• 27.07.2008

Kufuor leaves for Trinidad and Tobago



Accra, July 27, GNA- President John Agyekum Kufuor, left Accra on Sunday evening for Trinidad and Tobago, where he would participate in activities to mark Emancipation Day.

President Kufuor would also hold bilateral talks with his counterpart whilst in that country.

From Trinidad and Tobago, the President would continue to China for the opening of the Olympic Games.

He is expected back home on August 1st, 2008. At the Kotoka International airport to see off President Kufuor, were Ministers of State, government officials, and senior military and police personnel.

Source:
GNA

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'There are too many road barriers along the borders' - deputy Minister

Sunyani, July 27, GNA - Dr. Charles Yaw Brempong-Yeboah, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and NEPAD has said there were too many roadblocks jointly mounted by the Police, Customs and the Immigration Service along the country's frontiers. He held that some of the roadblocks had nothing to do in ensuring national security and public order, adding that they rather slowed down significantly intra-regional trade by increasing costs and reducing the competitiveness of local products.

"Such barriers could even encourage smuggling and other unorthodox trading activities," Mr. Brempong-Yeboah said at a workshop for border operators drawn from Brong-Ahafo, Ashanti and Northern regions. The workshop, organised by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), was attended by officials of the Ghana Immigration Service, Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) and the Ghana Immigration Service. It was aimed at sensitizing participants on the implementation of ECOWAS protocols on free movement of persons, goods, services and right of establishment among member states.

Mr. Brempong-Yeboah said results of an improved road transport governance surveillance undertaken by the West African Trade Hub between October and December 2007 revealed that on the Tema-Ouagadougou highway alone, 24 roadblocks had been mounted. There are 24 check points between Ouagadougou and Bamako and 17 between Lome and Ouagadougou, he added.

Mr. Bremong-Yeboah said there was urgent need for citizens, goods and services of the sub-region to move freely across member states to boost intra-regional trade and generate maximum socio-economic benefits. He said to accelerate the implementation of the protocol on free movement in the sub-region; the European Union was funding the establishment of joint border posts to facilitate transit procedures at the borders.

Mr. Brempong-Yeboah explained that as part of the process towards the promotion of ECOWAS protocols relating to free movement, regional infrastructure, inter-state road facilitation and good governance programmes had been developed and that plans were underway to construct rail tracks between Lagos and Accra, linking Cotonou and Lome.

Mr. Ignatius Baffour-Awuah, Brong-Ahafo Regional Minister, said integration measures such as liberalization of international trade, adoption of common tariff for ECOWAS member countries and coordination of investment policies would make the regionalization of import substitution policies more viable. He expressed regret that for 30 years, ECOWAS had spent a substantial part of its existence on the resolution of crises in Sierra Leone, Liberia, Niger, Cote d'Ivoire, Guinea Bissau and Togo and that much had not been achieved as far as the objectives of the grouping were concerned.

Mr. Baffour-Awuah noted that the challenge with intra-ECOWAS trade was that member states mainly produced the same commodities and cited Ivorian plastic goods competing against their Nigerian counterparts in the Nigerian market and vice versa. He said integration as a penultimate step in trade liberalization involved industrial complementation and opening up of domestic markets.

Source:
GNA

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70 year-old peacemaker stabbed to death


Hohoe, July 27, GNA- Mr Emmanuel Bedzra, a 70-year old driver was stabbed to death at Blave a suburb of Hohoe on Thursday when he intervened in a scuffle between two siblings. His body has been deposited at the Hohoe Government mortuary for autopsy. His assailant Daniel Ketorwu, 27, unemployed was arrested at Gbi-Kledjo when he came face to face with Mr Ketorwu's children on a vehicle, Mr Anthony Shelley Darkey, Hohoe Divisional Crime officer told the Ghana News Agency.

Mr Darkey, said information available to the police indicated that Ketorwu who was fighting with his sister attacked anyone who attempted to rescue his sister from him, thus creating a great commotion in the neighbourhood. He said the late Mr Bedzra, a father of six who seemed to be friendly with Ketorwu was attracted to the scene and was able to calm him (Ketorwu) and escorted him (Ketorwu) to his (Ketorwu's) house. He said shortly afterwards Ketorwu emerged from his room brandishing a dagger booted, Mr Bedzra down and stabbed him in the left rib and fled into the bush.

Source:
GNA

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• 26.07.2008

Atta Mills explains why he would consult Rawlings

Source:
GNA

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Four communities have no access to health facility

Somboro (UW), July 26, GNA - People in four communities in the Jirapa District of the Upper West Region have been carrying their sick people on their backs and travel about 17 kilometres across rivers and streams to reach out to the nearest health facility at Sabuli for medical attention. The communities are Maaluu, Guo Kpara, Somboro and Goziri with a population of about 1,596 which are far away from any health institutions. Patients whose conditions were not considered serious were carried on motorbikes and travelled about 33 kilometres to Jirapa to attend the St. Joseph Hospital there.

Mr Robert Doglaa, a Health Volunteer at Maaluu disclosed this to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) during the sod-cutting ceremony of the construction of a Community-Based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) Compound at Somboro on Wednesday. The project is among 14 others that the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) is to construct for rural communities in the region to promote quality healthcare service for the people to help reduce high incidence of maternal and child mortality. Mr. Doglaa mentioned malaria, snake bites and eye diseases as the most common diseases among the people.

"If a patient is seriously sick, we put that person on a mat and carry the person across the numerous rivers and streams to the nearest health facility at Sabuli and sometimes, some of them die while on the way to the hospital," Mr Doglaa said. Besides, the people have no school to educate their children. The only primary school that was built for the people had been closed down and the buildings collapsed. Mr Doglaa said children whose parents were interested in their education and had sent their children to schools at Sabuli and Makuri were risking their lives in crossing flooded rivers and streams during holidays.

Mr. George Hikah Benson, Upper West Regional Minister who cut the sod for the construction of the CHPS Compound, expressed concern about the deplorable conditions of the people. He gave the assurance that government would do everything possible to improve their living conditions.

"Government will provide the communities with good roads, potable water and schools to educate your children,"

he said.

Mr Benson called on the people to register with the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) to benefit from the services of CHPS Compound to live healthy lives.

"The CHPS Compound concept is the most effective way of improving the lives of rural people," he said, but expressed regret that the facility would serve no purpose if they failed to patronize the NHIS. "It is the people themselves who can guarantee the best health practices for themselves," he said, and urged them to show more concern about nutrition and avoid cultural practices that were dehumanizing the people.

