EC begins printing of ballot papers
Kufuor promises to promote national unity if
elected president
NPP would improve the lot of pensioners – MP
NPP is making impact in V/R -Regional
Chairman
UGM will ensure economic development in Ketu
Bonful denies allegations about MPs' common
fund
Computerisation of parliament, others to
begin this year
Govt. will stabilise economy – Mills
TUC expresses its appreciation to Parliament
Dodoo launches civil service brochures
Gratuity payment to be mechanised soon –
Tufuor
Ghana Civil Service receives award
Accra (Greater Accra) 02 Nov. 2000
Printing of ballot papers for the December elections started in Accra on Tuesday amidst tight security as the Electoral Commission stepped up preparations for the vote.
The state-owned Ghana Publishing Corporation (GPC) is printing the presidential ballot papers while IKAM, a private printing company, is printing those for the parliamentary vote.
Flt. Lt. F. Adja-Codjoe (Rtd), General Manager (Administration) of GPC, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Accra on Wednesday, said the corporation will print 117,096 booklets of ballot papers for the presidential poll.
He gave the regional requirements as follows: Greater Accra 19,587, Eastern 13,114, Volta 10,794, Ashanti 21,557, Brong Ahafo 11,588, Central 9,553, Western 11,852, Northern 10,311, Upper West 3,444 and Upper East 5,296. Each booklet has 100 ballot papers.
The order of presidential candidates on the ballot papers will be what was arrived at following a ballot by the political parties. The presidential candidates will have their photographs and party symbols.
The name, picture or symbol of vice presidential candidates will not appear on the presidential ballot paper.
The order of the presidential candidates is the Great Consolidated Popular Party (GCPP), National Democratic Congress (NDC), Convention People's Party (CPP), People's National Convention (PNC), United Ghana Movement (UGM), National Reform Party (NRP) and New Patriotic Party (NPP).
In 1996, the order in which the candidates were arranged on the ballot paper was determined by the order in which they filed their nominations.
The order of the parliamentary elections would appear as NDC, CPP, PNC, UGM, NRP and NPP except Ablekuma Central in Greater Accra, Effutu in the Central Region and Navrongo Central in the Upper East Region where the GCPP filed nominations.
The symbols of independent parliamentary candidates will follow those of the party representatives. On security of the ballot papers and officials involved in the printing, Flt. Lt. Adja-Codjoe said GPC is enforcing all printing rules and regulations.
Representatives of the contesting parties have joined a team of security men from the Bureau of National Investigations, the Police Panther Unit, EC and GPC security men for the exercise.
Flt. Lt. Adja-Codjoe said the parties have three representatives each and at any given time one each is present inside the printing room. Once printing starts for the day no one is allowed in or out of the room.
He said GPC has adopted a two-shift system for all personnel involved in the printing. One batch starts from 0600 to 1800 hours while the other batch starts from 1800 hours to 0600 hours.
Flt Lt Adja-Codjoe said the security personnel, party representatives and EC officials were given an orientation on the process of printing on October 31. The period was also used to check the machines.
He said at the end of every shift the number of ballot papers printed is recorded and endorsed by party representatives and GPC officials. All spoilt ballot papers are burnt in their presence.
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Kufuor promises to promote national unity
if elected president
Begoro(Eastern Region) 02 November 2000
The flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr John Agyekum Kufuor, has assured Ghanaians that he would promote national unity if elected as president in the December polls.
He said the socio-economic development of every nation depends on the extent to which its political leadership is able to ensure unity among diverse ethnic groups.
Mr Kufuor said he would ensure equitable distribution of national resources to facilitate the development of all parts of the country particularly the rural areas.
He was addressing a rally at Begoro in the Fanteakwa district on Tuesday as part of his six-day tour of the Eastern Region. He appealed to Krobos and Akyems continue to co-exist to ensure peace and the socio-economic development of the area.
Mr Kufuor told them to be wary of the machinations of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to remain in power.
Mr Kufuor addressed similar rallies at Apedwa, Akyem Asafo, Maase, Old and New Tafo, Kukurantumi and Osiem in the Abuakwa constituency.
