New electricity
and water tariff to be announced
Tough
measures needed to revive Ghana’s ailing economy - Kufuor
Liberian refugees invade
Ghana
Ghana has the right
environment for investment
Assembly
member pleads for Minister's intervention
Meeting on sustainable
energy development opens
Fire destroys property worth
several million cedis in Kumasi
Fuel
smugglers flee after exchange of fire with taskforce
Standards Boards course on
drugs opens
Sixth African-African American Summit Set for Abuja, Nigeria
Ensure
successful revenue collection
New
electricity and water tariff to be announced
Accra (Greater Accra)
27 March 2001
Public Utilities
Regulatory Commission (PURC) says it may announce new tariffs for electricity
and water by the end of March.
The Volta River
Authority (VRA) and Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) are seeking 310 per cent
increase in tariffs while the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) wants a 300
per cent hike.
A statement from the
Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) on Monday said VRA and ECG argued
that the current tariffs charged neither meet their operational cost nor make
room for the necessary investments required to improve on the quality of
service.
They mentioned the
depreciation of the cedi and losses on transmission lines as contributory
factors to their operational losses.
The GWCL cited illegal
connections, obsolete machinery and old pipelines as being the cause of leakage
that lead to the loss of about 50 per cent of its production.
The statement said
stakeholders and members of the public after listening to both the electricity
and water providers acknowledge the need for a rise in tariffs but complained
that the levels proposed were too high.
The statement said the
PURC has started working on the outcome of the hearings and cannot rush into
approving new tariffs without taking the concerns of stakeholders and the
general public into consideration.
"It is also
essential that government be informed of any decision taken by the PURC since
...the impact of PURC's tariff decisions on the utilities must be fully
understood and appreciated," the statement said.
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Tough measures needed to
revive Ghana’s ailing economy - Kufuor
Accra (Greater Accra) 27 March 2001
President John Agyekum Kufuor on Monday appealed to the Netherlands to support his government's efforts at solving the country's economic problems.
"As a young government, we are bound to take some tough measures to revive our ailing economy and we will expect old friends such as the Netherlands to remain behind us," President Kufuor said when Mr Alexander Heldring, Netherlands Ambassador, paid a courtesy call on him at the State House.
Mr. Kufuor said government has had to take some bold economic policies, including the adoption of Highly Indebted Poor Country (HIPC0) initiative and fuel price hikes as the only options necessary for future progress.
"We want to put the economy at (the level) that will boost the private sector," he said.
On relations between Ghana and the Netherlands, which dates back some 300 years, President Kufuor said the two countries should take advantage of the long relationship to build on socio-economic co-operation.
The Dutch government is liaising with Ghanaian officials to work out a programme for the celebration of the tercentenary which, it said, will focus on successful and sustainable projects the Netherlands carried out in Ghana.
President Kufuor said his government deems the celebration celebrations important "as a reminder of what the situation was at those times and how far we have come."
Mr. Heldring announced that a large delegation of Dutch businessmen, led by the Minister of Trade would visit Ghana between May and June as part of renewed efforts to close ties between the two countries.
He said his country is looking out for new areas of co-operation with Ghana. Currently it is mainly centred on health and environmental sectors.
Netherlands is among the first group of development partners to announce assistance to the new government by providing 61 million dollars to support Ghana's balance of payment soon after its inauguration in January.
Mr. Heldring lauded government's bold decision to take the HIPC initiative and said his country is working out more development assistance to Ghana.
Mr. Hackman Owusu-Agyemang, Minister of Foreign Affairs, expressed gratitude to the Dutch for having faith in Ghana and standing by her even in difficulties, citing the Royal Dutch Airline, KLM, which, he said, boosted confidence in the business community.
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Liberian refugees invade
Ghana
Accra (Greater Accra) 27 March 2001
Government has been asked to screen residents of the Buduburam Refugee Camp and issue identity cards to them for easy identification.
This is because thousands of Liberian refugees are still flooding the Camp, near Winneba, even though that country's civil war ended some years ago.
Ten thousand refugees have so far returned to the Camp this year through unapproved routes and many more are expected, Mr Joseph Myers, Head of the Liberian Welfare Council has said.
He told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on Monday, that, most of the incoming are young people with doubtful background and do not qualify as refugees.
Mr Myers said for law and order to be maintained, the government and the Ghana Refugee Board would have to come out with guidelines to streamline the activities of refugees at the Camp.
He said most of the people are trying to extend their rivalry from the Liberian civil war into Ghana hence the rampant civil unrest and robbery in the area.
