Ghana News
Friday, 20 November
Thursday, 19 November
The Mills administration has so far retrieved ninety nine vehicles from former Ministers and ex-public officials who served under the erstwhile NPP administration, a Deputy Information Minister, James Agyenim Boateng, has told Parliament.
These include 64 Salon cars, 6 Pick-up vehicles, 26 four wheel drive cars, 1 Wagon and 2 buses.
In its first few months in office, the Mills administration used the Bureau of National Investigations to embark on a string of vehicle seizures from former Ministers and state officials who served under the Kufour administration.
The seizures sparked a barrage of criticisms from the opposition, after the BNI strayed into seizing some vehicles which did not belong to the state.
Mr Agyenim Boateng did not give details as to the exact status of the recovered vehicles, except to say that “they are in a pool of vehicles being used by government officials”.
Meanwhile, National Security operatives may soon be on the backs of some former Ministers who served under the erstwhile Kufour administration.
The Government has asked the National Security to intervene to get all former Ministers who are still keeping state vehicles in their care to return them to the state.
Ms. Elizabeth Ohene and Maxwell Kofi Jumah are among a list of such ministers.
In an interview with Citi News, Mr. Agyenim Boateng, mentioned Hon. E.A Owusu Ansah, Hon. Ceceila Dapaah, Hon. Kan Dapaah, Hon. Kwame Osei Prempeh, Hon Mrs Chinery Hesse, among others as those who have returned their vehicles and have been refunded monies they paid for the cars.
Hon. Abubakar Saddique Boniface and Hon. Kojo Adjei Darko are yet to receive their cheques although Mr. Agyenim Boateng says their cheques are ready for collection.
Bibiani (W/R), Nov. 20, GNA - Government is to establish 18 Rural Technology
Facilities (RTFs') nationwide, to boost technology transfer and job openings, Mr John Gyetuah,
Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry has said. This, he said, would provide modern skill training to agro-processo= rs, master craftsmen and
to micro and small scale entrepreneurs. Inaugurating one of the facilities at Bibiani in the Western Region= , Mr Gyetuah, who is the
Member of Parliament (MP) for Wassa-Amenfi West, said the facilities form= ed part of the Rural
Enterprises Project (REP) Phase II which aims at alleviating poverty and promoting private
sector development. A total of GH¢165,000 was spent on the construction and installation o= f workshop
equipment and tools on the Bibiani project. The Government of Ghana, the International Fund for Agricultural Development
(IFAD) and the African Development Bank (AfDB) jointly provided the fundi= ng. Mr Gyetuah urged the RTF management board to ensure that the right directions were
provided to help grow industries in the area. They should ensure a strict maintenance regime to help operate the machinery at
optimal level and also to prolong its lifespan. Mr Akwasi Atta-Antwi, Project Coordinator of REP, praised chiefs in the area and
the Bibiani-Anhwiaso-Bekwai District Assembly for providing land and fund= s to support the
project. He appealed to the Assembly to create an industrial site around the=
RTF premise where local
artisans would be re-settled. The REP, since its inception in 2003, had trained over 163,000 people including
89,000 women in various employable skills. He said it had additionally, supported 3,500 graduate apprentices with start up tools
and equipment worth GH¢12,000. Mr Moses Kofi Armah, Bibiani-Anhwiaso-Bekwai District Chief Executive (DCE),
challenged the Management board to manufacture simple but appropriate agro-processing
equipment to add value to farm produce and raise income levels. 20 Nov. 09
Takoradi, Nov. 20 GNA - The Internal Revenue Service (IRS), has introduced am income
tax software to assist taxpayers to properly file correct monthly income tax returns, Mr James
Kwaku Nyantakyi, the acting Western Regional Director of the Service on Thursday announced. He was speaking at a one-day workshop on the application of the software, which was
dubbed: "IRS Tax Helper" for representatives of medium and small enterpri= ses at Takoradi. Mr Nyantakyi said the software was developed because returns submitt= ed by taxpayers were
often wrongly calculated as a result of the use of wrong tax rates and totals were inaccurate. He said some taxpayers had difficulty in completing income tax retur= ns forms and this
caused delays in the filing of returns. Mr Nyantakyi said on the whole, the software would enhance efficienc= y in their business
processes to enable them pay a fair and equitable tax for the development= of the country. He said it would enhance revenue administration through Information and Communication
Technology (ICT) when the IRS was integrated into the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) as
was announced in the 2010 budget. He said the software would also help tax administrators to control t= he processes and
machinery in optimizing revenue from the income tax, increase quality of service to taxpayers by
reducing the time of processing the returns and help businesses to file returns on time to avoid
penalties for late submission and payment of taxes. Mr Nyantakyi said the software had been developed with support from development partners
as part of the Public Sector Development Strategy (PSDS) and launched by the government to
provide support to IRS and other public institutions to achieve sustainab= le and widespread
private sector led growth throughout the country. Eighteen government Ministries, Departments and Agencies which activities impact on the
growth of the private sector have been identified to use the software, support them to implement
favourable investment reforms and to enable them to provide more efficien= t services to the
private sector. 20 Nov. 09
With intention to seek justice for the families of the three High Court Judges and a retired army officer who were murdered on the night of June 30, 1982, Accra-based Clinical Psychologist, Mr. William Atta Warmann, has started exploring the possibility of various constitutionally mandate institutions in the country to arrest and prosecute former President Jerry John Rawlings and former National Security Coordinator, Capt. Kojo Tsikata for the murder of the judges and the army officer.
According to him, he will use all available legitimate means including the Presidency to ensure that the families of the three judges Mr. Justice Fred Poku Sarkodie, Mrs. Justice Cecilia Koranteng-Addow, Mr. Justice Kwadwo Agyei Agyepong and a retired army officer, Major Acquah, receive justice under the Presidency of John Evans Atta Mills.
Mr. Atta Warmann told GO last week that the security apparatus and the Mills-led administration must arrest and prosecute former President Rawlings and Capt. Kojo Tsikata for the murder of three judges and army officer, because they were allegedly responsible for the murder and their names have been mentioned in some circles.
He stressed that as others who were allegedly connected to the murder have been made to face the laws in the country “so should Rawlings and Kojo Tsikata also face the law”
“They should be arrested and prosecuted for the murder of the three judges and army officer. Rawlings writes a constitution and inserts an indemnity clause that you cannot be prosecuted for anything you did while in office. Is this because he is afraid of something or had something to hide”? He questioned.
According to him, “The answer is yes but this will not save you from your acts. All over the world a lot of ex rulers are being detained and prosecuted for their wicked acts even 10 years or more after they committed acts like torture, murders, rape and worse.”
Mr. Warmann told GO that “Parliament should immediately expunge the so called indemnity clause and allow the law takes its cause.”
On the night of June 30, 1982, three high court judges and a retired army major were abducted from their homes and murdered. Their maggot-infested, charred bodies were later found at Bundase, 30 kilometers east of Accra.
On July 4, 1982 Rawlings announced to the nation that the murders had been orchestrated by enemies of his revolution. When international pressure forced the government to set up a commission of inquiry into the matter, it was found the murderers had close ties to Rawlings.
Amartey Kwei, who led the “operation,” was a member of the governing council, a status equivalent to Cabinet Minister in the Rawlings AFRC. At the trial, Kwei mentioned an old Rawlings ally, Kojo Tsikata as the brain allegedly behind the “operation.”
The attorney General at the time, George Aikins, said that the evidence against Tsikata was not strong enough to prosecute him.
Source:
Accra, Nov. 20, GNA - Confirmed cases of pandemic influenza H1N1 in Ghana have jumped to 38 following the conformation of 16 cases at the Lincoln Community School in Accra, the Ghana Health Service (GHS) announced on Friday.
