Prampram Chief asked to account for 160.4 million cedis

National population and housing census next year - Oti Boateng

Confusions marks installation of Akim Kotoku Omanhene

Drug problem still a critical national issue - Okaija

Queen mothers asked to live up to their traditional roles

Dispose of All Appeals by end of year - Asantehene

GJA records highest number of entries for awards

Conference on Africa's Water Resource held

June four declared a holiday

Health directorate expresses concern about contract execution

Osei-Wusu calls for tolerance

Two JSS students killed in rainstorm

Millennium Bug Will Affect Aviation, Power Supply - Griffiths

Probe - committee submits report on three assemblies in Northern region

Money released for salary advance for workers in Brong Ahafo

Brong Ahafo holds third tourism awards night

Ashanti NDC cautions against complacency

New Zealand Foreign Minister arrives in Accra

President Rawlings lauds Japanese support

Saga importers to clear goods through other shipping lines.

Tema (Greater Accra) 1^st June ’99

The Prampram Traditional Council has filed a writ at a Tema high court seeking the court's order to compel Nene Tetteh Djan III, Paramount Chief of the Traditional area to release the council's accounting books in his possession for auditing.

According to the writ, an initial auditing carried out by Albert Ocansey and Company Limited, revealed that 160.4 million cedis, from the Council's treasury, cannot be accounted for.

This could run into about 300 million cedis if full auditing is carried out.

The writ, which was filed on behalf of the Council by Mr Rex Lamptey, a Tema lawyer, said Nene Djan, by his position as a signatory to the account and privilege to view the pay vouchers and books took possession of the accounting books and has refused to return them.

The auditors in their report said they did not get co-operation from Nene Djan, neither did they get access to books and records maintained by him.

The auditors, therefore, focused their attention on the Council's bank operations.

Records in possession of Nene Djan include pay vouchers, receipt books, ledger, waybills and purchase and sales books.

According to the auditors, the monies unaccounted for include 85 million cedis being part payment for a piece of land sold to M and S Development Company for 100 million cedis and an amount of five million cedis, which the company paid towards gravel rights.

The Council is, therefore, seeking the court's order directing the Tema Regional Crime Officer and the registrar of the high court to take immediate possession of the books to forestall any attempt by the defendant to destroy or tamper with them.

Nene Djan, who is represented by Mr A. K. Bannerman-Williams did not file a defence but rather a motion describing the application as devoid of merit.

The motion said the documents being requested by the plaintiffs, form the basis of a criminal case pending before a Tema community tribunal in the case of the Republic versus Annan Tetteh, a former Registrar of the Prampram Traditional Council.

Counsel for the defendants also opposed the application saying the case against Nene Djan is a chieftaincy matter and the high court is not the proper forum for dealing with it.

The court presided over by Mrs. Felicity Amoah adjourned to Thursday June 17, for continuation.

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Accra (Greater Accra) 1^st June ’99

Daasebre (Dr.) Oti Boateng, Government Statistician, on Monday announced that a reliable and efficient national population and housing census would be held next year.

To this end, a training programme for enumerators would start from June 21 to the end of July, this year, to prepare them for a trial census between August and September.

He could not give a firm date for the actual census but only said the determination of a date for such an exercise, is the constitutional prerogative of the President and the government.

He, however, explained that population census is normally held around March.

Daasebre Oti Boateng, who is also the Omanhene of New Juaben Traditional Area, was presenting a paper on, "Population census: policy implications for 'Vision 2020'", at the ninth "Speaker's Breakfast Forum", in Accra.

He said the trial census would enable the Statistical Service to estimate the time to canvass the households and to test processing procedures.

The Government Statistician said by September, the Service should be able to estimate when to finish the processing of the whole data collected.

Daasebre Oti Boateng explained that the fundamental purpose of the population census is to provide facts and figures essential to the formulation of government policy, planning and administration.

He said since 1891, nine censuses have been conducted in the country, with three in post-independence Ghana 1960, 1970 and 1984.

