Ghana
Commercial Bank tops all in profits
Accra (Greater Accra) 08 April 2002 - The Minister of Information
and Presidential Affairs, Mr Jake Otanka Obetsebi-Lamptey, has commended media
practitioners for the level of cooperation they have extended to the government
in the management of the Yendi conflict.
He assured media practitioners of the government's commitment to expand the
frontiers of press freedom in Ghana. Mr Obetsebi-Lamptey commended the
journalists just before he left Accra at the weekend for United Kingdom for a
one-week official visit.
A statement issued in Accra and signed by Mr Ferdinand O. Ayim, Special
Assistant to the Minister, said Mr Obetsebi-Lamptey expressed optimism about
the prospects for an amicable and lasting resolution of the Yendi conflict. It
said during the visit, Mr Obetsebi-Lamptey will hold discussions with Baroness
Lynda Chalker, the Minister for Overseas Development, and officials at No.10
Downing Street in London.
It said the minister described his visit as, “a mission of image enhancement
and economic development for Ghana.” The statement said Ms Elizabeth Ohene, a
Minister of State at the Presidency, will act in the absence of Mr
Obetsebi-Lamptey. – Daily Graphic
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Accra (Greater Accra) 08 April 2002 - The President of the
Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), Dr Charles Mensa, has stated that
developing countries will require little aid to develop if industrialised countries
open up their markets to products from developing nations.
He said the efforts of developing countries will further be boosted if their
developed counterparts stop subsidising their agriculture so as to create a
competitive market for products from the developing world.
Dr Mensa, who is also Resident Director of the Volta Aluminium Company (VALCO),
was responding to a question from Dr Andreas Pfeil, Head of German delegation
to the 11th Consultative Group Meeting between Ghana and her development
partners, scheduled to take place next week.
The forum was the first shadow pre-consultative group meeting between the
development partners and civil society organisations in the country on the
theme, "Agenda for Growth and Prosperity." It is being hosted by the
IEA as part of efforts to convince the development partners to acknowledge the
immense role of civil society in the development agenda of the country.
Dr Pfeil wanted to know what development options are available following a call
by Mr Kwame Pianim, Chief Executive of New World Investments for different
development paradigms to be allowed to flourish instead of a "one size
fits all" approach.
Dr Mensa said if the development partners also stop providing food aid as a
form of budgetary support, developing countries would be strengthened to push
its development agenda across.
He noted that most often, quotas of various products are giving to developing
countries to export the developed markets while the subsidisation of
agriculture in developed countries make their products more competitive than
those from the developing world. In the circumstances, despite all the measures
implemented to enhance growth in the developing countries nothing much is
achieved.
In his presentation, Mr Pianim stated that there is no single path to
development and that any direction selected by any society must reflect the
sovereign will of the people.
He said the options and worldview must be discussed and debated in the
political area with political parties offering viable options in the market
place of ideas. He pointed out that the definition and articulation of the type
of society or market-oriented economy that Ghanaians want, should not be an
issue for international technocrats nor the development partners to resolve.
“The days of technocrats defining programmes and coming to sell them to us to
‘own’ must give way to new genuine structures for development partnership based
on the many things we share in common as citizens of the globe and our desire
to develop the resources of the globe for the social progress of all humanity,”
he stated.
Mr Pianim said prescriptions of various programmes in the past have not helped
the country much resulting in many people blaming “our woes on our development
partners.” He stressed the need for governments to put together focused and
sector specific programmes and incentive systems that are robust enough to
ignite growth and sustain it.
He conceded that one major shortcomings of the nation is weak implementation
capacity and capability. On Ghana’s Poverty Reduction Strategy, he said, one
important shortfall of the strategy is the implicit assumption that resources
for development are to come from outside the national economy.
“We need to begin looking beyond stabilisation and pay more attention to
effective ways of mobilising domestic resources as the first line of attack for
financing development,” he stressed. Dr Pfeil, later in an interview, commended
the IEA for hosting the event and said it created a forum for the development
partners to appreciate the civil society in the country. – Daily Graphic
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Accra
(Greater Accra) 08 April 2002 - Until recently, a racket within the Department
of National Lotteries (DNL) reportedly milked the department for decades by
releasing numbers they had staked every week to win billions of cedis.
