Sponsored by interest rateS TREASURY SECURITIES RATE money & Currency Markets 13/11/-2015 Daily Interbank FX Rates Date: 13/11/2015 Percentage 91 Day Bill 24.0543% 13/11/2015 Buy Sell Inflation Rate Oct... 2015 17.4% 182 Day Bill 25.8504% £(Pound Sterling) Gh¢ 5.7663 Gh¢5.7736 1 Year Note 23.0000% US$ (Dollars) Gh¢ 3.7904 Gh¢ 3.7942 2 Year Fixed Rate Note 23.0000% BoG Policy Rate Sept. 2015 25.00 € (Euro) Gh¢ 4.0754 Gh¢ 4.0783

www.businessdayghana.comBUSINESS Monday 16 Sunday 22 November 2015 * VOL. 2, * NO.81 GH¢ 2 GHANADAY “We’ll not spend beyond the budget”—Terkper warns inance Minister Mr. yond what have been budgeted in parliament last Friday, Mr. “the Electoral Commission and Seth Terkper has reiter- for in 2016 to halt the habit of Terkper emphasized “We will other governance institutions ated that government incurring huge debts after elec- resist the temptation of elec- will be adequately resourced will avoid any move tion years. tion year overspending”. thatF may result in spending be- Presenting the 2016 budget He, however, added that Continues on page 5 Mr. Seth Terkper, Finance Minister “Over 80,000 jobs ignored”

Stories by LAWRENCE SEGBEFIA that Ghana could solve two Mr Danyansah, who is also major economic challenges— aspiring to be a Member of unemployment and housing Parliament for Obuasi East hana’s unem- deficit by injecting the needed warned that the country risks ployment chal- capital required for the housing a housing crisis in the next “ lenges could be industry to make it lucrative. three years if policymakers solved substan- He expressed concerns over fail to clearly outline measures tially by paying the growing unemployment towards averting the situation. attentionG to the housing indus- level among the youth, whose “There is inevitable need for try, which has a value chain energy and competencies he managers of the economy to that can provide meaningful suggested could be directed at start from the urban centres” jobs for over 80,000 unem- the industry to yield optimum he said, where the demand for ployed youth”, The Chief Ex- result. housing is fast outstripping its ecutive Officer of Danywise “Ghana has a housing short- supply at a rate of 17.5 per cent Estate and Construction, Mr. fall of 1.7 million units and this annually. Frank Aboagye Danyansah has is expected to escalate by 2018, “If government does not disclosed to the Business Day. the youth unemployment is support the private sector, it Speaking to the Business also surging; we can engage will be difficult for us to put up Day ahead of a major project to this young and active youth Mr. Frank Aboagye Danyansah, Chief Executive Officer of be undertaken by the company, into the housing industry”, he Danywise Estate and Construction, Mr. Danyansah maintained stressed. Continues on page 5 2 * BusinessDay - Monday 16 Sunday 22 November 2015 BusinessDay -Monday 16 Sunday 22 November 2015 National News 3 Ghana’s GDP reducing due to environmental ECOWAS officials degradation meet over Sahel report from the World Bank indicates that he technical secretariat Ghana is losing close to and coordination plat- 12 per cent of its Gross form of the ECOWAS ADomestic Product (GDP) due Sahel strategy are cur- Trently meeting in Abuja, Nigeria to environmental degradation. This, according to Dr Elias to strengthen synergy of action Ayuk, Director, United Nations and review the implementation University - Institute for Natu- process of the strategy. ral Resources in Africa (UNU- The Sahel strategy aims among INRA) Accra, was due to rapid others, to consolidate regional degradation of both renewable responses to long-term develop- and non-renewable natural ment and stability challenges of resources. Sahel-Saharan zone while pro- Speaking during the opening moting strong political dialogue of the a three day international with both North and Central conference on green economy Africa. in Accra, Dr Ayuk said environ- According to a statement is- mental degradation coupled sued by the Commission, during with climate change was put- the two-day meeting, the officials ting immense pressure on the would identify group leaders of the African Union applauds Ghana five thematic groups-Infrastruc- natural resource base of the countries of the world especially ture, Resilience & Food Security, Education, Advocacy & Research Africa. delegation from the Consolidated People’s Party. context of changes in the interna- Our interest in pursuing of synergy as well as Monitoring & African Union (AU) Mr Yaw Adu-Boahene, a Senior tional community. Evaluation. research and capacity building currently visiting Gha- Technical Adviser of the Union He said: “The proposed long- in the area of green economy The convergence would also na has applauded the and leader of the delegation noted term national development plan provide the opportunity to clarify has been informed by the fact National Development that the participation of Ghana’s will have a chapter devoted solely that environmental degradation the mandate, mission, institu- APlanning Commission (NDPC) for political parties in the prepara- to Ghana’s position in the global tional structure and operating coupled with climate change its inclusive approach to preparing tion of the plan would help ensure geo-political economy – how it procedures of the Technical Sec- were putting immense pres- a long-term national development continuity and sustainability in affects Ghana and how Ghana can sures on the natural resource retariat of the Platform with the for Ghana. national development across dif- affect it for itself and for Africa. objective of informing members base of the world, he said. The purpose for the visit of the ferent governments. “National development is not The conference dubbed of the Technical Secretariat and delegation is to discuss strategies “This is something other Af- only about what happens within the coordination platform on the “Greening industries and green for domesticating the first 10 years rican countries can learn from our borders but also what happens entrepreneurship promotion preferred implementation prog- of the AU’s 50-year transformation Ghana,” he said. The statement beyond them. We must anticipate ress of the strategy. as a driver of sustainable and agenda, known as Agenda 2063, noted that a delegation from global developments (both eco- inclusive growth in rural Africa” The officials would also be -dis into Ghana’s long-term national Sierra Leone had already visited nomic and political) and prepare cussing the financing modalities of attracted researchers, policy- development plan. the Commission to learn from its for them rather than waiting for makers, civil society organisa- the Action Plan through financing A statement issued in Accra planning experience in a demo- them to happen and then react as instruments, including the Euro- tions among others from all over by Mr David Owusu-Amoah, the cratic environment. we have been doing for decades. Africa to deliberate on issues pean Union Regional Indicative Public Relations Officer of the The delegation is expected to The Director General also ex- Programme and Trust Fund as pertaining to green economy on Commission disclosed that the meet with other government offi- pressed displeasure at the practice the continent. well as to gather comments from delegation made the commenda- cials in preparation for a technical where African governments con- members of the platform on ways He noted that while the Af- tion during a courtesy call on the meeting on Agenda 2063 in Accra gregate in other countries at the rican continent could boost to improve the synergy between Director General of the NDPC, Dr on November 5. behest of leaders of those countries the various initiatives being car- of some of the fastest growing Nii Moi Thompson, at his office According to Mr Adu-Boahene, – such as the India-Africa Summit economies in the world during ried out in the Sahelo-Saharan in Accra. Agenda 2063 should be seen as a and the China-Africa Summit. zone. the last decade, the growth had The Commission is currently unique opportunity to transform He said: “If we want to be not been balanced since pov- The ECOWAS Commission has working with six major political Africa within the next 50 years. respected in world affairs, we developed, in collaboration with erty remained a problem with parties to develop a long-term “The Agenda is expected to be must first respect ourselves-we inequalities also increasing. the West African Monetary Union national development plan that a continental source of inspiration shouldn’t allow ourselves to be Commission and the Permanent These, he said, had been would be binding on successive for the development of national used as shoulder pads by others to accompanied by numerous Interstates Committee for Drought governments yet flexible enough and regional development plans,” project their power on the global Control in the Sahel, a Sahel Strat- environmental problems such to allow political parties to imple- he said. Other members of the del- stage. We must begin to project as air and water pollution, de- egy Document with an Action Plan ment their manifestos towards the egation were: Ms Tsilat Getachew, our own power, and that starts composed of 31 priority projects forestation, desertification, loss achievement of a common nation- a Development Planning Expert; from looking within and believing of biodiversity and so on. estimated at 4.75 billion dollars. al development vision specified in Mr Tichawa Shumba, a Senior in ourselves.” The implementation of the ac- He called on both the public the long-term plan. Policy Officer; and Dr Robert Dr Thompson indicated that and private sectors in Africa to tion plan is scheduled for the pe- The parties are: The Progres- Afriyie, Deputy Head of Mission Africa has a higher per capita in- riod of 2016-2020, and supported work together by making signifi- sive People’s Party; the National at the Ghana Embassy in Addis come than India and an untapped cant investment in the transi- by a Coordination Platform com- Democratic Congress; the New Ababa, Ethiopia. potential for rapid and broad- prising major stakeholders, includ- tion to a green economy. Patriotic Party: the People’s Na- Dr Thompson stated that is based development, adding that He said the UNU-INRA was ing multilateral organisations and tional Convention; the Conven- it important to situate national “it has no business grovelling development banks and agencies. one of 14 Institutes and Pro- tion People’s Party and the Great development planning within the before others”. grammes of the United Nations University (UNU) with the sole aim of contributing through col- laborative research and educa- tion, dissemination and advisory services to resolve the pressing Vodafone donates towards Farmers’ Day global problems of humanity. the Club are also given constant “In pursuit of its mission, odafone Ghana has do- He said farmers belonging to as given competitive rates to information about weather, ‘UNU functions as a think tank nated mobile phones, the Club are able to make free calls other networks. farming techniques and prices. of the UN System and for UN power banks, tablet calls among themselves, as well Mr Mensah said members of He urged farmers who are member states; serves as a and a cash of GH¢ not members of the Club to join bridge between the United V20,000 to the Ministry of Food and enjoy the numerous advan- Nations and the international and Agriculture, towards the academic community; provides tages. Mr Fifi Kwetey, Minister a platform for global and local celebration of the 2015 National of Food and Agriculture com- dialogue; and contributes to Farmers Day. mended Vodafone Ghana for building research and teach- Mr Gayheart Mensah, Direc- the donation and called on ing capacity, particularly in the tor of External Affairs at Voda- other corporate organisations to developing world,” he added. fone Ghana, said the support emulate the example. He said the UNU-INRA was was in recognition of the hard He said the recently launched the only UNU Institute based work by the Ghanaian farmers. Farmers Club by Vodafone is in Africa with the mandate to He said, as a company that providing immense help to the empower African universi- believed in the development of farmers, adding that the Minis- ties and research institutions the agriculture sector, Voda- try would continue to collabo- through capacity strengthening fone has introduced a special rate with the telecom operator to enable efficient management product for farmers, dubbed the to introduce more products of the continent’s abundant “Farmers Club”, to make their for the benefit of the Ghanaian natural resources. work more efficient. Mr Fifi Kwetey receiving the donation from Vodafone Ghana farmers. 4 *BusinessDay -Monday 16 Sunday 22 November 2015 *BusinessDay -Monday 16 Sunday 22 November 2015 National News 5 Cummins Cogeneration and WUTA Energy sign agreement to supply 300MW of power

ating 100MW of gas-based Ghanaian energy sector LAWRENCE SEGBEFIA power projects in Nigeria, and accord Ghanaians the clean energy group is employment and training ummins Co- set to introduce the same in various aspect of the generation core technology to Ghana power generation busi- Limited (CCL), in 2016. ness. headed up by The facility will make He explained that the Mr. Deepak use of Ghana’s substantial project is divided into CKhilnani and WUTA En- natural gas reserve and will two phases, with Phase ergy are set to commence be the first development in one providing 140MW of a 140MW gas-fired power the region to utilize Organic power and scheduled to be plant in the Western region. Ranking Cycle, which cap- completed in August 2016. Based in Beyin, the tures waste heat from the “The Beyin Power Plant plant is the first phase of plant to generate additional Project will not only in- a 300MW Power Purchase energy. growing need for power, said, “since the discov- thrilled to be taking steps crease the total energy Agreement to supply en- This will not only deliver the announcement of the ery of Ghana’s natural gas towards meeting Ghana’s base the country requires, ergy to the Ghanaian Grid, a very significant economic production of clean and af- reserves, it has been ex- energy needs.” but it will also jumpstart and once complete, it will benefit but will significantly fordable energy is one most pected that gas would play Further, Mr. Khilnani economic activities es- be the largest gas engine improve the environmental welcome to the Ghanaian a prominent role in the announced that the com- pecially in the catchment power project in sub-Saha- impact of the power plant. community. country’s energy sector. pany will employ a sub- communities which will ra Africa. At a time of regional On the project, Mr. Kh- As a leading organization stantial number of the enhance the living stan- After successfully oper- concern surrounding the ilnani, Chairman of CCL in this industry, CCL is local workforce to operate dard of the people”. and maintain the plant. He expressed appre- “We want to utilize the ciation to the chiefs and energy and talent of local people of the Nzema area “We’ll not spend beyond the budget”—Terkper warns Ghanaians to make this who released the land for project a social benefit, as feasibility studies to com- Continued from page 1 well as an economic suc- mence. cess. We firmly believe it “We believe that this for free, fair and transpar- will have a positive impact project will continue to ent elections”. on both short and long drive development in This is not the first term local employment”, Ghana and look forward time government has in- he said. to working together with dicated strongly that it On his part, Mr. David Deepak Khilnani and CCL would not exceed the Brigidi, the CEO of WUTA to generate long-term pow- expenditure for 2016 — Energy, stated that the er solution for Ghanaian which happens to be an project will offer a ma- communities”, he said. election year and likely to jor improvement to the see labour agitations for salary increment. “I have seen more dem- “Over 80,000 jobs ignored” onstrations and strikes in Continued from page 1 tively lower cost in or- my first two years. I don’t affordable structures,” he der to augment Ghana’s think it can get worse”, Presi- housing policy require- dent John Mahama said in added. He noted that the pri- ment. March 2015, explaining that Mr. Danyansah sug- the strategy has been adopt- vate sector is heavily de- pendent on private fund- gested the need for the ed by workers’ groups to tie hospital beds in 2017 as grown policy and the IMF stood at GH¢92,161.84 mil- ing, which comes with government to engage the hands of government, a result of the expansion program, Mr. Terkper an- lion (US$24,285.07), made high interest cost. the services of domestic especially in election years. projects of the University nounced glimpses of good up of GH¢54,488.26 mil- He expressed worry developers in policy de- A brighter medium of Ghana and the Ridge gains as the economy con- lion (US$14,357.91million) that most of the housing sign of housing, a move term Hospitals. solidates. for external debt and put up by foreign devel- he stressed would create According to Mr. Ter- These, he indicated will “The withdrawal of sub- GH¢37,673.58 million opers do not meet local jobs for Ghanaians and kper, the 2016 budget, guarantee improved health sidies is helping to consoli- ($9,927.16 million) for do- needs and the growing retain profit in the coun- themed “Consolidating delivery in the country date gains. Budget deficit mestic debt”. middle class as the for- try to bolster the national Progress Towards a Brighter and impact positively on is down to 2.5% GDP, a He explained that in eigners are usually in- economy. Medium Term” will fo- women and children. reduction that is remark- terms of GDP, the public fluenced by their culture He observed that, be- cus on containing govern- On water, he said gov- able”, he said. debt stood at 69.12 percent and background to satisfy cause most people are ment’s fiscal expenditure to ernment has added a total According to him, gov- at the end of September, the taste of upper-class unable to meet the cur- enable the essential parts of of 77.5 million gallons of ernment is forecasting a 2015 from 70.15 percent in citizenry. rent prohibitive mort- the economy such as edu- water supply per day in GDP growth of 4.1 percent December, 2014. He called for the swift gage terms, it would be cation, health and road net- 2015 but the figure will in 2016, compared to 3.5 Government’s passage of the Ghana prudent for government works to benefit fully from increase to 109.7m gallons percent initially projected, achievement Real Estate Development to partner with local de- government’s spending. in 2016 due to the many while the World Bank is Touching on education, Fund into law to enable velopers to provide af- He pointed out that the water expansion projects projecting growth at 7 per- health, road and water in- stakeholders in the sector fordable housing to Gha- economy has suffered ma- currently underway across cent. frastructure, Mr. Terkper access funding at rela- naians. jor shocks for the past three Debt management said the country is on the the country. years due to drastic fall in strategy right path of development Touching on the bright the prices of gold, oil and As part of measures and economic prosperity. future in the power sector, cocoa, which have impact- aimed at reducing the debt He maintained that, the Mr. Terkper said the coun- ed heavily on government’s stock, Mr. Terkper reiter- country has successfully try is on course to adding projected revenue. ated moves by the eco- eliminated “schools under about 800 megawatts of “The disruptions in gas nomic team to press on trees”, and is close to com- power to its generation supply for two and half all commercial and quasi- pleting its 123 Community capacity by close of 2015. years has also affected commercial projects to school projects promised in He promised the coun- power supply adversely, refinance themselves. the 2012 elections. try will end the power cri- and slowed down growth, He added that govern- He said the government sis and revert the country especially in the private ment has decided as a mat- has also added two new to its position as a net sector”, he intimated and ter of priority to secure functioning universities in exporter of power in the quickly added that “gov- long- term loans that will the Volta and Brong Ahafo coming years. ernment has been work- have the capacity to pay for Regions, all geared towards On housing, the Minis- ing tirelessly to keep the itself in order to insulate the improving tertiary educa- ter said over 18,000 hous- economy strong” tax payer from paying for tion in the country. ing units are at various Government’s growth such facilities. On health, Mr. Terkper stages of completion to target “Provisional debt stock said government is on track improve upon the hous- On government’s home- as at September, 2015, at providing a total of 6,000 ing deficit in the country. 6 National News *BusinessDay -Monday 16 Sunday 22 November 2015 Ghana-China business connect for March 2016 March 2016 has been slated for the reduce poverty and reduce youth developing relationships that lead first edition of the Ghana-China unemployment. to new business opportunities and Business Connect. Ghana is already benefiting from growth in an industry. The ultimate hana – China Business Chinese investments, including fi- objective of our Business Connect Connect is a periodic nancial; agriculture, mining, manu- is to help build lasting relationships B2B networking event facturing, services, infrastructure, between Chinese companies and created to connect capacity building and human re- the major players in Ghana’s finan- partners across vari- sources. The rapid development of cial sector. It also aims at discussing ousG sectors in the SINO-AFRICAN Ghana - China relationship shows a issues around how businesses could business landscape. There has been trend of diversification of actors and be financed locally and even so, how a continuous improvement in the interests. Businesses across the two to increase the participation of local cooperation between Sino-African countries (Ghana and China) have and international partners” businesses in recent years. The drive therefore seen a significant boost in Like all developing countries, for this momentum is facilitated by the past decades. Ghana is in a unique position to the appetite to develop and establish How can all these new develop- seize the opportunity to increase new strategies for positive engage- ments translate into real time busi- cooperation with China and strive ment. ness to business co-operation across for development and revitaliza- According to a 2011 report from sectors? tion of industrial policy. China- African the Development Bank, This event is hosted by Economic Ghana industrial cooperation could “China is a valuable trading partner, Business Group and other strategic catalyze Ghana’s inner-growth ap- a source of investment financing, partners. proach, made-in-Ghana strategy and and an important complement to According to Mr. Paul Frimpong, strengthen Ghana’s relatively weak traditional development partners. a SINO-African Expert and the manufacturing base. China is investing massively in in- Group C.E.O of Economic Business Chinese Ambassador to Ghana H.E. Ms. Sun Baohong The maiden edition of the Ghana frastructure, which helps alleviate Group (EBG), “We are excited about – China Business Connect is struc- supply bottlenecks and improve creating this platform to help forge creation of strong partnerships and starters. Whether you are looking tured to focus on connecting all Chi- competitiveness”. lasting relationships among busi- the sharing of best practices to grow your business or looking to nese companies operating in Ghana China will continue to remain an nesses. This is a valuable platform for “We at EBG seek to champion the partner or venture into something with all the major players in the finan- important development partner to interaction between the key decision creation of platforms that provide the new, we are sure you will find this cial sector of Ghana. It will attract the Ghana and the entire continent over makers of China’s major investment opportunity of engagement between platform very useful” top executives and C.E.Os of all major the next decades to come. Therefore, companies in Ghana and the major major players in doing business in According to the organizers of financial institutions in Ghana. This Ghana should look at means to players in the Ghanaian financial Ghana and China. It is a platform this important B2B networking event is hosted in collaboration with capitalize on this relationship to spur sector. This special event is a tool for business networking and can be event, “competition is fierce and Business Day Ghana and Business economic growth and development, to facilitate social interaction; the great for both, experienced and new networking is a critical factor in Television Africa as strategic partners. BusinessDay -Monday 16 Sunday 22 November 2015 National News 7 tioned how pleased he was with the success rate of the programme ABii National/Lendahand organises and was confident that the busi- nesses of their customers had now been set on the path of success. This was also echoed by the capacity building workshop for SMEs Head of Business Development, Mr Abdul-Malik Bukari, who added that ABii National had Bii National and Len- plans to still extend the workshop dahand Foundation- to other regions in the country in Netherlands have or- order to equip their clients with the ganised a Small and necessary skills and tools which Medium Enterprises will allow them to grow their SME A(SMEs) capacity-building work- businesses into giant and profit- shop in Kumasi. able companies. ABii National’s sterling perfor- A rather very elated customer mance, over its short span of op- of ABii National, Nana Darko, who erations, had attracted partnership deals in construction building from the international financial materials as well as house-hold company helping it to keep to its items and has been a client of the promise of extending financial company for the past year shared literacy and advisory services to Participants and facilitators at the seminar his testimony on how useful the some sectors of the economy. programme had been to him. Lendahand has a social goal of country it operates in, lending a The training which brought educate the SME operators on how He narrated his daily chal- creating jobs in emerging coun- total of € 60 million via the plat- together close to 40 Small and to grow a business from a one-man lenges on the job with regards to tries by financing local small and form by the end of 2018 (which Medium Scale Enterprises within entity into a multi-million busi- wrong and bad financial decisions medium enterprises so people get translates into the creation of an the Ashanti Region of Ghana, ness venture. he had been making and was a shot at escaping poverty. estimated 25,000 jobs) and be- sought to equip business owners The one-day programme saw quick to point to the fact that most A statement signed by Mr Ashie coming well positioned to become with basic book keeping and other very astute financial brains from of those costly mistakes would Bennet, the Unit Head- Corporate a key European player in SME financial tools. Ghana and Netherlands taking the have been totally eliminated if he Affairs, Corporate Support & Ser- financing in emerging economies. To teach participants the im- participants through relevant and had been equipped with the rich vice Excellence of ABii National, The aim of the seminar was to portance of stakeholders in busi- practical sessions with the objec- knowledge he had just gained from said the training programme was bring together SME customers ness growth, expose the trainees tive of increasing their knowledge- the programme. successful and informative. of the company and adequately to proper financial practices which base for the enhancement of their He expressed his satisfaction The two companies aim, equip them with some essential could help grow their businesses, businesses. with the initiative taken by ABii amongst others, at working with business tools as well as assist assist the SME operators to ap- In an interview with the Man- National and Lendahand, indicat- local partners who provide some them with the adequate capacity preciate the role of corporate gov- aging Director of ABii National, Mr ing his eagerness to apply what of the lowest interest rates in the to build and grow their businesses. ernance in business growth and to Godfried Osei-Boakye, he men- they he had learnt to his business. 8 *BusinessDay -Monday 16 Sunday 22 November 2015 *BusinessDay - Monday 16 Sunday 22 November 2015 Editorial 9 Kudos to UT’s Kofi Amaobeng Mr. Prince Kofi Amoabeng, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and co-founder of experience in bank- BUSINESS DAY the UT Group of companies last week officially announced his retirement. ing and finance, invest- ment, management and Ghana Team leadership. versal bank focusing the way for others to Managing Editor r. Prince Mr. Amoabeng also mainly on small and also manage the bank Felix Dela Klutse Kofi has said the turnaround medium enterprises. after 18 years of head- Amoa- plan has several ele- We believe that the ing it. He has however beng, ments that include loan News Editor 63 year old man has reiterated that he still Chief recovery, deposit mo- Vincent Baffour-Acheampong done a lot, not just for remains the President MExecutive Officer (CEO) bilization, improved himself but for Ghana of the UT Group of com- and co-founder of the risk management, ad- UT Group of companies at large and it is now panies. Reporters ditional capital injec- Lawrence Sedem Segbefia time for him to bow out As he takes a back seat, last week officially an- tion and aggressive cost Kwame Asare when the company has Mr. Antwi-Asimeng, the nounced his retirement. reduction. John Kelly been well positioned new CEO, is expected According to reports, Mr. Amoabeng said on the global market. to lead a new team of Mr. Amoabeng’s retire- “overall goal is to apply As he exits, we be- experienced industry ment takes effect at the the vulnerable lessons lieve UT has a great professionals who have Kumasi Office end of December 31, we have learned as an Regional Head team that can run the been recruited by the and would be succeeded SME-Focused bank to +233 - 266868583 bank and deliver qual- bank recently. by Mr. Stephen Antwi- continue to serve our ity service to its cher- It is our prayer and Asimeng, the current core market, the SME’s ished customers. hope that he will steer Circulation & Marketing Officer Chief Operating Offi- and the individual cus- This single honor of the affairs of the bank David Afum cer of UT Bank, subject tomer. Mr. Amaobeng demon- to greater heights. +233 - 245622098 to the approval by the The bank will contin- strates that we build Mr. Antwi-Asimeng Bank of Ghana. ue to develop and intro- companies for human- himself is reported to For the records, UT duce new products and Finance & Administration ity and not for our- have said that, the bank Bank started 18 years services for SME’s and Adedayo Adetoye selves, so that when we over the last couple of Chief Finance Officer ago, with strong believe position itself as the go- are out, the good work years experienced some in systems, institutions to SME retail bank”. and story still contin- challenges but a turn- and processes. Mr. Antwi-Asimeng SheilA A. Williams ues. around plan was insti- Together with his and his team have a HR & Administrative In fact, Mr. Amoabeng tuted and has already partner, Mr Joseph duty and they must en- Executive himself has noted that shown some positive Nsonamoah, they start- deavour to make it a his retirement was not results. ed the bank as a non- success, to ensure that instigated by anybody We are glad to hear Advert Department bank financial institu- the bank continues to or pressured from any- this since Mr Antwi- tion in 1997 and have contribute to the econ- Patricia Setorwu Agbotse one but he willingly Asimeng brings on successfully trans- omy of the country. Advert Manager formed it into a uni- chose to retire to pave board solid professional +233264708551

