GRi Newsreel Ghana 05 - 04 - 2001
Chamber of Mines rejects 300% increase in
electricity tariffs
DNL has not been sold...Minister
Traders resist re-settlement exercise
Rainstorm causes
havoc in three Amansie East communities
Ghana, Denmark
sign agreement to support utility sectors
President makes
appointments to BOG board
Government will
observe National Farmers' Day
Tourism services providers urged to go by
market trends
Re-introduce End of Service Benefit - NEC
GTMO appeals for
reduction on tax on timber products
Two Ghanaians die
en-route to Libya.
Prampram Youth
against indiscriminate sale of land
Degraded Asubima forest replanted
Press should not be sycophantic - Minister
Call for a holiday to honour traditionalists
Chamber of Mines rejects 300% increase in
electricity tariffs
Accra (Greater Accra) 05 April 2001
The Ghana Chamber of Mines on Wednesday said it supports increases in tariffs charged by the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) to enable it to offset the huge loss incurred through the depreciation of the cedi.
It however, rejected the proposed over 300 per cent increase by the Volta River Authority, saying it has not given sufficient basis for the large increase.
The Chamber's President, Mr James Anaman, told a news conference in Accra that although it is willing to pay fair prices for power, it will not endorse the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission's granting of tariffs to preserve VRA at the expense of the mining industry's viability.
He explained that increases in VRA's hydro energy supply from 63 per cent in the last two years to almost 80 per cent and the consequent decrease in thermal power, it now generates more than compensates for the higher crude oil prices.
"Also, rising cost in VRA's operations in key areas far exceed comparable costs for thermal power in Ivory Coast, a major supply of power to Ghana."
Mr Anaman said the Chamber recognises that the energy industry is in transition and tariffs adjustment by the PURC is part of a transitional plan to de-regulate and privatise the sector to create choice and competition for the benefit of consumers.
The Chambers is however of the view that proposed increases in the Bulk Supply Tariff should be between 3.5 and four cents/kwh instead of the over six cents proposed by the VRA.
Mr Anaman said the Chamber recognises the need for an equitable distribution charge added on the bulk supply tariff to result in a suitable end-user tariff, and therefore suggested a range of one and two cents/kwh in contrast to the five cents the ECG has proposed.
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DNL has not been sold...Minister
Accra (Greater Accra) 05 April 2001
Finance Minister Yaw Osafo-Maafo said on Wednesday that the government has not sold the Department of National Lotteries (DNL) to a foreign company.
"What I said in the budget was that all agreements with the DNL relating to lotteries business which were not yet operational should be suspended until further notice to enable the Ministry of Finance study their revenue implications."
Mr Osafo-Maafo said the directive was mainly in connection with a technical management and consultancy agreement between the DNL and SIMNET Ghana limited, a subsidiary of an English company headed by an Indian, contracted to assist DNL in its computerisation process.
In an interview with the GNA, the Minister said the agreement between the two institutions was reached in June 1999 under the previous government, explaining that SIMNET petitioned the Ministry after he presented the budget to enable them to install the rest of the computers to forestall any technical problem.
He said he realised after studying the document that the program would eliminate fraud, increase volume and raise revenue, which is in the prime interest of the government.
"In order not to jeopardise the life-span of the computers, air-conditioners and other technical equipment that were left to be installed, I gave the go ahead for work to continue to preserve the relevant equipment."
Mr Osafo-Maafo observed that perhaps the workers' fear is over the possibility that they would lose their jobs but "as with any such programme, some workers are bound to lose their jobs and they will be dully compensated."
The programme would, however, not affect agents and writers.
He said government would soon create a Games Commission to regulate especially, betting to bring sanity into the operation of lotteries.
This would require a complete change in the law relating to lotteries for the enhancement of revenue in the country.
On demand for increase in commissions, the Minister said commissions are pegged at 10 per cent all over the world.
Ghana, however, pays up to 25 per cent and this, Mr Osafo-Maafo said does not augur well for the nation's economy considering the overhead cost of production, payment of workers' salaries among other responsibilities.
Workers of the DNL have in the past two days, agitated for the abrogation of the contract between their outfit and SIMNET due to allegations that the government has sold DNL to the latter.
They have subsequently locked out SIMNET staff despite a letter to the Acting Director General, Mr J. B. Danquah requesting that SIMNET should be allowed to install their equipment.
