Category: General

China’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) reached 126 trillion RMB (17.89 trillion USD) in 2023, representing a 5.2 percent increase in its overall economic growth.

Ranked among the fastest-growing major economies in the world, the country also created 12.44 million jobs, with an unemployment rate pegged at 5.2 per cent.

Mr LU Kun, Ambassador of China to Ghana, made this known at the second session of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) held recently in Beijing.

He touched on major economic and social development targets accomplished in 2023 and other highlights of China’s economy such as the country’s per capita income, which increased by 6.1 percent in the year under review.

Among other indicators, he said the income level of rural residents increased by 8.4 per cent with the number of people working in the labour force exceeding 33 million.

With a focus on modernising industrial systems and other transformational initiatives, China’s strategic emerg
ing industries were reported as ‘flourishing’.

‘China’s domestically developed C919 large passenger jet has been put into commercial operation…

‘The production and sales of new energy vehicles account for more than 60 per cent of the world’s total,’ the report noted.

The development of high-end equipment such as aircraft engines, gas turbines, and fourth-generation nuclear power plants were also said to have improved.

On the technology front, fifth generation wireless technology (5G) user access had exceeded 50 per cent while innovations in cutting-edge artificial intelligence and quantum technology continue to emerge.

To this end, Mr Lu Kun said China would intensify its efforts to attract foreign investments and abolish all restrictions on foreign investment in the country’s services sectors such as telecommunications and healthcare.

‘China will implement measures to ensure national treatment for foreign-funded enterprises, enhance foreign investment service system, and improve the convenience for for
eigners to work, study and travel in China,’ he noted.

The Ambassador emphasised the nation’s commitment to deepening multilateral, bilateral and regional economic cooperation, by signing ‘high-standard free trade and investment agreements,’ as the country marked its 75th anniversary and worked towards achieving its ’14th Five-Year Plan’.

‘…China is solidly promoting high-quality development, taking solid steps towards building a modernised socialist country in all respects, sharing new development opportunities with other countries.

‘China will continue to provide an important driving force for the world and inject more vitality and greater confidence into the world’s economic recovery,’ he said.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Mrs Harriet Nuamah Agyemang, Senior Programme Officer at SEND Ghana, has urged COCOBOD and the Licencing Buying Companies (LBCs) to engage the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) before undertaking public service projects for cocoa growing communities to avoid duplication.

Her advice follows a survey conducted by SEND Ghana in partnership with OXFAM, in some selected cocoa growing communities in the Eastern and Central regions, which findings showed that COCOBOD and LBCs undertook public service projects in those communities without prior consultation with the MMDAs.

Presenting the findings of the survey in Accra, Mrs Agyemang said such acts did not augur well for the harmonisation of projects, adding that it also did not offer the MMDAs the opportunity to assess the gender responsiveness of those projects.

‘The district assembly is responsible for the development of the District, everything begins and ends at their doorstep, and so, if there is any other State institution that wants to
support a particular Assembly, it is just fair that you go to the Assembly first to find out what their needs are and what you want to bring to the table and then, they can take you to exactly where the need is and then you put it there.

‘But, if you go your own way to do it, whatever public service you place in a certain community might not be what the Assembly intended for that community, or, for all you know the Assembly had already made plans and had started processes to get that same intervention in that community, only for them to find out that somebody has already done that for that community. Then, it means that the initial money they put into all preparations has gone to waste and then we haven’t been efficient.

‘So, it is better the three- COCOBOD, LBCs and the Assembly collaborate, especially during the planning process so that COCOBOD and the LBCs will tell the Assembly this is what we can offer, include it in the plan and then indicate that COCOBOD will fund, this LBC will fund,’ she said.

The
survey, which was undertaken between March and May 2023, in seven districts across two regions, sought to explore the gender responsiveness of public services provided by MMDAs, COCOBOD and LBCs with revenue from the cocoa value chain.

The survey was conducted in the Birim Central, Birim North, Akim Achiase, Akyemmansa and Asene Manso Akroso, all in the Eastern Region and the Twifo Hemang Lower Denkyira and Twifo Ati-Morkwa in the Central Region.

