| 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 | | | | * 10.03.2010 | Prince Naruhito departs * Source: GNA | Accra, March 10, GNA - Crown Prince Naruhito of Japan left Accra Wednesday morning for Nairobi, Kenya, after a three-day official visit to Ghana. The visit to Ghana completes the first half of Prince Naruhito's two-nation African tour. During his visit, Prince Naruhito held talks with President John Evans Atta Mills, laid a wreath at the Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum and engaged in tree planting activities. He also visited some educational institutions and held meetings with Japanese nationals in Ghana and Ghanaians who studied under scholarship in Japanese institutions, among other activities. At the airport to see off Prince Naruhito was the Vice President, John Dramani Mahama, the Japanese Ambassador to Ghana, members of the diplomatic corps and Ministers of State. | Ghana and EU sign financing agreement * Source: GNA | Accra, March 10, GNA - Ghana and the European Union on Wednesday signed two financing agreements on natural resource and environmental governance (NREG) and general budget support, as well as an amendment to the country strategy paper 2008-2013.
Finance Minister Dr Kwabena Duffuor and Mr Claude Maerten, Ambassador and Head of the European Union Delegation in Ghana signed the deal. The NREG programme, jointly being financed by the EU, World Bank, the United Kingdom, France and the Netherlands, aims at addressing the challenges in the forestry, mining and the environment sub-sectors. The total donor support is about 90 million Euros. The EU is contributing 8 million Euros.
Mr Maerten said an initial disbursement would be of EUR 4 million would be made in 2011, depending on the achievement of mutually agreed targets. He said an additional support was under discussion, adding that the outcome would depend on the progress made in the coming period. A thorough review of the NREG arrangement will take place in July this year.
The food facility seeks to assist government to implement its policy objectives and programmes, especially in the agricultural sector. It will also help government to address fiscal challenges as a result of soaring international food prices.
The EU is supporting the programmes with 15 million Euros. The amendment to the 10th EDF seeks to incorporate a general budget support (Vulnerability (V)-FLEX) facility of 35 million Euros which was extended to Ghana by the European Union in December 2009. The facility is a special fund, established by the EU to mitigate the social and economic impact of the potential second round of the global financial meltdown.
Finance Minister Dr Duffuor expressed government's gratitude for the EU's continued support to Ghana's development agenda and towards the creation of wealth and reduction of poverty. | Majority, Minority lock horns "cocaine era" perception * Source: GNA | Accra, March 10, GNA- The Majority and the Minority on Wednesday collided over whose era Ghana was adjudged "cocaine coast" to conclude debate on the State of the Nation Address.
Mr. Cletus Apul Avoka, Majority Leader, who sparked the provocation was giving the final submission to thank the president on the State of the Nation Address delivered February 25, 2010 by the President. He stated that Ghana under President John Evans Atta Mills was gradually un-tagging herself of being notorious for drug trade. He said under the National Democratic Congress (NDC), armed robbery had been brought to the minimum.
Mr. Avoka said when he was the Interior Minister he attended a conference in Cape Verde in 2008 where Ghana was tagged as a country engaged in drugs such as cocaine.
This brought Mr. Ambrose Dery, Deputy Minority Leader, to his feet challenging the Majority Leader to produce evidence to his claim. Mr. Avoka pulled out a document to which he read to the House but the Minority still dissatisfied pursued the matter that the document be laid before the house.
The Speaker Mrs. Joyce Bamford - Addo, said there was no specific rule in the Standing Orders to be used to deal with the issue especially in the laying of the paper.
She said however that the rule governing the debate was that no one should make statements without substantiating it and wondered why the Minority still persisted in the pursuance of the matter. Prof. Mike Oquaye, Second Deputy Speaker said Mr. Avoka must lay the paper before the House adding, "this is a serious matter, he who alleges must establish."
Mr. Dery pursued the matter when he argued that the document was someone's perception and must not be recognized as factual in dealing with the matter.
Mr Avoka said when Papa Owusu Ankoma quoted the World Street Journal to establish that doing business in Ghana was expensive under the NDC government and the Majority established same argument against it, the Minority contended that the paper was a respected one all over the world and that its comments were factual.
