Elmina (Central
Region) 27 March 2003- The Minister of Economic Planning and Regional Integration,
Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom, on Wednesday said the NEPAD initiative would only achieve
its aims and objectives if there was peace and stability in Africa.
''Peace and stability
is the only instrument that can bring real integration of the African
continent.'' Dr Nduom said this at the opening of a three-day NEPAD African
civil society forum at Elmina under theme: "building stronger partnerships
with civil society."
The forum, which
NEPAD Secretariat, South Africa, organised in collaboration with Centre for
Democratic Development (CDD) and NEPAD Ghana, is being attended by 80
participants drawn from various African and international civil society groups,
and government representatives.
It is aimed at
building a stronger partnership between NEPAD and Africa civil society groups. Dr.
Nduom expressed regret that some African countries did not show interest in
issues that concerned the continent but concentrated on issues outside the
continent.
He cited the war in
Iraq and said most African countries were calling for its end but failed to say
anything about the war in Nigeria, the Central African Republic and the famine
in Malawi. Dr Nduom expressed concern about the formal and informal trade
barriers put in place by African countries and said they were affecting the
economic growth and development of Africa.
He said lack of
inter-African trade had brought about lack of confidence in African products,
hence killing the African market. The Minister called on the forum to come out
with measures that would enhance the free movement of goods, services and
people in Africa.
Ms. Thaninga
Shope-Linney, Marketing and Communication Officer of NEPAD, South Africa, said
NEPAD's activities would not succeed if individual countries were not committed
and involved in the activities of NEPAD.
She called on media
practitioners to champion the activities of NEPAD and to help change the image
of Africa. Dr Baffour Agyeman-Duah, Associate Executive Director of CDD,
pledged the support of the centre to help strengthen civil society and increase
participation in NEPAD development process.
He was hopeful that
the participants would come out with concrete proposals to guide civil society
to achieve peace, security and development in Africa.
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Ho (Volta Region) 27
March 2003- The Social Security and National Insurance Trust's (SSNIT) ability
to support pensions on each worker's monthly contribution of 17.5 percent would
be compromised if the government's proposal to use 2.5 percent of the
contributions to fund the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) goes ahead.
Kwasi Adu-Amankwa,
Secretary-General of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), said this when he
addressed the Ho District Council of Labour on Wednesday on aspects of the 2003
budget, the national minimum wage and the TUC's position on areas affecting
labour.
Adu-Amankwah said
analyses showed that when the present level of 17.5 percent contribution per
contributor is maintained SSNIT would be able to support pension payments up to
2050 before changes could be made towards the sustenance of the Scheme.
On the other hand if
2.5 percent out of the 17.5 percent is hived off to operate the NHIS then
changes would have to be made to the scheme by 2020 to sustain it. Adu-Amankwah
said the changes would include an upward adjustments of the pension age and the
rate of contributions, support by government through taxes and reduction in the
benefits under the scheme.
The Secretary-General
said there was indication that the government's proposal was not supported by
feasibility or technical appraisal and consultations with the contributors and
the SSNIT Board. He said these anomalies threatened the viability and
implementation of the NHIS.
Adu-Amankwah said
lack of clarity by government on the proposal, made it difficult for workers to
support it. ''If there had been consultations with workers other ideas would
have been put forward to secure much greater benefits under the Scheme.''
Adu-Amankwah said the
issue of Health Insurance for pensioners was also in doubt in the proposal
under the NHIS because ''contributors today will become pensioners tomorrow.'' He
said the government's other proposition of financing the NHIS from "expenditures
and transactions is unclear as it did not specify that the NHIS would be
financed from an increase in the Value Added Tax (VAT), excise duty or sales
tax."
Another area of
concern to labour in the 2003 Budget was the lack of clarity on the proposed
petroleum Debt Recovery levy of 640 cedis per litre. Adu-Amankwah said it was not
clear whether the levy had already been factored into the January petroleum
price increases or it is a new levy.
The Secretary-General
however, commended the government for increasing the import duties on rice and
poultry products and suggested that the revenue to accrue from such duties
should be re-directed towards revamping the agriculture sector. Adu-Amankwah
lauded government's move towards issuing National Identification Cards to the
citizenry and appealed to all institutions related to the project to
collaborate to avoid conflicts.
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Ho (Volta Region) 27
March 2003- Kwasi Adu-Amankwah, Secretary-General of the Trades Union Congress
(TUC), on Wednesday said the TUC's position as representatives of labour and
social interests qualified it to negotiate the national minimum wage for the
labour sector.
He was speaking at a
meeting of the Ho District Council of Labour in response to issues relating to
the legitimacy of the TUC to negotiate the minimum wage on behalf of workers. Adu-Amankwah
said the Ghana TUC was the most representative of all labour organisations in
the country as its membership cuts across several sectors of the economy and is
the most diverse.
''The TUC negotiates
the minimum wage taking into consideration labour which are not organised but
needed protection.'' ''The TUC also takes into account the interests of
pensioners whose remuneration is based on the negotiated minimum wage. TUC
members will one day become pensioners."
Adu-Amankwa said
those who sought to spread misinformation about the legitimacy of the TUC to
negotiate the minimum wage therefore, were only throwing dust into the eyes of
workers. He said this year's National May Day celebrations would be celebrated
under the theme; "Democratic workers participation and improving
incomes-dividends of good governance."
This, he said, was
meant to emphasise the fact that good governance is not limited to Rule of Law
alone but also focuses on workers participation in decision-making and improved
incomes. He said the war in the Gulf poses a serious challenge to the national economy,
which is dependent on oil imports and therefore, vulnerable to the dislocations
in the international oil market as a result of the war.
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Accra (Greater Accra)
27 March 2003- The Auditor-General on Wednesday charged auditors of the service
to endeavour to do quality work by producing reports that leave no room for
doubts and criticisms.
"Only by doing
good quality work and producing very good reports can we raise the image of the
service and gain respect of the citizens of Ghana," Edward Dua Agyeman,
Auditor-General said. He was speaking when he presented copies of the first
performance audit reports on the supply and distribution of textbooks to Senior
Secondary Schools (SSS) to some officials of the service at ceremony in Accra.
The new audit
performance reports would feature auditing of value for any contract unlike the
conventional auditing of expenditure. "There has been a great deal of
criticism from the government about our performance in Ghana and these types of
reports are the only way of addressing those concerns."
Agyeman noted that
the production of the report demonstrates the capability of the service to
produce good quality work that meets the expectations of the people. He urged
development partners who were providing technical support and funding for the
project to increase their budget for the programme to continue.
He noted that the new
performance audit department would ensure proper accountability of the
taxpayers' money. "Effective performance audits can lead to better use of
resources by public bodies and provide support to democratic governments by
enhancing accountability and transparency, improved operations and better
decision-making." Wilfred Handerson, Project Manager, said performance
audit would ensure effective use of resources and financial savings to the
taxpayer.
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Accra (Greater Accra)
27 March 2003- Government should help fashion a system which would ensure that
auditors are proactive rather than being reactive to avoid high financial loss
to the nation. "This will save government billions which go down the drain
through procurement fraud and unprofessional practices before forensic auditing
is carried out, Kofi Quarshie, a private management consultant, said on Wednesday.
Speaking at the end
of a two-day seminar organised by Ghana Supply Company Limited he said managers
of stores could commit errors given the intricacies their work entails. The
seminar, which was on the theme: "Stores and Inventory Management", was
aimed at equipping the participants with skills to effectively manage inventory
for the survival of their organisations.
He said considering
the backdrop in managing stores, it was imperative for, especially internal
auditors, to regularly assess the work of store managers to enhance their
performance and reduce the tendency of mismanagement.
Quarshie expressed
dissatisfaction at the manner auditors do their work saying, "the
quarterly procedure of reviewing financial documents is not the best since
irreversible errors would have been committed already".
He noted that
auditors' attitude of examining historical records, checking balance sheet and
verifying reports to detect errors must be changed to the adoption of pragmatic
approach of preventing error. "Embark on defect prevention analysis as
opposed to defect detection analysis to save the nation big revenue," he
said.
Quarshie said
auditors assume backstage posture for reports to be released and scrutinised
instead of getting involved to anticipate possible problems and fashion out
solution to curtail them. He said instances where individuals were prosecuted
for allegedly causing financial loss do not benefit the nation since those
monies were not retrieved. Quarshie urged store managers to attach importance
to inventory control to avoid under-stocking and over-stocking, adding,
"this is will help to mitigate losses".
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Accra (Greater Accra)
27 March 2003- President John Agyekum Kufuor on Wednesday urged African-American
investors to look up to Ghana as a haven of peace, qualitative and affordable
labour to partner and invest.
He said, "we see
you as part of us, as corporate entities and the facilities in Ghana are good
for investments, you could make more legitimate millions of dollars". President
Kufuor was addressing a 20-member delegation of the National Black Chamber of
Commerce of the US, on a week's tour of the country to explore business
investment opportunities, at the Castle, Osu.
The tour brokered by
Ghana's Ambassador to the US, Alan Kyerematen is also to strengthen the bonds
of trade between Ghana and the US. President Kufuor said members of the Chamber
and other investors could gain access to the US markets with their products
from Ghana, through the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) visas status
provided for Ghana and export their products to the US market free from quota
and tariffs.
He asked them to use
their tour to have a genuine access of the investment climate in the country
and take advantage of Ghana's main assets, which are the people, who are
friendly and quick to learn.
Kyerematen said one
of the objectives set up by the Ghana Embassy in the US was to deepen and
enhance economic co-operation between the two countries. He said such a venture
would promote trade and investments, therefore, there was the need to have
institutional partners to work with the Chamber that represents the
African-American Business Community of about 190 chapters in the US.
Kyerematen said the
Chamber had chosen Ghana as the first point of call on the African continent. Harry
C. Alford, leader of the delegation, said since their arrival they had analysed
and studied the situation on the continent and selected Ghana.
He said through their
interactions with the various ministries, they had more information to make the
right decisions on investments in Ghana. Among those present was Vice President
Alhaji Aliu Mahama, Joseph Henry Mensah, Senior Minister and Mr Kwesi Abeasi,
Chief Executive of the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC).
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Accra (Greater Accra)
27 March 2003- Ghana placed second to Austria in this year's World Association
of Investment Promotion Agencies competition. Ghana was presented with a trophy
at the Association's general meeting held in Vienna in January.
This was announced by
Kwesi Abeasi, Chief Executive of the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC)
when he presented the trophy and a giant logo of the Centre for the competition
to President John Agyekum Kufuor at the Castle, Osu.
President Kufuor
commended the Centre for the honour bestowed on the country. The logo read:
" Searching for an Investment Location? Think Ghana-Gateway to West Africa
", depicting the opportunities, incentives and guarantees on investments
in Ghana.
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