Business Analyst - May 12

BUSINESS MARKET RATES
US$ 1 – GH¢7.52
GHANA STOCK WED, 11 MAY. 2022
indices and Market Cap level previous level Change % Change
GSE Composite index 2,810.01 2,798.27 +11.74 +0.42%
GSE Financial index 2,073.63 2,073.63 0.00 0.00%
GSE Market Cap (GHS 'mn) 63,883.61 63,760.71 +122.90 +0.19%
Thursday, May 12, 2022. Vol. No. 156
GH¢2.50
COCOA: US$2,473.00 per tonne
CRUDE OIL: US$104.6 per barrel
GOLD: US$1,851.99 per ounce
• Vice
President,
Mahamudu
Bawumia
• Razak
Kojo
Opoku
April 2022
inflation
recorded a
staggering 23.6%
due to a surge in food
prices and transport fares
across the country.
The figure is the
highest recorded since the
Ghana Statistical Service
rebased the Consumer
price index in August

Thursday, May 12, 2022
Russia-Ukraine War Update
Johnson pledges UK support
if Sweden were to be attacked
relations with putin could never
be normalised - pM's spokesman
ruSSiAn president Vladimir
putin strongly opposes Sweden
and Finland joining nato's
defence allianceimage caption:
russian president Vladimir
putin strongly opposes Sweden and Finland
joining nato's defence alliance
uK prime Minister Boris Johnson and
his Swedish counterpart have said relations
with Vladimir putin could never be
normalised following russia's invasion of
ukraine.
Johnson met Swedish pM Magdalena
Andersson earlier to sign a new security
commitment between the uK and Sweden.
A spokesman for Johnson said
afterwards both leaders had "underlined
that relations with putin could never be
normalised", according to reuters.
The spokesman also said the leaders
agreed aftershocks from putin's invasion
had "fundamentally changed international
security architecture", the news agency
reports.
Gas prices in Europe could rise
after ukraine's latest move
European countries that rely heavily on
russian gas will be paying close attention to
the latest move by ukraine, which says it
will suspend the flow of natural gas through
some of its pipeline network that transports
a third of the fuel delivered to the continent.
Although the impact on the actual
amount of gas delivered is still to be
determined, the signs are that prices could
rise as a result, nathan piper, head of oil and
gas research at investec, tells me.
He says the implications of tightened
supplies pushing up prices come as Europe
tries to refill reserves through summer,
ahead of next winter.
The European union has been focusing
for weeks on how to wean itself off russian
energy, with some member states divided
on the right strategy. The bloc has pledged to
reduce gas imports by two-thirds by the end
of 2022, but has urged countries to build up
their reserves.
uK pM Boris Johnson
heads to Finland
The uK prime minister has just
announced a security declaration with
Finland's neighbour Swedenimage caption:
The uK prime minister has just announced
a security declaration with Finland's
neighbour Sweden
uK prime Minister Boris Johnson is to
visit Finland next, where he's expected to
outline a similar security declaration to the
one just announced between the uK and
Sweden.
in a statement issued before his news
conference in Sweden, Johnson said the uK
would support Sweden and Finland if they
came under attack. Both nations are
considering whether to join the nato
defence alliance, with a decision expected
within days.
russia has previously warned Finland
and Sweden against joining nato, saying
"the alliance remains a tool geared towards
confrontation".
russian newspapers celebrate
putin's Victory Day speech and
predict his next move
russian newspapers report extensively
on Vladimir putin’s Victory Day speech, in
which he likened the Soviet war against
nazi Germany with russia’s offensive in
ukraine.
putin likened the Soviet war against
nazi Germany with russia’s offensive in
ukraineimage caption: putin likened the
Soviet war against nazi Germany with
russia’s offensive in ukraine
let's turn now to what russian
newspapers have been saying since
Vladimir putin delivered his Victory Day
speech on Monday, in which he likened
russia’s offensive in ukraine to the Soviet
war against nazi Germany.
“Our soldiers and officers are saving the
world from nazism, just like our
grandfathers and our great grandfathers
once did,” declares the tabloid
Komsomolskaya pravda.
The pro-Kremlin press continues to
promote the false Kremlin narrative that
russia sent its troops into ukraine to fight
nazis, who are supposedly being backed by
the West.
russian newspapers printed that
soldiers and officers are saving the
world from nazism
russian newspapers printed that
soldiers and officers are saving the world
from nazismimage caption: russian
newspapers printed that soldiers and
officers are saving the world from nazism
“Hitler’s former allies are now arming
ukraine,” writes Komsomolskaya pravda.
“The whole of Europe armed Hitler, just like
it’s arming Zelensky. The economic power of
Europe worked for the German fascists.
Today it’s working for ukrainian nazis.”
The language is extraordinary. But the
objective is clear.
The russian authorities want the
russian public to think of president
Zelensky - ukraine’s Jewish president - as a
Hitler-like figure to justify the Kremlin’s
military operation.
What will be Vladimir putin’s next
move in ukraine? Moskovsky Komsomolets
concludes:
“He’s not about to retreat. He’s prepared
for a long, protracted fight. He doesn’t care
how long it takes."
uK pM Boris Johnson meets
Swedish pM Magdalena Andersson
uK pM Boris Johnson met Swedish pM
Magdalena Anderssonimage caption: uK
pM Boris Johnson met Swedish pM
Magdalena Andersson
if you're just joining us, or need a recap,
here are some of today's main
developments:
uK prime Minister Boris Johnson has
signed a security pact with Sweden, which
pledges mutual military support between
both countries if either's attacked
Boris Johnson is expected to make
similar commitments when he visits
Finland later, as Sweden and Finland both
consider whether to join nato
russia has warned Finland and Sweden
against joining nato, arguing the move
wouldn't bring stability to Europe
russian media say pro-Kremlin
authorities in russian-occupied Kherson
will ask president putin for the region to
become part of russia, but a Kremlin
spokesman says it is for the people to decide
ukraine says it's halting a key russian
gas pipeline to Europe
A map showing nato's expansion since
1997
russia says it has enough energy
buyers without Western countries
An oil platform with russian script on
the side
Getty imagesCopyright: Getty images
russia produces more than 10 million
barrels of oil a dayimage caption: russia
produces more than 10 million barrels of oil
a day
Turning away from the uK and Sweden
for a moment, russia's foreign minister says
the country has enough buyers for its oil
and gas outside of Western countries, as Eu
countries try to reduce their reliance on
russian energy.
Sergei lavrov said: "let the West pay
more than it used to pay to the russian
Federation, and let it explain to its
population why they should become
poorer."
lavrov was speaking at a news
conference after talks with his counterpart
in Muscat, Oman.
As we've been reporting, the Eu has
proposed a total ban on oil imports as part of

Thursday, May 12, 2022
April inflation hits 23.6%
• Continued from front
2019.
According to the Consumer price
index (Cpi) data issued by the Ghana
Statistical Service, the rate is 4.2
percentage points higher than the
19.4% recorded in March 2022.
“Four divisions – transport
(33.5%); household equipment and
routine maintenance (28.5%); food
and non-alcoholic beverages (25.6%),
and housing, water, electricity, gas,
and other fuels (25.0%) recorded
inflation rates above the national
• As transport and food prices surge
• Figure is the highest recorded since August 2019
average of 23.6% with transport
recording the highest inflation,” the
GSS said in a statement yesterday.
national month-on-month
inflation from March 2022 to April
2022 was 5.1%.
it also noted that this is the first
time in 29 months that inflation for
imported items exceeded domestic
inflation. Whilst inflation for locally
produced items was 23.0%, inflation
for imported items was 24.7%.
