Reduce fuel price immediately -
Wereko-Brobby
Action of Lotto
Receivers' Union is unfortunate - Asamoah
Volta Region NDC
endorses Mills
Let us reject corruption – Panelists
Community calls for re-location by AGC
No evidence to prosecute Lydia
Media, political parties agree to respect
provisions on political coverage
Mills' victory is forgone conclusion - Akwei Thompson
TUC urges President to reject additional 2.5% VAT rate
Reduce fuel price immediately -
Wereko-Brobby
Accra (Greater Accra Region) 14 April 2000
Dr. Charles Wereko-Brobby, an energy consultant and presidential candidate of the United Ghana Movement (UGM), on Wednesday called for an immediate reduction in fuel prices.
This, he said, follows a substantial drop in the international price of crude oil from 32 dollars per barrel in February to 21.30 dollars a barrel as at last Monday, April 10.
Speaking at a news conference in Accra, Dr. Wereko-Brobby said the drop in fuel prices is more than 33 per cent and significant enough for the government to reduce local prices of fuel and ease the sufferings of the people.
Dr. Wereko-Brobby said high fuel prices had impacted on transport fares, prices of food and other general items resulting in the rise in inflation, which puts additional pressures on the stability of the economy.
The combined effects of the 1998 power crisis and the spiralling fuel prices have shrunk and, in some cases, even killed off many companies.
"There is no justification to maintain the high fuel prices because cocoa prices have started to edge up and gold prices have been stable for quite some time now."
The energy expert said "these are welcome positive developments which provide a good platform for giving our economy the much-needed fillip by lowering fuel prices to give the much-needed relief to our industries".
Dr. Wereko-Brobbey called for a reduction of not less than 35 per cent in the price of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), saying the increased price had negated the noble purpose of restoring sanity and saving the environment from further destruction.
He said the reduction in international crude oil prices offers an opportunity for an immediate reduction in the price of LPG, and called on political parties, civil society groups and individual Ghanaians to join forces to compel the government to reduce the prices of fuel.
Dr. Wereko-Brobby said the UGM would initiate a dialogue with opposition political parties in the Joint Action Committee to force the government through demonstrations to reduce the prices of fuel.
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Action of Lotto
Receivers' Union is unfortunate - Asamoah
Accra (Greater Accra ) 14 April
2000
Mr. Ezekiel Asamoah, Commissioner
of the Value Added Tax (VAT) Service, on Wednesday described as unfortunate the
decision by the National Lotto Receivers' Union to withdraw their services.
Speaking in an interview with the
GNA, Mr. Asamoah said the decision to suspend the implementation of the new
guidelines for collection of VAT by private lotto operators till 1 July was the
result of genuine concerns expressed at a meeting organised by the Service for
lotto operators.
"Members of the union were
present when we decided to suspend the implementation of the new guidelines
from 2 April to 1 July in order to address the concerns of the private lotto
operators. "There is, therefore, the need for us to plan for proper execution
of the new guidelines. But for them to turn round and say that we are dragging
our feet is very unfortunate."
The National Lotto Receivers'
Union on Tuesday announced the withdrawal of their services due to the delay in
the implementation of the new guidelines that would introduce VAT lotto coupons
for use by lotto receivers.
Mr. Asamoah said some concerns of
the private lotto operators was the need for each of them to have coupons with
his own logo and colours that would allow for easy identification.
They requested that the coupons be
printed in smaller denominations such as 100 cedis and 50 cedis for all
categories of customers to be able to afford.
They also called for intensive
education on the guidelines not only for lotto operators but also for agents
and the public to ensure that the new system is implemented without a problem.
The Commissioner said addressing
the concerns of the private lotto operators would take more than a month hence
the need to extend the date to 1 July.
"We need to make sure that we
get the support of all lotto operators and the public for proper monitoring. This
will enable us to flush out illegal operators who will not make use of the new
VAT lotto coupons which will be introduced under the new guidelines."
Mr. Asamoah said it is not true
that the private lotto operators do not pay VAT adding that about 28 are registered
with the Service. Six of these are in Kumasi, one in Koforidua, three in
Tamale, four in Tema, six in Ho and five in Cape Coast. The figures for Takoradi and Accra are being collated.
"Therefore, the allegations
that the private lotto operators do not pay VAT are unfounded. What the members
of the union should know is that we are not under any obligation to divulge
this information to them."
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Volta Region NDC
endorses Mills
Accra (Greater Accra Region) 14
April 2000
The founding members of the Volta Region
branch of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) have endorsed the candidature
of Professor J.E.A. Mills as the NDC flag bearer for the 2000 general election
with Dr Obed Asamoah, Attorney General and Minister for Justice as his running
mate.
A statement issued in Accra on
Wednesday by the branch said the decision was reached at a meeting held on 8
April at Hohoe.
The members said Dr. Asamoah is
honest, dedicated and loyal to the party, adding that he has profound political
acumen and the ability to face the vicissitudes of leadership.
Mr. Francis Kosi Segbedzi,
Regional Founder, Lieutenant Colonel Nat Kpikpitse (Rtd.), Mr. Sylvester
Oboisah and Madam Bertha Nunyuie, all Ho District founding members, signed the
statement.
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Let us reject corruption – Panellists
Accra (Greater Accra) 14 April 2000
Panellists at a roundtable discussion on "Political Strategies - Fighting Corruption" in Accra on Wednesday asked all sections of the population to help minimise corruption as it could jeopardise the nation's democracy.
Twenty professionals drawn from the media, Ghana Bar Association, the Judiciary, Parliament, academia, police and the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) said the time has come for all to acknowledge the prevalence of corruption and develop strategies to combat it.
Mr. Yaw Buaben Asamoa, Ghana Integrity Initiative, said one of the crucial arrangements making corruption difficult to tackle is over-centralisation of power in the executive arm of government.
He said the present constitutional arrangement where the framers of the constitution had their original model of a "split executive" rejected but having its trappings maintained has weakened the watchdog role of Parliament.
"When Ministers are Parliamentarians and the rest are dreaming of becoming some one day, the will to assert one's proper legislative role or duty becomes suspect. He needs to be loyal to the executive to survive the political game," he said and
called for the proper re-arrangement of the executive-legislature relations to make their functions and responsibilities more visible.
Mr. Asamoa said all arms of government and constitutional bodies should have a secure source of finance and tenure of office.
adding that the fight against corruption, whether petty or grand cannot be waged by weak and under-funded groupings as "the lone ranger heroic battle cannot survive".
Professor Mike Ocquaye of the Political Science Department of the University of Ghana, Legon, called for the repeal of the criminal libel law as it prevents the media from publishing crucial facts on the conduct of public officials adding that the law itself does not deserve a place in modern Ghana because the colonialist used it to keep the freedom fighter at bay.
Prof. Ocquaye said the funding of political parties should be looked at seriously since without a level playing field for all parties, peaceful change will continue to elude the political system.
Prof. Ocquaye said, "those who are against the forces of change are childish. Lessons of history have taught us that change will always come but the wise prepares for the peaceful option".
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Community calls for re-location by AGC
Sanso (Ashanti Region) 14 April 2000
The chiefs and people of Sanso in the Adansi West District have asked the Ashanti Goldfields Company Limited (AGC) to re-settle them at a new site to save them from the hazardous effects of the company's mining activities.
They complained that their sources of water are polluted and unsafe to drink while explosives used in blasting rocks containing the gold ore have left cracks on their buildings.
Besides, the network of streams running across the area have become choked, a situation that has resulted in serious flooding in the community in recent times.
Nana Afiamoa Kotokue Bawuah, Chief of Sanso, made this known to Mr. Cletus Avoka, Minister of Environment, Science and Technology, when he visited the community as part of his three-day tour of some selected mines in the Ashanti Region.
He said cyanide pollution by the mines had destroyed their farm crops and made the land unsuitable for cultivation and accused the company of being insensitive to the plight of the people warning that unless practical steps are taken to address the situation, it could explode into violent confrontation.
Mr. Kwasi Gavor, spokesman for the Anlo Village, also in the area, told the Minister that the people in the community are suffering from strange diseases they suspect are caused by high level of pollution of the environment by the AGC.
Mr. Avoka said the government would not allow any mining company to unduly degrade the environment or shirk its responsibility to the communities whose lands and environment they degrade just as communities would also not be permitted to have their own way to either extort or make excess demands on the companies.
Mr. Mike Mracek, Deputy Managing Director of AGC, was unhappy with what he termed 'the negative perception of mining' by people in the area and gave the assurance that the company is committed to protecting the environment.
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No evidence to prosecute Lydia
Tema, (Greater Accra) 14 April 2000.
The Tema police said on Wednesday that evidence gathered so far makes it difficult for them to prosecute anyone for causing harm to Miss Marku Narh, the 11-year-old girl who had serious facial and bodily injuries when she fell into a pan of boiling cooking oil.
The docket will, however, be referred to the Attorney-General's Department for advice. According to initial information received by the police, Marku was said to have been pushed by her 35-year-old cousin, Lydia Nartey, for sleeping while fanning the fire being used to fry yams at the Casino Cinema at Tema a month ago.
A police source told the GNA that about four people, including a rice, 'koko' (porridge), provision sellers and their children who were present, had been questioned and evidence gathered showed that Marku fell into the hot oil while sleeping on a bench at about 7:30 p.m.
Marku has also told the police that she was not pushed but the police, thought she was afraid to say anything which might incriminate her cousin.
The source said at the time of the incident, Marku's cousin, Lydia Nartey, whom she allegedly works for, was also sleeping with her head on a table and could not have pushed her as claimed earlier.
The source said the police were also waiting for Marku's father, Mr Tetteh Narh, a fisherman at Akosombo, who visited her a day after the incident to find out the circumstances under which the girl came to live with her aunt at Tema.
In another development, Lydia, who broke her silence over the incident on Wednesday, told the GNA that when the incident occurred, a group of boys in the area poured a bowl of water used by a rice seller for washing dishes on the girl.
She said her intention of going home first with the victim was to collect some money before sending her to the Port Clinic where she was given first aid before being referred to the Tema General Hospital.
Marku who has for the past four years been living with her aunt and Lydia's mother, Madam Victoria Narh, used to fry yams before she was involved in a motor accident, and Lydia came to assist her.
Lydia said they usually left home at 6 p.m. daily for the Casino Cinema and closed at about 1.30 a.m. Marku's duty was to fan the fire in the coal pot, but according to Lydia, she often fell asleep and lay on a table until they all closed and went home.
On why Marku does not go to school, Lydia said before she came to live with them, she was not schooling, adding that it was Madam Narh's wish that when the girl was of age, she would be made to learn dressmaking.
Lydia said because Marku was a relative, the relation between them and the girl was not that of a master-servant. Lydia and her mother are now on police enquiry bail.
Meanwhile, a number of women's groups, including the Zonta Club of Tema, which have promised to assist Marku, have condemned the practice of exposing children to danger and making them work for long hours.
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Media, political parties agree to respect
provisions on political coverage
Accra (Greater Accra) 14 April 2000.
Senior officials of the media and political parties on Wednesday agreed to respect the provisions of the constitution on the coverage of political parties.
They also agreed that the media have come a long way from the "difficult days" of the early 1990s and need adequate logistics to fulfill their constitutional obligations.
This was the outcome of a forum organised by the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) in collaboration with the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) and the International Federation of Electoral Systems (IFES) as part of measures to ensure free, fair, transparent and peaceful elections in December.
The forum, which they agreed to hold monthly, is intended to initiate a programme for a sustained dialogue between the media and the political parties. The agenda of the forum focused on Article 163 and 55 (11, 12).
Article 163 states: "all state-owned media shall afford fair opportunities and facilities for the representation of divergent views and dissenting opinions".
Article 55 (11) states: "The state shall provide fair opportunity to all political parties to present their programmes to the public by ensuring equal access to the state-owned media".
Article 55 (12) states: "All presidential candidates shall be given the same amount of time and space on the state-owned media to present their programmes to the people".
Setting the tone for the discussions, Mrs. Gifty Affenyi-Dadzie, President of the GJA, said as the elections draw near, the role of the media in ensuring a successful election has become more acute.
"As the people's watchdog for the political process, the media should be seen to be more alert to their responsibilities."
The ultimate objective, she said, is to create a forum for a sustained interface between the media and all political parties to address issues relating to media coverage of the electoral process.
Mrs Affenyi-Dadzie said it is also to ensure access to the state-owned media by all parties to ensure that the December vote is credible and legitimate and encourage the private media to show commitment and fairness in their reportage.
She said everybody is aware of criticisms of media coverage of political parties. In the same vein, the media have their own complaints about the political parties and why it is difficult for them to demonstrate fairness and equal accessibility.
"For instance, some complain that not all parties make news. GTV also complains of lack of adequate equipment, particularly cameras, to follow the various candidates."
Taking turns to address the forum, the minority parties complained bitterly, about unfair treatment by the state-owned media, especially Ghana Television.
Mr. David Nibi of the People's National Convention (PNC) said the state-owned media have been biased against his party by refusing to cover its activities.
Mr. Dan Botwe, General-Secretary of the New Patriotic Party, said their party's activities had not been covered adequately by GTV and suggested that the equal time for presidential candidates must not wait until three months to the elections. It must start now.
Mr. Mike Eghan of the Convention Party (CP) said the ruling National Democratic Congress had exploited its incumbency to the disadvantage of the other parties, citing "extensive coverage" given to the First Lady while activities of the minority parties were not featured. "The state-owned media have not been fair. We have activities everyday, we invite them but they don't come."
Mr. Vincent Assiseh, Press Secretary of the NDC, said the party realises the importance of the media and has gone "the extra mile" to pay for space.
He said parties that accuse the media of bias find it difficult to utilise the space and time they are offered by the media and cited the 1996 campaign when some parties did not have enough material for their slots.
Various media representatives consistently dismissed the suggestions of bias, pointing out that they have problems with logistics, especially TV cameras for GTV.
They also said they are not invited to functions. They are not given the press statements in time or are given very short notice to attend functions.
Mr. Gayheart Mensah, Editor of the Evening News, said the state-owned media were being criticised unfairly as the minority parties have rather not been taking advantage of the media to air their views.
He said many leaders of the minority political parties are either not available or have failed to respond to questionnaires sent to them or provide their itinerary to the press.
GTV dismissed claims of bias against them, saying they have serious constraints and have not been able to use pictures provided by the parties because they are of poor quality.
Mr. Godwin Avenorgbor, Head of Radio of GBC, stressed that funding for the media is important if the constitutional provisions are to be met. The state-owned media must therefore be adequately funded and equipped to cover the activities of the political parties adequately.
Mr. Edward Ameyibor, Supervising Chief Editor of the Ghana News Agency, said political parties must make sure that their materials and invitations for coverage reach the media houses early for action to be taken.
He said the public relations outfits of the political parties must be strengthened for more effective collaboration with the media.
Dr. Baffour Agyeman Duah, Associate Executive Director of the CDD, said he was happy with the discussions and expressed the hope that the monthly forums would resolve differences between the media and parties.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 14 April 2000
The Greater Accra Regional Organiser of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Nii Jerry Akwei Thompson, on Wednesday said the victory of Professor John Evans Atta Mills in the December presidential election is a forgone conclusion,
adding that He said no other presidential candidate could match the personality, charisma and leadership qualities of the Vice-President.
Mr. Akwei Thompson was speaking at the inauguration of the Intimate Club of the NDC in Accra. The club is made up of supporters and sympathisers of the NDC and aims at assisting NDC party agents during elections and promoting the welfare of members.
It will also help solve internal problems at the grassroots level and assist NDC parliamentarians and executives in the discharge of their duties.
Mr. Thompson, who is also the District Chief Executive of the Ga District, described the Vice-President as a man of integrity and honesty and a comforter. "Professor Mills is the one who would be able to lead the party to the dream land” he said.
In another development the Liberated Nkrumaist Brigade (LNB) of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) on Wednesday, endorsed the candidature of Professor John Evans Atta Mills, Vice President as the flag bearer of the party for this year's elections in December.
The resolution, passed by popular acclamation, was at the meeting of the elders of council of LNB held in Accra, attended by leading members of the progressive alliance embracing the NDC, Egle Party and the Democratic Peoples' Party (DPP).
The LNB is a wing of NDC formed in 1995 to ensure that the positive ideals of the erstwhile Convention Peoples' Party (CPP) and Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana's first President, which are similar to that of NDC, are pursued.
Professor Kofi Awoonor, chairman of LNB, said it is confident that Prof. Atta Mills is the right person to lead the party because of his simplicity and down- to-earth attitude.
"Prof. Atta Mills is a man of great humanity, very simple in every sphere of life and listens to everyone no matter who you are and where you come from. It is this quality in Prof. Mills that has won him this respect and we shall vote him as our flag bearer", Prof. Awoonor said.
Mr. Hudu Yahaya, General Secretary of NDC, said the ideals of the first President are still relevant, adding that he stood for the unity of Ghana, the peoples of Africa and Africans in the Diaspora and the education of the masses.
"It is the same ideals that the government of the NDC is pursuing," especially in the area of Free Compulsory Basic Education (FCUBE) and urged the people to return the party to power.
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The statement also said that members of the Board viewed the decision of Parliament to pass the Bill, with dismay in view of the reluctance with which Ghanaians accepted the 10 per cent VAT rate introduced last year.
The Board expressed concern about "the insensitivity of Members of Parliament who turned a blind eye to the pleas of a wide section of the public against the rate increase and went ahead to pass the Bill".
The statement said that while the Board would support government's genuine efforts to revamp the educational system, it believes that a special VAT for education is not the best option considering the already low salaries and wages in the country.
Since the VAT Service exceeded its target of 700 billion cedis by 13.2 per cent, it would not be difficult to raise resources for education if the base of VAT is diversified.
The admission by the Minister of Employment and Social Welfare that inflation last year averaged between 12 and 13 per cent while salaries increased by 15 per cent show that workers indeed earned only 1.2 per cent increase on their incomes.
The Board disagreed that the salary increase 'was a good sign’ and said, "The frequent increases in fuel prices since last year, coupled with the intended increase of VAT, would further impoverish workers.
The statement said TUC petitioned Parliament to reject the Bill and asked it get the government to find means of dragging all income earners into the tax net but it turned a deaf ear.
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