Poverty reduction depends on macro-economic stability
NPP will not cover wrongdoing-Chairman
Public board members asked to forgo allowances
Don’t divest Tema Oil Rrefinery - Unit Committee Chairman
Two make efforts to reduce pressure on forest resources
GPHA starts dumping of Laid-by vessels.
Accra (Greater Accra) 13 August 2001
Attorneys ranging from the rank of Assistant to Principal State Attorney within the Legal Service, have threatened to embark on a nation-wide strike on August 15, to back their demand for better service conditions.
A source at the Attorney-General's (A-G's) Department told the Ghana News Agency in an interview that the decision was taken by members of the Association of State Attorneys (ASA) at a general meeting in Accra on August 2.
The source said a copy of members' petition has been forwarded to the Minister of Justice and A-G, and that if by the close of work on August 14, there was no positive response, members would have no alternative than to withdraw their services.
GRi../
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Accra (Greater Accra) 13 August 2001
Professor Ben K. Armah, a Senior Economist at the Institute of Economic Affairs on Friday said the achievement of the goals of the country's poverty reduction strategy depended to a large extent on a stable macro-economic environment.
Speaking at a strategy workshop for non-governmental organisation (NGOs) and Religious Bodies, on consultations for the formulation of the Ghana Poverty
Reduction Strategy, Prof Armah said efforts at poverty reduction could be seriously undermined if attempts were not made to control factors that contributed to macro-economic instability.
The National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) and the Ghana Association of Private Voluntary Organisation in Development (GAPVOD) are organising the workshop to discuss and make inputs to the draft Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy.
Prof Armah said factors such as exchange rate volatility, high inflation and interest rates and high government spending did not only have the tendency to set in motion a spiral of economic problems but also erode any gains at poverty reduction.
Besides, these factors also negatively impact on job creation, which was a critical area for the success of any poverty reduction strategy since the private sector was starved of critically, needed funds to expand and create employment.
It was in this direction that the government was working to set appropriate targets to control these negative factors so that a conducive environment was created for businesses to thrive, he said.
Prof Armah said the government envisaged in the poverty strategy to propel the country to an agro-based industrial country by the year 2004 and urged the NGOs to contribute to make this a reality.
Mr Kofi Adu, Executive Secretary, GAPVOD said NGO's and religious bodies constituted a major force in civil society and it was only appropriate that they were sufficiently informed of the process and especially how its implementation related to them.
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Bekwai (Ashanti Region) 13 August 2001
Mr Joe Osei-Owusu, Bekwai constituency chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) on Saturday said the government would not shield state officials who misconduct themselves.
He said the government would not condone wrongdoing by officials who might hide behind 'party connections' since that would be tantamount to betraying the trust and goodwill of the people.
Mr Osei-Owusu was addressing the constituency congress of the party at Asante-Bekwai to review its activities in the past one and a half years and plan strategies for the future.
He called on government functionaries to abide by the principles of transparency, honesty and accountability.
The Member of Parliament for the area, Kofi Poku Adusei said the electoral defeat of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the last general election, saved the country's economy from total collapse.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 13 August 2001
Ghana Braille Press, the only producer of reading materials for the blind is grinding to a halt.
The whole set up, a Swedish government donation, which was commissioned in 1981, is now largely neglected.
Mrs Victoria Mawuli-Woname, Head of the Press told the Ghana News gency in Accra on Friday that "our machines are old and are therefore struggling to cope with even the little production we do here."
The Press produces all the Braille texts for the blind in the primary, secondary and tertiary levels of education.
"The six dedicated members of my staff have the skill to produce all reading materials for the blind, including the conversion of newspapers to Braille materials but our facility here cannot facilitate our ambition."
She said the only vehicle the press had, broke down in 1990 and since then all expenses on transportation had to be made from their shoe-stringed budget.
"All Braille and tin sheets used in making embossment blocks are gifts from our friends and we do not know when the supply will cease," she said and appealed to the government and those sympathetic to the blind to help the press function well "so that the blind would acquire knowledge and skill and lessen their burden on society."
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Tema (Greater Accra) 13 August 2001
Alhaji Asumah Banda, Chief Executive of the Tema Container Terminal (TCT) on Friday suggested that members of the board of directors of public institutions and companies should forgo their sitting allowances for the benefit of the nation.
He said, at this period of Ghana adopting the HIPC initiative, it should be the concern of all Ghanaians to make "our contributions, however, small to help the country get out of this unfortunate situation".
Alhaji Banda who is a board member of Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) made the suggestion during the presentation of a 10 billion cedi cheque, being dividend from the authority to the government.
It is necessary at this time for any self-employed person appointed to a board not to take his or her sitting allowance and government officials serving on boards should also not be paid any such allowance, he said.
Alhaji Banda explained that in the case of government employees serving on boards, attending meetings should be considered part of their work schedule for which no special remuneration should be given.
On the other hand, he said self- employed members serving on board should not see their membership as employment.
It should be considered as going to help the institutions or companies to make progress in taking important decisions.
Alhaji Banda said serving on a board was like running an independent organisation where one was expected to make a lot of sacrifices before the organisation could stand on its feet, adding, "I have never taken any allowance since I started sitting on board because I consider it a national duty".
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Techiman (Brong Ahafo) 13 August 2001
Mr. Joseph Domfeh Fanfani, Unit Committee Chairman for New Sansama in the Techiman District, has appealed to the government to reconsider its decision to divest Tema Oil Refinery and Ghana Water Company (GWC).
Since the operations of the two institutions impact directly on Ghana's economy it would be prudent for the government to own and manage them efficiently for the benefit of the state, Mr. Fafani stated in an interview with the Ghana News Agency at Techiman.
He asked the government to take a cue from the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority, which was a drain on the national economy some time ago but had seen its fortune changed as a result of efficient management.
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Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 13 August 2001
As part of an initiative to assist broaden the resource base of the country's forest and reduce the pressure on primary and secondary timber species, Kumasi is to host a 10-day wood products fair on Lesser Used Timber Species (LUS) in November, this year.
On display at the fair dubbed Mini-GIFEX '01', would be doors and windows, household furniture, architrave and skirting boards, 'T and G' profile boards, garden furniture, floorings and decking manufactured from kiln dried and treated LUS.
Thomas Akum-Yong and the Reverend Samuel K. Fugah, co-chairmen of the
Planning Council of Mini-GIFEX, announced at a news conference in Kumasi that the fair would be formally launched on Thursday, August 16.
It is being organised jointly by the Furniture and Wood Products Association of Ghana (FAWAG) and the Small-Scale Carpenters Association (SSCA).
To ensure its success, they are collaborating with the Forest Research Institute of Ghana (FORIG) on the physical and mechanical properties, working qualities and kiln-drying schedules of wood species.
These include Esa, Essia, Potrodom, Wawabima, Denya. Gmelima, Bediwonua, Bombax, Sinuro, Yaya, Bubinga and Tweneboah.
The rest are Bosamdua, Kyenkyen, teak, Cedrella, Euculptus, Robberwood, kokote, adesema and hotrohotro.
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Damang (Western Region) 13 August 2001
A DHL Foker plane with inscription ZS-NUX en-route to Lagos from Abidjan on Saturday morning crashed landed at Damang, near Tarkwa in the Western region.
The three-crew members on board, who sustained minor injuries were evacuated by an Air force helicopter to Accra for treatment.
Superintendent William Bossman Baiden, Tarkwa Divisional Police Commander, said the courier plane developed an engine problem and in an attempt to make an emergency landing, it hit a rock and somersaulted at Aboso Goldfields Limited (AGL) concession at Damang.
Superintendent Baiden said military personnel led by Wing Commander Seth Lartey arrived from Accra to airlift the injured and their load to Accra.
The black box was recovered.
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GPHA starts dumping of Laid-by vessels.
Tema (Greater Accra) 13 August 2001
The Ghana Ports and Harbours Authorities (GPHA) on Friday began dumping abandoned fishing vessels from the Tema fishing harbour on the high seas.
The operation, led by Mr Jim Kwame Fugah, Fishing Harbour Manager, started with M-V Anami, which belonged to Cactus Fishing Company and has been laid-by since 1998.
Speaking to newsmen after the operation, Mr Fugah said there are twelve abandoned fishing vessels at the harbour, some of which have occupied berthing space, creating congestion since 1989, and efforts to dump them have been met with resistance from their owners with the backing of some port officials.
This, he said, has led to the sinking of M-V Bami at the fishing harbour since
April this year, when she took in excess water and could not immediately be tugged out, adding that the cost of removing such vessels is estimated between 300,000 to 600,000 US dollars and "we have now applied for bidding."
Mr Fugah disclosed that the GPHA will spend over 15 million cedis to tow each of the laid-by vessels and the exercise was being undertaken by a combined team of Acquatech (Diving Company) and the GPHA marine personnel.
It is aimed at the decongestion the port and to make it environmentally friendly.
GRi../
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