Ghana and Germany
Working together in times of change
ÌFederal republic of Germany and
republic of Ghana
Ghana and Germany
Working together in times of change
Berlin
Accra
 Federal Republic of Germany
 Republic of Ghana
Government Type: federal republic
(entered into force 1949)
Government Type: constitutional democracy
(entered into force 1993)
Population: 81 million
Population: 25.8 million
GDP – per capita: $ 44,999 (2013, source: IMF)
GDP – per capita: $ 1,729 (2013, source: IMF)
GDP – real growth rate: 0.5% (2013 est.)
GDP – real growth rate: 7.1% (2013 est.)
Total bilateral official development assistance
worldwide 2012: € 6.7 billion
Human Development Index: 0.56, 135 out of 187
countries (2013) source: uNdP
Official development assistance (ODA)
to Ghana 2012: € 110.7 million
Bilateral development assistance from 2012–2014
(excluding regional commitments): € 160 million
2 | Introduction
Introduction | 3
ÌA
Ì message from
­Ambassador ­Rüdiger John
Ghana and Germany have enjoyed a long-standing and amicable relationship.
The second part of this brochure illustrates Germany’s commitments in the
Political relations between our two countries date back more than 50 years. The
main areas of cooperation, which are sustainable economic development,
close ties between our two countries are based on development cooperation,
budget support and good financial governance, agriculture and decentralisation.
numerous activities of civil society groups, scientific and cultural exchange,
These are followed by further commitments, such as regional (West African)
and mutually beneficial private sector ventures. In addition, more than 50,000
programmes and the generation of renewable energy, an issue that is high on
Ghanaians live in Germany, whilst about 1,000 Germans have migrated to Ghana.
Germany’s political agenda. Then, the brochure highlights cooperation with the
Both sides were celebrating the Ghanaian-German football match during the
private sector.
World Cup 2014, which intensified our friendship and mutual appreciation.
Indeed, Ghana was the only team Germany could not beat!
The last part focuses on people to people relations and our civil society
engagement. With the German political foundations, present in Accra,
Germany regards Ghana as an exemplary African country with regards to
Germany contributes to wider political debates on socio-economic issues.
democratic principles. Its impact on peace and stability in the region is pivotal.
The German government also funds directly civil society and NGO projects
Its political stability, blessings of natural resources and hereby continuous
that have an immediate positive impact on people’s life. These programmes are
economic growth has allowed Ghana to become a lower middle income country.
complemented by various academic and cultural exchanges between Ghanaians
The challenge now will be to turn Ghana into a stable middle income country,
and Germans.
which can diversify its economy and make large parts of the society profit from
its growth. Germany stands ready to accompany the nation as it progresses in
I wish you a pleasant and enlightening read through this brochure, a testimony of
sustainable and all-encompassing development.
our close German-Ghanaian ties.
The aim of this brochure is to show the richness of Germany’s engagement in
Ghana. On the first pages, this brochure provides an overview of the overall
development assistance, agreed on in bilateral negotiations. In addition, we
show our contribution through multilateral agencies as well as other German
ministries. Then we present the implementing agencies who carry our German
development activities, above all the KfW development bank and the GIZ.
Ambassador Rüdiger John
4 | Introduction
Introduction | 5
ÌA
Ì message from Minister of Finance
­Honourable Seth Terkper
Germany is one of Ghana’s key bilateral partners, not only in terms of volume
and programmes that assist Ghana with regional integration. Some examples are
and diversity but also in quality of development assistance. Since 1961, Germany
the Regional Coordination Unit for HIV and Tuberculosis, the African Cashew
has contributed a cumulative amount of € 1.37 billion in both project and
Initiative, or the Competitive African Rice Initiative, which all promote regional
programme aid in addition to debt relief to Ghana.
exchanges on best practices and facilitate learning with and from our African
neighbors.
Good financial governance is an important part of Germany’s contribution to
Ghana’s continuous development. The Ministry of Finance itself has for example
I would like to thank the government and the people of Germany for their
greatly benefitted from the establishment and modernization of the Ghana
support. Ghana has made giant strides in its development over the past decades, a
Revenue Authority, where Germany has been the core donor for this reform and
lot more needs to be done to consolidate the gains made so far. Therefore, we are
supported the coordination of support from other donors. Further, Germany’s
looking forward to the continuation of a fruitful and trustful cooperation.
support in the areas of decentralisation, agriculture and sustainable economic
development have a very positive impact and assist Ghana in its transitioning
phase to a stable lower middle income country.
As this brochure shows, German-Ghanaian ties go much further than
development assistance in the different sectors but our relations are
complemented by cultural exchanges, political dialogue, civil society engagement
Hon. Seth E. Terkper
Minister for Finance and Economic Planning
Content | 7
ÌContent
Ì
ÌÌA message from ­Ambassador ­Rüdiger John. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
ÌÌA message from Minister of Finance ­Honourable Seth Terkper. . . . . . 4
ÌÌGerman Development ­Cooperation at a Glance.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Main development cooperation areas. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
ÌÌSustainable Economic ­Development.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
ÌÌBudget Support and Good ­Financial Governance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
ÌÌAgriculture.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
ÌÌDecentralisation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
FURTHER DEVELOPMENT COMMITMENTS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
ÌÌClimate Change, Renewable ­Energy and Energy Efficiency. . . . . . . . . . 23
ÌÌGhana Armed Forces ­Disaster ­Management.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
ÌÌThe Kofi Annan International ­Peacekeeping Training Centre.. . . . . . 26
ÌÌRegional Coordination Unit for HIV and Tuberculosis. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Cooperation with the private sector. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
ÌÌTrade and exchange (AHK, GTAI, GGEA, SES). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
ÌÌPartnerships with the private sector.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
ÌÌFinancing (DEG, SBFIC). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
CIVIL SOCIETY ACTIVITIES, CULTURAL
AND ACADEMIC EXCHANGE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
ÌÌPolitical foundations (FES, HSS, KAS, FNF). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
ÌÌDirect Support to Civil Society and
­Non-­Governmental ­Organizations.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
ÌÌCulture and the Arts (Goethe, DW). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
ÌÌAcademic Exchange (DAAD, KCCR) and ­Basic ­Education. . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
8 | Introduction
Introduction | 9
ÌGerman
Ì
Development
­Cooperation at a Glance
German-Ghanaian ties are strong in many fields:
Ambassador Rüdiger John, together with his EU colleagues from the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Italy,
The Netherlands, Spain and the United Kingdom, as well as EU Ambassador Claude Maerten presenting the
“EU Multi-Annual Indicative Programme 2013 – 2016”, to the Government of Ghana, here Minister of Finance,
Honourable Seth Terkper. The EU and its member states will provide external assistance in excess of € 1.5 Billion to
the end of 2016.
