Accra, 19th September 2012:  After enduring many years of ridicule from her peers as a result of an abnormal growth that disfigured her face, Christiana Amankai, a beneficiary from Healthline season one,  is now back to living a normal life again, after successfully undergoing surgery sponsored by Vodafone Ghana.   Christiana who hails from the Upper East region had an unusual growth around her jaw which kept swelling as time went by. Not only did she have to live with the disfigurement, she also had no hope of relief of the constant pain she was in because her family could not afford the treatment for the condition.   Vodafone’s award winning TV show Healthline stepped in last year to ensure Christiana received treatment which included the removal of the tumour and replacement of the majority of Christiana’s jaw with a titanium plate.   One year on, Christiana has had a complete change in her demenour, facial appearance and is doing extremely well in the vocational school where she studies. Her confidence has been restored and is now able to socialise with her peers and other people in her community. Christiana’s improved wellbeing has also had a knock on effect on her family as the financial and emotional weight of worrying about their daughter’s health is now over. Christiana is scheduled to have the second part of her surgery early next year to replace the titanium plate with a bone graft from her hip to give the jaw more function.  Christiana reiterates  ‘I can’t believe my swollen jaw is no more, I thought I was going to die in the process but I stand here today, strong and refreshed to bear witness to the amazing gift given to me by Vodafone Ghana. What else can I say than a very big thank you to Vodafone for their immense support”. Carmen Bruce-Annan, Head of Corporate Communication for Vodafone Ghana added ‘we are excited to learn that Christiana has fully recovered and has confidently returned to school and is doing well. We will continue to make meaningful impact in improving the health and quality of lives of all Ghanaians across the country ’.

By Ekow Essabra-Mensah Small-scale miners want government to simplify licensing procedures for mineral concessions to achieve a better compliance regime – with timelines for issuance of licences to facilitate the process. The miners argued that the Minerals Commission and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) need to expedite the decentralisation of issuance of licences. Currently, it takes 90 days – with a 21-day statutory requirement for publication – before the issuance of such a licence, while the licences are issued by the sector minister. “A further simplification of the licensing procedures, with timelines for issuance of licences, would create a better compliance regime,” said Collins Osei Kusi, President of the Ghana National Association of Small-Scale Miners, at a policy dialogue with stakeholders in Accra. The stakeholders included Environmental Protection Agency, Minerals Commission, Office of the Stool Lands Administrator, and the Water Resources Commission. The dialogue was organised by the Ghana Chamber of Mines in partnership with the Business Sector Advocacy Challenge Fund (BUSAC Fund). It was aimed at ensuring compliance and expanding revenue generation from the country’s mining industry through encouraging best practices by small-scale mining operators. The policy dialogue discussed how to finalise the national policy on mining, which is currently at the cabinet level, and highlighted small-scale mining as a serious national issue. Participants discussed a 13-point action plan that has been drafted to help address some of the challenges associated with small-scale mining in the country. The work plan seeks to back speedy promulgation of the National Mining Policy, decentralisation of the licencing of small-scale miners, training of illegal miners in a bid to regularise their activities, and registering of small-scale miners among others. Ambrose Yenneh, Executive Director of International Centre for Advocacy and Social Research, who chaired the function, said it was critical to discourage illegal mining. Participants proposed that an online application for licences be worked out by the Minerals Commission to help reduce the time required for issuance of licences. They stressed the importance of maintaining a comprehensive database of small-scale mining operational areas for proper monitoring and evaluation of the sector. They also suggested the development of a community action plan to protect the interest of both small- and large-scale mines in the various mining communities.

By Dominick Andoh The Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) is expected to complete an implementation manual within the coming weeks to give thrust to the Tree Crops Policy that was adopted earlier this year, a close source at MoFA has told the B&FT. The implementation manual is the third of a set of tools developed by MoFA – the two others being the Tree Crops Policy and the Strategic Plan – to provide a comprehensive and holistic approach to addressing the key issues confronting the tree crops sector. The manual will drive the sustainable cultivation of  11 targeted tree crops – cashew, citrus, cocoa dawadawa, coconut, coffee, mangoes, kola, oil palm, rubber tree and shea nut – and set out strategies to provide support to value-chain production activities associated with the crops, said a source at MoFA. It is estimated that over 1.6million farmers who are engaged in the cultivation of tree crops will benefit from the plans and efforts by government to boost support for the sector. Cocoa, the leading tree crop, accounts for 14 percent of the total agricultural sector’s contribution of 25.6 percent to Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Citrus is currently the fastest-growing tree crop in the country, spurred by increasing domestic and foreign demand for fresh fruits. MoFA estimates the annual production to be 550,000 metric tonnes and says about 11,000 metric tonnes of fresh oranges were exported each year in 2008 and 2009. The country is not self-sufficient in palm oil production and relies on import to satisfy domestic demand. The estimated area under cultivation is approximately 300,000 hectares, of which 80% is cultivated by small-scale farmers. Despite their potential economic benefit, most of the tree crops in the country are still largely under-developed in terms of their potential production levels and organisation of their value chain as compared to cocoa. Consequently, the country’s tree crops have lost their competitiveness to neighbouring countries and Asian counterparts.   Low productivity, insufficient research, inadequate supply of improved planting material and extension services delivery, and low adoption rate of improved technologies are key issues expected to be tackled with the completion and adoption of the implementation manual. The Tree Crops Policy was developed this year by MOFEP within the framework of the Programme for the Promotion of Perennial Crops in Ghana. It was based on the Food and Agricultural Sector Development Policy (FASDEP II).

iworld, authorised local distributor of Apple electronic products and accessories, is offering salaried workers the opportunity to own an Apple tablet and spread the payment over a one-year period. The offer, which takes effect from Friday, is to enable workers own genuine and latest Apple products that come with a special two-year warranty. The Head of Technical Team of iworld, Michael Kwabena Aboagye, disclosed this at a media briefing to officially open the iworld Apple shop off the Oxford Street, Osu, Accra. “What iworld is doing is to bring Apple products closer to local consumers, in partnership with South African-based Core Group Africa-- the main Apple distributor for Africa. Every salaried worker can now acquire an iPad, iPod, Apple book air and any of the Apple products, with the payment spread over a year.” The shop also stocks iTunes vouchers that will make it easy for consumers to purchase directly from the Apple store. Mr. Aboagye indicated that the technical support department of the shop will offer technical assistance and offer after-sales support to all consumers of Apple products in the country. Apple is an American multinational corporation that designs, develops, and sells consumer electronics, computer software, and personal computers. Its best-known hardware products are the Mac line of computers, the iPod, the iPhone, and the iPad. Its software includes the OS X and iOS operating systems, the iTunes media browser, the Safari web browser, and the iLife and iWork creativity and production suites.

By Patrick PAINTSIL Best Western Premier Accra Airport Hotel has held a dinner for chief executives of its top business clients to appreciate them for their continued support during the year. The event was also to celebrate the hotel’s successes chalked within the year, while honouring loyal corporate clients for their valuable contribution to the continued growth of the hotel. Mr. Zibrim Yamusah, Chief Executive Officer of the hotel thanked the clients for playing a significant role in the hotel’s numerous successes during the year. He attributed the success to superior customer care and the hotel’s resolve to connect emotionally with guests. “We strive to turn seemingly mundane everyday transactions into experiences that build genuine and lasting relationships with our guests. We believe a warm smile and sincere caring attitude make a huge difference. “We have made customer care the key differentiator for our brands. It is this culture of caring that we continue to leverage to make us special and set as apart in the country’s hospitality industry. With this, we have had over two years of successful operations and have become one of the most recognised brands in the country,” he said. To strongly position itself in the industry, the hotel restructured its sales and marketing department, bringing on board a new team of marketing professionals who place premium on the relationship with clients. The hotel also made conscious investments to stay ahead of shifts in consumer preferences and industry trends. Mr. Yamusah said the hotel is set for another success story next year as it keeps up with its culture of caring, stressing that “caring is about listening and imagining ourselves in the guest’s shoes so that we can respond in a way that will be meaningful to them. “There is no doubt that if we continue to deliver exceptional service to our corporate clients, we will be increasing our brand loyalty. To achieve this, we expect more feedback from our customers to enable us serve them better.” Awards were presented to the top-five platinum clients in appreciation of the good business they had done with the hotel within the year. The five companies were Sanvic Mining and Construction Limited, Goldfields Ghana Limited, Transocean Offshore Limited, Ecobank E-Process, and Supermaritime Ghana Limited. Best Western Accra is part of an extensive range of unique hotels, each known by the Best Western trademark. The hotel benefits from a worldwide reservation system and international quality assurance standards. The Best Western chain has recorded significant growth over the years to become the biggest hotel family in the world with 4,200 outlets in 110 countries.