It said a total of 345 specimens made up of 294 suspected cases and 51 contacts had been investigated at the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, the National Influenza Centre.
"The total number confirmed as positive for influenza H1N1 2009 virus stands at 38," the statement signed by Rebecca Ackwonu, Public Relations Officer of GHS said.
It explained that the upsurge in cases had been identified in a localised outbreak at the school.
"Out of a school population of about 700, there have been 16 confirmed cases, representing about two per cent of the school population. All confirmed cases . treated, are doing well and do not pose a public health threat to the general public."
GHS said all the necessary measures had been taken to break the cycle of transmission within the school. These include the suspension of school activities for 10 days. The statement said the GHS had also received maximum co-operation from the school authorities to contain the outbreak.
Accra, Nov. 20, GNA - A national consultative workshop to solicit views for a national science, technology and innovative policy was held in Accra on Friday.
The policy is aimed at making Ghana a middle income economy in the shortest possible time, facilitate the mastering of scientific and technological capabilities and create conditions for the improvement of scientific and technological infrastructure for research, development and innovation.
The 44-page draft policy identified issues concerning human resource promotion, natural resources science acculturation and information and communication technology.
Professor Jerome Siau Djangmah, Former Chairman of West African Examination Council said the existing policy was adopted as a national document in 2000 but was not implemented.
He said advances in science and technology with wide applications such as innovations in Information, Communication and Technology and internet applications as well as emerging trends in biotechnology and nanotechnology make it imperative for Ghana to view the science and technology policy. Prof. Djangmah said currently the status accorded science and technology in Ghana was low in the eyes of policy makers and managers of the nation's resources.
He pointed out that this had resulted in the inadequate allocation of the nation's budget to science, technology and innovation. "Without industries to use the talents and skills of bright young men and women who opt for science at school, their attraction was for medicine and related disciplines rather than the hard sciences of physics, mathematics, technological and engineering based professions," he said. Prof. Djangmah said over the years there had been re-structuring and re-organisation of the Ministry responsible for science and technology to address specific development challenges.
He said one of the strategies for the implementation of the policy was to ensure that by 2020, 60 per cent of all students in the public universities and 80 per cent of those in the polytechnics and vocational institutions were registered in science and science related disciplines. Prof. Djangmah said another strategy would be promoting post-graduate education in scientific disciplines, targeting 10 per cent of the students in tertiary educational institutions and enrolling post-graduate students. Ms. Sherry Ayittey, Minister of Environment Science and Technology said the Ministry would establish a science and technology board to ensure that issues discussed were included in the policy.
She said it would in addition organise a science congress bi-annually and recognise personalities that contributed to the development of science and reward them. Ms Ayittey noted that a national science trade fair would be organised to showcase the country's resources. 20 Nov. 09
Bolgatanga, Nov. 20, GNA - The People's National Convention (PNC) in the Upper East Region has expressed deep shock at the death of Mr Alando Moses Banaba, Party's Parliamentary Candidate of the Nalerigu Constituency in the Northern Region in Election 2008.
Mr Banaba was shot dead on the 12th of November 2009 at Nalerigu by an unknown person.
A statement signed by the Upper East Regional PNC Secretary, Mr Henry Fatchu said Mr Banaba was one of the loyal supporters and activists of the Party in the constituency that had made the party one of the strongest in the Nalerigu constituency over the years, adding that the vacuum created as a result of his death was irreplaceable at both party and family level. The statement said the actions that led to the death of Mr Binaba was unacceptable under the present democratic dispensation and should be investigated fully.
The statement called on sympathisers and supporters to remain calm and unite while investigations went on in order to bring the perpetuators to book.
The statement, however, commended the chiefs and people of Gulugu and the Northern Regional Police Command for their cooperation that led to the arrest of the suspects.
The Upper East PNC expressed their heart felt condolence to the bereaved family and prayed that God should give the family strength and courage to go through the difficulty time.
Accra, Nov. 20, GNA - Mr. Ambrose Dery, Deputy Minority Leader in Parliament on Friday said Ghana's democracy since 1992 had created a positive image for the country.
"Most African countries have confidence in Ghana's democracy and rely on us to play a pioneering role in the democratisation of the Continent," he said.
Mr. Dery made the observation in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Accra, before his departure to Namibia. He is leading a 36-member Pan-African Parliamentary delegation to observe the Namibian Presidential and Parliamentary elections scheduled for November 27-29. Mr. Dery said Ghana had organised five successful general elections without any serious national problem which had become a precedent for other African countries striving to emulate. 20 Nov. 09
Accra, Nov. 20, GNA - The Convention People's Party (CPP), on Friday said the 2010 Budget lacked the vigorous sense of urgency needed to create advantages, encourage local enterprises and create jobs to ensure sustainable prosperity for Ghanaians.
"The 2010 Budget presented a couple of days ago does not carry with it the gravitas and policy intentions that would make it easier for our local companies to gain easier access to credit, obtain lower cost funds and create more jobs in the country," Mr. Ladi Nylander, National Chairman of the CPP told journalists in Accra.
He was addressing a press conference organised by the CPP to express its views on the 2010 Budget, presented to Parliament by the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Dr. Kwabena Duffuor last Wednesday. Mr. Nylander noted that Dr Duffuor was quite clear in setting the tone and direction that pointed to a business as usual policy orientation. He pointed out that a CPP-led administration would have used the 2009 Budget from the beginning of its tenure of office to encourage local enterprises and create jobs to ensure sustainable prosperity instead of blaming the previous government for what they did wrong.
Mr. Nylander noted that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) blame game continued through repeated emphasis on comparing arrears and problems left by the NDC in 2000, and that left by the NPP administration in 2008.
He said the budget statement should have focussed on results achieved or inherited problems solved.
Mr. Nylander noted that the persistence of the two parties in trying to score political points gives additional cause for the CPP to worry about what the future would bring to the ordinary Ghanaian.
He said it was prudent economic management practice to have a budget set within a certain policy framework as a guide to implementation. "Unfortunately the NDC Government is yet to come to grips with this basic principle," he said.
Mr. Nylander said the objectives set by Dr Duffuor in the budget would be missed as well as government's revenue targets because of lack of a clear policy direction to guide implementation of programmes towards achieving those objectives.
He said there was "no single digit inflation, no reduction of budget deficit to sustainable levels, no improvement in the foreign exchange regime," he said.
Mr. Nylander observed that when the NDC presented its first budget on March 5, 2009, government proposed reduction in the estimated 2008 end of year budget deficit of 14.5 per cent of GDP to 9.4 per cent at the end of 2009.
He said this was accompanied by a programme that could be described as an economic stabilisation objective, which was antithesis of the social democratic ideology spelt out in the NDC's 2008 manifesto.
"It is also counter to the growth objectives set by the Rawlings-led NDC One Administration that are embedded in Vision 2020," he said.
Mr. Nylander said since President John Evans Atta Mills took power in January "we have been on a rocky road to the Better Ghana it promised in 2008".
He noted that nothing had been done in 2009 by the government to take advantage of the global financial crisis to strengthen the Ghanaian economy against future shocks.
Touching on the production sector, Mr. Nylander said government should extend the level of encouragement for local rice production to other sectors such as tomato, particularly in the face of the millions of dollars spent on importing tomato puree while there was a huge glut of tomato in the country annually.
"This is what the CPP expects, "he added.
Mr. Nylander said nothing new was presented in the budget to provide concrete expression to specific areas such as oil and gas, modern agriculture, private sector development, key infrastructure and Information, Communication and Technology development.
"Nothing new or different was presented to Parliament to give concrete expression to each of these priority spending areas in terms of ability to deliver on targets set in the budget," he said.
