GRi Newsreel 16-02-99

GWSC goes bankrupt

Accra (Greater Accra), 16 Feb =9199

Ghana Water and Sewerage Corporation (GWSC) is bankrupt and is surviving on the magnanimity of a host of benefactors, Mr Charles Agyei, Managing Director of the Corporation said today.

Speaking at a public forum to present proposals for higher tariffs submitted to the Public Utility Regulatory Commission (PURC) a week ago, he said the government owes GWSC over 60 billion cedis.

"... the Corporation is in serious financial difficulties due to policies implemented in the past. There is an urgent need to save the Corporation from its financial difficulties to continue to provide this vital service".

Mr Agyei said the Corporation is unable to secure loans from any bank since their financial position cannot support it.

"The Corporation's financial portfolio is currently made up of 10 per cent equity and 90 per cent debt," he said, adding "we have exhausted all our loan capacity."

He said GWSC produces potable water at 1,400 cedis per 1,000 litres and sells at 1,095 cedis.

"By this, we mean GWSC produces one gallon of water at 6.4 cedis and is compelled to sell to customers at 4.6 cedis a gallon".

GWSC is demanding a 76 per cent increase in its tariffs.

Mr Agyei said last year the Corporation secured an increase in water tariffs but recorded an annual deficit of 6.9 billion cedis.

He said this is aside of the 59.9 billion cedis deficit recorded the previous year adding "the deficit this year is likely to hit 47.7 billion cedis".

In 1986, government stopped payment of subsidy to the Corporation and agreed to approve increases in tariffs regularly in order to ensure that the Corporation achieved self sufficiency in financing its recurrent costs and acquired capacity to expand services.

"This commitment has never been fully honoured and over the years, periodic tariff increases have lagged behind the level of inflation, resulting in heavy deficit corporate financing".

GWSC has never recorded any profit in the 34 years of its existence.

Mr Agyei said the Corporation was aware government had a social responsibility to provide water but the public must also realise that water supply had important economic and financial implications.

He said hospitals, universities and other government educational institutions owe GWSC 18 billion cedis and they did not appear capable of settling because they had not shown any commitment to paying.

Mr Agyei said GWSC owes the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) over 30 billion cedis which cannot be paid "since the Corporation has not got the money to pay".

"If ECG decides to cut supply to us now, operations would run to a halt.

We are just surviving on the magnanimity of ECG and other institutions to run the Corporation".

Mr Agyei said total expenditure for 1999 is estimated at 154.9 billion cedis. This is made up of operating cost of 102.7 billion cedis with a non-operating component of 52.2 billion cedis.

The hikes in electricity tariff, sector inflation and other macro economic factors justify the increase being demanded.

"Electricity costs are expected to increase from about nine billion cedis last year to an estimated 27 billion cedis this year. Chemical costs are expected to move from about six billion cedis in 1998 to over 10 billion cedis this year...other financial obligations continue to exert heavy pressure on the cash flow of the Corporation".

The Managing Director said the new tariffs being requested cannot even help the organisation to break even. He said the Corporation has put a number of measures in place to ensure greater efficiency.

These include emphasis on accurate and timely billing, arrears management, improvement of customer services as well as decentralisation of operations and restructuring of the commercial department.

"Management has also initiated measures such as increasing consumer metering by an additional 40,000, complete installation of 62 bulk metres and 542 zonal meters. This was suspended last year due to financial difficulties

...". During the forum, participants suggested a 30 to 40 per cent increase.

They said anything more than this would be unacceptable and be rejected.

The GWSC must aim at collecting at least 50 per cent of its arrears before embarking on any increases, they said.

Participants from Accra New Town, Nima and Madina said they did not see any justification for any upward review since their taps did not run.

Accra (Greater Accra), 16 Feb.

 Consumers owe the Ghana Water and Sewerage Corporation GWSC) an arrears of 30 billion cedis, Mr Charles Agyei, Managing Director, told a public forum in Accra yesterday.

Governmental agencies such as the Universities, hospitals and defunct markets such as the Makola Market among others, owe the corporation 18 billion cedis while private organisations, both commercial and industrial, are indebted to the tune of 12 billion cedis.

Mr Agyei said these debts have become non-existent as they cannot be retrieved adding "though the corporation appreciates the social responsibility role of the government, it must be noted that this kind of social responsibility is killing the corporation".

He regretted that the GWSC is currently able to provide only half the amount of water needed for the country.

"It is in this direction that the corporation has proposed a 76 per cent upward review of tariffs to the Public Utility Regulatory Commission (PURC) and we hope our present financial situation described as 'serious' will move the Commission to approve our tariffs".

Mr Agyei said the target in the upward review is to generate sufficient revenues to meet the corporation's minimum financing obligations and earn a minimum return on capital to be used for systems rehabilitation and expansion to areas that are without potable water.

He said data by the Ghana Statistical Services in the Living Survey for 1998 showed an average Ghanaian household consumption of water to be less than five per cent of the total household cash expenditure, adding that "water rates exert modest stress on family budgets".

The GWSC boss said the tariff structure provides a lifeline consumption band which is heavily subsidised to cater for the urban poor and under-privileged.

He said consumers in this category will pay only 57 per cent of the cost of providing a unit volume of water. ''This translates into 800 cedis per 1,000 litres while consumers pay 200 cedis per bucket or gallon of water''.

He called for urgent attention to be given to the needs of the water sector as 80 per cent of all diseases according to the WHO is water-borne.

Accra (Greater Accra), 16 Feb.

A five-day African Science Writers Workshop opened yesterday in Accra with emphasis on the need for African countries to make use of available renewable energy resources and save the environment.

The workshop, being attended by 17 delegates from 10 African countries, was organised by the African Publishers Network (APNET) and UNESCO, to review, edit and re-orient six energy science textbooks for schools in Africa.

The titles of the books, written by various science writers from Ghana, Lesotho, Tanzania, Kenya, Malawi and Guinea, are "Uses of Energy", "Sources of Energy", "Energy Conservation", "Energy Transformation", "Energy Storage" and "Issues affecting Energy in Africa".

Ms Mulekeni Moyo-Ngulube, Assistant Programmes Specialist (Culture), UNESCO, Harare, noted that the six science books have some commonalties as well as some cultural diversities. The purpose of the workshop is to improve upon the commonalties and neutralise the cultural diversities through sharing of ideas and experiences.

"We intend to re-orient the six books into supplementary sources of energy science awareness to aid curricula developers to conveniently include energy science learning for children in school."

Ms Moyo-Ngulube said this is to create awareness of the available sources of renewable and environmentally friendly sources of energy among African children, with the view to increase their use in Africa and prevent the energy generated from causing environmental hazards.

In an address read for him, Mr Fred Ohene Kena, Minister of Mines and Energy, said 70 per cent of people in fast growing developing countries do not have electricity and depend on fuelwood and kerosene as sources of energy.

The attendant effect is the emission of greenhouse gases, deforestation and desertification, among other dangerous effects on the environment.

He cited biomass, solar energy, sea wave and wind energy as abundantly available renewable and environmentally friendly sources of energy and urged African governments to make use of these sources to meet increased future energy supplies.

"The use of solar dryers can reduce post-harvest losses, biogas for cooking and generating electricity can result in improved sanitation, bio-energy plantations can help to increase fuelwood resources and biomass gassification can also be used to produce electricity."

Mr Ohene Kena however noted that the barriers inhibiting renewable energy production and use in Africa is the initially high cost and lack of information.

He pledged the government's commitment at helping communities to develop such sources of energy through awareness creation and overseas aid, adding "currently we have signed an agreement with Shell International for a feasibility study for such a project.

"The ministry is at the moment installing over 1,600 solar systems basically for lighting in 10 villages,=94 he said.

Accra (Greater Accra), 16 Feb

The Food Research Institute (FRI) of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) is researching into the cultivation, storage and consumption of millet in the country to unearth the crop's value to nutrition and industry.

"Work so far carried out has involved a survey to document the processing methods of millet, the characterisation of some varieties according to their physical, nutritional and starch pasting characteristics".

Mrs Abigail Andah, Director of FRI, said this when addressing a forum on the processing and promotion of millet consumption in Accra today. The forum was attended by 30 crop researchers, traders, food processors and equipment manufacturers.

Millet is the most expensive locally grown cereal in the country and the prime cereal in the preparation of most traditional foods in northern Ghana.

Technologies used in its cultivation and processing in Ghana are said to be rudimentary and energy sapping.

Mrs Andah said studies on the packaging and shelf-life properties of millet products are also underway.

"The institute has also collaborated with researchers in neighbouring countries through the 'West and Central African Millet Research Network ' in sharing ideas and comparing notes in research efforts in millet processing in the sub-region."

The director said the average total annual production of millet is 185,000 tonnes with an average per capita consumption estimated at 17.3 kilograms per person a year.

Accra (Greater Accra), 16 Feb.

Mr Samuel Nuamah, Minister of Health, today stressed the need for a policy on disease surveillance and control for the success of the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) to eradicate killer diseases affecting Sub-Saharan Africa.

"I believe that in our part of the globe, effective control and eradication of these killer diseases will be easier to achieve if the integrated disease surveillance and control adopted by WHO is effectively implemented ''.

Mr Nuamah Donkor said this when he opened the final annual training course in Accra in Laboratory Diagnosis of Yellow Fever in support of EPI against viral diseases like Polio and Measles in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The three-week course for 15 laboratory scientists and researchers from Ethiopia, Tanzania, Kenya, Nigeria, Zambia, Uganda and Ghana is sponsored by the Japanese International Co-operation Agency ( JICA) .

The course is to create a platform for participants to discuss and come out with effective means of combating the extensive global resurgence of infections.

Mr Nuamah Donkor said most of the efforts on eradication should be geared towards education in the communities on sanitation, adding that ''other than that our struggle will be useless''.

He said officials from the ministry of health should not be seen as workers paid by the government to do the work, but rather as facilitators who are working closely with the communities to help solve the health problem.

"In view of this, the ministry will be involving district assemblies in our programmes, and I believe that by doing so, we will achieve our goals.''

Mr Nuamah Donkor suggested quick identification, prompt investigation, specimen transportation to laboratory and analysis of results as a way for effective surveillance and control of the menace of yellow fever and eradication of vaccine preventable viral diseases.

He noted that the signal to act on these diseases depend on the reliability of analysis made on samples, saying '' this means that we should have a facility for reliable analysis of samples''.

Dr O. Jomori, WHO-Afro Regional Virologist said 105 laboratory scientists form 14 African countries would be trained.

He hoped that the benefits of the training courses should go beyond eradication of polio and must be extended to provide better health for the people.

Accra (Greater Accra), 16 Feb.  

Mr Ben C. Eghan, Chief Director of the Ministry of Communications, yesterday opened a three-day workshop at which experts on agrometeorology from all over the world would develop strategies to utilise the climate and weather to improve agricultural production.

Under the theme "Agrometeorology in the 21st Century: Needs and Perspective," more than 100 participants from 62 countries will determine future research and application needs, state of the art technology, data collection and education in relation to agriculture, forestry, fisheries and livestock.

The workshop, which precedes the 12th Session of the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) Commission for Agrometeorology scheduled for February 18 to 26, is jointly organised by the government of Ghana and WMO and co- sponsored by 10 international organisations.

Mr Eghan underscored the need to educate end-users of research findings, particularly farmers, on how to use them to their advantage. He said Ghana decided to host the workshop in order to utilise the varied expertise and knowledge to strengthen its policy and programmes on agriculture, which is the back-bone of the economy.

"The government of Ghana in recognition of the central role of agriculture in the realisation of the aims of its medium-term development programme, otherwise known as Vision 2020, is attaching great importance to agricultural development. Therefore the recommendations of seminars and workshops such as the one you will be holding are taken seriously.

"I therefore call upon you to take your deliberations seriously as the outcome of this workshop could form the basis for the development of appropriate policies which could impact positively on agricultural production and food security, especially in developing countries".

Mr Eghan said the expertise and knowledge of participants would also be used to transform the Meteorological Services Department into a client- oriented one and give it the recognition it requires.

He expressed concern about the alarming rate of depletion of natural resources and the effect on agriculture and quoted a special report on the state of the world which warns that the world cannot sustain the economies in the next millennium, unless serious efforts are made to preserve the environment.

The President of the Commission for Agricultural Meteorology, Professor Dr Kees Stigter, said the workshop will focus on how to deal better with the agrometeorological aspects of how to protect the environment of agricultural production against the many dangers of biological, physical and chemical deterioration.

It would also look at "how to improve the environmental conditions from the point of view of agricultural production without contributing to such deterioration of its natural resource base in the long run".

Prof. Stigter said it would place emphasis on arid zones, semi arid tropics and sub-humid and humid zones of Africa and Asia.

"We would speak about climate forecasting, about adaptation of strategies and, of course, about educating those who have to develop the advisories, those who have to be the intermediaries between the services and the users as well as the users themselves."

The Commission for Agrometeorology is responsible for the application of meteorology to agricultural farming systems, forestry, livestock management and agricultural land use taking into consideration meteorology and agricultural development in both the scientific and practical fields.

It also develops agricultural meteorology services of members by transfer of knowledge and methodology by providing advice on a wide range of issues.

Tamale (Northern Region), Feb.

Work on the rehabilitation and upgrading of the Tamale regional hospital into Ghana's third Teaching Hospital is due to start next month following government's allocation of 204 billion cedis for the project.

When completed the hospital's capacity will increase from 380 beds to 434 beds, Dr Anthony Nsiah-Asare, hospital superintendent said when he conducted Mr Joshua Alabi, Northern Regional Minister, round the hospital.

The hospital, built in 1974 with facilities for all categories of specialists, now lacks specialists in gynaecology, and paediatrics, as well as laboratory technicians. Water supply is also a big problem.

Dr Nsiah-Asare said on completion of the project the hospital would offer effective health delivery without referring any cases to Accra and stressed the need for more specialists to be posted to the hospital.

On sanitation and water, he said the management of the hospital has liaised with the Tamale municipal assembly for the construction of appropriate toilet facilities for patients and their visitors. Reservoirs have already been constructed to serve the various wards.

Dr Nsiah-Asare complained about encroachment of the hospital's premises by private developers and appealed to the municipal assembly to help stop such encroachment while the fence wall is under construction.

Mr Alabi commended the medical staff for their sacrifices and appealed to qualified health personnel to accept postings to the teaching hospital.

He urged the medical students, who are now in their third year to make the best use of the scarce facilities to ensure the success of their courses.

Yendi (Northern Region), 16 Feb.

Ya-Na Yakubu Andani the second, paramount chief of Dagbon traditional area has advised Moshies living in the Dagomba traditional area to help maintain peace and unity among all sections of the community.

Ya-Na Andani who was speaking at the enskinment of Naaba Mumuni Mahama, the new chief of Moshie community in Yendi yesterday said tradition demands that misunderstanding between Dagombas and Moshies should be settled amicably, and that there was no room for customary practices which impede their development.

The Ya-Na advised the new chief that it was his responsibility to ensure that all Moshies lived in peace with other ethnic groups.

He should also work closely with his elders and the youth to maintain peace and security, and not to allow sectional interests, especially chieftaincy and ethnic matters to disturb their efforts in development.

Naaba Mumuni assured the Ya-Na that he and his people would not do anything to disturb the peace in the area.

Berekum (Brong Ahafo), 16 Feb.

Alhaji Kwadwo Maama Adam, Deputy Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, yesterday called on the government and the media to build partnership and establish dialogue in their common desire to seek the welfare of the people.

"We need each other in the dissemination of information, education and articulation of the views of the society'', Alhaji Adam said at the annual soiree and first regional awards night of the Brong Ahafo branch of the Ghana Journalists' Association (GJA) at Berekum at the weekend.

Ten people including sportsmen, journalists, businessmen and politicians who have either contributed to the growth of journalism or excelled in their various fields of endeavour were honoured with certificates at the function.

They include Mr J.H. Owusu-Acheampong, Minister of Agriculture, Mr J.H. Mensah, Minority Leader in Parliament, Mr Kwasi Owusu and Mr Agyeman Gyau, both former members of the national soccer team, the Black Stars and Mr Ernest Apraku, a sawmiller.

Others are Mr Owusu Agyemang, Mr S.K.O. Nyame, Mr Kwabena Appeagyei Danka, Mr Christian Kwadwo Gyabaah, and Mr J. Tuffour, all retired journalists.

Alhaji Adam said the media and the government have a common objective of improving the standard of living of the people and promoting peace, security and stability of the country.

He, however, regretted that some members of the press sometimes resort to sensationalism in order to market their papers without regard to their reputation, integrity and the constitutional right of their victims.

Alhaji Adam commended the national executives of the GJA for expressing concern about these unhealthy journalistic practices and taking steps to curb ''this canker''.

He appealed to journalists to discharge their duties honourably and to use their power of investigative reporting to assist the Regional Security Council in handling threats to peace and order, particularly religious conflicts and chieftaincy disputes in Brong Ahafo.

In a welcoming address, the Berekum District Chief Executive, Mrs Mary Boakye, stressed the importance of the media in promoting grassroots democracy.

"Democracy cannot thrive in an uninformed environment; people need to know what is happening around them, the options available to them, their rights and responsibilities before they can act decisively," she noted.

Mrs Boakye advised FM stations to give more air-time to local music than foreign ones as a means of promoting the country's culture.

The regional chairman of the GJA, Mr L.V. Amengor, said the awards, the first of its kind in the region, show how journalists are prepared to encourage people to excel in their endeavours to be role models in their communities.

He thanked institutions who assisted in sponsoring the programme and noted that such collaboration would help to promote journalism in the region.

Elmina (Central Reion), 16 Feb

The government introduced the concept of the unit committees to ensure grassroots participation in the decision making process.

Dr Kwesi Nduom, assemblyman of the Akotobinsin electoral area in the Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abrem district, who was speaking at a meeting with unit committee members of the area, at the week-end stressed the need for the unit committee concept to be devoid of politics to enable the system to function effectively.

He said he was unhappy that some members in the area have become adamant and apathetic to the development needs of their people due to political affiliations and told them that they are to mobilise their electorates to undertake development projects.

Dr Nduom cited an instance where rehabilitation work on the Anglican school block in the area being sponsored from his own resources had come to a standstill because most members of the committee have failed to attend meetings or organise their people.

Accra (Greater Accra), 16 Feb.

The Ghana Education Service (GES) is to conduct a nation-wide exercise to register all existing schools, Prof. Christopher Ekumfi-Ameyaw, GES Director-General, said in Accra yesterday.

The exercise, to begin after the modalities have been worked out with the national executive of the Ghana National Association of Private Schools (GNAPS), is to check schools whose registration certificates have expired and those who have not registered with the GES.

Prof. Ekumfi-Ameyaw announced this at the launching of this year's celebrations of the Greater Accra GNAPS Week under the theme "Delivery of quality education in private schools - A challenge".

He noted that some private school teachers work under deplorable situations and "yet GNAPS want more teachers seconded to these schools. Such schools deprive the unfortunate children ... of their hidden talents", he stressed.

He noted with concern the charging of exorbitant fees by some private schools and urged the Association to help the GES to enforce the payment of fees approved by the Ministry of Education.

Prof. Ekumfi-Ameyaw stressed the need for discipline among students and announced that a GES task force will be sent to basic schools to check drug abuse and other negative habits.

Mr Prince Kwame Katu, Regional Chairman of GNAPS, said any student who passes the university entrance examination in a particular year but fails to gain admission should be admitted the following year without having to re-write the examination.

"It puts a heavy financial burden on parents and also has negative psychological effects on the candidate if he has to re-write the entrance examination."

He pleaded with parliament to expedite action on the draft Schools Education Regulations Bill (1998) in order to strengthen the supervisory bodies in education, especially the GES and GNAPS.

Tamale (Northern Region), 16 Feb

The Deputy Northern Regional Minister, Mr San Nasamu Asabigi said the problems of tertiary education cannot be isolated from the general economic situation.

He said as the economy steadily picks up due to the pragmatic policies of the government, the problems associated with tertiary education would be resolved.

Mr Asabigi was launching the annual week celebrations of the Ghana National Union of Polytechnic Students (GNUPS) at the Tamale Polytechnic at the weekend called on students and their leaders to have a sober reflection about the realities of the economic situation as they argue out their stand on tertiary education.

The celebration is on theme "The National Economy and the Crisis in Tertiary education, the case of the Polytechnics".

He said the success of the Vision 2020 greatly depends on the various contributions expected from the products of the polytechnics.

The students should, therefore, apply themselves assiduously to their studies in spite of the constraints in order to acquire skills that can make positive impact on the society and thereby justify public funding and support.

Mr Adam Mohammed Amin, former President of the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) said the country's system of education especially that of tertiary education should be equitable towards social mobility.

He said tertiary education must be seen as an investment in human capital, which requires the needed funding to make the products contribute to the socio-economic development of the country.

Mr Amin said the courses at the tertiary level are focused to train highly skilled technicians and middle level manpower and urged all stakeholders to support it for the country's development.

He expressed appreciation for the government's allocation of 44.2 billion cedis for tertiary education in this year's budget and a further 6.8 billion cedis to upgrade facilities in the polytechnics.

He also applauded government's decision to establish two more polytechnics in the Upper West and Upper East regions.

Kadjebi (Volta River) 16 Feb.

 Alhaji Seidu Iddi, Volta Regional Minister, has called on chiefs to use their traditional wisdom to find lasting solutions to conflicts in their communities and avoid plunging the regional security councils into incurring unnecessary cost.

He said this at a meeting with heads of departments, chiefs and a cross section of the public at Kadjebi last Friday during a familiarisation visit to the district to solicit the support and co-operation of the people in the performance of his duties.

Alhaji Iddi asked chiefs to intervene in emerging conflicts in their communities and be committed to finding solutions in order to open their communities up for investment and development.

The Minister was speaking in reference to the use of the name "Amanta", which is creating a problem between the people of Dapaa and Pampawie as to which of the area councils has the right to that name.

He said the name should unite rather than divide them and assured the people in the Northern Volta that they have not been neglected in the government's development plan which has led to rumours of secession.

"Your problems of motorable roads, potable water, electricity, health and telecommunications are receiving serious attention from the government"

Alhaji Iddi said and commended the press in the region for their commitment and dedication in positively projecting the region to achieve its development aspirations.

Mr Francis Kingsley Amoah Nyarko, Kadjebi District Chief Executive in a welcoming address said in addition to the district's two billion cedis share of the common fund received, revenue generation has also improved considerably.

Most of the money, he said has gone into improving education and health facilities, the rehabilitation of feeder roads and other income generating ventures. Non-governmental organisations also assisted.

Mr Nyarko said the assembly in its efforts to raise the fallen standards of education in the district is setting aside five million cedis to buy library books for the various basic and second cycle schools in addition to the setting up of an education fund.

Nana Gyapong Kudjo, Member of Parliament for Akan, complained about the slow pace of work on development projects in the area especially the road network and suggested a change of contractors to speed up the work.

Accra (Greater Accra), 16 Feb

Mr Steve Akorli, Deputy Minister of Roads and Transport, yesterday said recent studies have blamed about 70 per cent of the country's accidents on inadequate enforcement of road safety regulations.

To address this anomaly, Mr Akorli said, the Ministry will henceforth give full backing to the enforcement agencies in the performance of their duties to ensure discipline on the roads.

The Deputy Minister was speaking in Accra at the launching of a one-way system of traffic flow in the Central Business District of Accra.

The new traffic flow, which takes effect from Saturday, March 13, will affect traffic flows from the Kwame Nkrumah Circle to the General Post Office, Osu, the Ministries area, the Tema Station, and from Wato club, Liberty House, UTC, and Graphic Road.

''The objective of the new system is to ease congestion on our roads, especially, to and from the Accra Business District as well as safeguard the road infrastructure that have been put in place under the Urban Transport Project''.

Mr Akorli said the Accra roads rehabilitation project, which started in January 1995, covers 35 kilometres of roads within and outside the city and was funded by the World Bank and the government at the cost of 40 million dollars.

Mr Akorli said "as we are about to complete the constructional works and put the infrastructure to use, we want to use the opportunity to educate the public about the best use of the facilities''.

He urged the driving public to take keen interest in the animation that would be unfolding in the next few weeks before the change over to acquaint themselves on the way the system will operate.

Mr Akorli urged the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) and the Ghana Co-operative Transport Association to educate and discipline their members on the proper use of the roads.

In a speech read for him, Mr Peter Nanfuri, Inspector General of Police (IGP), said the one-way traffic flow system in the Accra Business Centre, is a big challenge to the Ghana Police Service, especially the Motor Transport and Traffic Unit (MTTU).

He said the animation of the change-over will be displayed at all GPRTU/Co-operative Association stations in and around Accra.

Mr Nanfuri said about 120 law enforcement personnel will be stationed at vantage points in the city to direct, control and enforce traffic flow to minimise difficulties.

He said the personnel will have the powers to persuade, convince and finally arrest stubborn and recalcitrant parties, who will frustrate the efforts at the enforcement.

Sunyani (Brong Ahafo), 16 Feb

About 30 aggrieved graduate teachers in the Brong Ahafo region have threatened to institute legal action against the Ghana National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) and the Accountant General's Department for wrongful deduction of one thousand cedis from their monthly salaries as NAGRAT dues.

According to them, membership of any association in the country is voluntary and the fact that they are graduate teachers does not make them automatic members of GNAT.

A spokesman for the graduate teachers, Mr John Adjei, who gave the warning at a press conference at Sunyani said, however, that the court action would be instituted only if NAGRAT fails to stop the Department from deducting the dues and refund what have already been deducted with interest within the stipulated period.

He said they have on no occasion attended any meeting with NAGRAT and neither have they gone through any process to merit such illegal and wrongful deduction from their salaries.

Mr Adjei, who is also the headmaster of Boakye Tromo Secondary Technical School at Duayaw-Nkwanta said that they still belong to the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) and do not intend to belong to the NAGRAT, which he said, is not accountable to anybody for the dues being collected.

He said NAGRAT has the legal obligation to respect the Constitution of the country and not coerce all graduate teachers to join it against their will.

Nana Kwabena Ameyaw, the Tano district director of education and regional chairman of GNAT said the erroneous impression being created that every graduate teachers is a member of NAGRAT is a misconception and should be debunked.

He said it is better for GNAT and NAGRAT to co-exist and solve their problems internally instead of the formation of splinter teachers associations since this will not be in the interest of teachers.

The Deputy Regional GNAT secretary, Mr Awotwe Nkwansah reiterated the need for GNAT and NAGRAT not to wage war over the deduction of dues.

According to him graduate teachers, who want to remain with GNAT should declare their stand and those who would want to be with NAGRAT should also feel free to do so.

Kumasi (Ashanti), 16 Feb

Four Executive members of the Effiduase-Asokore Constituency of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) have been suspended from the party with immediate effect pending investigations into alleged disrespect and disaffection they have created within the party.

A statement issued by the Constituency Secretariat and signed by Mr Jacob Ansah Okyere, the Constituency Secretary named the suspended members as Mr Solomon Adjei Mensah, Vice Chairman, Mr Yaw Amofah, Youth Organiser, Mr Kwaku Afram Boateng, Propaganda Secretary and Madam Serwah Brogya, Women's Organiser.

The statement said the decision to suspend the members was taken at an emergency meeting attended by executive members of 44 out of the 61 branches in the Constituency at Effiduase-Ashanti last Sunday.

It said the four executive members signed a statement on behalf of the entire executive committee and members of the party with copies to the media that they have passed a vote of no confidence in the Constituency Chairman, Alhaji Adamu Issah.

The statement explained that the Constituency Chairman Alhaji Issah was duly elected at a congress of the party and could be removed only at a congress or by other means under the party's constitution but the four members failed to follow the laid down procedure of the party hence their suspension.

The statement said until the disciplinary committee submits its report on the conduct of the suspended members, the meeting asked their deputies to take over their positions.

Effiduase (Ashanti), 16 Feb

The Effiduase-Asokore Constituency Vice-Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr Kwadwo Addai and the Youth Organiser, Mr Asare Baffour Okai, have resigned from the party to join the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

They announced their defection at a press conference held at Effiduase.

They said their decision was in recognition of the sense of direction, vision and leadership style of President Jerry John Rawlings that has won international acclaim.

Mr Addai and Mr Okai noted that under the Government of the NDC, the country had enjoyed tremendous development, peace and stability, adding, "we are convinced that if we join the NDC we have not missed the road".

They criticised the NPP for its intra-party wrangling, acrimony and bickering and asked all the activists of the defunct United National Convention (UNC) who advocated for a third force political party to join the NDC.

Mr Kwame de-Graft Agyei, the Sekyere East District Chief Executive, said they are happy to have the two NPP stalwarts, who he described as articulate, knowledgeable and vocal in their midst.

He spoke of the determination of the NDC to win the two constituencies in the district from the NPP in the year 2,000 General Elections and acknowledged that this would require making in-roads into the NPP.

Mr J. K. Amoah, a founding member of the NDC in the area, welcomed the two into the party and hoped they would sincerely work towards bringing in more supporters of the NPP to the NDC.

Accra, 16 Feb.

Mr Fred Ohene Kena, Minister of Mines and Energy, said yesterday that his ministry and the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) will soon carry out an exercise to lessen the heavy tariff burden on electricity consumers living in compound houses.

Mr Ohene Kena, said in Accra yesterday that the ECG has already surveyed about 200,000 households in some areas in Accra and Kumasi who will benefit initially from the exercise.

He said a study conducted showed that there are compound houses that are placed in the high consumption bracket, and ''we shall locate those places and find out how many rooms there are and do some averaging to bring down the cost of electricity consumption''.

The Minister explained that if there are ten tenants in a room and everyone pays the lifeline rate of 4,000 cedis, the entire bill will amount to only 40,000 cedis instead of punitive tariffs demanded by some landlords which push tariffs into the higher consumption bracket.

"This is an anomaly that the ECG cannot correct other than giving every tenant his or her own metre which is impossible under the present circumstances".

Mr Ohene Kena said though the best option is to supply each consumer with a pre-paid metre as pertains in some parts of Accra, it would take the ECG some time before it can satisfy its numerous consumers because it requires a lot of initial capital.

''We have been discussing a way of meeting consumers half way before everyone gets a metre.

''We are trying to use some sort of averaging to bring the cost down.

We shall find out how many tenants are in a house and find out exactly how the billing will be done.''

Mr Ohene Kena said, however, that it will not help anyone to disclose the exact number of tenants there are in a household because it will lead to others paying higher tariffs.

Accra (Greater Accra) 16 Feb.

Vice President John Atta Mills today granted audience to the Spanish Ambassador, Fernado Corral, and urged him to encourage Spanish investment in Ghana.

"Our doors are wide open for genuine business from Spain," he told the Ambassador who paid a courtesy call on him at the Castle, Osu.

Professor Mills expressed gratitude to Spain for her continued support to Ghana, especially in rural electrification, health and education.

He said while relations between the two countries have been very cordial, there is need to focus more on trade.

Mr Joseph Laryea, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, appealed to Spain to use her influence, as a member of the European Union, to create favourable conditions for commodities from the African market.

"You should be able to create a credible transition period for Africa to survive in the evolving global liberalised economy."

Mr Corral, who presented his credentials last December, gave the assurance that he will do all he can to build on the current co-operation between the two countries to better the lot of their peoples.

Accra (Greater Accra) 16 Feb.

The National Implementation Committee (NIC) of Non-Formal Education Division (NFED) of Ministry of Education is being replaced by a National Advisory Board on Literacy.

This follows the demise of the NIC which was to ensure the harmonisation of resources for all non-formal education-related programmes for the successful eradication of illiteracy.

Mr Andrews Asare Akuoko, acting Director the NFED, who announced this today at a meeting with stakeholders of the programme said the board could also serve as the working group for the Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA).

"The NIC could not stand the test of time and, therefore, its meetings which used to be consistent gradually waned till it could no more meet."

The advisory board would, therefore, assume the responsibilities of the NIC and, in addition, advice the government on literacy policies. On having an international dimension, Mr Akuoko said, Ghana as a member of ADEA is obliged to form a working group as a contact agency for the association. The board will comprise representatives of government agencies, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and individuals interested in functional literacy.

The National Functional Literacy Programme was launched in 1991 with the aim of making about 5.6 million illiterate Ghanaians and 2.5 million school drop-outs literate over a five-year period.

The first phase of the programme jointly sponsored by the government of Ghana and the World Bank ended in December 1997. Over the period about 900,000 out of an initial 1.3 million people benefited.

Preparations are underway to launch the second phase this year.

The learners were made functionally literate in 15 Ghanaian languages and numeracy, equipped with occupational skills and to appreciate issues such as family planning, nutrition, sanitation and AIDS.

Tumu (Upper West), 16 Feb.

A workshop has been organised by the Sissala District Assembly for chiefs and elders to review the cost of funeral rights in the district.

It was sponsored by Action Aid, a non governmental organisation operating in the Northern region.

The workshop, which attracted 89 participants made up of chiefs, area council members and revenue collectors, seeks to reduce high funeral expenses and propose effective ways of revenue mobilisation.

In a speech read for him, Mr Robert Wavei, the district chief executive said at present, the people spend over five days on funeral rights and slaughter between three and five cows and countless goats and sheep depending on the social status of a deceased.

He said the workshop was important in view of the high funeral expenses which have impoverished many families.

He called on the chiefs to use their authority in the traditional areas to assist revenue collectors to generate enough income to support the assembly's development projects.

The DCE called on elders to reduce the number of funeral days from five to at most two days to save enough money for their children's education and for other things.

Mr Wavei said the assembly is developing three major markets at Tumu, Fielmon and Bugubelle into commercial centres to enhance revenue generation.

Nkoranza(Brong Ahafo), 16 Feb.

The chiefs and people of Sessiman, near Nkoranza, have raised three million cedis at a fund-raising rally to support the construction of a three classroomed block for the local junior secondary school.

The rally, coincided with the inauguration of their four unit committees during which the members were formally introduced to the people.

Addressing the meeting, Mr Kwasi Amoako, registrar of the Sunyani Polytechnic, urged parents to invest in the education of their wards and the youth to refrain from social vices particularly drug abuse, smoking and drunkenness.

He urged them to take active part in communal labour activities and to be committed to the development of the town.

The assemblyman, Mr Paul Kwadwo Buffo, mentioned on-going development projects in the area as the jss block, a recreational centre and the provision of water and sanitation facilities.

Mr Buffo urged the unit committee members to mobilise the people towards a successful execution of all the projects.

Bredi Number one (Brong Ahafo), 16 Feb.

Mr Nkofi Danso Abeam, a citizen of Bredi number one in the Nkoranza district based in Spain, has provided the community with 52 electricity poles valued at 15 million cedis to support the people in their Self-Help lectrification Project (SHEP).

The unit committee chairman of the area, Mr S.Y. Amoako, said this during an inspection of the projects initiated by the people of Bredi Number one.

Mr Amoako said the people are contributing 10,000 cedis a man and seven thousand cedis a woman for on-going development projects estimated at 35 million cedis.

He urged the Nkoranza district assembly to liaise with the management of the Volta River Authority (VRA) to connect the area to the national grid.

Mr Amoako, commended Mr Abeam for his kind gesture and urged others to emulate him.

He also praised Mr Yaw Mensah, an Accra businessman, for providing two bundles of roofing sheets and 1.2 million cedis towards the renovation of the local junior secondary school which collapsed following a rainstorm.

Yendi (Northern Region), 16 Feb.

Mr Mohammed Alhassan, Yendi District Chief Executive, has called on chiefs to sensitise their people to appreciate the dangers involved in the practice of female genital mutilation.

Addressing a durbar of chiefs and people of the Moshie community in the Yendi district, Mr Alhassan deplored the attitude of some chiefs who support the practice.

The durbar climaxed activities in connection with the enskinment of Naaba Mahama Mumuni, as the new chief of the Moshie community.

He advised Moshie community leaders to educate their people to reciprocate the hospitality of their Ghanaian hosts by respecting the laws, customs and traditions of Ghanaians.

Mr Alhassan said while the government will not interfere with the nomination, selection, enskinment or enstoolment of any chief, it will not fail to act swiftly to curb any acts of violence associated with this process.

He said one way of minimising chieftaincy conflicts is for kingmakers to adhere to the customary procedures for selection and enskinment and abide by the time honoured rule that only qualified persons are installed chiefs.

In a welcoming address, Naaba Mumuni pledged to work for continued peace and unity between Moshies and Dagombas in the area.

Accra (Greater Accra), 16 Feb.

Vice-President John Atta Mills today urged heads of public institutions to regard the millennium bug problem as serious and take personal interest in tackling it with zeal and a sense of urgency as some private sector operators are doing.

He tasked them to plan for potential service interruptions by putting in place contingency arrangements for possible failures, especially in utility supplies.

"We have a very difficult task ahead. We can't risk folding our arms and leaving it to God. We should not be complacent by deceiving ourselves that the problem belongs to information technology operators".

Professor Mills was addressing some selected Ministers, heads of security agencies and selected public and private institutions at a seminar on the Millennium Bug, dubbed Y2K, at the Castle, Osu.

The seminar, organised by the Y2K project office of the Ministry of Communications, was specially designed for political heads and other policy makers with the goal of educating them on the problem and sufficiently motivating them to take action to mitigate the anticipated negative impact.

Ministers attending were Mr Edward Salia, Roads and Transport, Mr Isaac Adjei-Mensah, Works and Housing, Mr Cletus Avoka, Environment, Science and Technology, Mr Ekwow Spio-Garbrah, Education, Dr John Frank Abu,Trade and Industry and Mr Steve Akorli, deputy Minister, Roads and Transport.

Others were the Chief of Defence Staff, Major-General Ben Akafia, other senior military and police officers, Mr William S. Parker, Chief Executive of the Tema Oil Refinery, Chief Directors and senior civil and public servants.

Professor Mills cautioned that although resources for the resolution of the problem might be inadequate, this should not be the excuse for inaction, saying that any negative impact of the Y2K problem on the economy would be disastrous.

He called for understanding and co-operation while efforts are made to ensure that all the country's critical services operate into the next century.

The Y2K is the fear that computers will not be able to recognize the year 2000 and might record it as 0000, thus leading to the loss of countless volumes of data and confusion in aviation, banking, transport, electricity and water.

Prof. Mills gave an account of the origin of the bug as well as government's action to mitigate it citing the setting up of the Y2K project office at the Ministry of Communications to co-ordinate the national strategy.

He said if the problem is not corrected it will result in miscalculation, malfunctions and even shut down of computers at midnight on January 1, 2000.

The phenomenon will also affect both Information Technology (IT) and Embedded Systems.

IT systems include a range of computer hardware and software from mainframe computers, like what is used by the Controller and Accountant-General's Department, to personal computers.

Embedded systems are microprocessors found in a vast array of devices such as biomedical equipment that are used at health care facilities, electrical monitoring and distribution devices.

Almost everybody relies on embedded systems for daily routine activities, such as elevators, mailing of letters, use of ATM cards at the banks, often without recognising that a computer microprocessor is involved. This system also supports electrical power stations, telecommunication systems, hospital equipment, among others.

"The bug will affect you, no matter what kind of industry you work in, no matter what size of organisation or the level of computerisation or where you are located," Prof. Mills said.

He said the future of these systems could have a range of effects, from minor annoyances to major disasters.

The Vice-President explained that the Y2K is a management and business problem and not just a computer problem.

"The cause is a computer glitch but the consequences extend far beyond merely replacing hardware and software."

He cautioned that complacency and inertia must, therefore, give way to serious interest in remedial measures.

Thirteen Northern Ghana communities to enjoy solar electricity

Accra (Greater Accra), 16 Feb.

Twelve communities in the Mamprusi East District in the Northern Region and one in the Bolgatanga District will soon have electricity from solar-powered cells at the cost of 2.5 billion cedis.

Being the first of its kind in sub-saharan Africa, the project aims at providing power to off-grid communities as a pilot effort to confirm the technical, economic, social and institutional basis for a national solar programme.

Funds for the project were provided by the government of Ghana, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) under its Global Environmental Facility and the United States Department of Energy.

Mr Fred Ohene Kena, Minister of Mines and Energy, who today inaugurated a five-member board to oversee the project, said solar electricity is a good choice for non-industrial off-grid areas because it matches the needs of many household applications.

"It will adequately take care of lighting, entertainment, water pumping, vaccine refrigeration, cottage industries and night schools."

He said the project will have well defined linkages to other priority needs of the rural communities in their economic development.

Mr Ohene Kena said it would have a direct impact on women and children in the areas of training, bore-hole mechanism, operations of solar-powered grain grinders, expanded economic productivity, dress making and enhance opportunities for education and training.

The Minister said he was optimistic that the enterprise would stimulate the emergence of international joint ventures between international equipment manufacturers and local companies, especially in local production of batteries and charge controllers.

"It is my hope that the project will look at other forms of renewable energy such as biomass and wind to complement the existing energy source since we can no longer rely on hydro-power and thermal complementation."

Mr Aboulie Janneh, UNDP resident representative, said project will seek to reduce the long-term cost of low green house gas-emitting energy technologies.

"It is envisaged that the stabilisation of green house gas will require greatly increased utilisation of renewal energy technologies."

Ashanti NDC launches outreach programme

Kumasi, Feb. 16.

The Ashanti Regional branch of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has launched an eight week outreach programme to educate people on government policies.

Four teams have been formed to interact with the people in all the 33 constituencies in the region.

Among the wide range of issues to be covered by the teams are the youth in Agriculture programme, Village infrastructure project, the Budget and the Value Added Tax (VAT).

Mr Philip Edward Kwabena Antwi, the Regional Chairman, said at the start of the outreach programme that ''it is through effective political educational campaigns that outright lies, distortions and misrepresentation of Government policies could be countered''.

He said the programme would provide an opportunity for the party to assess its strength and weaknesses in the various constituencies.

Based on this assessment "we would be able to plan appropriate organisational strategies that would assist the NDC to win 2000 General elections".