Emmanuel Kojo Bediako Marketing Executive

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Subscriptions Executive Sulemana Zurka

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Daniel Kow-Kwansah Logistics & Circulation Manager

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BD Lagos, Nigeria Aghaeze Festus Monday Senior Production Executive 08067183118 10 * BusinessDay - Monday 16 Sunday 22 November 2015 BusinessDay - Monday 16 Sunday 22 November 2015 National News 11 Gipc grants tax holiday to Vivo Energy Ghana recognised for agro-processing enterprises road safety programmes he Ghana Invest- improving the current eco- ment Promotion nomic conditions prevailing Center (GIPC) has in the country, it will boost ivo Energy roads. offered a five year the confidence of both exist- Ghana, the The sponsorship pack- taxT holiday for new, wholly- ing and potential investors CIMG Petro- age included road safety owned Ghanaian agro-pro- to retain and invest in the leum Company educational materials and cessing companies which country”, the document of the year has fuel for the successful or- use only local agricultural said. beingV recognized by the ganisation. Commenting inputs as their raw material On general investments, Greater Accra Regional on the sponsorship pack- base. it said the total investments Office of the National age, the Managing Director The move, which comes recorded for the first quarter Road Safety Commission of Vivo Energy Ghana, Mr. with a package of a mini- of 2015 has seen a signifi- (NRSC) for its tremendous Ebenezer Faulkner said mum foreign capital needed cant increase of over 1000 support towards the im- road safety remains a ma- for companies’ registration per cent in terms of the provement of road safety jor challenge in Ghana and under the GIPC Act, is part Foreign Direct Investment in the region. the sponsorship of the road of a grand scheme to allow (FDI) value but a decline of Presenting the certifi- safety awards will further starter businesses enjoy free 7% in terms of the number cate, the Greater Accra motivate transport opera- incentives and tax rebates of investments when com- Regional Manager of the tors to make good use of to ensure their survival and pared with results recorded National Road Safety Com- best safety practices. viability. for the same period in 2014. mission, Mrs. Catherine Mr. Faulkner referenced A fact sheet indicated Quoting figures to back Hamilton, said Vivo Energy some of the road safety that, the goal is to help these this, the document said Ghana has been a great programmes organised industries find their feet the FDI component of the partner in collaborating in partnership with the and thrive in a conducive total estimated value of the with the Commission to NRSC and other road safe- manufacturing business projects registered during help improve road safety ty NGOs, including out- environment – a critical pre- the first quarter of 2015 in the region. door and indoor lessons requisite for the building of was GH¢4,208.21 million Mrs. Hamilton said “the for over 6000 pupils from a strong micro-economic (US$1,122.19 million), rep- National Road Safety Com- the Greater Accra region, stability. resenting 97.56% of the total mission is very apprecia- In a related develop- the areas of driver and the construction of speed After the initial 5-year estimated value. tive of the commitment ment, Vivo Energy Ghana vehicle management, trip bumps, a health screening tax holiday period, these The local Direct Invest- of Vivo Energy Ghana and has also sponsored the logging, customer and pas- exercise for drivers from industries shall as part of ment (LDI) component we look forward to more 2015 Greater Accra Re- senger satisfaction, hazard the Achimota bus termi- the package have corporate for the same period stood collaboration on other gional Road Safety Awards management, general ad- nal and the provision of tax rates fixed according to at GH¢105.30 million programmes to educate to reward deserving trans- ministration and welfare lollipop stands in various their location - those based (US$28.08 million), repre- people on the importance port unions who have dis- of members – all aimed at schools in Accra, Tema, in Accra and Tema would senting 2.44%. of road safety”. tinguished themselves in reducing accidents on our Takoradi and Tarkwa. enjoy 20 per cent tax relief The document said a whiles the other regional total of 21 Ghanaian proj- capitals excluding the three ects were registered during Northern regions, would the first quarter, 2015, and have a relaxed tax of 10 per these were located in seven Nkakaa gets potable water cent. regions, with the Greater “GIPC believes as ef- Accra registering the highest oyota Ghana has forts are directed towards number of 13. commissioned wa- ter projects in com- munities within Vivo energy ghana recognised whichT it operates. Communities in Tarkwa for road safety programmes such as Brahabebom, Obeng Zongo, just to mention a few. ivo Energy Ghana, logging, customer and pas- This year, the people of the CIMG Petro- senger satisfaction, hazard Nkakaa, a community in leum Company of management, general ad- the Amenfi Central District, the year has being ministration and welfare recognizedV by the Greater of members – all aimed were the proud beneficia- ries of our borehole water Accra Regional Office of the at reducing accidents on project. This borehole has National Road Safety Com- our roads. The sponsor- come to solve the dire wa- mission (NRSC) for its tre- ship package included road ter problems in the village. mendous support towards safety educational materials Residents in the area had to the improvement of road and fuel for the successful walk long distances in search safety in the region. organisation. of clean water. Presenting the certificate, Commenting on the In a grand ceremony to the Greater Accra Regional sponsorship package, the Manager of the National Managing Director of Vivo Road Safety Commission, Energy Ghana, Mr. Ebene- Mrs. Catherine Hamilton, zer Faulkner said road safety The MD of Toyota Ghana, Mr. Tetsuya Suematsu (second right) cutting sord with G.E.S. said Vivo Energy Ghana has remains a major challenge representative, Madam Anastasia Kuntaa (2nd l) been a great partner in col- in Ghana and the spon- laborating with the Commis- sorship of the road safety hand over the completed address, said Toyota Ghana people of Nkakaa to main- sion to help improve road awards will further moti- water project to the com- readily agreed with the Dis- tain the borehole regularly safety in the region. vate transport operators to munity, the Chief of Nkakaa, trict Assembly’s request for to ensure its preservation for Mrs. Hamilton said “the make good use of best safety Nana Kojo Ackom, expressed the provision of potable the next generation.” National Road Safety Com- practices. his people’s gratitude to Toy- water for the community The Ghana Education mission is very appreciative Mr. Faulkner referenced ota Ghana for the provision of knowing that prior to the Service representative, Mad- of the commitment of Vivo some of the road safety pro- water for the community and project, people had to search am Anastasia Kuntaa, ex- Energy Ghana and we look grammes organised in part- pointed out that this is the tirelessly daily for clean wa- pressed her profound grati- forward to more collabora- nership with the NRSC and first time they have had ac- ter and carry it in heavy tude to Toyota Ghana. She tion on other programmes other road safety NGOs, cess to safe drinking water. He containers back home from said this will reduce the late- to educate people on the including outdoor and in- commended Toyota Ghana far places. ness attitude of school chil- importance of road safety”. door lessons for over 6000 for the kind gesture and en- He continued, “The bore- dren since they will now get In a related development, pupils from the Greater Ac- treated Toyota Ghana to ex- hole we are about to com- access to water readily. She Vivo Energy Ghana has also cra region, the construction tend this gesture to the other mission will, from today, called on other corporate sponsored the 2015 Greater of speed bumps, a health nearby villages. Nana Ackom become the property of the organizations to emulate Accra Regional Road Safety screening exercise for driv- assured Toyota Ghana of the community. Its manage- Toyota Ghana in supporting Awards to reward deserving ers from the Achimota bus proper maintenance of the ment would now be the the district. transport unions who have terminal and the provision borehole to enable it meet its responsibility of each and The ceremony was full of distinguished themselves of lollipop stands in various purpose to the fullest. every member of this com- the excitement as the people in the areas of driver and schools in Accra, Tema, Ta- Mr. Tetsuya Suematsu, munity. Let me take this of the Nkakaa Community vehicle management, trip koradi and Tarkwa. MD of Toyota Ghana, in his opportunity to request the celebrated the project. 12 BusinessDay - Monday 16 Sunday 22 November 2015 SPECIAL CLIMATE CHANGE REPORT by James Fredrick for Sparknews

here’s no for- mula for scien- From pits to plastic tific innovation. Sometimes, it just A Mexican entrepreneur hopes to make bioplastics even cheaper than happens because their petroleum-based equivalent, thanks to an abundance of avocados theT right person reads the right paper on the right day in the right place. This was the case for Scott Munguía, the young founder of a bio- plastics maker in Monterrey, Mexico. In 2011, as a 21-year-old chemical engineering stu- dent at the Tecnológico de Monterrey, one of Mexico’s top universities, Munguía was cruising through his remaining time at school. “I was looking for some- thing to make a business out of, or really, just something to keep me interested as I finished studying,” he said. One day, a professor as- signed a paper about the chemical composition of bioplastics. This type of plastic is made from bio- mass—usually corn—and and then stored somewhere polymer in the avocado can degrade naturally in a in the cerebral cortex. Not seed was eerily similar to matter of years. The tradi- for Munguía. that of corn. Living in a tional, petroleum-based “The very next day, I read country that grows nearly variety accounts for about 99 a paper about the chemical half the world’s avocados, percent of the world’s plastic properties of the avocado Munguía decided to use his and much of it will still be seed and I had the luck to free time in the lab to experi- decomposing for centuries. read those papers back to ment with modifying the For most students, the back,” he explained, re- avocado polymer to make it And in that time, he’d real- doesn’t just export whole straight from the tree, leav- structure of the biopolymer membering his eureka mo- look exactly like corn’s. ized avocado seeds pile up avocados around the ing behind mountains of in corn that becomes plastic ment. Six months later, he had in Mexico like nowhere else globe. Companies mash it useless avocado seeds— would have been learned He noticed that the bio- created a new bioplastic. in the world. The country into packaged guacamole about 300,000 tonnes

