Back Page, lead, (Daily Graphic), December 24, 2008
Story: Charles Benoni Okine
THE government has approved $100 million to revamp the agricultural sector in the three northern regions.
The money will be used for the acquisition of tractors and other agricultural equipment, as well as seedlings, for farmers in the three regions to enable them to cultivate crops in large quantities for export and local consumption.
The Vice-President, Alhaji Aliu Mahama, announced this when he met the chiefs and people of Tumu in the Upper West Region.
His visit formed part of a campaign tour to whip up support for the presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
He said the government appreciated the concerns of the people of the northern regions and was prepared to assist them in any way possible to alleviate poverty.
Alhaji Mahama, who was met on arrival in the town by an enthusiastic crowd of party supporters, said, “We know your problems and we have, since 2001, been working hard to ensure that we bridge the gap between the north and the south by bringing development to the people of the three regions.”
The Vice-President said the achievements of President Kufuor in the northern regions were evident and that Nana Akufo-Addo would help accelerate the development process there, adding that Nana Akufo-Addo had promised to set up a $1 billion Northern Development Fund when voted into power and asked the people not to miss the opportunity.
He said apart from the fund, the government, when maintained in power, would also devote funds from the Consolidated Fund to support the development projects needed to transform the northern regions.
At Sandema, the Vice-President called on the paramount chief and party supporters who had gathered at a mini rally to hear the message of the ruling government.
He told the people that the school feeding programme would be extended nation-wide should Nana Akufo-Addo be voted into power.
Alhaji Mahama said the government had also sourced funds to build a mini dam at Pwalugu to provide electricity for most parts of the north.
He said the NPP had learnt its lessons and expressed the hope that those mistakes would not be committed in the run-off.
The Vice-President, who will return to Accra on Saturday, December 27, will visit the Nadowli East, Wa East, Sawla and Damongo constituencies and move to the Volta Region, where he will pay courtesy calls on chiefs in Krachi, Nkwanta, Hohoe and Sogakope.
December 24/2008
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Friday, December 19, 2008
Ballot Papers in Tomorrow
Front (lead) (Daily Graphic) December 19/2008
Story: Charles Benoni Okine
Ballot papers to be used in the December 28 presidential run-off are to be released by the printing firms to the Electoral Commission (EC) on Saturday.
The EC has said that immediately after taking delivery of the papers, it will release the required number to the centres where special voting is expected to be held on Tuesday, December 23 for members of the security agencies, the media and others.
The Director of Elections, Mr Albert Kofi Arhin, told the Daily Graphic that on the ballot papers, the presidential candidate of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, would maintain his number one position, while Professor John Evans Atta Mills would automatically move up from the third to the second position.
Mr Arhin said five printing houses were printing the ballot papers locally and expressed the hope that delivery would be prompt on Saturday.
On the other materials such as indelible ink, among others, he said everything was on course and that the EC did not anticipate any problem in that direction.
Mr Arhin said the commission had also heeded the request for more polling stations.
He said at polling stations where there were more than 2,000 voters, “we will split them into ‘A’ and ‘B’ to allow for shorter queues and faster voting”.
During the December 7 general election, long queues were seen at many polling stations and that forced many to stay in the queues for longer hours, while at other areas voting time was extended from the 5 p.m. closing time for more than two hours.
Mr Arhin said the EC had taken note of all the hiccups that occurred in the last elections and had done its best to remedy them to ensure a smooth run-off.
Story: Charles Benoni Okine
Ballot papers to be used in the December 28 presidential run-off are to be released by the printing firms to the Electoral Commission (EC) on Saturday.
The EC has said that immediately after taking delivery of the papers, it will release the required number to the centres where special voting is expected to be held on Tuesday, December 23 for members of the security agencies, the media and others.
The Director of Elections, Mr Albert Kofi Arhin, told the Daily Graphic that on the ballot papers, the presidential candidate of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, would maintain his number one position, while Professor John Evans Atta Mills would automatically move up from the third to the second position.
Mr Arhin said five printing houses were printing the ballot papers locally and expressed the hope that delivery would be prompt on Saturday.
On the other materials such as indelible ink, among others, he said everything was on course and that the EC did not anticipate any problem in that direction.
Mr Arhin said the commission had also heeded the request for more polling stations.
He said at polling stations where there were more than 2,000 voters, “we will split them into ‘A’ and ‘B’ to allow for shorter queues and faster voting”.
During the December 7 general election, long queues were seen at many polling stations and that forced many to stay in the queues for longer hours, while at other areas voting time was extended from the 5 p.m. closing time for more than two hours.
Mr Arhin said the EC had taken note of all the hiccups that occurred in the last elections and had done its best to remedy them to ensure a smooth run-off.
Presidential Transition Bill launched
Spread (Daily Graphic) December 18/2008
Story: Kobby Asmah & Charles Benoni Okine
The Presidential Transition Bill, 2008, which aims at further deepening and consolidating multiparty democracy in Ghana has been launched in Accra.
The bill, among other issues, seeks to establish a durable and harmonious way of transferring political authority from one constitutionally elected government to another, as well as forge national cohesion, lower the political tension and promote inter-party co-operation.
The bill, which is a product of an elaborate consultative process of study, findings, recommendations, discussions, validation and re-drafting, will also help to regulate and streamline the transition process.
The bill is a one-and-a half year collaborative effort of a multipartisan group made up of members of the Institute of Economic Affairs, in collaboration with the Ghana Political Parties Programme (GPPP), an inter consultative group comprising the four political parties with representation in Parliament — New Patriotic Party (NPP), National Democratic Congress, People’s National Convention and the Convention People’s Party (CPP).
The bill also takes a cue from the political transition in 2001, which represented a political first in the history of post-independent Ghana, where political power was transferred from one political party to a different political party.
The General Overseer of the International Central Gospel Church (ICGC), Reverend Dr Mensah Otabil, who launched the 28-page document, said; “We need a law on political transitions in this country to define the dos and don’ts for both the outgoing and incoming Presidents.”
The law, he said, was to address for instance, which public officials enter government and leave with the President; How are the handover arrangements on January 7 to be handled; and When is the new Speaker of Parliament to be elected.
Rev Otabil said the law would also bring to the fore how the country could ensure that the new President’s swearing-in ceremony was not unduly delayed, as well as how the country could ensure that Presidential preferences did not become an undue burden on the taxpayer.
He recounted the transition periods before the Fourth Republic and said those transition periods had mostly taken the form of unconstitutional interruptions in the governance arrangements of the country.
“Thankfully, under this current republic, we have had three smooth transitions; even then, two of those transitions have been from one President to himself and, therefore, have not been dogged by any difficulties,” he said.
Reverend Otabil observed that the 2001 transition from the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government to the New Patriotic Party (NPP), however, presented a real challenge, noting that “it was not the smoothest transitions”.
“Research has shown that, that transition has been partly responsible for the extreme polarisation of the Ghanaian society today,” he added.
Prof. Adzei Bekoe, Chairman of the Council of State, in a remark observed that whenever there was a run-off, the time left to declare results and the transition period was not enough to ensure a smooth exercise.
He said there were a lot of work to be done during the transitional process, which required clear ground rules and procedures and, therefore, expressed the hope that the bill would be a useful document for the consideration by the Cabinet and Parliament.
The Chairman of the NPP, Mr Peter Mac Manu, said the NPP believed in the quest to deepen democracy in the country and was gratified that through the launch of the bill, Ghana’s democracy was moving forward.
The bill, he said, would serve as a very good starting point and commended IEA for their bold effort in initiating the document.
Mr Alex Segbefia, who represented the NDC, said the bill gave credence to the fact that “we are capable of managing our own affairs”.
He described the bill as a useful guideline that the NDC could work with, saying “it is good that change is taking place so that we can move forward”.
A statement read for the Chairman of the PNC, Alhaji Ramadan, indicated that the PNC was proud to be associated with the launch of the bill and expressed the hope that the incoming Parliament would look at the issues raised and approve them to help future transitions.
Mr Ivor Kobina Greenstreet, General Secretary of the CPP, recalled that the first transition in 2001 recorded some teething problems because there were no precedent to guide them.
He said if elections were held early in November, it would help to ensure smooth transition and called for a constitutional review to amend the date of election from December 7 to November 7.
Brigadier General Francis Agyemfra (Retd), Head of the Governance Unit of the IEA, in his welcoming address said; “Since the Fourth Republic, ushered in on January 7, 1993, Ghana can be said to have succeeded in establishing functional multiparty democracy which is said to be gaining roots; and the concept that governments will continue to change through elections has gained wide acceptance.”
He said the draft transitional bill had evolved an elaborate consultative process of study, findings, recommendations, drafting, validation and redrafting for more than a year and half.
Story: Kobby Asmah & Charles Benoni Okine
The Presidential Transition Bill, 2008, which aims at further deepening and consolidating multiparty democracy in Ghana has been launched in Accra.
The bill, among other issues, seeks to establish a durable and harmonious way of transferring political authority from one constitutionally elected government to another, as well as forge national cohesion, lower the political tension and promote inter-party co-operation.
The bill, which is a product of an elaborate consultative process of study, findings, recommendations, discussions, validation and re-drafting, will also help to regulate and streamline the transition process.
The bill is a one-and-a half year collaborative effort of a multipartisan group made up of members of the Institute of Economic Affairs, in collaboration with the Ghana Political Parties Programme (GPPP), an inter consultative group comprising the four political parties with representation in Parliament — New Patriotic Party (NPP), National Democratic Congress, People’s National Convention and the Convention People’s Party (CPP).
The bill also takes a cue from the political transition in 2001, which represented a political first in the history of post-independent Ghana, where political power was transferred from one political party to a different political party.
The General Overseer of the International Central Gospel Church (ICGC), Reverend Dr Mensah Otabil, who launched the 28-page document, said; “We need a law on political transitions in this country to define the dos and don’ts for both the outgoing and incoming Presidents.”
The law, he said, was to address for instance, which public officials enter government and leave with the President; How are the handover arrangements on January 7 to be handled; and When is the new Speaker of Parliament to be elected.
Rev Otabil said the law would also bring to the fore how the country could ensure that the new President’s swearing-in ceremony was not unduly delayed, as well as how the country could ensure that Presidential preferences did not become an undue burden on the taxpayer.
He recounted the transition periods before the Fourth Republic and said those transition periods had mostly taken the form of unconstitutional interruptions in the governance arrangements of the country.
“Thankfully, under this current republic, we have had three smooth transitions; even then, two of those transitions have been from one President to himself and, therefore, have not been dogged by any difficulties,” he said.
Reverend Otabil observed that the 2001 transition from the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government to the New Patriotic Party (NPP), however, presented a real challenge, noting that “it was not the smoothest transitions”.
“Research has shown that, that transition has been partly responsible for the extreme polarisation of the Ghanaian society today,” he added.
Prof. Adzei Bekoe, Chairman of the Council of State, in a remark observed that whenever there was a run-off, the time left to declare results and the transition period was not enough to ensure a smooth exercise.
He said there were a lot of work to be done during the transitional process, which required clear ground rules and procedures and, therefore, expressed the hope that the bill would be a useful document for the consideration by the Cabinet and Parliament.
The Chairman of the NPP, Mr Peter Mac Manu, said the NPP believed in the quest to deepen democracy in the country and was gratified that through the launch of the bill, Ghana’s democracy was moving forward.
The bill, he said, would serve as a very good starting point and commended IEA for their bold effort in initiating the document.
Mr Alex Segbefia, who represented the NDC, said the bill gave credence to the fact that “we are capable of managing our own affairs”.
He described the bill as a useful guideline that the NDC could work with, saying “it is good that change is taking place so that we can move forward”.
A statement read for the Chairman of the PNC, Alhaji Ramadan, indicated that the PNC was proud to be associated with the launch of the bill and expressed the hope that the incoming Parliament would look at the issues raised and approve them to help future transitions.
Mr Ivor Kobina Greenstreet, General Secretary of the CPP, recalled that the first transition in 2001 recorded some teething problems because there were no precedent to guide them.
He said if elections were held early in November, it would help to ensure smooth transition and called for a constitutional review to amend the date of election from December 7 to November 7.
Brigadier General Francis Agyemfra (Retd), Head of the Governance Unit of the IEA, in his welcoming address said; “Since the Fourth Republic, ushered in on January 7, 1993, Ghana can be said to have succeeded in establishing functional multiparty democracy which is said to be gaining roots; and the concept that governments will continue to change through elections has gained wide acceptance.”
He said the draft transitional bill had evolved an elaborate consultative process of study, findings, recommendations, drafting, validation and redrafting for more than a year and half.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Fuel price reduction not politically motivated - NPA
News page 34 ,lead, (Daily Graphic), December 17/2008
Story: Charles Benoni Okine
THE National Petroleum Authority (NPA) has explained that the recent price reductions in petroleum products are not politically motivated but a true reflection of the decreasing crude oil prices on the international market.
It also noted that “these prices as announced are the result of our normal pricing calculations and nothing was artificially removed or added in arriving at these prices”.
The Chief Executive Officer of the NPA, Mr John Attafuah, gave the explanation when he addressed a news conference in Accra yesterday to react to perceptions in certain political quarters that the recent price reductions in petroleum products were done by the government to score political points.
Fuel prices were recently reduced heavily for the first time since the international market prices of crude oil hit its lowest level in more than a year.
Mr Attafuah said as per the mandate of the NPA, no individual or person was allowed to interfere in its affairs, except the sector minister, who was allowed to give policy direction.
He reiterated that the recent prices were arrived at in accordance with the laid down principles of the authority, stressing that the pertaining crude oil prices on the international market were seriously considered.
“Following the three previous reductions, it had become obvious to everybody who was following the trend in world oil prices that the NPA was likely to review prices in the middle of December so for anybody who stood to lose in the event of a price drop, the logical thing would have been to play a wait-and-see game to avoid holding excessive inventories,” he said.
He said based on intelligence reports gathered by the NPA, it was realised that delaying a new price announcement until Monday would have led to shortages on the market and would have sent the wrong signals to the public.
Mr Attafuah said it was against that background that the authority issued the new prices on Thursday, immediately after the board had met with the oil marketing companies (OMCs), for implementation the next day.
“The NPA Act, Act 691 of 2005, enjoins the authority to protect the interest of both consumers and petroleum service providers,” he reminded Ghanaians.
Mr Attafuah said while the authority expected consumers to benefit from price reductions on the world market, it was also important for the NPA to ensure that petroleum service providers did not suffer unduly.
Story: Charles Benoni Okine
THE National Petroleum Authority (NPA) has explained that the recent price reductions in petroleum products are not politically motivated but a true reflection of the decreasing crude oil prices on the international market.
It also noted that “these prices as announced are the result of our normal pricing calculations and nothing was artificially removed or added in arriving at these prices”.
The Chief Executive Officer of the NPA, Mr John Attafuah, gave the explanation when he addressed a news conference in Accra yesterday to react to perceptions in certain political quarters that the recent price reductions in petroleum products were done by the government to score political points.
Fuel prices were recently reduced heavily for the first time since the international market prices of crude oil hit its lowest level in more than a year.
Mr Attafuah said as per the mandate of the NPA, no individual or person was allowed to interfere in its affairs, except the sector minister, who was allowed to give policy direction.
He reiterated that the recent prices were arrived at in accordance with the laid down principles of the authority, stressing that the pertaining crude oil prices on the international market were seriously considered.
“Following the three previous reductions, it had become obvious to everybody who was following the trend in world oil prices that the NPA was likely to review prices in the middle of December so for anybody who stood to lose in the event of a price drop, the logical thing would have been to play a wait-and-see game to avoid holding excessive inventories,” he said.
He said based on intelligence reports gathered by the NPA, it was realised that delaying a new price announcement until Monday would have led to shortages on the market and would have sent the wrong signals to the public.
Mr Attafuah said it was against that background that the authority issued the new prices on Thursday, immediately after the board had met with the oil marketing companies (OMCs), for implementation the next day.
“The NPA Act, Act 691 of 2005, enjoins the authority to protect the interest of both consumers and petroleum service providers,” he reminded Ghanaians.
Mr Attafuah said while the authority expected consumers to benefit from price reductions on the world market, it was also important for the NPA to ensure that petroleum service providers did not suffer unduly.
Procurement Authority develops career path policy
Business page (Daily Graphic), December 17/2008
Story: Charles Benoni Okine
THE Public Procurement Authority (PPA) has developed a policy document as part of measures to institute a definite career path progression for procurement professionals within the public service.
The move is to also ensure that more public procurement officials are churned out to help monitor the procurement process.
The Chief Executive Officer of the PPA, Mr Adjenim Boateng Adjei, announced this at the close of the second international conference of the Chartered Institute of Purchasing & Supply (CIPS).
The conference, which was on the theme “Procurement Excellence Across the Sectors”, brought together more than 140 participants from Ghana, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, South Africa and the United Kingdom.
It was to encourage collaboration, discussions and effective networking of procurement professionals in its bid to expose them to contemporary cutting-edge procurement practices.
Mr Adjei who spoke on the topic, “Procurement Excellence, Ghana’s Perspective” emphasised Ghana’s commitment to build the capacities of public procurement practitioners.
He said, the Authority in 2007 trained over 7,000 practitioners and members of Entity Tender Committees.
Mr Adjei said the authority was also in the process of engaging in other medium and long term training programmes in collaboration with selected institutions to run a four-year Bachelor in Procurement Degree programmes as well as Internship programmes. qualification programmes for Purchasing & Supply graduates from the Polytechnics .
Mr Alexander Akrofi, Chairman of CIPS, Ghana Branch, noted that best practices in procurement and supply chain management could make the difference in corporate profitability as it had the potential to reduce waste and add value, reduce corruption and make resources available for development.
He described procurement as an important tool in ensuring accountability in public service, and urged practitioners to take it seriously.
The President of CIPS International, Mr Bola Afolabi, conferred the title of “Eminent Procurement and Logistics Director” of the Institute on Mr Adjenim Boateng Adjei in recognition of his wealth of expertise and the extent of commitment to the CIPS –Ghana, coupled with his unflinching passion for the procurement profession over the years.
This was followed by an awards ceremony for members who had completed their courses in Strategic Supply Chain Management, and had achieved graduate and corporate membership in the institution.
Story: Charles Benoni Okine
THE Public Procurement Authority (PPA) has developed a policy document as part of measures to institute a definite career path progression for procurement professionals within the public service.
The move is to also ensure that more public procurement officials are churned out to help monitor the procurement process.
The Chief Executive Officer of the PPA, Mr Adjenim Boateng Adjei, announced this at the close of the second international conference of the Chartered Institute of Purchasing & Supply (CIPS).
The conference, which was on the theme “Procurement Excellence Across the Sectors”, brought together more than 140 participants from Ghana, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, South Africa and the United Kingdom.
It was to encourage collaboration, discussions and effective networking of procurement professionals in its bid to expose them to contemporary cutting-edge procurement practices.
