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India’s UPI Set for Ghana Launch

The linking of Indian and Ghanaian instant payment systems will be the latest in India’s expansion of UPI operations…reports Asian Lite News

India and Ghana have agreed to operationalise Unified Payment Interface (UPI) with Ghana Interbank Payment and Settlement Systems within six months in order to enable instant fund transfers for users in both countries, the Commerce Ministry said on Monday,

The discussions were part of a Joint Trade Committee (JTC) meeting between Indian and Ghanaian officials in Accra from May 2-3.

Both countries also discussed the possibilities of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Local Currency Settlement System (LCCS) in trade, digital transformation solutions, and on the opportunities offered by the African Continental Free Trade Agreement, the Commerce Ministry said.

The linking of Indian and Ghanaian instant payment systems will be the latest in India’s expansion of UPI operations, which are already available in countries such as France, UAE, Sri Lanka and Mauritius.

The move to settle bilateral trade payments between the two countries in local currencies will reduce dependence on the US dollar and help to strengthen the rupee.

A seven-member delegation from India led by Additional Secretary, Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, India, Amardeep Singh Bhatia.

In a comprehensive dialogue, both sides undertook a detailed review of recent developments in bilateral trade and investment ties and acknowledged the vast untapped potential for further expansion.

Both sides identified several areas of focus for enhancing both bilateral trade as well as mutually beneficial investments. These include cooperation in pharmaceuticals, healthcare, information and communication technology, agriculture and food processing, renewable energy, power sector, digital economy and digital infrastructure, critical minerals, textiles and garments, etc.

An official delegation from India consisted of officials from the Geological Survey of India, EXIM Bank and the Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission. The officials of both India and Ghana actively engaged in the proceedings of the JTC.

A business delegation led by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) also accompanied the official delegation with representatives from the varied sectors including power, fintech, Telecommunications, electrical machinery, and pharmaceuticals sectors.

The delegation including representatives of business also met the Secretary-General, AfCFTA and his team of officials wherein areas of cooperation included the signing of an MoU, setting of standards, investments, participation in trade events in India, and increasing the depth of engagement between India and AfCFTA was discussed. Names of nodal officers to take the discussions forward were also exchanged.

Ghana is an important trading partner of India in the African region. Bilateral trade between India and Ghana stood at USD 2.87 billion in 2022-23. India stands as a leading investor in Ghana and emerged as the third-largest investor. These investments traverse diverse sectors, encompassing pharmaceuticals, construction, manufacturing, trade services, agriculture and tourism.

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-Top News Africa News USA

Harris to meet Ghana’s president as she begins Africa trip

Harris is just beginning a weeklong trip to the continent that will also take her to Tanzania and Zambia, part of a concerted effort to broaden U.S. outreach…reports Asian Lite News

Vice President Kamala Harris will meet on Monday with Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo in a show of support for the West African leader, who’s facing rising discontent over inflation and fresh concerns about regional security.

Harris is just beginning a weeklong trip to the continent that will also take her to Tanzania and Zambia, part of a concerted effort to broaden U.S. outreach at a time when China and Russia have entrenched interests of their own in Africa.

Akufo-Addo oversaw one of the world’s fast-growing economies before the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the cost of food and other necessities has been skyrocketing, and the country is facing a debt crisis as it struggles to make payments.

In addition, sporadic fighting has increased in Ghana’s north, which borders the more tumultuous nation of Burkina Faso and the Sahel, a region where local offshoots of al-Qaida and the Islamic State group have been operating.

“Ghana is experiencing a very tough moment,” said Rama Yade, senior director of the Atlantic Council’s Africa Center.

Harris will announce $139 million in U.S. assistance for Ghana, according to her office. Some of that money will require congressional approval, which could prove difficult amid sharp partisan differences over the federal budget. The Treasury Department also plans to dispatch an adviser to Accra to help manage the country’s burdensome debt.

The United States has already sent troops to train militaries from Ghana and other countries in the hopes of bolstering their defenses. However, other countries have turned to the Russian mercenary force known as Wagner, which has been on the front lines of Russia’s war in Ukraine but also has a presence in Africa.

