GRi in Parliament 06 – 06 - 2003

Parliament approves two loans for Health Services

Disabled fails to enter Parliament House

Ghana Telecom to expand telephone facilities

 

 

Parliament approves two loans for Health Services

 

Accra (Greater Accra) 06 June 2003 - Members of Parliament voted overwhelmingly to authorise government to contract two loan packs of $23.3m and 8.3 million euros to finance phase three of the Health Services Rehabilitation Project (HSRP).

 

The African Development Bank (ADB) is offering the $23.3m while The Nordic Development Fund is offering 8.3 million euros.      

 

The first phase of the HSPR ended in 1997 after the Korle-Bu and the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospitals and the Effia Nkwanta Hospital in Sekondi-Takoradi underwent rehabilitation. 

 

The Keta, Kibi and Yendi in the Volta, Eastern and Northern Regions, in that order, benefited from the second phase, which ended in 2000.

 

The third phase comprised the relocation and upgrading of two district hospitals at Tarkwa and Bekwai in the Western and Ashanti Regions, respectively, and the improvement of the health care delivery services in these districts.

 

According to a Joint Committee of Finance and Health report, the HSRP had four components that included increasing the coverage of quality health care at the district level by 5 per cent.  

 

It seeks to strengthen blood transfusion services; provide support to the national HIV/AIDS control programme and to strengthen project management by building the capacity of the personnel of the Ministry of Health. 

 

The ADB sourced loan of $23.3m is to be repaid in 40 years with a 10-year grace period. It included an interest rate of one per cent per annum from the 11th to the 20th year inclusive and a rate of three per cent per annum thereafter.

 

On the 8.3 million euro loan from NDF, the principal shall be repaid in equal and conservative semi-annual instalments commencing on the first payment date in 2013 and ending the last payment date in 2042. It has a 10-year grace period.

GRi…/

 

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Disabled fails to enter Parliament House

 

Accra (Greater Accra) 06 June 2003 - A cripple using clutches on Thursday crushed and fell on the concrete stairs leading to the Parliament House in Accra.

 

Kwadwo Baah Nyarko, a student of the Dwenesa School for the Disable in the Ashanti Region, had attempted to get into the House to watch proceedings.

 

He told the Ghana News Agency that the 'hoof' of his clutches, which had worn out slipped on the wet stairs as a result of a late morning down pour.

 

"This is my first time of coming here (Parliament). I had no idea about the state of the building. I thought every Ghanaian could come here and watch his or her MP talk," he said.

 

The drenched student said: "I came here struggling on trotro from Kokomlemle (a suburb of Accra) only to suffer this fate. I am not sure when I am coming back".

 

Master Nyarko who had no idea about his rights as a disabled under the constitution said, "I hope a flat surface would be prepared for some of us in future".

 

About 10 per cent of Ghana's population Ghana are disabled but provision is not made for them to have access to most public buildings while activities are planned and executed without taking them into consideration.

GRi…/

 

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Ghana Telecom to expand telephone facilities

 

Accra (Greater Accra) 06 June 2003 - The Government through Ghana Telecom hopes to expand the telephone fixed network to enable it to provide a minimum of 400,000 fixed lines by 2005 throughout the country.

 

The measure is aimed at extending telephone services to every town with a Senior Secondary School, Teacher Training College or University or special activities that might exist there.

 

Albert Kan-Dapaah, Minister of Communications, said this in Parliament on Friday when Bernard Achidago Akugri, NDC- Binduri asked when Ghana Telecom would extend its services to the communities of Binduri, Zawse, Bazua and Atuba.

     

The Minister said it was envisaged that the rollout expansion of Ghana Telecom would provide coverage to all district capitals and most rural and urban areas without telephone facilities at present.

 

Kan-Dapaah said Ghana Telecom's GSM Onetouch service was being upgraded to enable the network facility to cover the length and breath of the country.

   

In addition planned increases in the number of pay phones would provide as many customers as possible access to telecommunications services in both the urban and rural areas.

 

Kan-Dapaah said in line with Ghana Telecom's programme the communities of Binduri, Zawse, Bazua and Atuba would receive telephone coverage between 2004 and 2005 adding that plans were advanced to increase the capacity of the Bawku switch from 500 to 3,000 lines to benefit the communities.

 

He said telephone facilities would be installed in line with the terms of the agreement between Telenor Management Partner (TMP) of Norway and the government.

 

Kan-Dapaah said this in an answer to another question asked by Modestus Ahiable, NDC- Ketu North on behalf of Joe Gidisu, NDC- North Tongu as to what steps the Ministry was taking to extend telephone facilities to Adidome, Mafi Kumase, Mepe, Battor and Juapong in the North Tongu District.

 

The Minister in an answer to another question said the expansion of switching capacity from 100 lines to a minimum of 1,000 lines in Kete Krachi was planned for completion by 2005 and it formed part of the major expansion programme being undertaken by Ghana Telecom.

 

Francis Yaw Osei-Sarfo, NDC- Krachi asked what plans the Ministry had to expand the Kete-Krachi telephone lines from 100 to 1,000 lines as programmed and when the Onetouch mobile lines would be made operational there.

    

Kan-Dapaah said Ghana Telecom was about concluding the procurement exercise and very soon work would start on the expansion of telephone facilities through out the country.

 

In another answer the Minister said, Ghana Telecom had initiated a programme to extend itemised bills to cover trunk calls. He said the programme was currently being tried in Accra and would be extended to cover the rest of the country by August this year when evaluation of the programme would have been completed.

 

Nana Asante Frempong, NPP- Kwabre, asked the Minister why Kumasi telephone subscribers did not receive external telephone bills itemised as in the case of Accra subscribers.

 

Kan-Dapaah said itemised bills were produced for all customers with the International Direct Dial (IDD) facility and that meant those with the IDD in Kumasi or elsewhere received itemised bills.

GRi…/

 

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