Mr Adjei who spoke on the topic, “Procurement Excellence, Ghana’s Perspective” emphasised Ghana’s commitment to build the capacities of public procurement practitioners.
He said, the Authority in 2007 trained over 7,000 practitioners and members of Entity Tender Committees.
Mr Adjei said the authority was also in the process of engaging in other medium and long term training programmes in collaboration with selected institutions to run a four-year Bachelor in Procurement Degree programmes as well as Internship programmes. qualification programmes for Purchasing & Supply graduates from the Polytechnics .
Mr Alexander Akrofi, Chairman of CIPS, Ghana Branch, noted that best practices in procurement and supply chain management could make the difference in corporate profitability as it had the potential to reduce waste and add value, reduce corruption and make resources available for development.
He described procurement as an important tool in ensuring accountability in public service, and urged practitioners to take it seriously.
The President of CIPS International, Mr Bola Afolabi, conferred the title of “Eminent Procurement and Logistics Director” of the Institute on Mr Adjenim Boateng Adjei in recognition of his wealth of expertise and the extent of commitment to the CIPS –Ghana, coupled with his unflinching passion for the procurement profession over the years.
This was followed by an awards ceremony for members who had completed their courses in Strategic Supply Chain Management, and had achieved graduate and corporate membership in the institution.
Energy pricing issues in Ghana
Energy page (Graphic Business) December 16, 2008
The petroleum sector witnessed one of its turbulent times in history since the inception of the national Petroleum Authority. The worse was the last four month where the price turbulence with regards to the international crude prices. Price of crude oil which stood at $147 per barrel as of mid July is now hovering around $50 per barrel on the average over the last month. In Ghana, the prices of petroleum products which are pegged according to what pertains on the international is also responding positively although consumers are not enjoying the full benfits. Charles Benoni Okine examines the NPA and its mandate and analyses the future of the regulator and the prices reviews.
One of the major headaches of governments in the past has been the review of petroleum products on the local market. This is because the government had a direct hand in the pricing of the products. The situation had made governments which presided over such price regimes unpopular most of the time in that, whenever the national budget and government's economic policy for the year was to be read, the populace knew that the prices of petroleum products will go up no matter how marginal. Anytime this was done, the prices of goods and services also jumped up to correspond with the increases in the prices of petroleum products.
On many occasions, the price increase were not announced to correspond with the prevailing market price of crude oil on the international market. Instead the prices are raised more as a hedge against any future rise in the price of crude oil.
It was against this background that the government decided to deregulate the petroleum downstream sector with the establishment of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA).
Brief for the NPA
The mission of the NPA is to regulate, oversee and monitor the petroleum downstream industry to ensure efficiency, growth and stakeholder satisfaction.
"Together as a team and in collaboration with our stakeholders, we shall institute appropriate measures to achieve full de- regulation of the sector. We shall ensure transparency, fairness and firmness in all our activities". It is to ensure an efficient, highly motivated, high calibre human and state - of- the- art technology that shall constitute the bedrock of its activities.
Its vision is simply to drive the Petroleum Downstream Industry to perfection.
A per its mandate, the NPA is to regulate, oversee and monitor activities in the petroleum downstream industry and where applicable do so in pursuance of the prescribed petroleum pricing formula; To achieve the object, the Authority shall; Monitor ceilings on the price of petroleum products in accordance with the prescribed petroleum pricing formula; Grant licenses to applicants under this Act; Maintain a register and keep records and data on licenses, petroleum products and petroleum marketing service providers; Provide guidelines for petroleum marketing operations; Investigate on a regular basis the operation of petroleum service providers to ensure conformity with best practice and protocols in the petroleum downstream industry as well as collect and compile data on; (i) international and domestic petroleum production, supply and demand; (ii) inventory of petroleum products, and (iii) pricing of petroleum products among others.
Consumer perception:
One of the thoughest duties of the NPA when it was established was how to review prices of the petroleum products on the market anytime the crude oil prices change on the international market. Consumers had been used to annual price reviews and the decision to make it a quarterly review initially did not work well.
However the NPA braved the storm to start the reviews on a quarterly basis and later changed it to monthly and then to the present fortnightly changes.
Although consumers have accepted the way the reviews are done they had this to tell Graphic Business on their perception;
Mr Yaw Aboaden-Atta, an upcoming investment consultant said; "it is okay the way the pricing is reviewed but I do not understand why the percentage increases are always more than the downward price reviews." he argues that if the prices are increased on the international market by a certain percentage, say 10 per cent, NPA would review by the same percentage to reflect the international crude price. However, he noted that where there is a similar percentage price drop, NPA will come down at maximum of five per cent. "If they are questioned, they will to do economics by brining in so many factors such as the prevailing interest rate, inflation among others but when it is the reverse, they hold all other things constant; That is not fair to us".
Nii Armah Aryee is a trotro driver at the Nkrumah Circle also complained about why the NPA feels reluctant on many occasions to review the prices downward even when the prices of the crude oil had dropped significantly.
Nana Ama Koomson, a trader was worried about why the NPA did not ensure that the prices, when reduced, take effect from the moment it is announced. To her the guys at the pumps hold the old prices for a while before reducing them and added "that is not fair to us and must be checked".
Petroleum Debt.
One of the reasons for the deregulation of the petroleum sector was also to ensure that the Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) played a role in the importation of crude oil into the country either in its raw state, semi-processed or fully processed to ensue greater competition in the market. The Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) which, was the sole importer of crude oil into the country had run into serious debt that sent the banking sector almost to its knees as a result of huge borrowing from the government to finance crude oil importation. Unfortunately, the prices of the crude oil on the international market was not commensurate to the prices of petroleum products sold to consumers. At the time (2000), debts run into more than $240 million. To recover the debt, the government imposed another tax on petroleum products known as the Debt Recovery Levy to enable consumers 'cough' out what they enjoyed.
A similar situation hit the country in the wake of the unprecedented rise in crude oil prices on the international market when prices skyrocketed to $147 per in July, one of the highest in history.
As the prices rose, the NPA continued to raise the prices to avoid incurring any debts until the President had to intervene with a package that covered the petroleum sector. The NPA had no option than to halt the increase in prices of petroleum products at $118 per barrel and in the end incurred a debt of about $168 million. Today, although the prices of crude oil had reduced by more than 100 per cent since it reached its highest point in years, consumers are not enjoying it to the maximum because according to the NPA, there had been an agreement with the major importers including TOR to recover the amount over a period.
NPA Explains
The NPA told the media that the last downward review of petroleum prices is not the actual reflection of the drop in the price of crude oil on the international market.
It explained that the move was purely intended to ensure a recovery from the huge losses that had been incurred over the period when adjustments in the prices were frozen in May when the prices reached.
The Chief Executive of the NPA, Mr John Attafuah, noted that “the average decrease by our calculations was about 17 per cent but the authority, in consultations with the wholesalers, allowed only an average of 10 per cent reduction in the ex-pump prices to allow for the recovery of some of their losses”.
Analysts and members of the public had challenged the authority to come clean on the review as announced since November 1, 2008 because the percentage reduction in the prices was not a true reflection of what had transpired with respect to the downward prices on the international market.
The NPA boss said as per the arrangement between the NPA and the wholesalers, the recovery per month would be $12 million until the losses incurred had been fully recovered.
It had been the complain from consumers that the prices quoted by the NPA were not down enough considering the drop in the prices of crude oil on the international market.
But the NPA explains that two very important factors used in the determination of petroleum product prices on the local market are world prices of crude oil and products and the exchange rate between the cedi and the US dollar. While the prices of crude oil and petroleum products were on the decline on the world market, the dollar, on the other hand, strengthened against the cedi, thereby making the local prices of petroleum products still high, compared to those set on May 3, 2008.
It was clear that although the price for premium in US dollar per litre was below the May 3, 2008 level from September 1, 2008, the price premium in Ghana cedi per litre was higher than the May 3, 2008 figure”.
It was not until October 16, 2008 that the price of premium, 70.850Gp per litre, started going below the May 3 levels of 76.3682Gp per litre.
The NPA was of the strong view that the impact of the exchange rate on prices is the same for all the petroleum products.
Conclusion:
In many parts of the world, the effect of the soaring crude oil prices and food crisis forced many on the street protests in ‘mighty’ United States of America (USA) and other parts such France.
But in Ghana, this did not happen and although the economy suffered, its resilience made it able to withstand the shocks although the situation forced the crude oil import bill from about $760 million per annum to almost $2 billion.
Undoubtedly, the present scenario on the international market has made all to breath a deep sigh of relief and Ghanaian consumers are no exception. It is only expected that the NPA will continue to live up to expectation by reducing the prices further downwards to reflect what pertains on the international market as far as crude oil is concerned.
Another issue is about the autonomy of the regulatory body as this was brought to a test in the heat of the crisis. Although the NPA denied any government interference as far as the halt in the review of the prices was concerned, it was obvious from the interventions as announced by the President.
What analysts are asking is that, at what point will consumers to told about the payment of the debt and how it will impact on the percentage reduction should the world price for the commodity continue to drop.
In spite of all the diffuclties, analysyts believe that the establishement of the NPA has taken off the burden of the government in announcing petroleum prices even in difficult times. Today, prices change and yet consumers seldom concerned because they have come to accept that unless they are made to pay realistic prices of petroleum products, the economy can be affected in a negative way particularly when the crude oil prices soar as happened mid year.
The petroleum sector witnessed one of its turbulent times in history since the inception of the national Petroleum Authority. The worse was the last four month where the price turbulence with regards to the international crude prices. Price of crude oil which stood at $147 per barrel as of mid July is now hovering around $50 per barrel on the average over the last month. In Ghana, the prices of petroleum products which are pegged according to what pertains on the international is also responding positively although consumers are not enjoying the full benfits. Charles Benoni Okine examines the NPA and its mandate and analyses the future of the regulator and the prices reviews.
One of the major headaches of governments in the past has been the review of petroleum products on the local market. This is because the government had a direct hand in the pricing of the products. The situation had made governments which presided over such price regimes unpopular most of the time in that, whenever the national budget and government's economic policy for the year was to be read, the populace knew that the prices of petroleum products will go up no matter how marginal. Anytime this was done, the prices of goods and services also jumped up to correspond with the increases in the prices of petroleum products.
On many occasions, the price increase were not announced to correspond with the prevailing market price of crude oil on the international market. Instead the prices are raised more as a hedge against any future rise in the price of crude oil.
It was against this background that the government decided to deregulate the petroleum downstream sector with the establishment of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA).
Brief for the NPA
The mission of the NPA is to regulate, oversee and monitor the petroleum downstream industry to ensure efficiency, growth and stakeholder satisfaction.
"Together as a team and in collaboration with our stakeholders, we shall institute appropriate measures to achieve full de- regulation of the sector. We shall ensure transparency, fairness and firmness in all our activities". It is to ensure an efficient, highly motivated, high calibre human and state - of- the- art technology that shall constitute the bedrock of its activities.
Its vision is simply to drive the Petroleum Downstream Industry to perfection.
A per its mandate, the NPA is to regulate, oversee and monitor activities in the petroleum downstream industry and where applicable do so in pursuance of the prescribed petroleum pricing formula; To achieve the object, the Authority shall; Monitor ceilings on the price of petroleum products in accordance with the prescribed petroleum pricing formula; Grant licenses to applicants under this Act; Maintain a register and keep records and data on licenses, petroleum products and petroleum marketing service providers; Provide guidelines for petroleum marketing operations; Investigate on a regular basis the operation of petroleum service providers to ensure conformity with best practice and protocols in the petroleum downstream industry as well as collect and compile data on; (i) international and domestic petroleum production, supply and demand; (ii) inventory of petroleum products, and (iii) pricing of petroleum products among others.
Consumer perception:
One of the thoughest duties of the NPA when it was established was how to review prices of the petroleum products on the market anytime the crude oil prices change on the international market. Consumers had been used to annual price reviews and the decision to make it a quarterly review initially did not work well.
However the NPA braved the storm to start the reviews on a quarterly basis and later changed it to monthly and then to the present fortnightly changes.
Although consumers have accepted the way the reviews are done they had this to tell Graphic Business on their perception;
Mr Yaw Aboaden-Atta, an upcoming investment consultant said; "it is okay the way the pricing is reviewed but I do not understand why the percentage increases are always more than the downward price reviews." he argues that if the prices are increased on the international market by a certain percentage, say 10 per cent, NPA would review by the same percentage to reflect the international crude price. However, he noted that where there is a similar percentage price drop, NPA will come down at maximum of five per cent. "If they are questioned, they will to do economics by brining in so many factors such as the prevailing interest rate, inflation among others but when it is the reverse, they hold all other things constant; That is not fair to us".
Nii Armah Aryee is a trotro driver at the Nkrumah Circle also complained about why the NPA feels reluctant on many occasions to review the prices downward even when the prices of the crude oil had dropped significantly.
Nana Ama Koomson, a trader was worried about why the NPA did not ensure that the prices, when reduced, take effect from the moment it is announced. To her the guys at the pumps hold the old prices for a while before reducing them and added "that is not fair to us and must be checked".
Petroleum Debt.
One of the reasons for the deregulation of the petroleum sector was also to ensure that the Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) played a role in the importation of crude oil into the country either in its raw state, semi-processed or fully processed to ensue greater competition in the market. The Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) which, was the sole importer of crude oil into the country had run into serious debt that sent the banking sector almost to its knees as a result of huge borrowing from the government to finance crude oil importation. Unfortunately, the prices of the crude oil on the international market was not commensurate to the prices of petroleum products sold to consumers. At the time (2000), debts run into more than $240 million. To recover the debt, the government imposed another tax on petroleum products known as the Debt Recovery Levy to enable consumers 'cough' out what they enjoyed.
A similar situation hit the country in the wake of the unprecedented rise in crude oil prices on the international market when prices skyrocketed to $147 per in July, one of the highest in history.
As the prices rose, the NPA continued to raise the prices to avoid incurring any debts until the President had to intervene with a package that covered the petroleum sector. The NPA had no option than to halt the increase in prices of petroleum products at $118 per barrel and in the end incurred a debt of about $168 million. Today, although the prices of crude oil had reduced by more than 100 per cent since it reached its highest point in years, consumers are not enjoying it to the maximum because according to the NPA, there had been an agreement with the major importers including TOR to recover the amount over a period.
NPA Explains
The NPA told the media that the last downward review of petroleum prices is not the actual reflection of the drop in the price of crude oil on the international market.
It explained that the move was purely intended to ensure a recovery from the huge losses that had been incurred over the period when adjustments in the prices were frozen in May when the prices reached.
The Chief Executive of the NPA, Mr John Attafuah, noted that “the average decrease by our calculations was about 17 per cent but the authority, in consultations with the wholesalers, allowed only an average of 10 per cent reduction in the ex-pump prices to allow for the recovery of some of their losses”.
Analysts and members of the public had challenged the authority to come clean on the review as announced since November 1, 2008 because the percentage reduction in the prices was not a true reflection of what had transpired with respect to the downward prices on the international market.
The NPA boss said as per the arrangement between the NPA and the wholesalers, the recovery per month would be $12 million until the losses incurred had been fully recovered.
It had been the complain from consumers that the prices quoted by the NPA were not down enough considering the drop in the prices of crude oil on the international market.
But the NPA explains that two very important factors used in the determination of petroleum product prices on the local market are world prices of crude oil and products and the exchange rate between the cedi and the US dollar. While the prices of crude oil and petroleum products were on the decline on the world market, the dollar, on the other hand, strengthened against the cedi, thereby making the local prices of petroleum products still high, compared to those set on May 3, 2008.
It was clear that although the price for premium in US dollar per litre was below the May 3, 2008 level from September 1, 2008, the price premium in Ghana cedi per litre was higher than the May 3, 2008 figure”.
It was not until October 16, 2008 that the price of premium, 70.850Gp per litre, started going below the May 3 levels of 76.3682Gp per litre.
The NPA was of the strong view that the impact of the exchange rate on prices is the same for all the petroleum products.
Conclusion:
In many parts of the world, the effect of the soaring crude oil prices and food crisis forced many on the street protests in ‘mighty’ United States of America (USA) and other parts such France.
But in Ghana, this did not happen and although the economy suffered, its resilience made it able to withstand the shocks although the situation forced the crude oil import bill from about $760 million per annum to almost $2 billion.
Undoubtedly, the present scenario on the international market has made all to breath a deep sigh of relief and Ghanaian consumers are no exception. It is only expected that the NPA will continue to live up to expectation by reducing the prices further downwards to reflect what pertains on the international market as far as crude oil is concerned.
Another issue is about the autonomy of the regulatory body as this was brought to a test in the heat of the crisis. Although the NPA denied any government interference as far as the halt in the review of the prices was concerned, it was obvious from the interventions as announced by the President.
What analysts are asking is that, at what point will consumers to told about the payment of the debt and how it will impact on the percentage reduction should the world price for the commodity continue to drop.
In spite of all the diffuclties, analysyts believe that the establishement of the NPA has taken off the burden of the government in announcing petroleum prices even in difficult times. Today, prices change and yet consumers seldom concerned because they have come to accept that unless they are made to pay realistic prices of petroleum products, the economy can be affected in a negative way particularly when the crude oil prices soar as happened mid year.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Minority parties must meet to take a decision - RPD
Political page (Daily Graphic), December 13/2008
Story: Charles Benoni Okine
THE defeated presidential candidate of the Reformed Patriotic Democrats (RPD), Mr Kwabena Agyei, has stressed the need for the minority political parties to meet as soon as possible to take a collective decision on which of the two parties contesting the 2008 run-off on December 28, 2008 they should support.
He said taking individual decisions might not help the cause of Ghana, and expressed the hope that all the parties- the Conventions People’s Party (CPP), Democratic Freedom Party (DFP), Democratic People’s Party (DPP), and the People’s National Convention (PNC), would come together to decide.
Mr Adjei said this in a short telephone interview with the Daily Graphic on Thursday.
As the Electoral Commission (EC) announced on Wednesday, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the presidential candidate of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), had 4,159,439 votes, representing 49.13 per cent of the valid votes cast.
Professor John Evans Atta Mills of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), polled 4,056,634, representing 47.92 per cent.
The results between the two parties had forced the polls into a second round, which is once again expected to be a crunch of a presidential election.
This is the second time in the Fourth Republic that a presidential election has failed to produce a clear winner in the first round.
In the 2000 presidential election, the then candidate John Agyekum Kufuor obtained 3,104,393 votes, representing 48.44 per cent of the 6,408,231 valid votes cast, while Professor Mills, the then Vice-President, polled 2,871,051, representing 44.80 of the total valid votes cast.
In the end the other minority parties ganged up against the NDC as they joined the NPP to dethrone the ruling government.
But it is not clear at this time what the decision of the minority parties would be this time.
