My $200 salary is insufficient - Bagbin
Defence
minister cautions Rawlings
Ghanaian Passports will not be withdrawn in July
Child trafficking, Asmah calls for concrete action
Ghanaians In Germany Welcome President
Ghanaians Abroad Coalition launches conference
Judicial Committee dismisses Juasohene's appeal
Ghana lauded for pursuit of good governance
Church Growth conference opens in Kumasi
Policy to restore hope in land administration system underway
Defilement cases on the increase- Police Unit
Workshop on TRIPS and Public health opens
Swiss Ambassador on transparency of public works
Assistance for tomato growers to process produce
Accra (Greater Accra) 06 June 2002 - ...But I took a $20,000 car loan Minority Leader, Alban S. K. Bagbin is crying for better conditions of service at a time when the country has been declared HIPC.
“Looking at the role I play in this august House and outside, I receive ¢1,776,950 (=$220) a month which is nothing to write home about,” he said. The Ghanaian Chronicle says Mr Bagbin’s office has no supporting staff to carry out administrative duties except secretaries.
Mr. Bagbin also noted that he uses part of his peanut salary to run the office. He therefore suggested that an annual budget should be allocated to his office since it is as key as other ministries in the country. According to the Minority Leader, since the NPP took over the affairs of the nation from the NDC, he has not been allocated an official residence and he still uses his private residence at Lashibi near Tema for official assignments.
This according to him, does not augur well for Ghana’s infant democracy. He also lamented that he has been allocated an amount of ¢264,000 to engage the services of a driver and a house boy and wondered how he could engage the services of the these people and pay them well considering the high cost of living.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 06 June 2002 - Defence Minister, Dr
Kwame Addo Kufuor has advised former President Rawlings to be mindful of some
of his utterances so that "we may be able to accord him the dignity that
his former office requires". In an address to mark the celebration of June
4, which fell on Tuesday, the Former President accused the NPP administration
of deliberately recruiting party supporters into the military. He also alleged
that there is an orchestrated attempt to fill up vacancies in the military with
supporters of the NPP.
According
to the ex-President, people are being forced to go on retirement and challenged
Defense Minister, Kwame Addo-Kufuor to refute the allegations.
At
a press conference in Accra, Dr Addo Kufuor said as a former President of the
nation, Ghanaians are expecting him to be giving advice and suggestions to the
current President rather than making unnecessary and proactive utterances. He
therefore urged Flt Lt Rawlings to take a cue from the former President of the
USA, William Jefferson Clinton, who is now living quietly as a statesman.
The
Minister also described the ex-President’s allegations, as false saying that
the retirement and recruitment exercise in the Ghana Armed Forces has always
been a transparent one. Throwing more light on the retirement of soldiers, the
acting Director General, Personnel and Administration of the Ghana Armed
Forces, Col M.K. Amuzu explained that the retirement of soldiers has been a
normal administrative procedure until a few years back when the exercise was
suspended because of lack of funds to pay terminal benefits to the retired
officers.
“To
ensure that the over-aged soldiers are retired honourably and with dignity,
government released funds to the Ministry of Defence to continue the exercise.”
He disclosed that about 250 soldiers who have spent more than 25 years in the
service would be retired next month. On the recruitment exercise, he said it is
a transparent exercise taking place at all district levels. He added that the
military should be allowed to play its professional role instead of being
dragged into politics. – JoyOnline
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Accra (Greater Accra) 06 June 2002 – A source at the office of the Director of Passport has denied that the office intends to withdraw the current Ghanaian passports for new ones by the middle of July as reported by an Accra weekly.
Reacting to a story in the Network Herald, in an interview with GRi, the source stated that “we are not changing the passport, the report is not true. Moreover this is a policy decision, which is beyond me”.
The source explained that the Immigration Service planned to introduce new administrative measures to improve on the delivery of passport and according to him, this will be introduced in July.
When the National Identification Number project takes off and successfully completed, the passport office would use it as basis to streamline procedure of acquiring passports, the source hinted.
