Contractors threaten demonstration

Floods damage many roads in UWR

Partisan local government not popular - Director

Workers union demands fifty- fifty share in STC

Parliamentary delegation for Denmark

Foundation welcomes cancellation of debts

Employers Association honours Rawlings

President Rawlings leaves for Zimbabwe

Saint Francis Girls is 40 years. Hurrah!

Accra (Greater Accra) 4 Oct. ’99

The Association of Building and Civil Contractors of Ghana have threatened to storm the Ministry of Finance if by the middle of next week nothing is heard about payment for government projects executed by them since January, this year.

The association said for over nine months, payments have been delayed unduly, causing a lot of embarrassment to its members.

They have been unable to pay their workers and suppliers, meet bank loan obligations and other expenses.

Mr Newlove P.T. Kupualor, National President of the association, told the Ghana News Agency in an interview in Accra on Friday that some members from the regions "have taken refuge in Accra for fear of workers' intimidation".

However, he said, the association is prepared to dialogue with government over the payments.

Mr Kupualor said the nation has gone a long way in its development and blamed lack of communication on the part of government for the tension and anxiety within the association.

He said the private sector, considered as the engine of growth, must be supported through the payment of jobs executed.

This will not only be a morale booster but will also promote a high degree of confidence in investors.

GRi../

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Wa (Upper West) 4 Oct. ’99

Provisional estimates by the Department of Feeder Roads in the Upper West Region, show that the cost of damage to roads by the recent floods is about 900 million cedis.

The amount may rise with the second phase of the assessment, which was not carried out because more heavy rains in September made several areas inaccessible, Mr. Bernard Badu, Regional Engineer of the Department said in Wa on Friday.

Speaking to journalists after inspecting some of the roads, he said the floods severely damaged 306 kilometres of major feeder roads and destroyed 19 culverts.

Most of the roads affected were recently rehabilitated.

He said Sissala District was the worst hit with most villages cut off from Tumu, the main urban centre.

Some of the affected roads are the Wa-Jeyiri-Chasia and Busia-Kpanamuna roads in Wa District, Cherekpong-Nanvili in Nadowli District and Jeffisi-Gwollu in Sissala District.

GRi../

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Accra (Greater Accra) 4 Oct. ’99

Mr Seth Y. M Zanu, Chief Director of the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, said on Friday that studies had shown that partisan local government is not popular in most parts of the world even where local elections are on political party basis.

Mr Zanu, who was closing a three-day conference on "Decentralisation and local Government reforms in Ghana - retrospect and prospects", said independent candidates won the last district assembly elections in most cases.

He said Ghana's Local Government reform is a success story but much still needs to be achieved in terms of participation, efficiency, development and capacity building.

The conference was meant to address some of the issues that would affect the effective running of the system so as to prevent the success story from becoming a failure in the future, the Chief Director said.

The 105 participants, who were drawn from all the 10 regional capitals, called on the government to reduce the size of the unit committees as well as its membership.

They said it is necessary for district assemblies to mobilise revenues, which would form the basis for improving the communities.

Participants also called on government to clearly spell out the various roles of the Member of Parliament and that of the District Chief Executive since their roles sometimes seem to merge at certain points, thus creating conflicts.

Topics discussed included new areas and prospects for co-operation at the district level and improved mechanism for donor co-ordination.

The conference was organised by the Ministry of Local Government in co-operation with the University of Ghana, Legon.

GRi../

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Accra (Greater Accra) 4 Oct. ’99

The Transport Petroleum and Commercial Workers Union (TPCWU) of the Trades Union Congress on Friday demanded 50 per cent shares of the company for workers of the State Transport Company (STC).

The union said their members in the STC are capable of running the company, taking into consideration the 303 million cedis profit clocked in 1998.

Addressing a press conference in reaction to a publication that Messrs Vanef had won the bid to own the company, Mr J.N.Y. Atopley, General Secretary of the Union, said by June this year, STC had declared a profit of 1.09 billion cedis.

Mr Atopley said it is anticipated that, with the technical expertise of the workers, a profit of 2.4 billion cedis would have been achieved by the end of this year.

As a demonstration of their commitment to ownership, the workers floated a company -STC Limited- and each worker contributed 60,000 cedis towards the services of two consultants to lead the workers' bid.

Mr Atopley said in 1996, Vanef won the bid for STC but failed to perform and "the bid fell through".

When the company had a new management, it applied for bidding and was told that, in the evaluation of the bids, more emphasis would be placed on 80 per cent technical expertise to manage, which STC workers have.

Mr Atopley said the company had been known for its reliability locally and in the sub-region.

"It, therefore, came as a painful shock to the entire workforce when Messrs Vanef, who had failed in 1996 to honour a contract to own the company, had been adjudged the winner of the second bid".

Mr Atopley said since Vanef failed to meet the requirement, the second bidder - "Management worker-buy-out (MWBO) - meaning workers cum management" - should have been given the chance to pay for the company.

The union and the TUC had already made an appeal to the President. Notwithstanding, the Divestiture Implementation Committee (DIC) came out to announce its verdict of their evaluation.

Another concern of the union was that they were informed that government was offering them 20 per cent shareholding in the passenger division of the company.

"To our surprise, a Ghana Commercial Bank financial news bulletin of September 29 indicated that Messrs Vanef rather was given the offer."

The union demanded a timetable for the completion of the bid process, saying that severance award is yet to be negotiated, determined and paid.

"The issues must be addressed by the DIC to avert industrial unrest," the union stated.

Mr Topley said the union is patiently waiting for the President's reaction to the TUC and the union's appeal.

