Ms. Benonita Bismarck, the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Shippers’ Authority ( GSA), has retired from the Authority after a distinguished tenure.
Ms Bismarck’s tenure spanned a remarkable seven-year period from June 2017 to November 2023 with her dedicated service making the climax of an impactful era in the Organisation’s history.
She inspired the revision of the Authority’s 5-year Strategic Plan (2019 – 2023) and directed its implementation, culminating in the achievement of remarkable outcomes that have not only benefitted shippers (importers and exporters).
It also improved cooperation and collaboration among key stakeholders, including government agencies, industry players and international partners, enhancing Ghana’s position in the global shipping landscape.
Ms. Bismarck had been a vocal advocate for the interests of shippers, representing their concerns at national and international platforms, a news brief from the Authority said.
It said she played a pivotal role in establishing a branch
office in Tamale, strategically advancing the Authority’s commitment to a nationwide coverage.
Her visionary leadership was particularly instrumental in overseeing the vigilant monitoring of the country’s transit corridors in the northern sector.
Through that initiative, Ms Bismarck not only expanded the organisational footprints, but also ensured a comprehensive and impactful reach in optimising shipping operations across the entire country, the brief said.
It said under her leadership, the Authority launched the ShippersApp to provide instant shipping information and services to shippers and the public.
To support trade facilitation, the former CEO’s tenure saw the completion and inauguration of the Elubo Freight Park in the Western Region and the Hamile Freight Park in the Upper West Region
Those achievements had been variously acknowledged, key among was the 2023 Public Enterprises League Table Awards organised by the Ministry of Public Enterprises in collaboration with the State Interests and Govern
ance Authority,
The brief said the Authority placed seventh on the League of Best Performing Public Institutions and Second for the Agencies under the Ministry of Transport.
The Authority also picked up a number of awards, including: Trade Facilitation Company of the Year 2020, 2021 and 2023 (Ghana Business Awards), and Best Company in Supporting Health Institutions and Facilities 2021 (Sustainability and Social Investment (SSI) Awards).
Others are the Most Responsible Government Regulator of the year 2021 (Responsible Business and Leadership Excellence Awards), and Public Sector Company of the Year 2021 (Ghana Business Awards).
On the personal front, Ms. Bismarck’s impactful leadership had been duly acknowledged.
The awards recognised her ardent role in leading the GSA in making major interventions in addressing concerns of shippers in Ghana and contributing to trade facilitation.
Some of the awards are Woman of Excellence (Public Sector) Award 2020 (Ghana Business Awards), Most Outstanding Female in C
orporate Social Responsibility (Business Executive Magazine Limited) and Ghana Women of Excellence Awards in honour of her contribution to National Development development (Top Brass Ghana).
Others are CEO of the Year in the Public Sector (Ghana Business Awards), Gold Business Leadership Award 2021 (Ghana Business Leaders Excellence Awards),
Female Personality of the Year 2022 (Sustainability and Social Investment) and Outstanding Public Sector CEO of the Year 2022 (Entrepreneurs Foundation of Ghana).
The rest are Integrity-Driven CEO of the Year 2022 (African Public Service Awards by Instinct Wave), Sustainable Shipping Steward of the Year 2022 (Rad Communications) and Outstanding Woman in Public Service 2023 (Rad Communications)
The brief said the Authority expressed gratitude to Ms. Bismarck for her invaluable contributions and particularly, her strong leadership that had helped the Authority in navigating through challenges and steering it towards greater heights.
Stepping into her role is Mr. Kwesi
Baffour Sarpong as the new Chief Executive Officer of the Authority.
He possessed a robust background in energy sector trends, market analysis, operations management, business development, supply chain, contract management, and project coordination.
Mr Baffour’s wealth of expertise and diverse skill set would usher in a new chapter of dynamic and strategic leadership for the Organisation, the brief said.
Source: Ghana News Agency
Dr. Samuel Kwabena Boakye-Boateng, Upper East Regional Director of Health Service, has outlined an effective transformational management approach to inject dynamism in health professionals and create a conducive, friendly environment for all stakeholders to patronise public health facilities in the region.
He explained that a transformational management approach would ensure that healthcare leaders and providers in the region took bold steps to adopt a consumer-centric focus and shift to preventive and outcomes-based care models.
He said the public health system was the foundation of a healthy nation, as it served as a critical and effective administration of healthcare services to the larger public.?
‘As the new Regional Director of Health, I would lead my Health Team to provide an equitable, quality, and more efficient and effective patient-centric healthcare system in the region,’ succinctly ensuring that the region becomes one of the best destinations for health in Ghana.
Dr. Boakye-Boateng told the
Ghana News Agency in an interview in Harare, Zimbabwe, on the sidelines of the 22nd edition of the International Conference on Aids and Sexually Transmitted Infections in Africa (ICASA).
It is a major bilingual international AIDS conference that takes place in Africa.
Ghana is participating with officials from the Ghana Health Service, the Ghana AIDS Commission, the National AIDS/STI Control Programme, civil society organisations in the health sector, and other key stakeholders.
The delegation includes Dr. Stephen Ayisi Addo, Programme Manager, National AIDS/STI Control Programme; Dr. Vincent Ganu, Principal Medical Officer at the Infectious Disease Centre of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital; and Mrs. Gifty Addo-Tetebo, Eastern Regional HIV/AIDS/STI Coordinator.
The others are Ms. Gifty Boakye, Mr. Philip Boakye, Mr. David Adika, and Dr. Raphael Adu-Gyamfi, all from the National AIDS/STI Control Programme; Mr. Jacob Acquah Andoh, Ghana Health Service Headquarters; and Mr. Majeed Sulemana, also from the Uppe
r East Regional Health Directorate.
Dr. Boakye-Boateng noted that effective transformational management approaches involved engagement with strategic stakeholders, including the community, traditional and religious leaders, the media, civil society organisations, private sector players, the corporate world, the business community, and other professional bodies both within and outside the health sector.
He said the Regional Health Directorate would ensure that healthcare systems across the districts and communities took advantage of and used digital technology for innovative solutions to improve healthcare delivery and associated health outcomes.
Dr. Boakye-Boateng also revealed that to improve the healthcare needs of the region, the health directorate would coordinate and collaborate to increase funding, improve infrastructure, and invest in healthcare workers.
He said improving access to medicines and equipment, promoting preventive care and education, and ensuring accountability and transparency would e
nhance healthcare delivery and give its population better health outcomes.
On ICASA, Dr. Boakye-Boateng also told the Ghana News Agency in an interview that the biennial International AIDS Conference is the premier convening for all individuals, governments, and communities working in the field of health in Africa as pertains to HIV/AIDS and STIs.
He said it offered global and national leaders, people living with HIV, private sector partners, and others committed to ending the epidemic and strengthening the health systems in Africa an opportunity to engage and share best practices.?
Dr. Boakye-Boateng noted that ICASA presented an opportunity for researchers and clinicians worldwide to share the latest scientific advances, learn from one another’s experiences and expertise, and develop strategies for advancing all facets of the global collective efforts to achieve epidemiologic control of HIV/AIDS across Africa and achieve the UNAIDS goal of 95:95:95 by 2030.
The Society for AIDS in Africa is the main org
aniser of ICASA, which works in collaboration with its international and local partners.
Source: Ghana News Agency