Channels of cooperation
Germany is an
Multilateral
active global
Germany is an active global player. As a member in many relevant multilateral
player organizations, Germany is committed to global sustainable development,
peace and security. These organisations are – among others – the International
Monetary Fund, the World Bank, the United Nations Development Programme,
Seven German
ministries
in Ghana
National – exchange between expert ministries
Seven German ministries with their specific expertise are active in Ghana and
add to a fruitful exchange between the two countries. These are the Federal
the African Development Bank or the International Fund for Agricultural
Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (www.bmz.de), Federal
Development. Dedicated to the development cooperation of the European
Foreign Office (www.diplo.de), Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy
Union, for example, Germany finances approximately 20% of the European
(www.bmwi.de), Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and
Development Fund.
Nuclear Safety (www.bmub.bund.de), Federal Ministry of Defence (www.bmvg.
de), Federal Ministry of Education and Research (www.bmbf.de), and the Federal
Ministry of Food and Agriculture (www.bmelv.de).
­bilateral
development
­commitments:
€ 160 ­million
Bilateral targeted development assistance
Development cooperation is one of the most important areas of GermanGhanaian relations. The total bilateral development commitments through the
Key ­areas:
Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development from 2012–2014
sustain-
are € 160 million. All efforts are informed by the United Nations’ Millennium
international
Areas of cooperation
Development Goals. The Ghana Shared Growth and Development Agenda serves
Development
as a key guideline for German development cooperation. Germany actively
Effectiveness
supports the international Aid Effectiveness Agenda, for instance by taking an
Agenda active lead in the EU Joint Programming.
able economic
­development,
decentralisation,
In light of Ghana’s challenges and potentials as a lower middle income country,
issues of good governance and economic development for equitable growth
are at the forefront of the agenda. The key areas of German Development
Cooperation are sustainable economic development, decentralisation, agriculture
and budget support. The promotion of renewable energies is increasingly
agriculture and
important. Germany’s bilateral programme is complemented by several West
budget support
African and African regional programmes operating in Ghana in such fields as
peace and security, agriculture, climate change and HIV/Aids. In addition, many
German foundations and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are active in
Ghana, and Germany directly supports a number of Ghanaian NGOs.
10 | Introduction
Introduction | 11
Means of cooperation
variety of
flexibly applied
instruments
German Development Cooperation offers a variety of flexibly applied
instruments, such as financing, capacity building and advice, investments,
and public-private partnerships. The main agencies carrying out German
development projects and financing are:
GIZ
As a federal enterprise, GIZ supports the German Government in achieving its
objectives in the field of international cooperation for sustainable development.
GIZ operates throughout Germany and in more than 130 countries worldwide.
Most of GIZ’s work is commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for
Economic Cooperation and Development. It also operates on behalf of other
German federal and regional ministries as well as for international public clients
and the private sector. In Ghana, GIZ has its own office in Accra since 1983 with
200 international and local staff.
KfW
KfW is Germany’s leading development bank, matching financial know-how
with long-standing development-policy expertise. KfW draws on internationally
recognised expertise in all development-policy issues, but attaches special
priority to environmental and climate protection, financial sector development,
the water sector, education, and health. With municipal development funds, KfW
promotes target-group investments and strengthens decentralised decisionmaking and governance.
PTB
PTB (Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt) is the national metrology institute
In large part, the requisite funds for the promotion of developing countries are
of Germany, providing scientific and technical services. In Ghana, PTB focuses on
allocated to KfW Development Bank from the German federal budget. However,
quality assurance of agricultural products.
KfW raises additional resources on the capital markets and deploys these for
German development and climate protection finance.
In addition, political foundations as listed on page 35 as well as the institutions
mentioned round up German-Ghanaian areas of cooperation.
Depending on the needs of its partners, KfW finances programmes and
projects either purely from federal budget funds (grants and/or loans at very
advantageous IDA/standard conditions) or from a mixture of federal budget
funds and loans from KfW funds (development loans). In Ghana, from the
bilateral commitments, 30% are given in grants, 70% are concessional loans (IDA
conditions).
Main development cooperation areas | 13
 Hands-on
trainings ensure
the employability
of students at
the Esaase Skills
Development Center
Ì Sustainable Economic
Development
I
Main developMent
cooperation areas
traditional
vocational
traininG
Ghana’s economic development has made some progress in the last years.
However, many structural challenges remain with regard to business
infrastructure, depth and diversity of markets, as well as the need for broad-based
job creation. There is a need to enhance access to financial services for small- and
medium-sized enterprises and increase employment, in particular for women,
and in the younger and poorer sections of society. Two areas have priority:
First, support for the existing traditional vocational training system in order
to enhance standards, modernize the traditional apprenticeship system and
improve the supply of well-trained labour. A crucial partner is the Council for
Technical and Vocational Training (COTVET).
access to
Access to financial services for all, particularly for micro, small and medium-
financial
sized enterprises is the other priority. This includes the establishment of new
services for all
institutions, refinancing of rural banks, and public awareness schemes on the
basics of saving, loans and insurance. Furthermore, a deposit protection scheme
contributes to enhancing people’s trust in their financial market. Support also
goes to developing the (micro-) insurance sector.
