Recognizing the untapped potential of Ghana’ Chocolate industry, the Ghana Export Promotion Authority  (GEPA) has collaborated with organizers of the prestigious Wines of South Africa on a Road Show Tasting event to promote Ghana’s growing chocolate industry. According to GEPA, it sees the collaboration as strategic since it will create a good platform to promote Ghana’s premium chocolates which compare very well with that of others from the West. Accordingly, GEPA supported the industry to participate in its road show events in Lagos and Accra on the 14th and 16th of July 2022 respectively. To maximize these efforts, GEPA says it is also preparing the participation of the industry in the main event in South Africa later in the year as well as participate in the 2022 Salon du Chocolat Fair in Paris. In 2021, GEPA organized and supported the industry to participate in Salon du Chocolat in Paris. On the sidelines of the fair, GEPA organized a trade and investment fair in Paris to further promote Ghana’s chocolate industry to investors. Ghana’s Cocoa is widely accepted as a very premium product in the global cocoa value chain industry, supplying roughly, a  quarter of the world’s cocoa beans, a critical input in the nearly $140 billion global chocolate industry. However, Ghana gets little from the chocolate billions because of low capacity to process its cocoa into chocolates and other higher-value cocoa product. In a bid to bridge the gap, President Akufo-Addo, recently made it a top priority for Ghana  to extract more value from the cocoa it produces. “We intend to process more and more of our cocoa in our country with the aim of producing more chocolate ourselves. To that end, the Ghanaian government plans to spend roughly $200 million on improving Ghana’s cocoa processing capabilities in the near future" As the national trade organization responsible for the development and promotion of Ghana’s exports, GEPA has identified chocolates and the entire processed cocoa value chain as one of the priority products in the National Export Development Strategy (NEDS). The key objective is to transform Ghana’s traditional raw commodities based economy into a competitive export-led industrialized economy with a robust manufacturing base. To this end, GEPA is earnestly working with domestic chocolate-making and exporting companies in Ghana, including artisanal companies as well as large exporting companies. It is emerging that there are about three large chocolate exporting companies in Ghana viz, Cocoa Processing Company, Niche Cocoa and Fair Afric Ghana. The artisanal sector is also fast growing with over 30 companies producing innovative brands and tastes majority of whom are members of the newly-formed association, the Cocoa Value Addition Artisans Association of Ghana (COVAAAGh). GEPA is working to strengthen this association to position them scale up their production and marketing. Speaking to the media, the Chief Executive Officer of Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA) said "We want to grow the chocolate industry in Ghana. We have been working with Cocoa Making Association of Ghana, we want to grow their chocolate industry" She added that since of the chocolate producers have small cottage industry, she believes exposures of these sort is another way of growing this industry. Dr. Asare believes this will help Ghana chocolate industry bundle up with what South Africa has. "Looking at the vision we have for the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (afcfta) agreement, we thought that we should be trading among ourselves" she also mentioned On his part, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Gharbin Foods underscored the need for Ghana to push its chocolate to the international market for more patronage. He thanked GEPA for the exposure and also called for more of such events. The South African High Commissioner To Ghana, Her Excellency, Grace Jeanet Mason said "July Month is when we commemorate Late Nelson Mandela in South Africa and tonight, we are celebrating Late Nelson Mandela with and also enjoying Ghanaian chocolate. "We are collaborating and strengthening the Ghana-South Africa relations" she concluded. Below are some videos and pictures: Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith

Outspoken Member of Parliament for the Assin Central constituency, Kennedy Agyapong, has taken a dig at President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for seeking a bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Mr. Agyapong argued that only governments who have failed to live up to expectations seek support from the Bretton Woods institution. “During NDC’s era, I said any government that takes his country to IMF has failed. So if my government is going to IMF, do you want me to backtrack? People will not take me seriously. I still stand by it, we [NPP government] have failed,” he said in a Citi News interview during the NPP’s National Delegates Conference at the Accra Sports stadium on Saturday. Mr. Agyapong, however, argued that, there’s a vast difference between what compelled the erstwhile Mahama government to seek an IMF programme and those that pushed the Akufo-Addo government to run to the Bretton Woods institution. “The mere fact that you have gone to IMF means you have failed. But there’s a difference between the IMF under NDC and the IMF under NPP. Under NPP, we’ve been unfortunate to have a Covid pandemic. As if it was not enough, when it was subsiding, then came the Russia-Ukraine war. In America, inflation normally hovers around one or two percent. But now, in 40 years history of America, inflation is 8.7%. That alone tells you that it is not the fault of NPP. I have never seen Americans fighting for baby formula to feed their kids. Was that the situation under NDC when they took us to IMF? The answer is no. So that alone tells you that, the level of mismanagement of the two parties going to IMF–NDC’s own is higher than that of NPP.” Government is seeking support from the IMF to revive Ghana’s ailing economy, which is challenged by huge debt levels, high inflation rates and low revenue generation. Credit: Citinewsroom

The ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) has successfully elected new executives whom they believe will lead the party to break the 8. The hot contest saw not only shocks but surprises as some big wigs lost their slots to new faces. Below is a full results of NPP Executive Elections: NATIONAL CHAIRMAN Gifty Asantewaa Ayeh (Daavi Ama) - 44 Sammy Crabbe - 32 Prof Christopher Ameyaw Akumfi - 101 Akwasi Osei Adjei - 20 Stephen Ayesu Ntim - 4,014 Stephen Asamaoh Boateng - 1,010 Kwabena Abankwah-Yeboah - 294 VICE CHAIRMAN Ismael Yahuza - 613 McJewels J. Annan - 155 Danquah Smith Buttey - 2,982     - 1st Rita Talata Asobayire - 2,927      - 2nd Edmond Oppong-Peprah - 479 Kiston Akomeng Kissi - 2,069 Derek Kwaku Nkansah - 491 Michael Omari Wadie - 1,635 Nuworu Ken-Wud - 520 Alhaji Masawudu  Osman - 2,128    - 3rd GENERAL SECRETARY John Boadu - 2,524 Iddrisu Musah - 104 Ramseyer Ahmed Agyeman-Prempeh - 8 Charles Bissue - DNF Frederick Opare Ansah - 50 Justin Kodua Frimpong - 2,837 NATIONAL TREASURER Mary Posch Oduro - 1,320 Dr Charles Dwamena - 2,917 Dr Yussif Tedam - 125 Collins Nuamah - 1,197 NATIONAL ORGANISER Bright Essilfie Kumi - 137 Seth Adu-Adjei - 25 Daniel Nii Kwatei Titus Glover - 2,274 Eric Amoako Twum - 185 Henry Nana Boakye - 2,870 Nana Owusu Fordjour - 44 WOMEN'S ORGANISER Kate Gyamfua - 620 Ellen Ama Daaku - 9 Hajia Sawudatu Saeed - 32 NATIONAL YOUTH ORGANISER Abanga Fuseini Yakubu - 153 Salam Mohammed Mustapha - 255 Prince Kamal Gumah - 101 Michael Osei Boateng - 120 NASARA COORDINATOR Haruna Maiga - 5 Abdul Rahman Diallo - 2 Issaka Muaza Kunata - 199 Awal Mohammed - 24 Sulemana Alhassan Atakpo - 9 Abdul Aziz Haruna Futa - 328 Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith

The hotly contested New Patriotic Party (NPP) national executives elections came to an end last night in Accra with a semblance of shock and wave, as Justin Frimpong Koduah also known as JFK beat the incumbent John Boadu to become the new General Secretary of the party for the next four years. JFK who is the CEO of the Youth Employment Authority got 2,837 votes to beat Boadu who had 2,524 votes out of the total 5,556 votes cast. JFK was the former NPP Deputy Regional Youth Organiser in 2010, served as a member of the Ashanti Regional campaign team of the party in 2008, and was a member of the National Youth Wing of the party – he chaired the Legal Committee. The other contestants had the following votes; Iddrisu Musah -104, Ramseyer Ahmed – 8, Charles Bissue – 12 and Frederick Ansah – 50. More than 6000 delegates voted at the elections for 46 candidates seeking to occupy 10 positions in the party. Stephen Ntim beat six other contestants to win the National Chairman position with 4,014 votes. He contested against formidable candidates including Stephen Asamoah Boateng and Prof Christopher Ameyaw-Ekumfi. Dr Charles Dwamena won the National Treasurer position with 2,917 votes; Henry Nana Boakye won the National Organiser slot with 2,870 votes; Kate Gyamfua is the National Women’s Organiser with 620 votes; the National Youth Organier position went to Salam Mohammed Mustapha who got 255 votes, and Abdul Aziz Haruna Futa became Nasara Coordinator with 328 votes. Story by: Peter Quarshie

The Member of Parliament (MP) for Dome-Kwabenya, Sarah Adwoa Safo has called on delegates from the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) to work in unity. The MP made these known in a Facebook post in the wake of the NPP Delegates Conference 2022. The MP who is currently based in the States, was optimistic that peace will prevail after the conference She posted “Holding together, working together,” Facebook post below: Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith

The Member of Parliament (MP) for Ningo-Prampram, Sammy George has hit hard at the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) saying the delay in its Delegates Conference was due to vote-buying. According to him, the amount of money that is being thrown to entice delegates are serious. Addressing Journalists at the NPP Delegates Conference being held at the Accra Sports Stadium, Sam George said "The amount of money that us being thrown around to entice delegates from a party that has moved this country into an economic mess, you would have expected that they would have been more decent. But the accounts we are hearing about monies that are being paid to delegates are serious" "The conference should have started at 9am; it's past 12, and the delegates are being held up in meetings with candidates who are giving them monies" He wondered that for a government that has driven the country in mess, where would it be getting such monies from. The governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) is holding its Delegates Conference to elect what it calls competent men and women whom they believe will lead the party to victory and help them break the 8. Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith

The Executive Director of the National Population Council (NPC), Dr. Leticia Adelaide Appiah is calling for a national campaign to prevent teen pregnancy, child marriage and unplanned pregnancy in Ghana. The call comes at the back of the over troubling rates of unplanned pregnancies and child marriages in Ghana. Speaking at the 2022 World Population Day Celebration in Ghana in Accra on Friday, she said "According to the Ghana Health Service, over 110,000 teen pregnancies are recorded annually. Mr. Chairman, whether planned or not, teenage pregnancies have potential complications; they may end up in unsafe abortions and or HIV/AIDS, child abandonment, high mortalities and morbidities with long term sequel" She added that the celebration will focus on what Ghana needs to do in a concerted manner to decisively address the canker. Dr. Appiah stressed that the celebration will also improve Ghana's health and efficiently improve the quality of human capital sustainably for Ghana beyond aid. "To Midwives, Obstetrician, Gynecologists and Pediatricians, the benefits are instant, reduced workload and quality care for those who need care" "To the Economists, it will reduce the per capita in the GDP per capita and thus increase the GDP per capita to improve the quality of life of citizens" "To the Health Sector, it will reduce moralities and morbidities, thus improve health outcomes at a reduced cost and inadvertently contribute to families savings and the NHIS" "To the Ghana Aids Commission, it will reduce the incidece of HIV and related social and cost implications. It will make it easier in meeting the 90 90 90 targets. The Executive Director entreated the religious leaders, traditional authorities and local government to create committees to come out with programmes for implementation of such important national agenda. "We need to put our hands, hearts and minds into this agenda to help build the nation we so wish to live in. The teenagers are not talking, they are acting more than talking so they are teaching us what to do. Yes we must and will talk, but we need to take action too" On his part, the Country Representative A.I, UNFPA, Barnabas Yisa, said "This year, the UN is estimating the global population to reach 8 billion by 15th November. The temptation here is to look at the numbers on face value and not what it fully represents for development and sustainability of life on the plant" He added that Sustainable national development will only be possible by ensuring that the reproductive rights and choices of individuals are respected and not violated. He stressed that people should be given access to a wide range of family planning information and services in order for them to be able to make informed choices. "As we celebrate World Population Day, we must critically take interest in data and the demographic profile of the country to inform development plans, equitable allocation of resources and for determined national priorities" Mr. Yisa charged Ghana must in data and in human capital and remove barriers to opportunities to harness the potential of all people, including those traditionally marginalized; women, young people, elderly, disabled and migrants. "Ghana must work with the other countries in the sub-region, especially its neighbours to share best practices and also, learn from the best practices of others to facilitate South-South and Triangular Cooperation (SSTC)" He stressed that the government must also invest in disaster risk reduction and mitigation strategies and systems to ensure economic inequalities and low quality of life are not exacerbated among general population during incidences of floods and other natural disasters. On his part, the Chief Executive of Officer (CEO), NHIA, Dr. Bernard Okoe Boye assured that family planning in the mix of health services under the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) will see its continuation and expansion under his tenure. Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith

The Ghana Railways Company Limited (GRCL) has hinted that the Tema-Accra passenger service which was suspended temporarily for rehabilitation work will resume on Monday, July 18. According to the GRCL, it has fully resolved all challenges hence, it resuming on Monday. It is emerging that to ensure that passengers travel safely on the railway line, officials from the GRCL had a test run to ascertain its strength. The GRCL further hinted that GRDA, which is the industry regulator has granted it access to begin the shuttle service. Below is a copy of the release: Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith

Over 50 shops and houses have been destroyed at Sakaman Blue Lagoon, a vicinity in Dansoman in the Greater Accra Region. Residents say the land owners gave them an evacuation notice which ends in September, 2022. According to Adom News’ Kwame Anum, the victims have been left stranded. Many of them could not collect their belongings as they watched helplessly while the bulldozers broke into the structures. Property worth thousands of cedis are said to have been lost in the rubble. The affected residents say they were working towards the two-month deadline by which time they would have relocated. But they were taken by surprise when the unknown men led by a group of uniformed police officers showed up on Friday, July 15. The affected residents are calling for a refund, citing a rent agreement they have with the chief of the area. This is not the first of such an incident this week. On July 12, the Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo) led a taskforce to demolish illegal structures sited under some of its high tension lines in the Ayawaso West Wuogon Municipality. The move, according to GRIDCo, forms part of efforts to reduce the growing human activities around its poles. Watch the video below: Credit: Myjoyonline.com

Members of Organised Labour in the country are set to be cushioned by the government in the midst of the high cost of living in the country. Several unions and associations belonging to Organised Labour in the past weeks have been demanding a 20% Cost of Living Allowance (COLA). Following the failure of the government to yield to the demands, some unions declared an industrial strike last week with others threatening to withdraw their service at the end of the month if nothing is agreed upon. At an Emergency Meeting called by the Wages and Salaries Commission at the Ministry of Health Conference Room in Accra today, there have been successful talks between a team of government officials and representatives of the leadership of Organised Labour. The terms of agreement reached today is that the Cost of Living Allowance will be paid at a rate of 15% of base pay. The date for the payment of the 15% COLA 1st July, 2022 to cushion workers in the midst of the growing hardships in the country. As a result of the agreement today, teaching and learning are expected to immediately resume in pre-tertiary public schools across the country as striking teachers have called off their industrial action. Schools had to come to a standstill for the past two weeks as a result of the declaration of indefinite strike action by the various teacher unions including the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), Coalition of Concerned Teachers (CCT) and Teachers and Educational Workers’ Union (TEWU). Find below the terms of agreement: Credit: Modern Ghana