It formed part of SEND Ghana’s Fair for All Project, which sought to, among others, promote gender inclusiveness in trade in the cocoa value chain.

The survey also disclosed that revenues generated by five of the districts from the cocoa value chain was ‘low and oscillated’, while none of the districts received cocoa revenue directly from the national level, and no district was able to raise at least GHS100,000 from the sector.

Again, in terms of how revenue generated was utilised, the survey revealed that the majority of the Assemblies spent a chunk of their rev
enue on providing water and improving educational infrastructure for the communities.

On gender responsiveness of projects undertaken in the communities, the findings showed that the public services such as school and health infrastructure, agricultural inputs, water, roads and markets, responded to the basic needs of the people.

It, however, noted that some Assemblies, which claimed to have spent on services such as agriculture could not indicate the number of farmer beneficiaries and the kind of services they provided to meet their needs.

Mrs Agyemang commended COCOBOD for its education and training services, which she said had, so far, proven to be responsive to the basic and strategic needs of cocoa farmers, both men and women.

‘This should be sustained and replicated in education and health projects funded by COCOBOD,’ she urged.

Mrs Agyemang, however, asked the Assemblies to ensure that their annual plans and budgets were gender responsive, adding that to avoid omission and duplication of efforts,
the sustainability plans of LBCs should have gender responsive analysis components and must be in tandem with annual plans of the district Assemblies.

Additionally, she charged the Assemblies to assess the gender responsiveness of COCOBOD, LBCs and Non-governmental Organisations planned interventions in areas such as education, health, social protection and agriculture, before implementation.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources has commissioned a centre for the training of artisans to construct bio-digesters for households and other institutions at Ada in the Greater Accra Region.

Mr Amidu Issahaku, the Deputy sector Minister, during the commissioning, reiterated the importance of private sector involvement in addressing sanitation issues in the country, hence the training.

The project would help bridge the gaps in the number of trained artisans in household bio-digester construction by increasing skills development and education in area specific needs to achieve the desired outcomes.

‘It’s imperative that students and artisans are equipped with the knowledge and technical know-how to lead this charge,’ he said.

Through the training, participants would not only gain valuable skills but would become ambassadors of sanitation solutions in their communities, Mr Issahaku said.

He indicated that the use of bio-digester toilet facilities had been given a boost across Ghana through the Mi
nistry’s initiatives to encourage household adoption of those technologies.

‘The just released 2021 census data also revealed that a minimum of 130.251 bio-digester toilet facilities are being used in Ghana with 57 per cent in the Greater Accra, and 14.4 per cent in Central Region’.

‘The Eastern Region has 7,1 per cent, 6.5 per cent in Ashanti Region, and 14.5 per cent in the other regions,’ he added.

Professor Prince Boateng, the Principal, Ada College of Education, said the newly constructed training centre would bring great relief to the various districts and municipal assemblies.

He noted that the youth to be trained would have a source of livelihood through job creation, reduced unemployment and rural-urban migration.

‘Other benefits to the local authorities are environmental impact reduction, odor elimination, hygiene improvement and cleanliness in the schools, and providing nutrient rich fertilizer and enhancing soil quality,’ he added.

Prof Boateng noted that the training centre would be opened
for six districts, which include Ada East and West, and Ningo-Prampram in Greater Accra, as well as the North, South and Central Tongu in the Volta Region.

Nene Aqudey Obichire III, the Manklalo of the Ada Traditional Council, expressed gratitude to the Ministry for establishing the training centre in the area, an initiative that would improve sanitation in and around the community.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The year-on-year inflation rate fell slightly to 23.2 per cent in February from 23.5 per cent recorded in January 2024, the Ghana Statistical Service said on Wednesday.

This means that in February 2024 the general price level was 23.2 per cent higher than February 2023.

Month-on-month inflation between January 2024 and February 2024 was 1.6 per cent.

