We're Right on GT - President Kufuor

PRESIDENT J. A. Kufuor yesterday broke his silence on the much talked-about sale of Ghana Telecom saying, "the government is confident that it is doing the right thing for the interest of Ghana."

People who are opposed to the 70 per cent sale of the company will come to appreciate what the government is doing when the scrutiny by Parliament of the sale and purchase agreement currently is over, he told the Trades Union Congress (TUC) in Kumasi yesterday.

President Kufuor was responding to an assertion by the acting TUC Secretary-General, Kofi Asamoah, that the agreement on the sale of Ghana Telecom to Vodafone of the UK, was unacceptable and the government should reconsider its decision for a broader public consultation on the matter.

"I am afraid that my brother Asamoah has not been well informed about the issue," the President stated when he stepped up to address the opening of the TUC’s quadrennial congress. He urged the TUC boss to listen to the workers of GT.

The congress, being held under the theme: "Social protection for all, a prerequisite for consolidating democratic governance — the role of Trades Unions".

Going back into history, President Kufuor said ‘Ghacem’ among others was equally a strategic state asset and stressed "do not let us allow ourselves to be moved by whatever motives we have and we should not be hypocritical."

He called on all and sundry to allow the matter to be dealt with by Parliament.

President Kufuor said in a spirit of partnership with the TUC, the government had not shied away from the suggestions and constructive criticisms of organised labour. It had taken them seriously and used such comments to refine many policies which had been enhancing the quality of dialogue within the Tripartite Committee, comprising the government, organised labour and employers, and helping in many ways to deepen the democratic process which began in 1992.

The President expressed concern about the labour inspectorate which he said must be more proactive and vigorous in the inspection of facilities and conditions at the work place for safety of the workforce which is part of the human rights of workers.

He said the government would take the necessary steps to equip the labour inspectorate department to be alive to its responsibilities.

President Kufuor said the aim of government is to achieve a living wage which, is dependent on high productivity. "While we are yet to attain this precondition, we should remind ourselves that, at the end of 2000 the national daily minimum wage was GH¢30 which meant a monthly wage of GH¢11.34, but today, the minimum wage stands at GH¢2.25 or monthly wage of GH¢60.75, representing an increase of 750 per cent over the period."

He expressed worry that "we seem not to appreciate how far we have come, but we will all do well to remember that the current minimum wage could buy more of any basic necessities such as gari, local rice, cassava, "koobi", Charlie wote (sandals), mobile airtime per minute on GT and muni-bus fare from Accra to Kumasi."

Touching on pension schemes, he said, it was one major concern which had engaged the government’s attention, adding that under the T.A. Bediako Commission steps had been taken to consolidate the different pension schemes operating in the country.

Another area of concern the President addressed was the private sector which he noted although generated 80-90 per cent of jobs, lacked access to capital. He said assistance in the form of credits of various kinds, including the Venture capital , the micro-finance and Small Loans Scheme (MASLOC), had been targeted at them.

So far, he said, the government had spent GH¢37 million on MASLOC alone and over 133,000 individuals had benefited from the scheme nationwide, since its inception two years ago. He added that the plan was to serve another butch of 39,000 people this year for which GH¢22.6 million had been earmarked.

He expressed satisfaction that the National Health Insurance Scheme had to date registered over 11 million subscribers, representing more than 55 per cent of the population.

The President also spoke about the December election and noted that Ghana had become the benchmark for credible elections on the continent and "we cannot afford to set the clock back certainly not, when so much is at stake".

Earlier in his address, the TUC Secretary General spoke about what he described as indiscriminate privatisation of state assets to foreign investors without any consideration whatsoever of other equally viable options.

He called for broad public consultations on the sale agreement of GT saying "in our considered opinion, GT is a strategic national asset and should not be hurriedly sold to foreign private interest without the necessary public consultations."

Mr Asamoah also expressed concern about "The emerging cynical practice of employers terminating the employment of workers indiscriminately."

He said that had become rampant following the infamous decision of an Accra High Court earlier in the year that gave a virtual free hand to employers effectively to terminate the employment of workers.

Mr Asamoah noted the judgement of the High Court was provoking great agitation and unrest among workers as employers were seeking to seize on it to get rid of so-called troublesome workers and unionists.