Wagner began operating in Mali, which ousted French troops based there, and there are concerns that it will also deploy to Burkina Faso, where France also ended its military presence. Ghana recently accused Burkina Faso’s leaders, which took power in a coup last year, of already turning to Wagner for help, something Akufo-Addo said would be “unsettling.”

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken recently visited Niger, which borders Mali and Burkina Faso, to announce more assistance for the region.

“We’ve seen countries find themselves weaker, poorer, more insecure, less independent as a result of the association with Wagner,” he said.

Although China’s influence in Africa has been a leading concern for U.S. foreign policy, Russia’s own attempts to make inroads has alarmed Washington as well. Some countries have longstanding ties dating back to the Soviet era.

The Russian foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, has made multiple trips to the continent in an effort to show that the West has failed to isolate Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine.

“The Russians are continuing to make the first move in Africa, and the U.S. is continuing to play catch-up,” said Samuel Ramani, associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, a London-based defense and security think tank.

“It’s really unclear how Russia will really be able to expand its influence in the long term,” he added. “But in the short term, they’re creating goodwill for themselves.”

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Sport

Portugal get off to a winning start

Ronaldo scored from the spot 20 minutes into the second half thus becoming the first man to score in five World Cups….reports Asian Lite News

Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo put all the off-field worries surrounding Manchester United to rest as he scored an opening goal in the 3 2 win over Ghana in the Group H match at the Stadium 974 in Doha on Thursday evening.

After a barren first half, the second half produced five goals with Ronaldo opening the scoring for Selecao de Quinas.

Ronaldo scored from the spot 20 minutes into the second half thus becoming the first man to score in five World Cups.

The Ghanians refused to throw in the towel and bounced back with a goal from A. Ayew in the 73rd minute.

The joy was short lived as Felix got his name on the scorers’ list five minutes later giving Portugal the lead, making it 2-1.

Two minutes Portugal struck again this time Leao getting into the thick of action to make it 3 -1 and make it difficult for Ghana to make a late fightback.

The Africans, however, fought back scoring a goal with one minute left for the normal time through O. Bukari.

Earlier, in the first half Ronaldo’s goal was overuled. The star striker finished quite splendidly with the free kick taken by Bruno Fernandes but the referee blew the whistle to cancel out the goal, much to the protestations of the Portuguese faithful at the stadium.

The atmosphere was electric. All eyes were on one man. The man who doesn’t need any introduction. However bigger things were at play.

The crowd erupted as soon as the great man Cristiano Ronaldo took his first touch. Ghana on the other hand were looking to stay in shape and frustrate Portugal. Fernando Santos’ men were trying to play attacking football.

Bruno and Ronaldo’s combination play and Santos’s tactics were under scanner.

Ronaldo spearheaded Portugal’s attack alongside Joao Felix in their opening match while Danilo Pereira joined Ruben Dias in the centre of defence. In midfield, Santos chose an attacking formation with only Ruben Neves as an anchor.

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Africa News

Ghana President suggests mechanism for UNSC reforms

There are proposals from India, and African and other countries on the table which have to be brought together for the negotiations to move forward, he said…reports Asian Lite News

Ghana’s President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has suggested the creation of a mechanism to get the UN Security Council and the General Assembly to bring together all the proposals for reforming the Council and find a way to move the deadlocked process forward.

“What is important is to get the General Assembly as well as the Security Council, engaged for some kind of mechanism where we can bring all these ideas to the table and see how best we can go forward,” he told reporters on Thursday.

There are proposals from India, and African and other countries on the table which have to be brought together for the negotiations to move forward, he said.

The barrier to reforms is a group of 13 countries led by Italy and which included Pakistan that has blocked the adoption of a negotiating text on which to base the discussion.

With the General Assembly set to take up the stalled Security Council reforms next week, Assembly President Csaba Korosi also voiced the need to go forward with the reforms “during these pressing times” when he met with India’s Permanent Representative to UN, Ruchira Kamboj and the ambassadors of Brazil, Germany and Japan on Wednesday.

Akufo-Addo said, “I believe current global circumstances demonstrate the urgent need to put back on the global agenda the demand for the reform of the UN, especially the composition and structure of the Security Council on the basis of the African Common Position.”

He articulated Africa’s frustration with being shut out of permanent membership of the Council, saying, “What we have been clamouring for, for several several several years, at least the last two decades that I’ve been personally involved is to create an organisation and structure of the Security Council that is truly reflective of our times, not of the 1945 world in which it was created.”