According to Mr Adjei, the RPD had not taken a decision yet but was willing to be part of the others to collectively declare their position as to which one to support.
Story: Charles Benoni Okine
THE defeated presidential candidate of the Reformed Patriotic Democrats (RPD), Mr Kwabena Agyei, has stressed the need for the minority political parties to meet as soon as possible to take a collective decision on which of the two parties contesting the 2008 run-off on December 28, 2008 they should support.
He said taking individual decisions might not help the cause of Ghana, and expressed the hope that all the parties- the Conventions People’s Party (CPP), Democratic Freedom Party (DFP), Democratic People’s Party (DPP), and the People’s National Convention (PNC), would come together to decide.
Mr Adjei said this in a short telephone interview with the Daily Graphic on Thursday.
As the Electoral Commission (EC) announced on Wednesday, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the presidential candidate of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), had 4,159,439 votes, representing 49.13 per cent of the valid votes cast.
Professor John Evans Atta Mills of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), polled 4,056,634, representing 47.92 per cent.
The results between the two parties had forced the polls into a second round, which is once again expected to be a crunch of a presidential election.
This is the second time in the Fourth Republic that a presidential election has failed to produce a clear winner in the first round.
In the 2000 presidential election, the then candidate John Agyekum Kufuor obtained 3,104,393 votes, representing 48.44 per cent of the 6,408,231 valid votes cast, while Professor Mills, the then Vice-President, polled 2,871,051, representing 44.80 of the total valid votes cast.
In the end the other minority parties ganged up against the NDC as they joined the NPP to dethrone the ruling government.
But it is not clear at this time what the decision of the minority parties would be this time.
According to Mr Adjei, the RPD had not taken a decision yet but was willing to be part of the others to collectively declare their position as to which one to support.
GTZ boosts procurement capacity of seven institutions
Back page (Daily Graphic) December 13/2008
Story: Charles Benoni Okine
THE Public Procurement Authority (PPA) has received $1.5 million from the German Development Co-operation (GTZ) to develop the capacities of seven major institutions in the procurement process.
They are the Judicial Service, Attorney General’s Office, Ghana Audit Service, Internal Audit Agency, the Serious Fraud Office, Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) and the Ghana Police Service.
An agreement for the release of the funds was signed yesterday between the Chief Executive Officer of the PPA, Mr Adjenim Boateng Adjei, and the Country Director of GTZ, Mr Fred Brandl, at a short ceremony in Accra.
Mr Adjei said part of the money would also be used to organise workshops for members of parliament, civil society organisations, the media and the general public.
In 2005, the PPA launched its capacity development paper in line with its strategic plan to facilitate capacity building for the various stakeholders in the public procurement process under short, medium and long term training programmes.
The move was aimed, among other things, at ensuring that the Public Procurement Act which was promulgated in 2003 as a major corruption fighting tool was carried out in a more transparent, fair and non-discriminatory manner.
“With procurement accounting for about two-thirds of public expenditure, apart from personnel emoluments, every effort has been made over the period to ensure that stakeholders receive the necessary training to ensure that the Act is effectively implemented”, Mr Adjei said.
He said a training programme with funds from the government and DFID was started in September, 2007 and since then 8,400 participants in the 10 regions had benefited.
Mr Adjei regretted that in spite of the good intention of the training programmes, limited funding made it impossible, in the face of the wide scope of participation and the process of training the anticipated 20,000 persons.
He said the PPA would organise a mop-up training programme for procurement practitioners and members of Entity Tender Committees/Tender Review Boards (TRBs) who could not benefit from the first phase of the short term training programme.
Mr Adjei said the GTZ had also made available some €60,000 for the establishment of five zonal offices to ensure the presence of the authority at the local level to facilitate training and monitoring of public procurement activities at the regional and district levels.
He said the zonal offices would be based in Koforidua to cater for the Eastern and Volta regions, Takoradi for Central and Western regions, Tamale for Northern/Upper East and Upper West regions, Kumasi for the Ashanti and Brong Ahafo regions and Accra for the Greater Accra Region.
Mr Adjei commended the GTZ for the support and gave the assurance that the funds would be used for the intended purpose to strengthen the procurement process.
For his part, Mr Brandl stressed the importance of financial governance in the country, and praised Ghana for the steps it had taken to ensure transparency in government expenditure.
Story: Charles Benoni Okine
THE Public Procurement Authority (PPA) has received $1.5 million from the German Development Co-operation (GTZ) to develop the capacities of seven major institutions in the procurement process.
They are the Judicial Service, Attorney General’s Office, Ghana Audit Service, Internal Audit Agency, the Serious Fraud Office, Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) and the Ghana Police Service.
An agreement for the release of the funds was signed yesterday between the Chief Executive Officer of the PPA, Mr Adjenim Boateng Adjei, and the Country Director of GTZ, Mr Fred Brandl, at a short ceremony in Accra.
Mr Adjei said part of the money would also be used to organise workshops for members of parliament, civil society organisations, the media and the general public.
In 2005, the PPA launched its capacity development paper in line with its strategic plan to facilitate capacity building for the various stakeholders in the public procurement process under short, medium and long term training programmes.
The move was aimed, among other things, at ensuring that the Public Procurement Act which was promulgated in 2003 as a major corruption fighting tool was carried out in a more transparent, fair and non-discriminatory manner.
“With procurement accounting for about two-thirds of public expenditure, apart from personnel emoluments, every effort has been made over the period to ensure that stakeholders receive the necessary training to ensure that the Act is effectively implemented”, Mr Adjei said.
He said a training programme with funds from the government and DFID was started in September, 2007 and since then 8,400 participants in the 10 regions had benefited.
Mr Adjei regretted that in spite of the good intention of the training programmes, limited funding made it impossible, in the face of the wide scope of participation and the process of training the anticipated 20,000 persons.
He said the PPA would organise a mop-up training programme for procurement practitioners and members of Entity Tender Committees/Tender Review Boards (TRBs) who could not benefit from the first phase of the short term training programme.
Mr Adjei said the GTZ had also made available some €60,000 for the establishment of five zonal offices to ensure the presence of the authority at the local level to facilitate training and monitoring of public procurement activities at the regional and district levels.
He said the zonal offices would be based in Koforidua to cater for the Eastern and Volta regions, Takoradi for Central and Western regions, Tamale for Northern/Upper East and Upper West regions, Kumasi for the Ashanti and Brong Ahafo regions and Accra for the Greater Accra Region.
Mr Adjei commended the GTZ for the support and gave the assurance that the funds would be used for the intended purpose to strengthen the procurement process.
For his part, Mr Brandl stressed the importance of financial governance in the country, and praised Ghana for the steps it had taken to ensure transparency in government expenditure.
Friday, December 12, 2008
Fuel Prices drop again
Front page (Daily Graphic), December 12/2008
Story: Charles Benoni Okine
FUEL prices have been reduced heavily for the first time since the international market prices of crude oil hit its lowest level in more than a year.
The new prices, which take effect from 6 a.m. today will see premium petrol selling at Gp82 per litre from the previous price of Gp99 per litre.
This means that 4.5 litre (one gallon) of petrol will now sell at GH¢3.69 instead the previous figure of GH¢4.45 for the same 4.5 litre (one gallon).
According to the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), gas oil will now sell at Gp89 per litre from Gp104 per litre, while kerosene would be sold at Gp70. In this case, 4.5 litre (one gallon) of diesel will now sell at GH¢3.15 instead of GH¢4.05 for the same 4.5 litres (one gallon).
Premix fuel, the product specially made for fishermen, has also dropped from Gp63.2 to Gp44. Here too, 4.5 litre (one gallon) will nowGH¢1.98 sell at GH¢1.98 instead of the former price of GH¢2.84.
The new price of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) will also be Gp65 instead of Gp84.
The Chief Executive Officer, Mr John Attafuah, explained to the Daily Graphic that the percentage drops were because “we did not put anything for the under recoveries”.
Ghana was also not spared the ordeal of rising crude oil prices on the international market and the intervention of the government caused a debt of $168 billion owed to the crude oil importing companies, including the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR).
Asked why the NPA did not wait until the usual two weeks interval, he replied, “we did it unawares so that the Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) will not refuse to load from the refinery when the prices are down”.
It has been the case that anytime the prices are reduced, the OMCs refuse to lift and that, on many occasions, result in some abnormal shortages of fuel on the market.
Mr Attafuah said to avoid that situation, the NPA would do random announcements.
He noted, however, that the price reviews would be based on the pertaining prices of crude oil on the international market.
Mr Attafuah said the NPA was in talks with the commercial transport owners association to get them to allow the reduction in the fuel prices to reflect in their fares.
Oil prices have fluctuated between $50 and $43 per barrel this week, pausing after a fall of over 60 per cent since reaching a record $147.27 in mid-July.
Analysts predict that oil may likely trade below $50 a barrel and could test the $40 level by the end of the year.
Story: Charles Benoni Okine
FUEL prices have been reduced heavily for the first time since the international market prices of crude oil hit its lowest level in more than a year.
The new prices, which take effect from 6 a.m. today will see premium petrol selling at Gp82 per litre from the previous price of Gp99 per litre.
This means that 4.5 litre (one gallon) of petrol will now sell at GH¢3.69 instead the previous figure of GH¢4.45 for the same 4.5 litre (one gallon).
According to the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), gas oil will now sell at Gp89 per litre from Gp104 per litre, while kerosene would be sold at Gp70. In this case, 4.5 litre (one gallon) of diesel will now sell at GH¢3.15 instead of GH¢4.05 for the same 4.5 litres (one gallon).
Premix fuel, the product specially made for fishermen, has also dropped from Gp63.2 to Gp44. Here too, 4.5 litre (one gallon) will nowGH¢1.98 sell at GH¢1.98 instead of the former price of GH¢2.84.
The new price of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) will also be Gp65 instead of Gp84.
The Chief Executive Officer, Mr John Attafuah, explained to the Daily Graphic that the percentage drops were because “we did not put anything for the under recoveries”.
Ghana was also not spared the ordeal of rising crude oil prices on the international market and the intervention of the government caused a debt of $168 billion owed to the crude oil importing companies, including the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR).
Asked why the NPA did not wait until the usual two weeks interval, he replied, “we did it unawares so that the Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) will not refuse to load from the refinery when the prices are down”.
It has been the case that anytime the prices are reduced, the OMCs refuse to lift and that, on many occasions, result in some abnormal shortages of fuel on the market.
Mr Attafuah said to avoid that situation, the NPA would do random announcements.
He noted, however, that the price reviews would be based on the pertaining prices of crude oil on the international market.
Mr Attafuah said the NPA was in talks with the commercial transport owners association to get them to allow the reduction in the fuel prices to reflect in their fares.
Oil prices have fluctuated between $50 and $43 per barrel this week, pausing after a fall of over 60 per cent since reaching a record $147.27 in mid-July.
Analysts predict that oil may likely trade below $50 a barrel and could test the $40 level by the end of the year.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
IT'S A RUN-OFF
Front page (lead) (Daily Graphic) December 11/2008
Story: Charles Benoni Okine & Boahene Asamoah
THE battle is not over and Ghanaians will go through yet another presidential election on December 28, 2008 after last Sunday’s elections failed to produce a clear winner.
Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, candidate of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), came ahead with 4,159,439 votes, representing 49.13 per cent of the valid votes cast, only 0.97 short of the 50 per cent of the 50 per cent plus votes required by the Constitution.
His closest rival, Professor John Evans Atta Mills of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), had 4,056,634, representing 47.92 per cent.
This is the second time in the Fourth Republic that a presidential election had failed to produce a clear winner in the first round.
In the 2000 presidential election, then candidate John Agyekum Kufuor obtained 3,104,393 votes, representing 48.44 per cent of the 6,408,231 valid votes cast, while Professor Mills, the then Vice-President, polled 2,871,051, representing 44.80 of the total valid votes cast.
The Chairman of the Electoral Commission (EC), Dr Kwadwo Afari-Gyan, who broke the news at exactly 2.33 p.m. yesterday at a heavily attended news conference in Accra, said the results as announced were from 229 out of the 230 constituencies in the country.
Early on, the various radio and television stations had announced, provisionally, the possibility of a run-off after they had collated results from the various collating points in the constituencies.
According to the EC Chairman, Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom of the Conventions People’s Party (CPP) polled 113,494 votes, representing 1.34 per cent, while the People’s National Convention (PNC) polled 73,494, representing 0.87 per cent.
The Democratic Freedom Party (DFP) polled 27,889, representing 0.33 per cent of the valid votes cast, while the only independent candidate in the election had 19,342, representing 0.23 per cent.
The Reformed Patriotic Democrats (RPD) polled 6,889 votes, representing 0.08 per cent.
The total valid votes cast was 8,465,834, while 205,438 of the ballots, representing 2.4 per cent, were rejected for unexplained reasons.
Dr Afari-Gyan said the number of registered voters for this year’s elections stood at 12,472,758, while the results from the Akwatia Constituency, which were in dispute, would be announced at a later date.
While mentioning the electoral results of the presidential candidate of the NDC, Dr Afari-Gyan fumbled slightly, to the uproar of those present at the news conference, who laughed off the error.
“As you can see, I am very tired,” he explained immediately with a broad smile.
Dr Afari-Gyan commended the media for the manner in which they fed the electorate with all the provisional results as they trickled in from the various constituencies, but raised issues with the allegation that the commission had delayed the release of the results.
“We did not delay in the release of the results. We wanted to be fair to all the candidates who had spent a lot of time, energy and I suppose money in their campaigns by coming out with accurate figures,” he explained.
Dr Afari-Gyan said the commission had to check and double check every bit of the results that came in to ensure that what it announced was not in dispute.
Present to listen to the declaration of the much expected results were leading figures of the two biggest parties. From the NPP came Nana Ohene-Ntow, the General Secretary; Mr Kwabena Agyepong, a member of the Nana Akufo-Addo Campaign Team, and Sheikh I.C. Quaye, the Greater Accra Regional Minister and re-elected MP for Ayawaso East.
From the NDC side were the Chairman of the party, Dr Kwabena Adjei; Mr Johnson Asiedu-Nketia, the General Secretary; Mr Rojo Mettle-Nunoo and Squadron Leader Clend Sowu of the Atta Mills campaign team.
Meanwhile, the two leading parties have described as fair the results of the presidential election as announced by the Chairman of the EC.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic immediately after the announcement of the results, Dr Adjei, the National Chairman of the NDC said although the party had been looking forward to a first round victory, it did not happen. However, he quickly described the results as fair.
He said the party would quickly re-organise its machinery for the run-off.
A member of the Nana Akufo-Addo Campaign Team, Mr Kwabena Agyepong, thanked Ghanaians for the show of support for the NPP candidate.
“We intend to carry the lead that the Ghanaian electorate have given to Nana Akufo-Addo to the second round,” hestated.
When asked which of the parties in the run-off the PNC would throw its weight behind, Alhaji Ramadan, its National Chairman, said, “We are going to convene a national executive meeting to take that decision.”
Story: Charles Benoni Okine & Boahene Asamoah
THE battle is not over and Ghanaians will go through yet another presidential election on December 28, 2008 after last Sunday’s elections failed to produce a clear winner.
Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, candidate of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), came ahead with 4,159,439 votes, representing 49.13 per cent of the valid votes cast, only 0.97 short of the 50 per cent of the 50 per cent plus votes required by the Constitution.
His closest rival, Professor John Evans Atta Mills of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), had 4,056,634, representing 47.92 per cent.
This is the second time in the Fourth Republic that a presidential election had failed to produce a clear winner in the first round.
In the 2000 presidential election, then candidate John Agyekum Kufuor obtained 3,104,393 votes, representing 48.44 per cent of the 6,408,231 valid votes cast, while Professor Mills, the then Vice-President, polled 2,871,051, representing 44.80 of the total valid votes cast.
The Chairman of the Electoral Commission (EC), Dr Kwadwo Afari-Gyan, who broke the news at exactly 2.33 p.m. yesterday at a heavily attended news conference in Accra, said the results as announced were from 229 out of the 230 constituencies in the country.
Early on, the various radio and television stations had announced, provisionally, the possibility of a run-off after they had collated results from the various collating points in the constituencies.
According to the EC Chairman, Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom of the Conventions People’s Party (CPP) polled 113,494 votes, representing 1.34 per cent, while the People’s National Convention (PNC) polled 73,494, representing 0.87 per cent.
The Democratic Freedom Party (DFP) polled 27,889, representing 0.33 per cent of the valid votes cast, while the only independent candidate in the election had 19,342, representing 0.23 per cent.
The Reformed Patriotic Democrats (RPD) polled 6,889 votes, representing 0.08 per cent.
The total valid votes cast was 8,465,834, while 205,438 of the ballots, representing 2.4 per cent, were rejected for unexplained reasons.
Dr Afari-Gyan said the number of registered voters for this year’s elections stood at 12,472,758, while the results from the Akwatia Constituency, which were in dispute, would be announced at a later date.
While mentioning the electoral results of the presidential candidate of the NDC, Dr Afari-Gyan fumbled slightly, to the uproar of those present at the news conference, who laughed off the error.
“As you can see, I am very tired,” he explained immediately with a broad smile.
Dr Afari-Gyan commended the media for the manner in which they fed the electorate with all the provisional results as they trickled in from the various constituencies, but raised issues with the allegation that the commission had delayed the release of the results.
“We did not delay in the release of the results. We wanted to be fair to all the candidates who had spent a lot of time, energy and I suppose money in their campaigns by coming out with accurate figures,” he explained.
Dr Afari-Gyan said the commission had to check and double check every bit of the results that came in to ensure that what it announced was not in dispute.
Present to listen to the declaration of the much expected results were leading figures of the two biggest parties. From the NPP came Nana Ohene-Ntow, the General Secretary; Mr Kwabena Agyepong, a member of the Nana Akufo-Addo Campaign Team, and Sheikh I.C. Quaye, the Greater Accra Regional Minister and re-elected MP for Ayawaso East.
From the NDC side were the Chairman of the party, Dr Kwabena Adjei; Mr Johnson Asiedu-Nketia, the General Secretary; Mr Rojo Mettle-Nunoo and Squadron Leader Clend Sowu of the Atta Mills campaign team.
Meanwhile, the two leading parties have described as fair the results of the presidential election as announced by the Chairman of the EC.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic immediately after the announcement of the results, Dr Adjei, the National Chairman of the NDC said although the party had been looking forward to a first round victory, it did not happen. However, he quickly described the results as fair.
He said the party would quickly re-organise its machinery for the run-off.
A member of the Nana Akufo-Addo Campaign Team, Mr Kwabena Agyepong, thanked Ghanaians for the show of support for the NPP candidate.
“We intend to carry the lead that the Ghanaian electorate have given to Nana Akufo-Addo to the second round,” hestated.
When asked which of the parties in the run-off the PNC would throw its weight behind, Alhaji Ramadan, its National Chairman, said, “We are going to convene a national executive meeting to take that decision.”
