Ama Ata Aidoo passes on

COCOBOD, the cocoa sector regulator, has released GH¢2.6billion to Licenced Buying Companies (LBCs) to expedite farmers’ payments, thereby clearing a significant portion of arrears owed.

The country’s inflation rate could potentially drop below the current 5.3 percent recorded in June this year, Databank analysts have suggested.

Forty-five years after its creation, the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme has registered 50,000 products for duty-free access, yet intra-regional trade barely clears 12 per cent. A hard look at the levies, legal obligations and political will standing between aspiration and market reality.

Sixteen national governments from across Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Europe and the Pacific met at the 11th Our Ocean Conference and adopted the Mombasa Declaration, committing to advance global fisheries transparency and strengthen efforts aimed at combatting illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.