There were only two African countries, Liberia and Ethiopia at the formation of the UN in 1945 and all others were colonies like India and did not have a voice, Akufo-Addo added.

“An organisation that was made in those circumstances cannot clearly be reflective of the realities of today,” he said.

“We have to continue to insist on the need for these negotiations and for the discussions to take place,” he added.

Korosi’s Spokesperson Paulina Kubiak said that when he met representatives of the four countries, he “talked about his efforts to ensure coherence and coordination among the different intergovernmental processes in the UN, including Security Council reform, and the use of the General Committee for this purpose”.

The four countries together form the group known as G4 which pushes for Council reforms and supports each other for permanent seats on the Council.

“Korosi recognised that Security Council reform remains a critical issue on the UN agenda, especially during these pressing times, noting the number of world leaders calling for the reform of the Security Council during this year’s High-Level Week” of the Assembly in September, Kubiak added.

She said that at the meeting, “G4 members underlined that due to current developments in the world stage, there is a renewed momentum for the reform of the Security Council, therefore advocated for meaningful progress to take place during this session.”

As pressure builds for moving the reform process forward, Korosi also met on Tuesday with the L.69 Group made up of more than 40 developing countries from Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, Asia and the Pacific that advocate for Council reforms.

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Africa News

Torrential rain wreaks havoc in Ghana

Some residents in the affected areas were seen scooping flood waters from their homes and shops…reports Asian Lite News

Torrential rain hit some parts of Ghana, the capital Accra included, causing flooding in downtown areas and disrupting traffic on major roads.

The intermittent rain, which started in the wee hours of Saturday, continued through to the afternoon. Many major drains carrying running water were overflown, while some road potholes were enlarged and deepened.

Vehicles and commuters to several places within the cities and adjoining communities had to wade through heavy floods to get to their destinations. Some drivers, as a result of poor visibility, had to park their vehicles on the shoulders of roads.

Some residents in the affected areas were seen scooping flood waters from their homes and shops.

Videos and comments about the flooding situation and its attendant impact were posted on social media with residents calling on the government to find a permanent solution to their age-old poor drainage challenges.

Komla Dodze, a resident of Tema, said the torrential rain had destroyed his property.

“In fact, today’s continuous rain has actually destroyed almost everything in my room, including the fridge, furniture, and others, all were flooded,” said the resident.

The Ghana Meteorological Agency on Saturday warned citizens to be cautious in flood-prone areas.

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-Top News Africa News UK News

UK, Ghana reaffirm commitment to tackle threats

Priti Patel and Kan-Dapaah agreed to strengthen law enforcement agency collaboration, strengthen engagement on border security, work together to enhance cyber security in Ghana …reports Asian Lite News

The UK Government hosted the second UK-Ghana security dialogue between July 25 and 27 to discuss the countries’ shared interests in tackling global issues.

UK Home Secretary Priti Patel and the Minister for National Security of Ghana Kan-Dapaah agreed to strengthen law enforcement agency collaboration, strengthen engagement on border security, work together to enhance cyber security in Ghana and support regional solutions to instability in Ghana’s neighbouring states.

Home Secretary Priti Patel said, “The UK and Ghana has a deep and long-standing relationship, and we are powerful allies when confronting the scourge of organised criminal gangs that operate across our borders. Ghana is the beacon of freedom and democracy in West Africa and through our joint work we are tackling global threats and cracking down on the threats to our mutual security.”

Ghana’s National Security Minister, Albert Kan-Dapaah said, “The UK is a primary and reliable partner to Ghana, therefore, we welcome essential security initiatives from the UK towards building Ghana’s resilience to address national and regional threats.”

The Home Secretary visited Ghana last year in the first round of talks, opening a new Home Office-funded immigration taskforce office in the process.

Because of the joint working, since January 2022, 14 organised crime groups have been disrupted preventing the facilitation of 56 individuals from entering the UK illegally, saving the UK over £812,000 in the process.

Through the New Plan for Immigration, the UK Government are working with countries around the world to tackle the heinous people traffickers who work across borders and bring misery to vulnerable people.