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Traders resist re-settlement exercise
Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 05 April 2001
Traders on pavements and rehabilitated roads around the Kejetia terminal on Wednesday morning resisted attempts by the police to eject and resettle them at the abandoned Kumasi Race Course.
The traders, mostly foodstuff sellers, fishmongers and second-hand shoe and clothes dealers, were seen playing "hide and seek" with the police.
Some of the traders, who carried their wares on their heads or squatted on the fringes of the roads, told the Ghana News Agency that there was no available space for them at the new site.
Others claimed that the area left for them was water-logged, had no light and has been the den of criminals, making it unsafe for them to operate there.
Last Tuesday, Mr Sampson Kwaku Boafo, Ashanti Regional Minister, at a meeting with the traders, directed them to leave and re-settle at the Race Course.
A statement issued in Kumasi and signed by Mr Sylvester A. Manu, Deputy Ashanti Regional Co-ordinating Director, however, said adequate preparations had been made to accommodate all the traders at the Race Course.
It asked all the traders to co-operate with the police to make the exercise a success since the KMA has been tasked to undertake the grading and gravelling of the access roads.
"The Assembly will also provide other infrastructural facilities to enhance trading activities."
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Rainstorm causes
havoc in three Amansie East communities
Akyeremade (Ashanti Region) 05
April 2001
A severe rainstorm swept through
Akyeremade, Pampaso and Biribiwomanmu in the Amansie East District at the
weekend and displaced more than 100 people.
There were, however, no casualties
but the victims are now putting up with friends and relatives.
The rainstorm caused extensive
damage to the roofing of several buildings, including the Akyeremade Local
Authority Junior Secondary School, kindergarten block and the chief's palace at
Pampaso.
Mr Kofi Poku-Adusei, Member of
Parliament (MP) for Bekwai, and Mr Peter Bonsu, District Co-ordinator of the
National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), have jointly visited the
victims in the affected communities to assess the extent of damage.
The MP drew attention of the
district assemblies to the need to pay more serious attention to disaster
management and prevention.
Mr Poku-Adusei said it is
important for the assemblies to ensure strict compliance with the requirement
that five per cent of their common fund allocation be set aside for disaster
management.
He also asked the communities to
take to tree planting to serve as windbreaks to minimise the extent of
destruction during rainstorm.
Mr Adu Gyamfi, an opinion leader
at Akyeremade, appealed for assistance for the disaster victims.
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Ghana, Denmark
sign agreement to support utility sectors
Accra (Greater Accra) 05 April
2001
Ghana and Denmark on Wednesday
concluded annual consultations on development co-operation by signing a
four-year agreement under which the Danish government would support the country
in the water, transport, health, energy and private sectors.
Under the tentative framework for
disbursement of funds for the projects, Denmark would through the Danish
International Development Agency (DANIDA), give Ghana 240 million Danish kroner
(30 million dollars or 210 billion cedis) in 2001.
DANIDA would give the country 250
million kroner (31.5 million dollars) for each of the subsequent three years.
Mr Yaw Osafo-Maafo, Minister of
Finance, said the amounts might need to be reviewed upwards if the government
exceeds targets set for the various projects.
However, reviews of the amounts
are subject to how well they would be utilised.
He expressed the hope that
projects earmarked under the funds would not be unnecessarily delayed so that
the government can absorb all the funds and even more when it becomes
necessary.
Mr Osafo-Maafo said the government
considers Denmark as an important partner and urged them to advocate for the
early release of relief from, especially the Paris Club, under the HIPC
initiative.
Ms Nanna Hzidt, Head of the
Department of Eastern, Western and Central Africa of the Denmark Foreign
Ministry, said her country deems Ghana as peaceful in what she described as
"the turbulent region".
She acknowledged that this is her
government's first encounter with the new government and said the Kufuor
administration has so far impressed Denmark through the economic difficulties
that the country is facing.
She noted that the economic
situation had worsened considerably since the past year and it is necessary to
combat the accelerating inflation and decrease debt among other indicators of
the economy.
Denmark, Ms Hzidt said, shares a
common objective of poverty reduction with the government and hoped that
poverty rate would reduce to improve the lives of the people.
Another area of shared interest is
the prevalence of HIV, which is rated at five per cent among the sexually
active out of which 63 per cent are women.
"This has serious
implications for the country," she said, and promised Denmark's
preparedness to assist to stop the spread.
Ms Hzidt urged government to take
a serious look at corruption and take measures to combat it and sustain the effort
to pave the way for development.