“The inflation for imported goods
is higher than the 17.3% recorded for
March 2022 while the inflation for
locally produced items is 23.0%
higher than the 20.0% recorded in
March 2022.”
Food and non-food inflation
While Food and non-Alcoholic
Beverages inflation was 26.6%, non-
Food inflation stood at 21.3%.
April 2022’s food inflation of
26.6% is higher than both food
inflation for March 2022 (22.4%) and
the average of the previous 12
months (13.5%).
“The inflation for imported
goods is higher than the 17.3%
recorded for March 2022 while
the inflation for locally produced
items is 23.0% higher than the
20.0% recorded in March 2022.”
FDA cautions public
• Over unregistered “Ladha Ya
Kuku” Indomie Chicken flavour
The Food and Drugs Authority
(FDA) has issued a statement on unregistered
batches of indomie instant
noodles labeled “ladha Ya
Kuku”.
The FDA in a statement said the
authority’s attention had been drawn
to the recall of indomie instant noodles
chicken flavour from certain
countries due to the suspected presence
of high levels of aflatoxins and
pesticides.
According to the FDA statement,
the indomie instant noodles labeled
“ladha Ya Kuku” is not registered
product in Ghana.
The FDA says the only instant indomie
chicken product that is registered
in Ghana is manufactured in
locally and occasionally sourced from
nigeria.
“in the light of the recent recalls
in other countries, the FDA has
picked samples from the manufacturing
facility in Ghana as well as
different points of sale across regions
nationwide for testing at the center
for laboratory services and research.
Anybody in possession of the unregistered
indomie products should contact
the FDA immediately.
According to reports, the “ladha
Ya Kuku”, a batch of the product has
been recalled in Egypt for containing
high levels of aflatoxins and residues
of pesticides.
Over 700,000 cartons of different
indomie flavours have so been withdrawn
from the Egyptian market by
the supplier.
“In the light of the
recent recalls in
other countries, the
FDA has picked
samples from the
manufacturing
facility in Ghana as
well as different
points of sale
across regions
nationwide for
testing at the
center for
laboratory services
and research.
Anybody in
possession of the
unregistered
indomie products
should contact the
FDA immediately.
We’ll reduce transport fares
if gov’t reduces fuel prices
THE national Chairman of
the Ghana private road
Transport union (GprTu),
nana nimako Bresiamah
says transport unions and
operators will reduce
transport fares when the
government reduces fuel
prices.
This was after the
union had increased the
transport fares by 20 percent.
Speaking on TV yesterday,
nana nimako Bresiamah
said if the
government reduces the
fuel prices, the unions will
also reduce the transport
fares.
• GPRTU fires
He confirmed that all
the unions had started
charging the new fares despite
opposition from the
Ghana road Transport Corporation
Council (GrTCC).
“We told the government
that if the fuel price
goes up beyond 10 percent,
we would have to sit down
and review it. However, as
of now, it is about 41 percent
and we have not been
able to review it and that is
what has caused the increment.
i was scared the
drivers will come and hurt
me at my office and that is
why we maintained 20 percent
and not 30,” he said.
nana nimako Bresiamah
added, “Sure, we
will reduce it. initially, it
was at 7.99, or let’s say GH8
per liter. now it is at 11
plus. So, if the government
says it has reduced it to
GHC8, then we will reduce
it. But if it is above 9, it
means that they have not
reduced the fuel price,” he
said.

Thursday, May 12, 2022
ASSESSING IMPACT OF
POLICIES NECESSARY
The Government Statistician, Professor
Samuel Kobina Annim, has proposed a
comprehensive stocktaking and audit of all
socio-economic policies implemented since
the country gained Republican status to help
guide the effective formulation of new
policies and outcomes.
his suggestion was that the stocktaking
should include the conduct of a thorough
cost-benefit analysis to determine the
relevance and impact of the policies.
Speaking at a public lecture at the Central
University in Accra last week Wednesday,
Prof. Annim said that would help in
strengthening policy capacity and practice in
the country.
he said it would also help in the
integration of policy science into academic
programmes and the establishment of an
independent National Data-Policy Institute.
The Newspaper agrees with Prof. Annim,
in the sense that over the years, successive
governments have initiated policies and
programmes to accelerate the country’s
overall development, and we think the time
has come to, as a nation, reflect on some of
the policy outcomes to inform our
developmental trajectory.
At a point in our nation-building
endeavour, we need to pause and ask some
critical questions.
Do we have the opportunity to measure
policy outcomes? Do we have any database
on the number of policies we have across the
various public institutions? Which of those
policies were informed by data, and do we
have the right results?
As a nation, we have been very quick to
initiative policies and programmes, without
giving due attention to their continuity,
assessment and impact to influence future
policy interventions.
It is important that we develop nationally
acceptable criteria in measuring the success
of these policies and programmes, so that
we will inform the formulation of future
policies and programmes.
For instance, with the implementation of
the electronic Transaction Levy (e-Levy), it is
important that we glean from the lessons on
how far the country went with the
implementation of the Value Added Tax in
terms of its productivity to serve as a guide
to how best to handle issues that may arise
from the implementation of the e-Levy.
Remarkably, some private sector practices
have made their way into the government
set up over the past couple of decades, and
these have largely been influential in
determining the success of public policy and
administration.
Teamwork: The secret
sauce to business success
OVEr the past
few years,
you’ve probably
noticed
people talking
a lot more about the
importance of teamwork
and collaboration. Openoffice
layouts have become
the norm and team productivity
tools have exploded
in popularity.
Some see this emphasis
on open collaboration
as a passing fad or a way to
lower overheads. But a
growing body of research
confirms that when people
work together, smartly,
it can unleash energy that
boosts creativity, productivity,
engagement, communication
and
efficiency.
Each individual has unique
gifts, and talents and skills. When
we bring them to the table and
share them for a common purpose,
it can give companies a real
competitive advantage.
A ‘team’ is not just people who
work at the same time in the
same place. A real team is a group
of very different individuals who
enjoy working together and are
committed to working cohesively
to help their organisation achieve
its common goals and fulfil its
purpose.
A team is not a group of people
who work together
A team is a group of people
who trust each other
Most likely, they are not all
equal in experience, talent, or education,
but they are similar in
one vitally important way – their
commitment to good of the organisation.
A leader’s role is
greatly diminished without their
team, and any group of people –
your family, your workplace, or
your community – will get the
best results by working as a team.
To build a strong team, you
must see someone else’s strength
as a complement to your weakness,
not a threat to your position
or authority. Great leaders aren’t
know-it-alls who continuously try
to outshine everyone. They listen
to their teams, ask the right questions,
and give everyone the
chance to contribute. instead of
trying to do it all, they find people
who can do it better.
You don’t inspire your teammates
by showing them how
amazing you are. You inspire
The Author
them by showing them how
amazing they are -robyn Benincasa
At the end of the day, it’s not
about being the smartest person
in the room. it’s about building a
team with the most intelligent
people you can find, and inspiring
them to believe in the impossible.
Build a great team. no one is
an expert on everything; the
strongest businesses are built on
the smartest people, not on one
person.
Building a great team requires
a leader who can inspire their
team to believe anything is possible.
That’s the essence of leadership;
helping your people reach
their full potential and helping
your team maximise their gifts to
become the very best version of
themselves.
