Peg
wage at 5,000 cedis
Parents
angry over hike in boarding fees
Veep
sure of economic revival
Women's
varsity opens at Anloga, October 2001
Barclays,
Standard banks apologise to Bank of Ghana
Rawlings
attacks Goosie
No
photo ID cards, no vote
Rawlings heads for Scotland
NDC
outdoors its manifesto
Stop
unnecessary speculation - Rawlings
Peg
wage at 5,000 cedis
The
Trades Union Congress (TUC) is reported by the Daily Graphic to have proposed
5,500 cedis as the daily minimum wage for this year, according to a memoradnum
it has submitted to government.
The
TUC also recommended that the wage be passed into law to ensure compliance and
asked that the fixing of subsequent minimum wages, should be done by the
Tripartite Committee before the presentation of budget to Parliament.
The
labour movement said took into consideration the existing daily minimum wage of
2,900 cedis fixed last year as well as the inflationary trend and its negative
effects on wages.
"The
TUC said it took into account, particularly the increase in the Value Added Tax
(VAT) rate from 10 per cent to 12.5 per cent as well as increases in the prices
of petroleum products with their high tax component."
More…/
Parents
angry over hike in boarding fees
A
cross-section of parents on Tuesday expressed grave concern about the 50 per
cent hike in boarding fees for second cycle schools from 2,000 cedis to 3,000
cedis per student per day, the Graphic reports.
The
parents are said to be describing the increase announced by the Ghana Education
Service on Monday as astronomical and unbearable since it is beyond the means
of ordinary workers whose daily minimum wage is not even up to 3,000
cedis.
Graphic
says a random interview that it conducted in Accra revealed parents' contention
that the increment, though a reflection on current economic problems, was
beyond their capability since they cannot afford sacrificing all their income
on their children's education at the expense of other needs.
GRi…/
The
Ghanaian Times
Veep
sure of economic revival
The
Ghanaian Times reports in its banner story the prediction by Vice-President
John Evans Atta Mills, that the country will witness a boom in foreign capital
inflow and investment after the December 2000 general elections.
Prof.
Mills is said to have explained that this was because major donors, friends and
investors who could have bailed the country out of its current economic woes
had adopted "a wait-and-see attitude" due to this year's elections.
"Genuine
investors would want to see Ghana have a peaceful elections before coming to
her aid," Vice-President Mills was quoted to have told party faithfuls of
the Tema West Constituency during a tour.
Vice-President
Prof. Mills is reported to have told the gathering that the NDC has capable
people who could solve the current economic problems, but they needed time to
do so since "there were no magical solutions anywhere."
More…/
Women's
varsity opens at Anloga, October 2001
The
Times in another front-page story writes that a Women's University of Ghana,
will start operating at Anloga in the Keta District of the Volta Region, from
October 2001.
The
establishment of the university, according to the paper, is through the
collaborative efforts of the Anlo-Afiadenyigbe Ladies' Association and some
individuals and groups in the USA.
Lt.Col.
Charles K. Agbenaza, the Volta Regional Minister, announced this at Ho on
Tuesday, stating that the university would enhance the development and training
of women at the "highest possible level of formal education", in the
region in particular, and the country in general.
GRi…/
The
Dispatch
Barclays,
Standard banks apologise to Bank of Ghana
The
Dispatch writes on its back-page that as at business closing hours on Monday,
senior officials of Barclays Bank and the Standard Chartered bank, had
apologised to Bank of Ghana (BOG) for their indiscretion in cedi withdrawals.
BOG,
according to Dispatch, had agreed to allow virtually unrestricted access to
cedis on condition that, "the two banks send weekly details of huge
withdrawals to the Central Bank."
A
BOG official is reported to have stated on condition of anonymity that initial
investigations have revealed huge over the counter payments.
Dispatch
says its rounds on Monday revealed that the situation of no cedis was so bad
that in some banks, those who wanted to withdraw two million cedis were asked
to come back after four hours.
GRi…/
The
Guide
Rawlings
attacks Goosie
President
Jerry John Rawlings, the father of the ruling National Democratic Congress has
fiercely returned a blazing fire onto the "born again" former staunch
NDC member Mr. Goosie Tanoh, calling him a "traitor" for breaking
away from the NDC to form his own political party, the Guide says.
President
Rawlings, according to the paper, said Goosie who was a trusted friend and a
member of the party took advantage of that privilege to take loans running into
billions of cedis to start a cassava project, which he (Goosie) could not
maintain properly and made losses.
President
Rawlings who was speaking at the launching of the party's 2000 elections
manifesto on Tuesday, said his experience from a Malaysian tour made him
recommend the project to Goosie and assisted him to secure loans to kick-start
it.
Goosie,
he said, could however not manage the project well and consequently made huge
losses.
Guide
quotes President Rawlings as asking former Minister of Finance, Dr. Kwesi
Botchwey, who recently told Joy FM radio of Rawlings and his wife hijacking the
NDC, to shut up for whatever system prevails since, as a founding member, he is
to blame too.
GRi…/
Free
Press
No
photo ID cards, no vote
The
'Free Press' in its lead story says eligible voters without photo identity
cards may not be allowed to cast their votes in the December elections if
proposals put forward by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer, Mr. J.A.
Kufuor, are accepted.
The
NPP presidential candidate is reported as saying, in a telephone interview with
the paper, that it would not be possible to clean the "heavily bloated
register" before the December elections because of the limited time.
He
said considering the country's current population of 18.4 million against an
almost 11 million voters, the "register is heavily bloated" and could
possibly lead to electoral fraud.
GRi…/
The
Ghanaian Chronicle
Rawlings
heads for Scotland
The
Ghanaian Chronicle writes that President Jerry John Rawlings is expected to
make a triumphant visit to his fatherland, Scotland, where he is due to make a
historic address to the Scottish Parliament as part of a five-day visit to the
United Kingdom.
The
visit, according to the paper have been put together by the Ghana High
Commission in London.
Chronicle
says however, that close sources to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in the UK
indicate that an official visit sought by the Ghanaian lobby, has been
dismissed by the British Government, leaving President Rawlings to make do with
a low-key 'State' visit that will exclude British Premier, Mr. Tony Blair.
The
story adds however that a piece of good news to the visiting couple is that a
frantic effort being made for a Scottish University to offer an honorary degree
to the visiting potentates appears to be paying off.
"His
Excellency Mr. Aggrey Orleans, the High Commissioner, has been working flat out
on that angle." Chronicle said.
GRi…/
The
Evening News
NDC
outdoors its manifesto
The
National Democratic Congress (NDC) launched its manifesto for the year 2000
election on Tuesday in Accra under the theme, "Ghana: Spreading the
Benefits of Development". The Evening News reported.
The
76-page document has President Jerry Rawlings providing the foreword, with
Professor John Evans Atta Mills, flagbearer for the December 2000 elections,
giving the preface.
The
document addresses issues on the quest for "moral and just society",
"the economy" and the social contract including health, education for
all, water and transportation.
Other
issues include cultural values, religion, law and order and international
relations.
President
Rawlings stated in the foreword that not only did the NDC further the pragmatic
economic and political policies of the PNDC, but has actually succeeded in
their translation into real development structures that any developing country
could be proud of.
Prof.
Atta Mills said the national agenda for the 21st century is not so
much a political one as it is economic, developmental and technological.
"That
challenge we are prepared to meet, because we have been tried and tested and we
have the dedicated men and women capable of carrying the process forward."
Prof. Mills was quoted.
GRi…/
Ghana
Palaver
Stop
unnecessary speculation - Rawlings
The
Ghana Palaver says the President Jerry John Rawlings on Tuesday called on
supporters of the National Democratic Party (NDC), to put a stop to the
unnecessary speculation on the running-mate slot to avoid the bitter antagonism
the issue is generating.
He
denounced the descent into tribal and ethnic sentiments, in the party's choice
for the number two position, adding that it is the party's manifesto that would
be used to do battle.
President
Rawlings, according to the story, made the pronouncements during the launching
of the manifesto in Accra, at which the first nine copies were auctioned for
950 million cedis.
H e
warned against party indiscipline as well as personal and factional ambitions
adding that the resort to the media by some de-selected parliamentary
candidates and their supporters is not the best way to have their grievances
heard.
President
Rawlings reportedly called on NDC activists to co-ordinate their campaign so
that the party reaps maximum benefit from it by increasing the margin of victory
in December.
GRi…/