Thursday, January 31, 2008

I saw 5 boats offload 'fish'

January 31, 2008 (Page 3)

ONE of the crew members on board the MV Benjamin, the vessel which was allegedly used to cart 77 parcels of cocaine, told the Accra Fast Track High Court yesterday that he saw five boats offloading cartons of “fish” into the vessel in Liberian waters in April 2006.
Isaac Arhin, the crew member, said the Captain of the MV Benjamin, wielding a gun, ordered him (Isaac) and other crew members to go into their cabins before the “fish” was offloaded.
Isaac was giving his evidence in-chief in the case in which he, his brother, Philip Bruce Arhin, Joseph Kojo Dawson, the owner of the vessel, as well as Cui Xian Li and Luo Yin Xing, both Chinese, have been accused of playing various roles in the importation of the cocaine.
He said he witnessed the offloading of the cartons from a small window in his cabin.
The accused persons have been charged with various counts of using property for narcotic offences, engaging in prohibited business relating to narcotics and possession of narcotic drugs without lawful authority.
Each of them has pleaded not guilty to all the charges and has been remanded in prison custody.
Led in evidence by his counsel, Mr Osei Wusu, Isaac informed the court that one of the boats kept surveillance, while the remaining five offloaded the cartons of “fish”, which later turned out to be cocaine, into the MV Benjamin.
The accused person said after the boats had offloaded the cartons of “fish”, the next thing he realised was that the vessel had arrived at the shores of Tema.
On arriving in Tema, Isaac said, a man called Mr Pak, the Captain and another person he called Killer disembarked from the vessel after another boat had arrived to collect the “fish” from the MV Benjamin.
Arhin further stated that the next day after the arrival of the vessel, a naval ship docked close to it and a former official of the Narcotics Control Board (NACOB), Mr Ben Ndego, and other security officials searched the ship and found a carton which was later found to contain cocaine.
The accused person said the vessel developed a fault and for that matter Mr Pak and Killer arrived in Takoradi to see to its repair.
He said the crew members were asked to try the vessel on the high seas after repair works had been carried out and it was during the trial that he realised the vessel was sailing opposite its designation.
Upon realising that the vessel was not heading towards Tema, as planned, Isaac said he decided to question the captain where the vessel was heading towards but that question infuriated the captain, who went inside his (captain’s) cabin for a gun.
Isaac said at that point, Mr Pak pleaded with the captain to calm down but the captain then ordered him (Isaac) and the other crew members to go into their cabins.
According to Isaac, he and the other crew members stayed in their cabins throughout the offloading of the cartons.
The accused person is expected to be cross-examined by the prosecution on February 6, 2008.

Tsatsu's case adjourned sine die

January 31, 2008 (Page 3)

The Supreme Court on Tuesday adjourned sine die the appeal application brought before it by Tsatsu Tsikata, former Chief Executive of Ghana National Petroleum Company.
Mr Justice William Atuguba, presiding over the five-member panel announced this when the matter was mentioned for hearing.
According to Mr Justice Atuguba, the indefinite adjournment had become necessary because Mr Justice Richard Twum Aninakwa, one of the panel members, had reached retiring age.
The Presiding Judge stated that the retiring judge would have to be replaced before the matter could be listed for hearing.
Tsatsu who had been put before a Fast Track Court in Accra for wilfully causing financial loss to the State pleaded not guilty, and was on a self-recognizance bail.
After prosecution rested its case, the court ruled that the Country Director of the International Finance Corporation  (IFC) was immune to giving evidence in the matter.
Tsatsu, therefore appealed against the court's decision at the Court of Appeal, which upheld the ruling of the lower court.
Not satisfied with the decision of the two courts, Tsatsu took the matter to the highest court of the land.
At its last sitting on November 28, 2007, the Supreme Court granted Tsatsu's motion for the Director of the IFC to be heard on the issue of its immunity from process.
Consequently, the court ordered its registrar to serve the record of appeal on the IFC to advise itself as to whether or not to be heard on the appeal.
The court gave the IFC 21 days within which to respond by filing its submissions if it wanted to be heard on the matter.
On December 27, the record of appeal and counsels' submissions were served on the IFC, which had without prejudice to its right to invoke its immunity submitted a written submission to the court.
At today's sitting, Tsatsu told the court that his senior counsel, Professor Emmanuel Victor Oware Dankwa, was indisposed, while his other counsel was dead.
- GNA

Judgement in British paedophile case fixed

January 28, 2008 (Page 44)

JUDGEMENT in the case in which a 57-year-old Briton has been accused of indecently assaulting a three-year-old girl has been fixed for February 19, 2008.
The Accra Circuit Court fixed the date after counsel for Thomas Tichler, Mr Ellis Owusu Fordjour, informed it that the accused person had closed his defence.
The trial judge, Mrs Georgina Datsa-Mensah, then ordered both the prosecution to file their written addresses on or before February 4, 2008 to enable the court to deliver its judgement on February 19, 2008.
Tichler, who is alleged to have inserted his fingers into the victim’s vagina, has pleaded not guilty to two counts of causing harm and indecent assault.
He has been refused bail.
A total of seven prosecution witnesses including the victim, her parents, the victim’s two siblings, a medical doctor and the investigator in the case testified against the accused person.
Tichler testified and denied any wrongdoing. Two defence witnesses were also called to testify.
The accused person was alleged to have committed the offence at the residence of the victim on October 13, 2007, barely a week after he had arrived in the country for a three-month attachment.
According to the prosecution, Tichler visited the victim’s father at North Legon, near Redco Flats, on October 13, 2007 and on reaching there, the victim’s father left the victim and her two siblings in the care of Tichler in order to purchase some items from town.
Tichler engaged the victim and her two siblings, aged eight and six, at the sitting room but later managed to engage the victim alone and succeeded in inserting his fingers into her vagina.
Not quiet long after the incident, the victim’s mother arrived from town and just as she entered the kitchen, Tichler followed her and requested for water to wash his hands.
Later, the victim went to her mother and said she wanted to urinate and while helping her, the mother noticed that the victim’s panties had blood stains.
The victim mentioned the accused person as the one who inserted his fingers into her vagina when she was questioned by her mother.
Tichler was arrested and handed over to the Legon police.
The victim was later taken to hospital where she was examined, treated and discharged.

SSNIT not for CAP 30 pensions — Domelevo

January 28, 2008 (Page 47)

THE Director in charge of Pensions at the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department (CAGD) has advised pensioners who want to be on CAP 30, instead of the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT), to voice their concerns through the appropriate quarters for redress.
Mr Daniel Domelevo said “people who are SSNIT beneficiaries think it is a matter of pleading and winning sympathy that will make them be paid under CAP 30. What they should know is that once there is a legal provision, one cannot amend it administratively. It must go through the same legal process”.
In an interview with the Daily Graphic, Mr Domelevo said gratuity and monthly payments under CAP 30 were far higher than gratuity and monthly payments under SSNIT and for that matter pensioners preferred being paid under CAP 30.
He explained that the Pensions Unit was inundated with hundreds of applications from pensioners, all pleading to be placed under CAP 30.
Mr Domelevo, who is also in charge of Public Financial Management Reforms and Payroll, said the applicants later turned out to be beneficiaries of SSNIT pension.
Quoting the law to defend the CAGD’s rejection of applications, Mr Domelevo said Section 15 (3) of the Financial Administration Act states that “the Controller and Accountant-General shall reject a requisition if he is of the opinion that payments on it will not be a lawful charge against appropriation.”
Mr Domelevo reminded workers and pensioners who wanted to be placed under CAP 30 that there was nothing the CAGD could do to that effect and explained that the department was acting in accordance with the law.
He further stated that the CAGD was responsible for CAP 30 pensions and had nothing to do with SSNIT pension, “except to ensure that anyone benefiting from CAP 30 does not collect SSNIT pension”.
According to him, in the past some pensioners had succeeded in collecting their pension benefits under the CAP 30 and SSNIT.
“Now there is an arrangement with SSNIT by which we obtain clearance and vice versa before payments are made,” Mr Domelevo pointed out, adding that “even with that some pensioners attempt to cheat but we normally show them records indicating that they have been paid by SSNIT”.
Giving the background to CAP 30, Mr Domelevo said it was the first pension for all public servants, according to the Pension Act of 1950, until the Pensions and SSNIT Amendment Act 1975 came into effect.
He explained that the essence of the act was to put public servants on SSNIT pension, instead of CAP 30, because CAP 30 was no longer deemed sustainable.
Mr Domelevo explained that there were too many dependants under CAP 30, which was a non-contributory pension.
“From January 1, 1972 any person employed in the Civil Service, the GES and other services, except the security services and the Judicial Service, was to benefit from SSNIT,” Mr Domelevo said.
However, he stated that civil servants, GES staff, among others, who were in employment before January 1, 1972 and occupied a pensionable position also enjoyed CAP 30.
Nonetheless, workers were given the option to either opt for CAP 30 or SSNIT within 12 months from January 1, 1972, “after which if you do not opt the law will automatically deem you to be under SSNIT, not CAP 30,” Mr Domelevo added.
He said the CAGD had decided to consolidate all the laws on pensions so that people would know whether or not they qualified for pensions.

2 British coke girls jailed 1 year each

January 24, 2008 (Page 3 Lead)

THE Juvenile Court in Accra yesterday sentenced two British juveniles to one year imprisonment each for possessing six kilogrammes of cocaine.
Yasemin Vatasever and Yetunde Diya, both 16, are to begin serving their sentences from July 18, 2007, the day on which they were remanded in custody by the court.
Yasemin and Yetunde, whose faces were covered with cloths to shield them from anxious foreign and local media, were whisked away to begin their sentences, a greater part of which has already been served.
According to sources close to the case, which was heard in camera, the juvenile convicts would serve their sentences at the Mamobi Juvenile Detention Centre in Accra, after which they would be sent to Britain.
The two were convicted by the court on November 21, 2007 after they had been found guilty of conspiracy and possessing narcotic drugs without lawful authority, but sentencing was deferred to December 5, 2007.
On December 5, 2008, the court had to defer sentencing again because it had not received the social services report on the girls. It then deferred sentencing to Wednesday, January 9, 2008.
At the court’s sitting in Accra on January 9, 2008, it emerged that the Department of Social Welfare had received the report on the girls on Monday, January 7, and an official of the department, therefore, prayed the court to adjourn the case for two weeks to enable the department to thoroughly study the report before advising the court appropriately.
The trial judge then warned that the court would not countenance any excuses on the next adjourned date.
The report was expected to give a profile and background on the juveniles from the British authorities.
A third accused person, Florina Rotario, 20, who was arrested along with the girls, is, however, standing trial in a separate court because she is not a juvenile.
Florina, who is currently on remand, is standing trial at the Greater Accra Regional Tribunal.
The trial was heard in camera because the law does not permit cases involving juveniles to be heard in open court. That did not, however, take away its intense public attention.
In all, seven prosecution witnesses and one defence witness were said to have testified in the trial which lasted about four months.
The girls pleaded not guilty to two counts of conspiracy and possession of narcotic drugs without lawful authority and maintained that they were lured into Ghana by two men who left them to their fate.
They were arrested at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) on July 2, 2007 by officials of the Narcotics Control Board (NACOB).
Each had in her possession three kilogrammes of cocaine hidden in her laptop bag.
At the last sitting of the court, lawyers of the girls declared their intention to appeal against the convictions.

Ghanaian Scientist honoured in USA

January 24, 2008 (Page 3)

A US-based Ghanaian scientist, Dr Fred McBagonluri, has been named the Black Engineer of the Year (Most Promising Scientist category) in the US.
Dr McBagonluri, the Director of Engineering at Siemens Hearing Instruments, will receive the award at the 22nd Annual Black Engineer of the Year Conference in Baltimore, Maryland, in February 2008.
The award recognises an engineer or scientist in the early years of his or her career who demonstrates tremendous potential for future technical contributions.
Commenting on the award in an interview with the Daily Graphic, Dr McBagonluri, 37, said, “Being the first Ghanaian to win this award enhances the global image of our country as a nation that produces excellence for the global stage.”
“It gives me the validation required to initiate and win the audience required to begin a national dialogue on what our education, scientific and technological road map ought to be,” Dr McBagonluri noted.
He further intimated that the award was a sign that Ghana’s educational products were globally competitive.
Dr McBagonluri thanked his colleagues at Siemens for their support and recognition and gave the assurance that he would do more to further project the company’s name.
The nominee’s unique contributions to the organisation, his leadership abilities, professional and technical achievements and potential for advancement were all considered before the award was given.
The awards were sponsored by the Council of Engineering Deans of Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Lockheed Martin Corp, Career Communications Group, USBE and Information Technology magazine.
Dr McBagonluri, who joined Siemens in 2001, was cited for being the driving force behind revolutionising the technology in the hearing instrument market.
His work enabled great efficiency and quality gains in the manufacturing of hearing instruments and his leadership of the team combining 3D image processing, artificial intelligence, materials engineering and rapid prototyping into production were the main reasons for his recognition.
Since joining Siemens as a research engineer for 3D virtual modelling and manufacturing of in-the-ear-hearing-instruments, he has been promoted twice and now directs requirements engineering, software engineering and manufacturing engineering for a team that includes three managers responsible for 30 engineers.
Dr Gerhard Roehrlein, Executive Director, Product Lifecycle Management, Siemens Medical Instruments, commenting on Dr McBagonluri’s achievements, said, “His outstanding technological capabilities, together with his high work standards and dedication to be successful, captured my attention right from the beginning. Very soon, I recognised his natural leadership capability. He earned the respect of his colleagues easily through his competence, friendliness, foresight and communication skills.”
Dr McBagonluri who hails from the Upper West Region Schools attended
Nandom Secondary School and then proceeded to the St Augustine's College for his Advanced Level Certificated.
He then proceeded to Central State University, Wilberforce, Ohio in 1991 and completed in 1996 with BS (Highest Distinction) in Manufacturing Engineering.
He is also an alumnus of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University where he attained his masters in Engineering Mechanics as well as the University of Dayton, Dayton Ohio where he obtained PhD in Materials Engineering (Aeronautics
and Astronautics structural Systems)
Dr McBagonluri is married with two children.