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President makes
appointments to BOG board
Accra (Greater Accra) 05 April
2001
President John Agyekum Kufuor on
Wednesday appointed seven people to serve on the board of the Bank of Ghana
(BOG).
A statement issued in Accra named
them as Mr Nik Amertefio, President and Chief Executive Officer of the African
Selection Mining Corporation, Professor Fred Sai, a renowned consultant on
Public Health and Population, and Mr T. E. Anin, Managing Director of Citi
Savings and Credit Bank.
The rest are Mrs Gloria Nikoi,
Former Foreign Minister and International Consultant; Professor Kwadwo
Assenso-Okyere, Director of the Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic
Research; Mr Kwabena Darko, an industrialist; and Professor E. N. Woode of the
University of Ghana, Legon.
The statement said the Governor of
the Central Bank, Dr Kwabena Duffuor, his two deputies and a representative of
the Ministry of Finance would make up the rest of the board as statutory
members.
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Government will
observe National Farmers' Day
Accra (Greater Accra) 05 April
2001
This year's National Farmers' Day
will be held at the Trade Fair Centre during the first Ghana International Food
and Agriculture Fair slated for December 3 - 9.
The Minister of Food and
Agriculture, Major Courage Quashigah (Rtd), said this on Wednesday at a press
briefing prior to the inauguration of the reconstituted planning committee of
the fair, amidst rumours that the Day would not be celebrated.
The seven-day fair, which has the
theme "Growth in Agriculture, a Giant Step in Agriculture", will be
organised by the Ghana Trade Fair Company under the auspices of the Ministry of
Food and Agriculture (MOFA).
The fair will focus attention on
linkages between Ghana's agricultural and industrial sectors. It aims at
enhancing the image of the Ghanaian farmer and entice the youth into
agriculture.
Farmers will also be educated on
modern and improved methods of farming, export market avenues and how to open
up the agricultural sector to modernisation and investment.
Banks, insurance companies with
packages for the agricultural sector, farmers, hotels and dealers in
agricultural inputs are among the prospective exhibitors.
Major Quashigah said the fact that
approximately 60 per cent of Ghana's labour force is in agriculture, compared with
only three per cent for the United States of America, shows the subsistence
nature of Ghana's economy.
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Tourism services providers urged to go by
market trends
Ho (Volta Region) 05 April 2001
Hawa Yakubu, Minister of Tourism, on Wednesday urged hoteliers and restaurant operators to keep abreast with international market trends.
She said the projected eight per cent growth in the travel and tourism industry cannot be met if facilities and services are not packaged to meet the demands of increasing number of customers.
The government would pursue policies to develop, promote and market tourism products as the fastest growing sector of modern economies, Madam Yakubu said in a speech read for her at a workshop for over 200 workers in the travel and tourism industry in the Volta Region at Ho.
The workshop, which is the seventh in a series countrywide, is being jointly organised by the Ghana Tourist Board (GTB) and Cleaning Solutions Limited to expose participants to the importance of hygiene in the industry.
She challenged participants to package "dishes like 'akple' and 'fetri detsi', which are popular dishes in the region, to satisfy domestic and international tourists.
Mr Kwasi Owusu-Yeboah, Volta Regional Minister, in a welcoming Address, called for professionalism among workers in the hospitality industry in the region.
He also called on the United States Peace Corps to extend its expertise in eco-tourism to other parts of the region.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 05 April 2001
The Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday stated that it is safer for mining companies to import sodium cyanide, a poisonous chemical used in mining, instead of setting up a manufacturing company in the country.
Dr. Peter Acquah, Executive Director of the EPA, in an interview with the GNA, said due to the harmful nature of the chemical, its transportation to mining sites will even need a lot of precaution.
"Any attempt to site a manufacturing company or re-packing project would have to be critically looked at," he said.
Dr Acquah said due to the harmful nature, the EPA has rejected a proposal to grant a permit to Ticor Chemicals, a company based in Sekondi, to repackage the chemical for use by mining companies in the Western Region.
"In case of Ticor Chemicals, the EPA had to reject the proposal following a public hearing held in Sekondi on the proposed project."
Dr Acquah said though the proposed project would not add any value to the imported chemical, there are risks involved in the handling and transportation to its destination.
The EPA did not grant the environmental permit because the proposed location is inappropriate in terms of limited area and space, and proximity to residential and farming areas, he said.
"The potential residual environment, security and public health risks associated with the project are rather far-reaching and unacceptable," he said.
