Volume 1 issue 40

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MONDAY | OCTOBER 13, 2014 Title Code: DELENG18579 • RNI NO: DELENG/2014/54666 • Postal Registration No.: DN/325/2014-2016 • VOL. 1 • NO. 40 • Page 12 • Price `10

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Vodafone set to unveil iphone 6 in Ghana

Its time for Investors to

Come and Invest in Ethiopia

Prime Minister of Ethiopia Hailemariam Desalegn officially opened the Africa Hotel Investment Forum 2014 recently which was held at the Sheraton Addis and was efficacious in enticing international audience

from the hotel and tourism industry.The Prime Minister noted that the government has in full swing started

a course to operationally amend and renovate Ethiopia's tourism and hospitality industry. He accentuated the significance that the Government was now giving to the sector and he told the Forum that "the main responsibilities and role of the public to the industry have been well identified," and he called on investors to "come and invest" in Ethiopia.

The Forum, Africa's top event for hotel investors, has brought together over 500 delegates, counting high-level executives and government ministers from over a dozen countries, to debate on tourism development and investment. During the meeting, the Wyndham Hotel Group, the largest

hotel company in the world, with about 7,540 hotels, proclaimed it was going to open its first property in Ethiopia in January 2015.

The declaration was made by Bani Hadad, the regional vice-president for the Middle East and Africa. The Group's Ramada Hotel will offer 136 rooms and will be positioned at a main transport route connecting the city centre with Addis Ababa's Bole International Airport. Wyndham Hotel Group has branches in 71 countries and a range of 13 different hotel brands.

It has Ramada and Hawthorn hotels in Africa in Ghana, Morocco, Nigeria and Tunisia, and is planning other projects in Kenya, Rwanda and Tanzania in addition to the Ramada Hotel in Addis Ababa. Mr. Hadad said the Middle East and Africa region was undergoing an annual growth rate of six percent, with a predictable population

2014

AfricAns hAve An Appetite to trAvel

ASTONISHING ALGERIA

HOLIdAyS IN KERALA IN THE LAp Of MOTHER NATuRE

ExCELLENCE IN ENVIRON-MENTAL ENGINEERING

Wassupafrica02

Rwanda’s earnings from this year’s Internet coffee auction rose significantly to $301,771 (about Rwf212.7 million) compared to Rwf159.3 million ($225,970) realised at last year’s auction from 16 lots.

This year, 28 lots of coffee, or 15,200 kilogrammes of the green beans category, were sold via the Alliance for Coffee Excellence (ACE), a New York-based website. A kilogramme went for a maximum of $81 compared to $45 last year.

Eighty-six companies from 18 countries across the world participated in the auction held at the National Agricultural Exports Board (Naeb) offices in Kigali on Wednesday.

The coffee was part of the 179 lots that were selected during last month’s 2014 Rwanda Cup of Excellence, said Eric Ruganintwali, the quality and regulation manager at Naeb. Ruganintwali is also the co-ordinator of Rwanda Cup of Excellence.

CFC Muhondo Coffee Washing Station pocketed $50,000 (Rwf35.3 million) from 660 kilogrammes to emerge the top earners, followed by Muyongwe Coffee Washing Station, which fetched $36,654 (Rwf25.8 million). Ruvumbu bagged $10,479 (Rwf7.4 million), while Nyagatare Coffee Washing Station realised $10,194.3 (Rwf7.2 million).

Tony Sanganira, the State Minister for Agriculture, attributed the good performance to improved quality.

“The fact that our coffee has attracted $81 per kilogramme

Rwanda fetches Rwf213m from this year’s online coffee auction

lesDep has the power to change india

Why is it so important to address youth employment precisely?

Have countries implemented targeted measures to support youth employment? And how effective are these methods for this critical subject?

The world, at present, faces a substantial challenge in furnishing jobs to its young people. There are at least 70 million young people unemployed internationally, and unemployment rates for young people are sizably higher than for the population as a whole in almost all countries.

India is, no doubt, working towards improving the quality and skills levels of the youth. It is generally recognized that the development of relevant skills

online should be a signal to all stakeholders, especially farmers to focus on quality along the supply value chain. Let’s target a record $100 per kilogramme in the coming auction so that farmers can benefit more and improve the livelihoods,” Sanganira told The New Times.

He urged farmers and traders to embrace online trading as a marketing tool for Rwandan products.

He re-affirmed government’s commitment to continue investing in agriculture, in terms of input subsides and infrastructure development to scale up productivity.

Amb. George Kayonga, Naeb director general, said there were ongoing efforts to popularise

is an important instrument for improving the productivity of any developing country. Education and skills can open doors towards economically and socially rewarding jobs and can help the development of small informal-sector businesses.

With the increasing recognition to the activities of LESDEP in the African countries, this programme has now started its innovative concept of enhancing competitiveness and contributing to social inclusion by providing decent employment opportunities to the youth of Uttrakhand, India.

Under the aegis of the Government of India, LESDEP has been able to raise productivity, competitiveness of the youth by providing entrepreneurial skills

for the unemployed in the area of mobile phone repairs to the youth of India for the first time.

Approx. 25 beneficiaries have proceeded to the LESDEP offices in Uttrakhand with much zeal and confidence, hoping that the programme will provide them the needed training in the mobile phone repairing course.

This six (06) weeks course started on 28th August, 2014 will continue to run till 13th October 2014 at MSME - Development Institute (MSME-DI), Haldwani which is a wing of Micro Small & Medium D e v e l o p m e n t E n t e r p r i s e s (MSME), New Delhi under the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium

Enterprises, Government of India.

Trained technical staff of

Rwanda Cup of Excellence so that farmers can take advantage of the competitive prices presented by online coffee trading.

Kayonga stressed that efforts to improve quality and productivity were ongoing, including investing in mechanism to combat the potato test, which is threatening the coffee industry.

Rwanda’s coffee exports brought in $56 million in 2013 and $12.8 million during the first half of 2014.

According to National Bank of Rwanda’s statistics, the country’s exports dropped by 36 per cent during the first half of the year due to a decline in coffee export volumes, a factor attributed to bad weather.

New Times

A Unique Programme Creating Gainful Self-Employment OpportunitiesLESDEP is, without doubt, putting their coordinated efforts for this specialized employment creation programme. These beneficiaries were given complementary mobile repairing tool kit as well.

LESDEP has the power to change India. It can empower the youth and can utilize Indian potentials, skills and resources for development effectiveness.

The Local

Enterprise and Skills Development Programme (LESDEP) is definitely not superfluous and no mere replication of any other programme. It is a well thought-out, well-planned, a well-equipped programme that will surely create jobs that pay, to enable people be highly skilled to be self-reliant to be able to contribute to the national economy.

