians. It will reduce vehicle operating cost and reduce travelling time and facilitate the movement of goods and services.

It will also serve as alternative link to Koforidua, the regional capital when coming from Mamfe.

Volta MPs host stakeholder conference on development

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three-day stakeholders’ conference under the auspices of Members of Parliament from the Volta Region (Volta MPs Caucus) has ended in the Volta Regional capital Ho. The bipartisan forum aimed at chatting a pathway to harness the human and capital resource potentials for rapid development of the region.

The chairman of the Volta MPs Caucus, Emmanuel Kwasi Bedzrah, in a welcome address said the conference was significant as it provided an opportunity for stakeholders, especially MPs and business leaders from the region, to take stock and brainstorm for the efficient development of the region.

Two important issues, including infrastructure and human development, took centre stage in the discussion.

Some urgent infrastructure and human challenges confronting the region include the poor nature of the trunk road after the Adomi Bridge to the regional capital, Ho, as well as the eastern corridor road network; the security threat

posed by youth unemployment; and the non-operationalisation of the Ho airport five years after its completion.

Other challenges are the lack of requisite equipment for the effective functioning of the Ho Teaching Hospital, the abandoned Keta Port project, the untapped tourism potential of the region, and underutilised arable lands and water bodies.

Mr. Bedzrah expressed the hope that through effective collaboration, much can be achieved in minimising the challenges.

"These and many challenges facing the region can be tackled if we grab the bull by its horns through effective and sustained collaborative efforts such as the one we are having today. I am confident in our collective energies that we are capable of rewriting the score and impacting the lives of our people," he stated.

The Fiaga of the Anfoega Traditional Area and President of the Volta Regional House of Chiefs, Togbega Tepre Hodo IV, expressed his happiness about

the event, stating the region will witness the development it requires as a result.

He urged the Volta MPs to do away with all partisanship and think about the development of the region.

The chief also called for improved relationships between MPs and MMDCEs, who often belong to different political parties.

He also advised that only proven individuals who are trustworthy should be appointed into positions of trust in the local governance system.

The Volta Regional Minister, Dr. Archibald Letsa, assured of the total support of his administration

for the initiative to boost the region’s development by the Volta MPs Caucus.

He announced that the Volta Trade and Investment Fair will be held from 15th-28th November, 2021 and expressed appreciation to all Volta MPs and the Volta Development Forum for the level of cooperation and support offered him.

Minister for Railways Development John Peter Amewu made a presentation on the policy direction of his ministry and the benefits therein for the Volta Region.

The conference is expected to issue a communiqué on the development of the region.

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FRIDAY OCTOBER 8, 2021

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Banking and Finance

FRIDAY OCTOBER 8, 2021

GCB supports ECOWAS Parliament to promote regional integration and good governance

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he Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is scheduled to organise a seminar aimed at promoting peace and democratic elections in the sub-region.

The seminar is being organised by the ECOWAS Parliament with the theme, “Two Decades of Democratic Elections in ECOWAS Member States: Achievements, Challenges and the way Forward” will be held from 12th -15th October 2021 at Winneba, Ghana. The seminar forms parts of ECOWAS programmes to promote regional integration and good governance.

The seminar will be attended by high-ranking government representatives, civil society groups, diplomatic corps and other key stakeholders from both within and outside the sub-region to dialogue the subject matter from varying perspectives.

The seminar is being organised in response to concerns for appraisal of measures to

conducting democratic and peaceful elections in the subregion.

Ghana’s biggest and foremost indigenous bank, GCB Bank, has provided financial support towards the successful organisation of the seminar.

The cash donation was done as part of the Bank’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)

activities.

According to GCB, it considers the seminar as an important advocacy programme towards the promotion of peace and democracy in the sub-region.

The Managing Director of GCB Bank Limited, Mr. Kofi Adomakoh, in a statement, mentioned that GCB is poised to support the development of programmes that

promote peace, democracy and rule of law within the sub-region as these create the enabling environment for attracting Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs), regional trade activities as well as general economic and financial sector growth.

The Deputy Majority Leader in Ghana’s Parliament and a member of the ECOWAS Parliament, Alex Afenyo Markins, received the donation on behalf of the ECOWAS Parliament.

Mr. Afenyo-Markins who is also the MP for Efutu in the Central Region, commended GCB for contributing to the sustenance of peace and development in the sub-region.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo who is the Chairman of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) will open the international seminar.

Stanchart partners FinLync to accelerate adoption of bank’s API offerings

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inLync, a global fintech company transforming corporate finance and treasury offices through its worldclass products, and Standard Chartered, a leading international banking group, have announced their partnership to enable corporate treasury and finance teams to rapidly and easily connect to Standard Chartered’s application programming interface (API) offerings, via FinLync.

This will allow corporates to make decisions faster, more frequently and based on moreprecise information, all of which provide an edge over their competition without the substantial time and financial investments typically required in such integration projects.

This partnership reflects FinLync’s role as the market leader in bank API connectivity, and Standard Chartered’s commitment to developing API offerings that provide corporate treasurers with 24/7 access to critical information for improved control and visibility.

By partnering with FinLync, the Bank is able to support its clients in making the shift to realtime treasury and significantly

increasing working capital efficiency, as well as differentiate itself from banks limited to legacy connectivity, all while offloading IT burdens.

Philip Panaino, Global Head of Cash Management at Standard Chartered said: “Beyond the building of APIs, we recognise the need to take the next step in ensuring that corporates can access these solutions in a fast, secure and easy-to-use manner, to fully deliver the benefits of this seamless connection. We are excited to work with FinLync, the leading authority in bank API connectivity, and believe this partnership will help our clients rapidly unlock more value from the market-leading APIs we develop for the corporate finance industry.”

