GRi Press Review 05 - 03 - 2003
4.7 per cent GDP target too modest
Wulensi (Northern Region)
John
Sadaan Njigur, candidate
for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) polled 7,444. Candidates of the
other political parties and two independent contestants trailed behind with
insignificant numbers.
The
by-election was organised following the disqualification of the former MP,
Samuel Nyimakan, by a Tamale High Court.
The
other candidates were Mumuni Dauda
for the DPP, Okpanul Niwumbei
for PNC and Inusah Nagtomah,
EGLE Party. The rest were Alhaji Musah Ziblim and Peter Ogah, both
independent candidates.
The
Convention People’s Party (CPP) did not put up a candidate for the election.
Report indicated that the NPP members went jubilating
after the final results had been declared. – Daily Graphic
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They
are Robert Jackie, acting general manager, Finance; Charles Mensah, Head of
Planning and Research; Michael Kofi Quarshie, in
charge of Central Stores; A.B. Adjei, chief manager, (Materials) and Atta Poku, senior audit assistant.
The
rest are Kenneth Godwin Annin, principal revenue
officer; Mabel Ofori, assistant stores officer, Henry
Forson, assistant stores manager, and Eric Owusu-Ansah, Western Region stores officer.
Some
of them are to be referred to the Serious Fraud Office, the police and the
Attorney-General’s Department, depending on the gravity of their crimes, for
investigations and prosecution.
A
reliable source at the company disclosed the names of the dismissed staff and
the actions to be taken against them in an interview with The Ghanaian Times.
The source further named four others including J.O. Manful, Solicitor
Secretary, Captain Victor Ansah (rtd),
former chief manager, Public Relations and Albert Asamoah, Eastern Region
stores officer who were dismissed but are on retirement are to refund moneys
they allegedly embezzled.
It
said S.G.O. Lamptey, deputy managing director,
Operations, and Samuel Alphonse Aidoo, Financial
Accountant, were on interdiction and action was yet to be taken on them. When
the paper contacted Jonathan Nii Ahele
Nunoo, acting managing director of GWCL, to double
check on the information, he confirmed the dismissals but declined to name
personalities affected.
Speaking
in the presence of the solicitor secretary, Kwabena Kyere,
Nunoo said S.G.O. Lamptey
and Alphonse Aidoo were still on interdiction because
findings against them in the report were not complete and further
investigations were being conducted. He disclosed that the former managing
director, Charles Adjei, was also yet to receive his letter.
On
how soon the three would receive their letters, he said that “very soon,” but
added that the appropriate authorities to issue the dismissal letters were the
Ministry of Works and Housing and the company’s board.
However,
investigations by The Ghanaian Times revealed that both the board and
the sector minister, for unknown reasons, are dragging their feet on the
signing of the letters of dismissal and prosecution of the three, which have
been ready for about a week now.
It
is learnt that a board meeting held on Monday discussed the issue extensively.
That was after the minister’s directives to the board to sign the letters.
It
is recalled that the Justice Adade Committee was set
up in 2000 by the former Minister of Works and Housing, Kwamina
Bartels, to probe allegations of malfeasance against top officials of GWCL. The
committee found 17 officials guilty of not following appropriate procedures in
procurement and administrative activities, which caused the company to lose
several million cedis.
Its
report which was presented to the current sector minister, Yaw Barima, in December 2001 recommended that the officials
should be dismissed, prosecuted and made to refund moneys they embezzled. - The
Ghanaian Times
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Contributing
to a seminar organised by Databank Financial Services on this year’s budget in
Dr Ashong was quick to point out that some of the targets in
the budget were achievable. He advised the government to take a second look at
using receipts from divesting programmes. Dr Ashong
was of the view that proceeds from the programme should be used to reduce the
domestic debt instead of using it as a budgetary support.
He
lauded the government’s efforts at mobilising domestic revenue but was at a
loss as to what constituted tax revenues and could be used for developmental
purposes.
Professor
Batholomew Armah, a fellow of the Institute of
Economic Affairs (IEA), expressed concern about the spread between savings and
lending rate in the country. He said that although inflationary rates were
coming down, real interest rates have not come down thus making the cost of
borrowing high.
Prof
Armah who spoke on “Policy Initiatives needed to Accelerate Economic
Development”, called for the introduction of policies that would ensure that
the banks were competitive. He identified the proper development of the
agricultural sector as key for the overall growth of the economy.
Prof
Armah stressed the need for the government to allocate resources to certain
critical sectors of the economy that would boost growth, especially the agriculture
sector. For him, the performance of all variables, except the
fisheries sector under the overall agricultural basket were modest. – The
Ghanaian Times
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4.7 per cent GDP target too modest
He
also noted that the government’s target of achieving an import cover of 2.3
months was not enough. Ofori-Atta made these comments at a seminar organised by
Databank on the 2003 budget statement in
The
Executive Chairman lauded the government’s decision to vote a portion of the
finds from the National Reconstruction Levy to support venture capital
financing. Last year, the government accrued ¢200bn from the reconstruction
levy. He noted that a portion of such figure by way of private equity financing
would put the private sector in a better shape.
Nevertheless,
Mr Ofori-Atta urged the government to be a little more bold
with regard to issues affecting the private sector.
Ebenezer
Essoka, managing director of Standard Chartered Bank,
Ghana Limited, noted that the biggest challenge for the government would be the
implementation of the budget. He described it as a strong budget, with a
short-term gain for long-team gain, and suggested that the government should
set up a private fund manager to manage the funds that would accrue from the
National Reconstruction Levy and other levies.
Essoka noted that it was essential that the government freed some of the
funds it was holding. On the fund manager, he said that it could be an
institution and not necessarily a commercial bank.
He
also said that in order to access capital on the international capital market,
it was necessary that the nation achieved a sovereign credit rating. Dr Joe Amoako Tuffuor of the Ministry of
Finance described the budget as focused. - The Ghanaian Times
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The
Ghana Library Board (GLB) has been tasked to work out the modalities for the
implementation of the project which will be carried be carried out in
collaboration with the Carnegie Institute of the
The
Minister of Education, Professor Christopher Ameyaw-Akumfi,
said in an interview that the George Padmore Library
is to be given a face-lift to house the national library. He said libraries contribute
a lot to national development and called for maximum efforts to ensure the
success of the project.
He
added that libraries portray the entire history of a society and are,
therefore, vital for the social and cultural development of the country. Prof Ameyaw-Akumfi expressed concern over the fact that
libraries in the country have completely ran down through years of neglect.
He
noted that a society without a library where tourists can easily have access to
information on its history and culture is a society which is not ready to
inform others of its heritage.
Prof
Ameyaw-Akumfi, whose ministry will supervise the
project, expressed regret that Ghana with all its rich cultural heritage has no
central point where its historical and socially significant materials are
assembled.
He
said 62 libraries nationwide are all to undergo a massive renovation exercise
to bring them to the standard that will meet the pressures of academic work
from the growing youth population.
The
Director of the GLB, Susana Minyilah, said the GLB
has been tasked with the responsibility to map out the entire scheme that will
facilitate the realisation of the national library project. She said
discussions with the present government seem to be giving life to the idea of a
national library which has been on the drawing board for years.
Minyilah pointed out that the project will facilitate the storage of knowledge
in book form, music and critical national artefacts which will be of interest
not only to the Ghanaian public but also to foreigners who will want to learn
more about the country.
She
said her office is putting together all the stakeholders who have significant
interest in getting the country a national library so that the modalities for
achieving the objective can be planned and executed. – Daily Graphic
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