Mr Benson thanked UNICEF and other development partners for their support aimed to reduce high maternal and child deaths in the region.

Source:
GNA

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AGREDS rescues 728 girls

Accra, July 26, GNA- Mr. Alexis Danikuu Dery, Senior Programmes Officer (SPO) of the Assemblies of God Relief and Development Services (AGREDS) Ghana, has disclosed that since its inception, the establishment of the Life Line Project (Elim Centre) by AGREDS, had so far, rescued, rehabilitated and re-integrated a total of 728 girls in various communities within the country, particularly those from the three Northern Regions.

Briefing the Ghana News Agency in Accra on the project on Thursday, Mr Dery stated that as part of its development agenda, the project, established a decade ago, was to provide skills training opportunities for the many trafficked girls languishing on the streets of Accra.

He said AGREDS-Life Line selected the Agbogbloshie/Konkomba markets for the project, due to the nature of those communities, adding that, they had large concentration of migrants from the Northern Regions, who were engaged in all sorts of menial jobs.

The SPO mentioned unfavourable cultural practices, such as forced marriages, domestic violence and child abuse, among others, as the major contributory factors that led to the exodus of the girls out of their various communities.

Mr Dery said programmes currently being implemented by AGREDS-Life Line included an Early Childhood Development Centre in urban Accra-Agbogbloshie; Back to School; and an Integrated Vocational Skills Training in urban Accra also based at Agbogbloshie, offering hairdressing, dressmaking, batik tie and dye and catering. He disclosed that the long-term objective of AGREDS was to effectively contribute towards the progressive and sustainable elimination of the worst forms of child labour.

On challenges facing the project, the SPO mentioned inadequate funding to tackle the root causes of poverty through the provision of micro-credit support to families of trafficked girls; lack of transportation and other logistic support to embark on community sensitization programmes in the rural areas; and inadequate incentives to motivate staff and volunteers, as problems militating against the success of the Project.

Source:
GNA

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Ministry of Health warns prospective students to be wary of fraudsters


Accra, July 26, GNA - The Ministry of Health (MOH) on Saturday cautioned the public not to pay money to any persons claiming that they could assist prospective students to gain admission into the Ministry's health training institutions. A statement signed by Dan Osman Mwin, Head of Public Relations at MOH, said it had come to the notice of the Ministry that some unscrupulous persons were going around collecting between GHc500 and GH1,000 from prospective students.

"The Ministry of Health wishes to state clearly that it has not authorized any individual or group of people to assist prospective students or recruit them for admission into its training institutions," the statement reiterated. The Ministry said admissions into its training institutions were based purely on the required qualifications and excellent performance at the selection interviews conducted to shortlist candidates and nothing else. It asked the public to report any such unscrupulous person to the nearest Police station or security agency.

Source:
GNA

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• 25.07.2008

School Feeding Program is Too Expensive



The newly appointed National Coordinator of the Ghana School Feeding Program (GSFP), Mr. Michael Nsowah has revealed that despite the numerous benefits of the GSFP, it is an expensive program for a developing country like Ghana to fully implement.

He has therefore called on all stakeholders to consider other innovations that would sustain the programme beyond the current package.

According to the National Coordinator, currently various options being considered to help make the program sustainable are in the form of general or special taxes that would be acceptable to the public such as cost sharing by central, local governments and the communities.

Mr. Nsowah revealed that while some aspects of the program are implemented other equally important aspects such as the de-worming are yet to start. In addition collaboration with the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to link up with small local farmers is yet to materialize.

The National Coordinator said this in Accra when the secretariat took its turn at the Meet the Press series organized by the Ministry of Information and National Orientation.

According to him, it is hoped that one million school children within the public kindergarten and primary schools across the country would benefit from the on-going School Feeding Program by the year 2010.

The Ghana School Feeding Program (GSFP) which began in 2005 in 10 pilot schools across the ten regions currently benefits 987 public schools with a total number of 477,714 children in all the 170 districts across the country.

Mr. Michael Nsowah said the introduction of the program helped increase enrolment by 20.3 percent compared to an average of 2.8 percent in other schools. Besides, there has been improved attendance by 19.3 percent in schools benefiting from the program compared -3.2 percent in non-GSFP schools.

He said communities targeted to benefit from the program include those with low school attendance rate, low school enrolment, high school drop-out rates, high communal spirit, high community management capability, increased utilization of diversified balanced local diets and judicious management of their environment.

Mr. Nsowah indicated that the program which ensures that school children enjoy one meal a day would help improve the nutritional status of the children since essential nutrients like vitamin A, iron and iodine are present in the food prepared.

Mr. Nsowah flanked by his three new deputy coordinators and other staff of the secretariat said the program will lead to a reduction in child mortality rate and help children with health related diseases.

In addition he said the knowledge acquired through the nutrition and health education component of the program as well as the involvement of community women in preparing the meals would have multiplier effects on families.

The National Coordinator said they are targeting to procure at least 80 percent of the food from the locality of beneficiary communities.

This according to him provides a ready market for local farmers and would encourage food crop farmers to produce more and reduce post harvest losses.

Mr. Nsowah said this would help impact positively on farm household incomes in the participating communities since the secretariat targets that 80 percent of the feeding cost for the program would go into the local economy.

"There is also the impact of school feeding on the private sector which includes among others, the supply of kitchen inputs and ancillary equipment as well as employment opportunities in preparation and serving of school meals," he added.

He disclosed that the total budget for the program for the five- year period is estimated at 328 million dollars and this comprises a capital expenditure of $287 million and other expenditures of $26 million.

In addition the Netherlands government supports the GSFP by co-funding the feeding cost on a 50:50 basis but with an annual ceiling.

He indicated that the secretariat has written a memo to government for an increment in the amount spent per child from the current GH¢3 per day to GH¢4.

Touching on the challenges he indicated the need for extra effort to bring all partners on board with clear roles and proper linkages.

Also there is the need for closer collaboration as well as a clearer delineation of roles and functions among all stakeholders.

He said that a baseline study has been designed to support effective program management on a consistent basis and to enable a consistent monitoring and evaluation program.

According to him the initial steps included the formation of a technical group of the collaborating MDAs who as part of their normal routine collect data that will be of relevance as baseline data for the GSFP.

The Minister for Information and National Orientation, Mr. Stephen Asamoah Boateng called on Ghanaians to support the government's mitigation programs since to reduce the current hardships the nation is facing.

Mr. Asamoah Boateng said that the government acknowledges the suffering of the people and will ensure that the mitigating programmes benefit all Ghanaians.

