GRi Newsreel Ghana 13 - 10 - 2000
Three Oil Companies team up to explore oil
at Keta
Accept demands for fuel price hike – Ashong
Economic difficulties no indication of
failure of government – Rashid
Germany grants 11
million Marks to Ghana
GJA announces dates for elections
RCC educates Public on Government Policies
CPP flagbearer rounds-off tour of Eastern
Region
Soldier allegedly defiles colleague's
daughter
Smugglers attack CEPS personnel
West Africa identified as rich in
biodiversity
NDC invites
Independent candidate party members
Three Oil Companies team up to explore oil
at Keta
Tema (Greater Accra) 13 October 2000
Three oil exploration companies, the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), Santa Fe Energy Resources of Ghana and Anadarko Petroleum, on Wednesday entered into a joint venture to undertake off-shore exploration of oil and gas at the Keta basin.
Announcing this in Tema, Nana N.B. Asafo-Adjaye, Exploration Manager of GNPC said the project is expected to take off in December.
Work will initially start at offshore shallow waters of 200 metres and extend to the deep waters at high seas.
The first phase will last for three years, but could be extended for another four years period.
Nana Asafo-Adjaye said Anadarko and Santa Fe would each hold 45 per cent stake in the venture, while GNPC is supposed to take 10 per cent, with the option to increase it to 25 per cent in the event of a commercial discovery of oil and gas.
The three will pool resources to "narrow down our financial risks", Nana Asafo-Adjaye said.
He said Santa Fe has spent about 6 million dollars on exploration of oil and gas at the Keta Basin since 1997.
Mr. Greg Messier, Managing Director of Anadarko, said the companies decided to team up because the exploration of oil and gas is expensive, adding "we have seen a lot of potentials in the Keta Basin project".
Anadarko is in similar operations in Algeria, Guatemala, Venezuela, Brazil, Argentina, Egypt, Tunisia, Georgia and Australia among other countries.
Santa Fe, whose principal is Devon in the United States, has exploration/production operations in the Ivory Coast, Congo, Gabon, Egypt, Brazil, Argentina, Azerbaijan, Indonesia, China and several other parts of the world.
Among those present was Mr. Greg Lanhan, General Manager of West Africa operations for Anadarko.
GRi…/
Accept demands for fuel price hike – Ashong
Accra (Greater Accra) 13 October 2000
A senior consultant at the Centre for Policy Analysis (CEPA) on Thursday called for an increase in fuel prices to balance deficits incurred by high crude oil prices and low consumer prices.
Dr. Samuel Nii Noi-Ashong said the government has no choice but to increase fuel prices, especially when the cost of inputs to refine crude oil had increased considerably.
Even though prices of nearly everything in the market place would go up as a result, "it is the only way out for the nation to recover from some of the losses companies such as the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) and the oil marketing companies have been making".
Dr. Ashong said such a move is necessary since current macro trends - rising oil prices, falling cocoa prices and a sluggish donor disbursements - are likely to persist" unless decisive steps are taken to correct the anomalies.
He was speaking at a day's seminar for boards of directors, high and middle level managers and directors of business enterprises organised by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry under the theme "Strategic Policy Choices for Business in a Declining Economy: A Competitive Global Market Perspective".
"When you think about the fact that TOR has been lined for divestiture, it is important to ensure that it is in a good state and capable of holding its way in the market."
He said if the government has concrete reasons for not increasing the fuel price, it should make them public.
Dr. Ashong said the macroeconomic fundamentals remain weak even though the nation is heading towards the closing months of the year.
"Inflation is on the rise; interest rates remain high, fiscal imbalances are still entrenched with the potential to further widen while the exchange rate market remains distorted.
"The cedi continues to lose ground against major currencies and, indeed, the long queues for foreign exchange are yet to be eliminated," he added.
He noted that, given the high import dependence of Ghana's productive sectors, the availability and price of foreign exchange will have important implications for both the cost structure and level of production.
He said the prolonged overvaluation of the cedi in the recent past rendered exporting activities uncompetitive and unprofitable.
"Consequently those firms that survived the distress and strains of over valuation - mines, timber firms and the aluminium sub-sectors - the sharp depreciation of the cedi over the last nine months will contribute to a restoration of price competitiveness resulting in a probable restoration of market shares."
He indicated that for firms producing for the domestic market, the impact of the crisis on profitability has been adverse and severe.
In some cases, profits have also been squeezed by weakened demand for their products and severe losses in some of them have led to bankruptcies.
"The depreciated cedi has led to huge exchange losses on external borrowing to the extent that companies have limited access to face increased cost of foreign exchange while their ability to service foreign debt - those of short-term nature as suppliers' credit is heavily impaired," he said.