Another area of engagement in the last couple of years encompassed the
development of markets, products and services in close cooperation with
business associations, ministries and district administrations.
14 | Main development cooperation areas
Deputy Minister of Finance Hon.
Cassiel Ato Forson, Ambassador Rüdiger
John and the Swiss State Secretary Ms
Ineichen-Fleisch opening the new library
at the Ministry of Finance in May 2014.
The project is part of Germany’s continued
support to tax administration and tax
policy reforms within its Good Financial
Governance (GFG) Programme, which is
funded in cooperation with SECO. The
literature comprising, among other subjects,
macro- and microeconomics, public finance,
development and taxation theory will
particularly assist the Ministry’s Tax Policy
Unit (TPU) in their research.
Main development cooperation areas | 15
ÌÌAgriculture
value-chain
­approach
Agriculture plays a key role in Ghana’s economy and in the livelihoods of half of
the population. The country’s agricultural potential is high. Germany’s ‘Market
Oriented Agriculture Programme’ (MOAP) objective is to improve the income of
the rural population – men and particularly women – by supporting a valuechain approach, mainly with regard to food crops (e.g. maize, pineapple). The key
enables
­small-scale
farmers to
compete
point is to have a holistic approach, connect the main actors with each other,
identify inclusive business models and most importantly add value for the most
vulnerable (e.g. from mango growing to the sale of dried fruit). High-quality
infrastructure and quality assurance at all levels, as well as adequate volumes
to satisfy consumer demand, are also crucial. This approach enables small-scale
farmers to compete better in national, regional and international markets.
ÌÌBudget Support and
Good ­Financial Governance
increase
Germany contributes directly to the state budget of the Government of
development
Ghana alongside eight other donors. The objective is to provide additional
­effectiveness
and predictable budget resources to enable Ghana to implement its National
Development Strategy (Ghana Shared Growth and Development Agenda,
GSGDA). Additionally, budget support is a means to increase development
effectiveness through harmonized procedures and enhances public financial
management and domestic accountability by strengthening institutions such as
the Ghana Audit Service. During joint annual progress reviews, the Government
of Ghana and its contributing partners, with some involvement from civil society,
assess the progress made in the different areas accorded beforehand. Germany
releases its funds according to the outcome of this assessment.
budget
­transparency
and
­accountability
Germany’s contribution to the state budget is closely linked to its support of
good financial governance. Crucial partners to support the reforms on the public
financial management systems are the Ministry of Finance, the Ghana Revenue
Authority, the Ghana Audit Service, the Public Accounts Committee and the
stakeholders of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative. Good financial
governance includes issues such as fiscal policy, improving budget transparency,
credibility and domestic accountability.
Worker at
Vintage Fruit
Juice. Vintage has
now also received
a credit through
the Outgrower
Value Chain Fund,
financed through the
KfW bank to invest
in a bottling plant,
so soon the bottling
will no longer be
done manually.
16 | Main development cooperation areas
Main development cooperation areas | 17
Mozambique. In order to enable small-scale producers to increase their yields
Mr. Kartey expands Vintage Fruit Juice
and the quality of the raw nuts, the project has been training cashew farmers. The
project has recently been commended for its gender approach.
“I am looking forward to expanding the market of Vintage Fruit Juice after
having obtained the registration certificate that will allow me to penetrate
the market with confidence.“
Mr Kartey is the owner of the Vintage Fruit Juice Company, which started at
a vehicle packing garage attached to his garage producing 80L of fruit juice
per day. As the business expanded he secured rented premises where the
company currently is located and installed a processing plant with capacity
of 8,000L per day. Present output is 1,600L per day. MOAP supported
the company to receive the needed FDA (Food and Drugs Authority)
registration.
www.aci.africancashewalliance.com
thriving
­partnerships
with public and
civil society
­organizations
The Sustainable Smallholder Agri-Business Programme will help 350,000
male and female smallholders, mainly in the cocoa growing areas of Nigeria,
Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana and Togo to sustainably improve their incomes
and food supplies from diversified production. This is done through thriving
partnerships with over 50 public and civil society organizations and companies
across the region. Public and private extension services receive support to
organize business skills training for smallholders following the Farmer Business
School approach. Agro-dealers and microfinance institutions are assisted to
establish Business Service Centres. Support to extension to intensify food
production in these zones is a new area of the programme. Ghana Cocoa Board is
agricultural
finance
Through specific funds co-financed by other development partners, Germany
the main partner of the programme.
provides innovative medium- to long-term agricultural finance possibilities
using market mechanisms in cooperation with the local banking sector. Germany
also cooperates closely with public and private service providers, conducts
capacity building at various levels and contributes to institutional and policy
development, e.g. at the national and regional level of the Ministry of Food and
Agriculture and of the Ghana Standards Authority.
“Appropriate accreditation that we were able to receive due to the German
assistance is a prerequisite for our exports to the European Union. Now we can
measure the cooling temperature for fruits and vegetable or weigh accurately our
goods so they will meet the standards necessary for the European market. This
greatly benefits our exports.”
Paul Date, Head of Department for Scientific Metrology, Ghana Standards Authority
Regional projects
Germany has four regional agricultural projects (cashew, cocoa, cotton, rice), co­­
funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation:
The African Cashew initiative (ACi) focuses on increasing the competitiveness of
the African cashew value chain in Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana and
Mrs. Melinda Gates visits a Cocoa Farm
18 | Main development cooperation areas
Consultant of
COCOBOD with
farmer in Sunyani
Main development cooperation areas | 19
ÌÌDecentralisation
local
­governance
for democratic
development
Local governments are the face of the government to the citizens: Who knows
better where a school or a health centre needs to be built, the needs for the local
entrepreneurs, or where electricity and water supply is lacking? The Ghanaian
Government is well aware of the importance of local governance for the overall
equitable and democratic development and is promoting decentralisation since
two decades. Still, decentralisation and promotion of local governments is a long
lasting and complicated process and local governments need administrative,
financial and technical capacities and reliable financing. Only then are they
empowered to live up to the expectations of the local population.