This, the
fraudsters did by manipulating the operating machine at every draw to release
numbers they had staked. Such was the drain on the DNL that it was forced to
purchase a different machine.
Chronicle
learnt this in an interview with the personnel manager of the department, Mr
S.A. Damoah. He said it had become abundantly clear that some “crook
technicians” within the management were manipulating the machine. As a result,
Damoah state, there was no choice but to procure a different machine that would
not yield to such manipulations, and administrative manager of the department,
Mr Emmanuel Kermah, negotiated for one that had been used by a group of
expatriates operating the 5/90 lotto.
He said the
purchase of the new machine raised objections, adding that even after the purchase
of the machine DNL continues to make losses but he blamed the current losses on
the proliferation of private lotto companies. According to him, the private
lotto companies pay higher than the national lotto, thereby posing serious
threats to DNL.
He said due
to this, DNL cannot contribute effectively to the development of the country.
He revealed that the deputy Minister for Finance, Mrs Grace Coleman, suspecting
illicit deals in the Accounts section of DNL had issued a letter to the
Department to transfer all the accounting class by 15 March.
Upon
consideration, however, the department declared the letter null and void, owing
to the fact that there were no staff to replace them. Asked why there were
given a written warning to transfer the accounting class, Damoah said the
minister might have suspected mismanagement in the lotteries. “The issue of
mismanagement looks apparent because of the inefficiency and inability of the
organisation to contribute effectively to national development but this has come
about because of the poor sales of the lotteries.”
Mrs
Coleman, on her part, said the letter was not meant to be implemented on the
stated date, 15 March, but rather it was addressed to the Controller and
Accounting General to audit the DNL and to restructure its management.
Chronicle
investigations revealed that some members of the Ladies Association in the
department are at loggerheads with the personnel manager over an appointment of
his alleged girlfriend at the place. Fuming, the ladies told the Chronicle that
Damoah has employed his girlfriend, Lorraine Harris, who was a lotto seller at
the premises of the DNL as clerical secretary. They said Damoah employed Ms
Harris as a secretary, knowing very well that she had no requisite
qualification.
They said
at the time they started opposing him on the issue of her qualifications, he
dispatched her to a polytechnic to undertake a secretarial course on study
leave, but when she graduated from the school as a typist, Damoah promoted her
to qualify for a two-bedroom house, like a senior staff. They explained that no
worker of DNL is entitled to a senior bungalow, unless they have worked for the
organisation for five years, but added that Harris has worked for four years.
The
personnel manager in reaction to the allegation, admitted that he could not
dispute the fact that Harris had not worked for the company for five years and
therefore does not qualify for the two-bedroom house. His defence, however, was
that at the time they were giving out the rooms, some of the members of the
association refused to accept their allocations and therefore, he gave one to
Harris. – The Chronicle.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 08 April 2002 - Three former top management personnel of the State Insurance Company are to be prosecuted for causing financial loss totalling ¢67 billion to the company. A draft forensic report on the operations of SIC blamed the loss of the ¢67 billion on “Excessive recklessness in underwriting of Credit Guarantee Bonds.”
The report mentioned Messrs L.K. Mobilla, E. Allotey, and B. Oduro as the officials who connived with some unidentified firms to milk the company of the huge sum. Also cited in the report is former Board Chairman, Roland Atta-Kesson, who is accused of using his former position to benefit from a credit guarantee of ¢257 million, which he has failed to pay.
“Former Board Chairman used his influence to benefit from a credit guarantee and has defaulted in payment.” The auditors said procurement of ‘Arrive Arrive’ Playing cards at inflated price and without Board approval also led to ¢4.5 billion loss to the company. Six officers are cited for the loss with recommendation that KTBA Ltd, the suppliers be paid the original cost, ¢10,000 per playing card instead of the ¢30,000 paid for each.
Apart from the prosecution of the three top officials, the audit team also tasked the new management of SIC to institute legal action against the personalities involved to recover the outstanding amounts.
Asked to comment on the report, Peter Oseiduah, Managing Director of SIC told Public Agenda that the initial report of the audit team submitted to the SIC Board was a bit wishy-washy. “Some of the allegations were a bit without foundation. The Board sent the report back to the Ministry of Finance with a number of queries. As far as we are concerned the necessary corrections have not been communicated to the Board.”
