African civil society position on climate change and post 2015 processes

Over 800 African Civil Society Organizations from diverse backgrounds under the auspices of the Pan African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA), have actively been engaged in the ongoing international dialogue on the post-2012 global climate change treaty.

PACJA and its members have closely followed all climate-related deliberations since 2008, both regionally and globally.

Below is a statement issued by Secretary General of PACJA Mithika Mwenda at the 22^nd AU Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia:

We have observed the evolution of a coordinated framework on the climate change dialogue processes among key African Governmental processes.

Satisfied that our recommendation for tripartite structure for climate policy-making, in which technical negotiations are undertaken by the African Group of Negotiators under UNFCCC, ministerial guidance is provided by AMCEN, and over-arching recommendations are endorsed by the African Union, has served Africa well.

Chances of conflict and duplication which existed earlier have minimized, thus rendering the African processes the most effective in the world. We thank and congratulate our leaders for this progress.

Crucially important to CSOs is the next two years when most important processes that will potentially shape future development frameworks across the globe will be concluded by 2015:

(i) Negotiations for the New Climate Change treaty under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)

(ii) Negotiations for the new development Framework to succeed the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) spearheaded by the United Nations

We, African CSOs, view the two processes interrelated, and dependent on each other. Sustainable Development Goals cannot be attained if the global community fails to heed the recommendations by science and act decisively on climate change.

At the 2012 Rio+20 Conference, all countries agreed that climate change is a major obstacle to sustainable development and poverty eradication. This is supported by the experience of people living in poverty and vulnerability and major UN reports feeding into post-2015.

Science further underlines the immediate need for action in all areas, including international development.

The urgency for action is underpinned by climate science and the window of opportunity for Now is the time to lay strong avoiding dangerous climate change is foundations for the future, and rapidly closing.

Ghana’s domestic lumber market gets support to comply with legal system

Small and medium scale forest enterprises are receiving support to comply with the Timber Legality Assurance System (LAS) of the Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) signed between Ghana and the European Union.

The local organizations will be empowered to engage in policy advocacy on the domestic timber market reform in Ghana as enshrined in the Agreement.

The LAS is to monitor, control and verify management and use of Ghana’s forest resources to ensure only legal products are produced, sold and exported from Ghana.

Tropenbos International (TBI) Ghana is implementing the two year project – it took off in December 2013 with a €450,000 funding from the EU.

 

“Ghana in signing unto the VPA also decided that the domestic market should be part of the voluntary agreement because the domestic market has been serviced mainly by lumber from chainsaw and chain-sawing has been banned in Ghana,” noted Samuel Nketiah, Programme Director at TBI.

He says the intermediaries will be supported with information and guidance to comply with the LAS. Target groups include wood carvers, carpenters, millers, artisans and other trade associations as agents of change.

“Ghana considering that the bulk of the domestic market is supplied by the illegal materials, we thought that unless we address the domestic market, there will be no point in just addressing the export trade,” said Mr. Nketiah.

The Domestic Lumber Traders Association of Ghana has lauded the project as a catalyst to increase engagements on wood local supplies.

“Most of the talks about the VPA was done at the formal level and the informal sector is the domestic market; so this programme is very important so far as supply of lumber to the local market is concerned…. There must be information and guidance about how TLAS itself,” stated Kofi Afreh Boakye, a leader of the Association.

Ghana, in November 2009, became the first country to sign and ratify the VPA with the EU on legal timber exports, including the domestic market.

Concerned about illegal mining, the Agreement is being developed to implement the EU’s Action Plan for Forest law Enforcement Governance and Trade (FLEGT) – aimed at facilitating trade in legal timber and improved forest governance.

Tropenbos Ghana, in collaboration with the Forestry Commission, has the ultimate goal to minimize the wanton destruction of the forests and to secure forest dependent livelihoods, particularly for local communities.

Story by Kofi Adu Domfeh 

Haulage transporters in protest against new axle load regulations

Members of the Ghana Haulage Transport Owners Association (GHATOA) from across the country are converging in Kumasi on Friday to begin protestation against the government’s implementation of new Axle Load Regulations in the Road Traffic Regulation 2012.

The group is kicking against the 60 tonnes maximum axle load limit allowed for a 16-axle truck which came into effect from January 1, 2014.

The Ministry of Roads and Highways, acting through the Ghana Highway Authority (GHA) granted a month grace period to engage interest groups on implementation of the legislative instrument (L.I.2180).

As enforcement of the regulations takes off on February 1, the haulage drivers complain their concerns put forward to the sector ministry have been disregarded.

