Tuesday, March 30, 2010

MINING COMPANY INSTITUTES YOUTH TRAINING PROGRAMME (PAGE 21, MARCH 30, 2010)

GOLDEN Star (Bogoso/Prestea Mines) Limited has instituted training programme for the youth in its primary stakeholder communities in the Prestea/Huni Valley District in the Western Region.
The programme is to equip the youth with employable skills towards the reduction in the growing number of unemployment and unskilled youth in the communities.
It is also aimed at equipping the trainees with the requisite skills and knowledge for their chosen trade in order to increase their chances on the job market, including self-employment opportunities.
Already, 50 youth from Dumasi have benefited from the first phase of the programme, which was instituted last year.
The beneficiaries of the first phase of the programme, who received basic training in masonry and carpentry, graduated in September, 2009.
With the success and benefits beneficiaries are reaping, the company have seen the need to continue with the programme and has therefore launched its second phase.
Under the second phase, 50 youth from Himan and Prestea, including three young girls, are undergoing a six-month training in masonry, electricals and mobile phone repairs.
The programme is being funded by Golden Star (Bogoso/Prestea Mines) through its community development fund.
At the opening ceremony of the second phase of the programme at Prestea, the General Manager of Golden Star (Bogoso/Prestea), Mr Nigel Tamlyn, said the company would embark on a resettlement programme very soon.
He stated that those who had gone through the training programme were likely to secure jobs during the implementation of the resettlement scheme.
According to him, since many people were using mobile phones, those who would go through mobile phone repairs would get ready and enough jobs.
Mr Tamlyn was not happy that there were only three young girls undergoing the training programme, and said that in future, he would wish to see more girls on the programme.
The District Co-ordinating Director for Prestea/Huni Valley, Alhaji Hardi, stated that the institution of the training programme was a giant step the company had taken to provide employable skills for the unemployed youth in the primary stakeholder communities.
He said without human resource development, no meaningful development could take place.
Alhaji Hardi said human resource development was not done only through formal education, but also through the informal one.
He said the district assembly had set aside some funds to train the youth in the district at various levels and that such a measure was to complement the efforts of the assembly.
The Chief of Bogoso, Nana Kwasi Somprey, commended the mining company for organising the programme for the youth in the area.
He, however, urged the company to continue with such laudable programmes to the benefit of the youth.

Sunday, March 28, 2010

WR CONTRACTORS ELECT NEW EXECUTIVE (PAGE 40, MARCH 29, 2010)

A FOUR-MEMBER executive of the Western Regional branch of the Association of Road Contractors (ASROC) has been sworn in to embark on an intensive membership drive to increase the numerical strength of the association.
The association, which was formed about 17 years ago, has Messrs. George Amoako Quaicoe, Joseph Essilfie and Seth Osafo as chairman, vice-chairman and technical advisor respectively, while Mrs Nana Serwah Hammond is the treasurer.
At the swearing-in ceremony in Takoradi, the outgoing chairman of the association, Mr Samuel Kofi Addison, recounted that during the initial years, members found it difficult to organise themselves but with the support of few hard-working members, they tried through the turbulent years to survive up to today.
He said 2009 was a difficult year for the association, stressing that planned programmes could not take off due to monetary setbacks at the national secretariat of the association, mainly as a result of non-payment to contractors.
Mr Addison said with the help of the government, the association was seeking financial assistance from Eximquaranty Bank to help contractors to purchase equipment from China so as to be better resourced to acquire jobs.
He expressed the hope that the arrangement would materialise so that contractors could be assisted to acquire equipment to effectively execute their contracts.
He stated that even though it was difficult getting road construction jobs in the Western Region, the contractors should try and execute the jobs well when they won tenders so that they could still be considered for more jobs, which hitherto had been taken over by contractors outside the region.
Mr Addison said although some moderate achievements were made by the association, the biggest problem had been the inability of the old executives to put up their own secretariat due to many challenges they faced.
He expressed the hope that the new executive and the entire membership would see to it that the dream was realised.
Mr Quaicoe promised to build upon the achievements of his predecessor and bring into fruition all his unfinished agenda.

FORUM ON SSPP HELD IN TAKORADI (PAGE 40, MARCH 29, 2010)

THE Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) has organised a day’s road show/workers’ forum in Takoradi to educate workers in the public service on the Single Spine Pay Policy (SSPP).
More than 200 workers in the Western Region attended the forum, which was on the theme: “Equal pay for work of equal value”.
The SSPP is the broad pay policy framework which has elements such as the Single Spine Salary Structure (SSSS), performance management system and productivity indicators, market premiums, allowances and inducements.
The SSSS is the salary component of the SSPP and has a 25-Level Grade Salary Structure.
At the forum, the Chief Executive of the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission, Mr George Smith-Graham, emphasised that it was not possible for the government to introduce a pay policy that would disadvantage workers.
He said if the previous and the current regimes had seen something good in the policy, then it could not be a disadvantage to public workers.
Mr Smith-Graham explained that the new pay policy would help attract and retain qualified personnel in the public service.
He also stated that it would help build a pay policy that was sustainable and ensure a unified salary structure, adding, “The new pay policy will not worsen the situation of any worker”.
Mr Smith-Graham said developing a pay policy that was sustainable and ensured that salaries were paid every month was very important.
“It is a policy that in the long run will benefit workers in the public service,” he added.
The Deputy Western Regional Minister, Ms Betty Busumtwi-Sam, said the government had found something good in the policy, which was introduced by the previous government, and had decided to continue to see to its implementation.
She urged the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission to involve all stakeholders in its design and implementation.
Ms Busumtwi-Sam stated that over the years, several pay policies had been designed in the country but had not satisfied workers.
She, therefore, urged the commission to streamline a salary structure which would satisfy workers and help to reduce workers’ agitation and increase productivity.
She also called on the commission to ensure fairness and transparency in the implementation of the policy.
The Director of Pay Policy and Research of the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission, Mr John Yaw Amankrah, in his presentation, said successive governments from the late 1960s instituted actions to reform the public service for improved service delivery, as well as improved pay.
He said the SSPP did not come out of the blue but an attempt to find a pay regime that would address inequities, disparities and distortions in the pay system and allow the government to manage the wage bill.
Mr Amankrah said the ultimate goal of the SSPP was to ensure equity, fairness and transparency in public service salary administration, as well as enhance performance and productivity.