Capacity
Founded in 2008, the Competitive African Cotton Initiative (COMPACI) supports
smallholder farmers all over Sub-Saharan Africa to increase the productivity of
building for
­­Assemblies
The German Government supports Ghana in its effort to strengthen local
governments in the whole country in several ways: Capacity building measures
for Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies are directed to increase
the cotton production and thus their income, as well as to improve their living
competences among state and non-state actors. In order to take over active
conditions. COMPACI also facilitates access to finance for smallholder cotton
political roles, women are especially supported. Through its reliable financing
producers
through the District Development Facility, and embedded advisors in the
Regional Ministries, Germany helps to develop the role of local development
www.compaci.org/en/
­delivery of
basic services
Local Rice
­Production
The Competitive African Rice Initiative (CARI) goal is to raise the productivity
and delivery of basic services (like schooling, health, drinking water and
sanitation) to the population. Especially the poor population benefits from these
improvements.
and the quality of locally produced rice in Burkina Faso, Ghana and Nigeria.
It cooperates amongst others with the John A. Kufuor Foundation to bring seed
producers, traders, service providers and NGO together to improve the income
of farmers.
www.germanfoodpartnership.de/en/projekte/competitive-african-rice-­initiativecari.html
Former President John Agyekum
Kufuor at the launch of the CARI Initiative
in April 2014
Signing ceremony of the District
Development Facility in August 2014,
whereby the Ghanaian government
and Development partners committed
US$ 230.2 million until 2018. Tina
Guthrie (Canada), Ambassador Rüdiger
John, Deputy Minister of Finance Hon.
Cassiel Ato Forson, Ambassador Margit
Thomsen (Denmark), Minister of Local
Government & Rural Development
Honourable Julius Debrah, Cécile
Vigneau (France) and Brigitte Cuendet
(Switzerland, SECO).
20 | Main development cooperation areas
Main development cooperation areas | 21
Improved Data Systems Boost Local Budgets
Kasimu Ashadu is the District Finance Officer (DFO) for the Tain District in
the Brong Ahafo Region. The district has a relatively low level of economic
development. However, for some time now the DFO has gained a lot of
recognition from his colleagues. Together with the District Planning Officer,
Usamu Samu, the DFO was able to nearly quadruple the district’s income
within two years.
How did that happen? Ghanaian local authorities usually do not
have reliable planning data. This makes it often impossible to complete
appropriate spatial planning processes or to fix property and businesses
fees in a transparent way. Against this background, Germany supported
the introduction of a basic data system on population size and density
as well as on socio-economic information and looked into the needs of
the citizens in the Brong Afaho region. The data has been used to create
new and transparent fees which also take into account the economic
situation of the population. This has enabled the district administration
to not only invest more in infrastructure and social services, but also to
increase the participation of citizens in district planning and to strengthen
accountability. The example of Tain has attracted a lot of interest from
other districts.
Students and teachers of the Nkroful Junior High School in Sekondi-Takoradi are enjoying the difference
that the DDF makes. Before, a single dark room of a multiple purpose building held 60 students. There were no
windows, no ventilation and no toilets. Now, there are two lucid classrooms that have been constructed on a large
open compound, the teachers dispose of a special room for administration and preparation and decent toilets are
available for boys and girls.
School is great! Decentralisation as well! Through the District
Development Facility Germany together with other donors (Canada,
Denmark, France and Switzerland) finances the construction of social
infrastructure in the whole country. This made it possible to implement
about 3.600 infrastructure projects in all 216 districts of Ghana. Moreover,
the Facility supports nationwide capacity building programmes for yearly
up to 3.000 civil servants working in the local government administrations.
The District Assemblies themselves define and prioritize the measures to
be financed out of the allocations of the District Development Facility,
be it for education, health, water supply, sanitation or other needs of the
local population. The construction of school buildings ranks highest on the
priority list. More than 40% of all investment measures have been dedicated
to education.
Further development commitments | 23
Ì Climate Change, Renewable
Energy and Energy Efficiency
clean enerGy
production
Access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and safe energy services is a vital
concern when it comes to economic prosperity, social well-being, environmental
sustainability and climate change issues. There is an abundance of untapped
potential in natural renewable sources of energy in Ghana, and there is huge
potential for saving energy too. Because of Germany’s vast experience in these
areas, Germany is engaged in various projects and initiatives, such as capacitybuilding initiatives to help implement the Renewable Energy law in Ghana. A
photovoltaic plant will contribute to the production of clean energy. And modern
modern
transmission
II
FUrtHer developMent
coMMitMents
lines
transmission lines increase efficiency. Furthermore, academic and municipal
exchange projects, like the sister city partnership between Cape Coast and Bonn,
address topics as important as green architecture and ecosystem management.
Finally, knowledge exchange and networking between Ghanaian and German
business stakeholders is crucial, and is facilitated, for instance, by the 2014 trade
fair “West African Clean Energy & Environment”.
 Participants and speakers, amongst them: Sampson Madana, Director of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation
Ministry of Environment and Science; Patrick Martens, Delegation of German Industry and Commerce in Ghana;
Andreas Voss, Regional Director West Africa, DEG; Prof. Dr. Ahmad Addo, The Energy Center, Kwame Nkrumah
University of Science and Technology (KNUST).
