* Sunday, 17 May 2009

   10 YEARS ago ... Check the Exchange Rates / Apr 1999

Accra, May 17, GNA - The Chinese Embassy in Accra processed more than 200,000 visas for Ghanaians to visit the People's Republic of China in 2008 to transact various businesses, Mr Yu Wenzhe, Chinese Ambassador to Ghana announced on Saturday.

He said China has become the largest investor in Ghana in terms of number of companies, noting that many Chinese companies in Ghana have been living up to their social responsibilities. Mr Yu, who was speaking at a forum organised by the Ghana-China Friendship Association (GHA-CHIFA) under the theme; "Doing Business in Ghana In A Friendly Way," urged successful Chinese businessmen and businesswomen to share their knowledge with their Ghanaian counterparts.

He said since differences in culture, customs and practices of both countries sometimes created barriers in communication resulting in misunderstanding, it was necessary for both Ghanaians and Chinese to learn each others' way of life.

Mr Yu said after the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in 2006, the mutually beneficial relationship between Ghana and China stepped into the fast track and has yielded good results in various fields.

He said apart from the cooperation between the two governments, which dated back to the era of Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah and Mao Zedong in the 1960s, people to people contact had also developed.

Mr Yu appealed to Ministries, Departments and Agencies to continue to improve the business environment to attract more foreign investment. Mr Kwesi Ahwoi, Minister of Food and Agriculture, said it was of absolute importance for the country not only to do business with other countries but should do so in a friendly win-win way that would keep all partners satisfied, motivated and desirous of doing even more business.

Mr Kojo Ammo-Gottfried, President of GHACHIFA, said the founders of the Association believed that Ghana as a developing country had much to gain from China by forging close relations between the peoples of both countries.

Tema, May 16, GNA - The Tema Regional Police Command has re-launched its patrol activities dubbed; "operation calm life" to flush our criminals from the Tema region. Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) John Kudalor, Tema Police Commander performing the re-launch said his outfit was more prepared to effectively rid the region of criminal activities to ensure the safety of residents and workers.

DCOP Kudalor stated that to enhance the capacity of the patrols, more logistics and personnel from the police and military have been detailed to beef up the team.

He called on the public to have confidence in the security services as the re-launch was a manifestation of their commitment to combat armed robbery in the area.

The Commander appealed to residents to volunteer information to the police on activities of unscrupulous people in their localities as combating crime involves all stakeholders, including the public. DCOP Kudalor further urged residents not to panic upon seeing the patrol team in their areas as they would also embark on snap checks in the residential areas.

He cautioned the criminals, "we will surely get at them no matter what," adding, "they can run and hid but not forever." Major Joe Annak, Commander of First Infantry Battalion (1BN) called on the personnel to discharge their duties professionally as the success or otherwise of the operations and the image of the security services greatly depended on them.

Major Annak also advised them to use the resources judiciously to ensure safety and peace in the region. He entreated media personnel to support the operations by exercising restraint in publishing some important information but should rather make them available to the police for action to be taken.

Kumasi, May 15, GNA- The Paul Sagoe Traders Association at Adum in Kumasi, has petitioned the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA), to re-open the only toilet in the business hub, which it had closed for six days following alleged reports of unhygienic conditions.

A statement signed by Kofi Senya and four other members of the association, debunked the allegations that the water closet was emitting odour because the sewage had chocked. It said that the bad stench was coming from the main drainage, which had been choked for a long time and asked KMA to dredge to the facility to allow easy flow of waste.

Accra, May 15, GNA - The Chairman of the Odododiodioo Constituency of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr. Daniel Okai has expressed his support for the call to prosecute corrupt past government officials alleged to have "Looted" state property.

Speaking to the Ghana News Agency in Accra on Friday, he stated that the statement by the General Secretary of the NDC, Mr. Johnson Asiedu Nketia, calling on the President, Professor John Atta Mills, to order the immediate arrest and prosecution of the former Speaker of Parliament, Mr. Ebenezer Begyina Sekyi-Hughes, was in the right direction.

In the statement on behalf of the NDC, Mr. Asiedu-Nketia called on the President to ensure the prosecution of Mr. Hughes for "Looting state property from his official residence upon leaving office". It explained that the call was based on the party's anti-corruption agenda in its manifesto which stated that "An NDC government will not make any excuse for corrupt ministers, officials and office holders generally. We shall promptly investigate allegations of corruption and allow the law to tits course".

Mr. Okai endorsed the stand of the party that it strongly disagreed with the suggestion that the former Speaker should be allowed to go free after returning some of the items and paying for others since this would amount to setting a bad precedence in the NDC's anti-corruption crusade. He stated that the former Speaker should be prosecuted since the law was no respecter of persons and there should not be one set of laws for high office holders and another for the ordinary man.

Mr. Okai appealed to the National Security apparatus to investigate all cases of malfeasance and bring the culprits to book.

Officials of the previous administration found to have tampered with the chassis number and other marks on their official duty post vehicles and other items with view of taking them should not be sparred, he stated.

He said the principles of accountability and probity should be upheld to ensure that a national standard of ethics was maintained and nurtured to become the norm for the future generation.

The NDC should make it clear that the party would not condone corruption, which must be made "A high risk venture for political and public office holders," Mr. Okai stated.

The nation’s carrier, Ghana International Airline (GIA) is faced with a massive problem of patronage on its London – Accra route.

Accra, May 15, GNA - Mr. Ebo Barton-Oduro, Deputy Minister of Justice and Attorney General on Friday said the Right to Information (RTI) Bill has been laid before Cabinet for the necessary action for onward submission to Parliament.

"The time for the enactment of the RTI Bill is now, and in conformity with the Government's commitment to deepening transparency, accountability and good governance, it is determined to pass the Bill into law within the shortest possible time," the Deputy Minister stated in Accra.

He was speaking at the launch of Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII) Advocacy and Legal Advice Centre (ALAC) on the theme: "Helping the People to Address Corruption in Ghana." It was chaired by Dr. Audrey Gadzekpo of School of Communication Studies, University of Ghana. The Deputy Minister said the Government acknowledged the peoples' right to access information as an essential prerequisite for an effective and functional democracy as echoed in Article 21 (1) (f) of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana.

Mr Barton-Oduro commended the effort of civil society groups for championing the crusade for the passage of the Bill, stressing that the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) considered the collaboration as a positive indication for progress.

He said poor information management system and record keeping were obstacles which may hinder the smooth implementation of the law and called for action by all stakeholders.

Mr Barton-Oduro also outlined government's efforts at fighting corruption and measures to strengthen the legal framework which included addressing the gap in the Whistleblower's Act, the Procurement Law and the Financial Administration Law, among others.

He said the government was in the process of introducing new bills before Parliament of ensure that loopholes in existing financial regulatory laws were sealed, especially in the real estate and car dealing industries which were bedevilled with money laundering. In an interview with the Ghana News Agency, Nana Oye Lithur, a member of the RTI Coalition, while acknowledging the recent review of the bill by the Government Statute Law Commission, "in our view, there are still critical needs for further review to render the Bill in line with international best practice standards".

She said although the current Bill tried to comply with some of these principles, there were still certain provisions that fell short of the standards hence the need for the critical review when it finally got to parliament.

Nana Oye said these standards as espoused by the United Nations includes maximum disclosure, the obligation to publish, limited scope of exceptions; user-friendly access procedures; limited costs; open meetings; overriding disclosure principle; promotion of open government and protection of whistleblowers. She explained that, although the Bill contained a general right of access to information by the public, "this is limited in scope to information in the custody or control of a Government agency and not private bodies.

"This in effect underrates the desired impact of the law by limiting it to a mere segment of public bodies and disregarding the integrated nature of public and private bodies in undertaking public service functions." Nana Oye said the underlying rationale was that whereas public and private bodies rendered public functions, people had no direct claim to information from the private sector save for that needed to enforce a legal right.

Meanwhile, Mr Vitus Azeem, Executive Secretary of GII, described the apparent delay in the passage of the RTI Law as a major constraint in the fight against corruption. He urged the government to pass the law in fulfilment of its campaign commitment to pass RTI law, and commended the government for its demonstration of good faith in passing the bill.

On the issues of corruption, Mr Azeem said Ghana had improved her standing on the perception of corruption index, placing 67 in 2008 as against 69 in 2007 out of 180 countries sampled in both years. He said the country also scored 3.9 on the Corruption Perception Index in 2008 as compared to 3.7 last year. "thus for three consecutive years Ghana has inched up steadily on the perception of corruption".

