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Some passengers have appealed to transport operators to officially announce new fares to avert petty quarrels between them and drivers.

The GNA observed that some commercial drivers have increased fares by about 20 per cent since last Saturday, with drivers charging GH9 .00 instead of GH7.50 from Madina to Accra Central Business District.

Also, some passengers are paying GHC7.00 instead of GHC5.50 for a taxi trip from Old Ashongman to Madina.

This is causing misunderstanding between drivers and passengers, some leading to assaults.

Some passengers whom the GNA talked to, said they had not officially heard from the Ghana Private Road Transport Union on any new increment hence unwilling to pay new fares.

Comfort Okyere told the GNA that she was surprised at the increment, saying the Ghana Private Road Transport Union had earlier told the drivers to hold on with the collection of any new fares.

The GNA gathered that some drivers started collecting new fares on Saturday April 20, 2024.

The GNA also observe
d that some commercial drivers (trotro drivers) have printed and pasted new fares in their vehicles.

Source: Ghana News Agency

By Ande Nanja Rene.

The Population of Mbonge Subdivision has celebrated the sudden death of notorious Ambazonia commander, selfstyled General Mad Dog of the Ribbons of Ambazonia.

To the locals, Desmond Koa, popularly known as Mad Dog, has been a menace and terror to the population of Meme and Ndian Divisions.

He was murdered alongside four of his peers by elements of the Repid Intervention Battalion BIR, in Bombele, Mbonge Subdivision, following a Military Invasion of the area on Wednesday April 24, 2024.

Mad Dog recently banned Mondays farming in Meme and Ndian Divisions.

He also recently destroyed and burnt hundreds of National Identification documents of locals and was also accused killing repentant Amba fighter, Mbaku Jean of Kwakwa, late last January this year.

He also murdered a driver plus two passengers in Nganjo in mid-January.

In July last year, Mad Dog brutally murdered two inhabitants of Kombone Bakundu, Mukete Thaddeus and Obie Lyonga, labelling them ‘Blacklegs’.

His corpse will he displa
yed at the Kumba BICEC Junction where government forces have been displaying corpses of deceased Separatists.

Source: Cameroon News Agency

Mrs Violet Obeng, the Wife of Mr Kwame Asare Obeng, the Independent Parliamentary Candidate for Gomoa Central Constituency, has organised a health screening exercise for the aged.

It was also to enable the aged to know their health status and seek prompt medical attention.

The health screening exercise was carried out by VEE Foundation with sponsorship from Mrs Obeng, its Executive Director.

More than 600 aged were checked for various ailments, including Blood Pleasure (BP), diabetes, dental issues, malaria, hepatitis B, cholesterol levels and others.

Majority of the aged were found to be suffering from various sicknesses, unknowingly.

Medicines were given to those requiring them and some referred to see medical doctors at various facilities in and around Gomoa Central for further diagnosis and treatment.

The beneficiaries were drawn from Gomoa Pomadze, Chapel Community, Gomoa Aseibu and Gomoa Ansaful in the Constituency.

Speaking to the media after the exercise, Mrs Obeng said she was in Ghana from th
e UK to celebrate her birthday with the aged at Gomoa Pomadze to assist them to receive medical attention.

She said some of the beneficiaries could not afford the cost of medical check-ups because it was highly expensive while others were immobile and could not get to hospitals easily to receive medical treatment.

Mrs Obeng said the aged in the Gomoa Central were dear to her heart and she would do her possible best to provide them with medical care at their doorstep.

She gave the assurance that her Foundation and sponsors were ready to provide medicines and equipment to clinics and Community Health Planning and Services (CHPS) Compound at Gomoa Pomadze and its enclave to support quality healthcare delivery.

The Executive Director of VEE Foundation appealed to the residents, especially the aged to do regular check-ups at health facilities to reduce untimely deaths and also detect unexpected sickness to enhance their wellbeing.

Mr Kwame Asare Obeng commended his wife, Mrs Obeng and her Foundation for the g
esture and reiterated calls on the people to avail themselves during such medical screenings and also regularly go for check-ups.

Mr Obeng said as an Independent Parliamentary candidate seeking to become Member of Parliament (MP) his main priority was to support health facilities in the Gomoa Central to be well equipped with modern equipment and medicines to promote quality healthcare.

He appealed to the constituents to vote massively for him in the forthcoming Parliamentary elections on December7, 2024.

Nana Apata Kofi I, Chief of Gomoa Pomadze, praised Mrs Obeng and her Foundation for the health screening for the aged in the area.

He pledged the support of the chiefs and people of Gomoa Pomadze to the team.