Mr. Narendra Manral, Coordinator, LESDEP India addressing the youth at MSME - Development Institute (MSME-DI), Haldwani

MONDAY | OCTOBER 13, 2014

Wassupafrica 03

FRoM page 01

Members of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)

are expected to announce the adoption of a common external trade policy next year to ensure full economic integration.

Kofi Afresah Nuhu, Director in charge of manufacturing at the Ministry of Trade and Industry, who disclosed this newsmen, said ECOWAS was in the process of establishing administrative measures to regulate trade relations with non-member countries.

“One notable trend in the global economy in recent times has been the accelerated movement toward regional integration to ensure free flow of goods and services,” he stated.

Speaking at the inauguration of a new corporate office of Hush Enterprise Limited, importers of SoKlin detergents in Kumasi, Mr. Nuhu stated that the current business trend requires ECOWAS to comply with the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA).

The Trade and Industry Director applauded Hush Enterprise Limited for chalking successes in Ghana over the last 20 years and offering quality

Hailemariam's] presence makes it clear how central the hospitality industry is to the development of the economy. You need hotels

size close to two billion in several years, and the Wyndham group is

preparing to double the number of hotels in the next three years.

Jonathan Worsley, Chairman of Bench Events, said: “His [PM

for tourists but also for incoming business people and for locals as further growth is stimulated. In addition, hospitality is a great creator of employment at all levels within society.”

The mounting rate of arriving tourist and scheduled events/conferences is broadening an already enormous gap amongst demand for international-standard hotels and supply of accommodation in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia’s capital. A search on Trip Advisor reveals just two international-class, five star hotels in the city, the Sheraton and the Radisson Blu - and anecdotes about delegates attending meetings at the Africa Union’s headquarters having to travel up to 60 miles to find a bed for the night are not unidentified.

According to research carried out by the Awash International Bank, the projected unsatisfied demand for hotel nights in Ethiopia in 2015 will be 1.3 million, rising to over 3 million by 2020 if new hotels are not constructed.

The accommodation shortage was high on the agenda at the Forum. Its organiser, Matthew Weihs, Managing Director, Bench Events, continued: “The country’s overall growth and the continued progress in the tourism industry

is forecast by the World Travel & Tourism Council to be 4.8% per annum over the coming decade. Increasing the supply of high-quality, top-end hotel accommodation through hotel construction is necessary for improved competitiveness and the economic success of the sector.”

At present, Ethiopia has only six internationally-branded hotels containing 990 rooms, in the development pipeline, compared to 40 hotels (6,614 rooms) in Nigeria and 29 hotels (4,828 rooms) in Morocco.

Until recently Ethiopia was not deliberated to be very striking to investors due to the relatively low number of tourists and planned events and conferences. However, this is changing as Ethiopia is developing at more than 7% per year and is predicted to be the third largest economy in Africa by 2015. Addis Ababa now has the fourth largest international diplomatic community in the world, somewhat due to the fact that it is the seat of the Africa Union, which was launched in 2002. Also, according to The African Development Bank, Africa’s middle class is likely to grow from 355 million to 1.1 billion in the next 50 years and these people will have an appetite to travel.

ecoWAs Adopts common external tariff

detergents to the citizens.He also welcomed the

company’s decision to set up a manufacturing plant in Ghana and asserted that the Ministry supports such schemes to encourage companies to go into production.

“We’re championing made-in-Ghana goods and therefore there are support schemes for companies that go into manufacturing,” he stressed.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Hush Enterprise Limited, Gifty Champion said the company is the sole importer and distributor of SoKlin detergents in Ghana, representing PT Sayap Utama, the manufacturers in Indonesia 20.

According to her, the construction of the new office and warehouse, which are positioned to serve the Northern sector of the country, formed part of the company’s efforts to delight the Ghanaian consumer.

“We hope to increase efficiency in distributing and bringing our quality services to the doorsteps of the consumers. The consumer will therefore enjoy better overall customer service,” she indicated, promising to establish a plant in Ghana.

Eturbo News

On 8th October, 2014 the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) organized a Global SME Business Summit to enable Global Economic Growth through SME Partnerships with the Ministry of Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) at India Habitat Centre, New Delhi. It was in an attempt to provide a platform for the Indian corporates to know the emphasized booming sectors and investment opportunities in Kenya and Rwanda.

The session was graced by Ashok Saigal, Managing Director-Frontier Technologies Private Limited; Clarence Fernandes from Rwanda Development Board-Government and Dominic Murithi Mathenge, CEO- Palucon Services Kenya Limited. The session got insight of the pool of business to tap for growth and development of both the economies on every front. With the welcome remarks of Ashok Saigal, the event started and it was further taken by Clarence Fernandes.

He addressed the corporates

find out Best Businesses in Kenya and rwanda

to invest in Rwanda and gave a presentation on Rwanda’s development and highlighted the strong points on why the corporates should invest in Rwanda. The stage was then taken up by Dominic Murithi Mathenge who gave a presentation on Kenya’s development and what are the opportunities in Kenya. The session got the essence of the both Kenya and Rwanda.

It is usually said that if the answer to the question is a lot of money, you have your audience's

Dr Martyn Davies, CEO, Frontier Advisory (Pty) Ltd, H.E. Amin Abdulkadir, Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of East African Affairs, Commerce and Tourism, Republic of Kenya, H.E. Jean Kapata, Minister of Tourism and Arts, Republic of Zambia

Global SME Business Summit 2014

ears likewise this business summit was able to attract the attention of the audience as they were curious to enquire about the security of investment in these counties and whether they should open their business with the help of the local investors or by their own.

After the interaction session the closing remarks were given by Ashok Saigal. The session ends giving a full view of investment in Kenya and Rwanda on corporates’ mind.

Hon'ble Speakers at the Business Summit

mONDAY | OCTOBER 13, 2014

Mining- Algeria has always been a country that is known for its rich mineral assets and in recent years countless efforts have been made to bring attention to mining. Minerals like iron ore, zinc, lead, mercury, phosphates, copper and

calamine have been mined in the industry. Stone excavations have also been producing onyx and red and white marble. Algeria hopes to open new avenues and interest foreign investors in the local mining industry.

Agriculture- About 25% of the population is engaged in agriculture but only 3% of the total land is used. The soil is poor and subject to erosion, and the water supply is generally irregular and insufficient about one-quarter of northern Algeria is completely

unproductive. Modern agricultural output growth along with increase in population has made Algeria one of the world's largest agricultural import markets, imports of food and agricultural products which is about $2.8 billion per year.