The hearing was held to ascertain the perception on potential risks and threats to public health and the safety associated with the proposed project.
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Re-introduce End of Service Benefit - NEC
Accra (Greater Accra) 05 April 2001
The National Executive Council (NEC) of the Maritime and Dockworkers Union (MDU) of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) on Wednesday added its voice to the call for an urgent re-introduction of the End-of-Service-Benefit (ESB) frozen by the past government in 1990.
A resolution adopted by the NEC and released in Accra said the freeze might have contributed to the early death of retirees and that its re-introduction should be made in the interest of equity and justice.
It called on the government to enact a law on the minimum wage to make it enforceable since that would protect vulnerable workers who do not belong to any union with collective bargaining but are paid below the prescribed wage.
The NEC called on the Minister of Manpower Development and Employment to commission an investigation into the extent of the existence of contract labour, casual workers and employment agencies on the labour market.
"Council recognises that contract labour and employment agencies provide easy means of downsizing workers rights, leading to poor working conditions on the labour market".
On the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT), it said the NEC supports the TUC call for the restructuring and probe into the operations of SSNIT.
The NEC also called for a national forum on the economy in view of its precarious state.
It further appealed to the government to open discussions on the HIPC initiatives since decisions were taken without much discussion.
"The NEC calls on parliament to enact laws based on the administrative instrument on tax exemption for overtime earnings of maritime employees."
It said the high cost of education in the country would lead to increased rate of school dropouts, and suggested that there must be an investigation into the high fees in second cycle institutions.
Government, NEC said, should respond positively to public demand for an extension of duration of secondary school education from three to four years.
Furthermore, it said, government should investigate allegations of misapplication of University User Fees.
The NEC commended the Police Service in their efforts to combat crime in the country but said the Inspector-General of Police should ensure the wearing of identification numbers by policemen and women.
It called for the strengthening of complaints units and the provision of basic logistics, including computers and photocopying machines.
The NEC said the Ministry of Lands, Forestry and Mines should protect the rights of vulnerable people living in mining areas since surface mining has an adverse effect on them.
It disagreed with the notion that Senior Staff should not be unionised, saying the process would lead to industrial harmony and increased productivity.
The NEC suggested that the MDU should be involved in all discussions on Port Reforms and that the Ministry of Finance should quicken the process relating to the acquisition of five per cent shares in the Penang Ship-Building and Construction (PSC) Tema Shipyard.
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GTMO appeals for
reduction on tax on timber products
Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 05 April
2001
The Ghana Timber Millers
Organisation (GTMO) has appealed to the Ministry of Trade and Industry to take
steps to reduce between three to five per cent, the tax imposed on timber
products.
The appeal is in reaction to a law
passed by Parliament last month under a certificate of urgency to slap a 10 per
cent tax/levy on invoice price of lumber products.
A statement issued in Kumasi on
Wednesday and signed by Mr Fosuaba A. Mensah
Banahene, Executive Secretary of
the Organisation, said the law was passed without taking cognisance of the
existing plethora of taxes and levies exporters of timber products have to pay.
It said there are six different
taxes, levies and charges that they pay in addition to corporate tax.
"For all we know, timber
companies are operating at profit levels around 10 per cent and a new tax of 10
per cent may indeed wipe away the entire profit level of a company".
The statement said the new law
poses danger to the industry and could lead to lower returns in foreign
earnings.
"Ghana stands on the
threshold of losing its business to competitors like Cote D'Ivoire and Cameroon
where timber operators do not have to pay extra taxes and are, therefore, able
to quote lower prices in the same traditional markets that Ghana operates.
"If the tax/levy is
implemented as it is now, we can be sure of a severe black lash on the economy,
especially in the areas of foreign earnings and employment in the sector".
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Two Ghanaians die
en-route to Libya.
Accra (Greater Accra) 05 April
2001
Two Ghanaians were killed when a
vehicle conveying them to Libya was involved in an accident on the desert
between Niamey and Agades in Niger.
A statement from the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs said the victims, yet to be identified, were being sent to
Libya by a Human Export Syndicate, which has been assisting Ghanaians to travel
and reside illegally in Libya.
It said eight others sustained
various degrees of injuries and were abandoned to their own fate at Muzuk, a
town in a remote part of the Libyan Desert.
"It is believed that those
recruited to undertake the hazardous journey through the desert, pay between
2.5 and five million cedis to the human cargo contractors, who obviously care
very little about their comfort and safety," the statement noted.