He formally introduced Nana Akufo Addo, the party's parliamentary candidate to the people. Nana Akufo Addo asked the electorate to vote for the NPP, to enable it to implement its pragmatic programmes, aimed at eradicating poverty and unemployment and ensure that education and health care are accessible to all Ghanaians.
He warned that the NPP would resist attempts by any political party to rig the forthcoming elections. The MP for New Juaben North, Mr Hackman Owusu-Agyemang and the MP for Akyem Oda, Mr Yaw Osafo Maafo, were among Mr Kufuor's entourage.
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NPP would improve the lot of pensioners –
MP
Akropong (Ashanti Region) 02 November 2000
Pensioners have been assured that an NPP government would improve their standard of living in appreciation of the sacrifices and services they rendered to the nation.
Mr James Adusei Sarkodie, Member of Parliament for Atwima Nwabiagya, who gave the assurance, said the NPP would give priority to poverty eradication in general so that Ghanaians would benefit from the sweat of their labour.
He told the opening of a party zonal office at Akropong in the Atwima Nwabiagya constituency that unlike the NDC government, which has made vain promises to improve the lot of the working people, the NPP would pay salaries and wages that would be commensurate to their efforts.
Mr Sarkodie said the party is seeking the mandate of Ghanaians to enable it to effect positive change in their socio-economic lives particularly those in the rural areas.
He assured the party's polling agents that they would be provided with the requisite logistics and incentives to facilitate their work on December 7.
Dr Kofi Dsane Selby, a leading member of the party urged supporters to be vigilant to forestall any malpractice at the polls.
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NPP is making impact in V/R -Regional
Chairman
Ho (Gvolta Region) 02 November 2000
Mr. James Dogbe, Volta Regional Chairman of the NPP, on Wednesday said the party is winning more support in the Volta region.
He however said that the party has limited resources for campaigning and would therefore find it difficult to compete with the NDC, which has more logistics.
He said for example that the district chief executives are using state resources to campaign for the NDC Mr Dogbe told the Ghana News Agency in an interview at Ho that despite this disadvantage the NPP is sure of winning more votes from the region in the up-coming polls than it did in previous years.
"Logistically we are lagging behind, our resources are scanty but the ground is good and we have to work on it properly to enable us do better in the Volta Region."
He appealed to the Electoral Commission (EC), to investigate allegations that the names of some Togolese are in the voters' register.
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UGM will ensure economic development in
Ketu
Aflao (Volta Region) 02 November 2000
Mr Godwin Tay, United Ghana Movement (UGM) parliamentary candidate for Ketu South on Wednesday said he would ensure economic development in the area if voted into parliament.
Mr Tay, who was speaking to the Ghana News Agency in an interview, said he would initiate measures to improve trade and commerce adding that this could generate more revenue for the district assembly.
He appealed to the Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) to educate traders on the need to pay taxes promptly.
He said UGM would introduce a scheme to motivate traders to pay duties on goods they bring into the country.
Efforts would be geared towards alleviation of poverty, illiteracy and general under-development of the people when, he assured the electorate. He said a UGM government would also improve the social infrastructure in Aflao to enhance tourism.
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Bonful denies allegations about MPs' common
fund
Damang (Western Region) 02 November 2000
Mr Kwaku Akyeampong Bonful, Member of Parliament (MP) for Prestea/Huni-Valley has denied that he has received a total of 3.3 billion cedis as his share of the MPs' common fund in his two terms of office.
He said each MP has received 111 million cedis for the period, adding all MPs are given equal amount irrespective of where one's constituency is located. Mr. Bonful who is also the Deputy Minister of the Interior denied the allegation during a National Democratic Congress (NDC) rally at Damang.
He said an MP cannot misappropriate the fund because its disbursement is audited. Mr Bonful again denied that he played an active role in the release of four suspects, including Mr Solomon Ntrakwa, the constituency vice chairman of NDC, in connection with the murder of Mr agyei Manu at Kookoo Ase a suburb of Bogoso.
He said the suspects were bailed within 48 hours according to the laws of the land while police investigations were going on.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 02 November
2000
The Electoral Commission (EC) will
conduct special voting on December 5 for officials with electoral duties that
would prevent them from voting where they registered.
The special voting will be for
security officers, election officials and other persons permitted to vote early
upon application. An EC official told the Ghana News Agency in Accra that there
are two categories of special voters - those on duty outside their constituency
and those outside their polling station but within the constituency.
Those on duty outside their
constituencies will be allowed to vote on the special voting day, whiles the
second group will be given a special certificate that allows them to vote at
the polling station where they will be on duty.
During the 1996 election special
voting was held on December 3, ahead of the election on December 7.
The EC official said the voter's
superior officer must submit an application not later than seven days before
December 7 to the returning officer in the voter's constituency.
However, a superior officer can
send a list of voters to an EC Regional Director indicating those who will be
on duty on polling day at places other than where they registered.
The list must indicate the voter's
name, I. D. card number and the polling station where the applicant registered.
The EC official said upon the
processing of documents by the EC, one polling station will be designated in
each constituency for the special voting and qualified applicants will be
notified by the EC where they can vote.
On the custody of ballot boxes for
special voting, the official said the ballots cast will not be counted
immediately after the poll, but will be kept under guard by the police in
secure rooms at police stations.
He said counting of ballots cast
in the special voting would be done alongside the votes cast on election day in
the presence of candidates or their agents.
The results of the count should be
recorded separately on the Declaration of Results form and marked "special
vote."
The EC official said that some
registered voters can appoint proxies to vote for them by completing a form
designed for that purpose.
This facility is extended to
voters who can prove they will be absent from the country on election day and
persons who are bed-ridden.
A voter who has applied for the
proxy cannot vote on election day. The proxy may be cancelled if the conditions
for the applications change.
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Computerisation of parliament, others to
begin this year
Akosombo (Eastern Region) 02 November 2000
Mr Appiah Koranteng, Director of the National Institutional Renewal Programme (NIRP), on Wednesday announced that the computerisation of parliament the judiciary, CHRAJ and the NIRP will begin by the end of this month.
He said the institutional capacity building initiative under the governance programme of the NIRP is making progress with regard to the implementation of the 10 years strategic plans for parliament, the judiciary, CHRAJ and the targeted civil society organisations.
He was speaking at the opening of a four-day workshop to evolve action plans for the implementation of the transformation programme for 25 newly earmarked government subvented institutions with the view to improving the capacity and performance of those institutions.
"More than two-thirds of the equipment meant for the information technology infrastructure network for parliament, judiciary CHRAJ, NIRP and other governance institutions, with the hub to be set up in the Public Service Commission building have also arrived and being stored at the premises of the UNDP offices in Accra."
Mr Koranteng said the equipment is currently undergoing physical inspection. "This means that the installation of the equipment could start as early as the end of this month since the team to do the work has already been assembled".
The project is under the Public Service Management Reform Programme, which seeks to restructure the policies and operations of the institutions involved, with the view to relieving them from government subvention within a designated period of three years from the time of implementation.
This brings to 28, the total number of public institutions under transformation in the government reinvention programme being implemented by the NIRP and the national Oversight Committee (NOC).
Mr Koranteng said the workshop therefore seeks to develop and approve of action plans that will enable the NIRP and the National Oversight Committee to start introducing the structures. Job description procedures and fixing and installation of new overcharging system-wide and agency specific systems.
"Once this workshop achieves its objective, we will have 28 public institutions undergoing serious transformation at the same time under the Public Sector Management Reform Programme," he said.
The institutions to be restructured, recapitalised and commercialised include the Ghana News Agency, National Commission on Women and Development, Ghana National Commission on Children, University of Ghana, Ghana Universities Press, GIMPA, HOTCATT, State Enterprises Commission, Office of the Head of Civil Service and Land Title Registry.