Tourism- Tourism is one of the leading sectors to push growth, and active construction of

countryoftheWeek04

ALGERIA AT A GLANCE

Official Name: The people’s Democratic Republic of AlgeriaHead of State (President): H.E. Mr. Abdelaziz Bouteflika Capital: Algiers (4.3 million)Location: Northern Africa, bordering the western part of Mediterranean Sea.Time Zone: GMT + 1Climate: Arid to semiarid, mild, wet winters with hot and dry summers along cost; drier with cold winters and hot summers on high plateau. Area: 2, 381, 741 sq. km.Population: 39, 1 million.Languages: Arabic (official), French (lingua franca), Tamazight and other Berber dialects.Religions: Sunnit Muslim (state religion) 93%, Ibhadhi Muslim 6%, Christian and Jewish 1%.Government type: Republic.Independence: 5 July 1962.Currency: Algerian dinar (DZD).GDP (nominal): 256.7 USD billion.GDP per capita: 5,659 USDInflation Rate (consumer prices): 8.8%Natural Resources: Agriculture, petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, phosphate, uranium, lead, zinc.Main Economic Sectors:1. Agriculture: wheat, barley, oats, grapes,

olives, citrus, fruits, sheep, cattle. 2. Industries: petroleum, natural gas,

light industries, mining, electrical, petrochemical, food processing.

Import: 55 Billion USD (Wheat, cars, machinery tools, packaged medicines etc.)Export: 66 Billion USD (Crude Petroleum, Petroleum Gas, refined petroleum, ammonia, phosphate etc.)

The Thriving EconomyEconomy of Algeria is generally based on oil and

natural gas. Fourteenth-largest reserve of oil is also located here. 22% of the people here are farmers but they only contribute 6% of the country’s economy. The foods produced here are self-consumed in which wheat, barley, corn, and rice as well as fruits and vegetables are also available. 13% of the labor is employed by the government, 16% in construction and public works and 13% in industry

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32nd IFK ............................ Page 08

Mill India Ltd. ................... Page 10

Kalsi ................................. Page 10

Laxmi Publications .......... Page 11

Prakash Amusement ....... Page 11

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and 5% in transportation and communication.

The center of commercial life in Algeria is the marketplace, large, open-air markets where farmers and craftspeople sell their products. One can buy locally produced meat, fruits, vegetables, and grains—oats, barley, grapes, olives, citrus fruit—as well as woven rugs, jewelry, baskets, metalwork, and other crafts. Souks are held regularly.

The largest industry in Algeria is the production and processing of oil and gas. Services (trade,

transport, and communications) also are important. Other industries include agriculture, construction, mining, and manufacturing. Algeria’s main exports are oil and gas, followed by dates, tobacco, leather goods, vegetables, and phosphates.

The primary trading partners are Italy, France, Spain, Brazil, the Netherlands, and the United States. Imports include raw materials, food, beverages, and consumer products. However, the government imposes strict regulations on imports in an effort to make the country more self-sufficient.

Plentiful Investment Opportunities

Investment in energy, gas exploration, mining, tourism and agriculture can be done in the country.

Gas Exploration- Algeria is

the foremost natural gas producer in Africa and its economy is heavily dependent on revenues made from its hydrocarbon sector. Oil and natural gas export revenues amounted to almost $63.8 billion in 2013.

a dynamic structure economically, ethnically, and communally. Tourism is comparatively more important in the most developed economies by capturing the high income, increasing its impact in the generation of the overall national

income, increasing employment opportunities, fascinating investments, subsidizing suggestively and Algeria can follow the same. Incentives for Encouraging Investment Projects:

Algeria is witnessing economic boom. This country is experiencing investment of foreign companies and encourages them to open branches in all parts of the country. A lot of investment projects is going on including restaurants, cars, clothes and many more.

Advertisement please email to

[email protected] call at

+91 8595166674+91 9350564995

To book your

By Kanishka Chanda

ASTONISHING

AlGeriA

The meaning of Algeria is Al-Jaza’ir, where majority of the population is Arab and Berber, and particularly there are more isolated southern mountains and desert regions, which retains its culture. It borders Tunisia and Libya to the east; Niger, Mali, and Mauritania to the south; Morocco and Western Sahara to the west; and the Mediterranean Sea to the north. It shelters a total of 919,595 square miles (2,381,751 square kilometers), making it the second largest country in Africa (after Sudan), and the eleventh largest in the world. The original language of Algeria was Berber, which has wide-ranging languages throughout the country. Arabic and Berber are the languages most spoken in habitual life.


BusinessBuzz 05UBA Ghana celebrates customersVodafone set to unveil iphone 6

in Ghana

MTN Assures Mobile Money Subscribers

Access to high quality education is key to sustainable social and economic development of any country, but for the pupils of Dubila, a farming community in the Upper East Region of Ghana, inadequate infrastructure threatens their access to quality education.

Pupils in this community study under trees while others walk more than four kilometers to gain access to primary education.

Four years ago, the Bolga Municipal Assembly began the construction of a three unit class room block for the Dubila Community to serve as an initial infrastructure for basic education with plans to build a six class room block later for the community to ensure that at least children complete Junior High School.

Due to limited funds, this has not been made possible. As a result, after completing primary three, the pupils are forced to study under nearby trees or trek long distances to continue their basic education.

The community through its own initiative started a two classroom mud structure to salvage the situation but this has not been enough to change the fortunes of the school.

Airtel Ghana as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility Programme ‘Airtel Touching Lives’ has offered to complete and furnish the three class room block started by

MTN Ghana’s engineers are working “tirelessly” to resolve the problem with *170# MTN Mobile Money delivery channel, MTN’s Mobile Money Senior Manager, Eli Hini has assured.

He stated: “Our engineers are working tirelessly to resolve the problem with *170# in the shortest

a whole new way to bring harmony to your family’s digital life. Vodafone is happy to bring that experience to its customers”.

The iPhone 6 is not only bigger

the Assembly.Management of Airtel believes

that with the support, children in Dubila would have a more conducive environment to study and to have a fair chance in life against all their other competitors across the country.

Hon. Moses Abilba Assemblyman for the Area is optimist that the gesture would go a long way to improve teaching and learning in the community.

“I am very delighted for the support because it will help improve teaching and learning in the community and would inspire a lot of children to go to school”, he said

In episode five of ‘Airtel Touching Lives’, the team visited Sylvia, a hearing and visually impaired student at the Mampong special school for the deaf who is having an excitingly new learning experience on her special computer provided by Airtel Touching Lives in the previous season.

According to Sylvia’s teacher, teaching has been made easier for them and for Sylvia especially as she now has unlimited access to information on the internet with her equipment.

Sylvia is also able to communicate with her friends on social media platform, Facebook using her special equipment.

