Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Parliament approves Kunbuor, Afotey-Agbo

Page 16, Nov 20, 2009
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah

PARLIAMENT has given its approval of two nominees by the President for ministerial positions.
The are Dr Benjamin Kunbuor, Minister of Health designate and Nii Laryea Afotey-Agbo, who is designated for the Presidency.
Dr Kunbuor who is currently the Deputy Minister of Health replaces Dr Adja Sipa-Yankey, while Mr Joseph Nii Afotey-Agbo, who is the Member of Parliament (MP) for Kpone-Katamanso replaces Alhaji Amadu Seidu.
The two ministers resigned in the wake of the M & J bribery scandal.
The Speaker of Parliament, Mrs Joyce Bamford-Addo referred the nominations of Dr Kunbuor and Mr Afotey-Agbo to the Appointments Committee of Parliament for consideration and report on Tuesday, October 27, 2009.
Moving for the approval of the two nominees last Wednesday, the Chairman of the Appointments Committee, Mr Edward Doe Adjaho said the committee took notice of the excellent performance and clarity of thought of Dr Kunbuor and unanimously recommended him for approval.
On Mr Afotey-Agbo, the chairman, who is also the First Deputy Speaker said the committee was satisfied he had fully met the requirements of the Constitution and recommended him for approval by the House.
Mr Adjaho’s motion was seconded by the Deputy Minority Leader, Mr Ambrose Dery who urged Dr Kunbuor to use his immense knowledge to make an impact in the health sector.
For his part, the NPP MP for Manhyia, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh said he knew Mr Afotey-Agbo as someone who was skilled in conflict resolutions and urged the President to use him to solve conflicts raging in certain parts of the country.
The Member of Parliament for Adenta, Mr Kojo Adu Asare advised the two nominees to be servants, rather than lording their positions over their surbodinates.
He accused some ministers for adopting certain attitudes that defeated the purpose for which they were appointed to such high offices.
The NPP MP for New Juaben North, Mr Hackman Owusu-Agyeman commended Mr Afotey-Agbo for his forthrightness during the vetting exercise and urged him to continue to exhibit such qualities in his new office.
The NDC MP for North Tongu, Mr Charles Hodogbey urged Dr Kunbour to make sure that the National Health Insurance Scheme covered all areas during his tenure of office.
He called on him to properly advise the Government about the viability or otherwise of the proposed one-time premium payment and the way forward.

Adjaho averts tension in House

Page 15, Nov 20, 2009
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah

THE intervention of the First Deputy Speaker, Mr Edward Doe Adjaho, who conducted the business of Parliament yesterday, averted the anticipated tension that would have characterised discussions on the number of vehicles recovered from officials of the former New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration by the current government.
The NPP Member of Parliament for Effiduase Asokore, Mr Frank Boakye Agyen, had asked the Minister of Information about the number of vehicles recovered from the former ministers and other officials of the NPP administration and the current status of the vehicles.
A Deputy Minister of Information, Mr James Agyenim–Boateng, who stood in for the minister, informed the House that 99 vehicles were recovered from the former officials.
He explained that the vehicles, made up of 64 saloon cars, six pick-ups, 26 four-wheel drives and two buses, among others, had been put in a pool for government officials.
Mr Agyenim-Boateng explained that some government officials who paid for their vehicles but which had been taken away from them, had had their moneys paid back to them.
His assertion was, however, disputed by the NPP Member of Parliament for Bantama, Ms Cecilia Dapaah, who argued that the former Minister for Water Resources, Works and Housing, Mr Boniface Abubakar Sadique, who paid for his car, which had been taken away from him, had not received his money back.
Mr Agyenim-Boateng told the House that the affected people were entitled to a refund and indicated that Mr Sadique’s cheque was ready and advised him to collect it.
He read a letter written by the former Chief of Staff, Mr Kwadwo Mpiani, indicating that government vehicles which were not more that two years old should not be sold to their users.
In the ensuing discussions which nearly degenerated into a shouting bout between the two sides, Mr Adjaho had to come in intermittently to advise the MPs to discuss the issue devoid of politics.

500 unauthorised housesto be demolished — Avoka

Page 15, Nov 20, 2009
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah

MORE than 500 houses which have been built in unauthorised places in various parts of the Greater Accra Region are to be demolished by officials of the National Disaster Management Organisation.
The Minister of the Interior, Mr Cletus Avoka, who made this known in Parliament yesterday, explained that the exercise was part of measures adopted by NADMO to prevent the perennial floods in Accra.
He was answering an urgent question filed by the Member of Parliament (MP) for Asunafo North, Mr Robert Sarfo-Mensah, who wanted to know what pragmatic measures had been put in place by NADMO to prevent the perennial Accra floods.
Mr Avoka mentioned Weija, Sakumono, Krowor, Tema, ????West Lagon??????, Nii Boi Town and Airport West as areas where the demolition exercise would take place.
He, however, gave assurance that where there was the need for re-engineering, it would be done to save affected buildings.
Meanwhile, Mr Avoka had given assurance that efforts were being made by NADMO to send more relief items to people who were affected by a recent rainstorm that hit Asonomaso, Kasaam and Aboaso in the Kwabre East Constituency of the Ashanti Region.
He gave the assurance in an answer to a question by the MP for the area, Mr Kofi Frimpong, who wanted to know measures put in place to alleviate the plight of the affected victims of the rainstorm.
The rainstorm destroyed and ripped off the roofing sheets of school buildings as well as private houses while about 1,809 persons were internally displaced.
Mr Avoka said NADMO, in collaboration with the district assembly, assessed the extent of damage after which the victims were assisted with 30 roofing sheets, 10 packets of roofing nails, 200 mattresses, 200 blankets, 10 bales of used clothing, 10 cartons of cooking oil and 30 bags of rice.
He explained, however, that the roofing sheets was mainly given to the affected schools and explained that efforts were being made to send relief items to the affected people.
Answering another question, Mr Avoka said that the Police Service would need 9,000 single bedrooms and 225 four-storey units, which required an amount of GH$90 million to solve its accommodation problem.
He said the ministry had instituted measures to complete some of the abandoned accommodation projects to alleviate the plight of the Police Service.

