The paper reports that, personnel of the National Bureau of Investigations (BNI) have arrested an Indian businessman, Vijay Mirwani, at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA), for allegedly attempting to illegally export large currencies to the United Arab Emirates,
The currencies, which were concealed in a large black polythene bag, were made up of ?408,775, 236,905 Euros, 900 Swiss Francs and 200 Canadian dollars.
According to a BNI source, Mirwani, a Director of Deepak Ghana Limited in Accra, and his accomplices were nabbed after several days of close surveillance.
2. GHANA DROPS IN CORRUPTION RATING – PG. 3
A report from Transparency International 2003 Corruption Perception Index has revealed that Ghana has dropped considerably on the corruption rank.
Out of the 133 countries included in this year’s index, Ghana ranked 72, with a score of 3.3 representing a drop from last year’s score of 3.9.
The indices were based on data from a survey conducted by six institutions including World Business Environment Survey of the World Bank, the Economist Intelligence Unit, and the World Market Research Centre.
Mr. Daniel Batidam, Executive Secretary of Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII) announced this in Accra yesterday.
According to him, this performance was a reflection of gains accruing from President Kufuor’s declaration of intention to pursue a policy of Zero tolerance for corruption and some of the vigorous anti-corruption measures taken in that period.
3. COTE D’IVOIRE PREMIER BRIEFS KUFUOR – PG. 21
According to the paper, the Prime Minister of Cote d’Ivoire, Mr. Seydou Diarra, yesterday called on President Kufuor at the Castle, Osu, to brief him on the latest developments in that country.
4. GHANA, ITALY SIGN LOAN AGREEMENT – PG. 21
The Ministry of Finance and the Italian Embassy yesterday signed an agreement for a concessionary loan and a grant facility totalling ?112.2 billion to support small and medium scale enterprises in the country.
Under the agreement, ?111.1 billion, will be used for the establishment of a Private Sector Development Fund (PSDF) for the promotion of small and medium scale enterprises, while ?1.1 billion grant will be used for the establishment of the relevant Project Management Unit and Technical Assistance for speedy execution of the project.
The documents for the agreement were initialled by the Minister of Finance, Mr. Osafo Maafo and the Italian Ambassador in Ghana. Mr. Giancarlo Izzo.
5. GOVT TO TAKE OVER TEMA SHIPYARD – PG. 21
According to the paper, Government is to take over the PSC Tema Shipyard Limited from its Malaysian management team as part of measures instituted to salvage the fortunes of the company.
Professor Christopher Ameyaw-Akumfi, Minister of Ports, Harbours and Railways announced this in Accra at the meet-the-press series.
He said the measure had become all the more prominent as a result of the lack of investment injection ever since the Malaysians took over the company.
The Minister pointed out that the previous government in 1996, gave the 40 per cent share to the Malaysians for $4.2 million.
“Less than half of that amount was paid at that time ever since then nothing had come to the government again,” he said.
Nana Akufo-Addo, Minister of Foreign Affairs yesterday briefed the press on the President’s visit to the USA and Japan.
He said President Kufuor asked the USA to assist Ghana in its infrastructural development.
He also called for American involvement in finding a solution to the Liberian crisis and asked for the provision of logistics and finance for the operation.
The President made the call when he held discussions with the US President Mr. George Bush.
He also held fruitful discussions with the UN Secretary General. Mr. Kofi Annan, and called for a reinforcement of ECOWAS troops in Liberia with 12,000 UN troops to augment the current number of 3,500 to 15,000 troops.
The President also gave a lecture at Columbia University and met the women’s national team, the Black Queens.
On his meeting with business people, Nana Akufo-Addo, said the President encouraged businessmen to invest in the country, while the business people also sought to know what avenues for business existed in Ghana.
On his inability to appear on the Voice of America Television (VOA) for an interview, he said a meeting between the President and manufacturers of garments and textiles in the USA made it impossible for him to appear on the programme.
According to him, the interview was not part of the President’s schedule and that at the time the VOA expected him he had already began the meeting and could not leave.
On the trip to Japan, the President addressed the TICAP and held discussions with the Japanese Prime Minister.
He also held discussions with Japanese government officials and business people.
He said as a result of the discussions with Japanese businessmen, a delegation from that country would arrive in Ghana in May, next year to discuss the export of cocoa to Japan.
2. USAG BLAMES STUDENTS FAILURE ON FAULTY SYSTEM – PG. 3
The University Students Association of Ghana (USAG) has attributed the failure of some students at the country’s universities to the numerous problems confronting students.
According to it, today’s student works under such extreme stress that his brain power is blunted and the quality contact with the already inadequate academic facilities in the universities is diminished.
The USAG, therefore, appealed to the government to improve upon lecture and accommodation facilities in the universities to ensure quality education for sustainable development. These were contained in a press Statement issued by USAG in Accra yesterday.
He was interacting with the staff of the ISD in Cape Coast. Mr. Boateng also warned that anybody caught drunk during working hours would pay the price.
He announced that plans were afoot to turn the department into an Internet Service Provider to enable it generate more funds to finance its operations.
According to the paper, Mr. Asamoah Boateng also met with staff of GBC where he announced the intention of the authorities to increase the television license fee from 3,000 to 15,000 cedis a year to enable the Corporation solve some of its financial problems.
The paper reports that, the recent acquisition of a speedboat by former President Rawlings that generated enormous public debate is believed to have no paperwork documented by the ports and harbour authority to guarantee its operation in the country’s waters.
Passing this comment at his turn at the meet-the-press series yesterday in Accra, the Minister of Ports, Harbours and Railways, Prof. Christopher Ameyaw Akumfi said his ministry had not yet seen any official procedure in terms of documentation covering the importation of the speedboat.
According to the paper, Prof. Ameyaw Akumfi said the shipping commissioner would soon find out if any documentation were made on the speedboat to legalize its operation.
He stated further that if the boat did not meet the specifications of the ministry, its owner would have to comply with directives given.
The paper says a member of the ruling NPP parliamentary force Kennedy Ohene Agyepong Assin North has admonished the leadership of his party to exorcise itself of the past if it wants to ensure workers productivity in the country.
According to the paper, he made specific reference to the bitter history of mass retrenchment of workers in the 70’s progressive party government which according to him, led to its demise and which has become a stumbling block to decisiveness from government.
Mr. Agyepong suggested to the paper that the fear of being referred to as the political institution that constantly turns its back on workers as a result of its connection with the tradition that unleashed Apollo 568, stands stoutly in the way of a government that needed to adopt stringent measures to ensure that public servants perform adequately to make the government’s own dream of “positive change” a reality.
Mr. Kwabena Agyepong, Press secretary to the President, has described the Western Region Chairman of the NDC, Nana Alex Asamoah, as a liar and a despicable character who does not deserve to be argued with by decent people in society.
He indicated, “You are a disrespectful character who has no sense in your head, and I think the public had better judge to know which of the two (Mr. Agyepong and Nana Asamoah) of us is sane or decent”, he rhymed.
Mr. Agyepong was reacting to allegations of impropriety levelled against President Kufuor, after the President failed to honour an invitation to speak on VOA while attending the 58th session of the UN General assembly in New York, recently. Nana Alex Asamoah has alleged that the President was drunk that’s why he was not able to show up at the VOA talk-show.
Mr. Kwabena Agyepong expressed regret that he had to describe Alex Asamoah in those words, adding “but that is the best way to describe him”.
2. KUFUOR’S PSI ON SALT UNDER THREAT – PG. 1 & BK. PG.
The paper reports that, a group of indigenous salt producers in the country, has voiced its concern over the plan to allegedly bring in Dicon, a Brazilian company, to engage in salt re-bagging in the country.
The re-bagging, if allowed, would defeat the purpose of the PSI on salt which aims, amongst other things, to help local salt producers to harness the nation’s huge salt potential for sale locally and for export.
The local salt producers, claimed that it is a wrong move for the PSI to allow a foreign company to bring in raw salt which the local producers are capable of harvesting from their salt farms for the domestic market.
Mr. Philip Mante, a concerned salt worker who spoke to the paper on behalf of a local salt producers asserted that what the members are saying is that “anybody who wants to go into the salt business, should come and establish a company and engage in salt farming like Panbros and others are doing in the country.
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