Source:
Public  Agenda

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Reject NPP in the December polls - Mills

Gomoa Potsin (C/R), July 25, GNA - Presidential Candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Professor Evans Atta Mills has called on Ghanaians not to vote for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) because it is inefficient.

He said the NPP has unleashed abject poverty on Ghanaians, alleging that its members had enriched themselves since they assumed power in 2001.

Prof Mills was addressing separate rallies at Gomoa Potsin, Afransi, Akropong and Gomoa Mangoase as part of his second phase of campaigning in the Central Region.

He said the NPP had nothing to offer Ghanaians and that retaining it in power would only make the ordinary people more impoverished. Prof Mills accused the NPP of ruling the country with untruth, dishonesty and that the administration lacked transparency.

With him on the campaign tour were Mrs Ama Benyiwa Doe, National Organizer of the NDC, Mr Mahama Ayariga and Mr Ato Ahwoi, both leading members, as well as Mr Yaw Gyan Boateng, Deputy National Organizer, Mr Valis Akyianu, Central Regional Chairman and other regional executive of the Party.

Prof Mills expressed concern about poor results of the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) in the Gomoa District and attributed the situation partly to bad conditions of service of teachers which he pledged to improve when elected.

He said NDC would maintain the National Youth Employment Programme but would review it to ensure its sustainability, especially for the benefit young graduates to enjoy.

Prof Mills said the School Feeding Programme would be extended to cover every school and that NDC would never mi smanage the programme, but rather strengthen it to benefit every child. The NDC Presidential Candidate pledged that if given the power, his government would revive the collapsed Gomoa Pomadze Poultry Industry to create jobs for the people.

He said NDC would ensure that 2008 elections were conducted peacefully to deepen the democratic dispensation of the Country. Mrs Benyiwa-Doe said during its time, the NDC provided electricity and water to villages and towns, and assured that the next NDC government would alleviate poverty and hunger facing the people.

Nana Kweku Tweiku, Chief of Gomoa Potsin, appealed to the NDC Presidential Candidate to construct the road linking the town to Awomerew to assist farmers to send their produce to the market centres. He also asked Prof Mills to establish Teacher Training College in the town.

Source:
GNA

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 Rail operations resume on Western corridor

    Accra, July 25, GNA -

The haulage of bauxite was suspended on May 15, this year following the accident involving two bauxite trains on the western line.

Source:
GNA

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Gold Fields gives US$ 26,544,000 in tax payment

Accra, July 25, GNA - Goldfields Ghana Limited, operators of Damang and Tarkwa goldmines both in the Western Region on has presented a cheque for 26,544,000 dollars to the government as its large tax payment.

This brings to a total corporate tax payment of approximately US$80 million on the company's two mines to the government since 2005. Speaking at the presentation, Mr. Johan Botha, Managing Director of the Gold Fields Ghana Limited said combined with the payment of royalties which was also $80 million and other Pay-as-You Earn settlements to the government, Gold Fields had paid over US$200 million in direct taxes since 2001.

He noted that on the average, the company contributed 12 percent of the nation's total foreign exchange earning and over 35 percent of total foreign exchange from gold exports. As part of its social responsibility, Mr. Botha said the company had established a Trust Fund from which money were generated for the development of the towns in which the two mines operated. "Funding is based directly on production and profitability through a yearly contribution of U$1.00 of every ounce produced plus 0.5 percent of pre tax profit.

"This contributes over one million US dollars a year for social investment", he added.

The Managing Director said Gold Fields remained a committed corporate entity and would continue to play a key role in the socio economic development of the country. Receiving the cheque, Ms. Comfort Boohene-Osafo, Director, Large Tax Payer Unit of the Revenue Agencies Governing Board expressed her gratitude to Gold Fields and called on other corporate organizations to also do the same for the development of the country.

Source:
GNA

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Cassava to protect food, energy security


Accra, July 25, GNA - The tropical root crop, cassava could help protect the food and energy security of poor countries now threatened by soaring food and oil prices, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization said on Friday.

At a global conference held in Ghent, Belgium, cassava scientists called for a significant increase in investment in research and development needed to boost farmers' yields and explore promising industrial uses of cassava, including production of biofuel. A statement issued by the FAO said the scientists, who had formed an international network called the Global Cassava Partnership, said the world community could not continue to ignore the plight of low-income tropical countries that had been hardest hit by rising oil prices and galloping food price inflation.

Widely grown in tropical Africa, Asia and Latin America, cassava is the developing world's fourth most important crop, with production in 2006 estimated at 226 million tonnes.

It is the staple food of nearly a billion people in 105 countries, where the root provides as much as a third of daily calories. And it has enormous potential - at present, average cassava yields are barely 20% of those obtained under optimum conditions. The scientists said cassava was also the cheapest known source of starch, and used in more than 300 industrial products.

One promising application is fermentation of the starch to produce ethanol used in biofuel, although FAO cautions that policies encouraging a shift to biofuel production should carefully consider its effects on food production and food security.

Source:
GNA

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Takoradi NPP boiling

THE Takoradi Constituency, of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), is sitting on a time bomb, and could explode anytime from now, if attempts are not made to close the deep-rooted cracks and divisions, in the constituency.

The constituency has been split along the camps of the sitting Member of Parliament (MP), who is also the Minister of Fisheries, Mrs. Gladys Asmah, and Mr. Okyere Kwabena Darko-Mensah, the candidate-elect for the 2008 parliamentary elections in the constituency. Supporters of both factions are reportedly brainwashing their members, to vote in what has become known as “Skirt and Blouse” pattern.

This reporter can report authoritatively, that Mrs. Gladys Asmah is not on talking terms with Okyere Darko, the candidate-elect, and the Constituency Chairman of the party, Abdul Mumin.

The division within the party started showing it ugly head, when Okyere Darko was elected as the parliamentary candidate for the constituency.

Mrs. Gladys Asmah allegedly supported the candidature of David Aidoo, her former Special Assistant. Asmah went on a local television station, to prevail on the delegates to vote for Aidoo, on the grounds that he was best to step into her shoes.

The rift between Gladys Asmah and Okyere Darko, however, intensified when the former failed to grant audience to the latter, and his group of campaign members, in her house.

Information available to this reporter indicates that the candidate elect and his campaign members, had gone to the house of the sitting MP, to greet her one Sunday afternoon, but the MP failed to meet the candidate, on the grounds that she would prefer to meet the candidate’s campaign team, and not he himself.

The campaign team also turned down the request, because they went to the MP’s house because of the parliamentary candidate, and that if she was not prepared to meet him, then they would also not meet with her.

