ISD News - Wednesday, October 27

GOVERNMENT WILL REGULATE SMALL-SCALE MINING

President Kufuor has announced that the government is fashioning out a new policy to rugulate the activities of small-scale mining operators (galamsey) to ensure that their operations are in conformity with the law.

The President, who made this known at a durbar of the chiefs and people of Nangode on Monday, said under the policy, small-scale mining operators would be made to pay taxes, abide by environmental regulations and would be given maximum protection by the state.

He said, the government would make efforts to direct local and foreign investors to explore the commercial viability of gold mining in the Nangode area.

The Chief of Nangode, Bagnaba Alex Pukpeog, expressed his gratitude and that of his people to the government for giving them their fair share of development projects.

President Kufuor, who is on a three-day official visit to the Upper East Region, addressed similar durbars at Zebilla, Bawku and Garu.

He also paid courtesy calls on the Bawku Naba, Asigri Abugrago Azoka II, and the Bolga Naba Martin Abilba.

NEW HEADS FOR PRISONS AND FIRE SERVICES

The President, in consultation with the Council of State, has appointed Mr. William Kwadwo Asiedu, as the Director General of Prisons.

The appointment of Mr. Asiedu, who was the Acting Director General of Prisons, took effect from October 1, 2004.

A release signed by the Minister of Interior, Mr. Hackman Owusu-Agyeman, said Mr. Aseidu, 48, joined the Ghana Prisons Service in 1981 as a Legal Officer.

In addition, the President has appointed Mr. Emmanuel Adugbire Atengah, as the Chief Fire Officer. His appointment, which is in accordance with the Ghana National Fire Service Act 1997 (Act 537), took effect from October 1, 2004.

A statement signed by the Minister of Interior said, Mr. Atengah had held a number of positions in the Ghana Fire Service.

GOVERNMENT TO UPGRADE TEACHER TRAINING COLLEGES

President Kufuor has reiterated his government?s determination to improve and upgrade all teacher training colleges in the country to ensure effective teaching and learning in such institutions.

The President, who gave the assurance at a grand durbar to mark the 80th anniversary of Wesley College in Kumasi, also gave the assurance that the NPP government would in no way discriminate in its quest to ensure that all children of school-going age in the country had access to quality basic education.

Concerning indiscipline, President Kufuor urged teachers to instill in their pupils the expected discipline in order for the country to have a high calibre of future generations who can move the country forward.

He lauded the high level of discipline among products of the Wesley College, and expressed the hope that they would extend the same intensity of discipline to the basic school level.

The Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church, Ghana, the Most Rev. Robert Aboagye Mensah, who chaired the function under the theme, ?the Trumpet Call?, called for a new breath of life to be infused into the teaching profession to revive it.

GUINNESS GHANA GETS AWARD

A member of an elite team of Guinness Master Brewers, Dr. Dan Donnelly, has awarded the Guinness Gold Standard Award to the Guinness brewing team at an impressive ceremony held at the Guinness plant at Kasse, Kumasi in the Ashanti Region.

The award reflects the higher levels of achievement attained by the Guinness brewing team, equaling consistently the vigorous standards of excellence in the Dublin brewery, the original home of Guinness.

Dr. Donnelly praised the team and remarked that it was a very skilled team of brewers, whose skills were comparable to what obtained anywhere in the world.

MOVE TO REPLACE INCANDESCENT LAMPS

The Deputy Minister of Environment and Science, Dr. Mathew Antwi, has disclosed that the government is holding talks with OSRAM, a German organization to undertake a national project on the use of compact fluorescent lamps to replace the less efficient incandescent lamps throughout the country.

Dr. Antwi, who disclosed this at a forum on climate change technology development and transfer in Kumasi, said the successful execution of the compact fluorescent lamp project would save the nation an amount of about $75 million as deferred electricity generation cost in three years.

He said, with the move, electricity consumers could also save as much as $12 million as a result of the reduction in electricity tariffs that would occur under the project.

WESTERN REGIONAL MINISTER RECEIVES US DELEGATION

The Western Regional Minister, Mr. Joseph Boahen Aidoo, has appealed to investors in the United States of America (USA) to assist Ghana in its oil exploration in the Tano Basin.

Mr. Aidoo made the appeal when a four-member US delegation led by Mr. Jerry Lanier, Deputy Chief of Mission of the US Embassy, paid a courtesy call on him at his residency in Sekondi.

He said, the country?s geographical position with respect to the Atlantic Ocean, would enable it to discover oil just as other countries within the sub-region have.

The Regional Minister said, the US military could assist the country in the construction of bailey bridges and the provision of infrastructure to facilitate trade and investment. Mr. Lanier said, the US embassy had established a commercial section to facilitate trade between her and the country and enhance private sector development.

He stressed that ghanaians received more entry and resident visas than any other african country.

He therefore, appealed to ghanaians to indicate the type of visa they required, when applying for them, adding that ?without the proper designation, many applicants are rejected?.

ELECTORAL COMMISSION CLEARS DR. MAHAMA

The Electoral Commission (EC) on Monday confirmed the nomination of Dr. Edward Mahama as the presidential candidate of the Grand Coalition for the December polls.

This follows his fullfilment of two of the requirements by the EC which he failed to meet last Thursday, October 21, 2004.

They are the submission of a personal tax clearance certificate of the presidential candidate and the nomination forms from the Northern Region signed by registered voters from each of the districts.

EUROPEAN UNION GIVES SUPPORT TO MINING SECTOR

The European Union (EU) has provided 40 million Euros under its Mining Sector Support Programme (MSSP) towards the improvement of the country?s mining industry.

The programme, which will become fully operational by next year, has commenced with the establishment of an implementation unit and the preparation of tenders and advertisement.

Mr. Wim Olthof, Charge d? Affaires of the EU Mission in Ghana, announced this at Obuasi, when a delegation of the Mission, led by Ambassador of the Netherlands to Ghana, visited the Obuasi mine.

Mr. Olthof said, the programme included the provision of information on mining regarding geological mapping and geo-physical survey for adequate information on underground mining.

Other members of the delegation included the ambassadors of Britain, Spain, Italy and Germany and Mr. Bob Hensen, Commercial Attach? of the Netherlands Embassy. Ms. Joyce Aryee, the Chief Executive Officer of the Chamber of Mines and Mr. Kwaku Akosah-Bempah, the Chief Financial Officer of AngloGold Ashanti, West Africa, accompanied the delegation.

POLITICAL BROADCASTS BEGIN NOVEMBER 1

Political broadcast on Ghana Televison and Radio Ghana will begin form Monday, November 1, 2004.

The exercise is under the auspices of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) and the National Media Commission (NMC) and in conjunction with the political parties.

Balloting to determine the order of appearance by the political parties took place yesterday, under the supervision of the Public Affairs Director of the Electoral Commission and witnessed by three observer groups made up of an ECOWAS delegation, the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD ? Ghana) and the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA).