Morgan
and Bajaj to lead Commonwealth Business Council
Rawlings and Botchwey could be reconciled
Chief urges support for President's Cassava Initiative
Shanghai
(China) 28 October 2002 - John Agyekum Kufuor, president of the Republic of
Ghana, arrived here on Sunday for an eight-day state visit to China.
He is
visiting China at the invitation of Chinese President Jiang Zemin. - http://news.xinhuanet.com/english
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London (UK)
28 October 2002 - The Commonwealth Business Council (CBC) has named Hugh
Morgan, Chairman of WMC, Victoria, Australia, and Rahul Bajaj, Chairman of
Bajaj Auto, India, as CBC Co-Chairmen.
Effective
in January 2003, Morgan and Bajaj will succeed The Rt Hon The Earl Cairns of
the United Kingdom as Chairman and Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa as Vice
Chairman who have held their posts since the creation of the CBC in 1997.
Morgan is
Chief Executive Officer of WMC, a post to which he was appointed in 1990. He
currently also serves as a member of the Board of the Reserve Bank of Australia
and President of the Australia-Japan Business Co-operation Committee.
Bajaj holds
a Master's Degree in Business Administration from Harvard University and has
been Chairman and Managing Director of Bajaj Auto since 1968. He also has
served as Chairman of Indian Airlines.
The CBC, in
association with the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC), holds and
investment conference in Accra, Ghana from 27th through to 29 November 2002.
Bringing
together Government ministers, corporate leaders from local companies and
foreign investors, The Ghana Investment Conference will focus on key issues
with regard to: foreign investment; public-private partnership in
infrastructure development; SME development, manufacturing and agro-industries;
financial services and capital market opportunities; developments in extraction
industries; IT and telecommunications; corporate governance and social
responsibility.
The Ghana
Investment Conference will not only discuss Ghana’s international
competitiveness as a regional hub but also prove as an excellent networking
opportunity to corporates considering investing in Ghana with networking
lunches, cocktail receptions and dinners that provide the opportunity for the
development of business relationships.
Throughout
the conference there will be the opportunity for high-level one-to-one meetings
between potential investors, local corporate executives, Government Ministers
and their officials.
With a
unique blend of advantages to potential investors, Ghana offers a number of key
areas imperative to private sector growth and foreign direct investment
policies. Recent divestments have encouraged multinationals, medium- and
small-sized foreign companies as well as Ghanaian nationals residing overseas
to expand their business interests in Ghana.
In
September 1995, Coca-Cola initiated a US$19 million investment in a new
bottling plant and training facilities, Heinz recently invested US$20 also
emphasizing the development of non-traditional expert sectors. One American
firm, Coleman, has invested US$23 million in freshwater fish farming for
export. As other million in a tuna canning operation, through its StarKist
subsidiary.
The
government is recent investments and new investment plans show – by
Caterpillar, Unilever, Guinness, M&W Pump, IBM, Lazare Kaplan, Deloitte
& Touche, AT&T, Southwestern Bell, Pryor, McClendon & Counts,
Eveready and more – the time has never been better for doing business in Ghana,
Africa’s new beacon of economic opportunity.
GRi…/
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Accra (Greater Accra) 28 October 2002 - Dr Kwesi Botchwey, former Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, currently campaigning for the position of flag-bearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has said that as the party worked for its congress slated for December and the 2004 elections, it must focus on unity and cohesion, define and give content to its social democratic policy.
He said if elected flag-bearer, he would elaborate a clear plan to build on Ghana's potential to take advantage of the global economy and the network of globally influential individuals and organisations he had worked with to the benefit of the party and the people of Ghana.
These were contained in a statement issued by the Dr Kwesi Botchwey Campaign Directorate in Accra at the official launching of the Botchwey Campaign for NDC flag-bearer on Saturday.
The statement said Dr Botchwey was moved by his commitment to social justice and with considerable circumspection took a plunge into active politics. As Ghana's longest serving Minister of Finance, Botchwey assumed office in 1982, when the economy was in shambles and turned it around before leaving office in 1995.
By 1995, his 13 years of stewardship had made Ghana one of the most stable and fastest growing economies in West Africa. The Yale Law School Master's graduate, who also read the Doctorate of Juridical Sciences (SJD) at Michigan University in 1972, has a large number of publications on a wide range of economic, political and developmental issues to his credit.
Among them are "Growth and Poverty Alleviation in Africa," "Globalisation: What has it meant for Africa and what does the future portend," "Mobilising capital flows in support of accelerated development" and "Ownership of National Development programs," among others.
While serving as Finance and Economic Minister, Dr Botchwey was a development advisor at the Harvard Institute for International Development. He left for the Harvard Centre for International Development as Director of African Programmes Research, in 1998 where he lectured in "Managing Economic Reform in Low Income Countries" at the Kennedy School at the Harvard University.
Since July 2002, he had been Senior Research Scholar, Centre for Globalisation and Sustainable Development, the Earth Institute and Columbia University (USA). Dr Botchwey is also a member of several boards and committees focused on international and African development. He has also consulted widely and continues to consult for major international institutions, including the World Bank and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
He has been advisor to the World Bank's Development Report and the UNDP's Human Development Report-the European Centre for Development Policy Management (ECDPM), among others.
Dr Botchwey recently served as Chairman of a Panel of Eminent Persons appointed by the UN Secretary-General to review the UN-New Agenda for Africa's Development in the 1990's (UN-WADAF).
GRi…/
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Accra 9Greater Accra) 28 October 2002- Dr Kwesi Botchwey former Minister of Finance has expressed confidence that the Council of Elders of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) would be able to reconcile him and former President Jerry John Rawlings.
He said: "the Council's maturity and tenacity in reconciling the former President and the National Chairman of the party, Dr Obed Yao Asamoah are enough indications that very soon the bad blood between us would belong to history."
Dr Botchwey was responding to a question at the official launching of his Campaign for the NDC Flagbearership in Accra. He reiterated his call for civility, respect based on principles and loyalty to the party during the campaign for the contest.
Dr Botchwey lauded supporters for keeping faith with the NDC despite recriminations and intimidations since it lost power in the last general elections. He said the deepening of democracy within the party was commendable adding that it was the beginning of a tradition of picking the party's flagbearer through open and competitive elections.
Dr Botchwey said it was unfortunate that in certain countries on the continent, leaders anointed successors and had them accepted by acclamation. He said the new dispensation called for the strengthening of the party's political and ideological foundations through various study groups in all the constituencies.
" This way, the party would become not just an electioneering machinery that would be active on the eve of an election but a vehicle for continuing mobilisation." He, therefore, called for the reassembling of all social democratic forces, who left the party as well as its sympathizers.
Dr Botchway said he wanted to contest the position because his experience over the past six years at Harvard and Columbia Universities had deepened his understanding of the complex challenges of national development.
He said the country had opportunities for national development given the right leadership. Dr Botchwey said the country could make progress if the youth were mobilized and trained in the various skills for nation building.
GRi…/
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Botchwey to support Mills if...
Accra (Greater Accra) 08 October 2002 - Dr Kwesi Botchwey, former Minister of Finance and an aspiring flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) on Saturday pledged to support his main challenger Professor John Evans Atta Mills should he lose at the congress.
"I will support and be part of the campaign team to tour the whole country with Prof. Mills, if I lose, which is a remote possibility and I expect him to do likewise," Dr Botchwey stated.
Dr Botchwey responded to the question as to what he would do if he lost in the contest, at the official launching of his campaign in Accra. He said: "As minister of finance, I invited Prof Mills to head the Internal Revenue Service, we have enjoined working together in the past and we would continue to work hand in hand after the congress."
Accompanying the former minister were Mike Gizo, Member of Parliament (MP) for Shai Osudoku, Larry Adjetey, a legal practitioner, Dr Mustapha Ahmed MP for Ayawaso East and other party functionaries.
Party members danced and sung to the glory of the Dr Botchwey, who responded with gestures and occasionally joined in the chorus to the admiration of the crowd. The Leading Members called on all their respective supporters to follow he examples of their leaders, "as we need to come out of the congress united to battle the New Patriotic Party out of power in 2004 general lections."
GRi…/
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Tema (Greater Accra) 28 October 2002 - The Ghana Science Association (GSA) has honoured Dr Paul Kwame Awua, Managing Director of the Cocoa Processing Company (CPC), for his commendable work in the promotion of industrialisation and the study of science in the country.
Kwame Aboh, National Treasurer of the GSA, presented a certificate of honour and a citation to Dr Awua, describing him as an outstanding person who had contributed to the growth of the CPC and for his immense contribution to the activities of the GSA.
He commended the Managing Director for making members of the association proud and said his qualities would urge scientists in the country to work harder to promote industrialisation to ensure the growth of the economy.
Dr Awua who started his science career as a nutritionist and microbiologist had since 1967 worked as a manager in various food processing industries including the former Tema Food Complex Corporation (TFCC) and the CPC where he assumed office as the MD in 1991.
At the time he assumed office at the CPC, the company was in near shambles and the government nearly placed it on the divestiture but through his instrumentality it rather became financially autonomous and worked harder to rehabilitate the obsolete structures and equipment.
Since then, production at the company had shot up tremendously with the turn over hitting 25,000 metric tonnes and had won several international awards for the high quality of its chocolates and cocoa confectionaries.
The company is now floating shares to involve the Ghanaian public. An expansion programme is underway to enable the factory to increase production to 65,000 tonnes and to come out with more brands of cocoa confectionaries.
Dr Awua attributed his successes to team-work, transparency by involving workers in decision making, the fear of God and patriotism, which made him able to resist temptations, adding that, "with these qualities, one cannot be easily influenced or indulge in negative practices," and urged his colleagues in the profession to adopt the practice to lead them to success.
GRi…/
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Prestea (Western Region) 28 October 2002 - Illegal gold miners popularly called "Galamsey operators," have besieged a concession of the Bogoso Gold Limited (BGL) at Prestea.
This followed the declaration by Nana Kyei Panyin, a disputed Chief of Himan at a public hearing last Tuesday that BGL did not have the lease to operate at Prestea. There was divided opinion at the hearing as to whether BGL would operate an underground mine since the company undertook surface mining.
Sam Kusi-Agyeman, Project Manager of New Century Mine, speaking to the GNA described the action of the “galamsey operators” and the support they enjoyed from a section of the community as "Public Disorder".
He said, as a result of the action, an environmental clean up and drilling exercise at Prestea by BGL had seized. Kusi-Agyeman explained that due to an investment agreement between BGL and PGR in May 2001, BGL was awarded a surface Mining Lease to a depth of 200 meters below Prestea Central Shaft.
As required under the law, BGL had to submit its Environmental Impact Statement to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for review. It was at the hearing for the people to express their concerns on the proposed project organised by the EPA that the Chief said BGL did not have a lease to mine in the area leading to the rush by “galamsey operators” to the area the company was undertaking environmental clean up and drilling.
GRi…/
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Winneba (Central Region) 28 October 2002 - The Omanhene of the Effutu Traditional
Area Nana Ghartey IV, on Saturday appealed to chiefs in the Effutu-Awutu Senya District to support the President's Cassava Initiative Project by releasing land to prospective farmers at minimum cost.
Nana Ghartey made the appeal at the swearing-in ceremony of Nana Kobina Osam Ekwam II, Krontihene of the Gyangyanze Traditional area as a member of Effutu Traditional Council.
He said the President Cassava Initiative needed to be encouraged in the traditional area to help boost the economy of the district and offer jobs to the youth. Nana Ghartey urged the chiefs to support the campaign against the HIV/AIDS pandemic adding that "development cannot be achieved without healthy people."
He pledge his support to the new chief and urged his to collaborate with other chiefs in the development of the area. Nana Osam Ekwam II thanked the chiefs and people of Effutu for accepting him into the Effutu Council and pledge to support all developmental efforts in the district.
GRi…/
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Minister calls for peace to enhance
development
Odumase-Krobo (Eastern Region) 28 October 2002- The Minister of lnformation and
Presidential Affairs, Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey has stressed the need for peace and unity among Ghanaians to enhance socio economic development.
Addressing a durbar of chiefs and people of the Manya Krobo Traditional area to mark their Ngmayem festival at Odumase-Krobo on Friday, he noted that without peace no meaningful development could take place.
He asked the people to use the festival to unite and forge ahead towards the development of the area. Obetsebe-Lamptey expressed the government's commitment to create wealth for the benefit of all through the various Special President's initiatives, and asked the people to be committed and support these interventions to make them succeed.
He noted that a strong nation was based on community and individual commitment and active involvement in government programmes. The Minister pledged the government's determination to improve education and health facilities through the provision of infrastructure and called on the communities, teachers, PTAs and traditional rulers to ensure that such facilities were regularly maintained.
On HIV/AIDS, he advised the youth to abstain from pre marital sex and appealed to older persons to stick to their partners to avoid contracting the disease. Obetsebi-Lamptey appealed to Ghanaians not to shun HIV/AIDS patients but rather show sympathy with them and support them in their health needs.
He commended the chiefs and people for creating the awareness by living with the AIDS patients in the area. The Konor of the Manya Krobo Traditional area, Nene Sakite II reiterated his appeal to the government to create a new district for Upper Manya-Krobo.
He said the council was working closely with the district assembly to enhance the development of the area. Nene Sakite said under the Educational Endowment Fund, 16m cedis had been approved as scholarships for some brilliant citizens at the Universities, Polytechnics and Senior Secondary Schools.
He appealed to the government to set up a programme to take care of the needs of persons displaced by the creation of the Volta Lake and provide for financial and manpower assistance aimed at re-afforestation and scientific farming along the lake.
The Konor further appealed to the government to extend the President's Special initiatives to the area to create jobs for the people. He said the "traditional council was in the process of passing a bylaw to streamline the administration of its lands."
The Konor described the recent activities of some Osodoku agents to cause confusion at Akuse "as most unfortunate and provocation." According to him, the land issues involving Akuse had been settled for over 50 years now and called on the government to publish the Nathan Quao Report on the issue, to forestall any future disturbances in the area.