He said the 2000 census would provide essential information for assessing the first phase of the medium-term development programme (MTDP) under Vision 2020.

The programme focuses on human development, including poverty reduction, human resource management, increased opportunities for stable and remunerative employment, enhanced access to basic social needs and improved welfare of women and vulnerable groups in society.

Daasebre Oti Boateng suggested that after the 2000 census others should be held in 2010 and 2020.

The Government Statistician said censuses are normally conducted every 10 years.

He explained that the 2000 and 2010 censuses would facilitate a review of the policies for the accelerated growth and sustainable development envisaged in Vision 2020, while the 2020 census would provide opportunity for evaluating the success of Vision 2020.

Dr George Apenteng, Executive Director of the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), noted that human resources are the key component in the developmental process of any nation.

"In fact, in our deliberations as policy-makers in our various capacities, we can never ignore the human resource factor".

He said the human resource factor is acknowledged in Vision 2020 document, which places human development first on the list of five major development themes for the country.

He named the others as economic growth, rural development, urban development and an enabling environment.

Dr. Apenteng said Ghana has been internationally acclaimed for her economic performance, especially on the macro-economic indicators, adding that much has been and is being done to create an enabling environment for the private sector to be the engine of growth, supported by the public sector.

He said he wondered whether in view of its rapid increase in population the country's economic output is enough to meet the challenges of the rapid growth.

He also questioned whether a population census would clarify the position and help put "us all on track to the achievement of the aims of Vision 2020".

Mr. Justice Daniel Francis Annan, Speaker, explained that the forum has been instituted to give a boost to Parliament's expanded outreach programme.

It is aimed at affording members of the public the opportunity to inquire into the work of the Legislature, criticise it where necessary and put forth constructive suggestions for consideration.

The forum brings together experts, stakeholders and opinion leaders from various sectors to brainstorm on matters of national importance.

It does not only seek to identify problems, but more importantly, discuss how such problems could be solved collectively.

Mr Justice Annan said population census is undoubtedly, an important factor in a nation's development.

He said for effective planning, every sector of a nation's economy, needs to know how many people there are in a country and how many there would be in say, five, ten or twenty years.

The Speaker underscored his appreciation for the continued sponsorship of the forum by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), through the Institute of Economic Affairs.

Before presenting his paper, Daasebre Oti Boateng donated three copies of "Ghana Demographic and Health Service", a publication by the Statistical Service, to the Speaker.

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Akim-Oda (Eastern Region) 1^st June ’99

There was confusion and chaos at Akim Oda on Monday during the installation of Dr. Joseph Kyei-Mintah, as the new Omaahene for the Akim Kotoku Traditional Area.

A group of young men, who were opposed to the installation set fire at the entrance of the palace and barricaded the place to prevent the ceremony from taking place.

An eye - witness told the Ghana News Agency that the group resorted to stone throwing to disperse the crowd but the Police intervened with teargas.

In the process an unidentified person shot a Policeman in the leg and he was rushed to the Akim-Oda government hospital.

The eye - witness said, earlier in the day the group threw stones to disturb a beehive in front of the palace, which made everyone including the Police to run helter-skelter.

The Police were later able to restore order for the installation to proceed.

The Omanhene of the Traditional Area Okofrobuor Agyeman Attafuah IV died on June 17 last year and was buried on May 2 this year.

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Accra (Greater Accra) 1^st June ’99

Nii Okaija Adamafio, Minister of the Interior, on Monday noted that the problem of drug abuse and illicit trafficking is still a critical issue in the country despite the war the authorities are waging against drugs.

In the eyes of the international community Ghana is still very much a transit country for the trafficking of cocaine and heroin, he said.

Nii Okaija was speaking at the opening of a six-day workshop in Accra on the formulation of a national action plan on drug control.

Twenty-seven participants, drawn from some security agencies, including the Police and Prison Services, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and government agencies are attending the workshop.

It is being organised by the Narcotics Control Board (NCB) in collaboration with the African Anti-Drug Programme (AADP) and the European Union.

