Dr. Kofi Amoah, the development economist and entrepreneur, says Ghana requires a new approach to economic development -- one that is founded in a national plan or strategy that seeks to maximise the benefits from the country’s abundant natural resources.  By Leslie Dwight MENSAH In the serene ambience of his office in Accra, Kofi Amoah ponders the paradox of Ghana: a country of immense natural wealth yet surrounded by poverty and joblessness while its political leadership gropes for solutions. Only a change of course -- an “economic revolution” --will alter the country’s fate, he told B&FT in an interview. “I’m calling for a revolutionary approach to Ghana and Africa’s economic development programme. No nation on earth has developed based on the largesse of others. You have to think through your own natural resources, your human capital, your land resources, and your mineral resources, as well as understand the global environment you live in and how you use these resources that you have to build an economy that creates a better future for your people,” he said. That urgent new direction, he added, must embrace the idea of national development planning and state subsidies for indigenous producers utilising the resources of the nation to create products for the domestic economy and export markets. “We must have a plan. The elders tell you that if you don’t know where you are going, you will think any route can take you there. If you don’t have a plan that understands the resources which you have and how you’re going to get forward leveraging what God has given you, then how do you develop? “We started with Kwame Nkrumah’s seven-year development plan. Look at how far we got: we got the Akosombo Dam because he saw that without power we weren’t going to get anywhere; he expanded agriculture because he saw that we had fertile land and so said: ‘let’s mobilise our people to expand cocoa production’. Tiny Ghana became the world’s largest producer of cocoa. Why? Because there was an intelligent public policy: support these farmers with loans and seeds and extension services and jute bags and buy the cocoa from them. Also, have the sophisticated people to package it properly and market it to the outside world. We have got to another stage where we’re talking now about how to leverage the cocoa beans. Very soon, China is going to surpass the United States as the largest economy in the world. Thirty or forty years ago China was poorer than Ghana. How did they do it? That’s my point.” State intervention, trade protection Rather than be cowed by the stigmatisation of state planning and intervention within the global mainstream of policymaking, Dr. Amoah said Ghana must be selfish and protect its own -- just as today’s powerful nations did in their infant years. He told the B&FT: “We need a more interventionist state, because if you look closely at every nation’s initial development programme -- the United States, United Kingdom, Japan, Germany, China, South Korea -- they all had serious state intervention leading the growth of the economy. Of course, the private sector was a partner -- but in the initial stages the private sector was a junior partner whose hands were held by the public sector through cheap loans, subsidies, tax-breaks, [and] nurturing them.” Another lesson of history is that infant industries need government protection in their growth stages up to the point where they have the muscle to compete with foreigners, he said, adding that Ghana must adopt this wise strategy if it wants to build its own successful indigenous companies. “All the developed countries didn’t talk about free trade until they developed. When the United States started, their tariff regime was like 30-40 percent. The UK had protectionist policies for their infant industries. Germany did the same thing -- Korea, Japan, all of them. China joined the World Trade Organisation (WTO) only recently -- about a decade ago. They decided that only when they were ready would they join. You don’t join when you are not ready and be saddled with constraints. I wouldn’t mind Ghana getting out of the WTO.” Dr. Amoah admits that the best examples of state planning -- China, Japan, South Korea, etc -- are countries which during their planning years had the stability of a one-party state or military dictatorship to enforce the plan and ensure that every corner of the society abided by it. But he insists that having a national plan of development is not incompatible with Ghana’s multi-party political system. He believes the freedoms enshrined in a democracy underline the creativity of people, which is what inspires them to invent and create new things. “I don’t think the two are mutually exclusive. This is why I maintain that the discussion of a national plan must be on a national basis. We must discuss this for