What makes you effective as a
leader is not the title you hold.
rather, it’s demonstrating an unrelenting
focus on helping others
succeed in their collective efforts;
because when you take care of
your team, it often reflects the
service they provide to their customers.
Clients do not come first, employees
come first. if you take care
of your employees, they will take
care of the clients – Sir richard
Branson
There may be no ‘i’ in team,
but being part of a team can help
you grow. By sharing information
and essentially cross-training
each other, each individual member
of the team can flourish. You
might discover new concepts
from colleagues with different experiences.
You can also learn from
someone else’s mistakes,
which helps you side-step
future errors.
You might even learn
something new about yourself.
We all have blind-spots
about our behaviour and
strengths that we may be
unaware of – and feedback
from a team-member can
expose them. recognising
these strengths and addressing
the weaknesses
can make you a better
team-member, and even a
better person; maybe a better
listener, too. That’s a
skill you can grow in… and
then take home and use to
improve your family interactions
let me just say when
people with different perspectives
come together in
group brainstorms, innovative
ideas can rise to the surface –
with one caveat. research shows
this can only happen when communication
within the team is
open and collaborative.
The most creative solutions
can only come up when there’s a
level of trust that lets team members
ask ‘stupid’ questions, propose
out-there ideas, and receive
constructive criticism.
But what happens to that
same team of 10 designers a year
down the line, when they’ve
learnt all they can from each
other? They’ll soon start to compete
with one another, to prove
their ability and chase promotion
or other incentives within your
organisation.
provided the right challenge
and rewards are in place to promote
healthy competition, team
performance can keep improving.
Finally, when employees work
together and succeed as a team,
they form bonds that can turn
into trust and friendship. it’s
human nature. And it’s great for
your organisation, since employees
who like and trust each other
are more likely to:
• Communicate well with
each other
• Support and motivate each
other
• Work cooperatively
• it’s little wonder successful
organisations value teamwork so
highly.
The author is a Risk assessment
and Cost reduction Consultant,
relationship coach, writer

Thursday, May 12, 2022
E-levy will free Ghana
from IMF control
pOliCY Analyst, razak
Opoku, has stated that
the implementation of
the controversial E-levy
will free the country
from the control of the international
Monetary Fund (iMF).
in a statement, he said, “instead
of running back to the international
Monetary Fund (iMF) to
address the Country's budget
deficit, Akufo-Addo's Government
has taken a very bold decision to
use a domestic revenue mobilization
strategy through the E-levy
policy in spite of resistance from
John Mahama/nDC and pr Sabotage
from iMF and World Bank”.
• Razak Kojo Opoku argues
Below is the full statement:
previously, the international
Monetary Fund (iMF) suggested to
Akufo-Addo's Government consider
reinstating some of the nuisance
Taxes that were introduced by John
Mahama but abolished by Akufo-
Addo's Government. The iMF also
suggested that Akufo-Addo's Government
should focus on expanding
existing taxes in order to meet
its revenue projections.
However, it is important to
state that, from the records, the
total volume of revenue accrued
from the Mahama's 16 nuisance
taxes can never be more than the
estimated revenue expected from
the implementation of the E-levy
policy.
interestingly, the iMF, John
Mahama, and the majority of nDC
Members are against the E-levy
policy, a homegrown policy aimed
at improving the domestic revenue
mobilization efforts of Ghana's
Government to become independent
of iMF and World Bank controls.
Former president John Mahama,
nDC Members of parliament,
and senior members of nDC
have been advocating and urging
Akufo-Addo's Government to run
back to iMF for an economic
bailout caused by COViD-19 and
russia-ukraine War. So, one may
ask, is iMF, John Mahama, and
nDC working in the interest of
each other?
What benefits does iMF derive
if Ghana constantly runs back to
the organization? And what benefits
would John Mahama and nDC
obtain if Akufo-Addo's Government
goes back to iMF just like previous
Governments including Mahama's
Government? is it for equalization
to score cheap political points?
instead of running back to the
international Monetary Fund
(iMF) to address the Country's
budget deficit, Akufo-Addo's Government
has taken a very bold decision
to use a domestic revenue
mobilization strategy through the
E-levy policy in spite of resistance
from John Mahama/nDC and pr
Sabotage from iMF and World
Bank.
As of December 2021, the Momo
transaction value has increased
from a cumulative value of
GHS78billion to GHS978billion, and
this became possible because of
Akufo-Addo’s initiative of Mobile
Money interoperability(MMi)
which was spearheaded by Dr. Mahamudu
Bawumia, the Vice president
of the republic.
The revenue potential of Electronic
transfers or transactions is
very huge and a good opportunity
for Government to increase domestic
revenue mobilization. it will be
totally absurd for any politician to
suggest the scrapping of the E-levy
Act without providing a sustainable
alternative source of domestic
revenue generation which is independent
of the iMF or World Bank.
Such a politician may be telling lies
to deceive the masses in exchange
for their precious votes.
let's ignore the noise from
John Mahama and nDC, and support
the Government to Free the
Country from the continuous interference
and indirect control of the
iMF and World Bank.
Bawumia donates 100 laptops to the
University of Ghana Business School
THE Vice president, Dr. Mahamudu
Bawumia, has presented one hundred
(100) laptops to the university of Ghana
Business School.
The donation was in fulfillment of a
pledge Dr. Bawumia made to the uGBS
earlier in the year to support the
School's One Student, One laptop initiative
announced by the Vice-Chancellor
of the university of Ghana, to
advance digitization on campus.
presenting the 100 laptops during
the launch of the 60th Anniversary celebration
of the uGBS on Wednesday, Dr.
Bawumia said he was touched and inspired
by the bold initiative, hence his
decision to donate the laptops to support
the initiative.
"i was so inspired that that day i
promised 100 laptops to the university
of Ghana business school, and by the
grace of God, i am presenting the laptops
to the School today," Dr. Bawumia
said.
The Vice president noted that more
laptops would be needed to make the
initiative successful, and he, therefore,
called for support, especially from
uGBS alumni, to donate laptops towards
the campaign.
While congratulating the uGBS on
attaining 60 years, Dr. Bawumia commended
the School, whose alumni, he
said, are contributing significantly to
the development of the nation.
As part of its 60th Anniversary celebration,
the uGBS has line up year-long
activities.
was so inspired
that that day I
promised “"I
100
laptops to the
university of Ghana
business school, and
by the grace of God,
I am presenting the
laptops to the School
today," Dr. Bawumia
said.

Thursday, May 12, 2022
The significance of raising
entrepreneurial-minded
children in Africa
As the grandson of a
renowned traditional ruler and
herbalist, I was grieved by my
grandmother’s departure to the
land of our forefathers without
passing on her treasure of
expertise in herbal medicine. As
a result, the family herbal
company failed. At the age of
six, I noticed several things
that have stayed with me to
this day. I guess I was of a
distinct breed; I was fascinated
by nature and had endless
questions. I questioned my
grandma about everything, and
she was gracious enough to
share her knowledge with me.
OnE thing that
surprised me was
how effortlessly
children of
craftsmen’s parents
choose their craft. A sculptor’s
child, he readily plays with the
tools, the blacksmith’s son was
courageous, and he knows his way
around hot irons and can create
tiny tools – stunning! The
neighbourhood chop bar owner’s
daughter quickly picked up basic
cooking skills. The fisherman’s
children were unafraid of the river
and swam with ease.