The Ministry recently advised the
public about the grave risk that the desert journey to Libya entails.
Meanwhile, about 270 Ghanaians are
in detention in Sheba, in Libya, awaiting repatriation.
The Ministry said it has little
resources and cannot afford the high cost of repatriating illegal immigrants
and urged Ghanaians to refrain from undertaking such perilous journey.
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Prampram Youth
against indiscriminate sale of land
Accra (Greater Accra) 05 April
2001
The Prampram Youth Association
(PYA) on Thursday expressed concern about the indiscriminate sale of land in
the Prampram Traditional Area.
In a communiqué at the end of the
National Youth Consultative Meeting of the Association held at the Women
Training Institute at Prampram, the Association appealed to the Ga Dangme
Council to prevail on traditional rulers in Prampram to preserve their lands
for generations yet unborn.
The communiqué, which was signed
by its President, Mr Emmanuel Nortey, observed that such indiscriminate sale of
land is depriving the council and the Dangme West District Assembly the
much-needed revenue to develop the traditional area and the Dangme West in
general.
"The association, therefore,
abhors such indiscriminate sale of lands without circumspection especially for
generations yet unborn".
The association, therefore, called
on the Prampram Traditional Council to bring its members to order.
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Degraded Asubima forest replanted
Techiman (Brong Ahafo) 05 April 2001
A total of 650 hectares of the degraded Asubima Forest Reserve that spans the Techiman and Offinso Districts has been replanted under the Taungya system.
Under the system, farmers are allowed to cultivate food crops while the Forest Service Division plants economic trees until such a time that the trees mature.
The 7,000-hectare reserve was degraded as a result of unsustainable timber extraction and perennial bush fires.
Ten farming groups made up of 721 men and 337 women are involved in the replanting of the forest with technical advice and monitoring by the staff of the Forest Services Division of the Forestry Commission and the Extension Services of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA).
Dr Kwaku Afriyie, Minister of Mines, Lands and Forestry, on Wednesday inspected the plantation to assess the feasibility of replicating the system in other degraded forest reserves.
He expressed the government's concern about the wanton destruction of the country's forests through bush fires, farming and unstructured timber felling.
Dr Afriyie said this has led to the country's forests that stood at 8.2 million hectares in 1900 shrinking to less than 1.7 million hectares at present.
No effort would, therefore, be spared to promote aggressive replanting of the destroyed forests and protect what is left, he said.
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Press should not be sycophantic - Minister
Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 05 April 2001
Mr Sampson Kwaku Boafo, Ashanti Regional Minister, said on Wednesday that the Regional Co-ordinating Council (RCC) is to introduce "meet the press" forum for departmental heads to throw light on their programmes and activities.
The forum would also offer the heads the opportunity to showcase their achievements and failures and efforts being made to resolve them, the Regional Minister told heads of media houses in Ashanti at a meeting at the Residency in Kumasi.
He asked the press to be fair and objective but not sycophantic.
The Regional Minister said the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government's assurance to repeal the criminal libel law should encourage the press to work without any inhibitions.
Mr Boafo appealed to the media to help promote and raise the image of the region, which is endowed with many natural resources and gave the assurance of the support and co-operation of the RCC.
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Call for a holiday to honour
traditionalists
Ho (Volta Region) 05 April 2001
Mr Paul Nuwordu, Researcher in African Traditional Religion, has called on the government to declare a national holiday in honour traditional religion.
"The nation celebrates Christian holidays and lately also marks Moslem holidays so government should consider urgently a day for the indigenous practices also," Mr Nuwordu stated.
He told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in an interview at Ho that the day could be used to highlight activities of traditional healers in health delivery and address public prejudices about traditional religion and healing.
Mr Nuwordu, who hails from Klikor in the Ketu District, said it is necessary to correct misconceptions about traditional religion and especially traditional medicine, which many consider as satanic.
There are instances of traditional healers curing diseases that practitioners of orthodox medicine are unable to cure, he noted.
Mr Nuwordu criticised the notion among Christians that people, who are versed in traditional practices and research into herbs to find cures for diseases, are satanic.
This is preventing many people with knowledge about herbs and other traditional practices that could be of benefit to society from coming out into the open, he said.
"We the traditionalist deserve a day, which we would use to brainstorm at different levels to co-ordinate our activities in the interest of Ghana," Mr Nuwordu said.
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