News
Application for CAP is free – NBSSI
Applicants of the Coronavirus Alleviation Programme (CAP) business support have been asked to be cautious of persons who offer to register them on the scheme at a fee.
The National Board for Small Scale Industries (NBSSI), the fund manager, said although the registration for the CAP was free, some unscrupulous individuals were charging applicants before registering them on the scheme.
A statement issued by the board in Accra said some unsuspecting applicants had fallen victim to fraudsters who were charging registration and application fees.
“The initial registration/application is totally free. However, an administrative or processing fee is deducted only when funds have been approved and credited to the applicant’s account,” the NBSSI said.
The GH₵1 billion CAP, launched by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo- Addo on Tuesday, May 19, 2020, is aimed at aiding Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to survive the impact of the pandemic on their operations.
The statement said the facility came with an annual interest rate of three per cent, a one-year moratorium and a repayment term of between two and three years and administered to eligible businesses through some financial institutions and telecommunication companies.
“It is a life saver not just for the beneficiaries but for the nation as a whole. It is unprecedented in Ghana’s history, as it accounts for about 0.15 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and 1.22 per cent of the projected tax revenue for 2020, oxygen for a nation gasping for breath from a Coronavirus pandemic that has hit the world hard and brought global economies to a standstill,” it said.
It noted that with MSMEs accounting for 92 per cent of businesses and contributing to about 70 per cent of GDP, the effort to support them was justified because, “MSMEs are the pulse of the Ghanaian economy. It is these businesses that keep the lights on in Ghana.”
“The fund is a breath of fresh air and a resurgence of hope in an uncertain time. It is the panacea this nation so desperately needs to sail through these tumultuous times,” the statement said.
The NBSSI said it had a proven track record in implementing similar interventions and had in the last three years, chalked many significant milestones such as the training of 65,000 youths and supporting several entrepreneurs.
“The hope is that this fund will benefit as many eligible businesses as possible, to ensure their survival, as well as that of households that depended on such businesses. There is no doubt that this relief programme is timely and most welcome,” it said.
BY JONATHAN DONKOR
News
Ghana-Colombia strengthens ties through diplomatic engagement
In an important diplomatic engagement, the Colombian Ambassador to Ghana H.E. Daniel Garces Carabali paid a courtesy call on the Minister for the Interior, Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, at his office in Accra to discuss some key areas of collaboration.
The meeting focused on pressing issues, including security, decongestion of Ghana’s prisons, prison reform programmes, training programmes, improving the welfare of prisoners and enhancing disaster management in the country.
The courtesy call underscores the growing bilateral ties between Ghana and Colombia, building on previous engagements, such as the visit of the Colombian Vice President to Ghana in 2023.
The meeting demonstrates the commitment of both nations to fostering cooperation and addressing shared challenges.
News
Ghana to host African Catholic Journalists from August 10
The Union Catholique Africaine de la Presse (UCAP), also known as the African Catholic Union of the Press, in collaboration with the Catholic Association of Media Practitioners-Ghana (CAMP-G), is set to host its prestigious Triennial Congress from August 10 to 17 August, 2025.
The programme would be held at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), Legon, Accra, Ghana.
This landmark event, the most significant gathering of Catholic journalists in Africa, will bring together media professionals, researchers, and experts in digital technology from across the continent and beyond.
The theme for the Congress is: “Balancing Technological Progress and the Preservation of Human Values in the Age of Artificial Intelligence.”
Congress Highlights
The UCAP Congress 2025 will feature discussions and deliberations on critical issues arising from or related to integral human development, particularly within the framework of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Some of the key sub-themes to be addressed include:Corporate Social Responsibility in Managing the Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Human Values, Deploying AI in Eco-friendly Business Start-ups in Africa: Opportunities and Challenges, Technology and the Reprogramming of Social Reality, Distortion of Reality in Social and Digital Media, Ecological Education and Action Against Unsustainable Exploitation of Natural Resources, and Media and the Promotion of the Recommendations of the Synod on Synodality in Africa.
Participants will include media professionals from both ecclesiastical and lay organisations, media researchers and academics, representatives from the Vatican, government agencies, NGOs, civil society, and the digital technology sector.
Objectives of the Congress
The primary goal of this Congress is to strengthen the capacities of media professionals and educate the public on the necessity of preserving human values amid rapid technological progress. Specific objectives include; Training 100 media practitioners in Artificial Intelligence and emerging technologies, with a focus on balancing innovation and human values.
This will include promoting ethics and bioethics in technical research and technological innovations through media.
Advocating for human values such as respect for life, human dignity, charity, solidarity, and human rights and assessing the impact of technological progress to better understand the challenges, risks, and opportunities presented by AI will be part of the objectives.
UCAP is a continental organisation dedicated to promoting communication within the Catholic Church and its partners in Africa. With a mission to foster spiritual growth, collaboration, and responsible journalism, UCAP works to spread the Gospel, uphold human values, and support developmental initiatives across Africa and beyond.
UCAP is an independent, autonomous, non-political, and non-profit organisation comprising African Catholic journalists, communicators, academics, researchers, and institutions in various media fields.