The new management, which assumed office on 7 February 2001 has exposed another shady business deal that has caused the company ¢49.3 billion. In a report on the state of SIC submitted to the government last year and sighted by Public Agenda, the new management said it has put on hold the underwriting of business which has saddled the company with debts running into billions of cedis. The report said the new management is compelled to continue to honour its obligations under the credit guarantee bonds, which were contracted under ‘reckless’ circumstances as stated by the forensic report. Since May last year, a total claim of ¢8,095 billion has been paid on behalf of defaulting clients.
The report said while SIC were compelled to honour obligations imposed on the premier insurance company by the former management, State Insurance are unable to make recoveries from its reinsures contracted by the old management.
“Our former Board, in the last quarter of 2000, commissioned Messrs Pricewaterhouse Coopers (PWC) to audit the Guarantee policies granted by SIC from January 31st 2000. The auditors submitted and interim report on 36 policies they cited. The interim report has since been discussed with the current management and we are awaiting the final audit report.”
According to the report, most cases of abuses were recorded during the previous administration. “Out of the said 36 cases, 31 were written between the years 1998 and 2000, predominantly the period of the last administration which commenced on 1st October 1998. Our total exposure in respect of these businesses has been estimated at ¢49.3 billion.”
The report also touched on some of the measures taken by the new administration to address the issue. “Since assuming office in February 2001, the current management have put on hold the underwriting business. Legal actions have been instituted against some of the defaulters. We have been able to obtain judgement in some of the cases and the properties involved are being sold accordingly.”
Reacting to the new Management’s report, the Managing Director said the intention of his administration is to lay bare the facts as they were and to brief the owners of the company, government, on procedures to recoup the huge losses. “We have had little bit of success now. I think that we will succeed. We are on top of the problem,” Oseiduah told the Agenda.
SIC is one of eight public companies that were cited in the 2001 budget as state-owned enterprises that had been badly managed and were slated for thorough investigation. The other companies are the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation, Tema Oil Refinery, Vanef STC, Electricity Company of Ghana etc. Public Agenda is on the trail of the two reports and would follow up with more revelations in the coming weeks. – Public Agenda
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Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 08 April 2002 - The effectiveness and the efficiency of any judicial system depends on the factors that should exist in order to guarantee the independence of the judiciary. By the independence of the judiciary is meant the freedom that ought to be granted to the courts in order that they are able to perform their functions not only effectively but most efficiently.
Amongst the factors which determine the independence of the judiciary is the ‘Behaviour of Judges.’ In other words, once appointed, the behaviour of judges can also go a long way to shape their impartiality and independence. Judges are expected to strive to be honest, independent and have the courage to say what the law is always. For example, a judge must be free from any legal bias in the exercise of his judicial function. He must also give reasons for his decisions. And most importantly, a judge must disqualify himself from sitting on any case in which her or she has personal interest.
The 18 - 24 March issue of the “Kumasi Mail” published on its front page the following: “Fast Track can’t be abolished” says Chief Justice. The detail of the story which was written by Abdul Razak Ibn Abubakar went thus “Mr Justice E.K. Wiredu, Chief Justice has re-affirmed his conviction in the Fast Track Court and pointed out that it cannot be abolished.
“The efficiency and transparency of a judicial system that could be compared to the best ones in the world calls for courts such as the Fast Track Court” he said. The reporter continued; “Mr Justice Wiredu who was speaking at the Second Biennial Delegates Conference of the Association of Methodist Men’s Fellowship in Kumasi said; “I knew there has been a lot of hullabaloo about the Fast Track Court which I instituted. But whether Fast Track Court or not I dreamt a dream and I knew what the Lord has in store for me.”
It is the view of the writer that it will be a travesty of justice if the Chief Justice is allowed to sit on the panel he is going to set up to hear the Attorney-General’s review. This view is based on the fact that the Fast Track Court owes its existence to the Chief Justice himself. This explains why he voted for its retention. Second, he is so committed to this baby, which to him came about as a result of spiritual inspiration.
This explains why even after the 5-4 decision of the Supreme Court to abolish it, he stated openly that the ‘Fast Track Court’ cannot be abolished. Everything must be done to protect the integrity and credibility of our judicial system particularly, that of the highest Court of the land. – The Ghanaian Voice
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Koforidua (Easter Region) 08 April 2002 - The Deputy Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Gustav Narh-Dometey has stated that the government will not relent in its efforts to protect the environment for succeeding generations. He has, therefore, called on industrial firm, particularly mining companies as well as other interest groups to carry out their activities in an environmentally friendly manner.
Mr Narh-Dometey stated the government’s position at a one-day workshop on the environment at Koforidua. The workshop, on the theme “Sustenance and Maintenance of the environment-Our way forward”, was jointly organised by the Eastern Regional Coordinating Council and the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), and attended by about 40 participants drawn form the NADMO, the Ghana National Fire Service and other stakeholders.
The deputy minister said the country loses a lot of its economic trees and food crops while rivers are polluted through unsound environmental practices. Mr Narh-Dometey observed that the time has come for all Ghanaians to act in concert to reverse the trend for the present generation and children yet unborn.
“I wish to sound a note of caution that posterity will never forgive us if for the sake of earning a living, we continue to over utilise our resources, thereby leaving nothing behind for our great-grand children”, he said. He charged district assemblies, the NADMO and the Forestry Services Division to intensify their campaigns against reckless and unlawful exploitation of the country’s forest resources.
In his presentation, the Eastern Regional Coordinator of NADMO, Mr S.M. Ahyiah said the earth’s resources do not match its ever-growing population and this impacts negatively on the environment. He said the situation has compounded the environmental problems due to the clearing of more lands for settlement and the pollution of water bodies.
Mr Ahyiah who called on traditional rulers to check indiscriminate felling of trees also suggested that a way should be found to address the problems of poverty, which is one of the factors for environmental degradation. The Eastern Regional Manager of the Forestry Services Division, Mr Raphael Yeboah gave the general overview of the state of forests in the region and said most of the virgin forests including forest reserves have been over-exploited.
He expressed regrets that most of the traditional timber species such as Odum, Mahogany and Utile have been cut leaving only the lesser-known species. He described the situation as a threat to the economy and the environment and suggested a number of measures such as educational campaigns, afforestation programmes and a collaboration of efforts between the NADMO and the Forestry Services Division to remedy the situation.
The Field Project Officer of the Adventist Relief Agency (ADRA) Mr G.K. Dankyi who also addressed that participants said his outfit is currently carrying out reforestation of the Densu River Basin. – Daily Graphic
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Kumasi
(Ashanti Region) 08 April 2002 - A self-proclaimed man of God, Rev Tony Asamoah
Boateng, aka Apae Live, founder and leader of Great Light Worship Centre of
Amakom, a Kumasi suburb, in the early hours of Friday, last week stormed the
studios of OTEC FM, one of the city’s radio stations allegedly with a pistol,
trying to kill the presenter, one Blessed Godbrain Smart, aka Captain Smart.
But for the
timely intervention of some “macho-like” staff of the station, who struggled
with Apae Live for some 10 minutes and finally succeeded in heckling him out,
he would have shot at Captain Smart. His presence at the station, however,
created pandemonium as others ran helter-skelter to save their lives from the
so-called man of God, who proudly displayed his deadly weapon (pistol) to
by-standers.
Narrating
this unfortunate incident to Chronicle, the victim, Smart, stated that there
was a report on Apae Live in one of the weekly newspapers, saying he, Apae
Live, had allegedly defrauded his church members by selling to them a so-called
“holy water” he brought from River Jordan at amounts ranging from ¢50,000 to
¢250,000. This water was later discovered to be the local pipe-borne water. “I
called him on his mobile phone on Friday, live on our morning show programme to
either deny or confirm the story.”
According
to Smart, immediately he had him on and questioned him, without any
provocation, he started raining insults on him, saying that Ghanaians are mad
people and he was coming to the station to show him where power lay. True to
his words, Apae Live stormed the station with a pistol, outwitted the security
post at the main entrance and then strode straight into the studios of OTEC to
attack Smart.