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

OIL - DRILLING STARTS SUNDAY • To pave way for commercial production

January 18, 2008 (Lead Story)

ANOTHER oil rig, Songa Saturn, arrived in the territorial waters of Ghana Wednesday morning to drill a second well and pave the way for the commercial production of oil in Ghana. It is expected to be in the deep waters of Cape Three Points in the Western Region, where the well is to be drilled, today.
The rig, which was brought in by Kosmos Energy Ghana Limited, the explorers, will start drilling in the Odum Prospect on Sunday.
The Songa Saturn has arrived after the discovery of large deposits of oil in Ghana by Bedford Dolphin, the first rig that made the discovery for Kosmos Energy Ghana. Bedford Dolphin had been in operation for seven years but the discovery in Ghana was its first success story.
Songa Saturn, which arrived from Equatorial Guinea, is a deep-water floating drilling rig and it is expected to leave for Libya after a three-month expedition in Ghana.
It is estimated that contracts for operational services and goods will cost about $1 million per day, with the rig accounting for the largest item of the cost during the three months that it will be employed in Ghana.
In an interview with the Daily Graphic, the Country Manager of Kosmos Energy, Mr George Yaw Owusu, said the company recently completed an appraisal of the Mahogany Field it discovered in June 2007 at the cost of $27 million.
He said Kosmos Energy would invest US$100 million to drill and evaluate six additional wells, including the Odum well, by the close of the year.
According to Mr Owusu, four additional wells would be drilled, beginning from the second quarter of this year.
He said the drilling of the appraisal wells would pave the way for production activities as soon as possible.
The Managing Director of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), Mr M. O. Boateng, expressed the hope that more companies would invest in the petroleum sector for the growth and development of the country.
Kosmos Energy, which discovered oil in commercial quantities off Cape Three Points in June 2007, is expected to drill a total of six wells by the end of the year.
The discovery was announced to the nation by President J.A. Kufuor in June 2007. Experts say the oil discovered by Kosmos is of premium quality and one of the best in the world.
In a related development, Kosmos Energy has been named the Explorer of the Year 2007 in recognition of its discovery by the World Junior Oil and Gas Congress based in the United Kingdom.
The Senior Vice-President of Kosmos Energy, Mr Paul Dailly, received the award on behalf of the Kosmos Team in London recently.
The World Junior Oil and Gas Congress awards the outstanding achievements of leaders, innovators and pioneers in the junior oil and gas industry around the globe.

Court defers coke girls' sentence

January 11, 2008 (Page 23)

THE Juvenile Court in Accra has adjourned to January 23, 2008, sentencing of the two British juveniles who were found guilty of possessing six kilogrammes of cocaine.
This is to enable the Department of Social Welfare to study a social service report from the British authorities considered crucial in assisting the court to sentence Yasemin Vatasever and Yetunde Diya, both 16 and of Cypriot and Nigerian parentage respectively.
The two were convicted by the court on November 21, 2007 after they were found guilty of conspiracy and possessing narcotic drugs without lawful authority but the sentence was deferred to December 5, 2007.
On December 5, 2008, the court had to defer the sentence again because it had not received the social services report on the girls. It then deferred sentencing to Wednesday, January 9, 2008.
At the court’s sitting in Accra on Wednesday, it emerged that the Department of Social Welfare received the report on the girls on Monday and an official of the department, therefore, prayed the court to adjourn the case for two weeks to enable the department to thoroughly study the report before advising the court appropriately.
The trial judge warned that it would not countenance any excuses on the next adjourned date.
The report was expected to give a profile and background on the juveniles from the British authorities.
A third accused person, Florina Rotario, 20, who was arrested alongside the girls, is, however, standing trial in a separate court because she is not a juvenile.
Florina who is currently on remand was expected to appear before the Greater Accra Regional Tribunal on January 21, 2008.
Anxious local and foreign journalists and many people who thronged the Juvenile Court premises in Accra on Wednesday to hear the sentence of the two girls were disappointed as it was deferred.
The trial was heard in camera because the law did not permit cases involving juveniles to be heard in open court but that did not take away its intense public attention.
In all, seven prosecution witnesses and one defence witness were said to have testified in the trial, which lasted about four months.
The girls pleaded not guilty to two counts of conspiracy and possession of narcotic drugs without lawful authority and maintained that they were lured into Ghana by two men who left them to their fate.
They were arrested at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) by officials of the Narcotics Control Board (NACOB) on July 2, 2007.
Each had in her possession three kilogrammes of cocaine hidden in her laptop bag.
At the last sitting of the court, lawyers of the girls declared their intention to appeal against the convictions.