GRi../

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Accra (Greater Accra ) 4 Oct. ’99

An eight-member Parliamentary delegation led by the Speaker, Mr Justice Francis Daniel Annan, left Accra on Friday for Copenhagen, Denmark, to attend the opening of the Danish Parliament.

The four-day visit is at the invitation of the Danish Parliament.

While in Denmark, the delegation would pay a courtesy call on the Queen of Denmark, hold meetings with the Danish Minister for Development and Co-operation, the Ombudsman as well as Auditors of the Public Accounts.

It would call on the Finance and Foreign Affairs Committee, Confederation of the Danish Industry and the Ghanaian Community.

The delegation includes Mr Mumuni Abudu Seidu, Deputy Majority Leader, Mr David Yaw Mensah, Mr Modestus Ahiable, Mr Kwadwo Adjei-Darko, Mr J E Abekah and Ms Florence Kumi, all Members of Parliament and Mr Rex Owusu Ansah, Acting Clerk of Parliament.

GRi..

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Accra (Greater Accra) 4 Oct. ’99

The Olof Palme Peace Foundation, has welcomed the decision announced in Washington by President Bill Clinton to cancel the debts of 36 heavily indebted countries to the United States.

A statement in Accra on Friday and signed by Osoronko Nana Yabani, Executive President, the Foundation described the debt relief as humane and in the right direction.

It noted that debt services alone have virtually crippled the economies of the countries.

The Foundation expressed the hope that other developed countries and international lending institutions would follow the American initiative.

It expressed the hope that the indebted developing countries would use the savings from the debt relief to improve the standard of living of their people.

President Clinton announced the relief at the annual meetings of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund in Washington.

Among the 36 states to benefit are Ghana, Benin, Senegal, Cote d' Ivoire, Laos and Honduras.

GRi../

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Accra (Greater Accra) 4 Oct.’99

The Ghana Employers Association (GEA), on Friday conferred a special honour on President Jerry Rawlings for his contributions to the economic progress of the country and promoting the private sector.

Mr Ishmael Yamson, President of the Association presented the certificate of honour to the President at the Castle, Osu.

Members of GEA and some Ministers witnessed the ceremony.

A citation read by Mr Ato Ampiah, GEA Vice-President, said the award was "in recognition of your effective and exemplary contribution to the economic progress, peace and stability and lifting the image of the country by encouraging the growth of the private sector."

President Rawlings thanked the Association for the recognition.

He said he would share the credit for the creation of a positive investment climate and an enabling atmosphere for private sector development with his entire team of policy makers and implementers.

Credit should also go to Ghanaians for their patience.

The process of development is painfully slow, he said adding that it is taking time for the gains made to reflect substantially in the pockets of the average Ghanaian.

President Rawlings touched on the current unfavourable market conditions for the country's commodities and said despite the looming threat posed by the falling prices, government would make every effort to maximise revenue, reduce internal debts and check waste and inefficiency.

GRi../

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Accra (Greater Accra) 4 Oct. ’99

President Jerry John Rawlings left Accra on Saturday for Zimbabwe at the head of a four-member delegation to attend the third Southern African International Dialogue, dubbed SIAD '99.

The conference which is under the theme "Smart partnership for the generation of wealth", is being organised with the assistance of the Commonwealth Partnership for Technology Management Limited.

About 40 heads of states and governments, business entrepreneurs and labour leaders are attending.

Notable among them are the 14 heads of states and governments of the Southern Africa countries, Prime Ministers of Malaysia and Barbados, Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Mr Owen Arthur respectively, and His Royal Highness Crown Prince El-Hassan Bin Talal of Jordan.

Briefing newsmen, Mr Joseph Laryea, deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, said Ghana has been invited as the only West African country because of her economic and political strides.

Mr Laryea said the conference will deliberate on issues bordering on the economic empowerment of the poor and landless, employment of smart partnerships for the development of prosperous growth and the adaptation of public utilities and financial markets to meet modern demands.

The President is accompanied by Mr Dan Abodakpi, deputy Minister of Trade and Industry and Mr Kwesi Ahwoi, Chief Executive of the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC).

Vice President Professor John Evans Ata Mills, Alhaji Mumuni Bawumia, Chairman of the Council of State, Ministers of state and Mr Ibrahim Khalil Omar, Palestinian Ambassador in Ghana were at the airport to see the President and his entourage off.

GRi../

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Jirapa (Upper West) 4 Oct. ’99

The government is spending a total of 320 million cedis on infrastructural development at Saint Francis Girls Secondary School in Jirapa.

Out of the amount, 100 million cedis is being spent on the construction of a kitchen-dinning hall block, 140 million cedis on four new staff bungalows and the rest on the rehabilitation of class rooms, bungalows and dormitories.

Mr David Osei-Wusu, Upper West Regional Minister, announced this when he addressed the 40th anniversary celebration and speech and prize giving day of the school on Friday.

The anniversary, apart from bringing the old students together, also offered the school the opportunity to raise funds towards the construction of an assembly hall complex.

The Regional Minister gave the assurance that the government would continue to allocate money for the development of schools.

He appealed to parents and guardians to commit themselves to the education of their wards.

Reverend Sister Janis Gbiel, the headmistress, said more than 3,000 students have graduated from the school since its establishment in 1959 and appealed to the Ministry of Education to continue to assist it with tutors.

She called on parents and old girls association to step up fund mobilisation to enable the school to achieve its goals.

Right Reverend Paul Bemile, Bishop of Wa diocese who presided called on citizens of the Upper West region to set up an endowment fund to cater for the needs of needy students in the region.

Prizes were given to deserving students and tutors for their good performance in various subjects while an appeal for fund yielded 6.7 million cedis.

GRi../

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