GRi Newsreel Ghana 27 - 10 - 2000
Goosie assures Ghanaians of good governance
Farmers' Day not statutory holiday
Media Commission
members sworn-in
Government to pay vat for NGOs
Accra (Greater Accra) 27 Oct 2000
Reacting to New Patriotic Party (NPP) charges that the government has spent billions of cedis on foreign medical expenses for ruling party activists, the Office of the President said on Thursday that such expenditures are not restricted to its political appointees.
At a press briefing, the Office of the President's Acting Chief of Staff, Nana Ato Dadzie, said Ghanaians other than card-carrying members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) qualify for medical payments abroad.
He said medical expenses abroad are determined by the nature of illnesses. Since 1997, the government has paid foreign medical bills for a total of 129 Ghanaians, he said.
Nana Ato Dadzie lamented that the NPP had brought up charges about such a sensitive issue.
"It is with a deep sense of sorrow, sadness and indeed reluctance that we are compelled to discuss this matter in public," he said. "It treats with great hilarity and levity a very grave matter in which lives have been at stake."
At a press conference on October 24, the NPP said: "The NDC government spent 5,000 pounds on Mr Kofi Ashiboe-Mensah's medical treatment in the UK, another 3,153.75 pounds on Ferdinand Asante Adjei for medical review also in the UK.
"Others who have benefited from similar medical treatment are Mrs Babara Fynn Williams, a leading NDC member in Tema, whose medical treatment in the UK cost 27,038.96 pounds and an economy return air ticket costing 4,780 US dollars for Miss Sarah Kuntu-Atta, District Chief Executive, and her son in the U.S. for medical treatment."
NPP expressed concern about the frequency with which those who are close to the NDC's corridors of power are sent overseas for medical treatment.
Nana Ato Dadzie explained that "whilst it is true that some political appointees have benefited from the government's policy on foreign medical treatment, it is also true that other Ghanaians, both prominent and not-so-prominent have also benefited."
He said the facility has existed from pre-independent times and covers a broad spectrum of society.
Nana Ato Dadzie said those who have received medical treatment abroad include the late Asantehene Otumfuo Opoku Ware II, Okyehene Osagyefo Kuntunkununku II, Barima Ohemeng Kwatia Akwatiahene and veteran broadcaster.
He said others are Dr Addo Kufuor, a medical practitioner; Dr Joe Abbey, an economist; Chiana Pio Pe Roland Ayagitam; and security personnel.
Nana Ato Dadzie said the government made payments for 56 patients in 1997, 19 in 1998, 28 in 1999, and 26 so far this year.
Appearing at the press conference with Nana Ato Dadzie were Mr John Mahama, Minister of Communications; Mrs Cecilia Johnson, Minister of Local Government and Rural Development; and Professor Kofi Awoonor, NDC national vice-chairman.
Explaining the procedure for medical treatment abroad, Nana Ato Dadzie said applications for sponsorship are forwarded to the Ministry of Health by various Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
On receipt of such requests, the ministry forms a medical board of three or more doctors to evaluate the patient on medical grounds only and recommend treatment.
If the board approves the application for treatment abroad, the ministry then sends copies of the report to Ghana's missions in the United Kingdom, Netherlands and South Africa to check the availability of treatment facilities and cost.
He said the recommendations are then made to the Office of the President through the Chief of Staff. The patient is provided with air ticket and 14 days full per diem and further allowance of 20 dollars per day for further periods.
Nana Ato Dadzie said 1.5 billion was allocated this year to cover expected foreign medical treatment. He said that nobody is entitled to payment abroad if the treatment is available in the country.
He said further the patient must be in an employment where government has accepted the responsibility for the medical treatment. However, the president has the right to consider any citizen on humanitarian grounds.
At its October 24 press conference, the NPP also charged the government spent 17.3 billion cedis to import 146 vehicles in July this year for the Chief of Staff at the Office of the Presidency.
In re-action to that charge, Nana Ato Dadzie said the vehicles were imported over the last two years as part of bulk purchase policy approved by cabinet, for ministries, departments and agencies. He said the government had bought 311 vehicles and 200 motor cycles during the two years, not 146 that the NPP accused it of buying in one month.
He said all but 36 of the 311 vehicles have been delivered and distributed to the MDAs according to their 1999 budget requests.