Thursday, January 10, 2008

Sottie drags Appiah-Ofori to court

January 10, 2008 (Second Lead Story)

THE Controller and Accountant-General, Mr Christian Tetteh Sottie, has filed a GH¢500,000 libel suit against Mr P.C. Appiah-Ofori, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Asikuma-Odoben-Brakwa.
Mr Sottie is praying the Accra Fast Track High Court to restrain Mr Appiah-Ofori and his agents from further publishing libellous materials against him (Mr Sottie).
The plaintiff is also praying the court to order Mr Appiah-Ofori to retract all the defamatory materials he caused to be published in the media between September and December 2007, apologise for the wrongful accusations, as well as an order for costs as the court may deem fit.
A statement of claim accompanying the writ of summons, which was filed on January 8, 2008 on behalf of Mr Sottie by Sam Okudzeto and Associates, legal practitioners, said Mr Appiah-Ofori, on September 21, 2007, granted a live interview on Citi FM, a private radio station, during which he falsely and maliciously accused Mr Sottie of committing fraud.
The interview also created the impression that Mr Sottie had added ghost names to the payroll so that he could embezzle the proceeds later.
According to the statement of claim, Mr Appiah-Ofori again granted similar interviews to Atlantic Radio, Hot FM and Oman FM radio stations accusing Mr Sottie of using ‘ghost’ invoices to embezzle state funds.
It further averred that Mr Appiah-Ofori, on October 26, 2007, wrote to the Council of State accusing Mr Sottie of fraud, dishonesty and dishonourable conduct.
It said the letter, which received wide media coverage, also accused the Controller and Accountant-General of inserting ghost names in the government payroll to loot state resources and for that matter Mr Sottie was unfit to remain in office.
The statement of claim further averred that Mr Appiah-Ofori created the impression that Mr Sottie was incompetent in his profession as a Certified Accountant, in his office as Accountant-General, among others.
It said the publications had injured Mr Sottie’s credibility and reputation and had brought him to public scandal, odium and contempt among his peers, officers, family members and the society at large.
He had also suffered damage as a result of the publications and, accordingly, prayed the court to grant his relief.

Wednesday, January 9, 2008

OIL - KOSMOS INVESTS $100m - To drill, evaluate 2 additional wells

January 9, 2008 (Lead Story)

GHANA'S dream of becoming an oil hub in Africa is being given a further boost with the investment of US$100 million by Kosmos Energy Ghana to drill and evaluate two additional wells by the end of the first quarter of the year.
The company, which discovered oil in commercial quantities at Esiama in the Western Region in June, 2007, is expected to drill a total of six wells by the end of the year.
The discovery was announced to the nation by President J. A. Kufuor in June, 2007. Experts say the oil discovered by Kosmos is of premium quality and one of the best in the world.
In an interview with the Daily Graphic, the Country Manager of Kosmos Energy, Mr George Yaw Owusu, said the company had recently completed an appraisal of the Mahogany Field at the cost of $US 27 million.
He disclosed that to bring to fruition the company's plans, an oil rig, the Songa Saturn, was expected to arrive by the middle of this month to start work.
"In line with Ghana government's aspirations of early oil production, we want to evaluate and develop our discoveries as quickly and efficiently as possible for the benefit of the country," Mr Owusu pointed out.
Touching more on the arrival of the rig, Mr Owusu said it is a deep-water floating drilling rig, which was being brought in from Equatorial Guinea. After working in Ghana, the rig will leave for Libya.
He further explained that contracts for services and goods would cost about $US1 million per day with the rig accounting for the largest item of the cost during the three months that it will be employed in Ghana.
According to Mr Owusu, the four additional wells would be drilled beginning from the second quarter of this year.
Mr Owusu said the drilling of the appraisal wells would pave the way for production activities as soon as possible.
He noted that the company was committed to working around the clock to ensure that the aspirations of all stakeholders, including the Ghanaian, were met for the satisfaction of all.
He disclosed that the first rig that made the discovery for Kosmos Energy Ghana, the Bedford Dolphin, had been in operation for the past seven years and that the discovery in Ghana was its first.
The country manager pointed out that Kosmos Energy Ghana Limited paid about $US 2 million in withholding tax to the government last year and gave the assurance that the company would be Ghana-based with most of its staff being Ghanaians for the benefit of the country.
"Ghana would be the West Africa hub for Kosmos Energy. We are building for the long term and we are here to stay," Mr Owusu added.
Kosmos Energy Ghana, in June 2007, discovered and drilled the Mahogany-1 well on what has been named the West Cape Three Points block.

Tuesday, January 8, 2008

Stop this practice - says A-G

January 8, 2008 (Second Lead Story)

THE Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Mr Joe Ghartey, has said it is discriminatory for women to be prevented from standing as sureties in the execution of bail bonds, saying that there was no law which said women could not stand surety.
“There is no legal basis for such a practice and it must cease forthwith,” Mr Ghartey warned.
In an interview with the Daily Graphic, Mr Ghartey noted that the practice whereby women were not allowed to stand as sureties in bail executions was recurrent in police stations throughout the country.
The minister noted that the Constitution prohibited discrimination against all persons, including women.
Article 17 (2) of the 1992 Constitution states that “A person shall not be discriminated against on grounds of gender, race, colour, ethnic origin, religion, creed or social or economic status.”
He also urged the police to make efforts to inform the people they arrested of their (arrested persons) right to lawyers, as well as explain the offence and reason for arrest in the language they (arrested persons) understood.
Mr Ghartey explained that in cases such as murder, robbery, treason, subversion, rape, defilement, piracy, extradition to a foreign country, hijacking, narcotic offences and escape from lawful custody, offenders might not be granted bail.
The Attorney-General further stated that it was illegal for people to be made to pay for bail, adding that bails were for free and it was, therefore, illegal for any police officer or court official to request payment before bail bonds would be executed.
He stated it had come to the attention of the Attorney-General’s Department that some unscrupulous persons demanded money from the public before bail bonds were executed and warned that “persons found to be culpable will be prosecuted”.
Mr Ghartey, therefore, urged anyone who was asked to pay for a bail bond to call the following telephone numbers: 021 - 682530, 024 - 5623434 and 027 - 3448788 for immediate action.

Ministry to source funds for processing plants

January 8, 2008 (Back Page Lead)

THE Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning is negotiating with a number of banks on behalf of 11 agro processing companies to help them access the needed working capital to begin operations by the second quarter of this year.
The companies, established in six regions, have set up plants to process agro foods but they have not succeeded in raising a total of $9.3 million needed to enable them to start operating.
In an interview with the Daily Graphic, the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Mr Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, said it was estimated that more than 500 youth who had registered with the National Youth Employment Programme (NYEP) would be employed on permanent basis by the companies once they started operating.
The companies are Sunripe Food Processing and Sunharvest in the Eastern Region who need $1.5 million and $500,000 respectively as start-up capital to operate.
The other companies which are all situated in the Central Region are Akpanga Organic Farms, $1 million; N & C Food Processing, $500,000; 2K Farms, $900,000, and Ilay Industries, $500,000, while those in the Greater Accra Region, namely Tayco and Can & Kaa, need $500,000 each to operate.
Mr Baah-Wiredu said the companies could produce between one and three tonnes of fruit juices, tomato puree, and process yam within an hour.
The minister explained that much progress had been made in connection with the sourcing of funds for the companies and gave the assurance that there would be fruitful results within three months.
He said 60 per cent of Ghana’s working population were involved in agri business which involved the production of food crops, storage, sale, processing and distribution from farms to the consumer.
The minister said it was unfortunate that volumes of processed foods were imported to make up for post-harvest losses.
For that reason, the minister said it was important that the necessary assistance was given to farmers and food processors to ensure food security at all times.
He said the operation of the companies would result in the creation of jobs for the youth, creation of wealth for farmers and the youth, conservation of foreign exchange through import substitution, as well as increase export earning.
He further pointed out that there would be increase in government revenue through taxation and rapid urbanisation of the districts, thereby reducing rural-urban migration, among other benefits.

Govt to repeal Serious Fraud Office Act

January 7, 2007 (Page 34)

THE Government will repeal the Serious Fraud Office Act by March, this year and replace it with the Economic and Organised Crime Law to strengthen the anti-corruption framework in the country.
Additionally, it will publish an anti-corruption manual and vigorously prosecute corruption cases not only to serve as a deterrent but also to recover assets and state resources.
The Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Mr Joe Ghartey, said these at an annual get-together of the AG’s department in Accra at the week-end.
He further disclosed that “an anti-corruption task force has been established at the AG’s office,” adding that the ministry had plans to establish an Assets Recovery Unit to focus on making crime unprofitable by going after proceeds of crime.
The Minister said International Law would be mainstreamed once again and would involve everybody rather than just a few people.
“The Registrar-General’s Office will also see some changes with the passage of the Trust and NGO Law. All these changes will be done with one aim in mind- to make us more efficient and more capable of responding to the challenges of today,” he said.
He said the Legislative Drafting Division had continued to fulfil its mandate with efficiency and without much fanfare and congratulated the division for being exceptionally proactive in 2007.
He said the ministry had envisioned to ensure an efficient and effective law office to make it one of the best law offices in the country and Africa as a whole.
He announced that work on the renovation of the Prosecution Division of the ministry had begun, adding that “this is our first step and we shall not rest until every office of the ministry has been refurbished.”
The minister urged the workers to continue to improve their attitude towards work and said “this year, we have relied on your good judgement to do what is right.”

Ghana 2008 .... 14 days more - Four stadia cost $157.2 million

January 5, 2008 (Centre Spread)
A total of $157.2 million has so far been spent on the rehabilitation and construction of four stadia to host the 26th Africa Cup of Nations tournament (Ghana 2008) in the country.
The amount exceeded the $152.1 million initially projected, by $5.1 million.
The rehabilitated stadia are the Ohene Djan Stadium and the El-Wak Stadium in Accra and the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi, while the newly constructed ones are at Tamale and Sekondi.
The Director of Budget at the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, Mr Kwabena Adjei-Mensah, made this known in an exclusive interview with the Daily Graphic in Accra.
He attributed the increase in the cost of the projects to the construction of additional facilities “such as the expansion of the media stands to accommodate more media men and equipment for effective coverage of the tournament and additional work at various areas of the stadia as recommended by the inspection team of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), anytime they came around”.
He, however, said some marginal savings were made on the Tamale, Sekondi and El-Wak works, which were projected to cost $77 million but which actually cost $71 million.
For the Ohene Djan stadium, he said the project was initially estimated at $39 million but due to the additional works, the cost shot up to $49 million upon completion.
He said the government also had to spend an additional $1 million on the Baba Yara Stadium, which was initially pegged at $36 million.
Mr Adjei-Mensah said the projects had been executed very well in spite of the cost, adding that “because of the urgency of the project to host the tournament and to satisfy the CAF inspection teams, the amounts were released on request”.
However, he noted, the entire project costs would be audited after the tournament to ensure accountability.
Mr Adjei-Mensah said the cost of the training pitches was being compiled and pledged the commitment of the ministry to make the final figures public upon completion.
The tournament kicks off on January 20, 2008 and ends on February 9, 2008.
The participating countries are Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, Egypt, Nigeria, The Sudan, Cameroun, Angola, Senegal, Guinea, Mali, Namibia, Zambia, Morocco, Tunisia, Benin and South Africa.
As the host nation, four-time champions and making its 16th appearance in the tournament, Ghana is hoping to win the trophy for the fifth time. This is the actual cost

Friday, January 4, 2008

Reduction of taxes on fuel untenable - Finance Minister explains

January 4, 2008 (Spread Lead)