He said since the House mostly thrived on precedents therefore there must be uniformity in precedents, adding that if in their (Minority) case, it was applicable, it must be must also be applicable in this case too. The Minority devised another strategy forcing Mr. Avoka to withdraw both the document and the statement he made. They had made sure that unless that was done, the House could not adjourn. | | . | | ______________________ |
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| Latest Ghana News Wednesday, 10 March 2010 WEEK 09 - 2010 | * Wednesday, 10 March 2010 | Ghana Cotton Company on Verge of Collapse * Source: The Chronicle | Almost four hundred workers of the Ghana Cotton Company Limited (GCCL) may be rendered jobless within the shortest possible time, as the company, which is one of the major sources of raw material to the textiles industry in Ghana, faces imminent collapse.
About 367 service providers of especially, fertilizers, cotton seeds and other input suppliers are also to suffer the same fate, since they can no longer supply the GCCL with their products, for onward distribution to the farmers at reduced prices.
Reliable information reaching the Northern Regional Bureau of The Chronicle indicates that the GCCL owes its workers three months accumulated salaries, and other entitlements due them. Additionally, about 80% of all the tractors and other vehicles of the company have broken down completely.
The few functional ones have also been parked in the yard of the company, because management, according the workers, could not afford to fuel them.
When The Chronicle visited the Northern Regional headquarters of the company, the whole premises was completely deserted, with all the machines shut down.
However, the agitated workers said Mr. Kwesi Ahwoi, Minister for Food and Agriculture, assured them that he would settle their arrears during his last working visit to the company in April 2009, but up to date, nothing had been done.
They accused the management of GCCL of having misplaced priorities, and alleged that at the peak of the company’s financial crisis, the management wasted ¢147 million (old cedis) to renovate the residence of one of the officers.
The aggrieved workers also slammed the management over salary disparities, and alleged that some management members receive more than GH¢18,000, whereas the labourers and drivers are pegged between GH¢100 and GH¢150.
The Chronicle’s investigations also uncovered that farmers in the three regions would soon leave the cotton business, since the company can no longer buy their produce, coupled with the management’s inability to pay for earlier supplies, running into millions of cedis.
It was also discovered that the Volta River Authority (VRA) had disconnected the company’s power supply, in demand of full payment of about a GH¢50,000 debt.
A deep throat source close to management hinted the paper that the Northern Central Division of the GCCL also owes fuel suppliers over GH¢90,000.
What seems to irritate the workers, is the alleged poor utilisation of an amount of GH¢260,000, released by the erstwhile New Patriotic Party (NPP) government in 2008, to support the company’s operations and boost cotton productivity.
The Ghana Cotton Company Limited, established in the 1960s, and named Cotton Development Board, operates in the three Northern Regions of Ghana, with offices in Tamale, Bolgatanga, where the ginnery is located, and Tumu in the Upper West Region.
The Managing Director of the company, Mr. George Oseiku, confirmed to The Chronicle that the workers had not been paid for sometime now.
He also confirmed that the management was finding it difficult to fuel vehicles belonging to the company.
Mr. Oseiku further told this reporter, in a telephone interview from Accra, that the workers would soon be paid, but could not give the precise date when this would be done.
According him, his management team was doing everything possible to revive the company, and even extend its operations to cover the Mamprusi areas.
He therefore appealed to the workers to exercise restraint, and wait patiently for what the management had for them. | | > BACK to TOP < | Vice President tells Regional Ministers to eschew arrogance * Source: GNA | Sunyani, March 10, GNA - Vice President John Dramani Mahama on Wednesday advised Regional Ministers to eschew arrogance and partisanship in the performance of their duties.
He urged them to also be fair and objective in dealing with people, who voted the National Democratic Congress (NDC) into power to be able to achieve their campaign promises of deepening local level democracy through accelerating decentralization and local development. Vice President Mahama gave the advice when he addressed a review meeting of Regional Ministers at Sunyani in the Brong Ahafo Region. "Do not be overly partisan and arrogant. Your government will soon be going to elections, and your winning will partly depend on how you perform your duties and relate with the people who offered you this opportunity to serve them," he told them.