Nana Ato Dadzie said no new vehicle has been imported this year because of financial constraints on the economy but payment for 1999 imports are continuing by the Bank of Ghana.
Explaining the distribution, Nana Ato Dadzie said 20 Opel Corsa went to Civil Service Directors, 50 Lada Niva to political parties through the Electoral Commission and 20 Skoda Octavia yet to arrive will go to the Judiciary.
Others were distributed among MDAs, Office of Parliament, Ghana Broadcasting Corporation, Universities, Hospitals, Schools and other establishments, he said.
The NPP also asked the NDC to account for refuse trucks imported from 1995 to 1996 for District Assemblies.The NPP said the trucks were never delivered.
Nana Ato Dadzie said 20 Sisu skip sanitation vehicles and 300 refuse containers were purchased following cabinet approval of the procurement and criteria for distribution on February 9, 1995.
He said the vehicles were delivered on September 10, 1996, to the following 20 district assemblies of which ten of the beneficiaries have NPP parliamentarians:
Yendi, Savelugu-Nanton, Ga, West Akim, Kwahu South, Birim South, Kwaebibirem, Suhum-Kraboa Coaltar, Wassa West, Ahanta West, Wassa Amenfi, Kpandu Ketu, Hohoe, Ewutu-Efutu-Senya, Berekum, Wenchi, Asante Akim North, Adansi West and the Accra Metropolitan Assembly.
Nana Ato Dadzie said it is unfair for the NPP to require the NDC presidential candidate Professor Atta Mills to account for a transaction that took place when he was not even a member of government.
The NPP also demanded the government account for the 4 by 4 Gallopers for District Chief Executives (DCEs).
Nana Ato Dadzie said in October 1998 the Conference of DCEs at Tamale recommended the replacement of 1995 Pajeros with 4 by 4 Galloper II station wagons.
The Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development negotiated the trade-in procurement with the suppliers of the Pajeros, African Automobile, to take the old Pajeros at values determined by the State Transport Corporation and supply the Galloper II, he said.
The NPP also accused the government of losing 221.5 billion cedis to Quality Grain Company Limited through over-invoicing and illegally provided a 27 million US dollar guarantees and a two million dollar loan to the company.
Nana Ato Dadzie said the NPP misrepresented the financing of the rice company.
He said in 1997 the government secured parliamentary approval to procure seven million US dollars from Exim Bank to support Quality Grain Company Limited to undertake rice project in Aveyime-Vume in the Lower Volta Basin.
He said the company has 575 acres of land under rice cultivation and is expected to cultivate 2500 by late 2001.
The government is encouraging rice cultivation to reduce Ghana's 100 million dollar annual rice import bill.
The NPP said the government refurbished State Lodge as a retirement home for President Rawlings when he leaves office next year. Nana Ato Dadzie said the NPP misrepresented that too.
"Following the visit of US president Bill Clinton, in 1998 and his inability to stay overnight as a result of inadequate accommodation facilities to cater for him and his entourage, a decision was taken to rehabilitate and refurbish the various Presidential Lodges and retreats to international standard," he said.
Further, the NPP accused the government of wasting billions of cedis on foreign newspaper advertising. Nana Ato Dadzie said the advertisements were placed in foreign newspapers to attract foreign direct investment.
"There is no way we can sell Ghana abroad if we do not advertise in overseas newspapers," he said.
"We have no regrets whatsoever doing Special Supplements on Ghana in such world-renowned newspapers as the Sunday Telegraph of the UK and the International Herald Tribune."
Prof. Awoonor said the NPP parliamentary caucus that conducted the October 23 press conference mostly lawyers should have consulted appropriate government officials to obtain correct information.
He said the NPP's misrepresentation of facts was a deliberate attempt to undermine the democratic process.
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Yendi, (Northern Region) 27 October 2000
Ya-Na Yakubu Andani 11, Paramount Chief of the Dagomba traditional area, has appealed to political leaders to advise their supporters to refrain from any acts of violence during their political campaigns.
The Ya-Na expressed concern about widespread incidence of violence in the area, during the current campaign for the December 7 elections.
The overlord of Dagbon made the appeal when Professor George Hagan, Presidential candidate of the CPP and his running mate, Alhaji Ibrahim Mahama, and other party executive, paid a courtesy call on him at Yendi.
