Boost for energy sector…DANIDA provides $40 million grant
U.S. business team to explore agriculture sector
Election transparency…Party reps on Commission not the answer
Military must keep away from civil matters – UGM, Reform Party
NPP elects officers in Ashanti
Boost for energy sector…DANIDA provides $40 million grant
The Daily Graphic in its top story, reports that the Danish International Development Assistance (DANIDA), is giving Ghana a $40-million grant to support her energy sector. The assistance, which will be for a five-year period, is in line with DANIDA’s efforts at assisting Ghana to achieve a middle-income status as contained in the ‘Vision 2020’ document, a blueprint for Ghana’s economic development.
The Graphic, quoting Mr Finn Balsley, Minister/Counsellor at the Royal Danish Embassy in Accra as disclosing this yesterday said the support would begin this year. Mr Balsley is said to have indicated that the grant will cover three components such as renewable energy, traditional energy and assistance to the Ghana Energy Commission.
He said under the renewable energy component, the support programme would examine the feasibility of introducing solar energy in Ghana, especially in the rural area. Solar energy, he said, is cheaper and easily available and that its use will, therefore, be appropriate and convenient.
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The Ghanaian Times
U.S. business team to explore agriculture sector
In a front-page story the Ghanaian Times reports that a 31-member trade delegation from the United States has arrived in Ghana to explore investment opportunities, especially in the agricultural sector.
The Times says that the delegation the largest ever agriculture trade mission to visit Africa, is in Ghana to also seek ways of expanding agricultural trade between the two counties. Dubbed the ‘Africa Trade Team’, the group, led by Mr Patrick Steel, Associate Administrator of the US. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Service is said to include business executives representing major agro-based companies, and officials from the financial and pubic sectors.
The story says that the delegation would also explore the possibility of promoting the sale of U.S. agricultural commodities and helping to identify constraints in finance, transportation and storage and to refine the U.S Department of Agriculture’s export programmes for the Ghanaian market.
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The Evening News
Election transparency…Party reps on Commission not the answer
The Evening News reports that Dr Kwadwo Afari-Gyan, Chairman of the Electoral Commission has said that transparency cannot be achieved within Ghana’s electoral system y merely putting representatives of political parties on the Commission.
"What is needed for the Electoral Commission to function properly and smoothly, are a transparent electoral system and process and people of integrity, who are not beholden to external interests and can take decisions on their own", he is quoted as saying The Times, in a lead story, says that Dr Afari-Gyan was reacting to a suggestion made to the Commission by the Minority Group in Parliament in their 1999 annual report that there should be a representative of the various political parties on the Commission to ensure fairness and transparency in its activities.
The Minority is also said to have alleged that Parliament had been kept out of the preparation of the Commission towards this yeas general elections. Dr Afari Gyan is said to have explained that he was not resisting attempts to make the Commission transparent y allowing party representation on it. "I am a firm believer in transparency, but the issue f transparency and the issue f party representation n an electoral body are entirely two different thing and we should not mix them up", he is reported as saying.
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The Independent
Military must keep away from civil matters – UGM, Reform Party
The Independent reports the presidential candidate of the United Ghana Movement (UGM), Dr Charles Wereko-Brobby, as calling for total withdrawal by the military from civil matters and respect the confines of their operation as defined by the Constitution of Ghana.
The Times says in a front-age story that the interim General Secretary of the National Reform Part (NRP), Mr Kyeretwie Opoku, in a similar statement has also advised the military to stay away from civil matters and stick to their constitutional role of defending Ghana against external threats.
The story says that both Dr Wereko-Brobby and Mr Opoku were reacting to the arrest and detention of the editor of the "Independent", Mr Kabral Bay-Amihere, on January 13, 2000. The Independent says that Dr Wereko-Brobby, stating his position in a letter addressed to the Minister of Defence, said everything about the arrest of Kabral Blay-Amihere was illegal".
Dr Wereko-Brobby, who is said to have repeated what many local and international bodies, including the Ghana Bar Association, the Trades Union Congress, Ghana Journalists’ Association and the Canadian Committee for the Protection of Journalists have said, stated that "under our constitution, soldiers have no business threatening civilians with arms on the streets of Ghana in peace time, nor arresting civilians".
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The Crusading Guide
NPP elects officers in Ashanti
In a centre spread story, the Crusading Guide reports that the Ashanti Regional branch of Ghana’s strongest opposition party, the NPP, has held its regional congress in Kumasi to prepare for this year’s crucial presidential and parliamentary election. The paper says that the 132 delegates from the region’s 33 constituencies unanimously elected Mr Frederick Fredua Anto, as its Chairman.
The Crusading Guide names other officers as Mr Kwame Agyei, First Vice-Chairman; Mr Ben Abankwah, Second Vice-Chairman; Mr Samuel Cudjoe, Secretary; Mr Opoku Boateng, Youth Organiser. The rest are Mr J.P. Atiemo, Treasurer: Alhaji Kwasi Yeboah, Regional Organiser and Madam Georgina Osei Tutu, Women’s Organiser.
The paper says in an address, Mr J.A. Kufuor, the NPP flagbearer, gave the assurance that the party would win the December general elections to redeem Ghanaians from the shackles of incompetence, misadministration, economic hardships and abject poverty that have characterised the NDC government.
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