Page 12 - DMEA Week 33 2019

DMEA
neWs in BrieF
DMEA
PoliCy
Rouhani signs off on
downstream industries
support act
iranian President Hassan Rouhani issued
an executive decree to the iranian Ministry of Petroleum and the Planning and Budget Organization on supporting downstream oil industries by tapping public capital.
According to President.ir, Dr. Rouhani signed o on the act which stresses exploiting the public capitals for developing and supporting downstream oil and gas condensate projects.
shana
Redirect pre-mix fuel
subsidy to sustain fisheries
resource
Professor Rashid Sumaila, a Director at the Fisheries Economics Research Unit of the University of British Colombia says
the continuous pre-mix fuel subsidy by the government is fuelling the depletion of sh stock.
in his view, the fuel subsidy does not inure to the bene t of the small-scale sher folks but rather the large-scale shers, and that, the policy facilitated the depletion of the stock in the ocean.
Professor Sumaila, who was speaking
at the National Fisheries Conference on Fisheries and Coastal management in Accra, on Monday, urged the government to redirect such funds to protect the ocean and ensure its sustainability.
it was jointly organised by USAiD
Sustainable Fisheries Management Project, the University of Cape Coast’s Fisheries and Coastal Management and Capacity Building Project and the Fisheries Commission, with funding from USAiD.
Under the theme; “Fisheries and Coastal Governance in Contemporary times”, the three-day conference seeks to highlight achievements, opportunities, share
lessons learnt and key challenges with the implementation of the project.
Professor Sumaila called on government to improve national sheries management, make illegal shing unpro table and buy insurance by creating the marine reserve.
He said the provision of subsidy in di erent forms to the sheries sector was not unique in Ghana but worldwide, and that, it was having a negative impact on the ocean.
“Do not empty the ocean and go to sleep. We are taking too much from nature without caring about its sustainability. it is a disturbing issue that we need to think about and take steps to ensure its sustainability because many livelihoods depend on it,” he said
e ocean provides many services such as oxygen, regulate earth climate, cultural, transportation, energy and jobs, but we are disturbing it with over shing, illegal shing and pollution of all sorts.”
Mr Steven E. Hendrix, the Acting Mission Director, USAiD/Ghana, said the sheries sector plays a very important role in Ghana’s socio-economic development; accounting for 1.2 percent of growth domestic product in 2017 and contributes signi cantly to national food security and nutrition.
He said sheries and aquaculture were sectors in Ghana’s broader blue economy, which was made up of all economic activities that are dependent on the country’s ocean waters, rivers and lakes.
“We want to see the progress made in the sector under the government as a great
example of Ghana ‘beyond aid’ and its long journey to self-reliance,” he said.
ghana neWs agenCy
FUels
SA fuel prices likely to rise again in September
South African motorists are likely to pay a little more for petrol and diesel from the beginning of September, and this time the rand is solely to blame.
Based on mid-month fuel price data from the Central Energy Fund, the Automobile Association is predicting a petrol price increase in the region of 10 cents a litre, while diesel is likely to go up by around 16 cents and illuminating para n by 12 cents.
is would raise the inland price of petrol to R15.82 for 93 Unleaded and R16.02 for 95 Unleaded, while those at the coast would pay R15.38 for the latter.
Were it not for the plummeting rand, South Africans would have been looking forward to a likely fuel price reduction next month as international oil prices have actually dropped signi cantly since the beginning of the month.
However, the AA warns that in recent days there have been signs of an uptick, which would see fuel prices coming under renewed pressure.
“We are concerned that there may be worse to come,” the association said.
“ e South African economy is in a parlous state, with ongoing policy uncertainty and a growing debt burden. e country is ill- placed to weather its domestic challenges, let alone developments on the international front, and this leaves fuel users increasingly exposed to movements in the Rand”.
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Week 33 22•August•2019