Among those who attended the durbar were the Deputy Eastern Regional Minister, Jonathan Gustav Narh Dometey, Members of Parliament, District Chief Executives and Nene Keteku III, the Konor of Agotime-Kpetoe in the Volta Region who has a lineage with the Krobos. Obetsebi-Lamptey was later presented with a kente cloth and a pair of native sandals.
GRi…/
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Wa (Upper West) 28 October 2002- The Ghana Health Service is to come out with two documents on the rights and responsibilities of patients at health centres. The Patients Charter and the Code of Ethics would also enable the public to ensure that health providers followed regulations and ethics of their professions.
Dr Daniel Yeyamain, Senior Medical Officer, speaking at the launch of the Safe Motherhood Week in the Upper West at Wa, said out of every 10,000 births about 300 die due to poor patronage of the programme in the region.
He said causes of the deaths included haemorrhage, obstructed labour, infection, pregnancy induced hypertension and complications from unsafe abortion. The situation as unacceptable, he said and called for measures to reduce the mortality rate and other complications through education.
Dr Yeyamain said programmes for community mobilisation, advocacy, behaviour change and social marketing were being pursued to improve reproductive health. Stephen Engmen, Special Assistant to the Regional Minster called for the involvement of men to ensure the success of the programme since they were more instrumental in the upkeep of the family.
He gave the assurance that the government would continue to initiate policies to improve the lives of the people especially those in rural areas. Engmen said, 2bn cedis from the HIPC fund would be used to construct clinics, maternity wards and nurses' quarters in some rural areas in the region. GRi…/
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Adenta (Greater Accra) 28 October 2002 - Member of the Council of State, Mrs Emma Mitchell has entreated government, corporate bodies, organisations and institutions to see to the welfare of retired and senior citizens who had contributed their time, energy, intellectual and other resources for the development of the nation.
She was addressing the inaugural ceremony of Golden Life Society (GLS), an association of retired and elderly persons, Jempat at Adenta, near Accra. Mrs Mitchell, a former Minister of Trade, paid tribute to retired and senior citizens for their invaluable contributions to the development of their families and the nation.
"The rich human resource bank in the form of the experience and knowledge of the retired, which is at the disposal of the younger generation and, indeed, any government or administration should be tapped for the progress of this country.
"It is therefore in the interest of all of us and especially every government to give full support to organisations such as the GLS," she said. Mrs Mitchell said it would also be useful to invite the nation's senior citizens with experience in various fields to submit their views when major programmes were being designed or discussed.
"This will definitely enrich our development process," she said, and entreated the GLS to use their seminars and workshops not only to educate its members but also as platforms to discuss issues of national importance such as the current pervasive indiscipline in the country and corruption, among others, and offer solutions from their perspective."
Mrs Mitchell noted that the society was being inaugurated at a time traditional structures that naturally offered emotional, economic and social security and stability for the aged in society were either gradually weakening or fading away.
She commended the society for coming together to uplift the lives and dignity of the retired and aged in society. "It is, indeed, a noble initiative to create an enabling environment for our senior citizens by providing them with medical assistance, quality, leisure and fellowship time as well as providing them with reasonable economic activity," she added.
Atta Donkor, Chairman of GLS, said the society was aware that government alone could not ensure the betterment of retired and aged persons through the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) Pension Scheme.
The GLS, he said, was, therefore, very determined to improve the quality of life of its members to enable them to experience goodness and usefulness of retirement. Donkor said the GLS aimed to find and form bonds of friendship amongst retired and aged persons within the locality, assist members to effectively educate and interact with the youth and to work in partnership with Help Age Ghana, an NGO, and in cooperation with other social advancement groups.
"It is also to empower members economically so that they become less dependent on their children and to promote regular entertainment, keep fit, reading, leisure and other social activities."
Beyeeman Bosea Gyinantwi IV, Omanhene of Drobo Traditional Area in the Jaman District of Brong Ahafo, and Chairman for the occasion, urge members of the society to impart their enormous wealth of experience to the District Assemblies where they are needed most to accelerate socio-economic growth.
He urged the society to reach out to the urban and rural communities with projects to enhance their welfare and that of the people. Beyeeman Gyinantwi noted that problems of land acquisition stemmed from the fact that, quite often, when new projects were being undertaken in the districts, investors and project officers preferred to go for foreign instead of local labour.
He suggested that investors must involve chiefs, district assemblies and people at the grassroots in the decision-making process to ensure that the local people were gainfully employed. “It is my belief that members of GLS would nurture their grandiose idea to fruition for the speedy socio-economic and political development of our dear nation," he said.
Beyeeman Gyinantwi, who offered to provide a parcel of land to GLS for farming ventures, donated 500,000 cedis to the society.
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