Ghanaian Chronicle

Committed and Determined to Empower African Students

Providing a platform for the young minds to explore themselves and show their prodigious potential, Ministry of Vocational Training, Learning and Crafts has really transformed the shape of Senegal. The Local Enterprises and Skill Development Programme (LESDEP) by offering quality technology training to the energetic youth has already marked its mettle in Senegal. It’s partnership with the Ministry has brought a drastic change in the country through efficient empowerment programmes. In an endeavour to limelight the requirement of vocational training, Mr. Mamadou TALLA, Minister of Vocational Training and Handicrafts, Senegal made a courtesy visit to Lovely Professional University (LPU), Jalandhar, India. The esteemed university establishing a benchmark in the education sector is furnishing quality education to many students from different corners of the world. During his visit, he emphasized on the youth empowerment

using the key of vocational training unlocking numerous ways to success. He focused on various skill development programmes that could prove to be fruitful for the students. He felt delighted to observe a pool of international students from various African countries

and expressed keen interest in admitting Senegalese students in the University

as well. Prof (Dr.) Lovi Raj Gupta,

Executive Dean Lovely Faculty of Technology & Sciences also articulated his desire to have more and more of

African students admitted to the institute. Creating a path

towards the aim of imparting technology training to the students,

an MOU has been signed between LPU, LESDEP and the Ministry of Vocational Training and handicrafts to mutually enhance the imperative sector. The Minister’s contribution is not limited to the vocational sector rather he has made earnest efforts in the automobile sector awarding opportune opportunities to the youth.

Vodafone Ghana has entrenched its position as the industry’s trailblazers of

innovation by being first to launch the new iPhone 6 and 6 Plus in Ghana, just under two weeks after its global launch.

Though the launching date is yet to be announced officials of Vodafone Ghana say customers on the network will be the first to own the latest handset, which has caused a frenzy all over the world.

Vodafone is the first network to offer it to their customers along with free 15GB data valid for 90 days. Commenting on the offer, Vodafone Ghana’s Chief Marketing Officer, Agnes Emefa Essah, said Vodafone was excited to satisfy the desire of its customers for innovation by taking the initiative to make them first to own the sleek popular handset.

Mrs. Essah also noted that the iPhone 6 is full of features that make every experience better. “It is more fun, useful, and comes with surprising ways to send messages –

possible time.“While the MTN technical

team is working round the clock to resolve the issue, affected customers who haven’t already done so are encouraged to visit any MTN branch or store for assistance.”

Mr. Hini said subscribers of the service that their monies

are; “absolutely safe and secured explaining that the problem which started a week earlier was as a result of system fluctuation and would be restored in the shortest possible time. He was speaking at a media briefing, Tuesday, in Accra to address the *170# system fluctuation which has caused

MTN Mobile money subscribers attempting to access the service some inconveniences.

Subscribers to the MTN Mobile Money service usually are able to access it through three channels

–My MTN menu on their phones –the internet and *170#.

In view of the uneasiness one has to go through in accessing the

*170# channel, Mr. Hini advised that all customers who typically access the service through that channel should use ‘My MTN’ menu on their phones.Asking for further calm on the ground, he said MTN

“appreciates the patience exercised by customers and sincerely apologizes for the inconveniences.”

Ghanaian chronicle

but it is better in every way. Larger, yet dramatically thinner. More powerful, but remarkably power efficient. With a smooth metal surface that seamlessly meets the new Retina HD display, it is one continuous form where hardware and software function in perfect unison, creating a new generation of iPhone that is better by any measure. Similar to the iPhone 5S, the iPhone 6 comes with a finger print scanner, which allows users to simply unlock their phones with a finger print. Another innovative feature of the phone is its operating system, iOS 8. The iOS 8 delivers more enhanced features like syncing your iPhone, iPad and Mac to receive calls and SMS from either of the device at any time. This is accompanied by its built-in storage of 16/32/64/128GB which allows users to do more and enjoy the experience.

Customers can get the iPhone 6 offer in Vodafone shops and Atlantic Phones at Osu. Customers should dial *179# to activate the data.

Ghanaian Chronicle

Mr. Mamadou TALLA, Minister of Vocational Training and Handicrafts, Senegal addressing the students at Lovely Professional University, Punjab.


fRaNkLY sPeaKinG06

Forging a new enterprise culture, half of Africa's one billion population has a mobile phone broadly instigated to craft solutions for variegated

social concerns. Adapting mobile phones to be more like their computers, West Africa’s hi-tech firms have been propagating the usage of these electronic accessories for government spending or tracking locusts. Commonly revered as a PC for African pockets, this mobile phone revolution has led phone users and developers to be more resourceful for being used to do things that the developed world is only now beginning to pick up on.

Illustrations can be referred from the customized usage of Mobile Banking. It was approximately four years ago in neighboring Kenya; the mobile network Safaricom introduced a service called M-Pesa that allowed users to store money on their mobiles. Dispatching the amount via text and its immediate conversion into cash by the recipient made this service globally acknowledged and commonly addressed by African natives, unable to access a bank account or afford the robust charges of using one

Mobile Money – Micro EconomyForging new possibilities for the continent, the

portable and affordable smart phones connect individuals to individuals, markets, information and services; hence, acting across urban-rural and rich-poor segregations. A reliable means of interacting with farming communities in the Ugandan countryside, Grameen Foundation also started to lease smart phones for gauging information related to planting advice, seasonal weather reports, disease diagnostics and

SAbiNe SoMe-MeNSAh Vice President of business development at business consultancy Digipact International, Seychelles

ClAiRe SibThoRpeDirector, GSMA Connected Women Programme

By kirit soBti, editor, [email protected]

After 518 lives ended in Africa because of the Ebola outbreak, it’s time for mobile phones to act as a catalyst in the war against Ebola epidemic. World Health Organization is struggling to handle the epidemic which is spreading from Guinea to Liberia and Sierra Leone. In an emergency meeting in Ghana 11 Health Ministers from West African countries agreed upon an effective plan to fight with the blood-borne virus. It will be working on answering buzzes, solidification of health teams and using modest technology to tackle with the outburst.

As mobile phones are abundantly present in Africa they can be used by health authorities in stopping the further spread of Ebola. With the use of satellite images digitalized maps can be made and difference between suburban and vacant buildings can be added to an open-source Geographic Information System (GIS) to expand the accurateness of case mapping.

“Emerging technologies can help early warning systems, outbreak response, and communication between health-care providers, wildlife and veterinary professionals, local and national health authorities, and international health agencies,” doctors at the Mercy hospital and research laboratory said in the Sierra Leone. The doctors are thinking of the emerging technologies to keep hold of the outbreak as the disease is not effectively prevented because the people are either using traditional cures or they are self-curing themselves.

The team led by a US-based specialist, Karen Jacobsen, said that mobile phones could play a vital role in the precaution against the disease. The growth of mobile is growing to increase five-times as it is of today, the researchers have forecasted. The doctors said that there is no cure or no vaccine after the disease has completed its 4 years.10, 000 patients in the rural Guinea have to struggle to prevent themselves from the attack of Ebola.

The IBM has announced to invest $100 m for a project in which the Watson supercomputer would be used to help to solve the African problems. As Watson computer is used in US to treat the cancer patients and also simple text messages have played a vital role in health education and expected to do so in Africa. Fiona Mclysaght, Sierra Leone director of NGO Concern, said: "It's a very useful medium to dispel myths and help change attitudes, and we've been using it a lot in urban areas."

Mobile technology to stop Ebola Epidemic in West Africa

market prices. Despite of all trivial obstacles that include low

battery backup and unreliable network coverage, the continent has crafted variegated ingenious solutions to keep the programme working and potential expanding across borders.

Hi-tech smart phones help Africans trade crops

Empowering farmers to negotiate decent prices with traders, the technological revolution pushed in by cell phones enable crop growers remain updated with up-to-date commodity information, have an access to daily fruit and vegetable prices from a dozen markets via SMS, reports FT.

Messaging their way to carve new opportunities

Overcoming the hurdle of travelling long distances to the nearest town with a cyber cafe, the text messaging service entertained by OneWorld International, a Kenyan firm; advertises jobs and hence, allows candidates to apply from wherever they are.

Brisk adoption of cell phones in some of the remote areas of the world has far exceeded expectations. No small undertaking is building a mobile phone network across Africa. IT Web exemplifies that it is in the year 1998 and 2003; the market for cell phone technology on the continent rose at around 63% a year. Hence, anticipations have been made by the Kenyan-based service provider, Safaricom that the mobile phone market in Kenya would reach three million subscribers by 2020.

Mobile money addresses market needs: indeed, a growing population, the increasing number of financial transactions and the penetration of mobile phones in West Africa favor the adoption of mobile money. Technology today makes mobile money accessible to all and MNOs now have the drive to offer and market solutions beyond voice.

One way this can be achieved is by delivering life-enhancing mobile services for women and the Mobile Midwife service is a great example of this. It will create social impact by providing medically-proven, locally relevant health information to pregnant women and nursing mothers in Nigeria.

Mobile Vision for AfricA Making L ife easier!

Brisk adoption of cell phones in some of the remote areas of the world has far exceeded expectations


traVeL&touRism 07

KeralaHolidays in

An easy-g o i n g climate, with

unique geographical landscape has made Kerala most searched tourist place in Asia, which has Arabic Sea in the West and Western Ghats in the east. Lavishing hill-station and interesting wildlife, peaceful beaches, waterfalls, paddy fields, calm green backwaters, expanded plantation and paddy fields, Ayurveda health centers, fascinating art forms, charmed festival, monuments predicting history and culture, are very closely located with each other that no other place will provide you so much treasure altogether.

Every place described above will give you a unique and non-forgettable experience. If you are visiting the Ayurveda centers the experience of it is so relaxing and soothing that people will want to visit again and again.

Kerala is the most

progressive state of India with 100% literacy

rate and the health care systems provided here is of high class. It is one of the cleanest state of India.

Kerala is a small state and can be easily accessed through air, road transport or even by railways. It is a state full of natural beauty. The place is so green that people will get spell-bound. Granted with a pleasing and placid climate throughout the year, Kerala has a tropical land and different types of weather can be enjoyed here.

Kerala also known as “God’s Own Country” is rich in tradition and culture. Kerala is also known for elephants, elaborate temple festivals, and the peaceful backwaters. A beautiful place for luxurious and relaxing holiday, it is full of sight-seeing places. Places should be visited are:

Kerala BackwatersA trip to the houseboat along the palm-fringed Kerala canals is the most soothing experience one can feel in Kerala with freshly cooked Indian food and experience spending the night in the middle of the lake.

MunnarMunnar is a must visit as it is the hill-station of Kerala. The place has a beautiful view of tea plantation. The area is blessed with the exotic wildlife and plants.

Periyar National ParkPeriyar National Park is one of the most popular park in the southern India. It lies in the Thekkady District, and it can be visited throughout the year. Elephant ride is provided for 30 minutes in the Jungle. Eco-tourism activity is carried out in which visitors can take part. Safaris there are carried out by boat in the lake where appealing sunset can also be captured.

Fort KochiFort Kochi attracts most of the visitors in Kerala. You can experience the sunset there with coconut water. It is also known as the “Gateway To Kerala.”

WayanadWayanad attracts tourist because of its picturesque charm. It has a green bright mountain region which is near to the Western Ghats. Coconut palms, thick forests, paddy fields, and haughty peaks makes it a beautiful and attracting tourist place.

Kerala has become the most attractive tourist place due to its beaches, backwaters, mountain ranges and wildlife sanctuaries. they are the major attractions for both domestic and international tourists in Kerala. Kerala has gradually and beautifully developed tourism, becoming one of the most searched tourist destination due to its diverse demographic scenery, making it a perfect destination for a relaxed holiday.


taLkiNGtecHnoLoGy08

The name synonymous with DAF world over – has been supplying the most efficient

DAF units to all sectors of industry since 1955. Over 600 installations in India and more than 6000 globally.

Today KROFTA supplies complete solutions for your water and waste water/sewage problems to achieve ZERO DISCHARGE. The Krofta systems comprise of:

1. DAF Systemsa) SUPERCELL – A circular DAF clarifier characterized by very low retention time of 3 minutes, pre-fabricated delivery requiring a maximum of 5 – 7 days for erection and commissioning and very high efficiencies and for separation of O & G (+98%) and suspended solids (+90%).b) SEDICELL - A combination

of flotation and sedimentation system with residence time of 20 - 30 minutes. Very useful for separation of floatable and settle-able solids and biological sludge thickening.i) Fiber and filler recovery unit

in same equipment for mills having high filler content

ii) Sedimentation and flotation in one unit ensuring handling of those water flows with very high suspended solids.

c) MINICELL – Circular DAF for oil removal and food industries.d) UNICELL – Rectangular DAF.e) MULTIFLOAT – Rectangular DAF with Floatation Enhancement Cells.

2. Belt Filter Press -Belt Filter Presses are very efficient for squeezing sludge in the ETP line to give an outlet of approximately 30% consistency. It can also be

used for dewatering sludges from 0.5% to 30% consistency.

3. CPI/TPI Ideal for separation of

immersible liquids in Petroleum/petrochemical & vegetable oil industries,

Power stations, Railway Maintenance Depots, Marine Bilge etc.

4. Lamella Clarifiers

5. Continuous Sand Filters

6. Membrane Systemsa) UF b) NFc) RO

7. Pressure Sand Filters 8. Activated Carbon

Filters

Excellence in Environmental Engineering

9. Aeration Systemsa) FIXED AERATORSb) FLOATING SURFACE

AERATORSc) DIFFUSED AERATION

10. Sedimentation Clarifiers

11. Softeners

12. Activated Sludge Process

a) SAFFb) FABc) Extended Aerator

13. Disinfectiona) Chlorinationb) Ozonationc) UV

14. Air & Odour Pollution Control Systems

Krofta is also in Air and

odour pollution control systems in collaboration with M/s ACWA Systems Ltd of UK. To keep air pollution within specified norms, Krofta uses wet scrubbing system by using partially treated effluent if available as scrubbing media for both air and odour pollution control systems.

Krofta is now entering the field of Bag Filter Houses in collaboration with Filter Design Limited of UK.

Krofta backs up its technology with excellent after-sales services.

Contact details:-Krofta Engineering LimitedDurga BhawanA-68, FIEE ComplexOkhla Industrial Phase IINew Delhi 110020Tel + 91-11-4724 2500Email: [email protected]: www.kroftaengineering.com


trysomethiNGNeW 09

ingredients • 1mango,peeledanddiced• 1avocado,peeled,pittedanddiced• 1redchili,seedsremovedandfinely

chopped• 1/2cuproughlychopped• freshcoriander• 3clovesgarlic,finelychopped• 1teaspoonsalt• juiceof½lime

UPCOMING

No one grows old by living. Only by losing interest in living....

tHougHt oFtHe WeeK

Avocado and Mango Salsa

IHGF Delhi Fair Autumn 2014 Globally popular for its Artisans, Arts & Crafts, Earthen Concepts and Captivating Colors, India is a fast-growing economy of the world. Its largest vendor-base in the globe, brings you India's most prominent & honored trade show for Handicrafts & Gifts, known as IHGF Delhi Fair. The IHGF Delhi Fair Autumn 2014 is enthusiastically visited by numerous buyers from across the world. Date:14-18Oct2014 Venue: India Expo Centre and Mart, Greater Noida, India

RFID India Expo RFid India Expo, the only exposition of RFID technology & applications in India will be held at Pragati Maidanx, India. Concurrently with the exhibition, a series of Technical Workshops & Conferences are being planned with participation from global & Indian players in the field.Date:15-17Oct2014 Venue: Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, India

FT YES BANK International Banking Summit The FT YES BANK International Banking Summit, organized by the Financial Times Live will take place from 15th October to the 16th October 2014 at the Taj Palace Hotel in New Delhi, India. The conference will cover areas like The Outlook for India in the Global Economy, Breaking Ground in Governance — Companies Act 2013. Date:15-16Oct2014Venue: Taj Palace Hotel, New Delhi, India

Conference on Railways in India The Conference on Railways in India, organized by the India Infrastructure Publishing Pvt Ltd will take place from 16th October to the 17th October 2014 at the Le Meridien New Delhi in New Delhi, India. The conference will cover areas like completing key existing projects rather than on announcing more new projects or trying to complete many more smaller projects.Date:16-17Oct2014 Venue: Le Meridien New Delhi, New Delhi, India

Resource India Expo 2014 The show is designed to present and promote an entire spectrum of developments in the Waste Management, Wastewater Treatment & Renewable Energy sectors. The show endeavors to offer a unique gateway for manufacturers /suppliers to benefit from the rapidly growing Indian market. A truly international trade fair, The TIMES RESOURCE INDIA EXPO 2014 is designed to facilitate effective interaction among several fraternities of Waste Management, Wastewater Management & Pollution Control.Date:18-20Oct2014 Venue: Bombay Exhibition Centre, Mumbai

International Conference on Emerging Trends in Electronics, Electrical and Computing Technologies The conference will cover areas like Communication Protocol and Architecture, High-speed Communication and Network, Wireless Communication and Network.Date:18-19Oct2014 Venue: India International Centre, New Delhi, India

South Africa is home to the oldest meteor scar in the world – the Vredefort Dome in a town called Parys. The site is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

soUth AfricA

The high level delegation led by Mr. Mamadou TALLA, Minister of Vocational Training and Handicrafts, Senegal, commencing the interactive session with students by lighting the lamp at Lovely Professional University, Punjab.

piCTuRe of The week

• 2springonions,chopped• ½redonion,finelychopped• 3tablespoonsoliveoil

prepration Method1. Inamediumbowl,combinethemango,2. Avocado,chili,corianderandgarlic.3. Stir in the salt, lime juice, red onion, and olive oil.4. Toblendtheflavors,refrigerateforabout30

minutes before serving.

10turmeric

handy french1. where is the party? Où aura lieu la soirée?

2. Don’t feel bad. Ne sois pas triste.

3. i’m getting engaged soon. Je serai bientôt fiancé (e).

4. what are you up to? Que faites-vous?

HEALTH BENEFITS OF

1Prevents Cancer

2Relieves Arthritis

4Controls Diabetes

5 Immunity Booster

6Heals Wound

7Weight Management

8 Improves Digestion

9Prevents Alzheimer’s disease

10Prevents Liver Disease

3Reduces Cholesterol Level

Motivators that keep you focused on goals

1. Allegory: Figurative representations or abstractions that offer significant, consequential meaning. 2. futurity: Allusions to the long-

term impact and possibilities associated with the ultimate

outcomes that may result from the realization of a long-term goal. 3. self: Statements that invoke personal identity,

reputation, or personal belief systems. 4. singularity: References to the perceived

uniqueness of the endeavor. 5. Knowledge: Statements that refer to skill

development, new understanding, acquiring truth, and finding ways to control events.

6. the Work: Allusions to the nature of the work, including challenges, methods, risks, and uncertainties, as well as elements that are fun or surprising.

7. embeddedness: Ways in which individuals see their work situated within social contexts, as well as ways in which their work garners social legitimacy within their professions and in society.

8. progress: Statements that emphasize the notion of forward movement, often short term, in the direction of long-term goal pursuit.

FLAG COUNTRY NAME CAPITAL CURRENCY OFFICIAL

LANGUAGEHIGH COMMISSIONERS/ AMBASSADORS IN INDIA

Algeria Algiers Algerian dinar (DZD). Arabic

H.E. Mr. Echarif Mohammed Hacene

Angola Luanda Kwanza Portuguese H E Mr. Andre SANRA

Benin Porto-Novo CFA franc French H.E. Mr. Manuel Eduardo Bravo

Botswana Gaborone Pula (BWP) Setswana, English H.E. Mrs Lesego Ethel Motsumi

Burundi BujumburaBurundi Franc, BIF

Kirundi (Na-tional language), FRENCH and ENGLISH

H.E. Mr. Rubuka Aloys

Burkina Faso Ouagadougou XOF FCFAFrench, Mòoré, Gourma, Fulfulde, Dioula, Tamasheq

H.E.Mr. Idriss Raoua OUEDRAOGO

Côte d’Ivoire Yamoussoukro Franc CFA French H.E. Mr. Sainy Tiemele

Eritrea Asmara Nakfa Tigrigna, Arabic and English

H.E Mr. Alem Tsehaye Woldemariam


thefasHionistas10

Use Music as a Tool - Kojo Antwi

Jot agyeman makes surprise Return to e.tv as awake Relaunches

i slept on the streets of Ghana before stardom

Ace Ghanaian Actor and Broadcaster was the surprise host of Awake on e.tv Ghana as the new season of the popular morning show started on Monday 6th October.

Viewers who were glued to their seats expecting to see regular host, Rashida were pleasantly surprised to see JOT hosting the show.

The suspense and surprise reached a crescendo when Rashida

Today, Nneameka Okorie, popularly called Patoranking, is one of the most celebrated reggae-dancehall artists in Nigeria and by extension, Africa. But the story, like that of most people, has not always been good for the

'Alubarika' star.

Ghanaian music legend, Kojo Antwi, has tasked young and upcoming musicians to see music as a tool rather than a product.

According to the music maestro, a lot of young people venture into music because of the money and fame it brings, which in turn results in poor output.

'I hear a lot of music right now and the only thing I hear, lyric wise, is shake your booty, make your body and baby you are that and this and all that. To us Africans, music means more to us than these things,' he told NEWS-ONE.

The 'Densu' hit maker

was announced as the first guest on the show.

Sporting a dark suit, Rashida

Patoranking he revealed in an interview on Starr FM that his music career actually started off in Ghana. According to him, “I started music from my mum's belly, but dancehall has always been something that I grew up listening to and it was perfected in Ghana.”

Patoranking's first trip to Ghana, according to him, was in 2007 after he was admitted to Cape Coast University. After a year at the university, he dropped out due to financial constraints.

“I had to move from Cape Coast to Accra. I was sleeping on the streets of Osu just to make it. We must make am now…survival at all

cost,” he said.He added that: “The

only option I had at that point was making it in

Shatta wale secures another

international awardShatta wale known in real life as Charles Nii Armar Mensah Junior the reigning Artist of the year was recently crowned

the best new entertainer at the 33rd International Reggae and World Music Awards (IRWMA) which took place at the Coral

Spring Center for The Arts in Florida.The Dancehall King secured the award to make it his

second International award after winning the Africa artist of the year at the 9th edition of the Nigerian Entertainment Awards

(NEA) which took place on 31 August 2014, at the Skirball Center for the Performing Arts in New York City.

The dancehall commando said to Ghanaians he is trying hard to put Ghana on the map and he is doing exactly that.

Modern Ghana

explained that for a country, which is being confronted with Ebola and Cholera, it is only wise that music is used to uplift people.

'We are confronted with Ebola, so much filth here in Accra and we are dying because of Cholera; so we cannot sing about shaking your booty all the time. We must use music as a tool to uplift people. The young ones need to see music as a tool and not a product,' he said.

Kojo Antwi, who was unveiled as the recipient of the 2014 edition of the annual Legends & Legacy Ball, stated that he never set out to be a legend but to churn out great

music that will last for eternity.'If you sow the right seed

then you will rip the right fruit; but if you go cashing money from the beginning, a lot of things will elude you. I never set out there to become a legend. I just came out to do great music, music that my grandson will listen to in 10yrs time and say oh granddad you did very well on that song,' he added.

Kojo Antwi has over the years produced some timeless hit songs which have won him various awards.

Modern Ghana

Kojo Antwi

Charles Nii Armar Mensah Junior

Nneameka Okorie

life because I just had to change the course of my family, the face of my family you know…being the first child…I just say thank you Lord and to everybody that never doubted me. I pray for them still and we're still together.”

It is on record that while hustling in Ghana, Patoranking met a young Ghanaian entrepreneur named Lanky on the streets of Osu who partnered with him to achieve his dreams.

Lanky started a production company called Black Rhythms Entertainment and made a few tracks with him, the songs enjoyed some airplay but it was difficult to break through in Ghana so he returned to Nigeria and the rest, as they say, is history.

Modern Ghana

explained her two month absence part of which was spent in the United States on speaking assignments with several women groups.

Among new segments on the show is the perspectives segment which takes an in-depth look at some of the critical human

interest stories. Awake is a daily Weekday morning show.

Modern Ghana


sPorts2WatCh 11coaches want Africa to win fifa World cup

Head coaches and technical directors of African national teams have hailed

progress in African football but emphasised the need to make improvements which would see an African team win a Fifa World Cup.

The resolution was among the many passed by the coaches, who meet in a two-day conference held in Cairo, Egypt recently. It was organised by FIFA and CAF to review and learn from the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil.

Rwanda was represented by Amavubi head coach Stephen Constantine and technical director Lee Johnson.

Reflecting on the technical aspects of Brazil 2014, there was a general feeling among participants that African teams had played their part in the overall success of

Ghana international midfielder Sulley Muntari is keen to sign an extension contract with Italian giants AC Milan, according to his agent.

The 30-year-old has hit a rich vein of form for the Rossoneris since the start of the season, scoring twice in five games for Fillipo Inzaghi's side.

Muntari, who has been linked with a return to the English Premier League, has two years left on his current Milan contract but his agent Federico Pastorello has revealed the controversial midfielder is keen to sign an extension contract at Milan.

“Muntari wants to stay at Milan for long. His current contract expires in 2016, but there is enough to discuss about his potential renewal with AC Milan,” He told togianlucadimarzio.com.

“Muntari is a delighted man. He is very happy with how things are going in the Rossoneri shirt. He was a bit sad initially because the last few draws, but now,

Ghana will have to deal with the challenges of North African giants, Algeria and Egypt as well four other countries if the country is to succeed in getting the rights to host the 2017 CAF Africa Cup of Nations.

By the deadline of 30 September 2014, the Confederation Africaine de Football received applications from seven Member Associations for the hosting rights of the 2017 edition of the biennial continental championship.

The seven in alphabetical order are: Algeria, Egypt, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Sudan and Zimbabwe.

Nominations were opened on 23 August 2014, following the withdrawal of Libya, original host of the 31st edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, through a circular

the World Cup.For the first time,

two African teams reached the second stage of the competition and the general level of football produced was of high quality.

P a r t i c u l a r l y satisfying were the performances of Algeria, who lost narrowly in the Round of 16, and in extra time, to eventual champions, Germany.

Nigeria fell at the same stage to France,

while Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana both came very close to reaching the second phase.

Analysing the example of world champion Germany, the top African technicians agreed that, despite having talented players, their nations still have a number of issues to address, particularly in organisation and administration.

“If we want to move forward we have to professionalise everything around the team,” said Volker Finke, who coached for nearly 20 years in the German Bundesliga and is now national coach of Cameroon.

After a disappointing 2014 World Cup, Cameroon is seeking a fresh start with a new generation of young players and is currently leading its group in the 2015 AFCON qualifiers.

Both Finke and Francis Oti Akenteng, technical director of Ghana stressed that disputes around the payment of bonuses to players ahead of the competition had a negative impact in Brazil.