Spokesperson, Nana Nyamaafie Baako Apem, says the interest of Ghanaian haulage operators must be protected by suspending the 60 tonne allowable limit until the regime is harmonized across the West African sub-region.

“We want our drivers to understand that they can park the trucks anywhere they are harassed at the axle weighing point until government heeds to the 68 tonne limit allowed by authorities in Niger, Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast,” he told Luv Fm.

The GHA has indicated that “the tolerance has been removed and therefore vehicles carrying loads beyond the Allowable Limited would shed off the excess load and pay the new overloading fees.”

Nana Ampem however says the GHATOA would resist the new regulation until the disparity in the regulatory regime at the sub-region level is addressed to keep Ghanaians in business.

There are about 20,000 haulage trucks operating in Ghana.

Story by Kofi Adu Domfeh 

Ghanaians produce energy fuel from plastic waste

Plastic waste is a menace in Ghana’s environmental management.

But such waste could soon become a hot economic commodity if a new technology to turn plastic waste into fuel succeeds in the planned commercial production.

The current focus of the innovative research is using “Reverse Function Theory” and “Thermal Decomposition Approach” to develop diesel, petrol, kerosene and aviation fuels.

It is a collaborative effort of two engineers – Isaiah Nimako and Nene Amoatey – as well as energy expert, Michael Kweku Commeh at the Technology Consultancy Centre (TCC) of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).

The fuels have sailed through in standard testing at the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA).

Kofi Adu Domfeh went along to the KNUST to chat with lead researcher, Michael Commey, on the viability of the technology.

http://youtu.be/2mOMXsWMcvI

Health insurance providers dissociate from capitation demo

The Health Insurance Service Providers Association of Ghana (HISPAG) has dissociated itself from street protestations against the implementation of the health capitation in the Ashanti region.

Some interest groups are planning series of street demonstrations to register their displeasure in the capitation system.

According to the groups, the piloting of capitation in the region is no longer acceptable, demanding that the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) review the rate of payment to providers and roll out nationwide.

The National Executive Council of the HISPAG however believes demonstrating against the NHIA may jeopardize strides made in negotiations with the Authority in the review of the capitation policy.

The HISPAG has been holding series of meetings with the NHIA demanding an immediate increment of the capitation rate from Gh₵2.27 to Gh₵12.00.

 

“The Authority had admitted that the capitation rate is on the lower side and had agreed to adjust it upward but demanded some data and justification of Gh₵12 proposed by the leadership of HISPAG,” said a statement by Frank Richard Torblu, Chief Executive Officer of the Association.

HISPAG is also informed the NHIA and the Ministry of Health would go ahead with the nationwide roll-out of the Preferred Primary Provider (PPP) system and has demanded a comprehensive roadmap on implementation.

Council Chairman of HISPAG, Dr. Edward Tagoe, tells Luv News there should be room for dialogue with the government to address challenges affecting the health insurance scheme.

“What we need to do is not the streets but we sit down the roundtable and come to a compromise… I’m not saying demonstration is not the answer but not now whilst we are still at the table,” he stated.

The leadership of HISPAG is scheduled to meet with the NHIA on its proposals on February 4, 2014.

Story by Kofi Adu Domfeh

Ghana Mineworkers Union supports secondary processing of mineral resources

The Ghana Mineworkers’ Union (GMWU) has welcomed the government’s decision to seek international cooperation to move the mining sector from a primary to a secondary processor of mineral resources.

President John Mahama, who announced this, says the over-reliance on primary production has over the years denied the country of the expected benefits from mining.

In a statement, General Secretary of the GMWU, Prince William Ankrah, noted that the absence of secondary processing of Ghana’s mineral resources was basically driven by “a kind of hegemony that created the impression that the country can only generate money from raw gold, bauxite and other minerals.”

“The Union therefore supports the president’s programme for secondary production for value addition to be actualized as soon as practicable,” it said, arguing that this could become a major Presidential special initiative of our generation.

The group is advocating a legal provision that warrants at least 20 per cent of raw gold produced in the country is retained for that purpose must be initiated as a matter of urgency.

Ghana’s gold refinery notion has died down for decades, including Dr. Kwame Nkrumah’s vision of establishing a Gold refinery at Tarkwa – the proposed facility for the refinery has been turned into a university hostel.

The GMWU thinks all interest groups should give their maximum support to enable the president to bring renewed energy as well as a new thinking into the structure of the mining sector.

“This challenges the status quo of continuing to export minerals in their raw state,” the statement said.