everybody to understand and buy into it. And when we do that, during elections -- because everybody understands that we bought into this -- any party that wins will have to travel the same way. But if the understanding of the citizens is not there, then it will become difficult. This is why I believe we must seriously start discussing and debating what is the right development road for us to travel based on the resources that we have,” he said. A strategy for developing Ghana So what should be the pillars of a plan or strategy to develop Ghana? “The low-hanging fruits,” said Dr. Amoah, who proffered a model -- a “development triangle” -- that will put the country’s idle land and human resources to use, backed by government support and finance, to return benefits in the short-term and lay a rock-solid foundation for the future. “From the economics that I studied, if you put land and people together you create wealth. We have abundant land that is five degrees above the equator. Our Ministry of Agriculture has wisely mapped out what it calls the ‘soil-use map of Ghana’. Every part of the nation has been mapped out -- where bananas grow, where tomatoes grow, oil palm, etc. We also know that a lot of our land is very fertile. So I believe the pillars of our development plan, initially -- because it cannot be static, it has to be dynamic -- must of necessity have these three legs of agriculture, manufacturing and the financial intermediation strategy of government to support the success of agriculture and manufacturing.” The policy framework for agriculture must target output maximisation of various crops and vegetables, he said. Citing the cocoa sector as an example, he explained that it must involve government’s provision of land and production inputs -- tools, seeds, water, and fertiliser -- to small-scale agrarian families who will also benefit from agronomic assistance such as extension services and the advice and guidance of agricultural experts. There would also be intermediary businesses buying the produce for packaging, processing, storage, marketing and distribution -- a stream of activities that create jobs for people with different skills sets. The next stage is to catalyse manufacturing using a system of incentives and state protection. The goal is to substitute imports and have the discipline to export. This requires, he said, subsidies for manufacturers in the form of cheap loans, tax-breaks, supportive research and technology transfer assistance. According to him, “the incentive system must be clear, unambiguous and transparent; and it must be enforced. And then you have a disincentive policy against that which is not in the interest of economic development at this time – like the UK did when they banned imports of clothing to protect their industries, and the US did through their ban on the export of high-tech machinery”. If agricultural policy is important to the development of a country because cottage-farming can provide a quick boost to output in rural-based economies, and manufacturing policy is important because an infant-industry strategy offers the fastest way to shift the country’s economy toward more value-adding activities, then finance policy is the necessary ingredient to channel the nation’s limited resources into these two areas, Dr. Amoah explained to B&FT. Government must invest its tax and resource revenues in agriculture and manufacturing, and reform the financial services system so that financial capital is directed into these areas of priority for the state. “If you have a situation whereby banks are making record profits -- I’m not against that because businesses which don’t generate profits become stunted or die -- but there is a decline in manufacturing companies, there is a decline in start-up companies, and there is a decline in job-creation: we have a problem. Banks are the oil for the engines of development. They must be oiling the wheels of development. And therefore, if they are making profits and the wheels of development are not being oiled, the way they are making their profits is not helpful to our forward progress.” Discussing the potential for tapping into private finance, Dr. Amoah said the release of equity buried in people’s private homes alone will raise billions to finance productive investment in the economy’s priority sectors. He called for a US$1billion fund for agriculture and manufacturing. The money would be invested in land reform, crops and vegetable production, and agro-processing enclaves to process produce for exports. History will be on Ghana’s side if it takes this path, Dr. Amoah said, stressing: “If Ghana and Africa start dissociating themselves from the wise policies of nations that are now rich, because we are scared they will label us as central planners and communists, then we’ll not develop”.