Mr Azeem commended government for creating the enabling environment and supporting anti-corruption initiatives, which have played significant role in the improved score. He said pronouncements by President John Evans Atta Mills and Vice President John Dramani Mahama about what government was doing to curb corruption had sent strong signals to the international world of the country's determination to fight corruption.

The donkey, a beast of burden that is reared in small numbers only in the northern sector of the country and is used in carting farm produce and water, is in high demand for its meat and other services.

AN INTERNET sex scandal has hit Koforidua in the Eastern Region and exposed the vulnerability of ladies of the municipality to ‘sakawa’ money and public ridicule.

With an alleged GH¢200, a Nigerian guy who many people suspect to be a student of All Nations University in the municipality, was able to lure a ‘Koforidua Flower’ to have a ‘hot’ sex section in his room while he was filming it with his mobile phone, after which he uploaded it on the internet for an alleged fee and free public viewing.

The sex scandal, which has become the talk of the town, has shaken the municipality to its foundation as curious people, especially the youth, rush to download the sex act onto their phones and show it to their friends.

Unemployed NPP Ministers Have lots of time -

Gen. Mosquito

Judge expresses worry about increasing narcotic cases

in Brong Ahafo Region

Fiapre (B/A), May 13, GNA - Mr Justice Benjamin Osei, a circuit court Judge at Fiapre, near Sunyani, has expressed concern about the increasing rate of narcotic drug cases in the Brong Ahafo Region. Mr Osei expressed the concern in an interview with the Ghana News Agency after sentencing a 30-year-old farmer, Mohammed Adams, to 10 years in jail in hard labour for possessing marijuana. Adams was arrested by Customs officials on board a Metro Mass Transport bus on the Techiman-Kumasi highway for possessing two boxes of the leaves.

Within a fortnight, the court had sentenced four farmers arrested on the same road for possessing Indian hemp to a total of 40 years' imprisonment. Mr Osei noted that the arrests and conviction had not deterred the farmers from engaging in the practice. He called on the regional security committee and chiefs to dialogue with farmers to desist from the practice and rather engage in other economic ventures.

"The war against the drug will not be a problem since the areas of cultivation are well known," he said and mentioned Nsawkaw, Seikwa, and Badu in Tain district and Subinso in Wenchi district places where the drug was cultivated on a large scale.

Mr Osei said the farmers needed to be educated about the adverse effects of the drug on the youth, adding that this could motivate them to allow their farms to be destroyed and compensation paid to them by government.

"Indian hemp is very dangerous and has been a major contributor to criminal activities such as robbery, defilement and rape in the country," he said. Mr Osei stressed the need for a special task force to patrol identified areas and asked the people to volunteer information on the existence of such farms.

He urged the regional security committee to take a serious view of the situation and outline appropriate measures to check the cultivation of the drug in the region, which he added, had become a major source of supply in the country.

Accra, May 13, GNA - The Ministry of Information on Wednesday announced that it had in stock framed and unframed official portraits of the President John Atta Mills for sale. A statement signed by Mr D.A.Y Sampong, Acting Chief Director of the Ministry, said the portraits are of 16x20 and 24x36 sizes and could be purchased at the front desk of the Information Services Department (ISD) in Accra.

It said they are the official portrait of the President and advised all Ministries, Departments, Boards, Public Agencies, Private Organizations, Institutions and individuals to deal directly with the ISD in the procurement of the portraits.

* 12 May 2009

Accra, May 12, GNA - Ms. Hannah Tetteh, Minister of Trade and Industry, on Tuesday said the main thrust of the government delegation's trip to the United Kingdom last week was to promote the country as the best business destination and investment opportunities in the West African sub-region.

Briefing journalists on President John Evans Atta Mills' official visit to the United Kingdom (UK), Ms. Tetteh who was part of the government team, said the trip afforded the officials to push for the attraction of additional investments into the country.

While admitting that the business relationship with the UK was not new, the visit provided the opportunity to strengthen the existing ones. Ms. Tetteh said discussions were held with the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of Dresdner Kleinwort Bank, the Chief Executive of International Financial Services and other investors from the Financial Services Sector.

There were also discussions with private sector investors, Ms Tetteh said, adding that, government would continue to dialogue to ensure that more of such businesses had the opportunity to join them to do business profitably in Ghana.

She said on the first day of the trip President Mills met with the Chairman of the Cadbury Group, the largest confectionery company in the UK, during which he was briefed on the Cadbury Group Cocoa Partnership aimed to help farmers increase their yields in Ghana's cocoa growing areas.