Mr. Ankrah added that having an aluminium smelting factory in Ghana for Bauxite will also be of great help to the country in respect of revenue enhancement as well as a vibrant manufacturing sector.

He emphasized that the same can apply to diamond at Akwatia as well as iron ore in the Oppong Valley which is yet to be tapped depending on its commercial viability.

“Cumulatively, this could have a great job opening for our struggling economy and help boost the economic activities in the host communities,” he said.

Mr. Ankrah indicated that best practice elsewhere like Botswana has shown that the way to derive maximum returns from mining is through beneficiation.

Despite the current challenges in the mining sector; the GMWU thinks “the priority should be on ethical investments character with a shared architecture that benefits various stakeholders.”

Story by Kofi Adu Domfeh 

Don’t confuse plant breeders rights with GMOs, researchers assert

Ghanaian scientists are not enthused at what they say is public misinformation on passage of the Plant Breeders Rights (PBR) bill.

The researchers are seeking a strong legal framework to protect their intellectual property rights.

The bill which is before parliament will allow commercial end-users of research products to pay royalties to the scientists and their institutions.

But some advocacy groups, including the Food Sovereignty Ghana and the Coalition for Farmers’ Right, are kicking against the bill in its current form.

They argue the bill will pave way for importation of genetically modified foods into the country, as well as compromise farmers’ rights in accessing seedlings for planting.

However, Director of the Crops Research Institute (CRI), Dr. Hans Adu-Dapaah says the groups are confusing the new bill with the bio-safety law which was passed in 2010.

According to him, the PBR process started in 2003 as part of the Plant and Fertilizer Bill, but the PBR section was teased out because it bothered on intellectual property.

“Even the conventional breeding, only 10 percent of the farmers are using improved varieties; all that we are doing here in the face of climate change with its attendant problems confronting the farmers, is to give the farmers a lot of options to choose from,” stressed the plant breeder. “Nobody can force any farmer to grow or use a variety that the farmer is not interested in”.

Institutes under the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and other researchers have developed diverse genetic materials and technologies.

The Crops Research Institute (CRI), for instance, has developed and released over 100 improved crop varieties and production technologies for adoption by farmers and other end-users.

“Because there is no law in this nation protecting the rights of the breeders, anybody can take any of the materials and use it without anything accruing to the government and people of Ghana,” noted Dr. Adu-Dapaah.

The objective of the Plant Breeders Rights Bill is to establish a legal framework to acknowledge the achievements of breeders of new varieties and to protect their intellectual property.

It will also promotes the breeding of new varieties of plants aimed at improving the quantity, quality and cost of food, fuel, fibre and raw materials for industry.

Story by Kofi Adu Domfeh

Researchers promote integrated food production under innovation platform

Farmers and other actors in Ghana’s crops production receive more attention in the agricultural value chain, compared to livestock production.

An Innovation Platform (IP) system implemented under the crop-small ruminant project is however promoting integrated agriculture for food security.

The thee-year project is looking at sustainable intensification of integrated crop-small ruminant production systems in West Africa – Ghana, Benin, Mali and The Gambia.

“When we talk about food security, it is not just filling our bellies but that quality, that is the protein content of the food is necessary for us to attain food security and we are looking at legumes as source of protein and the sheep and goat also source of protein and income,” says Dr. Stella Ennin, Regional Coordinator of the project.

The strategy of the Integrated Agricultural Research for Development (IAR4D) is to develop and disseminated technologies through the innovation platforms.

The innovation platform process involves key players along the value-chain of crops and livestock production – including farmers, researchers, extension, credit providers, processors, traders and the media.

These interest groups deliberate on issues and ways to improve on the productivity of the crops, sheep and goats.

“Goats and sheep are important in food security; their turnover is very high and then also we realize a lot of women are involved in the raising of sheep and goat and therefore if we are looking at poverty reduction, we can easily target women who are down the line,” stated Dr. Ennin.

The project has come up with cowpea and groundnut varieties serving the dual purpose of grain and fodder – these are yielding 50-100 percent of existing varieties.

“We are distributing the seeds, multiplying and would be sharing these seeds among the farmers and other seed growers within the sub-region,” Dr. Ennin said.

Stakeholders have been reviewing the $1.2 million project funded by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) under the West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research and Development (CORAF/WECARD).

In the two years of implementation, 960 households and 240 other value chain actors in cereal/legume and sheep/goat production have been surveyed, whilst 16 community innovation platforms have been established with direct membership of 500 farmers.

