Assembly to accept guinea fowl as payment for taxes
Mine accident, one die 4 unconscious
Fifteenth regional ministers' conference ends
Assembly to accept guinea fowl as payment for taxes
Nadowli (Upper West) 10 Dec '99
The Nadowli district assembly of the Upper West region has accepted in principle the option to accept payment of taxes and basic rates in kind instead of cash.
Under the alternative mode of payment, the assembly would accept one live guinea fowl as equivalent to 4,000 cedis.
The presiding member of the assembly, Mr Nathias Pouzaa made this known at the fourth ordinary session of the assembly at Nadowli on Thursday.
He said the assembly was currently discussing how to eliminate the possibility of abuse of the new system before implementation.
When the proposal is implemented, households and individuals could conveniently settle their tax obligations with the assembly with guinea fowls, he said.
Property rate in the district is 2,000 cedis, basic rate 300 cedis and bicycle fee is 500 cedis.
Giving reasons for the innovation, the presiding member said the assembly is considered as one of the poorest in the country, which reflects the difficulty the people go through before paying their taxes to the assembly.
Mr Pouzaa expressed the hope that the new arrangement would boost the assembly's revenue mobilisation drive.
During the two-day session the assembly would, among other things, approve development projects for the coming year and fix new rates.
GRi../
Mine accident, one die 4 unconscious
Wa (Upper West) 10 Dec '99
A 25-year old illegal miner, Nurideen Salifu, was killed and four other rendered unconscious on Monday when a makeshift pit from which they were drilling water to prospect for gold was engulfed with a poisonous gas.
The accident occurred at Dangyawkura village, in the Wa district, which is home to about 1,000 'galamsey' operators from all parts of the country.
The four others' names were not immediately available.
According to Police Inspector Daniel Dorkpoh, Upper West regional Police Public Relations Officer, said on Monday that the five 'galamsey' operators were pumping water out of the pit when the machine being use started emitting the gas.
He said other miners nearby saw a cloud of the noxious substance coming out of the pit and raised the alarm.
They found Nurideen dead while the other four were unconscious, apparently from the gas they inhaled.
GRi../
Fifteenth regional ministers' conference ends
Sunyani (Brong Ahafo) 10 Dec '99
The 15th Regional Ministers Conference ended at Sunyani on Friday with a call on participants to continue to work hard to support the development aspirations of the people.
Closing it, Mr Kwamena Ahwoi, Minister of Local Government and Rural Development said as representatives of the government in their respective regions, they should live above reproach to be able to deal fairly with all manner of people irrespective of their political, religious and ethnic backgrounds.
He commended the ministers for their active participation in all deliberations and expressed the hope that with the exchange of ideas and experiences, "you are well armed to face the challenges of the coming year."
He mentioned the forthcoming elections and the national census in March, 2000, as some of the programmes that would prove challenging and said asked them to live up to expectation.
The next conference will take place at Koforidua, the eastern regional capital, in April or May, 2000.
GRi../