GHANA Advisory Sheet for 2021

DISCLAIMER

This is an Intelligence document and not an investigative product. Information in this document may have been obtained from all sources including some government departments, business partners, open-source materials, whistleblowing, word of mouth, one- to-one interviews, and/or observations. Some of the information is factual and others cannot be independently verified.

The purpose of an Intelligence document is to connect the dots in a logical thought-through process to develop an inference showing different perspective to the matter at stake. Conclusion of this document is derived from an Intelligence Assessment; hence it is important that this product is not used or interpretated as factual.

This document is classified as Restricted and must Not be further disseminated without the prior approval of JSE Intelligence & Security Consultancy.

Written By JSE Consultancy Contact Email [email protected] Date 01/07/2021

INFORMATION

Coronavirus ➢ It is a legal requirement to wear mask in public places at all times ➢ It is mandatory to wear mask in private vehicles with more than one occupant. ➢ Authorities recommend discourage ‘sit down to eat in restaurants’ and encourage the use of takeaway services. ➢ Night clubs, drinking bars, cinemas, and beaches are closed. ➢ Limited tourist sites remain open. ➢ Music festivals, concerts, parties, theatrical performances, weddings, and funerals are banned (private burials with no more than 25 attendees are allowed). ➢ As at 26th June 2021, there were 796 confirmed Covid-related deaths ➢ When traveling to or leaving , you will be required to do the following

Health ➢ Medical Facilities: Very good standards, especially those in the major cities like Accra, Takoradi, Kumasi, Tamale measure-up to medical facilities in Western countries. There are also good medical facilities in most towns. Those in the villages are of poor standards and in case of emergency medical evacuation may be necessary. ➢ Cholera: Very rare, reported cases of reports of isolated cases of cholera and meningitis. ➢ Mosquito: There are mosquito-borne diseases like . Consult your General Practitioner or Pharmacy for malaria prevention drugs or vaccine between 2 to 4 weeks prior to travelling. ➢ Vaccinations: Access link below for required vaccinations before travelling to Ghana https://www.passporthealthglobal.com/en-gb/destination-advice/ghana/ ➢ World Health Organisation (WHO): For WHO advisory in Ghana see link below https://www.afro.who.int/countries/ghana ➢ Food Allergies – Food allergies are commonly found from seafood, nuts, eggs, milk, wheat, and soy. ➢ Water – ‘Quantity and quality of are still a major problem in most countryside of Ghana’. About 60% of the country’s water bodies are polluted. Only drink bottled-water or well- boiled water and not tap-water. Custom / ➢ Summary: Despite its modern and progressive lifestyle, Ghana is a conservative and deeply Local Laws religious country. It is important that traditional values and morals are respected and adhered to always. ➢ Family Law: This is very different from UK law, particularly when child custody becomes an issue. ➢ Spitting and Littering: Could attract on-the-spot fines. ➢ LGBT: There is little tolerance for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people. Some local laws could ‘lead to a custodial sentence between 3 and 25 years’ for same sexual act. Most Ghanaians do not the existence of same-sex relationship. ➢ Military Camouflage: Wearing military clothing in public, including camouflage is prohibited. ➢ Drugs – Related penalties for drug offences are severe. Getting involved with and/or possession of even small quantity of illegal drugs of any kind can result in prison sentence. “Even possession of small amounts of marijuana can lead to a prison sentence in excess of 5 years, usually after a lengthy and expensive legal process.” ➢ Photographs – Taking pictures of military installations, airport buildings and/or buildings with guards on duty could lead to greater scrutiny from authorities.

Crime ➢ Crime – Largely trouble-free visits. However, there are also rare cases of violent crime but pick pocketing, bag snatching and other petty street crimes on the increase, especially in crowded places. Main risk areas of note include; “Graphic Road, George Walker Bush Highway, Accra Mall Roundabout, Awudome Cemetary Road, Pokuase-Amasaman Road, Teshie-Nungua road, Labadi beach area, GIMPA road and surrounding areas, and the Kokrobite beach area.”

(1) Take extra care of passports, credit cards and money in crowded areas and when checking in and out of hotels. (2) If possible, avoid walking in crowded areas, but if in a crowded area, pay attention to your personal belongings. (3) Avoid speaking to strangers who may engage you in conversation to distract your attention, in order to steal your possessions. Safety & ➢ Protests and demonstrations are largely peaceful, well-organised and well-policed. Security ➢ Terrorism / Kidnapping: There are no known incidents of terrorism attacks and terrorist inspired kidnapping cases associated with Ghana. ➢ Political Violence: One of the most peaceful countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. There has been over four decades of political and security stability in Ghana. Etiquettes & ➢ English is the official languages in Ghana. Social Norms ➢ Never hand anything to anyone with your left hand unless you intend being deeply offensive. ➢ Handshake with a smile is a form of greeting that represents a sign of friendship. When shaking hands between themselves Ghanaians will hold the right hand in the normal manner but will then twist and click each other’s middle finger. ➢ Unless you are experienced it is best to stick to a normal handshake ➢ It is a common practice to wait for the female to extend her hand first. ➢ Christians will generally shake hands between the sexes; practicing Muslims often will not shake hands with people of the opposite sex. ➢ When addressing males over the age of 30 you refer to them as ‘pah-pah’; whilst females of similar age group are referred to as ‘mah-mee’. Anyone else over the age of 50 regardless of their sex may be referred to as ‘nah-nah’. ➢ Gifts offering demonstrates a sign of caring, with the thought being more important than the value. Gifts should be given using the right hand only or both hands. Never use the left hand. ➢ When invited for dinner at someone’s home in Ghana, you are not expected to bring a gift but a gift for the children is received as a nice gesture by the family. ➢ Most Ghanaians are indirect communicators as they weigh and assess their words carefully before uttering them. Mostly, the idea behind that is not to relay messages in a way that could cause issues. For instance, giving bad news, refusing a request, or turning down invitation. ➢ Another means of common form of communication used by Ghanaians is silence. When a question makes one uncomfortable and perceives the person asking the question will not appreciate the response; most Ghanaians will quite often say nothing rather than make the other person uncomfortable. ➢ Ghanaians put lot of emphasis on one’s appearance, especially attending initial Business meetings. ➢ Most Ghanaians avoid eye-contact, especially when speaking to someone in authority or a senior. Making long direct eye-contact can be perceived as a sign of disrespect. ➢ The of Ghana is tropical comprising of two main , wet and dry. ➢ Northern part of Ghana experiences its rainy from April to mid-October. ➢ Southern part experiences its rainy season from March to mid-November. ➢ The tropical climate of Ghana is relatively mild for its latitude.

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