"We as welfare officers cannot recognise some of this people, who claim we represent", he said.
He, however, denied that most of the refugees are armed and may be involved in some of the recent armed robberies in the country.
In another development, Liberians resident in Kumasi on Monday condemned attacks on the offices of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) housing personnel of police the Ghana National Fire Service at Budumburam in the Central Region by their colleagues last Saturday.
The refugees vandalised the offices, destroyed and looted property worth millions of cedis.
They reminded their colleagues all over the country that they are foreigners and must respect and abide by the laws of the Republic of Ghana.
This was contained in a press release signed by Mr Amos Gibson and Mrs Marie Richards, spokespersons for the refugees, in Kumasi.
They said it was unfortunate that the Liberian refugees at Budumburam Camp attacked the police and for not allowing the law to take its course.
They called on the authorities to deal with all those who took the law into their hands and went on the rampage.
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Ghana has the right
environment for investment
Accra (Greater Accra) 27 March 2001
Ghana has the right environment for investment, Madam Hawa Yakubu, Minister of Tourism said on Monday.
"We have a stable democratic government, there is rule of law and a competent Attorney - General to protect the foreign investor".
Madam Yakubu was speaking when Mr Jorge Maia, Senior Project Manager, Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) of South Africa called on her in Accra to unveil his country's investment plans, especially in the tourism sector.
She said, "we will explore all the tourism potentials in the country for development. We have put in place all the mechanisms to protect any foreign investment".
The Ministry has embarked on an active marketing of the tourism potentials of the country to the outside world in order to attract foreign investment.
She urged South Africa to export her technology to assist medium and small-scale entrepreneurs and those in cottage industries and said it should open up her markets to exports from other sub Saharan African countries to create a balance of trade on the continent.
South Africa exports many items to other African countries, but imports very little thus creating imbalance terms of trade in its favour.
Mr Maia said the IDC was set up by the South African government as an instrument to promote industries in countries outside the Southern African Development Community.
It has embarked on exploring opportunities in the tourism sector in Ghana, Nigeria, Uganda and Kenya.
Other areas of interest include agro-industries, manufacturing and telecommunication.
Mr. Maia said Ghana is the first country outside the Southern African Development Community to benefit from the IDC programme, adding that IDC is looking for equity partners to develop the tourism industry on the continent, with emphasis on expansion and rehabilitation of accommodation facilities like convention centres and tourism villages.
He said IDC also engages in long term financing, and provision of equipment for rehabilitating projects and expressed the hope that the two countries would be reaping the mutual benefits.
Mr. Francis Andam, Chief Director, Ministry of Tourism, said the Ambassador Hotel in Accra, Meridian Hotel Tema and the City Hotel Kumasi, have not been rehabilitated because of lack of funds and stressed on the need to access funds for their refurbishment.
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Assembly
member pleads for Minister's intervention
Effiduase (Ashanti
Region) 27 March 2001
Mr Asafo Agyei,
assembly member for Okuase electoral area at Effiduase in the Sekyere East
district, has appealed for the intervention of the Ashanti Regional Minister to
get the district assembly to release a generator bought for the district
hospital.
He made the appeal
through the Ghana News Agency (GNA), after a visit to the hospital.
Mr Agyei said it is
baffling that the generator, bought by the assembly for the hospital to enable
it to operate without interruption, has been left to lie idle in the assembly's
store.
He said all efforts to
impress upon the former District Chief Executive to have it installed, have
proved futile and that "not even a decision by the assembly at a general
meeting could move him to hand over the generator to the hospital".
He said anytime lights
go out in the night, doctors, nurses and other workers at the hospital attend
to emergencies, using flashlights and candles.
The assembly member
said it was about time the generator was used for the purpose for which it was
bought.
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Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 27 March 2001
A new transport association known as the Positive Transport Union of Ghana (PTUG) has been formed with its headquarters in Kumasi, its chairman Mr Charles Addo-Bawuah announced at the weekend.
He said it has been registered at the Registrar-General's Department and would operate throughout the country, but at the moment the union will concentrate its activities in Kumasi and Sunyani.
Members would use the Centre for National Culture (Cultural Centre), in Kumasi, as its terminal.
The chairman explained that members of the union broke away from the Unity Transport Union due to cheating and intimidation.
He said the union has notified the Ashanti Regional Co-ordinating Council, the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA), as well as all the security agencies about its formation.