3 MATERNAL DEATHS IN 3 YEARS...In Western Regions (PAGE 40, MARCH 29, 2010)

A REVIEW of the records in the Western Region showed that over a three-year period, that is, from 2006 to 2008, only 36 per cent of deliveries were conducted by skilled attendants in health institutions and that a total of 3,617 stillbirths were registered.
During the same period, a total of 332 maternal deaths were recorded, giving a maternal mortality rate of 260 per 100,000 live births for 2008; a reduction from 390 per 100,000 live births for 2008 and 341 per 100,000 live births for 2007.
Responding to the huge number of maternal deaths and stillbirths recorded annually in the region, the Regional Directorate of Health Services initiated a Promote Maternal Infant Survival Excellence (PROMISE) conference in 2009 to draw the attention of service providers and other stakeholders to the magnitude of new-born deaths, which had for a long time gone uncounted.
As a result of this intervention, maternal deaths reduced from 99 in 2008 to 79 in 2009.
The goal of PROMISE is to save the lives of women, new-borns and children, and to provide an opportunity for health care managers, policy makers, politicians, health service providers, civil society and the general population to critically examine the systems for delivering care to the pregnant woman and the new-born.
It is also an opportunity for the involvement of all in the development of strategies to implement known cost-effective interventions that would help to reduce maternal and new-born deaths.
PROMISE will give opportunities to mothers and new-borns to survive, irrespective of whether they lived in the Western Region or beyond.
The mission of the project is to promote the survival of pregnant women and new-borns through critical analysis of maternal, new-born, child care reports, resource mobilisation, development of appropriate interventions to address gaps and to conduct research into maternal, new-born and child health issues.
In addition, it has a vision to become an advocate and resource centre of excellence for maternal, new-born and child survival.
The objectives of PROMISE include the continuous assessment and improve facilities for provision of maternal, new-born and child health (MNCH) services, regularly monitor the performance of health facilities against set targets for MNCH and strengthen systems and build capacity to ensure efficiency in MNCH service delivery.
The project will also involve key stakeholders in the provision of maternal, new-born and child health care to achieve the Millennium Development Goals 4 and 5, develop and implement strategies to reduce maternal, new-born and child deaths.
PROMISE will carry out research into maternal, new-born and child care and practices, mobilise resources for implementation of maternal, new-born and child services and develop links with other organisations and individuals involved in maternal, new-born and childcare for future development.
In addition, it will play advocacy role for attention on maternal, new-born and child survival and serve as a resource centre for maternal, new-born and child health.
At the second PROMISE conference in Takoradi, the Western Regional Director of Health Services, Dr Linda Vanotoo, urged stakeholders to discuss the gaps in service delivery and make suggestions on the way forward.
“It is my hope that district directorates will focus on the areas that need to be strengthened in the allocation of the High Impact and Rapid Delivery (HIRD) Fund for the implementation of activities at the district and sub-district levels,” she said.
Dr Vanotoo explained that the HIRD Fund was an opportunity to put some resources into the work being done, adding that some people had been wondering what was the relationship between HIRD and PROMISE.
“The two address the Millennium Development Goals, but the PROMISE does not have funds committed to it,” she stated, adding, “It gives the hospital and the districts the opportunity to take a critical look at the work they are doing and assess the outcomes”.
The regional director said PROMISE provided for a wider involvement of the community and hospital staff.
Dr Vanotoo said the assessment of activities implemented with the HIRD Fund revealed that some districts carried out activities that did not have direct impact on the maternal and new-born survival.
She, therefore, entreated all stakeholders to see the two activities as addressing the same objectives.
Dr Vanotoo expressed the wish that the districts would review their activities implemented with the HIRD funds against the planned activities and the actual needs of the people of their communities.
That, she said, would help to commit funds to areas of need that would promote maternal and child survival.
The regional director said in the past year, her outfit took a critical look at the performance of the various districts in the region and gave feedback.
She added that the districts were encouraged to develop their own plans and strategies to address maternal, new-born and child health activities without waiting to receive specific funds.
Some of the districts, she said, were very active and involved the communities in discussions on how to improve MNCH service delivery.
Dr Vanotoo said staff members were trained in essential new-born care and that brought out the gaps in the care of new-born, which included the need to keep the baby warm at birth and the importance of early initiation of breast feeding.
She said it was observed that those simple effective means of ensuring child survival were not practised routinely in some health facilities.
Dr Vanotoo said important community members such as chiefs, queens, traditional birth attendants and pregnant women were actively involved in some districts to discuss and plan for implementation of strategies to address the Millennium Development Goals four and five.
In an address read on his behalf, the Western Regional Minister, Mr Paul Evans Aidoo, said evidence showed that 800,000 lives could be saved each year if essential interventions that were already in existence could reach 90 per cent of mothers and their new-born babies.
He said the primary health care concept was developed because of lack of basic health care service.
That, Mr Aidoo said, had been strengthened through the Community-based Health Planning and Service (CHIP) strategy.
He stated that awareness had been created since the first conference, adding that maternal deaths had reduced appreciably, but stillbirths were still unacceptably high, with as many as 1,294 babies dying before their births.
The regional minister, therefore, drew the attention of health workers to the unfortunate situation, and called on them to come out with innovative and scientifically proven ways of alleviating that problem.