The Vice President also urged the ministers to exhibit a high level of fairness in the distribution of development projects to avoid acrimony and bitterness among people.
Vice President Mahama tasked the Regional Ministers to constantly liaise with farmers and farming groups to identify peculiar farming challenges to ensure food sufficiency in the coming years. He urged the Regional Coordinating Councils to strengthen their coordination and monitoring mechanisms to ensure that Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) delivered in line with government's policies.
"Indeed RCCs are expected to provide strong technical backstopping, coordination, monitoring and evaluation support to Assemblies to achieve coherent and sustainable progress within their geographical regions," he said.
Mr Joseph Yieleh Chireh, Minister for Local Government and Rural Development said the government had kept faith with its campaign promises by organizing Regional Stakeholders Conferences for people to contribute their quotas to help deepen the decentralization programme in the country. He said the passage of the 1961 legislative instrument that established the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies was adequate demonstration of how committed the government was to the promotion of local level democracy.
Mr Chireh gave the assurance that the school feeding programme would soon be revised to commit MMDAs to own programmes in their areas of jurisdiction.
Mr Kwadwo Nyamekye Marfo, Brong Ahafo Regional Minister said since assuming office, government had chalked successes in security, the rule of law, expansion in infrastructural development such as electricity, education, health, water and sanitation. He added that jobs have also been created and therefore asked his colleague Regional Ministers to trumpet those achievements for acknowledgement.
Mr Marfo, who is also the in-coming chairman of the conference, commended all their partners especially German Development Cooperation GTZ that had expressed the desire to assist each region with technical experts for development. | | > BACK to TOP < | Govt Planning to Sell Diamond Mine, Timber Plantation, Sawmill * Source: Blomberg | Ghana plans to sell a diamond mine, a plantation and a sawmill as part of a sale of state assets, the Divestiture Implementation Committee said.
The West African nation aims to sell Ghana Consolidated Diamonds Ltd., based in the Eastern region town of Akwatia, the committee said in a statement in the Accra-based Business and Financial Times today.
The mining concession has 14 million carats of proven gem reserves and 4.6 million carats of probable reserves, it said. It also includes 240 square-kilometers (150 square-miles) of land, according to the statement.
Ghana’s government is also selling Subri Industrial Plantation Ltd., based at Daboase in the Western region. The sale includes a 5,137 hectare plantation, sawmill and kiln.
The deadline for bids is March 31, the committee said. It didn’t say how much it aims to raise from the sales | | > BACK to TOP < | Ghanaians cannot afford two square meals -MP * Source: GNA | Accra, March 10, GNA - Mr. Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, Member for Dormaa West, has called on President John Evans Atta Mills to make a very good assessment of the state of the nation and address the numerous problems affecting the lives of the people.
He said most Ghanaians cannot afford two square meals a day as prices of goods and services were escalating.
Mr. Manu who was contributing to the debate on the State of the Nation Address said: "even a bottle of Akpeteshie as at now cost 28 Ghana cedis." Now we are using Atta Mills gallon for kerosene and gas not only water, Kufuor's gallon was only for water. "He disagreed with President Mills for asserting that the state of the nation was good, saying "he even refused to talk about National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).
"The state of the NHIS is at a point that all the contributions are going into individual pockets," he said. He alleged that companies were folding up due to the precarious state of the nation citing Akosombo Textile Limited (ATL) as one of those companies falling apart.
Alhaji Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak on a point of order referred Mr Manu to Page five of the address where the National Health Insurance Scheme was clearly mentioned and asked Manu to stop making sweeping statements. Mr. Manu, quickly replied, "All I am saying is that the President had not done a good assessment of the nation." Nana Akomea, Member for Okaikwe South, said over a year now former President Kufuor has no office, no official car, and has not received any ex-gratia.
He argued that President Mills spoke about an all inclusive government but "what do we see, the President has instructed his Ministers to serve NDC party faithfuls who hold party cards".
Nana Akomea was asked to withdraw the statement by Mr Collins Daoda, Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, who disagreed with Nana's allegation saying that the President had never instructed any Minister to serve only party card holder.