He noted that the budget had no sense of direction and had little about growth, adding that given the prospects of missing the 2009 GDP growth target of 5.9 per cent with an actual of about 4.7 per cent, it was difficult to determine how the 6.5 per cent GDP growth target for 2010 would be achieved.
"The reality is that the NDC Government is telling Ghanaians that the change we were promised, drastically improving the economic performance at the micro or human person level was just a promise," he said. 20 Nov. 09
Accra, Nov. 20, GNA - Government is determined to promote Information and Communication Technology (ICT) education nation-wide, Mr. Gideon Quarcoo, Deputy Minister of Communications said in Accra on Friday. He noted that the new world economic revolution required intensive and intelligent use of ICT that must not be limited to the urban centres but should be extended to the grassroots as well.
"ICT offers an opportunity to the nation to accelerate socio-economic development and global competitiveness through industrialisation, "he said. Mr. Quarcoo was addressing a seminar organised by the management of Unified Networks EMEA limited, dealers in wired and wireless Internet Protocol based infrastructure, solutions, products and services. It sought to explore key wireless and telecommunication advance required for rapid economic growth
The seminar was attended by about 200 ICT experts from the telecommunications industry and ICT providers. Mr. Quarcoo gave the assurance that government would continue with the implementation of projects under the Ghana ICT for Accelerated Development Policy (ICTADP) of 2004, the blue print for systematic drift to an ICT-led development in the country.
He explained that under the policy, government through the Ministry of Communications and Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communications (GIFEC) would provide the funding to roll out 238 Community Information Centres (CICs) throughout the country. Mr. Quarcoo said government was mapping out targets of ICT to build vibrant economy with assistance to e-Government, e-Commerce, e-Tourism and e-Health.
The 2009 World Bank Information and Communication for Development report on impact of broadband on growth in 120 countries from 1980 to 2006 indicates 10 per cent broadband penetration in both developed and developing countries.
While this resulted in 1.21 per cent increase in the per capita Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth in developed countries, developing countries recorded 1.38 per cent increase.
Accra, Nov. 20, GNA - Mr. Edward Ameyibor, General Secretary of National Pensioners Association, on Friday asked pensioners to lead exemplary lives worthy of emulation as senior citizens. He advised them to refrain from smoking, alcoholism and other social vices which worsen their plight and hasten their death. Mr. Ameyibor made the call when addressing the National Executive Council Meeting of the association in Accra.
He explained that the meeting formed part of the annual meeting of the association with the Management of the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT).
Mr. Ameyibor expressed appreciation to the management of SSNIT for fulfilling its promise to build a recreational centre for the association five years ago to ease the tension of pensioners.
Mr. Kwasi Boatin, Director General of SSNIT, said management was aware of the plight of pensioners and would endeavour to tackle them especially the payment of their arrears. He announced that management was negotiating with the management of MTN to transfer their monthly payments through Mobile Money Service at home to ease the problems at the banks. Mr Gideon Osei-Amoako, Operations Manager of MTN who educated the pensioners on the service, said it would be beneficial to them. He said management was in partnership with nine banks to operate the service and urge pensioners to take advantage of it subscribe for easy transfer of money to their family members. 20 Nov. 09
Tema, Nov 20, GNA-The West African Gas Pipeline Company (WAGPCo) is set to deliver enough gas to the Volta River Authority (VRA), to power its 110 megawatt turbines as a compressor station in Lagos is due for operation in the first quarter of next year,
Mr. Kack Derickson, Managing Director (MD) of WAGPCo, who disclosed this at a Stakeholders' Forum in Tema on Friday said, additionally, the company's customers in Benin and Togo would receive gas supply regularly. The forum, attended by representatives of the company's stakeholders and its partners in Ghana, Nigeria, Benin and Togo, was aimed updating participants on its company's activities.
Mr. Derickson said it was gratifying that the company had come this far because of the tremendous support from governments in the four countries, as well as from its stakeholders who continue to lend their support. He said as an international company that upheld best practices in its operations, WAGPCo "is guided and guarded by internationally accepted norms, rules and regulations."
"Our activities are regulated by the various regulatory institutions in the various countries, and we strictly adhere to these rules and regulations, working closely with the various regulatory institutions to ensure that we operate in a manner that is environmentally safe," the MD emphasized.
He said under its Community Development Programme, WAGPCo had provided health, education and sanitation facilities to a number of communities to the tune of 850,000 Ghana Cedis. Mr. Derickson gave the assurance that the company would continue to uphold its commitment to conduct business in a socially responsible manner, to observe the laws of the countries, and give high regard to health, safety and the environment.
He said WAGPCo would continue to dialogue with its partners and stakeholders in order to fulfill its obligation to execute its mission efficiently, effectively and profitably. "We re-affirm our determination to operate a safe pipeline system and establish long-term partnerships with our numerous host communities, stakeholders, partners, workforce, employees and contractors." Mr. Robert Kempes Pap Nii Ofosuware, Tema Metropolitan Chief Executive, charged other corporate entities within the metropolis to follow WAGPCo's exemplary steps in ensuring that the communities in which they operated benefited from their activities. There were presentations on Pipeline Safety and Emergency Response; Offshore Pipeline Security; Community Relations; Overview of Natural Gas and Project Update, at the forum. 20 Nov 09
President John Evans Atta Mills is still lacking the will required to make use of the many platform promises he made in the run-up to the 2008 elections.
After failing rather woefully to 'reduce petrol drastically', as his popular platform refrain suggested, the President is reneging on yet another campaign promise of ensuring that all members of his government declare their assets immediately they were sworn into office.
After more than 11 months into the Mills administration, The Ghanaian Journal.com has it on authority that some members of his government are not too keen to declare, despite his stern warning in January this year to his ministers to declare their assets in 6 months.
Information available to The Ghanaian Journal.com show that as at June this year, only 35 officials out of a number of more than 80 have declared their assets. Latest checks however suggest that the number has remained the same for well over 5 months.
The apparent inaction of the Auditor General, the paper found, might have contributed to the passive response from the officials and other government appointees.
Earlier this year, the Auditor General posited as if he has enough muscle to compel government appointees to declare their assets; but events have proved that perhaps he and the government appointees all prefer the status quo to remain.
The Ghanaian Journal.com further discovered that the inaction of officialdom on the issue primarily stem from the fact that Parliamentarians, most of who are Ministers of State, are not so keen in passing amendments to the Assets Declaration regime.
Although many civil society organizations had proposed changes to the Assets Declaration Law through the Auditor General, when the proposed amendments were sent by the Auditor General to the Parliamentary Select Committee in charge of Legal and Constitutional matters, it was returned to the civil society organizations to review the recommendations.
If those amendments were considered, it would have afforded the Auditor General, the right to verify the contents and public disclosures of assets declared by a public official. These were corroborated by an official of the Ghana Integrity Initiative, Mr. Vitus Azeem and Mr. Theophilus Cudjoe, a former Executive Secretary of the Serious Fraud Office at the launch of this year’s Corruption Perception Index (CPI) in Accra last Tuesday.
According to two officials, the inability of Parliament to deal with the issue meant that check and the fight against corruption were going to be extremely difficult for the current government and even successive ones if the current regime were to be maintained.
Mr. Azeem also questioned the rational behind the special sponsorship package to some 400 Muslims to this year’s Hajj and said it was a matter of public interest and therefore the people who picked up issues with government on the subject did the right thing.
According to him, it was necessary for the public to question the basis of the government support to the 400 Muslims in order to establish whether funds expended were sanctioned by Parliament.
“Questioning it is not a matter of religious intolerance because it was vital for Accountability,†Mr. Azeem stressed.