Source: Ghana News Agency

By Stephen TADAHA with additional information from investiraucameroun

The Bank of Central African State (BEAC) has announced the injection of new coins into the CEMAC subregion between June and September 2024 in response to problems linked to coin shortages within the CEMAC zone. The announcement also stated that the FCFA 200 coin will also be in circulation. This will be the first time that the CEMAC zone will transact with 200 FCFA single coins.

The shortages have been resulting from the exportation of significant quantities of coins to Asian countries where they are used to manufacture other products, mostly pieces of jewelry. The exportation of these coins is carried out by illegal export organizations installed in the subregion. They acquire coins from game houses and other illegal networks, reports have confirmed.

According to reliable sources as revealed by the Investor au Cameroun, the new variety will be larger and will have new denominations, particularly, with the arrival of FCFA 200 coins.

The
new variety of coins will also have some slight blending modifications. The size of the new variety will be similar to the FCFA 50 coins of the 1960s.

The arrival of the new coins according to the same source, will not affect the existing ones. The two varieties will coexist as BEAC has no plans to demonetize the existing coins. To ensure its availability, BEAC also envisages passing the command of significant quantities that will resolve coin shortages in the subregion.

Source: Cameroon News Agency

Vulnerable girls from rural communities in the Upper East Region enrolled onto various vocational and technical training by the Advocacy for Social Inclusion and Girls Education (ASIGE), a non-government organisation, has reached 100 within five years.

This follows the latest admission of 20 selected young vulnerable girls to undergo a three-year practical training in various trades such as hairdressing, smock weaving, dressmaking, and welding, among others.

With funding from the Amplify Action based in the United Kingdom, the beneficiaries were also provided with learning materials and equipment as well as payment for the entire training duration.

Since 2019, ASIGE has been working with various stakeholders to help reduce unemployment in the region through the support of young vulnerable girls, particularly out of schoolgirls and teenage mothers, to learn various trades in vocation skills.

It has also been advocating for policy directions for African countries to prioritise technical and vocational train
ing as means to reduce unemployment, reduce poverty and strengthen efforts towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Ms Dorcas Apoore, Executive Director, ASIGE, told the Ghana News Agency that apart from the training, the beneficiaries would also be given entrepreneurship and digital training to enable them to establish their businesses, attract and retain customers.

She said so far about 33 girls had successfully graduated from the training and five had already started their own businesses, earning income and employing other young girls.

‘Majority of these girls were on the streets of Accra, Kumasi and other parts of Ghana but since we brought in this programme, these so many girls are engaged and we believe in five years-time, should they all graduate, they will support other vulnerable girls,’ she said.

The Executive Director explained that technical and vocational skills training was key to reducing unemployment and boosting socioeconomic growth and development.

However, e
ducational systems of Ghana and other African countries were mostly based on theories.

The situation, she indicated, had contributed significantly to the high rate of unemployment and limited graduates from establishing their own businesses and contributing to solving social problems.

Ms Apoore underscored the urgent need to align policy framework that prioritised handwork for young people, adding ‘we have so many graduates on the streets, but they don’t have the practical skills.’

Madam Rita Abamah, Bongo District Girl Child Officer, Ghana Education Service, indicated that most of the young girls enrolled had missed out on the formal education and the support would go a long way to build their capacity to live dignified lives.

She advised the beneficiaries to humble themselves and learn so that they would acquire the needed skills that would enable them to establish their own business and become economically independent.

Ms Martha Asaane, one of the Master Trainers, said they were willing to train the g
irls at reduced fees and urged the parents of the beneficiaries to support their wards.

Ms Matilda Adombire, one of the beneficiaries, expressed gratitude to ASIGE and its partners for the intervention and noted that the support would enable her make up for the formal education she missed and become responsible in society.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Addis Ababa: Ethiopian Airlines and Air France Industries-KLM Engineering and Maintenance (AFI-KLM E andM) signed an agreement for component support for Ethiopian Boeing 777 fleet today.

The agreement was signed by Ethiopian Airlines CEO Mesfin Tasew and AFI-KLM E andM Senior Commercial Vice President Pierre Teboul.

CEO Mesfin said on the occasion it is a component support agreement for Ethiopian and Boeing, and it is ten-year contract covering over 500 components for which Ethiopian Airlines does not have internal repair capability.

Thanking the company for the service it has been providing, he added that the agreement was reached based on ‘our good experience of the service that we have been getting in the past.’

AFI-KLM E andM Senior Commercial Vice President Pierre Teboul said on his part that his company is committed to working and cooperating with Ethiopian Airlines.

“Ethiopian Airlines and AFI-KLM E andM are not new to work together. We already did it in the past.”

And the next step would be to t
hink about additional cooperation, he added.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

Dr Millicent Agangiba, the Executive Director of Inclusive Tech Group, has urged the government to ensure that People with Disabilities (PwDs) are included in the country’s digital technology agenda.

