About Us: NGO Financial Statement and Report

Financial Statement & Report: Reputed Agriculture 4 Development (Reputed A4D) Stichting registered in The Netherlands

We are very pleased to share our first year of Financial Statement and Report from 2019 to 2020 as seen below. We started with our first year and will continue with the up-to-date report in the coming years.

As our NGO is for the public benefit, we must be transparent in financial management regarding ‘how we have received’ and ‘how we have used or spent’ our funds to conduct activities for public benefit. The receipts of expenditures related to the financial report are available upon request.

I. Reputed Agriculture 4 Development Stichting registered in The Netherlands on 25 April 2019

In this first section, we have specifically prepared the financial report for the NGO registered in The Netherlands. This report included the trips from Ghana to The Netherlands in Jan 2019, for consultations with the Royal Netherlands Chamber of Commerce (‘KvK’) in Arnhem, Notary and Tax and Accountant Advisory Office in Wageningen, The Netherlands. This NGO was built as ‘Stichting’ (ref. ‘Foundation’ in English), registered on 25 April 2019 in Wageningen. The important note to work outside of The Netherlands is that Reputed Agriculture 4 Development (RA4D) ‘Stichting’ becomes the umbrella for our efforts working in partnerships with NGOs (local and international), farmers’ associations, and universities (local and international) in the tropics (our reference: the code on Sustainable Business Initiative (SBI) given by The Royal Netherlands Chambers of Commerce (KvK) is 94995).

Our activities began in January 2019 with some consultations and visiting some respected Netherlands Authorities to get our registration on 25 April 2019, we have recorded some expenses that needed to be recorded here as well. Therefore, we’d like to show it; finally, it has been seen as two years of the fiscal financial report, e.g. Jan 2019 to Dec 2020.

We do excuse ourselves because we have yet to open our bank account in The Netherlands. Nevertheless, we have already opened our NGO bank account in Ghana (Sep 2019), Nigeria (Aug 2022), and Malawi (Sep 2022), as locally registered NGOs, it makes it easy to manage our projects and financial management which directly benefits within the country itself. However, the overall strategies will be under the guidance of the umbrella organization, i.e. Reputed Agric4 Dev Stichting registered in Wageningen, The Netherlands. It has already put our effort into opening this bank account in The Netherlands since June 2019. However, it is still an ongoing effort, we have faced complicated bank procedures as commonly experienced by other NGOs there.

As a consequence, we cannot show the initial and end of bank balance out of the Dutch bank account but we can report from our track record through the bookkeeping, in this section (Section I).

Generally speaking, we worked on setting up and establishing partnerships with various institutions based on our SBI No: KvK-94995, whether while I was in The Netherlands, trying to contact several Dutch Entities/NGOs or private sectors at first in Ghana from both efforts of Erna Abidin and Ted Carey from Sep 2019 onwards.

We also worked and strategized our niche and programs to be our first or highest priorities, including the SBI No: KvK-94997.

In this financial report, we mostly reported on long-term Capital to date, such as the NGO address, Relevant Expenditure, i.e., Preparation of the NGO in The Netherlands, Trips of Erna Abidin and Ted Carey to The Netherlands, Making the Website, and Service provider to sustain the website to run. The website is an obligation for us when managing a non-profit NGO (Stichting/Foundation). For the trips, we only considered the airplane tickets. The trips were meant for visiting and consultation with the Notary in Wageningen, KvK in Arnhem, and the Advisory Office for Finance and Fiscal Accountants in Wageningen.

For the capital, all of the four board members have contributed as in-kind (manpower) and/or borrowed some spaces and belongings, such as a piece of room for the offices, using the home address as the NGO addresses, i.e. The Netherlands and Ghana, use of laptops, telephones, etc. All expenses (cash withdrawing) were from the contributions from Erna Abidin and Ted Carey as ‘gifts’.

Summary: A two Fiscal Year RA4D Financial Report/Statement (2019 to 2020) on Revenue and Expenses

The two fiscal year RA4D Financial Statement/Report (2019-2020) in Details

This Financial Report has already been seen and approved to be sufficient by the Advisory Office for Finance and Fiscal Accountants in Wageningen, The Netherlands through the email communication on 10 June 2020.

Notes: Exchange rates taken through the internet accordingly:

There is no change at the Capital Session. It remains as it is up to the current financial fiscal year 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024, and continues up to date.

II. Reputed Agriculture 4 Development Foundation Limited by Guarantee (LGB) registered in Ghana on 16 September 2019 and RA4D Foundation as a National NGO in Ghana (Reg #: D.S.W./9647)

Our first step in developing the activities was in Ghana. This was because we have already been working and living in this country, i.e. Dr. Ted Carey has worked and lived in Ghana since the year of 2010. Dr. Erna Abidin has worked and lived in Ghana since the year of 2014. It was wise and logical to start our first work through this newly established NGO in the country, where we have already been there.

