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Stakeholders urged to provide requisite platforms to support young green businesses
Relevant stakeholders focused on climate related issues have been advised to provide the necessary platform to support numerous wonderful ideas and innovations of young people in the climate space.
According to Dr Yaw Agyeman Boafo, a research fellow at the Centre for Climate Change and Sustainability Studies, University of Ghana indicated that green business was the way to go in the quest to tackle climate change, hence attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.
To him, investing in young people’s innovations was of essence because the youth were the future of the nation.
“They are the ones expected to be controlling the affairs of countries of the world or Sub-Saharan Africa in the coming years. And the youth with their energy can start the movement of driving green businesses all around us,”
he reiterated.
Dr Yaw Boafo made these appeal at the 3-day YouSustain Conference held from 6th to December 8, 2023 in Accra.
The Conference aimed at providing network and resource opportunity for young people involved in ecopreneural businesses created a platform for young people, developmental agencies, and researchers to have an intellectual discourse on how best young people could be supported to contribute to urban sustainability in sub-Saharan Africa through ecopreneurship.
Speaking to the media, Dr Boafo explained that it was time for stakeholders both in the government and private sector to give technical support to build young people’s capacity as well as financial support that would aid them to utilize the skills and knowledge acquired, hence turning their ideas into businesses that can survive and help address the multiple sustainable development challenges facing Sub-Saharan Africa which Ghana is not an exception.
“Yes, the National Youth Policy and other youth related policies exist. However, the challenge the youth are facing is financial backing to practically implement their business ideas to help fight climate change”, he emphasized.
He was however hopeful that the conference would provide the needed platform to attract financial support for young ecopreneurs in the Sub-Sahara Region including Ghana.
Dr Boafo used the occasion to urge young people to continue to be dedicated, committed and should never give up on their eco-business.
“Young people should develop resilience, have the energy or the desire to keep working on what they believe in and should be willing to work with other people from different parts of the continent,”he admonished.
Elaborating more on the 3-day conference, the Conference Coordinator, Mr. Paul Dankwa explained it was to provide a networking and resource opportunity for young people involved in ecopreneural businesses to share knowledge and potentially collaborate for green business development; select viable ecopreneur ideas from the conference and provide them with incubation support and potential grants for their project implementation.
In addition, to create a platform for young people to showcase their green businesses, products, and services, and gain exposure and visibility for their work, hence exploring avenues for upscaling; and exploring how successful practices and solutions for sustainability in sub sahara,” he stated.
BY BENEDICTA GYIMAAH FOLLEY
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GEXIM deepens relations with US EXIM Bank
A management team of the Ghana Export – Import Bank (GEXIM) led by the Acting Chief Executive, Sylvester Mensah met with the leadership of the Export–Import Bank of the United States (US EXIM) on Wednesday April 23, 2025 in Washington DC, United States of America.
The Acting President and Chairman of US EXIM, Mr. James C. Cruse and Vice President, International Relations, Ms. Isabel Galdiz received the GEXIM delegation, which included Deputy CEO for Banking, Mr. Moses Klu Mensah and Head of International Cooperation, Mr. Jonathan Christopher Koney at the headquarters of US EXIM.
The meeting offered the GEXIM team the opportunity to share the strategic direction of the Bank in line with the resetting agenda of the President of the Republic, His Excellency John Dramani Mahama for the repositioning of the Ghanaian economy into an export-led one by providing the requisite investment to Ghanaian businesses.
Mr. James C. Cruse expressed US EXIM’s eagerness to deepen its existing relations with GEXIM and proposed the signing of a new Cooperative Framework Agreement following the expiration of a Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2019 to utilize US EXIM’s medium term loan guarantees to procure machinery by GEXIM for qualified Ghanaian Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs).
Mr.Sylvester Mensah thanked the Acting President and Chairman of US EXIM for hosting the GEXIM delegation and reaffirmed the Ghanaian government’s commitment to strengthening trade and investment between Ghana and its global partners for economic transformation of Ghana with GEXIM playing a pivotal role.
The two teams will be meeting on the sidelines of the 2025 US EXIM Annual Conference on 29th and April 30, 2025 to explore possible areas of collaboration and matching Ghanaian businesses to American companies. The meeting ended with an exchange of gifts.
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Many SOEs have been used as mere instruments for personal wealth accumulation –Pres.Mahama
President John Dramani Mahama has expressed concern over the misuse of State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) for personal financial gain by individuals in leadership positions.
Speaking during a meeting with Chief Executives of specified entities under the State Interest and Governance Authority (SIGA) on Thursday, March 13, the President directly attributed the dire state of SOEs to their leadership, accusing chief executives, management teams, and governing boards of prioritising personal enrichment over organisational efficiency.
He pointed to bloated budgets, unjustified allowances, and unnecessary expenditures as factors draining public funds while SOEs continue to rely on government bailouts.
“Many SOEs have been used as mere instruments for personal wealth accumulation by appointees. The chief executives, management, and boards of these enterprises are responsible for this situation. Some SOEs have become perennial loss-makers, draining public funds with bloated budgets, unjustified allowances, and unnecessary expenditures while relying on government bailouts as if entitled to them. Many of these entities are at their lowest point in the entire history of the Fourth Republic,” he said.
President Mahama further noted that many SOEs have been plagued by inefficiencies, corruption, and mismanagement, leading to consistent financial losses. He cited the 2023 State Ownership Report by the State Interests and Governance Authority (SIGA), which highlighted systemic inefficiencies and wasteful expenditures within these entities.
He therefore reaffirmed his commitment to reforming under-performing SOEs and ensuring they serve national interests.
He warned that loss-making SOEs will no longer be tolerated and will either be merged, privatised, or closed.
“I will assess you based on your performance. If you do not align with the pace of the reset agenda, you may be asked to step aside. If that adds to the horror movie, so be it,” he added.
Source: Myjoyonline.com