As from next summer, Fordham University will start teaching Twi at the university’s department of African and African-American Studies.
The motivation, according to the chairman of the department Professor Mark Naison is as a result of the growing number people who transact business in the Bronx using Twi as the
medium of communication."It is amazing to see people communicating in Twi, not thousand; but tens of thousands. The churches ,African shops, African Restaurants and Food Joints just name them"
Fordham University is taking the lead in this area due to its location and will be the only University in the New York to offer Twi .All is set for the Twi class to take-off during the summer section one class of 2010.Mr.Kojo Ampah Sahara, a Ghanaian studying at the RoseHill campus of Fordham University where the program will be held and leader of the African Cultural Exchange an umbrella organization that promotes African culture and values hinted that the course will be handled by a seasoned Ghanaian professor based in Connecticut ,Ben Hayford. Twi specifically Ashanti Twi is a language spoken by about 10 million people in Ghana (West Africa).It is one of the three (3) mutually intelligible dialect of the Akan language, the others being Akuapim Twi and Fante which belong to the Kwa language family. Kwa means a group of African language in the Niger-Congo group spoken from Ivory coast to Nigeria.
In Ghana, Twi is spoken in the Ashanti Region, parts of the Eastern, Western, Central, Volta and BrongAhafo Regions .The University is proud to undertake this enterprise as it will help teachers, social workers and others who will be working in the Bronx communities where Twi is spoken.
It is expected that students from other Universities in New York who are interested can be part of the course which will begin with 40 students. Once again Ghana will be in the spotlight as the course will also look at the various cultural practices of the Akans.
GHANA'S ECONOMY SHRUNK BY $2BN IN 2009 - DANQUAH INSTITUTE REVEALS
The policy think tank, Danquah Institute, has revealed that Ghana's economy shrunk by nearly US$2 billion this year. The first time this has happened in dollar terms since 2000.
In its preliminary comments on the 2010 budget read by the Minister of Finance last Wednesday, DI comments that "based on Government's own projection of a Gross Domestic Product figure of Gh¢21 billion, in dollar terms, Ghana's GDP would be 12.27% lower in 2009 than it was in 2008. Using the prevailing rate of 1$ to Gh¢1.45, this values the Ghanaian economy of 2009 at US$14.6 billion, about $1.8 billion lower than 2008, when the GDP was valued at US$16.4 billion."
According to the Executive Director of the liberal think tank, Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko, "for nearly a decade, Ghana's economy witnessed significant consistent nominal growth in both cedi and dollar terms. What we are witnessing this year is a worrying departure from that trend to a reversal of the situation that prevailed before 2001. It makes it difficult to fully appreciate whether indeed our economy actually grew last year or shrunk, as it is shown in dollar terms, even though the economy might have grown in real terms by 4.7% (per GSS figure) or 6.3% as targeted by Government."
A table prepared by the Danquah Institute illustrates the point that from 1999 to 2000, while Ghana's GDP grew by 4.4% and 3.7% respectively, with the cedi fast depreciating against all major currencies at the time, in dollar terms, using even the end of year exchange rate, Ghana's economy shrunk from US$7.7 billion in 1999 to US$4.9 billion in 2000. Helped by a relatively stable cedi, Ghana's GDP began enjoying a consistent growth in dollar terms from US$5.3 billion in 2001 to US$15.2 billion in 2007, before the 30-year record growth rate in 2008.
Real GDP is inflation adjusted GDP, when inflation is taken away from GDP.
The think tank is also worried that Government is continuing to play politics on petroleum by saying it is reviewing the impact of the 5% reduction it made on petroleum levies last year. "There can no clearer indication of impact than the fact that revenue from petroleum taxes are already 32.3% lower this year than the September target of Gh¢320 million," the head of DI notes.
As predicted by the Danquah Institute, Government is to restore duties on imported rice, wheat, yellow maize and vegetable oil that were removed in 2008 during the global food crisis.
But, head of the liberal think tank is not persuaded by the explanation given by Dr Kwabena Duffuor that the decision "is to encourage local production."
Mr Otchere-Darko argues, "To say so is to attribute uncompetitive local production to the removal of the duties last year. But, how competitive were our rice producers before 2008? Government has to do better than that. It should either admit this reversal policy as a mere revenue-making measure or show us the aligned extra incentives it has in mind to boost local production."
Government themed the 2010 budget as a budget for "Growth and Stability", which it says puts it firmly on course to create a "Better Ghana" for growth, equity and sustainable development for all.
But, DI is not convinced. "It rather confirms the perception that the Mills of a Better Ghana are grinding all too slowly."
Quoting figures to illustrate his point, Mr Otchere-Darko says, most of Government's targets for 2009, however modest they were, could neither be met nor projected to be met.
"So far, total revenue and grants are 3.5% below target; domestic revenue is 11.3% below target; import revenue is 4.6% lower than anticipated; international trade taxes are 16.3% lower than target; NHIL is 15.5% lower on target; receipts on non-tax revenue are also lower. Domestic VAT is now projected to be 15.2% lower than budget target, and grants and loans targets are also projected to be missed."
In his view, there is no guarantee that the situation will change for the better next year. "Excuses of huge fiscal deficit still do not explain why and how modest targets set for 2009 because of the known size of the inherited fiscal deficit could not even be met."
Total budget for the MDAs for 2010 is a mere 1.9 percentage points higher than what it was in 2009. "What is obvious in the figures is a series of shifting prioritisation. For instance the Ministry of Health will see its spending for 2010 being 21.2% lower than that of 2009; while the Ministry of Tourism and Diasporan Relations will enjoy a 106.5% increase."
Total expenditure is estimated to go up by 22.8% next year. But, with this year's spending programmes enduring a 12 percent shortfall, it is difficult to predict how this increase will be met and how its real value will affected by inflation and exchange rate movements, in spite of Government targeting an annual average inflation rate of 10.5%.
"This government has, unfortunately, continued with the old NDC habit of setting targets and missing them with impunity. It's end-of-year inflation target was revised from 12.5% to 14.5% and now it is telling us that 'good harvest and continuation of Government's tight fiscal stance is expected to reduce the inflation rate to below the upper boundary of 17.5% by December 2009.' This is a clear admission of a target practice gone wrong," says Mr Otchere-Darko.
The Danquah Institute has also criticised the lack of details in both cuts and spending.
"For example, which 20 percent of tax exemptions are going to be sacrificed? Which selected commodities are to see a shift from specific to ad-valorem excise duties? Which rates, fees and user charges are to be revised upwards? All these details must be before the House before Parliament can vote on the Budget Statement and Economic Policy for 2010," Mr Otchere-Darko states.
The think tank says the only two areas where Government appears to have hit its target in 2009 were Agriculture and fiscal deficit. The growth target for Agriculture was 5.7%, but Government is on course to hit 6.2%. Targets for both Industry and Service would not be met. Industry's growth target was 5.9% but likely to hit 3.8%; Service was 6.6% but not likely to go beyond 4.6%.
Di points out that Government had predicted construction growing by 8%, yet it was the worst performed area in 2009, registering -1% growth, followed by hotels and restaurants, registering a mere 2%.
"These areas with the lowest performance this year are the very areas with the capacity to create hundreds of thousands of jobs, both directly and otherwise," Mr Otchere-Darko notes.
He argues that the positive performance of Agriculture "actually supports those who argued that our government of Social Democrats should have followed the global recovery trend and go the Keynesian highway of investing heavily and wisely to stimulate economic growth."
Danquah Institute has, however, commended the government for the bold initiative to increase the minimum mineral royalties to 6%. "What is required, as we suggested on Sunday, is a whole new look at the fiscal regime of the mining sector," Mr Otchere-Darko stresses.