Upon the ruling of the Speaker, Mrs. Joyce Bamford Addo, Nana withdrew the statement but insisted that it was Mr. Ayariga, the former spokesman of the President, who said it. Mr. Haruna Iddrisu, Member for Tamale South, noted that " Mr. Kufuor is aware that government had identified a location at Airport area to be used as his office apartment.
He said government was taking steps to rehabilitate all former Presidents especially former President Kufuor. Dr. Joseph Annan, Member for Komenda Edina/Eguafo/ Abrem, said there had been excessive spending on the GETFund and that a forensic audit would be carried out to find out.
Mr. Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu, Minority Leader, said any short fall in the GETFund was between expenditure and releases. It is the house that approves the allocation but if the amount allocated did not match the releases,a problem will arise. He said in 2009 the short fall amounted to only 20 per cent as he asked what would be the result of the forensic audit if the Deputy Minister already believed that there was excessive spending and called Dr. Annan to withdraw the word "excessive".
This warmed the house into a debate that is likely to attract words and gestures for which apologies would sought and made. | | > BACK to TOP < | Third phase of rehabilitation works of Bolga Hospital underway * Source: GNA | Bolgatanga, March 10, GNA - Ghana and Saudi Arabia on Tuesday signed a contract for the commencement of the third phase of the rehabilitation of the Bolgatanga Hospital in the Upper East Region. The Saudi Government is to provide 12 million dollars as grant whil= e Ghana would contribute two million dollars towards the execution of the project expected to take four years to complete. As part of the preparations, a technical team made up of architects, surveyors and engineers from a Saudi Consultancy firm has arrived in Bolgatanga to hold a stakeholders meeting with the Ministry of Health and the Ghana Health Service. DAOVTECH, a Ghanaian consultancy firm will partner Saudi Consultancy Service to undertake the project.
Dr. John Koku Awoonor-Williams, Regional Director of Health Services said feasibility studies had been completed and work would soon commence. He expressed dissatisfaction about the first and second phases of the project, explaining that following series of meetings held by the stakeholders it is expected that quality work would be done to raise the hospital to a regional hospital status. The Deputy Regional Minister, Mrs. Lucy Awini entreated the consultants to do effective supervision and monitoring to ensure that the contractors executed good job.
She expressed optimism that after the completion of the project the hospital would serve as one of the first class institutions in the country. The External Co-ordinator of the Ministry of Health (MOH) Dr. Jennifer Brown Aryee said the two countries had committed themselves to the project with the view of entering into other areas of development. The Principal Architect of Saudi Consultancy firm, Mr. Ashraf Hassan assured the MOH that his outfit was burnt on delivering quality services to enable it establish good and harmonious relationship with Ghana. He said about 240 beds would be attached to the health facility while additional surgical, maternity and children's wards would be provided. | | > BACK to TOP < | Trade and technology fair opens in Kumasi * Source: GNA | Kumasi, March 10, GNA - A five-day Trade and Technology Fair structured to provide opportunity for students of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), entrepreneurs and artists to showcase their works to corporate society has opened in Kumasi. It is being held under the auspices of the United Nations Development Programme and the KNUST.
Professor Kwasi Kwafo Adarkwa, Vice-Chancellor of the University, who performed the opening ceremony, said there was the need for a more aggressive push to bridge the gap between the academia and industry to ensure that research findings and creative works by students are fully utilised to aid economic growth. He said given the constant innovations, product improvement and competition, associated with today's world, everything should be done to enhance commercialization of the works of the university. Professor Adarkwa said KNUST has made entrepreneurship a compulsory subject in all the programmes offered by the university as part of efforts to unearth students' creativity.
He said this had become necessary to help students to set up their own businesses after completion of their courses. Mr Joseph Onyinah, Ashanti Regional Director of Education, asked parents and school authorities to encourage the youth to pursue courses in science and technology to facilitate national development. | | > BACK to TOP < | SA President Zuma invites President Mills for a visit * Source: GNA | Accra, March 10, GNA - South African President Jacob Zuma has invited President John Evans Atta Mills for discussion on investments for mutual benefits.