Phillip Klein, co-founder and CEO of FinLync said: “In response to market need, many financial institutions are actively building bank APIs today that can drive efficiencies into a myriad of functions for corporates. In order to get value from bank APIs, companies must connect them to their end solution, usually an ERP. Building these connections from scratch is a lengthy and costly process that

can take months or years for just a single API. FinLync turns this previously complex connectivity challenge into a simple plug-andplay process. You get rid of bank files and middleware but get all the connections you need, plus real-time data and expanded data points, without having to manage the connectivity. We are excited to partner with Standard Chartered to make their bank API offerings immediately accessible for corporates.”

Standard Chartered has developed a number of businesscritical APIs, available via its Open Banking platform, aXess, including Transactions, Payment Initiation, Payment Status and Balances. FinLync’s technology can directly embed account data, via bank APIs, into any clients’ ERP platform, especially for SAP, providing real-time visibility

into account data and cash positions. Working together, this partnership will help address the challenges of today’s treasurers, as they continue to face pressure to do more with fewer resources.

FinLync frees treasury teams up from delays, IT headaches and risks to provide greater speed, richer and more-precise data, and security.

This news follows the announcement that Finlync has launched the industry’s first publicly available corporate bank API catalogue for treasury and finance teams, providing a comprehensive directory where treasurers can find all available corporate banking APIs worldwide, compare them at the click of a button, and see which bank APIs are already connected to FinLync’s SAP-native apps.

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News

FRIDAY OCTOBER 8, 2021

“Redevelopment of Aburi Gardens in the offing”

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resident Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has indicated that the Aburi Gardens will soon be redeveloped, as part of Government’s plan to boost the country’s tourism potential.

President Akufo-Addo made this known when he paid a courtesy call on Nana Otuobour Djan Kwasi II, the Chief of Aburi, at the commencement of day 2 of his 3-day tour of the Eastern Region.

The President revealed that he has already held discussions with the Minister for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Ibrahim Awal Mohammed, about the redevelopment of the Aburi Gardens, which has resulted in the Minister for Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, including the project in the yet-to-be-read 2022 budget.

“Aburi Botanical Gardens is of great important to me. Indeed, the history of the Gardens is known to us all. It is important to the country, and we will protect its heritage for future generations.

Nana, you made mention of Kew Gardens. The time has come for the world to also know about the

potential of Aburi Gardens.”

Nana Otuobour Djankwasi II, Chief of Aburi, who is also the acting President of the Akuapim Traditional Council, expressed his appreciation to the President for the massive infrastructural development that has taken place in Aburi, since the assumption of office of President Akufo-Addo in 2017.

He highlighted the asphalting

and redevelopment of the Akuapem inner roads, the new hospital in Aburi, and several other government projects, as examples of some of the projects undertaken by President AkufoAddo’s Government, which have been extremely beneficial to residents of Aburi.

Aburi Hospital President Akufo-Addo also inspected ongoing work on the

KOM Presbyterian Clinic, which is part of a €40 million contract award to Messrs Contracta Construzion Italia S.R.L. for the retooling and equipping of four selected health facilities in the Eastern Region.

This project, which officially commenced in October 2019, also involves work on the Atibie Hospital in Kwahu, Tetteh Quarshie Memorial Hospital, and the Kibi Government Hospital.

With the project nearly ninety percent (90%) complete, it is expected to be completed on 29 th November 2021.

The scope of work being undertaken by the contractors include works on main administration block, Accident and Emergency, OPD, theatre centre, CSSD, male ward, female ward, laboratory, x-ray unit, pharmacy, family counselling unit, eye clinic, and mortuary.

It will also have a health education area, laboratory, paediatric ward, antenatal dedicated waiting area, kitchen and a medical gas system.

Access Bank, Coronation Insurance to support SMEs

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ccess Bank has unveiled its business protection insurance offering to provide protection against fire, flood, burglary and personal accidents, for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).

The business protection insurance is the newest addition to the portfolio of insurance offered by the bank, in partnership with Coronation Insurance.

Unveiling the new insurance package at an SME forum at the National Theatre in Accra, the MD of Coronation Insurance, Mr. Adedayo Arowojolu, encouraged business owners to take advantage of the offer to secure their businesses.

The President of the Traders Advocacy Group Ghana (TAGG), Mr. David Amoateng, commended Access Bank for its ever-growing interest in meeting the needs of traders and businesses in general and for partnering TAGG. He challenged Coronation Insurance to move out of its comfort zones into the markets to educate business owners on

insurance.

“It’s about time to get out of your offices and hit the ground running. Educate market women and men on insurance because, many people don’t know the importance of insurance and therefore don’t see the need to take one,” he said.

The Group Head for Retail Banking at Access Bank, Mrs.

Matilda Asante-Asiedu, also called on SMEs to secure their businesses with the business protection insurance to avert the unfortunate situations that befall many in times of fire, flood, burglary and personal accidents.

On the role the bank plays regarding insurance, she explained that, Access Bank provides funds for businesses

therefore business owners needed to get a cover for their businesses.

“To be able to secure your businesses, you need to get your business running. This is why Access Bank has collaborated with Coronation Insurance to provide you that needed stability”, she noted.

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News

FRIDAY OCTOBER 8, 2021

Vodafone reaffirms commitment to customers through Care Week celebration

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odafone Ghana is known for implementing excellent customer experience practices that affirm its leadership as a caring brand in the country.

With its customer-first approach, the telecom giant is continuously improving products, services, and customer journeys; delivering value to customers and helping them adapt to the changing digital environment.

As the world celebrates the international customer care week, Vodafone Ghana has heightened its commitment by unveiling a host of activities to reward, excite and engage customers from 4th October to 8th October 2021.

Vodafone is rewarding its customers across multiple touchpoints with Vodafone Cash, gift baskets, Mi-Fi, data, airtime, Vodafone souvenirs and other fantastic prizes.

Customers will also get the chance to win several prizes by participating in fun activities, including fastest fingers and quizzes on social media.