MP for Amenfi East wants mining laws strengthened

Page 44, Nov 19, 2009
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah

THE Member of Parliament (MP) for Amenfi East, Mr Joseph Boahen Aidoo, has advocated strengthening of the country’s mining laws to encourage the use of machinery and equipment in the small-scale mining sector.
He noted that it was only through such a situation that one could make it impracticable for the use of child labour and eliminate all forms of women labour in unprotected mining pits.
“The convoluted process of registration and licensing of small-scale mining entities must be simplified and straightened, so as to ease the way for Ghanaians who want to do legitimate business in gold and diamond,” the MP stated.
Mr Aidoo made these suggestions in a statement in Parliament on the Dompuase, the MP’s constituency, galamsey tragedy in which 15 women were trapped to death in a mining pit.
The MP said if such measures were adopted, the galamsey phenomenon would be eliminated while the work of the artisanal miners could be monitored and controlled by state institutions and forced to comply with safety measures.
He said though galamsey accidents occurred on a regular basis across the country unreported, never had a calamitous event of such a proportion involving so many women casualties happened in the history of the country.
Mr Aidoo explained that almost all the deceased women were single parents with two to five children and had poor backgrounds.
He stated that he had a problem with the existing law on minerals and mining, explaining that the law made it rather difficult for Ghanaians who wanted to go into gold mining.
Mr Aidoo said to qualify for a mining licence, the prospective individual, group or company would have to show proof that the area desired to be mined had undergone prospecting, adding that the cost of a single prospecting ranged from as low as $1 million to over $10 million.
He said it was for that reason that almost all the prospected areas were in the hands of multi-national companies, explaining that the few Ghanaians who secured licences for small-scale mining were generally fronting for foreigners.
The MP stated that there was a little difference between the small-scale miners and the galamsey miners, saying that the thin distinction was that one was licensed and had the law on its side, while the other had the law against it.
However, Mr Aidoo explained that their scale, effect and mode of operation were the same, and called for the massage of the law in order to remove that seemingly exclusivity against Ghanaians who would want to go into the mining of gold and diamond.
Contributing to the statement, the MP for Sekondi, Papa Owusu Ankomah, also called for a change in policy to make to enable owners of lands to benefit from resources, such as gold and mining to eliminate the perennial problems associated with the mining industry.
In her contribution, the Minister for Women and Children, Ms Akua Sena Dansua, noted that men were becoming increasingly irresponsible, and that had forced some women to do any form of job in order to cater for their children.
She called on irresponsible fathers to be alive to their responsibilities in order not force women to do jobs that would eventually send them to their graves.

Budget lacks ambition-NPP

Centre Spread, Nov 19, 2009
Story: Lucy Adoma Yeboah, Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah & Daniel Nkrumah