water problem. Following a three-year R&D program and investment of €2.5 Shining a light on tiny stowaways million (US$2.8m), its UV treatment system was suc- cessfully adapted to marine by Nicholas Le Quesne for Sparknews Ships unwittingly convey invasive species around the world, and a pioneering applications, obtaining full French company uses ultraviolet rays to wipe out the unwanted passengers IMO certification in 2013, hen a with US certification set to Chinese sate for the missing weight. ness—first stumbled across follow in 2016. freighter This ballast is then dumped the technology that has put In the process, BIO-UV put into when the ship takes on car- his company at the forefront has grown from a small Lima’s El go at its next port of call. of ballast water treatment, business to an international WCallao seaport in 1991, car- Ballast water contains through the BIO-SEA brand. company with its own US go was not the only thing it a variety of organisms, in- “Someone told me about subsidiary. “In 2000, we unloaded. It dumped ballast cluding bacteria, viruses a guy who was using a gizmo started from nothing,” said water too, and with it a viru- and the adult and larval he’d built in his garage to Gillmann. “There were just lent Asian strain of cholera stages of marine plants and treat his swimming pool three of us. Today we have bacteria. Within weeks, the animals. When discharged, without chlorine,” Gillmann 49 employees in France and disease had contaminated these non-native species explained. “I thought that 20 in the US.” He retains a seafood and torn through can thrive in their new habi- sounded great and got him majority stake in the busi- the slums of Peru’s capi- tats, causing devastating in to do mine. The system ness, with the remaining tal, eventually spreading ecological, economic and worked so well that I decid- 46 percent owned by three to 11 other countries. Latin public health damage to the US Coast Guard have both across the globe. Various ed to put it on the market.” investment funds. The last America found itself facing surrounding environment. adopted regulations that companies—using methods The BIO-SEA system is two entered the company’s a cholera outbreak for the To deal with the problem, will require ships to treat of treatment that include non-chemical, using ultra- capital in 2010 and 2014 first time in over a century. the UN’s International Mari- all ballast before discharg- chemicals, heat, electricity violet light to inactivate all respectively, specifically By the time the epidemic time Organization and the ing it into coastal waters and ultrasound—are now living organisms present in attracted by its growth pros- finally subsided, some 9,000 tackling the spread of in- the water pumped into or pects in the emerging mar- people were dead. vasive species by shipping. out of a ship’s ballast tanks. ket for ballast water treat- What happened in Peru One of the most innovative After passing through a ment. BIO-UV forecasts its spotlights a little-known and ecologically friendly of compact filter, the water is revenues to rise from €12 side effect of our global- them has roots that trace exposed to UV-C radiation million today to €30 million ized economy. The ships back to a residential swim- at the 254 nanometer wave- by the end of 2018. that transport more than ming pool in the south of length—exactly the kind of But it hasn’t all been 80 percent of the world’s France. ultraviolet light from which plain sailing. “Treating the commodities also move With its sidewalk cafes, the Earth’s atmosphere pro- world’s ballast water is a between 3 and 5 billion terracotta roof tiles and tects us. huge challenge in itself, tonnes of seawater around chirping cicadas, the French In 2000, the company but running a business in the planet each year. They town of Lunel feels a long began marketing the tech- France today is an even do so as ballast—the water way from the bustling sea- nology for swimming pool greater one,” said Gillmann. carried in huge tanks that lanes of international trade. and general water treat- “We don’t have the financial ensures a vessel remains Yet it was here that Ben- ment. Ten years later, it resources of the big groups stable at sea. When a ship oît Gillmann—BIO-UV’s spotted rich new opportu- and the regulatory environ- unloads its cargo, it takes founder, then working in the nities in the international ment gets more compli- on ballast water to compen- medical equipment busi- effort to tackle the ballast cated by the year.” BusinessDay - Monday 16 Sunday 22 November 2015 13 SPECIAL CLIMATE CHANGE REPORT When money grows on trees Once viewed as worthless, the humble croton nut of East Africa has proven to be a valuable source of biofuel, fertilizer and even chicken feed Paul noticed the birds peck- by Hannah McNeish for Sparknews ing around the factory after hours. He hopes that one he nuts from day his poultry feed will the croton trees replace 5,000 of the 30,000 used to fade back tonnes of protein cakes im- into the earth in ported annually to Kenya. northern Kenya, A briquette to replace whileT their slim, silvery charcoal will be on the mar- branches were the favored ket soon. Paul’s next plans firewood for small farming are to get biofuel into the communities. area’s many generators and But in 2013, when peo- water pumps, and crack the ple in villages like Gachika cosmetics market, too. learned that a company Growing at a rate of 40 was paying money for the percent per year, EFK Group nuts to turn them into fuel, can’t keep up with demand hundreds of struggling sub- for its products and the 500 kids, but that evening, I seeds, get cash and buy sistence farming families tonnes of nuts it harvests found a line of small kids food, and the trees stay.” took to the forests. fleeing ahead of him, this For the first year, the annually is “only a tenth of waiting for me.” Two weeks Trees are vital to stop “I didn’t know that these what we want to be doing,” later, he called the company strong winds from sweeping trees or seeds were useful for self-described serial entre- company made biofuel from preneur held up handfuls the squeezed nut, quickly Paul said. to come and pick up five across farms and removing anything,” said the farmer He hopes to extend to tonnes of nuts. fertile top soils, and farmers Martin Ndirango, who is of croton husks to show selling out of this diesel that they ferment at around substitute to clients such neighboring countries “Most of the people have found that staple crops now the second-largest sup- where underdeveloped ag- around this area are unem- like maize grown under cro- plier for the company, called 20 °C. Paul originally real- as a paint factory in Nairobi ized the potential of the (which uses it as an ingredi- riculture means abundant ployed, so when they got an ton trees fare better thanks EFK Group. He pays collec- croton (the nut grows in opportunity, they grabbed to the falling leaves that tors around US$0.50 per nut when he worked as a ent) and a tannery (which development consultant, uses it in place of palm oil). eight African countries) and it,” said Ndirango, who like replenish the soil. kilogram of croton nut and he said the environmental other cash croppers now “We’ve already seen sev- sells them to the company researching biofuels. When The unprocessed oil can the project was dropped, also go into any diesel ma- and community benefits earns more from croton eral thousand trees being for $1 to make organic fer- make EFK Group more than than coffee. “Everyone was planted by the communi- tilizer, animal feed, fuel and he singlehandedly founded chine as an alternative fuel. a small backyard operation To avoid wasting the just a business. “We are see- so happy and celebrating” ties around their shambas briquettes sold at roughly ing the results of our initial when the money started (smallholdings), and those three times the price. based on this natural prod- croton husk, EFK Group uct he said was “literally ly- created Kenya’s first certi- operation far greater and rolling in. trees in five years time will EFK Group’s 62-year-old far wider than a company With $40,000 of EFK yield a harvest,” Paul said. chairman Alan Paul, grew ing on the ground.” He grew fied organic fertilizer and it into a business with a fac- persuaded businesses producing a product from Group’s revenues going “For the next 50 years, their up in Zimbabwe and now a factory.” back into the local com- children and grandchildren lives in the town of Nanyuki, tory, 12 staff and an annual growing flowers and veg- turnover of $100,000. etables bound for Europe As for Ndirango, he origi- munity, he said nobody will be living off the harvest northwest of Mount Kenya. nally doubted the friend is cutting down the trees from a tree that was planted He said that he set up his “I took the concept and that its product would be in six months had bought better than the chemicals who told him that a local anymore. because the factory sprang “one man band” company company would pay for the “Before, we would cut up next to the community.” in 2012 after being “inspired a factory and machines”, they used. The company then employed sales and now credits itself with hav- nuts, but spent a day col- down these trees in a very For more information by the concept of the social lecting some anyway. He bad way, as everyone would Website: http://www.efk- enterprise that involves the marketing people to build ing inspired many organic a network of 2,000 collec- copycats. returned home to discover say that these croton trees group.co.ke/ community.” sackloads more standing had the best charcoal. But Video: http://www. Bounding down a com- tors and a client base from A high-protein seedcake scratch. for poultry followed after outside his front door. “I now, we see the advantage sparknews.com/en/video/ post hill, sending mice don’t know who told these of them. We can collect the eco-fuels-kenya Fez lights up, thanks to its household waste by James Fredrick for Sparknews - A brand new project for public lighting in Africa pany has installed two bio- -The bioelectric plant can generate 5 MW, the equivalent of a park of 11 wind turbines gas collection systems, a 500 first for Morocco - Any excess could be sold to “green” businesses Nm3/h step-down station, and Africa. The flares, and other equip- city of Fez is 30% ment, in order to launch the lit up, thanks to anaerobic digestion process its household which, through the biologi- Awaste. Initiated by the cal degradation of organic American solid waste man- matter, recovers the biogas agement company, Ecomed, resulting from this opera- under contract to the Fez- tion, and converts it into controlled landfill site and electrical energy. the City Council, this project “Our collection system has effectively contributed totals some 12.7 km of HDPE to improving the manage- (High Density Polyethylene) ment and operation of the pipes, and 25 wellheads for landfill site, by converting measurement and control,” biogas into electricity via a 1 explains Mouhami, and Megawatt power plant. This adds: “These facilities are technology was installed Youness SAAD ALAMI - L’Economiste, @SAADYalami extremely expensive. For ex- and maintained by Clarke ample, one metre of HDPE Energy, the world leader in piping costs DH 500 (about cogeneration projects and waste to power public light- “The total capacity of the equivalent of 26 million m3 more polluting than CO2.” 44 euros). To recover the the recovery of biogas, using ing. bioelectric plant can reach of methane (biogas) per Mouhami Hassan, CEO biogas from this 110-hectare GE’s Jenbacher gas engine For its managers, the 5 Mw, and produce 40,000 year,” explain managers at of Ecomed, tells the same landfill site, we installed technology. This project was Fez landfill site represents Mwh/year, the equivalent Clarke Energy. According story: “The Fez landfill site, 12,777 meters of this type implemented in the city of a successful model for re- of a park of 11 wind turbines to them, “Biogas is a 100% which went into operation of pipe.” This was before Fez, a pioneer of sustainable covering energy from waste, (according to the French renewable energy, derived in 2004, processes 750-1000 the commissioning of the development in Morocco and contributing to the pro- Union of Renewable Ener- from the fermentation of metric tons of solid waste first one-megawatt unit for and Africa that uses clean, duction of electricity from gies, wind energy in France, waste, to produce methane daily.” Besides the process- renewable energy from its renewable energy sources. 2012), and can recover the (CH4), which is 20 times ing of solid waste, his com- Continues on page 15 14 BusinessDay - Monday 16 Sunday 22 November 2015 SPECIAL CLIMATE CHANGE REPORT Cooking oil in engines •Wager made seven years ago by Kilimanjaro Environnement •10 metric tons will be processed as of 2016 •Most of the production on the European market before the operation is extended. As well as going door to door, awareness campaigns are also carried out in the streets, schools, etc. The message is clear: the recovery of used oil not only reduces its negative effects on the environment, but also protects Aziza EL AFFAS-L’Economiste users’ health. Sheryn Ziani notes that a proportion of the waste oil is conclude a public-private partner- In addition to creating thousands fed back into the informal circuit and ship (PPP), which “will contribute of jobs, the partnership is expected to ends up in pubs or snack bars that to structure and develop the sec- have a significant economic impact. are unconcerned about the risks to tor, the collection, the creation of The company, which exports most the consumer. employment, while reducing CO2 of its production to Europe, hopes to “If it becomes mainstream across emissions” points out the market- sell a large share on the local market. Morocco, this project will create 2,000 ing manager. Eventually, the PPP Youssef Chaqor, founder and job positions over 5 years, with a fixed could result in an annual reduction CEO of Kilimanjaro, also dreams of monthly income of between 3500 and in CO2 emissions of 280,000 tons, running the buses of Casablanca 6500 dirhams (the equivalent of 330 to or 1% of the target expressed in the on biofuel. And the environmental 630 euros)” proclaims Ziani. Young commitments made by Morocco as benefits of such fuels are well es- entrepreneurs will be encouraged to part of the COP 21. Other advantages tablished. Indeed, 2nd generation start their own project as part of a self- include: preventing the pollution Biodiesel is a biodegradable, non- entrepreneurship system. For its part, of groundwater and the clogging of toxic, fuel produced from renewable uch has been ac- are then transported to a regional Kilimanjaro will provide monitoring, sewerage networks within the city. resources such as recycled used complished since storage centre and transferred to training or even logistics. The establishment of a processing cooking oils or animal fat, which do the creation of the recovery unit, to be integrated But the company is thinking big- unit (capable of processing the used not contain any petroleum products. Kilimanjaro Envi- into the processing line and turned ger. It has just signed a partnership cooking oil waste for the entire area It can be used to replace petrochemi- ronnement in 2008. into biodiesel. agreement with the Moroccan Min- of Greater Casablanca) will require cal diesel as an alternative fuel, or be TheM company, which specialises in But the company, which mainly istry of Environment to roll out the an investment of about 440 million mixed with diesel in concentrations the collection and recycling of used targets CHRs (cafés, hotels and res- used cooking oils and fats recovery dirhams (40 million euros). As for ranging from 2% to 10% without cooking oil (UCO), aims to process taurants) and counts McDonald’s, chain nationwide. the export potential, this amounts changing the engine block. as much as 10 metric tons by Q1 2016 Burger King, KFC, la Grillardière, Negotiations are also under- to more than 1 billion dirhams (110 According to Kilimanjaro’s man- (compared to 1.5 tons today). This Newrest, Accor, Afriquia and Total way with the city of Casablanca to million euros). agers, the trade must be regulated, increase in capacity of its unit in Casa- among its clients, also wants to tackle but legislation should also be intro- blanca, which has been in operation households. duced to ban the dumping of highly for three years, has also doubled its “A pilot operation is now being polluting waste oils in drains. This workforce (to reach 150 employees conducted in three cities: Casa- traceability of the oil recovery circuit over the same time period). blanca, Khouribga and Ben Guerir” will combat fraud (including resale The Kilimanjaro Environnement states Sheryn Ziani, Marketing and for food preparation). network, headquartered in Casa- Key Accounts Manager at Kiliman- blanca, already has 2,500 collection jaro Environnement. With a monthly For more information, visit: points and 8 regional offices in a average consumption of 7 litres http://ekogeste.com/ number of cities (Rabat, Marrakech, of oil, households represent a sig- Sidebar: Fez, Agadir, Tangier, Oujda, etc.). nificant market in a metropolis like Eco balance sheet Its agents crisscross the country to Casablanca. Maarif, 2 Mars and Sidi The use of used cooking oil in the collect used cooking oil from cater- Maarouf are the three Casablancan • It does not require additional cultivation production of biofuel provides sev- ing professionals, local authorities neighbourhoods that are being tar- • It reduces CO2 emissions (one ton of biodiesel can reduce CO2 emissions by 2.6 tons on average) eral advantages from an eco-balance and food manufacturers. The oils geted initially (55,000 households), • It diversify the sources of energy production and decreases dependency on oil producers viewpoint:

country still without access to even this basic electricity. No wonder, he told The Guardian that he hoped to bring solar power to a hundred Micro-grids to power grassroots thousand homes by 2016. Nikhil is making progress but M Ramesh entrepreneur who was among the in August 2010. His model was paid for kerosene to burn lamps, it is slow. As of this September, n India’s vast hinterland, life earliest to spot the “30 per cent re- simple: rig-up solar panels in a vil- and pocket a reasonable surplus. his company, Mera Gao Power still rises and sets with the turn” business opportunity, began lage, run wires into houses, charge The model was easily replicable, (which translates to ‘My village Sun. If solar power can be solar-powering villages in Uttar households a weekly fee not much but that did not worry Nikhil; there electricity’), had covered 20,000 made to do what grid power Pradesh, India’s largest province, more than what they would have are some 300 million people in the households across 1,500 villages Ihas not been able to, the advantag- in northern India. The gap be- es are obvious and many --- chil- tween Nikhil’s ambitious target and dren can study well, women can achievement is the cost of doing organise their work better, people business in India. From identifying, need not choke on kerosene fumes. recruiting and retaining quality tal- There are, other less realised but ent, holding costs on a tight leash, critical advantages too --- people keeping a variety of local officials in can see, and avoid, scorpions and good humour, to managing weekly snakes or a small refrigerator can collections, Mera Gao Power has store life-saving drugs, especially had to do quite a bit of learning, antidotes for snake-bites. After on the run. all, snake bites claim a staggering No doubt US-raised Nikhil un- 50,000 lives every year, mainly in derestimated the difficulty of the India’s hinterland. business terrain he was entering, The solar power revolution is but the idea itself is robust and, shining bright in India thanks to the now in the post-learning-the-rope vigorous push it has received from phase, Mera Gao Power should the Federal and state governments, start to make money. and the enthusiastic response of A solar-powered micro-grid the private sector. Nikhil Jaisinghania, a US-born Continues on page 17 BusinessDay - Monday 16 Sunday 22 November 2015 15 SPECIAL CLIMATE CHANGE REPORT Husk Power f all your growing up years your world would plunge into darkness every evening, it is not a memory you easily forget. For Gyanesh Pandey andI Ratnesh Yadav every meeting would at some point converge on their childhood days in the early 1990s spent without electricity in the rural areas of India’s eastern State of Bihar. Now university qualified, they vowed to bring light at the flick of a switch to the areas that were still not connected to the grid. To come up with an environment friendly and a viable venture, they roped in Manoj Sinha who had studied business management. This was in 2007, when still a third of the country’s population had no access to electricity. After an unsuccessful attempt to use Jatropha seeds to create biodiesel fuel, the friends zeroed in on rice husk, a waste product generated when rice, a staple food, is processed in the mill to remove eight districts including West and day, making it eligible for carbon the chaff from the grain. They found East Champaran, Samastipur, credit transactions. It also received that in paddy growing Bihar alone Motihari, Siwan, Muzaffarpur and grants from the Shell Foundation an estimated 1.8 billion kilograms Gopalganj. By 2011, there were and equity investments from social of husk was generated every year around 70 mini biomass plants venture capital firms like Bamboo but put to no productive use. Fez lights up, thanks to its household waste providing power to over one lakh Finance, Acumen Fund and LGT Launching their start-up com- people. The investment was small Venture Philanthropy. Continued from page 13 supply of 3 megawatts. This capac- pany Husk Power Systems (HPS) and in three months each plant On the ground, however, the ity will ultimately grow to 43,300 in 2008 and beginning their opera- would generate Rs 50,000 as rev- company had its own complaints. It generating electrical energy from MWh/year – or a power supply of tions in West Champaran district, enue. found it had left out several hamlets biogas, in November 2013. This 5 megawatts – while 3.5 megawatts the entrepreneurs focused on They also trained local youth from its energy map as they were unit remained in the trial stage is required to illuminate the whole developing a circuitry that turned who would operate and maintain too far or sparsely populated. “We until early June 2015. city. “The rest of the energy pro- the biomass into power. With sub- the plant and look into distribution addressed the essential needs of Recently, the landfill site was duced could be sold at preferential sidy from the Central government’s and collections. “I was picked up this last rung through solar PV equipped with a delivery station prices to other green businesses, Ministry of New and Renewable for training and now earn Rs 6,500 based DC micro-grids,” explains and a 20,000-volt transformer; i.e. transportation or cement com- Energy, they designed a rice husk per month,” says Ajit Kumar. CEO Manoj Sinha. these installations were funded panies,” say the project managers. based power plant with a capac- Happily for HPS, funding came By 2014, the scenario changed by Ecomed whose overall invest- In order to do this, a law will have ity of 30-35 kW that would provide in several forms. Prize money from once again. HPS found its custom- ment in the landfill site is 100 to be passed in parliament, which electricity for 5-7 hours every eve- the Darden’s Annual Business ers no longer satisfied with eight million dirhams (approximately would prevent the National Water ning to 400 homes in a 3-km radius. Plan Competition at University of hours of electricity. They wanted 8.9 million euros), of which 26 and Electricity Office (ONEE) Customers had to pay Rs 150- Virginia, Social Innovation Com- on-demand power (24X7). So, the million dirhams (approximately would no longer have a monopoly 160 per month for two CFL bulbs petition at University of Texas and start-up began looking for a part- EUR 2.3 million) was spent on the on this market. and a mobile charging unit. Smart the Ignite Clean Energy Competi- ner to bundle biomass and solar bioelectrical equipment alone. For Sidebar pre-paid meters enabled them to tion at the Massachusetts Institute in one hybrid synchronising unit its part, the Fez Autonomous Wa- Landfilling pay more if they used TVs, refrigera- of Technology was ploughed into for customers, so that solar-based ter and Electricity Authority Fez Between April and June 2015, tors or ran commercial operations. the business. The 1,20,000 pound electricity would serve them dur- (RADEEF) funded the construc- the garbage taken to the Fez land- “Earlier, as night came on we had International Ashden Award in ing the day and husk-based power tion of a medium-voltage line, as fill site totalled some 2.7 million to use kerosene lanterns or candles. 2011 proved to be the icing on the after dusk. well as linking the bioelectrical tonnes – equivalent to 44m3 of Now, our children can study after cake. UNFCCC also certified that For its proprietary technology it station to the city network. buried waste. This mass encour- dark and I can also keep my shop the company’s 40 kVA biomass found a partner in American pho- Moreover, the return on invest- ages the proliferation of bacte- open,” says Ranjit, a butcher in plant reduces 215 tonnes CO2 tovoltaic manufacturer First Solar. ment was immediate. For this ria, and produces biogas that is Dahwa village. annually when it runs 5-6 hours a “As a strategic investor First Solar first year of operations (2015), recovered as energy. In terms of HPS soon spread its wings to picked up equity and is providing the renewable energy production revenue, thanks to the 2.7 million solar panels at preferential pricing,” at the landfill site is estimated at metric tons of waste processed, says Sinha, not revealing the exact 8660 MWh/year, or nearly 7 mil- the contractor has paid more equity ratio. lion DH in revenue. Note that the than 110 million dirhams (ap- In September, HPS set up its first power supplied is 1 megawatt. proximately 9.7 million euros) into hybrid unit at Manjhariya, Moti- Nevertheless, the total capacity the city’s coffers. This provides the hari, where along with the mini of the landfill site from this year sector with 40.33 DH/metric ton biomass plant 25-50 kW of solar is 26,000 MWh/year, for a power of waste. panels provide seamless electricity 24X7. By December, three more such units will be put up. Though HPS innovated the technology in India, it now finds that it is easier to implement such projects in countries like Uganda and Tanzania. “They have clearer policies for small energy producers and provide exclusive rights for 8 to 10 years, while we commit on the tariff. There is no such assurance in India, making investors wary,” says Sinha. He fears that the State Electricity Board will expand in the districts where HPS is present creating challenges for their assets. For more information: http:// www.huskpowersystems.com/ 16 *BusinessDay -Monday 16 Sunday 22 November 2015 BusinessDay - Monday 16 Sunday 22 November 2015 17 SPECIAL CLIMATE CHANGE REPORT Micro-grids to Replacing diesel with dinner and dung power grassroots Continued from page 14 ivestock—mainly cattle—take the A husband-and-wife team in England have come up with a portable solu- is clearly a smart business blame for nearly tion for turning animal manure and kitchen scraps into energy solution to a climate-cum- 15 percent of the economic problem. Every world’s green- year, rural India spends bil- houseL gas emissions, ac- lions of dollars (an estimate cording to the UN Food puts it at $60 billion) to burn and Agriculture Organiza- carbon-dioxide emitting tion. On a quiet industrial kerosene, causing disease estate in Southampton, and death — a point that is on England’s south coast, not lost on villagers. A few a husband-and-wife team months back, a Delhi-based may soon offer the unwit- green think-tank The Coun- ting ungulates a means to cil for Energy, Environment repair some of their envi- and Water, studied ‘access ronmental vandalism. to electricity’ in six Indian After five years in devel- states and came up with opment, their company, a startling insight. Asked SEaB Energy, is about to if they would want ‘regu- put two different models of lar’ (state-owned) grids or self-contained anaerobic micro-grids, assuming both digesters into production. cost the same, 34 per cent of (Prototypes have already the respondents preferred been tested at the South- the latter. “This is a promis- ampton Science Park, the ing find for the proponents of Lancaster Brewery and a renewables,” says the report. farm in Hampshire.) (wind might be the pair’s in the developing world creates. manure and kitchen scraps This, and the govern- These micro, mobile next venture), they settled with little or no access to Across Africa, Sandra sounds like something of ment’s renewables, push power plants use a natural on anaerobic digestion. the electricity grid. In Ni- believes that the units a moonshot idea to inves- have spawned a number process to transform waste The Muckbuster spe- geria, for example, Sandra could replace diesel gen- tors. This, and the timing of start-ups like Mera Gao into renewable energy. cializes in manure but also would like to put Flexibus- erators with more cost-ef- of the business’ inception, Power. Some have refined Anaerobic bacteria digest treats crop residue and ter units on gasoline station fective and carbon-friendly have made it tough to find the idea to make the model organic matter such as certain types of food waste. forecourts, so that locals solutions. She hopes they financing. viable --- crucial to sustain- manure or food waste to The company’s second unit, can trade their food waste can transform electricity In 2009, asking investors ing the interest of entre- produce biogas, a mixture the Flexibuster, is designed for biogas to refill the gas generation for rural com- to sink serious money into preneurs. For instance, a which is primarily meth- to handle mainly food and containers they use to cook. munities in the way that an alternative energy proj- company OMC has spotted ane and carbon dioxide. other organic waste, since Both digester units are mobile telephones have ect that would take more a segment of the market The fuel serves as heat it turns out that anaerobic portable, turnkey systems transformed communi- than five years to come to which it believes is more and electricity, while the digestion works even bet- fitting into six-meter-long cation. In many African market was, Sandra con- paying — mini-grids with leftover organic matter ter on food waste—which shipping containers that countries, the widespread ceded, “a big ask.” So the capacities ranging from 100 can be used as agricultural is easier to find, especially make them easy to move adoption of cell phones £4 million (US$6.3m) she kW to 1 MW in contrast to the fertiliser. in cities, and in huge sup- and install. leapfrogged entirely the es- and Nick have raised to typical plant size of under The idea was the brain- ply. The UN reckons that They are conceived for tablishment of a fixed line date has come from friends 100 kW. In the four years child of CEO Sandra Sas- about a third of the food sites generating between network for which there is and family. But earlier this of its launch, OMC has put sow, an American-born produced in the world for 200 and 1,000 tonnes of now no need. In the same year the Novia platform up 60 solar plants covering entrepreneur with a back- human consumption every waste per year, such as way, effective local power started marketing a fully 1,800 villages, or 100,000 ground in hi-tech and cod- year—approximately 1.3 villages, office buildings plants could remove the secured TTC Green Energy persons. Operating in some- ing. The inspiration came billion tonnes—gets lost or and military sites. Each need for national electric- Bond for deploying SEaB what bigger villages that are from her husband, who thrown away. one should eventually pay ity grids. Energy’s Flexibuster units, grid-connected but with un- also invented the technol- The great availability of for itself in savings on en- It’s an enthralling pros- from which it aims to raise reliable supplies, OMC sells ogy. A founding partner food waste also makes this ergy costs, and even gener- pect. But bringing electric- £10 million from institu- the bulk of its power to an of the alternative energy system a powerful tool to ate income for its owners ity to millions of the world’s tional investors at a hefty anchor customer, typically a practice at Pricewater- deliver power to millions through the electricity it poorest using livestock 11 percent yield. telecom tower, charging the houseCoopers, Nick Sas- In the past few years customer a fee that ensures sow had spent much of his SEaB Energy has won nu- a 20 per cent saving on his career helping the world’s merous awards and acco- present costs. OMC sells the largest energy producers lades, including recogni- ‘surplus’ electricity to village negotiate the vanguard tion by LAUNCH: Beyond households for a monthly fee of the alternative energy Waste as a “game-chang- that can be as low as Rs 110. revolution since it began ing” initiative. Meanwhile What can the govern- two decades ago. Sandra is making promis- ment do to help? There are Talking to her husband, ing noises about her or- several expectations. For Sandra noticed that the der book. She’s reticent one, it could earmark cer- limiting factor in all the to disclose the number of tain areas for solar micro- projects that Nick and his units sold so far, but two grids so that entrepreneurs clients were working on Flexibusters were being and financiers won’t have was the question of distri- delivered this fall to South- to worry about what if of bution. “They kept asking ampton General Hospital the government reaching ‘how can we get the power and a developer in North- cheaper electricity to that into the grid’,” she recalled. ern Ireland. village some day. It could set If distribution was such The company also won up loan guarantee schemes an obstacle, Sandra rea- the opportunity to pilot a to make it easier for banks soned, why not remove the unit at London’s Canary to lend to micro-grid com- grid entirely, and generate Wharf, which it anticipates panies. The great thing is, energy where it will be con- doing later this year. Sandra no company is asking for sumed, on site in a small- promises more “exciting subsidies. “Make it easier scale local power plant. news” to come, and inves- for us to do business,” is all Armed with this insight, tors assume this is more they are asking for. They are the two set out to decide than hot air. ready to ensure that every what energy source the village gets the light to study plant would use. Scalable For more information and cook by, and of course, solar technology was al- Website: http://seaben- avoid snakes and scorpions. ready too advanced for a ergy.com/ small new entrant. While Video: http://www. For more information: marine and wind pow- sparknews.com/en/video/ http://meragaopower.com/ er both showed promise seab-energy-power-box 18 BusinessDay - Monday 16 Sunday 22 November 2015 SPECIAL CLIMATE CHANGE REPORT Building a climate friendly city David Thomas retention technology and active n 2010, the world reached an Rwanda’s capital, Kigali, is turning to architects for sustainable urbanisation energy production. important milestone, with “We’re addressing the issue of the number of people living the densest population in Africa in urban spaces exceeding per kilometre with limited land, the global rural population most of it sloping, and how you forI the first time. Cities, which condition the first generation urban cover less than 2% of the earth’s population to live at a higher density surface, consume almost 80% of in excess of 100 units per hectare energy worldwide, and account for instead of your own dwelling,” says more than 50% of emissions. founding partner Peter Rich. In the fight against climate Such ambitious developments change, the urban space consti- will require more than the commit- tutes a key battleground. Nowhere ment of prize-winning architects to is the need for sustainable urban really take off. Hall concedes that development more acute than sub- the sector is “tough to make mon- Saharan Africa - one of the world’s ey” in, while MASS Design relies on most rapidly urbanising regions. largely philanthropic funding from Despite accounting for less than a range of sources. 10% of global emissions, the con- And with Sub-Saharan’s Africa’s tinent looks set to bear the brunt of infrastructure needs estimates at the effects of climate change. some $93bn per year over the next With cities across Africa already decade, funds for transformative struggling to accommodate the urban development are likely to continent’s fast growing urban be keenly fought over. The question population, some are turning to in- remains whether such schemes are novative architecture for solutions. viable on a mass scale. Kigali, the capital of Rwanda, is Alex Mulisa, coordinator at one such city. In its suburbs, imag- FONERWA, Rwanda’s fund for the ine four-story apartment blocks environment and climate change, rising up amid tree-lined boule- ally - that avoid the pitfalls of slum has since branched out into pri- government are now fully behind says that much will depend on the vards, spacious courtyards and expansion, decrepit infrastructure mary schools, doctors’ housing the drive to encourage a domestic success of the pilot projects. If Ki- well-tended allotments. Across and climate-altering pollution. and neonatal units. Light Earth construction industry. gali’s green neighbourhood proves town, earthwork steps provide “The ongoing issues that cities Designs, a firm with British and The impact of this locally fab- a workable model, it could be rolled spectators with a view of a cricket like Lagos and Nairobi currently South African roots, has been in ricated - “lo-fab” - philosophy is out in six other urban areas. oval hosting some of the world’s face are the results of early plans the country for over 5 years and is already evident in Kigali’s expand- “I believe if we have the right best teams. that took no account for an urban behind the housing and Rwanda ing cityscape. At Umubano Primary kinds of plans that are convincing, This depiction of the city may African future, as well as decades Cricket Stadium plans. School, a MASS Design project, we can go to the World Bank and feel more like a vision of utopian of planning regimes incapable of What the practices have in local brick and papyrus reeds other sources. Its more to do with living than a bustling East African managing rapid urban growth,” common, aside from their Kigali replace foreign-made materials the extent to which we are commit- capital. But as Rwanda grapples says Kelly Doran, manager of East outposts, is a growing expertise in in a structure designed to reduce ted to achieving our goals,” he says. with the highest rates of urbanisa- African programs at US architects drafting sustainable solutions to energy consumption. For Light Earth’s Hall, that ambi- tion on the continent, foreign and MASS Design Group. Africa’s rapidly growing urban Yet trading foreign materials tion in the face of limited resources local architects are being enlisted ”The incredible opportunity spaces. In particular, both firms for local alternatives is only a part provides reasons to be optimistic to work on ambitious projects that facing Kigali and other smaller stress the importance of using local of Rwanda’s grand vision. With a about Rwanda’s urban future – and could provide a model of sustain- emerging urban centres is to plan construction materials to reduce population projected to more than the role of this small African city in able living in Africa. and develop in totally novel ways.” landlocked Rwanda’s dependence double to 26 million by 2050, envi- the fight against climate change. The need for such a trailblazer That opportunity is being seized on environmentally costly imports. ronmentally considerate housing “There’s a masterplan which is cannot be overstated. According to by architects attracted to the Rwan- “They’ve realised the home- solutions will be at the forefront of not flawless – like anywhere – but a new report by the Global Com- dan government’s ambitious green grown approach is really impor- efforts to avoid unrestrained sprawl there’s a series of incredibly com- mission on the Economy and Cli- agenda, concrete urban plans tant, otherwise they’re completely and environmental degradation. mitted and talented people in a mate, 22 million people are being and reputation for strong policy reliant on high-carbon, imported Light Earth Design’s pilot proj- planning office that’s probably the added to African cities every year. execution. materials” says Tim Hall, founding ect intends to show that high- size of a small borough in England As a result, planners and architects Boston-based MASS Design partner of Light Earth Designs. density living need not replicate the grappling and dealing with huge will play a key role in building cit- Group was founded in 2008 dur- Despite earlier resistance to lo- conditions experienced by people issues. Show me (another) African ies - which account for the bulk of ing the design process for Butaro cal building materials often seen living in slums across the world, country where they’re doing this,” emissions and energy use glob- Hospital in Burera District, and as regressive, Hall says that the but can incorporate gardens, water he says. Chasing gold for a lost world - the threat of climate change