Decision Time Today
Front Page (lead) (Daily Graphic), December 10/2008
Story: Charles Benoni Okine & Boahene Asamoah
AFTER more than 48 hours since Ghanaians cast their ballots to chose a new president for the country, many continue to sit on tenterhooks as the nation awaits the official results.
And all things being equal, the Chairman of the Electoral Commission (EC) will today hold a news conference in Accra to break the crunch.
At the time of going to press, the presidential candidate of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, was slightly ahead with 2,657,652, representing 49.15 per cent of the valid votes cast from 142 of the 230 constituencies.
Closely following was Professor John Evans Atta Mills of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), who also had 2,594,752, representing 47.99 of the valid votes cast.
As per the Constitution of Ghana, the winner for the presidency would have to poll at least 50 per cent plus one vote.
Article 63 Clause Three states that “A person shall not be elected as a president unless at the presidential elections the number of votes cast in his favour is more than 50 per cent of the total number of valid votes cast at the elections”.
Clause Four of the same article also states that “Where, at a presidential elections, there are more than two candidates and no candidate obtains the number or percentage of votes specified in Clause Three of this article, a second election shall be held within 21 days after the previous elections.”
The Convention People’s Party (CPP), which was heavily tipped to have the potential to pull the elections into a run-off, unfortunately had 72,887 of the valid votes cast, representing 1.35 per cent, while the People’s National Convention (PNC) had 43,611 of the valid votes, representing 0.81 per cent.
The only independent candidate, Mr Amoafo-Yeboah, had 11,461, representing 0.21 per cent; the Democratic Freedom Party (DFP), 17,379, representing 0.32 per cent; the Democratic People’s Party (DPP), 5,155, representing 0.1 per cent, while the Reformed Patriotic Democrats (RPD) polled 0.08 per cent of the valid votes cast.
According to the results released, 5,407,186 valid votes had been recorded, with 127,476 ballots rejected for reasons yet to be known.
Many have blamed the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) for not educating the electorate well enough to enable them to vote without spoiling the ballots, an allegation the commission has denied.
The EC has also been given a fair share of the blame, as people are of the view that the commission has confused them by initially announcing that any of the fingers could be used to make a print on the ballot paper. It was only in the last week to the elections that the EC insisted that the thumbprint was the one mark needed on the ballot paper.
Meanwhile, in anticipation of the winner of the presidential election, the country, particularly the Greater Accra Region, is very quite.
At the Ghana International Press Centre, for instance, the representatives of the various political parties and some election observers from all walks of life moved in and out in search of vital information on the elections.
Other members of the public who were anxious to pick some pieces of information also trooped in under the guise of patronising the restaurant within the premises to have lunch but ended up nosing for information.
Unfortunately, the release of the results from the EC was in the form of a trickle, to the disappointment of the many television, radio and print media men who had pitched camp to relay certified results from the commission to the general public.
Story: Charles Benoni Okine & Boahene Asamoah
AFTER more than 48 hours since Ghanaians cast their ballots to chose a new president for the country, many continue to sit on tenterhooks as the nation awaits the official results.
And all things being equal, the Chairman of the Electoral Commission (EC) will today hold a news conference in Accra to break the crunch.
At the time of going to press, the presidential candidate of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, was slightly ahead with 2,657,652, representing 49.15 per cent of the valid votes cast from 142 of the 230 constituencies.
Closely following was Professor John Evans Atta Mills of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), who also had 2,594,752, representing 47.99 of the valid votes cast.
As per the Constitution of Ghana, the winner for the presidency would have to poll at least 50 per cent plus one vote.
Article 63 Clause Three states that “A person shall not be elected as a president unless at the presidential elections the number of votes cast in his favour is more than 50 per cent of the total number of valid votes cast at the elections”.
Clause Four of the same article also states that “Where, at a presidential elections, there are more than two candidates and no candidate obtains the number or percentage of votes specified in Clause Three of this article, a second election shall be held within 21 days after the previous elections.”
The Convention People’s Party (CPP), which was heavily tipped to have the potential to pull the elections into a run-off, unfortunately had 72,887 of the valid votes cast, representing 1.35 per cent, while the People’s National Convention (PNC) had 43,611 of the valid votes, representing 0.81 per cent.
The only independent candidate, Mr Amoafo-Yeboah, had 11,461, representing 0.21 per cent; the Democratic Freedom Party (DFP), 17,379, representing 0.32 per cent; the Democratic People’s Party (DPP), 5,155, representing 0.1 per cent, while the Reformed Patriotic Democrats (RPD) polled 0.08 per cent of the valid votes cast.
According to the results released, 5,407,186 valid votes had been recorded, with 127,476 ballots rejected for reasons yet to be known.
Many have blamed the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) for not educating the electorate well enough to enable them to vote without spoiling the ballots, an allegation the commission has denied.
The EC has also been given a fair share of the blame, as people are of the view that the commission has confused them by initially announcing that any of the fingers could be used to make a print on the ballot paper. It was only in the last week to the elections that the EC insisted that the thumbprint was the one mark needed on the ballot paper.
Meanwhile, in anticipation of the winner of the presidential election, the country, particularly the Greater Accra Region, is very quite.
At the Ghana International Press Centre, for instance, the representatives of the various political parties and some election observers from all walks of life moved in and out in search of vital information on the elections.
Other members of the public who were anxious to pick some pieces of information also trooped in under the guise of patronising the restaurant within the premises to have lunch but ended up nosing for information.
Unfortunately, the release of the results from the EC was in the form of a trickle, to the disappointment of the many television, radio and print media men who had pitched camp to relay certified results from the commission to the general public.
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Accountant-General pays salary arrears
Front page (Daily Graphic), December 4/2008
Story: Charles Benoni Okine
THE Controller and Accountant-General’s Department (CAGD) has cleared all salary arrears due workers on its payroll as of the end of November this year.
It said a second payment, which covered salary arrears arising from promotions, new entrants, corrections, among others, had also been duly taken care of.
Speaking to newsmen in Accra yesterday, the Deputy Controller in charge of Financial Management Services at the CAGD, Mr Ntim Amponsah, said the payments also included regular November salaries for a few employees whose records required corrections and validation before the system would allow payment.
He said the move was in fulfilment of assurances given to the workers by the Controller and Accountant-General, Mr Christian Sottie, last month on efforts being made to rectify all salary anomalies.
Some workers had suffered excessive salary recoveries in October 2008 and had ended up with zero or very little net salaries, among others.
Mr Amponsah said the CAGD had been working to update pensions and pay, resulting in arrears, adding that it had successfully upgraded and started paying the pension arrears of Ghana Education Service (GES) pensioners from November.
He said Civil Service pensioners and other categories were also being processed for payment this month and in subsequent months.
Mr Amponsah said while all that had been done, there was likely to be a few who would still suffer and asked those to be affected negatively not to hesitate to get in touch with the department for immediate rectification.
“All those who believe they have been wrongly paid (overpaid, underpaid or not paid) should contact their respective heads of departments who should submit the necessary input forms for the correction of the error(s),” Mr Amponsah added.
He said the department had come up with a toll-free number, 080010200, on both Ghana Telecom fixed lines and its OneTouch mobile network.
Story: Charles Benoni Okine
THE Controller and Accountant-General’s Department (CAGD) has cleared all salary arrears due workers on its payroll as of the end of November this year.
It said a second payment, which covered salary arrears arising from promotions, new entrants, corrections, among others, had also been duly taken care of.
Speaking to newsmen in Accra yesterday, the Deputy Controller in charge of Financial Management Services at the CAGD, Mr Ntim Amponsah, said the payments also included regular November salaries for a few employees whose records required corrections and validation before the system would allow payment.
He said the move was in fulfilment of assurances given to the workers by the Controller and Accountant-General, Mr Christian Sottie, last month on efforts being made to rectify all salary anomalies.
Some workers had suffered excessive salary recoveries in October 2008 and had ended up with zero or very little net salaries, among others.
Mr Amponsah said the CAGD had been working to update pensions and pay, resulting in arrears, adding that it had successfully upgraded and started paying the pension arrears of Ghana Education Service (GES) pensioners from November.
He said Civil Service pensioners and other categories were also being processed for payment this month and in subsequent months.
Mr Amponsah said while all that had been done, there was likely to be a few who would still suffer and asked those to be affected negatively not to hesitate to get in touch with the department for immediate rectification.
“All those who believe they have been wrongly paid (overpaid, underpaid or not paid) should contact their respective heads of departments who should submit the necessary input forms for the correction of the error(s),” Mr Amponsah added.
He said the department had come up with a toll-free number, 080010200, on both Ghana Telecom fixed lines and its OneTouch mobile network.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Only thumbprint acceptable - EC
Front page (Daily Graphic) December 2/2008
Story: Charles Benoni Okine
ONLY the impression of the thumb is prescribed for marking the ballot papers for preferred candidates as 12.4 million registered Ghanaian voters queue across the country on Sunday to elect a new President and members of a new Parliament.
The Electoral Commission (EC) made that categorical statement yesterday and pointed out that it would not accept any finger impression apart from that of the thumb on the ballot paper on voting day, a position which departs from the EC’s earlier stand that any mark on the paper was acceptable.
Addressing the media in Accra, a Deputy Chairman of the commission, Mr Safo Kantanka, explained that the earlier position had changed because the various parties contesting the elections thought otherwise.
He, however, said those who, for some reasons, had no thumbs would be allowed to use any finger upon agreement with the various polling agents and the Presiding Officers.
“At the last Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) meeting, it was agreed that only the thumb should be accepted in accordance with the electoral laws of the country,” he explained at the news conference called to throw more light on preparations towards Sunday’s elections.
Mr Kantanka said the commission would have gone ahead with the earlier position but the parties were of the contrary view and noted that “we agreed to avoid any problems in that regard”.
He warned that the EC would not entertain any acts that would result in serious problems at any polling station.
“Those who attempt to frustrate the electoral officers will be handed over to the security agencies for action because we do not want any confusion that might cause problems during polling,” he added.
Mr Kantanka said any person with any problem should report to the Presiding Officer for the necessary action to be followed to ensure a peaceful process.
He reiterated that no one should be prevented from voting once the person had his/her name in the register.
Mr Kantanka said IPAC had also agreed to ensure that minors did not get close to the polling stations to cast their ballot, adding that “we take the parties for their word”.
He said that was necessary to avoid confrontation at the polling stations and to ensure a smooth polling process.
On transfer of votes, Mr Kantanka said the process was over and officials from the various districts were at the commission’s headquarters to do the final compilation.
He asked those who went through the process to check from their new areas before voting day.
The Deputy EC Commissioner said it was not automatic for a person to have his/her transfer request or application approved.
According to him, all was set for the elections on polling day and noted that barring any hitches, Ghana would once again go through a peaceful and successful elections.
Mr Kantanka said the commission had dispatched all the electoral materials to the regions, while others had been airlifted to areas not easily accessible by road.
Story: Charles Benoni Okine
ONLY the impression of the thumb is prescribed for marking the ballot papers for preferred candidates as 12.4 million registered Ghanaian voters queue across the country on Sunday to elect a new President and members of a new Parliament.
The Electoral Commission (EC) made that categorical statement yesterday and pointed out that it would not accept any finger impression apart from that of the thumb on the ballot paper on voting day, a position which departs from the EC’s earlier stand that any mark on the paper was acceptable.
Addressing the media in Accra, a Deputy Chairman of the commission, Mr Safo Kantanka, explained that the earlier position had changed because the various parties contesting the elections thought otherwise.
He, however, said those who, for some reasons, had no thumbs would be allowed to use any finger upon agreement with the various polling agents and the Presiding Officers.
“At the last Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) meeting, it was agreed that only the thumb should be accepted in accordance with the electoral laws of the country,” he explained at the news conference called to throw more light on preparations towards Sunday’s elections.
Mr Kantanka said the commission would have gone ahead with the earlier position but the parties were of the contrary view and noted that “we agreed to avoid any problems in that regard”.
He warned that the EC would not entertain any acts that would result in serious problems at any polling station.
“Those who attempt to frustrate the electoral officers will be handed over to the security agencies for action because we do not want any confusion that might cause problems during polling,” he added.
Mr Kantanka said any person with any problem should report to the Presiding Officer for the necessary action to be followed to ensure a peaceful process.
He reiterated that no one should be prevented from voting once the person had his/her name in the register.
Mr Kantanka said IPAC had also agreed to ensure that minors did not get close to the polling stations to cast their ballot, adding that “we take the parties for their word”.
He said that was necessary to avoid confrontation at the polling stations and to ensure a smooth polling process.
On transfer of votes, Mr Kantanka said the process was over and officials from the various districts were at the commission’s headquarters to do the final compilation.
He asked those who went through the process to check from their new areas before voting day.
The Deputy EC Commissioner said it was not automatic for a person to have his/her transfer request or application approved.
According to him, all was set for the elections on polling day and noted that barring any hitches, Ghana would once again go through a peaceful and successful elections.
Mr Kantanka said the commission had dispatched all the electoral materials to the regions, while others had been airlifted to areas not easily accessible by road.
Fuel prices go down again
Page 3, November 30/2008
Story: Charles Benoni Okine
PRICES of petroleum products will be reviewed downwards from today,December 1, 2008, following the continuous drop in the price of crude oil on the international market.
With effect from 6 a.m. on today, premium petrol, the most patronised product on the market, will sell for Ghp 99.00 per litre from Ghp 103.00.
According to the newly gazetted prices by the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) and exclusively released to the Daily Graphic in Accra, gas oil (diesel) will also drop from Ghp 107.5 per litre to Ghp104.00 while Premix will remain flat at Ghp 63.2. Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) will also fall from Ghp 87.9 per kilogramme to Ghp84.00.
Since the last review barely two weeks ago, the prices of crude oil on the international market have been dipping and has now reached the $47 mark per barrel, about a $100 down from $147 per barrel recorded in July, when it hit all time record high.
The rise affected many economies world-wide, including the developed countries such as the United States of America and the Britain.
Ghana was also not spared the ordeal and the intervention of the government caused a debt of $168 billion owed to the crude oil importing companies, including the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR).
At the last downward review in the prices of the petroleum products, the members of the transport associations in the country were a bit reluctant in reviewing downward their fares, citing the high cost of spare parts and rising operational costs as a factor.
Oil prices have fluctuated between $50 and $55 this week, pausing after a fall of over 60 per cent since reaching a record $147.27 in mid-July.
Analysts predict that oil may likely trade below $50 a barrel and could test the $40 level by the end of the year.
Investors are expected to be watching whether the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) will reduce output quotas at an informal meeting in Cairo today.
Story: Charles Benoni Okine
PRICES of petroleum products will be reviewed downwards from today,December 1, 2008, following the continuous drop in the price of crude oil on the international market.
With effect from 6 a.m. on today, premium petrol, the most patronised product on the market, will sell for Ghp 99.00 per litre from Ghp 103.00.
According to the newly gazetted prices by the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) and exclusively released to the Daily Graphic in Accra, gas oil (diesel) will also drop from Ghp 107.5 per litre to Ghp104.00 while Premix will remain flat at Ghp 63.2. Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) will also fall from Ghp 87.9 per kilogramme to Ghp84.00.
Since the last review barely two weeks ago, the prices of crude oil on the international market have been dipping and has now reached the $47 mark per barrel, about a $100 down from $147 per barrel recorded in July, when it hit all time record high.
The rise affected many economies world-wide, including the developed countries such as the United States of America and the Britain.
Ghana was also not spared the ordeal and the intervention of the government caused a debt of $168 billion owed to the crude oil importing companies, including the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR).
At the last downward review in the prices of the petroleum products, the members of the transport associations in the country were a bit reluctant in reviewing downward their fares, citing the high cost of spare parts and rising operational costs as a factor.
Oil prices have fluctuated between $50 and $55 this week, pausing after a fall of over 60 per cent since reaching a record $147.27 in mid-July.
Analysts predict that oil may likely trade below $50 a barrel and could test the $40 level by the end of the year.
Investors are expected to be watching whether the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) will reduce output quotas at an informal meeting in Cairo today.
Friday, November 28, 2008
Veep cuts sod for two projects at Winneba
Back page (lead), November 28/2008
Story: Charles Benoni Okine, Winneba
THE Vice-President, Alhaji Aliu Mahama, last Wednesday cut the sod for the commencement of work on two major projects totalling €21 million at Winneba in the Central Region.
The projects are a fishing wharf to replace the fish landing site in the town and a district hospital to improve the provision of medical services for the people.
The Vice-President said the fishing wharf project was one of a total of 14 fishing harbours and landing sites, which also included the construction of six cold storage facilities for the people in the fishing communities in the country.
He said each of the harbours and landing sites will ensure calmer waters, have an area for mending nets, a premix fuel depot, cold stores and refrigeration facilities; crèches or day care centres, administration blocks, power stations, fish markets and net storage sheds.
Reports indicate that about 10 per cent of the country’s population is engaged in fishing and fisheries-related activities.
The country’s fish consumption requirement stood at 720,000 metric tonnes as of 2005 as against the total fish supplies of 400,000, leaving a deficit of 320,000.
Against this background, Alhaji Mahama said the government had structured a policy for a more focused attention to the fisheries sector of the economy to promote accelerated and sustainable fisheries aquaculture development as a tool to reduce poverty and enhance foreign exchange earnings.
He said the modernisation and revamping of the fisheries sector of the economy had entailed taking bold steps to introduce the use of fibre glass for the construction of canoes and boats with inboard engines.
Alhaji Mahama said in some fishing communities, lives, canoes and fishing gear had been lost during high tides and stormy weather which occurred during the rainy seasons and reiterated that the harbours and loading sites would be constructed in a way that would calm the tides to ensure safe landing.
He said in order to ensure efficient management of the projects across the country, a Fishing Harbours and Landing Sites Management Authority as well as a Cold Store and Refrigeration Authority are to be set up.
On the hospital project, Alhaji Mahama said the government was aware of the major challenges that faced the health sector in the past and noted that efforts were underway to restore the health facilities to their former glory not only by refurbishing and expanding existing ones but by adding more to meet demand.
He said the Winneba project was selected due to its strategic location in terms of handling trauma care as it lay along the major Trans-West Africa highway.
The Minister of Fisheries, Mrs Gladys Asmah, said fishing schools were to be established to train the youth who wanted to take fishing as a profession.
She was of the view that the projects would not only create jobs for the people but also provide them with sustainable income as well as transform the town.
Mr Samuel Owusu-Adjei, the Minister of Public Sector Reforms and the sitting Member of Parliament for the area said the government had fulfilled many of its promises to the people.
Story: Charles Benoni Okine, Winneba
THE Vice-President, Alhaji Aliu Mahama, last Wednesday cut the sod for the commencement of work on two major projects totalling €21 million at Winneba in the Central Region.
The projects are a fishing wharf to replace the fish landing site in the town and a district hospital to improve the provision of medical services for the people.