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

JUBILEE OIL PRODUCTION ON COURSE....Veep assures Ghanaians (BACK PAGE, MACH 24, 2010)

The Vice-President, Mr John Dramani Mahama, has assured Ghanaians that the development and production of oil at the Jubilee Field off Cape Three Points in the Western Region is on course.
He said everything was on target and that Ghana was ready to pump oil by the end of December 2010.
He said the government was also preparing the appropriate legislation which would regulate the emerging oil and gas industry.
The Vice-President gave the assurance when he briefed the press in Takoradi after visiting the oil rig at the Jubilee Field yesterday to acquaint himself with operations on the rig.
Tullow Ghana is the major operator in the Jubilee Field.
“What l saw is impressive in terms of the development of Ghana’s oil potential,” the Vice-President said.
Mr Mahama said the Petroleum Bill was being reviewed to improve on it and indicated that the Cabinet was yet to discuss the Oil and Gas Revenue Management Bill, which would give backing to the Oil Revenue Authority to regulate the oil revenue.
The Vice-President said the Cabinet had also received the Local Content Bill and had approved the Ghana Boundary Commission Bill, which would ensure the establishment of a permanent commission to manage issues concerning the country’s exclusive economic zones.
He said the Cabinet would send the bills to Parliament for approval to ensure the effective regulation of the oil engineering industry.
Vice-President Mahama emphasised that the oil revenue would be beneficial to all Ghanaians and advised the chiefs in the area to be careful in the way they released land to potential investors.
The President and General Manager of Tullow Ghana Limited, Mr Dai Jones, described the project as most exciting in the world because of the technology being used among other things.

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

EFFORTS TO SOLVE WATER PROBLEM (SPREAD, MARCH 23, 2010)

Ghana yesterday joined the international community to celebrate World’s Water Day, with an assurance that an integrated development and management of water resources intervention is being pursued to solve the country’s water problems.
The Minister of Water Resources, Works and Housing, Mr Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, who gave the assurance in a speech read on his behalf at the annual event held in Tarkwa in the Western Region, said integrated water resources management was crucial to the success or failure of all Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
That, he said, was because water was central to the livelihood systems of the poor and the vulnerable, as well as health and good sanitation.
He said the Water Resources Commission (WRC) had been mandated to manage the water resources of the country in a sustainable manner.
The theme for the event was, “Clean Water for a Healthy World”.
Mr Bagbin said the decade 2005 to 2015 was a critical period to focus global attention on what should be done, adding, “This is the right time to intensify advocacy efforts and action on the ground.”
He said the ‘water for life’ decade was a unique occasion, not just to highlight the magnitude of the problem but also bring all stakeholders together to apply solutions that work.
The minister urged Ghanaians to use this year’s World Water Day celebration to make a deliberate effort to promote access to safe drinking water and sanitation.
“Let us use it as a springboard for raising awareness of water, stimulating debate and focusing on the dangers that derive from inadequate access to safe drinking water and sanitation,” he stated.
Mr Bagbin said the provision of safe drinking water for the people remained the topmost priority of the government, since clean water was absolutely critical for health, quality of life and productivity.
He said in spite of heightened concerns and initiatives by international institutions, national and local governmental bodies, non-governmental organisations and private industry, it had been extremely difficult to implement viable solutions that were sustainable to address the crisis on the scale that it demanded.
“The consequences of our collective failure to tackle this problem were the dimmed prospects for the billions of people locked in a cycle of poverty and disease,” he stated.
The Managing Director of Aqua Vitens Rand Limited, Mr Martin Njisse, said everybody was striving for excellence in the provision of clean water for a healthy population.
Therefore, he said, it was gratifying to note that this year’s celebration sought to raise the level of awareness of the need for sustaining healthy ecosystems for a healthy humankind by addressing water quality challenges confronting countries all over the globe.
“It is sad to say that over the years the lack of adequate monitoring and enforcement of relevant laws and regulations has resulted in unfettered encroachment and degradation of our water bodies,” he said, adding, “We are all aware that the heavy pollution of water bodies has become a major environmental problem in and around Tarkwa.”
Mr Njisse said a typical example was the heavy pollution that had taken place in and around the Weija Lake in Accra and the Owabi Lake in Kumasi.
He said what was more worrying was that unscientific fishing and farming in the catchment zones had resulted in weed growth and deterioration in water quality in the Weija and the Owabi lakes.
“Needless to say, the negative effect of the deteriorated water quality of the Weija Lake and other water bodies is very enormous, as this has largely contributed to the high operational cost of the company,” he said.

Monday, March 22, 2010

GHANAIANS MUST IMMORTALISE NKRUMAH ...Haruna Iddrisu (PAGE 17, MARCH 22, 2010)

THE Minister of Communications, Mr Haruna Iddrisu, has stated that the first President of Ghana, Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, was unparalleled in terms of his contribution to national unity, development and the Organisation of the African Unity.
He has, therefore, called for the institution of a national annual memorial lecture to honour the work of Nkrumah.
Mr Iddrisu was speaking at a Kwame Nkrumah Centenary Campus Lecture at the Takoradi Polytechnic over the weekend. It was on the theme “His ideas, His vision, His times, His record”.
He said Dr Nkrumah was a facilitator of a comprehensive national development, and recalled the numerous infrastructural development projects he initiated, which included education, health, factories and roads.
“Every initiative of Dr Nkrumah was futuristic and, therefore, we must celebrate his life. In the case of educational structures, Dr Nkrumah is unparalleled and that those who overthrew him had done a great harm to the people of the northern sector and Ghanaians in general. But for his affirmative action, many Ghanaians would not have had the opportunity to attend school.”
Mr Iddrisu said those responsible for the overthrow of Nkrumah owed Ghanaians and Africans as a whole an apology.
He said Nkrumah preached and practised African personality and was far ahead of his contemporaries with his thoughts and vision.
The Communications Minister said Dr Nkrumah had no equal when it came to expanding the frontiers of freedom, social justice and cultural values.
The Dean of Arts Faculty of the University of Cape Coast, Dr Raymond Osei, said Dr Nkrumah’s remarkable role in modern African history attested to the result of the BBC poll in December 2000, which established him as the Millennium African Personality of the 20th century.
Dr Osei noted that Dr Nkrumah articulated a set of principles and strategies for the decolonisation of Africa and the establishment of good governance based upon the free consent of the masses of the people.
A member of the Kwame Nkrumah Centenary Planning Committee, Professor Agyemang Badu Akosah, explained that the lecture was to inform the youth of the country about Dr Nkrumah, and noted that for years, some people had schemed to ensure that the name of Dr Nkrumah was forgotten.
He said Dr Nkrumah sacrificed and worked tirelessly for the country’s independence, and that if he had lived long enough to achieve his vision, Ghana would have been one of the greatest nations.
The Rector of the Takoradi Polytechnic, Rev. Professor Daniel Nyarko, expressed regret that several African countries had monuments named after Nkrumah, but in Ghana, it looked like the man had been forgotten.
“If there is anybody to be given honour, it is Nkrumah, the first President of Ghana,” he emphasised, stating, “Such a man who has a great influence, not only in Ghana, but also in Africa as a whole.”
Professor Nyarko said we could offer Nkrumah a gift by immortalising his name.