We are familiar with this country and have established good contacts with relevant government officers, and other stakeholders. Furthermore, we have shown our successful contributions towards agricultural development, e.g. Sweetpotato Intervention from the past projects working at the CGIAR-CIP in West Africa, including Ghana. Indeed, we have already established strong partnerships both with some institutions and individual people.

This was the reason that we registered our RA4D NGO on 16 Sep 2019 given its functions as (i) Foundation of which its members are Limited by Guarantee and (2) Also received a certificate ‘to Commence Business’. In this Section II, we do our financial statement as a ‘Foundation’. We are glad to share our financial report in Ghana as our first fiscal year of 15 months existed (Sep 2019 to Dec 2020) and the Fiscal year 2020 and 2021.

In September 2020, we hired an assistant accountant through a contract-based performance for a few months. This accountant has experience working for our (i.e. Ted Carey and Erna Abidin) projects from CGIAR-CIP in the Tamale office until mid-year of 2020.

Since both founders from Reputed Agriculture 4 Development Stichting registered in The Netherlands, Drs. Erna Abidin and Ted Carey who are also the Founders of the Reputed Agriculture 4 Development Foundation registered in Ghana. We have several Ghanaians as our local partners to work together with Erna Abidin and Ted Carey at ‘The RA4D Foundation’ in Ghana. For the Financial Report in Ghana, both RA4D logos were used (Ref. SBI No: KvK-94995 and KvK-94997). The Capital for this Foundation has remained the same with RA4D Stichting and it has already been reported previously.

Notary Registered number:	CG109862019
Reg. No as National NGO in Ghana on a basis of a yearly-registration fee	D.S.W./9647
Tax Payer No (TIN):	C0029989485
Date of Incorporation:	16-Sep-2019
Address:	Plot 52, Block A, Kokobra, Fumesua, AE-0457-7331, Ejisu Juaben, Ashanti, Kumasi
Incorporated under the Companies Act 1963 (ACT 179), having two certificates:	(i) Certificate of Incorporation: The liability of its members is limited by guarantee; (ii) Certificate to Commence Business (Sections 27 and 28 of the Companies Act 1963, Act 179)
Social media (MENU):	https://reputeda4d.nl/

Reputed Agriculture 4 Development (RA4D) Foundation
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS reported by the Auditors of Ayeh-Yirenkyi Consultancy Services (Chartered Accountants), Accra, Ghana

In 2020

2.1. For the Fiscal of 2020 with its year ending on 31 Dec 2020 (In Ghana Cedi = GHc). The exchange rate between 01 Dec 2020 – 31 Jan 2021: GHc 1 = USD 0.17137; and Euro 1 = GHc 7.09658

In the year 2020, we had two short projects in Ghana, from which we could generate small incomes for the NGO, namely ‘Indirect Costs’ based on the contributions of Drs. Erna Abidin and Ted Carey. These Indirect Costs were taken in a certain percentage from their service fees (Ref. Detailed Fiscal Financial Report of 2020). From one of our projects (two months of implementation) we have created employment in Ghana for technical support in agriculture for development, they worked on a contract basis. We also gave a small allowance for the National Agricultural Research and Extension (NARES). From all the staff payments including Erna Abidin and Ted Carey, the withholding taxes (WHTs) were collected from their income taxes in Ghana and then paid to the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) at the beginning of 2021.

The Exchange rates from US $ to Ghana cedi (GHS) were taken based on various exchange rates in July, Oct, and Dec 2020 consecutively when claiming the service fees submitted to the VIAD project in Ghana.

The Exchange rates from US $ to Ghana cedi (GHS) were taken based on various exchange rates in July, Oct and Dec 2020 consecutively when claiming the service fees submitted to the VIAD project in Ghana.

Exchange rate from US $ to Ghana cedi (GHS) received from the CIP HQ in Lima Peru when this institution transferred each tranche of funding project in 2020

In 2021

2.2. For the Fiscal 2021 with its year ending on 31 Dec 2021 (In Ghana Cedi = GHc). The exchange rate between 01 Dec 2021 – 31 Jan 2022: USD 1 = Ghc 6.0433; and USD 1 = Euro 0.14633

The exchange rate to Ghana cedi in 2021 was used based on certain funding sources, such as Beotanics variety trial project in Euro (Jan – Nov 2021) and the International Potato Center (CIP) in USD but received in Ghana cedi based on the Exchange rate in Lima Peru. This organization funded the 12 months of project activities from Jan to Dec 2021.

What did the RA4D NGO contribute to Ghana through 31 Dec 2022?

We are happy to accomplish part of our mission, although it is small but beautiful!