Ya-Na told the delegation that after 43 years of independence, Ghanaians are now politically mature and would vote for the party, which would be able to convince them that their manifesto would meet their aspirations.
Prof. Hagan thanked the Ya-Na for the advice and assured him that the CPP is a peace-loving party.
Prof. Hagan said when voted into power, the CPP would give farmers all the needed support to enable them to produce enough for domestic consumption and for export.
The party would also reactivate all the closed down state-owned factories to create job openings for the unemployed youth, who roam the streets.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 27 October 2000
Mr Peter Wiafe Pepera, deputy minister of trade and industry, said on Thursday that the NPP's trade and industrial policies are a twist of government's programmes in the sector.
"The NPP's programmes on the private sector, Small and Medium-scale Enterprises (SMEs) and the investment fund are nothing new or original," he said in an interview with the GNA.
The NPP in its manifesto attacked the trade liberalisation policies of the government and pledged to accelerate the growth of SMEs, boost the private sector and set up a collective fund to assist industries.
Mr Pepera said contrary to allegations of inimical trade policies, the government has over the years pursued pragmatic policies to improve the performance of industries and the private sector to speed up industrialisation.
He said the government has never played down the important role that SMEs and the private sector could play in accelerating industrial development.
It is in this direction that it has instituted various programmes to enable them to contribute meaningfully to economic development efforts.
The Business Assistance Fund (BAF) and the National Board for Small Scale Industries, which embrace over 2,000 businesses, are part of such programmes to assist small-scale industries to grow.
They are also to encourage the SMEs to concentrate on the export of value added products to reduce reliance on a few export commodities and to enhance the foreign exchange earnings of the country.
Mr Pepera said the success of the programme is attested to by the fact that semi-processed and processed commodities account for about 80 per cent of earnings from non-traditional export sector, adding that it shows the commitment that government attaches to the sector.
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Dormaa-Ahenkro (Brong Ahafo) 27 Oct 2000
Alhaji A. Kankani, Nkrankwanta ward chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has defected to the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
Mr Kwasi Damoah, Dormaa West Constituency Secretary of the NPP disclosed this to the GNA at Dormaa-Ahenkro on Thursday.
He described the defection as unfortunate but said the party has got "the right absorbers for such occurrences.
Mr. Damoah, therefore, appealed to supporters of the party to remain calm and intensify their campaign to emerge victorious in the elections.
Mr. Yaw Asiedu-Mensah, parliamentary candidate for the Dormaa West also expressed surprise at the ward chairman's action and assured the people that the NPP would win massively despite such setbacks.
In another development Mr. Damoah denied that Mr. Dompreh Yeboah and Mr. A. Anyame, who announced their defection to the NDC recently were members of the NPP and asked them to substantiate their claims with documents.
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Goosie assures Ghanaians of good governance
Hohoe (Volta Region) 27 October 2000
Mr. Goosie Tanoh, Presidential Candidate of the National Reform Party (NRP), has assured Ghanaians that the party has the capacity of ensuring a better future for the vast majority of the people.
He stressed that since poverty threatens the development of the country, an NRP government would strive to deal with the problem when it assumes the administration of the country in January next year.
Mr Tanoh gave the assurance when he interacted with the people under the party's programme dubbed "people's summit" at Kpeve, Kpando, Tafi-Agorme,Ve- Golokwati, New- Ayoma, Kute-Buem, Bodada, Jasikan and Hohoe as part of his campaign tour of the northern-sector of the Volta Region.
He said the country is going through difficult times due to its mismanagement of its affairs by the NDC government, adding that it is left to Ghanaians to determine whether to allow things to continue the way they are now or vote the NRP into power.
The flag bearer is being accompanied by Mr. Cletus Koshiba, his running mate, Mr. Kyeretwie Opoku, Secretary-General, Mr. Peter Kpordugbe, Chairman and other senior members of the party.
He declared the forth-coming elections as crucial in view of the hydra-headed problems facing the country and emphasised the need for the people to vote the NRP into power.
Mr. Tanoh said his party would provide better alternative adding, "we shall include the people in decision making so that together we will build a better Ghana".
He said under the NRP Government, primary, junior and senior secondary education would be free, stressing that the quality of education would also improve under the education policy of the party.
