| News Home (Main Page) |  | | LATEST WORLD NEWS | | | | | NEWS ARCHIVE 2009 | | NEWS ARCHIVE 2008 | | NEWS ARCHIVE 2007 | | PHOTO REPORTS | | VIDEO REPORTS | | ARTS in GHANA | | Food & Drinks in Ghana |  | | Africa Cup 2008 | | Ghana Hotels | | Links / Websites | | Ghana Districts | | Ghana Tourism | | Ghana Adinkra | Names in Ghana | | | | * 06.05.2010 | Printers appeal to government for fair Quotas * Source: GNA | Accra, March 6, GNA - Executive Members of the Ghana Printers and Paper Converters Association (GPPCA) on Wednesday appealed to government to ensure that 60 per cent quota of government textbooks were produced locally. The Association is also calling for a level playing field between imported foreign printed books and the locally produced ones in the area of tariffs.
Mr J. Appiah Berko, President of GPPCA, made the appeal to Mr Mahama Ayariga, Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, in Accra when the executive members of the Association joined the minister to pay a working visit to selected publishing houses to ascertain the challenges facing the industry and to see how these could be addressed.
The publishing houses included Graphic Packaging (a subsidiary of the Graphic Communications Group Limited), Safeway Printing Work Limited, Buck Press, TYPE Company Limited, Sakoa Press and Yasarko. "The Ministry of Education has displayed open reluctance to follow the government policy to procure the 60 per cent of these textbooks locally citing unconvincing excuses," Mr Berko said.
He expressed dismay that foreign-produced books did not attract duties and taxes, adding that foreign governments granted export subsidy and other incentives on their export prices that gave them price advantage. Mr Berko said the more than 32.5 per cent pre-production tax that local printers had to pay on their books, together with the more than 25 per cent interest they had to borrow from the banks to pay for the taxes upfront and other production costs, made the prices of locally produced books higher than foreign printed ones.
He gave the suggestion that either local printers were made to enjoy all the tax concessions currently applicable to the foreign printers "or government should tax foreign printed books the same rates applicable to locally-produced books in line with the foreign agreement which the government relied upon to grant the tax exemption to the foreign produced books."
Mr Berko said, "Government should, by a legislation, reserve a minimum of 50 per cent production of packaging materials, phone recharge cards and all printed materials for the local printing industry in order to generate the needed employment for the unemployed youth and wealth for the nation." Mr Ayariga on his part expressed surprise that most of government textbooks were produced outside the country even though capacity for printing existed locally.
He gave the assurance that the Ministry of Trade and Industry would investigate the matter further and would ensure that government's policy of 60 per cent of the textbooks produced locally was implemented. Mr Ayariga called for proper monitoring measures to ensure that those who sourced contracts to produce government textbooks did so locally. At separate meetings, managements of the companies visited told Mr Ayariga that the printing industry was facing challenges, including erratic electricity supply, high cost of raw materials, and high interest rates that threatened the survival of the industry.
The situation at the Safeway Printing Work Limited was not encouraging as the privately owned printing house, with many modern printing machines, was producing below capacity even though it was incorporated 15 years ago. Madam Christie Darko Amo, Administrative Manager of the Company, appealed to the Minister to give the company the opportunity to source government contracts so that Management could provide employment opportunities to many of the workers who had been laid off due to financial constraints. | Aliu Mahama will not contest presidential slot * Source: GNA | Accra, May 6, GNA - Former Vice President Alhaji Aliu Mahama will not contest the New Patriotic Party (NPP's) Presidential primaries, a statement in Accra said on Thursday.
The statement copied to the Ghana News Agency said the announcement "should bring to an end months of speculation as to whether he would or would not run."
It said; "The former Vice President wishes to express his sincere gratitude to family members, friends, supporters and well-wishers who have encouraged him to take part in the contest. Equal gratitude also goes to the many people who frankly asked him not to."
The statement said having served Ghana and the NPP creditably and faithfully as Vice President for two consecutive terms, Alhaji Aliu Mahama preferred to devote his energy at this time towards building a united NPP that would stand behind whoever would be elected presidential candidate in August to prosecute a campaign that would return the party to power in 2012. It appealed to all contestants to play by the rules, bury their differences and work towards achieving one end, which is winning the 2012 elections.
"Alhaji Mahama would also like to state that this statement does not mean that he is bowing out of politics. As long as there is life and good health, he would play any role that God, country and party would demand of him now or in the future." | | . | | . | | . | | ______________________ |
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| Latest Ghana News Thursday, 06th Mai 2010 WEEK 18 - 2010 | * Thursday, 06th Mai 2010 | Massive Loot Uncovered ... * Source: Daily Post | | …DICs milking the state through importers and clearing agents
It is now official. The government of Ghana has lost staggering hundreds of trillion cedis in revenue through the activities of Destination Inspection companies (DICs). Daily Postforensic analysis of data in Ghana Community Net Services (GCNET), a special software that houses import and export transactions at the ports, has revealed a mafia tactics that currently operates with the sole aim of duping the state.
The mafia includes the four DICs, clearing agents and importers. The DICs are Ghana Link now Ghana Customs Inspection Company, Gateway Services Ltd, (GSL), Inspection and Control Services (ICS) and BIVAC).
This paper’s investigations have uncovered that importers, whose goods have been assessed and issued with a Final Classification and Valuation Report (FCVR) by a DIC to go and pay do not do so. Realising that the assessed duty is too much for them, these importers run to another DIC where import documents are altered and the duty eventually pegged at ridiculously low level. Daily Posthas in its possession over six million transactions involving all the DICs.
In one of such transactions, Dygate Ghana Ltd which imported from Zadur was assessed by BIVAC to pay a duty of ¢524million (GH¢52,400.00) but the company sneaked to Ghana Customs Inspection Company (GCIC) where the grand collusion took place. This time, Dygate claimed it imported from Barcelona, making the duty level to be reduced to ¢71.3 million (GH¢7,125.00).
In this transaction alone, the government lost revenue of ¢453 million. Another importer, Mavis Tachie was assessed by GSL and asked to pay ¢260.2 million (GH¢26,020.31). The importer did not pay but rather ran to Ghana Link where the original invoice number was changed from 07/902 to SXT07/902, culminating in the payment of duty to a paltry ¢39.4 million (GH¢3,937.50).
Forensic analysis of this transaction has revealed that the port from which the export was done to Tema was changed from Halifax to CHIWAN. The government of Ghana again lost a whopping ¢220.8 million in revenue short fall. Agrosteel Distrubution Agency Ltd imported from New York with invoice number DAT/0718. The company’s goods were assessed by GSL and ordered to pay ¢449.6 million (GH¢44,959.99).
Forensic tracking of operations revealed that Agrosteel ran to Ghana Link where its duty was reduced to ¢19.4million (GH¢1,940.00). The state, was thus short-changed to lose revenue of ¢430.2 million. Our analysis also revealed that Agrosteel’s place of export changed from New York to Hamburg and the invoice also forged to read as NF0125/07. It has also emerged that in the over six million transactions, government of Ghana has had to pay the DICs double commission for the assessment and valuation carried on one importer due to the migration among the DICs.
So far, the DICs have no mechanism to determine whether one importer has run away from another DIC. Currently, the Ministry of Trade has awarded these DICs contracts where they are each allowed to carry valuation of goods form designated territories. It is therefore criminal for DICs to be doing destination inspection on goods which do not come from their assigned territories. Equally worrisome is the fact that these DICs have not developed any mechanism to check this migration from their other colleagues.
In our earlier reports, analysis of transactions by GSL from 2003 to 2009 revealed that ¢22.4 trillion was uncollected as revenue. ¢5.2 trillion was lost through BIVAC and ¢7.4 trillion through ICS. With regards to Ghana Link, we are in the process of computing the figures. In total, over ¢35 trillion was lost through GSL, BIVAC and ICS from 2003 to 2007 at the Tema and Takoradi ports. In our next edition, we report in-depth on revenue loss at the behest of DICs with crook importing companies and clearing agents on the flip side.Book your copies in advance. | | > BACK to TOP < | Crucial Talks On GIA * Source: Daily Graphic | - Govt Worried Over Its Growing Challenges
The government is reviewing the operations of the Ghana International Airlines (GIA) to address the challenges which have dogged the national airline.
Consequently, a crucial meeting has been held at the Castle, Osu, to deliberate on the technical details of how to salvage the airline from the doldrums.
The meeting, hosted by the Vice-President, Mr John Dramani Mahama, and attended by a delegation from the GIA, led by the CEO, Mrs Gifty Anna-Myers, was held behind closed doors.
Details of the meeting were sketchy but the Minister of Transport, Mr Mike Hammah, told the Daily Graphic in an interview that the whole spectrum of capitalisation, flight operations and management of the airline would be examined critically with the view to finding solutions to the challenges to make the airline effective.
For her part, Mrs Anna-Myers told the Daily Graphic that the meeting had gone on well.
She denied rumours that the airline had been liquidated, saying, “Our airline is still in operation. We flew on Saturday and Sunday. Our greatest effort is now on how to improve the efficiency of our airline.”
Our London correspondent, Nana Sifa Twum reports on page 46 of this issue that the GIA’s aircraft was grounded at the Gatwick Airport in London on Saturday morning because of the company’s alleged breach of a financial contract with another company that had leased an aircraft to the GIA for its operations.
Passengers on board the flight, which landed at the Gatwick Airport around 6 a.m. on Saturday, were calmly escorted from the tarmac to the terminals by UK security agencies, while the aircraft was guarded by a large number of other security personnel, made up of British Transport Police and British Airport Authority officials.
The company (name withheld) claimed that the GIA owed it millions of dollars which had not been settled for some months now. | | > BACK to TOP < | Too much immorality despite proliferation of churches * Source: GNA | Bompata (Ash), May 6, GNA - The Right Reverend Dr Yaw Frimpong-Manso, the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, has expressed worry about the upsurge in immorality in society despite the proliferation of churches.
He said it was disturbing that as the churches grew, the rate of crime kept increasing.
The Moderator was speaking at the 120th Anniversary celebration of the Bompata Presbyterian Church in the Asante-Akim South District. The Rt Rev Dr Frimpong-Manso condemned the activities of self-seeking "Men of God" whose focus, he said, was to make money and had pushed the salvation of the people to the periphery.
"The craze of the people for miracles has offered a unique opportunity for the self professed pastors and prophets to enrich themselves in the name of Christianity."
He said it was sad that greed and selfishness were taking firm root in the church with little or no respect for common humanity. "The greatest barrier to progress, growth and development of a church or nation is disunity and absence of love," the Moderator said. Rev Kwaku Twum Barimah, the District Minister, praised the congregation for their tenacity and dedication that had contributed to the growth of the church.
Mr De-Graft Fokuo, the District Chief Executive, congratulated the church on the anniversary and asked that they continued to uphold the "Presbyterian discipline" that had distinguished the church from the others | | > BACK to TOP < | Rawlings Enjoys Ghana@50 Benefits! Source: Daily Searchlight | ...As He Sleeps In AU Village!
At a time when ‘government guard dogs’ are saying the Ghana@50 celebrations frittered away the resources of the state, with two prominent Ghanaians in court facing various charges, this paper can state categorically that the Atta Mills government has allocated three (3) of the plush buildings located at La Wireless to house former President, Jerry Rawlings!
This comes in the wake of fire razing down the entire house of the former President at Ridge on February 14th, 2010.s
Our sources have confirmed to us that the former President has not taken up ‘permanent residence’ at the AU village but shuffles between the AU village and the house of a prominent Ghanaian businessman (name withheld) even though the facility has been allocated to him.
This paper can state that the area has been condoned off with military and men in mufti from the National Security stationed there to give 24-hours protection to the former President.
This paper gathers that when the former President arrived from his recent jaunt abroad in the wee hours of Sunday morning, 2nd May, 2010, he went straight to his new home.
We are told by our reliable sources that the wife of the former President, Nana Konadu, after welcoming her husband in the early morning hours of Sunday was in the company of the former President at the AU village the whole of Monday, 3rd May, 2010 receiving visitors.
The Daily Searchlight can also confirm that the former President left Accra for the Volta Region on Tuesday evening.
When the aide to the Rawlingses and the Deputy General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) was contacted to confirm whether it is true or not, he said “tell your source that he is an idiot”.
He stressed that “if you go ahead and write anything about the former President, you are going to meet me in court because your paper is noted for writing negative things about him”.
The aide would not speak to the reporter who wanted to cross-check the information at hand but kept on threatening the reporter who was just cross-checking his facts. | | > BACK to TOP < | Ghana Dock Labour Company workers demonstrate against Union * Source: GNA | Tema, May 6, GNA - Workers of the Ghana Dock Labour Company in Tema, on Wednesday demonstrated
through some principal streets in Tema, to express their displeasure at the alleged illegal deduction of welfare monies from their wages. The workers numbering more than 200, clad in red T-shirts carried placards amidst the singing of war songs. Some of the placards read: "Contract labour is not good at all," "Atta, open your eyes," "Workers need
welfare," "We are for peace, where is our welfare money?" and "Slavery at Ghana Dock Labour Company." Afterwards, the demonstrators boarded a vehicle at the forecourt of the Tema Metropolitan Assembly to Accra, to present copies of their petition to the Ghana Trades Union Congress (TUC) and the National Labour
Commission. Mr Christopher Vidzro, a spokesperson for the aggrieved workers, told the Ghana News Agency that about
4,000 of them are paid according to the number of times they work, since they are not salaried workers. Mr Vidzro said an unspecified amount of money was deducted from their wages by the Maritime Dock
Workers Union (MDU) into a welfare fund. He alleged that management of the company connived with the union and illegally deducted the welfare money without consulting the workers or taking into account the provisions in the company's constitution. The Spokesperson said workers who complained about the act were victimised by management. Mr Vidzro said the workers are demanding that MDU account for its stewardship for the past eight years it has been in existence. | > BACK to TOP < | DCEs call for appreciable common fund for develop projects * Source: GNA | Takoradi, May 6, GNA - Some District Chief Executives (DCE) from the Western Region have called for an increase in their share of allocation of the District Assembly Common Fund (DACF), to enable them to undertake development projects in their areas.
They noted that the 7.5 per cent share of the Common Fund allocated equally to the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies especially for those in the deprived areas are woefully inadequate to carry out any meaningful development.
They argued that while their areas produce a greater part of the nation's resources like cocoa, coffee, minerals, and other cash crops, they cannot by law levy the farmers as a way of generating revenue, as against those in other areas who levy industries and companies to raise revenue. The DECs said they are often left with little sources of avenues to generate revenue like the markets, which cannot tackle any appreciable project.
The DCEs made the call in their presentations at a two day workshop organised by the executives of the parliamentary press corps for their colleagues, MPs and DCEs at Takoradi. It was held on the theme; "The challenges in the utilization of the DACF and the need to redefine roles of the assemblies", with sponsorship from the District Assembly Common Fund. The DCEs were Mr Steven Wilks Mensah of Sefwi-Wiawso, Mr Peter Yaw Nkua-Sefwi Akontmbra, Mr Solomon Fuakye, Sefwi Juabeso, Mr Jones Amoah of Ahanta West and Mr Kobina Annan, Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly.
The DCEs claimed that on assumption of office, the assemblies did not have proper data to guide them in their work, thus compelling them to charge low rates and levies resulting in their poor performance. They mentioned some challenges confronting the assemblies as high charges by the Land Valuation Board, payment of rent for some decentralised agencies, and the sponsoring of programmes of decentralised agencies among others.
The DCEs therefore appealed to the Common Fund Administrator to consider their plight and increase their share of the fund to enable them tackle projects to the satisfaction of the constituents. Mr Joshua Magnus Nicol, DACF Administrator stressed the need for the DCEs to always spend time to inspect ongoing projects in their areas to ensure that contractors are on course, and where necessary take action against shoddy work done. He said the District Assembly Common Fund is not mandated to take action against contractors who perform unsatisfactorily, and that it was the duty of the DCEs to ensure that the proper thing was done.
Mr Elvis Afriyie Ankrah, Deputy Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, said in principle members of parliament do not merit any allocation from the fund.
He said since they are however judged by the development projects undertaken, it was expedient that they are given greater share of the fund, so that they would be held responsible. The Deputy Minister noted that under the current administration, three important personalities namely the DCEs, presiding members and Coordinating Directors, are mandated to append their signature to documents for the execution of project subject to the approval of the entire assembly members. To ensure accountability and transparency, he said, all the MMDS are being subjected to auditing to know their performance. Mr Paul Evans Aidoo, Western Regional Minister, entreated the MMDAs for early submission of monies that come to the assemblies through the coordinating directors to serve as guidance for the disbursement of the fund.
Mr Andrew Edwin Arthur, Dean of the Parliamentary Press Corps criticized the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development for its inability to recover loans taken under the Poverty Alleviation Fund. Mr Arthur said the loans amounting to billions of cedis were contracted through the banks, to support small scale businesses and wondered why action cannot be taken against defaulters, since the loans were given out 2004. The participants later inspected some projects of the various assemblies. | > BACK to TOP < |
_____________________________________________________ ----- | | | Thursday, 06th Mai 2010 | | Massive Loot Uncovered Crucial Talks On GIA Too much immorality despite proliferation of churches Rawlings Enjoys Ghana@50 Benefits! Ghana Dock Labour Company workers demonstrate against Union DCEs call for appreciable common fund for develop projects Motor accident claims three lives on Ho-Aflao Highway Govt consoles Nigeria on Yar Adua's death Five killed in two separate accidents at Nsutam and Apedwa Printers appeal to government for fair Quotas Aliu Mahama will not contest presidential slot | Your Opinions | Have Your Say!
