GRi Press Review 04-10-99

Public Agenda

New fuel prices condemned
The Public Agenda reports that four main opposition parties have condemned last Thursday's fuel price increases, the fourth in four months, saying they place untold hardship on Ghanaians.
In a lead story, the paper says the New Patriotic Party (NPP), United Ghana Movement (UGM), People's National Convention (PNC) and Convention Party (CP), in separate interviews with the Public Agenda, denounced the increases.
Mr Albert Kan-Dapaah, Minority Spokesman on Mines and Energy, is reported as challenging the basis for the price increases, saying the benchmark for determining fuel prices in 1997 was $25 per barrel. He said during this period, the crude oil was about $24 per barrel and one U.S. dollar was equivalent to 2,350 cedis.
Then petrol was 778.89 cedis, diesel 729 and kerosene 493 cedis. The Public Agenda says Mr Kan-Dapaah noted that the prices of petroleum products in Ghana since then have only slightly decreased even though world crude oil prices over the period fell to as low as $9 a barrel and the dollar was 2,750 cedis.
According to him, the increase was unnecessary unless the government can show otherwise by making available the formula for determining prices. The UGM leader, Dr Wereko-Brobby, who is an energy expert, is also said to have contested the increase, saying it was "dastardly because it is too mysterious", while the PNC leader, Dr Edward Mahama, lamented the docility of Ghanaians, which he said makes them allow anything to be forced down their throats almost without a fight.
The paper says Mr Kwesi Pratt, a leading member of the CP, described the price hike as "insensitive" and said it was an indication of the government's inability to deal with economic and social problems confronting Ghana. GRi../

The Dispatch

The Civil Aviation contract...Ghana will now pay 55bnC more
In a screaming headline story on its front page, the Dispatch says its on-going investigations into the Kotoka International Airport Phase II project under the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), have revealed that Ghana will now pay, over the next four years, $20 million (55 million cedis) interest on the $74 million loan (about 204 million cedis).
According to the paper, there was what can be described as "direct conflict of interest" in the Sky Consult, a consulting company belonging to a member of the Board of Directors of GCAA, Mr Abu Millah, who is working on the project. The Dispatch says it also uncovered a high level of in-fighting among some of the companies that bidded for the project.
The paper says reports from some financial analysts indicate that the original funding attracted no interest but some of the bidders complained to their governments and this "threw a spanner" into the financial arrangements.
The funding, the Dispatch says, has now attracted a 5.3 per cent interest, running into about $20 million over the next four years. GRi../

The Daily Graphic

Set aside part of profits to fund education ? Director
The Director of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Dr Frank Young, has asked the private sector to set aside some percentage of their profits to assist in funding education in Ghana, reports the Daily Graphic in an inside page story.
The paper quotes Dr Young as saying that the numerous economic demands on the country do not make it possible for the government to fund education in its entirety, making it appropriate that all well-meaning Ghanaians support the government in its effort to ensure quality education.
The Graphic says Dr Young, who was the guest speaker at this year's Presidential Charity Ball fund-raising dinner/dance of the Rotary Club of Accra North at the weekend, explained that even in developed countries, funding of education is done by cost-sharing and asked the private sector and non-governmental organisations to accept the challenge and assist the government in this direction. GRi../