The European Commission in May 1997 signed a regional financing agreement amounting to 5.1 million Euro (13.2 billion cedis) with the aim of developing a regional drug control programme known as the AADP to cover the 16 ECOWAS countries.

AADP aims mainly at strengthening the West African states' drug control operational capacities in the areas of prevention, treatment rehabilitation, law enforcement and co-ordination. The first phase is to be implemented over a four-year period.

Nii Okaija noted that the use of the country as a transit point has created drug abuse problems in urban areas.

It is the expectation of the government that the national action plan that the workshop would formulate should respond to the drug situation in the country, he said.

The plan should include "practical programmes to reduce the demand for illicit drugs as well as a variety of appropriate interventions to promote the health and social well-being of individuals, families and communities affected by illicit drug trafficking and usage."

Mr Didier Hardy, Regional Co-ordinator of AADP, said the workshop, the first of its kind in Africa, shows Ghana's commitment to solving the drug problem.

The AADP provides for financial support to ECOWAS states for the formulation of anti drug action plans and their presentation to the donor community for financing.

Mr Hardy said, the human resource training, component has a budgetary allocation of about three billion cedis.

A budget of about 409 million cedis has been earmarked for the regional training centre for workshops on data collection.

A regional "drug prevention campaign" football tournament estimated at 400,000 Euro (one billion cedis) to be known as "African Cup for Youth Against Drugs", would be launched.

Mr Kofi Quantson, Executive Secretary of NCB, the problem calls for everyone's participation.

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Amenase (Ashanti Region) 1^st June ’99

Nana Okru Karikari Bediako-Poku, Chief of Amenase-Ashanti, has called on queen mothers to live up to their traditional role as counsellors and spearhead the crusade of women's emancipation, especially in the rural areas.

He said queen mothers should not abandon their traditional roles in the proper upbringing of young girls into womanhood to contribute effectively to socio-economic development of the community and the country as a whole.

Nana Bediako-Poku made the call at a durbar of chiefs and people of Amenase-Ashanti in the Afigya-Sekyere District to outdoor Nana Amma Pokuah Afriyie as the new queen mother of the town as part of activities to mark Akwasidae last Sunday.

Nana Afriyie, known in private life as Mrs. Georgina Amoako, is a staff of the Commission for Racial Equality at the Home Office in London and succeeded Nana Akyaama, who abdicated about seven years ago due to ill-health.

The chief of Amenase appealed to all queen mothers to join the Association of Queen mothers to exchange ideas for development.

Nana Afriyie thanked the chiefs and elders for the trust reposed in her and pledged to apply her experience both at home and abroad to improve the lot of women in the town.

At the durbar, Nana Afriyie's husband, Mr Princeworth Ernest Amoako, was installed Nkosuohene for the town under the stool name, Nana Fosu Gyeabour, in appreciation of the assistance he has offered to the town.

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Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 1^st June ’99

Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, Asantehene, has directed that all appeals filed on or before December 1996 which are pending before the Ashanti Regional House of Chiefs be disposed of before the end of the year.

He said he would ensure that the necessary financial and administrative support is provided to the judicial committee for the efficient dispatch of their work.

The Asantehene gave the directive when he addressed the first General Meeting of the Ashanti Regional House of Chiefs at the Manhyia Palace on Monday.

He said he would be monitoring not only the attendance of members of the judicial committee but also the time they would begin sitting.

Otumfuo Osei Tutu was not happy that appeals filed as far back as 1989 were still pending before Nananom.

He reminded them that their traditional role as promoters of peace, progress and stability in the society would be measured to a large extent by the fairness with which they undertake their adjudicating functions.

Touching on research functions of the House, Otumfuo Osei Tutu observed that almost all the major works on customary laws had been undertaken by foreigners, stressing that the lack of well-defined statements of customary laws had led to the Houses giving divergent views on the same subject matter.

The Asantehene said his management of the affairs of the House would be by the committee system that would ensure that matters are looked at in critical detail before they are considered in plenary sessions.

To this end, he appointed a standing Committee which would be charged with reviewing and updating the Standing Orders of the House.