The paper had reported in this week’s edition that Ghanaians may be called upon to surrender their current passports for new ones soon. The paper attributed the reason for the measure to a planned introduction of new procedure for acquiring passports.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 06 June 2002 - Mrs Gladys Asmah, Minister for Women and Children Affairs, on Wednesday called for concrete actions to combat child trafficking and the problem of street children.
"Emerging issues like child trafficking, HIV orphans, streetism are issues that need immediate attention and action with short term interventions", Mrs Asmah said in a speech read on her behalf at the launch of Organisation of African Union (OAU) day of the African Child in Accra.
The day, under theme: "Africa, fit for Children, Stop Child Trafficking and Exploitation" attracted about 200 students from six selected schools in Accra. The OAU day of the African Child is celebrated worldwide in honour of some of South African children, who were gunned down in June 1976 to agitate for their rights.
The Minister cited the issue of 'Kayayee', child sexual workers, rape victims as 'babies' of child trafficking and attributed it to poverty, cultural harmful practices, insufficient training and educational opportunities for children.
She said reflecting on the strides made since the World Summit of 1990, "our achievement towards the major goals set for our children leaves much to be desired and reviewing our past failures and setting up achievable goals would depend on our commitment and dedication to better the situation".
The Ministry of Women and Children Affairs, she said was all set to fulfil every pledge government had made towards the achievement of "our new declaration of making Ghana fit for the Ghanaian child".
Mrs Asmah called for the collaboration of the law enforcement agencies, civil society and children to eschew the traditional habit of the culture of silence when crimes were being committed against others.
She urged the public to be vigilant and report child abuse cases to traditional rulers, family heads and the law enforcement agencies. This, she said would help eliminate or minimise child exploitation in the country.
Dr Ramesh Shrestha, UNICEF Representative, said the celebration of the day for African child should be a reminder to the heads of states to fulfil the promises made to children in their respective countries.
Dr Shrestha pledged UNICEF's commitment by re-doubling its efforts on issues affecting child development worldwide and expressed the hope that rights and privileges of children would be enhance by making education and health care accessible to them involving them in taking decisions that affect them.
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Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 06 June 2002 - The Reverend Dr. Osei Bonsu, acting General Secretary of the Ghana Baptist Convention, has advised students to be selective in the type of songs they listen to because it could make or unmake them.
Lyrics of some "Hip-Life" songs entice the youth to experiment with sex, Rev. Osei Bonsu said when he inaugurated the Junior Baptist Students Union at the weekend, adding, this could spell danger for them.
The ceremony attracted Baptist Students Unions from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi High School, T.I. Ahmadiyya Secondary School, Kumasi Polytechnic and Kumasi Academy. He reminded them about the dangers of HIV/AIDS infection, which he said, was on the increase in the country.
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Berlin (Germany) 06 June 2002 - President Kufuor has arrived in Berlin, Germany for a three-day official visit. He will address the Ghanaian community this evening. His itinerary for tomorrow will include talks with Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and President Johannes Rau. The President is also expected to meet the Federal Minister of Economic Co-operation and Development Mrs Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul.
Earlier today a section of the Ghanaian community in Berlin visited his hotel where libation was poured for the safe arrival of the delegation. President Kufuor who will continue to Italy is accompanied by his wife, Foreign Minister Hackman Owusu-Agyeman and other officials.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 06 June 2002- A new organisation for all Ghanaians abroad, the "Ghanaians Abroad Coalition," has launched a "Million Man and Woman Investors Conference ", to all the regions of Ghana.
The conference, which begins from 15 July –15 August 2003, will promote investment and business through trade shows. The organisation appealed to investors and business people around the world to sign up and participate in the conference, according to a release signed by Mr. Kwame Boateng, Interim President and Founder of the organisation.
The interim president also called for a solidarity concert by international musicians to be co-ordinated by American music legend, Willie Nelson, to help African farmers especially Ghanaians, as was done for American Farmers.
Mr. Boateng appealed for the immediate actualisation of the "Dual Citizenship" legislation as well as the proposed representation of Ghanaians abroad in parliament.