Vodafone’s Senior Leadership Team will be visiting and rewarding selected business customers also.

Vodafone has taken this year’s celebration a notch higher by organising a free special customer experience training for small businesses. The training will take a hybrid format with over 100 participants connecting online.

Vodafone is aware of the ravaging impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and will throughout the week be reminding customers of its various selfservice digital channels, including MyVodafoneApp, MyVodafoneWeb, and TOBi. These channels were introduced

to ensure the safety of its customers, as they can simply access its products and services via these channels, in line with its digital-first agenda.

Additionally, the telecommunications giant has rolled out a points-based loyalty programme to appreciate customers' loyalty. Customers whose birthdays are in October will also receive gifts, just to say, "Thank you!"

Commenting on the Vodafone Care Week celebration, the Director of Digital Transformation

and Commercial Operations, Angela Mensah-Poku, said Vodafone Ghana acknowledges the immense contribution of its customers and has therefore dedicated a week to appreciating their efforts.

"The celebration of our customers is something that is key to us. Without our valued, loyal customers, we know we would not have seen the continued strength of our brand. Therefore, we continually strive to deliver an outstanding customer experience by placing the customer first."

"We continue to expand our ecosystem with products and services that will excite our customers. At Vodafone, we deem it an opportunity to consummate profound commitments to the delivery of quality customer service to our valued customers across the country. This week is an opportunity to listen more and incorporate our customers’ feedback in everything we do", she explained.

The Customer Service Week event will be marked across all Vodafone Ghana retail shops and channels.

TOR commences investigations on product losses

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he Interim Management Committee (IMC) of the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) has commenced investigations into product storage and transfer losses.

The investigation is in order to eradicate or reduce product losses at TOR to the barest minimum

and to enable TOR realise its vast potential.

Management of the refinery in a statement said some of the incidence of product storage and transfer losses that had so far been discovered include; the disappearance of 105, 927 litres of Cias oil on September 4, 2021,

which belongs to BDC client It said it also discovered the wrongful loading of 252,000 litres of Aviation Turbine Kerosene instead of regular Kerosene into BRV Trucks at the loading gantry between 21st and 25th September, 2021.

The statement added TOR

discovered the disappearance of 18 drums of electrical cables worth GH¢10.4 million from the technical storehouse in April 2021.

"The disappearance of LPG belonging to a client between 2012 and 2015, as a result of which TOR became indebted to the client to the tune of US$48 million, as confirmed by an Ernst and Young audit," it said.

It said there was loss of Naphtha to a BDC client.

The refinery said consequently, a number of staff members, who held various positions of responsibility with respect to the transfer of products have been queried and interdicted, pending the outcome of investigations.

It said while the investigations are ongoing, "we urge all staff to remain calm and be rest assured that the investigations are being conducted in accordance with due process of law.

Anyone cleared in the process will be recalled from interdiction while any form of liability will be dealt with in accordance with the law."

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Insurance

FRIDAY OCTOBER 8, 2021

South Africa's Liberty Health partners Apex Health Insurance

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outh Africa's Liberty Health and Apex Health Insurance in Ghana on Wednesday announced a partnership where Liberty Health Cover products are now available through Apex Health Insurance in Ghana.

This will enable Apex Health Insurance to provide a comprehensive range of products meeting multinational, corporate and SME client needs.

The full range of Liberty Health Cover products has been approved by the regulatory authorities in Ghana.

According to Andrew Schwulst, CEO of Liberty Health, the strategic partnership has been some time in the making and the joint teams will have a valuesdriven and positive impact on the health ecosystem in Ghana.

“The partnership demonstrates our commitment to making quality healthcare accessible to more residents of West Africa, Ghana specifically, and across the African continent,” Schwulst said.

Liberty Health has established partnerships with local insurers in 27 African countries, enabling employers to have a standardised health insurance solution across the continent.

They settle 96 percent of claims directly with providers, with minimal out of pocket expenses for their customers.

The CEO of Apex Health Insurance in Ghana Godwin, Fafali Setsofia-Tukpeyi explained that from their perspective, “Apex Health Insurance has partnered with Liberty Health to meet Ghanaian residents’ needs for a range of benefit plans that not only provide in-country cover

but plans that also offer access to international benefits.

Many of our multinational clients, and government clients have expressed a need for cover across multiple countries in Africa, emergency evacuation, international critical care services, and more choice around international elective treatments.”

“We are committed to providing benefits that offer comprehensive and meaningful cover, value for money, predictable premium increases, and collaborative processes to contain costs for long-term sustainability," he added.

Currently less than 50 percent of Africans have access to modern healthcare facilities.

This has been made worse by the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in millions of people in dire need

Sanlam, NSIA consolidate positions in Africa

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s part of the development strategy in Central and West Africa, NSIA and Sanlam have signed a mutual transfer/acquisition agreement.

Sanlam has acquired NSIA's Malian life and non-life insurance activities.

This transaction is in line with the South African insurer's strategy to strengthen its position

in Mali.

Sanlam is transferring its life subsidiaries in Togo and Gabon as well as its non-life entities in Congo and Guinea to NSIA. The NSIA group is thus consolidating its position in the aforementioned countries.

All these transactions are subject to the approval of the supervisory authorities.

of access to proper healthcare.

Liberty Health has remained robust through COVID-19.

With access to over 7 000 healthcare providers across the continent, and thanks to Apex Health Insurance, over 650 in Ghana, their combined network ensures that employees (members) receive access to quality care when it really counts.

“The available range of healthcare solutions now provides increasing access to various levels of comprehensive cover for employees of multinationals, corporates, and small businesses in Ghana, providing several choices to suit their budgets and needs,” he said.

Schwulst commented, “These advantages are possible because of the commitment we have made to building and investing in long-

term partnerships with all our stakeholders across Africa since 2009. In West Africa, and Ghana specifically, this is true of Apex Health Insurance.”

