Policy on National Fisheries and Aquaculuture underway

The ministry of fisheries under the ministry of food and agriculture has drafted policy documentation to address the depleting stock size of fisheries resources of the country.
The policy document which is expected to be rolled out for implementation very soon is would serve as a blue print for the management of fisheries, resources and development of aquaculture in the country.
This was disclosed in Accra last Friday by the Minister of Fisheries, Mrs. Gladys Asmah at a sod cutting ceremony for the commencement of the James Town Fishing Harbour.
The policy document when rolled out would be the first of its kind in the fisheries and aquaculture sector and is aimed at exploiting the full potentials of the sector to benefit players in the industry.
Mrs. Asmah said global climatic changes coupled with the seeming exploitation by the various operators in the industry that have resulted in conflict among them are a contributory factor in the decline of stock size of fisheries resources.
According to the minister, the national policy on fisheries and aquaculture when implemented would also address the aforementioned factors to make the sector more vibrant and robust.

Kufuor revives fishing industry

The fishing industry last Friday received a boost when President John Agyekum Kufuor cut the sod for the commencement of fishing harbour and landing sites for the James Town fishing community.
The project is valued at $16.5million. Same projects would be built in thirteen (13) other fishing communities along the Atlantic coast of the Western, Eastern and Central regions and the shores of the Volta Lake in the Volta region.
The overall projects is valued at the cost of $148 million which include six (6) cold stores, breakwater site administration and management, fish market, fishnet mending shed, fishnet storage facility, ice making plants, workshops, fuel depots, power stations, toilet blocks and day care centres to address the needs of market women in each of the beneficiary communities mentioned above.
President Kufuor in his address said his administration was touched by the potentials of the fishing industry as a tool in alleviating poverty, hence the need to revive and modernize the sector to improve on the economic activities of players in the industry.
The construction of the aforementioned facilities was against the backdrop of the President’s pledge at the beginning of his tenure of office to promote fishing activities across the country.
The commencement of the projects have brought sigh of relief to players in the fishing industry as many expressed the belief that the construction of the projects would go a long way towards achieving the millennium development goals.
“The construction of these modern fishing harbours and landing sites would go a long way to modernize fishing especially in the artisan and the inshore sector of the fishing industry. The safety of the boats and the crew would be enhanced just as the handling, processing and preservation of catches for optimum marketing and good pricing regime”, noted Joe Kramo, Information Director of the Ghana Inshore Fisheries Association.
“In this regard, the government’s policy of poverty reduction would be achieved in the near future”, he added.
The facilities when completed would enable a much cleaner and more hygienic way of fish handling and storage operations that are in compliance with main stream requirements of the European Union.
“The facilities when properly used would allow for a substantial more efficient fisheries sector, reducing post harvest losses and boosting higher returns”, noted Jan Oomen, Director of the International Projects at DHV of the Netherlands who initiated feasibility studies of the projects.
He challenged players in the sector to strike the right balance between producing for local and international markets in order to maximize profits as it was one of the barriers facing the fishing industry.
The Minister of Fisheries, Mrs. Gladys Asmah in her address expressed the hope that the construction of the new facilities would revive the sector to improve living conditions of those associated with the industry.
According to her, various prudent measures her ministry implemented have resulted in bumper harvest of raw tuna to feed the fish canneries.
Touching on the construction of the new projects, the sector minister said 80% of the contract cost paid to the consortium for the design and feasibility study of all the 14 projects was paid through the ministry’s internally generated funds whiles the other 20% was paid from the Food and Agriculture Budgetary Support (FABS), from CIBA of the Canadian High Commission.
According to her, the government, committed to make the sector more vibrant has started the process of taking over the Tema Boatyard which was divested in 1996.
According to her, the inability of the company to refurbish canoes and boats had put the fishermen in danger, a situation she said had led to the lost of more than 40 boats and canoes over the past two years.

"All must help build a modern society"

The Founder and Leader of the Central International Gospel Church, Pastor Mensah Otabil has observed that for Ghana to progress towards attaining a modern society status, it demands greater contributions from its citizens in realizing this dream.
According to the Pastor, some people perceive modernization as borrowings from the western world, a situation he said does not auger well in our critical thinking towards progress.
Pastor Otabil was speaking as the guest speaker at the just ended 13th Memorial lectures of William Ofori-Atta in Accra last Friday. It was dubbed “The Bridge to a peaceful modern society, the heritage of Paa Willie and the challenges for the future”.
He said human society throughout the ages has benefited from the cross-pollination of ideas and ideals from various groups and therefore behoves on the individual to make good use of what he or she has learnt to benefit the whole country.
“The truth, however, is that modernization is not a property of the West or the ‘white man’. Human society throughout the ages has benefited from the cross-pollination of ideas and ideals from the various groups. Each race and ethnic group has contributed to the creation and development of the ideas that we share in today. Having being pat of the creation and development of knowledge, it is only right that we distil the best out of the whole and learn to use it for our benefit”, he noted.
According to Pastor Otabil, greater responsibility lies on the individual to be steadfast in making good use of all the resources available to him or her towards building a healthy environment since a worrying hazard of modernization is that it carries along with it alternate lifestyles which sometimes threaten existing and well-established social norms.
“To build a modern society, we must be able to build the necessary balance between urbanization and the social systems that support our society”, he said.
He averred that for us a country to humanize our society, in a modern era, “we will have to develop new initiatives through the cooperation of state welfare and private philanthropic efforts to address the social fallouts of urbanization”.
Pastor Otabil however, challenged citizens of the land to be able to think on their own, choose their own path instead of preferring the standard template solutions from others and be bold to act on their own and literally “take our own destiny into our own hands”.
“These are the attitudes and perspectives that should influence our national choices. This quest for new possibilities must feel our determination to see the wheels of innovative thinking turn faster in our nation”, he added.
Pastor Mensah Otabil was however worried about the way citizens of the land have contributed in creating problems for the country, a situation he said “all should be part of the solution”.
According to the Pastor, most enquiring minds are incarcerated in dark dungeons filled with ancient taboos, reprisals from the world yonder, curses, ghosts and man-eating witches. He described such minds as that which undermined the human effort towards progress.
“Formal education does not really have the power to change peoples’ core assumptions. Is it any wonder that we continue to employ juju, necromancy and witchcraft as valid tools to help us advance in life? In our world the means of progressing in life does not only rely on factors such as education, performance and experience but the concoctions of the village diviner”, he said.
He expressed his gloomy thoughts on how some enlightened people in society who are aspiring to political office consider the concoctions and profusions of the soothsayer more potent than scientific opinion polls.
“We pretend to be enlightened in public but resort to dubious spiritual excursions in the dark”, he noted.
Pastor Otabil implored the people to leave exemplary lives that worthy to emulate by future leaders of the country.
Linking the aforementioned statements to that of the late William Ofori-Atta, Pastor Otabil described him as an astute politician who combined his Christian values to that of politics to achieve the ultimate for the country.
“Paa Willie is remembered not only as notable pillar of Ghanaian politics, but also as a person who carried his Christian convictions of integrity, equity and tolerance of other people’s views into the pubic arena”, he noted.

Okudzeto calls for national unity

Mr. Sam Okudzeto, a legal practitioner has appealed to Ghanaians to come together as one family irrespective of any tribe to vote for a credible candidate who can champion the course of the country to greater heights.
According to him, intolerance and tribalism in the political history of Ghana which has been overblown by many and for selfish purposes has resulted in the country not advancing, a situation he said needed to be changed.
Mr. Sam Okudzeto was speaking as the guest speaker at the just ended 13th William Ofori-Atta Memorial lectures at the Osu Ebenezer Presbyterian Church hall in Accra.
Making reference to the Akan-Ewe tribes as the worse of the distortions, Okudzeto said the two never fought against each other as perceived by many in the country but are close allies as intermarriage and resettlement by the two is a clear testimony to that effect.
He therefore called on ethic groups in the country to eschew their differences and come together to push the nation’s agenda forward.
Mr. Okudzeto said political parties are necessary machinery for democratic governance which needed to be used wisely to propagate peaceful message but not to be used as a tool to cause mayhem in a society.
According to him, the ugly legacy of the early 50’s which resulted in violence where arson and anarchy reined for about three years in and around Kumasi should serve as a warning and be a duty and responsibility for all the political parties to prevent such act in the upcoming general elections in December.
“A person belonging to another party is not an enemy to be fought, maimed or killed. Ghana is for all and all are for Ghana”, he noted.
He averred that references by politicians to the violence in Kenya are misconceived since the country has witnessed such political violence before. He noted that Ghana has over the past years been a shinning star on the continent and will continue to stand as symbol of hope for democratic governance in Africa and the world.
Mr. Okudzeto who is a native of the Ewe land challenged Ghanaians to take lessons from the recent American elections where clear message devoid of negative propaganda was used by Senator Barack Obama to canvass votes for his presidential ambition.
“One of the lessons we should learn from the recent American elections is that negative propaganda does not aid in winning an election. If a young 47 years old and some say inexperience black man can overcome all the obstacles of racial prejudice and emerge victorious and become the president, it should make us in Africa sit up”, he observed.
He added “we should treat politics as a friendly game in which we pitch our talents and see who wins. Peace is not just a word. It is something we must live. It is a blessing that must be earned before it can be enjoyed”.
According to him, Ghanaians must work towards peace so as to appreciate differences in opinion, aptitude or temperament and learn to live with it.
He advocated the need to forgive one another for past events saying “forgiveness is a healing that every nation needs to move on” drawing lessons from situations where some African Americans have refused to forgive the whites for slave trade and continue to suffer because of it.
“For if one does not forgive, one does not understand, and if one does not understand, one is afraid, and if one is afraid, one hates, and if one hates, one cannot love. And no beginning on earth is possible without love, particularly in a world where men increasingly not only do not know how to love but cannot even recognize it when comes searching for them”, he noted. “The first step towards the love then must be forgiveness”, he added.
He stressed that the only path towards peace is forgiveness, a situation he said, if not adhered to, will lead chaos and retreat.