By Edward Adjei FRIMPONG, Techiman The commencement of operations at the Techiman Processing Complex (TEPCO), a tomato processing plant at Techiman in the Brong Ahafo Region, that was scheduled for this year has been deferred to June 2014. This is largely because of non-availability of raw materials to feed the Company, CEO of TEPCO, W. A. Ofori has revealed. “The machinery and other installations are 99% complete, human resource is intact but raw materials -- mainly fresh tomatoes required for profitable and sustainable processing -- are currently not available within the catchment area of the company,” he said. Briefing the B&FT in an interview, Mr. Ofori explained the tomato variety that the farmers cultivate within the Techiman vicinity is not “productive” for agro-processing, hence the inability to rely on them to begin operation now, saying: “The farmers’ tomato variety when processed is 7-10 tonnes of fresh tomatoes:1 tonne (puree) while the industrial variety needed is 5 tonnes:1tonne. “We are now conducting varietal trials and also sensitising farmers on cultivating the appropriate tomato variety for production. This will help us to make a fair profit, which will also ensure sustainability in the long run.” Management of the company has also started cultivating its own tomatoes to supplement the expected supply from out-grower farmers. The company has started with an acre of land at the Tanoso Irrigation Site while plans are also advanced to develop its 25 hectare acquired land at Akomadan in the Ashanti Region. Mr. Ofori, a Food Scientist, also mentioned lack of credit from the banks as another challenge delaying the company’s commencement of operation. “The general banking system in the country is hostile to agro-processing. The banks are not willing to put money where the mouth is, and they [banks] want investors to manufacture the money then they will step in to harvest when it ripens”. Management of the company is realising the aforementioned shortfalls in the tomato processing industry of the country and some other nations like Kenya and Tanzania, he said: “We have critically analysed the situation and are mapping strategies to circumvent them when we zoom into full operation by mid-2014 in order to prevent the company falling into a ditch, as many tomato factories have suffered in the country.” The minimum capacity of the company is two (2) metric tonnes per hour as against four (4) metric tonnes per hour as its maximum capacity. The Techiman Tomato Factory is a brainchild of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture and the Italian government, and was officially inaugurated in December 2012. It was later put out for bid, which Mr. Ofori and his partners won -- thereby changing the name to Techiman Processing Complex (TEPCO). The new investors have so far committed about GH¢250,000 into the company. Currently, the company is installing a garbage-feed bio-gas digester to replace the existing boiler, which consumes about US$300,000 worth of diesel per annum, as a way of reducing cost of production.

By Patrick PAINTSIL   Fund Manager of the Christian Community Mutual Fund (CCMF) Charles Adu Boahen says the country’s investment market has bright prospects, and there’s a need for the public to actively invest in the sector so as to fully share in the benefits. Speaking at the maiden annual general meeting of the fund in Accra, he attributed the recent vibrancy in the capital market to the allocation of pension funds to specialised private fund managers, which has driven higher interest in share demand and, ultimately, in share prices. “The capital market now has brighter prospects. For instance, equities exhibited signals of vibrancy owing to the allocation of pension funds to private fund managers -- some of which have begun actively investing in listed equities and fixed-income securities. “This development increased share demand, which in turn increased share prices across the board. As fund managers, we will increase our exposure to equities as we anticipate this trend to continue,” he said. Mr. Adu Boahen said the Christian Community Mutual Fund, going forward, will adjust its investment portfolio mix as well as identify alternative fixed-income instruments, specifically the real-estate sector, to enable it maximise returns. This, he disclosed to B&FT, is backed by the fund’s continued impressive performance and the current upswing and improved market conditions. The fund is expected to close the year with a 25-30 percent return on investments, which when realised will be an imposing increase over the 2012 figure of 11.2 percent. “The fund has been doing better and better. In the first year of operations (2010) it recorded less than 3 percent, but the trend was quickly reversed to an 11.2 percent return in 2012. This year, the fund will be doing over 25-30 percent. Overall, it will be up over 51 percent by the end of the year. “The fund’s performance has been improving because of management’s understanding and experience in how to mitigate certain internal shocks, including currency depreciation and inflation which directly impact cedi-denominated investments. “Management will identify ways to hedge the fund against such exposures while identifying alternative fixed-income instruments such as the real-estate sector to tap into the potential that is currently pervading the sector,” he said. The fund’s allocation to listed equities ranged from 48.79 percent at the beginning of 2012 to 46.11 percent. The portfolio also held some of its assets in a US dollar deposit as a hedge against potential cedi depreciation. The fund closed 2012 with its share price at GH¢0.23. Assets under management were valued at GH¢440,608 and GH¢354,287 in 2011 and 2012 respectively, while total shareholders increased from 1,662 in 2011 to 1,677 in 2012, signifying a net increase of 15. Mr. Adu Boahen said the fund will start a rigorous campaign to enhance visibility, increase shareholder capacity and also identify innovative methods-- including engaging an “SMS” platform to update shareholders on the status of their investments and the performance of the fund. 