At a press briefing, Professor Samuel Annim, the Government Statistician, said the Consumer Price Index for February 2024 was 207.8 relative to 168.7 for February 2023.

He said food inflation stood at 27.0 per cent compared to last month’s food inflation of 27.1 per cent with the month-on-month food inflation at 2.0 per cent.

Meanwhile, non-food inflation was 20.0 per cent in February compared to last month’s non-food inflation of 20.5 per cent with the month-on-month being 1.3 per cent.

Inflation for imported items was 20.1 per cent compared to that for locally produced items, which was 24.6 per cent.

On the regional level, the Eastern Region has the high
est inflation rate of 36.1 per cent, while the Oti Region recorded 13.1 per cent as the lowest.

Source: Ghana News Agency

By Eratus Ndueh

Veteran Nollywood actress, Rita Uchenna Nkem Dominic Nwaturuocha popularly known as Rita Dominic, has revealed that one of the reasons why she temporary departed from the movie industry was because she began to find fulfilment and a reason for living working as a carer in London.

She spoke during a Women of Valour Conference held in Accra, Ghana, where she stated that she left acting to deal with personal issues.

Rita Dominic is a multiple award-winning Nollywood actress, producer, model, television personality, investor, a philanthropist and co-founder of the Audrey Silva Company. She has been regarded as one of the best industrious actresses in Nollywood and also one of the highest-paid actresses in Nigeria. But decided to let go all the privileges she had while in the industry for passion, something which most aspirants, slay queens and influencers may find difficult to pursue just for fame.

Cameroonian slay queens are not different from others influencers from other countries as they a
re known for their luxurious lifestyle and the extent they can go just to impress people.

A ‘slay queen’ does their best to portray the perfect life. She will even fake her lifestyle. Her aim is to appear irresistible to men. She wears heavy make-up, perfectly done hair, and wares the latest outfits. She often takes pictures, edits them to remove any bodily flaws, and uploads perfect images on social media.

However, most of them often under go awful situation just to maintain their status and live the dream life, act as a stimulant to those who look up to them as role model.

In 2022, a videos emerged on TikTok about a concept known as ‘Porta potty’ rumoured to be real for years in which influencers are being paid to fly out to Dubai in order to be pooped on (or in) for cash, get expensive gifts, and experience extravagant hotel stays for free.

Regardless, Rita Dominic’s testimony not only reveals the exciting world of Nollywood but also serves as an inspiration to those who think they have made the wrong
decision in their lives or chosen the wrong careers that they can summon the challenges and find purpose in unexpected places.

Source: Cameroon News Agency

Mr Kwame Asuah Takyi, the Comptroller-General of Immigration (CGI), has admonished officers of the Eastern Regional Command of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) to let discipline be their guiding principle in their career.

The Comptroller-General said this during a durbar he held with officers and men of the Eastern Regional Command on the sideline of activities planned for the celebration of the 67th Independence anniversary in Koforidua.

He praised the Government for the massive retooling of the Ghana Immigration Service and intimated that ‘in the history of the GIS no government has ever invested in the GIS than this current government of HE Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.’

He added, ‘There has been an unprecedented increase in recruitment into the Service more than quadrupling the manpower base, supply of specialised vehicles for border patrols, expansion in both residential and office accommodation among others.’

Mr Takyi also informed the durbar of the Government’s decision for the GIS to begin to de
ploy its Officers to some selected Ghana Missions abroad as Consular Officers which directive, he said, would be implemented very soon.

Mr Asuah Takyi admonished his Officers to justify such massive support from the Government by working very hard to safeguard Ghana’s borders and contribute to strengthening internal security.

He commended the RC and called for more of such duty posts to be established across the country to bring Immigration services to the doorposts of the citizens.

Faisal Disu, Deputy Commissioner of Immigration (DCOI), who welcomed the Comptroller-General to the Command Headquarters, extolled the great leadership style of the CGI which, he said, had led to the transformation of the GIS.

He called on him to assist the Command renovate a duty post they had established in Donkorkrom in the Affram Plains.

Source: Ghana News Agency