Ghana Roundup: 5G wireless data, construction of hospitals, exploitation of fossil fuels
5G wireless data
Ghana is planning to connect to 5G wireless data communication for mobile carriers, according to the Director General of the Ghana National Communications Authority (NCA). "We have made sure that the spectrum required for five 5G is available, there are few policies that must be made as to exactly how spectrum will be made available," he is quoted by local media Graphic Online. Speaking at a public gathering at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), the director of the NCA spoke about the importance of improving local internet services to ensure access to 5G services for the majority of the population, despite the complex market dynamics.
Construction of hospitals
The Ghanaian government is set to commission the first 50 hospitals under the government’s ‘Agenda 111’ initiative by mid-2024. The project, launched by President Akufo-Addo on August 17, 2021, aims to construct 111 district and regional hospitals across the country. The Vice Chairman of the Health Committee of the Ghanaian Parliament announced the progress of the project in parliament during the debate on the country’s 2024 state budget. “Mr. Speaker, by the middle of next year, I am not bragging; we will commission the first 50 of these Agenda 111 hospitals. When the hospitals are completed, not only will they provide jobs for thousands of doctors, nurses, and others, but they will also open up businesses in the districts. The hospitals will run 24-hour services,” he is quoted by local media the Daily Guide Network.
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Exploitation of fossil fuels
Ghana’s energy minister has said that the West African nation has no intention to quit the exploitation of its petroleum resources on the cusp of the energy transition from the use of fossil fuels. According to the minister, wealthy nations have utilised unclean resources, while Africa and other developing nations have recently begun using their resources. “It is high time we Africans started to produce and use energies we have on this continent for our own development and that is the push for the current crop of Energy Ministers around Africa,” he is quoted by Graphic Online.
Pharmacies shutdown
The Pharmacy Council in Ghana shut down over 100 pharmaceutical shops between September and November for operating illegally and prescribing the wrong medications, local media Citi News reports. The Council's Deputy Registrar is quoted by local media Citi News saying, “If you are trying to put together facilities that have been closed down within the year, it is a lot. We can have 100 closed down in two or three months.”
Visa on arrival
The Ghanaian government has reinstated the visa-on-arrival policy for passengers travelling to the country during the festive season, effective from December 1. The Ghanaian minister of transport in a statement said, “Following consultation between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Ghana Immigration Service and the Ghana Tourism Authority, approval has been given for passengers travelling to Ghana to opt for visa-on-arrival waiving the requirement for prior approval. This arrangement is effective from 1st December 2023 to 14th January 2024."