THE Minority Spokesman on Finance, Dr Anthony Akoto Osei, has described the 2010 budget as one lacking ambition in terms of spurring economic growth.
He said that was not surprising, considering the government’s dealings with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Dr Akoto Osei, who is the Minority Spokesman on Finance, explained that by committing itself to IMF programmes, the NDC government had been very limited in terms of its ambitions for economic growth.
He said that was not surprising, considering the government’s dealings with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Dr Akoto Osei, who is the Minority Spokesman on Finance, explained that by committing itself to IMF programmes, the NDC government had been very limited in terms of its ambitions for economic growth.
“In an IMF programme, if you get too ambitious, the economy will collapse,” he stated.
He explained further that with the IMF model, growth is residual and rather the emphasis was on stabilisation and “tightening the belt”.
He, however, said growth was critical, stressing that an over-bearing emphasis on the reduction of deficit was not healthy.
“Economic management is not just about deficit reduction. If you tighten up too much, you go into a recession. For a social democratic government, they have to ask themselves “where are we getting ourselves into?”
He said the restoration of import duties on food items such as rice and wheat gave an indication that the government needed revenue to meet its targets.
He said an NPP government would not have gone to the IMF, adding that the recognition of the need to promote growth had prompted the NPP to get out of the IMF programme in 2006.
He said it was important the government adopted measures to protect domestic production of food items but cautioned that care must be taken when putting taxes on imported stable foods in order not to make them too expensive for the ordinary person.
However, Mr Yaw Osafo-Maafo, who was one-time Minister of Finance and Economic Planning in the Kufuor regime, said he is impressed with the government’s attempt at using the 2010 budget to stabilise the cedi against the major foreign currencies.
Mr Osafo-Maafo, however, said the budget did not come up with strategies to raise domestic revenue, which, he said, had dropped.
On his part, the Chairman of the Finance Committee of Parliament, Mr James Klutse Avedzi disagreed with the views of Dr Akoto Osei, stressing that the government was on the right track.
He said when the government assumed power this year, there were so many undisclosed arrears, which they became aware of in the course of the year.
He said the growth rate of 6.5 per cent targeted for 2010 was realistic, stressing that there was no point in setting targets that could not be attained.
Mr Avedzi said because of the global economic recession, average growth in the world was between two and three per cent, hence 6.5 per cent growth was ambitious enough.
On the restoration of the import duties on some food items such as rice and wheat, Mr Avedzi explained that the NPP government created a mess by removing those taxes.
He said the idea was that the reduction in prices would be passed on to the consumers but that had not been the case as the middlemen were rather the beneficiaries.
A former Deputy Minister of Finance, Mr Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, said this year’s budget did not come up with anything new apart from the introduction of taxes and tariffs on food items, which the previous government withdrew, as well as few areas where costs were going to be cut.
Mr Agyeman-Manu, who is also the Member of Parliament (MP) for Dormaa West, said without any knowledge of the volume of local rice production, the government was rushing to cut down on importation of rice, which was considered a stable food in Ghana.
He also said there was also no single statement in the budget to encourage workers to do more apart from the old issue of the Single Spine Salary Structure (SSSS), whose implementation period had elapsed.
“All the social interventions which the Finance Minister talked about were introduced by the NPP. He was forced to continue with them because they had already begun,” he stated.
The MP for Akwatia, Dr Kofi Asare, said he did not hear anything significant being said about the health sector, adding that if the highlights of the budget was anything to go by, then it was tantamount to collapsing the health sector.
The MP for Juabeso, Mr Sampson Ahi, was in full support of the government’s intention of re-introducing tariffs on imported rice so as to encourage local production, adding that it could help increase employment locally.
Mr Ahi also expressed gratitude to the government for giving indication that it would pay bonuses to cocoa farmers and also on time.
For his part, the NDC MP for Sege, Mr Alfred Abayeteye, said that the 2010 budget would put things right for effective growth.
He called on Ghanaians to be nationalistic and rally behind the government to achieve the laudable goals set in the budget.
“This is not the time to share blame. All hands should be on deck for the betterment of Ghana,” he said.
The NDC MP for Nadowli West, Mr Mathias Puozaa, is a rural-friendly budget since all the initiatives set out would enhance the living standards of the rural folks.
He mentioned policies under the agriculture and education sectors as clear indications of the government’s intention to better the lot of rural people.

MPs expect budget to be develpment oriented

Page 15, Nov 18, 2009
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah

AS the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Dr Kwabena Duffuor, gets ready to present the 2010 Financial Statement and Budget Estimates of the Government to Parliament today, some Members of Parliament (MPs) have stated that they expect the budget to be a development-oriented one.
The MP for Ketu North, Mr James Klutse Avedzi, who is also the Chairman of the Finance Committee of Parliament, told the Daily Graphic that he expected the budget to hinge on the four thematic areas of the manifesto of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
The areas are Investing in the people, Job creation, Infrastructure development and Open and transparent governance.
“Although I have not seen the document, I expect nothing less than policies that would ensure the achievement of these laudable goals that the NDC set for itself,” he said.
He explained that towards achieving aspects of the four thematic areas, the 2010 budget should also work at lowering inflation and the expansion of the agricultural sector.
The Government should also work towards encouraging both foreign and local investors to invest in the industrial sector to ensure that more jobs are created for the unemployed, he added.
For her part, the MP for Evalue Gwira, Mrs Catherine Ablema Afeku, said she expected the Government to devote more resources in the budget to the development of the rail sector.
She noted that it was not the best for the road sector alone to be used as the country’s transportation.
“If the Government would want to increase productivity, the overhaul of the rail sector should be one of the measures to achieve that,” she stated, explaining that it did not augur well for the country to overemphasise the road sector.
“I will be disappointed if the Government does not increase its allocation to the railway sector, it will not augur well for the better agenda set out by the NDC”.
For his part, the NDC MP for Bia, Mr Michael Coffie Boampong, who is also the Chairman of the Road and Transport Committee of Parliament, has also called for the increase in the threshold of taxes in order to reduce the tax burden of low-income earners.
On the road sector, the MP said he would be happy if more money would be allocated to the sector, so that contractors who had not been paid for work done would receive their due.
He noted that until that was done, it would be impossible to award new contracts for the rehabilitation of unmotorable roads and the construction of new ones.
Mr Boampong said he was convinced that the NDC was aware of the plight of the Ghanaian people and would not introduce any policy that would not be in their interest.
“I expect the budget to be an improvement on the 2009 budget and consolidate the modest achievements of the Government,” he added.

