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.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
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.
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.
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.
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”.
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.
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.
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.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)