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Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 27 March 2001
The Ashanti Regional Office of the Ghana News Agency (GNA) has sent a message of condolence to the Managing Director and staff of the Abura Printing Works, publishers of the 'Pioneer', on the death of Mr Osei Tutu Agyeman, Editorial Supervisor of the Pioneer.
The message signed by Mr Francis Kwateng, Regional Manager of the GNA, said, "we have learnt with shock and sadness the sudden death of our colleague, brother and friend."
It said the Editorial Supervisor had a very good working relationship with the GNA and was always ready to assist in times of need.
The Pioneer and indeed journalists in the region have lost an experienced, capable and committed journalist, who shared his rich experience with the upcoming and newly employed staff.
"Please convey to the bereaved family our sympathies and condolence" the message said.
Mr. Agyeman died at the Agogo Presbyterian hospital last Saturday after a short illness.
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Meeting on sustainable
energy development opens
Accra (Greater Accra) 27 March 2001
Twenty-six energy experts from 15 countries in sub-Saharan Africa on Monday began a five-day meeting in Accra to discuss ways of developing long-term strategic planning of energy systems.
The meeting, which is the first under an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) project, seeks to provide a forum for policy makers, researchers, energy experts, top business executives and other stakeholders to identify priority needs common to member states to improve their national capacities for managing energy sector development.
Speaking to the GNA, Professor Andrews Addae, National Project Co-ordinator, said the participants would look at the choice of energy sources such as fossil fuels - made up of (coal, oil and natural gas,) biomass - (firewood, charcoal,) renewable - made up of (hydropower, wind power and solar) and nuclear energy sources.
The overall goal of the project is to improve national capacities for long term strategic planning of the energy system in the region.
Professor Addae said the key factor of the project is for member states to look at their need vis-à-vis available resources and to match the two. Cost effectiveness would also be looked at.
He explained that most African countries are over dependent on hydro and wood or fuel for energy supply but this has failed most of them in one way or the other.
The IAEA would, therefore, support member states to explore all energy sources in order not to be over dependent on one source.
Prof. Addae said the implementation of the project including the exploration of the use of nuclear power would be spread over four years.
High on the agenda is the environmental impact of any energy option derived from the discussions.
Participating countries would exchange experience on national efforts to support sustainable energy development and discuss project implementation approach, plans and modalities.
They would also discuss the delivery of agency's input in support of planned national and regional activities and ascertain governments' commitment to the project.
Mr Albert Kan-Dapaah, Minister of Energy, who opened the meeting, said government supports the project but at present, nuclear energy does not appear a likely candidate for electric power expansion in Sub-Saharan Africa.
He said the advantages of nuclear power are enormous and that a change in the situation might occur with the future commercial deployment of advanced, safety-designed nuclear power plants of small and medium-sized types."
Mr. Kan-Dapaah said findings of research by the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC), the Energy Research Group and three international bodies including the IAEA show that the average growth rate of electricity demand is higher than total energy consumption and gross domestic product worldwide.
Presently, developing countries constitute 70 per cent of the total world population but their share in global energy and electricity consumption is only 25 per cent.
The Minister said generally, countries with high GDP have higher levels of energy and electricity consumption but developing countries on the other hand have lower consumption levels, but higher electricity growth rates.
"As these countries strive to develop, the per capita energy demand will also increase in the years ahead. These developing countries are, however, among the poorest in the world and less capable in competing in a high-demand global energy market," he added.
The per capita gross national product of these states is less than 500 dollars as against a typical industrialised country like the USA, which has a per capita income of 20,000 dollars.
The Minister said the provision of affordable energy services would pave the way for improved living conditions and contribute to the national growth beyond subsistence levels.
He emphasised the need for most sub-Saharan African countries to improve their capacity for managing energy sector development in order to foster continued economic development.
All energy options impact on the environment, consequently, supply strategies should also give some attention to minimising the adverse impacts of power generation on human health and the environment, he cautioned.
Professor J. H. Amuasi, Executive Secretary of the GAEC, said continued economic growth and rapidly increasing population would lead to considerable increase in greenhouse gas emissions.
"Consequently, African countries would in the near future be making a number of strategic decisions throughout the development process that would significantly affect emission and one example is the choice of energy supply such as coal, gas, nuclear or renewable.
"Still, current attention of many countries in the region focuses on immediate supply problems with less attention given to alternative medium and long-term energy options which could result in significant cost savings, fewer health and environmental impact as well as increased regional co-operation," Prof. Amuasi said.
He noted that in view of the limited capacities in the development of sustainable energy requirements to support development agenda, a regional approach to energy supply seems to be the most prudent choice.
