Final phase of Skywave '99 launched
Report illegal firearm manufacturers and holders
Adopt pragmatic approach to widen social security coverage
Catholic school headteachers update managerial skills
Final phase of Skywave '99 launched
Accra (Greater Accra) 9th July '99
The final phase of a radio communication, telecommunication and broadcasting monitoring exercise in the country took off in Accra on Thursday with the launch of a Spectrum Management and Monitoring System acquired from France.
The exercise, dubbed "Skywaves '99", is being undertaken by the National Communications Authority (NCA) using the eight million-dollar System which comprises mobile vans equipped with direction finders and monitoring devices.
Skywaves '99 began in February this year and has been conducted in the Volta, Brong Ahafo and Eastern regions. The final phase will cover the Central, Western, Ashanti, Northern, Upper East and Upper West regions over a six-week period.
The exercise would help the Frequency Management Authority to effectively carry out its regulatory and licensing functions, Major John R.K. Tandoh (rtd), Director of Frequency Management at NCA, told newsmen in Accra.
It is also to support the Ministry of Communications' policy of opening up the airwaves to cover not only the regional capitals but also the districts by preparing a National Frequency Allotment Plan.
This plan "will determine the number of channels to be available in a particular area for broadcasting and telecommunication services using radio frequencies in the Very High Frequency (VHF) and Ultra High Frequency (UHF) bands".
Maj. Tandoh said "Exercise Skywave" would form the basis for a handbook on technical regulation and planning guidelines for licensing the radio, television and telephone industries that depend on the Radio Frequency Spectrum as a medium of transmission.
The exercise will pave the way for the launch of the proposed National Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) Framework and speed up the development of a national radio frequency band.
There will also be a radio survey inspection on ships at Takoradi and Sekondi ports.
Maj. Tandoh said Exercise Skywaves would be undertaken by two mobile teams while a static unit stationed at the NCA premises would co-ordinate their activities.
Mr John Mahama, Minister of Communications who launched it, said the system would serve as a check against unlicensed or illegal broadcast and telephone systems as well as prevent powerful transmitters from interfering with weaker waves.
GRi../
Report illegal firearm manufacturers and holders
Koforidua (Eastern Region) 9th July '99
The Eastern Regional Police Command has appealed to the public to inform it about people illegally manufacturing or possessing locally made firearms.
The command expressed concern about the proliferation of locally-made pistols in the region and warned the manufacturers to stop the practice because it is putting arms into "wrong hands".
The appeal was contained in a press statement signed by Chief Inspector J.K. Abban in-charge of police public relations unit at Koforidua.
The statement cited a case under investigation in which one Danso Yeboah, a driver in Koforidua, was arrested for allegedly threatening to shoot another driver, in a dispute over the fatherhood of a one-and-half-year-old boy.
GRi../
Adopt pragmatic approach to widen social security coverage
Accra, (Greater Accra) 9th July '99
Delegates to the International Social Security Association (ISSA) Conference in Accra on Thursday called for the strengthening of public awareness and the introduction of improved means of reaching out to the public on the importance of protecting their future.
They said this would improve social security coverage on the continent and help contributors to understand the scheme and comply with it.
The conference, which has brought together over 200 delegates from 30 African countries, the World Bank, International Labour Organisation and other donor agencies, is brain-storming on the way forward for Africa's social security systems.
Some of the issues, which have featured prominently on the agenda of the three-day conference, include the autonomy of the social security institutions in Africa and the low coverage of the scheme.
There is a world-wide debate on freeing social security institutions from state control and transparency in investing members contribution.
Most African countries are currently covering only 10 per cent of its active population under assured benefits from contributions.
For instance, in Ghana, the current number of contributors is about 770,000 which is less than 10 per cent of the estimated working population of about eight million.
Mr Eric N.A. Adjei, the Deputy Director-General of SSNIT, in a paper, stressed the need for the use of public information to reach out to the informal sector.
"The future of social security in Ghana cannot be considered without taking into account the informal sector.
"Currently, only an insignificant number of informal sector workers which form about 90 per cent of the working population in Ghana, are members of the scheme."
Most African delegates blamed the poor coverage on the weak public education campaign which have not had the expected impact on the informal sector.
"There is, therefore, the need to adopt measures that will not only introduce the private sector in the provision of social protection, but will also offer wide options to the individuals," a Kenyan delegate said.
Mr J. Allotey-Pappoe of SSNIT presenting a research finding on the use of public information to widen the scope of coverage, said the difficulty in quantifying its effects make most organisations reluctant to commit more resources to it.
He said budgetary allocation in Africa for public information ranges between 0.15 per cent to five per cent.
"There is no doubt that this calls for a clear and pragmatic use of public information as a method to considering social security protection issues in the informal sector."
Most contributions from the floor suggested that Africa must intensify its mass education strategies to ensure wider social protection.
GRi../
Catholic school headteachers update managerial skills
Salaga (Northern Region) 9th July '99
The Catholic Education Unit in the Northern Region has organised a three-day workshop at Salaga for 35 headteachers of the unit's schools in the East Gonja and Nanumba Districts to update their managerial skills.
Closing the session, the Assistant Director of Education in charge of manpower at the district education office, Mr Isaak Bonzali, said headteachers should elicit the support of the communities to solve some of the problems facing their schools and refrain from referring every problem to Government.
He said the answers to some of the problems are within their competence and they should use their initiative to get things going instead of allowing little problems to bog them down.
He commended the Catholic Church for organising the workshop which is the second of its kind and urged the participants to put what they have learnt into practice.
GRi../