Dr. Ashong said despite the clean health bill given by the IMF in May 1999, fiscal imbalances have defied resolution and have thwarted efforts to restore economic stability. The imbalances are at the heart of the crisis.
"If anything, they were exacerbated by revenue shortfalls associated with the terms of trade shock, delays in disbursements of external aid, and implementation problems of the divestiture programme," Dr. Ashong said.
"In effect, the unfavourable external developments only served to worsen an already bad situation, which was also accentuated by delays in external aid disbursements and implementation slippages in the divestiture programme."
Mr. Emmanuel Idun, Commercial Director of Unilever Ghana Limited, warned the business community to look out for signs of turbulence in the country and take the appropriate measures to overcome them.
"These are inflation surges, currency slides, interest rate rises, migration of domestic savings into hard currency, balance of trade deficits, increased government borrowings and high growth of parallel markets."
Mr. Idun said all these have negative impact on businesses and called on the government to improve its micro-economic situation, especially for infant and even established companies.
He said even Unilever, a multi-national company, suffered severely as its audited results showed a huge drop in profits for the first half of 2000.
He advised managements to agree on priorities and reinforce their market positions.
"They also need to work to recover their margins and make sure that their short to long term measures are consistent with the company's overall policy strategy," Mr. Idun said.
GRi…/
Economic difficulties no indication of
failure of government – Rashid
Nyankomasi-Ahenkro 13 October 2000
The Chairman of the Nyankomasi-Ahenkro branch of the Atta Mills Brotherhood International, Alhaji Abubakar Rashid, has exhorted Ghanaians not to perceive the present economic difficulties as a failure on the part of the government.
These difficulties, he noted, exist even in developed countries.
Alhaji Rashid told newsmen at Nyankomase-Ahenkro at the weekend that the government must be commended for being able to ensure regular payment of the salaries and for subsidising prices of fuel.
He urged the electorate not to take politicians who are claiming they can turn the economy round in a matter of days seriously because, with the present unjustified world market order, no government can do better than what the present government is doing.
GRi…/
Germany grants 11
million Marks to Ghana
Sunyani (Brong Ahafo Region) 13
October 2000
Ten districts are to benefit from
an 11 million-Deutsche Mark loan for infrastructure development under the third
phase of the Promotion of District Capitals Project (PRODICAP).
The German government funded the
first and second phases, which would end in December 2003 with 39
million-Deutsche Marks.
Mrs. Levina Owusu, Co-ordinator of
the project, told the GNA in Sunyani on Thursday that the German Technical
Co-operation Agency (GTZ) and the Ministry of Local Government and Rural
Development are implementing the project.
She was speaking at a workshop for
District Chief Executives and Planning Officers of the districts to boost the
decentralisation programme.
The districts and the government
are expected to contribute five per cent each towards the total cost of the
programme.
The programme was started in
September 1996 with only four districts in the Brong Ahafo and Ashanti regions
but was increased to 10 during the second phase.
Under the first phase, a market
with a lorry park was constructed at Atebubu, while small portable water
systems and sanitation facilities were provided for the Nkoranza, Ejura and
Kintampo districts.
GRi…/
GJA announces dates for elections
Accra (Greater Accra) 13 October 2000
The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) on Thursday announced dates for elections of local, regional and national officers.
An election timetable released by the GJA secretariat in Accra said local chapters will hold their elections not later than November 17.
Regional elections must be held by November 24.
Elections for new national executives will be held throughout the country on December 15. The GJA said only fully paid up members will be eligible to stand for office and to vote.
GRi…/
RCC educates Public on Government Policies
Accra (Greater Accra) 13 October 2000
Mr. Emmanuel Agbodo, Chief Executive, Divestiture Implementation Committee (DIC), on Thursday dismissed claims that foreigners have monopolised the divestiture programme.
Rather, he said, Ghanaians are considered first in the divestiture of any State-Owned Enterprise (SOE.
He told a day's forum organised by the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) in conjunction with the Greater Accra Co-ordinating Council to throw more light on government policies.
It was addressed by senior government officials like Dr. John Abu, Minister of Mines and Energy, and Mr. Ato Ahwoi, former PNDC Secretary of Fuel and Power, and was attended by dozens of people such as traders and hawkers.
Mr. Agbodo said out of 233 enterprises divested, 190 went to Ghanaians, 23 to foreigners while 20 are joint ventures between Ghanaians and foreigners.
He dismissed claims that the implementation of the programme lacks transparency, saying: "DIC has been fair and open in the implementation of the programme".
He said contrary to the claims that divestiture creates unemployment, the Ghanaian programme has established firmly that after a period of necessary rehabilitation, more jobs have been created and compensation packages doubled.