By Ekow Essabra-Mensah A five-year Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS) focusing on promoting broad-based and sustainable growth that will support Ghana’s effort to consolidate its middle-income status has been developed by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The strategy, which expires in 2017, has a provisional budget of US$850million and will implement the United States’ global development policy in the Ghanaian context -- making evidence-based decisions that will contribute toward Ghana’s vision and shared growth and development agenda, while maintaining close coordination with US government partners. Developed by USAID in consultation with the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, the strategy will be implemented under four developmental thematic goals: Strengthened Responsive Democratic Governance; Sustainable and Broadly Shared Economic Growth; Equitable Improvements in Health Status; and Improved Reading Performance in Primary School. “The implementation of the CDCS in consultation with government reflects a long history of close cooperation between the US government and the government of Ghana,” said Jim Bever, Mission Director and Counsellor for International Development of the USAID at a roundtable discussion in Accra. “We expect the Ministry of Finance to sign the financial obligation for the first US$150million tranche of a five-year strategy of assistance programme. We have sent the financial obligation document to Minister Seth Terkper and we hope he will be signing it in a few weeks.” Mr. Bever explained that the country has already realised significant positive results in health, education and governance; however, many Ghanaians do not have adequate access to high quality health, education services, educational programmes and effective governance mechanisms. “The country continues to face a number of challenges which inhibit progress toward broad-based growth, higher living standards, and good governance. High borrowing costs, unreliable supply of electric power and high transaction cost in the land markets continue to be key constraints to broad-based economic growth. “While the country continues to enjoy strong economic growth, employment opportunities in the private sector remain inadequate to absorb the growing labour force.”Social problems include a high burden of disease, especially malaria, as well as still-high rates of maternal and infant mortality. Other health challenges include low access, quality, and use of family-planning and maternal and child health services, micro-nutrient deficiencies, low use of interventions to prevent malaria, and a high prevalence of HIV among the most at-risk groups. He mentioned also that poor water supply, lack of access to sanitation facilities, and overall weak regional and district management systems are a hindrance to development. The persistent development challenges must be addressed to realise and sustain the benefits of a middle-income country, he said. President Obama, as part of his US Global Development Policy, directed USAID to lead the formulation of results-oriented Country Development Cooperation Strategies that partner with host countries and focus on “sustainable development outcomes that place a premium on broad-based economic growth, democratic governance, game-changing innovations, and sustainable systems for meeting basic human needs”. The CDCS will enable USAID to continue playing a lead-role in implementing Obama’s vision for global development as it supports Ghana’s efforts to accelerate its middle-income country status.

By Dominick Andoh The brain-child of two young Ghanaians with a wealth of experience in the investment banking, finance and the real-estate sectors, McOttley Holdings Limited, after just eight months of operations has created wealth for many investors and is empowering dozens. The company, with three subsidiaries, has emerged as one of the country’s auspicious entities with the potential to go international. It has already started attracting attention from international finance institutions. McOttley is gradually shaping up to what was envisaged by Kwesi Livingstone and Richard Dugan -- the founding partners. Kwesi Livingstone, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the company said: “We want to be a global brand, starting from Ghana, and to be seen in years to come as a big giant coming from Africa. “We want to benchmark against the global players. We cannot match them shoulder to shoulder now, but we want to set the systems and mind-set in place so that we can build on those to get to that level,” he said. McOttley Holdings Limited was incorporated as a limited liability company under the laws of Ghana in April, this year. The company is authorised to provide financial and managerial services to its subsidiaries operating in the areas of investment banking, real-estate development, and providing loans to small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs). “We started this year with two subsidiaries all starting the same day; one under the supervision of the Bank of Ghana and one under SEC. The plan was to get at two sides of the economy that need