The Importance of the Informal Sector of Ghana to Savings and Loans Companies

The informal sector plays a critical and controversial role. It provides jobs and reduces unemployment and underemployment, but in many cases the jobs are low-paid and the job security is poor. It bolsters entrepreneurial activity, but at the detriment of state regulations compliance, particularly regarding tax and labor regulations. In the mist of this controversy, a growing number of savings and loans companies have made the sector their primary target. It was therefore necessary to conduct a research to investigate the importance of the informal sector to savings and loans companies. The objectives of the research were to examine the risks of the informal sector to savings and loans companies, to examine the benefits of the informal sector to savings and loans companies and to assess relationship between the informal sector and savings and loans companies. The research adopted both probability and non-probability sampling methods. A quota of 15 respondents was given to each of the four companies namely Procredit, Ezi, Opportunity and Garden City Savings and Loans companies. Then the purposive and simple random techniques were used to select the 15 respondents of each company. The purposive technique was used to select accountants and marketers of the companies. This was due to the category involvement, knowledge and experience. The simple random technique ensured that each respondent stood an equal chance of being selected. The sample size for the study was 60. The research found out that the informal sector is highly important to savings and loans companies in Ghana as the benefits of doing business with them far out-weighs the associated costs. Key words: Informal sector, Savings and loan

The Importance of Supplier Segmentation to the Manufacturing Sector of Ghana

This study investigated the importance of Supplier Segmentation to the manufacturing sector of Ghana; using selected manufacturing companies the in Eastern and Volta regions of Ghana as case study. Managing relationships between a supplier and buyer can be a complex one. Each party seeks to maximize its time, resources, and cash investment; these may be competing priorities that can strain the relationship. While certain companies adopt a more collaborative approach in dealing with suppliers, others too adopt a take it or leave it approach. In the midst of this controversy, it became necessary to conduct a research to assess the importance of supplier segmentation which has been hailed as a key component of Supplier Relationship Management. The case studies for this study were the management of Volta Star Company Ltd, Akosombo Textiles and the Intravenous infusions Limited. Based on the simple random, purposive, and quota sampling techniques 60 managers from these companies were sampled. The study revealed that Supplier Segmentation is highly important to the Ghanaian manufacturing sector. Key words: Supplier Relationship Management, Supplier Segmentatio

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ABSTRACT: This study investigated the importance of Supplier Segmentation to the manufacturing sector of Ghana; using selected manufacturing companies the in Eastern and KEYWORDS: Supplier Relationship Management, Supplier Segmentation INTRODUCTION In many manufacturing industries, competitive advantage is rapidly shifting to the management of suppliers, which can account for as much as 60 to 80 percent of manufacturing costs. Suppliers also exert a strong influence on throughput time and work-inprocess inventory, and play an often critical role in new product development. Companies that integrate their supplier base effectively with their internal engineering, manufacturing, and purchasing operations benefit from reduced costs, shorter lead times, lower development risks, and compressed development cycles. Many businesses have recognized the strategic importance of optimizing their supply management processes. Companies as diverse as Toyota, Honda, Ford, Harley-Davidson, Detroit Diesel, Black & Decker, Yamazaki Mazak, Motorola, Bose, and Xerox are developing effective new ways for their internal functions to work together with suppliers in optimizing product design, development, manufacture, and distribution. Supplier segmentation which is a process of categorizing suppliers in the order of importance to buyers has become a club which leading automobile companies hold a pass

The evolving SARS-CoV-2 epidemic in Africa: Insights from rapidly expanding genomic surveillance