Following my grandmother’s death,
my father was hired as a factory worker
in the then new Cocoa processing
Company, which promised security and a
lot of money. He abandoned the family’s
wealthy plantation and herbal business
to pursue that fleeting pleasure. My
mother was content selling meals to
factory workers and didn’t think much of
the herbal traditional business. perhaps
they were brainwashed into believing it
was evil.
A recent study shows that children of
entrepreneurs in many
countries in Africa are
not being adequately
taught about
entrepreneurship. Even
parents who are
entrepreneurs rarely
expose their children to
their businesses, and
teach them that
entrepreneurship is
impossible. They
encourage kids to
become doctors or
lawyers instead, which
has created a whole host
of problems for the
business climate in
Africa, and Ghana
especially.
Fewer African
businesses are
succeeding beyond the
first and second
generations; that is to
say that when the
founders pass on, their
companies begin to fail.
This is because there are no proper
succession plans and well-equipped
people to take over. More so, kids don’t
learn from an early age that
entrepreneurship can give them – life
security and abundance beyond the
expectations they’ve been given by
society.
Africa is rich in wealth and culture.
However, many Africans have yet to fully
embrace and harness the power of
entrepreneurship. While there are many
reasons for this, the main one is that
many parents do not teach their children
about business.
Think back to when you were a child
– did your parents teach you about
business? Did they show you
how to manage money? Did they
talk with you about the importance of
hard work and saving? if not, don’t worry
– you’re not alone! Truth be told, most
African parents rarely talk about these
topics with their kids, which perpetuates
a cycle of poverty across the continent.
One solution to this challenge is to
start raising entrepreneurial-minded
children. We can’t afford to miss this
transition.
So, let’s get started right away!
it is never too soon to start.
Young children are capable of
“Africa is rich in
wealth and
culture.
however, many
Africans have yet
to fully embrace
and harness the
power of
entrepreneurship
. While there are
many reasons for
this, the main
one is that many
parents do not
teach their
children about
business.
learning about entrepreneurship earlier
than many parents and educators realise.
They can understand the basics of
money, the relationship between work
and income, and concepts like supply
and demand. As a parent, you may have
already witnessed your child’s ability to
‘play entrepreneur’ with their toys or
become interested in activities such as
selling lemonade on a street corner.
raising entrepreneurial-minded
children is important because it will help
develop critical thinking skills that they
will find useful later in life. While not
every child will be interested in business
ownership when they grow up, an
entrepreneurial mindset can help them
achieve success in any field they pursue –
whether that is being an employee,
starting a new business or even just
living independently. A child who learns
to think creatively at an early age has
more opportunities available to them
when they are older than one who
doesn’t develop these skills until later on
down the road.
it should go without saying that
teaching your kids how entrepreneurs
start businesses can be fun for both
parties involved!
Children can benefit.
They learn independence and selfreliance.
They learn to be responsible for the
things that they do. in the process, they

Thursday, May 12, 2022
develop a sense of confidence.
They gain the ability to
communicate effectively and
with confidence because they
are not shy about negotiating
prices or asking questions.
When children negotiate with
other people, it gives them a
sense of pride when they’re
able to get what they want in
an appropriate manner
(instead of whining and
throwing tantrums).
learning to solve
problems in creative ways is a
skill that will serve your child
well throughout life – whether
he plans on becoming an
entrepreneur or not.
parents can benefit.
if you are a parent, then
you surely have an interest in
your child’s future. This will
be especially so if that future
involves hunting for a job or
even starting their own
business. You may also
imagine that their future
includes making money and
being able to live a life
without having to rely on the
generosity of others.
i want to encourage you to
remember that the world does
not always pan out the way
we hope it will. it often does
not. When i was younger, my
father told me: “Son, when i
was young like you, all i
wanted was to be wealthy”. He
then went on to tell me he
hopes i never have to
experience what he has
experienced during his
lifetime. He said, “Money is
great but it is no substitute for
health or happiness”.
Benefits of raising
entrepreneurial-minded
children
When you raise an
entrepreneurial-minded
child, you are creating an
individual who can take on
life and its challenges headon.
There are so many
benefits that come with
raising a child that has all of
the following traits:
Starts and manages a
business or businesses.
Creates jobs.
Creates wealth.
Creates solutions to
problems, or answers
questions in ways no one has
thought before.
Solves problems
creatively, rather than
depending on someone else
to solve them for him or her
innovates while others
wait and follow.
The world needs qualified
entrepreneurs.
The world needs qualified
entrepreneurs. if you want to
start with a great idea and
grow it into a business that
can positively impact the lives
of others.
The entrepreneurial
mindset is a powerful one.
“Entrepreneurship is an
essential part of the economy,
and it’s a mindset that can be
applied to just about any
career. Entrepreneurs are
innovators and problemsolvers
who could very well
change the world. Teaching
your kids this mindset will
prepare them for the modern
working environment, as well
as give them a competitive
edge – that’s more valuable
than any degree they could
earn from a college or
university.
Entrepreneurial thinking
is ingrained in us at birth, but
today’s school curriculum
doesn’t allow students to hone
it. For our children to reach
their full potential, we need to
teach them these skills at
home.”
Everyone in the
world should be an
entrepreneur
The world is quickly
becoming a much smaller
place. Globalisation is making
the world smaller and smaller
each day. This means that
problems in one area of the
world can quickly impact the
whole world. it also means
that solutions can be used
throughout the world for
global benefit. if you were to
look at how many problems
“entrepreneurship
has become
an ever more
important part of
our lives as we
move further into
modern times
and with good
reason:
entrepreneurs are
critical thinkers
who are
purposeful and
make things
happen, they are
innovative and
bring new ideas
into existence,
they take risks,
they focus on
opportunities, not
problems, they
have initiative
and create their
opportunities if
nothing exists
already; ...
there are in this world, you
would find it overwhelming.
These issues can seem too
big for just one person to
solve, but if everyone does
their part to solve one
problem, then we will all be
better off. Entrepreneurship
has become an ever more
important part of our lives as
we move further into modern
times and with good reason:
Entrepreneurs are critical
thinkers who are purposeful
and make things happen, they
are innovative and bring new
ideas into existence, they take
risks, they focus on
opportunities, not problems,
they have initiative and create
their opportunities if nothing
exists already; they believe in
themselves and trust their
judgment even when others
don’t support them or think
that their idea won’t work out.
Read more from my new
book ‘Abrempong: A Parent’s
Guide to Raising
Entrepreneurial Mind Kids.’
It’s your turn. What can
you do now?
Bernard is an Author,
Speaker, Lecturer and
Corporate Trainer. He is a
brand strategist at BKC
consulting and runs the
monthly Branding &
Publishing Masterclass. Visit
www.BKC.name

Thursday, May 12, 2022
FINANCE
Our finances, cash & cashflow
YEArS ago, Akwasi, a relative of
mine lived with us. He had
just graduated from legon
and had begun working with a
state organization. He was as
soft-spoken then as he is now, and a very
agreeable fellow.
One evening, Akwasi fell ill. i can’t
remember what the cause was but he had
a very acute stomach ache. My dad
immediately thought about taking him to
Korle-Bu for diagnosis and treatment. it
was about 6:30 pm when we left home and
already dark when we arrived there. We
were told to go to the polyclinic instead. At
the polyclinic, a stretcher was brought to
send him in.
A nurse then enquired what the
problem was. My father explained that my
cousin (Akwasi) had a very bad stomach
ache which had begun earlier that day. The
nurse retorted, “And you chose to stay in
that pain for all this while?” it was
amazing how she concluded that someone
would be in pain and choose to bear the
pain for such a lot time instead of doing
something to get a remedy.