24 | Further development commitments
Germany helps to build 12 MW photovoltaic plant
in the Upper West Region
Further development commitments | 25
competence
centre on
climate change
The West African Science Service Centre on Climate Change and Adapted Land
Use (WASCAL) is a joint initiative of the German Government and ten West
African countries (Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Mali, Niger,
and adapted
Nigeria, Senegal and Togo) to establish a competence centre on climate change
land use
and adapted land use. The objectives are to strengthen the scientific capacity of
West Africa and consolidate existing initiatives on the subject. The administrative
headquarters is in Accra, the scientific competence centre in Ouagadougou.
www.wascal.org
ÌÌGhana Armed Forces
­Disaster ­Management
Peacekeeping
The German government (through KfW Development Bank) in partnership
with the Government of Ghana (GoG)/Ministry of Energy and Petroleum
(MoEP) and the power generation company Volta River Authority (VRA) are
currently in discussions that would lead to the development of a 12 MW
photovoltaic plant in the Upper West Region of Ghana. The German
Government has committed a total of € 22.8 million towards the financing
of this renewable energy project in Ghana. This is in furtherance of GoG’s
target of achieving a 10% renewable energy mix by the year 2020 which is
a consequence of the provisions of the recently enacted Renewable Energy
Act 2011 (Act 832).
Missions
The main objective of the German Armed Forces Technical Advisory Group is
to help the Ghana Armed Forces participate in Peacekeeping Missions under
the command and control of the UN, the AU and ECOWAS. Especially for the
ECOWAS missions, the Republic of Ghana is to support the ECOWAS Standby
Force with an engineer unit, which is fully equipped and trained by the German
unit (including vehicles, bridging equipment and heavy engineering machinery).
One effect is the reinforcement of Ghana Armed Forces in disaster management.
www.gaf.mil.gh
Germany’s bilateral programmes in Ghana are complemented by support to
several regional African or West African initiatives which have an anchor in
The project when completed is expected to contribute towards the
improvement of the lives of the people in the two communities of Lawra
and Kaleo and beyond by making electricity available for small scale
enterprises to develop as well as contribute towards the diversification
of Ghana’s energy generation mix from the existing fossil fuel generating
sources by promoting a much cleaner and environmentally friendly form
of energy.
Ghana (see also section on Agriculture):
26 | Further development commitments
ÌÌThe Kofi Annan International
­Peacekeeping Training Centre
regional
The Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) is one
capacities for
of the Training Centres of Excellence (TCEs) of the Economic Community of
peace support
West African States (ECOWAS) with a mandate to build regional capacities for
operations
peace support operations and peace building through the training of military,
Further development commitments | 27
sector with great success, such as workplace programmes for the private and
public sector. All activities are implemented in close collaboration with the
Ghana AIDS Commission, the National AIDS and TB programmes and the Ghana
Health Service.
www.ghanaids.gov.gh
police and civilian experts. Germany is one of the key partners of KAIPTC
and Germany’s involvement at the Centre dates back to 2004 when it was first
established.
www.kaiptc.org
The Kofi Annan International ­Peacekeeping Training Centre
ÌÌRegional Coordination Unit
for HIV and Tuberculosis
Ghana has been particularly successful in its fight against HIV and tuberculosis.
The German Development Cooperation Regional Coordination Unit for HIV
and Tuberculosis (ReCHT) was created in January 2009 and is based in Accra.
The project is not only responsible for supporting all German Development
Cooperation mainstreaming activities in Ghana, but works in other African
countries as well. It implements development partnerships with the private
Play of the HIV project Anyaboni in Ghana.
Cooperation with the private sector | 29
social,
Solving the social, ecological and economic problems faced by developing
ecoloGical
countries is a challenge that cannot be met by the state alone. Governments,
and economic
civil society and the private sector must assume joint responsibility and take
problems
cannot be
solved by the
state alone
concerted action. Private sector companies play a key role in helping shape the
social and cultural environment, as well as the conditions under which work,
production and consumption take place. This is why they are essential partners
for Germany.
Ì Trade and exchange
III
cooperation witH
tHe private sector
(AHK, GTAI, GGEA, SES)
connectinG
The Delegation of German Industry and Commerce in Ghana (AHK) is the official
companies
German Chamber representation in Accra. It is supported by the Federal Ministry
for Economic Affairs and Energy. It assists with the establishment of businesses
in Ghana for German companies and vice versa for Ghanaian companies towards
establishing contacts towards Germany. With DE International service brand, the
AHK offers services such as: due diligence, business trips, trade missions, market
surveys, office in office services and networking events on current challenges
on bilateral trade. In cooperation with other German Chambers of Industry and
Commerce the AHK arranges trade missions to several African countries.
www.ghana.ahk.de
local business
trends
Germany Trade & Invest opened its office in Accra in February 2014. From Accra,
the organization informs German companies about latest local business trends as
well as trade and investment opportunities in West and Central Africa. Germany
Trade & Invest is funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy.
www.gtai.de
30 | Cooperation with the private sector
Furthermore, specialized organizations from German business and industry
provide up-to-date information on economic and commercial issues as well as
Cooperation with the private sector | 31
Cooperation with Golden Star Resources Ltd - Health
Stewardship for Private Sector Engagement project
networking and market-entry support to both German and Ghanaian clients.
With the intention to enhance bilateral trade for new and existing businesses,
they organize business tours, road shows, conferences, and trade fairs and other
services on demand.
www.ggea.net
Often the most experienced men and women know best what works best. The
German Senior Expert Service (SES) has many clients among small and mediumsized companies, as they take advantage of the quick and pragmatic assistance on
the spot.
www.ses-bonn.de
ÌÌPartnerships with the private sector
mobilize
private-sector
inputs
In development partnerships, the state and private companies cooperate as
equals. Development partnerships mobilize additional private-sector inputs
for development-policy processes and objectives, and promote the transfer
of expertise and modern technology to developing countries. The private
companies also profit in specific ways, though, because additional public funds
are placed at their disposal. They are supported in their projects by experienced
development-policy implementing organizations that possess sector- and
country-specific expertise, and because they are able to tap into new markets for
their products and services.
www.developpp.de
Monitoring visit to a Health Centre in Bogoso
The major causes of morbidity and mortality in Ghana are infectious
diseases such as HIV and TB. Inadequate basic health and social protection
and lack of awareness to prevent these diseases contribute to the problem.