In 2019-2020:

• Establishment of Sweetpotato seed system linkages between the private sector and the private company that sells the clean planting material and true-to-type variety. This was done by the two designated experts, RA4D Stichting and Foundation in Ghana.
• The two designated Experts of RA4D Stichting and Foundation have guided and helped 7 private companies to develop various businesses in sweetpotato crops from seed production to handling its value chains in Ghana.
• Training of some private sector extension officers, government extension officers, and field officers in Ghana on Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) and sweet potato postharvest handling by the two designated Experts, RA4D Stichting and Foundation.
• Involved in several project proposal submissions by the two Designated Experts of RA4D Stichting and Foundation.
• Participating in several webinars with some valuable contributions by both designated experts mentioned above.
• Creating job opportunities for 2 designated experts, RA4D Stichting and Foundation, 9 young professional Ghanaians as well as several temporary laborers working on the sweetpotato projects and RA4D program activities in Ghana.
• Contributing to Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA): US $ 840 (GHS 4,910.30) from the individual ‘With Holding Taxes’ through the NGO.
• Generating some NGO income from the Overhead institution to sustain other programs in Ghana through the generosity of the two designated experts, RA4D Stichting and Foundation.

In 2021

• Reputed A4D Stichting and Foundation have established good collaborative work with the Kofi Annan Foundation, International Potato Center (CIP), and CGIAR – Bioversity International as we have produced project outcomes readily for scale. Reputed A4D was also among the AGRA-consortium project on the Demand Creation and Impact Scaling for orange-fleshed sweetpotato (OFSP) in Ghana.

• We had 6 contract-based projects: (i) two projects were with a professional collaborative contract with consistent funding received from reliable secondary donors (big international organizations). Therefore, we could employ several people including an accountant, and sponsored several scientists to participate in the international conferences, in person and virtual participation. We produced good project outcomes to see good impacts. (ii) one project was a short contract project aimed to administratively support the final work of the Ghanaian PhD under the CGIAR-RTB project. (iii) one was a project to support an international private company from outside of Ghana that tried to find out if their sweetpotato seed business could be made in Ghana while the other two projects were to support the Ghanaian private companies to work on orange-fleshed sweetpotato. However, all projects at No (iii) were done more to be voluntary work. A total of 17 people received small contracts from the projects under RA4D NGO in Ghana. 15 people were Ghanaian nationalities of which two were from the National Agricultural Researches (NARs). Out of 17, 2 were the RA4D experts, and the two board members were mandated as they managed to establish projects in Ghana.

• The total withholding taxes (7.5%) paid by RA4D to the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) were Ghc 24,058.10 (US $ 3,980.95 or Euro 3,520.42). Income taxes from 15 Ghanaians were GHc 7,360.86 (US $ 1,218.02 or Euro 1,077.12) and the income taxes from 2 RA4D Experts were GHc 16,697.24 (US $ 2,762.93 or Euro 2,443.31) of each paid as much as GHc 8,348.62 (US $ 1,381.47 or Euro 1,221, 66) as the personal income tax. The two experts were Ted Carey (US nationality) and Erna Abidin (Netherland nationality) who have paid their income tax for the 2021 fiscal year in Ghana.

The WHTs of 2021 paid by RA4D to the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) is there is an increase of 389.95 % seen against the WHTs paid in 2020. This is, indeed, good news from the contribution of our team in Ghana to support the agriculture sector and sustainable development programs of Ghana.

• We have concluded that at least through our NGO, the Reputed Agric4Dev Stichting and Foundation could contribute to the success of 8 UN-SDGs (SDG 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 13, 15, and 17) by 2030.

In 2022

2.3. For Fiscal 2022 with its year ending on 31 Dec 2022 (In Ghana Cedi = GHc). The exchange rate in Dec 2022: USD 1 = Ghc 13.050 ; and USD 1 = Euro 0.9404

RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

The Statement of Income and Expenditure is set out accordingly.

Concluding in 2022

We have finalized the remaining projects such as AGRA Scaling on OFSP in Ghana up to March 2022, and Tricot Scaling for Sweetpotato on-farm variety selection using the Citizen Science technology up to March 2022. The number of employees remains intact accordingly until the project has been completed. On this YouTube, you will find the final Multistakeholder meeting of the AGRA consortium managing the AGRA Scaling project on OFSP held on 16 Feb 2022. One scientific publication has been produced from the successful work done on TRICOT Scaling on the farm. The final results of the Tricot Scaling sweetpotato variety selection on farms were written in the APA 2022 Poster Session in Malawi. Information on the research findings is published elsewhere in the following years.

In Dec 2022, we won the Scientific competition offered by OneCGIAR Breeding and Gender case study in Ghana and Malawi. This writing works in collaboration with two scientists from other institutions formerly involved in the projects from which the case study was done. The final paper was completed in March 2023 and the publication of this case study at the Open Access of the International Scientific peer-reviewed Journal Articles in 2024.