Truth is, we had gone through a lot
before we appeared before her. The
commute to Korle-Bu from home had
been quite long and we had initially gone
to the teaching hospital before being asked
to go to the polyclinic instead.
What i learnt
There are lessons i glean from what i
call ‘the Akwasi episode’. indeed, lessons
with connection to our finances, cash and
cashflow. Many times, it is a wonder why
we seem to hold on to expenses without
doing something about them. Why do we
have expenses sometimes piling up? is it
an intentional indulgence in
procrastination? On every day bills that
can even be envisaged: why do we
sometimes find ourselves allowing bills to
build up without paying them off when
they fall due? is it that we really AllOW
them to pile up?
Certainly, in most cases, we don’t. no
one in their right senses would want
expenses which have to be dealt with
grow and eat away all efforts to create
wealth. Of course, in business, it is useful
to finance your operations with finances
and activities of others, where interest
costs are not considered. it is all about
cash and cash flow.
We prefer to purchase on credit and
stagger payments yet we would rather
receive cash when we sell goods and
services. We wait till close to the middle of
the month to settle statutory payments
like Tiers i and ii pension payments and
taxes. Years ago, as a young employee, i
was tasked to supervise construction
workers.
i hired a concrete vibrator machine
for them and when they were done, i
requested for cash from the accounts
section to return and pay for the
machine’s use immediately. Strangely, i
was told i appeared to be too much in a
hurry to pay my creditors and that it was
“Back to the build-up
of expenses. When
expenses are paid for,
credibility is built for
goods and services to
move round in the
immediate future,
psychological relief is
achieved and cash
can move to get
things done to keep
everyone happy.
Therefore, we all
would usually want
to pay for expenses
early enough.
not appreciated! nothing made sense at
the time, of course, until i was introduced
to the time-value of money and the
importance of cash and cashflow.
Cash, the king
The assertion, ‘cash is king’ is very true
for our personal finances and investments.
The worth of money is much more evident
when it is in motion than when it sits.
Cash on the move accomplishes many
things. in physics, cash is like kinetic
energy, wealth is like potential energy.
Kinetic energy produces work.
potential energy stores work. let’s look at
this, for instance. Saap receives contract
payment for a consulting task she
submitted. Great! Time to visit the Grand
Oyeeman and drive away with the range.
She makes payment and the keys are
handed over to her. As she rolls out, dark
ray Bans on, sun-roof opened, she reflects:
she had built wealth through her
consulting work.
potential energy. She got paid (cash
transferred to her bank account) and she
also transferred it to the dealership.
Kinetic energy. The dealership then pays
the shipping company, Maersk, for
delivery of land rover and Jaguar cars,
parts and accessories. The shipping
company purchases marine heavy fuel oil
(HFO) from Ai. The energy company, in
turn, pays its tanker drivers and other field
operations workers.
The money keeps moving around
getting more and more things done as it
moves, and Auntie Akweley the banku
seller will get hers for all the banku and
hot pepper she had sold to the workers
that month.
Back to the build-up of expenses.
When expenses are paid for, credibility is
built for goods and services to move round
in the immediate future, psychological
relief is achieved and cash can move to get
things done to keep everyone happy.
Therefore, we all would usually want to pay
for expenses early enough.
The problem is, cash does not move to
us soon enough, often enough or in
adequate quantities. Cash flow is never
enough. Cash flow is non-uniform.
Additionally, cash flow may not be easily
predictable. invariably, expenses become
due and get unpaid. They accumulate until
a significant inflow arrives to care of it.
Cashflows and Controls
For regular workers, the cash inflow
(wages, salaries) is usually predictable.
There may be other sources of income, not
predictable or not regular. What about the
cash outflows?
it is advisable to have our outflows as
predictable as possible and as manageable
as possible. Watch ‘commitment’ expenses
which are difficult to break from: school
fees, personal loan repayments, mortgage
repayments, hire purchase payments for
consumer goods, rent, utilities, etc.
These are expenses which need
controlling. Before we sign up for any, it is
helpful if we ensure that each one does not
constantly over-stretch us. A good
examination of the inflows should advise
us. it would be tough enrolling our
children in a twelve thousand cedis per
term school if our inflow each month is
just three thousand cedis.
it would be ill-advised to take a
personal loan to purchase a consumer
item when the loan repayment amount is
prohibitive. Without careful consideration,
all these costs, when they are committed
to, can give us stress. Additionally, they can
take away all probability of us retaining a
positive net cash flow which would enable
us to invest.
Very tough decisions have to be made
by each of us from time to time. As we
aspire for and actively seek financial
independence, we should make the
attempt to match our cash inflows with
our cash outflows. We can better our cash
inflows but it may not be easy and it may
be out of our control for a period.
Doing extra jobs for multiple and
larger aggregate income is the way go,
usually. it is the outflows that we can
determine how large and frequent they
would be. That is where we can exercise
greater control and careful consideration.
inflows can then target expenses for
adequately prompt payment.
For instance, ‘side relations’ can be
very expensive and can rob us of the
chance to set aside money in investment.
For men especially, the costs of
‘maintenance’ for the side-chick (and any
children in the ‘side relation’), ensuring
stealth like a CiA operative, and
‘reparation’ to their spouses when their
covers are blown may make the often-time
‘high-risk, high return’ venture of a side
relationship not worth it and at variance
with wealth building.
About the Author
For the love of wealth creation and
financial freedom for his readers, he writes.
Through his writings Kwadwo has
discovered his love and knack to simplify
complex theories spicing them with
everyday life experiences for the benefit of
all. He was recently the resource person of
Metro TV’s business show Bottomline,
where he shared thoughts on Goal Setting
for 2022 from the perspective of financial
planning.
The Head of OctaneDC Research,
Kwadwo Acheampong, has over years
garnered experience in fund management
and administration, portfolio management,
management consulting, operations
management and process improvement.
Feel free to send him your feedback on his
article.
Kwadwo at
kwadwo.acheampong@octanedc.com or
call him on +233 244 563 530

Thursday, Tuesday, May March 12, 2022 1, 2022
THE WORK PLACE
Work Ethic: 5 Easy Steps for
Developing a Good Work Ethic
BACK in the 1990s, there was
a television show called,
“Kids Say the Darndest
Things!” it was based on a
feature that was heard on
Art linkletter’s old-time radio show and
long-running T.V. series in which kids
would share their candid – and unintentionally
funny – thoughts and reactions.
Well, it’s not just kids who say the
darndest things. How about adults?
Findings from an annual survey conducted
by the opinion and polling gurus
at Harris interactive, inc. for Career-
Builder, indicate that the most common
excuse employees have given for not
showing up to work is being sick.
Thirty percent of workers, however,
have called in sick when they have not
actually been ill. This speaks to the work
ethic of those individuals who called in
sick even when they weren't.
The study was conducted online and
included 2,494 hiring managers and
human resource professionals and 3,976
workers across industries and company
sizes.
Employees gave all sorts of excuses
for not coming to work. Just didn’t feel
like going. needed to relax. Had to catch
up on sleep. needed to run errands. Had a
doctor's appointment.
Then there are the more creative explanations.
My toe got stuck in the faucet.
i was too upset after watching “The
Hunger Games.”
i forgot i had been hired for the job.
My dead grandmother was being exhumed
for a police investigation.
My dog was having a nervous breakdown.
i was suffering from a broken heart.