Sunday, March 21, 2010

ABOADZE GETS COMMUNITY CENTRE (PAGE 39, MARCH 22, 2010)

THE West African Gas Pipeline Company (WAPCo) has constructed a multipurpose community centre for the people of Aboadze, a fishing community in the Shama District in the Western Region at a cost of GH¢100,000.
The company has provided 200 plastic chairs and furnished an office for the centre which will also serve as a central point for disseminating information to the community.
A management committee has been set up to ensure that the place is well kept and maintained regularly.
Speaking at the inauguration of the centre at Aboadze, the General Manager of WAPCo in charge of Corporate Affairs, Mrs Harriet Wereko-Brobby, said the company was working in seven communities in the country.
The communities, she said, were Aboadze, Shama, Abuesi, Inchaban, Dwomo, Tema-Manhean and Kpone.
Mrs Wereko-Brobby said the company was spending GH¢900,000 on various development projects in the seven communities, adding that GH¢300,000 out of the amount was being spent on projects at Aboadze.
She explained that WAPCo wanted to assist the communities in their development efforts to help improve their living conditions.
Mrs Wereko-Brobby said the company would continue to foster good relationship with the people to facilitate the development of the area.
The Community Relations Supervisor of WAPCo, Mr Alaye Dokubo, stated that the chiefs were not sure that the project would see the light of day when they met with management of the company to discuss the implementation of the project in Takoradi.
He told the people that the building did not belong to WAPCo but was the property of the community so they should take good care of the facility.
He also urged them to ensure regular maintenance of the centre to help increase its lifespan.
Mr Dokubo advised the management committee of the project to charge token fees from people who might use the facility to organise their private activities for the maintenance of the centre.
The Shama District Co-ordinating Director, Mr Isaac Kwakye, commended management of WAPCo for assisting the district assembly in its development agenda.
He said the company had provided many development projects for Abuesi, Aboadze, Shama, Lower Nchaban and other communities in the district.
The chief of Aboadze, Nana Kobina Atom, expressed his gratitude to the company for the many projects handed over to the community.

MTN INVESTS GH¢2MILLION IN HEALTH/EDUCATION (PAGE 40, MARCH 22, 2010)

MTN Ghana has invested over GH¢2 million in education and health projects in the country in the two years of the establishment of the MTN Foundation.
The Corporate Services Executive of MTN Ghana, Mrs Mawuena Trebarh, announced this at the launch of the company’s external newsletter and a government and regulatory relations news bulletin in Takoradi.
She said through the foundation, the company had transformed the lives of many people in the communities, adding that education and health projects had been the benchmark of many companies.
Mrs Trebarh said the MTN Foundation was another area of sustaining the company’s commitment to national development.
She said being an African multinational company, it had informed decisions such as its consistent support for major festivals in the country to sustain the traditions and values of the people.
Mrs Trebarh stated that the MTN Group had announced that the company continued to lead the telecommunication industry locally and across Africa and the Middle East with innovative customer centre products.
She said the MTN Group’s revenue increased by 9.2 per cent in earnings before interest, tax and depreciation by 6.7 per cent for the year ended 31 December, 2009.
Mrs Trebarh stated that MTN Ghana continued to lead the industry since it recognised that its success was due to the loyalty and goodwill of its subscribers and stakeholders in the country.
“We constantly reward our loyal subscribers and continue to look for ways of deepening our partnership and relationships with our customers,” she added.
She said the publications had a goal to help enhance public knowledge about telecommunications and the importance of ICT innovation.
Mrs Trebarh said the publications would be an important tool not only for promoting the company’s business but also to create more opportunities for free exchange of information between the reading public and MTN.

Sunday, March 14, 2010

TULLOW GHANA BUILDS LOGISTIC BASES FOR OPERATIONS (BACK PAGE, MARCH 13, 2010

TULLOW Ghana has established integrated shore logistics support bases that will support its shallow and deep-water drilling operations in the Jubilee Oil Field.
The bases, located at the Takoradi Air Force Station, the Sekondi Naval Base and the Takoradi Port, are to enhance the company’s ability to handle heavy equipment without transporting them far away from the oil rig at the Jubilee Field at Cape Three Points in the Western Region.
The Logistics Base Manager of Tullow Ghana, Mr Nicolas Hoting, made this known when members of the board of directors of the Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA) visited the various bases in Takoradi and Sekondi.
He said at the Takoradi Air Force Station, there had been an improvement on a 600-metre road provided with street lights and a pedestrian path.
The company has also constructed a warehouse, as well as training facilities and a canteen for its staff.
Additionally, he said, Tullow was resurfacing a 5,000 square-metre area for aviation at the Air Force Station for its operations.
There has also been an improvement on roads, drains and other facilities at the Sekondi Naval Base.
The company is using the Takoradi Port as a primary port and the Sekondi Naval Base as a second port.
Touching on human resource, Mr Hoting said the company was to structure and implement an effective nationalisation programme at all levels.
He said it was providing all staff with the required training in firefighting, first aid, computer literacy, oil spill response, emergency response, swimming lessons, offshore survival, supervisory and management training courses.
The Chairman of the Board of Directors of the GMA, Naval Captain G.O. Asubonteng (retd), advised Tullow Ghana to ensure capacity building for its Ghanaian employees. .
The Director-General of the GMA, Mr Peter Azumah, noted that Tullow had the correct structures but it must put up more permanent structures.
He said the authority had trained marine surveyors, engineers, security and safety officers who could assist companies which would need assistance in that direction.
The Chief of Naval Staff, Real Admiral M. Quarshie, commended Tullow for its efforts and collaboration, adding, “We look forward to better understanding and co-operation.”