It will also propose the various committees to be set up and determine their composition.

The Asantehene asked the Mamponghene, Nana Osei Bonsu II, to be responsible for the constitution of the Standing Committee of which he will be the chairman.

He thanked the government, various embassies and Asanteman for their contributions towards the burial of Otumfuo Opoku Ware II and their support for his enstoolment as Asantehene.

Mr Kojo Yankah, Ashanti Regional Minister, thanked the chiefs for welcoming him to the region and for giving him the necessary support and co-operation.

A minute's silence and a prayer were said in memory of the late Asantehene who was President of the House.

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Accra (Greater Accra) 1^st June ’99

One hundred and seven entries were received at the close of entries in Accra on Monday for this year's Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) Awards.

Mr Bright Blewu, General Secretary of GJA, told the Ghana News Agency in an interview that, "it is the highest number of entries we have ever received and it shows the heightened interest in the awards system.

"The award is meant to ensure the highest level of journalistic excellence in the country.

"This is the first time that we have had entries going beyond the 100 mark and it is very encouraging."

He said the exact number of entries countrywide would be known by Wednesday June two when entries from the regions would have been picked up from the post.

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Accra (Greater Accra) 1^st June ’99

An African Water Resource Conference has ended in Nairobi, Kenya, with a call on African states to share their experiences in water resource management.

The conference was organised by the World Bank and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and was attended by representatives from 24 countries.

It was to provide a forum for senior policy and decision-makers from Africa to share their experiences in water resource management.

Ghana was represented at the conference by a six-member delegation led by the Minister of Works and Housing, Mr Isaac Adjei-Mensah.

Mr Adjei-Mensah told the GNA on arrival at the airport that the meeting discussed four areas of water resource management, including finance, legislation, and regulatory institutions and the environment.

He said a number of papers were presented in these four areas and that a task force was formed to work on the identified areas, including the issue of shared river basins.

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Accra (Greater Accra) 1^st June ’99

The Ministry of the Interior on Monday announced that June four is a statutory holiday and should be observed as such throughout the country.

This was contained in a statement issued in Accra by the Minister, Nii Okaija Adamafio.

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Tamale (Northern Region) 1^st June ’99

The Northern Region Health Directorate has expressed concern about the "undue delay" in the execution of contracts on seven community health centres for which the Ministry of Health (MOH) has already supplied equipment for their operation.

The centres, located at Kumbungu, Tolon, Wenchiki, Kpalbe, Kpandai, Zabzugu and Makayili, are part of 10 new health facilities being funded by the World Bank and the Saudi Fund.

They were listed among 29 others to benefit from the equipment supply.

This is contained in the region's 1998 review of the health sector programme prepared by the regional health management team.

The 39 page document contains a profile of the region, overview of 1997-98 health activities, planning and budgeting, inter-sectoral collaboration and community participation, health sector performance and regional clinical services.

The report complained about the refusal by some of the contractors to co-operate with the regional directorate because they did give them the contracts.

It called for the review of the present system where regional tender boards give out contracts without representatives of the regional director of health services.

The report also identified lack of accommodation, under-staffing, inadequate transport and activities of quack doctors as the main constraints affecting health service delivery in the districts.

Despite these setbacks, the report expressed satisfaction that most of the health centres and posts provided 24-hour service, especially in the area of curative and maternity care.

Sub-district facilities also enjoyed continuous availability of medical supplies throughout the year, except anti-snake bite serum, the supply of which continued to fall far below requirements.

According to the report, all the district health medical teams (DHMT's) improved on their epidemic management preparedness by forming epidemic management committees and disease surveillance teams.

Many of the DHMT's are collaborating with non-governmental organisations in the training of traditional birth attendants and chemical sellers in malaria management.

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Wa (Upper West) 1^st June ’99

Mr David Osei-Wusu, Upper West Regional Minister, has appealed to Ghanaians to learn to live peacefully with one another irrespective of their political, religious or ethnic background.

He said it is sad to note that some political, religious and traditional leaders only prefer to deal with or assist people after considering their political, religious or tribal affiliations.