The River Pra, which hith- LAWRENCE SEGBEFIA erto served as fresh water for humans and bush animals is now filled with cyanide and ining has been a other dangerous chemicals major contributor Mining makes climate of foreign earn- change direr because it is ings to Ghana’s a water-intensive industry. Meconomy. In 2014, Ghana When mining operations ex- produced 3.1 million ounces pand, the world is bound to of gold. This resulted in export be a desert in no time. revenues of over US$3billion. Investors must look to good Small scale miners contrib- practice by multinational min- uted 28 percent of the total ing firms whether they conform gold production. to environmentally friendly Even though the sector has requirements before funds are contributed greatly to improve voted for mining firms. the economy, the time has To stop galamsey govern- come for a true assessment as ments must enforce the law we lose our natural environ- when people are caught en- ment forever. With the issue gaging in it. Climate change of climate change coming up is catching on fast and we in strongly, we cannot continue Africa must help to fight the to behave like we are an is- canker. land. BusinessDay - Monday 16 Sunday 22 November 2015 19 SPECIAL CLIMATE CHANGE REPORT Quality coffee, zero carbon by Lauro Veiga Filho, @lauroveigafilho

rupo Dpaschoal deals mostly in the automotive indus- try, but in 1980 it branched out into Gagriculture when Daterra was born, with the express goal of of- fering efficient production while preserving the environment. It was a time when concepts like environmental sustainability and emissions mitigation were virtually ignored in the business world, and even in the media. “In the beginning, we had cattle, eucalyptus and other products. We only began producing cof- fee in 1994, when we made the fee, depending on the harvest. modest purchase of a farm in Nearly all—99%—is exported, the Franca region,” recalls Isa- mostly to Japan. bela Pascoal Becker, who today The partnership with ESALQ is in charge of governance and led to an environmental com- sustainability at the company. pliance seal in 2001, developed The idea, stresses Becker, was exclusively for the farm as the to produce coffee without harm- result of the work carried out ing nature. It was a long road company sought out specialists dedicated to the restoration of when exports gained strength to preserve its flora, fauna and before reaching zero carbon from ESALQ and contacted il- the land in a project that Becker and the company became a sup- water. Based on the experience coffee, but today Daterra has ac- lycaffè, the giant of the Italian calls, “reconstruction of the Cer- plier for illycaffè itself. already accumulated up until tually pushed the limits further, coffee sector. rado’s natural state”. All the flora “We began to gain confidence that time, the next step was mitigating all of its emissions “We had to learn how to pro- needed to be restored, springs in our capacity to produce qual- the obtention of certification and still accumulating carbon duce quality coffee,” tells Becker. and riverheads repaired, and ity coffee and, most importantly, in 2003 from the Rainforest credits. More recently, the com- On a visit to Daterra at the time, fauna had to be reintroduced, with consistency, which means Alliance; an international non- pany contracted the services of Ernesto Lilly, son of the brand’s once again in a collaboration not only maintaining quality, profit organization dedicated DeltaCO2 Sustentabilidade Am- Hungarian founder, Francesco with ESALQ for the preserva- but preserving the coffee’s attri- to the preservation of tropical biental; with its team made up of Illy, said he believed that the tion of vegetation and water re- butes over time, thereby gaining forests around the world. academics and researchers from future of the coffee industry in sources, and with the Agronomy the customer’s trust.” Daterra became Brazil’s first the ESALQ (the Luiz de Queiroz Brazil would be in the Cerrado Institute (IAC), which Becker Today, nearly two thirds of coffee farm to gain the certifica- School of Agriculture) in Pi- region of Minas Gerais State—a says helped to select the most the farm’s total area (about tion; based on acknowledgment racicaba, to carry out a thorough region with altitudes between recommended varieties of cof- 4,200 hectares) are reserved of the company’s good produc- study on the carbon footprint of 1,200 and 1,300 meters above fea plants. for the preservation of restored tion practices, environmental the production, processing, and sea level, cooler weather at “In truth, both institutions forests, vegetation that was protection initiatives, sustain- sale of its coffee. night, dry days and flat terrain are our partners and still help present when Daterra arrived able production management, The study concluded that the that would help favor harvest- us today,” she adds. In 1999, and for eucalyptus farming; to its correct use of chemical prod- company more than compen- ing machinery. Leaving Franca Daterra was able to certify its produce the wood that powers ucts and fair relationships with sates for its emissions; thanks in 1994 in search of more pro- environmental management the furnaces used in the final employees and the commu- to the preservation or restora- pitious land, the company set system based on ISO 14001, its coffee drying process. nity. Later, Rainforest Alliance tion of areas of native forest, the up its new 6,800-hectare farm first certification. And others The plantation, with a total broadened the scope of its cer- coffea plants and the harvested in Patrocínio, located in the were yet to come. of 15 million coffea plants, tificate; including the Climate coffee itself. “Triângulo” region of Minas But the project only began to occupies the remaining 2,600 Friendly seal in its portfolio, The entire process was ac- Gerais State. turn into a business, explains hectares and produces on aver- which Becker and her team re- counted for, from farming all But the first ten years were Becker, around 2001 or 2002 age about 80,000 bags of cof- named “Climate Friendly Farm” the way to the warehouses of for Daterra employees, to give importers in Japan—Daterra’s them a clearer idea of the new biggest client. The calcula- certificate, awarded in 2011. tions also factored in emissions Aside from these certifica- produced by the composting of tions, Daterra boasts recogni- waste from production, the ap- tion from Utz Kapeh (more plication of chemical fertilizers, recently renamed Utz Certified); the activities of machinery and an initiative with origins in trucks on the farm, the transport Guatemala and which today is of coffee to the port, loading and headquartered in Holland. Its export by ship. “The final score objective is to assure that coffee is a green credit of 7,280 tons of was produced according to high CO2 equivalent, or 90 kilos of quality standards, with respect positive credit per 60-kilo bag,” for the environment and worker sums up Becker. safety. The company also holds Back in the 1980s, Brazil’s im- a Biodynamic Institute (IBD) age as a coffee producer wasn’t label, because a small part of very good on the international its production is organic; using market because some exporters fertilizer made of composted hadn’t followed through on their residue from coffee production. promises. “We wanted Brazil Becker explains that Daterra to be seen in a different way, invested some US$ 20 million showing that we could deliver over two decades and sets aside large volumes of quality coffee,” approximately US$ 1 million ev- says Becker. ery year exclusively for research To meet its goal, Daterra and development. “I think that decided to focus on the special, 50% of our business is research,” high-quality coffee market, us- she comments. ing only selected arabica beans For more information: http:// and taking advantage of its ini- www.daterracoffee.com.br/ tial experience in Franca. The 20 BusinessDay - Monday 16 Sunday 22 November 2015 SPECIAL CLIMATE CHANGE REPORT Small sustainable businesses get a push for growth

orn in the technical and chemical product analysis researchers and development business incubator to determine eco-toxicity. The projects, like the Small Business of the University of company uses as indicators Support Program, known as Sao Paulo (USP), a organisms that have a reduced Pappe Innovation, funded by the small Brazilian busi- ecological tolerance and show financing body for scientific and Bness, Brazil Ozônio, took advan- some alteration when exposed to technological research of Santa tage of the potential of oxygen certain pollutants. Among those, Catarina (Fapesc), and the Min- enriched with filtered water to a marine bacteria, Vibrio fisch- istry of Science and Technology develop small, portable and low eri, which becomes lumines- (Finep). They have clients from cost devices in different applica- cent when in contact with toxic Paraguay and Argentina, as well tions. The known high germicidal substances. Another one of their as from the Southern and South power of the gas and its use was innovations is a process of color Eastern regions of the country, considered safe in the United removal in textile wastewater, mainly in the textile, paper and States and European countries, which reduces the application of cellulose and sanitary landfill but there still weren’t any devices chemical products by as much as industries. available for different uses on a 50%. They are currently working An award was the boost Am- small scale. on a project to break down grease bievo needed to take off. The With access to laboratories derived from the refrigeration soil decontamination company and minds from the university, industry. was created four years ago by the businessman Samy Menasce, Umwelt began in 1996 as a re- the businessman Fernando Pec- founder of the company, used the sult of research in environmental oraro. The company working federal and state development biotechnology and their motiva- in the region of Jundiaí, in the programs which fund scientific tion was the possibility of using state of São Paulo, develops a and technological investigations natural resources in the produc- line of degreasing products, to that end. tion processes and in the adap- tested in oil , gas, petroleum, As such, he developed devices taion of industrial operations to using the oil of orange peels, that capture air from the environ- more sustainable practices. “Our which passes through a chemi- ment and break down the oxygen products are innovative because cal process in order to become a molecule (O2) with an electrical there is no benchmarking for super-solvent. Its main function charge, which is converted into them in the national market, and is soil decontamination through ozone by adding an atom (O3). sustainable because they guar- a moving process. The automated The gas is applied to water or antee the reduction of produc- plant is placed on a truck dolly the material to be treated, in the Martha San Juan França, @marthasanjuanfr tion costs and an improvement to be taken to the contaminated same way as chlorine, commonly in environmental control “, said area. One of the advantages is that used in the past in these cases, the managing partner Gerson the solvent doesn’t just restore the stand out in this area. Starting coincidence that nearly a third but 100 times more powerful with Zimmer, who also coordinates soil, it separates the oil so that it with the Brazilian Small and Me- of the companies under Cietec the advantage of not harming the the area of sustainability in the can be re-used. “Other than be- dium Business Support Service develop solutions in the area of environment. Catarinense Association of Tech- ing environmentally friendly, the (Sebrae), one of the supporters environmental technology. Ten years later, and after fund- nological Companies (Acate). technology costs a lot less than the of the Center for Technology and A similar trajectory to Brazil ing of nearly R$ 5 million, the Umwelt has many awards for traditional method “, says Pecoraro. Innovative Entrepreneurship Ozônio is being followed by company is producing 6th gen- excellence from the state and With a pipeline of potential (Cietec), an incubator located Umwelt Environmental Biotech- eration devices, with more than federal government in the area projects of around R$ 400 million within the USP. nology, a company in Blumenau, 3 thousand modular systems of technology and respect for and 8 employees, the business- “The topic of sustainability in the state of Santa Catarina, installed for uses as varied as biodiversity and invests around man, who does not reveal their is strategic for us, not only as a southern Brazil, with 30 em- cigarette smoke neutralization 5% of their sales – numbers sales figures, got the support practice, but as a condition for ployees. Umwelt’s specialty (a in hotels to sterilization of surgi- which they prefer not to reveal of Santander Bank, who pur- competitiveness”, says Alexandre word meaning environment in cal materials and treatment of – in research and innovation, chased a 23% stake in the startup Ambrosini, sustainability man- German) is the monitoring of the industrial odors and artesian a part of which is self-funded through their portfolio focused ager at Sebrae National. It is no quality of water, waste, sediment wells. The technology applied to and another from grants for on sustainable companies; and the cleaning of water contami- he attracted a partnership with nated with heavy metals around Haver & Boecker for the manu- the uranium mine in Poços de facturing of equipment. This Caldas which fuels the reactors of year, Ambievo was selected by nuclear plants in Angra 1 and 2, Launch, an innovation platform now renders Brazil Ozônio more signed between the Department than R$ 9.6 million in funding of State of the United States, from the National Bank of Eco- NASA, Nike, and the Agency nomic and Social Development for International Development (BNDES), administered by the (USAID) to identify and promote Maritime National Foundation advanced solutions for a more of Brazil. sustainable world. Pecoraro “Without these development received the award for the best funds, we wouldn’t have gotten performance in the advance- to where we are”, stated Me- ment of green chemicals. nasce. Brazil Ozônio now has 14 With the interest awakened in employees and R$ 2.4 million in the United States, the business- sales in 2014. “For a company man sought out Apex-Brazil, like ours, which had only a good the Brazilian Agency of Promo- idea, being inside the university tion of Export and Investments, brought credibility.” Another ad- an entity that promotes action vantage was the development a to increase competiveness of product that doesn’t harm the Brazilian companies in the in- environment. “Our technology ternational market starting with is one of the few that is totally the development of sustainable clean because our raw material and innovative characteristics. is air and the residue is oxygen,” “We analyse these practices that the businessman said. can still be improved and we Brazil Ozônio is a good exam- help them stand out as competi- ple of how the growing demand of tive differences,” says Adriana the society for products and ser- Rodrigues, responsible for Sus- vices connected to the environ- tainability Management for the ment draws the attention not only agency. Ambievo should begin of the clients, but of also ofthe their process of internationaliza- agencies interested in supporting tion in 2016 when they open a small innovative businesses that subsidiary in Miami. BusinessDay - Monday 16 Sunday 22 November 2015 21 22 BusinessDay - Monday 16 Sunday 22 November 2015 SPECIAL CLIMATE CHANGE REPORT Organic agriculture, a stop to climate change