Friday, March 12, 2010

NDC REMAINS FOCUSED ON INVESTING IN PEOPLE — AGYENIM-BOATENG (PAGE 16, MARCH 12, 2010)

THE Deputy Minister of Information, Mr James Agyenim-Boateng, has reiterated that the Mills administration under the National Democratic Congress Government is focusing on investing in people and the creation of jobs.
He therefore said, the Government would work hard to resuscitate the economy with a view to creating the enabling environment for the private sector to expand and open up more job opportunities for all.
This, he said, would absorb the numerous skilled but untapped labour, especially from the tertiary institutions every year.
Mr Agyenim-Boateng was speaking at the opening ceremony of a two-day seminar on Entrepreneurship and Economic Potentials of Intellectual Property at the Takoradi Polytechnic last weekend.
The seminar organised by the Intellectual Property Assets Rights Management (IPARM), in collaboration with the Takoradi Polytechnic chapter of Students In Free Enterprise (SIFE), was aimed at creating awareness among students and potential entrepreneurs about the economic potentials of intellectual property for generating employment and contributing to the country’s development.
Mr Agyenim-Boateng said the Government was also committed to encouraging and providing incentives to persons who wanted to be self employed.
He said in addition to the Venture Capital Trust Fund which was available to provide funding for ventures initiated by businesses, there were other avenues including the revamped and much focused Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC).
He said it was clear that the rate of graduate turn-out every year could not and was not keeping pace with the capacities of industries to absorb, leading to excess human capital being under utilised”, he noted.
Therefore, he added that the Government supported the efforts by the members of the civil society to create entrepreneurial drive and self-employment techniques among the young people.
Mr Agyenim-Boateng commended the management of IPARM and SIFE for the initiative to introduce the student body to the economic potential that could be tapped in the area of intellectual property.
He said intellectual property had been proven, globally, to be a source of great value in job creation and also value additions in the copyright and related rights industries, technology transfer and innovations in patents, expansion of business income in trademarks and service marks, through marketing opportunities on the internet, to the enhancement of national image in national branding.
“In most developing countries, including Ghana, the small and medium enterprises sector stands to gain a lot through the use of intellectual property in promoting local production, direct commercialisation of intellectual property assets and by linkages with large enterprises through the use of intellectual property mechanisms”, he said.
The Chief Executive Officer of IPARM, Mr John Assan Benson, called on the Government to initiate conscious and integrated programmes to raise the level of awareness of the population about national and international intellectual property systems.
He also urged the Government to introduce intellectual property into the core curricula of second cycle and tertiary institutions, and also to encourage the full participation of all interest groups, creators, intellectual property holders, the universities, polytechnics among others to optimise the benefits of the intellectual property system.

Thursday, March 11, 2010

USE DACF TO PROVIDE SOCIAL NEEDS OF PEOPLE (PAGE 16, MARCH 11, 2010)

THE Western Regional Minister, Mr Paul Evans Aidoo, has called on Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies in the region to use the District Assemblies’ Common Fund (DACF) to provide social needs of the people since they must benefit from it.
Mr Aidoo made the call when he presented 100 chairs and 50 stools worth GH¢2,400 on behalf of the Western Regional Co-ordinating Council (RCC) to the Archbishop Porter Girls Senior High School in Sekondi.
He said the assemblies should embark on minor projects such as the provision of school furniture and classroom blocks between this year and 2011, instead of constructing mansions which would only benefit the officials of the assemblies.
“The people need water, good classrooms. We want the people to benefit from the district assemblies common fund,” he emphasised.
Mr Aidoo said the RCC, the school management committee and the Regional Directorate of the Ghana Education Service would officially visit the Archbishop Porter Girls Senior High School to talk to the students on the recent illness which befell the students.
The Western Regional Director of the Ghana Education Service, Mrs Rebecca Afiba Dadzie, urged the school’s authorities to take good care of all items they had in the school, whenever new consignment was sent to the school, it added up to the old stock.
The Headmistress of Archbishop Porter Girls Senior High School, Ms Louisa Constance Aggrey, commended the RCC for the kind donation, and urged the regional minister to visit the school regularly to acquaint himself with what happened in the school.

GNPC ACQUIRES LAND FOR GAS PROCESSING PLANT (BACK PAGE, MARCH 11, 2010)

THE Ghana National Petroleum Company (GNPC) has acquired a large tract of land near Bonyere and Kabla Suazo in the Western Region for the construction of a gas processing plant.
The plant will cost between US$800 million and US$1 billion and it will be constructed in phases.
The company has already ordered pipes for the project and the laying of the pipes to bring gas from the Jubilee Field to the shore for processing to begin in June, this year.
The Lead Geophysicist of the GNPC, Mr Benjamin Kwame Asante, announced this at the Western Regional forum on petroleum resource management in Takoradi.
About 200 people, including chiefs, metropolitan, municipal and district chief executives, fishermen, students, members of the various assemblies, Members of Parliament, representatives of the Association of Ghana Industries and the Ghana Chamber of Commerce in the region attended the forum.
Mr Asante said there was a strategic plan to bring associated gas from the Jubilee Field to the shore to process the transmitted wet gas into dry gas and liquids, including liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), condensate and propane.
He said natural gas would drive the economic development of the country, noting that the GNPC was playing a lead role in harnessing natural gas for domestic use and dry gas for power generation and fertiliser production primarily.
He said the GNPC was also sizing the gas infrastructure to enable the monetisation of the Jubilee Field gas and other indigenous natural gas reserves in its vicinity.
Mr Asante said the GNPC was collaborating with the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology and other institutions on how to develop human capacity for the oil industry.
The Advisor for the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, Dr Joe Amoako-Tuffour, explained that the forum was to educate Ghanaians to help minimise misinformation and misrepresentation, as well as share thoughts on how the oil revenue should be managed.
He said it was also to help arrive at a mid-point of interest of Ghanaians and establish a Revenue Management Law that was acceptable, ensure checks and balances and also to have sufficient safeguards for transparency and accountability.
The Deputy Western Regional Minister, Mrs Betty Busumtwi-Sam, said the discovery of oil in the country had heightened the anxiety of many in the area for job acquisition and the uses to which revenue accruing from it would be put.
She said the forum was, therefore, to engage the citizenry to brainstorm on how the oil revenue should be managed.
The Paramount Chief of the Nsein Traditional Area, Awulae Agyefi Kwame, advised that all attention should not be focused on the discovery of oil alone, to the neglect of the modernisation and improvement of agriculture in the region.
The Paramount Chief of the Western Nzema Traditional Area, Awulae Annor Adjaye, suggested that a percentage of the oil revenue should be set aside for the management of any disaster which might occur at sea, particularly oil spillage.

Monday, March 8, 2010

GOLDEN STAR HONOURS 153 WORKERS (PAGE 31, MARCH 8. 2010)

GOLDEN Star (Wassa Mines) Limited, a gold mining company at Akyempim in the Mpohor Wassa East District in the Western Region, has honoured 153 employees for their long, dedicated and meritorious services to the company.
The award winners, who had served the company between five and 10 years, received roofing sheets, bags of cement, refrigerators and certificates of merit.
At the ceremony, the General Manager of Golden Star (Wassa Mines), Mr Mike Mracek, said the award would encourage the workers to work harder and to take good care of their families.
He advised the workers to think more about safety in the mine, adding that the company had worked for millions of hours in the past years without any injury.
The Mines Manager of Golden Star, Mr Henry Tandoh, stated that the workforce was the most single asset of every company so it was important for the company to institute such an award.
He said the awards should serve as a challenge for the workers to be productive to ensure the growth of the company to enable them also to benefit.
Mr Tandoh suggested that in future the awards should be provided in the form of shares for the award winners to own shares in the company.
The chief of Mamponso Division of Wassa, Nana Kwamina Damoah, said the workers were not only honoured for their long services, but also for their dedicated services rendered to the company.
He said the awards should serve as a landmark for them to continue to work hard.

ESTATE HOUSES BECOMING DEATH TRAPS (PAGE 26, MARCH 8, 2010)

THE State Housing Corporation now State Housing Company Limited) was for some time a household name in the delivery of estate houses for institutions, organisations and the general public, particularly in the First Republic.
It was well known for the construction of estate houses in Accra, Kumasi, Takoradi and some urban areas throughout the country.
In Takoradi, the company constructed the Effia Kuma Estate, popularly known as New Site many years ago.
Now, these estate houses have become so dilapidated that they have become an apology of human settlement, particularly the North Effia Kuma Estate, where some police personnel are living, including the Effia Kuma Police Station.
Most of the buildings in this area have virtually collapsed, while others are hanging as a result of intensive soil erosion caused by rain.
It is against this backdrop that State Housing Company (SHC), has developed a plan to renew/review the urban landscape for the redevelopment of its very old estate houses in the country into a modern and appreciable standards.
This will involve the improvement in the housing stock, as well as the people living in those areas.
This is in line with the company’s core business of housing people and businesses in a profitable but socially responsible manner.
The Board of Directors of the State Housing Company have inspected the North Effia Kuma Estate, the Ituma Site and the 58-acre land the company has acquired at Assakae, near Takoradi for the development of estate houses.
The acting Zonal Director of the SHC in charge of Western and Central Regions, Mr Luke A. Kuulamore, told the Daily Graphic that the company had paid about GH¢50,000 to officially acquire 27 out of the 58 acres of the land at Assakae.
He said the company had completed 66 estate houses on the 50-acre land at the Ituma Site, while 25 new buildings were under construction and that a total of 160 estate houses were expected to be constructed at the Ituma Site, near Takoradi.
Mr Kuulamore said the company was constructing 16 new estate houses in Cape Coast, saying that three were being constructed at Ola and 13 at the Fourth Ridge.
He said a total of 336 houses were expected to be constructed on the company’s 84 acres of land at Fourth Ridge.
According to Mr Kuulamore, the houses were constructed and sold to public institutions and individuals who pre-financed them or made part deposits.
The Managing Director of the State Housing Company, Mr Mark Nii Akwei Ankrah, told the Daily Graphic that “We believe that North Effia Kuma offers a wonderful opportunity to create a template for how we can transform our built environment, living conditions and socio-economic lives worth of the 21st century”.
Without these aspirations and commitment to develop our social and economic lives, he noted that any desire we have of developing would be far fetched.
Mr Ankrah explained that this would require an initial investment into a thorough feasibility study of the community and its immediate environment.
“This feasibility will inform us the nature of consultation and engagement strategy to adopt before any project can be conceptualised and implemented”, he further explained.
He said all relevant stakeholders would be consulted on the fact that there was sustainable socio-economic regeneration.
The managing director said the SHC was the lead implementing agency of housing delivery in the country, adding “We operate directly under the Ministry of Water Resources, Works and Housing to deliver the government’s vision of providing affordable social housing for all Ghanaians”.
“We are very much aware of the socio-economic challenges that confront us”, he said adding “But we are confident that the timing is right because there is clear evidence that the people in the community need something different”.
Mr Ankrah also noted that with the advent of the oil driven economic activities, the potential for new and more jobs for the local people would serve as a catalyst for investment into complementary services such as social housing.
He said the SHC would not concentrate its activities only in the urban areas, but also in the rural areas in fulfilment of its commitment to provide housing for all Ghanaians as practicable as possible, regardless of income groups.
He said the SHC would be relaunched as the premier housing provider in Ghana.