A bird bit me.
i got sick from reading too much.
i dyed my hair at home and turned it
orange.
My sobriety tool wouldn't allow the
car to start.
While you could admire the honesty
(and ingenuity) of these employees, most
of us would agree that their work ethic
needs, well… some work. in order to develop
a strong work ethic, follow these
five easy steps for work ethic development
outlined below and explained in
the next section.
Steps for Developing a Good
Work Ethic
practicing punctuality
Developing professionalism
Cultivating Self-Discipline
using Time Wisely
Staying Balanced
Here are some things you can do now
to develop a good work ethic.
1. practice punctuality.
Develop the habit of being on time or
“The study was conducted
online and included 2,494
hiring managers and
human resource
professionals and 3,976
workers across industries
and company sizes.
employees gave all sorts
of excuses for not coming
to work. Just didn’t feel
like going. Needed to
relax. had to catch up on
sleep. Needed to run
errands. had a doctor's
appointment.
early for all appointments. Getting to
class ahead of schedule gives you the opportunity
to talk with your professor or
get mentally prepared by reviewing
notes. if you’re taking classes online,
stick with your study schedule, hitting
the books at the time you planned.
2. Develop professionalism.
professionalism goes beyond a crisp
white shirt and tie. it includes your attitude,
values, and demeanor. practice
being positive and cordial. refrain from
gossip. Be respectful of others. Develop a
reputation of integrity, which means
being honest, just, and consistent in
what you say and do.
3. Cultivate self-discipline.
Anything worthwhile achieving
takes discipline – staying focused on the
long-term goal and not being sidetracked
by short-term gratification. Train
yourself to be persistent and to follow
through on projects. Strive for excellence
in your assignments.
4. use time wisely.
You might have heard it from your
grandmother, but Benjamin Franklin
was actually the first to say, “never leave
that ‘till tomorrow which you can do
today.” it’s age-old advice, but far from
outdated. Complete assignments on time.
Ban procrastination from your life, keeping
in mind something else Franklin,
said: “Time is money.”
5. Stay balanced.
Having a good work ethic does not
mean keeping your eyes glued to your
computer monitor. it includes knowing
how to take care of yourself. Getting
proper sleep. Eating right. Taking time to
relax and recharge. Keeping your priorities
in life clear helps you maintain the
proper perspective at work.
Maya Angelou said, “nothing will
work unless you do.”
Develop a good work ethic now, and
who knows? it could prevent you from
getting your toe stuck in a faucet later in
life.

Thursday, May 12, 2022
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
BANKING 101 – The
segregation of duties (Part II)
“Learn everyday, especially
from the experiences of
others. It is cheaper’… Jim
Bogle
Dear Reader, I hope my last
article refreshed your memory
of some basic banking
concepts which can never be
replaced or done away with.
The fraud case involving the American
banking officer happened in a traditional
banking set-up. Although most banking
transactions have been replaced with
digital ones, the segregation of duty (SoD)
principle is always embedded in all
transactions.
Why is it important to have segregation
of duties especially in transactions
involving money?
By separating duties, it is much more
difficult to commit fraud, since at least two
people must work together to do so – which
is far less likely than if one person is
responsible for all aspects of an accounting
transaction.
Standardization of Branch
procedures
Whatever the size of your financial
institution, from the smallest microfinance
company, to the savings and loans company,
or even the biggest universal bank, the SoD
principle is still a necessary evil that should
be adopted, and not done away with, even
during cost reduction programs.
As a manager branch expansion,
therefore, becomes a real test of the
structures of the systems in place. if there is
a loss of control and the systems vary
among the branch network, it becomes an
avenue for disaster. Virtual monitoring of
the systems is key to risk management.
Even if your eyes are not everywhere,
the risk triggers should track down any
lapses in the system, for easy correction.
The absence of control in some outstation
branches of some banks breeds indiscipline
and lapses for misappropriation of assets.
The success of branch expansion programs
depends closely on the success of the head
office systems.
The Colorado Bank Teller Fraud case
(Within Traditional Banking Set-up)
let us look back at the publication of
the case of the Operations Officer of the
Bank of Colorado, uSA and examine the
causes of the massive fraud by this “trusted”
worker. i wonder what the bank thought
about her prior to the detection of the fraud.
Obviously, she would have been a star
worker and a darling of the bank; playing
the part of the utility player in the branch,
doing everything from A to Z with very little
supervision. Once again, i quote William
Shakespeare: “There is no art to find the
mind’s construction in the face”.
Fraud is no “respecter” of persons.
Anybody can, and has the ability to commit
fraud. The lady in question had been
promoted from the head book-keeper to the
operations officer. Did you also notice the
length of time it took for the fraud to be
detected? Four solid years!
let us examine some of the red flags in
the case, which illustrates a good example
of the lack of segregation of duty in the
branch concerned, leading to a loss of
$565,000. We shall take some extracts from
the case and question the structures in
place:
FACT:
She performed unauthorized electronic
transfers by means of block entries from
customers’ accounts into her own accounts
as well as accounts of family members and
other customers.
QuESTiOn:
What measures were there in the
branch to cross check transactions being
executed? Whom did she report to? Was
she too “big” to be checked? in these days
of “voucher-less” transactions, how are
electronic transactions effected and
checked? Are there any electronic built-in
systems to ensure block entries are
checked before being posted into the
accounts and its effect on the general
ledger.
How do these appear on the general
ledger in the system? Were there no reports
to check when an official conducts
transactions on his/her account? is it even
allowed? Were there no triggers in the
system?
FACT:
The woman avoided detection by
developing elaborate means of re-crediting
those accounts before the end of their
statement cycles, Concealing the
unauthorised transfers, and creating and
distributing false monthly statements.
QuESTiOn:
The same questions apply here too.
What elaborate means can one create to recredit
accounts? Who is checking who? Are
there no snap checks by internal Control
staff? Were there no suspicious transactions
seen during the four years?
What is the process of printing and
distributing statement like? Who has the
rights to print statements? is there no
segregation? How can one person print and
distribute? Of course, statements can be
suppressed or diverted by internal
fraudsters.
Does your bank receive occasional
complaints from customers about nonreceipt
of statements? if your company uses
e-statements, what controls are there to
prevent manipulation and suppression of
these e-statements?
Do the personnel who receive cash and
cheques (Marketing and Sales staff, Tellers,
etc) also have system rights to print and
send statements? Who controls the
statement printing and the dispatch
process? Even in these days of e-statements,
there should still the “Maker-Checker”
effect. Emails of customers should be
accurate to avoid mis-direction, causing
reputational damage when the bank is sued
for breach of confidentiality!
FACT:
She was in charge of customer inquiries,
and bank employees were instructed to
direct complaints to her.
QuESTiOn:
is there a central pool for complaint
management in your bank? Who is in
charge? is it automated and logged for
monitoring purposes and for the avoidance
of suppression of customer complaints?
What are the benchmarks for complaint
handling and resolution? is there a
segregation of roles to ensure that
complaint resolution is dually owned by
both the front and back offices?
is it monitored centrally from the
Service Quality/Assurance department?
Does the complaint management system
not generate reports indicating the trends
in complaints investigated to know the
sources and hot spots? Are there
departments/branches registering many
complaints? if yes, ask the internal Control
to check up on them and run snap checks.
For all you know it could be a leadership
problem in the branch leading to cracks in
discipline and a target for fraudsters (both
internal and external)
next week, i shall continue to explain
more aspects of the segregation on banking,
for a better understanding of the reasons
behind certain rules and regulations in
transactional banking. Stay tuned.