| Archived News for 2010 | Go to 05.05.2010 | News Page was last modified on Friday, 14 May 2010 09:09:27 | 
| All about the Ghana Election 2008 | | | | * Thursday, 06th Mai 2010 | Motor accident claims three lives on Ho-Aflao Highway * Source: GNA | Dzodze, (V/R), May 6, GNA - Two children and a woman died on the spot when a vehicle they were travelling with, got involved in a motor accident on the Ho-Aflao Highway on Tuesday. Dr William Gyau Dwamena Medical Superintendent at St. Anthony Hospital at Dzodze, told newsmen that 12 people who sustained various injuries are receiving treatment at the medical facility. Mr Frank Halo one of the accident victims told the Ghana News Agency that the deceased are Deborah Halo, 30, Emmanuela Halo, about seven years and Victor Ligbe about nine years, whilst Kudzo Halo the driver is on admission at the Volta Regional Hospital in Ho. He said the victims were family members who were returning to Ho from a funeral at Ehi -Anfeto in the Ketu-North District at the weekend. Mr Halo said the accident occurred when one of the back tyres of the vehicle burst when they got to a spot between Atanve and Kpeduhoe. | Govt consoles Nigeria on Yar Adua's death * Source: GNA | Accra, May 6, GNA - President John Evans Atta Mills has declared three days of mourning for the late President Alhaji Umaru Musah Yar Adua of Nigeria, and has consequently directed that flags at all public places in Ghana should fly at half mast for the period.
A statement from the Office of the President on Thursday said the government and people of Ghana have learned with deep sadness and a great sense of loss, the passing away of "His Excellency Alhaji Umaru Yar Adua, president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria after a long illness." President Yar Adua, who was elected President of Nigeria in 2007, died yesterday, Wednesday May 5.
The statement said the death of His Excellency President Yar Adua was a great loss not only to his family and the people of Nigeria, but also to the ECOWAS sub-region and Africa at large.
"On behalf of the Government of Ghana and in my own name, I wish to extend heartfelt condolences to the Acting President of Nigeria, His Excellency Goodluck Jonathan, and to the bereaved family of the late President Alhaji Umaru Yar Adua.
"We share their grief at this irreparable loss and wish to express our solidarity with them in this moment of national mourning. In that regard, the Government and People of Ghana will observe three days of national mourning from today in solidarity with the brotherly people of Nigeria", the statement said, adding that flags at all public places in Ghana will fly at half mast for the period.
President Yar Adua was an acknowledged man of peace who worked tirelessly to maintain the rule of law and order and restore internal security in the Niger Delta. Under President Yar Adua's leadership, Nigeria and Ghana continued to work together to advance the pace of bilateral cooperation and development and set the agenda for sub-regional integration. Within the ECOWAS sub-region, President Yar Adua was a valued partner in the common struggle to institutionalize the principles and practice of democratic governance and the pursuit of regional integration as a strategic tool in the economic and social development of the sub-region. | Five killed in two separate accidents at Nsutam and Apedwa * Source: GNA | Apedwa, May 06, GNA- Five persons died on the spot in two separate accidents that occurred within 24 hours at Akyem Nsutam and Apedwa, all on the Accra-Kumasi highway.
The first accident, which involved a sprinter bus GS225-09, was traveling from Accra-Kumasi when it collided head on with a Fiat Tipper truck WR743Q at a Custom, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) barrier on Tuesday midday.
As a result, three male passengers died on the spot whiles 17 others including both drivers and their mates who were seriously injured were rushed to the Kyebi Government Hospital. According to Police superintendent James Sarfo Peprah, the Eastern Regional MTTU Commander, there was no CEPS official directing the vehicles at the time of the accident.
He said the officials at post refused to allow the police to convey the injured in their vehicle until the East Akyem Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) came to intervene. The Apedwa one occurred around 05.30 hours on Wednesday, when a Rano cargo truck with registration number GW3234Z carrying lumber from Nkawkaw-Suhum ran over two female pedestrians after attempting to escape arrest. The MTTU Commander said, a task force made up of military/police and forestry officials had fired a warning shot to scare the driver to stop but in the process he lost control of the steering wheel. He said Police were investigating whiles the dead bodies had been deposited at Kyebi Government hospital. | | . |
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