The partnership as at January this year is active in 100 cocoa growing communities in Ghana.

Cadbury and the Fair-Trade Foundation by June this year, were working to provide Fair Trade Certification for Cadbury's Milk Chocolate, which would have effect of tripling of sales of cocoa under fair-trade terms for farmers in Ghana and would open up more opportunities for Ghanaian cocoa farmers.

Ms. Tetteh explained that the fair-trade system worked to ensure that cocoa farmers received more income for their crops as well as funds invested from the Fair-Trade Foundation for community development projects which would make sure that cultivation took place in environmentally sustainable conditions.

She said the Minister of Finance and the Minister of Trade had discussions with British Department for International Development (DFID) on the issue of Private Sector Development and Trade Facilitation adding there were discussions on the renewal of the facility and the focus areas which the government would like to have addressed in the next phase of the programme.

Ms. Tetteh said the discussion would continue in Accra with DFID and other development partners to fashion out a programme that would address the priority areas for Private Sector Investment.

Ms. Tetteh said following discussions on promotion of trade and business relations between Ghana and the UK, the British Minister for Trade and Investment, Lord Davies of Abersoch would lead a trade delegation to Ghana in September this year.

It was agreed between the two Ministers that the Ministry of Trade and Industry in Ghana would work together with Ghanaian Business Associations to develop a list of UK businesses that they would like to attract to Ghana either to invest on their own and also on joint ventures with their Ghanaian counterparts in various business sectors in order to ensure that the country received the maximum benefits from such an investment trip.

Ms. Tetteh said the Minister of Finance emphasized the government's commitment to prudent fiscal management in order to ensure that the deficit was brought under control and to create a foundation for the country's future economic growth and development even in the face of the challenges posed by the deficit and the global economic crises.

Ho, May 12, GNA - Togbe Abutia Kodzo Gidi V, Fiaga of Abutia traditional area on Tuesday urged government to resettle communities within the Kalakpa Game Reserve to allow for its development. Togbe Gidi, whose traditional area holds much of the reserve made the appeal when he called on the Volta Regional Minister, Mr Joseph Amenowode on Tuesday. He said the Reserve is being underutilized and its development into a tourism attraction continues to be held back because of the human settlements within it.

Togbe Gidi appealed to government to help complete the school and road projects in the traditional area, and that his people are willing to offer communal labour on those projects. Togbe Adolph Torwoe, Fiatorgah of Dodome traditional area who also called on Mr Amenowode urged government to facilitate the completion of the Dzolo to Dodome and Matse- Dodome-Klave roads, which has come to a standstill.

Mr Amenowode commended the Chiefs for being development oriented and re-iterated government's commitment to completing uncompleted projects in the country.

Source: GNA

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Ahmadiyya Muslim Mission

rehabilitates 40 boreholes in north

 Chiana (U/R), May 11, GNA - The Ahmadiyya Muslim Mission is rehabilitating 40 boreholes in the Upper East and Northern regions at a cost of 60,000 Ghana cedis. Twenty boreholes, most of which were drilled in the 1970s and the 1980s, are being rehabilitated in each region under the 'Water for Life' Programme of the Mission's 'Humanity First Project', a Charity organization that addresses the development needs of communities.

Taking journalists around some of the boreholes under rehabilitation in the Upper East Region at the weekend Mr. Anjum Ahmedi said the metal pipes of the old boreholes had rusted and were being replaced with plastic pipes to make the water clean and safe. Mr. Ahmedi said six members of each beneficiary community would be trained to undertake minor repairs on the boreholes and also see to it that the people contribute money towards any major repair work.

Mr. George Kolo Asurayada, one of the six committee members of Achonia Community near Chiana, said their old borehole was drilled in 1983 to serve two other nearby small communities, Aligania and Gugoro. It served them well until early 2000 when it started breaking down and they had to depend on dugouts for water each time the borehole broke down. That, he said, was difficult because the dugout had dried out in March and the only alternative was a four-kilometre journey to Chiana to get water.

"Every household would make a monthly contribution so that we have the money ready when it breaks down", he said.

Thirteen boreholes had so far been repaired in the Upper East Region. The others would be done this week. Beneficiary Districts include Bongo, five, Builsa, six, Kassena-Nankana West, five, and Bolgatanga Municipal, four boreholes.