By Benson AFFUL Property Express Limited, a real estate developer is organising the first on-site property viewing to give the public and corporate bodies the opportunity to visit various sites of top real estate developers in the Greater Accra region to view over 500 different home designs and offers. The event dubbed ‘On-Site Property Viewing 2012’ is slated for Saturday and is expected to attract a large number of prospective home buyers and individuals. Robert Wegbe, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Property Express Limited said, the event would offer the public the opportunity to get first-hand information on assorted building offers in the region. He said so far, PS Global, Regimanuel Estates, Magna Terris, Vanguard Properties, Devtraco, State Housing Company, Lakeside Estates, and Koans Building Solutions have registered for their properties to be viewed. Mr Wegbe said a bus would be made available at vantage points to convey all registered persons to the developers’ sites. “This was a wonderful opportunity for all workers to interact with the developers on exclusive offers and how to acquire a home that suited their income levels and expectations “Why rush to buy while you can have this chance to look at all that the market has to offer before making a choice,” he added. He asserted that sales representatives of the various developers would be at the sites to answer any questions and provide guidance. He said participating developers expect that the on-site viewing would provide them a unique platform to market their products to a wide variety of the market which included investors, business executives as well as private individuals. This programme, Mr Wegbe said, would provide an exclusive marketing platform for the developers whilst offering a unique opportunity to investors to know where to invest in the property market. “Property Express is expecting huge patronage from Ghanaians abroad and other Africans in the diaspora keen on investing in the country’s housing sector or owning a home in Ghana.”

Officials of Bond Financial Services Limited have paid a courtesy call on the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, at the Manhyia Palace to formally announce their business operations in the Kumasi Metropolis.  Mr. Peter Osei Duah, Board Chairman of Bond Financial Services Limited expressed Bond’s excitement at the opportunity to serve the financial needs of people of Kumasi with the opening of the branch. He intimated the company’s intention to launch onto the savings and loans platform next year to offer a wider range of financial services to the public.   The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Bond Financial Services Limited, Mr. George Ofosuhene on behalf of the company presented traditional drinks and a cheque for  GH¢ 10,000 to the Otumfuo Charity Foundation as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility. Otumfuo Osei Tutu II commended the company’s board and management for the gesture and also expressed his profound appreciation to them for financially supporting the Foundation.  He said financial institutions play a vital role in the improvement of the economy and also help in the creation of jobs for the youth in the country. Otumfuo proposed that as experts in the financial sector, when they give out facilities to customers they should do regular follow up visits to ensure such facilities are being utilized for their intended purpose to avert possible default. Among the delegation were Messrs. Krobo Edusei Jnr., Robert Ahomka Lindsay, Isaac Kodom, Welbeck Abrah-Appiah, all Directors of the Company and Mr. P.K. Agyemang, General Manager and the Kumasi Branch Manager; Mr. Justice Effah-Kyeremateng.

By Seth KRAMPAH, Kumasi Kwame Nkrumah University Science and Technology’s Jewellery Design & Technology Centre (KJDTC)   and the Precious Minerals Marketing Company Limited (PMMC) are collaborating to offer training in jewellery manufacturing and repairs as well as marketing. The Department of Computer Science at the KNUST has formally registered its readiness to develop computer software for manufacturers and develop skills in ICT with the assistance of foreign tutors. The programme is a three-month course with a guaranteed employment. Research carried out among 250 Jewellers in the Kumasi Metropolitan area in Ashanti Region has revealed the need to upgrade the technological skills of jewellers in the region. The CEO of KJDTC, Mr Joseph Arthur told Business & Financial Times in an exclusive interview in Kumasi that the primary objective behind the collaboration is to move away from the archaic way of designing and manufacturing jewellery and to use computer to design jewellery. According to him, the participation of   the Computer Science Department will offer skills training programme that will transfer Computer-Aided Jewellery Design (CAD) technology to jewellers to increase production. Precious Minerals Marketing Company Limited’s involvement in the collaboration is to assist in the effective marketing of the jewellery and ultimately to export jewellery to compete with the international market.     The jewellery industry has made a lot of contributions to the national development in terms of value addition, foreign exchange and employment creation. A study has revealed that in spite of their significant contribution to national development efforts, players in the industry lack skills and knowledge in latest technologies to design Jewels that meet international standards. Technological development in the jewellery design sector has been at a slow pace and this has hampered the growth of the industry. A number of jewellers have expressed strong interest to constantly upgrade the skills of their personnel, through training and retraining strategies in Computer-Aided Jewellery Design (CAD)/Computer-Aided Jewellery Manufacturing (CAM), to enhance their productivity, increase their competiveness, create more jobs and increase income.