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Virtual platform to help market agriculture and non-agriculture products launched
The Ghana Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GNCCI) in Wa has in collaboration with the GIZ/Agriculture Finance Consultants (AFC) Market-Oriented Agriculture Programme (MOAP) has launched a virtual platform to help market agriculture and non-agriculture products that are produced in the northern part of the country.
Christened the Made in Northern Ghana (MING) Marketplace digital platform, the application which was officially launched at Wa in the Upper West Region on Tuesday seeks to enhance access to products and services in the northern part of the country and to open them to the global market.
The Regional Manager of the GNCCI in the region, Mr. Jeremiah Tengan stated that the Chamber commissioned a research into the performance of products from the northern part of the country on the global market and identified that the goods from the north received less attention on the global market.
“Products such as smock and shea butter from the north are good but they receive very limited showcase globally and unfortunately have very poor marketing network”, he said.
He mentioned that in collaboration with GIZ, the platform was created to facilitate the buying and selling of products and also make it easier to trade with people across the globe without geographic restrictions.
He mentioned that before the official launch of the platform, the team organized a sensitization tour across the five northern regions; Upper West, Upper East, Northern, North East and Savannah Regions to create awareness of the platform.
He maintained that the platform was an opportunity to have a reliable market for their products and to open them up to the global market.
“The Development Bank of Ghana (DBG) is poised to lend loans to people in business with a maximum of five to fifteen years to redeem the debt, and this will go a long way to improve their business”, he said.
The platform, he noted sought to drive positive change and innovation in the business landscape in Ghana and help improve on the revenue of businesses in the northern part of the country.
For his part, Mr. Reuben Binpori, the Inclusive Business Development Expert with MOAP indicated that they have supported farmer groups, inputs dealers and processors to expand their vocation.
He said marketing in recent times had gone beyond interpersonal to digital where a wider audience is reached and adequate revenue is generated.
“In view of this, the digitized platform which was well thought through was introduced to help small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs) to enable them sell their products by connecting them to buyers all over the world”, he added.
FROM LYDIA DARLINGTON FORDJOUR, WA
Ghana’s First Lady, Lordina Mahama, has made a generous donation to the country’s national female Under-17 and Under-20 teams – Black Maidens and Black Princesses- as they continue preparations for major international assignments.
The donation, made on Friday, May 22, was presented on behalf of the First Lady by the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, at the GFA Technical Centre in Prampram.
The gesture forms part of efforts to motivate and support Ghana’s young female footballers as they prepare to represent the country on the international stage.
The donation included essential food items and toiletries aimed at supporting the welfare and well-being of the players and technical teams.
The donation included cartons of Milo, T-rolls, soft drinks, toiletries, and a range of essential supplies aimed at supporting the welfare of the players, enhancing camp conditions, and easing preparations ahead of their respective assignments.
The Black Maidens are currently engaged in preparations for the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup qualifiers and are set to take on Liberia women’s national under-17 football team in the second-leg encounter in Liberia this weekend.
Meanwhile, the Black Princesses have already secured qualification to the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup after overcoming Uganda in the qualifiers, extending Ghana’s remarkable record to eight consecutive appearances at the tournament.
The donation by the First Lady was expected to boost morale within both camps while reinforcing national support for the young female footballers who continue to make the country proud.
The prosecution has officially rested its case in The Republic v Solomon Asamoah & Another, the high-profile legal battle commonly referred to as the “Sky Train” case.
The Deputy Attorney General Justice Srem Sai announced the development, praising the state’s team of hard-working prosecutors for successfully anchoring the state’s evidence before the High Court.
The criminal trial centers on the former Chief Executive Officer and the former Board Chairman of the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF).
The duo stands accused of illegally authorizing and paying out US$2 million to a foreign company without obtaining board directives or other mandatory statutory approvals.
State investigators have confirmed that the disbursed millions cannot be found.
Following the closure of the prosecution’s case, the accused persons moved the court for an opportunity to file a submission of no case.
The presiding judge granted the application, ordering the defense to submit their arguments by June 8.
The outcome of the June 8 filings will decide the fate of the trial:
With this, if the judge finds the defense’s submission convincing, the accused will be acquitted and discharged however, If the judge dismisses the submission, the court will order the accused officials to take the stand and explain why they should not face prison sentences.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