On the party's health policy, Mr. Tanoh said a National Health Insurance Scheme would be introduced and doctors and nurses would be paid better to enable them to offer better health delivery services.
He said prudent farming methods would be promoted to guarantee food security and its affordability.
Mr. Tanoh said he opted out of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in 1997 because he and others found that the NDC was "putting individuals first and the country second".
Mr. Tanoh was reacting to a question by Togbe Buame, a senior divisional chief of Gbi traditional area at Hohoe.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 27 October 2000
The Ministry Food and Agriculture (MOFA) on Thursday announced that this year's Farmers' Day which falls on November 10 is not a statutory public holiday.
A statement issued in Accra from the public relations directorate of the ministry said the statutory public holiday for Farmers' Day still remains the first Friday of December, which is December 1.
The day, the 6th in the series, takes place at Wa in the Upper West Region. It was instituted to honour farmers and fishermen.
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Media Commission
members sworn-in
Accra (Greater Accra) 27 October
2000
Seventeen out of 18 members of the
reconstituted National Media Commission (NMC), were on Thursday sworn into
office at the Supreme Court in Accra.
They took the oaths of allegiance
and office, administered by Mr. Justice A.K.B. Ampiah, a judge of the Supreme
Court.
The only member absent was Mrs.
Margaret Ivy Amoakohene, a representative of the Institute of Public
Relations/Advertisers Association of Ghana, who is said to be out of the
country.
The Commission is made up of
representatives of organisations and institutions including, Ghana Journalists
Association (GJA), Private Newspaper Publishers Association (PRINPAG), Ghana
Bar Association (GBA), offices of Parliament and the President.
Mr. Justice Ampiah noted that the
media in contemporary times has come under strict criticism and assessment from
the public and therefore advised practitioners to ensure accurate, fair and
objective reportage.
He reminded them: "it is
necessary, however, that while guarding against the interference of the media,
you should also consider the protection of the rights of individuals and legal
obligations of institutions under the constitution".
Mr. Justice Ampiah said the task
of the NMC especially under the current democratic process, is challenging but
expressed the hope that with dedication, courage, impartiality and
understanding it would live up to expectation.
He advised the new commission to
work hard to give meaning to the freedom and independence of the media as
guaranteed in the constitution and take appropriate measures to ensure high
journalistic standards.
Among those present at the
ceremony were the chief executives of the state-owned media and the President
of the Ghana Journalists Association, Mrs. Gifty Afenyi-Dadzie.
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Elmina (Central Region) 27 October 2000
The government has agreed in principle to absorb value added tax (VAT) on equipment imported or purchased for charitable work by recognised non-governmental organisations (NGOs).
Alhaji Mohammed Mumuni, Minister of Employment and Social Welfare, who disclosed this on Wednesday, said provision for the assistance would be made in the next budget.
There are about 250 recognised NGOs operating in the country.
The minister was speaking at the opening of a two-day national conference to finalise draft proposals on policy and framework for partnership with NGOs, at Elmina.
It is being held under the auspices of the Ministry and the Ghana Association of Private Voluntary Organisations (VAPID).
More than 25 representatives of government agencies and NGOs are attending. The Minister said the move is in response to requests by some NGOs to government to incorporate into the VAT law the exemption of charitable organisations from tax.
He said government appreciates the role of such organisations in national development and hoped the assistance would strengthen their capacities.
Alhaji Mumuni observed that the partnership of government and NGOs in ensuring development is required more than ever before, because the structural adjustment and economic liberalisation programmes encourage private sector-led growth and market-oriented development.
He said this is evident in the role accorded them in the 'vision 2020' development programme and on various national committees.
The Minister, however noted that some NGOs are hampered in their operations by weak financial base, poor organisational and managerial skills, competition and rivalry and dominance by their founders, resulting in their extinction.
He therefore called on NGOs with the same aims and objectives to merge in order to become more efficient and effective to meet the challenges of globalisation.
The Minister entreated the participants to analyse issues and come out with workable and acceptable policy that could stand the test of time.
Mr Kofi Adu, Executive Director of GAPVOD, said there has been an increase in the number of NGOs over the last ten years, adding that government policy on them is encouraging.
He however said coherent or standard policy and framework are needed to reinforce co-operation and partnership among them to ensure the reduction of poverty, promote human development and strengthen good democratic governance.
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