The invitation was made in a message delivered by the South African Minister for International Affairs and Co-operation, Mrs. Maite Nkoana Mashabame at the Osu Castle in Accra on Wednesday. President Mills receiving the message called on African leaders to focus on issues that would unite Africans.
"We should use the available natural resources to improve the living standards of our people," he added.
President Mills said Ghana valued her relationship with South Africa and participated in the anti-apartheid struggle adding, "Ghana and South Africa have a lot in common and should exchange ideas on issues of common interest and her great potentials".
Mrs. Mashabame commended Ghana for her democratic credentials, good governance, rule of law and ECOWAS, a bloc for stronger African Union (AU). She stressed the need for collaboration of efforts among African countries to make the Continent maintain peace, security and development. Mrs. Mashabame said South Africa was working towards the upgrading of its agrarian practice and investment in food security, and prepared to learn from other countries. She extended South Africa's invitation to competing African countries to the FIFA World Cup tournament this year. | > BACK to TOP < |
_____________________________________________________ ----- | | | Wednesday, 10 March 2010 | | Ghana Cotton Company on Verge of Collapse Vice President tells Regional Ministers to eschew arrogance Govt Planning to Sell Diamond Mine, Timber Plantation, Sawmill Ghanaians cannot afford two square meals -MP Third phase of rehabilitation works of Bolga Hospital underway Trade and technology fair opens in Kumasi NSS to begin implementation of increases in allowance for personnel SA President Zuma invites President Mills for a visit | RIGHT Ghana has significant business potential - Mission Roundtable on waste management underway in Accra ECOWAS Commissioner on ICT lauds education technology | LEFT Prince Naruhito departs Ghana and EU sign financing agreement Majority, Minority lock horns "cocaine era" perception | _________________________________ | Your Opinions | Have Your Say!
| Archived News for 2010 | Go to 09.03.2010 | 
| All about the Ghana Election 2008 | | | | * 10.03.2010 | Ghana has significant business potential - Mission * Source: GNA | Accra, March 10, GNA - A delegation from the Republic Bank of Trinidad and Tobago said on Wednesday there was significant business potential in Ghana's energy sector.
The delegation, which was in Ghana for five days, met with the Finance Minister, Dr Kwabena Duffour, Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Mr Kwesi Amissah-Arthur and Managing Directors of six of the major banks at separate meetings.
The Deputy Managing Director of the Republic Bank, Mr Gregory Thompson told journalists before departure that the bank identified financing of the energy sector particularly the downstream as a potential investment area. He explained that the delegation would review the various meetings and discussions held while in Ghana in order to take a firm decision. Mr Thompson described the mission as successful, saying the delegation was excited at what it saw.
He spoke of the free flow of information, the commitment of the various persons the group met towards the development of Ghana and a solid regulatory environment.
He said the Trinidad and Tobago bank would make a second trip to Ghana for a more specific mission. Mr Thompson explained that while this might take some time, the bank was however ready to go into loan syndication within the short term. Trinidad and Tobago has been producing oil for over hundred years, and their financial sector has expertise in the monetization of gas, a skill and knowledge the delegation says would be relevant to banks in Ghana. Chief Executive of Barbados National Bank, a subsidiary of the Republic Bank of Trinidad and Tobago, Robert Le-Hunte, who was part of the delegation, said the prospects were good.
The visit by the bank follows an open invitation from Ghana's Energy Minister Dr Joe Oteng-Adjei, when he visited the Caribbean country. The Trinidad and Tobago High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mrs Victoria Mendez-Charles, who was with the delegation pledged to continue to work to improve relations between Ghana and the Caribbean country. She threw an open invitation to Ghana's Chamber of Commerce to a Trade and Investment Convention TIC 2010 to be held later in the year. The team from the Republic Bank of Trinidad and Tobago also had discussions with managements of other relevant institutions including the Ghana Association of Bankers, the Ghana Stock Exchange, the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Ghana National Chamber of Commerce and Industry. | Roundtable on waste management underway in Accra * Source: GNA | Accra, March 10, GNA - The Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology (MEST) is about reviewing the National Environmental Policy which would commence the implementation of appropriate strategies on waste management across the country.