In closing, Setsofia-Tukpeyi added: “We are excited about working even closer with Liberty Health to expand access to their wellbeing offering.

By empowering people to be as healthy and productive as possible, we help contribute to their individual financial freedom.

Liberty Health also has the financial strength, clinical and governance frameworks and tools to help us ensure healthier staff and therefore better business and economic growth. Collectively, this gives members and their employers financial peace of mind, and over time will make Africa healthier." he explained.

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FRIDAY OCTOBER 8, 2021

Time, an invaluable currency

By Louisa Afriyie Afrane Okese

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ime, as we know, is one of the most treasured assets we have as people. No amount of money is worth more than time, no matter how rich you are. We have it in abundance and in equal measure, where there are no classes, no strata separating us.

As cliché as this phrase is, time is truly currency. We use currency daily for many different things such as enjoying food, listening to music at a show, electricity to charge our phones, obtaining data for internet services, water, gas, and so on.

It has become second nature to us. We give money to get money, and we obsess and fret about how much money we have and don’t have.

Without time, none of these will be possible. When we refer to currency, what rings a bell in people’s minds is money. For a very long time, we have had the notion that money is the only currency because it is the token for it. To the extent that many people perceive success to having a lot of money. We measure success by things linked to value, which links back to

how much we are compensated – again, money.

The possessions we purchase, or the wealth that we have in the bank gives us the comfortability and security we need. The ability to purchase or amass wealth pushes us to run around and do whatever we can, which is largely based on proving a point to people, and to family. Proving a point that you can secure the best inheritance for your legacy.

It gives us a sense of ownership and accomplishment. We are conditioned naturally to believe that the culture and the pure essence of living must be linked back to money and possessions. It is ingrained in us, and we do this unwillingly and unflinchingly.

But what about the currency of time?

The currency of time is limitless. We all have the same time in a day. Money is a currency and a tool which is great because it allows us to acquire what we need. But time is also a currency that we can use every single moment we live, regardless of our background, skill set or social status. When we commute to work, we are spending time getting to our destination.

When we do tasks for others,

we are spending time. When we hang out with friends, we are exchanging time, we are spending time with loved ones or romantic interests. When we take the time to reflect and introspect, we get to know ourselves and our families better, and there is beauty in that.

There is beauty in spending time valuing and nurturing business, personal connections, and in establishing your career by spending time focusing on what you need to grow. There is a great sense of joy and triumph when you spend time focusing on your health, your well-being, your body, which presents an opportunity to reward yourself by the outcome of investing that time.

We should think of currency in two folds, the currency of monetary value and the currency of time. The thing about time is that, on one hand, it can be spent on anything and on the other hand, it can be wasted on everything. For example, being horrible to others, overthinking, trying to be perfect among others.

We can waste time thinking that we should be like other people when we are all different.

We can waste time doing things that do not benefit us in any way.

We waste time not seeing those who are near and dear to us.

We only have a set amount of existence. So, we should not spend our time on things that do not serve us or no longer brings us joy. That could be in relationships, at the workplace, in our careers, or our habits, etc.

We should rather focus our energies on acquiring a new budget of spending time on ourselves, connections, family, friends, God, and spirituality. It is inexpensive and we can gain so many wonderful experiences, cultivating love, connections, relationship with self, exploring places, going out in nature, seeing animals, helping to nurture children and so on.

We must begin to be open and present. We must perceive time as an equal currency to money.

Once we truly learn to do this, we will take our richness to another level. As eloquently stated by American entrepreneur, author and motivational speaker, Jim Rohn, “Time is more valuable than money. You can get more money, but you cannot get more time.”

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Egypt’s apex business body holds “Ghana Economic Business Day” webinar

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he Cairo-based Egyptian African Businessmen Association (EABA) has held “Ghana Economic Business Day” bringing together virtually leading business personalities in Egypt, Ghana and other African countries to discuss trade and investment opportunities for the commercial city of Africa.

The business conference formally kicked off with the opening remarks by Dr. Yousrey El-Sharkawi, EABA’s Chairman who pointed out EABA’s missions prominent among which was to promote trade and investment opportunities between Egypt and the rest of African.

Chairman El-Sharkawi described EABA as a business community working to support the economic, investment and trade growth of the Africa continent. EABA links African businesses in terms of joint investment opportunities in favour of the sustainable development of the continent.

The EABA Ghana representative inviting all speakers to the webinar and highlighting the benefits and value propositions investors will derived from doing business with the commercial city of Africa alerted that, EABA was a place for everyone. She hailed the birth of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area granting Ghana now the status as the commercial city for Africa.

With such a very prominent

and promising body like EABA, pulling resources such as knowledge, talent, experience and expertise towards an inclusive socio-economic development and progress of mother Africa and its people will be a step in the right direction,” she added. She called on all and sundry to think Ghana first when thinking of the preferred business destination post covid-19 for trade and investment.

The Commercial Diplomat, Mr. Ahmed Tarek, representing the Egyptian Embassy in Ghana on the panel says: “it is indeed gratifying to see Ghanaian entrepreneurs coming under such an umbrella like EABA to pitch their business and discuss trade and investment opportunities with the rest of Africa. He was of the opinion that, doing business in Ghana is the right thing to do as the economy provides that safe haven for all investors to thrive” Dr. James Rajamani, the chairman and chief chancellor of

the India Africa Trade Council – (IATC) shared a solidarity message as he also highlighted benefits he has enjoyed as an entrepreneur doing business over two decades in Ghana inviting other investors to do same.

To this end, Dr. Alfa Kadri former CEO of the Ghana Commodity exchange based in Accra and currently an International Consultant with the IFC/World Bank Group where he advises on structured market systems in Africa, supported the establishment and restructuring of several commodity exchanges and structured financial services scheme in Africa including - Ethiopia, Rwanda, Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria, Zimbabwe and Ghana was pleased to be part of the webinar. He called on other African entrepreneurs and investors to turn their focus to the commercial city as so much support awaits them in trade facilitation to the country. He also spoke on the general business

environment, laws, regulations and government policies vis-a-vis doing business in Ghana.