Private companies like Golden Star Resources Ltd. (GSR), a gold mining
company and others are engaged in occupational health measures and
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities to minimize the impact
to their work operations. However, this engagement in occupational
health measures and CSR is often scattered and uncoordinated and lacks
alignment with national health objectives and interventions. Together
with the Regional Coordination Unit for HIV and Tuberculosis (ReCHT)
funded by Germany, Golden Star has developed a strategy to improve
health systems coordination at all levels (national, regional, district and
community) in Ghana. In May 2014 for instance, Golden Star together with
GIZ and the Ministry of Health/Ghana Health Service held a workshop that
sought to enlighten the participants on the development of partnerships
with stakeholders within the healthcare delivery system. As a result, there
is increased communication among the District Assembly, District Health
Management Team, Golden Star Resources Ltd. and Association of Ghana
Industries.
32 | Cooperation with the private sector
ÌÌFinancing (DEG, SBFIC)
Cooperation with the private sector | 33
Tailored support in the field of short-term microfinance is provided by the
Savings Banks Foundation for International Cooperation (SBFIC), which aims to
convey the profound experiences of the more than 200 years old “Sparkassen-
Investment for
development
Long-term financing of private enterprises through equity capital, loans
Finanzgruppe” to developing countries. In Ghana SBFIC currently supports the
and guarantees is another important instrument. This includes investing in
Credit Unions in establishing their Training Centre.
the agro-business sector, in infrastructure, manufacturing and services, in
telecommunications and in the financial sector. Standards like good corporate
www.sbfic.de
governance, corporate social responsibility and environmental as well as social
issues play a crucial role.
www.deginvest.de
Financing UT Bank on Wheels
The UT Bank is a medium-sized financial services provider in Ghana, which
offers tailor-made financing solutions for small und medium enterprises.
The financial institution, which has been operating since 1997, employs a
staff of over 700, serving more than 100,000 customers in 26 branches in
every region of Ghana. Using vans which act as mobile bank branches, the
UT Bank is able to reach private and business customers in outlying areas,
who otherwise would not have access to financial services. DEG has a stake
in the UT Bank amounting to US$ 10 million, and has also provided a quasiequity loan of US$ 5 million. In doing so, DEG is expanding the bank’s credit
line and supporting it in extending its SME business. Local entrepreneurs
are benefitting from the expansion and are now able to invest and grow.
Microfinance supports traders
Financing UT Bank on Wheels
Civil society activities, cultural and academic exchange | 35
PARTNERSHIPS
north rhine
westphalia
partner state
of Ghana
North Rhine Westphalia is a partner state of the Republic of Ghana and
cooperates with Ghana on a number of issues (see also Academic exchange).
One example is the cooperation with the Kumasi Centre for Collaborative
Research at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST)
on innovation in renewable energy and energy efficiency. The aim is to support
IV
civil societY
activities, cUltUral
and acadeMic
eXcHanGe
the development of KNUST as a competence centre for renewables and climate
protection.
www.mbem.nrw.de/eine-welt/ghana/
cape coast
city of bonn
sister-city
partnership
Since 2012 Cape Coast and the city of Bonn have signed a sister-city partnership.
This partnership focuses on the exchange of experiences in areas, such as for
instance climate protection and preservation of biological diversity. One project
is to help save the Fosu lagoon as its contributes to climate change adaption
and protection of biodiversity. Furthermore, the Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University
of Applied Sciences together with the Cape Coast University has implemented
cooperation projects on Entrepreneurship and Small Enterprise Development.
www.bonn.de
Ì Political foundations
(FES, HSS, KAS, FNF)
Political foundations are a unique element of German (political and
development) cooperation. Closely linked to the different democratic parties
in Germany, the foundations cooperate with international and national
consolidatinG
democratic
processes
stakeholders mainly on political issues. The German foundations are well
interlinked with many Ghanaian partners, be they from the government, the
opposition, universities, civil society, the media, or traditional authorities.
36 | Civil society activities, cultural and academic exchange
youth
­participation
The Friedrich Ebert Foundation (FES) is active in the fields of consolidating
democratic processes, especially parliament, political parties, and women’s and
Civil society activities, cultural and academic exchange | 37
­Cooperation
with
The Konrad Adenauer Foundation (KAS) is working in various political fields.
Together with its local partners, it organizes lectures and roundtables with high-
youth participation; the structural transformation of the Ghanaian economy; trade
­traditional
ranking politicians from Ghana and from Germany to help trigger initiatives
unions; the oil and gas sector; and security policy (especially small arms control).
authorities
to stimulate the country’s sustainable political development. One of its main
guiding principles here is the social market economy. Cooperation with political
parties as well as with traditional authorities also provides a focus for its activities.
www.fesghana.org
www.kas.de/ghana
The Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Ghana
and the Institute for Statistical, Social and
Economic Research (ISSER) at the University
of Ghana founded the Ghanaian Panel on
Economic Development (GPED) in 2011,
which aims to formulate policies to ensure
a socially just economy. The permanent
panel members represent various Ministries,
Parliament, Civil Society, Businesses, Trade
Unions and Academia and meet on a regular
basis.
African
Peer Review
­Mechanism
Queen mothers
interacting in a
seminar called
Traditional
Authorities in
Politics. Organized
by the Konrad
Adenauer
Foundation to
introduce women
more into politics.
The Hanns Seidel Foundation (HSS) in Ghana contributes to the strengthening
of civic education, good governance and the rule of law by cooperating with
Ghanaian partners such as the National Commission for Civic Education and the
Ghana Police Service. The foundation is also engaged in a number of regional
projects in West Africa, e.g. through its support for the African Peer Review
Mechanism in Ghana and four other West African states.
www.hss.de/westafrika/en/ghana/
A student giving his thoughts on the
lessons learned at the regional showcase
of the “Project Citizen”. By identifying
community specific problems and
presenting possible public policy solutions at
regional school competitions, students have
the opportunity to actively participate in
advocacy initiatives at the local government
level.
freedom and
The Friedrich Naumann Foundation (FNS) for Liberty is the German foundation
responsibility
for liberal politics, with the central idea of attaining freedom and responsibility.
