Bussiness
Thai army boycotts e-commerce giant Lazada over video
Thailand’s army has boycotted online retailer Lazada over an advert that the government is probing for allegedly insulting the country’s royal family.
The move will see 245,000 members of the Thai military banned from using the e-commerce giant’s websites for official purposes.
Thailand has strict laws over defaming, insulting or threatening senior members of the royal family.
Singapore-based Lazada is one of South East Asia’s biggest online retailers.
The announcement comes after citizens loyal to the king complained about a TikTok video promoting a Lazada sale on 5 May.
Royalists said the advert, which featured a woman in a wheelchair, mocked the younger sister of King Vajiralongkorn, Princess Chulabhorn, who uses a wheelchair as a result of Lupus, an autoimmune disease.
The video was “offensive to the monarchy” and “caused disunity in Thai society,” Thai army spokeswoman Colonel Sirichan Ngathong said in a statement.
“The army now has a policy to ban all army units and army-related activities from ordering merchandise from Lazada platform or delivering things from Lazada,” she added.
Thailand’s digital economy minister Chaiwut Thanakamanusorn told reporters that the government was considering legal action against the influencer and the advertising agency responsible for the video, as well as Lazada.
Under Thailand’s lese-majeste law courts can hand down jail terms of up to 15 years for each offence of defaming, insulting or threatening King Maha Vajiralongkorn, the queen, their heir or regent.
Lazada, which is the South East Asian unit of Chinese online retail group Alibaba, did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the BBC.
Earlier the company apologised for the “emotional damage” caused by the video and said it should have been more careful.
At least half a dozen businesses in Thailand, including some run by the palace, have also suspended use of Lazada because of the video, according to the Reuters news agency.
Source:bbc
Bussiness
Charterhouse announces the Business Elevate Series with launch of ‘The Gastro Feastival’
Charterhouse, Ghana’s leading event management and audiovisual production company, is marking its 25th anniversary of delivering top-tier events with the introduction of an exciting new initiative: The Business Elevate Series.
This innovative series is designed to shine a spotlight on key economic sectors through a series of dynamic B2B and B2C events, including industry conferences, seminars, and exhibitions.
Kicking off the series is The Gastro Feastival, a groundbreaking annual food industry festival that will showcase Ghana’s rich and diverse food ecosystem and agribusinesses from production to consumption.
The launch event will take place on Friday, March 7, 2025, from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM at the Grand Arena (Accra International Conference Centre).
This landmark event will bring together food industry stakeholders, enthusiasts, experts, and organizations to highlight the food industry’s critical role in Ghana’s socio-economic development and culture.
It will also promote food security, digital innovation, women’s empowerment, youth employment in agribusiness, and sustainable practices.
The Business Elevate Series is a game-changing initiative designed to foster growth and transformation across multiple sectors. With Charterhouse’s deep expertise in organizing impactful meetings, the series aims to unlock investment opportunities, drive innovation, and catalyze social and economic change.
The Gastro Feastival will address six major pillars that drive industry transformation: Investment Opportunities; Job Creation; Innovation, Technology, and Digitization; Youth Involvement (entrepreneurship and career opportunities); Women’s Involvement; Environmental and Social Governance (ESG); Export Opportunities
The event will also establish a Resource Bank, spotlighting key growth opportunities and ensuring the effective allocation of resources to transform Ghana’s food industry.
The Gastro Feastival is a Charterhouse initiative, with Kosmos Innovation Centre as the technical partner.
Bussiness
Ghana’s GDP shows economy is fast recovering despite DDEP – Finance Ministry
Ghana’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) indicates a rapid economic recovery despite global challenges and ongoing debt restructuring, according to the Ministry of Finance (MoF).
The Ministry in a statement today indicated that latest data from the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS), cumulative economic growth for the second quarter (Q2) of 2024 reached 6.9%, a notable increase from the 4.7% recorded in the first quarter of 2024.
The MoF statement further noted that, “The economy’s robust recovery is in response to the macroeconomic stability and growth interventions that government is pursuing under our IMF-supported Post Covid-19 Programme for Economic Growth (PC-PEG).”
According to them, the overall real GDP growth for the first half of 2024 rebounded strongly, with year-on-year GDP growth averaging 5.8% for the period, significantly higher than the 2.9% recorded in the same period in 2023.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
Read full statement below