Dr. Bernice Welbeck of the Ghana Labour Commission presented and educated the audience on the legal requirement of the law in support of the effective management of the employment relationship under Ghana’s Labour Laws.

Other speakers included business owners of diversified fields in Ghana – the destinations marketing and management as well as travel and tourism industry, oil and gas, agribusiness, services industry, fashion, media, TVET, security, pharmaceuticals, social enterprises, textiles, real estate, animal feed, chieftaincy and culture, agriculture amongst others.

Now is the time for EABA and its wonderful members consisting of successful businesspeople, career diplomats and smart professionals of all types, to push the collective African agenda towards meaningful and sustainable development as well as business expansion in this part of our globe. It would be recalled that the association also held series of meetings and conferences, one of which was “the African women conference” which discussed the role of the African woman to promoting trade and investment for Africa, and was attended online by EABA members and affiliates within Africa and beyond.

Ken Ofori-Atta inaugurates 9-member board for PPA

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en Ofori-Atta has urged the newly constituted governing board of the Public Procurement Authority (PPA) to be innovative and also ensure sustained use of the Ghana Electronic Procurement System for greater transparency, accountability and value for money in public procurement.

This was contained in a speech read on his behalf by a Deputy Minister for Finance, Dr. John Ampontuah Kumah, who also inaugurated the Board. He advised them to work assiduously to improve the image of the procurement profession in Ghana.

The Public Procurement Authority (PPA) was established by the Public Procurement Act, 2003 (Act 663) and its

subsequent amendment in 2016 through the Public Procurement (Amendment) Act, 2016 (Act 914).

The PPA’s mandate is to among other things, make proposals for the formulation of policies on procurement; ensure policy implementation and human resource development for public

procurement; monitor and supervise public procurement and ensure compliance with statutory requirements; and establish and implement an information management system relating to public procurement.

The Board has Prof. Christopher Ameyaw Ekumfi as its Chairman,

the members are Mr. Frank Mante, Hon Diana Asonaba Dapaah, Mr. Hayford Amoh, Madam Ernestina Swatson Eshun, Dr Alhassan Iddrisu, Mr. Samuel Richard Nee Baidoo, Mr. Isaac Kofi Amoah and Madam Patricia Safo.

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The Bretton Woods credibility crisis

BY Anne O. Krueger

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espite setbacks like the Great Recession and the COVID-19 pandemic, the world economy has had a massively successful run since World War II. That success was underpinned by the postwar global economic system and its central institutions: the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, and the World Trade Organization (previously the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade). In joining the Bretton Woods institutions, countries around the world agreed to subject their economic behavior to an international rule of law.

These institutions all have governing bodies with representatives from member states, as well as highly qualified technocratic staff to carry out their work. The periodic reports they produce have been essential sources of information and analyses. But one of these reports, the World Bank’s annual Doing Business index, has become the source of enormous controversy.

The point of Doing Business was to report on each member state’s regulatory environment, elements of which include legal procedures, wait times, start-up costs, the efficiency of the judicial system, and the accessibility and reliability of basic utilities like electricity. These and many other factors determined each country’s overall ranking. In the 2018 report, for example, New Zealand ranked highest, and Somalia the lowest.

While no measure is perfect, the procedure for determining

the rankings was transparent, and the indicators in each report were as objective as possible, even if they did rely also on anecdotal evidence. The Doing Business reports were highly respected and thus widely used, not only by national policymakers as an indication of how their country’s regulations and performance compared with others’, but also by independent researchers and firms and financial institutions contemplating investments abroad. It was not uncommon for a head of government to instruct his ministers to pursue policies geared toward climbing the rankings.

Many observers, including me, regarded the Doing Business reports as the World Bank’s single most important publication. The Bank published the individual results alongside the overall ranking, so anyone who questioned the weights could apply her own. While some governments instituted Potemkin reforms – all façade and no substance – there were many more instances of Doing Business-inspired policies that reduced costs and increased productivity.

As with all publications from international economic institutions, Doing Business’s credibility was the key to its success.

But following the 2018 report, there were complaints about the data that had been used, leading the World Bank to commission the highly regarded law firm WilmerHale to investigate.

Its report, issued last month, found serious irregularities with respect to China’s ranking in the 2018 report. The investigators

report that Kristalina Georgieva, the Bank’s then-CEO (second in command) who has since become managing director of the IMF, urged staff to reconsider the results for China, and then “explored … ways to change the methodology to raise China’s ranking.” The report also points out that the Bank had an interest in placating China, because it was seeking Chinese support for a capital increase at the time.

All told, the investigators provided sufficient evidence of Georgieva’s involvement to raise serious doubts about Doing Business’s credibility and integrity. The current president of the World Bank, David Malpass, has suspended publication of the 2021 report and discontinued future ones.

The Bank will surely examine and amend its procedures to prevent similar efforts at manipulation in the future.

Credibility is essential for the critical work the IMF and World Bank do. Both employ highly respected researchers, world-class economists and statisticians, and dedicated officials. They know they are civil servants and not politicians; all are highly committed to their jobs. True, in some cases (some of which are known to me), there has been pressure at the political level to support a certain lending program or policy position. But a central part of the leadership’s job is to shield staff from undue interference in their reports and analyses.

Attempting to massage the ranking for one country in a cross-country report is egregious not only because it undermines

the credibility of the report but also because it harms the other countries whose rankings are changed as a result. When a country falls in the rankings, its ability to attract foreign investors and businesses can be diminished.

Like Caesar’s wife, IMF and World Bank leaders must be well above suspicion in overseeing these institutions’ work and safeguarding the integrity of the data on which that work relies.