Thursday, March 4, 2010

WATER SUPPLY TO THE TWIN-CITY UNDER THREAT (PAGE 29, MAR 4, 2010)

WATER supply to the Sekondi/Takoradi Metropolitan Area is under threat as the level of the two rivers which provide raw water for treatment, transmission and distribution to the metropolis keep on dwindling.
River Pra is the source of raw water for the Daboase head works of the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL), while River Anankwa provides raw water for the Inchaban head works of the company.
The Daboase headworks which produces six million gallons of water for Takoradi, Shama and the Takoradi Thermal Plant, is now producing a little over four million gallons a day, while the Inchaban headworks which produces four million gallons a day for Sekondi, is now doing 500,000 gallons a day.
The maximum water level of 4.9 meters of River Pra at which raw water is picked for treatment at the Daboase headworks has reduced drastically to about one meter, while that of River Anankwa which is 26 feet has gone down to eight feet.
The company has, therefore, decided to ration water supply to the metropolis.
The Western Regional Production mananger of the Ghana Water Company, Mr Mark Teiko Codjoe at the weekend, led a team of journalists to visit the two headworks and to inspect the rivers.
The visit offered the media the opportunity to observe and have first hand information on the current low raw water levels at the two treatment plants, which have adversely affected the production and supply of water to the metropolis.
It was observed that the water level of River Pra had reduced drastically, leading to the exposure of the bigger rocks in the river.
Mr Codjoe said the low level of the rivers had made the pumping and treatment of raw water very difficult, adding “Definitely there will be rationing of water”.
He said the activities of illegal gold miners, popularly called ‘galamsey’ also lead to the silting of the River Pra and that the company had to undertake regular desilting of the river, thereby, increasing the cost of production.
He said it was a disincentive to the Western Regional Security Council to always send security personnel to flush out these illegal miners from the River Pra.
He, therefore, called for drastic measures to help solve this problem once and for all.
Mr Codjoe noted that with the oil find, more people would be attracted to the twin-city and that the demand for water would be high. He said the company would have to reposition itself to meet this challenge.

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

CLOGSAG DISSOCIATES ITSELF FROM MOU (PAGE 46, MARCH 1, 2010)

THE National Executive Council of the Civil and Local Government Staff Association, Ghana (CLOGSAG) has dissociated itself from the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission and organised labour.
The association stated that although the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission had acknowledged the teething problems related to the grading of its members, those concerns were not addressed as directed by the government’s White Paper, before the MoU was signed.
In a communiqué issued by the National Executive Council of the CLOGSAG after a three-day working session at the Busua Beach Resort in the Western Region, the association said the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission was also silent on the standardisation of category two and three allowances, which were to be negotiated as directed by the White Paper.
The communiqué signed by the Vice-President of the association, Mr Tennyson Foli, stated, “The association has noted with dismay that the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning and the Ministry of Employment and Social were not party to the memorandum of understanding signed between the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission and organised labour/associations as directed by the white paper”.
“In view of the above concerns, the actions of the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission are contrary to the directives of the White Paper, and therefore, the memorandum of understanding so signed is not binding on CLOGSAG,” the communiqué stated.
“Therefore, CLOGSAG wishes to dissociate itself from the memorandum of understanding,” it added.
According to the communiqué, the association would not participate in any one roundtable negotiation if the principles of equity and fairness, the core principles for the new pay policy, had not been achieved as directed by the White Paper.
“CLOGSAG notes with displeasure the actions and inactions of the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission, which it considers detrimental to the interest and aspirations of its members and wishes to advise that the commission puts its house in order and go by the directives contained in the government’s White Paper. Anything short of this can lead to a major industrial unrest or upheaval in the country,” it warned.
The council has, therefore, directed its national secretariat to immediately open negotiations with the government for the 2010 salary adjustment for members of the association based on the Ghana Universal Salary Structure (GUSS).
The communiqué enjoined the entire membership of the association to remain resolute and steadfast, as the council went through the journey of equity and fairness and to have faith in its leadership, since the leadership would not endorse or accept any policy that would be to the disadvantage its members.

Monday, March 1, 2010

WORKSHOP ON GENERIC CAPACITY BUILDING ENDS (PAGE 13, FEB 27, 2010)

A three-day workshop on generic capacity-building training on public procurement management to ensure that public funds are used judiciously has ended.
Metropolitan, municipal and district chief executives, as well as finance officers, works engineers, coordinating directors and planning officers from the various assemblies in the Western Region attended the workshop.
The 85 participants were taken through topics such as “Role of procurement and legal framework’; ‘Procurement roles, responsibilities’; ‘procurement principles and ethics’ and ‘procurement rules, methods and thresholds’.
They also went through ‘supply eligibility, qualifications and registration’, ‘introduction to the public procurement cycle’, ‘tendering process’, procurement planning’ and ‘tender evaluation procedures’ as well as ‘contract award’ and ‘introduction to contracts management’.
Speaking at the opening ceremony in Takoradi, the Head of the Local Government Service, Mr Akwasi Opong-Fosu said local government would be decoupled from the civil service when the LI 1961 was passed by Parliament.
He explained that if the Local Government District Departments Commencement Act, which was before Parliament was passed, the decentralised departments which used to be central agencies would become part of the metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies.
Mr Opong-Fosu said 33,000 out of the 43,000 personnel in the civil service would be transferred to the local government.
He further explained that the civil service would focus on policy formulation while metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies would ensure the implementation of the policies.
Mr Opong-Fosu said a Functional Organisational Assessment Tool was organised to assess the organisational performance of the metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies and that out of the 138 assemblies which were assessed, only 50 passed.
The Deputy Western Regional Minister, Betty Busumtwi-Sam, noted that most of the participants were conversant with the Public Procurement Law, but since the coming into force of the law, a series of workshops had been organised to refresh their memories.
She noted that the workshop would also sharpen their administrative and managerial skills, since a good procurement practice could make savings for other development activities.
The Director of Capacity Development of the Public Procurement Authority, Mr David Bennin, said his outfit had the mandate under the law to build the capacity of public officers.
He said the group undergoing the workshop was very important in the public procurement system and that they would monitor the process to ensure that the right thing was being done.
Mr Bennin said last year, circuit court judges and magistrates were trained and were now sitting on procurement cases, while 25 personnel from the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice were also trained. He added that 150 personnel from the Serious Fraud Office will also be trained.