Budget to usher in growth, stability

Centre Spread, Nov 19, 2009
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah

THE Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Dr Kwabena Duffuor, yesterday presented the 2010 Budget Statement and Economic Policy to usher in the government’s growth and strategy framework towards what he termed a “Better Ghana”.
The budget, captioned “Growth and Stability”, identified a comprehensive set of policies to support the government’s Medium Term Growth Strategy in a manner that would be sustainable.
“The theme for this year’s budget, ‘Growth and Stability’, epitomises the NDC government’s resolve to grow the Ghanaian economy in a sustainable manner to achieve a middle income status in an environment of stability and hope for the people of Ghana,” he explained.
It focuses on a progressive programme of development through job creation intended to improve on the quality of life of the citizenry.
In the nearly two-hour presentation, which was characterised by heckling by the Minority, Dr Duffuor, who appeared calm with occasional response to some of the reactions, outlined the tools for achieving the objectives of the Growth and Stability Budget.
They include sustenance of the macroeconomic stability and fiscal discipline achieved in 2009, positioning the country for a sustained growth through the modernisation of agriculture, provision of key infrastructural development, oil and gas projects, private sector development, ICT and delivery of social programmes targeted at poverty reduction.
Dr Duffuor added that monetary policy would continue to focus on stabilising price and exchange rate expectations, saying that the goal of the monetary policy was to reduce inflation rate to less than 10 per cent over the medium term.
The minister stated that with inflation and exchange rate stabilised at acceptable levels, and government deficit significantly reduced to stem borrowing from the domestic banking sector, interest rates of commercial banks would assume a downward trend to enhance the availability of credit to the private sector to support economic growth.
Dr Duffuor said that the structural reforms that were initiated this year would continue in 2010 in the medium term, explaining that these reforms were expected to strengthen fiscal management and support public sector transformation.
He said in the fiscal area, the focus would be on strengthening institutions, enhancing revenue mobilisation and improving expenditure management.
Turning to oil and gas and the country’s economic growth development, he said Ghanaians were gripped with the expected prosperity that the oil and gas finds would bring to the country opportunities that would accompany their exploitation.
He said the government was working to ensure the timely exploitation of the oil and gas to serve as a catalyst for accelerating growth of the manufacturing and other sectors, promoting diversification of the economy, creating massive jobs and stimulating private sector development.
Concerning the budget for the 2010 fiscal year, Dr Duffuor said the total revenue and grants were estimated at GH¢9.6 billion, equivalent to 37.1 per cent of the projected GDP for the year, which was an increase over the projected outturn of 2009.
Total domestic revenue is estimated at GH¢8.3 billion while grants would amount to GH¢1.4 billion.
Tax revenue is also expected to increase by 20.2 per cent over the 2009 estimates to GH¢6.1 billion, while non-tax revenue is expected to earn the country GH¢1.9 billion.
The total expenditure for the 2010 fiscal year is estimated at GH¢10.8 billion, representing 22.8 per cent increase over the projected overturn of 2009.
Dr Duffuor explained that wages and salaries for 2010 were estimated at GH¢3.1 billion, adding that the figure represented GH¢28.9 billion of the total expenditure for the 2010 fiscal year and 40.8 per cent of the total recurrent expenditure for the year.
He said government had agreed with organised labour to implement the Single Spine Pay Structure with effect from January, next year and assured labour that a government White Paper on the policy would soon be out.
He assured Ghanaians that the country’s foundation was much better than it was in 2008, adding that “what we now need is to gather courage, adopt a positive attitude and commit ourselves to moving forward in the right direction.
“We must realise that we have no other option than to collectively rise above our perceived inadequacies and stimulate our potential with renewed commitment and determination to move our economy up the ladder of prosperity,” he said.
After the presentation, the Minority members raised in unison papers bearing the inscriptions such as “Team B Budget” and “Sakawa Part 2”.
The Majority side responded with a chorus “Aba mu”, holding papers bearing the inscription “Growth and Stability, the Right Direction”.

Ban corporal punishment in schools — MP

Page 17, Nov 16, 2009
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah

THE Member of Parliament for Akim Abuakwa North, Professor (Emeritus) Samuel Amoako, has advocated the banning of corporal punishment in schools since it inflicts unnecessary pain and cause psychological trauma for students.
He suggested that if and when there was the need for disciplining students, there should be an institutionalised form of punishment to serve as a deterrent to bad behaviour.
The MP said in a statement on the floor of Parliament that although some people invoked some tenets of the Bible to justify corporal punishment, research had shown that corporal punishment was unnecessary, crude, barbaric, and inhumane and did not even serve as a deterrent to bad behaviour.
His statement, which attracted a lot of comments from the floor of the House, was to draw attention to challenges that faced students in schools in the country.
Prof Amoako said there should be alternative but equally effective methods of punishing and correcting children and building in them positive values without inflicting unnecessary pain and suffering that negatively affected their adult personality.
Turning his attention to teachers, the MP urged them to command respect and serve as role models for their students, noting that although many teachers lived exemplary lives, a few rotten ones among them brought the profession into disrepute, ridicule and disgrace.
He explained that sexual promiscuity and defilement by teachers and parents did not serve as good examples for students and for that matter children.
“Teachers who defile children or enter into any form of sexual relationship should be tried and dismissed outright after they have served their sentences,” he said, adding that “They should not be treated with kids’ gloves”.
He also expressed concern about child labour as perpetrated by some teachers and parents and explained that many teacher used children for various errands and household chores to deprive these students of the core responsibility of studying.
Prof Amoako noted that in some rural areas, some teachers asked students to work on their farms during school hours while others sent them on errands to trade for them on the market days.
“There might be some teachers who try to train these students to learn some of the rudiments of household chores. That is not where my worry is. My worry is where the relationship escalates into a master-servant relationship and the students are made to go on errands when their classmates are in class studying,” he explained.
The MP also touched on examination malpractices and called for effective measures to stop the practice to enable students to earn certificates they had really worked for.
Contributing to the statement, the MP for Sekondi, Papa Owusu Ankomah, called for the society to take a strong stand on discipline because it was the fulcrum for the nurture of children into useful adults.
He called on parents to begin disciplining their children from home and not leave that responsibility solely on teachers.
A Deputy Minister for Education and MP for Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abirem, Dr Joseph Annan, gave assurance that the ministry was ready to team up with all stakeholders to find the causes of indiscipline in schools and adopt measures to arrest the trend.