Female cocoa farmers for help

Women cocoa farmers in the Wassa Atobiase in the Western Region have appealed to the government to come to their aid by making credit facilities easier and accessible to them.
This they said would help expand their activities to produce more in subsequent seasons.
According to the cocoa farmers, they lack funds to hire labour to work on their farms especially during the crop season which makes them impossible to produce more.
“I have a very big cocoa farm but because I don’t have money to hire labourers to work in it, most of the cocoa are not harvested and are left in the bush to rot. The little that I’m able to do by myself is what I feed on till the next harvest season”, noted Ante Amoh, one of the women cocoa farmers this reporter spoke to.
She commended government for its efforts to increase cocoa production in the future but said “that dream will not be a reality if government fails to provide us credit facilities”
Another farmer also complained bitterly about the government’s inability to repair the bridge on river Subiri that link Ankaako to Atobiase and its surrounding villages, a situation she said makes it impossible to cart their goods when there is heavy downpour of rain.
“That bridge is very dear to us and the surrounding villages. When it breaks down, economic activities cease. It has been there for decades and it must be changed. When there is fault, we have to carry our goods on our heads, walk through the river if the level is low or swim to the other side before one can reach his or her destination. Others who are unable to do it are left at the banks of the river in their own faith”, said Adwoa Pokuwaa.
When this reporter visited the bridge, it was in a dilapidated state which needed to be changed to help save the communities that ply it.

Picture caption: Ante Amoh, a farmer at Wassa Atobiase spreading her cocoa beans in the sun.

Internal auditors asked to sharpen skills

The second Ghana-Commonwealth Internal Audit Exchange Programme for internal auditors has ended with a call on participants to sharpen their skills to meet accepted standards of prudent financial performance, as well as to maintain a high quality control of internal systems in public services. The programme, which brought together Internal Auditors from Swaziland, Sri Lanka, Samoa, Zambia, Papua New Guinea, Sierra Leone, Botswana, Malawi, Solomon Islands and Ghana, discussed new trends and current approaches to internal audit and afforded participants the opportunity to share country experiences and learn other practices from member states. Participants were also taken through 17 sessions of presentations on risk management, internal controls, governance processes, internal audit planning, execution and reporting, among other things, to help improve their understanding of roles as internal auditors in the public sector of their respective countries. Mr. Kaifala Marah, Advisor, Public Expenditure Management, Commonwealth Secretariat, charged participants to consider themselves as the flag bearers of transformation, the change makers and drivers of reform. “Note that it has never taken a whole country to initiate a change. Your challenge is to go back, introduce a change and market it through the appropriate channels,” he charged the participants. He further advised participants to move systematically as they introduce internal control and audit machinery in their jurisdiction. “You should adopt policies that could be effectively implemented to achieve desired results. Always review, monitor and evaluate your systems and processes by asking questions and by assessing yourselves”, he added. He said participants were also attached to some of the public institutions in Ghana as interns to get first hand information on internal auditing. Mr. Patrick Numo, Director-General of the Internal Audit Agency reiterated internal audit practices as one of the indispensable elements of good corporate governance, such as providing value-added assurance and advisory services to management, audit committees and boards of organizations. He therefore, charged participants to rise up to the challenge and to use their training and experience in organisational risk management, control and governance processes, in order to provide the much needed assurance and advisory services that will enable their organisations live up to the demands of accountability and performance.

Ghana Railways under siege

The woe of the ailing Ghana Railways Company (GRC) is increasingly evident as some scrap dealers have now turned the sector into a lucrative business avenue for their personal gains. The scrap dealers in their quest to amass wealth at the expense of the tax payer have resorted to derailing the rail lines, which is later sold as scrap for players in the steel industry for huge sums of money. This dubious act by these unpatriotic dealers is costing the country and GRC millions of GH¢. However, luck evaded a group of eighteen (18) economic saboteurs who embarked on an exercise to derail the rail lines at Akyem Sekyere in the Atiwa District Assembly in the Eastern Region, as their mission was foiled by a hunter who was returning from a hunting expedition, at dawn last Wednesday. The hunter (name withheld), who is a member of the Town's Watchdog committee, having realized the damage these people were inflicting on the economy, immediately reported the nefarious activity to the Anyinam District Police and the Watchdog committee, which mounted barriers at some vantage positions in the town and laid ambush until about 4:00 am when a Benz truck with registration number AS 3486 D, used in the operation by the scrap dealers was apprehended on its way out with the booty. Narrating the incident to the paper at the Anyinam Police Station, Detective Chief Inspector Martin Amofa said his outfit was informed about the said robbery on November 5th 2008, by the Sekyere Watchdog Committee. He said with the able assistance of his men and the co-operation of the Watchdog committee, six (6) of the scrap dealers were arrested. The truck driver is, however, in critical condition at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) after sustaining a gun shot by one of the robbers, when they were caught in an exchange of fire with the police. The others include Samuel Amoaning (20), George Siaw (24), Samuel Tetteh (25), Kwabena Amoako (35), Atsu Delasi (25) and Michael Yaw Asiako (driver). Four of the robbers hail from Kade in the Eastern Region, a region gradually gaining grounds with such despicable activities. The five are now in police custody pending further investigations with the other twelve still on the run. Damage and theft of the rail lines is at an estimated cost of GH¢3,070. This is the second time that such an incident has happened in the community. About three months ago, two young men were arrested and prosecuted before the Koforidua High Court, where they were each fined GH¢2,500 each or in default sentenced to two years imprisonment. The driver's mate, Kwabena Amoako, who pleaded his innocence together with the driver, in an interview with the paper said they were hired by one Kwasi Krobo to cart some perishable goods in the area. According to him, it was upon reaching their destination that they realized the situation they had been involved in, and it was in their attempt to report to the police that the driver was shot. The Media Relations officer at the Ministry of Harbours and Railways, Anthony Kwesi Coomson said the Ministry was aware of the activities of some unpatriotic elements in the society who have taken advantage of the inactive rail system to indulge in such dubious acts. He said the laws of the land would not spare anyone found engaging in such acts.

Gov`t to restructure timber industry

The Government of Ghana is embarking on a number of policies, aimed at restructuring the timber industry, to make it the hub for tertiary processing of wood products in the sub-region, whilst eliminating illegal logging.
Among the policies embarked upon by the government include the intensification of its plantations development programme, through the implementation of the National Forest Plantation Development Programme (NFPDP), aimed at securing the raw material base of the timber industry.
This programme also seeks to fill the timber supply and demand gap in the country, while restoring degraded forest areas, in line with the country’s land policy.
Government is also aiming to embark on further domestic processing of plantation timber, to enable the country shift from the commodity market in wood products, to that of value-added processing industry.
The Minister for Lands, Forestry and Mines, Mrs. Esther Obeng Dapaah, made these known when she addressed a group of media practitioners in Accra, on the occasion of the launch of the first Timber Industry Awards, with the theme, “100 years of forestry; projecting excellence in a complex and challenging industry.”
According to her, government desirous of achieving its aim of making the country the gateway to Africa was leaving no stone unturned, in all sectors of the economy.
To this effect, she said, government had adopted a holistic approach to natural resource management, through the Natural Resource Environmental and Governance (NREG) programme, to strengthen natural resources, and environmental governance.
This, she said, would ensure that natural resources contribute to greater wealth and sustainable economic growth of the country.
The Chief Executive of the Forestry Commission of Ghana, Professor Nii Ashie Kotey, observed that even though the performance of his outfit was marred by lots of challenges, it had over the years made significant gains, and has thus contributed its quota to the socio-economic development of the country. “In spite of the many challenges confronting the Forestry Commission, in pursuit of its assigned responsibilities, the industry has stayed as a major foreign exchange earner, and a source of employment in the economy, over the last century, with figures rising and averaging around US$180 million annually,” he said.

Maritime Pollution Bill underway

Concerned about the environmental hazards on our waterways, the Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA) has taken a bold initiative to formulate a Maritime Pollution Bill to address the issue. The Bill that was finalized for consideration by the Government is being updated to include laws relating to new developments such as the oil and gas projects, including the new conventions recently adopted by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO). The Bill, if it becomes an Act would give the Authority the needed legal power to deal effectively with problems that may arise in the implementation of the oil and gas projects in the country. In addition to the Bill, a draft legislation on inland waterways based on the IMO is currently being finalized by the Authority for passage by Parliament. This draft legislation aims to create a regulatory framework for the enforcement of safety measures on the inland waterways of the country. This was disclosed in Accra by Professor Christopher Ameyaw Akumfi, Minister of Ports, Harbours and Railways at the celebration of the World Maritime Day by the GMA. The World Maritime Day which is celebrated by the International Maritime Community seeks to bring to the attention of the general public the challenges of the maritime industry and achievements realized through international trade. The theme for this year's celebration is “IMO, 60 years in Shipping Service”. The formulation of new policies by the Authority is to position itself to meet the challenges of the future, so as to make it competitive on the international market. The Authority, in collaboration with the Regional Maritime University has also instituted training programmes for seafarers to be trained on the basis of the IMO courses, and in accordance with relevant International Conventions, such as the IMO International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watch keeping for seafarers (STCW). The Chief Advisor to President Kufuor, Mrs. Mary Chinery-Hesse, in her address urged the GMA to quickly submit the draft legal instruments and sanction regimes to enable Government introduce sanity in the shipping industry. Her concern stemmed from the fact that some players in the shipping industry were abusing the system by introducing unjustifiable charges on exporters and importers. “This trend, I must say is adversely affecting Government efforts aimed at making Ghana an investment destination in the sub-region”, she noted. She assured the Authority of government's continuous support in its quest to make the industry more effective.