Mr Osei-Wusu said this when he opened a three-day forum organised by the regional directorate of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) and the Regional Co-ordinating Council (RCC) under the theme: "Peace and Tolerance, Critical Condition for Good Governance and Sustainable Development".

The forum, sponsored by the Konrad Adenaur Foundation, attracted 85 participants, including traditional rulers, religious and opinion leaders and personnel of the security services.

It is the first in a series being organised by the NCCE and seeks to, among other things, foster Christian-Muslim dialogue and examine factors, which act as constraints to regional cohesion and development.

Naa Poure Poube Chiir, Nandom-Naa and a member of the Council of State, said, the most important prerequisite for the attraction of investment is peace.

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Asakyiri (Ashanti Region) 1^st June ’99

Two junior secondary school (JSS) students were killed, at Asakyiri in Amansie East District when the local primary school building collapsed on them during a rainstorm.

They are Masters Obeng Asamoah, 15 and Kwaku Yesu, 13.

Master Oppong Fosu who was with them was seriously injured and on admission at the Bekwai District hospital.

The three were among students playing football on the school's park but took shelter in the building during the rains.

Miss Grace Awuah, Amansie East District Chief Executive and Mr Yaw Oppong Fosu, Presiding Member of the District assembly have visited the bereaved families and the injured, to express their sympathy.

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Accra (Greater Accra) 1^st June '99

The Millennium Bug problem that comes into effect on the midnight of December 31, 1999, will affect electric power generation and supply.

It will also affect aircraft navigation, transportation, and bank transactions, as well as the telecommunications industry and any equipment that has micro-chips embedded in it.

Commander Pius M. G. Griffiths, a deputy minister of communications in charge of Information Technology, said this in Accra on Friday at the AITEC Ghana '99 conference and exhibition.

He said economic, security and social matters will be affected, noting:

"with the increasing interconnected and complex global economy, as well as their interdependency, no organisation, no matter how small, even if unwired, can claim to be free of the risk and exposure to the Y2K problem.

It will be a disaster for any individual organisation to think that it is a problem for the government to solve."

Cdr. Griffiths said the government is taking all steps to ensure that its services are not interrupted in any way.

He said overcoming the year 2000 problem, therefore, is a critical survival issue for many organisations and that action is needed to ensure continuity of business and social services.

"Initially, the problem was viewed as an IT problem. However, now everyone has recognised it to be a business issue with much wider implications, the paramount one being business survival.

"Potentially, the problem affects all software and microprocessors, which have date awareness or dependency," Cdr. Griffiths stressed.

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Tamale (Northern Region) 1^st June '99

The committee set up by the government to investigate allegations of malpractices against three former district chief executives in the Northern Region on Thursday presented its report to the regional minister, Mr Joshua Alabi.

The former chief executives are Alhaji A.M.Y.M.B. Ibrahimah, Tamale Municipality, Alhaji Seidu Karimu, East Gonja, and Mr Issaka Bawa, East Mamprusi.

The three-member committee, under the chairmanship of Dr. Naminong Karbo of the Animal Research Institute, investigated the 120 million cedis allegedly missing from the Tamale municipal assembly common fund.

The committee also delved into the alleged illegal and unauthorised award of contracts by the three former chief executives.

Presenting the 80-page report, Dr. Karbo said 55 people, including the three former chief executives, appeared before the committee.

He thanked the regional minister and the regional co-ordinating council for the confidence reposed in them and the opportunity to contribute their quota to nation building.

Dr. Karbo said the report would provide the regional co-ordinating council with the opportunity to take informed policy decisions on the issues at stake.

Mr Alabi said the setting up of the committee underscores the importance government attaches to the tenets of probity and accountability.

He said the report will be closely studied and "objective comments" made to the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development.

He appealed to all stakeholders to exercise patience while the government studies the report to enable it to come out with a white paper.

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Nkoranza (Brong Ahafo) 1^st June '99

The government has released 396.8 million cedis for the payment of salary advance to civil servants in the Brong Ahafo region.