MP Bawku expresses concern

Page 17, Nov 16, 2009
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah

THE Member of Parliament for Bawku has raised serious concern about the recent happenings in Bawku in which two young men were said to have been stripped naked, beaten and paraded through the streets of the town.
In an attempt to bring normalcy to the town, he said, a number of measures had been taken, including measures that bordered on the infringement of the rights of the citizens of Bawku.
In a press release, the MP noted that the use of extreme measures by the security agencies had raised a lot of concern over the measures being adopted.
Mr Adamu Dramani Sakande stated that there was danger in seeking to adopt short cuts to fighting the Bawku problem, explaining that “we will be going down the slippery road if we consented to such illegal measures.
He said the high-handed measures by the security agencies had not proven to be effective and called on the government to adopt a more inclusive approach to addressing the cause of the conflict.
Mr Sakande called on relevant agencies such as the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) to take appropriate measures on the issue to enable all Ghanaian citizens to enjoy their rights as enshrined in the 1992 Constitution.

Graphic man for Egypt

Centre Spread, Nov 6, 2009
SENIOR Parliamentary Correspondent, Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah, left Accra last night for Sharm El-Sheikh to cover the special ministerial meeting of the Forum on China-Africa Co-operation (FOCAC) which opens in the Egyptian city next Monday.
The meeting will review the implementation of various agreements signed between China and Africa since 2006 and outline a plan of action for the next three years.
A statement issued by the Chinese Foreign Affairs Ministry and released in Accra yesterday said the meeting would also "give an overall review of the implementation of various co-operative agreements since the Beijing Summit and will chart the course for the development of China-Africa relations".
It said a number of bilateral agreements would be signed to boost economic and trade co-operation and new measures were expected to help Africa develop, as well as deal with the global economic crisis.
The meeting is expected to issue the Sharm El-Sheikh Declaration and also the Sharm El-Sheikh Action Plan for 2010-2012 as "a blueprint for bilateral co-operation in various areas in three years to come".
The FOCAC is one of three high-level meetings established by Chinese and African leaders at their inaugural summit in 2000. The other two meetings to take place between the Asian nation and African countries are a senior officials meeting and a conference of the Chinese follow-up committee with the African diplomatic missions in Beijing.
At the last FOCAC Summit in 2006, attended by 48 of the 53 members of the African Union, China and Africa adopted a number of resolutions which proclaimed the establishment of "a new type of strategic partnership". The partnership is based on "political equality and mutual trust, economic win-win co-operation and cultural exchanges" and calls for the promotion of two-way trade and investment and exploration of new modes of co-operation. Priority is placed on different areas of the economy, such as agriculture, infrastructure, industry, fishing, information technology, public health and personnel training to draw on each other's strengths for the benefit of the two peoples.
On trade development, China and Africa pledged to increase volumes to about US$100 billion by 2010, with Chinese President Hu Jintao announcing a package of aid and assistance measures to Africa, including US$3 billion of preferential loans in the next three years, and the exemption of debt owed by some African countries.
China gave an undertaking to establish a US$5 billion fund to encourage Chinese investment in Africa.
Significant progress has been made in the past three years to meet some of the targets set at the 2006 summit. By the first quarter of 2009, China had successfully cancelled 150 mature debts of 32 African countries.
Trade between China and Africa has also increased -- in 2008 the volume was about US$160 billion, a year-on-year increase of 45 per cent, surpassing the US$100 billion target set by 2010. Of the total volume, imports from Africa amounted to US$56 billion, up by 54 per cent over the previous year.
Chinese companies have been active in building infrastructure and providing loans and assistance for many African countries. Exchange visits of top government officials between China and Africa have expanded to include more people-to-people visits. The fourth meeting of the FOCAC is thus viewed with great importance to promote China-Africa relations.
Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao and his Egyptian counterpart are expected to co-chair the meeting and some African Heads of State have been invited to attend, including President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe.
The first FOCAC ministerial conference was held in Beijing in October 2000. That was followed by a meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in 2003.
Beijing hosted the full China-Africa Summit in 2006.