The Home Secretary hosted a reception with Ghanaian delegation at Lancaster House on July 25 before counterparts discussed topics including, serious and organised crime, border management, security, countering terrorism and violent extremism, conflict prevention and military over the course of two day event.

Defence staff met to discuss peacekeeping, regional stability, counter terrorism and maritime security.

Minister of State for the Armed Forces, James Heappey MP, said, ““The UK is committed to expanding defence co-operation with the Ghanaian Armed Forces and we will continue to work together in frameworks such as the Accra Initiative to counter violent attacks and insurgency in West Africa and the Sahel.”

The United Kingdom and Ghana enjoy a deep and longstanding relationship, underpinned by our shared history, mutual trust and shared Commonwealth principles of democratic governance and respect for international humanitarian and human rights law. Our security and defence relationship is founded on these shared principles, as well as our concerns about regional instability and desire to support regional and international peace and security.

The governments of both countries affirm our commitment to deepen our partnership in the face of complex and evolving regional and global threats including terrorism, conflict, human trafficking, serious and organised crimes, drug trafficking, cyber-crime and piracy, and recognise the prominent role Ghana plays in countering these threats.

UK’s development-finance arm plans $6bn African investment

British International Investment Plc, the UK government’s development-finance arm, plans to invest $6 billion over the next five years in Africa in areas ranging from renewable power and digital infrastructure to supporting women-owned businesses, Bloomberg reported.

The spending, which is part of a $10 billion global program, includes a $76 million contribution toward a planned $500 million fund being raised by Old Mutual Ltd.’s African Infrastructure Investment Managers that was announced on Wednesday.

“Investment priorities will be driven by the size of the economy, and the development needs in that economy,” BII Chief Executive Officer Nick O’Donohoe said in an interview.

BII’s investment plans come as a host of development finance institutions ranging from France’s Proparco to Germany’s KFW Group jostle to provide the finance needed to address climate change concerns in Africa and to meet digital connectivity needs. The region needs as much as $108 billion in infrastructure investment a year, according to the African Development Bank.

BII, formerly known as CDC Group, is restricted to investing in the private sector and while it will focus on the “powerhouse” markets of Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria and Egypt, some money will go to South Africa because of its drive to attract climate finance, he said.

The institution last week agreed to provide Oslo-based energy producer Scatec ASA with about $157 million in debt and equity finance for a solar and battery-storage project in South Africa.

The investment firm, which is fully-owned by the UK government, has made significant equity investments in African companies such as Liquid Telecom, the continent’s biggest fiber company, and Globeleq, a power producer. Bloomberg this week reported that BII has hired Rothschild & Co. to review how to grow the latter business. Options include bringing on a third investment partner.

“We have been a significant investor in power in Africa, originally in fossil-fuel power, and over the last three or four years, almost exclusively renewable power,” said O’Donohoe.

Over the next five years, at least 30% of BII’s total new commitments by value will be in climate finance, he said.

BII’s plans also include “actively investing” in funds, said O’Donohoe. FMO, a Dutch-government controlled entrepreneurial development bank, invested $40 million into the Old Mutual fund alongside BII.

ALSO READ-Ghana confirms first cases of deadly Marburg virus

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-Top News Africa News

Ghana confirms first cases of deadly Marburg virus

No treatment yet exists for Marburg – but doctors say drinking plenty of water and treating specific symptoms improves a patient’s chances of survival…reports Asian Lite News

Ghana has confirmed the country’s first two cases of Marburg virus disease (MVD), the Ghana Health Service (GHS) has said.

The confirmation came after samples from suspected infected individuals sent to the Institute Pasteur in Dakar (IPD) tested positive for MVD, the GHS in a statement late Sunday.

The GHS first announced the suspected infections on July 7, after identifying two persons who had met the case definition of acute hemorrhagic fever in Ghana’s Ashanti Region.

The samples from the individuals tested positive for MVD at the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, Xinhua news agency reported quoting the GHS.

With assistance from the World Health Organisation (WHO), the samples were forwarded to the IPD for further confirmation.

“So far, 98 contacts have been identified, including those from the Sawla-Tuna-Kalba District of the Savannah Region,” the GHS statement said. “They are undergoing quarantine and being monitored by the Ashanti and Savannah regional health directorates of the GHS.”



“No new cases of MVD have been identified,” the statement said.