GOV’T Demonstrates commitment to fighting poverty PRESENTS BUDGET OF HOPE
By Osumanu Al-Hassan
Government will in the next three years provide permanent buildings for schools currently operating under trees and also expand facilities in schools still running the shift system. In line with this initiative, provision has been made to construct and furnish 165 school buildings to accommodate primary and junior high schools and 250 structures for kindergartens.
The initiative is linked to job creation in the deprived communities where the under trees schools are found with construction localized and undertaken by the communities themselves.
This was contained in the 2010 Budget Statement and Economic policy of Government for the 2010 fiscal year and delivered by the Minster for Finance and Economic Planning, Hon. Kwabena Duffuor to Parliament yesterday.
According to him, the initiative will provide about 14,700 jobs for masons, carpenters and other artisans while providing better school facilities to some 45,000 pupils.
Mr. Duffuor noted that investment in people essentially refers to investment in education and health and stressed that education is fundamental in any society. He stated that any institutional arrangement for basic education should be judged by its production of high quality learning and equitable distribution. He disclosed that there are 43 Kindergarten Schools, 382 primary Schools and 99 Junior High Schools in the country that are still running shift systems and added, €œIt is unacceptable that kids are studying under trees in 21st Century Ghana. Effective solution to the education problems requires more resources to be directed to the sector and to learn effectively, children need affordable access to decent classroom and laboratories, learner and teacher support materials, and quality instruction.€
Government, he said, recognizes the need for quality education for all children irrespective of where they reside and in fulfilment of the President’s pledge, modalities for rewarding teachers who accept posting to deprived areas are being worked out for implementation in the year 2010.
Dr. Duffuor mentioned that in the health sector, government will focus on scaling up all existing interventions to improve access to health, particularly the Community Based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) Compound Program and added that to this end, the CHPS Compound Program will be expanded by constructing additional 29 compounds to give access to health services for about 14,500 people.
In the area of poverty reduction, he mentioned that an estimated amount of GH¢2.3billion will go to support basic education, primary healthcare, poverty-focused agriculture, provision of rural water, construction of feeder roads and rural electrification. €œAn amount of GH¢25.9 million has also been provided to support electricity consumption by poor households, popularly known as the Electricity Lifeline Payments. For safety net programs, GH¢41.5 million has been provided by the Government from the Consolidated Fund,€ he disclosed.
He stated that in fulfilment of a commitment in the NDC manifesto to adopt special measures that will accelerate the pace of development of most deprived areas and narrow the development gap between these areas and the rest of the country, government will expand the geographical coverage of the Northern Development Fund to include the entire Northern Savannah and also set up an authority to coordinate and facilitate the implementation of a comprehensive development framework for the Northern Savannah.
In the area of agriculture, the Minister said Government’s strategy for the sector is premised on the knowledge that agriculture has significant potential to grow beyond the levels experienced in recent years; that the high agriculture growth can only materialize through modernization and diversification, driven by public investment and productivity; and that modernizing agriculture can change the face of rural Ghana and poverty.
The overall objective of the agriculture modernization, he said, is to significantly increase the scale of production and productivity, enhance food security, create employment opportunities, and cut down on the use of foreign exchange for food imports.
He assured that Government will continue to import subsidized fertilizers to enable farmers improve upon their yields, adding that, €œThe agricultural sector’s modernization and diversification commenced last year and will continue in 2010 and the medium term. We will intensify the promotion of crops, such as mango, pineapples, cashew, sheanuts, and soya beans through large-scale commercial farming.€
source:daily Democrat
Accra, Nov. 20, GNA - The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) on Friday cut the prime rate by 50 basis points from 18.5 per cent to 18 per cent. The move was motivated by signs of stabilisation in prices and strong performance of the cedi against major trading currencies. "The monetary and fiscal policy framework is working and gradually placing the economy back on a path of disinflation," Mr. Kwesi B. Amissah-Arthur, Chairman of MPC, told a press conference after a meeting in Accra.
"There are signs of stabilisation in prices and the foreign exchange market. Inflation is trending downwards and consumer price inflation has recorded four consecutive declines while core inflation is also on the decline," he said.
The MPC reviewed the macro-economic situation against the background of developments in the global economy, assessment of the pace of domestic economic growth, the execution of the 2009 Budget and the outlook for inflation.
Mr. Amissah-Arthur, who is also Governor of the Central Bank, said indications were that inflation would continue to ease and fall within the upper part of the target range of 14.5 per cent to 17.5 per cent by the end of December 2009.
"Looking ahead, inflation is likely to return to the target range of seven to 11 per cent by the end of December, 2010,"he said. Mr. Amissah-Arthur said while policies were working to enhance the disinflation process and bring inflation within the target range over the medium term, there was the need to complement the process by stemming the slowdown in output growth appropriately positioning the policy rate. The Bank of Ghana Composite Index of Economic Activity suggests further slowdown in the growth of output in the economy.
This is supported by the slowdown in credit to the private sector, tightness in bank credit conditions and reflected in lower domestic Value Added Tax collections. 20 Nov. 09
Accra, Nov. 20, GNA - The Prudential Bank Limited (PB), in partnership with MoneyGram International, a global payment system provider, has launched money transfer service to offer customers the convenience to receive money from relatives abroad. The service would operate through all its branches and sales outlets in the country.
Mr Joseph Okine Afrane, Deputy Managing Director in-charge of Finance and Credit
Administration at PB who launched the facility on Friday in Accra said it was in line with the
bank's strategy to bring convenience in banking to its customers. Mr Afrane said the bank appreciated the relationship between it and customers and would
continue to roll out packages to satisfy their range of needs. He called on customers to take advantage of the facility and enjoy the convenience and fast
money transfer service platform that the bank was offering them. Ms Grace Osei-Bonsu, Head, Retail Marketing Department of PB said the bank would soon
embark on an expansion drive to establish more branches to cover parts of the country it
currently was not available. He said the bank's 22 branches and two sales outlets were strategically located to serve the
needs of macro, micro and small and medium enterprises, adding that at PB "no business is too
big or too small". Ms Funmi Omitowoju, Anglophone West Africa Regional Director of MoneyGram
International said the company was happy to sign on the PB to its growing list of providers. Ms Omitowoju said MoneyGram was convinced that the PB, which had innovation as its
hallmark, would operate the facility with similar value to serve the needs of customers. 20 Nov. 09
A monitoring report on "Media Reportage of Corruption" has found that the Ghanaian media is replete with too many "he said" or straight news reports from workshops, speech events and pronouncements by prominent individuals rather than investigative pieces. It said even though the sheer volumes of corruption related stories published within the period of study indicated that the incident was a relevant issue to the Ghanaian media, the placement of the stories which, were mostly on the inside pages, did not give them much prominence that ought to have been given them.
The report was released at a dissemination workshop by the Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition (GACC) in Accra on Wednesday. It was the outcome of a research commissioned by the GACC into the media reportage of issues of corruption, transparency and accountability from February to September this year.
The research, conducted for the GACC by Dr Audrey Gadzekpo, Director of School of Communication Studies, University of Ghana, was to assess and review the role of the media in the fight against corruption as well as create a database of media reportage on corruption and anti-corruption crusade to serve as a basis for better engagement with and training for the media.
A total of 607 stories representing an average of 76 stories per month that constituted the subject matter were gathered for the study, which involved a sample of seven state and privately-owned newspapers and three online radio stations.
The report showed that straight news reportage took 86 per cent of the stories, 6.6 per cent for editorial opinions, 5.6 per cent for investigative reports, 2 per cent for follow-ups, 1 per cent for interviews and 2 per cent for others.