He said he would use another organisation, "Africans Abroad Coalition" of which he is also the founder to lobby for the creation of Honorary Parliamentary seats in Ghana and other African countries for blacks in the diaspora.
The Interim President urged all Ghanaians to rise above negative tendencies such as tribalism, ethnic jealousy and regionalism, adding that the newly formed organisation is non-partisan.
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Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 06 June 2002- The Judicial Committee of the Ashanti Region House of Chiefs has dismissed an appeal by Nana Owusu Achaw Prempeh 1, Juasohene, filed against the judgement of the Judicial Committee of the Juaben Traditional Council that destooled him.
The three-member committee chaired by Nana Susubiribi Krobea Asante, Asante-Asokorehene, with Nana Bi-Kusi Appiah, Manso-Nkwantahene and Nana Adu Adjei Bonsafo, Nsutahene as members awarded four million cedis' cost against the ex-Juasohene. The judgement brought to an end 12 years of litigation over the Juaso stool.
The case moved from Juaben Traditional Council to Ashanti Region House of Chiefs then to the High Court and back to the Ashanti Region House of Chiefs.
Nana Prempeh and two others, Nana Frimpong Manso, Kyidomhene and Nana Kwasi Boakye Akyeamehene, Chief linguist of Juaso, stated in their appeal that the decision of the Judicial Committee of the Juaben Traditional council to destool him was ''arbitrary, capricious and bias by resentment, prejudice and personal dislike by members of the committee.''
They said the decision was not in accordance with due process of law and that it was against the weight of evidence and that it was wrong in law.
Reading the judgement on behalf of the other members of the committee, Nana Dr Asante said in upholding the findings of the Judicial Committee of the Juaben Traditional Council, the committee found as most serious the defying of the summons of the Asantehene by the Juasohene and his consequent banishment from Manhyia Palace and all assemblies of Asanteman.
The committee said defying customary summons of Otumfuo the Asantehene constituted the cardinal offence of rebellion against Otumfuo and Asanteman. As testified by Otumfuo's Senior Linguist, the late Baffour Osei Akoto, in ancient Asante customary law the offence would have been classified as capital offence. In contemporary times the offence attracts the sanction of destoolment.
The committee said the elders of Juaso were entitled to cite such an offence that puts Juaso beyond the pale of Asante constitutional order as a ground for destoolment.
''A person who perpetrates such an outrageous affront to the authority of the Asantehene and the fundamental constitutional order of Asanteman forfeits the right to enjoy the status and dignity of an incumbent of any stool in Asanteman.'' ''We note that there is no iota of evidence on record to indicate that the Appellant made any attempt to purge himself of this heinous offence,'' the committee said.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 06 June 2002- Mr Motoyoshi Noro, Charge d'Affaires of the Japanese Embassy on Wednesday lauded Ghana's efforts in promoting good governance saying, this "makes Ghana eligible for development in future".
Mr Noro said good governance was a driving force for development and that Ghana had made significant gains in that direction in the West Africa sub region to merit all the support it needed.
He said this when the embassy formally presented equipment worth 44,487 dollars donated to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) last year to assist the Agency establish a wide area network to ensure the free and speedy flow of information among its offices throughout the country.
The equipment included 12 personal computers with accessories, five uninterruptible power systems, ten air-conditioners and one private automatic telephone exchange unit. They would be installed in GNA's regional and district offices in Koforidua, Sunyani, Ho, Tamale, Bolgatanga, Wa, Cape Coast, and the Tema and
Aflao districts.
The grant is the second assistance to the Agency in two years. Mr Noro noted that GNA plays a remarkable role in disseminating news and information that bother on the hopes and aspirations of the people especially the disadvantaged.
"The people have a right to know what goes on in the country in order to participate in the development process", Mr Noro said, adding that the GNA serves as a bridge between government and the people in that direction.
The Charge d'Affaires likened the GNA to missions and educational institutions, which he said, served as resource centres to majority of the people. He noted that it was in this vein that his country regarded GNA as a resource centre for other media houses and as a tool to reach the base of the people.