Parliament worried over Kwabenya Land Fill project

Page 16, Nov 5, 2009
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah & Daniel Nkrumah

THE PARLIAMENTARY Select Committee on Local Government has expressed its disquiet over the delay in the completion of the Kwabenya Land Fill Project and urged the government to take a quick decision on the fate of the project.
The site, which was identified in 1991 had sparked intense agitation as locals and artisans engaged in stone cracking at the site vehemently opposed the project.
During a visit to the site, the Chairman of the Committee Mr Dominic Azumah, expressed concern over the delay and also expressed worry that people continued to encroach upon the land.
Presently, some private developers have encroached upon the land and when the team visited the place, some of them had their workers on site putting up structures.
“If we cannot continue with the project, we must take a final decision; if we can, we must start it now,” Mr Azumah stressed.
The Project Co-ordinator, Mr Daniel Aidoo, said the project formed part of the Urban Environment and Sanitation Project II to be funded by the World Bank and the Government of Ghana.
He said originally the project was expected to cover a land size of 465 acres but the size was reduced to 364 acres after agitation from some local people.
He explained that the project had primarily delayed because of the agitation of the local people, who had now agreed to accept compensation so that they can relocate to enable the project commence.
Mr Aidoo said about 700 hundred stone crackers and 89 individuals and families were to be compensated and indicated that they had been formally written to with the compensation offer and they in turn had written in response.
He said the framework for the Environmental Impact Assessment had already been done and only needed to be upgraded.
He explained that somewhere in 2006, there were plans to commence payment of compensation but the World Bank requested for a Resettlement Action Plan before the payment of any compensation.
He said the site was an engineered land fill site that would serve the Greater Accra Region for close to between 20-25 years to be constructed at the cost of about $12 million dollars.
The team also visited a composting site being constructed by Zoomlion Ghana Limited in collaboration with the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development.
The facility, upon completion will cover an 80-acre land and will help in the effective management of waste.
The project, which is located at Medie in the Ga West and Akuapem South Districts has been strategically sited to serve some districts in the Greater Accra, Eastern and Central regions. The first phase of the project is to be completed in June 2010.
During a tour of the site by Members of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Local Government and Rural Development and some pressmen, the Head of the Composting and Recycling Unit, Mr George Rockson, said the first phase would focus on the sorting out of solid waste and the treatment of solid waste to produce compost.
He said the second phase would cover the treatment of liquid waste adding that faecal matter would also be aerobically treated to produce compost from the solid waste, and liquid fertiliser and biogas and fertiliser from the liquid waste.

(Minority expresses concern about fuel price increase

Page 15, Nov 13, 2009
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah
THE Minority in Parliament has expressed concern over the recent increases in fuel prices and noted that the Mills government is leading the country to a level of petroleum prices that Ghanaians cannot afford if the world price of crude oil continues to rise.
“We demand from the government of Prof Mills the promises he made — a drastic reduction in petroleum prices,” it said.
Addressing a press conference in Parliament yesterday, the Deputy Ranking Member for Energy, Mr Kwame Amporfo Twumasi, noted that as if the suffering of Ghanaians as a result of the 30 per cent increase in petroleum prices four months ago was not enough, it was sad that the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) had increased fuel prices by five per cent recently.
He said the explanation by the government that it could not deliver on its promise to drastically reduce fuel prices due to the debt at the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) was untenable, since TOR was in debt when the New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration took over in 2001.
“Prof Mills stated for the record, when crude prices hovered around $65 per barrel, that if voted into power, his government would sell petrol at GH¢2.80 per gallon. What has happened to the promise?” he questioned.
Mr Twumasi, who is also the Member of Parliament for Nkoranza South, said the state of the economy currently was a clear replay of what pertained before 2001.
He also questioned the credibility of some companies which had surfaced in the supply of or attempt to supply both crude oil and refined petroleum products to Ghana under the Mills administration.
He said there was evidence to suggest that some of those companies had been hurriedly formed by some leading members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in an attempt to cash in on the importation of petroleum products, while Ghanaians continued to suffer high prices and little supply of petroleum products.
“The NDC is thus placing private commercial interest over national welfare and we ask that President Mills take immediate action to bring a stop to this,” he said.
Mr Twumasi also expressed concern over the fast declining image of the country as investor friendly due to the inhumane treatment meted out to certain individuals who partnered KOSMOS Energy to discover the country’s oil.
He explained that one Mr George Owusu had been extensively investigated by the law enforcement agencies, including the conduct of surprise searches in his house, offices and the going through of his computer and hard drive and personal accounts.
The MP added that it was worrisome that the Ghana National Petroleum Company (GNPC) was compelling KOSMOS to sell its stake to companies of the GNPC’s choice, as against companies that were known to have the clout that would make Ghana a top-class oil and gas producer at the world level.