Others are the National Theatre, Abibigroma Theatre Company, Ghana Dance Ensemble, National Symphony Orchestra, Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park, Armed Force Sport Control Board, Du Bois Centre for Pan-African Studies, International Students Hostel, National Revenue Secretariat, and the Institute of Chartered Accountants.
The rest are Ghana Science Association, Ghana Appropriate Technology Industrial Service National Board for Small Scale Industries, Forestry Research Institute of Ghana and the Oil Palm Research Institute.
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Govt. will stabilise economy – Mills
Akosombo (Eastern Region) 02 November 2000
Vice-President John Evans Atta Mills on Wednesday said the current economic crisis facing the country is temporary and that the government is working vigorously to stabilise the situation. He was speaking at the opening of a four-day workshop on "Re-inventing Government".
The workshop, the third in a series, will discuss and approve action plans for the restructuring and re-engineering of 25 public sector institutions to ensure quantitative customer service delivery in those institutions.
Prof. Mills said the current economic crisis, characterised by falling prices of Ghana's major exports and currency as well as the increased price of crude oil, calls for a rethinking of the development strategies for this country.
"It is evident that the government of the NDC is doing everything possible to restore the economy and business to normalcy.
"We shall vigorously pursue our development agenda until the national agenda set out in Ghana's Vision 2020 is achieved."
Prof. Mills said the government is conscious of history, which has shown that great nations and organisations are often the result of great leadership "and that is just what we are determined to offer".
Prof. Mills noted that a leader, no matter his greatness, cannot achieve his vision without the support and commitment of others in the organisation to translate that vision into reality.
"This is why the government continues to pursue such pragmatic policies as will enhance human capacity formation and build relevant capabilities across the country," he said.
He said it is the goal of the government to improve the performance of its institutions to offer the necessary support to propel the economy into a middle income one by year 2020.
The Vice-President said the challenges facing the development of the economy were those of poor service delivery, lack of innovativeness and inadequate skilled human resource in the public sector.
The management reform programme, therefore, is to develop mission-oriented administrative systems in our public sector institutions with the view to promoting and sustaining a climate of innovation and creativity.
This, he said, calls for such support systems and mechanisms that will help the public service to develop a mind set characterised by the internalisation of values like timeliness, concern for cost, meeting targets and responsiveness to clients' needs.
He therefore urged participants at the workshop to come up with comprehensive, precise and cost-effective recommendations for implementation.
"Once the desirable outcome is brought to my attention, I will ensure that government plays its genuine part to make real implementation of other relevant actions towards successful implementation, monitoring and assessment of achievements," he said.
Prof. Mills asked that the performance agreement concept started in the civil service should be deepened and applied widely across the public sector.
He said targets must be set in all performance and result areas including policy, human resource management and appraisal, public finance management and review and discipline in public institutions.
Dr. Appiah Koranteng, Director of the National Institutional Renewal Programme (NIRP), said when the action plans for the restructuring of the 25 public organisations are approved, 28 public institutions would be undergoing transformation simultaneously.
Mr Peter Harrold, World Bank Country Director, assured the government of constant support from the Bank, saying: "as far as we are concerned, this programme will not lack resources until it reaches it logical conclusion".
The NIRP and National Oversight Committee organised the workshop, which is being attended by about 50 participants from about 30 local and international organisations. Sponsors of the workshop include the World Bank, UNDP and the DFID of the UK.
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TUC expresses its appreciation to
Parliament
Accra (Greater Accra) 02 November 2000
The Trades Union Congress has expressed its appreciation to Parliament for exempting night duty allowance from income tax.
This is in response to a letter of appeal to the Speaker by the Secretary-General of the TUC, Mr Kwasi Adu-Amankwah, that urged the House to reconsider its Finance Committee's income tax-free clause 8 (2) (f) originally proposed in the first enacted Internal Revenue Service Bill.
The House later withdrew the amendment during the consideration stage of the Bill. In a letter of appreciation, the TUC said they were delighted that this gesture by the House had gone a long way to curb the anxieties that the proposed amendment had generated among workers throughout the country.
"We again wish to reiterate that, on our part, will continue to do everything possible towards strengthening the cordial working relationship between us and the august House so both sides can help resolve the burning issues confronting our members and the economy generally," the TUC stressed.
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Dodoo launches civil service brochures
Accra (Greater Accra) 02 November 2000
Dr. Robert Dodoo, head of civil service, on Wednesday launched the second batch of service delivery brochures by 27 organisations under the civil service.
The brochures explain the procedures, time-scales and cost of the services, how to register complaints and seek redress.The first batch of 10 brochures by eight organisations was launched last July.
The brochures are to set standard measures of performance for the service and re-affirm the new consultative relationship that has begun between the service and its clients.
It will also close the door on touts, middlemen as well as corrupt officials who extort bribes or tips from unsuspecting or uninformed citizens at the point of service delivery.
Dr. Dodoo said the service has made efforts through the Civil Service Performance Improvement Programme (CSPIP) to be proactive, sensitive and responsive to the concerns of the taxpayer.
"The role of the service is being re-examined, re-fashioned and decentralised to meet the demands of an informed and demanding public," he said.
He commended President Jerry Rawlings for not interfering with the administration of the Civil Service during his tenure of office, saying he has been supportive and has allowed the service to operate in a fair and just manner.
Dr. Stephen Adei, Director-General of the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) who chaired the function, said the civil service is not a concentration camp and therefore those who cannot work and produce their best should find their way out. "An efficient, effective and motivated civil servant is indispensable in a private sector led economy," he said.
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Gratuity payment to be mechanised soon –
Tufuor
Accra (Greater Region) 02 November 2000
The proposed mechanisation of payment of gratuity through the banks will take off by the first quarter of next year, Mr Ralph Tufuor, Controller and Accountant General, said on Wednesday.
"This will enable the department to fully computerise the processing of salaries and pensions delivery," he said.
At a meeting in Accra with the media, Mr Tufuor said the current mode of payment is wholly manual and cheques are used to pay retirees.
This system delays the release of cheques that have to be sent to the districts where the files originated and generates an influx of retirees to the capital to chase their files. There is no adequate management information system under the current system.
Mr Tufuor said the proposed mode of payment is to decentralise the processing of gratuities through the Ministries, Departments and Agencies six months before workers go on retirement.
Retirees are, therefore, expected to maintain bank accounts into which gratuities would be paid in the same way as salaries.
Mr Tufuor said under the current system, about 400 gratuity payment vouchers are processed in a month but the figure is expected to double with the new system.
"The system will check impersonation and improve the management and accounting information system through a readily known number, amount and period of payment," he said. Mr Tufuor said payment of salaries and monthly pensions has already been mechanised.
"When the proposed gratuity payments mechanisation takes off in the first quarter of next year, we will have all personnel salaries, benefits, gratuities and monthly pensions mechanised, which also means that they can then be harmonised."
When the GNA spoke to some of the staff of the Accountant General's Department, they said the decentralisation process has eased congestion at the department. Retirees no longer besiege the premises to chase their files.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 02 November 2000
Dr. Robert Dodoo, Head of Civil Service, on Monday received the award the Ghana Civil Service won when it came third at the international innovations awards programme held in South Africa last month.
A bronze plague and a certificate were presented to him by Mrs Mary Grant, a member of the Council of State, at the launch of the second batch of service delivery brochures in Accra.
The award was won at the Commonwealth Association for Public Administration and Management (CAPAM) biennial conference held in South Africa. Ghana placed third after Canada and the United Kingdom.
A citation accompanying the award read: "This certificate of achievement acknowledges that the Office of the Head of Civil Service, Ghana, ranked in the top 10 of 119 submissions to the programme from 15 countries world-wide.
"The civil service performance improvement programme is recognised by CAPAM as being truly innovative and worthy of recognition that accompanies achievements such as this in the public sector.
"The entry submitted also exemplifies the theme of the awards programme: Service to the public." The submissions were judged based on the criteria of innovations, effectiveness, relevance, significance, replication and appropriateness to the context. There were submissions from developed and developing countries.
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