Workers who wish to enjoy the facility would be required to submit their last pay slips and justify why they need the salary advance which should not exceed one's two months gross monthly salary.

The Brong Ahafo regional secretary of the Civil Servants Association, Mr Asante Asubonteng, disclosed this when he addressed members of the association at a meeting on the association's co-operative housing scheme.

Mr Asubonteng said the housing scheme is designed to enable the members to have their own houses to alleviate accommodation problems facing them.

An educational programme has been launched to explain the scheme to members for them to patronise the scheme.

He explained that the scheme is open to all workers who would agree to make regular savings deductible at source and to buy entry equity, yet to be presupposed.

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Sunyani (Brong Ahafo), 31^st May 99 –

The executive Director of the Ghana Tourist Board (GTB), Mrs. Owusu Fianko, has stated that for the nation to effectively realise its projection of one million tourist arrivals by the year 2010, there must be a dramatic improvement in the quality of service in the hospitality industry and an increase in hotel accommodation.

She said at the moment, the quality of service in the tourism sector is low with only 20 per cent of the 12,040 hotel rooms in the country being of international standard.

Mrs. Fianko called on the private sector to take advantage of the situation by instituting quality-training programmes for personnel in the industry and putting up tourism facilities and accommodation units of international standard.

She was addressing the third Brong Ahafo regional tourism awards night held at Sunyani on Saturday to honour a number of organisations and individuals that have contributed to the development of tourism in the region.

Berekum was adjudged the cleanest town in the region while Eusbett Hotel emerged as the best hotel in the three to five star category with Mr Uthman Mamamoud of the Tropical Hotel getting the nod as the best chef in the one to two star Hotel bracket.

Mrs. Owusu-Fianko appealed to prospective tourism developers to contact the board so that they could be assisted to bring their plans in line with laid down requirements demanded by the tourism laws of the country.

She said Ghana is emerging as a major tourist destination on the global tourism map and it was pertinent tourist operators considered investment in human resources as equally important as financial capital.

Mrs. Owusu-Fianko announced that as part of efforts to improve the quality of human resources in the tourism industry, GTB is setting up a data bank on human resource needs of the industry.

She urged the region to fully participate in the inter-tourism fair 99 scheduled for Accra later in the year to afford it the opportunity to showcase her vast tourism potentials.

The regional minister, Mr Donald Adabre listed a number of tourist sites in the region and appealed to investors to develop them and deplored the tendency of Ghanaians visiting foreign countries on sightseeing without knowing their own country.

He said for the country's tourism sector to record appreciable growth, domestic tourism must be encouraged to promote social harmony and afford Ghanaians the opportunity to know their country better.

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Kumasi (Ashanti), 1^st June ‘99 –

Functionaries of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) have been urged to let the party's landslide victory in the Lambussie Constituency bye-election galvanise them to intensify their campaign to sustain the support and goodwill of the people.

The call was contained in a statement issued by the Ashanti Regional Executive of the party to congratulate Mrs. Alice Teni Boon, the newly elected NDC Member of Parliament (MP) for Lambussie.

It said, "while joining the teeming masses to celebrate this important electoral success, we wish to caution against complacency".

The statement asked the party to remain alert and maintain a firm hold over its areas of dominance whilst working tirelessly to make significant in-roads into places the opposition have labelled as their stronghold.

It praised the people of Lambussie for demonstrating an unflinching faith in the NDC Government's cause.

The NDC Regional Executive called for hardwork, dedication, sacrifice and discipline on the part of all members, supporters and activists of the party to enable the NDC retain its hold on political power in the year 2000 General elections.

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Accra (Greater Accra), 1^st June 99

The New Zealand Foreign Minister, Mr Don Mckinno arrived in Accra on Sunday night for a two-day official visit.

The Minister who was accompanied by Mr Chris Seed, Deputy New Zealand High Commissioner in London, was met on arrival by Mr Victor Gbeho and his deputy, Mr Joseph Laryea.

Mr Mckinno said Ghana's bilateral relations with New Zealand have been good since independence but could be enhanced through trade, commerce and regular meetings.