Though Okyere Darko has diplomatically denied that the sitting MP barred him from entering her house, sources within the party confirmed the story to this reporter.

A member of NPP in the constituency who accompanied Okyere Darko to Asmah’s house, Mr. Adjei-Baako confirmed that the candidate was not allowed to enter the house of the MP.

Baako who walked to this paper’s office in a rage to narrate the story, said Mrs. Asmah was trying to sabotage the campaign of her successor to be.

According to Adjei-Baako, he could not understand why Gladys Asmah was sabotaging Okyere Darko’s campaign, with her supporters threatening to vote “skirt and blouse”.

A formal complaint has already been laid on the desk of the national executives of the party, over the alleged sabotaging of the campaign of the elected candidate, by Mrs. Asmah.

But, speaking in an interview with a section of the press, Mrs. Gladys Asmah denied that there were divisions within the constituency, thus parrying this reporter’s question, as to how the constituency was going to solve the problem of deep-rooted cracks and division within the party.

Asked how she was going to help Okyere Darko win the seat, Mrs. Asmah replied that “everything needs planning and when we get there we shall see.”

Mrs. Asmah is now the Chairperson of the Regional Camping Monitoring Team of the party.

Source:
Chronicle

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National Security asked to investigate Ghana Palaver story



Accra, July 25, GNA - The Office of the President has asked the National Security to get to the bottom of the claim by the Ghana Palaver, an Accra-based private newspaper, that President John Agyekum Kufuor had met with Service Commanders to instigate a state of emergency.

Mr. Andrew Awuni, Press Secretary to the President, denied the story as a complete lie and a total fabrication and requested the National Security to take up the matter since it bordered on the security and sovereignty of the state.

The Government, he said, had deliberately been ignoring the falsehood churned out by sections of the media to deceive the public but could not allow this particular fabrication to go without investigation. The lead story of the Palaver in its Friday, July 25 - Monday, July 28 edition, headlined, "General Odotoi to be Sacked" reads: "A plan to use the country's Armed Forces to cause confusion in the country to enable President Kufuor to declare a state of emergency in order to avert imminent defeat of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the December elections has been fiercely resisted by the Army Commander, Major General S.A. Odotei.

"As a result of his principled stand at a recent meeting attended by all the Service Commanders of the Ghana Armed Forces and President Kufuor, the Army Commander is to be retired prematurely and the Commander of the Northern Command of the Armed Forces, General Ayiku, is to be transferred from Kumasi to Accra soon, to take over from the disciplined Army Commander."

Mr Awuni wondered what game the Paper was up to, especially when it was a known fact that General Ayiku died last year.

This, he said, exposed the mischief and the single dishonest purpose of throwing dust into the eyes of the public to deceive them. The Press Secretary expressed President Kufuor's confidence in the Army Commander, who he described as a distinguished soldier, and said the President respected his contribution to the Armed Forces.

He said, it was time respectable members of the Ghanaian media, the Media Commission and entire society rose and spoke against the despicable acts of lies engaged in by sections of the media. Mr Awuni said the situation where some media practitioners deliberately spread falsehood must not be allowed to continue as it was dangerous to the health of the society.

Source:
GNA

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MV Benjamin crew get 25 years jail term each

Accra, July 25, GNA - A Supreme Court judge on Friday tasked appropriate agencies to investigate the whereabouts of five slabs of cocaine missing from the Narcotics Control Board that was seized from the MV Benjamin vessel.

The five slabs were part of 77 slabs shipped into the country two years ago. Handing a 25-year jail term each on five persons including the vessel owner who were dragged before the Fast Track High Court for their various roles in importing the drugs, Mr Justice Anin Yeboah, said he found the disappearance of the five out of 30 slabs of cocaine in the custody of the Narcotics Control Board incomprehensible. "I find the conduct of the NACOB incomprehensible and charge the appropriate agencies to pursue the whereabouts of the five missing slabs of cocaine in the custody of the board," the trial judge declared. Joseph Kojo Dawson is the vessel owner while the crew include Isaac Arhin, a 49-year-old sailor, Philip Kobina Bruce Arhin, a 47 year-old-mechanic, Cui Xing Li, a 44-year old Chinese sailor and Luo Yin Xing, a 49-year-old Chinese sailor.

Isaac Arhin, Philip Arhin, Cui and Luo are charged for possessing narcotic drugs without authority and engaging in prohibited business. Dawson, who is also the Managing Director of Dashment Company Limited, indirectly without lawful authority and with the intention of facilitating an enterprise relating to narcotic drugs, did allow one Asem Darke, a.k.a. Sheriff, to use his vessel (MV Benjamin/MV Adede II) to import 77 parcels, each containing 30 kilograms of cocaine, into the country without a license issued by the Ministry of Health. They all pleaded not guilty and have since 2006 been remanded into prison custody.

The court on October 16, 2007 acquitted and discharged Pak Bok Sil, a 46 year-old Korean Engineer because the prosecution failed to make a case against him.

The court asked the five other accused persons to open their defence after the prosecution had called 13 witnesses to make a case against them.

The two-year trial would be the last in a series of the cases in the MV Benjamin saga, which has already sent five persons - Kwabena Amaning, aka Tagor, Alhaji Issa Abbas and three policemen - to jail. On two vehicles which belong to Asem Darkey, the mastermind of the carting of the 76 parcels of cocaine, the court said it could not make an order of forfeiture on the vehicles adding that Darkey had not been put before him.

It could also not make orders of forfeiture in respect of the MV Benjamin vessel, whose real owner it could not determine. In a plea of mitigation, Mr D.K. Ameley, Counsel for Dawson, intimated to the court that his client was a first offender and the company in question (Dashment Company Limited) had collapsed. Mr Osei Wusu, Counsel for Philip Bruce Arhin and Isaac prayed the court to temper justice with mercy as they had young children. He further prayed the court to give them the minimum sentence, as a long sentence would bring about untold hardships on their respective families.

Defence counsel said they would appeal against the court's decision.

Relatives of the convicts broke down in tears when sentence was pronounced.

Before reading its judgment, the court said it had taken into consideration the harm narcotic drugs had caused the nation. Addressing the convicts in turn, the judge rejected the defence of Dawson saying his action concerning the execution of the Charter Agreement (CA) on the vessels raised serious questions. The court quizzed why Dawson failed to append his signature to the agreement but rather asked his father, who was advisor to the Dashment Company, to execute the agreement.