Georgieva’s reported actions certainly raise serious doubts about her commitment to the integrity of the data, including in the context of her new role.

If an IMF managing director is thought to be amenable to pressures to alter data and analyses, the credibility of the Fund’s work will be greatly diminished, if it is believed at all. It is one thing for the managing director to urge the Board to approve a program of questionable merit based on a report providing an honest account of the situation. It is quite another thing to pressure staff to alter the numbers.

Should Georgieva remain in her position, she and her staff will surely be pressured to alter other countries’ data and rankings. And even if they resist, the reports they produce will be suspect. The entire institution’s work will be devalued. That prospect alone should be enough for the IMF’s political masters to find a new managing director whose commitment to the integrity of the work is not in question.

Copyright: Project Syndicate

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The Giving Capsules: Africa needs to do a lot more to combat gender discrimination and violence

By Baptista S. H.Gebu (Mrs.)

W

ho will speak, if you don’t? Who will speak so the voices of the masses are heard? Who will speak if we don’t?

Globally, violence against women and girls persists.

Besides, there are all kinds of gender discrimination. Some governments are steadily making efforts to eradicate violence and discrimination using legislation, and supporting public platforms devoted to discussing these.

In an interview with Kester Kenn Klomegah* of IDN-InDepthNews, I discussed the situation of women and girls in the Republic of Ghana in West Africa.

Here are the interview excerpts: What issues would you say are the most pressing for women today?

In my opinion, there are five most pressing issues facing women, and that includes violence against women and girls, which is the broader subject matter. It can be broken down to embrace— child marriage issues, intimate partner violence against mostly women, sexual harassment, and rape issues, trafficking in persons, violations against displaced women and girls. There are also girls’ education and women's rights violations.

In Ghana and globally, according to statistics, during the lockdown, cases of violence against women and girls have

greatly increased. For instance, in Ghana, teenage pregnancy cases were recorded in greater numbers. More than half a million teenagers are on record to have gotten pregnant over the last five years, data from the Ghana Health Service District Health Information Management System (DHIMS) reveals. On average, a little over 112,800 teenagers get pregnant annually and we know teenage pregnancy is a driver of child marriage.

The gender pay gap is trending due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

This is because men and women in the same employment performing equal work must receive equal pay unless any difference in pay can be justified; our non–adherence to equal work for equal pay creates the “gender pay gap”.

The world is appreciative of the support of health professionals; truth is that with Covid hitting our shores the world's dependence on women has increased. In moments of the pandemic when more women are at the frontline of the pandemic response, it would have been welcome news for us applauding equal work for equal pay in times like this.

But women are still working and facing discrimination in earnings. Though globally 70% of women are health and social workers and have been at the forefront in the fight against Covid they get paid 11% less than their male counterparts as the World Health Organization has pointed out. Similarly, the average gender gap of nearly 30% still occurs in the health workforce.

Non-universal access to the internet and digital illiteracy is equally pressing. Covid-19 has moved the world online. The virtual space is booming and is the newest cash cow. Most people especially women and girls do not know how to access this virtual space and are not digitally literate to take the opportunity of this new normal.

Access to the internet becomes another obstacle that needs to be addressed. Period poverty and stigma, under-representation of women in decision-making and in hems of affairs appear the most pressing issues to me now.

What would you say about the representation of women in politics generally in African countries including Ghana?

The representation of women in politics generally in Africa including Ghana is still not very encouraging. Some efforts have been made this past decade but the data still shows a record of low for most African countries.

In Ghana, for instance, looking at the trends for the 8th parliament in terms of party representation for the two dominant political parties, we can infer that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) recorded a low of 14 female members, dropped to 13 then increased to 20 during 2013, 2017 and currently 2021 respectively.

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) recorded a 16, 24 and now decreased to 20 during 2013, 2017, and 2021 respectively. This is really a record of low because the 8th parliament of the 4th

republic of Ghana comprising 275 members could only boast of 40 women, 20 each for both dominant political parties.

Meanwhile, we know when women win we all win. For Africa, there is an average record of 24% women representation as put forward by the 2017 UN Women data on the subject. We need to continuously educate, create awareness, and strongly advocate for more women representation in the political sphere as women are known to be better leaders.

Do you feel that women are not strongly encouraged in this political sphere? Do you also think they face discrimination in their professional careers?

Yes, personally I feel that women are not strongly encouraged in this political sphere and still do face discrimination in their professional careers. But globally some level of success has been recorded; this is because women in every country now in the world have the right to vote. The right to vote is very important and very basic in my opinion and since 1893 when New Zealand as a country granted females this right to vote, we now say the world allows this because since 2015 Saudi Arabia as a country also granted this right to its females.

Progress has been slow on this front also therefore the adaptation of purposive policies like quotas can help as Arab countries are exploring currently. Aside from religious and cultural issues, it’s interesting how perception has

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17 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 15 had a greater toll on us also. In discussing these issues mostly, you will realize that majority of people even in developed countries like America prefer to see women in top leadership positions but not in politics.

Aside from the name-calling and marriage challenges, women do not have an easier path to politics, in my opinion, and are mostly expected to prove their worth.

As a woman, you cannot expect to yearly switch your scope and ambitions. You cannot attend to marriage life this year, do childbirth the next and switch to a career subsequently keeping the rest on hold. We need to learn to multi-task and do all progressively. We combine yearly depending on our situation, career, marriage life, childbirth, and many others. The reason, women rather need support.

When women are in leadership positions in this political sphere, they represent themselves first, other women and children that are past half of the society.

This is why when women win, we all win, but discrimination even in professional careers discourages a lot more women to rise. Women naturally support their spouses when they are at the top but very few men are seen supporting their wives vice versa.

The narrative is changing as more women are now supporting and pushing other women, opposite from what was happening before — where women were seen to be their own enemies in my opinion.