“The money issue affected players’ concentration,” commented Akenteng.

Among the other issues that African football is facing, participants mentioned the lack of youth development programmes.

“The national team is not the place where you can teach the basics of technique and tactics; it has to come before,” said Ephraim Mashaba, head coach of South Africa.

He pointed as well to the difficulty of working appropriately within the international match calendar, which only allows a few days ahead of and in between matches.

This limitation is felt particularly in Africa, where travelling between different countries can take several days.

Shawky Gharib, head coach of Egypt, also underlined the difficulty of having to play international matches during the national league season break, when players are out of shape.

The two day event was a unique platform for the elite technicians of the African continent to exchange ideas and develop new strategies for the future.

New Times

Ghana star Muntari keen to extend AC Milan contract

Ghana battle egypt, others for Afcon 2017

Ghana fA shortlists Kluivert, Avram Grant for vacant Black stars coaching post

after returning to victory, he is delighted,” Pastorello continued.

“Muntari renewed his contract last season because he was doing fine here. There was interest from other teams, but he refused to listen to those proposals. He really wanted to stay at Milan and the company was very happy to keep it.”

Muntari joined AC Milan from City rivals Inter Milan in January 2012 and has established himself at the San Siro scoring important goals for the club.

Modern Ghana

signed by the CAF Secretary General, Hicham El Amrani.

The host country will be decided by the CAF Executive Committee during one of its sessions in 2015.

The circular emphasized that due to the limited time frame for the organization of the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations, the CAF Executive Committee will focus on the host with acceptable infrastructure and facilities required (Stadia, Training grounds, Accommodation, Communications etc.) in making a decision.

Ghana last hosted the tournament in 2008 following successes of 1963 and 1978 as well 2000 when it was co-hosted with Nigeria. allsports.com

Ghanaian Chronicle

in a shortlist for the vacant Black Stars coaching position.

The five-man shortlist also includes former Switzerland assistant coach Michel Pont and former coach of Spanish side Levante, Juan Ignacio Jimenez.

According to a statement of the GFA's official website, two coaches were placed on the stand-by list for shortlisted coaches and they are Bernd Schuster and Ricardo Gareca.

Pont, Kluivert and Tardelli will arrive in Accra to be interviewed on 17th October, 2014 while Grant andJimenez will be interviewed on 18thOctober2014.

Modern Ghana

Stephen Constantine

Patrick Kluivert

Sulley Muntari

The Ghana Football Association (GFA) has named five big-name coaches including Dutch legend Patrick Kluivert, former Chelsea boss Avram Grant and former Italy international Marco Tardelli


eNCouNteR WitH eDitor12

Owner / Publisher / Editor: Mr. Kirit Sobti from 3rd Floor, Plot No. 3, Block PSP-IV, Service Centre Opp. Sector-11 (Extn.), Rohini, Delhi-85Printed at LIPEE SCAN PVT. LTD. 89 DSIDC SHED Okhala Phase 1, New Delhi

Can you tell our readers about SMSGH and how it came into existence?

SMSGH is a mobile and internet application that is involved in helping companies and other organizations to use the mobile phone and the internet to send messages to their customers. It is also involved in the mobile and internet banking where customers pay and receive money through the internet and their mobile phones. SMSGH came into being out of my frustrations with my university education. As a young man, I was looking for an education that would give me a future but what I was learning in school were more of the things of the past rather than giving me a future. I therefore began to look outside my lecture room to see what I can do for my future.

So even though I completed my university education in Chemistry, I decided to look into the business crystal ball to calve a future for myself. My mobile phone gave me the idea. Every day I receive text messages from my friends while I also sent them replies. One day it came to me that text messages must go beyond just the exchange of messages among friends. I saw the business aspect of it where businesses can use the system to relay messages to their customers en bloc instead of

writing to them which takes a long time to reach them. I discussed the idea with a colleague student and we travelled from Kumasi to Accra to discuss the idea with banks and other big companies within the city.

What are some of your products and how are your customers benefitting from them?

Our three major platforms/apps are; MYtxtBOX, Jumpfon, and MPower Payments which have grown our customers to over 25million across four African countries and we are doing millions of mobile VAS transactions on a daily basis. The MYtxtBOX has to do with our bulk SMS text messages for companies while the Jumpfor has some entertainment applications with MPower as mobile banking application where customers transfer money and receive money from their mobile phone and their internet. Over 14 million of these customers are in Ghana alone.

SMSGH has almost 40,000 corporate clients currently, which include banks, insurance companies, small; medium; large enterprises, handset manufacturers, government, utility service providers, and many more.

We understand that you are operating

in some African countries. Can you mention them and also tell us your motivation in going to those countries?

Well, we have expanded our tentacles to Nigeria and Cameroun in West Africa and to Kenya in East Africa, with a registered representative office in the United States of America for the authentication of electronic payments. We have chosen Nigeria because we think Nigeria has a big market out there. We are still studying the business terrain there since their culture and business strategies seems to be a little different from ours. In Cameroon we are looking at the bilingual advantage of the nation. Since Cameroon speaks both French and English, we believe that operating there will help us to reach both French and English speaking countries in the closest future. Kenyan is also a huge market and we are hoping to extend our wings to all the East African countries.

How is the competition like in the mobile and internet application industry in Ghana?

Well, competitions are necessary for the development of every business. In Ghana, there are other businesses operating in our industry area with some of them coming from Europe but

we are not perturbed since we have built confidence in our brand with our customers. We believe that creativity is the key and we have the men and the women to unearth those ideas and products needed to keep us in business.

And what about government regulation? Are there well defined parameters which give you an even playing field and protection for your customers as well?

The national Communication Authority (NCA) is our regulator and I can say that their regulation flame works are favourable. We have been licensed by the NCA whose main aim is to protect local industries and we are happy to say that they are providing that role perfectly. The Mobile and Internet Apps in Ghana has also formed an association known as the Wireless Application Service Providers Association of Ghana (WASPAG) which came out with code of ethics in the industry. Government has announced that soon it would issue a license for a one-stop-shop clearinghouse for the telecom and VAS industry, and I think the clearing house is a great idea because it will bring organization, sanity and a fair playing field into the entire telecom industry and potentially help the local VAS space to grow.

In Ghana, some young university graduates who felt discontented with what they called the “old fashioned university education in Ghana which does not seems to give young people any future,” left the university to start what has become one of the most popular telecommunication and internet application in Ghana which is probably set to revolutionize the African continent and the world at large. Your most authoritative newspaper on Africa, Indo Africa Times made a trip to SMSGH in Accra to have an interview with the CEO of the company Mr. Alex Adjei Bram. Interviewer: Francis L Sackitey

"Making it big with mobile apps - Africans are brazing the trail"

Mr. Alex Adjei Bram CEO SMSGH, Accra


News & Politics

Volume 1 issue 40