According to the court, Dawson, who did not take part in the carting of the cocaine, knew why he declined to sign the agreement. The court wondered why one of the parcels was left on board the vessel as well as the payment of the charter fees were not done before Sheriff used the vessel for what the court termed "illegal business". It further said some activities of the drug trade were paid in kind, stressing that was the reason why one parcel was left on board the vessel.

In the case of Isaac, the court described his evidence as unacceptable as he lied on oath, adding that he took part in the carting of the 76 parcels of the cocaine which was offloaded unto small boats. It further noted that he had suppressed the truth and wondered why he could not distinguish how cartons of fish and cocaine could look like since he had been a sailor for 20 years.

The court said, it found untrue Isaac's assertion that because the captain of the vessel, during the voyage had threatened to kill him, he could not say anything during the operation.

"He was at liberty to tell the truth when the ship docked at Tema but continued to suppress the truth about the ill-fated voyage and the cartons of cocaine."

In the case of Philip, the mechanic, the court noted that he was only covering up his guilt as he had denied any knowledge of ever carting cartons of cocaine into the hatch.

The court found that he took part in the loading of the parcels of cocaine unto the two small boats and changing the name of MV Benjamin to Adede II.

According to the court, he only concocted his evidence and was deliberately covering up. On Cui, the court said because he took part in the carting of the cocaine, he prevented security personnel from going to the hatch, which contained the cocaine.

The court noted that the evidence of Cuo that he only went on board for food was "just to mislead the court" and rejected his defence and convicted him accordingly.

According to the prosecution, Dawson was the Managing Director of Dashment Company Limited who owned the vessel MV Benjamin. On February 6, 2006 the vessel set sail and on the high seas, the crew met another vessel, which discharged cartons of cocaine into it and MV Benjamin was renamed Adede II in Monrovia. The cartons of cocaine were later off-loaded into two small boats and sent to an unknown destination.

When the vessel docked at Tema breakwaters, security agencies arrested the crew and when the vessel was searched one carton containing 30 slabs was retrieved from the hatch.

Source:
GNA

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WHO and Dutch Government assist 300 orphans in Eastern Region

Koforidua, July 25, GNA - Representatives of World Health Organization (WHO) and Royal Netherlands Embassy in Accra have assisted 300 orphans in Eastern Region with cash and other items to motivate them in their education.

They included stationery, school uniforms, shoes, sandals and those in Senior High Schools were given 60 Ghana cedis each, Junior High Schools 50 Ghana cedis each and Primary schools 30 Ghana cedis each.

Mr Ofosu Asamoah, Deputy Eastern Regional Minister, who presented the items to the children at Koforidua on Friday, said the development and progress of any nation depended on its human resource. He noted that welfare of children, the country's future leaders should be the priority or major concern of the people, government and urged parents to provide an enabling environment for the proper growth of the child, physically, mentally and socially.

Mr Asamoah advised parents to encourage their children to discover their strengths and weaknesses, interests, talents and abilities and guide them to improve on those skills for the future. He expressed appreciation to the donors for the assistance and appealed for more support in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Dr Sally Ann Ohene, on behalf of WHO, said the organization was interested in the well-being of children and urged the recipients to reciprocate the gesture by studying hard.

Source:
GNA

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• 24..O7.2008

"We are ready to deal with Nigerian criminals"

Accra, July 24, GNA - The Nigerian High Commissioner to Ghana, Mr. Musiliu O. Obanikoro, on Thursday said the High Commission was ready to collaborate with security agencies to flush out Nigerians who would fall foul of the laws of Ghana.

"We cannot allow the negative activities of the few people to tarnish the image of Nigeria," he told Mrs Oboshie Sai-Coffie, Minister of Tourism and Diasporan Affairs during a courtesy call on her in Accra. Mr Obanikoro said activities of a few Nigerians were a matter of concern which called for a stronger corporation with authorities in Ghana to bring them to book.

He said Ghana and Nigeria needed to work closely to move the integration of the sub-region forward, especially in the area of economic cooperation.

He indicated Nigeria's readiness to partner Ghana in the area of tourism, particularly in organising Panafest, a pan-African festival organised in Ghana to showcase African culture and traditions to the rest of the world.

On Ghana's oil, Mr. Obanikoro advised government to learn from the Niger Delta experience in Nigeria to forestall any mistake in sharing the proceeds that may accrue from the industry.

"You all know the embarrassment that the Niger Delta has caused Nigeria. I suggest Ghana set up a committee to study the experience to enable her to do things right in her case."

Mr Obanikoro announced that a business summit, which would usher in the Ghana-Nigeria Chamber of Commerce, would be hosted in Ghana to entrench the relationship between the two countries.

Mrs Sai-Coffie, on her part assured the High Commissioner that government was really taking time to make the necessary consultations and arrangements to ensure that oil revenue was shared nationally and to benefit generations to come.

On Panafest, the Minister said plans were being made to regularise its celebration to be observed annually instead of biennially. She announced that a joint Diasporan relationship, dubbed multi-destination package that would allow people in the Diaspora to visit both cities in Ghana and Nigeria should be supported by all, particularly Nigeria.

In a related development, the Indian High Commissioner, Madam Ruchi Ghanashyam also paid a courtesy call on the Tourism Minister and commended Ghana for the strides she was making in the sub-region. "Ghana has beautiful people and nice and well located hotels," Madam Ghanashyam noted.

She said India would continue to collaborate with Ghana in developing her human resource through the offering of scholarships to Ghanaians to be trained in India.

Mrs Sai-Coffie gave the assurance that Ghana would do everything possible to make Ghana an attractive destination for all, especially by curbing crime.

"As at last month, figures for criminal activities have dropped so well, and within the next 30 to 60 days we expect it to decrease further", the Minister added.

Source:
GNA

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PLWHAs on sexual escapades in the Ho Municipality


Ho, July 24, GNA - Indications were that some People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHAs) and are on antiretroviral drugs were allegedly taking advantage of their good looks to wilfully engage in unprotected sex in the Ho Municipality.

The Ghana News Agency (GNA) has learnt that while male PLWHAs were alleged to be targeting Senior High School girls in town, their female counterparts who looked fashionable went in for middle-aged men with whom they had babies.

About 30 to 40 percent of female PLWHAs who recently attended a workshop on HIV/AIDS were said to be seen with babies with a few others carrying pregnancies.

Mr Livingnus Acquah-Jackson, Chief Executive Director of New Seed International Palliative Care Centre at Sokode, near Ho, told the GNA that six out of 45 young female PLWHAs at the centre had babies while seven had abortions in the past six months.