Later in an
interview with the programmes manager of the station, Mr Isaac Frimpong, he
told the Chronicle that they had reported Apae Live’s barbaric attack on the
presenter to the Manhyia police and they would definitely put him before court
for prosecution. All attempts made by the Chronicle to contact Apae Live on his
mobile phone were to no avail as the phone had been switched off. – The
Ghanaian Chronicle.
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Cape Coast
(Central Region) 08 April 2002 - Six months after Mr Joseph Yaw Nyarko, 36, was
adjudged the National Best Teacher for 2001, has still not received his 150
million cedis package to build a house. Mr Nyarko has on several occasions
called on the education authorities for his package but no avail.
Speaking to
the ‘Times’ in an interview at Cape Coast, the Best Teacher said that he had
visited the offices of the Ghana Education Service and the Ghana National
Association of Teachers (GNAT) to request for his package but had still not
received the cheque for the money. “The reason given by the education
authorities is that there is no money and therefore I should wait,” he said.
The
Director-General of GES, Mr John Budu Smith, was said to have announced last
month that the money was ready but up to date the award winner has still not
received it. However, according to Mr Nyarko, the coordinator of the National
Best Teachers Award, Mrs Elizabeth Sowah, told him that there was no money at
the moment and therefore he must exercise patience.
A letter
dated 28 January, written by the coordinator, Mrs Sowah, copied to the General
Secretary of GNAT, read “I have been directed by the Honourable Minister to
inform you that arrangement are being made to present the prize money for the
2001 award winner”.
Mr Nyarko
said that Mr Joseph Omari, the immediate past coordinator, now at the Tema
Municipal Assembly, also asked him last year to produce a land document before
the money could be given to him. He said that Mr Omari imputed that if the
money was given, he would either resign or travel outside the country.
Mr Nyarko
said that he was disappointed by the action of the education authorities and
appealed to the executive of GNAT to pursue the case for him. He is a product
of the Fosu Training College and currently teaches at the Ochiso Methodist JSS at
Ajumako in the Central Region. Many of his colleagues are presently not happy
about the way the government is handling the awards. - The Ghanaian Times.
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Accra
(Greater Accra) 08 April 2002 - The nation’s indigenous bank, Ghana Commercial
Bank (GCB) is the leading bank in profits made in year 2001 with a profit
before tax of ¢296.9 billion and an after tax profit of ¢169.3 billion, GCB
with 130 branches nationwide made the most profit.
Posting
very good results, the bank’s total deposits and current accounts, which had
been on a consistent rise hit an unbeatable ¢1,720 trillion last year, from
¢1,227 trillion in 2000. Total loans and advances grew from ¢1,186 trillion in
2000 to ¢2,119 trillion in 2001.
GCB’s
performance can be attributed to a two-year Corporate Plan it launched in 2000
to re-align its operations for competition. As in the words of the board
chairman, Mr K.G. Osei Bonsu, “the strategic themes adopted in that plan have
all been implemented and the results of the bank reflect the fruits of those
strategic action.” “We are also focused on one core business and are able to
serve customers better,” he said.
Innovative
and IT-based products as well as improved customer service through a
well-established corporate banking division, all contributed to this remarkable
achievement.
During last
year, four new products were added to its product base. The products Flexsave,
Fodem, save and prosper, and Kudi Nkosuo were saving mobilisation instruments,
which together with some key customers won in the year, helped contribute to
the marked increase in total mobilized funds.
Corporate
customers have been offered the opportunity to transact business from the
comfort of their officers with the introduction of COMMERNET, which enables
them to transact business with the bank.
On its
corporate focus for this year, Mr Osei Bonsu said, “as a corporate citizen, our
key responsibilities are to manage our business well so that we provide quality
products and services to our customers, offer rewarding careers to employees,
increase value for our shareholders, generate tax revenue for government and
contribute to the communities in which we do our business.”
GCB has
therefore, regained its position as the most profitable bank in the country,
which it hopes to consolidate through improvement in service delivery and
active product development. – The Ghanaian Times.
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Accra
(Greater Accra) 08 April 2002 - The Port community has become very impatient
with directives from the Commissioner of Customs, Excise and Preventive Service
(CEPS), that introduced escort fees of $65 per an officer for a day to
undertake escort of transit cargo.
They have
called for the immediate suspension of the Commissioner’s Order No 6 of 2002
and its subjection to Parliamentary deliberation. This came out at a meeting
held last week at the Conference hall of Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority
(GPHA).
Representatives
of GPHA, Ship Owners and Agents Association (SOAAC), Ghana Shippers Council
(GSC), Ghana Institute of Freight Forwarders (GIFF), Burkina Shippers Council
(BSC), Burkina Chamber of Commerce (CCIA/BF) and Niger Shippers Council (NSC)
were present.
A
communiqué dated 3 March 2002 reference PO/C.3/V.5/320, signed by all players
in the community was sent to the Minister of Finance with copies distributed to
the Vice-President, Trade, Roads and Transport, Economic Planning and Regional
Integration, Private Sector Development ministers, and the Gateway Secretariat.
Fallouts
from the meeting include diversion of vessels from the Tema port anchorage with
transit cargo to Lome and Abidjan ports. According to the report, two vessels -
MV Wiking and MV Gty of London, carrying a total transit cargo at 18,000 metric
tones have left Tema port on hearing the order and a third, MV Caroline Delmas,
carrying 3,000 metric tones of flour, for Niger, is threatening to leave, if
the situation is not rectified.
The
shippers have started collecting their bills of laden for Tema-bound transit
cargo from freight forwarders and diverting the vessels to competing ports in
the sub-region, specifically Lome and Abidjan. The GPHA also came out that it
is losing 10 per cent of total general cargo that passes through the Tema port,
which represents the transit cargo, since the order came into being on 1 March,
this year.
The
resolution is that the entire concept of escort of transit cargo should be
revisited with considerable participation by partners, aimed at streamlining
the operation. The continued implementation of the Commissioner’s order has
imposed immense hardship on transit trade and resulted in loss of revenue to
the state, through loss of pilotage and towage of vessels, stevedoring, shore-handling,
freight forwarding, haulage, hotel accommodation and employment.
Investigations
conducted disclosed that departure of three vessels alone will constitute a
loss of $500,000 to the state with port dues and stevedoring accounting for $222,000.
The inquisition has it that in 2000, 7.29 per cent of total general cargo
represented transit trade, which was 9.44 per cent for 2001, while the first
two months of this year, January and February, alone recorded 10.6 per cent.
During that period, about 500 entries were processed as against about 1,000
entries for last year.
By last
Sunday, 190 articulated trucks loaded with transit cargo for Burkina Faso, Mali
and Niger remained parked at the Tema port because those responsible say they
cannot pay the escort fees.
GPHA, a
major player in Ghana’s dream of becoming a gateway to sub-regional trade,
frowned on the arbitrary decision taken by CEPS when it introduced the new
escort fees for transit cargo. Trade representatives from the three landlocked
countries, Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, were not consulted before the
introduction of the escort fees, which insiders believe will torpedo Ghana’s
effort.
The
Marketing and Customer Service Manager at the Takoradi Port, Mr Paul Asare
Ansah, said information available to him indicate that these countries, on 26
March, this year, held a meeting in Ouagadougou to discuss the possibility of
boycotting Ghana’s ports if CEPS remained unshakable about their plight. Ansah
said their counterparts from neighbouring francophone countries are desperate
to win back the landlocked states.
Investigation
conducted has shown that transit cargo put through Abidjan dropped considerably
during the months of January and February, this year. This situation has become
more of a worry to the Ivorians and they are seriously finding the port that
has short-circuited their cargo business.
Enquiry
done by the Chronicle has revealed that escort fees in Ghana is the highest in
the sub-region. In Togo, there is flat escort fees of 20,000 CFA (¢200,000),
Ivory Coast (Abidjan) is about 30,000 CFA (300,000) whereas in Ghana ¢1.85
million is charged. This include ¢350,000 Vehicle Entry Pass and the cedi
equivalent of $65 for three days as required.
Since the
beginning of this year, the Ghanaian authorities raised the vehicle entry pass
from ¢70,000 to the present ¢350,000 and escort fees from ¢50,000 to ¢1.5
million. Vehicles from Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger enter Togo and the Ivory
Coast free of charge, the paper learnt. – The Ghanaian Chronicle.
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