Mr Noros aid although the donation was small, he hoped it would go a long way to support the role of the Agency to create a direct link within its regional offices and facilitate speedy newsgathering and dissemination.
He urged the Agency to cultivate the culture of maintenance to ensure that the equipment served the purpose for which they were given. Mr Robert Kafui Johnson, General Manager of GNA, said the gesture from the Japanese government indicated the confidence it had in the Agency.
He expressed GNA's gratitude to Japan and said the equipment would enhance the operation of the only news wire service in the country, especially, in the regional and district offices.
At the same ceremony, Mr Kofi Acheampong, Managing Director of Ekofa Trading Enterprise, a private electronic company also made a personal donation of a printer and an electronic typewriter to the Agency. Mr Acheampong said he was impressed with the work of the Agency, in spite of trying conditions, to feed the public with information.
The GNA was established in 1957 to disseminate news to other media organisations and sister news agencies. It has been grappling with the challenges posed by the rapid advancement in the Information Technology.
The breakdown of its equipment recently brought about the need for management to elicit external support to ensure that it maintained the role for which it was established.
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Church Growth conference opens in Kumasi
Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 06 June 2002--A three-day Life Giving Church conference aimed at educating and encouraging Christian leaders and Pastors to lead churches into the New Testament pattern and power for Ministry has opened in Kumasi.
Organised jointly by The Waves of Glory Church in Kumasi and Pastor Jim Hodges and Team from the United States of America (USA) the conference has brought together Pastors, Evangelists, Teachers and Ministers of the gospel in the Ashanti Region.
Speaking at the opening of the conference on Wednesday, Pastor Jim Hodges, Founder and leader of the Federation of Ministers and Churches in USA called on
christian workers and leaders to unite across denominational and theological boundaries since that is the only way to bring the power needed to expand the work of God.
He said pastors, in spite of their denomination and theological leanings need to connect to each other in the fellowship of the Holy Spirit as is reminiscent in the early church as recorded in the Book of Acts of the Apostles in the Bible.
Earlier, Pastor Don McGuire, member of the team and leader of the International Apostolic prophetic Network of Christian leaders and churches headquarters in Dallas, Texas, who spoke on the relevance of prophetic Ministry in contemporary Christian church stressed the need for Christian leaders to train people operating in evangelism to use it in the correct way so as to bring sanity into the Church of God.
He said Prophecy which is the voice of God brings stability and structure thus it is difficult to establish the Kingdom of God without the operation of the Prophetic Ministry in the church of God while cautioning that any prophetic ministration that did not fit into the New Testament pattern was not true evangelism.
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Policy to restore hope in land
administration system underway
Bolgatanga (Upper East) 06 June 2002 - The Minister for Lands and Forestry, Professor Kassim Kasanga, on Wednesday said the government was vigorously pursuing a pragmatic policy programme to restore hope and confidence in the land administration system in the country.
He noted that there was lack of confidence in the system, which bordered on ownership, legal contradictions and institutional failures. Professor Kasanga said this in an address read for him by the Upper East Regional Minister, Mr Mahami Salifu, to inaugurate the Upper East Regional Land Commission at Bolgatanga.
He said the policy programme would give a clear hierarchy of customary land holdings and the capacity to dispose of land which would head to a formal recognition of the rights of all categories of land holders to facilitate recording of these rights in an enhanced and decentralised land administration system.
The minister added that the policy would provide an efficient decentralised and uniform land administration system in the country in accordance with government policy and compatible with cultural usage and responsive to the needs of the people, within a self-sustaining financing mechanism.
Professor Kasanga said other proposals currently being discussed include the government's decision to review all lands it has acquired with the intention of paying appropriate compensation or release the lands where they are in excess of government requirement.
He said it is anticipated that traditional authorities in their administration would be guided by transparent allocations, respect for customary rights, use of land administration professionals and be accountable for revenue accrued from the sale of land to their subjects.