In Ghana, it cooperates with organizations such as the Ghana Centre for
Democratic Development, Association of Ghana Industries, IMANI Center for
Policy and Education, Ghana Liberal Students’ Association and the Freedom
Society.
www.freiheit.org
38 | Civil society activities, cultural and academic exchange
ÌÌDirect Support to Civil Society and
Non-Governmental Organizations
Civil society activities, cultural and academic exchange | 39
favourite
destination
Furthermore, there are many smaller organizations, often founded by
former volunteers or by Ghanaians living in Germany. Ghana is one of the
of German
favourite destinations of German volunteers. Through German initiatives, like
­volunteers
weltwärts, kulturweit, Anderer Dienst im Ausland (AdiA) and Internationaler
Jugendfreiwilligendienst (IJFD), young Germans support many local NGOs in
Civil ­society
When civil society is active and pluralistic, it is not only a vital part of any stable
their activities, and by doing so further deepen the good Ghanaian-German
in Ghana
democratic system and free society, as well as an indicator of its authenticity; it
cultural relationship.
is ­vibrant
also constitutes an essential element of the people’s well-being. Civil society in
www.weltwaerts.de
Ghana is vibrant in all areas.
www.fsj-adia.de
Germany supports numerous NGOs through its bilateral programmes and
www.internationaler-jugend-freiwilligendienst.de/ijfd
through the small scale fund of the German Embassy. Civil society organizations
www.kulturweit.de
are important stakeholders alongside representatives of the government. In
addition, a large number of German NGOs directly cooperate with Ghanaian
organizations. Several larger NGOs, like the church-based Misereor and
Evangelischer Entwicklungsdienst (Church Development Service), receive
substantial funding for their projects from the German Government. They
implement their projects mostly through their local partners in agriculture,
ÌÌCulture and the Arts
(Goethe, DW)
education and healthcare.
One remarkable feature of Ghanaian-German cooperation is the diversified
exchange in science and culture.
Trashy Bags is a social enterprise based
in Accra that makes recycled eco-friendly
bags and gifts from plastic trash. From the
small scale fund of the Embassy, the German
Embassy donated ten professional industrial
sewing machines. With this donation, the
company is able to produce products out of
heavy materials such as billboards.
Professional
Goethe-Institut Ghana – German Cultural Centre is the cultural institute of the
­German
Federal Republic of Germany with a global reach. In Ghana it celebrated its 50th
­Language
Classes
anniversary in 2011. In Accra, it is the only place where language-learners can
access highly qualified German language teaching. Moreover, the institute fosters
inter-cultural exchanges in all branches of the arts, such as film, music and fine
arts, in cooperation with national Ghanaian as well as international partners like
the Alliance Française. It envisions to reach the young, on stage and backstage
with educational workshops. Goethe-Institut deliberately pursues the approach
of presenting both German and Ghanaian culture.
www.goethe.de/accra
40 | Civil society activities, cultural and academic exchange
Civil society activities, cultural and academic exchange | 41
Winneba and
Supported by the DAAD or other funding institutions, there is a vibrant exchange
Flensburg:
between German and Ghanaian universities on various issues. To name only a
University
few of the Ghanaian-German Higher Education Partnerships; the University
Partnership
Programme
of Education Winneba and the University of Flensburg run a partnership
programme which includes not only a DAAD-funded student exchange as well
as a DAAD-funded short-term lectureship, but also joint scientific conferences
and the University of Giessen and the University of Ghana run a partnership in
the field of English Studies. Since 2012, a German-Ghanaian Government PhD
Scholarship programme has been initiated which is funded by the Ghanaian
Ministry of Education and co-funded by the DAAD.
www.daad-ghana.org
Concert of the National Symphony Orchestra Ghana and the Winneba Youth Choir,
conducted by German composer Markus Baisch. Baisch is the initiator of a music project
that brings together children from different schools and areas in Accra to make music
together in choirs and orchestras. The project, which is co-financed by the German Federal
Foreign Office, has been a success for several years now.
Fortune Agbele, scholarship holder for the Hertie
School of Governance in Berlin
“Definitely, I would not be able to have such perspectives if not for the
training and exposure I had doing my Master’s degree at the Hertie School
of Governance.”
Deutsche Welle, one of the major German broadcasting institutions, makes its
programmes available on TV, radio, mobile devices and online news providers
through various media partners. Currently DW cooperates with about twenty
radio stations and seven TV channels and is always on the lookout for new
partners.
www.dw.de
ÌÌAcademic Exchange (DAAD, KCCR)
and ­Basic ­Education
facilitate
and broaden
­academic
­cooperation
DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) is a joint organization
encompassing more than 300 German institutions of higher education. Its aim
is to facilitate and broaden academic cooperation between Ghana and Germany,
including a DAAD-funded Centre of Excellence at the University of Ghana in
Legon (ISSER) and annually dozens of DAAD-funded scholarship holders.
Within the scholarship programme Public Policy and Good Governance
(PPGG), the DAAD enabled Fortune Agbele to study at Hertie School of
Governance in Berlin, pursuing a Master of Public Policy (MPP) degree.
Now she is the Executive Director of Mutatio Institute, an independent
and not for profit Think Tank she co-founded with five other PPGG
alumni. Mutatio is on a mission to create a pluralistic, non-partisan,
multi-stakeholder milieu wherein the goals of policy formulation and
the dividends of governance are viewed as principal means to building
sustainable livelihoods with ethical and accountable leadership as the
overarching aim.