Inclusive Teach is an organisation that works to ensure all-inclusive society where various structures exist for the full utilization and participation of vulnerable groups in the digital space.

In an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on the side-lines of the 11th Digital Rights and Inclusive Forum 2024 (DRIF24), underway in Accra, Dr Agangiba stressed that the PwDs could not be excluded socially, and left behind digitally, in today’s interconnected world.

The Paradigm Initiative (PIN), a Pan African organisation, and its partners are organising the three-day conference on the theme: ‘Fostering Rights and Inclusion in the Digital Space.’

Other partners of the conference, being attended by hundreds of delegates, civil society organisations and actors, NGOs and the academia drawn from 61 countries acro
ss the world include E-Governance and Internet Governance Foundation for Africa (EGIGFA) and the University of Media, Arts and Communication.

The rest are the Media Foundation for West Africa, Inclusive Tech Group, Internet Society (ISOC) Ghana Chapter, and Human Security Research Centre (HSRC) Event sponsors include Wikimedia, African Digital Rights Network, Ford Foundation, Luminate, Google, Kingdom of The Netherlands, Mott Foundation, Open Technology Fund (OTF), Internews, Small Media, among others.

As the nation makes significant progress to advance in digital technology, the government must tackle the existing disparities in accessing digital technologies by supporting and providing the required resources and materials to train the PwDs, Dr Agangiba said.

She said although the Inclusive Tech was doing much to enlighten, especially the visually impaired to easily access and use the internet, more support and resources were required to empower more of the PwDs to ensure their inclusion in the digital sp
ace.

With the progress made so far in the country’s digitally driven economy, being spearheaded by the Vice President Alhaji Dr Mahamuds Bawumia, the Executive Director, said if the PwDs were not empowered enough, it would be difficult for them to cope with social life.

As the world turns into a global village with rising internet penetrations, Dr Agangiba said vulnerable people and groups as well as the marginalised in society must also understand how to access and use the internet for productive activities.

She said now that quality education, healthcare and other essential services were being accessed digitally, it was appropriate the government supported her organisation and others to also train and empower the PwDs to access the digital space too.

Dr Albert Antwi-Bosiako, the Director-General of the Cyber Security Authority, said there were gaps in internet access, particularly in the global South and underserved communities, where access to affordable and reliable internet remained limited.

Dr Antw
i-Bosiako noted though the nation had made progress in internet penetration, it was imperative to remain vigilant in addressing the digital divide that persisted, particularly in the un-served and underserved communities.

He said it was the responsibility of governments to foster digital inclusion among their citizens and build a more inclusive digital society.

Dr Aida Opoku-Mensah, the Vice Chairperson, PIN Board, said Ghana was privileged to host the conference, and expressed appreciation to the partners, hoping that the participants would build networks.

The DRIF24, she added, remained important platform where conversations on digital policy in Africa were shaped, policy directions debated, and partnerships forged for action.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Addis Ababa: State Minister of Finance Semereta Sewasew, discussed with UNAIDS Director of the Regional Support Team for Eastern and Southern Africa, Anne Muthoni on Sustainable Health Financing Strategy.

The discussion focuses on the challenges, good practices, and areas of improvement in the health sector particularly with the global aim of ending AIDS.

On the occasion, the state minister highlighted that Ethiopia has been making huge investments in the health sector with the aim of increasing the access and improving the quality of services.

Moreover, she stated that the country is trying to respond to the growing new AIDS infections among the youth which needs more attention and effort.

Muthoni also stressed the collaboration on the global strategy of UNAIDS to end the epidemic.

In this regard, both sides emphasized the importance of sustainable financing and collaboration as a key success factor.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

The Gender Unit of the Minerals Commission has sensitised women in Artisanal Small-Scale Mining (ASM) in the Eastern Region to take advantage of the opportunities within the small-scale mining sector.

The day’s workshop was on the theme: ‘Capacity Building of ASM Women for Future Wealth’.

The participants were taken through topics including Financial Management, Health, Safety and Environmental Sustainability and procedures for the acquisition of licence and mining concessions.

Madam Monalyn Anokye-Bempah, Principal Officer at the Gender Unit, Minerals Commission, encouraged the women in Artisanal Small-Scale Mining, popularly known in the local parlance as ‘Korlikorli’ to form co-operatives to make it easier to secure mining concession and financial support from banks to assist their businesses.

Mr Patrick Pinamang, the District Officer at Akim Oda, Minerals Commission, took the women through the procedures for the acquisition of licences and concessions and encouraged them to observe the provisions in t
he Mineral and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703).

On requirements for applying for a concession, Mr Pinamang said one was supposed to provide a Ghana Card, tax identification number and register the business as a sole proprietor or limited liability at the Registrar General’s Department.