The Majority Leader and Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu has noted that since 1993, some Ministries and persons appointed to serve in those ministries have not added value to the governance of this country. This is the case of all governments that have come in the Forth Republic, he said. The Suame lawmaker indicated that the time has come for a self introspection to be done with the appointment of Ministers. Delivering a lecture at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) on Wednesday July 13, he said “We are stuck because many of our ministers do not add value to our governance, that is the truth. “I am not here talking about the current NPP administration, I am referring to all administrations since 1993. The time has come for us to have a serious introspect of this.” He also suggested that the time has come for a recap of the number of Ministers a President can appoint. “Hasn’t the time come come for us to place in the constitution an upper sealing on the number of ministers of states that we should have?" “As I have already stated, Cabinet ministers assist the president in the evolution of policies ,that is according to Article 76 of the constitution. All bills and agreements that are presented to parliament are underpinned by governmental policies and principles which the cabinet ministers propose to cabinet. “So if you are not a cabinet minister, you are not part of the process or the evolution of polices. That means that a ministers who is not a cabinet minister cannot assent to or present a bill or agreement to parliament.” Source: 3news.com

After a press conference to strongly condemn encroachment activities on  government-owned land at Mempeasem, a suburb of Accra and also declaring  government’s determination to win back the acres of land, The Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Hon.Benito Owusu-Bio paid a working visit to Mpehuasem on Wednesday, 13th July, 2022, to witness for himself the situation at the site. He told the media that the main purpose of his visit was also to show Ghanaians and the general public, what the activities of the Lands Commission has been in carrying out their mandate, which is to protect government lands and ensure that all developments, expecially on State lands conform to well planned schemes. In his submission, he pointed out that "State lands must not be left for people to develop and turn into slums. Also we should not sit down for people to just encroach on government-owned lands and take them as their private properties, that should never be the case" He said most of the development at the site have been done without proper development schemes after sending out a number of notifies to stop erecting such structures, adding that owners of such structures must get them regularized, and those that cannot be regularized will be peaceful ejected to help save the Lands for future use and for posterity. The Deputy Minister also noted that the Ministry and the Lands Commission is in collaboration with with the Greater Accra Regional Coordinating Council to sanitise and ensure proper administration of Lands in the country. He noted that the Lands Ministry and all other stakeholders will continue this action of demolition and sanitisation peacefully without any strive, not only in Mempeasem but in the likes of CSIR, Frafraha, Sakumano, Ramsar Site, Diary Farms Amrahia among others. Responding to the question of compensating the Chiefs in the area who may lay claims to these lands, Hon. Benito disclosed that government through the Lands Commission has in 2019 compensated the Chiefs a second time with 114 acres of land out of a total of 225 acres in the area. He also clarified that AYNOK Holdings is a legitimate company contracted by the Lands Commission to support them in reclaiming government lands, stressing that "the commission has the constitutional mandate to employ whoever they choose to support them in their line of work and that is why they work with the police, the Military and all those security agencies to help eliminate the illegalities in the system" Hon. Benito touted that the lands sector has the full backing and approval of the Sector Minister, Hon. Samuel A. Jinapor as he is very much concerned about these land issues and has therefore mandated them to ensure that the right thing is done everywhere. Hon. Benito went on to caution the public that those who need to buy Lands should visit the Lands Commission and get their Lands registered legally to avoid future implications such as demolition saying that "those who are doing the right thing will be encouraged while those doing the wrong thing will be reprimanded" Mr. Dadson on his part noted that the Lands Commission have gotten the approval of the Ayawaso West Assembly to begin a properly planned land scheme which will see to the construction of drainage systems and ensure that the area is well layed out. Mr. Dadson reiterated that those erecting structures in the area should halt all their activities to enable the commission embark on the planning scheme for the proper laying out of area. He also noted that residents who own completed buildings on the Lands must visit the Lands Commission to own up and regularize the Lands if necessary. "It will be good if those who have finished and furnished structures to visit the Commission to have them regularized, because when we start rolling out this scheme, even if you have a finished structure and it is in waterways or perhaps the paths designated for roads will be bulldozed off to make way for the road" Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith