Are We Serious About Climate Change?

Barely a month ago, some parts of Accra and its surroundings were submerged by floods for almost two days.

Torrential rainfalls came at a time when Ghanaians were not expecting rains of that magnitude.

People living in flood prone areas are used to the perennial flooding, which occurs during the raining season that starts in April and reaches its peak in June-July every year.

Yet, this year, after the usual floods at the expected period, which resulted in the lost of property and goods worth millions of cedis, the rains hit again suddenly in October.

Official figures indicate that the rainfall that flooded parts of Accra and Tema lasted seven hours as it began on Tuesday night October 25, 2011 at about 20:00 hours and ended at 2:100 hours, and resumed at midnight until 06:00 on Wednesday.

Media reports indicated that 14 deaths were recorded, while, apart from the property lost, thousands of people were displaced and had to take refuge with friends in school blocks and places of worship.

“This is the worst floods we have seen,” said Mary Ago, a cloth seller who lost her shop and all its contents.

With tears in her eyes, Madam Ago narrated how her business capital, which included a loan from a bank, was washed away by the floods.

“Because of the coming Christmas, I ordered for extra goods worth GH¢8,000 and I took delivery of it on Monday, the day before the rains,” she relates. “I packed them in my shop and even made some sales on Tuesday, after which I left in the evening for home as usual.”

Though it rained heavily in the night, little did the single mother of two know that her business would be affected, even though she heard on the radio that some places in Accra had been flooded.

The road from her house in Ablekuma to her shop had been rendered impassible as a result of the heavy rains; the residents in that area had virtually been cut off from the city so she had no option than to stay at home.

However, in the early hours of the next day, as she prepared to use an alternative route, which she had been told was a bit better but longer, she was called by some friends and told her shop, a wooden structure at Awoshie, a suburb of Accra, has been washed away by the floods.

“I cried and rushed to the place a quick as I could,” said Madam Ago, adding that her shop was in the vicinity for the past seven years. “I have never seen anything like this before. The rainfall on Tuesday was too much. I have never seen anything like that before.”

The world is experiencing extreme weather conditions and many natural disasters ranging from floods, storms, tsunamis. Meanwhile, there is a scarcity of water as rivers dry up, rainfall patterns change, and deserts spread.

In Ghana most communities near the coast are experiencing rising sea levels and this is resulting in the loss of land.

People in the forest and savannah zone of the country have not been spared. They have been hit by desertification, draughts, influx of pests and disease among others as a result of rising temperature.

Experts have attributed the trend to climate change, which is caused by human activity that directly or indirectly alters the composition of the global atmosphere.

Activities such as bad farming practices, industrialization, land, air and water pollution, burning of fossil fuel, indiscriminate falling of trees in the forest which serve as a carbon sink as well as other practices have the tendency to gradually heat up the world.

Yaw Oppong-Baodi, chief programme officer of the Energy Resources and Climate Change Unit of the Environmental Protection Agency, stated that climate change issues are real and taking alarming tolls on both human beings and other forms of life.

Climate change, he said, has a great significance for the sustainable development plans of Ghana as it affects the livelihood of the people.

“It should be seen as a developmental issue for the country,” he said.

Since the trend is caused by the release of greenhouse emissions into the atmosphere the world’s leaders have agreed to reduce the emissions. The goal is to get the world keep the global temperature below a 2°C rise.

In line with this, global leaders came up with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change with the objective of stabilizing of greenhouse gas in the atmosphere. Ghana signed the Convention in 1992 and ratified it in 1995.

“At least two degrees centigrade rise in global temperature would potentially decrease water availability, crop yield in Africa by 20-30 per cent and 5-10 per cent respectively and between 20 and 30 million people would be exposed to malaria,” said Joseph Essando Yedu, a scientist at the Energy Commission.

Though developed countries have been identified as the worst polluters, developing countries have been the hardest hit.

Developing countries are battling with too much or too little rains, which raise concern over food security, water shortage, rising temperatures, rising sea levels and land loss, desertification, and diseases, just to mention a few.

“This is putting the survival of the poor at risk, each passing day,” said Sherry Ayitey, Minister of Environment, Science and Technology.

She believes there is the need for the developed countries who have admitted that they should be blamed for climate change to support the vulnerable in developing countries who are suffering as a result of their actions to help minimize the effects.

To reduce vulnerability and impact of climate change people in the developing world have to adapt to new developments and consider alternative livelihoods while they protect the environment. But because they do not have the technology and the financial strength they have to depend on developed countries, which have pledged financial commitments but have not made good their words.

Every year, there is a conference on climate change attended by world leaders, activists; academia and ministers of Environment and the seventeenth session, this year’s would be in Durban, South Africa from November 27 to December 9.

It is expected that this year’s Conference of Parties (COP 17) would come out with concrete commitments and actions to mitigate the effect of climate change.

Ghana would join other African countries to go to the conference with one voice.

Professor Chris Gordon, Director of the Institute of Environment of the University of Ghana, said: “Ghana is good at signing protocols, conventions and rectifying models and so on, but that is not enough.”

He called for concerted action by all the various agencies and government institutions, as well as civil society groups to coordinate programmes and projects relating to climate change mitigation.

“Government needs to be serious about capacity building for climate change. Access to finance go hand-in-hand with capacity building. We can not access the various financing opportunities available for vulnerable countries if we do not have the capacity.”

Yet Daniel Tutu Benefo, senior program officer at the Environmental Protection Agency, thinks: “We must think of homegrown solutions.”

Climate Change Affects Us All

Floods and droughts are making millions of people in the developing world homeless and exposing them to starvation and disease.

A lot more lives and property are being lost around the world as a result of the impact of extreme whether conditions, which are fostering disasters.

Experts have attributed the trend to climate change, which is caused by human activity that directly or indirectly alters the composition of the global atmosphere.

Activities such as industrialization, land, air and water pollution, burning of fossil fuel, indiscriminate felling of trees in the forest which serves as a carbon sink, as well as other practices, have the tendency to gradually heat up the world.

Sally Biney, Principal Programme Officer at Ghana’s Environmental Protection Agency says, “Climate change is a serious issue” but it is the vulnerable people in the developing world who do the least to cause the climate crisis who are suffering.

“There is clear evidence that climate change is a happening factor that we expected.”

Even though all accusing fingers point to the developed world whose lifestyles and advance industrialization have bee identified as the major contribution to the warming of the earth, developing countries are paying the price through deaths, destruction and economic losses.

As the world prepares to converge on Durban, South Africa, for the seventeenth session of the climate change conference, some experts have expressed pessimism of its outcome, saying it may not be different for previous talks.

There are talks of looming obstacles in Durban, which will threaten implementation of the Cancun Agreements, a second commitment period for the Kyoto protocol, and agreement on a mandate for a comprehensive and legally binding agreement after 2012 when the Kyoto protocol expires.

“There is clear uncertainty as to weather the delegates can reach concerted agreements in Durban,” says Dr Seth Osafo, leader of the African group of negotiators in Accra, ahead of the international climate conference.

Every year, there is a conference on climate change attended by world leaders, activists; academia and ministers of environment, and the seventeenth session is slated for Durban, South Africa from November 27 to December 9.

It is expected that this year’s Conference of Parties (COP 17) will come out with concrete commitments and actions to mitigate the effect of climate change.

Global leaders came up with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, with the objective of stabilizing of greenhouse gas in the atmosphere. Ghana signed the Convention in 1992 and ratified it in 1995.

The target is to limit global warming to 2 degrees Celsius and since Cop I5 and 16 did not yield the needed results the world wanted, it is expected that Durban will result in modest steps toward a deal to lower emissions

Anything above two degrees Celsius rise in global temperature will potentially decrease water availability, crop yield in Africa by 20 to 30 percent and 5 to 10 percent respectively, and between 20 and 30 million people will be exposed to malaria.

Dr Osafo, a legal advisor who joined negotiators from nearly 200 countries in Durban, South Africa, for the two-week talks, has minimal expectations of major progress toward an agreement that will eventually bind all major economies to emissions caps.

“Will we be able to reach an agreement? Even if we are able, would it be able to enter into force before December 2012, this is not likely and we have to look for other options,” he queried.

Even though he expects a better outcome from Durban, he says, “I am not optimistic about our chances there.”

Negotiators, Dr. Osafo says, may come up with a set of decisions to further the implementation of the convention “but the outcome might be similar with what we got in Cancun”.

For a positive outcome, he thinks it will only be possible “if there is goodwill on the part of all parties, but as it is now, that is not there”.

The European Environment Agency (EEA), which analysed the cost of harm to health and the environment, caused by air pollution in a recent report, notes that air pollution from the 10,000 largest polluting facilities in Europe cost citizens between € 102 and 169 billion in 2009.

Half of the total damage cost, between € 51 and 85 billion, was caused by just 191 facilities.

Industrial facilities covered by the analysis include large power plants, refineries, manufacturing combustion and industrial processes, waste and certain agricultural activities.

Professor Jacqueline McGlade, EEA Executive Director, is quoted as saying, “Our analysis reveals the high cost caused by pollution from power stations and other large industrial plants”.

She made the statement at the launch of the report which revealed the cost of air pollution from industrial facilities in Europe and provided a list of the individual facilities that contribute the most harm.

Leaders at a previous meeting in Copenhagen agreed to set up the green fund, which the developed countries pledged to raise 100 billion by 2010, to support developing countries to undertake adaptation programmes. But the least said about the fund, the better.

Robert Bamfo, head of Climate Change Unit at Ghana’s Forestry Commission, has hopes that the talks in Durban will advance the ongoing negotiation towards a fair, ambitious and legally binding instrument that will help mitigate the impact of climate change.

Ghana has embraced the REDD+ mechanism to reduce emissions by fighting deforestation and conserving carbon stock as well as provide sustainable resources for especially communities near forests.

“The increasing rise in temperature,” Sherry Aryittey, Minister of Environment, Science and Technology, says, “is a sign that we have to come together to save mother earth.”

She says Ghana will join other African countries to go to the conference with one voice.

She says the target will be to forge ahead for commitments to emit reduction targets to tackle climate change.

“Most countries in Africa are climatically and socially vulnerable. Their capacities to adopt and mitigate the negative impacts of climate change are weak,” says the Minister of Environment.

By Emelia Ennin Abbey

Green Wheels: Bicycles Made of Bamboo

Bicycles have been made from metal over the years but you should not be surprised if you see one made of bamboo in your vicinity in the near future.

Since last year, two bamboo factories in Kumasi and Accra have been producing bicycles from wild bamboo on a pilot basis to boost transport in the rural areas.

No one has built bicycles in Africa using local materials but through ingenuity and innovation this has been made possible and soon Ghanaian cyclists would ride locally-manufactured bamboo bicycles.

There have been reports of school children walking long distances to schools in rural areas while some professionals have refused postings to some villages because of lack of vehicles.

Since the commencement of the bomboo bicycle project, some farmers, teachers, midwives and other health care workers in remote areas have been given bikes freely to discharge their duties effectively.

Now the factories intend to improve production by 250 percent by the end of the year.

With 20 employees each, the factories plan to produce up to 20,000 affordable bikes a year.

David Ho, a student of the Columbia University in the USA and his associates John Mutter, Vijay Modi and Craig Calfee are the brains behind the production of bamboo bicycles in Ghana.

This was after they introduced a prototype bamboo cargo bike to young entrepreneurs in the country and one of them has since helped to manufacture frames which have been fitted with metal parts latter.

Using locally sourced material, Craig Calfee, who used to focus on building ultra-light custom bicycle frames out of carbon fiber, now teaches young entrepreneurs to build their own bikes.

“I want to give them a chance at economic independence.”

Currently, the bamboo bikes are not being provided freely and the young men at the two manufacturing sites now build several types of bamboo bike frames, which they ship to Calfee’s shop.

First, the bamboo is smoked and treated with heat over four months to prevent splitting and then the pieces are joined together using a natural fiber, called hemp fiber.

Bike mechanics set up treated bamboo pieces on what looks like a low-technology, a jig made from plumber’s pipes.

With wood glue holding the frame in place, they bind the joints using tough cord made from plant fibre soaked in epoxy.

Making the frame by hand takes at least a week and after the final sanding and coating, the bamboosero bikes are shipped to the USA, tested fitted with wheels, pedals, handlebars and brakes and put on sale.

Access to power or power tools is not a requirement for making the frames and hence the rural areas where the bamboo grow is most suitable after which each frame is worth about $150 to the builders.

“The combination of strength and flexibility inherent in bamboo makes it an excellent choice for frames and because it doesn’t need heavy tooling, it’s a great option for places without access to high-tech manufacturing tools,” said Calfee.

Bamboosero currently offers frames for road bikes, mountain bikes and cargo bikes.

Some African countries including Zambia and Uganda while others such as New Zealand, and the Philippineshave also started putting bamboo to good use, making bicycles for its citizenry.

Apart from assisting young people to work to support their families, the project also helps attract foreign investment into economies.

The Bamboo Bike Project has received several donations from the Charities Advisory Trust, the Ripple Foundation, an enterprising donor who organized a benefit concert, and numerous others.

Calfee Design, who started making bikes with carbon fiber, says bamboo will be the next hot material.

Maame Adjwoa Pomaah, a student at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, who spotted one of the bamboo bicycles, couldn’t hide her joy.

“For me, it looks solid and I think it’s a great invention.”

If more young people get to learn this technology then they can produce the bamboo bicycles for the masses and make them affordable for everyone.



Why bikes?

v Bicycles are in great demand as a major labor saving device, and transporting water, people, food and other items is six times more efficient on bikes.

v Bikes are reliable and efficient capable of improving the lives of people.

v Bikes can make workplaces, markets, and schools more accessible.

v Bikes are easy to maintain than cars, so the positive improvements they create in people’s lives can be counted on a daily basis. Bicycles enable villages to build their own economies and have access to resources beyond their own immediate area.

Why bamboo bicycles?

v Bamboo bikes cost less than inferior imported steel bikes.

v Bamboo is plentiful and does not need to be imported as a raw material. Bamboo is easy to grow and can be cultivated in dry areas with minimal irrigation.

v Bamboo bikes require a significant amount of labor to produce, providing skilled employment and an apprenticeship model that helps youth find opportunity.

v Making Bamboo bikes does not require electricity or a huge investment in equipment.

EPA To Sanction Companies

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced that it will soon issue a new regulation that will compel companies that fail to comply with environment laws of the country to pay financial penalties as part of plans to safeguard the environment.

EPA revealed this at a programme to disclose the environmental performance of operators in the mining and manufacturing sector.

Speaking in Accra at the function, Daniel S. Amlalo, Acting Director of the EPA stated that apart from the financial penalty, the Agency is also considering initiating other legal measures.

Known as AKOBEN, the environmental performance rating uses five colours, red, orange, blue, green and gold to indicate a company’s compliance to the environmental requirements of the law.

AKOBEN rating is evaluated by analyzing more than one hundred performance indicators that include qualitative data as well as qualitative and visual information.

The red colour means a company has not fulfilled some legislative instrument requirement, which could create hazardous waste and discharges.

An orange colour stands for a satisfactory rating, which means a company was not able to meet the regulatory standards for conventional pollutants, non-toxics and noise pollution while a blue colour gives a good rating showing adequate compliance with environmental standards.

The maiden edition generated uproar as most of the mining companies that were involved were not happy with their rating.

A total of 50 manufacturing companies and 11 mining companies failed to secure excellent rating.

Only one company, Diamond Cement Limited at Aflao had a green rating while three others, Abosso Goldfields Limited, Damang Mine, Newmont Ghana Gold Limited –Kenyasi and ferro fabric Limited in Tema were graded orange.

However, Ghana Bauxite was the only company that declined to submit its monthly monitoring data to the EPA, which has been described as a serious violation of the national environmental law.

“We have seen significant improvement this year,” said Mr Amlalo, who was optimistic that with AKOBEN rating, the Agency stands a better chance to reduce pollution, increase compliance, reduce environmental risks, improve community relations and enhance public awareness.

In the coming years, he noted, the AKOBEN programme would be expanded to include more companies as well as operators in the hospitality industry and oil distribution companies.

Sherry Ayittey, Minister of Environment, Science and Technology, stated that the AKOBEN programme is a vital tool for good environmental governance and sustenance.

“Indeed AKOBEN programme has now emerged as one of the first environmental rating and disclosure initiative in the world that combines environmental performance and corporate social responsibility in one unified rating system.”

The AKOBEN programme, she said, has emerged as an alternative or complementary approach to conventional regulation of pollution in most countries.

Achieving Low Interest Rate

For almost two years, the Bank of Ghana (BoG), regulator of the banking sector in the country, has been adopting measures to address high interest rates charged by commercial banks but no major achievement has been made so far.

High interest rates charged by banks have been identified as the main factor which makes it difficult for businesses to access loans, and experts believe high interest rates impede the growth of trade.

Last week, Vice President John Dramani Mahama urged commercial banks in the country to reduce their interest rates for trade to flourish and reflect the current economic trends in the country.

The reduction, he explained, would also facilitate rapid economic growth and provide conducive atmosphere for trade, commerce and employment.

As a result of the high rates charged by the commercial banks and other financial institutions, only a few business owners are able to borrow funds from banks.

This development, according to experts, hampers the growth of the economy.

If many companies are able to borrow money from the banks they would expand their businesses and employ more people who would improve their living standards.

The Bank of Ghana determines the policy rate but in the past year and a half interest rates by the commercial banks continue to remain high despite a decline in the monetary policy rate of the central bank. Interest rate spread is the difference between the bank’s earnings from loaned funds and cost of funds

Many individuals, organisations and groups have joined members of the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) to call for a reduction in the rates.

The latest body to call on government to address the high interest rates charged by government is the Canadian Chamber of Commerce Ghana (CCCG).

At a breakfast meeting, which is the third to be organized by the chamber in Ghana and brought together private sector operators and government officials, various stakeholders appealed to government and the BoG to crack the whip to ensure a reduction in interest rates in the country.

The meeting, which was under the theme: “Ghana’s Real Economic Challenge: Interest Rates,” was geared towards discussing the high interest rate regime in the country and its impact on businesses.
“We are of the firm conviction that if more small businesses are able to access finance or credit at an affordable cost, the gains would be immense,” Alhaji Abdulai Nangtonmah, President of CCCG said.

The chamber, he stated, “sees access to credit as playing a very important fundamental role in building a strong private sector in Ghana in the current competitive global enterprise.”

Millison Narh, Deputy Governor of the BoG, whose speech was read on his behalf by Dr Samuel Ameyaw, Head of Monetary Policy and Economic Analysis Office, confirmed that the Central Bank was aware of the phenomenon.

“We, at the Central Bank, have identified some major challenges in achieving low lending rate regime as the slow transmission mechanism, structural rigidities in the banking sector and the need to intensify financial sector reforms to enhance efficient financial intermediation within the financial markets.”

He noted that the weak financial intermediary role played by the banking industry had reflected in the wide spread between deposit and lending rates.

The Deputy Governor stated that studies conducted by the bank suggest that key impediments to lowering lending rates of commercial banks include high overhead costs, high funding costs and high non-performing loans.

These costs often indicated some inefficiency in the operations in the banking system, which in most instances, is passed onto consumers.

Having identified these structural rigidities, he said, BoG has started encouraging banks to explore the idea of infrastructure sharing to improve efficiency and reduce cost of operations, especially in the delivery of financial products and services.

This is to lead to a reduction in the banks’ lending rates to ensure availability of more funds at reduced costs to entrepreneurs for the growth and expansion of businesses in the country.

He disclosed that the central bank has established a tripartite committee to investigate the determination of base rates in the banking sector to promote a level playing field for setting lending rates and improve transparency and efficiency.

Additionally, he said the bank has put in place a collateral registry including the credit reference bureau, which was expected to reduce information asymmetry in credit allocation in the banking sector and in the long run help lower the risks associated with the increasing non-performing loans in the bank’s portfolio.

“We expect that these measures will induce banking efficiency and reduce intermediation spreads.”

Mr Narh gave the assurance that BoG would intensify its surveillance activities to ensure efficient risk management and good corporate governance structures in the banking sector.
Kofi Bentil, Policy Analyst and Vice President of IMANI Ghana, called on banks to stop the unnecessary search for “best talent” to reduce the cost of borrowing.

Mr. Bentil said charging high interest rates enables banks to make more profits to pay their staff higher salaries and poach talents from other banks.

He called for improvement in statistics to ensure proper planning and forecasting in the banking sectors to regulate the sector.

Yvonne Nduom, Executive Chairman of Coconut Groove Hotels, who spoke on behalf of the private sector, called on government to ensure efficient and effective monitoring of the financial sector to prevent commercial banks from making unnecessary profits from borrowers.

However the Ghana National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GNCCI) noted that controlling interest rate, as was done in the past years, is not the best.

Seth Adjei Baah, President of GNCCI, in an interview appealed to government to help regulate interest rates to sustain the private sector.