conditions for the producers and Stories by LAWRENCE SEGBEFIA exporters of organic produce. Farmers must be alerted pportunities in that the benefits include main- organic agriculture tenance and building of soil are fast spreading fertility on land that is often among farmers in threatened by degradation and Ghana, particu- erosion, as well as enhancing larly, in the Northern sector O their socio-economic wellbeing where support from the World through the purchase of their Bank, European Union and other products. international organizations are In addition to these benefits yielding a positive result and a for the environment and farmers, paradigm shift. we must encourage consumers Ghana is doing well in dis- that organic produce limits ex- couraging practices such as posure to synthetic insecticides, bush burning and use of harm- fungicides and herbicides. ful pesticides and herbicides. A study by Yaw Bonsi Osei- Farmers have been educated on Asare conducted in 2009 con- the harmful nature of chemicals cluded that “consumers are and bush burning to the environ- willing to pay a maximum of 20% ment, and its danger to healthy premium on organic products.” food production. Even though The government of Ghana some considerable feat have must make sure that the process- been attained, the need to nib es leading to organic certification harmful practices in the bud is are simplified so that organic more pressing now as the debate produce can attract premium on genetically modified (GM) prices on the market. foods was recently a topical issue Wells Ghana in North Accra, areas of building fish farm cages because it is a medium variety The government needs to in- in Ghana. Corporate Bureau Ltd in Spintex, and other farming infrastructure, and can improve poultry feed as crease extension services to train The Coalition for the Ad- Ghana Farming Network Ltd in including technical support. well. Most of the farmers in the and share information about or- vancement of Organic Farming Mamprobi , and Thomsula Lim- The farm is into the produc- area were also taken through the ganic farming, its positive effect (CAOF) some years back pre- ited on the Kasoa-Mallam Road tion of tilapia, rabbits, guinea agronomical practices. on the environment, and the fact sented an overview of organic Over the years, many more fowls and grasscutters among To succeed in the fight against that it results in healthier foods farming in Ghana, specifically in farms have specialized in the others for both the local and Climate Change, we must make and farming practices. the Northern Sector. The verdict, production and export of or- international (African) markets. farmers in Ghana aware that Organic agriculture is crucial which was given to the govern- ganic greenhouse vegetables like The farm grows fingerlings in organic agriculture can increase for environmental sustainability, ment of Ghana pointed out that Roma tomatoes, Chili pepper, ponds. The fish are then trans- agricultural productivity while as well as improving the health organic farming is a possible al- and Sweet pepper. To ensure a ferred to cages in the Volta River stabilizing returns, as well as of consumers. Other benefits ternative to negative agricultural comprehensive result, we must and other streams and rivers to incomes. We must encourage include contributing to employ- practices that remain with us. insist on such farms to employ grow to market size. the usage of local technologies ment creation, food security, Indeed, the issue of Climate the latest humane and environ- Recently, an improved variety which do not harm the environ- poverty reduction and health. Change and good environmental mentally friendly methods in the of maize known as “Obantapa” ment. We believe that the govern- practices have led to the estab- production of their vegetables was introduced to a farmer group We must further point out ment, the private sector and lishment of many greenhouse to meet both local and interna- in Yua under the SEISUD FFRP that a high demand for organic development partners can all agricultural farms with a special- tional standards or face a ban. programme. This new variety, produce will economically drive promote the benefits of organic ization in organic farming. There The Ghana Farming Network according to researchers has local investors into the sector. agriculture to encourage its are currently many such farms Ltd (GHAFAN) for instance, has little protein component in it. This could lead to increased consumption for the farmer to which include Contelmall Green provided expert support in the The farmers prefered this variety income and improved living continue. Farms in Cantonment, Karat The CIC… a step in the fight against climate change he Climate Innovation provided access to finance, access Center in Ghana, with to product testing facilities, market support from the World information, policy advocacy and Bank and other interna- technical assistance. tionalT organizations, has shown Some promising areas which commitment to the green growth potentially benefit from the CIC agenda, and the fight against cli- include climate smart agriculture, mate change. off-grid renewable energy, waste Recent research from the water treatment technology, cli- World Bank and others increas- mate-resistant infrastructure and ingly shows that strong economic energy-efficient manufacturing. growth can be combined with As part of the benefits, the Gha- sustainable management of natu- na CIC has linked the country to ral resources, in order to promote a growing global network of these shared prosperity and reduce centers in a number of countries poverty. including Ethiopia, India, Kenya, The activities of the center are South Africa, the Caribbean and crucial to fighting against climate Vietnam. change, hence, it must be incor- One of the strengths of the porated into the national agenda centers is the application of the to create the awareness. best technologies from around the Ghana now has an opportunity world, made relevant and avail- to use technology and innovation The worldwide attention to By seeking to capitalize on support for domestic climate tech- able to the local context. to steer future economic gains to- climate change and advances these advances, Ghana can nology industries by addressing It is important that the CIC wards a greener growth. It is clear in clean technology offer an op- strengthen its resilience to climate locally relevant barriers to climate is tailored to meet the needs of that new technologies and innova- portunity to attract significant change, while also building its technology transfer, development local industry, investors, technol- tion will be essential to reduce the investments in clean technology competitiveness in clean technol- and deployment by the private ogy and skills, and strengthen the long-term cost of climate change and to build up the capacity of ogy markets and industries. sector development. capacity of these groups. and support competitiveness in local businesses to participate in The Climate Innovation Center In addition to incubating For more information: http:// Ghana. these high value sectors. (CIC) over the years has provided promising start-ups, the CIC has www.ghanacic.org/ BusinessDay - Monday 16 Sunday 22 November 2015 23 24 *BusinessDay -Monday 16 Sunday 22 November 2015 *BusinessDay -Monday 16 Sunday 22 November 2015 Top Hotels in Ghana 25 Alisa Hotel ddress: 21 Dr. Isert Road - North Ridge, P. O. Box Sunset Hotel…home away from home 1111, Accra - Ghana Phone:030 221 4244 LAWRENCE SEGBEFIA www.alisahotels.com/

nown as one of the best hotels Mövenpick Ambassador in the Garden Hotel Accra City of Kumasi, Mövenpick Ambassador Hotel Accra, PMB CT 343, Canton- Ashanti region, ments Ridge | Accra | Ghana SunsetK Hotel is recognized +233 302 611 000 | Reservations. to have hosted very impor- [email protected] tant personalities and dig- nitaries. Sunset is a luxuri- ous comfortable Three-Star Ramada Beach Resort hotel located in the blissful Tel: +233 302717235-7 / +233 and serene environment of 572233171. Email: info@rama- Danyame, suburb- a suburb daresortaccra.com. Location: of Kumasi. Teshie-Nungua, Off the Accra- Here, you are assured of Tema Road, Ghana. genuine comfort and ample rest as well as relaxation in a tranquil location, yet less NOVOTEL HOTEL than ten minutes’ drive from Novotel Hotel, Barnes Road the bustling Central Busi- PO BOX 12720 , 0 ACCRA ness districts of Kumasi. The hotel is recognized GHANA Tel (+233)302/63 38 63 for providing the tightest Fax (+233)302/667533 in guest security, privacy, E-mail [email protected] personalized services, and guarantee’s convenience GS Plaza Hotel in doing business from the Plot No. 26 South Legon comfort of one’s room. Shiashie - Accra, Ghana West Africa, TEL: +233-302-962-845 With a number of VIP EMAIL ADDRESSES : clientele that include dip- GENERAL INFORMATION info@ lomats, corporate chief ex- gsplazahotel.com ROOMS & RESER- ecutives and celebrities in VATION reservation@gsplazahotel. both sports and entertain- com, SALES & MARKETING ment, the hotel has created [email protected] an enviable name for itself http://www.gsplazahotel.com as the best in the city. Be- sides the gallery of person- African Royal Beach Hotel alities hosted, the hotel’s DTD 51 Beach Drive, Nungua, Greater ranking status in hosting Accra Region, P.O.Box TN1009, Teshie of conferences, high profile Nungua Estate, Phone Number: 00233 banquets, receptions, and – (0)302 71 11 11 – 8 private events like honey- www.africanroyalbeachhotelaccra.com mooning is second to none. Singles though with stan- from a wide range of dishes. Apart from the hosting Sunset Hotel exhibits dard double bed , Doubles The restaurant defines qual- of events in the hotel’s con- the essence of contempo- with queen-size bed, Twin ity, serving a dynamic range ference and banquet halls, Holiday Inn Accra rary style and luxury when Bedded Rooms and Ex- of cuisine, cutting across Sunset has a fleet of ve- Pmb Ct 97 Cantonments Accra, it comes to rooms. Each ecutive suites. The rest are everything from local Gha- hicles that provide transfer Ghana, Call:1 888 HOLIDAY spacious, individually deco- Executive doubles. naian to exotic continental services. (1 888 465 4329) rated guestroom and suite As an exclusive business dishes, not to mention the Whether on a business offers a rewarding union hotel, Sunset offers guests finest quality assorted wines trip or holidaying, you need www.holidayinn.com of timeless elegance and a soft ambience appropri- and spirits not worry about your busi- up-to-the-moment conve- ate for business and private Guests are accorded ness and family, the hotel nience; luxurious, comfort lunches, dinner, quick bites even greater flexibility with boasts of a business center Coconut Grove and classic sophistication. and dining with a seating the “Terrace Bar”, where fully equipped with all the Regency Hotel There are a total of fifty-six capacity of 80. they can wine and dine out most current office machin- Coconut Grove Regency Hotel The restaurant and bar guestrooms designed into a in the open, whilst enjoy- eries and stationary to cater P.O. Box CT 3998, Cantonments, unique concept of guest pri- are situated at various sec- ing the warmth and seren- for your needs. vacy with physical designs tions of the hotel to make ity of the hotel’s impressive So, whenever you visit Accra-Ghana and layouts to inspire guest you feel at home. At Sunset façade. Ghana, make a trip to the [email protected] confidence. Hotel, the dishes include Available for conferences Ghana’s Garden City of Ku- Whatever your prefer- continental and local, with Sunset has auditorium big masi and have a treat of a Sonant Hotel ence, Sunset has a variety buffet restaurant that gives enough to take over 300 lifetime Sunset Hotel. +(233)-(30)-2520212 of rooms which include you the chance to choose people for a conference. +(233)-244764612 www.sonantcourt.com [email protected] Christian Centre, East Legon, Accra Greater Accra, Ghana

Diplomat Resort & Hotel Address: No. 19 Beach Cresent, Nungua, Accra, Ghana, Phone: 0302712273 Mobile phone: 0275379467 Fax: 0302712273 Website: www.diplomatsbeachresort.com Erata Hotel Location: Ouagadougou Avenue, Okponglo, East Legon P.O.Box KIA 9968, Airport, Accra (+233) - 0572-717590, 0544-336761 , 0263-003927 Fax : (+233) 302 505 119 Email: info@ eratahotel.com [email protected] [email protected] Website : www.eratahotel.com Ange Hill Hotel Mail Address: Ange Hill Hotel PMB Ka 61 Kotoka Int. Airport, Accra Ghana - West Africa. Tel: (+233-30)2517514 | (+233- 30)2517270(+233-24)3405125 FAX: + (+233-30)2517515 26 BusinessDay -Monday 16 Sunday 22 November 2015 Homes&Properties Lamudi maps are back with updated app

lobal prop- launched its Android app erty portal with the intention of mak- Lamudi has ing it easy to browse real released an estate listings from the updated ver- comfort of a mobile de- Gsion of its innovative An- vice. The app has been droid app. The update fea- through several versions, tures extensive improve- many of which included ments to its user interface a map feature. The latest with a major focus on the update is an indication map experience. of the forward direction The addition of maps of both the app and the means increased usability company itself. and functionality, where Since its inception, the users can quickly and Android app has been easily add and remove downloaded more than properties to their favor- 630,000 times. The ma- ites list directly from the jority of downloads come map. They can also change from Asia and the Middle search criteria without East. leaving the map screen. With this latest update, Additionally, proper- the map feature works best ties without images or when users are registered pricing information can be and logged in to a Lamudi excluded from search re- account. However, users sults. When users return to can still browse listings the map from a particular without one. listing, the improved map The increased func- feature retains its previous tionality of the Android view settings, such as the mobile app and its user- user’s position and prop- friendly interface make it erties viewed. easier for property hunt- The latest update also ers to find what they are includes other useful fea- looking for in 34 countries tures, such as retaining already-seen properties. we have shifted our focus version of the Android app and markets change, we across Africa, Asia, Latin previously viewed maps Co-Founder and Man- to our apps in response is a great improvement will continue to tailor our America and the Middle offline after having visited aging Director of Lamudi to growing demand from on its predecessor but we mobile product to their East. Download Lamudi’s a listing, as well as special Global, Kian Moini, said: house-hunters using mo- are just at the beginning. needs.” updated Android app in markers for favorite and “Over the past two years, bile devices. This latest As our clients, customers In 2014, Lamudi Google Play. The startups revolutionizing Real Estate efore the real ties across Ghana. estate industry Cutting out the middle man shifted online, Could a world without the process of real estate agents be the Bbuying and selling a home way of the future? Start- looked radically different. ups such as Faira aim to Sellers and buyers heav- link buyers with avail- ily relied on real estate able homes directly so agents, as they were the that sellers do not need only people that under- to go through real estate stood the ins and outs of agents. Faira handles the the industry. purchasing contract from With the development beginning to end, by tak- of online property portals, ing care of the contracts real estate became more and certified appraisals. accessible. Nowadays, the Supporting investors process of buying, selling Institutional investors, and renting a home has real estate investment become more transpar- trusts, hedge funds and ent, where customers have private equity firms also become more educated need a helping hand when and informed than ever making wise investment before, allowing them to decisions. This is where make better decisions in Compstak comes in, a the long run. startup that provides in- In this digital era, Streamlining property tions. Building owners on the go with mobile the number one property formation to these institu- young start-up companies management also have the freedom to devices via updates and portal Lamudi Ghana, op- tions to allow them to eas- have helped revolutionize Startups like Hight- centralize their marketing notifications. erates in a similar way to ily analyze comparables. the industry and move ower help building own- materials and budgets. Eliminating boundaries more established players Compstak is free for real real estate into the future. ers to manage workflow This makes it easy for vari- No longer are property- like Zillow or Right Move, estate agents. When they Here are the main ways by allowing owners to ous departments to log-in seekers restricted by local Lamudi gives house-hunt- require access to a specific that tech startups have determine their valuable and access requested in- or national borders when ers, investors and devel- comparable, the agents helped transform prop- agents, as well as keep formation. Users are also it comes to looking for real opers access to residential must provide information erty industries around track of tenant interac- able to manage their work estate. Companies like and commercial proper- about their own business the globe. deals. BusinessDay - Monday 16 Sunday 22 November 2015 National News 27 Express Maintenance (em) Service introduced in Tarkwa n pursuit of its com- mitment to delight customers in the mining community even more, Toyo- taI Ghana has launched the Express Maintenance (EM) service in its Tarkwa branch. The EM is part of Unleashing Ghana’s Toyota Customer Service Workshop Management (TSM) Advanced program E-commerce potential that was introduced glob- ally in 2001. The objective …the role of industry players of the EM Programme is to improve Customer Sat- he internet which is usually understated. isfaction. is now the single In Ghana, many busi- The launch brought to- most addictive and nesses have transformed gether lots of dignitaries expanding positive from the traditional mode endemicT was introduced of doing business to e-com- such as the Omanhene of Wassa Fiase Traditional a few decades ago and has merce which has proven Area, Osagyefo Dr. Kwam- undoubtedly become the to be faster, reliable and world’s 8th wonder. Can you efficient. With virtually -ev ina Enimil VI, The District envisage the world without eryone online these days, Chief Executive of Prestea The MD of Toyota Ghana, Mr. Tetsuya Suematsu and Osagyefo Dr. Kwamina Enimil VI, internet now? Almost every social media platforms like Huni Valley District As- Omanhene of Wassa Fiase Traditional Area unveiling the plaque for the EM launch. business entity in the world Facebook, Twitter, Instagram sembly, Honorable Robert uses the internet in various and LinkedIn amongst oth- Cudjoe, the Field Opera- delivery.” Motor Corporation -Mr. of Toyota Ghana for their capacities and ways that may ers represent over 40% of the tions Manager, Toyota Mo- He revealed that Toyota Ryota Tokunaga, added dedication and zeal to ac- even blow your mind. Some online presence with a com- tor Corporation, Mr. Ryota Ghana has successfully that the EM service is a quire the skills necessary European and American bined figure of over 10 mil- Tokunaga and many dis- been running the EM pro- Toyota Production System for the successful imple- countries have improved lion users daily. This has the tinguished captains in the gram in its Accra, Tema which makes possible the mentation of the EM pro- technologies that go as far as power to grow any business mining industry. and Kumasi branches and production of high quality gramme. opening doors to their offices faster than any known mar- Launching the EM Ser- has so far been very well products via an efficient The guest speaker for and homes. keting module or strategy. vice, the Managing Di- appreciated by customers, production line. He con- the occasion, Osagyefo The evolution of the in- Speaking at the 2nd edi- rector of Toyota Ghana, as it provides them with tinued “Currently, there Dr. Kwamina Enimil VI, ternet has come to involve tion of the Ghana E-com- Mr. Tetsuya Suematsu, speedy, efficient, reliable are eight EM certified work- Omanhene of Wassa Fiase a new aspect which is quite merce Expo in Accra, the explained that “EM is and high quality service. shops in the whole Africa. Traditional Area, com- popular. E-commerce, also country manager of Jovago. referred to as online busi- com in Ghana - Claire Staal known globally to enhance Mr. Tetsuya Suematsu took Four out of the total eight mended Toyota Ghana ness is the newest and most stated “today, nearly every customer satisfaction sig- for the giant step taken the opportunity to encour- are in Ghana, including this beneficial facet of the in- business entity is online in nificantly by guaranteeing age everyone to patronize Tarkwa. This means Ghana to come out with such in- superior service quality ternet phenomenon in the one way or the other and not this specialized service. has 50% of the certified novative package which is 21st century. Every business having your business online at a reduced service lead- The Field Operations workshops and that is very unique and exemplary in time to 60 minutes from entity now craves online is like opening a shop in an Manager, Bahrain repre- impressive”. the automobile industry visibility. The benefits of isolated place and not telling the reception of vehicle to sentative office, Toyota He applauded the staff in Ghana. transacting business online anyone about it.” 28 *BusinessDay -Monday 16 Sunday 22 November 2015 Executive Motoring Essential Discovery Sport Accessories for family road trips

Stories by MIKE OCHONMA uthorities at Jaguar Land Rover is always thinking ahead when it comes to automo- tive technology. This Atime around, the automaker has done it with the Discovery Sport. With class-leading approach- departure-and breakover angles, as well as Land Rover’s Terrain Response, the Land Rover Discov- ery Sport gives drivers the ability to easily get to their destinations – no matter the terrain. The Land Rover Discovery Sport is the perfect road trip ve- hicle for families. While cruising on open roads or traversing de- manding terrain, it is engineered to offer comfort, refinement and capability. And with the right ac- cessories, families can enhance their holiday driving experience even more. With configurable 5+2 seating, the Discovery Sport has plenty of room for passengers. There’s also a Land Rover offers a centre arm- handy holster for your nifty gadget. ture. However, sitting in the sun the best of times. The Discovery lot of room for luggage, with more rest cooler for rear passengers. Land Rover offers an iPad holder for a few hours before you reach Sport already boasts nearly 35 than 980 litres of cargo volume Finished in premium leather, that clips into the headrests of the your destination can be unpleas- litres of stowage compartments when seats are folded down. When this stylish refrigerator will keep front seats, allowing rear-seat pas- ant especially for toddlers and for small items – and that can be packing the car for the long haul, your drinks and snacks pleasingly sengers to enjoy some hands-free babies. However, a handy set of greatly augmented with the addi- you want to ensure that everything chilled on your travels. Let’s face entertainment, while sipping on side window sunshades, for rear tion of a seat-back organiser. Made is snug and won’t move around. it: a five-hour drive to the coast is some cool refreshments. passengers, will help to greatly re- the same Windsor leather used for For this, a Land Rover lug- a lot more pleasant when you can For protection against harsh duce heat and glare from the sun. the seats, this stowage system adds gage net will keep your suitcases watch movies or play games on weather conditions, climate con- For most families, keeping a number of new compartments to from shifting and sliding as you your iPad. And that same activity trol and advanced sensors keep things organised in the car, while help keep drinks, cables, plugs and tackle the trails. Furthermore, is even better when you have a the cabin at the perfect tempera- on holiday, can be a challenge at toys organised in the rear.