Could you please tell us more about how women are generally perceived (public opinion) in society, in Ghana, and perhaps in the neighboring West African countries?

Due to traditional and cultural norms, most people in Ghana and West Africa still hold the perception that the women’s place is the kitchen. I'm not sure there is data available to speak to the issues of how many housewives there are currently in the sub-region. By observation, the percentages of women in paid employment are very low and Covid-19 is making an already sad situation worse due to layoffs and a decline in certain jobs. This perception has greatly affected most girls’ ability to have access to quality and continuous education to the highest level helping those becoming economically empowered women.

The situation is just difficult as most girls are expected at some point to end up in the husband’s

FRIDAY OCTOBER 8, 2021

homemaking babies and taking care of children and the home.

Some of these cultural norms are hindering progress to eradicating gender-based violence in our communities. A man can rape his own wife. Usually, concern must be obtained and granted for meaningful sex. In the same way, we can negotiate our ways to sex in marriage as partners, but once one partner forces the other without obtaining concern nor negotiating, we see rape happening already.

How many of the women and girls in the sub-region know this? Can you imagine the situation of child brides? How can a child take care of another child?

Violence against women and girls is one of the most widespread human rights violations in the world. It knows no social, economic or national boundaries. The harmful oldfashioned practice of child marriage continues worldwide. In developing countries, more than 30 per cent of girls are married before the age of 18, and 14 per cent before they are 15, according to data from UNICEF. Defined as a customary, religious, or legal marriage of anyone under 18, child marriage occurs before the girl is physically and psychologically ready for the responsibilities of marriage and childbearing having major consequences for public health, national security, social development, human rights, economic development, and gender equality. This is the main reason why we all need to be aware of the issues and contribute to stopping child marriage now.

According to snapshots of the key findings from the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) from 2006 to 2018 in Ghana, the percentage of girls in union before age 18 by residential segregation remained insistently high in rural areas than recorded for the urban areas. Girls with little or no education were usually more likely to get married before age 18 than those with secondary or higher education and highest again among the poorest households, and lowest among the richest households.

Child mothers and their children are more vulnerable to infections and deaths than adult mothers and their children. Looking at the West Africa situation, to curb the menace, I propose among other things that; we empower girls and boys to be better able to prevent child marriage, influence positive change in our communities’

beliefs and attitudes and social norms that drive child marriage, fast-track access of adolescents, particularly girls, to quality education, increase data and evidence available to inform policy and programming and also ensure effective harmonization of the various initiatives to end child marriage How is the state or government committed to change this situation, most probably by enacting laws or formulating policies promoting women’s empowerment?

There is a five-year Strategic Plan to address Adolescent Pregnancy in Ghana, a National Gender Policy and its Strategic Implementation Plan, a National framework on ending Child Marriage, and a National Domestic Violence Policy and Plan of Action to implement the Domestic Violence Act, 2007 (Act 732). The government is enacting and formulating laws to promote women’s empowerment. We have the laws in adequate numbers, but most are not aligned and are with gaps. Child marriage is illegal in Ghana because the 1992 Constitution and the Children’s Act 1998 (Act 560) set the legal age for marriage at 18 for both girls and boys.

The controversy begins with the same law, our Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29) outlines the age of sexual consent at 16 years old, which is the minimum age at which an individual is considered legally old enough to consent to participation in any sexual activity. So, I ask, how can we juxtapose this? That a child can consent to sex at age 16 but should not be pregnant nor marry at 16.

A policy without enforcement to me makes it merely an advice.

We need more government support to manage enforcement as these aspects of the law have left a gap between these two child legislations and must be addressed by the legislature.

That is why a proposed increase of the age of consent to sex from 16 to 18 will be a step in the right direction.

Do you suggest governments have to act now to accelerate discussing these issues raised above and sustain progress on gender equality, specifically in Ghana and generally, in Africa?

Globally, the rates of child marriage are slowly declining, but progress was not happening fast enough until the Covid-19 pandemic introduced its own dynamics to the situation. If pre-

pandemic trends continue, 150 million more girls will be married by 2030. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, this may increase by a further 13 million girls if nothing is done about the issue now. The clock is ticking and research has it that, covid-19 will stay longer with us than earlier perceived reason government needs to act now!

The lives of innocent women and girls are in danger due to someone’s lack of enforcement of the law. We need to muster the courage to hold the bull by the hone. Government must act now and not later because, in pandemic times, aside from bread and butter issues many suffer violence in silence.

The President of Ghana is calling on Ghanaians to be citizens and not spectators; humbly do I request the president also deliver on his promise to the people on the issues of violence.

The murders must stop and we believe our government can support putting an end to this by involving the right stakeholders at the right time and be a listening leader desirous of positive change across board.

Data from the Statistics Research and Monitoring Unit (SRMU) of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service indicates that some 306 murder cases have been reported to the police from January 1 to June 30 this year. This statistic is serious as this is just half year data. Let’s speak out. If we don't speak on their behalf, who will do that.

Baptista is a Hybrid Professional and the Executive Director of ProHumane Afrique International.

ProHumane is a charitable, development & think thank organization working with communities & individuals to create sustainable solutions to transform communities through diverse pro-poor initiatives.

Pro-poor initiatives are initiatives that help to alleviate poverty. Baptista is a realist, affable, simple and humane.

You can reach her via e-mail on info@prohumaneafriqueint. com Visit our website: www. prohumaneafriqueint.com Follow us: LinkedIn/ Twitter/ Facebook/ Instagram: ProHumane Afrique International. Call or WhatsApp: +233(0)262213313.

Hashtag: #behumane #thegivingcapsules #prohumaneafriqueint #fowc

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ICT

FRIDAY OCTOBER 8, 2021

Huawei band 6; the new look to modern smart bands

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ith smartwatch capabilities like all-day SpO2 monitoring, large display and two-week battery is connected through Huawei Health on an affordable smart band.