He was of the view that government must regulate interest rates instead of controlling them to assist in the development of businesses.

The private sector, he said, intends to partner government in the socio-economic development of the country, adding that private sector operators must be assisted in all aspects.

By Emelia Ennin Abbey

Surviving On Truck Pushing

For the past 10 years, Abdullia Dery has been pushing trucks, collecting scrap metals at Agbogloshie to earn a living.

When he arrived from Lawra in the Sissala district of the Upper West region in 2001, he joined four young men he knew from his hometown who were living at the slum behind the Abgogloshie market.

They introduced him to the truck pushing business which is their mainstay.

Young men usually push a four wheel truck in most parts of Accra, the capital of Ghana.

Their load includes all sorts of items that one can think of from scrap metals to broken televisions sets and food items.

Often dressed in dirty cloths and smelling of sweet with unkempt hair and oily skin, they push a truck made of metal with a flat wooden surface.

The trucks are locally made and according to Abdullia, who dropped out of school at age 9, “Truck pushing is not a bad business, it does not only provide jobs for us but to the people who make the trucks and even the scrap dealers who cannot be in business without us and then people such as market women who want their items moved from one point to the other.”

They travel from Abgogloshie to Mallam and rest for a few minutes under a tree.

“Business is not as good as it used to be when I arrived some years ago” said Abu, expressing dissatisfaction with a new directive from the city authorities.

The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) has ordered all truck pushers to register with the assembly to obtain a special number plate which would help identify them and restrict their activities to specific areas in the city.

The directive, which takes effect on September 15, 2011, will lead to a total ban of truck pushing on certain streets in Accra under the assembly’s jurisdiction.

Alfred Oko Vanderpuije, Mayor of Accra explained that truck pushers pose a danger to motorists, as well as create inconvenience for pedestrians.
“These trucks are without braking systems, which makes it difficult for the pushers to control the truck when faced with dangerous situations such as negotiating a curve, avoiding a clash with a vehicle or other road users.

“They disrupt normal traffic flow. These truck pushers also put their lives at risk,” said the Mayor, who pleaded with members of the Association of Truck Pushers to corporate with the assembly by not extending their activities to some ceremonial and major streets such as areas near the High Street, 37 Military Hospital, Tetteh Quarshie Interchange, IPS, Airport, Kojo Thompson Road through Kokomlemle to the Avenor traffic lights.

Other areas which are now no go areas for truck pushers include the Labadi Beach Hotel road to the Independence Square, the Danquah, Kwame Nkrumah and Obetsebi-Lamptey circles to the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital.
Other streets also include the Nima Highway through Kao Kudi traffic intersection to Dimples junction, Osu Oxford Street, Roman Ridge round and from Mallam junction to Graphic Road, the National Theatre, Cantonments and other prime residential areas.

However, trucks pushers are permitted to operate in all markets in the city and its environs.

Many have criticized the new directive, describing it as one of the AMA’s nine day wonders.

It would also be difficult to implement the new policy as even though effectively all streets in the metropolis have names most street are not signed.

For instance a person looking for direction to the Old Parliament House would be told to turn right before he or she gets to the blues house near the Circle and it’s often confusing for especially visitors and foreigners to find their way so one wonders how the AMA can clearly mark out the areas which lack precision and specificity.

He stated that sign posts will be mounted in the city to direct truck pushers on streets they can use.

Men would also be dispatched onto these streets to ensure compliance of the directive by the truck pushers. Violators will be arraigned before a special court for prosecution.
So far, a list of the names of 150 truck pushers has been submitted to the Assembly even though the deadline of September 3 has expired.

Abdullah Abdul Raman, Chairman of the Grater Accra Scrap Dealer, says his group has no problem with the new policy by the AMA though he believes it is a stern measure to regulate the activities of truck pushers.

He pleaded with the AMA to be flexible with the implementation of the law and educate truck pushers and the public.

Banning Used Fridges: Can Ghana Save Energy

It is amazing how Ghanaians and people in the developing world use items their counterparts in the advanced world discard.

On daily basis, many used items ranging from cloths to furniture flood the Ghanaian market where naive buyers readily topple over each other just to grab an item and part with their hard-earned monies.

Not so long ago, the importation of second-hand panties and other underwear was banned.