Mr Gregory Amenuvegbe, Volta Regional Coordinator of HIV/AIDS said the authorities were aware of the situation and were tracking down those involved in the act.

He said wilfully spreading HIV/AIDS was a "serious human rights issue and could amount to manslaughter because they put other people on the death roll." Mr Amenuvegbe said people were unwilling to cooperate with the authorities in their investigations of the matter to establish concrete pieces of evidence to prosecute offenders. He said it was unfortunate that PLWHAs on antiretroviral drugs soon forgot that they remained potential sources of HIV/AIDS and wanted to have babies and multiple sexual partners.

Mr Bright Kornu, Volta Regional Focal Person on HIV/AIDS described the situation as worrying and called on the public to be extra careful, abstain from pre-marital sex, be faithful to partners and use condom regularly to protect themselves from the disease.

Source:
GNA

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Police and robbers fight for space in Tema

Tema, July 24, GNA- The Ghana Police Service and armed robbers are fighting for space in the Tema Metropolis as each group strives to take the upper hand in controlling the metropolis.

The police had however defeated the armed robbers leading to the armed robbers extending their nefarious activities to Dawhenya, Prampram, Kpone and surrounding areas, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) John Kudalor, Tema Regional Police Commander said on Wednesday. He was addressing a press conference on circumstances leading to the police shooting and killing 33-year old Nii Annan Darpoh alias Seidi at New Dawhenya in the early hours of Thursday July 17. DCOP Kudalor indicated that due to the effective control of criminal activities in the metropolis, criminals who were operating within the metropolis have shifted their attention to developing areas within the Tema Region.

He said the Command would impound unregistered vehicles in the Region from 1800 hours daily, while owners of the vehicles would also be prosecuted as one of the measures to flush out criminals from operating in the region.

The Tema Commander called on residents of such areas to be on the alert of suspicious characters and strangers in addition to providing lights in their vicinity.

Recounting circumstances leading to the shooting, DCOP Kudalor explained that the alertness of the personnel heightened after they had received distress calls including a robbery and kidnapping case between the night of July 16 and dawn of July 17 from some stations and therefore prepared against defending their lives and that of the public. He said four policemen from the Prampram District Police responded to one of such calls the station received at about 0400 hours, concerning series of armed robbery attacks around New Dawhenya. The police who mounted an intensive search for the armed robbers ordered the deceased and two other men wielding machetes and sticks to lie down pointing their weapons at them after receiving information from a victim that the said robbers were hiding in an uncompleted house in the bush.

The Tema Commander claimed that "the deceased defied the instructions and allegedly walked towards the police with a machete in hand and the personnel who viewed the non-compliance of instruction as an intended attack, acted proactively and fired at the ankle of the deceased to maim him." He added that while his colleagues were sent to the Prampram police, Nii Darpoh was sent to the Tema General Hospital where he died on the same day at about 1630 hours, noting that the police was investigating the case and the personnel who fired would be dealt with when found culpable. Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Kwesi Ofori, Director of Police Public Affairs, advised the public to always stay indoors after alerting the police of robberies in their localities, explaining that, anybody found at the scene could be mistaken for a suspect by the police.

He also called on the media and other stakeholders to help the police to fight crime in the country by volunteering information and providing logistics to the police, stating that "policing is a shared responsibility".

Meanwhile Mr Kennedy Agyepong, Member of Parliament for Assin Fosu and resident of Tema has donated a Mitsubishi car to the Tema police to help improve police activities in the metropolis. Prior to the press conference, a student journalist who was robbed and kidnapped by some armed robbers narrated his ordeal to the press and stated that the attackers crossed him with their unregistered green Joe Prisn Saloon car on July 16 after he had cashed GH¢8,000 from Sakumono Trust Bank.

The victim whose identity was not disclosed said the robbers collected the money and his car from him at gun point and ordered him to call his relatives to deliver an addition GH¢10,000 to them near the Kpone cemetery, before he would be released. The victim who claimed he was hit several times by the attackers with the back of the revolver and AK47 riffle they were holding, managed to free himself after struggling with them.

Source:
GNA

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• 23.07.2008

Government urged to regulate price of sheanuts

Kperisi (U/W), July 23, GNA- Mr George Acheampong, official of EXOD Consult, Accra-based business advisory organization, on Monday appealed to government to regulate the price of sheanuts like it was currently doing for cocoa. He said any such move would help in eliminating contractors who over the years cheated pickers and sellers of the produce. Mr Acheampong made the call at a workshop, organised by Sunbawira Association and sponsored by BUSAC Fund, for about 300 sheanut pickers and sellers, at Kperisi in the Wa Municipality. The event was aimed at educating the participants on their rights and responsibilities, regarding the production of sheanuts. Mr Acheampong said the regulation of the price of sheanuts would encourage financial institutions and investors to grant loans to dealers in the produce without fear of encountering difficulties in recovering the funds.

Alhaji Imoro Ayitey, Executive Director of Sunbawira Association, an agricultural and humanitarian non-governmental organisation, said communities in the Municipality were ready to release 400 hectares of land for sheanut plantations. He appealed to government to support any such initiative to create employment for the people, especially the youth, who were migrating to the Southern part of the country for menial jobs.

Source:
GNA

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Survey: Trokosi still high in Volta Greater Accra regions



Accra, July 23, GNA - An estimated 278 victims were still under the practice of Trokosi in some parts of Volta Region and the Ga Dangbe area. Research findings sponsored by Australian Aid Agency and carried out by the Department of Geography of the University of Ghana noted that the

victims comprised people who were living within the immediate shrine vicinity and also with surrogate parents. Professor Sosthenes Kufogbe, Senior Lecturer and Development Consultant, Department of Geography and Resource Development, said of the total number, about 53.9 per cent were in the Ketu District where most shrines were still active. "In spite of the large number of releases and benefits received from the intervention packages, the North Tongu District still accounts for about 20.5 per cent."

Professor Kufogbe said the issue of numbers had remained the most illusive in the study due to the secret nature of the practice.

"Trokosi like all other forms of female ritual bondage is shrouded in secrecy and victims as well as associates of the practice are under constant fear of the power of the gods to punish and even kill traitors."

He said there was the need to review intervention strategies and perceptions adding, programmes and strategies for Trokosi transformation involved various forms of advocacy, negotiations and interventions. The study also found that various liberation packages had been targeted at the shrine priests for liberating the subjects while specific provisions have also been made for the victims.

It recommended that ongoing programmes of advocacy and civic education should be targeted all stakeholders, shrine priests, subjects and their families in the entire communities and accelerated to ensure total elimination of Trokosi.