rybody in the world to see our lower its full-year forecasts. Toyota shifting goals to quality, not quantity company as the greatest car man- Only recently, scandal-hit oyota, returnee automak- But Toyoda has said “Toyota strongly committed not to repeat ufacturer, rather than the biggest”. Volkswagen lost the global car er to the global tops spot had quality issues in the past, the same mistakes,’’. The member of Toyota’s founding sales crown to Toyota. The Japa- has declared that it was and because of these problems, “Toyota is not indifferent to family added that Volkswagen’s nese carmaker regained its place shifting its goals to qual- we have been able to restructure volume, we have a clear target admission it had fitted 11 million as the world’s biggest car com- ityT not quantity after being dented and reform. In that regard, we are to raise volume, but I want eve- diesel vehicles worldwide with pany, in terms of sales, by sell- by a series of huge recalls in recent sophisticated software to skew ing 7.49 million cars in the nine years, including one linked to a emissions tests should months to September. deadly accelerator defect. not undo progress in Toyota took back pole position While offering some advice making cars cleaner. from its German rival, which sold to Volkswagen as it wrestles with “The wrongdoing of one 7.43m in the period, having been a huge emissions scandal, Akio company should not top for the first half of 2015. VW is Toyoda, chairman of Toyota Motor dampen the efforts of battling the aftermath of its diesel Corporation (TMC) advised Volk- other automakers on emission scandal. It admitted last swagen, its arch rival not to focus environmental issues,” month that it had installed soft- on being number one. Toyota boss Toyoda said. ware in diesel vehicles to deceive Akio Toyoda says success comes VW’s new chief ex- US regulators about the true level from quality rather than quantity. ecutive apologised for of pollution the cars emitted. Akio Toyoda’s comments at the crisis at the Tokyo, as The crisis is the largest in its the Tokyo Motor show come as the firm booked its first 78-year history and it is facing the carmakers are locked in a quarterly loss in more court cases and is under investi- neck-and-neck race for the title than 15 years in the gation in the US and elsewhere. It of world’s biggest car company wake of the global pollu- is recalling 8.5m affected vehicles this year, with the Japanese giant tion-cheating scandal, in the European Union and will running slightly ahead. which also forced it to recall up to 11m globally. *BusinessDay -Monday 16 Sunday 22 November 2015 29 This space is for sale Contact: +2348023216225, [email protected] Executive Motoring Next VW Golf coming 2017

olkswagen is planning significant changes to its best-selling Golf hatch- back which will debut as theV Golf VIII earlier than expected in 2017, Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport magazine reports. The familiar shape with five or three doors is set to get a lit- tle lower and wider and the re- vamped model will feature new drive-trains and diesel engines, including an innovative 48-volt petrol-hybrid system. New 7 BMW Series These units were on the draw- ing board long before the current emissions-rigging scandal rocked Europe’s largest carmaker. Both petrol and diesel engines raises technological bar will be even more frugal than the current offerings and will comply with stricter EU regulations which peg permissible carbon dioxide Stories by ..With dash of class found in S-Class, A8 league emissions at 95 grams per kilo- MIKE OCHONMA metre. VW hopes to achieve these tures are becoming the norm in gesture control system that allows on the luxury and high-tech. In figures through weight-saving measures. owhere is automo- this segment, and like its great certain infotainment functions to the long-wheelbase 7 Series with rival, the Mercedes S-Class, the be controlled without touching the executive lounge option pack The Golf VIII will come packed tive craftsmanship with electronic gadgetry such as have been more new 7 Series is able to partially a button. With the aid of a ceil- fitted, rear passengers can fully drive itself by keeping a safe fol- ing-mounted sensor that tracks stretch their legs and perch them driving and parking assistants, prevalent than in head-up displays and a sophisti- the BMW 7 Series lowing distance in traffic and -us hand movements, twirling your on a footrest built into the front cated infotainment system. Most corner of the market. BMW’s ing a self-steering aid to stay in its finger clockwise in the air raises passenger seat, getting the full la- N of these features are already avail- sixth-generation 7 Series has just lane. the audio volume and counter- zyboy experience. been launched overseas and is a It also has active air suspen- clockwise reduces it; and swiping With the executive lounge able as options in the larger Passat technological tour de force. sion with stiffness modes that your hand left or right answers or pack, the ventilated rear seats saloon. This is the big boys’ play- alternatively transform it from rejects an incoming phone call. have adjustable backrests and of- The current Golf VII was intro- ground, where luxury German a plush-riding limo to a sports Along with a central screen fer several massage programmes, duced in 2012 and was originally limousines like the 7 Series, sedan. But the sixth-generation which is now touch-operated, and it’s all controlled by a tab- due for replacement in 2018 and Mercedes-Benz S-Class and Audi Seven has added some clever the new luxury has an enhanced let device mounted in a smart- the debut had been brought for- A8 compete feverishly to be at new tech to the convenience user interface which offers sev- looking brushed-metal console ward, but no reason for the move the apex of luxury and technical menu, starting with a self-parking eral ways to access the various between the two rear seats. The was given and Volkswagen has not innovation, in an all-out war to feature that lets the driver stand infotainment functions including tablet, which is detachable, also commented on the report. entice mega-money clients into outside the car and lets it drive voice activation and the tradi- controls the window shades, sun- their plush double-glazed cab- itself into a narrow bay using the tional iDrive knob. Also as a new roof, and entertainment system. ins. remote-control keyring. feature, a smartphone holder in Perceived quality in the cabin In a market segment where Laser lights, which made their the centre console allows a mo- of BMW’s new flagship sedan has excellence is a starting point, ris- world premiere in the BMW i8 bile phone to be charged wire- moved a couple of steps up the ing above the herd takes more and with a range of 600 metres, lessly for the first time in a BMW. luxury ladder, with new metal- than a few trinkets and gadgets. are double that of LED head- The rear seats, where many finish buttons and speaker covers Semi-autonomous driving fea- lamps, are available as an option. chauffeur-driven executives will that a add a dash of class to the Also new in the 7 Series is a spend most of their time, also lay car’s sober opulence.

launch of the GLC. Its premium Mercedes bullish on Chinese market, elsewhere markets on the continent are Ger- many (24,227 vehicles delivered to ercedes Benz, Daim- the ForTwo and the ForFour. customers last month, increase of ler’s high-end brand, The German automaker’s +1.9%), Spain (a strong growth of registered a signifi- achievements extend to its mid- +29.4%), Russia and Switzerland. cant boost in its Chi- size SUV, the GLK. In China, the Sales in Italy have also in- neseM sales, with a net increase automaker has already surpassed creased significantly: +25.0%. of 13% and a number of 165,706 its unit sales of 2014 in October. In the North-American region, units sold in October only (com- With the SUV very popular there, 320,186 units were sold from Janu- bined figure for Mercedes and above all the GLK; half of all those ary to October (7.9% increase), Smart). cars sold this year have gone to with 278,842 vehicles going to Out of the total number, customers in China. Mercedes the US only. Mercedes is doing 155,189 vehicles were Mercedes expects even stronger growth from extremely well in the Asia-Pacific (a record 10% growth), while the that model’s successor, the GLC.” region, with 497,914 cars in the sales for Smart was more than The company is also doing first 10 months. Apart from the double, with 10,517 units and well in the rest of the world. There Chinese overwhelming success, a whopping 103% rise. Smart’s were 659,106 units sold in Europe the company is a market leader success was also prompted by the in the first 10 months of 2015, a among the premium manufac- introduction of two new models, boost supported partially by the turers in Japan, South Korea and Taiwan. 30 BusinessDay - Monday 16 Sunday 22 November 2015 BusinessDay - Monday 16 Sunday 22 November 2015 National News 31 Ecobank constructs borehole for Tafo gov’t hospital

DAVID AFUM, KUMASI projects were identified by ment of our future leaders,” engaging the various ben- she added. cobank Ghana has eficiaries to ensure that the She urged the beneficiary constructed a bore- project addressed specific institutions to take good care hole and donated needs for schools and hos- of the items presented. Eco- cleaning equipment pitals identified. bank currently operates in 36 toE the Tafo Government She reiterated that mil- African countries. Hospital. lions of children across Af- In Ghana the Ecobank The donation forms part rica are still unable to reach Day was held simultaneous- of the third Ecobank Day, a their full potential or make ly in eight different locations Community action day, dur- choices about their future. by the four Ecobank affiliate ing which the bank’s staffs Some of the beneficiary in- companies namely Eco- Ghana hosts first across Africa devote the day stitutions and communities bank Ghana Limited, epro- to serving communities in are Komfo Anokye Teaching cess International, Ecobank which the bank operates. Hospital (KATH), Princess Development Corporation This year’s Ecobank Day Marie Louis Hospital, Psy- (EDC) and the Pan- African clean cooking forum programme was under the chiatric Hospital, Tarkwa Savings and Loans Company theme “Every Child in Africa Government Hospital, Ketu limited. Minister for Petroleum, Cooking Forum”. and South Municipal Hos- On their parts Dr. Annie Stories by LAWRENCE SEGBEFIA Deserves a Better Future.” Mr Emmanuel Armah- “Ghana’s commitment to Making the presentation, pital. Others include Zongo Opoku who is the Medical hana has suc- Kofi Buah, in an opening clean cooking is strong and Miss Adobea Addo who is Community in Sunyani, Superintendent at the Hos- cessfully host remarks said “Ghana has our government, private the Head of Branches and Dworwulu Special School, pital and Mr. Alex Abugri, the the Clean made large strides toward sector, and civil society part- Channels said corporate La Nkwantanang School, Administrator thanked Eco- Kpintariga Community in bank Ghana for their gesture Cooking Fo- increasing access to clean- ners are working collabora- social responsibility in Eco- the Northern Region and and assured that the facility rum aimed at er-burning cooking fuels”. tively to spur a thriving local bank is considered a critical “The Clean Cooking Fo- market for clean cookstoves activity as it constitutes one Abenaso Community. will be well catered for. encouragingG safe and hy- “The projects will bring They appealed to other gienic way of preparing food rum will serve as a great and fuels,” Ms Tetteh said. of the main pillars of the opportunity to showcase “Ghana has taken sig- bank’s vision of contribut- improvement in the lives of corporate institutions to in order to promote healthy school children, the com- assist them in extending living among women. Ghana’s work on increasing nificant steps to increase ing to the socio-economic development of Africa and munities in which they are electricity to other parts of More than 500 leaders energy access and improv- access to cleaner, more ef- Ghana. sited and facilitate develop- the hospital. and experts from 50 coun- ing the lives of all Ghanaians ficient cookstoves and fuels, through the broader use of making it a fitting place “As a Pan- African bank- tries participated in the ing institution, we are pas- three-day programme held clean and efficient cook- to celebrate the growing stoves and fuels,” he added. momentum in the sector,” sionate about the develop- in Accra. ment of Africa and African He said it was estimated said Radha Muthiah, Chief The biennial event, being people and for this reason, Executive Officer of the held for the first time in West that about 13,700 deaths Ecobank Ghana has over Africa, is also part of a global occur each year in Ghana Global Alliance for Clean the years made substantial effort to create a thriving as a result of exposure to Cookstoves, which is co- contributions towards the global market for clean and household air pollution hosting the Forum. socio-economic develop- efficient cookstoves and (HAP) from cooking, and “We’re excited to join our ment of Ghana by giving fuels. more than 21 million people many partners in Ghana various support to individu- Organized by the Global are impacted by exposure to who have shown how the als, institutions and com- Alliance for Clean Cook- HAP each year. comprehensive approach munities across the country,” stoves and the Ghana Alli- In addition, more than 80 supported by the Alliance Ms. Addo added. ance for Clean Cookstoves, per cent of Ghana’s popula- and enhanced by a wide She disclosed that Eco- the Forum featured panel tion use solid fuels for cook- variety of in-country stake- bank Ghana as part of its Day discussions and cultural ing, which has widespread holders can deliver on its has handed over projects events, as well as showcased impact on human health full potential and help us worth GH¢600,000.00 to Ghana’s own progress on and the environment. ensure that cooking no lon- public institutions and com- munities across the country. the clean cooking issue. Ms Hanna Tetteh, Min- ger kills,” she added. ister of Foreign Affairs and Ms Muthiah said the The major projects in- It further provided an clude the provision of eight opportunity to raise aware- Regional Integration, in Ghana Alliance for Clean a statement read on her Cookstoves (GHACCO), a quality boreholes in various ness, highlight progress, and schools and hospitals, treat- outline solutions for Ghana behalf by Mr John Ackon, co-host of the Clean Cook- Deputy Gender, Children ing Forum 2015, is one of the ed mosquito nets, hospital and other countries be- mattresses, 20 computers and Social Protection Min- many local partners helping ing impacted by improper and an incubator, among preparation of food. ister, said that “Ghana is to drive Ghana’s clean cook- others. proud to host 2015 Clean stoves sector forward. Photo: Ms. Adobea Addo (right) handing over the project to According to her, the Dr. Annie Opoku NHIS must benefit the Fifth CSR Excellence Awards held in Accra poor—SEND Ghana

LAWRENCE SEGBEFIA tail Business of the year, Vo- CSR Company of the year; The multi-stakeholder jury ing for a change in the trend to dafone for best CSR Awards while Special Recognition drawn from academia, regu- NEWS DESK REPORT prevent unnecessary deaths. “Our research shows that he fifth edition for Health, Airtel for best Awards were given to Plan latory agencies, civil society n international in the Upper Wes region, 45 of the Ghana CSR Awards for Education, International, Japan Interna- organizations, business as- non-govern- percent of the population is CSR Excellence Wire Weaving industries for tional Cooperation Agency, sociation and the media, af- mental organ- poor and this means that even Awards targeted best CSR Awards for Safety University of Applied Man- ter exercising due diligence, isation, SEND- feeding is a problem but 14 at rewarding and Industrial Certification; agement, Germany; and verification and evaluation, Ghana has re- percent has been registered on companies with active Cor- and MTN for Best Awards, Theovision International. had a hard time deciding Avealed in its latest report T the NHIS scheme. This means porate Social Responsibility Sustainability, Environment The event was supported on winners for the various that the National Health that 31 percent of those who programmes have been held and Social Impact. by the Association of Gha- categories. It promises to Insurance Scheme benefits cannot feed themselves have in Accra. Other awards went to na Industries, AGI, Ghana be even more competitive the rich rather than the poor. not been registered,” he said. The awards which was New Crystal Hospital for the Chamber of Commerce and next year. The survey which was He said the premium pay- organized by the Centre for CSR Medical Facility of the Industry, GCCI, Plan Inter- The Ghana CSR Diary done between 2012 and 2013 ment which was paid accord- CSR, West Africa, the sub- Year, , Huawei Technologies national, Japan International (magazine) which contains a says a lot of people who have ing to ones economic status region’s leading CSR strategy for CSR ICT Company of Cooperation Agency, Multi- summary of most of the CSR been registered under the has changed and the poor development, policy and the year, Unilever for CSR media Group, Business Day, activities of winners was also scheme are not considered is being robbed for the rich. advocacy centre honored Manufacturing Company Daily Graphic, Inquisitor launched on the night. as poor by the definition of “We are now made to pay seventeen companies for of the year, Melcom Group and more than 30 media Copies are usually dis- the Ghana Statistical Ser- the same premium no matter showing exemplary deeds for CSR FMCG of the year, organizations. tributed free of charge to vice. your economic conditions in impacting their com- and Access Bank for CSR The Awards this year has members of AGI, GCCI, uni- The report was titled “Is and we are subsidizing for munities. bank of the year. The rest been the most competitive versities, airlines, partner the National Health Insurance the rich, those who can pay Some of the companies are Millicom Ghana which since 2011 and it is mod- organizations in Europe, Scheme Pro-Poor?” more are forced to pay less that won the awards includ- won the CSR Telecom of the eled after the European Asia and the US, and civil Programmes Officer at the because there is a flat rate for ed IPMC Ghana, for CSR Re- year, MTN which won the CSR Excellence Awards. society organizations. NGO, Adamu Mukaila is call- all of them to pay.” KTourismomfo Anokye Sword Complained by Vincent Baffour-Acheampong Hidden treasures of the Gold Coast …a look at Ghana’s untapped resources “You must always know the past, for there is no real Was, there is only is”. - William Faulkner This week, Hidden Treasures once again takes a trip to the Ashanti region of Ghana. A region full of culture and history. It is the third largest of 10 administrative re- gions, occupying a total land surface of 24,389 km2 (9,417 sq. mi) or 10.2 per cent of the total land area of Ghana. In terms of population, however, it is the most populated region with a population of 3,612,950 in 2000, accounting for 19.1 per cent of Ghana’s total population. The Ashanti region and Kingdom of Ashanti and Ashantiland is known for its major gold bar and cocoa production and also harbors the capital city of Kumasi. Welcome.

Komfo Anokye Sword arch, King Osei Tutu. Historical ocated in Bantama, accounts have it that Okomfo popularly known Anokye one day “planted” a among the dwellers sword in the ground, and told of Kumasi as “Gee” is those present at the event that the the Okomfo Anokye day the sword would be uprooted, SwordL Site. The term Okomfo is the Asante Kingdom would col- a twi terminology meaning the lapse. Numerous people over ‘traditional priest,’ who has been the years have tried to uproot the the greatest priest in the Ashanti sword but all in vain. also not successful. Visitors to this ing Hospital (KATH) representing Ashanti kingdom. He asked his tradition. The legendry tradi- In the early 1960s, the then sword site would have the rare a monumental facility is located. friend to plant two “Kum” trees in tional or fetish priest, Okomfo World Heavy weight Boxing opportunity of trying their hands From traditional Ashanti folks, different locations. The tree that Anokye, is accredited to be the Champion Cassius Clay (Mo- on this legendary sword which the Ashanti kingdom was united survives would be the capital of man who conjured from the skies, hammed Ali), visited Ghana. seems to demonstrate supernatu- under one king and strengthened, the Ashanti Kingdom. With this the much revered Golden stool While in Kumasi, he also tried ral powers. with the help of Komfo Anokye. in mind and already prophesized, of the Asante, which is said to unsuccessfully to uproot the Nevertheless much of the As a fetish priest, he interceded one tree died leaving one surviv- have happened on a Friday. The sword and later gave up after sword has been shrunken by on behalf of the people and was ing, which was called Kumasi Stool is supposed to “contain” several failed attempts. Another the weather and other corrosive the mouthpiece of the gods. His- meaning “under Kum” or “living the soul of the Asante nation. unsuccessful attempt was made compounds; at least, the relic tory holds it that Okomfo Anokye Kum”. The other tree that died Okomfo Anokye was a very close later to uproot Okomfo Anokye’s still remains. This is where the helped his friend Osei Tutu I was called Kumawu meaning the confidante of the Asante mon- Sword using bulldozers. This was renowned Komfo Anokye Teach- in establishing a capital for the “dead Kum.” BusinessDay -Monday 16 Sunday 22 November 2015 33

Do not forget to visit the amaz- visit the Komfo Anokye sword ing Military Museum, Kumasi site. The sword site is where a zoo, and the Center for National priest in the 17th century drove Culture. As the heartbeat of the his sword into the ground so hard rich culture of Ghana. that it is unmovable. If the sword Kumasi is endowed with nu- is ever moved it is said to be the merous cultural activities and end of the Ashanti kingdom… festivals including the famous even Muhammad Ali has tried Adae Kese festival which is a and failed. Kente festival celebrated in July/ How to Get There August in Bonwire (Ejisu-Juaben Locating the sword site in Ku- District). The Manhyia Palace masi is like locating the mouth (previously covered by Hidden in the dark. Once you arrive at Treasures) is not far from KATH. Kumasi, almost everybody can Visitor account direct you to the Komfo Anokye A few weekends ago, our group Teaching Hospital (KATH). Arriv- took a trip to Kumasi. Kumasi is ing at Kejetia, a metro mass tran- in the Ashanti region of Ghana sit to either Sofoline or Bantama and north of Cape Coast. Kumasi can be boarded and the visitor is probably my favorite part of can alight at the Komfo Anokye Ghana that I have seen so far. I Teaching Hospital (KATH). am not exactly sure why. It was Also, a trotro can also be beautiful for one, so green and boarded which will get you right fresh. The city was exciting and in front of KATH, where the sword fast paced but nothing like the site is located. traffic, over-packed Accra. We Accommodation left at about six in the morning Finding a place to stay it not a on Friday. headache for visitors. Kumasi is Our group was on a schedule well developed, holding a large and we did not get to completely number of hotels and restau- explore the village of Bonwire, rants. Accessible hotels include but we did learn how to weave Rainbow Garden Village Guest kente and explore the central House, Golden Tulip, Remax kente market of the village. Emma hotel, Sambra among a wide and I did get to explore Bonwire range of other hotels in the me- again this Easter weekend, how- tropolis. These hotels provide a ever most everything was closed wide range of customer products because of Easter. ranging from swimming pools, After visiting Bonwire, we stylish architectural designs, with headed to the carving village welcoming ambiance to meet the where we got to watch wood be- needs of family travelers, business ing carved. travelers, leisure tripers, pleasure That night Emma and I went seekers and others. out with our advisor, Ebenezer, The prices of these hotels who took us to an outdoor hang- range from the pockets of the out spot near a sports stadium. lower class to the high class cus- It was cool because we got to see tomers. For example, Golden Tu- a live band playing Ghanaian lip has prices ranging US$ 119 to highlife music, which is kind of the presidential suite. Restaurants like jazz music. in the place include fast food The next day our group ex- joint to well-developed in-house plored the Manhyia Palace mu- restaurants. seum, which is the home of some Rainbow Garden Village Guest of the Asanti kings. House offer a much lower price After that our group went to charges above US$ 13.50. Acces- sible food joints include Chinese restaurants and local establish- ment focusing on the varied need for all visitors from different backgrounds. These establishments provide a wide range of continental (fried rice, pizza, etc) and local dishes (fufu, banku, tuo-zaafi, rice balls). Proximate to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) are a number of drinking bars and entertainment. Bars offer a wide range of both alcoholic and non- alcoholic beverages, both local and continental. Are you a fun of night life? Kumasi offers a mix of activities to make your night life an unforgettable one.

CREDITS Dearghana Visitor Account: emw1522. wordpress.com 34 West Africa News BUSINESSDAY: www.businessdayonline.com Monday 16 Sunday 22 November 2015 Togo Youth employability and integration in growth sectors

he Board of Directors of the man development, agriculture, reduce the combined unemploy- Africa Development Bank fragile states, inclusive financing ment and underemployment rate Group (AfDB) on Wednes- and research), it aims to provide for young men from 22% (2011) day, approved combined a contextual response to youth to 16% (2025) and young women fundingT in support of youth employ- integration needs. This will be from 31.9% (2011) to 26% (2025). ability and integration in growth achieved through support to en- In the medium term, about sectors project in Togo. trepreneurship in the agricultural 19,600 direct jobs (40% of which The funding approved for value chain. It will also provide will be for women) will be created. Togo comprises of US $9.38-mil- solutions to youth underemploy- The beneficiaries’ incomes are lion African Development Fund ment by developing prospecting expected to rise by 25% by 2020. grant, US $1.87 million Transi- tools that will adapt the vocational The project incorporates an tion Support Facility grant and training system to labour market impact analysis of entrepreneur- US $9.12-million Nigeria Trust requirements. ship support which consists in fund loan. The project will specifically supporting all the agricultural The project aims to create the target 12 key established SMEs, value chain actors who will be conditions for more inclusive eco- 1,200 young entrepreneurs (30% supported by the project, 40% of regions in order to train young empirically evaluated in order to nomic growth by improving youth of whom are women), 14,200 whom are women. people in trades with good pros- assess the chain’s impact in terms employability and promoting en- producers/stockbreeders (40% The other project targets are pects. of job and income creation. trepreneurship in growth sectors. of whom are women) and 200 four microfinance institutions, It is expected to reduce the This would help to guide public As an integrated project which women from vulnerable rural vil- one financial institution (FI) and incidence of poverty from 58.7% action in widely disseminating the has involved the participation of lages, 1,000 young people trained five training centres in the same (2011) to 49% (2025) as well as approach. several Bank departments (hu- in vocational training (VT) centres Source: Togonews Cameroon Burkina Faso 25,000 Yoghurt benefitting students and producers youths s part of its school meals enrollment rates are low. Not only photo above), is the group’s presi- quality have improved. project in Burkina Faso, have the students, however, ben- dent. She says that the beginning Hadiatou is hoping to further WFP uses locally-pro- efited from this initiative. was not easy. expand so that within a year, KNB duced yoghurt to en- Small-scale women producers “We had many difficulties at can have its own herd of dairy recruited Arich children’s school meals and Women-led milk process- first. Even our husbands did not cows, and one day, a factory. They provide a market for vulnerable ing units are taking the lead in believe in our adventure. But set aside a portion of their profits small-scale producers to earn an producing the yoghurt for the now, KNB allows us to be au- each month for future invest- n order to reduce the num- extra income. schools. In Dori, the capital of tonomous, to meet our needs and ments like these. ber of young people leav- Students in fourteen schools the Sahel region, WFP works with those of our families. Every day I “With the example of our ing university and other have been benefitting from this Do Kassam Bodeji Ai (KNB), a had to rely on my husband for my groups’ success, more and more tertiary institutions in the initiative since May, when WFP group of thirty women who pur- needs and those of my children. women in the region are coming countryI every year without jobs, introduced yoghurt into its school chase milk from small producers Since our group has been working to us for advice.” President Paul Biya on Febru- meals. In the 2015-2016 school and turn it into yoghurt for the with WFP, I’m basically finan- Teachers ary 10, 2011, ordered a special year, the yoghurt initiative will students. cially independent. My husband in a context where families recruitment of 25,000 youths expand to 20 schools, reaching When the group began in 2010, respects me more, and consults struggle to provide two daily into the Civil Service. 2,500 students. they were only working with 22 with me before making decisions. meals to their children, and mal- According to Angouin Ange This school year, the overall liters of milk per day. Now, the We now have more value in the nutrition rates are some of the Michel, the Minister of Public school meals program will reach partnership with WFP allows eyes of our families and societies highest in the country, the school Service and Administrative over 120,000 students in 955 them to transform 200 liters daily. - more respect.” meals encourage parents to send Reforms, the operation went on schools in the Sahel region where Hadiatou Ba Koïta, a 36-year- Thanks to WFP’s expertise, she well and has been concluded food insecurity is high, and school old mother of five (second left in says, their production and food with the publication of further Continues on page 35 lists to replace those who were selected, but failed to turn up. Liberia Except for 419 workers whose salaries have been suspended for various reasons such as abandoning work or succeeding World Bank Project Targets Ebola-Affected Households in other recruitment tests, the whole exercise was a huge suc- he World Bank Board of registration, and payment systems project will also improve efficiency and its development partners to cess. In all, 25,074 youths were Executive Directors has to complement the Emergency in the delivery of cash transfers to support the global Ebola response approved a new US$10 Ebola Response Project. targeted households, including to and post-Ebola recovery efforts in recruited into the Public Service million International “This project supports the ba- youth. The YOP activities will be the country. and the committee that was set Development Associa- sic building blocks of a social implemented in close cooperation The World Bank’s International up by the Prime Minister, Head Ttion credit for the Government protection system that increases with the private sector. Development Association (IDA), of Government, Philemon Yang, of Liberia to improve access to resilience of the poorest and most Suleiman Namara, Task Team established in 1960, and helps to oversee the exercise, has income generation opportunities vulnerable households and groups Leader for the YOP said, “We rec- the world’s poorest countries by since been dissolved - having for targeted youth. This financ- to cope with future shocks by ognize that rural and urban youth providing grants and low to zero- concluded its work. ing will also provide support for engaging in productive employ- have different employment con- interest loans for projects and pro- strengthening the government’s ment,” said Inguna Dobraja, World straints and therefore the project is grams that boost economic growth, Source: Cameroon Tribune capacity to implement its cash Bank Liberia Country Manager designed to address specific needs reduce poverty, and improve poor transfer program. for Liberia. “This is entrenched in of different cohorts of youth, with a people’s lives. IDA is one of the The Liberia Youth Opportuni- Liberia’s Agenda for Transforma- focus on pre-employment and life largest sources of assistance for the ties Project (YOP) directly targets tion Human Development Pillar skills activities to strengthen youth world’s 77 poorest countries, 39 of about 15,000 youth aged 15-35 which emphasizes the promotion participation in the labor market.” which are in Africa. years, 50 percent of whom are of shared and equitable economic As part of measures to ensure Resources from IDA bring posi- vulnerable female youth who will growth in Liberia.” that results are achieved, the proj- tive change for 2.8 billion people, benefit from the household enter- The project will provide appren- ect emphasizes corruption preven- the majority of whom live on less prise and productive public works ticeships to vulnerable youth in ur- tion and grievance redress mecha- than $2 a day. Since 1960, IDA has components in urban and rural ban areas and support agricultural nisms. The project will therefore supported development work in areas. The project also benefits transformation and value chain engage independent anti-corrup- 112 countries. Annual commit- extremely poor and Ebola-affected addition using productive public tion institutions and civil society ments have averaged about $18 bil- households by supporting the de- works and Community-Driven De- in third-party monitoring of project lion over the last three years, with velopment of a safety net system, velopment approaches particularly implementation and benchmarks. about 50 percent going to Africa. including the development of man- for youth in rural areas. To mitigate The World Bank Group will con- agement information, electronic the impact of future shocks, the tinue to work closely with Liberia Source; Front Page Africa West Africa News 35 Monday 16 Sunday 22 November 2015 BUSINESSDAY: www.businessdayonline.com Gambia Bank officials trained in supervision he West African Insti- absolute, protection for depositors The institute had since incep- tute for Financial and and for ensuring stability of the tion enhanced the knowledge of Economic Management financial system. over 14,650 middle/senior/execu- (WAIFEM), in collabora- The ultimate goal of macro-pru- tive level officials, legislators and tionT with the Central Bank of The dential supervision and regulation journalists, predominantly from Gambia has commenced a ten- is to minimise the risk of financial WAIFEM constituent countries day regional course on advanced disruptions that inflict significant and a sizeable number from other banking supervision and financial damage to the broader economy, sub-regions in Africa and Latin stability, at the Jerma Beach Hotel. she added. America. In declaring the training course According to her, a stable finan- WAIFEM had also built col- open, the second deputy Governor cial system is one in which financial laboration arrangements with a of The Central Bank of The Gambia, intermediaries, market and market number of reputable institutions Oumie Savage Samba, said there infrastructure facilitate the smooth to ensure high standards in its had been a profound change in flow of funds between savers and programme, Prof. Ekpo continued. the size and structure of the world investors and, by doing so, help The ongoing course is the last financial markets over the past promote economic growth. of the three module examinable thirty years. She said a resilient financial course on banking supervision The trend, which emerged in system is one in which there are offered by the institute, he said, a few countries during the 1970s, well developed crisis manage- adding that the first two modules subsequently gathered momen- ment arrangements for handling on foundation and intermediate tum and spread globally owning distressed financial institutions, in levels were executed in March and to the confluence of the liberation such a way that public confidence July 2015. of financial markets, technology in the financial system would not He said the principal objective innovation, and favorable macro- be undermined. of the course is to assist participants economic environment, she said. “The art of banking is the man- to appreciate the need for financial More importantly, she added, agement of risk. As supervisors, All of these could not happen to build sustainable capacity for stability and enhance their ability the development also gave rise to we must, therefore, be vigilant in without the resolute commitment improved macroeconomic and to limit the risk of systemic failure a more efficient and competitive ensuring that banks operate in a of the young and aspiring regula- financial sector management in the through various reform measures. financial industry, but not without responsible and moral manner.” tors of the sub-region, she said. member countries. The course would also assist certain costs and strain, including Mrs Savage-Samba said super- In his speech, WAIFEM Director The institute commenced train- participants to understand con- greater risk of potential disruption. visors must insist that banks put in General, Prof. Akpan H. Ekpo, said ing activities in April 1997, and tingency planning, risk-based She said most central banks are place the necessary structures to WAIFEM was established in July had since then organised over 537 supervision and the mechanics of responsible for the regulation and ensure appropriate behavior, be- 1996 by the central banks of The training and capacity building pro- assessing financial sector vulner- supervision of banks, with a view to cause “ultimately, no bank should Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria grammes in the form of national ability, he announced. providing substantial, though not be a burden to taxpayers”. and Sierra Leone, with the mandate and regional courses or workshops. Source: The Point

Yoghurt benefitting students... Liberia

Continued from age 34 favorite subjects are math and science. Land rights to cement Sirleaf’s legacy their children to school. Like all 955 schools in the Sa- Estelle Bambara, a 27-year-old hel region, her school, in Kampiti, n Liberia, many rural communi- agencies, a process that concluded in government has led the nation and teacher in Kampiti (photo be- receives WFP food in school can- ties are on edge as encroaching 2014. While many strongly support its people over massive hurdles, and low), says that school meals have teens, with breakfast at recess and economic development projects the legislation and expect its passage, they have made historic progress helped to improve attendance. lunch at noon. that force families off their land they cannot wait forever. for which they have received global “I like going to school - I get continueI to worry the countryside. Experts estimate that 71 percent recognition. Typically, during the harvest season, about a third of students to read, write, and eat good food! However, this could pave the way of Liberia’s land area is held under The Land Rights Act promises to (17 out of 47) skip school in order The midday meal is good, but I for the West African country to ad- customary tenure, but commercial stand as another of these historic to help their parents in the field. like the yoghurt especially be- dress the emotive land tenure issue concessions cover as much as 75 achievements. Based on the work But with the addition of the yo- cause it’s sweet,” she says with a and empower its people. percent of the country’s land. Con- of Liberia’s National Land Com- Palm oil plantations, mines, and flict often results where these two mission, the private sector, Liberia’s ghurt to the school meals, she has big smile. At home, Djeneba’s family timber concessions are expanding categories overlap. development partners, the country’s seen attendance grow. across Liberia on land that commu- Norway has pledged up to $150 rural communities, civil society, and Estelle says that parents of stu- usually eats tô (corn flour dough or millet with vegetable sauce), nities have managed and lived on for million to halt deforestation in Libe- relevant government agencies, the dents in the region are beginning generations. These concerns, how- ria, with the condition that Liberia bill would establish a clear path to millet porridge, beans, and oc- to understand the importance of ever, have been heard by President give a portion of the money directly stability, food security, and sustain- schooling for both girls and boys. casionally rice and milk. But the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, who is pushing to communities to help them pro- able development for all of Liberia. The school has enrolled the larg- milk she has at home is not as for passage of a Land Rights Act that tect the forests. The international If the legislation never passes, est number of students this year fresh as the yoghurt at school. would help reverse this impoverish- community as a whole must follow Parliament would dash the hopes - a hundred students. Djeneba also receives take- ing trend. suit and stand with Liberia’s people. of people who have suffered far too “Without programmes like home food rations for her and her The ‘right’ choice could strength- Future support should be conditional much already. And future invest- these, it would be difficult to get family. WFP distributes food ra- en Liberia in a region where weak on passing the Act and securing the ments in the country—whether from children to attend school in the tions for girls so that they can take land rights have been tied to violence rights of communities. multinational corporations looking Sahel region,” she concludes. 10 kg of grains home each month, and armed conflict Until now, the Liberian Parlia- to tap Liberia’s natural resources, or Students another aspect that encourages Recognizing the long-standing ment has instead bowed to the international institutions looking to The importance of school meal parents to enroll their daughters use of land by local peoples, Liberia’s interests of the country’s elite. It has improve the economic standing of programmes in a country like in school and keep them there. Land Rights Act would establish proposed actions that would gut the Liberia’s people—would essentially Burkina Faso is well established. “My parents appreciate the local communities as the rightful rights legislation, or postpone it, or lock in Liberia’s current levels of pov- In the Sahel region, WFP’s school food - they know that when I work owners of the country’s forests and completely reverse its original intent. erty and conflict. meals programme encourages hard at school, the family ben- rural lands. And in October, Parliament failed to This is far from a uniquely African enrollment and attendance, espe- efits.” Djeneba wants to do well By extension, the legislation review and pass the Land Rights Act problem. Across the Atlantic, Latin would protect the forests, as well as before it went on recess. America offers two opposing futures cially that of girls. Some schools in the entrance exams for high school next year and become a the communities who serve as their President Sirleaf can still take ac- for Liberia. In Nicaragua, the imbal- now enroll more girls than boys - guardians, from powerful commer- tion to reconvene Parliament in No- ance between the wealthy elite, who proof that programmes like these teacher rather than marry young, like many other girls in her com- cial interests that would level the vember and continue to urge passage own most of the land, and the rural contribute to gradually closing trees and their homes. It would also of the Land Rights Act. If she does not, poor, who own little, has triggered munity. the gender gap. establish the nation as an interna- the Act waits until at least January. a persistent cycle of conflict and One of these girls is Djen- “My dream is to one day be- tional leader in the global quest for Enacting the full Land Rights Act poverty. Many rural communities eba Hamadou Diallo, a bright come a teacher to teach children sustainable and equitable develop- will take even greater moral cour- work farmland as laborers, not as 12-year-old (photo below), who in my village to read, write, and ment. age from Parliament than what was landowners, and struggle to regain is one of nine children. She works count,” she says. The Land Rights Act was a product needed to combat the Ebola crisis, ancestral land that was grabbed to hard in school, and is one of the of consultation among Liberia’s rural but this courage is reinforced by establish commercial projects or top five students in her class. Her Source: United Nations World Food Programme people, civil society, and government President Sirleaf’s efforts. Liberia’s national parks. 36 Comment BusinessDay - Monday 16 Sunday 22 November 2015 A buoyant banking industry for a healthy economy