Beware of milk products imported from China

The Food and Drugs Board (FDB) on Tuesday, in Accra, has issued a stern warning to consumers to beware of milk products imported into the country from China. The directive from the FDB was on the backdrop of the current food safety alert on contamination of milk products from China that contains melamine. Melamine is an industrial nitrogen chemical compound used to make plastic and sometimes used as a fertilizer. Several babies in China have fallen ill with some reported deaths, after suffering acute kidney failure, after been fed with formula milk contaminated with the industrial chemical melamine. The fatalities, according to BBC are far higher than was previously admitted by the Chinese authorities. The Chemical, melamine is manufactured by Sanlu, which is partly owned by New Zealand's Fonterra Cooperative. Affected products of Chinese origins, according to the FDB, include infant formulae powdered milk, liquid milk, candies, lollipops, cookies, cakes, milk tablets, yoghurt drinks, biscuits, toffees, chocolates, cream crackers and egg rolls, including any other product that contains milk as part of its ingredients which is of Chinese origin. According to the FDB, importers who might have shipped any of the affected products prior to this notice would have their goods confiscated and investigated at the port, before release to the owner. “When you are buying things, be careful and check the label embossed on it. We are not saying that every product from China is under suspicion, but what we are saying is that those milk products from China are under suspicion”, noted Mr. Emmanuel Kyeremateng Agyarko, Chief Executive Officer of the FDB, in an interaction with a group of media practitioners.

Lufthansa gets new General Manager

Lufthansa Passenger Airlines Ghana, over the weekend in Accra, introduced its new General Manager, Mr. Yannick Aplogan, to the public. His duties take effect from July 1st this year. Mr. Aplogan first joined the company (Lufthansa) in 1990, after the completion of his studies, and served in various functions in the operations department of the Charles-de-Gaulle airport in Paris. He had been with the company since then, until in 2002, when he crossed camp to join Swiss International Airlines, as General Manager in Doula, Cameroon, where he remained until June this year. Mr. Aplogan is French citizen, and hails from Benin, West Africa. “I am especially proud that Mr. Yannick Aplogan is heading the Lufthansa team in Ghana, having taken over the responsibility on July 1st. He brings in expertise from his past positions at Lufthansa, and as Swiss Country Manager in Douala. “I am sure that under his guidance, the Lufthansa team in Ghana will soar to new heights,” noted Mr. Herbert Reichle, Lufthansa General Manager Nigeria and Managing Director West Africa, when he officially introduced Mr. Aplogan to the public.

UT Financial Services goes public

23 September 2008Posted to the web 23 September 2008

UT Financial Services has at last launched its eagerly anticipated Initial Public Offer (IPO), to float 90, 293, 3000 ordinary shares, representing 40% shares of the company, on the Ghana Stock Exchange to raise some US$27 million.
The listing of the company on the exchange, will give it a market capitalisation of GH¢63,219,750, while making a strategic entry into the stock market, with a price earning ratio of 14.25, which is lower than all but one of the eight other financial services industry stocks, listed on the stock exchange. The offer is aimed at giving exceptional value to the Ghanaian public, and provides them the opportunity to share the success story, through the creation of wealth from dividend flow, and shareholder value creation.
By going public, P. K. Amoabeng and J. N. Nsonamoah, the two original shareholders of the company (50% each), will shed 40% of their stake, equivalent to 30,293,000 shares, with an additional 10,000,000 shares offer, to increase the capital of the economy.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of UT Financial Services, Prince Kofi Amoabeng, reiterated that since the liquidity of the exchange left much to be desired, "the only way out, is to have a lot more shares, so that we can have shares trading everyday, so that free market determines the prices. That is why UT has taken the leap to enhance the liquidity of the shares, and the stock exchange in general."
He said UT was determined to build on its core values, of growing businesses and to meet the demands of the people, indicating that monies raised from the IPO, would be used to supplement their operations, strengthen their balance sheet, and expand its resource base, for funding of new loans.
Mr. Ken Ofori Atta, Managing Director of Data Bank, indicated that UT's decision to go public bore the testimony of the genius of the Ghanaian entrepreneur.
He intimated that the success of UT on the GSE, would be spurred greatly by the vibrant Ghanaian economy, together with the able and visionary leadership of the company, but not without a word of advice for his bosom friend (Kofi Amoabeng), when he quoted Shakespeare's:
There is a tide in the affairs of men. Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune; Omitted, all the voyage of their life Is bound in shallows and in miseries. On such a full sea are we now afloat, And we must take the current when it serves,
Or lose our ventures," as he moves out to the market with all its hostilities. UT Financial Services will be the first to trade on the newly-automated system of the GSE.
The superiority of UT's financial performance, compared to other financial services/firms, is reflected in the company's second place ranking in the Ghana Club 100, the elite grouping of the country's top 100 corporations, as assessed by the Ghana Investment Promotion Center.
UT was also adjudged the 2nd most respected company, in the maiden most respected CEO and company, while the CEO, Prince Kofi Amoabeng, was voted the most respected CEO by his peers.All these coupled with the strong year on performance of the company, has generated strong anticipation among stock market investors, and market watchers who have predicted that the IPO could be over-subscribed.

AngloGold Ashanti moves to protect Obuasi mine

23 September 2008Posted to the web 23 September 2008

Anglo Gold Ashanti has mounted a security operation with a combined team of Ghana Armed Forces and the Ghana Police Service which began at Obuasi in the Ashanti Region on Thursday to combat illegal miners.
The move by the company (Anglo Gold Ashanti) is to protect its Obuasi mine from the activities of illegal miners, popularly known as galamsay operators who have consistently been torpedoing the smooth operations of the company.
The activities of illegal miners in the Obuasi concession has rendered the company to incur loss running into millions of dollars.
"The Obuasi Mine has experienced ongoing security incidents relating to the activities of groups and individuals engaged in illegal mining in the area, including the invasion of our underground facilities, setting alight of cables, drilling and blasting without recourse to safety and environmental impacts, and the use of stolen explosives. These miners have destroyed national installations and company owned underground infrastructure, and threatened and brutalised AngloGold Ashanti personnel who attempt to interfere in their activities", noted John Owusu, Corporate Affairs Manager of AngloGold Ashanti in a statement issued and released in Accra.
According to Mr. Owusu, the activities of the illegal miners was posing dangers to the company's operations and its personnel, a situation he said can no more be tolerated.
"By way of a long-term response, AngloGold Ashanti intends to upgrade its security capacity, in order to be able to secure its property adequately in the future. Where required we will take appropriate action, in accordance with international human rights standards, to remove illegal miners from our premises and, if circumstances require it, hand them over to the police for action to be taken against them in terms of the law", he added.

Zoomlion to employ 4,000 health inspectors

22 September 2008Posted to the web 22 September 2008

The government's burden of bringing environmental sanitation to the doorsteps of the citizenry would be a thing of the past, as the nation's number one waste management experts, ZoomLion Ghana Limited (ZL), is recruiting 4,000 health inspectors, to ensure the realisation of this dream, to rid the country off filth.
The health inspectors, to be known as sanitation guards, would help environmental health workers in the country, in their quest to keep the communities clean.
The Communications Manager of ZL, Isabella Gyau Orhin, recently disclosed this at the launch of the national campaign for improved environmental sanitation at Nsawam, in the Eastern Region.
The recruitment of sanitation guards, according to the Communications Manager, was at the backdrop of falling environmental sanitation standards, which has resulted in the springing-up of many diseases in the country.
The campaign christened "Tin-ton-tan, ye ni efi to nkwanta a yapae" (literally meaning: we have forever parted ways with filth), aims at preventing diseases through improved sanitation in hospitals and homes.
It also seeks to conscientise Ghanaians, to eliminate filth in their various communities, whilst improving on their health and sanitary facilities.
The work of community health inspectors had over the years experienced some setbacks, which emanates from lack of resources (human and infrastructure) and funding.
It was therefore welcome news to the nation, as it was battling with controlling filth in the communities, and also sites for the dumping of waste. "At long last, when I sleep, I can close my eyes, because this initiative from ZoomLion is going to bring back the concept of communal labour in our various communities," recounted Nana Bo Ababio, Nsawamhene, who was Chairman of the occasion.
The national campaign on environmental sanitation was a collaborative effort, which involved various agencies, including the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development (MLGRD), Ministry of Manpower and Employment/National Youth Employment Programme (MME/NYEP) and the Ministry of Health, and Ghana Health Services.
It is estimated by the World Health Organisation (WHO) that every hour, a hundred African children die from diarrhoea, and recommended that most lives could be saved through better access to sanitation and improved basic hygiene.
The Deputy Minister of Health, Mr. Abraham Dwuma Odoom, in his address, noted that nature was now paying back Ghanaians in their own coin, because of their negative activities on the environment.
"Today, the health of our people is in jeopardy, because we have over the years, taken the elements that sustain our life for granted. Through human activities, we have defiled the environment, and destroyed the purity and sanctity of these elements. We are now paying a heavy toll in terms of increase in the number of diseases and deaths," he said.He, therefore, urged Ghanaians to refrain from their negative activities on the environment, in order to ensure a clean sustainable development in the country.

