President gives assurance of increase in salaries for teachers

Koforidua, Jan. 6, GNA - President John Agyekum Kufour has said that if the success in the economy continues as it was going, the Bank of Ghana could declare a single digit prime rate before the end of the year.

He explained that such measures were aimed at helping business captains and individuals to raise money from the banks at low interest rates for their businesses and for their individual development. President Kufour was answering questions from selected delegates from each of the ten regions as part of the activities planned for the National Delegates Conference of the New Patriotic Party(NPP) which was formally opened at the EREDEC Hotel at Koforidua on Saturday.

The three-day conference was being organized under the theme: "Moving Forward in Unity" and was expected to be used to re-energize and resource the NPP in their preparations towards the 2008 elections.

He said under a new salary scheme expected this year, a Certificate "A" teacher who earns 17 million cedis per annum would be earning 23 million cedis per annum, while the Director of the Ghana Education Service (GES) who earns 36 million cedis per annum would be earning around 60 million cedis per annum.

President Kufuor explained that, such measures were in line with the human resource development policy of the government which placed a lot of emphasis on the role of teachers.

He said the Bamboi-Tinga road had been awarded on contract and was expected to be completed this year in addition to other major road networks in the Upper East and West Regions which had been on the drawing board for some time now.

President Kufuor said, to help check the highway robbery in the three Northern Regions, the National Security Council, last week, dispatched two pick-ups to each of the three Northern Regions to support the efforts of the police in checking the highway robbery and other armed robberies in the area.

President Kufour said when the achievements of his government is compared to what other governments achieved, his government had done better than what the country had achieved since independence.

He said the achievements of his government was done through the efforts of the entire members of the party and warned that any member of the party who would join the detractors of the party and government in "singing the chorus that the achievements were not reflecting in their pockets" were doing disservice to themselves, the party and the people of Ghana.

President Kufour assured the party delegates that whatever policy that the government had taken was in the best interest of the party and the country.

He said the choice of the Presidential Candidates of the party had never been based on the fellow with more resources or the fellow with the most beautiful face but on people who had lived up to the traditions of the party and had qualities to lead the country. President Kufuor assured the delegates that he would be watching to ensure that none of the presidential aspirants holding office of government, conduct themselves in a way to endanger the chances of the party in the 2008 elections.

Mr. J.H Mensah, a leading member of the party called on those aspiring to lead the party to check their track record and access themselves well before presenting themselves.

He told the delegates that the choice of the presidential candidate of the party "was not a beauty contest but it is about managing the destiny of entire people".

Mr. Mensah said the important work for the party during the year was the building of a strong party machinery ready for battle that could be handed over to the flag bearer of the party in the election year.

The Majority Leader and Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Mr Felix Owusu-Agyepong said the members of the Parliamentary caucus of the party knew what to do to help the party to stay in power, come 2008. However, he said what was required for that dream to be achieved was more efforts by the rank and file of the party who are the owners of the party.

Mr Owusu-Agyekum assured delegates on behalf of the Parliamentary caucus of the party that he and his colleagues would be more resourceful and more focused this time round.

The opening ceremony was attended by representatives of other minority parties in the country including the National Democratic Congress, Convention People's Party, People's National Convention and the Great Consolidate People's Party 06 Jan. 07