Recently the mass importation of used electronic gadgets such as fridges, air-conditions, television sets, radio sets, water heaters, microwave, electric cookers, pressing irons, commuters, washing machines, rice cookers and blenders has attracted the attention of authorities in the energy sector.

Worried about the current trend, the Energy Commission, regulator of the Energy sector, initiated plans to ban the importation of some of these used electronic appliances which are said to consume more electricity than new ones.

The commission explained that though the process to ban the importation of used electronic gadget would be gradual with effect from January, 2013, used refrigerators and air- conditioners would be banned completely from entering the market.

Next in line would be used television (TV) sets and electric irons which would be completely banned in the country.

David Yaw Donkoh, in an interview, said he has been importing second-hand electronic gadgets for the past 10 years and now owns four shops through out the country.

“It is a good business. Not anyone can afford a new gadget which is usually expensive and not durable. Most Ghanaians want quality appliances which they would not spend so much on,” said Mr. Donkoh from one of his shops along the Lapze-Kwashieman road in Accra.

Since news about the proposed ban on importation of fridges and air-conditions broke out, Mr. Donkoh says he has been having sleepless nights.

“I have been thinking about what would happen to my business.”

Bowing his head down as he sits in a sophisticated chair in his shop, he noted “If I do not take care I will go out of business. I must think of selling new items. It will not be easy but everybody will be forced to buy new gadgets since there would be no used ones on the market.”

Dr. Alfred Ofosu Ahenkorah, Executive Secretary of Energy Commission, explained that some used TV sets with standby mode consume about 10 watts of electricity which is a drain on the country’s energy.

“We, at Energy Commission, together with other stakeholders in the energy sector want Ghana to be free from electronic waste,” he said.

The measures, he explained, would help the nation save energy, noting that “Ghana will not be a dumping ground for second-hand electronic products.”

One of the core functions of the Energy Commission, as stated in Act 541, is to promote energy efficiency.

In line with its mandate, the commission has instituted the energy efficiency and conservation month to be celebrated every year in September.

This year, to address economic and climate change challenge, the commission aims to create the necessary awareness as well as sensitize the public on how to efficiently use energy.

The commission has also called on Parliament to give it more authority to sanction people who import cheap electronic products into the country.

In line with this, the commission has kicked start the implementation of standards and labeling of refrigerating appliances and air-conditioners which when properly enforced would save the country over $100 million and about $52million respectively every year.

The labeled products are expected to promote standards, as it would prescribe minimum energy performance of products.

A special taskforce, constituted by the Energy Commission, will from next month embark on an exercise to confiscate used refrigerators from the market.

Sherry Ayittey, Minister of Environment, Science and Technology, said the measure is part of government’s efforts to address global warming and climate change in the country.

She mentioned that the two-year moratorium placed on the Energy Commission’s regulations, 2008 (LI 1932) which prohibited the importation of used refrigeration equipment effective January 1, 2011 to December 31, 2012 was in view of petitions and concerns raised by dealers in the trade.

During this period, she said plans were put in place to register and license all traders and importers of used refrigeration equipment after which import quotas would be issued to some selected importers to bring them into the country in controlled quantities until December 31, 2012 when they would be completely banned.

Nonetheless, “We would ensure that the market is not flooded by new inefficient refrigerators after the ban on the importation of the used ones.”

Kofi Agyarko, Principal Programme Officer of Energy Commission, said a research has revealed that obsolete or used gadgets consume more energy.

Most of these used electronic gadgets have been identified as the main cause of fire outbreaks in homes and industries as a result of the high amount of energy they consume and frequent power outages experienced in the country in recent times.

Hannah Immere, a single mother of two, told this paper that she bought her fridge from a second-hand dealer.

“It was very cheap. I have been using it for the past six years and it has never broken done,” said Ms Immere.

She said she has seen dealers off loading used electronic appliances from trucks.

“Some of them are very old. But the sellers refurbished the old and worn out fridges by spraying them and replacing some of the parts to make it look as if they have been slightly used even though they may have outlived the manufactures date,” she observed.

However, Mr. Ayarko advised the public not to consider the beauty of an electric gadget but its energy efficiency ratings. The rating helps buyers to know the amount of current a gadget consumes.

Victor Owusu, Public Affairs Officer, said a resource centre would be established to test the capacity of all new electric gadgets imported into the country to make sure that they have note been used.

There would be swoops to rid the market of such goods.