"I am also of the view that, although nuclear power is currently an unlikely candidate for electricity systems expansion in most countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, this situation could change with the future commercial deployment of small reactors.
"It is for this reason that we of the GAEC share the view that countries in the region such as Ghana are considering a possible expanded role of nuclear power to analyse the nuclear option in the context of regional supply," Prof. Amuasi added.
Professor Dominic Fobih, Minister of Environment expressed regret about the problem of environmental degradation associated with high consumption of energy.
"This is because an examination of the main energy sources indicates that most of the energy used contribute substantially to environmental pollution, especially the production of the greenhouse gases which affect our climate.
"The need, therefore, is for the use of energy in an economically efficient and environmentally sound manner," he said.
He said Ghana has joined the global community in addressing problems associated with unsustainable use of energy by encouraging energy efficiency and energy conservation, promoting fuel substitution, particularly the use of less polluting fuels like liquefied petroleum gas.
In the long run, these measures would assist Ghana in meeting her obligations as a party to the United Nations' framework convention on climate change, the Minister added.
He expressed the hope that the global community would adopt the various instruments for the implementation of the convention this year, saying, "this should open the door to us to obtain the resources we need to promote the development of this sector of the economy."
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Accra (Greater Accra)
27 March 2001
Mr Prince Oduro-Mensah,
Member of Parliament for Techiman North, on Monday said the drying up of the
Tano River is due to an engineering error upstream.
The river, which takes
its source near Techiman has been narrowed through a small culvert, thus
impeding its flow into the Abesim Dam downstream, which pipes Sunyani and its
environs.
Sunyani, the Brong
Ahafo Regional capital, has been hit in recent times by an acute water shortage
due to a drastic fall in the level of the Abesim Dam.
In an interview with
the Ghana News Agency, Mr Oduro-Mensah asked the Ministry of Roads and Highways
to rectify the situation before it gets out of hand.
"The problem is a
significant contributory factor to the drying up of the river downstream and
the cause of the acute water shortage in Sunyani and its environs."
The MP said the
constructional problem has resulted in the creation of patches of water, which breed
mosquitoes.
"The lives of the
big golden fishes of the river, a potential tourist attraction, are in danger
as they now have very little space to move about in their usual sprightly
fashion."
The member said
"never in his life" has he witnessed the drying up of the river and
its main tributary, Atwereda, and appealed to all communities along the river
to check the dumping of solid waste and farming along the banks.
"The Ministry of
Roads and Highways can help solve the problem now or never," he said.
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Fire
destroys property worth several million cedis in Kumasi
Kumasi (Ashanti Region)
27 March 2001
Fire swept through some
wooden structures housing about 30 people at Krofrom in Kumasi on Sunday and
destroyed property and cash running into several hundred million
cedis.
The total amount of
cash lost was not immediately known but partly burnt 5,000 cedi denominations
salvaged from the debris totalled 2.7 million cedis.
The cause of the fire
has not yet been established but it is widely suspected to have been triggered
by an electrical fault.
Mr. Abu Issaka, who was
sleeping in one of the structures at the time of the outbreak, told the Ghana
News Agency that he detected a thick pall of smoke at about 10.30 p.m.
He ran out only to
realise that some of the other structures were already in flames.
Mr. Issaka said apart
from electrical gadgets, he lost 3.2 million cedis cash and mentioned another
victim, Miss Mariama Sulley, who lost 800,000 CFA Francs.
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Fuel
smugglers flee after exchange of fire with taskforce
Aflao (Greater Accra)
27 March 2001
Six fuel smugglers fled
last Thursday night after an exchange of gunfire with the Ketu District
anti-fuel smuggling taskforce at Akpokploe, a border village near Aflao.
The smugglers, however,
fled, leaving behind five bicycles, a motorbike and 420 litres of fuel, which
they were smuggling to Lome. No arrests were made.
A spokesman of the
reconstituted Operation Hunter Anti-Fuel Smuggling Squad told the Ghana News
Agency that while on patrol along the border at about 8.30 p.m., the team saw a
group of people on bicycles and a motorbike with jerrycans moving towards Togo.
The smugglers were
ordered to halt but they defied the order and fired at the team whose members
also returned fire.
The spokesman said the
suspects fled abandoning their bicycles, motorbike and the jerrycans filled
with fuel.
He warned those
involved in the nation-wrecking activity to stop.
Investigations
conducted by the Ghana News Agency at Aflao indicated that a gallon of petrol
smuggled from Ghana fetches 1,150 CFA francs in Lome, yielding a profit of
3,000 cedis on every gallon of petrol sold.