He expressed the hope that the commission would help to reduce the levels of land disputes in the courts, and foster the use of alternative dispute resolution in land matters by using experts from the Lands Commission to ensure judicious use of lands.
In an address, the chairman of the commission, Mr Mosobila Kpamma, said the commission was made up of a cream of people with the requisite professional and indigenous knowledge about the region. He added it would explore all avenues to enable the region achieve the needed development in require.
Members of the commission are,Mr Mosobila Kpamma, Naba Sigri Bewong, Paramount Chief of Sakoti Traditional Area, Mr David Damasah, Mr Ambrose Dery, Mr Anthony Adune Akogoh and Mr Yirimea Ahmed Awudu.
Others are Mr Edmund Mahama Nyaaba, Mr Robert Later Junior, Mrs. Margaret Akparibo, and Mr Joseph Seidu Ayombil. The rest are Mr Daniel Ayirie, Mr wilson Kwesi Opoku and Mr Bakari Sadiq Nyari.
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Sunyani (Brong Ahafo) 06 June 2002 - ASP Alex Yartey Tawiah, head of Brong Ahafo WAJU unit, on Tuesday attributed the high rate of defilement and rape cases in the region to poverty on the part of parents.
He cited that parents of defiled girls could not afford the 100,000 cedis charge demanded by the Ministry of Health for a medical examination report, which is tendered as evidence in court.
ASP Tawiah told the Ghana News Agency in an interview that the situation gave suspect the chance to go scot free as there was not much evidence to support the defilement charge in court. The court could not in such circumstances prosecute them, but to set such culprits free, he said.
He appealed to the Ministry of Health to re-consider its decision on defilement cases. He also urged NGOs to assist in settling medical examination bills of victims. The WAJU head mentioned moral decadence, high cost of living and lust, as some other factors contributing to the increase of defilement cases in the region.
Most men who want 'cheap-side' choose to go in for children who would not demand anything from them to satisfy their selfish desires, he said. "Some men also defile children for fear of being infected with AIDS because they harbour the idea that children are not infected with the disease"
ASP Yartey warned that the law would not be lenient with offenders and parents who shield and try to settle cases of child abuses at home and advised them to report such cases promptly for action against the perpetrators.
He said his outfit, from16 January to16 April this year recorded 232 cases in the region, with fathers' failure to care for their children leading, followed by defilement and spousal assault cases.
He said 35 out of the cases were sent to court, with 10 offenders convicted. Twenty and 25 cases were referred to the legal aid and Department of Social
Welfare, respectively, he said, adding that 20 more cases were awaiting trial whilst 27 cases were under investigation.
Nana Ephraim Oku Brakatu, Brong Ahafo Regional Police Commander, appealed to individuals and organisations to assist the unit as it faced a lot of challenges including logistics such as vehicles for outreach programmes, office accommodation and personnel.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 06 June 2002 - The Ministry of Health (MOH) in collaboration with the World Health Organisation (WHO) on Wednesday opened a workshop on Trade Related Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) and Public Health in Accra.
The day's workshop, which is under the theme: "Towards promoting access to HIV/AIDS drugs in Ghana," is being attended by about 45 participants from agencies and the ministries including the MOH, Trade and Industry, Justice, Finance, the Registrar Generals Department, Ghana Journalist Association and the Parliamentary Select Committee on Health.
It is aimed at reviewing TRIPS and its effect on public health and improving access to HIV/AIDS drugs in Ghana among other things. Dr Sam Adjei, Deputy Director-General, Ghana Health Services, said access to antiretroviral (ARV) drugs must be seen as fundamentally a basic right of all AIDS patients, however, access to these drugs were constrained by inadequacy of financing and affordability to the patient and unreliable supply system.
He said the current HIV/AIDS prevalence rate of between 3.6 per cent and 4.2 per cent if not controlled, could rise leading to exponential increase in the load of AIDS cases in the country.