"There is the need to take a more critical look at the law and its implementation mechanisms since the mistrust of affected persons in the formal judicial system appears to make Trokosi a more readily available option," the study said.

The study also recommended an upgrade of release packages particularly the skills training projects for total liberation and rehabilitation saying, this strategy should fit other ongoing poverty alleviation programmes in the districts such as the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty.

Mr Daniel Dugan, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Women and Children's Affairs, noted that government was doing well in the battle against all cultural practices that were dehumanizing. "When a society decides to protect wrong doers, it becomes very difficult for the law to get at them."

Vincent Vorjorgbe, Research Associate and Lecturer, University of Ghana, noted that females continued to bear the brunt of unacceptable violations of rights and added that research was therefore imperative to understand the social and cultural factors involved.

Mrs. Comfort Adu, Head of Public Relations, CHRAJ, noted that in spite of constitution and laws which forbade abhorrent cultural practices, FGM, Trokosi and injurious widowhood rites still existed. Ms Mercy Senahe, a liberated victim, who narrated her ordeal, said she abhorred the practice. Ms Senahe was taken to the shrine at the age of eight because her grand mother stole an earring, and at age 12, the fetish knew her carnally, she left the shrine with four children, three girls and a boy.

Trokosi means "Slave or wife to a deity" and the practice involved virgin girls serving at shrines as reparation of offences committed by members of the family. Some inhuman treatment often meted out to them by the shrine priests and elders include sexual abuse, physical assault and forced labour.

Source:
GNA

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•  22.07.2008

Dr Nduom to use Ghana-made limousine as President

Juapong (V/R), July 22, GNA - The presidential aspirant of the Convention Peoples Party (CPP), Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom, has said his official car as president would be a locally made limousine. He said he would sign a contract with mechanics to provide him with that car on becoming President in 2009.

Dr Nduom, who was addressing party activists on Monday, said a CPP government would demonstrate its belief in the Ghanaian.

Dr Ndoum said the country has the requisite manpower, skills and know-how to produce the most sophisticated machines for domestic use and exports when the right support and incentives are given by the state. He said his government would make it mandatory for local content to reflect in all aspects of state sponsored activities as a means of showcasing the Ghanaian personality and encouraging local enterprise. Dr Nduom said a CPP government would rediscover and promote the long lost Ghanaian confidence and personality.

He said the CPP was waging "a hi-tech and guerrilla political campaign using the brain" which would catch the principal parties napping. Dr Nduom said some of the media did not seem to be interested in the CPP's campaign but that would not wish away the surprise package the party has up its sleeves.

Source:
GNA

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Drivers to withdraw services in Sekondi-Takoradi

Takoradi, July 22, GNA - Commercial drivers in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis operating at designated lorry parks are planning to embark on a sit-down strike from July 23.

The decision is due to the increasing number of "unapproved roadside lorry stations" springing up in the metropolis, Ghana News Agency (GNA) investigations have revealed.

Some of the drivers who spoke on condition of anonymity said activities of these drivers had made their operations at the lorry stations difficult because passengers are prevented from entering the lorry part to patronise their services.

They cited the Edzee roundabout, All Needs, Old Accra Station, Effiakuma Supermarket and Bus Stop as some of the illegally operating stations.

They said if nothing was done about it within the next few days, they would go on a sit down strike and refuse to move their vehicles. The drivers said that these roadside stations do not pay any taxes and and therefore deny the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly (STMA) revenue.

They alleged that those engaged in the illegal loading have security personnel as their car owners and therefore act with impunity when they are arrested and when they are driven away by the police they return. They appealed to Mr. Phlip K. Nkrumah, the Metropolitan Chief Executive, and the Regional Police Command to act swiftly. Some of the drivers told the GNA that they have to spend several days waiting their turn to load their vehicles while those operating at the roadside do brisk business. "We can also join them on the streets and abandon our stations," they said.

Source:
GNA

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Mills returns to Central Region

Accra, July 22, GNA - The leader and Presidential Candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Professor John Evans Atta Mills, returns to the Central Region on Wednesday, July 23 for the second phase of his tour of his home region.

A statement signed by Mr. Koku Anyidoho, Head of Communications of the Mills Campaign, said the five-day tour would centre in the Gomoa and Ejumako Areas.

It said Prof. Mills would visit, Gomoa East and West constituencies, as well as, Abura Asebu Kwamankese and Ajumako-Enyan-Essiam constituencies.

"As has been the agenda of his tours, Professor Mill will roll out his overriding message of building a better Ghana but will go into specifics as regards, investing in people; job creation; building a strong economy at the national, regional, district and community levels; infrastructure expansion, and most importantly, operating an open, honest, transparent and truthful government.

Phase 1 of the tour of the Central Region saw the NDC Leader in the northern part of the region, specifically, Upper Denkyira East, Upper Denkyira West, Hemang Lower Denkyira, and Twifo Ati Mokwa, constituencies.

Source:
GNA

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Kufuor to visit Trinidad and Tobago, China

...attend Emancipation Day Celebration & Olympics

Accra, July 21, GNA - President John Agyekum Kufuor has been invited as the Special Guest of Honour to this year's Emancipation Day Celebration scheduled for July 29 to August 3, in Trinidad and Tobago. Mr. Andrew Awuni, the Press Secretary in a signed press release said the celebration would be under the theme: "Crossing new frontiers to conquer today's challenges" and would involve lectures by representatives from Africa on the topic, "Africa and its Diaspora."

The Emancipation Day festival is celebrated annually in Trinidad and Tobago, to mark the end of slavery on August 1, 1838, and has been described as a monumental pan-African festival- a true celebration of Africa outside of Africa.

One African leader is elected yearly to be the Special Guest of Honour for the event and this year the lot has fallen on President Kufuor.

President Kufuor, the release said, would use the visit to also hold bilateral talks with Prime Minister Patrick Manning on issues of mutual interest and revive economic cooperation between Ghana and the Caribbean country.

From there, he would continue on the invitation of the Government of China to Beijing to participate in the opening ceremony of the 2008 Olympic Games.

President Kufuor is expected back home on August 10.

Source:
GNA

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 More children benefit from school feeding programme


Accra, July 22, GNA - Some 987 public schools with 477,714 children in all 170 districts in Ghana are currently benefiting from the School Feeding Programme, Mr Michael Nsowah, National Coordinator of the Programme, announced in Accra on Tuesday.

"The plan is to scale up the programme to benefit 1.040 million pupils by the end of the first phase in 2010,"

Mr Nsowah added.

