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Press release: First UK-Ghana Business Council seeks to boost trade and investment

Foreign Office and DFID Minister Harriett Baldwin returned to Ghana to launch the UK-Ghana Business Council, which met for the first time in Accra on 14 October 2018. The Business Council, which will meet twice a year, brings both governments together to find ways to reduce barriers to trade and investment and create jobs.

Minister Baldwin said:

Ghana increasingly offers attractive investment opportunities for UK businesses, which in turn helps create jobs and advance economic development locally. Our governments are doing everything that we can to help make it easier for entrepreneurial businesses to trade and grow.

The Minister co-chaired the Council with Vice-President Mahamudu Bawumia. The next Business Council will be held in London in December 2018.

The Business Council introduces a two-day UK-Ghana investment summit which will see a delegation of UK businesses travelling to Ghana to discuss investment opportunities in sectors such as infrastructure, industry, and manufacturing with Ghanaian businesses. The Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy to Ghana Adam Afriyie and Trade and Export Promotion Minister Fairhead will also visit Ghana for the summit.

These discussions signal a strengthened economic development partnership between the two countries, and are expected to lead to investment that will create jobs for both UK and Ghanaian businesses, and boost local economies.

Ghanaian President Akufo-Addo, who will speak at the investment summit, has set out an ambitious vision to move Ghana beyond aid and transform the economy through industrialisation and infrastructure development creating thousands of jobs.

During her visit, Minister Baldwin met His Majesty Nana Amoatia Ofori Payin, King of Akyem, and discussed trade and development priorities. She also visited Tema Port with Border Force, who work with the local authorities to improve their monitoring and interdiction of smuggled goods at border points, cracking down on smuggling gangs.

Minister Baldwin last visited Ghana in August, immediately before joining the Prime Minister’s visit to Nigeria and Kenya. The Prime Minister travelled with a delegation of British businesses, with a focus on strengthening trade ties across the continent, where the UK is already the second largest investor.

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Link: Press release: First UK-Ghana Business Council seeks to boost trade and investment
Source: Gov Press Releases

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Press release: Environmental performance of business continues to improve report shows

Every year, the regulator publishes its Regulating for People, the Environment and Growth (RPEG) report which sets out the regulatory performance of businesses holding environmental permits in England and the effectiveness of the EA’s regulatory approach.

The report shows that 93% of the 14,000 businesses the EA regulates demonstrated good compliance with their environmental permit conditions. Businesses which harmed the environment, however faced record penalties. A total of £25.5 million in fines were issued by the courts for environmental offences brought by the Agency compared to £8 million last year.

Waste crime continues to blight communities, cause environmental harm, and undercut legitimate business. The Environment Agency is closing more than two illegal waste sites every day but discovering a similar number of new illegal sites. The report acknowledges waste crime is becoming more organised and that more needs to be done. This will be addressed in the government’s forthcoming organised waste crime review, which has examined how the Environment Agency, partners, and the law enforcement system can best tackle the problem.

The report also highlights the increased use of Enforcement Undertakings for less serious environmental incidents. In 2017/18 there were a record £2.2 million worth of Enforcement Undertakings accepted by the Agency. By companies admitting liability and making a financial contribution to put right the harm they have caused, both the environment and communities benefit.

Other key findings include:

  • 812 illegal waste sites were shutdown in 2017/18; more than 2 a day.
  • Serious pollution incidents fell to 419, down 18% compared to 2016.
  • The number of persistently poorly managed sites reduced by 18% compared to 2016.
  • Environmental charities, organisations and projects received almost £2.2 million, compared to £0.9 million in 2016, in Enforcement Undertakings.

Harvey Bradshaw, Executive Director of the Environment Agency, said:

Our regulation is supporting a healthier environment and safer communities – serious pollution incidents fell by 18%. We closed down over 800 illegal waste sites, and the courts have imposed record levels of fines on companies for environmental offences.

We are committed to supporting businesses to innovate and grow, in return, we expect that businesses take their responsibilities to protecting the environment seriously.

The report can be found here

Link: Press release: Environmental performance of business continues to improve report shows
Source: Gov Press Releases