Payment of one-time premium expected to begin 2010

Page 15, Nov 12, 2009
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah

THE implementation of the one-time premium payment proposed by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in its election 2008 manifesto is expected to begin by the later part of next year, the Deputy Minister of Health, Dr Benjamin Kunbuor, has announced.
He said currently a number of proposals were being studied by the ministry for one to be selected for presentation to cabinet.
Dr Kunbuor, who has been nominated by the President as the substantive minister, made the announcement when he appeared before Parliament to answer some questions which had been filed by some Members of Parliament (MPs).
The MP for Techiman South, Mr Simons Addai, had asked the minister why the NHIS secretariat at Techiman had increased the annual premium from GH¢14.00 to GH¢18.00.
Dr Kunbuor explained in an answer to a supplementary question that if the proposal for the one-time NHIS premium was accepted by Cabinet, it would be placed before Parliament to seek the approval of the House.
Answering the main question, the deputy minister stated that the Techiman Mutual Health Insurance Scheme charged premiums within the range of GH¢7.20 to GH¢48.00 provided for in the NHIS policy document.
He explained that though the minimum premium within the scheme remained at GH¢7.20, the scheme’s assessment of registrants put a bulk of its membership in a payment range between GH¢14.00 and GH¢18.00.
Dr Kunbuor stated that out of the amount charged, GH¢4.00, was for registration and the processing of applications, including the issuance of the new NHIS identity cards.
He added that the effective premiums charged ranged between GH¢10.00 for the renewal of membership and GH¢14.00 for new membership and it was not the case that the premium had been increased.
Answering another question posed by the MP for Dormaa East, Mr Yaw Ntow-Ababio, the minister said that funding constraints had made it difficult for the ministry to keep pace with the rehabilitation of health centres nationwide.
The MP wanted to ascertain when the Dormaa Akwamu Health Centre, which was constructed in 1962, would be rehabilitated.
Dr Kunbuor said that efforts were, however, being made to rehabilitate the Dormaa Akwamu Health Centre with both internally generated funds and funds from the central government sources.
He explained that the rehabilitation of the centre, among others, had been prioritised in the capital development plan of the ministry for 2009 to 2012.

Thursday, November 12, 2009

'Reform international financial system'

Page 31, Nov 10, 2009
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah, Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt
DELEGATES at the Fourth Ministerial Meeting of the Forum on China-Africa Co-operation (FOCAC) held in Sham El-Sheikh, Egypt, have called for the reform of the international financial system to ensure development in a fair, just, inclusive and orderly manner.
They also called for an increasing representation and voice of developing countries and opposition to protectionism in all forms, stressing that FOCAC would always stand to uphold an open and free trade and investment environment.
In a communiqué jointly presented by the Foreign Minister of China, Mr Yang Jiechi, and his Egyptian counterpart, Mr Ahmed Abu Alghet, at the end of the meeting, the delegates said, "We will continue to advance the Doha Round of trade negotiations on the basis of observing the negotiating mandate, sticking to the development agenda and respecting the existing outcomes," and called for an early and successful conclusion of the negotiations by taking into account the interest of African countries.
It stated that African countries were greatly encouraged by China's sustained, steady and fast economic growth and appreciated the significant actions taken by that country in response to the financial crisis.
"We believe that these actions have not only contributed to stabilising the world economy but also helped the African economy towards achieving recovery and growth," it said.
It expressed concern over the effect of the financial crisis on developing economies, noting that if nothing was done, it would be impossible for fragile economies, particularly those in Africa, to achieve targets of the Millennium Development Goals.
It, therefore, called on the international community, particularly developed countries, to pay particular attention to the negative impact of the crisis and adopt measures to mitigate its effects by fulfilling their commitments in aid, debt relief, promoting and increasing investment, opening up and accessing market and assisting developing countries to promote economic growth to achieve sustainable development.
The communiqué said China applauded Africa's achievement in strengthening governance, resolving regional conflicts, advancing poverty relief and development and speeding up the integration process.
"China reaffirms its support for African countries in their efforts to strengthen themselves through unity and resolve Africa's problems. It appreciates the positive role of African countries, the African Union (AU) and other regional organisations," it added.
The communiqué added that the two sides would continue to hold onto the decade-long co-operation between China and Africa, saying that that co-operation had produced fruitful results and delivered considerable benefits to their peoples.
"It is a good example of South-South co-operation," it noted.
It said China would continue to cut and cancel debts owed her by African countries, expand investment in Africa and further open China's market to strengthen practical co-operation with Africa.
The two-day forum was attended by African foreign ministers, diplomats and their counterparts from China.
It was held on the theme, "Deepening the new type of China-Africa Strategic Partnership for sustainable development".

China announces measures to improve ties with Africa

Page 17, Nov 9, 2009

From Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah, Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt
THE Chinese Prime Minister, Mr Wen Jiabao has announced eight new measures to improve on the country’s relation with Africa.
Addressing the Fourth Ministerial Meeting of the Forum on China-Africa Co-operation (FOCAC), which opened in the Egyptian tourism city, Sham El-Sheikh , he announced that China would build up the financing capacity of African countries with the provision of $10 billion in concessional loans and support Chinese financial institutions in setting up a $1 billion special loan for small and medium-sized African businesses.
The meeting, which is being co-chaired by the Egyptian President, Mr Hosni Mubarak and the Chinese Prime Minister, is expected to give an overall review of the implementation of the various co-operative agreements between China and Africa and chart a new course for the development China-African relations.
A number of bilateral agreements are expected to be signed to boost economic and trade co-operation and help Africa develop as well as deal with the global economic crisis.
Ghana's delegation to the meeting is led by the Vice President, Mr John Dramani Mahama, who is accompanied by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Alhaji Mohammed Mumuni.
The meeting is expected to issue the Sharm El-Sheikh Declaration and also an action plan for 2010-2012 as a blueprint for bilateral co-operation in various areas within the next three years.
Mr Wen said "We will further open up China's market to African products. We will phase out in zero-tarrif treatment to 95 per cent of the products from least developed African countries having diplomatic relations with China starting with 60 per cent of products within 2010".
He added that China would also assist Africa in the agricultural sector by increasing the number of agricultural technology demonstration centres built by China in Africa to 20 and send 50 agricultural technology teams to Africa, train 2,000 agricultural technology personnel in order to strengthen Africa's ability to ensure food security.
On human resource and education, Prime Minister Wen announced that China would build 50 China-Africa friendship schools and train 1,500 school principals and teachers on the continent adding that by 2012, China would increase the number of Chinese scholarships in Africa to 5,500 and train a total of 20,000 professionals of various fields over the next three years.
He said the Chinese people cherished sincere friendship towards African people and China's support to Africa's development "is concrete and real".
“Whatever change may take place in the world, our friendship with Africa will not change, our commitment to deepening mutual beneficial co-operation and achieving common development with Africa will not change and our policy of supporting Africa's economic and social development will not change, he declared.
Giving accounts of the benefits of the FOCAC so far, Mr Wen said the two sides had strengthened economic co-operation explaining that China-Africa trade exceeded $100 billion and the number of African countries trading with China grew to 53.
He stated that China had begun the construction of six economic and trade co-operation zones in Africa adding that nearly 1,600 Chinese enterprises had started businesses with a direct investment stock of $7.8 billion.
Mr Wen said the plan to cancel 168 debts owed by 33 African countries was about to be completed while $5 billion of concessional loans would be fully in place soon. The China-Africa Development Fund, whose first tranche reached $1 billion, had also become operational as scheduled.
In addition, he said exchanges and co-operation in culture, education, health and human resources had grown rapidly, explaining that China would by the end of the year complete the training of 15,000 people of different professions for African countries.
Mr Wen called on the international community not to waiver in its resolve to help Africa achieve the Millennium Development Goals (Mugs) saying that "It should take credible steps to honour the commitment of assistance to enable Africa to actively foster an enabling external environment of international economy, trade and finance.
"The co-operation between China and Africa is indispensable to the growth of the world" he declared and urged the international community to recognise the peculiar problem of the Africa and assist the continent to achieve its Millennium Development Goals (Mugs).
For his part, the Egyptian President, Mr Hosni Mubarak expressed optimism that the Sham El-Sheikh Forum would lift the relations between China and Africa to a higher level.
Eight heads of state, five Prime Ministers and Vice Presidents, among others addressed the opening session of the forum which was held at the plush Maritime Congress Centre in the heart of Sham El Sheikh.

Parliament worried over Kwabenya Landfill

Page 16, Nov 5, 2009
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah & Daniel Nkrumah

THE PARLIAMENTARY Select Committee on Local Government has expressed its disquiet over the delay in the completion of the Kwabenya Land Fill Project and urged the government to take a quick decision on the fate of the project.
The site, which was identified in 1991 had sparked intense agitation as locals and artisans engaged in stone cracking at the site vehemently opposed the project.
During a visit to the site, the Chairman of the Committee Mr Dominic Azumah, expressed concern over the delay and also expressed worry that people continued to encroach upon the land.
Presently, some private developers have encroached upon the land and when the team visited the place, some of them had their workers on site putting up structures.
“If we cannot continue with the project, we must take a final decision; if we can, we must start it now,” Mr Azumah stressed.
The Project Co-ordinator, Mr Daniel Aidoo, said the project formed part of the Urban Environment and Sanitation Project II to be funded by the World Bank and the Government of Ghana.
He said originally the project was expected to cover a land size of 465 acres but the size was reduced to 364 acres after agitation from some local people.
He explained that the project had primarily delayed because of the agitation of the local people, who had now agreed to accept compensation so that they can relocate to enable the project commence.
Mr Aidoo said about 700 hundred stone crackers and 89 individuals and families were to be compensated and indicated that they had been formally written to with the compensation offer and they in turn had written in response.
He said the framework for the Environmental Impact Assessment had already been done and only needed to be upgraded.
He explained that somewhere in 2006, there were plans to commence payment of compensation but the World Bank requested for a Resettlement Action Plan before the payment of any compensation.
He said the site was an engineered land fill site that would serve the Greater Accra Region for close to between 20-25 years to be constructed at the cost of about $12 million dollars.
The team also visited a composting site being constructed by Zoomlion Ghana Limited in collaboration with the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development.
The facility, upon completion will cover an 80-acre land and will help in the effective management of waste.
The project, which is located at Medie in the Ga West and Akuapem South Districts has been strategically sited to serve some districts in the Greater Accra, Eastern and Central regions. The first phase of the project is to be completed in June 2010.
During a tour of the site by Members of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Local Government and Rural Development and some pressmen, the Head of the Composting and Recycling Unit, Mr George Rockson, said the first phase would focus on the sorting out of solid waste and the treatment of solid waste to produce compost.
He said the second phase would cover the treatment of liquid waste adding that faecal matter would also be aerobically treated to produce compost from the solid waste, and liquid fertiliser and biogas and fertiliser from the liquid waste.