Back in the day, smartwatches and smart bands were two completely different products.

While one brought about all the smarts, interactivity and functionality, the latter was a plain wearable with no display and just a vibration or two to act as alerts.

While these fitness or smart bands served a purpose of tracking, they were never fully fledged when it came to user interactivity, usually limiting to smartphone apps or at the most a minimal and monochrome display. Not anymore, Huawei brings together all the capabilities of a smartwatch into a smart band, Huawei Band 6.

For instance, let’s take a look at what smart bands are known for. As mentioned earlier, they are smaller, not really big on displays and focused mainly on just notifications and health alerts, all while depending on an

app to display everything.

With the new HUAWEI Band 6, you get all of these, but with the added bonuses of smartwatch like design and features at the more affordable smart band price.

In terms of the health indicators for example, the HUAWEI Band 6 is capable of constantly monitoring your blood oxygen (SpO2) levels. An important health indicator, a drop in an individual’s SpO2 levels can result in fatigue while prolonged lower levels are more adverse.

What Huawei does here is, instead of having the users scan their SpO2 levels when they feel down, the HUAWEI Band 6 monitors it all day long in the background and even alerting the wearer if there are any drops.

The health monitoring does not end there, because the HUAWEI Band 6 takes on board all of Huawei’s strong health monitoring systems, which allow for accurate heart rate monitoring with HUAWEI TruSeenTM 4.0, HUAWEI TruSleepTM for accurate sleep tracking and HUAWEI TruRelaxTM for stress

measurement and management.

Health and fitness tracking is what smart bands are supposed to do, however, what people don’t expect from a smart band actually comes down to its display, something most variants lack thereof.

With the HUAWEI Band 6, you get a full-fledged 1.47” AMOLED display with a bezel less design and screen to body ratio of 42 per cent, which means the overall experience is more immersive than ever before. This display not only gives a more interactive experience akin to smartwatches, but also gives the overall look and feel of one.

Huawei maintains its promise of long battery life with the HUAWEI Band 6 as well, implementing two full weeks of use on a single charge with all the health and fitness features running.

One thing that is constant with smart bands and trackers is the attention to fitness monitoring and tracking data to evaluate progress. The HUAWEI Band 6 is no stranger to this either, capable of tracking up to 96 workout modes that are automatically

detected and tracked to get the most accurate data.

This is further complemented by the HUAWEI TruSportTM algorithm, which deeply analyzes user’s exercise capabilities based on heart rate variability and exercise data and provides detailed assessments such as oxygen intake levels, recovery time and training effects.

All of these pair well with the HUAWEI Health app, which can be used to view all the data, view breathing exercises, set goals and monitor progress and even set smart alarms and event reminders.

What truly sets the HUAWEI Band 6 apart is how it has taken evolutionary cues from smartphones and smartwatches, to result in a device that not only provides all the stellar features one has to come to expect from the likes of a full-fledged smartwatch, but offers it all at the price point of a smart band, thereby changing the game for the product line.

Huawei Band 6 is available for GH¢359 at the Huawei Experience Store Accra Mall and other accredited retail shops.

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FAO report highlights urgent need to restore Africa’s degraded landscape

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aunched during Africa Climate Week, and the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, the Review of Forest and Landscape Restoration in Africa 2021, shows, that more needs to be done to tap the continent’s opportunity to return land to sustainable production, protect biodiversity, and shield livelihoods in the battle against climate change.

“Despite our efforts, every year more forest disappears, costing the continent a three per cent loss of GDP”, said Abebe HaileGabriel, Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Africa.

The analysis has been published by FAO together with the African Union Development Agency-NEPAD. Up to 65 per cent of productive land is degraded, while desertification affects 45 per cent of Africa’s land area, according to the review.

And while the overall trend is moving downward, net loss of forests is still increasing in Africa, with four million hectares of forest disappearing every year.

Moreover, Africa’s drylands are increasingly more vulnerable to climate change and their

restoration is a priority for adaptation and building resilient and sustainable food systems.

“Degraded forest landscapes intensify the effects of climate change and are a barrier to building resilient and prosperous communities when 60 percent of Africans depend on their land and their forests”, said the FAO official.

Most of the projects assessed in the Review have a strong climate change dimension that not only aims to sequester carbon but also to create jobs and reduce the vulnerabilities of rural people to food insecurity.

The report identifies local

ownership as being fundamental for success, while high-level political support and access to finance are also crucial.

“Extending well beyond treeplanting, forest and landscape restoration is an all-encompassing approach to returning trees and forests to landscapes where they have been lost and is of great benefit to sustainable food production, building resilience and disaster risk reduction”, said Nora Berrahmouni, FAO Senior Forestry Officer covering Africa, and one of the review’s lead authors.

Difficulties with longer-term finance, land tenure and property

rights are major challenges, according to the assessment.

Other roadblocks include insecurity and conflict, lack of technical capacity and restricted access due to poor infrastructure.

“African countries and their partners need to continue to scale-up their efforts in forest and landscape restoration as a viable solution to climate change and building forward better in response to COVID-19, while also protecting their natural capital”, said Ms. Berrahmouni.

“It’s a long-term process but it is a sustainable, forward-looking solution”, she added.

Cecilia Dapaah to act as caretaker Minister of Gender

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resident Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo has directed Madam Cecilia

Abena Dapaah, Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources, to act as the Caretaker Minister of

the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection.

The directive is as a result of the

President’s extension of the leave of absence from office of Madam Sarah Adwoa Safo, Minister of the Sector and Member of Parliament for the Dome Kwabenya Constituency, which was to have ended on August 31, 2021.

A statement from the presidency signed by Mr. Eugene Arhin, Director of Communications, explained that the minister sought leave of absence for personal reasons.

The caretaker minister would, therefore, operate until further notice.