financing. Under SEC we realised that the licence would not permit us to give personal loans or do personal financing, but under the BoG we could do that. But the kind of licence we could go in for under BoG could not give us the opportunity to do the quantum that we wanted to do on the other side of it, which the investment banking side can give us the opportunity to do. “We applied to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and was granted full licence after going through the process, and also received a provisional licence -- and subsequently a full licence -- from the BoG to operate as a tier-three money lender. The Holding company now has three subsidiaries: McOttley Capital, McOttley Money Lending -- licenced and regulated by The Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Bank of Ghana respectively -- and McOttley Properties. All the subsidiaries are 100 percent owned by the Holding company. McOttley Capital McOttley Capital is an Investment Bank licenced and regulated by the Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC) to provide financial asset management, venture capital, investment advisory services, private equity financing, investment research, and undertake due diligence. The company’s focus is on investible funds from both individual investors and group-based investors or organisations. Based on its strict policies and regulatory requirements, McOttley Capital’s Board of Directors, chaired by Ambassador Kabral Blay-Amihere, ensures compliance at all stages of the company’s operations. This subsidiary has deployed a robust asset management software and Information Systems that allow it to exercise absolute control over essential data and portfolios. A crop of highly skilled and motivated fund managers and advisors working together with investment researchers provide intelligent risk assessments and reports to minimise risk to investments and maximise returns. The company uses its information portals to offer free investment advice and also deliver educational material to the general public to improve financial literacy in the country. “We give you free advice; you bring your funds, we look for where you can invest and give you the best returns,” he said. “If the funds mature, in most institutions the client has to follow up. With McOttley Capital, if his funds are maturing today we will send him the cheque yesterday. Which means that you can cash the money first thing when the bank opens. If it delays, the client would be losing money as a result. We make sure that we don’t promise what we can’t deliver.” McOttley Money Lending McOttley Lending provides crucial financial intermediation to especially SMEs under guidelines and regulations from the Bank of Ghana. The company is licenced to undertake market borrowing, as well as lending in line with the central bank’s aim of deepening financial intermediation and improving access to funds for the informal sector of the economy. Starting with a small number of clients and fund size, the company has grown its loanable funds to a respectable portfolio. “We are trying to empower people as that is what we want to stand for. We seek to do business in a different way. We want to make sure that customers that come to us should never ever go home not satisfied. “We have assembled the best team with the right expertise to help address the problem of funds to the informal sector,” said Mr. Livingstone. McOttley Properties McOttley Properties is the latest subsidiary of McOttley Holdings. It seeks to develop a modern township on its newly acquired large tract of land situated within 30 minutes’ drive from the Accra city centre.The proposed township is located along the planned railway linking Akosombo and Tema. The proposed township, to be situated on an 1,100 acre land, will have residential areas --Standard and Elite along Life style and/or life cycle; Industrial areas – Warehouses, Offices; Social areas – Parks, recreational centres: Hospitals, schools, police station, Fire Service; State-of-the-art shopping centre expected to be the biggest in sub-Saharan Africa; and will establish a strategic alliance with a transport company to provide special shuttle buses to run from Accra, Atimpoku and Koforidua. The SEC is currently reviewing the unit and mutual trust fund regulations of the securities industries law to allow fund managers to invest more than 10 percent of their funds in the real-estate sector. “We do more projects and assets financing since we can only invest just 10 percent of their funds in the real-estate sector under the SEC’s unit and mutual trust fund regulations. “The reviewing of the law is crucial, as the real-estate sector is one of the key areas where a lot of opportunities exist for investment in order to bridge the growing housing deficit,” Mr. Livingstone said. The steady growth of the company is not without challenges, Mr. Livingstone said: “The biggest challenge, at first, was to get institutional clients, because most of them have a longer decision-making process. Some also wanted to see if we could survive. Some signed up after the first three months, and some are also in line to sign up with us in January next year”.