'SUSU' COMPANIES ATTEND CONSULTATIVE MEETING (PAGE 22, FEB 27, 2010)

FORTY representatives of “susu” companies and individuals from the Western and Central regions have attended a day’s consultative meeting in Takoradi to discuss the formation of an apex body for all ‘susu’ collectors in the country.
The meeting, organised under the auspices of the Ghana Co-operative Susu Collectors Association, also informed members of the association of the Bank of Ghana’s pre-requisites for granting apex status to the association.
It also educated the members on the duties and responsibilities of the association, when granted an apex status.
It was expected that after the meeting, the members would appreciate the need for general re-organisation of the association in pursuance of apex status and professionalisation of the susu trade in the common interest of all stakeholders.
The members would also appreciate the need for a common front to know and understand Bank of Ghana’s expectations of the Ghana Co-operative Susu Collectors Association before granting it the apex status, as well as the benefits of an apex body.
They would further appreciate the need for a unified and cohesive body and to develop higher regulatory standards, as well as improve the system of corporate governance at all levels of the association.
At the end of the meeting, the participants were expected to assist the association to develop systems for risk management, improve institutional framework, develop monitoring and supervision systems and liaise with the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning and the Bank of Ghana on policy issues.
The President of the Ghana Co-operative Susu Collectors Association, Mr Elvis E. Aboagye Manuh, explained that “susu” collection was like any deposit taking and credit advancing institution in the country, and fell under the regulation and supervision of the Bank of Ghana.
He said over the years, there had been reports that “susu” collectors had absconded with the savings of micro-savers and that that negative practice tended to undermine the financial system.
“When properly harnessed, “susu” can promote higher investment leading to economic empowerment, in terms of poverty alleviation among the vulnerable in the society. This makes “susu” collection a very vital link with the formal banking sector,” Mr Manuh stated.
He said with the help of the Bank of Ghana, the association was trying to wipe out unscrupulous operators, formalise operations and protect depositors.
 

UMAT, NEWMOUNT SIGN MOU (PAGE 22, FEB 27, 2010)

THE University of Mines and Technology (UMaT) at Tarkwa and Newmont Ghana Gold Limited have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) under which the mining company will donate US$500,000 towards the acquisition and installation of fire suppression and security surveillance systems in the university.
The MoU forms part of a wider collaboration between the university and the mining company in promoting mutual interest within the sphere of education for students and the country’s mining industry.
A short ceremony for the signing of the MoU and presentation of a cheque for the amount, as well as a sod-cutting for the commencement of the project, has been held on the university campus.
At the ceremony, the Vice Chancellor of the university Professor Daniel Mireku-Gyimah, said for the past three years, the university had been collaborating with Newmont on a number of issues concerning education.
“We are happy about this collaboration with Newmont,” he said, adding “The US$ 500,000 donation will go a long way to protect the critical infrastructure and equipment of the university”.
Prof. Mireku-Gyimah pledged that the money would be used judiciously for the purpose for which it was donated.
The Director of Corporate and External Affairs for Africa of Newmont Ghana Gold Limited, Dr Chris Anderson, explained that the donation formed part of the company’s greater commitment to Ghana.
Newmont, he said, was committed to strengthening educational systems and building capacity in its workforce, host communities and broader knowledge sharing and education locally, regionally and nationally.
Dr Anderson stated that education was a cornerstone to long term and sustainable economic development and that mining was a key contributor to the country’s future growth.
“Since Newmont began operating in Ghana in 2006, it has committed over US$20 million to a variety of educational causes in the country,” he said.

HIHG MATERNAL DEATHS WORRY WR HEALTH DIRECTORATE (PAGE 22, FEB 27, 2010)

ONE of the major areas of concern for the Western Regional Directorate of Health Services has been the high maternal deaths, poor death auditing and high still births, which the region recorded last year.
However, the region exposed the unfortunate situation to many organisations and the need for concerted efforts to reduce these deaths at the PROMISE conference and later at the Maternal and New-born Conference, which were held in March, last year.
The Regional Director of Health Services, Dr (Mrs) Linda Vanotoo, announced this at the opening of a four-day regional annual performance review meeting of the health sector in Takoradi.
It was on the theme: “Linking clinical care and public health for effective service delivery”.
Dr Vanotoo said the conference brought out many gaps in maternal and new-born service delivery and also served as a tool for improvement in service delivery in all districts.
“Although there may be other reasons such as the presence of obstetrician and gynaecology specialists at the Effia Nkwanta Regional and Takoradi Hospitals, we believe that the PROMISE conference contributed to the appreciable reduction in maternal deaths in 2009,” she stated.
Dr Vanotoo said the regional medical stores which were the backbone of service delivery also saw some changes.
She said the pharmacist in charge of the stores was appointed as the acting manager to oversee the running of the whole area and be the liaison between the regional medical stores and the regional health directorate.
Dr Vanotoo said even though the National Health Insurance Scheme had removed financial barriers from the clients, it was now creating difficulties for service providers because of the long delay in reimbursement for services rendered.
“The health facilities owe the regional medical stores huge sums of money, while the regional health directorate also owes the central medical stores and supplies a huge amount of money,” she emphasised.
Dr Vanotoo said, “It is our hope that these arrears will be paid as soon as possible to ensure the smooth running of our services.”
Touching on clinical care, she said the region rented accommodation for medical officers/specialists and was able to attract eight junior doctors and six specialists.
That, she said, had improved the staff situation at the Effia Nkwanta Regional Hospital.
She said the region was able to post medical officers to the district hospitals to replace those who had left for further studies.
Dr Vanotoo said 15 people had so far benefited from prosthesis at the Limb Fitting Centre at Supomu Dunkwa in the Western Region.
She mentioned some of the challenges facing directorate during the year under review was the request of many staff to further their education at the same time but as the directorate could not grant all applications, some staff went away without proper authorisation.
Dr Vanatoo said a sizeable number of staff also requested for transfers based on family problems which were not in the interest of the work, as well as late submission of reports from some health facilities.
She added that weak performance in some facilities, non-use of data for action due to poor data collection, as well as adequate funds for regular monitoring and supervision, were some of the challenges.