The Sector Minister, Ms. Sherry Ayittey, who announced this at a roundtable on Wednesday in Accra therefore asked all stakeholders to come up with recommendations that would inform government policy on sanitation and waste management to effectively deal with the situation.
In an address read for her by Mr. George Kojo Scott, Chief Director, MEST, Ms. Ayittey noted that the Ministry would soon submit to cabinet for approval, its Science, technology and innovation policy aimed at building a strong capacity that would upgrade Ghana from the low science and technology poor status to an economy based on high levels of production, processing, industrialization and manufacturing by focusing on enhanced research. The meeting was organized by the George Benneh Foundation in collaboration with the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) to collate views and thoughts of researchers, planners and other experts on; "Recycling of Waste into Industrial Products". The discussion centred on electronic waste, sanitation and health as well as appropriate technology to support small and medium scale recycling industries.
Ms. Ayittey said because the issues of sanitation and waste were critical, there was the need for all, including churches, civil society, non-governmental organizations, metropolitan, municipal and districts assemblies to play a role in the education and management of waste products. "It is worthy to note that countries that have adequately dealt with the problem of waste management and sanitation have done so through intensive research and the application of research result." This is a major challenge to our universities and research institutions" she indicated. She therefore urged business and industry to play a major role in providing the technological know how to facilitate such research as well as professional institutions to provide the technical expertise to deal with the problem.
Dr. Jean Aka, Chairman, George Benneh Foundation, said the waste currently generated in the country, especially in the capital city was so enormous causing lots of health hazards to the people. There is therefore the need to take bold steps to address the situation. Dr. Abdulai B. Salifu, Director-General, CSIR said the outcome of the discussions was expected to provide a lead in waste management in the country. He noted that technological innovation was the answer to manage waste and that his outfit was ready for partnerships in that direction. Other speakers who gave various presentations stressed the need to prioritize sanitation issues, proper planning of settlements, health education campaign, need for every household to have a toilet facility and potable water amongst other things. | ECOWAS Commissioner on ICT lauds education technology * Source: GNA | Accra, March 10, GNA - Dr Adrienne Yande Diop, ECOWAS Commissioner for Human
Development and Gender has noted that Information Communication and Technology
(ICT) provide access to education for people under difficult circumstances. She said the use of ICT contributed immensely to the far reaching endeavours in education, medicine, tourism, travel business, banking, engineering and architecture for the past three decades. Dr Diop was speaking at the opening of a four-day meeting of a Joint Committee on Education, Science, Technology, Youth, Sports and Culture and ICT. It is aimed at ensuring concrete participation of Parliaments in the sub-region to advance the integration process. It was on the theme: "Introduction of New Information and Communication Technologies in the System of Education; Challenges and Perspectives." Dr Diop said the second conference of ECOWAS Ministers of Education in 2004 adopted e-learning as a priority adding: "In order to actualise this dream the President of the Commission in 2006 inaugurated the ECOWAS e-learning Task Force." She noted that after a series of consultation within the commission and with the technical and financial partners, the task force recommended among others things the development of definite programme that will impact on the lives of ECOWAS citizens,
conduct of a survey of e-learning in member states and the development of a regional e-
learning policy, Resource mobilisation for the e-learning initiative and designation of a hub for the
regional e-learning programme was also recommended. Dr Diop said five closely related programmes have been developed by the ECOWAS Commission, in collaboration with the Commonwealth of Learning, UNESCO, African
Development Bank, Computer Companies and consultants. She said the community computer centre in Lome-Togo had been designated as a
prospective hub for the initiative. Dr Diop said in order to assess the e-readiness of member states for the programmes, a survey of e-learning was conducted in February and March 2009 and a comprehensive list of e-learning institutions and personnel have been obtained along with other information that could be leveraged for the initiative. She called on member states to imbibe and promote ICT because it holds the future for fuctional and targeted education. Mr Ousmane Mahamane, Speaker of ECOWAS Parliament and former President of Niger opened the meeting. | | . |
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