He noted that developing countries like Ghana with a low per capita income of less than 1,000 dollars, have limited choice when it came to the purchasing of ARV drugs. "Poorer countries should, therefore, not be expected to pay the same prices for these drugs as the wealthy nations do," he added.
Dr Adjei said while drug manufactures must safeguard their investment and ensure that they recouped their cost and made profit, public health interests should also be safeguarded. He urged participants to identify mechanisms of strengthening the implementation of TRIPS in a way that would ensure improved access of HIV/AIDS drugs in Ghana.
Dr Melville George, WHO Representative, said the organisation had sent a mission to Ghana, as a follow-up to move forward a process in which it was facilitating a technology transfer from Thailand, to enable Ghana produce HIV/AIDS related drugs locally. He said there was, therefore, the need to ensure that the relevant legislation in place was TRIPS compliant.
He said a report from its meeting early this year with the expanded UN technical working group on HIV/AIDS, signified that the local production of these drugs in Ghana was not too far away from reality.
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Bolgatanga (Upper East) 06 June 2002- The Swiss Ambassador to Ghana, Dr Peter Schweizer, has formulated a new public project monitoring strategy dubbed
"Transparency In Public Works" to facilitate transparent execution of public projects.
The strategy, which would be launched next week is a pilot one meant to compel district assemblies to give a better idea about their budgets for development programmes in a transparent manner and also sharpen the publics minds on these projects.
Dr. Schweizer disclosed the new formula to the Upper East Regional Minister, Mr Mahami Salifu during a courtesy call on him by the former to bid the later a farewell as he ends his term of service in Ghana.
The strategy, which is the brainwork of the Ambassador would consist of a selected panel from 40 district assemblies nationwide for the period of one year. The project would be co-funded by the beneficial assemblies and the Swiss
Embassy.
The out-going ambassador explained that he took inspiration after following with keen interest the story of the Keta Sea Defence wall, where monies meant for the project were lying idle while the project was at a standstill.
Dr Schweizer said Swiss support for Ghana is enormous, which basically emphasises on decentralisation and poverty reduction. He added that it was his country's desire to support an effective democratisation process in Ghana.
He noted that children were key to ensuring a growing desire in afforestation and said his outfit has started a tree-planting programme in schools to get more children involved in the programme.
He, however, expressed regret that land acquisition was a major problem confronting the exercise and appealed to the Minister to play a leading role in appeal to landowners with the need to release land for the purpose.
Mr Salifu, on his part recalled the long bilateral relationship between the two countries and said it has always been cordial. He added that the region had the political commitment to ensure that projects being supported by donors succeed. He commended the Swiss government for all other interventions made to offer relief to the people in the region from social and economic hardships.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 06 June 2002- Dr Stephen Adei, Director-General, Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration, on Wednesday urged Ghanaians to set productivity targets for themselves to enable them to improve their incomes.
He said in spite of the current low salary levels, setting productivity targets would help the country increase its per capita income for the better pay that workers desired. He was addressing about 25 participants at a day's workshop on: "Capacity needs assessment for the effective elimination of child labour in Ghana."
The workshop organised by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC) was aimed at determining the major capacity needs of its partners for effective elimination of the 'Worst Forms of Child Labour (WFCL)' in Ghana.
The International programme on the elimination of child labour is planning a three-year programme that would focus on building the technical skills and organisational capacity to apply the convention on eliminating WFCL.
Dr Adei called on the Trades Union Congress (TUC), the Ghana Employers Association and the Government to enter into a productivity contract that would ensure that workers produced for the better wages and salaries.
"We cannot continue to pretend to be working and government continue to pretend to be paying us," he reiterated, adding that there was so much 'wastage' in the system. "There are a lot of people in the Government service, who virtually do nothing to deserve an income", he said, adding that such people needed to be laid off to be able to achieve the productivity and income targets.
Dr Adei said he was optimistic that Ghanaians could increase their productivity by about 500 per cent within the next five years to begin receiving commensurate salaries if they so desired.