MiDA revives horticultural industry

22 September 2008Posted to the web 22 September 2008

The Millennium Development Authority (MiDA) on Friday, in Accra, sealed an agreement worth US$ 2.171 million with the Sea-Freight Pineapple and Exporters Group (SPEG), as a grant to help revive the horticulture industry.
The amount would be used to purchase pre-coolers which would be positioned at the farms of members under SPEG to store their produce that has immediately been harvested to protect their value for export.
In addition to the grant facility, a four-member delegation from the Group would this week emplane to the United States of America to have discussions with Chikita (one of the biggest importers of horticultural produce in the world), on how best to put the sector back on track to raise standards of living whilst maximizing profit for the country.
The Chief Executive Officer of MiDA, Mr. Martin Esson-Benjamin and the Chairman of SPEG, Mr. Korang-Amoako signed the agreement to that effect.
According to Mr. Esson-Benjamin, the grant facility from his outfit was made possible because of their commitment to raise standard of living in the country through the support of farmers in the country.
"The potential in the horticultural industry is huge and our support to this industry is immense. Our intension is to strengthen and move forward the industry by given farmers value for their produce", noted Mr. Esson-Benjamin.
In all, 27 companies would benefit from the facility. The amount would be released at the end of this month and would be shared among seven (7) companies who have satisfied the Group's requirements for the first phase of the project.

Trade liberalisation undermining Africa's exports

Africa has for the past decade, undergone massive developmental change, through a number of reforms embarked upon to improve living standards. The continent (Africa) has now become a safe haven for doing business, thereby attracting lots of foreign investors, which has resulted in the continent experiencing rapid economic inflows.
Ghana, for three consecutive years, has been ranked by the World Bank and International Finance Consortium (IFC), as the best country to do business in West Africa, and is ranked 87th in the Bank’s overall rankings, in its outlook on “Doing Business 2009,” which was released recently.
Despite all the praises from these international financial bodies, trade liberalisation is said to be undermining Africa’s exports to the outside world.
A 114-page report by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (2008), has revealed that trade liberalisation had not improved the continent’s export performance, despite the removal of policy barriers, considered to be the main impediments hampering Africa’s exports.
The report, which examines the performance of Africa’s export after trade liberalization, in order to draw lessons for use in the design of future development strategies, argues that the level and composition of Africa’s exports have largely remained the same.
“Africa has actually lost grounds in world export markets,” noted the report, which was launched in Accra on Monday.
Trade liberalisation, which falls under the Doha Round to globalise world markets, was seriously affecting Africa’s export performance, in the area of capital inflows.
The Doha Round seems dead in its tracks, due to a combination of unwillingness by the rich countries to offer substantial cuts in agricultural supports and markets access, and the reticence of developing nations to offer low enough bindings on their own tariffs.
“Globalisation in some appropriate form, is a major engine of economic growth, but the current “Gung-ho” process of globalisation, has produced paradoxes in both rich and poor countries, and is creating a backlash, requiring a rethink of rules and policies to save globalisation from its cheerleaders,” according to Dani Rodrik, Professor of International Political Economy at Havard’s JFK School of Government.
In a research report by Professor Rodrik, titled “How to save Globalisation from its cheerleaders,” the Professor argued that in the current realities of the world, the pursuit of perfect globalisation and more openness, endangers the present imperfect, but still remarkable globalisation, by intensifying conflicts that the system inevitably generates.
The report concedes that that there had been some improvement, but this falls far short of expectations, and has been relative to the experience of other developing regions.
According to the report, Africa’s share of world exports has dwindled from six (6) percent in 1980, to three (3) in 2007. The report identifies Africa’s weak supply response, as a major factor responsible for the continent’s non-preparedness to take advantage of recent commodity booms.
Africa’s export performance in agriculture, also comes under scrutiny, as well as why Africa has failed to diversify into the manufacturing sector.
To rectify the situation, the report called for Africa to refocus its development priorities on structural transformation, in order to increase the continent’s supply capacity and export response.
An economist, Dr. Nii Moi Thompson, who aided in the launch of the UNCTAD report, noted that African governments had under-invested in Agriculture and services.
This, he attributed to institutional weaknesses, lack of insurance policies to govern the agriculture industry, lack of ready access to roads, and lack of adequate funds for research in the agricultural sector.
Mr. Thompson averred that lack of adequate funds into research, ends up in slow performance, and declines labour productivity in the agriculture sector.
“These are structural problems that we face. We seem to be making money policies in one area, whilst policies in research are sidelined,” he said.
Mr. Thompson, therefore, called for sufficient investment in the field of research, in order to make our scientists useful, to improve productivity on the continent.
He also stressed on the need for market intelligence, and the empowering of the private sector, to boost production on the continent.
To reap the benefits of globalisation, the report recommended the need for Africa to prioritise its productivity, competitiveness, market access, and access to factors of production in agriculture and manufacturing, if the continent wants to make progress.
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Integrate risk management-IAA tells public sector organisations

The Director-General of the Internal Audit Agency, Mr. Patrick Nomo has called on public sector organizations to integrate risk management into their daily operations in order to reduce risk.
“I am sure you will agree with me that there is no such thing as a risk-free environment. However, many risks can be avoided, reduced or eliminated through effective risk management practice. Risk management is an explicit function of management without exception. Therefore, public sector organizations should integrate risk management into their everyday work”, he noted.
This he said, would improve service and business practices in the public institutions in the country.
Mr. Nomo made this passionate appeal at a two day forum organized by the IAA in Accra to raise awareness on the need to manage risks in their daily operations in public institutions in the country.
Dubbed- “Risk Management in the public sector, the role of Internal Auditing”, the forum seeks among other things to sensitize the public sector institutions on the role of internal auditing in fostering good corporate governance, provide the basic tools required by managers to manage risks in the public sector and to challenge
Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs), to implement a structured risk management framework to help them mitigate the risk they face.
Participants at the forum would be introduced to the basic principles, concepts, methodology and tools required for effective risk management in the public sector. The Chairman of the Internal Audit Board, Mr. S.K.A Crabbe underscored the importance of risk management in the public sector institutions as a measure to eliminate fraud whilst improving on efficiency.
According to him, unlike the private sector, public organizations are generally slow-moving when it comes to change, making it difficult to get any sort of risk management plan up and running, hence the need to manage risk in the public sector.
“Risk management is not the preserve of private sector organizations, but public and central government as well. Senior management must be made aware of the opportunity cost of not managing risk. Internal control systems translate risks into systems, such as early warning mechanisms and compliance violation alerts”, he noted.
The Chief of Staff, Mr. Kwadwo Mpianim, who was the Chairman for the occasion, in his address debunked the notion that risk is taken only as a natural phenomenon of which nothing can be done.
According to him, effective governance and public accountability are essential in enhancing credibility and effectiveness of government apparatus.
He therefore, challenged all Chief Executive in the public sector to ensure that their respective organizations develop and implement risk management frame work by June 2009, with clearly defined responsibilities for risk owners.

Financial Literacy week begins Monday

The lack of personal financial literacy in the country has been a major hindrance to the development of the financial sector, and the economy.
To this effect, the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, in collaboration with players in the financial industry, would on Monday (September 22nd 2008) launch a Financial Literacy Week in Accra, aimed at educating the general public to improve their financial literacy skills, in order to make informed decisions.
The week-long celebrations, became possible, based on Recommendation 98 of the Finance Sector Strategic Plan (FINSSP), which states that “Regulatory agencies and the Ministry of Finance, should launch an annual Financial Literacy week, in cooperation with industry associations and financial institutions, to raise awareness of the range of products and services available to consumers, to help them better understand and manage their finances.”
The idea of this initiative, according to a Technical Advisor to the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning (MOFEP), Dr. Sam Mensah, was to focus attention, each year, for one week on financial literacy.
The initiative, which begins on Monday, September 22nd 2008 and ends on September 27th 2008, also aims to facilitate savings mobilisation, by bringing a larger proportion of the society into the financial system.
Consumers would also have the opportunity to be educated on the role of the regulatory agency, the characteristics of the products and services offered by the industry, and remedies available to consumers, who have grievances against industry practitioners.
“Financial literacy should be part of any comprehensive strategy to develop the financial sector, and to achieve accelerated growth and poverty reduction,” noted Dr. Mensah.
Major stakeholders to engage consumers in the week long literacy awareness program, include the Association of Bankers, Insurers Association, Ghana Securities Industry Association, Credit Union Association, Association of Rural Banks and consumer associations. Activities for the week-long programme include Radio and Television Panel discussions (Investing in Shares and Bonds), public education and outreach, Bizliteracy workshop (Saving to build wealth, managing your money), public forum (knowledge is money) and Community financial fitness day

Ghana's hidden treasure in Switzerland

Youth Activists call for gov’t intervention…in retrieving $bn from UBS

Friends of Oman Ghana Trust Fund (FOGTF), a youth activist group has called on the political leadership of the country to intervene and help to retrieve a chunk of money which is under safe keeping at Union Bank of Switzerland (UBS).
In a discussion with a group of media practitioners in Accra yesterday, the group contended that the Fund was set up by Dr. Kwame Nkrumah and Dr. W.E. B Dubois in 1957 and it was meant for development projects in 27 sectors of the Ghanaian economy, including communications, roads, housing, education, health and farming among others.
According to the group, the fund, which is in safe keeping under the Swiss bank (UBS), first matured in 1975 and increased in 1986 to the tune of $400billion? However, due to some human error on the part of the Ghana government, access to the fund has become difficult, whiles interest keeps accumulating on the seed money.
The Country Director of the Country Awards Council -Ghana, His Awardship Kobla Asamani, in his explanation noted that the investment portfolio in UBS has 7 accounts, including a current account consisting of $47 billion which can be accessed at the bank (UBS) and can be operated by a code number and a word.
According to him, after several failed attempts by government officials, there is only one Survivor who has access to those code numbers and word, and it would therefore be prudent for government to engage him in accessing the money for development projects in the country.
He said the group showed keen interest in demanding government’s support in retrieving the money, because “the money belongs to Ghana and we want to see Ghana developed to a middle income status country”.
He contended that the Fund is operated by a sole Trustee, who is the sitting President of Ghana and the sole beneficiary is the people of Ghana, who can also be represented by any person appointed by the President in retrieving the money.
The group averred that ever since the issue came to the fore, government has investigated the issue and is fully aware that the money exists. The group was, however, worried about the research findings by the legal board of the Finance Ministry, which has not been presented to the President. To this effect, the group demanded that the research findings be presented to President Kufuour in order to facilitate the speedy recovery of the fund.
The group pleaded that government should partner Mr. Gregory Fraizer, the only survival who has access to the codes and password to the Fund in order to help assist in the recovery of the money. The group believes that Gregory Fraizer, who is an African American, is the only one who can aid the country in having access to the Fund.
“The money could be retrieved if only we follow the right mechanics”, noted Kafui Deiba, a member of the group.
Meanwhile, in a letter dated July 20th 2007, and addressed to the then Minister of National Security, Mr. Francis Poku by Gregory Frazier, he outlined how the money could be reclaimed, and he promised government of his unflinching support towards the retrieval of the money.
“Mr. Opoku, on my honour, I will not disappoint you or the People of Ghana, I implore you to give me one chance to serve. I have seen the deceptions and object stupidity that has caused the past failures. If I fail, I am prepared to be jailed for lying to government officials, and I will sign a Bond to that effect with your National Security Agency. I will not fail”, he added in the letter.
The group therefore have decided to embark on a peaceful nationwide demonstration if government fails to adhere to their request, which they believed is in the interest of the country.

Ministry sets up committee to check fraud

The Ministry of Ports, Harbours and Railways has set up a committee to investigate the activities of service providers who charge illegal fees on goods imported into the country at the ports.
This was disclosed by the Deputy Chief Executive of the Ghana Shippers Council, Mr. Emmanuel Martey, in a forum organized to educate Journalists on the activities of the Ghana Maritime Industry.
The Ministry, according to Mr. Martey, would immediately address the committee’s findings upon submission to ensure that importers are not cheated.
He said some portion of the existing laws of the Maritime Industry bars it from imposing any sanctions on service providers who indulge in such acts, as it always has to rely on the Ministry for directives in addressing the issue.
Mr. Martey was optimistic that the Committee’s findings would help eliminate the nuisance from the country’s ports. He advised clearers to seek clarification from the Shippers Council to avoid falling into such a situation.
Importers have over the years complained bitterly about illegal fees charged at the ports which according to them were having negative impact on their operations.
However, findings according to the Tema Port Coordinator, Mr. Samuel Ntow have shown that some of the monies collected by service providers are in the form of bribes to enable them find their way in clearing their goods.
“Some charges relate to people wanting to expedite their operations”, he noted.
Mr. Ntow, however, observed that the situation at the country’s ports is mainly due to imperfection in the Maritime Industry. He therefore called for legislation and a specific minimum charge to those found guilty in charging illegal fees at the ports.

CSOs call for elimination of conditionality on aid

Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have called for the immediate removal of conditionalities attached to aid by donor Countries to the developing world, for better and efficient utilization of aid by the recipients (developing world). The CSOs hold the view that conditionalities attached to aid undermines the democratic ownership which is the freedom of countries to choose what they want to do with their developments.
The elimination of conditionalities by donor Countries according to the CSOs would enable the developing world to be dependent in their decision making without external interferences and influences towards the utilization of the aid.
“To impose policies on aid by donor Countries is not a good thing. There should be no conditionalities attached to aid by donor Countries. This will help the developing world to make effective utilization of aid to improve living standards in their respective communities in order to achieve the objectives of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015”, said Mr. Yao Graham, from the Third World Network in an interview with the paper at the ongoing CSO parallel conference on aid effectiveness in Accra yesterday.
According to him, donor Countries and their recipients (developing world) all have equal responsibilities in making sure that aid is effectively used for its intended purpose. “Our attacks on conditionalities have never been that there should be no system of making sure that aid money is spent as intended. This is because we also have a position against corruption and the misuse of resources. It is in our interest as a small country to insist that we have freedom to make our own development choices without any conditionality imposed on us”, he added.
Mr. Graham therefore urged the developing world to welcome development assistants that does not constrain the freedom of developing countries in order to choose the direction of where they should go.
Aid effectiveness have over the years been canvassed by CSOs which had led to a number of fora to enable participants to deliberate on how best to eliminate hunger and poverty in the developing world. The dialogue and rhetoric on aid effectiveness is constantly changing, all in the name of positive transformation of the developing world to improve living standards among its citizens.
The Paris Declaration, which sought among other things on the direction for reforming aid delivery and management to achieve improved effectiveness and results was seen by many as an attempt to revolutionize international aid by combining the concepts of country ownership and accountability. However, the resulting Declaration has been seen as a failure by Civil Society Organisations for ignoring the unique and essential role of civil society in executing the principles of the Declaration.
“We are disappointed that our views on previous drafts have not been taken into account”, contended the CSOs.
To them, the Accra Agenda for Action forum would create a space for agreement on principles to guide the effectiveness of CSOs, on guidelines for applying such principles and for documenting good-practice.
They therefore stressed the need for effective aid to be based on the principle of democratic ownership.
“Effective aid must be based on the principle of democratic ownership and have poverty reduction and the realization of human rights, gender equality, environmental sustainability and decent work as its objectives. Poor and vulnerable people’s voices need to be heard if aid is to be effective. When donors impose their own policies, systems and priorities, they drown out those voices”, noted the CSOs.

1.4bn people live on less than $1.25 a day

A new data released by the International Comparison Programme (ICP) in Washington on Tuesday by the World Bank has shown that 1.4billion people in developing countries live on less than a US$1.25 a day, an almost 400million increase over the previous record of 985million recorded in 2004.
Sub-Saharan Africa according to the report is the least successful region in reducing poverty among developing countries, maintaining its 50% feat recorded in 1981.
Africa has since 1981 doubled in terms of population and the depth of poverty continues to rise. The report therefore warned that efforts must be redoubled in the region (Africa) to save it from further decline.
The new report surpassed an earlier estimate of 985 million people living below the former international US$1 a day poverty line in 2004 which was based on then best available cost of living data from 1993.
From the report, one in four in the developing countries was living below US$1.25 a day in 2005, down from one in two in 1981. The new poverty line of US$1.25 a day for 2005 is the average national poverty line for the poorest 10-20 countries.
“The new estimates are a major advance in poverty measurement because they are based on far better price data for assuring that the poverty lines are comparable across countries”, noted Martin Ravallion, Director of the Development Research Group at the World Bank.
The report dubbed “The developing world is poorer than we thought but no less successful in the fight against poverty” indicated that the future looks bright in curbing the canker even though there were more poor people around the world than previously thought.
“The new data confirm that the world will likely reach the first Millennium Development Goal of halving the 1990 level of poverty by 2015 and that poverty has fallen by about 1percentage point a year since 1981. However, the sobering news that poverty is more pervasive than we thought means we must redouble our efforts, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa”, said Justin Lin, Chief Economist and Senior Vice President, Development Economics at the World Bank.
The new data showed that marked differences in progress against poverty persist. East Asia’s poverty line dropped from nearly 80 percent of the population living below US$1.25 a day in 1981 to 18% in 2005.
The report is the first major effort to update poverty data based on 2005 measures of purchasing power parity. Estimates were also based on data from 675 household surveys across 116 developing countries. Over 1.2 million randomly sampled households were interviewed for the 2005 estimate, representing 96% of the developing world.

Let's change our work attitude-Veep urges Ghanaian workers

The vice President of the Republic of Ghana, His Excellency Alhaji Aliu Mahama over the weekend urged Ghanaian workers to refrain from their lackadaisical attitude towards work in order to uplift the country’s economy to greater heights. According to him, people’s bad attitude towards work in both government and private institutions was thwarting government’s efforts to ensure economic growth.
“For us to perform economically well as a nation, we must change our attitude towards work, a few maligners, pilfering and the mismanagement and misapplication of scarce resources will undermine productivity at the work place”, noted the vice President in a speech delivered on his behalf by Madam Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, at the 19th National Marketing Performance Awards in Accra. It was under the theme- “Improving the work ethos of the Ghanaian, the role of strategic marketing”.
Alhaji Aliu Mahama therefore tasked the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIMG) to conduct an assessment of capabilities of the Ghanaian worker in order to determine the type of training, technical assistance and material support that will be required to transform the Ghanaian worker to make him/her competitive, both locally and internationally.
He said greater change requires the CIMG and other professional institutions and private organizations to put in place measures that will equip the Ghanaian workforce to cope with the task of national development.
“Just as we are determined to grow the economy to get to a middle income status, simultaneously, there is the need to grow the manpower base of the economy so as to be able to rise to the challenges of the new Ghana that we are all building. Without a trained, disciplined and dedicated workforce, Ghana cannot move forward”, he said.
He averred that his government shall continue to put in place policies and programmes that will develop the human resource base of the country in order to make it competitive to meet the challenges of the 21st century.
He then appealed to Ghanaian workers to begin evaluating their roles as agents of change for accelerated growth. The National President of CIMG, Mrs. Josephine Okutu, also tasked Ghanaian workers to refrain from the mindset of “don’t fix it if it is not broken” but rather inculcate in themselves the spirit of perseverance and drive, for continuous improvements and good maintenance culture.
“To achieve a middle income status by 2015 as envisaged, we need a dedicated workforce with the spirit of enquiry and challenge to develop innovative products and the spirit of perseverance and good maintenance culture. We also need a motivated workforce that celebrates success with teams and does not promote pull him down tendencies in its ranks”, she noted.
The Omanhene of Kukuom Traditional Area, Osahene Atta Takyi, who was the Chairman of the occasion, also added his voice to the call of attitudinal change among Ghanaian workers and tasked them to give their best, wherever they find themselves working to improve the fortunes of the country’s economy.

