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Ghana bans export of 2 commodities over food security. But is that enough?

Published

3 years ago

April 12, 2022

In the wake of growing concern about food security globally, Ghana’s Food and Agriculture Ministry has placed a ban on the exportation of soya bean, and maize from the country.

The Ministry said the restrictions are part of measures to ensure food security and increase local poultry and livestock production and revealed that the Plant Protection and Regulatory Services Directorate (PPRSD), has stopped issuing phytosanitary certificates for the export of both commodities.

The Ministry’s Press Secretary, Issah Alhassan explained that the West African country has had challenges meeting its food needs since the outbreak of the global pandemic, Colin-19 in 2020.

“Over the past two years, since the advent of Covid-19, we had to endure a lot of challenges so, in order to ensure that the local demand is met, there was the need to promulgate a law to ensure that any individual that wants to export soybeans from this country has to come for a permit.”

Some countries have been forced to make food policies since the beginning of the ongoing Ukraine/Russia war in February largely because the two countries are major exporters of food, particularly wheat. Recall that slamreportafrica.com reported last month that Egypt’s Prime Minister, Mostafa Madbouly, has announced that the country will diversify its sources of wheat to avoid relying on what he described as “specific sources” for this product.

In Nigeria, Ghana’s West African neighbour, the richest man in Africa and chairman of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote of Nigeria, also warned Nigerians to be prepared for an impending food crisis within the next two to three months.

Mr. Dangote, then advised the government to immediately stop the ongoing export of maize abroad by some Nigerians, blaming the development on the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

Apart from recent data from the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) indicating the increasing cost of foodstuff, there have been concerns over a possible food shortage in Ghana.

But how effective can a ban on exportation be in the push to achieve sufficiency in the world today? What if other countries also shut down the exportation of other essential commodities? Who loses?

Related Topics:Featured Ghana Maize Soya bean

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VenturesNow

IMF, Egypt reach agreement for fourth review of Egypt’s $1.2 billion loan request

Published

12 hours ago

December 26, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

Egypt and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have reached a staff-level agreement over the fourth review of the Extended Fund Facility arrangement, which might lead to a $1.2 billion payout under the program.

In March, Egypt, struggling with rising inflation and cash shortages, consented to the $8 billion, 46-month facility. Its economic problems were made worse by a precipitous drop in Suez Canal revenue over the last year due to regional tensions.

Over the next two years, Egypt’s government has committed to raising its tax-to-revenue ratio by 2% of GDP, according to the IMF, emphasising removing exemptions rather than raising taxes.

According to a statement from the IMF, this would allow it to expand social expenditure to support vulnerable populations.

“While the authorities’ plans to streamline and simplify the tax system are commendable, further reforms will be needed to enhance domestic revenue mobilization efforts,” the statement said.

According to the IMF statement, Egypt had also committed to maintaining its commitment to a flexible currency rate and to taking more urgent action to guarantee that the private sector became the primary driver of development.

The IMF’s executive board still has to accept the fourth review’s staff-level agreement.

VenturesNow

Libya’s eastern govt accepts petrol subsidy elimination

Published

12 hours ago

December 26, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

In a recent statement, the eastern government of Libya claimed it had reached a consensus on a plan to eliminate gasoline subsidies and would draft a mechanism to carry out the accord.

Additional information on the idea was not released by the administration led by Osama Hamad, a challenger to the internationally acknowledged Tripoli-based government.

However, it is uncertain if Hamad’s government would be able to carry out the plan in the divided nation.

According to the Global Petrol Prices online tracker, a litre of gasoline costs just 0.150 Libyan dinars ($0.03) in OPEC member Libya, making it the second-cheapest in the world.

Following an uprising against former ruler Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, smuggling networks have thrived in the ensuing political unrest and armed fighting. In 2014, conflicting eastern and western governments separated the nation.

A World Bank analysis estimates that the annual value of fuel smuggling from Libya is at least $5 billion.

In a meeting with Mari Barrasi, the deputy governor of the Central Bank of Libya (CBL), located in Tripoli, and four members of the bank’s board of directors, Hamad in Benghazi supported the idea of removing subsidies.

The CBL’s Benghazi branch offices served as the venue for the conference.

The eastern parliament appointed Hamad in 2023 to succeed Abdulhamid Dbeibah, who had been put in position in 2021 under a U.N.-backed procedure that the parliament said had lost its legitimacy.

Dbeibah, who is located in Tripoli, stated in January that he will conduct a public poll on the topic of eliminating gasoline subsidies, but he hasn’t done anything about it since.

According to CBL figures, gasoline subsidies cost 12.8 billion Libyan dinars between January and November of this year. 4.8 Libyan dinars to $1 is the official exchange rate.