In Ghana, the Crops Research Institute (CRI) of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) is targeting farmers in the Atebubu-Amantin Municipality of the Brong Ahafo region.

“The most exciting of the innovations is a change in mindset that is emerging in some of our IPs, that is IP members themselves are making monthly contributions as a group to finance critical aspects of their farm operations,” observed Dr. Abdulai Baba Salifu, Director-General of the CSIR.

The lessons learnt in the past two years are being documented for knowledge sharing in all four participating countries, said Dr. Ennin.

Story by Kofi Adu Domfeh

Banker fears challenging times for financial service industry

Rural banker, Siaka Baba Ahmed, is projecting “challenging times” for the financial service industry in Ghana for 2014.

According to the Chief Executive Officer of Odotobri Rural Bank, the rising operational cost, coupled with reduction in interest rate would put banks on in a tough position to stay profitable.

He observed hikes in prices of petroleum products, utility tariffs and increases in taxes as some areas banks would have to contend with in balancing the financial sheets.

The Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly, for instance, has increased rates for Business Operating Permit by 900 percent for GH¢1,000 to GH¢10,000 per annum, effective 2014.

“As a bank our main duty is either to invest in money market instruments or to lend; so when the money market instruments are coming down, automatically it will trigger the interest rates down. At the same time operating cost is also going up; fuel prices have gone up, taxes have been increased, now they are introducing VAT into financial services; so 2014 would be challenging,” expressed Mr. Ahmed.

Mr. Ahmed believes the key instrument to staying in business should be operational efficiency and effectiveness.

“We have to reduce the waste to the barest minimum and some of the cost would also have to be transferred to the client but we’ll make sure that it will not affect them unduly,” he stated.

Meanwhile, the Board of Odotobri Rural Bank has approved a scholarship package of Gh¢22,250 to 60 brilliant but needy students in some local communities in the Amansie Central District of Ashanti.

The bursary will help keep beneficiaries in school, from senior high to tertiary institutions.

Story by Kofi Adu Domfeh

The Royal Bank in $50,000 partnership deal with KNUST

The Royal Bank has signed a three-year partnership agreement with the KNUST’s College of Arts and Social Sciences (CASS) to reward the University’s distinguished staff and students.

This deal was brokered by the Centre of Business Development, KNUST, to pave way for The Royal Bank-CASS Awards held under the theme: "Rewarding High Performance".

The Bank’s Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Robert Kow Bentil, noted that high performing institutions, no matter the size or sector, must adopt “Good People Practices”, which help to build and sustain strong employment relations.

“As a bank we are convinced that a successful partnership between the corporate world and academia will help harness true potentials of our students and also help bridge what I call ‘Textbook-Fieldwork Gap’ which exists between the corporate world and our universities, polytechnics and other tertiary institutions,” he stated.

Mr. Kow Bentil urged the university authorities, workers and students to create an atmosphere of shared responsibility for the success of the university.

Guest Speaker at the Awards Day, Dr. Eugene Atiemo, Director of the Building and Road Research Institute (BRRI) of the CSIR, noted that rewarding high performance provides the catalyst and motivation for innovation and high performance in any enterprise.

He therefore recognized that reward is important in engaging people and motivating them to give their best work to deliver on organizational strategic priorities.

Whiles acknowledging hardworking students are hard to come by in this present era of digital-assisted efforts, Dr. Atiemo said rewards and awards motivate students to work harder.

He added that “hardworking, intelligent and highly-trained lecturers and non-academic staff are very essential and constitute the oxygen needed to keep the University alive and running. They are hard to get and sometimes very difficult to keep. It is therefore very important to use any means to retain your valued human resource and motivate them to their fullest potential.”

Provost of the College of Art and Social Sciences, Prof. Sam Afrane, says the institution of the Awards Day is to appreciate people within the College who have distinguished themselves in their different pursuits.

“By recognizing people’s dedication, commitment and results, you boost their morale, enthusiasm and eventually increase in productivity,” he observed.

Story by Kofi Adu Domfeh 

Perseus Mining Ghana invests in educational scholarships

Perseus Mining Ghana Limited is spending a total of Gh₵17,500 in scholarships to 26 students to support and improve education levels in its project impacted communities.

The company is awarding Gh₵500 to each of the 17 second cycle students and Gh₵1,000 to each of the nine tertiary students, in fulfilment of its corporate social responsibility.

A donation of about 9,840 books and other learning materials has also been made to schools in the project districts, especially within the Upper Denkyira West District of Central region.

Chief Operations Officer of Perseus Mining, Jon Yelland, says the corporate offices of Perseus is working with educational institutions in Australia to put together educational materials for distribution among schools in the project districts.