The Government, through the Minerals Commission, had earmarked blocked-out areas for small-scale mining, and that an individual could be given up to 25 acres of mining concession after fulfilling the necessary legal and administrative requirements, Mr Pinamang stated.

Madam Grace Anim- Yeboah, Director of Banking at ABSA Bank, engaged the participants on record keeping and efficient financial management tips.

She urged them to be focused and resilient with their finances in order not to incur unnecessary losses in their businesses.

She believed that if women in ASM organised themselves into co-operatives, it would enhance their bargaining power to secure affordable loans from the Bank.

On her part, Madam Victoria Adobea Guerri
eri, the National Women’s Coordinator, Ghana National Association of Small-Scale Miners, encouraged the women in mining to be bold and work collaboratively in order to access funding for their businesses.

She believed that if women were empowered financially, they would become huge asset for the nation and their families.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Addis Ababa: The priority given to Ethiopia’s startup ecosystem and the changes in terms of policy and investment are commendable, according to the Ethiopian Association of Startup Ecosystem (EASE).

In an exclusive interview with ENA, Ethiopian Association of Startup Ecosystem (EASE) General Manager Nebiyou Yirga said the startup ecosystem used to be a bit fragmented and nobody shared any kind of information.

‘What we are now demonstrating is that the ecosystem is not built by one person. It has to be built by a lot of people and there is no single owner of the ecosystem. It is owned by everybody.’

Finding the gaps in the ecosystem and solving problems with all the ecosystem players, parties and the government are essential steps, he added.

For the general manager, considering all the innovations and startup ecosystems in other continents ‘we are late, but we have started at last; and it is good.’

According to him, the startuppers have now learned that there are going to be some changes in the ecosystem;
and they are optimistic to see the good effects of the changes that are being promoted.

In addition to praising the very good start in the ecosystem, Nebiyou hopes to see the effect of the policy and the kind of investments in the ecosystem.

The Ministry of Innovation and Technology reaffirmed recently that the government is making a concerted effort to foster a startup-friendly atmosphere in the country by offering essential resources, including funding, workspace, and technical assistance.

Efforts will be intensified to help startups enter the market as their contribution to job creation, productivity in agriculture, industry, and tourism, among others, is crucial, it noted.

In a recent post on X, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed also wrote that ‘Startup Ethiopia aims to cultivate an environment conducive to youth entrepreneurship, fostering innovative problem-solving businesses.

Recognizing the youth as the nation’s engine brimming with innovative ideas, policy support for the ecosystem is vital to translate
these ideas into reality.’

Recall that a three-week ‘Startup Ethiopia Exhibition’ opened at the Science Museum in Addis Ababa on April 4, 2024 with the goal of fostering business connections, providing resources, and showcasing the innovation of participants in the ecosystem.

The exhibition was a national event hosting over 900 participating startups engaged in various fields, including information technology, agriculture, health, education, industry and finance.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

A delegation from the China Media Group (CMG) Africa accompanied by some officials of the Chinese Embassy in Ghana Tuesday called on the management of Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Accra to explore partnership and collaboration opportunities with the wire service.

The engagement focused on how the two Organisations can explore opportunities to upscale their news production and reach.

The CMG Africa delegation was led by Mr. Li Peichun, Deputy Director-General of CMG Africa.

The members were; Mr. Kwame Ren, Media Manager of Chinese Embassy, Madam Li Ye, Senior Editor and Corespondent at CMG Africa, and Mr. Shan Feng, a Photographer.

Mr Albert Kofi Owusu, the General Manger of Ghana News Agency (GNA), said the Agency was working towards the production of digital content to serve its radio and television subscribers locally as well as the international market.

‘…We have always felt the need to explore the leading digital market that has emerged. Last year, we did a pilot project and produced audio-visual conte
nts for our tv and radio subscribers and they liked it. So this year, we are going big in that area,’ he said.

Mr Owusu said the partnership would offer opportunity for trainings and capacity building for editorial staff in audio-visual and digital content creation and distribution.

He also talked of a possible collaboration in the area of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to drive optimum content creation, productivity and speed.

‘We are open to these partnerships and hope to learn from each other in projecting our respective brands and reach. We are ready in this regard to better tell the Ghanaian and African story,’ he added.

Mr Li Peichun said the leadership of the CMG in China would sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the GNA at the Forum on China Africa Cooperation Summit this year in Beijing to give life to the partnership.

He said the partnership would be a ‘win-win’ engagement between the two Organisations, explaining that it would be generic so that the two parties could decide on areas of inter
est.

The China Media Group is a national broadcaster of China, comprising China Global Television Network, China Central Television, China National Radio and China Radio International.

The Group has eight oversea bureaus and operates in 20 countries, with the African outlet headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya.

Source: Ghana News Agency