Golden Tulip, which was formerly Continental Hotel, now employs 346 workers instead of 116 when it was divested. Tema Steel Works now has 430 workers as against 130, West African Mills Company has 345 compared with 170, while Coca-cola has 636 workers as against 340.
Mr. Agbodo said Ghana Rubber Estates now employs 3,833 workers as against 3,083 and La Palm Royal Beach Hotel 300 as against zero.
He said in the divestiture of viable enterprises, workers are given serious consideration, adding that sale of share to them and identifiable groups are made at discounted rates.
He said government's future plans include private participation in electricity and water supply and the operation of the railway system.
Efforts are also far advanced to establish Privatisation Trust where a percentage of the shares in the companies to be divested would be reserved for only nationals and local institutions to purchase.
Mr. Agbodo said to ensure transparency, the Government established the DIC to implement and execute all policies in respect of the programme, which began in 1988. At that time, there were over 300 SOEs. There have been 233 transactions out of which about 190 have been successfully completed with local investors, he said.
Dr. Abu said Vision 2020, the government's blueprint for socio-economic development, places emphasis on strategic transformation of the energy sector so as to provide Ghanaians universal access to modern forms of energy, particularly electricity.
Access to electricity is a vital catalyst in transforming the country into a middle income economy, he said. As such the government has put in short-term measures to counteract the periodic energy crisis.
On the state of the economy, Mr. Ahwoi said the oil crisis world-wide had affected the economy but said the government was finding ways and means of alleviating the suffering of the people.
GRi…/
CPP flagbearer rounds-off tour of Eastern
Region
Suhum (Eastern Region) 13 October 2000
The Presidential Candidate of the CPP, Professor George Hagan, on Wednesday rounded-off a three-day campaign tour of the Eastern Region with a call on Ghanaians to vote for the party in the December elections to restore the country's lost image.
Addressing party activists and supporters at Suhum, Professor Hagan assured the electorate that, the CPP would reintroduce the free education system, which was initiated by the first republican government under the late Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah.
He said his party would reactivate state owned industries abandoned after the overthrow of the Nkrumah's government and introduce subsidies on agricultural inputs to increase food production and to get the youth into farming.
Professor Hagan said the CPP represents the hopes of both the elderly and the youth who are suffering due to the mismanagement of the country's resources by incompetent leaders.
He therefore called on Ghanaians to vote massively for the CPP to enable it implement its pragmatic socio-economic policies.
GRi…/
Soldier allegedly defiles colleague's
daughter
Ho (Volta Region) 13 October 2000
Corporal Mark Boso, 33, of the Medium Mortar Regiment at Ho was on Wednesday placed in Police custody for allegedly defiling a colleague's 16-year-old daughter.
Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Mr. Joe K. K. Quansah, told newsmen that at about 14:30 on October 9, this year, Corporal (Cpl) Boso bought some oranges from the victim's house and asked her to send the fruits to his house.
The suspect followed shortly after and invited the victim to watch television in his room, but she objected explaining that she was busy at home.
At that point Cpl. Boso held and dragged her into his sitting room and forcibly had sex with her in his sofa. He warned her not to inform her parents about what had happened.
DSP Quansah said the victim however narrated the incident to her mother on reaching home and the mother in turn reported Cpl. Boso's conduct to the Commanding Officer of the regiment, who ordered the suspect's arrest.
DSP Quansah said Cpl. Boso, who admitted the offence would be arraigned before court soon after investigations have been completed.
GRi…/
Smugglers attack CEPS personnel
Aflao (Volta Region) 13 October 2000
Six personnel of the Customs Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) were last Sunday attacked by a mob numbering about 70 at Agbozume in the Ketu District where they had gone to impound a quantity of uncustomed goods from a hideout.
The mob threw stones, beat up and overpowered the six-man patrol team and retrieved all the seized goods estimated to cost millions of cedis.
One CEPS officer, whose name was not given, was captured by the mob, whisked away and beaten severely leaving him with a cut on his mouth.
The leader of the team, however, managed to rescue him after firing several warning shots.
A source close to the CEPS at Aflao told the Ghana News Agency that officials at Akanu border post near Dzodze had a tip-off that some uncustomed goods hidden at Agbozume were being loaded onto a vehicle and were about to be conveyed to Accra.
The source said a patrol team was therefore dispatched at dawn on Sunday to Agbozume where the men laid ambush at the outskirts of the town.
He said at about 06.30 hours they saw a vehicle loaded with the goods emerging from the Agbozume lorry park.
The CEPS team drove towards the vehicle but was blocked by another vehicle thus preventing them from trailing the smugglers.
However they managed to unload all the uncustomed goods onto their patrol vehicle.
But before they could drive away, a mob appeared on the scene, attacked and assaulted members of the patrol team despite the firing of several warning shots.
The source said the mob managed to retrieve all the goods while the CEPS team managed to escaped.
GRi…/
West Africa identified as rich in
biodiversity
Accra (Greater Accra) 13 October 2000
An international conservation organisation has identified the West African sub-region as one of the most diversified ecosystems in the world.
Dr Brent Bailey, a Technical Director of the Conservation International, a US-based non-governmental organisation, unveiled a map in Accra that shows a most up-to-date assessment of the conservation status of the region and its potential contribution to the world.
The map covers Upper Guinea, an area stretching from Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea, Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana and Togo.
Conservation International also announced a 150-million dollar Global Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund. This will safeguard some important biodiversity "hotspots" of developing countries, which are among the world's most threatened ecosystems.
Dr Bailey said, "85 per cent of the forests in the West Africa region have been lost. Saving what remains of the rest is the challenge that conservation faces"
He said over population, civil conflicts and some traditional farming methods, such as slash and burn, contribute to the state of degradation.
Ghana is a beneficiary of the fund, a joint initiative of Conservation International, the World Bank and the Global Environment Facility.
The fund focuses primarily on hot spots and regions that are highly threatened. In these regions nearly 60 per cent of all terrestrial species are found in only 1.4 per cent of the planet's surface
Mr. Dirck Byler, a Programme Manager at the Centre for Applied Biodiversity Science in the US, said since the end of the civil war in Liberia, "there are indications of increased settlement, shifting agriculture, hunting and general human disturbance," all of which impact greatly on the environment.
Mrs. Agnes Quedraogo-Guimba, Deputy Resident Representative of the UNDP, said the UNDP has allocated 520,000 dollars for the conservation of aquatic and terrestrial biodiversity in the Lake Bosomtwi basin in the Ashanti region. This area is under threat from a variety of human induced pressures.
GRi…/
NDC invites Independent candidate party members
Accra (Greater Accra) 13 October 2000
The NDC National Executive Committee has invited members contesting the December parliamentary elections as independent candidates for final consultations next Tuesday. Mr. Kofi Atoh, NDC Deputy National Organiser, said after the consultations the party would decide on what disciplinary action to apply against those insisting on running as independent candidates or on the ticket of another political party.
The consultations will follow an ultimatum sent by the NDC last week demanding that the 'rebel candidates' withdraw their nominations.
"There have been positive responses from some of the candidates by the end of the seven days deadline", Mr. Atoh told the GNA in Accra on Thursday.
He said several candidates have however not withdrawn.
At the end of nominations for the December elections some prominent members not nominated by the NDC filed to contest as independent candidates or on the ticket of another party.
Notable among them are Mr. Solomon Tettey Terkper, NDC sitting MP for Upper Manya now contesting on the ticket of the Convention People's Party (CPP) and Mr. James Victor Gbeho, Minister of Foreign Affairs running as independent candidate for the Anlo seat. Others are Mr. Alfred Agbesi, a private legal practitioner contesting for Ashaiman; Dr David Baga, a senior lecturer at the University for Development studies running for Nadowli; Mr. David Danbaah, a land economist seeking the Lambussie seat.
Another candidate, Mrs. Esther Agbodo, has applied for a six-month leave of absence from the NDC to contest the Anlo seat as an independent. The NDC nominated its incumbent MP, Sqd. Ldr. Clend Sowu, to seek election to a third term in Anlo.
Mr. Atoh pointed out that the party in 1996 faced similar situations and those who refused to step down were disciplined according to rules and regulations of the NDC. They were expelled.
He said although the party recognises the right of the constituencies to select their representatives, other things had to be considered.
Mr. Atoh said the party has invested in some of the sitting parliamentarians whose input in the next house would be an asset not only to the party but the nation.
"National and party resources have been used to sharpen their abilities and knowledge in parliamentary proceedings through workshops, seminars and in-house deliberations which their colleagues would tap from," he said.
Mr. Atoh said these, and other considerations, were used by the party hierarchy in the selection procedure this year.
"All must ensure that the wheel of the party and national development keep moving. We have come through this road before and would come out united and strong."
He said the NDC as a big family has more capable men and women who are 'marketable and winnable' candidates, adding that all cannot serve as parliamentarians at the same time.
Mr. Atoh said the national executive have adopted consultation with the candidates as an appropriate means of resolving "a house problem".'
Election laws allow a candidate to withdraw up to the day of voting. But the candidate's name will appear on the ballot if it has been printed before the withdrawal.
The candidate will lose deposit paid to the Electoral Commission.
GRi…/