He says the books would be beneficial to all levels of education – from nursery through to junior high and senior high.

“As part of the arrangements, the company agreed to bear the cost of collecting the materials and shipment which cost the company about Gh₵250,000. These two activities; the scholarship awards and book donations are indicative of the company’s commitment to ensure that the youth are well educated and positioned to play leading roles not only in their communities, but also to mother Ghana,” he stated.

Perseus is venturing the Ghanaian mining industry at a time world market price of gold has gone down while cost of production keeps rising. The industry has suffered commercial losses and mining companies in Ghana are being forced to lay-off some of their workers.

“Inspite of these current challenges, we continue to honour our social responsibility to our partner communities and what we expect from our communities is the peaceful atmosphere that will allow us to continue to support community development initiatives. We therefore crave your patience and understanding as we go through these difficult times,” pleaded Mr. Yelland.

He says Perseus as a company will continue to explore opportunities that will open up the space for the youth to become useful to themselves and to their communities.

The firm is already supporting 90 students to undergo vocational and technical training at the Kumasi technical institute. An additional 76 youth have been trained in four skill areas – Carpentry, Masonry, Plumbing and Electricals.

District Chief Executive for Upper Denkyira West, Ambrose Amoah Ashia, has commended the complementary role of the mining firm to government’s educational improvement agenda.

“The only way to remove poverty is to chart the path of education,” he observed. “If you observed, the most under developed areas are places where majority are not educated.”  

The DCE pleaded with the company to ensure the timely delivery of the scholarships since they are tied to time periods of schooling.

Story by Kofi Adu Domfeh 

Petroleum tanker drivers worried at oil siphoning at Kumasi BOST

Petroleum tanker drivers in Kumasi have expressed dismay at the continuous fuel siphoning at the Kumasi depot of the Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation (BOST) Company.

In October last year, police busted security supervisor with Jidem Security Services, Stephen Nana Nketia and four members of an alleged oil- siphoning gang.

They were arrested during an operation to steal 24 drums of petroleum products at the depot, after switching off the CCTV system to break into a secured valve.

The latest incident occurred Monday dawn when thieves broke into the depot.

The tanker drivers, who lift fuel from the depot, are not enthused at the posture of BOST authorities to tackle the security lapses at the facility.

A leader of the tanker drivers union, Kwabena Ebo, says there have been several discussions with management of the BOST to review its contract with the private security firm.

“We don’t need the Jidem Security again because their continuous engagement will not abate the spate of theft which has been going on for a long time,” he stated.

Luv News sources say depot managers are often blamed for shortages in collation and tallying of sales figures.

According to Ebo, the losses incurred at the depot will not be curtailed with the present security operatives at post.

The BOST facility in Kumasi holds a maximum capacity of 84 million barrels of petrol and diesel to serve the Ashanti, Brong Ahafo and parts of the Western Regions.

Depot Manager, Nicholas Yaw Samari, has suggested an oversight support by national security apparatus to augment the operations of private security firm “in order to protect the national asset”.

The management of BOST will not react to the drivers’ calls for a review of its contract with Jidem Security, because of an ongoing court hearing of the theft involving Stephen Nketia.

“We are currently upgrading our systems at the depot to make sure that we withstand or defeat some of these unnecessary going on regarding security,” stated Nat Acheampong, Corporate Communications Manager at BOST.

Story by Kofi Adu Domfeh

M.Y. Ventures franchise operations to expand market reach

M.Y. Ventures would be offering job opportunities to people in various districts across the country to market the company’s food supplement products.

The franchising arrangement, according to Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Caesar, is to expand the market reach of the business and afford people in local communities the opportunity to earn income in merchandizing products.

“We have decided to give out franchising to interested people so as to ensure that jobs are created,” he stated.

According to Dr. Caesar, the expansion drive would make the product easily accessible and contribute to the healthcare needs of local communities.

 

“The number of people who need our services is increasing and that has given us the challenge to expand in diverse ways to make the product available,” he said.

Dr. Caesar has emphasized the importance of healthy lifestyles to promote good quality health.

The challenge in healthcare now is not about the importation of medicines and frequent visits to the hospital but about broadening the minds of the clients on basic health practices, he observed.

“People eat without knowing what they are getting from it in terms of nutrients and that has been creating a lot of problems, especially for the aged,” he said.

M.Y. Ventures has instituted a wellness at work project which incorporates achievable, small steps for healthy eating and physical activity into everyday life.

Story by Kofi Adu Domfeh