42 | Civil society activities, cultural and academic exchange
Civil society activities, cultural and academic exchange | 43
Further examples of academic exchange and training by German-funded
institutions are the above mentioned KAIPTC and WASCAL. For further
information see the section on regional programmes above. For information on
academic funding opportunities visit:
www.daad.de/deutschland/stipendium/en
German-­ The KCCR (Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine)
Ghanaian
was opened in 1998. It is a German-Ghanaian research centre situated on the
­research
campus of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST)
­centre
in Kumasi. It is jointly operated by KNUST, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical
Medicine, Hamburg and the Ghanaian Ministry of Health. Since its inauguration
several operational laboratory have been established and postgraduate courses
have been offered.
www.kccr-ghana.org
German
­curriculum
As a bilingual school, the German Swiss International School - Accra which was
founded for Swiss children in Ghana is now running the German Thuringia
curriculum as well as the Cambridge International programme. The school is part
of the network of 142 recognized German schools abroad. GSIS students enjoy
Cambridge
International
programme
high quality education in the all day school. Well-structured school days with
appropriate phases of concentrated learning and phases of relaxation ensure
that the children from different backgrounds and ages have an opportunity for a
holistic approach to education.
www.gsis-accra.org
Partners for
the Future
initiative
Germany is convinced that multilingualism broadens horizons. The intention
of the Partners for the Future initiative is not only to give young children access
to the German language and education but also to awaken their interest in
and understanding for each other. Germany maintains close partnership ties
especially with three secondary schools in Ghana: Accra Academy and Wesley
Girls Secondary High School in Accra as well as Opoku Ware Secondary High
School in Kumasi.
Children sharing a coconut
ÌImprint
Ì
Imprint
Publisher
Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany Accra
6, Ridge Street P.O. Box GP 1757 North Ridge, Accra, Ghana
Phone: +233 302 211000
www.accra.diplo.de
Editor
Dr. Zoé Nautré and Dr. Nicole Maldonado
Photocredits
Fortune Agbele · AHK Ghana · Ben Ansare · Russel Coombs · dpa picture alliance ·
EU Delegation Accra · FES · German Embassy Accra · GIZ Accra · Golden Star ·
KAIPTC · KAS · Hartmut Krebs · HSS · Martin Lux · Li Magura · Annemarie Matthess ·
Hartwig Michaelsen · Ministry of Finance, Ghana · shutterstock: Sura Nualpradid ·
TechnoServe · Trashy bags · UT Bank · Nino von Finck
Corporate Design & Layout
Atelier Hauer + Dörfler, Berlin, Germany
www.hauer-doerfler.de
Printing
Brandenburgische Universitätdruckerei und Verlagsgesellschaft Potsdam mbH
Germany
 Contact Adresses and Offices in Ghana
Embassy of the Federal Republic
of Germany Accra
6, Ridge Street
P.O. Box GP 1757 North Ridge,
Accra, Ghana
Phone: +233 302 211 000
www.accra.diplo.de
DAAD Information Center Accra
c/o Goethe-Institut Accra
30, Kakramadu Road P.M.B. 52
Cantonments, Accra, Ghana
Phone: +233 302 784 865 /76
03 42
Email: [email protected]
www.daad-ghana.org
Deutsche Welle Agentur Accra
6, Ridge Street
P.O. Box GP 1757
North Ridge, Accra, Ghana
Phone: +233 302 221 311
Email: [email protected]
Friedrich Naumann Foundation
for Liberty
43, La Tebu Crescent
P.O. Box CT 2656
Cantonments, Accra, Ghana
Phone: +233 302 778 066
www.africa.fnst.org
German-Swiss International
School
P.O. Box KIA 30326
Accra, Ghana
Phone: +233 302 223 522
www.gsis-accra.org
GIZ Office in Ghana
German Development Cooperation House
7, Volta Street
P.O. Box KIA 9698
Airport Res. Area, Accra, Ghana
Phone: +233 302 777 375
www.giz.de
Delegation of German Industry
and Commerce in Ghana (AHK)
Mezzanine Floor
World Trade Centre
No. 29 Independence Avenue
PMB 25 TUC Accra-Ghana
Phone: +233 302 631 681 3
Email: [email protected]
www.ghana.ahk.de
Friedrich Ebert Foundation
869/2, Ring Road East
P.O. Box KIA 9722
Accra, Ghana
Phone: 00233-303933496/933497
Email: [email protected]
www.fesghana.org
German Armed Forces Technical
Advisory Group
TESHIE-Camp, Accra, Ghana
Phone: +233 302 714 005
www.gaf.mil.gh
Ghanaian-German Economic
Association
6, Esseefo Street
P. O. Box KIA 9227
Asylum Down, Accra, Ghana
Phone: +233 (0) 263 007 588
Email: [email protected]
www.ggea.net
Germany Trade and Invest
Accra Office
Mezzanine Floor, World Trade
Centre
No. 29 Independence Avenue
Postal: PMB 25 TUC, Accra,
Ghana
Phone: +233 (0) 3026 316 813
www.gtai.com
Goethe-Institut Ghana
30, Kakramadu Road
P.M.B. 52 Cantonments,
Accra, Ghana
Phone: +233 302 776 764
www.goethe.de/accra
Hanns Seidel Foundation
14, Lily Street, East Legon,
Accra, Ghana
Phone: +233 307 020 260
Konrad Adenauer Foundation
103, Osu Badu Street
P.O. Box CT 1105
Accra, Ghana
Phone: +233 302 768 629
KfW Entwicklungsbank
German Development Cooperation House 7, Volta Street, P.O.
Box KIA 9698 , Airport Res. Area,
Accra, Ghana, KfW Office Ghana
Phone: +233 302 763 942
www.kfw-entwicklungsbank.de
DEG – Deutsche Investitionsund Entwicklungsgesellschaft
mbH
Regional Office West Africa
German Development
Cooperation House
7, Volta Street
P.O. Box KIA 9698
Airport Res. Area, Accra, Ghana,
Phone: +233 302 763 440
www.deginvest.de
Sparkassenstiftung für internationale Kooperation (SBFIC)
44, Jones Nelson
St. Adabraka, Accra, Ghana
Phone: +233 549 580 450
www.sparkassenstiftung.de
Physikalisch-Technische
Bundesanstalt (PTB)
www.ptb.de