The Vice-President said the fishing wharf project was one of a total of 14 fishing harbours and landing sites, which also included the construction of six cold storage facilities for the people in the fishing communities in the country.
He said each of the harbours and landing sites will ensure calmer waters, have an area for mending nets, a premix fuel depot, cold stores and refrigeration facilities; crèches or day care centres, administration blocks, power stations, fish markets and net storage sheds.
Reports indicate that about 10 per cent of the country’s population is engaged in fishing and fisheries-related activities.
The country’s fish consumption requirement stood at 720,000 metric tonnes as of 2005 as against the total fish supplies of 400,000, leaving a deficit of 320,000.
Against this background, Alhaji Mahama said the government had structured a policy for a more focused attention to the fisheries sector of the economy to promote accelerated and sustainable fisheries aquaculture development as a tool to reduce poverty and enhance foreign exchange earnings.
He said the modernisation and revamping of the fisheries sector of the economy had entailed taking bold steps to introduce the use of fibre glass for the construction of canoes and boats with inboard engines.
Alhaji Mahama said in some fishing communities, lives, canoes and fishing gear had been lost during high tides and stormy weather which occurred during the rainy seasons and reiterated that the harbours and loading sites would be constructed in a way that would calm the tides to ensure safe landing.
He said in order to ensure efficient management of the projects across the country, a Fishing Harbours and Landing Sites Management Authority as well as a Cold Store and Refrigeration Authority are to be set up.
On the hospital project, Alhaji Mahama said the government was aware of the major challenges that faced the health sector in the past and noted that efforts were underway to restore the health facilities to their former glory not only by refurbishing and expanding existing ones but by adding more to meet demand.
He said the Winneba project was selected due to its strategic location in terms of handling trauma care as it lay along the major Trans-West Africa highway.
The Minister of Fisheries, Mrs Gladys Asmah, said fishing schools were to be established to train the youth who wanted to take fishing as a profession.
She was of the view that the projects would not only create jobs for the people but also provide them with sustainable income as well as transform the town.
Mr Samuel Owusu-Adjei, the Minister of Public Sector Reforms and the sitting Member of Parliament for the area said the government had fulfilled many of its promises to the people.
Let football unify nation - Veep
Sports page (lead), November 28/2008
Story: Charles Benoni Okine
THE Ghana Football Association (GFA) and the Professional League Board (PLB) have jointly urged soccer enthusiasts to use the beauty of the game as a unifying force to maintain the peace and stability the country presently enjoys.
The heads of the two bodies said although the general elections were around the corner, it was important for football lovers to use the resumption of the local premier league to defuse whatever tensions that exist in the country prior to the elections.
The President of the GFA, Mr Kwesi Nyantakyi and the chairman of the PLB, Mr Abra-Appiah, made the call at a dinner hosted by the Vice President, Alhaji Aliu Mahama, at his official residence at Cantonments in Accra last Wednesday night.
The occasion was to fraternise with the football administrators, as well as share ideas on how to move football to an appreciable level.
Mr Nyantakyi said football had the power to unite people because different people from different clubs support a particular club and would always cheer together.
“Football is the biggest constituency and it is even bigger than the voters register’, he added.
Mr Nyantakyi described the Vice President as a major contributor to the development of sports in the country since his days as the chairman of one of the country’s formidable clubs, Real Tamale United (RTU).
“Alhaji Mahama was very instrumental in getting the various stadia refurbished and new ones built to host the CAN 2008, and we are proud of that”, he said.
Mr Appiah on his part reiterated the need for unity in the country through soccer.
He said the country was not at war because of the general elections and asked all to shift their focus on the soccer season so as to reduce the tension in the country.
Proposing a toast for the night, Alhaji Mahama said; “So clearly, football is about the only area of national endeavour where true democracy reigns”.
He said the fans participated and made their voices known at club and national level adding that “At the GFA level, performance is constantly under scrutiny and threat of voting from your peers”.
The Vice president urged the football family not to rest on their current achievements but work hard to capitalise on the opportunities derived from hosting the CAN 2008 and the reaching of the group stages at the recent World Cup.
“These events have marketed the domestic game to the world. Now there is modern state of the art infrastructure as well as enhanced revenues from sponsorship and international recognition’, he said.
He said the country needed to be careful with the democracy so they do not “throw out the baby with the bath water whenever we feel aggrieved”.
Story: Charles Benoni Okine
THE Ghana Football Association (GFA) and the Professional League Board (PLB) have jointly urged soccer enthusiasts to use the beauty of the game as a unifying force to maintain the peace and stability the country presently enjoys.
The heads of the two bodies said although the general elections were around the corner, it was important for football lovers to use the resumption of the local premier league to defuse whatever tensions that exist in the country prior to the elections.
The President of the GFA, Mr Kwesi Nyantakyi and the chairman of the PLB, Mr Abra-Appiah, made the call at a dinner hosted by the Vice President, Alhaji Aliu Mahama, at his official residence at Cantonments in Accra last Wednesday night.
The occasion was to fraternise with the football administrators, as well as share ideas on how to move football to an appreciable level.
Mr Nyantakyi said football had the power to unite people because different people from different clubs support a particular club and would always cheer together.
“Football is the biggest constituency and it is even bigger than the voters register’, he added.
Mr Nyantakyi described the Vice President as a major contributor to the development of sports in the country since his days as the chairman of one of the country’s formidable clubs, Real Tamale United (RTU).
“Alhaji Mahama was very instrumental in getting the various stadia refurbished and new ones built to host the CAN 2008, and we are proud of that”, he said.
Mr Appiah on his part reiterated the need for unity in the country through soccer.
He said the country was not at war because of the general elections and asked all to shift their focus on the soccer season so as to reduce the tension in the country.
Proposing a toast for the night, Alhaji Mahama said; “So clearly, football is about the only area of national endeavour where true democracy reigns”.
He said the fans participated and made their voices known at club and national level adding that “At the GFA level, performance is constantly under scrutiny and threat of voting from your peers”.
The Vice president urged the football family not to rest on their current achievements but work hard to capitalise on the opportunities derived from hosting the CAN 2008 and the reaching of the group stages at the recent World Cup.
“These events have marketed the domestic game to the world. Now there is modern state of the art infrastructure as well as enhanced revenues from sponsorship and international recognition’, he said.
He said the country needed to be careful with the democracy so they do not “throw out the baby with the bath water whenever we feel aggrieved”.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Too much being spent on malaria cure — Quarshigah
Back page, November 26/2008
Story: Charles Benoni Okine
THE Minister of Health, Major Courage Quarshigah (retd), has described as alarming the $762-million expenditure on malaria per annum and said that should be a wake-up call for all to adopt preventive measures to reduce the impact of the disease on the economy.
According to him, although the ministry was doing its best to reduce malaria infections, not much was being achieved and indicated that all hands must be on deck to bring the situation under control.
The Health Minister said this when the Vice President, Alhaji Aliu Mahama, inaugurated a new Chiropractic Wellness Centre at Dzorwulu in Accra yesterday.
Chiropractic and massage therapy, used in combination, form a powerful healing approach to relieving one’s pain and increasing his/her body's mobility and resilience.
“If this amount that we spend every year is channelled into the provision of social infrastructure, our country will be more developed than it is today,” he added.
The call comes at a time when the various parts of the country’s major cities, particularly Accra, have been engulfed in filth and stagnant waters, the two conditions that enhance mass breeding of mosquitoes which cause malaria.
Major Quarshigah said the budgets on other diseases were equally alarming but did not disclose the amount except to add that the country was spending too much on the curative aspect of medicine.
He said Ghanaians had to embrace the need to take the right diet and also ensure a clean surrounding.
The Health Minister said should this be adhered to, the country would be able to channel funds where they would be more profitable than spending them on preventable diseases.
The life expectancy rate in the country has been put at 57 years by the Ministry of Health and this, Major Quarshigah described as unfortunate and urged all to be careful of what they ate and how they kept their surroundings.
He said as a member of the Chiropractic and Wellness Centre in the country, he had learned a lot and urged others to join it.
Alhaji Mahama, in commending the owner of the centre, said, “at a time when the life expectancy of Ghanaians is declining at an unacceptable rate, this is an event which is not only dear to my heart but relevant to the health needs of the nation”.
He said in spite of the fact that effective health care provision required a concerted effort on the part of the citizenry, the government, communities, and the private sector remained a vital partner in health care provision.
“A more essential collaboration between the government and the private sector, which is the engine of growth, is required in order to fully cater for the health needs of the populace and ensure better health for Ghanaians,” he said.
He said often, preventive measures were more sustainable than curative ones and it was against this background that the focus of health care in Ghana had recently emphasised the need for regenerative health.
“A glance at the statistics reveals that many lifestyle-related diseases such as diabetes, gout, obesity and high blood pressure are on the increase and many of the affected tend to be in their most productive years,” he said.
For his part, Dr Manns, who is the Chief Executive Officer of the centre, said the services at the centre were virtually free, a move that is meant to entice many more people to patronise it to improve their health.
Story: Charles Benoni Okine
THE Minister of Health, Major Courage Quarshigah (retd), has described as alarming the $762-million expenditure on malaria per annum and said that should be a wake-up call for all to adopt preventive measures to reduce the impact of the disease on the economy.
According to him, although the ministry was doing its best to reduce malaria infections, not much was being achieved and indicated that all hands must be on deck to bring the situation under control.
The Health Minister said this when the Vice President, Alhaji Aliu Mahama, inaugurated a new Chiropractic Wellness Centre at Dzorwulu in Accra yesterday.
Chiropractic and massage therapy, used in combination, form a powerful healing approach to relieving one’s pain and increasing his/her body's mobility and resilience.
“If this amount that we spend every year is channelled into the provision of social infrastructure, our country will be more developed than it is today,” he added.
The call comes at a time when the various parts of the country’s major cities, particularly Accra, have been engulfed in filth and stagnant waters, the two conditions that enhance mass breeding of mosquitoes which cause malaria.
Major Quarshigah said the budgets on other diseases were equally alarming but did not disclose the amount except to add that the country was spending too much on the curative aspect of medicine.
He said Ghanaians had to embrace the need to take the right diet and also ensure a clean surrounding.
The Health Minister said should this be adhered to, the country would be able to channel funds where they would be more profitable than spending them on preventable diseases.
The life expectancy rate in the country has been put at 57 years by the Ministry of Health and this, Major Quarshigah described as unfortunate and urged all to be careful of what they ate and how they kept their surroundings.
He said as a member of the Chiropractic and Wellness Centre in the country, he had learned a lot and urged others to join it.
Alhaji Mahama, in commending the owner of the centre, said, “at a time when the life expectancy of Ghanaians is declining at an unacceptable rate, this is an event which is not only dear to my heart but relevant to the health needs of the nation”.
He said in spite of the fact that effective health care provision required a concerted effort on the part of the citizenry, the government, communities, and the private sector remained a vital partner in health care provision.
“A more essential collaboration between the government and the private sector, which is the engine of growth, is required in order to fully cater for the health needs of the populace and ensure better health for Ghanaians,” he said.
He said often, preventive measures were more sustainable than curative ones and it was against this background that the focus of health care in Ghana had recently emphasised the need for regenerative health.
“A glance at the statistics reveals that many lifestyle-related diseases such as diabetes, gout, obesity and high blood pressure are on the increase and many of the affected tend to be in their most productive years,” he said.
For his part, Dr Manns, who is the Chief Executive Officer of the centre, said the services at the centre were virtually free, a move that is meant to entice many more people to patronise it to improve their health.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Can MTN ride the storm?
Comment and Analysis (Telecommunications, page 12 and 14) November 25/2008.
By Charles Benoni Okine
The continent of Africa has now become the centre of concentration for mobile telephony companies across the globe because of the tremendous opportunities that Africa presents in the telecom sector.
The liberalisation of the sector, the extension of services by multinational conglomerates and the active competition currently in place in the sector have all contributed to what analysts describe as the telecom revolution. Since the processes of liberalisation and privatisation have been taken into consideration by African countries such as Ghana, the telecommunication infrastructures have improved drastically. Against this background, many African governments have developed their telecommunication infrastructure by privatising their former state-owned enterprises and opening the flood gates for the global giants to enter and partake. This brings to chap focus, the sale of the 70 per cent shares in the Ghana Telecommunications Company (GhanaTelecom) to Vodafon and the entry of Zain and Globacom into Ghana this year after MTN, the present market leader and Millicom Ghana, operators of tiGO have dominated the market.
With more than 82 million mobile users, Africa has undoubtedly been the fastest-growing mobile market in the world particularly over the past five years with millions more waiting to join the fray.
According to the African Business Pages, Nigeria's mobile market for instance is growing at more than 100 per cent annually. In Ghana the penetration is at an average of 30 per cent.
The journey to MTN
Even before the competition within the sector began, Scancom Ghana Limited, entered the market to set up the first GSM mobile telephony business with a brand name spacefon. There already in existence Mobitel which was run by Millicom Ghana Limited but the difference between the two was that the later was analogue.
Spacefon was the brand for the elite because compared to the other, it was expensive to get hooked onto it. Even cell phones to get it connected was not cheap and even easy to come by.
The company in realising moves being made by others such as GhanaTelecom to enter the market and Millicom switching to GSM, intensified their marketing campaign to ensure that it did not only maintain its lead but also win more customers.
After a long term service, the hints dropped that Spacefon was going to go Areeba because the owners of the company had offloaded their shares. In the end the rumours were true and then another aggressive marketing strategy was adopted to sell the new brand name, Areeba, to the customers.
In less than three years, the ownership of the company changed hands again and this time to MTN for a whooping sum of about $5.5 billion.
Brief about MTN Group Limited is a leading provider of communications services, offering cellular network access and business solutions.
The MTN Group is listed on the JSE Securities Exchange South Africa (JSE) under the Industrial – Non-cyclical services – Telecommunications sector. The MTN Group reported revenue of R17.2 billion for the six-month period ended 30 September 2005.
To date, the MTN Group has invested over R23,4 billion in telecommunications infrastructure across the African continent.
In Ghana, MTN has over the past 12 years been the market leader and states categorically on its website that “As the leading telecommunications company, MTN is focused on providing excellent telecommunications services across the African continent. We believe that through access to communication comes economic empowerment.”
MTN has a wide variety of network services as well as segments. These are specially designed for different kinds of people to enhance their mobile experience.
MTN is a household name throughout much of Africa with a presence in 21 countries in African and the Middle East.
As part of its quest to give back to its customers, MTN Ghana has launched a foundation (MTN Ghana Foundation) which is driving its Corporate Social Responsibility Programs.
MTN survival so far.
MTN now controls more than 50 per cent of the market and it has a subscriber base of a little below seven million.
The company has managed to use branding and a combination of the Ps in the marketing mix namely Product, Price, Place and Promotion.
About the product, MTN has used that aspect of packaging as well as services as its tramp card to entice the market.
With the pricing, MTN has ensured that its brand is priced competitively. It studies what its competitors are doing and its able to price the brand to make it continuously attractive and cheaper.
With place, the distribution of MTN is everywhere, just as its slogan goes “MTN, everywhere you go” because the company has ensured that in every corner, the brand is visible. Its market coverage is wide and the response has not been in doubt.
When it comes to promotion, it is clear that MTN has a huge budget for it. Whether it is about sales promotion, advertising, publicity or public relations, MTN has ensured that it does not take those to chance.
MTN and its customers:
In spite of its aggression in ensuring that it maintains or even add more to its subscriber list, there has been major challenges experienced by the customers of MTN.
Jojo Sinaman an Polytechnic student described the network services of MTN as a pain. “I call and I here my voice, yet the credit runs at my expense although the one I call does not here me speak”.
Justina Ampadu-Nyarko, a graduate from the African University College also expressed concern about the network quality and described the service as one that does not reflect what she described as the “loudness of a network which is a market leader”.
Yayra Amedzro, Office manager of West African market Links, had these strong words for a network she has been using for more than 10 years. “Their services stinks. I have decided to change to one of the new networks coming; I am not going to add to it as others have done. I will switch outright”.
Others have their various ways of describing the network quality and services they receive from MTN although they are religiously hooked to it.
With all intense and purposes, these anomalies in the service provided should entice them to leave the network but MTN continuos to grow. In certain years, growth is slow but generally, the bottom line is, there is growth of some sort.
Analysts have expressed fear about the services provided by MTN and why the regulator is silent about what is happening. They believe that MTN has the capacity do better but was riding on the back of the inability of the regulator to raise the rod or the refusal of subscribers to quit the network for other competitors.
What are MTN competitors doing?
Presently, MTN to MTN are also aggressively using the marketing mix to gain grounds and also ensure that they capture a greater market share. These they have done in the past but have lacked the resources to match the financial clout of MTN.
With advertising, the competitors are also spending huge sums of money to ensure that they embarked on massive outdoor advertising campaigns while using the both the electronic and print media as well.
They have come up with new and innovative products to make their brands more attractive.
For instance, tiGO allows its customers to make calls throughout most of the day with just a text to deduct up to Gh¢1 and the same goes for those who want to use the text messaging. The prices of their sim cards are almost free just like the others but they set the pace to have their sim cards reduced drastically. tiGO presently is in the second position with a little over 2 million subscribers.
OneTouch is also in the fray doing its own thing. It also allows its customers to make calls and pay for only the first three minutes. It has free night calls from 11 pm until the next morning. Its drive in the advertising circles is also no ‘kids stuff’. Presently with Vodafon on board having acquired 70 per cent stake in the company, the market is expected to become more exciting.
As the new Chief Executive Officer of the company, Mr David Venn said “MTN has been able to capture the market because they had the resources to do what the others could not do”; But now we are here and we have what it takes to do even more than what put them where they are”. He said he believes in the staff of the company and was going all out”.
Zain and Globacom are yet to hit the market but they have also sent strong signals to the market that they are not in to joke. They all have plans to make international calls cost the same as the local calls as MTN has began with some selected countries such as Nigeria, Benin and Togo.
Another phenomenon in the market is the use of competitive-based pricing where the players use their prices based on the prices that competitors charge for similar products. The sale of the sim cards are a typical example.
Theuse of the product/market expansion grid where a portofolio-planning tool for identifying company growth oportunities through either market penetration, market development, product development and diversification is very rampant among the competitors.
The competitors are using all the grid. For instance with market development stretegies, competitors have always used increasing sales of their current market segments without changing their products. Here, they have open new market areas as a way of improving visibility and making access to their products easy for customers. They have used market development strategies where they develop new market segments for current company products. They have entered the rural areas to get at the least financially endowed and ensured that more of the youth and the aged get access to their products.
In the past, it was only MTN that reached almost every part of the country using all manner of marketing strategies and that has paid. It is agaisnt this background that the competitors are also trying to catch up.
Conclusion:
In spite of the odds, MTN believes that its operations is purely driven by five key values of Leadership, Innovation, Integrity, Relationships and Can-do, and insisted that it is poised to provide a variety of innovative, customer-focused products and services offering superior customer value propositions for the various market segments.