Speaking at the meet-the-press series in Accra, Mr Nsowah, who took office as the head of the programme some five weeks ago, said the total programme budget for the planned five-year period was estimated at 328 million dollars (270 million euros).

This, he explained, comprised of a capital expenditure of 15 million dollars with operating expenditure of 287 million dollars and another 26 million dollars for other expenditures. He said plans were on-going to increase the 0.30 Ghana pesewa per child per day on meals to 0.40 Ghana pesewa to take case of current price hikes.

Mr Nsowah indicated that so far, the programme had been able to meet its basic concept of providing children in public schools and kindergartens with one hot nutritious meal, prepared from locally grown foodstuffs on every school going day. He said targeted districts involving deprived districts, poorest and most food insecure districts, low pre-school and school enrolment districts and low literacy levels had all benefited with improved record of increased enrolment, attendance and retention rates as well as general improvement.

The National Coordinator said a baseline study had been designed to support effective programme management on a consistent basis to enable routine programme monitoring and evaluation with the initial steps being the formation of a technical group of the collaborating MDAs who collect relevant data for the baseline. He said the feeding programme, apart from emphasizing on locally grown foodstuffs with a target to procure 80 per cent of the food from the locality, also ensured that all participating schools were provided with potable water and sanitation facilities. Mr Nsowah announced that all catering staffs were now being paid through the bank and that no caterer was paid or received money directly.

On challenges confronting the programme, Mr Nsowah said despite the numerous benefits, it was expensive for Ghana as a developing country to run the programme, therefore, the need to critically look at its sustainability. Consequently, various options were being considered in the form of general or special taxes that would be acceptable to the public to support the programme.

Source:
GNA

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• 21.07.2008

Government to ensure stiffer laws in combating counterfeiting and piracy

"We can no longer ignore this activity whereby certain unscrupulous individuals and criminal gangs produce counterfeit medicines and medical devices which risk the lives of people, or as in the reported case in China a few years ago involving dummy milk formula for babies in which several children died."

President Kufuor urged the meeting to make appropriate recommendations to government on policies and strategies to curb counterfeiting and piracy and develop strategies to overcome the major challenges confronting the nation, which he described as coordination of the activities of the different agencies in this area. Health Minister Major Courage Quashigah (Rtd) said the counterfeit menace was worrying and its impact was enormous, adding that, counterfeiters deterred honest manufacturers from investing resources in new products.

He said various medicines, food and beverages, cosmetics and medical devices such as condoms were being counterfeited and noted that though scientific data was very scanty, efforts at fighting the menace needed to be more proactive.

Product counterfeiting, he said, hit everyone hard in the pocket and only the faceless persons behind the crime benefited, while legitimate businesses collapsed and many people also lost their lives. "The magnitude of the problem caused by counterfeiting requires strong and sustained action from all stakeholders including businesses and consumers," he said.

Government, the Minister noted, was therefore committed to mobilizing resources to protect intellectual property and said that Ghana had a high stake in optimizing the use of intellectual property to protect the national knowledge, inventions and creativity. He commended the role of neighbouring countries represented at the meeting and called for increased inter-agency cooperation at the national and sub-region levels and said it would enhance collective action against the heinous crime.

Miss. Shirley Ayokor Botchway, Deputy Minister, Trade, Presidential Special Initiatives and Private Sector Development said issues of intellectual property could not be overemphasized and that government would continue to wilfully support activities of regulatory, security and stakeholder agencies that were committed to fighting the crime. She said the worrying nature of the crime was that consumers were increasingly being put at the risk of harm and death from unsafe and ineffective products which were exported through complex distribution channels before getting to the consumers.

She therefore called for a concerted effort to fight the crime and put in place quick decisive and punitive measures needed to bring rampant counterfeiting and piracy activities down.

Mr. Emmanuel Kyeremanteng Agyarko, Chief Executive Officer of FDB, said the fight against counterfeiting and piracy could only be successful if stakeholders, including the consumer worked closely in a coordinated manner and across borders with the aim of "dismantling the modus operandi of the criminal gangs behind counterfeiting". He noted that, it was time to get tough and deal decisively with the rip-off-artists and make them pay for the harm and pain inflicted on consumers and the economies of various countries. Mr Agyarko urged participants to ensure that various options should be deployed to make markets better secured from counterfeits products.

Source:
GNA

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Ghana needs a Palm Oil Regulatory Board - Unilever


Tema, July 21, GNA -- The management of Unilever Ghana Limited on Monday called for the establishment of an Oil Palm Regulatory Board to sustain and promote the sector.

The Board would be a replica of the Cocoa Marketing Board to regulate the pricing, cultivation and quality of palm oil. Mr Kweku Boateng, Customer Development Manager of Unilever, said this when members of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Trade, Industry and Tourism paid a working visit to the company in Tema. Mr Boateng said with the establishment of the Board, activities of palm oil importers could be monitored and that there was no need for the importation of crude palm oil as Ghana is capable of producing the quantity needed by the factories.

He said the oil palm sector had improved over the past four years as the Benso Oil Palm Plantation (BOPP) and the Twifo Oil Palm Plantations (TOPP) produce about 40,000 metric tonnes of palm oil annually. He said the sector could meet the 60,000 metric tonnes annual local demand for vegetable oil. Mr Prince Obeng, Marketing Director of Unilever, said the country loses about nine million US dollars annually due to the importation of cooking oil.

Mr Obeng said research carried out by his outfit in March revealed that 368 containers of refined cooking oil were imported in March and between 21,500 and 32,400 dollars were lost through non-payment of duties, false declaration and smuggling. Such importers reduce the price of their goods as some of them import saturated oil labelled as crude oil palm therefore paying only 5 percent import duty instead of the 20 percent. The Marketing Director said the oil palm plantations were collapsing slowly due to the activities of the importers as consumers always buy the cheaper products leading to the factories not buying the plantations' produce.

Mr Charles Cofie, Chief Executive Officer of Unilever, said over 45,000 people nationwide depend on Unilever for their survival and that the company had awarded 350 scholarships to Senior High School students, 87 under graduates and 18 post graduates.

Mr Joseph B. Dankwa, Chairman of the Committee and MP for Abuakwa North, said the visit was to afford members the understanding of the sector as well as get first hand knowledge that would help them formulate measures to promote the sector. Mr Dankwa promised that the Committee would channel the request of the company to parliament and also urged companies to invite parliamentary committees to their establishments to enable MPs to formulate laws that would improve all sectors of the economy.Source:
GNA

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