It said corruption-related themes covered by the reports included allegations of corruption against politicians, local government, the judiciary and law-enforcement bodies and calls for probes by government among others.
The report said while public officials and politicians dominated as sources, many of the stories were one-source and lacked any investigative depth or analysis.
It said many of the stories only made passing reference to corruption or lack of transparency or accountability without further dilation.
"A lot of them reflected mere sloganeering on the issue rather than any substantive investigations on the issue by journalists and action on the part of officialdom."
In terms of quality of stories, the report said that the level of competence in terms of coverage was generally low adding that this indicated that journalists were not proactive in their approach to covering the issue and were susceptible to manipulation by political and other interests. It said the civil society received modest coverage and limited exposure as sources and subjects to seek corruption-related information. The report identified weak capacity and political partisanship as some of the causes of one-sided coverage by journalists.
It called on journalists, editors and media owners to resist pressures to report only on what was beneficial to political and private interests. The report said journalists, editors and media owners must maintain editorial independence and assert their right to take editorial decisions according to conscience and codes of conduct and avoid selectivity in exposing corruption in public life.
It also called for capacity building through training for media workers as well as addressing of resource constraints to enable journalists to do more investigative reports.
Mrs Florence Dennis, Executive Secretary of GACC, said the Coalition would by close of the year organize two training programmes to equip journalists with the requisite skills on corruption reporting to enhance the fight against the canker.
Mr Kabral Blay Amihere, former President of the Ghana Journalists Association, called on journalists to do more investigative and exclusive reports to earn them recognition in society.
Takoradi, Nov. 19, GNA - Ms Betty Bosomtwi-Sam, the Western Regional Deputy Minister, on Wednesday called on the Ghana Police Service and its allied security agencies to step up effort in the fight against human trafficking.
She said the Service must introduce anti-trafficking mechanisms and increase public awareness on the menace.
Ms Bosomtwi-Sam said this at the inauguration of the Western Regional Anti-Human Trafficking Unit of the Ghana Police Service under the theme: 'Don't Close Your Eyes to Human Trafficking' at Takoradi. The programme, a collaborative effort between the Police and UNICEF, was deemed timely in the region because of the oil find which was attracting all shades of people from different walks of life.
She observed that human trafficking had become a lucrative industry and was regarded as third most profitable illegal activity aside drugs and arms adding that the majority of trafficking was done in networks and by large criminal organisation.
Ms Bosomtwi-Sam noted how vulnerable and powerless the trafficked children were adding "They often come from poorer areas where opportunities are limited".
She lauded the passage of the anti-human trafficking legislation and said the law enforcement agencies would be given the needed training to tackle human trafficking. Policies aimed at rooting out corruption and organized crime, she said, would also be promoted. DCOP Mohammed Hamidu, Regional Police Commander noted that law enforcement should be a shared responsibility between security agencies and the public.
Deputy Commissioner of Police, Mr Frank Adu-Poku, Director General of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), said Ghana currently is plagued with all the three illicit trade, namely drug, arms and human trafficking. He said this was unfortunate and undermined the security of this country as human trafficking robbed children, women and other victims of their dignity, future and sometimes their lives. According to him, many people did not know the full implication of human trafficking and therefore sensitizing the public was very important. 19 Nov. 09
WA, Nov. 19, GNA - The Wa Municipality recorded a drop in HIV prevalence rate from 5.8 per cent to 2.0 per cent, a sentinel survey report from the Ministry of Health has indicated.
The report showed that since the inception of the national HIV strategic framework II in January 2006, the disease prevalence rate in the Municipality has improved. This was made known at a day's refresher course organised by the Wa Municipal Anti HIV Committee for 50 coordinators of the School Health Programme (SHEP) drawn from Junior High Schools in the Municipality.
The workshop, apart from updating the participants on current strategies in fighting the HIV/AIDS pandemic, was also aimed at encouraging teachers to continue to educate students on the disease.
Mr Michael Bayel, Wa Municipal Monitoring and evaluation Focal Person on HIV/AIDS, attributed
the drastic decline to increased awareness creation programmes by Non Governmental Organisations in the Municipality.
The Society for Women and AIDS in Africa (SWAA) engaged by the Ghana AIDS Commission and the Wa Municipal Assembly to undertake HIV programmes also contracted Sunbawiera Foundation and Youth Alive, both local NGOs, to help in fighting the disease.
He said although the Ministries of Health and Agriculture and the Ghana Education Service never reported their activities to the Assembly, they nevertheless, also helped a great deal to reduce the prevalence of the disease in the Municipality.
Mr Duogu Yakubu, Wa Municipal Chief Executive said bad attitudes and behaviours contributed significantly to the present HIV situation in the country and advised the youth to be sensitive to good moral values.
Joe Baidoe-Ansah, Member of Parliament for Effia-Kwesimintim and former Minister for Trade and Industry in the Kufuor administration has been ordered to appear in an Accra Fast Track High Court today to testify against his colleague former Minister for Foreign Affairs, Akwasi Osei-Adjei and to provide evidence that would assist his prosecution.
The Government of Ghana has in the same vein fired a confidential letter to the Indian Government requesting assistance to help throw the hangman’s noose on Osei-Adjei’s neck in court.
According to the Ghana Government, the request to India “falls under the provisions of the Scheme Relating to Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters within the Commonwealth.”
The Effia-Kwesimintim MP has also been ordered to provide some documents that would facilitate the prosecution of Osei-Adjei and was due to have attended a pre-trial conference with the Attorney-General’s Department last Tuesday as a prelude to today’s court hearing.
Mr Baidoe-Ansah served as Minister for Trade and Industry while Osei-Adjei served as Foreign Minister under the John Kufuor-led Administration.
The Atta Mills led-Government has dragged Osei-Adjei to court over his role in an “economic diplomacy” the Government of Ghana played to get the Government of India lift a ban the country had placed on the exportation of food so as to allow Ghana import some $10,000million worth of rice from the country.
The Ghana Government has charged the former Foreign Minister with five criminal charges of stealing, causing financial loss to the state, abuse of public office, conspiracy to commit crime, and contravention of the public procurement act.
DAILY GUIDE gathered that the Ministry of Justice and Attorney General’s Department had contacted Joe Baidoe-Ansah and invited him to testify in court today against his former colleague Minister and also requested him to provide evidence in the form of documents that would assist the A-G win the case.
The Financial Division of the Fast Track High Court, handling the matter, has upon the request of the Attorney-General’s Department subpoenaed Baidoe-Ansah over the same matter and ordered him to appear in court today to give the said evidence and produce the needed document.
Already, the government of Ghana is selling the imported rice, and Osei-Adjei has been in and out of court several times with the Attorney General over his involvement in the purchase of the said rice and also over the decision of the Bureau of National Investigation (BNI) to seize his travelling passport.
An excerpt of the confidential letter written to the Indian Government stated, “The Attorney General requests the assistance of the Attorney General of India in providing but not limited to documents, records and testimony about the above investigations listed above, the subjects and business and identified in support of the criminal investigation.”
Manso-Watreso (Ash.), Nov. 19, GNA - The United Nations (UN) Millennium Villages Project (MVP) at Bonsaaso in the Amansie West District has been provided with a 3.5G mobile communication infrastructure to boost internet access.
This was jointly launched by ZAIN, a global telecommunication giant and Ericsson, cell phone handset manufacturer.
Mr Haruna Iddrisu, the Communications Minister, praised the two companies for the initiative to enhance internet connectivity in rural communities.
The MVP seeks to work with the poor in partnership with governments and other committed stakeholders, providing affordable science-based solutions to problems.
Mr Iddrisu spoke of the government's determination to ensure that all the districts are connected to the internet to promote Information Communication Technology (ICT)-led development.
Ericsson and Zain had earlier in the year donated handsets, SIM cards and fixed wireless terminals to schools, health facilities and learning centres in the Bonsaaso Villages Cluster, which is made up of 30 communities.
Mr Philip Sowah, Zain's Country Manager, said this was their contribution to the nation's efforts at halving poverty by 2015.
He said they appreciated the Villages Project as good example of how the private sector could work with governments and aid agencies to achieve the common goal of ending extreme poverty in Africa.
His Company would therefore continue to support the Bonsaaso Cluster. The Vice President of Ericsson, Mr Lars Linden, said education was the single most powerful tool to help Africa climb out of poverty. Mr Samuel Asare Afram, the Cluster Manager, said they were grate= ful for the support.
Independent oil and gas producer Anadarko Petroleum Corp. (APC) said Wednesday that the Jubilee oil discovery offshore Ghana is economic at $25 a barrel.
Speaking in a presentation to analysts, Anadarko's senior vice president for exploration, Bob Daniels, said the work in the field is "on time and on budget."
Anadarko said Jubilee remains on schedule to start production in the fourth quarter of 2010. The company owns a sizable stake in Jubilee, a discovery that is estimated to hold 1.8 billion barrels of oil. Exxon Mobil is vying for the stake of one of Anadarko's partners in the field, Kosmos Energy, in a deal that could be worth $4 billion.
Since independence it has been part of every government’s policy to explore Ghana’s hydrocarbon deposits.
Historically, exploration for oil and gas reserves in Ghana had been very limited due to the high risk nature of its terrain and low oil price environment in 2004 when the Kosmos /E.O group made initial contact with GNPC.
Between 1898 to the late nineties an estimated hundred exploration wells had been drilled in Ghana with no significant discovery except for the Saltpond oil find in 1970.
Our expert opinion on the recent oil discovery in Ghana is that it should be seen as a blessing that should serve as a catalyst to drive investment to the country.
It is imperative that we give credit to Ghanaians who have at various times facilitated the inflow of investors into Ghana.
It is an established historical fact that the US diasporans have been trail blazers of solid investment to Ghana. Tribute should be paid to Mr.Ken Ofori- Atta who established the Ghana stock exchange (Databank) in Ghana. Dr. Manny Tuffour who established the Aniwaa Hospital at a location near Kumasi, Mr. Kofi Amoah who brought Western Union to Ghana and many others in various professional disciplines.
Credit also goes to Mr.Tsatsu Tsikata, former Chief Executive of GNPC, Mr.Sekyere Abankwah, Mr. Moses Boateng and the exploration team led by Nana Boakye Asafu-Adjaye and supported by the Mr.Thomas Manu for their untiring efforts in promoting Ghana’s hydrocarbon potential overseas in the past.
In recent times some noble Ghanaian professionals who have a clear and documented track record of Humanitarian assistance to Ghana dating back to the nineties during President Rawlings era are being placed under the political radar for their roles in facilitating investment in the oil sector. Their honorable reputation is being ripped apart when factual and verifiable information is available.
Here are some facts gathered from our expert investigations into the activities of E.O Group. The E.O group is wholly owned by two Ghanaians being Mr. George Yaw Owusu and Dr. Kwame Bawuah -Edusei.
Dr. Kwame Bawuah- Edusei is a physician trained in Ghana and specialized in Family Medicine in The US. He is a known community leader who worked as a private physician partner in various medical clinics until he opened his own in Alexandria, Virginia. In 1994 he took a medical team to Ghana to work in deprived areas and small villages around the Volta Lake, Buduburam refugee camp, Nima in Accra , Akwatia Zongo and other places.
Dr.Kwame Bawuah- Edusei later initiated medical missions to the Northern parts of Ghana as a follow up.
George Owusu on the other hand is a trained Environmental scientist and worked in the energy industry for about twenty years and rose to the rank of Commodity manager for Shell oil Company in the US. He was a known community leader in Houston, Texas at the time of his retirement.
It is on record that the E.O Group partners distributed ICT equipments, books, office furniture and others to various traditional bodies to the youth in Ghana in the late 1990.
Inspite of their humanitarian efforts the partners in 1999 embarked on a job creation venture to reduce poverty. Their first business venture was the formation of E-link Inc. in 1999 to use satellite technology to transfer data between West Africa and United States. The other partners in this venture were Mr. Kwabena Darko of Darko Farms and one Mr.Yaw Sarpong. The venture folded in 2001 due to some challenges.
Mr. George Yaw Owusu and Dr. Bawuah-Edusei regrouped to form the E.O group in 2002 to focus on the potential energy industry in Ghana.
The following companies had been to Ghana for exploration activities without success: NUEVO 1998, Dana 1999, Hunt oil 1999, Fusion oil and gas from Australia in 1999, Santa Fe, 2000. Unfortunately all the wells drilled by these companies yielded no viable commercial discoveries.
The oil industry worldwide therefore regarded Ghana as a place too risky and expensive and their petroleum agreements business unfriendly. It is against this background that the E.O Group sought to convince international oil companies to come to Ghana and overcome all the biases of Africa and invest in what had become known as the “grave yard”
In 2001 with the help of the Greater Houston Partnership, a major business group in Houston, Texas dedicated to the promotion of Business between Houston, Texas companies and the rest of the world,Mr. George Owusu organized a conference in Houston to enable Ghana’s energy experts from GNPC and the Energy ministry address the industry on the offshore hydrocarbon potentials in the Country. Many companies in Texas and the rest of the World attended the conference. The E.O Group facilitated a visit to Ghana by Vanco Energy.
As a result of the E.O groups interaction with industry experts in both Ghana and the USA they stepped up their effort to find a suitable partner for a prospecting lease with the Ghana National Petroleum Company (GNPC). The group was able to partner with Ennex Energy of Ireland who came to Ghana but Ennex gave up on the deal as they evaluated Ghana too risky to invest. The EO group solicited interest from many companies including Texaco, Oxy, Shell, Hess, Addax Petroleum of Switzerland and the Chinese oil company but they were all reluctant due to the risk.
Talking about risk, it costs one million dollars a day to drill an oil well. It can cost up to 80 million dollars to drill one oil well.
In December 2003,Mr. George Owusu came into contact with the Technical personnel of Kosmos Energy whose primary focus was to explore for high risk petroleum prospects in Africa. This group all previously of Triton Energy found oil in Equatorial Guinea in 1999.
The E.O group and Kosmos then formed a partnership to review data in Ghana and initiate the negotiation of a Petroleum Agreement. When in 2004 the Kosmos / E.O group submitted an application for the West Cape Three Points Block, two other companies being Africa Petroleum and Sahara Petroleum submitted their applications for the same block. GNPC after the necessary due diligence approved the application from the Kosmos/E.O Group. The Kosmos /E.O Group therefore won on merit particularly due to their proven track record, financial base and the caliber of experts behind them.
The E.O Group and Kosmos on the sidelines entered into private negotiations and E.O was entitled to 3.5% working interest. They could have asked for a higher percentage in accordance with industry practice. The 3.5% is a private arrangement with Kosmos Energy and not the Ghana Government.
The agreement between Kosmos / E.O Group and GNPC was in accordance with the Ghana Petroleum Law and was approved by the GNPC Board, the ministry of Energy, and upon approval by Cabinet was presented for ratification by Parliament in July 2004.
Neither of the partners of the E.O group, Dr. Kwame Bawuah-Edusei and Mr.George Yaw Owusu were party nor Government officials during these negotiations till approval in July 2004.
It took the Kosmos /EO Group three years from agreement signing in 2004 to oil find in the deep waters of Ghana in June 2007 which is now a record in Africa. It is also possibly one of the largest oil finds in the last decade offshore West Africa
All the four wells drilled by the Kosmos/E.O group encountered significant accumulation of hydrocarbons.
Later in 2006 Kosmos Energy added Anadarko Energy as partner to the WTCP block.
It is worth noting that after the negotiations and agreement was signed in July 2004 Dr. Kwame Bawuah-Edusei sacrificed and took an appointment as Ambassador to UN in Geneva, Switzerland/Austria in August 2004 and in September 2006 he was made Ambassador to the United States.
As a physician in the Diaspora it was a big pay cut. His duty tour ended on February 15, 2009. Within these five years the E.O group had been inactive and Mr. George Owusu had taken over the few affairs of the Group.
Dr. Kwame Bawuah-Edusei who a very respected and influential personality within the Ghanaian community has gone back to his medical practice in the Washington Metro Area. He has also moved back to the House he purchased about fourteen years ago where he lived before his appointment as Ambassador.
Our expect investigations have also revealed that Anadarko, one of the partners in the Jubilee field waited till oil discovery and requested a comprehensive review of Kosmos and the E.O group’s operations which both partners gave their maximum cooperation. The New Government in Ghana has also conducted their review which E.O Group has fully been cooperative. Prior to Dr.Kwame Bawuah-Edusei’s appointment he was in no doubt screened by Ghana, Swiss, Austria, United Nations and the United States security apparatus with a clean record. His tenure in the US was exemplary. The E.O Group has thus been transparent in all their activities.
Considering the undeniable facts in the midst of the political rumblings on the activities of the E.O group I believe the Government of Ghana should round it up and take a positive stance in ensuring that the Country would leap to a middle income status.
There is no need to politicize the good intentions of our honorable citizens because it makes it a disincentive to future investment prospects. Ghanaians living in the Diaspora have been involved in life saving events in Ghana and their efforts must be applauded.
Let us not crisscross corporate greed and misplaced politics to mar our God given potentials.
The E.O Group participation solidifies local content and must be lauded in our efforts to promote long and sustainable investment in Ghana.
Afrikan Post USA
Below is the Budget Statement and Economy Policy for the 2010 Fiscal Year. This budget was presented to Parliament by Dr. Kwabena Duffuor, Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, on the 18th of November 2009.
Budget 2010
Accra, Nov. 19, GNA - A report released by the Joint Monitoring Platform, a research organization, for 2008, indicates that only 11 per cent of Ghanaians have access to improved latrine.
Improved latrines are those that confine faeces safely, separate them from human contact and are not open to flies.
The report indicates that 51 per cent of Ghanaians use shared latrines or public toilets, which are usually not accepted as improved facilities. Addressing school pupils on Thursday during the celebration of this year's World Toilet Day in Accra, Mr. Elvis Afriyie-Ankrah, Deputy Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, condemned instances whereby landlords refused to provide toilets in their houses making tenants to resort to open defecation.
"This negative attitude of some landlords is what compels some tenants to shamelessly defecate at beaches, drains, bushes and other open places," he said.
Mr Afriyie-Ankrah said defecation, even though perceived to be a private matter, had now become a public health issue due to the complications associated with its improper disposal. He appealed to developers to provide hygienic toilets for their households and urged the media to research and disseminate information about special modes of toilets for adaptation and replication. Mr Afriyie-Ankrah expressed dissatisfaction with instances whereby public toilets, which were primarily built to cater for transient population, had now been taken over by communities due to lack of toilets facilities in their houses.
"Given the increasing pressure on these public facilities, the situation is such that they frequently become full, sometimes overflow and become very messy leading to their closure and thereby depriving the users of essential services."
Mrs Ellen Mensah, National Coordinator of School Health Education Programme, Ghana Education Service (GES), appealed to communities which were fond of using school toilets to put a stop to it since they deprived the pupils of these facilities and they also usually messed up their compounds. She said pupils were chosen for this year's celebration since they served as bridges between families, communities and their peers, Mrs Mensah said.
"We believe by celebrating this day with these little ones, they would be able to make an impact on their families and peers on the need to make good use of toilets and avoid indiscriminate defecation and also inculcate the habit of defecating at the right place," she said.
World Toilet Day was declared in 2001 by the World Toilet Organization of the United Nations to highlight the need for all households in the world to have access to hygienic toilets. The Day has been celebrated since. The deputy minister and his entourage used the opportunity to visit some public toilets at Nima in Accra to in order to acquaint themselves with the conditions of public toilets in the area and Ghana as a whole.
Juaso (Ash), Nov. 19, GNA - Kweku Ebenezer, a 32-year-old ex-convict, has been handed a 25-year jail term by the Juaso Circuit Court for having anal sex with his six-year old son at Banso in the Asante Akim South District .
Ebenezer, who is said to have been previously incarcerated on theft charges, stunned the packed court when he told the court that the victim was his son.
He pleaded guilty to two counts of defilement and threat of death. Police Detective Sergeant Daniel Ocran told the court presided over by Mr. S. K. Sarpong Appiah that Adwoa Anosiwa, the victim's mother, usually visited the son who lived with the convict following a break-up of their marriage.
On one of such visits on November 7, the mother met no one outside the house but heard the victim crying in the room.
When she entered the room, she found the victim in the full grip of the father having sex with him through the anus amid screams. The accused then threatened to kill the woman if she dared inform anyone but she reported the matter to the police who arrested the convict. 19 Nov 09
Mpasatia (Ash), Nov. 19, GNA - Four people on Thursday morning perished and 10 others suffered serious cuts and broken bones in a car crash on the Kumasi/Bibiani highway.
They were travelling from Kumasi to Sankore in the Brong-Ahafo Region. Three of the dead are women and their bodies had been deposited at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) mortuary. The injured are receiving treatment at the intensive care unit of the same hospital.
Police Sergeant Stephen Darko of the Nyinahin Police Station told the GNA that the driver ran the mini bus into the rear of a timber truck whilst overtaking an articulated vehicle and fell on its side. Police Sergeant Darko said the driver was being held in custody at the Nkawie Police Station and cautioned motorists against speeding to stop the carnage on the roads. 19 Nov 09
Accra, Nov. 19, GNA - Mr. Albert Kan Dapaah, Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament on Thursday called for the review of the criminal laws that would empower implementing agencies to mete out stiffer punishment to financial embezzlers.
"The laws should be able to make sufficient room for embezzlers and those who create loop-holes for the embezzlement of government public funds to be punished."
Mr. Dapaah made the call during his remarks at the end of a seven-day public hearing of the committee on the Auditor-General's Report. The sitting of the committee among other issues questioned public officials from the Departments and Agencies of the Ministries of Education, Health, Interior, Foreign Affairs, Tourism and Information. The Chairman also admonished heads of government institutions to seriously consider the Auditor General's report and provide adequate explanations to queries as such reports subsequently become official documents and could only be challenged in court.
He commended the Audit Service and Parliamentary Centre for making everything possible for the public hearings and expressed the hope that the revelations from the committee would scare other members of the public from engaging in financial misappropriation.
Mr. Dapaah appealed to supervisors of various organisations to step up their supervisory role to avoid leakages that cause financial loss to the country. "You will not be left out anytime they are punishing financial offenders since you create the opportunities for them," he warned. Mr. Enoch Teye Mensah, Member of the Committee blamed the high level of embezzlement of public funds to the placement of unqualified professionals in some government institutions. He expressed dissatisfaction at the lack of professional accountants in some important organisations that keep public funds, and called for the empowerment of the Internal Audit Service to bring sanity to such organisations.
Officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Tourism and the National Health Insurance Scheme Managers appeared before the committee to answer questions on various financial misappropriation brought against them by the Auditor-General. 19 Nov. 09