INTRODUCTION Investment in Africa over the past year with regard to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) sequencing has led to a massive increase in the number of sequences, which, to date, exceeds 100,000 sequences generated to track the pandemic on the continent. These sequences have profoundly affected how public health officials in Africa have navigated the COVID-19 pandemic. RATIONALE We demonstrate how the first 100,000 SARS-CoV-2 sequences from Africa have helped monitor the epidemic on the continent, how genomic surveillance expanded over the course of the pandemic, and how we adapted our sequencing methods to deal with an evolving virus. Finally, we also examine how viral lineages have spread across the continent in a phylogeographic framework to gain insights into the underlying temporal and spatial transmission dynamics for several variants of concern (VOCs). RESULTS Our results indicate that the number of countries in Africa that can sequence the virus within their own borders is growing and that this is coupled with a shorter turnaround time from the time of sampling to sequence submission. Ongoing evolution necessitated the continual updating of primer sets, and, as a result, eight primer sets were designed in tandem with viral evolution and used to ensure effective sequencing of the virus. The pandemic unfolded through multiple waves of infection that were each driven by distinct genetic lineages, with B.1-like ancestral strains associated with the first pandemic wave of infections in 2020. Successive waves on the continent were fueled by different VOCs, with Alpha and Beta cocirculating in distinct spatial patterns during the second wave and Delta and Omicron affecting the whole continent during the third and fourth waves, respectively. Phylogeographic reconstruction points toward distinct differences in viral importation and exportation patterns associated with the Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Omicron variants and subvariants, when considering both Africa versus the rest of the world and viral dissemination within the continent. Our epidemiological and phylogenetic inferences therefore underscore the heterogeneous nature of the pandemic on the continent and highlight key insights and challenges, for instance, recognizing the limitations of low testing proportions. We also highlight the early warning capacity that genomic surveillance in Africa has had for the rest of the world with the detection of new lineages and variants, the most recent being the characterization of various Omicron subvariants. CONCLUSION Sustained investment for diagnostics and genomic surveillance in Africa is needed as the virus continues to evolve. This is important not only to help combat SARS-CoV-2 on the continent but also because it can be used as a platform to help address the many emerging and reemerging infectious disease threats in Africa. In particular, capacity building for local sequencing within countries or within the continent should be prioritized because this is generally associated with shorter turnaround times, providing the most benefit to local public health authorities tasked with pandemic response and mitigation and allowing for the fastest reaction to localized outbreaks. These investments are crucial for pandemic preparedness and response and will serve the health of the continent well into the 21st century

An Assessment of the Impact of the Public Procurement Act 663 (2003) of The Republic Of Ghana, Approaching A Decade Of Its Enactment

The Public Procurement Act ever since its enactment about a decade ago has received mixed reactions from key stakeholders. Whilst some see it as a panacea to the numerous problems that bedevil public procurement in Ghana, others too see it as inadequate and lacking the needed punch to curb the various ethical concerns that characterize the sector. The time was due after nearly a decade of its enforcement to wholly assess the impact of the Public Procurement Act of the republic of Ghana. The research relied on both primary and secondary data. The targeted population was 70 which included the staff and managers of the procurement department, store officers, senior staff, head of department and personnel who constitute the Lower Manya Krobo district assembly procurement board. A sample size of 50 was chosen with the purposive sampling technique. It was found out that the benefits derived from using the Public Procurement Act, 2003 (Act 663) include the assurance of quality goods, timely delivery of goods, right delivery of right quantities, transparency, reduced corruption, value for money, right price is given and right place of delivery is assured, uniformity in performing procurement activities, economic and efficient use of state resources and harmonize public procurement processes in the district assemblies and also greater efficiency. Public Procurement Act, 2003 (Act 663) comes with some benefits to district assemblies. The following difficulties were also revealed from the research; difficulties in applying and implementing the Public Procurement Act, 2003 (Act 663), lack of usage flexibility, lack of authority to dispose public assets, the lack of independent procurement auditing function, no central body with technical expertise and also threshold are too small for entities like a district assembly in case of emergency situation. The Public Procurement Act has been largely effective. However, it needs to be amended to include provisions for electronic procurement. This will improve transparency, accountability, and compliance within public procurement systems. This will mean the amendment of the current Act. Key words: Public Procurement Act, Public Procurement, Procurement La