INDIVIDUAL CONTRACT-BASE STAFF TAXES THROUGH RA4D LBG WITHHOLDING TAXES (WTHs) TO GHANA REVENUE AUTHORITY (GRA) IN 2022

In 2022, as stated above, we did not have new projects but we did finalize the two projects started in the previous years as stated in our activities financed by two projects, such as the AGRA Scaling project on OFSP in Ghana, Tricot Scaling project funded by CGIAR-RTB Scaling project and feasibility Study for Beotanics Ltd that seeking their business opportunities on sweetpotato planting materials in Ghana. The individual income taxes in Ghana through WHTs through RA4D LBG could only be collected from RA4D’s relatively long-term contracted staff. A total of WHTs paid by RA4D LBG in the Fiscal Year of 2022 was GHS 14,117.92 (USD 1,081.83) which Dr. Erna Abidin (Netherlands) paid as much as GHS 6,923.96 (USD 530.57; Euro 498.95); Dr. Ted Carey (USA) paid as much as GHS 6,923.96 (USD 530.57); and Ghanaians based contract (one farm manager and 3 staff) with RA4D LBG paid as much as GHS 270.00.

REPORTS FROM GHANA REVENUE AUTHORITY (GRA) ON WHTs paid by RA4D LGB IN GHANA

In 2023

2.4. For Fiscal 2023 with its year ending on 31 Dec 2023 (Report in Ghana Cedi = GHc). The exchange rate in Dec 2023: USD 1 = Ghc 11.6511 ; and USD 1 = Euro 0.07923

One of the purposes of tax clearance is to renew yearly RA4D LBG registration at the Department of Social Welfare of The Republic of Ghana.

In the year 2022, The Reputed Agric4Dev Stichting/Foundation has expanded areas of project management, in Malawi and Nigeria. The Executive directors have successfully organized their management team including opening bank accounts in each country. We are still optimistic about having some projects in these two countries mentioned above soon or later.

The names and registered numbers of each locally registered NGO as follows:

(1). Reputed Agriculture 4 Development, a Private Limited by Guarantee (RA4D Limited) registered as a National Entity in Malawi on 30 July 2022. For further information, please click here.

(2). ‘The reputed Agriculture 4 Development Foundation (RA4D Foundation)’ has successfully registered as a national NGO in Nigeria and was accepted by the Federal Government of Nigeria in Aug 2022 and announced through mass media on 12 Sep 2022. For further information, please click here.

Concluding in 2023

The Executive Board Directors of RA4D Stichting/Foundation (i.e. Drs. Erna Abidin and Ted Carey as well as Marjolein Ebregt) are voluntarily working on project opportunities in Ghana, Nigeria, and Malawi, as well as at HQ in The Netherlands.

We have had no project activities, however, our Executive Directors have worked voluntarily to seek project opportunities, such as

• Registered our NGO in Ghana at USA Federal Government, we have successfully received Unique Entity ID: XTXAX6DE2793/SMHY6. We got a yearly approval. At this period, it will be up to Sep 2025.
• Registered our NGO in Nigeria to avoid being suspected of dealing with Money Laundering. On 28 February 2023, we received a Certificate of Registration at the Special Control Unit Against Money Laundering (SCUML) with Reg No. 151417258.
• Engaging RA4D Stichting and Foundation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Royal Netherlands Government on their current project on Sustainable Development Program in 2023 for our NGO locally registered in Ghana and Nigeria. This effort is led by the NGO Netherlands Entity, RA4D Stichting at HQ in Wageningen, The Netherlands. The progress of this effort is in the early stages.
• Early this year, 2023, we submitted our Concept Note to the USAID funding project in Northern Ghana. Workshops organized by the USAID team were also participated before the preparation of writing the Concept Note and Budget. However, at the end of 2023, we got an announcement from the leading organization in Ghana that the funding was too small, and they could not share this funding project with our NGO.
• There would be a strategy to approach the UN Development program in Malawi. We have already done our first approach of introducing our NGO registered locally in Malawi to the appropriate person in July 2023. Again, there was no more development on this effort.

Although we did not have any projects in 2023, our NGO continues moving as Dr. Ted Carey and Dr. Erna Abidin, sometimes, Ms. Marjolein Ebregt showed their strong commitment by pulling out their own pockets to contribute to some expenses needed by the NGOs at any times. Most of the extra expenditures were handled by Dr. Ted Carey from his retired funding.

For Reputed Agric4Dev Stichting, the Netherlands NGO entity, Dr. Ted Carey and Dr. Erna Abidin have maintained a good relationship and contact with the Tax and Fiscal Advisors Office in Wageningen, The Netherlands on a yearly basis. The year payment of 2023 will be reflected in the Fiscal Financial Report of 2024. It is in a reporting process.

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