Gov't increases cocoa scholarship fund to GH¢2bn

THE Government of Ghana, on Thursday, announced an increase of the Cocoa Scholarship Fund which allows the wards of Cocoa farmers to enjoy free tuition at Second cycle and Tertiary levels from GH¢1.5 billion to GH¢2 billion, beginning next year.
This initiative by the government of Ghana and the COCOBOD is aimed at sustaining the scheme (Cocoa Scholarship Fund), as well as to enable more children of Cocoa farmers to attain greater heights in their educational pursuit.
President John Agyekum Kufuor disclosed this when he officially commissioned the refurbished COCOBOD building in Accra. Addressing the gathering, President Kufuor said his government would continue to pursue measures aimed at eliminating the worst forms of child labour in the Cocoa growing areas of the country where the menace exists.
“COCOBOD will intensify collaboration with stakeholders with the active participation of COCOD field staff in the training and sensitization programmes on child labour. COCOBOD will support Government’s Poverty Reduction Programme, coupled with the Capitation Grant as a means to eliminate child labour”, he noted.
President Kufuor, however, urged Cocoa farmers to continue working hard to lift up the economy in order to attain a middle income status, since cocoa constitutes a greater part of foreign exchange earning to the country.

Ghana to process 40% of cocoa locally

Ghana is targeting to process 40% of its annual cocoa production locally, in the medium term, to help boost the country’s economy which has been described as a frontier emerging market. To this effect, the government, in collaboration with the COCOBOD has embarked on a number of policies in a bid to attract investors to aid in pursuing this dream.
Among the policies include; granting of the requisite permission for importing essential plant, machinery, equipment and accessories required for the enterprise and exemption from payment of customs import duties on plant, machinery, equipment and accessories imported specifically and exclusively for the processing of cocoa in the country.
President John Agyekum Kufuour made this known in Accra when he officially commissioned the refurbished COCOBOD building. He said it was the priority of his government to ensure that cocoa production in the country is improved to 1,000,000 metric tonnes as championed by the COCOBOD to realize this dream by the year 2010.
With regards to this, President Kufour said his government was leaving no stone unturned to embark on Cocoa Sector reforms, geared towards increasing efficiency in the cocoa industry, and in particular COCOBOD and its subsidiaries, increasing and sustaining production, enhancing the incomes of farmers and maintaining the quality of the country’s cocoa beans. Cocoa production over the past years has seen significant increases from 389,772 metric tonnes in 2000/01 to a record level of 740,458 metric tonnes in 2005/06.
According to the President, his government, in 2001, embarked on a Cocoa Disease and Pest Control programme dubbed- “Mass Spraying”, to revive the cocoa industry by mass spraying of cocoa farms in the country to ensure high yields, and also highly improved cocoa beans, which to him has paid off by enabling government to pay double bonuses to farmers this year.
“Government’s policy to pay an increasing share of the F.O.B price to the farmer and ensure that cocoa farmers receive reasonable incomes to cover their cost of production and make some profits, has been consistently pursued and successfully carried out. It is worthy to note that for the first time COCOBOD has paid farmers bonuses twice this year, for the 2006/07 crop year amounting to GH¢32,000,000.00", he noted.
President Kufuor averred that his government in its bid to replenish soil fertility and to improve on the productivity of the cocoa tree, initiated the Cocoa Hi-Tech programme through the COCOBOD in 2003, which involved the application of fertilizers, improved planting materials and the application of insecticides and fungicides, on cocoa farms to help increase the productivity of most cocoa farms in the country.

Ghana prepares for oil exploitation

Ghana has taken a bold initiative towards a systematic establishment of economic, technical and legal framework to manage its oil extraction, whilst maximizing its benefits to improve living standards. To this effect, the government has assigned a team of experts in the oil industry to develop a master plan for the petroleum sector.
The team of experts has been subdivided into six working groups and each is supposed to produce a policy document which would become part of the master plan to guide the development and management of Ghana's emerging oil industry and how it interfaces with the rest of the economy.
This was made known at a workshop dubbed "Consultative meeting on the Oil and Gas fiscal regime and fund types" in Accra, on Tuesday by the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning (MOFEP).
The workshop is aimed at providing space for in-depth discussions on the specific issues of taxation and all the fiscal arrangements most suitable for the country if it intends to achieve the desired growth of a middle income status in the shortest possible time.
Among the six working group includes- the legal regime, fiscal regime and fund types, health, safety, environment and community issues, security, local content and capacity building and downstream, natural gas utilization and infrastructure development.
Addressing the gathering (mainly made up of stakeholders in the oil industry) at the workshop, a Chief Director at the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, Nana Juaben-Boaten Siriboe noted that the discovery of oil in the country puts the economy on a good stand towards realizing a middle income status and is leaving no stone unturned to learn from oil producing countries who have benefited from the smooth management of their upstream resource activities.
According to him, the experiences of some resource-rich Developing Countries in managing their oil has not been encouraging as it has in one way or the other destabilised the economies of those countries.
"The experiences of some resource-rich developing countries suggest one thing. Growth and prosperity from oil discovery are not inevitable. The irony in some cases is that the oil effect has been destabilising, leading to low growth, widespread inequalities and conflict, the so-called resource curse. According to one expert, the curse stands ready to capture new and unsuspecting economies that have weak institutions and poor standards of governance", he noted.
"The good news is that there are other countries that have grown and developed from their natural resources. Botswana with diamonds and Norway and Malaysia with oil are good examples", he added.
Nana Siriboe averred that the eventual benefits the country can receive from its oil and gas resources depend, in part, on the fiscal regime that the country has in place.
"In fact, many experts believe that the fiscal regime is what separates those economies where petroleum has made a difference to the overall living standards of citizens from where it has not", he said.
The country, since February 2008 has had the benefit of many experts on several aspects of the petroleum industry through a number of workshops. Nana Siriboe contended that the biggest challenge facing the country is how to transform the experiences gained to good use.
"Our challenge is rather how to take these lessons and experiences and use them to develop the rules and guidelines that will yield the maximum direct and indirect benefits for all Ghanaians and to make progress towards a good and prosperous society", he noted.

Ghana, a frontier emerging market

Ghana’s macro-economic recovery reform programme has paid off, making it a vibrant capital market, with its potentials attracting lots of foreign direct investments, over the past five years.
With political stability in the country, coupled with the serene business atmosphere in which businesses operate, has placed the country among a league of eight Sub-Saharan African countries, outside South Africa, heading towards emerging market status, a quarterly magazine of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), called Finance and Development, has revealed.
The IMF has thus described the country, as a ‘frontier emerging market’, meaning that the Ghanaian economy would attain the status of emerging market, as soon as it matures.
The seven other countries, which fall into this category (frontier emerging markets), include Botswana, Kenya, Mozambique, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Nigeria.
Emerging market refers to developing countries with stock markets, which are beginning to demonstrate the features of the mature stock markets in industrialised countries.
Nigeria, according to the magazine, was the largest country in this group.
These countries qualified to the position of a frontier emerging market, because of the massive growth their economies are enjoying, which was led by the private sector growth.
“Emerging markets are attractive to investors, because they offer rates of return that are high, relative to mature markets, and offer opportunities for investors to diversify risk. High GDP signals that there are opportunities for investors to buy into the country’s overall prospects, or seek out opportunities, by identifying undervaluation in specific sectors. Together these countries account for about 40 per cent of the region’s population outside South Africa, and almost one-half of its GDP,” noted the report.
According to the IMF, the countries that have fallen under frontier emerging markets, have installed sound economic institutions to avoid the boom-bust cycle of the past.
“Take the case of Nigeria, since the current oil boom started in 2004, its economic performance has been far better, than in previous booms in 1974-78, 1979-83 and 1990-94, measuring non-oil growth or inflation. During 2005-06, it received Paris Club debt relief, and bought back much of the remainder of its external debt. Since then, trade in Nigeria debt has been mainly in domestic issues. Nigeria debt trading is ranked 21st globally at the end of 2007,” noted the IMF.
Emerging markets, according to the IMF, offers institutional investors the prospect of good returns, and a means to diversify risk, through investments in financial markets.
Ghana, as part of its reform to put the country on a sound economic track, in September last year listed a US$750 million Euro bond on the London Stock Exchange, which was four times over subscribed, exceeding an amount of US$3.2 billion.
The IMF, in one of its reports issued in Washington, said the bond sales was one of the benchmarks of growing interest of investors in Africa, and in emerging and developing countries worldwide.
The IMF, however, advised African central banks to give adequately to financial sector stability, against a tradition in the region that had long focused on financial sector development.
“The banking system is the main conduit through which foreign inflows are intermediated, and so bank capital and risk management practices, must be monitored carefully,” noted the IMF.