For more insights on this topic, please
book a copy of my new book, “THE
MODErn BrAnCH MAnAGEr’S
COMpAniOn” which involves the adoption
of a multi-disciplinary approach in the
practice of today’s branch management. it
also shares invaluable insights on the
mindset needed to navigate and make a
difference in the changing dynamics of the
banking industry. Call 0244333051 for your
doorstep delivery.
TO BE CONTINUED
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Alberta Quarcoopome is a Fellow of the
Institute of Bankers, and CEO of ALKAN
Business Consult Ltd. She is the Author of
Three books: “The 21st Century Bank Teller:
A Strategic Partner” and “My Front Desk
Experience: A Young Banker’s Story” and
“The Modern Branch Manager’s
Companion”. She uses her experience and
practical case studies, training young
bankers in operational risk management,
sales, customer service, banking operations
and fraud.

Thursday, May 12, 2022 PAGE 11
The effective speaker’ toolbox
with Kafui Dey: Stage Fright
—Beat it in 5 EASY steps!
YOu know how stage
fright feels. Just
thinking about
speaking in public
causes sweat to pour
down your body. Your hands
tremble. Your legs turn to jelly.
Your tongue feels like sandpaper
and your mouth is dry. Your
heart is pounding like a techno
bass drum.
You desperately want to beat
this fear. You can’t spend the rest
of your life turning down
opportunities to speak because
of stage fright
is your public speaking
suffering because of stage fright?
Here’s how to beat stage fright in
5 easy steps. All you need to know
is the word STAGE and what
each letter in STAGE stands for!
S is for SHiFT YOur
FOCuS
Take out your phone, out it in
selfie mode and point the
camera close to your face. Who
do you see? You of course! And
that’s how many people
approach public speaking. By
going into selfie mode and
focusing solely on themselves.
Do i sound intelligent? How do i
impress them? Will they like
me?
This approach will only
heighten your anxiety and
worsen your stage fright. So flip
the camera in your head to
regular camera mode and shift
your focus to the audience. How
can i make my talk so
memorable for them? What tips
can i give them to use
immediately?
The human brain can only
focus on one thing at a time. if
you concentrate on the audience,
you won’t have space in your
mind to worry about yourself
and indirectly stage fright
becomes a non-issue.
T is for TrAin YOur
BrAin
Just imagine it. You go to the
cinema. You buy your ticket, grab
your popcorn and settle down in
your seat. The trailers roll and
the movie begins. Do you expect
the movie to be a bad one?
Definitely not!
But that’s how many people
approach public speaking. They
dream up every negative
outcome. i’ll trip on my way to
the stage and make a fool of
myself. i’ll get booed off the
stage. i’ll be so boring the
audience will sleep. All these
negative thoughts will only
worsen your stage fright.
So put yourself in cinema
mode and train your brain to
expect only positive outcomes.
See yourself getting a standing
ovation. imagine the eager
expectant faces of an engaged
audience listening with rapt
attention to you. Hear yourself
giving thoughtful responses
during the Q and A session after
your talk. Train your brain to
vividly visualize good things
happening to you before, during
and after your talk. That will take
care of your stage fright.
A is for ACHiEVE
CAlM
When you are relaxed, it’s
impossible to get an attack of
stage fright. You can achieve
calm in a number of ways:
DEEp BrEATHinG:This is
especially helpful just before you
get on stage. Take a deep breath
in, pause and breathe out slowly.
repeat 10 times and you will
notice that your pulse will start
to slow down and you will feel
less tense.
prAYEr &
MEDiTATiOn:Some people feel
calmer when they pray or
meditate. Try it and see if that
works for you. remember, your
aim is to beat stage fright and
being calm is one of the key
ways to achieve that aim.
TOnGuE TWiSTErS:These
are humorous, alliterative
sentences or rhymes that aid in
proper pronunciation. An
example is SHE SEllS SEA
SHEllS On THE SEYCHEllES
SEASHOrE. Say tongue twisters
slowly and exaggerate your
mouth and face when
pronouncing the words. You’ll
invariably end up smiling or
even laughing and in that
relaxed state, stage fright will be
far from your mind.
G is for GET prEpArED
How you get ready for your
talk has a direct impact on
beating stage fright. Here’s what
you should remember:
rEHEArSE EArlY:The
surest way to provoke a bout of
stage fright is to start drafting
your talk or presentation the
night before the big day. Don’t
leave preparation till late. As
soon as you know you have a talk
to give, start doing the research
and working on your key points.
remember the advantage gained
by the early bird. Apply that
principle to your preparation if
you want to beat stage fright.
rEHEArSE WiTH An
AuDiEnCE:Why? isn’t
practicing in front of a mirror
good enough? no. Because when
you get on the stage to speak, you
won’t be looking at a reflection
of yourself. You’ll be facing an
audience. So practice with people
watching you. Ask 4 or 5 friends
to sit in the room while you
rehearse. Their purpose is to
make practice sessions as
realistic as possible and to also
provide feedback on what they
remember and what they like or
dislike about your presentation.
Once you incorporate their
feedback into your talk, you’ll be
more confident about how the
talk will be received and
therefore less likely to worry
about it which means no stage
fright.
rEHEArSE On ViDEO:in
your practice sessions, ask one of
the audience members to record
you speaking. Watch your
performance and evaluate
yourself. You’ll notice what you
liked (which you’ll maintain)
and what you disliked (which
you’ll discard from your speech).
You will also get an idea of how
the audience will see you on the
day of the talk. Often we are
unaware of annoying gestures
we might make during a speech.
it’s only recording and
reviewing rehearsal sessions
that these tics will be picked up.
rehearsing on video will
ultimately make you more
confident about your talk and
more likely to beat stage fright.
rEHEArSE OFTEn: How
often? As long as it takes you to
know with certainty that you’ve
covered all your key points and
implemented useful feedback
from your rehearsal audience
and your personal evaluation of
the recorded practice sessions.
remember the more assured you
are, the more likely you are to
beat stage fright once and for all.
E is for EXprESS YOurSElF:
let’s begin by recapping the first
4 tips for beating stage fright:
Shift your focus
Train your brain
Achieve calm
Get prepared
After going through all these
steps, it’s now time to get
onstage and do your thing!
Here’s what to do:
SCripT YOur inTrODuCTiOn:
Give your profile to the emcee for
your introduction. Keep it brief:
your profession or job title, your
experience, your speaking topic
and your name.
STArT STrOnG:Your
opening remarks should be
delivered with you making
friendly eye contact with your
audience. if you still feel nervous,
smile. The audience will
automatically smile back with
no idea how you’re feeling.
people can’t tell you are having a
bout of stage fright when you
smile so take advantage of that
fact!
DOn’T STOp FOr MiSTAKES:
Only you know how your talk is
meant to flow from start to
finish. if you make a mistake or
stumble over a word, keep
moving. it’s not the end of the
world. news readers make
mistakes every day but as long as
they don’t call themselves out on
those errors, they often go
undetected. Adopt the
newscaster attitude.
EnD STrOnG: Know exactly
how you want to end your
presentation. This is one key way
to lessen stage fright because
you have no fears about what the
end looks like. Often, calm and
assured speakers get flustered
when the dreaded piece of paper
with WrAp up nOW on it is
handed over to them. The
temptation for most of them is
to speed up but that only creates
more mistakes and more
anxiety. if your talk has to end
abruptly simply go to your
planned close, say it and let the
audience know they can contact
you for copies of the
presentation.