Industry dynamics increased the capital requirement physically in the bank vault. . credit system to ensure the smooth industry with several mergers and hana has Gross Do- of commercial banks in the coun- Ghana as a sovereign state man- operation of a safe and sound acquisitions occurring thereby re- mestic Product (GDP) try from GHC 60 million (USD ages her own monetary and fiscal banking system ducing the number of banks from of $ 38.65 billion, GDP 15,752,165.9) to GHC 120 million policy geared toward prudent eco- •To appoint an officer desig- over 70 to about 24. growth of 4.2% and (USD 31,504,331.8) to strengthen nomic management. Interest-rate nated as the head of Banking Su- OWNERSHIP Gpopulation of about 26.97 mil- them against risks. targets are a vital tool of monetary pervision Department, who shall There are critical questions lion (World Bank, 2014). Ghana By this, commercial banks in policy and are taken into account be appointed by the Board we need to ask ourselves; how has about 29 universal banks the country would be expected when dealing with variables like •To consider and propose re- many of the 29 universal banks and a myriad of rural banks and to raise their capital assets to a investment, inflation, and unem- forms of the laws relating to bank- are owned wholly by Ghanaians? microfinance institutions. Banks minimum amount of GHC 120 ployment. Monetary authority ing business How many of the universal banks play an important role in propel- million (USD 31,504,331.8) as an is an institution that manages a The increase in the capital are party owned by Ghanaians? ling the entire economy of any insurance in times of challenges. state’s currency, money supply, requirement is a step in the right How many banks are owned by nation, of which there is need to According to sources at the and interest rates and in Ghana’s direction. It will solidify banks’ foreign nationals? How many of properly regulate them efficiently Central Bank, the move has largely case, the monetary policy com- capital base to be able to finance the Ghanaian banks can comfort- through reform processes geared been welcomed by some major mittee chaired by Central Bank huge investments. ably raise the GHC 120 million towards forestalling bank distress. banks whose capital requirement governor set monetary policies to Same products and services (USD 31,504,331.8)? I am not The Bank of Ghana (BoG) has already exceed the minimum level control money supply, inflation, In Ghana, almost all the banks calling for nationalization but a set by the BoG. exchange rate among others. MPC are offering the same products call on policy makers (Finance This will ensure that lenders also uses reserve requirement and services. From retail banking Ministry and Bank of Ghana) to maintain sizable financial cush- to control money supply in an to corporate banking to electronic develop policies to aid indigenous ions that can absorb losses as a economy. product services to SME banking banks grow in the interest of fair bank is failing, without threaten- Regulatory role etc. They are virtually offering competition. I expect government ing a crisis in the broader banking The regulator of the banking same products and services. In to take a bold step to roll out poli- system. Capital requirement (also industry is the Bank of Ghana. fact, specialization and innova- cies that will nurture indigenous known as regulatory capital or The Bank of Ghana shall have tion is low in the industry. It is not Ghanaian companies not only capital adequacy) is the amount overall supervisory and regulatory surprising that, most banks are in banking industry but also in of capital a bank or other financial authority in all matters relating to recording huge profits in an ailing insurance industry, telecommu- institution has to hold as required banking and non-banking finan- economy. The lack of investment nication industry, manufacturing by its financial regulator. cial business with the purpose to into the real sector of the economy industry, transportation industry, This is usually expressed as a achieve a sound, efficient banking has led to what I call “lazy bank- pharmaceutical industry, oil and capital adequacy ratio of equity system in the interest of deposi- ing”. This is where banks and other gas industry among others. that must be held as a percent- tors and other customers of these financial institutions invest heavily In conclusion, the increase in age of risk-weighted assets. These institutions and the economy as in government treasury bills and capital requirement of banks will requirements are put into place to a whole. bonds at the expense of the real encourage mergers and acquisi- ensure that these institutions do The regulatory and legal frame- sector of the economy. There is tions. Mergers and acquisitions in not take on excess leverage and work within which banks, non- more room for improvement. Few banking industry results in overall become insolvent. Capital require- bank financial institutions as well years ago, the Bank of Ghana in- benefits such as improved revenue ments govern the ratio of equity as forex bureaux operate in Ghana creased capital requirement which efficiency related benefits, Return to debt, recorded on the liabilities are the following: brought about mergers and acqui- on Asset (ROA) which is decom- and equity side of a firm’s balance •Bank of Ghana Act 2002, Act 612 sitions in Intercontinental Bank posed into Total Asset Turnover sheet. •Banking Act, 2004 (Act 673) and Access Bank, The Trust Bank (efficiency) and profit margin On the other hand, the reserve •Non-Bank Financial Institu- and Ecobank, HFC etc. Did that (effectiveness), Return on Invest- requirement is a central bank tions Act, 2008 (Act 774) reform fully achieve its objectives? ment (ROI), cash flows, reserves, regulation employed by most, but •Companies Code Act 179, 1963 NIGERIAN EXPERIENCE liquidity, etc. not all, of the world’s central banks, •Bank of Ghana Notices /Direc- The Nigerian experience where Again, the increase in capital Amoah-Darkwah Emmanuel that sets the minimum fraction of tives / Circulars / Regulations the Central Bank (CBN) increased requirement should lead to spe- customer deposits and notes that The functions and responsibili- the minimum requirement of cialization of banks in all sectors of Amoah-Darkwah Emmanuel each commercial bank must hold ties of the Central Bank as a regula- banks from two billion Naira the economy. From manufacturing Chartered Economist as reserves (rather than lend out). tor are defined in Act 612 and Act (US$14.5 million) to 25 billion to agriculture to oil and gas, real Katakyiequamevigor These required reserves are nor- 673 as follows: Naira (about $ 181million), reflect- estate etc. Banks should be able @Gmail.Com mally in the form of deposits made •To regulate, supervise and ing an increment of 115.0% in 2004 to finance big projects to steer 0245-683297 with a central bank, or cash stored direct the banking system and .The move caused ripples in the economic growth.

nating fossil fuel subsidies could be reinvested in assistance schemes to Climate-smart development to ease poverty help poor families cope with higher fuel costs. In poor countries, support from limate change is already the poorest the hardest, and our how ending poverty and fighting cli- resilience of poor people, such as the international community will preventing people from challenge now is to protect tens of mate change can be more effectively strengthening social safety nets and be essential to accomplish many escaping poverty, and millions of people from falling into achieved if addressed together. universal health coverage, along of these measures, according to without rapid, inclusive extreme poverty because of a chang- Agriculture will be the main with climate-specific measures to the report. This is particularly true andC climate-smart development, ing climate.” driver of any increase in poverty, the help cope with a changing climate, for investments with high upfront together with emissions-reductions Sub-Saharan Africa is by far the report finds. Modeling studies sug- such as upgraded flood defenses, costs-- such as urban transport or efforts that protect the poor, there region most vulnerable to climate gest that climate change could result early warning systems and climate- resilient energy infrastructure -- that could be more than 100 million ad- change. Without climate-informed in global crop yield losses as large resistant crops. are critical to prevent lock-ins into ditional people in poverty by 2030, development, 43 million more as 5 percent by 2030 and 30 percent At the same time, the report says carbon-intensive patterns. according to a new World Bank people - most of them in Ethiopia, by 2080. Health effects-higher in- an all-out push to reduce green- “The future is not set in stone,” Group report released before the Nigeria, Tanzania, Angola and cidence of malaria, diarrhea and house gas emissions is needed to said Stephane Hallegatte, a senior international climate conference Uganda - could fall into extreme stunting-and the labor productivity remove the long-term threat that economist at the World Bank who in Paris. poverty by 2030, largely as a result effects of high temperatures are the climate change poses for poverty led the team that prepared the re- The report, Shock Waves: Manag- of lower crop yields and higher food next-strongest drivers. reduction. Such mitigation efforts port. “We have a window of oppor- ing the Impacts of Climate Change prices, and the health impacts of The impact of climate change should be designed to ensure that tunity to achieve our poverty objec- on Poverty, finds that poor people climate change. on food prices in Africa could be as they do not burden the poor. For tives in the face of climate change, are already at high risk from climate- The report finds that the poorest high as 12 percent in 2030 and 70 example, the savings from elimi- provided we make wise policy related shocks, including crop fail- people are more exposed than the percent by 2080 choices now.” ures from reduced rainfall, spikes average population to climate-relat- - a crippling blow The report also reviews success- in food prices after extreme weather ed shocks such as floods, droughts, to those nations ful policy solutions to show that events, and increased incidence of and heat waves, and they lose much where food con- good development can protect the diseases after heat waves and floods. more of their wealth when they are sumption of the poor from shocks. For example, It says such shocks could wipe out hit. In the 52 countries where data poorest house- when droughts in Ethiopia caused hard-won gains, leading to irrevers- was available, 85 percent of the holds amounts to food shortages in 2011, the gov- ible losses, driving people back into population live in countries where over 60 percent ernment-run Productive Safety Net poverty, particularly in Africa and poor people are more exposed to of total spending. Program reduced the impact on South Asia. drought than the average. Poor In focus- poor people and poverty by quickly “This report sends a clear mes- people are also more exposed to ing on impacts expanding coverage from 6.5 million sage that ending poverty will not higher temperatures and live in through agri- people to 9.6 million and by increas- be possible unless we take strong countries where food production culture, natural ing the duration of benefits from six action to reduce the threat of climate is expected to decrease because of disasters and to nine months per year. In Uganda, change on poor people and dramati- climate change. health, the report the combination of new crop variet- cally reduce harmful emissions,” The report, released a month calls for devel- ies and extension visits has boosted said World Bank Group President before negotiators gather in Paris for opment efforts household agricultural income by Jim Yong Kim. “Climate change hits international climate talks, shows that improve the 16 percent. *BusinessDay -Monday 16 Sunday 22 November 2015 37 38 *BusinessDay -Monday 16 Sunday 22 November 2015 Vincent Baffour-Acheampong TECHBIZ With Apple’s iPad Customers complain Pro on sale about malware tablets

ome tablets being sold full screen pop ads all the time on Amazon are appar- and suspends app you have ently coming with pre- running.” Another device on installed malware on Amazon US — this one on sale them, and can delete for $79.99 (£53)— has a review Susers’ apps and force them to claiming that “the tablet itself look at unwanted adverts. and keyboard cover are great, That’s according to an inves- but it came pre-installed with tigation from Chinese mobile Trojan.coudw.a in 2 system files pple Inc’s iPad Pro is company Cheetah Mobile. … I also had issues with adver- available to order online Cheetah’s researchers have tisement pop-ups coming up and in stores. been looking into a particular on the desktop — even before I The 12.9 inch-screen tab- Trojan called “Cloudsota,” and opened the browser and before Alet, which starts at $799 but costs say that it is frequently coming I installed anything! This is an- more than $1,000 if buyers also pre-installed on more than 30 other symptom that this thing want a keyboard and an optional different tablet brands. came infected — and it seemed stylus, will be available in more than These aren’t iPads or Google new when I got it!” 40 countries, including the United Nexus tablets, of course — Both of these devices are sold States, the UK, China and Japan. they’re low-end devices from by third-party sellers, but “ful- Sales of iPads have been falling no-name manufacturers, typi- filled” by Amazon — meaning for several quarters as big-screen cally built in China. The most that Amazon holds the stock in iPhones appeal to more consum- affected, Cheetah says, are “no its warehouses. ers. Apple sold 54.86 million iPads brand” devices that use Allwin- Business Insider has reached in the year ended Sept. 26 - a drop ner chips. out to Amazon for comment, of 19 percent from a year earlier. The company says that de- and will update this story when Since launching iPad with a vices loaded with the trojan are it responds. This isn’t the first 9.7-inch screen in 2010, Apple has being sold on Amazon, high- time something like this has released a mini version in 2012 lighting 10 allegedly affected happened. In June 2014, eBay with a 7.9-inch screen. listings. In total, Cheetah says banned listings of the Star N9500 Apple unveiled the larger iPad that more than 17,000 infected smartphone after a security firm Pro on Sept. 9, hoping to rival Mi- devices have been sold, though discovered that it was coming crosoft Corp’s 12-inch Surface Pro not all through Amazon — the pre-loaded with a trojan that 3 in attracting business customers. tablets are also available for tracked unwitting users’ activity. Research firm Forrester proj- purchase elsewhere on the web. open all installed applications. rects search results to strange And realistically, this won’t be ects that sales to businesses will Cloudsota “can install ad- Furthermore, we found that the ad pages.” the last time, either. represent as much as 20 percent ware or malware on the devices Trojan replaces the boot anima- On a $59.99 (£40) tablet cur- But it serves as a cautionary of the overall tablet market by and uninstall anti-virus ap- tion and wallpapers on some rently on sale on Amazon US, measure that if you’re buying 2018, compared to 14 percent this plications silently,” according devices with advertisements. a customer complains that it is something extremely cheaply, year, as the market grows from 218 to Cheetah. “With root permis- Cloudsota also changes the “loaded with malware/adware then it often comes with a cost. million units to 250 million units. sion, it is able to automatically browser’s homepage and redi- that can’t be removed. Shows Business Insider Reuters Finally! Google offline maps are here Google Maps offline version, the initial download takes place when you have connected to Wi-Fi a Wi-Fi connection, but after that, you’ll be able to use the map anytime. (for instance, before you leave for your othing marks you within the map. it was basically like a screengr- trip, or at the hotel), like a tourist more The offline idea has been ab, without interactive abilities and then you’ll be than a giant folding floating around Google for and not much square mileage. able to access it map. Sure, a map a while now. The company That’s all about to change. even when there’s Nis one of the best tools any previewed this pending feature Need to search for a place to no data in sight. The traveler can have, but finding back in May, and even as early eat near your morning walk- only differences will one that works offline on your as 2012, you could save small ing tour? No problem. Want to be that, because of phone or tablet, with enough areas in a map to look at of- find a cocktail bar close to your space constraints, detail to actually be useful, has fline. But until now the offline hotel? Done. Just download businesses will not long been a frustrating chal- offerings weren’t that useful — your destination while you’re appear in your of- lenge. fline map with pho- Finally, Google is rolling out tos or user reviews its offline solution for Google — though they will Maps. Just download an area of still have names, the world to your phone, and star ratings, and when you find yourself in, say, phone numbers. rural Montana without any ser- The new func- vice, you’ll still be able to see tionality update is the same detail as if you had an coming to Android Internet connection, including first, starting today, directions, place information and will soon be (like opening hours and rat- available on iOS ings), and the ability to search devices. YahooTech *BusinessDay - Monday 16 Sunday 22 November 2015 TECHBIZ 39 Sexting 101: How to keep kids from hiding Nude Photos on their phones

ews of a sexting or approve the purchase. And scandal involving when in doubt, just say no. hundreds of stu- How to Use Google’s Re- dents at a Colora- stricted User accounts do high school has The Google Play store offers gotN parents across America in a parental controls that can limit tizzy. Are their kids also sharing the types of apps, movies, books, nude snaps of themselves? How and other media kids can access, would the parents even know? based on their maturity ratings. Complicating this scandal You can also require users to was how the students kept these authenticate every purchase on images from parents and teach- a device with a password. How- ers. Many apparently used mo- ever, neither of those features bile “photo vault” apps that can prevent your teens from make it easy to hide illicit pho- downloading a free photo vault tos. from the store. Sexting might seem harmless Your best bet is to create an to your teens, but it can have admin account on your child’s serious consequences in the real Android 5.x device, then create world. Laws regarding sexting a child’s account as a restricted vary widely from state to state, user. This will prevent them but possessing nude photos of from accessing the Play Store minors is illegal virtually every- at all (and really irritate them). where — regardless of whether To do this you’ll need to the person in possession of the have a PIN or password set up pictures is also underage, has to protect the admin account. shared them with anyone, or is Then, from within your admin the person in the photos. Yes, account, select the Settings icon your child could be prosecuted from your home screen (it looks for taking naked selfies. like a gear), then select Users. And once a nude photo has Family Sharing site.) invitation, they’re in. Click “Add user or profile” and been shared, there’s no control- If you’re an Apple household, Once you’ve set up Family If they don’t have an Apple ID then select Restricted Profile. ling what happens to it. The pic- and you use iOS 8 or later, you Sharing, tap the Settings icon on yet, tap “Create an Apple ID for From there, you can select tures could be used for revenge can use the Family Sharing op- your iPhone and select iCloud. a child” and follow the prompts which of the apps you’ve already porn or cyberbullying, or they tion to control what your young Tap Family, then Add Family to select their birthday, agree to downloaded and are willing to could surface again online years charges do with their iDevices, Member. You’ll be prompted to the privacy policy, and enter the let your child access by moving later, affecting your kid’s ability including what apps they’re enter their Apple ID email ad- verification code on your credit the toggles to the right. (All apps to get accepted by a college or allowed to install. (For instruc- dress to send them an invitation. card to verify you are an adult. are turned off by default; some, hired by an employer. tions on how to set up Family (Each iFamily can have up to five (You will need to have a credit like Google Docs, will not work Are your kids hiding pictures Sharing, visit Apple’s support members.) Once they accept the card on file with iTunes — not in restricted mode.) on their phones they don’t want a debit card — or this won’t If they try to launch the you to see? How do you find out work. Because … Apple.) Enter Google Play store to install an – and make sure they stop? Read the name of your child, their app, they will get a message on for the skinny. new iCloud email handle, their telling them they don’t have How to identify secret photo password, and the answers to permission to use the store. If vault apps three security questions. there’s a legit app they really First, you need to learn how If they’re under age 18, the need, however, you’ll have to in- to identify these secret apps. Ask To Buy toggle will be turned stall it for them on your profile, There are hundreds of photo on. Leave it there. Tell Apple then turn on access to it using vault apps in both the iTunes whether you want to share their the settings above. App Store and the Play Store location, and agree to the terms Is this a hassle? Yes. Is it that appear to be something of service, and you’re done — worth it? Only you can decide else entirely, like a calculator, a finally. that. And your tech savvy teens clock, or a game. Many are free. The next time they try to may find yet another way to get For example: The most com- download an app, they’ll see around these restrictions. Such mon secret vault or “ghost” app something like this: is parenting in the digital age. appears to be an ordinary cal- You’ll get a prompt on your culator. In fact, it is a working iPhone asking you to decline YahooTech calculator — but enter a secret passcode and you unlock a vault (right) where you can store pho- tos, notes, or browse the Web in secret. Ghost apps can also look like simple clocks. Hold two fingers on this clock face (left) for three seconds and then enter a pass- code to reveal the vault inside it. and otherwise. Try to have an among your teenaged offspring. They can also take the form open and honest conversation If you encounter resistance or of simple games, like the Tile without immediately bringing outright refusal, you may have game below. You can play the down the hammer. You want to to threaten the nuclear option: game on the left by sliding the teach your kids the right way to cutting off their mobile service. squares around until you recre- do things, not force them further The third option is to lock ate the original image, or tap the into hiding. down their phones. This is a numbered tiles corresponding If you suspect your kids have last resort, in part because it’s to your passcode to unlock the been exchanging illicit pics, not as simple or as pain-free as photos inside (right). it’s time to check their phones, it sounds. Locking down their What can parents do? The looking not only for racy im- phones means you must ap- first rule of digital parenting: ages but odd-looking apps (like prove every app they want to Always talk to your kids. Make a bunch of calculators or very install, from now until they’re sure they understand the conse- limited games). This will not 18. Here’s how to do it in iOS quences of storing and sharing likely make you very popular and Android. Unlocking Apple nude pictures, legally, socially, BUSINESS DAY GHANA www.businessdayonline.com.gh - Monday 16 Sunday 22 November 2015 BDSPORTS How Mourinho became ‘A Little Less Special’ at Chelsea - Drogba

ing room’, and Drogba, who ended Stories by Anthony Nlebem his second spell at Chelsea in the summer to join Montreal Impact, ormer Chelsea striker suggests that this would not be Didier Drogba believes the first time it has happened to manager Jose Mourinho’s Mourinho at Stamford Bridge. influence waned during “I believe things often come hisF first spell in charge of the club. in three-year cycles and we had Mourinho’s current spell in arrived at the end of such a cycle,” charge has not gone according Drogba is quoted by the Daily to plan and, despite winning the Mirror in his new autobiography Premier League title last term, “Commitment.” his position is under increasing “By the start of the fourth sea- scrutiny following an awful start son that Jose had been in charge, to the 2015-16 season. I think we had started to reach Chelsea have lost seven of their a point where it was sometimes How Comoros caged Black Stars opening 12 league games and sit harder for his message to get 16th in the table, a run of results through. hana failed to break- which directed the ball to hit the ered a low cross but it was cleared which has prompted questions “We wanted to hear it, we down a low rated side post for a corner kick in the out. Just before the break, Afful over the future of the Portuguese tried, but somehow we had lost a Comoros side in 0-0 fourth minute. came close to opening the scoring coach. Reports have suggested little bit of what made us special.” draw of the second Afriyie Acquah delivered a but his effort was just some few that Mourinho has ‘lost the dress- Drogba added. qualifying round prefect diagonal pass to Afful who metres high. firstG leg tie on Friday in Moroni. had made the run into the box but The Columbus Crew man The Black Stars put up stirred the right-back was spotted in an played a one-two with Acquah up second half performance and offside position on 18 minutes and the wing-back raced like a struck the side post twice in dying Jordan profited from a Baba hare to strike powerfully but it minutes. Rahman run and lifted the ball was rising despite goalkeeper Ben But Comoros could have car- to smash in a volley, which was Boina completely beaten. ried the day after referee Norman blocked. Andre Ayew failed to Ghana upped the tempo and Matemera disallowed a header prod in a powerful cross from the the substitution worked to per- who looked to be onside after right in one of those slow build up fection as Emmanuel Agyemang television replay. plays by the visitors. Badu and David Accam changed The hosts started well and The Black Stars turned on the the complexion of the match. could have snatched the lead screws with five minutes left on The return leg will be played in under five minutes. the clock as Solomon Asante Kumasi on Tuesday with the win- Midfielder Halifa Soule struck broke down the right and wriggle ner advancing to the third qualify- from long range and it needed his way into the box. ing round which will involve 20 a Razak Brimah fingertip save The TP Mazembe man deliv- teams put into five groups of four. Twitter fans react to Black Stars poor show against Comoros hana’s Black Stars were held to a goalless draw by minnows, Comoros on Friday, in the first leg of theG second round of African quali- fying to the 2018 FIFA World Cup. The Black Stars were tipped as favourites before the game, but in the end, Avran Grant will have to thank the assistant referee who ruled offside a ‘goal’ scored by the Islanders late in the game. Comoros are yet to win an of- ficial game in their history but the terrific result recorded against the 4-time Africa champions is one Below are a few. Am very disappointed with the that could be celebrated on the Godfred Akoto Boafo @east- @ghanafaofficial performance … Island for many years to come. sportsman common Comoros habba. Ghanaian fans though were I hope people know the Black Sports Obama @SaddickAdams1 not happy at all with the output Stars only get paid for wins.Our Comoros 0-0 Ghana of Avram Grant’s men and took $10,000 should be safe. SCENARIO 3: Black Stars be to Twitter to express their angers AbdulWadudJournalist @ saying, “this is the actual $5k about the result. WadudJournalist performance, you like it Ghana?”

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