Economy to create 4,900 jobs

The job market of the Ghanaian economy would start witnessing 4,900 new vacancies as Foreign Direct Investments continue to announce their presence in the country.
With the economy's improved performance on the global market, Ghana has become a safe haven for investors who have over the last six months been battling to register their businesses with the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC), to start operations in the country.
Out of the 53 new investment concerns registered during the second quarter of the GIPC under review, it is expected that 4,900 new jobs would be created, with majority of these (4,670 representing 95.3%) going in favour of Ghanaians and the remaining 230 (4.7%) to expatriates. The total estimated value of these 53 new investments is GH¢57.03 million, a decrease from GH¢77.37 million, recorded for the same period in 2007.
Of the 53 new investments registered during the quarter, 38 representing 71.70% were wholly owned foreign enterprises, with the remaining 15 projects (28.30%) being joint venture projects between Ghanaians and their foreign partners.
The joint venture projects were valued at GH¢13.5 million whilst the 100% foreign owned enterprises were valued at GH¢42.17 million.
This feat, according to the Chief Executive Officer of GIPC, Robert Ahomka-Lindsey in a media interaction in Accra, brings the total number of jobs created in the first half year of 2008 to 14,607.
With the registration of these 53 new investments, the Centre thus recorded a total cash investment of GH¢923.79 million (US$942.6million), being the total new cash investment for the second quarter of 2008.
This figure, according to the CEO, comprises GH¢916.06 million worth of investments (capital goods imported) and GH¢7.73 million equity transfers for the projects registered during the quarter as compared to GH¢351.54 million recorded in the same period in 2007, of which GH¢11.89 million constituted equity transfers and GH¢339.4 million worth of reinvestments (capital goods imported) with 95 projects registered.
Among the 53 new investments, China and India continue to top the list of countries who registered their businesses in the country. According to Mr. Ahomka-Lindsey, the United Kingdom registered the least projects but was of the highest value with GH¢33.45 million during the period under review.
Out of the new projects recorded, Manufacturing, Services and general trading continue to be the highest in terms of sectoral composition.
Agriculture recorded a slight improvement over the previous quarter with 9 projects being registered at an estimated value of GH¢9.88 million. Liaison Offices recorded the least projects, registering 3 projects out of the 53 with an estimated value of GH¢0.07 million.
Major projects attracted during the second quarter include DOS Oil Production- Ghana Limited, a processing factory in the field of palm fruits and palm kernel, with an estimated project value of GH¢27.44 million. Colwick Ghana Limited, a real estate development and Prairie Volta West Africa Fish Limited, notably known in fish farming and processing, announced their presence in the country with an estimated project value of GH¢2.69 million and GH¢2.04 million respectively.
According to MR. Ahomka-Lindsey, his outfit is expecting more activities in the telecom industry with the presence of Zain and Vodafone in the country. He said his outfit has outlined a 3 year building institutional capacity and would pursue it vigorously towards achieving a better investment economy for the country.

Decision day for Nana Addo

IT`S JAWULA BAWUMIA IN FINAL‘Who can stand in for the President if he suddenly becomes incapacitated?’ Hajia Alima, Boy scout Boniface or Bawumiah?
Who can stand in for the President if he suddenly becomes incapacitated?’ Hajia Alima, Boy scout Boniface or Bawumiah? AS THE Flag bearer of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo takes the significant decision today as to who partners him in the upcoming general elections, the political desk of The Chronicle can report that, Alhaji M.N.D Jawula, immediate past Chief Director of Ministry of Health, seems to be the obvious choice.
The 59 year old Civil servant, who voluntarily retired from active service recently, to escape the commotion that his candidature had generated, particularly from ‘The Daily Graphic (which appears to suffer from Castle control), after giving up another major chieftaincy position– the Lepowura of Gonja land, to establish his readiness for the task ahead.
In a surprise endorsement of the Lepowura, three heavyweight endorsements came flying in from a number of people. Hon. P.C. Appiah Ofori, Hon. J.B. Danquah Adu, Nana Kofi Coomson and Haruna Atta, of the Accra Daily Mail. Several prospects have made the traditional rounds in the circuit of contenders for the position, each fielding an interesting assortment of pressmen to engineer all manner of headlines to catch the eye of Nana Addo..
In reality, they do not even puncture the inner perimeter of the Presidential candidate. The names are coming in thick and fast with some early birds like Sheikh IC Quaye, who was with the President in the first parliament of the first Republic. The Sheikh is the first conqueror of Mr. Kwesi Pratt in 1996, when the youthful Pratt engaged him for the Ayawaso Central seat and felt the power of Quaye’s magical appeal, with the voters from Nkansan Djan area through to Tip Toe lane.
Even though he is a very sprightly person, the old ‘boy’, well over his 70th birthday, he made the comical strip- ‘Atta Mills eke mini… enya Kenya … Naa Nana, Naa Shoo…’ popular enough to enter the phrase book of politics in Ghana.
Surprisingly, Alhaji Boniface, in spite of his maximum interface with the press, never quiet made it to the ring of minders who have thrown a gauntlet of beefy armour round The Aspirant.
The latest trick from the bookmakers is one pedestrian Alhaji Zacharia, who was plucked from complete anonymity as a tutor at the Tamale Training College, and hoisted by the press to the bewilderment of the man himself.
Hajia Alima finally did herself in, after the fatal blow by the venerated Hon. B.J. da-Rocha, whose treatise leaked to the Daily Mail last Monday, unleashed a simultaneous chorus of disapproval from women’s group in parliament. Not only could a staged marriage to a willing and approving man within the last few days stem the poison of nay Sayers. Her last act of corralling demonstrators to the office of the flag bearer was too late to sway the flag bearer’s early enthusiasm for her candidature.
MAHAMUDU BAWUMIA
Intelligence picked up by this paper indicates that Alhaji Mahamudu Bawumia, Deputy Governor of Bank of Ghana, was as at yesterday evening going through the paces of being groomed for the office. Never desirous of the position, Bawumia has never relished the position of vice President and was amused when his name came up.
Eyeing the position of Governor of the Central Bank, Bawumia is now very much on the cards as the most likely vice Presidential candidate.
Perhaps, the candidate who has leapfrogged on to the priority candidate is Alhaji Jawula. Mahmoud Bawumia has not been involved in active politics in all his life, except to be appointed as Deputy Governor in charge of Monetary Policy, based on his qualification and a father who was a senior National Democratic Congress member of the Council of Elders.
With his solid economic background, he caught the fancy of the rank and file of the NPP because of his freshness, and his youthfulness.
Alhaji Bawumia, who is reported to have been in confinement since Monday, following credible reports that he is now the compromise candidate to partner Nana Akufo-Addo, is the son of Alhaji Mumuni Bawumia, a CPP stalwart and a former Minister under the regime of the late Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, and who later joined the NDC, after Kojo Tsikata enticed him into the fold.
Jawula, a Lepowura, who declared his intention to support Akufo-Addo when given the nod, said he sought permission from his paramount chief to ascend to the throne of vice President after which he would rejoin the traditional leadership. According to him, he would be privileged to partner Akufo-Addo to bring his vast experience in governance to bear, having garnered enough from the public service until he voluntarily retired some few days ago.
To him the nobility of chieftaincy was in his vein and he would help reform the chieftaincy institution after serving as the second most powerful person of the land.
M.N.D. Jawula, who earlier stated that he had no Presidential ambition, said “I am ready to take up the mantle to prepare the ground for the upcoming generations. I have no Presidential ambition,” he told this paper in response to whether he has actually abdicated from the chieftaincy kingdom to engage in active politics.
According to him, there were many leaders of the nation that he took inspiration from.
“Dr. Hilla Limman stepped down to be a President and later became the chief of his homeland, Gwollu. My late uncle, whom I take inspirations from in the UP tradition, set aside his kingship and went to parliament to serve and after that reverted,” he rolled out names who embarked on the same journey.
Touching on what he will bring on board, the vice Presidential hopeful indicated that,” I am bringing my vast experience in public service and other areas that have never being seen before. I am bringing diplomatic service that will gel, for the Moslems and Christians. I am bringing a new concept that will keep the youth active, especially in football and in health.” Alhaji Jawula, a former Ghana Football Association chairman, underscored that he has passion for rural governance and was much pleased with Akufo-Addo’s northern agenda programme, which he wished to play a pivotal role to ensure that the dream of the NPP flag bearer was achieved.
“I am interested in the Northern Development agenda and also interested in local governance throughout the nation. When given the nod, I want to get to the people who would make the economy vibrant, especially the farmers.”
According to him, he will support the vision and the ideals of Akufo-Addo alongside the beliefs of the NPP tradition, adding that he will consult the farmers and fisher-folks to get the northern agenda of the NPP movers, since as he said, he is already a part-time farmer, with a number of tractors.
Jawula, having had over thirty years in civil service, the Gonja/Ga native candidate stands tall among his competitors. With thirty-two years of experience in the civil service, Alhaji Nuru Deen Jawula has carved a niche for himself in the discharge of his duties in the various institutions that he served.
Through his selfless, dedication and above all his commitment to serve his people, his competence in the public service has proven a better track record which has endowed him with rich experience to take Ghana to greater heights if he partners Akuffo-Addo for the presidential race. His visionary qualities have attracted lots of heavy weights within the NPP to endorse his candidature to partner Nana Akuffo-Addo.
His neutrality puts him above his competitors to be able to bridge the gap between the North and South. His long stewardship in the civil service makes him understand the structures, management and the plight of Ghanaian workers. His leadership qualities made him the obvious choice as a chief (Lepowura) in his hometown when the stool became vacant.
As a son of Kpembe Royal clan, Alhaji M.N.D Jawula was born a thorough-bred Zongo person and is a descendant of Jakpa, the Warrior, Known in Zongo folklore.
His political ambition was overshadowed by his long spell in the public service until recently when he mounted the stage of the NPP at Kasoa in a mammoth rally when the party introduced its flag bearer, Nana Akuffo-Addo.
From Gambaga to Wale Wale, through to Yendi and Damongo, where he served as District Executive in the 1970s and 1980s, his selfless dedication to work made him earn promotion upon promotion to serve in the Ministries of Finance and Economic Planning, Railways, Ports and Harbours until his retirement from the Health sector as a Chief Director. His rich experience in the administration of football made the country to chalk successes in events organized by the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
From the boat of Real Tamale United, he jumped onto the Ghana Football Association board in 1994 and became its vice chairman in 1995. Later he became the chairman of the Football Association in 1999 and onto the Standing Committee of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) with its entire network.
Meanwhile, according to some members of the Sweet Apple branch of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), they have called on the leadership of the party, particularly it's flag bearer, Nana Akuffo-Addo, to choose Alhaji M.N.D. Jawula as the party’s running mate for the December 2008 elections.
According to them, critical analysis of the fortunes of the NPP so far points to the fact that Alhaji Mohammed Nurudeen Jawula, a former Chairman of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) stands tall among the possible vice Presidential materials whose names are currently making the rounds.
Speaking to this paper after a consultative meeting involving members and executives of the Sweet Apple NPP branch over the weekend at their office in Accra New Town, a leading executive member of the branch, Madam Hajia Kande stated that after painstaking research and consultation among the rank and file of it's membership and other members of the NPP at both the national and regional level, it has become obvious that Alhaji Jawula is the right person to partner Nana Akuffo-Addo, to ensure not only a resounding victory for the NPP but to fulfill the party’s promises to Ghanaians.
She said, Alhaji Jawula has proven to all and sundry that "his vision is to work for Ghana" and has accordingly excelled in all administrative positions he occupied, mentioning among them his achievements as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Real Tamale United, the GFA, and Chief Director of the Ministry of Health, among others.
Hajia Kande mentioned that in all positions Alhaji Jawula occupied, he worked to the admiration of all, irrespective of one's political or religious affiliation, stressing that "this is someone who can unite Ghana".
Buttressing her points further, she intimated that Alhaji M.N.D Jawula has worked with people with different political, religious, tribal and educational backgrounds, so could be in the best position to unite what she described as an almost "polarised Ghana".
"At this time of our political dispensation, Ghana needs someone who can unite the entire nation, just as Alhaji has done in unifying people wherever he is chosen to lead.
These and many more qualities have made Alhaji Jawula not only a winnable bet, but a person who has the ability to add more value to our Presidency and help to maintain Ghana as the enviable peaceful nation in the sub-region".
Also speaking with this paper further, Mr. Luqman Musah, Secretary of the Accra New Town based Sweet Apple NPP branch stated that "judging from all available facts, sports is a major unifying factor as exhibited during the Germany 2006 world cup and the just ended MTN CAN 2008 Africa Cup of nations hosted by Ghana. It is obvious Alhaji is best positioned to use sports to unite the nation"
Mr. Luqman Musah therefore urged the NPP leadership to nominate Alhaji Jawula as the running mate of Nana Akuffo Addo.