It also believes it is equipped with the right human expertise and technological know-how and will continue to excel to enable the organisation become the leading telecoms provider in emerging countries, Ghana inclusive.
It is evident from the continuos injection of huge sums of capital to add more cell sites and also put some mechanisms to improve the network service. This year, the company has spent almost $400 million on its expansion drive and as the Head of Corporate Affairs of MTN, Ms Mawuena Dumor always tells the media, “We are still spending because we are growing very fast”.
Competition in every industry is good because of the benefits there of not only for the players but more so for the clients of the players as well. Competition affords players to give off their best to either maintain their market share or increase it. Through competition, players within an industry are able to ensure that they give either good quality products or services, price well and also make themselves as visible as possible.
More than a decade ago, the generic name for the mobile telephony sector was Mobitel, the brand name for the analogue mobile phone service for Millicom Ghana Limited but today its undoubtedly MTN.
It has been proven that Mobile telephony has a positive and significant impact on economic growth, and this impact may be twice as large in developing countries as in developed countries.
That mobile phone use is growing faster in Africa than anywhere else shouldn't come as much of a surprise, given a moment's thought. Only 6 per cent of African citizens owned a mobile phone in 2004, so as prices drop (and low-cost phones made for the developing world come into the market), there's a huge potential market available. In Asia, North America and Europe, conversely, mobile phone use approaches saturation, so any remaining growth will be far slower as against that of Africa.
It will for MTN in the coming years but with its determination to continue to lead the market, it is clear that, whichever brand to take over might not have it easy.
By Charles Benoni Okine
The continent of Africa has now become the centre of concentration for mobile telephony companies across the globe because of the tremendous opportunities that Africa presents in the telecom sector.
The liberalisation of the sector, the extension of services by multinational conglomerates and the active competition currently in place in the sector have all contributed to what analysts describe as the telecom revolution. Since the processes of liberalisation and privatisation have been taken into consideration by African countries such as Ghana, the telecommunication infrastructures have improved drastically. Against this background, many African governments have developed their telecommunication infrastructure by privatising their former state-owned enterprises and opening the flood gates for the global giants to enter and partake. This brings to chap focus, the sale of the 70 per cent shares in the Ghana Telecommunications Company (GhanaTelecom) to Vodafon and the entry of Zain and Globacom into Ghana this year after MTN, the present market leader and Millicom Ghana, operators of tiGO have dominated the market.
With more than 82 million mobile users, Africa has undoubtedly been the fastest-growing mobile market in the world particularly over the past five years with millions more waiting to join the fray.
According to the African Business Pages, Nigeria's mobile market for instance is growing at more than 100 per cent annually. In Ghana the penetration is at an average of 30 per cent.
The journey to MTN
Even before the competition within the sector began, Scancom Ghana Limited, entered the market to set up the first GSM mobile telephony business with a brand name spacefon. There already in existence Mobitel which was run by Millicom Ghana Limited but the difference between the two was that the later was analogue.
Spacefon was the brand for the elite because compared to the other, it was expensive to get hooked onto it. Even cell phones to get it connected was not cheap and even easy to come by.
The company in realising moves being made by others such as GhanaTelecom to enter the market and Millicom switching to GSM, intensified their marketing campaign to ensure that it did not only maintain its lead but also win more customers.
After a long term service, the hints dropped that Spacefon was going to go Areeba because the owners of the company had offloaded their shares. In the end the rumours were true and then another aggressive marketing strategy was adopted to sell the new brand name, Areeba, to the customers.
In less than three years, the ownership of the company changed hands again and this time to MTN for a whooping sum of about $5.5 billion.
Brief about MTN Group Limited is a leading provider of communications services, offering cellular network access and business solutions.
The MTN Group is listed on the JSE Securities Exchange South Africa (JSE) under the Industrial – Non-cyclical services – Telecommunications sector. The MTN Group reported revenue of R17.2 billion for the six-month period ended 30 September 2005.
To date, the MTN Group has invested over R23,4 billion in telecommunications infrastructure across the African continent.
In Ghana, MTN has over the past 12 years been the market leader and states categorically on its website that “As the leading telecommunications company, MTN is focused on providing excellent telecommunications services across the African continent. We believe that through access to communication comes economic empowerment.”
MTN has a wide variety of network services as well as segments. These are specially designed for different kinds of people to enhance their mobile experience.
MTN is a household name throughout much of Africa with a presence in 21 countries in African and the Middle East.
As part of its quest to give back to its customers, MTN Ghana has launched a foundation (MTN Ghana Foundation) which is driving its Corporate Social Responsibility Programs.
MTN survival so far.
MTN now controls more than 50 per cent of the market and it has a subscriber base of a little below seven million.
The company has managed to use branding and a combination of the Ps in the marketing mix namely Product, Price, Place and Promotion.
About the product, MTN has used that aspect of packaging as well as services as its tramp card to entice the market.
With the pricing, MTN has ensured that its brand is priced competitively. It studies what its competitors are doing and its able to price the brand to make it continuously attractive and cheaper.
With place, the distribution of MTN is everywhere, just as its slogan goes “MTN, everywhere you go” because the company has ensured that in every corner, the brand is visible. Its market coverage is wide and the response has not been in doubt.
When it comes to promotion, it is clear that MTN has a huge budget for it. Whether it is about sales promotion, advertising, publicity or public relations, MTN has ensured that it does not take those to chance.
MTN and its customers:
In spite of its aggression in ensuring that it maintains or even add more to its subscriber list, there has been major challenges experienced by the customers of MTN.
Jojo Sinaman an Polytechnic student described the network services of MTN as a pain. “I call and I here my voice, yet the credit runs at my expense although the one I call does not here me speak”.
Justina Ampadu-Nyarko, a graduate from the African University College also expressed concern about the network quality and described the service as one that does not reflect what she described as the “loudness of a network which is a market leader”.
Yayra Amedzro, Office manager of West African market Links, had these strong words for a network she has been using for more than 10 years. “Their services stinks. I have decided to change to one of the new networks coming; I am not going to add to it as others have done. I will switch outright”.
Others have their various ways of describing the network quality and services they receive from MTN although they are religiously hooked to it.
With all intense and purposes, these anomalies in the service provided should entice them to leave the network but MTN continuos to grow. In certain years, growth is slow but generally, the bottom line is, there is growth of some sort.
Analysts have expressed fear about the services provided by MTN and why the regulator is silent about what is happening. They believe that MTN has the capacity do better but was riding on the back of the inability of the regulator to raise the rod or the refusal of subscribers to quit the network for other competitors.
What are MTN competitors doing?
Presently, MTN to MTN are also aggressively using the marketing mix to gain grounds and also ensure that they capture a greater market share. These they have done in the past but have lacked the resources to match the financial clout of MTN.
With advertising, the competitors are also spending huge sums of money to ensure that they embarked on massive outdoor advertising campaigns while using the both the electronic and print media as well.
They have come up with new and innovative products to make their brands more attractive.
For instance, tiGO allows its customers to make calls throughout most of the day with just a text to deduct up to Gh¢1 and the same goes for those who want to use the text messaging. The prices of their sim cards are almost free just like the others but they set the pace to have their sim cards reduced drastically. tiGO presently is in the second position with a little over 2 million subscribers.
OneTouch is also in the fray doing its own thing. It also allows its customers to make calls and pay for only the first three minutes. It has free night calls from 11 pm until the next morning. Its drive in the advertising circles is also no ‘kids stuff’. Presently with Vodafon on board having acquired 70 per cent stake in the company, the market is expected to become more exciting.
As the new Chief Executive Officer of the company, Mr David Venn said “MTN has been able to capture the market because they had the resources to do what the others could not do”; But now we are here and we have what it takes to do even more than what put them where they are”. He said he believes in the staff of the company and was going all out”.
Zain and Globacom are yet to hit the market but they have also sent strong signals to the market that they are not in to joke. They all have plans to make international calls cost the same as the local calls as MTN has began with some selected countries such as Nigeria, Benin and Togo.
Another phenomenon in the market is the use of competitive-based pricing where the players use their prices based on the prices that competitors charge for similar products. The sale of the sim cards are a typical example.
Theuse of the product/market expansion grid where a portofolio-planning tool for identifying company growth oportunities through either market penetration, market development, product development and diversification is very rampant among the competitors.
The competitors are using all the grid. For instance with market development stretegies, competitors have always used increasing sales of their current market segments without changing their products. Here, they have open new market areas as a way of improving visibility and making access to their products easy for customers. They have used market development strategies where they develop new market segments for current company products. They have entered the rural areas to get at the least financially endowed and ensured that more of the youth and the aged get access to their products.
In the past, it was only MTN that reached almost every part of the country using all manner of marketing strategies and that has paid. It is agaisnt this background that the competitors are also trying to catch up.
Conclusion:
In spite of the odds, MTN believes that its operations is purely driven by five key values of Leadership, Innovation, Integrity, Relationships and Can-do, and insisted that it is poised to provide a variety of innovative, customer-focused products and services offering superior customer value propositions for the various market segments.
It also believes it is equipped with the right human expertise and technological know-how and will continue to excel to enable the organisation become the leading telecoms provider in emerging countries, Ghana inclusive.
It is evident from the continuos injection of huge sums of capital to add more cell sites and also put some mechanisms to improve the network service. This year, the company has spent almost $400 million on its expansion drive and as the Head of Corporate Affairs of MTN, Ms Mawuena Dumor always tells the media, “We are still spending because we are growing very fast”.
Competition in every industry is good because of the benefits there of not only for the players but more so for the clients of the players as well. Competition affords players to give off their best to either maintain their market share or increase it. Through competition, players within an industry are able to ensure that they give either good quality products or services, price well and also make themselves as visible as possible.
More than a decade ago, the generic name for the mobile telephony sector was Mobitel, the brand name for the analogue mobile phone service for Millicom Ghana Limited but today its undoubtedly MTN.
It has been proven that Mobile telephony has a positive and significant impact on economic growth, and this impact may be twice as large in developing countries as in developed countries.
That mobile phone use is growing faster in Africa than anywhere else shouldn't come as much of a surprise, given a moment's thought. Only 6 per cent of African citizens owned a mobile phone in 2004, so as prices drop (and low-cost phones made for the developing world come into the market), there's a huge potential market available. In Asia, North America and Europe, conversely, mobile phone use approaches saturation, so any remaining growth will be far slower as against that of Africa.
It will for MTN in the coming years but with its determination to continue to lead the market, it is clear that, whichever brand to take over might not have it easy.
'I am noted for being the first'
Graphic Business (Business Life, Page 30) November 25/2008
Mr David Venn the new chief executive officer of Ghana Telecom is not afraid of challenges. He believes that his desire and enthusiasm to succeed at all cost will make him shine in the Ghanaian telecommunication market. The competition, no doubt, is stiff, but Mr Venn is equally unbending, and says his company will be the “first”. Charles Benoni Okine profiles Ghana Telecom and Mr Venn
When the Government of Ghana decided to cede 70 per cent of its shares in Ghana Telecom to Vodafone it was not greeted with the funfair it had hoped for. Some observers were highly critical of the government, believing strongly that the deal was not in the best interest of the country.
The deal eventually went through parliament successfully, and today, with pride, Ghana Telecom is part of a strong global brand. The little euphoria that the deal generated has now died down, and now what analysts and Ghanaians want to see is a telecoms company that is able to match the other serious brands in the country.
With hindsight, many who had opposed the deal previously now believe that it was the best thing to happen to the company. Why is that so? Ghana Telecom was struggling financially. Because the government was the sole shareholder, it was not been able to raise the huge investment needed to compete in the market.
Therefore, even though it was the premier telecoms company in the country, its uptake of the mobile telephone market was slow. The main stumbling block was the lack of cash, and therefore, foreign investors found a way into the market and capitalised on the huge investment opportunities available.
Even though it eventually took seriously to the mobile telephony market, it is still behind MTN the market leader in the mobile telephony sector and Millicom Ghana, operators of tiGO, in second position. New entrants such as Zain and Globacom are also about to launch themselves into the market after receiving their licences to operate in the country. The market is surely getting interesting.
Vodafone’s involvement with Ghana Telecom has also changed the dynamics in the market, as far as competition is concerned, and even though MTN has promised to maintain its lead, its staying power will be severely tested; all the other players now mean business.
Having become the biggest shareholder with a drive to dominate the Ghanaian market, Vodafone, was careful in the selection of a new Chief Executive for the new venture, according to the company. It is with this in mind that Mr David Venn was appointed to Ghana. At 47, Mr Venn sees himself as the man with the credentials to lead the new face Ghana Telecom in Ghana, taking over from Mr Dickson Oduro-Nyaning whose contract ended on November 10.
Mr Venn is a respected business leader with proven experience in driving growth and implementing innovative business strategies; important attributes needed to survive the fierce competition that pertains in the sector.
He has a rich experience in the telecoms market of Africa, having spent the last five years in Zambia where he gained good knowledge and special insights into the African telecommunications market.
Mr Venn’s career in the telecommunications industry spans over 30 years during which time he has transformed average companies into fast growing and dynamic organisations that have made significant returns to shareholders.
Mr. Venn has worked in a number of telecommunications enterprises in the USA, UK and other parts of Europe.
He has also held leadership positions in Pakistan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Australia.
In an exclusive interview with Graphic Business, Mr Venn reaffirmed his commitment to the task ahead and noted: “I am noted for being the first wherever I find myself and that is why I accepted the offer to work in this company”.
He said he believes in innovation and was all out to ensure that Ghana Telecom regained its lost glory, which has affected its market penetration in the mobile telephony industry.
Even though there was some controversy surrounding the agreement, Mr Venn is not perturbed about the circumstances surrounding the sale except to say “it is business as usual and that is what I am here for”.
He believes that what happened was just an issue to do with politics and now the real business begins. Therefore, he has expressed his willingness to discharge his duties as per his mandate and not to meddle in politics of the country because, as he puts it, “that is not the reason I am here”.
Mr Venn is of the clear conviction that no matter which government is in power, its quest would be to see Ghana grow with many people in employment “and Vodafone is here to do exactly that for which reason the government of the day and in the future would be delighted to see.
He describes Ghana as a country with a conducive environment for businesses to grow and that Ghana Telecom would grow and flourish under his leadership.
Workers of the company were among the first group of people to believe in the government’s decision to sell its stake in the company, and it is something that surprises Mr Venn.
This is because quite often workers see agreements of this nature as a threat to their own future in the company.
According to him from his interaction with a few of the staff he could sense their eagerness to work to turn the fortunes of the company around.
Ghana Telecom, to him had been starved of fresh investments to enable it to make maximum use of the highly versatile, competent and experienced staff of the company. “My being here is to ensure that they are motivated to give off their best”, Mr Venn promised.
About competition, Mr Venn admitted that with giants such as MTN and Zain in the fray it was indeed not joke for any telecoms company to sit on the sidelines. Vodafone, he says, is in for the long haul.
Mr Venn says he has the passion to succeed and through dedication, innovation and experience and above all the injection of fresh capital into the company, the economic fortunes of the company should be transformed.
The Ghana Telecom CEO is of the view that what had made Ghana Telecom what it is was purely as a result of lack of cash and Vodafone is in to inject the right amounts of capital to enable the company to surmount the challenges in the fiercely contested telecoms market.
“Vodafone’s investment is to get the company well equipped technically with the state of the art telecommunication equipment that will completely transform its service to world class standards”, he said.
He said Vodafone is a serious company which does not toy with its businesses and indicated that “we are here to turn things around and our competitors and the customers will shortly see what we are here to accomplish”.
There have been speculations about the fact that Vodafone was not strong when it comes to fixed line operations and was therefore going to phase out that aspect of Ghana Telecom’s business. Mr Venn completely disagrees. “There is the fixed line and the broadband before the mobile and I can tell you that the investment into the business will cover all not only mobile”, he said.
He said the company was strong in all those areas and will not leave anything to chance as it strives to dominate the market in all its business areas.
Mr Venn has pledged his commitment to succeed just as he had done in Zambia and expressed the hope that the employees of the company will come on board to make that dream of making Ghana Telecom the number one in the industry a reality.
But in spite of his tramp card for enthusiasm and passion for success, Mr Venn will be faced with the challenge of overturning the tables in the mobile telephony sector which is dominated by MTN with more than 50 per cent share of the market presently.
The market, analysts believe, has an untapped potential of about 35 per cent with each of the existing players and the new entrants grappling to capture a chunk of it. That does not trouble Mr Venn the least, believing strongly that it is something he can effectively handle. But the biggest threat to his ambition will be how much Vodafone will commit to the Ghana operations now that the Group has announced a profit shortfall of GB£1 billion in its global operations. The Group CEO has announced cut backs in spending to accommodate the shortfall, and if this should affect Ghana, then Vodafone will really have a huge problem to deal with- and will not be able to compete in the market.
Mr David Venn the new chief executive officer of Ghana Telecom is not afraid of challenges. He believes that his desire and enthusiasm to succeed at all cost will make him shine in the Ghanaian telecommunication market. The competition, no doubt, is stiff, but Mr Venn is equally unbending, and says his company will be the “first”. Charles Benoni Okine profiles Ghana Telecom and Mr Venn
When the Government of Ghana decided to cede 70 per cent of its shares in Ghana Telecom to Vodafone it was not greeted with the funfair it had hoped for. Some observers were highly critical of the government, believing strongly that the deal was not in the best interest of the country.
The deal eventually went through parliament successfully, and today, with pride, Ghana Telecom is part of a strong global brand. The little euphoria that the deal generated has now died down, and now what analysts and Ghanaians want to see is a telecoms company that is able to match the other serious brands in the country.
With hindsight, many who had opposed the deal previously now believe that it was the best thing to happen to the company. Why is that so? Ghana Telecom was struggling financially. Because the government was the sole shareholder, it was not been able to raise the huge investment needed to compete in the market.
Therefore, even though it was the premier telecoms company in the country, its uptake of the mobile telephone market was slow. The main stumbling block was the lack of cash, and therefore, foreign investors found a way into the market and capitalised on the huge investment opportunities available.
Even though it eventually took seriously to the mobile telephony market, it is still behind MTN the market leader in the mobile telephony sector and Millicom Ghana, operators of tiGO, in second position. New entrants such as Zain and Globacom are also about to launch themselves into the market after receiving their licences to operate in the country. The market is surely getting interesting.
Vodafone’s involvement with Ghana Telecom has also changed the dynamics in the market, as far as competition is concerned, and even though MTN has promised to maintain its lead, its staying power will be severely tested; all the other players now mean business.
Having become the biggest shareholder with a drive to dominate the Ghanaian market, Vodafone, was careful in the selection of a new Chief Executive for the new venture, according to the company. It is with this in mind that Mr David Venn was appointed to Ghana. At 47, Mr Venn sees himself as the man with the credentials to lead the new face Ghana Telecom in Ghana, taking over from Mr Dickson Oduro-Nyaning whose contract ended on November 10.