THE Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Mr Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, has said it is untenable to reduce taxes on petroleum products.
He said cash revenue generated from levies on petroleum products, as well as revenue generated by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS), the Value Added Tax (VAT) Service and other non-tax revenue agencies all amounted to GH¢4.4 billion last year.
That figure, he said, was far below the projected revenue of GH¢10 billion needed for salaries and development projects. He, therefore, stated that it would not be feasible to reduce taxes in any quarter.
Referring to critics who have called for a reduction in taxes, Mr Baah-Wiredu challenged those critics to come up with suggestions which would generate more revenue for the government for development activities.
Mr Baah-Wiredu, in an interview in Accra yesterday, said the government had to borrow from external sources to be able to pay salaries, build schools, provide health facilities, among the many needs of Ghanaians.
“Interestingly, these same critics continuously blame the government for borrowing too much from external sources. What next?” Mr Baah-Wiredu queried.
He said part of the petroleum levy was also used to cater for the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) debt which nearly collapsed the Ghana Commercial Bank (GCB), construct roads, feed schoolchildren under the Capitation Grant, support oil exploration activities, among other laudable projects, all aimed at improving the living conditions of Ghanaians.
Mr Baah-Wiredu said revenue generated from taxes was also used to support the National Youth Employment Programme (NYEP) which had currently employed more than 45,000 youth.
The Minister of Finance said it was, therefore, untenable for critics to call for a reduction in taxes and queried, “Should we stop employing the youth? Should we cancel the Capitation Grant which has led to higher enrolment in schools?”
He said it was important for Ghana to be self-reliant, adding that that had to begin from now.
Mr Baah-Wiredu further stated that despite the government’s efforts, more needed to be done to improve salaries, healthcare delivery, education, the provision of employment for the youth, among many other needs.
The minister stated that the time had come for all Ghanaians to pool resources to move the country forward.
He said it was important that Ghanaians paid taxes promptly, worked hard and discharged their obligations honestly and above reproach to further the development agenda of the country.
He said it was important for Ghanaians to resolve to put Ghana first in their endeavours this year.
He also urged critics and sceptics to come up with suggestions which would go a long way to move Ghana to the next threshold of its development.
“Ghana is our home and our actions and inaction could greatly impact positively or negatively on all of us and posterity. We must work for the good of Ghana and the future generation,” Mr Baah-Wiredu added.

Speaker, CJ call for clean leadership - In the New Year

January 1, 2008 (Spread Lead)

THE leadership of the Judiciary and the Legislature has urged Ghanaians, especially those in leadership positions, to act responsibly and do away with corrupt practices in the new year.
In their New Year messages to Ghanaians, Mrs Justice Georgina Theodora Wood, the Chief Justice, and Mr Ebenezer Begyina Sekyi Hughes, the Speaker of Parliament, exhorted Ghanaians to put the interest of the country first in all their dealings.
Mrs Justice Wood noted that Ghana had got to the stage where it needed hardworking and dedicated citizens to move the country to the next threshold of its development.
She reminded Ghanaians that God rewarded hard work, adding, “We should all work hard to move our dear nation forward.”
She said “having prayed and invited God into our lives does not mean we should fold our arms and not work”, in apparent reference to Ghanaians attending watch night services,
The Chief Justice further stated that because God rewarded hard work, Ghanaians would be greatly rewarded if they put the interest of the country first in all their dealings.
“The God we serve is an awesome God. He will fight our battles and frustrate the plans of our enemies and those who doubt Ghana will make it,” Mrs Justice Wood pointed out.
Such a feat, she stated, depended on “our actions and inaction”, adding that Ghanaians must put God first in everything and “Ghana will surely succeed in the coming years”.
Mrs Justice Wood also pleaded with Ghanaians to treat one another justly in their actions.
Touching on her plans for the Judicial Service next year, the Chief Justice disclosed that the service would witness massive infrastructural development in the new year.
“Infrastructural and technological development will be our major works in 2008,” she pointed out.
She said the modernisation of the courts would be expanded, while more districts courts would be set up to realise the goal of ensuring that each district in the country had a court.
Mrs Justice Wood intimated that it was important that people were made to enjoy speedy justice delivery, without having to walk long distances to access justice.
She further stated that the capacity of judges and judicial staff would also be built as part of the plans to improve justice delivery in Ghana to the satisfaction of all.
The Speaker of Parliament urged politicians contesting the 2008 elections to conduct their campaigns based on the manifestos of their parties, instead of focusing on their opponents.
He said nothing should be done to disturb the peace and tranquillity the country was enjoying by way of some politicians attempting to gain advantage over their opponents.
Mr Sekyi Hughes said the electorate also had the duty to analyse the manifestos of the various political parties and vote for the parties of their choice based on issues and the track record of the parties.
On his expectations of Members of Parliament (MPs) in the final session of the Fourth Parliament, Mr Sekyi Hughes said he expected MPs to be regular and punctual.
The Speaker thanked staff of the Parliamentary Service, the leadership of Parliament and the entire 230 MPs for working hard to end the Third Session of the Fourth Parliament successfully and expressed the hope that the MPs would return to the House to begin the next session with renewed strength and commitment.
He also urged the Ghanaian working public to work hard to ensure the rapid growth of the economy.
Mr Sekyi Hughes asked the youth to take advantage of the introduction of the National Youth Employment Programme (NYEP) to be employed in order to fend for themselves.
On his tenure of office as the third Speaker of the Fourth Republic, he said the job had been very interesting, adding, “I have performed my duties impartially, though I may not be 100 per cent perfect, human as I am.”
Mr Sekyi Hughes said he had not regretted for accepting to be the Speaker, which was his first public office, saying that the challenges associated with the work had enabled him to gain a lot of experience.