MTN supports Ga Traditional Council

As part of its commitment to deepen its ties with communities it operates, Mobile Telecommunication Network (MTN) on Monday donated money and other souvenirs valued at GH¢15,000 to help the Ga Traditional Council in the celebration of the Homowo festival.
Included in the sponsorship package was a presentation of GH¢5,000.00 cash to the Ga Traditional Council coupled with assorted MTN-branded souvenirs worth GH¢1,000.00.
In addition, the company presented a FWAP machine, popularly known as space-to-space, with airtime worth GH¢350.00 and a 3 fully connected mobile phones.
“When we came into this country, we made it our commitment to improve living standards in the communities we operate in. It is the deepening of our relationships with these communities that really drive the key aspect of our business”, noted Mawuena Dumor, Executive for Corporate Service of MTN, Ghana, when she led a group of officials from her outfit to make the presentation to the Ga Mantse.
According to her, MTN was motivated to use the occasion to establish close relationship with its customer base, so as to be part in the development process of the communities within which they operate.
The Chief Marketing Officer of MTN, George Andam noted that MTN was attracted to be part in the celebration of the Homowo festival because it shares some of the values of the Ga people.
“MTN is excited to be associated with the Homowo festival because we believe it expresses some of the values that MTN hold dear and which drives our business. Throughout history and today, the leadership values and the can-do spirit of the Ga people is made evident in a number of events. We are told of how the ancestors of the Ga State through their can-do spirit and leadership overcame hunger. Incidentally, these are values MTN hold dear”, he noted.
MTN would as part of its sponsorship package, use some of the money in sponsoring a special Ga community football gala which kicks off on Friday, August 15th 2008 at the Manste Agbona Park.
In his acceptance speech, the Ga Manste, King Tackie Tawiah III thanked MTN for its kind gesture in taking the initiative to support the Homowo festival.
“Your choice of supporting our Homowo festival is a unique one. Homowo represents to as not only as a festive occasion but a communication between our fore-fathers who have made it possible for us to enjoy the fruits of their labour”, he stated. According to him, the professionalism with which MTN goes about its operations makes it the best telecom company in the country. “This morning, we have enjoyed the clarity of communication. MTN is not a label but a people’s institution. They can be assured that, they are the best telecom company in the country because the professionalism with which they does things”, he noted. The Ga Mantse congratulated MTN for its commitments in improving living standards in communities of its jurisdiction and urged other corporate bodies to do the same.

Ghana, dumping site for e-waste

Ghana has been identified as a dumping site for e-waste by European Countries, Japan and America. These countries are the home of electronic manufacturing giants such as Philips, Toshiba, Dell, Sony, Grundig, Sharp, Microsoft, Nokia, Siemens, Hewlett Packard, Motorola, Sony Ericsson, IBM, Lenovo, Panasonic and other electrical appliances.
Grappling with what to do with the mounting piles of toxic e-waste in their respective countries, these aforementioned countries illegally dump their waste on the soils of Ghana.
According to the United Nations Laureate on environment, Mike Anane, at a press briefing at one of the dump sites at the Agblogbloshie market, in Accra over the weekend, he noted that despite the Basel Ban Amendment under the Basel Convention, which prohibits the export of e-waste from developed to developing countries, the exports are still increasing, a situation which he said needed to be stopped.
The United Nations Environment Programme recently stated that 20-50million tones of electronics are discarded each year, with 70% of these products being shipped to poor nations, including Ghana.
One of Anane’s biggest concern on e-waste stem from the United States of America’s conversion from analog television signal to digital in February 2009. “Observers estimate that this year alone, people will buy 32million digital televisions, the old televisions will then get dumped in countries such as Ghana”, he noted.
He reiterated that even though there are international laws that ban the export of computer waste, people are getting round this ban by labeling their shipments as usable second-hand goods or donations.
“My research shows that about 90% of the computers are junk. They just don’t work. They are obsolete, not functional and they contain an array of toxic materials, including lead, mercury and brominated flame retardants and they are destined for disposal in their countries of origin. But they are sent here where only about 10% are put to good use. The rest go straight to the Agbogbloshie dump site and other dump sites around the country where they contaminate ground water, surface water, the rivers and the streams, this is simply dumping and nothing more”, he added.
Dumping of e-waste is a major problem in the country because of the presence of these toxic elements like lead, mercury and cadmium. These toxic elements pose a threat to human life, our water bodies and the environment.
A visit to this dump site at Agbogbloshie revealed that children between the ages of 5-12 are mostly involved in this business for survival. They dismantle the e-waste (computers and electrical appliances) at this dump site for copper and other metals. They do not put on any protective wear and equipment, thereby exposing them to lethal doses of hazardous chemicals like mercury and lead.
Stephen Bonnie, a ten year old boy from the Ebenezer Methodist School in Madina noted that he makes GH¢4.00 a day out of the sales of copper that he collects from the e-waste to support his mother, a divorcee and a trader.
“Children in particular are highly susceptible to toxic substances, which could lead to long term cancers that affect the lungs and all parts of the body”, noted Mike Anane.
Some of the workers interviewed showed grave concern about the deplorable state these children are in, and government not happy about their presence at the dump site.
“We have on a number of occasions sacked these children to go to school but they wouldn’t listen. I’m sure government is not happy about our presence here. We’ve heard Honourable Abubaka Saddique Boniface on several occasions complaining bitterly on television about our presence here. But this is our source of income and we have not alternative than to stay”, recounted Alhassan Mohammed, an eighteen year old scrap dealer.
The dismantling of the e-waste is done on the banks of the Korle Lagoon which is very close to the dumping site.
According the UN Laureate Environmentalist, when it rains all the debris of the dismantled and burnt e-waste find their way into the lagoon, causing havoc to plant and animal lives in the water.
Plumes of toxic smoke also fill the air each day as the wires in the computers and other electrical components are burnt to retrieve copper.
A Non-Governmental Organisation, Greenpeace International disclosed at its website that samples of tested soils in these dump sites (Agbogbloshie and Koforidua) contained toxic metals including lead in quantities as much as one hundred times above levels found in uncontaminated soil and sediment samples. Other samples (phthalates) which is known to interfere with sexual reproduction, were found in most of the test samples, according to the statement posted on the website of Greenpeace International.
Dr. Kevin Brigden, a scientist at Greenpeace International, who led in the testing of the soil samples disclosed that many of the chemicals released were highly toxic and may affect children’s development reproductive systems, while others could affect brain development and the nervous system.
Dr. Brigden attributed these health implications on bad corporate practices and public policy that have failed to address e-waste. Mike Anane therefore called for appropriate policies from the government of Ghana and through the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to bring the situation to a halt.
“E-waste exportation and dumping in Ghana is a clear violation of European and international law. It is simply prohibited to export hazardous wastes to non-EU countries, and there is the need for member states of the EU to better implement and apply European law on e-waste dumping. We have a responsibility to clean up because we shouldn’t let this e-waste to remain here for our future generation. The impunity must stop”, he noted.