Mr Venn is a respected business leader with proven experience in driving growth and implementing innovative business strategies; important attributes needed to survive the fierce competition that pertains in the sector.
He has a rich experience in the telecoms market of Africa, having spent the last five years in Zambia where he gained good knowledge and special insights into the African telecommunications market.
Mr Venn’s career in the telecommunications industry spans over 30 years during which time he has transformed average companies into fast growing and dynamic organisations that have made significant returns to shareholders.
Mr. Venn has worked in a number of telecommunications enterprises in the USA, UK and other parts of Europe.
He has also held leadership positions in Pakistan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Australia.
In an exclusive interview with Graphic Business, Mr Venn reaffirmed his commitment to the task ahead and noted: “I am noted for being the first wherever I find myself and that is why I accepted the offer to work in this company”.
He said he believes in innovation and was all out to ensure that Ghana Telecom regained its lost glory, which has affected its market penetration in the mobile telephony industry.
Even though there was some controversy surrounding the agreement, Mr Venn is not perturbed about the circumstances surrounding the sale except to say “it is business as usual and that is what I am here for”.
He believes that what happened was just an issue to do with politics and now the real business begins. Therefore, he has expressed his willingness to discharge his duties as per his mandate and not to meddle in politics of the country because, as he puts it, “that is not the reason I am here”.
Mr Venn is of the clear conviction that no matter which government is in power, its quest would be to see Ghana grow with many people in employment “and Vodafone is here to do exactly that for which reason the government of the day and in the future would be delighted to see.
He describes Ghana as a country with a conducive environment for businesses to grow and that Ghana Telecom would grow and flourish under his leadership.
Workers of the company were among the first group of people to believe in the government’s decision to sell its stake in the company, and it is something that surprises Mr Venn.
This is because quite often workers see agreements of this nature as a threat to their own future in the company.
According to him from his interaction with a few of the staff he could sense their eagerness to work to turn the fortunes of the company around.
Ghana Telecom, to him had been starved of fresh investments to enable it to make maximum use of the highly versatile, competent and experienced staff of the company. “My being here is to ensure that they are motivated to give off their best”, Mr Venn promised.
About competition, Mr Venn admitted that with giants such as MTN and Zain in the fray it was indeed not joke for any telecoms company to sit on the sidelines. Vodafone, he says, is in for the long haul.
Mr Venn says he has the passion to succeed and through dedication, innovation and experience and above all the injection of fresh capital into the company, the economic fortunes of the company should be transformed.
The Ghana Telecom CEO is of the view that what had made Ghana Telecom what it is was purely as a result of lack of cash and Vodafone is in to inject the right amounts of capital to enable the company to surmount the challenges in the fiercely contested telecoms market.
“Vodafone’s investment is to get the company well equipped technically with the state of the art telecommunication equipment that will completely transform its service to world class standards”, he said.
He said Vodafone is a serious company which does not toy with its businesses and indicated that “we are here to turn things around and our competitors and the customers will shortly see what we are here to accomplish”.
There have been speculations about the fact that Vodafone was not strong when it comes to fixed line operations and was therefore going to phase out that aspect of Ghana Telecom’s business. Mr Venn completely disagrees. “There is the fixed line and the broadband before the mobile and I can tell you that the investment into the business will cover all not only mobile”, he said.
He said the company was strong in all those areas and will not leave anything to chance as it strives to dominate the market in all its business areas.
Mr Venn has pledged his commitment to succeed just as he had done in Zambia and expressed the hope that the employees of the company will come on board to make that dream of making Ghana Telecom the number one in the industry a reality.
But in spite of his tramp card for enthusiasm and passion for success, Mr Venn will be faced with the challenge of overturning the tables in the mobile telephony sector which is dominated by MTN with more than 50 per cent share of the market presently.
The market, analysts believe, has an untapped potential of about 35 per cent with each of the existing players and the new entrants grappling to capture a chunk of it. That does not trouble Mr Venn the least, believing strongly that it is something he can effectively handle. But the biggest threat to his ambition will be how much Vodafone will commit to the Ghana operations now that the Group has announced a profit shortfall of GB£1 billion in its global operations. The Group CEO has announced cut backs in spending to accommodate the shortfall, and if this should affect Ghana, then Vodafone will really have a huge problem to deal with- and will not be able to compete in the market.
Borders won't be closed on Dec 7
Page 3 (lead) November 25/2005
Story: Charles Benoni Okine
THE government says it has no intention to close down any of the country’s borders on election day in order not to inconvenience the free movement of people and goods.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and NEPAD, Mr Akwasi Osei-Adjei, who announced the measure at a meeting with envoys of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in Accra, expressed the hope that the gesture would be reciprocated with the appropriate vigilance by neighbouring countries in order to forestall or check “any untoward behaviour or movement along the borders”.
The closure of the country’s borders to its neighbours on every election day has been the status quo since 1992, a move meant to prevent foreign nationals from taking part in the polls.
Such border closures has been the norm for many ECOWAS countries, including Togo, during its national polls, but Ghana has moved to set a precedent this year with the explanation to allow the free movement of people and also ensure that businesses do not come to a standstill.
He charged the embassies of ECOWAS member states in the country to prevail on their nationals not to participate in the December 7 general election.
He also asked them to advise their nationals to refrain from any acts that might infringe on the electoral laws or the peace of the country.
The minister stated categorically that “the elections are open to Ghanaians only and the principle of non-interference is to be respected”.
The meeting, which came barely two weeks before the general election, was to afford Mr Osei-Adjei the opportunity to brief the ambassadors on the efforts the government and other national stakeholders had made to ensure peaceful, free, fair and transparent elections next month.
The charge to the embassies comes in the wake of various allegations about the participation of foreign nationals in the recent limited registration exercise under the auspices of the Electoral Commission (EC).
Mr Osei-Adjei assured the nation that arrangements were in place to ensure successful elections, adding, “The government of Ghana is committed to ensuring the security of the state and the National Elections Security Task Force is prepared to ensure that a peaceful atmosphere prevails before, during and after the elections.”
He denied allegations that the government was hatching a plot to rig the elections and reiterated that it was committed to holding peaceful and successful elections.
Mr Osei-Adjei stressed the need for ECOWAS to remain focused on promoting peace and stability in the sub-region as efforts were made to address the daunting challenges of socio-economic development.
The acting Dean of the ECOWAS Group of Ambassadors, Mr Hassane A. Toure of Niger, assured the minister that their nationals would be advised accordingly.
He said the countries would act within their competence to help ensure peaceful and successful elections in the country.
Story: Charles Benoni Okine
THE government says it has no intention to close down any of the country’s borders on election day in order not to inconvenience the free movement of people and goods.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and NEPAD, Mr Akwasi Osei-Adjei, who announced the measure at a meeting with envoys of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in Accra, expressed the hope that the gesture would be reciprocated with the appropriate vigilance by neighbouring countries in order to forestall or check “any untoward behaviour or movement along the borders”.
The closure of the country’s borders to its neighbours on every election day has been the status quo since 1992, a move meant to prevent foreign nationals from taking part in the polls.
Such border closures has been the norm for many ECOWAS countries, including Togo, during its national polls, but Ghana has moved to set a precedent this year with the explanation to allow the free movement of people and also ensure that businesses do not come to a standstill.
He charged the embassies of ECOWAS member states in the country to prevail on their nationals not to participate in the December 7 general election.
He also asked them to advise their nationals to refrain from any acts that might infringe on the electoral laws or the peace of the country.
The minister stated categorically that “the elections are open to Ghanaians only and the principle of non-interference is to be respected”.
The meeting, which came barely two weeks before the general election, was to afford Mr Osei-Adjei the opportunity to brief the ambassadors on the efforts the government and other national stakeholders had made to ensure peaceful, free, fair and transparent elections next month.
The charge to the embassies comes in the wake of various allegations about the participation of foreign nationals in the recent limited registration exercise under the auspices of the Electoral Commission (EC).
Mr Osei-Adjei assured the nation that arrangements were in place to ensure successful elections, adding, “The government of Ghana is committed to ensuring the security of the state and the National Elections Security Task Force is prepared to ensure that a peaceful atmosphere prevails before, during and after the elections.”
He denied allegations that the government was hatching a plot to rig the elections and reiterated that it was committed to holding peaceful and successful elections.
Mr Osei-Adjei stressed the need for ECOWAS to remain focused on promoting peace and stability in the sub-region as efforts were made to address the daunting challenges of socio-economic development.
The acting Dean of the ECOWAS Group of Ambassadors, Mr Hassane A. Toure of Niger, assured the minister that their nationals would be advised accordingly.
He said the countries would act within their competence to help ensure peaceful and successful elections in the country.
Ballot papers go out today
Front page, November 25/2008
Story: Charles Benoni Okine
THE Electoral Commission (EC) will begin the distribution of ballot papers to the various regions from today in readiness for the December 7 presidential and parliamentary polls.
The distribution will begin with the three northern regions, which are Upper West, Upper East and Northern, and continue to the Brong Ahafo Region and then the Ashanti Region and down to the south.
The move, according to the Director of Elections at the EC, Mr Albert Arhin, formed part of measures to ensure that every corner of the country accessed the papers and other polling materials and logistics on polling day and on time.
He told the Daily Graphic that the papers would be distributed according to the number of registered voters per region, adding that “they will be handed over to the police for safekeeping and released on election day to the various polling centres”.
Voting is expected to begin at 7.00 a.m. on December 7 in all the 22,000 designated polling stations in the 230 constituencies across the country.
Each of the polling stations will have a unique stamp to authenticate the ballots to ensure easy identification.
Mr Arhin said the materials with the police would be heavily guarded to ensure that nobody tampered with them.
He said the EC was on schedule to ensure another successful election and noted that all the other election materials, including logistics, which would be needed on the polling day had already been dispatched.
Mr Arhin said it was the duty of the electoral officers in the regions to ensure that the materials were up to the requests they made.
Story: Charles Benoni Okine
THE Electoral Commission (EC) will begin the distribution of ballot papers to the various regions from today in readiness for the December 7 presidential and parliamentary polls.
The distribution will begin with the three northern regions, which are Upper West, Upper East and Northern, and continue to the Brong Ahafo Region and then the Ashanti Region and down to the south.
The move, according to the Director of Elections at the EC, Mr Albert Arhin, formed part of measures to ensure that every corner of the country accessed the papers and other polling materials and logistics on polling day and on time.
He told the Daily Graphic that the papers would be distributed according to the number of registered voters per region, adding that “they will be handed over to the police for safekeeping and released on election day to the various polling centres”.
Voting is expected to begin at 7.00 a.m. on December 7 in all the 22,000 designated polling stations in the 230 constituencies across the country.
Each of the polling stations will have a unique stamp to authenticate the ballots to ensure easy identification.
Mr Arhin said the materials with the police would be heavily guarded to ensure that nobody tampered with them.
He said the EC was on schedule to ensure another successful election and noted that all the other election materials, including logistics, which would be needed on the polling day had already been dispatched.
Mr Arhin said it was the duty of the electoral officers in the regions to ensure that the materials were up to the requests they made.
3 to offer assistance to informal sector
Business page (lead) November 22/2008
Story:L Charles Benoni Okine
THE SSNIT Informal Sector (SIS) Fund, a subsidiary of the Social Security and national Insurance Trust, the HFC Bank and the Boafo Microfinance Services Limited, have signed a tripartite agreement to offer attractive microfinance support to workers in the informal sector of the country.
Under the agreement, Boafo Microfinance, which also a subsidiary of HFC Bank will provide microfinance of between Gh¢500 and Gh¢10,000 to employees of the informal sector who are duly registered with the fund and unlike other schemes, will be entitled to a pension at the end of their working.
The signing of the agreement was done by Dr Francis Sapata-Grant, Managing Director of the SIS Fund, Mr Asare Akuffo of the HFC Bank while Mr Michael Osegge, Managing Director of Boafo Microfinance Services initialled for his company.
Dr Sapata-Grant after the signing ceremony said there were about 21,000 people presently registered with the SIS Fund.
There is an estimated 9.5 million constituting 80 per cent of the working population in the informal sector.
He said due to the unique nature of the fund, it is estimated that the number would more than quadruple by 2012.
Dr Sapata-Grant said under the Open Loan Scheme which was one of the products developed under the scheme, a member of the fund will be permitted, based on certain qualifying conditions to use the balance on his or her Occupational Scheme Account to secure a loan from Boafo Microfinance Services Limited for business development and home ownership purposes.
He said it was quite obvious that the business of providing social protection to the Ghanaian worker had assumed a different dimension through this creative and innovative approach.
Mr Akuffo said Ghana had a large informal sector and expressed the hope that through the joint efforts of SSNIT and HFC this large sector would eventually be formalised to provide them with even better services.
Story:L Charles Benoni Okine
THE SSNIT Informal Sector (SIS) Fund, a subsidiary of the Social Security and national Insurance Trust, the HFC Bank and the Boafo Microfinance Services Limited, have signed a tripartite agreement to offer attractive microfinance support to workers in the informal sector of the country.
Under the agreement, Boafo Microfinance, which also a subsidiary of HFC Bank will provide microfinance of between Gh¢500 and Gh¢10,000 to employees of the informal sector who are duly registered with the fund and unlike other schemes, will be entitled to a pension at the end of their working.
The signing of the agreement was done by Dr Francis Sapata-Grant, Managing Director of the SIS Fund, Mr Asare Akuffo of the HFC Bank while Mr Michael Osegge, Managing Director of Boafo Microfinance Services initialled for his company.
Dr Sapata-Grant after the signing ceremony said there were about 21,000 people presently registered with the SIS Fund.
There is an estimated 9.5 million constituting 80 per cent of the working population in the informal sector.
He said due to the unique nature of the fund, it is estimated that the number would more than quadruple by 2012.
Dr Sapata-Grant said under the Open Loan Scheme which was one of the products developed under the scheme, a member of the fund will be permitted, based on certain qualifying conditions to use the balance on his or her Occupational Scheme Account to secure a loan from Boafo Microfinance Services Limited for business development and home ownership purposes.
He said it was quite obvious that the business of providing social protection to the Ghanaian worker had assumed a different dimension through this creative and innovative approach.
Mr Akuffo said Ghana had a large informal sector and expressed the hope that through the joint efforts of SSNIT and HFC this large sector would eventually be formalised to provide them with even better services.
GWCL spends US$283.2 million on 21 projects
Back page (lead) November 22/2008
Story: Charles Benoni Okine
THE Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) has spent about $283.2 million between 2001 and 2008 on completion of 21 major water projects throughout the country.
Prominent among the projects are the Cape Coast and Tamale Water Supply Expansion Projects, the Accra East-West Interconnection, the Kwanyaku Water Supply System and the Baifikrom Water Expansion Project.
The others are the Sekondi-Takoradi Rehabilitation, Winneba Water Expansion, Akwapim Ridge Rehabilitation and the extension of water supply from Awutu-Bawjiase to Mankrong and its surrounding areas, among others.
The Chief Manager in charge of Public Relations of the GWCL, Mr Michael Agyemnag, told the Daily Graphic in an interview that most of the funds for the projects were contracted from the Dutch government as loans and grants.
He described the projects as critical, particularly the Cape Coast and the Tamale projects, which he said, had brought to an end the perennial water problems that hit the two regional capitals during the dry seasons.
Mr Agyemnag said quite apart from the major projects that were mentioned, the company, from its own resources, had also spent some moneys to undertake repair works and lay pipes in various parts of the country, notably in the urban centres.
Although the amount is significant, it still falls far short of the more than $1.7 billion, required to fix the serious water problems in the country, according to the sector ministry’s sources.
For instance, the Kpong Water Works alone requires about $230 million to up its capacity to about 55 million gallons a day to enable it serve the eastern parts of Accra and the surrounding towns.
According to Mr Agyemang, the company, as a state-subvented institution, had effectively executed its mandate as per the loans guaranteed on its part and was determined to do more as and when the funds were available to undertake any project.
Mr Agyemang said apart from the completed ones, there were more projects that were ongoing in various parts of the country.
He cited the Koforidua Water Supply Project, the Kumasi Water Supply Project, the Accra/Tema Metropolitan Area (ATMA) rural project, among others.
Mr Agyemnag said in addition to these projects, there were also about 20 more projects that had been planned on the drawing board and indicated that “these will soon commence to augment the present supplies”.
He said there were such projects as the Yendi, Damongo, Bolga, Wa, Konongo, Obuasi and Mampong Water Supply Projects in the pipeline.
Mr Agyemang also mentioned the Berekum, Techiman, Sogakope/Lome, Kpandu, Ho, Akim Oda, New Tafo, Kibi, Kwahu Ridge and Sunyani Water Supply Projects.
He said the government was serious in talks with various donor partners to fund what had been dubbed the Kpong II-ATMA Water Supply Project at an estimated cost of $230 million.
This project, he said, would involve construction of a new 18,700,000 gallons a day and the expansion of treatment plant to 55,000,000 gallons a day.
Mr Agyemang said there would also be construction of new transmission mains through Dodowa, Adenta to the Accra Booster Station and distribution improvement, including reservoirs at Oyibi, Boi and Ofankor, among others.
Story: Charles Benoni Okine
THE Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) has spent about $283.2 million between 2001 and 2008 on completion of 21 major water projects throughout the country.
Prominent among the projects are the Cape Coast and Tamale Water Supply Expansion Projects, the Accra East-West Interconnection, the Kwanyaku Water Supply System and the Baifikrom Water Expansion Project.
The others are the Sekondi-Takoradi Rehabilitation, Winneba Water Expansion, Akwapim Ridge Rehabilitation and the extension of water supply from Awutu-Bawjiase to Mankrong and its surrounding areas, among others.
The Chief Manager in charge of Public Relations of the GWCL, Mr Michael Agyemnag, told the Daily Graphic in an interview that most of the funds for the projects were contracted from the Dutch government as loans and grants.
He described the projects as critical, particularly the Cape Coast and the Tamale projects, which he said, had brought to an end the perennial water problems that hit the two regional capitals during the dry seasons.
Mr Agyemnag said quite apart from the major projects that were mentioned, the company, from its own resources, had also spent some moneys to undertake repair works and lay pipes in various parts of the country, notably in the urban centres.
Although the amount is significant, it still falls far short of the more than $1.7 billion, required to fix the serious water problems in the country, according to the sector ministry’s sources.
For instance, the Kpong Water Works alone requires about $230 million to up its capacity to about 55 million gallons a day to enable it serve the eastern parts of Accra and the surrounding towns.
According to Mr Agyemang, the company, as a state-subvented institution, had effectively executed its mandate as per the loans guaranteed on its part and was determined to do more as and when the funds were available to undertake any project.
Mr Agyemang said apart from the completed ones, there were more projects that were ongoing in various parts of the country.