That, however, he said, would lead to the laying off of certain people for the benefit of the entire nation.Mrs Slyvia Hinson-Ekong, National Programme Manager of WFCL, observed that all the worst forms of child labour, including child prostitution, child slavery and child trafficking could be found in Ghana. She said research had shown that over 28 per cent of children of school going age were out of school and working on a daily basis.
Mrs Hinson-Ekong said the situation was due to the high unemployment rate among the adult population and also some cultural beliefs that were detrimental to the physical, social and emotional development of the child. Such cultures she said placed emphasis on children working for the benefit of their parents.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 06 June 2002- The Ministry for Food and Agriculture (MOFA) is to assist Tomato Growers Associations in the Upper East Region to procure small processing machines with funds from the Village Infrastructure Project to help improve the marketing of their produce.
Under the Upper East Land Conservation and Smallholder Rehabilitation Project (LACOSREP) disbursement of credit for irrigated agriculture in 2001 amounted to 393 million cedis, which was shared to 416 farmers groups comprising 3,274 males and 1,548 females.
Dr Mathew K. Antwi, Deputy Minister of MOFA, said this in Parliament on Wednesday during question time in an answer to a question asked by Mr David
Apasera, PNC-Bolgatanga as to what plans the ministry had to assist and boost dry season tomato farming especially in the Bolgatanga and Navrongo Districts.
The Deputy Minister, who stood in for the substantive Minister, Major Courage Quashigah (rtd) said these measures were aimed at stabilising prices and increasing production.
Dr Antwi said in phase one of LACOSREP, (1991-1997) Bolgatanga and Kassena Nankana Districts had six and five dams rehabilitated while between 2002 and
2004 under the second phase, seven dams for the Kassena Nankana district and six dams for the Bolgatanga district have been programmed for rehabilitation.
He said historically, tomato had been a traditional crop of the Upper East Region and production of the crop was particularly high in the Kassena Nankana district and Pelungu in the Bolgatanga District.
Tomato production in the region received a boost with the location of the Tomato Factory at Pwalugu due to the availability of water from the White Volta, however, the varieties of tomato introduced in the early 1960's were only suitable for canning.
Dr Antwi said at present the ICOUR Project at Tono and Vea with a total irrigable area of 2,500 hectares had a huge potential for tomato production and that about 1,500 hectares were put under tomato production annually.
He said for effective management of the small-scale dams, water associations comprising gardeners, livestock farmers and fishermen had been formed at all the dam sites while at the large-scale dams, village committees had been formed to assist the ICOUR Management in land allocation and payment of water levies.
Dr Antwi said new tomato varieties had been introduced to farmers in the region whose characteristics included longer shelve life, robust for transportation to the south, high yielding and more flesh and less seeds.
He said the problem that the tomato farmers faced were the absence of a ready market and the lack of processing facilities that made the farmers to depend solely on market queens from Accra and Kumasi to buy their produce.
"As a perishable commodity the market queens dictate the prices and sometimes offer unreasonable prices and the farmers have no alternative in the absence of storage facilities and the collapse of the factory", he said.
Dr Antwi said, however, in the past three years, the market queens were abandoning the locally produced tomatoes in favour of tomatoes from Burkina Faso with the claim that the tomato was cheaper there. The claim had been found to be untrue.
He said it was to this end that the ministry was encouraging the formation of a strong Tomato Growers Association to enhance their negotiations with the market queen's and the new package to help stabilise prices and drive production higher.
Mr Apasera asked the Deputy Minister whether there were any plans to reactivate the Pwalugu Tomato Factory. He replied that the factory was on divestiture. When Mr Albert Abongo, NDC-Bongo, asked the Deputy Minister the type of encouragement that was being given to the farmers, he said the ministry was assisting the farmers to procure processing machines.
Dr Benjamin Kunbuor, NDC-Lawra/Nandom, asked whether there were plans to provide refrigeration facilities to reduce the post harvest losses. Dr Antwi answered in the negative.
Mr Victor Gbeho, Ind. Anlo, asked whether such packages would be extended to other tomato producing areas in the country. The Deputy Minister said efforts would be made to support all farmers' associations.
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