He said many New Zealand's investors are doing business in the country with Ghanaians, especially in the area of agriculture and mining.

Mr Mckinno said Ghana could take advantage of New Zealand's open market and investment policy to do business with that country.

Mr Mckinno who attended the inauguration of the new Nigerian president in Abuja said he was impressed with the new wind of democracy blowing across Africa adding that "Nigeria is a very big country that can not be left out on its own."

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Accra (Greater Accra), 1^st June 99 –

Ghana and Japan on Monday held bilateral discussions which centred on the relationship between the two countries, at the end of which the Japanese committed 16.5 million dollars to support Ghana's structural reforms and social development.

The money, an aid from the Japanese Sector Programme Grant, will be used by Ghana to import essential development needs, including machinery, equipment, spare parts and industrial raw materials.

The signing of the agreement formed part of a three-day official visit by Mr Ryutaro Hashimoto, former Japanese Prime Minister, to the country.

President Jerry John Rawlings, recounting Japanese assistance to Ghana, said Japan has been a strong and important ally since Ghana started its journey of economic transformation.

As one of the highest donors to Ghana, President Rawlings said Japan has demonstrated its confidence in the country's new development process especially in the area of education, health, energy, transportation and other social infrastructure.

"We express our gratitude to your government and all that it has done and continue to do to improve and deepen our reforms," President Rawlings told the visiting delegation.

President Rawlings was particularly impressed with Mr Hashimoto's "new initiative" which, he said, is designed to deal with the eradication and control of parasitic diseases.

"We, on our part, will do everything within our limits to complement and sustain this initiative to improve on health delivery in our country," President Rawlings said.

Mr Hashimoto said the extension of the grant to Ghana is in recognition of the country's "unrelenting effort at implementing sector-wide development programmes in line with Japan's new development strategy."

He said the grant is a new scheme for balance of payment support to developing countries that are making "relentless efforts at structural adjustment of their economies and tackling social development and environmental issues with comprehensive sector wide approaches.

"Ghana has made remarkable strides in improving her macro-economic environment," said Mr Hashimoto, also Senior Foreign Policy Adviser to the Prime Minister of Japan.

Mr Victor Gbeho, Minister of Foreign Affairs, described the relationship between the two countries as important and beneficial.

"It is important to us because when in the heat of our revolution the support from the international community waned, Japan showed much interest in Ghana and supported us".

He mentioned the Noguchi Memorial Institute, a medical research centre at Legon, as one of the many examples of Japanese assistance to Ghana, saying the centre has become a vital research medical institution not only for Ghana but the whole of the West Africa sub-region.

While in the country, Mr Hashimoto will commission a number of Japanese-funded projects including the Sekondi Fishing Harbour.

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Tema (Greater Accra), 1^st June 99 –

The Commissioner of Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) has directed that importers, who have to clear their goods through Saga Ghana Limited, whose operations have been suspended, would be allowed to use other shipping lines to process their documents.

A source from CEPS told the Ghana News Agency on Monday that "other shipping lines would be allowed to assist importers with the processing of documents and clearance of cargo brought in by Saga shipping lines".

The CEPS source said all employees and agents of Saga are temporarily banned from entering CEPS offices and installations.

Workers of Saga, who reported for duty on Monday, were seen standing in groups discussing the suspension, with CEPS officers monitoring closely.

Some of the workers were heard saying that the management of Saga was making efforts to get the Commissioner to review the suspension, as its continuation would affect the company's operations.

CEPS last Friday closed down the offices of Saga, following the discovery of three parcels of cocaine hidden inside a consignment of 390 bags of rice imported into the country.

The Narcotics Control Board (NCB) has certified that the three parcels of the whitish substance, found in the 20-foot container and shipped from Paramaribo, Surinam, is cocaine.

A source at CEPS said Saga is also being investigated concerning the clearing of stolen cars from United States and Canada.

The cars include three Grand Cherokee, one each of Dodge, Ford Chrysler and the latest model of BMW.

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