The MVD, a rare but severe hemorrhaging fever, is caused by the Marburg virus and could lead to death.

No treatment yet exists for Marburg – but doctors say drinking plenty of water and treating specific symptoms improves a patient’s chances of survival, the BBC reported.

The virus is transmitted to people from fruit bats and spreads between humans through the transmission of bodily fluids.

It is a severe, often fatal illness with symptoms including headache, fever, muscle pains, vomiting blood and bleeding.

Officials are warning people to keep away from caves and to thoroughly cook all meat products before consuming them.

The disease previously occurred in Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Africa, Uganda, and Kenya, according to the WHO.

The virus killed more than 200 people in Angola in 2005, the deadliest outbreak on record according to the global health body.

The first ever Marburg outbreak was in Germany in 1967 where seven people died.

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Africa News

Ghana’s June inflation rate rises to nearly 30%

Data released by the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) Wednesday indicated that Ghana’s inflation rate rose to 29.8 percent in June, compared with 27.6 percent a month earlier.

Samuel Kobina Annim, the Government Statistician, said at the monthly press briefing that the inflation rate for June was the highest reading since December 2003 and far above the target band of between 6 percent and 10 percent set by the Bank of Ghana, Xinhua news agency reported.

“At least 97 out of the 307 items recorded inflation rates higher than the national average with more than half being non-food items or locally produced items,” Annim added.

A youth group named “Arise Ghana” staged a two-day street protest on June 28 and 29 against the hardships and high cost of living in the West African country.

Teachers in public schools also commenced a nationwide indefinite strike on July 4, after negotiations with the government for Cost of Living Allowances broke down.

Marburg virus outbreak

 The World Health Organisation (WHO) has said its ready to control the spread of Marburg virus that has claimed two lives in Ghana.

The WHO defines Marburg as a highly infectious viral haemorrhagic fever in the same family as the more well-known Ebola virus disease. It has no known vaccines or treatments and has a fatality rate of 88 per cent.

The disease is transmitted to people from fruit bats and spreads among humans through direct contact with the bodily fluids of infected people, surfaces and materials.

The two patients from Ghana’s southern Ashanti region were both unrelated and showed symptoms including diarrhoea, fever, nausea and vomiting. However, the disease was identified only after their death, the WHO said.

It has sparked serious concerns among health authorities racing to identify potential contacts and squash the outbreak before it spreads.

The WHO said preparations for a possible outbreak response are being set up swiftly as further investigations are underway.

“The health authorities are on the ground investigating the situation and preparing for a possible outbreak response,” said Dr Francis Kasolo, WHO Representative in Ghana, in a statement.

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“We are working closely with the country to ramp up detection, track contacts, and be ready to control the spread of the virus,” he added.

It is the first time the country has reported cases of Marburg virus, and only the second outbreak in West Africa. Guinea confirmed a single case in an outbreak that was declared over on September 16, 2021, five weeks after the initial case was detected.

Illness begins abruptly, with high fever, severe headache and malaise. Many patients develop severe haemorrhagic signs within seven days. Case fatality rates have varied from 24 to 88 per cent in past outbreaks depending on virus strain and case management, the WHO said.

“An outbreak of a filovirus such as Marburg is always a serious concern, especially in a setting that hasn’t managed outbreaks before, and when cases are diagnosed postmortem,” Tom Fletcher, an infectious disease consultant at the Royal Liverpool University hospital, was quoted as saying by the The Telegraph.

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Africa News

MASTERCHEF

A Ghanaian chef cooks a Chinese dish in a restaurant in Accra, capital of Ghana.

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Africa News

Ghana has not recorded any Ebola case

Ghana has not recorded any Ebola case Official

Ghana has not recorded any cases of an Ebola outbreak, said a senior health official…reports Asian Lite News

Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, Director-General of the Ghana Health Service, made the statement on Wednesday following media reports about an outbreak of Ebola in northern Ghana.

Addressing the media, he observed his outfit undertook a simulation exercise to test their preparedness for such health emergencies, Xinhua news agency reported.

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“I am not aware that we have picked up an Ebola case in the northern region. What I can say is that we were doing a simulation exercise on the Ebola viral disease at the public health emergency management operation centre,” he added.

In 2014, an outbreak of Ebola took place in west Africa, mainly in Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia.