Monday, 13th September, 2021

Page 10
Business
Girls In ICT initiative gets
10M cedi boost from MTN
MTN Ghana has
presented GHc10
million to the
Ministry of Communication
and
Digitization as part of its 25th-anniversary
celebrations in support
of the Girls in ICT project.
Girls in ICT program is an
international initiative adopted
in 2012 by all ITU Member States
including Ghana. The program is
aimed at exposing young girls to
opportunities in the ICT sector
through the mentorship workshop
and open day programs to
prepare them for ICT-related
professions in the future.
The first part of the funds was
presented to the Minister of Communications
and Digitalisation
Hon. Ursula Owusu-Ekuful at a
presentation ceremony in Accra.
The funding is to cover
the cost of the project over a
three-year period to support the
government’s efforts to empower
and encourage girls to consider
studies and careers in ICT.
Speaking at the presentation
ceremony, Chief Corporate Service
Officer of MTN Ghana, Samuel Koranteng,
said “The MTN Group is
a signatory to the United Nations
Women Empowerment Principles
and by this, the company has
pledged its commitment to the
advancement of Gender Equality
and the Empowerment of Women.
It is part of the company’s core
beliefs that everyone deserves the
benefits of a modern, connected
life and therefore strive to ensure
that men and women benefit
equally from ICT.”
“Gender Empowerment is a
key strategic component of MTN’s
Corporate Social Investment
and over the years we have made
significant contributions in this
regard and because of that, we do
not wait until precocious young
DAILY ANALYST Monday, 13th September, 2021
girls become seasoned women
professionals before taking an interest
in them. Our contributions
start from the grassroots level,”
Mr. Koranteng added.
The Chief Capital Projects officer,
William Tetteh speaking on
behalf of the CEO of MTN Ghana
said “MTN Ghana remains committed
in supporting government
development agenda and this
presentation is a demonstration
of that commitment”.
Receiving the cheque on behalf
of the government, Minister
of Communications and Digitalization,
Hon. Ursula Owusu-Ekuful,
thanked MTN Ghana for joining
other corporate organizations to
support the government’s initiative
to empower girls in ICT.
She said “The ICT world provides
great career opportunities
for girls if they are given the needed
support and mentorship. The
initiative for this year includes a
bootcamp for girls from rural communities
in the Western North
region who are already undergoing
programming and coding training.
The Ministry will consider expanding
the programme to reach
more girls in other regions.”
The initiative falls in line with
MTN’s vision to lead the delivery
of bold new digital world and its
core beliefs that everyone deserves
the benefits of a modern, connected
life. In view of that, MTN Ghana
has supported the programme
since its inception with mentorship
programs as well as cash and
kind donations.
MTN Ghana is the market
the Import Declaration Form,”
Samson Asaaki Awingobit, the
Executive Secretary of the Association
said.
“However, we think this
accusation lacks merit since the
authors of the said report failed to
learn that the GRA and the various
Banks that transact business with
these companies can track any
transaction through the IDF to
know if an importer is under-declaring,”
he exclaimed.
Bemoaning the negative effect
the allegations have had on the
named companies, Mr. Awingobit
further asked the media to be
circumspect in reporting such
allegations.
“These companies have inleader
in the increasingly competitive
mobile telecommunications
industry in Ghana, offering
subscribers a range of exciting
options under Pay Monthly and
Pay As You Go Services and Mobile
Financial Services. The company
has committed itself to delivering
reliable and innovative services
that provide value for subscribers
in Ghana’s telecommunications
market. Since its entry into Ghana
in 2006, MTN has continuously
invested in expanding and modernizing
its network in order to
offer superior services to a broad
expanse of the nation.
Mahama economic record woeful
The President of the
Republic, Nana Addo
Dankwa Akufo-Addo,
has described the period
in office of his predecessor,
John Dramani Mahama, as an
unmitigated disaster, describing
his economic track record whilst
in office, from 2013 to 2016, as
abysmal.
President Akufo-Addo made
this known on Friday, 10th
September 2021, in response to
question posed by the host, in
which she referenced a statement
made by former President John
Mahama in which he accused the
current Government of economic
mismanagement
Responding to the statement,
the President stated that “I
wonder whether this statement
was made tongue in cheek by the
former president. When you look
at the record that this political
leader, who can accuse my government
of mismanagement, there
are a few facts that when you
put on the table to compare his
performance and mine, it would
tell you that if what I am offering
people is economic mismanagement.”
He continued, “I wonder what
words should we describe his (Mahama)
stewardship of Ghana. It
is an unmitigated disaster, that’s
what I would call him.”
According to President
Akufo-Addo, under the tenure of
office of John Mahama, economic
growth rate in 2016 stood at 3.4%,
the lowest in two decades; with all
other macroeconomic indicators
pointing in the wrong direction.
“Inflation, when he left office,
was 15.4%; today, at the end of July,
which are the last hard facts from
the Statistical Service, it’s 9%. Interest
rates are always a good determinant
of how the economy is
operating, 32% in December 2016,
today, it is 20.6%. We are talking
about treasury bill decline in
interest rate, we are talking about
the trade deficit that was $1.8
billion in 2016, to a trade surplus of
$2.6 billion at the end of 2019,” the
President said.
He stressed that if these statistics,
which, prior to COVID-19, led
to Ghana being one of the fastest
growing economies in the world
with a GDP of 7%, “can be considered
economic mismanagement”,
he then wondered what would be
the description of the economy
managed by John Mahama, which
took Ghana into the embrace of
the IMF.
Responding again to comments
made by John Mahama,
asking Government to organise
an economic forum, President
Akufo-Addo stated that “if the
economic forum is going to be a
repetition of the so-called Senchi
Consensus, then I think I have
to spare the people of Ghana this
sort of development.”
He continued, “The Senchi
Consensus was an unmitigated
disaster, out of it we went into the
embrace of the IMF with all the
difficulties that came from there
and the disarray it pointed to in
the economy of our country.”
The President, thus, urged former
President Mahama to be wary
of commenting on matters to do
with economic management.
“He is not on strong ground
when he is talking about the
economy. His track record, I am
reluctant to use these strong
words, but in normal parlance, I
would say it abysmal and, therefore,
he has no lessons to give me
at all in the management of the
economy,” President Akufo-Addo
added.
Importers and Exporters Association debunks tax evasion
The Importers and Exporters
Association has
debunked media reports
which allegedly accuses
some of its members
of evading taxes at the country’s
ports as well as engaging in
money laundering through port
transactions.
This comes on the back of
reports by pressure group, Movement
for Truth and Accountability
which alleged that some importing
companies especially those in
the Tema enclave are engaged in
under-invoicing, tax evasion and
money laundering.
They cited investigations allegedly
done by the Bank of Ghana
monitoring department, Ministry
…money laundering claims
of Finance and other anti-corruption
agencies.
According to the group, the
companies upon getting their
request for Import Declaration
Form approved to bring in goods
to the amount requested ended
up importing much less than they
requested.
Their report further stated
that a total of over 1.8 million
dollars was transferred to these
companies solely for import
purposes, but cannot be traced
because they allegedly under-invoiced
the transactions or refused
—President Akufo-Addo
to pay the required taxes to the
Ghana Revenue Authority.
Some of these companies
mentioned in their allegation include
WE2 Sea Foods, Three Hills,
Greensam Enterprise and Alltrade
Enterprise.
But the Importers and Exporters
Association said these reports
are misleading and should be
disregarded.
“Per the said reports, most of
the importing companies were
accused of under-declaring tax by
importing far less of goods they
had stated and paid for through
ternational reputation. They are
causing harm to the companies
and the nation. They are putting
the country at risk level that
Ghana launders money through
importation. They are impugning
the integrity of the hard-working
staff of the GRA and the Customs
Division.”
“I strongly believe that if you
[the media] pick or intelligence,
please try your best to speak to
experts. Speak to people who
understand trade and their input
before you proceed. Go beyond and
speak to the said company that
the story is about,” he advised.—
Citifmonline.com