The recent fuel price
increase in petroleum products in Ghana has not had any significant impact on
the smuggling of petrol to Togo.
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Standards Boards course on
drugs opens
Accra (Greater Accra) 27 March 2001
A three-month international training programme in "Methods for the identification and analysis of controlled drugs" has begun at the Ghana Standards Board (GSB) in Accra.
A statement issued on Friday said the course is to equip and upgrade the skills of participants in identifying and analysing drugs of abuse such as narcotic and psychotropic substances.
It is also to strengthen the fight against illicit trafficking, the statement added.
Participants in the current course, which is the fourth in the series, are from Ghana, Zanzibar and Mauritius.
The statement quoted Mr Kwesi Nkansa, Executive Director of the GSB, as saying that drug abuse has brought with it a number of unpleasant consequences, including violence by addicted people, dishonest practices and increase in crime wave.
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Sixth African-African
American Summit Set for Abuja, Nigeria
Accra (Greater Accra) 27 March 2001
The Sixth African-African American Summit, dubbed "The Summit of Hope", would be held from May 21-25 in the Nigerian capital, Abuja.
It will be under the auspices of President Olusegun Obasanjo and chaired by the Reverend Leon Sullivan, according to a statement issued by the USIS.
It said organisers expect to attract thousands of delegates from around the globe, including approximately 30 presidents or heads of state from African countries, as well as high-level business, social and government leaders from America, the Caribbean, Asia, and Europe.
The Summit, which is an occasion for reflection and interaction between Africans and their brothers in the Diaspora, will have participants discussing partnerships between American corporations and African nations.
"These leaders will work together to build recognition of African business potential among American and other business leaders," the statement said.
The potential, preservation and development of African business and welfare will be the key issue; other issues such as education, investment, and technical assistance from America would also be discussed.
Anticipated announcements at this year's summit include a comprehensive plan to address the HIV/AIDS epidemic and the Summit Declaration, outlining the commitments and goals for 2001-2003.
Reflecting on the event, Rev. Sullivan said: "As a black people, we are one family, and in this world we will rise or we will fall together. It is time for representatives of the United States, the Caribbean, Europe, Asia and Africa to come together once again and address the needs of Africa so that we may take action to the benefit of all people."
Previous summits have been held in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire, in 1991, Libreville, Gabon, in 1993; Dakar, Senegal, in 1995; Harare, Zimbabwe in 1997 and Accra, Ghana, 1999.
"The Millennium Summit of 1999 in Accra was the most successful to date, with more than 4,000 in attendance," the statement said.
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Ensure successful revenue
collection
Accra (Greater Accra) 27 March 2001
The Minister of Finance on Monday asked tax administrators to ensure a successful revenue generation for national reconstruction.
"The government and people of Ghana are looking to the revenue agencies and to you in particular to do an efficient job, so that together we can rebuild the nation's shattered economy," Mr Yaw Osafo-Maafo said.
Mr. Osafo-Maafo said this at the close of a 45-week diploma course in tax administration organised jointly by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA).
He noted that the economy is at the crossroads and whether the country is able to overcome its problems or not, depends, to a large extent, on how efficient and honest tax administrators are.
The Minister recounted portions of the budget, which referred to some of the government's decisions, including reviewing the tax system, taking measures to improve the operational capacity of revenue agencies and the establishment of a golden age for business saying each of them will be focused on adequately.
Mr. Osafo-Maafo urged the participants to make the knowledge gained available to their organisations to justify the huge investments made.
Professor Samuel A. Amoa, Acting Director-General of GIMPA, commended the collaboration between IRS and GIMPA and called for its expansion to other revenue agencies in the country and the sub-region.
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General Hamidu mourns mother
Gushiegu (Northern Region) 27 March 2001
A large number of sympathisers on Sunday
joined Lieutenant General Joshua Mahamadu Hamidu, National Security Adviser, to
mourn his mother, Madam Sana Iddi Mantan-Naa, who died on March 21 this year
after a short illness at Gushiegu in the Northern Region.
She was 93 and the oldest person in Gushiegu.
General Hamidu is the only child of Madam
Mantaa-Naa.
She left behind six grandchildren and 40
sisters and brothers, among whom is Gushie-Naa, Bawa Yakubu, chief of Gushiegu
and a former Inspector General of Police.
The funeral was characterised by Muslim
prayers, drumming and dancing, praise singing and firing of musketry.
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