By Evans Boah-Mensah Accra has a new address: Dunkonah. Situated about 44km west of central Accra, Dunkonah -- which is near Weija in the Ga-South municipality in the Greater Accra Region -- has emerged as one of the places of choice for business and residential purposes. First, the town is about to be home to the biggest shopping mall in West-Africa as West Hills Mall, a project being spearheaded by SSNIT, nears completion next year. Again, the place had been the location of choice for the multi-billion dollar technology park, Hope City, until the project was relocated to Prampram. Already, Shoprite has opened one of its shopping centres at the place and many renowned companies have lined up to do business in the area. Conceptually, the West Hills Mall is a beautiful sight. The facade of the mall has been designed to sit well with the rolling hills of Aplaku and Bortianor in the background, which accentuates the beautiful edges of the mall. According to many businessmen and homeowners who have already sited their projects in Dunkonah, the choice of Accra West for their “luxurious” projects is based on research that revealed the hitherto huge difference in wealth between Accra East and West has significantly narrowed -- which signals that the future lies n the west side of the national capital. The well-paved roads leading to the Accra Central business district are beautiful and they showcase some elements of the abundant attractions in the town. The location and relocation of projects to Dunkonah show that interest in the place is rising, opening up an enclave of hospitality facilities -- hotels, night-clubs, eateries and bars -- shopping and recreational facilities, oil, pharmaceutical and salt-producing companies. These have created an economic boom in the area with job opportunities unending as the community appeals to investors who want to benefit from the country’s extractive resources. And with commuter time to Accra Central much more bearable -- at about 20 minutes drive due to the completion of the N1 highway-- the length of time residents of Dunkonah take to get to work is one of the best in the capital. Connection to Western Region The discovery of oil in commercial quantities in Cape Three Points in the Western Region of Ghana has increased business opportunities in the western corridor of the country. The enthusiasm and expectations of the oil find have helped to boost economic activities in the region, especially in the regional capital of Sekondi-Takoradi. The boom in business activities in the twin-city has pushed demand for social services and housing up, as the population of Sekondi-Takoradi has increased by three-fold since the oil was found in June 2007 to 559,000 at the end of 2012. The increasing presence of businesses in the Western Region has also enhanced the buying power in the city. Additionally, landlords and landowners are reaping windfalls in house rentals and pricing of land, while hotels of various grades have sprung up. The immediacy and closeness of Dunkonah, which is also located along the world-class N1 highway, constructed as a West-Africa highway to link the western corridor to the ports of Tema and the Kotoka International Airport, has given the town an added impetus as a place of choice for businesses and people who want to participate in the emerging oil industry in Sekondi-Takoradi and still enjoy the charm and beauty of Accra. So Dunkonah provides opportunity for oil companies to reside in the area whilst transacting their daily activities in the oil capital of Sekondi-Takoradi. One thing is that Dunkonah is not only thriving economically -- it has also got all one would want in a place to raise a family: plenty of green space, good schools, and a strong sense of community. One of Ghana’s best educational facilities, Morgan International, is about 10 minutes drive from Dunkonah along with several other schools and colleges. The Kokrobite Beach, White Sands Beach, Bojo Beach among other exciting beaches and resorts are all within the vicinity of Dunkonah, offering places for residents to swim, picnic, and enjoy the natural beauty of a remote place. So, certainly, Accra is moving to the west and Dunkonah provides the best fertile land and opportunities for people and businesses that care about the environment and live a life devoid of industrial activities that pollute the air -- as has been witnessed in suburbs in mainland Accra. Therefore, whether one’s focus is on commerce, education, culture, recreation or just a great place to settle down, Dunkonah -- known locally as the edge of smoke -- is rising and has created an identity of its own. No doubt, it is becoming the new centre of Accra.

  By Ekow Totobi An interesting correlation appears to be emerging between the recent proscription of importing Asian rice through neighbouring countries and the sudden upsurge in activity on the domestic rice cultivation front. Be it coincidental or not, since the month of September -- barely weeks after banning the practice believed to give vent to massive smuggling of more than 100,000 metric tonnes of unchecked and uncustomed rice into the country every year -- domestic rice farming appears to be experiencing some curiously progressive impetus on a variety of fronts, which now leaves observers wondering just how much damage the dumping on our local market of cheap, smuggled rice may have already caused Ghana’s indigenous rice industry. Rice has gradually become a vital staple in the Ghanaian diet, and theories abound in how home-grown Ghanaian rice can compete with any grade of rice in taste as well as nutritional value. Yet the local rice industry has stagnated for a long time because of the myriad challenges which confront it. Ghana currently imports about 70% of its rice needs from overseas, mostly Asia, and it is be expected that the local rice industry could, given the right impetus, meet the remaining 30% demand and gradually grow its share of the market from there. Unfortunately, smuggling of rice through the country’s land borders has not allowed this to materialise. Next to limited access to capital for rice farming, the local rice industry’s biggest headache may very well be the lack of access to fair market prices; aggravated here by smuggling. Early this year, a Daily Guide report, quoting Ministry of Information sources (Daily Guide/ Ghana Web -- April 9, 2013), stated that smuggling through land borders, notably through the Ghana-Ivory Coast border, accounted for an extra influx of an estimated 100,000 metric tonnes (about 4 million bags) of rice into the country every year; and that some 25 to 35 truckloads of smuggled rice cross the borders and offload into major Ghanaian markets on a daily basis. This trade, according to the report, costs the country approximately GH¢69million every year. Because smuggled rice evades import duties and taxes, they tend to sell rather cheap -- in fact, so cheap that over the years locally grown rice has been simply swamped out of the retail market altogether, winding up as the ultimate casualty of the illicit trade in rice. But suddenly, over the past couple of months -- and presumably following the crackdown on smuggled rice -- things seem to be changing for the better and market observers are alluding to a possible transformation of fortunes for Ghanaian rice. There is now encouraging talk in official circles about rolling-out functional strategies to develop the rice sector into a major net producer in West Africa, and make the crop outstanding in Ghana’s quest for sustained food self-sufficiency. Fortunately, a number of government agencies and international and multilateral aid agencies have acknowledged the potentials of the local rice industry and are working toward its invigoration by helping to improve access to capital and farm inputs, and encouraging the use of modern production techniques and practices. In the Ashanti Region we have had reports (Ghana News Agency-Nov 25, 2013) of significant increases in per-hectare yield of rice farms in districts like Atwima-Mponua, Asante-Akim North and Central, Ahafo-Ano North and Adansi South, thanks to the impact of a joint technical cooperation initiative between the Ministry of Food and Agriculture and the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA). The intervention falls under the Sustainable Development of Rain-fed Lowland Rice Production Project -- a joint collaboration between JICA and the Ministry of Food and Agriculture aiming at helping to improve rice yields, not only in Ashanti but in all the Northern Regions as well. Some rice farmers in the northern regions are already benefitting from a similar intervention rolled-out also through collaboration between the Ministry of Food and Agriculture and the French aid agency Agence Francaise de Development, which invested 17.3 million euro into a five-year long project aimed at increasing crop production, processing and marketing in the Northern, Upper East, Upper West and the Volta Regions of Ghana (GNA/nanumbanorth.ghanadistricts.com. For me, one of the most impressive activities on the local rice front is what is happening in the North Tongu District of the Volta Region, where the Global Agri-Development Company (GADCO) seems to be registering great strides in local rice production. The company currently cultivates about 800 hectares of long-grain perfumed rice; harvests an average of 40,000 bags; and operates a state-of-the-art processing plant on its plantation near Sogakofe. Besides successfully launching and promoting its own brand of rice onto the local market, GADCO is mobilising smallholder farmers in and around the North Tongu district and partners them along the path of increased production and easy market access. They mean to triple incomes for smallholder rice farmers and build skills and improve the livelihood of over 7,000 farmers. If indeed, the lack of access to fair market prices aggravated by smuggling has been a major show-stopper for growth of Ghana’s rice industry, then one humbly appeals to all stakeholders in the business of promoting local rice production, processing and marketing to act, mobilise and take full advantage of the new squeeze on smuggled rice by seizing its rightful share of the market ....while the ban lasts.

By Juliet DUGBARTEY, Tarkwa Kal Tire Ghana -- a contracting company of the mining companies -- has demonstrated its commitment to safety by achieving a significant milestone: 1,000 days accident and incident free. The achievement is even more respectable when taking into account the difficult environment the teams have to operate in. Mr. Graham Lawes, Regional Director West Africa of Kal Tire, at the marking of Loss Time Injury (LTI) at Tarkwa in the Western Region noted that safety will never be compromised, no shortcuts taken no matter what the implications are. “The fact that we have almost three years accident and incident free is something we are all very proud of, and so are our customers,” he added. Giving a brief history, he explained that the company was established in Ghana in 1989 and currently operates in Takoradi and Tarkwa, providing on-site tyre services to many mine projects in the country. Mr. Sampson Kudom, the Safety Tyre Group Manager of the company, explained that mining is about production, cost and safety. “When an incident occurs at the mine, resuscitating the person as well as finding time to replace the person is a cost; and if the company does not get a professional person to replace the injured one, production stops,” he said. He added that when production ceases, it affects the cost of doing business – “therefore, it is important we celebrate this milestone”. Chris Skelton, Managing Director of Europe, Africa and Australia, pointed out that the mining industry is a globalised industry -- the recent achievement in Ghana proves that health and safety is paramount to everything Kal Tire does. Gordon Knox, Operations Director at Kal Tire Ghana said: “1,000 days is our first challenge -- we are looking toward 2000 days as our next”. The Kal Tire Mining Group is a global leader in mining tyre service, operating in over 150 mine sites in 19 countries across five continents. The company employs over 1,000 people and continues to build the infrastructure required to support international mining customers and all their tyre requirements.

By Dominick Andoh   The onset of harmattan is disrupting scheduled flights from the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) to the northern regional capital, Tamale.   The harmattan, which is characterised by poor visibility, has forced domestic airlines to cancel or delay flights to Tamale where the harmattan is particularly strong. However, flights to Kumasi, Sunyani and Takoradi have been on schedule.   The harmattan has also necessitated a change of the landing pattern at the KIA -- with flights landing from the El-Wak Sports end instead of the regular Spintex Road end of the runway.   In an interview with the B&FT, Mr. Antwi, the Chief Executive Officer of Starbow -- one of the affected domestic operators which cancelled its flights to Tamale on Monday and Tuesday -- said: “On Monday, visibility was 2,000 metres, which was less than our minimum level of 2,600 metres. On Tuesday, visibility was just 1,500 metres between 8:00am and 11:00 am when most carriers fly to the northern part of the country. Our aircraft are in good shape, but we have had to cancel the flights for safety reasons due to the poor visibility”.   He added however that the airline will resume its flights when visibility improves.   In a related development, a section of the KIA is expected to be cordoned off today to make way for a full-scale public health exercise at the airport. The exercise is expected to last for three hours, from 9:00am to 12:00 pm local time.   The exercise, code-named “Pandex Obaatanpa 2013”, forms part of the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) rules and International Civil Aviation (ICA) regulations which charge member-states to take effective measures to prevent the spread of communicable diseases through air travel.   The exercise will simulate a suspected passenger with an infectious communicable disease on board an arriving aircraft and the subsequent response by the various agencies which make up the emergency operation control group of Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL).  

UBA was the lead sponsor of The Ovation Red Carol & Awards Night which held its maiden edition in Ghana last week.  Ovation Red Carol is the largest star-studded pan-African carol concert featuring celebrity performers and guests from across the continent, and is the brainchild of successful philanthropist and editor, Mr. Dele Momodu. This year’s event, themed “It’s All About Hope”, was held at The State House Banquet Hall, Accra, Ghana. Since inception of The Ovation Red Carol in 2007, UBA has been a lead sponsor of this event. It has become the biggest and most sought-after ceremony for A-list Nigerians during the Yuletide season. This is because it brings together a galaxy of great stars from across Africa to a night of glamour and entertainment. We are particularly delighted to support Mr. Dele Momodu’s vision of promoting excellence across Africa, as this vision is directly related to the vision of UBA Group -- of being a role model for African Businesses. UBA has deepened its roots over the years in many African countries, we have the time-tested experience and the pulse of each country we are present in; what better bank to support Dele Momodu in this feat? UBA operates over 750 branches across 19 African countries, as well as New York, London and Paris. UBA is fulfilling the African Dream! I would not be presumptuous in saying that next year we may be partnering with Ovation in Cameroon or Kenya with the support of UBA, as Ovation Red Carol moves the event across Africa in partnership with UBA.