So there you have it! 5 easy
steps to beat stage fright and all
you have to do is remember how
to spell STAGE and that’s it:
Shift your focus
Train your brain
Achieve calm
Get prepared
Express yourself
The Effective
Speaker’sToolbox gives you tips
to help you communicate
effectively at work and in the
media.
For training and coaching
enquiries, email contact@kafuidey.com

Thursday, May 12, 2022
BACK
PAGE
Govt to launch national
airline to benefit from
AfCFTA — Hassan Tampuli
SinCE 2017, government has made
clear its intentions to establish a national
carrier following the collapse
of Ghana Airways and Ghana international
Airline.
The government believes this will not only
build the aviation sector in the country, but
create opportunities for Ghana to benefit from
the Africa Continental Free Trade Area.
Outlining several works being done to
prove Ghana’s transportation systems at the
Africa forum organized by the Chartered institute
of logistics and Transport in Accra,
Deputy Transport Minister, Hassan Tampuli,
stressed on the importance of a new airline for
the growth of the country’s economy via the
Africa Continental Free Trade Area.
“in terms of infrastructure, we have embarked
on massive infrastructure developments
to improve all our sea ports, airports
and railway connectivity. Currently, two of our
regional domestic airports in Kumasi and
Tamale are being upgraded into international
status.”
“We have also set out to establish a national
airline with a private strategic partner
to support our vision of positioning Ghana as
an aviation hub of West Africa and beyond.
The national airline will in no doubt boost the
objective of the AfCFTA,,” he stated.
Ghana has been without a national carrier
since Ghana international Airlines (GiA) collapsed
in 2010, following the demise of the
heavily indebted Ghana Airways in 2004.
For years now, several governments have
announced plans of establishing a national
airline but nothing has been done yet.
in October 2020, Ghana signed an Mou
with EgyptAir for the establishment of a new
flag carrier. The government at the time was
expected to maintain a 10% shareholding in
the new airline, with the majority of shares to
be held by private investors.
This followed a similar Mou in 2018 with
Ethiopian Airlines but that agreement appeared
to have snagged over disagreements on
routes, funding, and the management contract.
presenting the 2022 budget to parliament
on november 17 2021, Finance Minister Ken
Ofori-Atta announced the government was in
the final negotiation stages with a potential
• hassan Tampuli,
Deputy Transport Minister
strategic partner for a new national airline.
Electric Buses
in the wake of continuous increases in
transport fares due to the rising cost of fuel,
and calls by stakeholders for the government
to revamp the country’s public transport system,
the government is developing an e-mobility
policy to guide the deployment of
electric buses in the country.
According to Deputy Minister of Transport,
Hassan Tampuli, this forms part of measures
to decarbonize and contribute toward
net-zero emissions, and also to fortify the
country’s transport system under the AfCFTA.
“We are currently developing an e-mobility
policy to guide the deployment and scale
up of electric vehicles in the country. We are
also working assiduously to introduce the first
ever battery powered electric buses for public
transportation in Accra. We attend conferences
elsewhere in other countries and all the
buses that are used are electric vehicles. How
long is Ghana going to wait before we also
start getting into that space?”
The Africa forum organized by the Chartered
institute of logistics and Transport focused
on the role of logistics, transport and
industry in the sustainable implementation of
the Africa Continental Free Trade Area.
Telcos pledge ‘handsome reward’ for information
on persons stealing cell site equipment
GHAnA’S Mobile industry is offering a very
handsome reward to anyone with information
that may lead to the arrest of culprits
responsible for the recurrent telecommunication
equipment thefts at cell sites
throughout the country.
Additional amounts would be given to
whistle-blowers when the culprit is prosecuted
and jailed.
The telecommunications industry has
been experiencing theft of fuel, batteries,
copper cables, conductors and other passive
infrastructure for some time now.
There have been some interventions
put in place to address this, with some limited
success.
However, there has been a new phenomenon
in addition to the theft of passive
equipment. Stealing active equipment has
exacerbated the already bad situation.
Between August 2020 to 9th May 2022, a
total number of 115 theft cases of active devices
have been recorded.
This is in addition to 1,429 incidents of
passive equipment theft. These active parts
of the infrastructure stolen at the cell sites
include the base transceiver system, transmission
equipment (including both microwave
and fibre optic transmission
equipment), radio Frequency (rF) cables,
and electrical cables.
The unfortunate acts occasionally cause
intermittent network disruptions and customers
experience network challenges in
the surrounding areas of these affected
eight regions including Ashanti, Bono, Central,
Eastern, Greater Accra, north, Volta &
Western. The Ashanti region alone recorded
over 50 theft cases out of the 114 (44%).
The Central region followed with a
total of 19 theft cases representing 16.8%,
followed closely by Greater Accra, which
recorded 18 incidents representing 15.9%.
The northern region recorded two cases in
less than 1 week, at Kusagu on the 4th &
Tamale today the 9th of May 2022. The focus
seems to have shifted to the north.
For the passive equipment theft from
2017 to March 2022, Greater Accra leads with
461 theft incidents (32%) Ashanti region follows
with 375 incidents (26%) and Eastern
region follows with 270 incidents (19%).
Over this period over 440,000 gallons of
diesel, 804 B.T.S batteries, 786 generators
batteries, 124 DC-AC inverters, 102 AVr
Transformers, 26 AC units and 8 Fire Extinguishers
are among the item stolen.
Chief Executive of the Ghana Chamber
of Telecommunications, Dr. ing. Kenneth
Ashigbey said, “this is completely unacceptable
as these impacts directly on the quality
of service that customers have and has national
security implications for all of us. We
cannot allow these nation wreckers to continue
having a field day. Therefore, we have
collaborated with several units of the CiD
and the national Signals Bureau, an agency
of the national Security, to enable quick action
to nip it in the bud. We would need the
support of the general public”.
He said, while working closely with authorities
and the security apparatuses to
bring a stop to these actions, their technical
team is also replacing the equipment to restore
the affected networks to normalcy
while adopting other measures to ensure
they further improve security at these cell
sites.
“We recognise the impact on our customers
and the high cost of replacing this
equipment at our cell sites. Subsequently,
we are more than happy to reward anyone
or community members for their vigilance
and efforts to catch these persons committing
these crimes.”
Already, three suspected thieves have
been arrested in the act of stealing over the
past two weeks in Kumasi and Accra.
The culprits from Atimatim attempted
theft have been arraigned before the Kumasi
Circuit Court Two and the court has
granted them bail with sureties to re-appear
before it on the 9th of June 2022.
The other person was arrested last April
29 at Bortianor in Accra; he is currently on
self-recognisance bail.
“We are by this statement, together
with the CiD of the police Service and the
nSB serving notice to these criminals, including
those buying these equipment, that
a lot more of them will be arrested and put
behind bars to serve as a deterrent. We also
implore the general public, especially the
communities where the telecommunication
cell sites are located, to help protect
telecommunication equipment, which are
critical to the national infrastructure industry.”
“Apart from this being our civic responsibility
and all of us ensuring that we have
uninterrupted telecommunication service,
there would be a handsome reward for you
if your credible intelligence leads to the arrest
of anyone engaged in telecommunication
theft activities with additional sums
made available to the whistle-blower when
a culprit is prosecuted and jailed.”
“We also implore anyone with information
about these incidents to kindly call the
police 191 or 18555 or the Mobile networks
on the toll-free numbers 100 or 419 for the
generous reward.”