He cited the Koforidua Water Supply Project, the Kumasi Water Supply Project, the Accra/Tema Metropolitan Area (ATMA) rural project, among others.
Mr Agyemnag said in addition to these projects, there were also about 20 more projects that had been planned on the drawing board and indicated that “these will soon commence to augment the present supplies”.
He said there were such projects as the Yendi, Damongo, Bolga, Wa, Konongo, Obuasi and Mampong Water Supply Projects in the pipeline.
Mr Agyemang also mentioned the Berekum, Techiman, Sogakope/Lome, Kpandu, Ho, Akim Oda, New Tafo, Kibi, Kwahu Ridge and Sunyani Water Supply Projects.
He said the government was serious in talks with various donor partners to fund what had been dubbed the Kpong II-ATMA Water Supply Project at an estimated cost of $230 million.
This project, he said, would involve construction of a new 18,700,000 gallons a day and the expansion of treatment plant to 55,000,000 gallons a day.
Mr Agyemang said there would also be construction of new transmission mains through Dodowa, Adenta to the Accra Booster Station and distribution improvement, including reservoirs at Oyibi, Boi and Ofankor, among others.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Those involved in multiple registration to face prosecution
News page 21, November 21/2008
Story: Charles Benoni Okine
ABOUT 76,000 people who registered more than once during the recent limited voters registration exercise conducted by the Electoral Commission (EC) will be handed over to the police for prosecution next week.
According to the EC, from the trend, the number was likely to rise to about 200,000 by the time the process was completed.
The move is expected to deal a heavy blow to the party which has many of its supporters involved in the practice.
The Chairman of the EC, Dr Kwadwo Afari-Gyan, who announced this at a forum in Accra yesterday, said, “We will do our part and it is up to the police to also do their part by investigating the issue and prosecuting the culprits accordingly.”
Speaking at the Editor’s Forum on the theme, “The challenges of Election 2008”, the EC Chairman said “the commission is being compelled to do so because there is a precedent we are following: Somebody who was caught to have undertaken double registration was prosecuted and is languishing in prison and so the others must be treated same”.
He said the commission was deleting the names of foreigners and minors from the voters register, adding, “This is an exercise we are undertaking before, during and after the elections to ensure that the register is clean.”
An estimated 350,00 names have so far been deleted from the register in an exercise which is ongoing to ensure a fairly clean voters register.
The EC has said there are more ‘ghost’ names and names of minors and foreigners on the register which need to be cleaned up.
Dr Afari-Gyan also made another interesting revelation when he said that no one was expected to turn away people he or she felt suspicious about on polling day.
“We have agreed with the political parties that no one or party agent should challenge or prevent any person he or she suspects to be a minor or foreigner from voting because once his/her name is in the register, he/she is eligible to cast a ballot,” he said.
According to him, that agreement came about in view of the potential trouble it might create at particular polling stations, adding that “to avoid this we are of the view that people should not be turned away”.
“The EC, for its part, is doing all it can to ensure that those who do not qualify by virtue of age, nationality or have undertaken double registration will have their names deleted,” he said.
His comment is expected to start another round of debate in the media and in political circles, as it will be expected to be a major challenge on election day.
Dr Afari-Gyan said the commission was also likely to face another major challenge when it came to electoral materials being moved to all the 22,000 polling stations on the day of the elections.
He said on that day the police and other security personnel were expected to be there to accompany the materials but stressed categorically that “we will not wait for any security personnel before moving. When it is time to move, we will move without the security personnel because we cannot afford to get to remote places late to create confusion”.
On the issue of inaction on the part of the EC when complaints about electoral fraud were made in the media, he said anyone with such complaints would have to go to the EC directly, not use the media.
He said the media were not the official place for such complaints and made it clear that “the EC will not act unless the complaint is official, either to us or from the security agencies”.
Dr Afari-Gyan recounted a few incidents in which district chief executives (DCEs) had used their positions to bully police officers by preventing electoral officers from performing their duties.
“Because they are heads of the district security councils, they tend to use that power to stop the district police commanders from carrying out their duties,” he said, and described the practice as unfortunate and unacceptable.
Answering a question on the declaration of results, he said, “In Ghana we allow total parallel tabulation of results and so the EC and the parties get the results almost at the same time and the winner is known by all.”
He said each of the parties was expected to have 22,000 results slips on which it had all the results as declared from the polling stations where all the parties had their agents well represented.
Dr Afari-Gyan reiterated his advice to the parties to ensure that they selected knowledgeable and literate people to be their polling agents.
“This advice is one they should not toy with because the agents should be able to read and write. If they are unable to read or write, it may go against the parties,” he explained.
He asked all Ghanaians to be one another’s keeper and ensure that the process was not a violent one to maintain the peace the country presently enjoyed, as well as continue to win the trust and confidence of the international community.
Story: Charles Benoni Okine
ABOUT 76,000 people who registered more than once during the recent limited voters registration exercise conducted by the Electoral Commission (EC) will be handed over to the police for prosecution next week.
According to the EC, from the trend, the number was likely to rise to about 200,000 by the time the process was completed.
The move is expected to deal a heavy blow to the party which has many of its supporters involved in the practice.
The Chairman of the EC, Dr Kwadwo Afari-Gyan, who announced this at a forum in Accra yesterday, said, “We will do our part and it is up to the police to also do their part by investigating the issue and prosecuting the culprits accordingly.”
Speaking at the Editor’s Forum on the theme, “The challenges of Election 2008”, the EC Chairman said “the commission is being compelled to do so because there is a precedent we are following: Somebody who was caught to have undertaken double registration was prosecuted and is languishing in prison and so the others must be treated same”.
He said the commission was deleting the names of foreigners and minors from the voters register, adding, “This is an exercise we are undertaking before, during and after the elections to ensure that the register is clean.”
An estimated 350,00 names have so far been deleted from the register in an exercise which is ongoing to ensure a fairly clean voters register.
The EC has said there are more ‘ghost’ names and names of minors and foreigners on the register which need to be cleaned up.
Dr Afari-Gyan also made another interesting revelation when he said that no one was expected to turn away people he or she felt suspicious about on polling day.
“We have agreed with the political parties that no one or party agent should challenge or prevent any person he or she suspects to be a minor or foreigner from voting because once his/her name is in the register, he/she is eligible to cast a ballot,” he said.
According to him, that agreement came about in view of the potential trouble it might create at particular polling stations, adding that “to avoid this we are of the view that people should not be turned away”.
“The EC, for its part, is doing all it can to ensure that those who do not qualify by virtue of age, nationality or have undertaken double registration will have their names deleted,” he said.
His comment is expected to start another round of debate in the media and in political circles, as it will be expected to be a major challenge on election day.
Dr Afari-Gyan said the commission was also likely to face another major challenge when it came to electoral materials being moved to all the 22,000 polling stations on the day of the elections.
He said on that day the police and other security personnel were expected to be there to accompany the materials but stressed categorically that “we will not wait for any security personnel before moving. When it is time to move, we will move without the security personnel because we cannot afford to get to remote places late to create confusion”.
On the issue of inaction on the part of the EC when complaints about electoral fraud were made in the media, he said anyone with such complaints would have to go to the EC directly, not use the media.
He said the media were not the official place for such complaints and made it clear that “the EC will not act unless the complaint is official, either to us or from the security agencies”.
Dr Afari-Gyan recounted a few incidents in which district chief executives (DCEs) had used their positions to bully police officers by preventing electoral officers from performing their duties.
“Because they are heads of the district security councils, they tend to use that power to stop the district police commanders from carrying out their duties,” he said, and described the practice as unfortunate and unacceptable.
Answering a question on the declaration of results, he said, “In Ghana we allow total parallel tabulation of results and so the EC and the parties get the results almost at the same time and the winner is known by all.”
He said each of the parties was expected to have 22,000 results slips on which it had all the results as declared from the polling stations where all the parties had their agents well represented.
Dr Afari-Gyan reiterated his advice to the parties to ensure that they selected knowledgeable and literate people to be their polling agents.
“This advice is one they should not toy with because the agents should be able to read and write. If they are unable to read or write, it may go against the parties,” he explained.
He asked all Ghanaians to be one another’s keeper and ensure that the process was not a violent one to maintain the peace the country presently enjoyed, as well as continue to win the trust and confidence of the international community.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Help govt to check diversion of pre-mix fuel
News page 47 (Lead) November 17/2008
Story: Charles Benoni Okine
THE President of the Ghana National Association of Farmers and Fishermen (GNAFF), Nana Kwao Otuo V, has urged members of the association and its affiliates to intensify their efforts at helping the government to halt the diversion of premix fuel for fishing and other supporting facilities meant to enhance fishing and farming in the country.
He said due to the diversionary tactics of some operators in the system, farmers and fishermen were not fully benefiting from the government’s subsidies on inputs depended on by farmers and fishermen in the discharge of their duties.
Nana Otuo made the call when he presented a certificate of recognition to the Ghana Fishing Fuel Dealers, Retailers and Users Association (GFFDRUA) at a short ceremony in Accra yesterday.
By the presentation, which was preceded by the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU), the new association becomes a fully recognised affiliate of GNAFF and will among others, function under the constitution of GNAFF.
It will also require both parties to form a joint executive team to work to improve the socio-economic welfare of members by improving access to general agricultural inputs such as fuel, lubricants, fishing nets, timber for boats, outboard motors and accessories, among others.
Nana Otuo described the members of GFFDRUA as forceful and expressed the hope that they would play by the rules to ensure that they achieved their aims and objectives.
He said the government was doing its best for the fishing and farming sectors and that players within those sectors needed to derive the maximum benefits.
The Chief Executive of GFFDRUA, Mr Philip Blessman, who received the certificate and signed the MOU on behalf of the association, expressed the gratitude of the association to GNAFF for accepting it as an affiliate.
He said the association had gone far to ensure that the diversion of premix fuel to inland ports such as Yeji and others was brought under control.
“We are using the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) to fish out all those who do the diversion and we are making a significant head way,” he said.
Mr Blessman said the subsidies on fishing implements and fuel needed to be enjoyed by players in the sector who would, in turn, make the prices of fish, among others, more affordable to the people.
Picture A: Nana Otuo V (left), the President of GNAFF, presenting a certificate of recognition to Mr Blessman, the Chief Executive of GFFDRUA, after the signing of the MOU. Looking on are members of the GFFDRUA.
Story: Charles Benoni Okine
THE President of the Ghana National Association of Farmers and Fishermen (GNAFF), Nana Kwao Otuo V, has urged members of the association and its affiliates to intensify their efforts at helping the government to halt the diversion of premix fuel for fishing and other supporting facilities meant to enhance fishing and farming in the country.
He said due to the diversionary tactics of some operators in the system, farmers and fishermen were not fully benefiting from the government’s subsidies on inputs depended on by farmers and fishermen in the discharge of their duties.
Nana Otuo made the call when he presented a certificate of recognition to the Ghana Fishing Fuel Dealers, Retailers and Users Association (GFFDRUA) at a short ceremony in Accra yesterday.
By the presentation, which was preceded by the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU), the new association becomes a fully recognised affiliate of GNAFF and will among others, function under the constitution of GNAFF.
It will also require both parties to form a joint executive team to work to improve the socio-economic welfare of members by improving access to general agricultural inputs such as fuel, lubricants, fishing nets, timber for boats, outboard motors and accessories, among others.
Nana Otuo described the members of GFFDRUA as forceful and expressed the hope that they would play by the rules to ensure that they achieved their aims and objectives.
He said the government was doing its best for the fishing and farming sectors and that players within those sectors needed to derive the maximum benefits.
The Chief Executive of GFFDRUA, Mr Philip Blessman, who received the certificate and signed the MOU on behalf of the association, expressed the gratitude of the association to GNAFF for accepting it as an affiliate.
He said the association had gone far to ensure that the diversion of premix fuel to inland ports such as Yeji and others was brought under control.
“We are using the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) to fish out all those who do the diversion and we are making a significant head way,” he said.
Mr Blessman said the subsidies on fishing implements and fuel needed to be enjoyed by players in the sector who would, in turn, make the prices of fish, among others, more affordable to the people.
Picture A: Nana Otuo V (left), the President of GNAFF, presenting a certificate of recognition to Mr Blessman, the Chief Executive of GFFDRUA, after the signing of the MOU. Looking on are members of the GFFDRUA.
Ensure regular maintenance of facilities - Veep
Page 14 (lead) November 17/2008
Story: Charles Benoni Okine, Kumasi
THE Vice President, Alhaji Aliu Mahama, has called on educational institutions that benefit from projects funded from the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) to ensure their regular and prompt maintenance.
“That way, future funds can be invested in the provision of additional infrastructure and for expansion rather than rehabilitation of the same stock of facilities,” he advised.
Alhaji Mahama made the call when he joined the students and school authorities of the Yaa Asantewaa Senior High School to celebrate the school’s 11th Speech and Prize-giving Day in Kumasi at the weekend.
The highly attended ceremony also provided the Vice President the opportunity to inaugurate some GETFund-funded projects such as a dormitory block and places of convenience.
Established in 1960 and named after one of the bravest female war veterans in the country’s history, Yaa Asantewaa, the purely girls school now has a student population of 1,520.
Soon on his arrival, Alhaji Mahama was made to inspect a guard of honour mounted by the smart-looking school cadet corps, who also entertained the large crowd to some spectacular drills.
The Vice President did not leave the students out of the advice he gave on the maintenance of school facilities, for he admonished the students to avoid antisocial attitudes that undermined academic work and also cause damage to school facilities.
“Spend your precious time attending classes promptly and regularly, cultivating the habit of reading and learning to be punctual and respectful,” he advised.
Alhaji Mahama reminded the students of the upcoming general election, saying “some of you are of age and will be voting in the elections on December 7, 2008”.
“The first is to ensure that you do not allow yourselves to be used as instruments of violence and disruption in the run-up to the elections,” he said, adding that “Secondly, you have a moral obligation to preserve your future by advising your less privileged friends and relatives to appreciate the best choices”.
Alhaji Mahama said the country’s desire to become a modernised middle income society with a per capita income of at least a $1,000 by the year 2015 and rising thereafter depended on the knowledge foundation the educational system could provide.
The Vice President also challenged the leadership of schools to enhance the training of their girl students by sensitising them to a positive mindset about the larger dimension of social relations and the fast moving global social economy.
“In particular, no Ghanaian girl should be dragged down or her ambitions limited by outmoded cultural practices and traditional beliefs; but we all are aware that attitudinal change demands consensus and sustained advocacy,” he said.
The Vice President commended the school authorities and the students for the laurels chalked up in the Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (SSSCE) over the years.
Mrs Elizabeth Malik-Jabir, the headmistress of the school, said the school had been described as one located in a lightning zone and called for funds to enable the authorities pay for a device meant to prevent the effect of lightning when it struck, in order to avoid any casualties.
She also appealed for funds for the construction of staff bungalows to enable the teaching staff to remain on campus.
Dramatic scenes characterised the arrival of the Senior Prefect of the school, Ms Vicentia Appiah-Kwarteng, when she was about to deliver her address.
While the Master of Ceremony was pushing for her to quicken up since the programme had already delayed, about 43 other prefects, including some cadet corps members, defied the odds and instead, majestically walked ahead of the senior prefect by way of leading her to the dais amidst laughter.
In her report, Ms Appiah-Kwarteng, who discharged her duties without being perturbed by the negative comments against her from sections of the crowd, painted a positive picture of the school, particularly the areas of academic, sports and social events.
She expressed the hope that the school library, which was partly damaged by a recent lightning that hit the school, would be reconstructed and expanded to be able to accommodate the large number of students who patronised it.
Story: Charles Benoni Okine, Kumasi
THE Vice President, Alhaji Aliu Mahama, has called on educational institutions that benefit from projects funded from the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) to ensure their regular and prompt maintenance.
“That way, future funds can be invested in the provision of additional infrastructure and for expansion rather than rehabilitation of the same stock of facilities,” he advised.
Alhaji Mahama made the call when he joined the students and school authorities of the Yaa Asantewaa Senior High School to celebrate the school’s 11th Speech and Prize-giving Day in Kumasi at the weekend.
The highly attended ceremony also provided the Vice President the opportunity to inaugurate some GETFund-funded projects such as a dormitory block and places of convenience.
Established in 1960 and named after one of the bravest female war veterans in the country’s history, Yaa Asantewaa, the purely girls school now has a student population of 1,520.
Soon on his arrival, Alhaji Mahama was made to inspect a guard of honour mounted by the smart-looking school cadet corps, who also entertained the large crowd to some spectacular drills.
The Vice President did not leave the students out of the advice he gave on the maintenance of school facilities, for he admonished the students to avoid antisocial attitudes that undermined academic work and also cause damage to school facilities.
“Spend your precious time attending classes promptly and regularly, cultivating the habit of reading and learning to be punctual and respectful,” he advised.
Alhaji Mahama reminded the students of the upcoming general election, saying “some of you are of age and will be voting in the elections on December 7, 2008”.
“The first is to ensure that you do not allow yourselves to be used as instruments of violence and disruption in the run-up to the elections,” he said, adding that “Secondly, you have a moral obligation to preserve your future by advising your less privileged friends and relatives to appreciate the best choices”.
Alhaji Mahama said the country’s desire to become a modernised middle income society with a per capita income of at least a $1,000 by the year 2015 and rising thereafter depended on the knowledge foundation the educational system could provide.
The Vice President also challenged the leadership of schools to enhance the training of their girl students by sensitising them to a positive mindset about the larger dimension of social relations and the fast moving global social economy.
“In particular, no Ghanaian girl should be dragged down or her ambitions limited by outmoded cultural practices and traditional beliefs; but we all are aware that attitudinal change demands consensus and sustained advocacy,” he said.
The Vice President commended the school authorities and the students for the laurels chalked up in the Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (SSSCE) over the years.
Mrs Elizabeth Malik-Jabir, the headmistress of the school, said the school had been described as one located in a lightning zone and called for funds to enable the authorities pay for a device meant to prevent the effect of lightning when it struck, in order to avoid any casualties.
She also appealed for funds for the construction of staff bungalows to enable the teaching staff to remain on campus.
Dramatic scenes characterised the arrival of the Senior Prefect of the school, Ms Vicentia Appiah-Kwarteng, when she was about to deliver her address.
While the Master of Ceremony was pushing for her to quicken up since the programme had already delayed, about 43 other prefects, including some cadet corps members, defied the odds and instead, majestically walked ahead of the senior prefect by way of leading her to the dais amidst laughter.
In her report, Ms Appiah-Kwarteng, who discharged her duties without being perturbed by the negative comments against her from sections of the crowd, painted a positive picture of the school, particularly the areas of academic, sports and social events.
She expressed the hope that the school library, which was partly damaged by a recent lightning that hit the school, would be reconstructed and expanded to be able to accommodate the large number of students who patronised it.
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