DAILY GRAPHIC – MONDAY, 17TH NOVEMBER, 2003
1. LEAD FIGHT AGAINST AIDS … PRESIDENT URGES CHURCHES - PGS. 1 & 3 The paper reports that, President Kufuor has challenged the Church to spearhead the campaign against HIV/AIDS.
According to him, the HIV/AIDS disease was assuming alarming proportions and that there was the need for the church to help the government in the fight against the disease.
He made the call in a speech read on his behalf by the Minister for Finance and Economic Planning, Mr. Yaw osafo-Maafo, at the 50th anniversary celebration of the Church of Pentecost in Accra yesterday.
He said the church and the state needed to co-exist and urged it to help the government in its developmental efforts.
He said the state would be spiritless without the church and church could also not exist without it.
2. “REDUCE NUMBER OF STAFF IN PRESIDENT’S OFFICE’ – PGS. 1 & 3
The Parliamentary Select Committee on Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs has recommended the reduction in the number of staff at the Office of the President.
According to the committee, the staff position at the Castle rose from 718, in December 2001 to 750 in December, 2002. The committee was of the view that there was duplication of roles among the various categories of staff.
This was contained in the committee’s report on the Annual Reports on the presidential office Staff for 2001 and 2002 which were presented to parliament.
3. ASAMOAH BOATENG EXHORTS MUSLIMS TO PRAY FOR NATION – PG. 12
Mr. Asamoah Boateng, NPP Parliamentary candidate for Mfantseman West in 2004 general elections, has exhorted Muslims to use the Ramadan fast to pray for God’s guidance to elect dedicated persons in next year’s general elections.
According to him, they should also pray for a peaceful electioneering campaign and conduct of the elections.
Mr. Asamoah Boateng, who is also a Deputy Minister for Information, made the call when he and Mr. Robert Quainoo-Arthur, the District Chief Executive for Mfantseman, were introduced to Muslim communities at Saltpond and Mankessim.
He urged all religious groups to campaign for political and religious tolerance to ensure that the peace the nation was enjoying was not disturbed, reminding them that without peace, they could not serve their creator diligently.
4. GBC TO GO DIGITAL TRANSMISSION – PGS 20 & 21
Alhaji Aliu Mahama, Vice President, has addressed a durbar of the chiefs and people of Yilo Krobo at Somanya in the Eastern Region to mark their annual Kloyosikplemi Festival.
Addressing the gathering, he disclosed that the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC), has started installing satellite dishes throughout the country to improve the transmission of its programmes.
According to him, a German firm, Rhode and Schwarz, which had been contracted for the job, was expected to complete the 17 million euros contract in 12 months.
5. EDIF GRANTS ?181 BILLION TO 77 FIRMS – PG. 21
The Export Development and Investment Fund (EDIF) has so far disbursed ?181 billion to 77 export companies in the country.
The loan is to support export-related activities in areas such as agro-processing, salt mining and processing, handicrafts, plastics, garments and textiles and health.
Mr. Alan Kyeremanten, Minister for Trade, Industry and Special Presidential Initiatives (PSI) said this at an EDIF review workshop in Accra.
The review workshop was aimed at enhancing the operations of EDIF in order to bring its benefits to the Ghanaian export community.
6. WORLD CUP PRELIMINARY QUALIFIER STARS SHINE OVER HAPLESS SOMALIA – BK. PG.
Ghana’s Black Stars yesterday crashed Somalia 5-0 in their World Cup preliminary first leg encounter at the Accra Stadium.
The victory announced the Stars’ comeback into serious contest for international laurels.
THE GHANAIAN TIMES – MONDAY, 17TH NOVEMBER, 2003
1. SSS INTAKE PROBLEMS TACKLED ….. SYSTEM TO BE COMPUTERIZED - PGS. 1 & 3According to the paper, Ministry of Education is working towards computerizing admissions into SSS in the country.
Reverend Ama Afo Blay, Director General of the GES, said this at the Annual Speech and Prize-Giving ceremony of Achimota School, in Accra.
According to her, the objective was to help relieve the pressure on admissions at the senior secondary level.
“The mechanism which will come into force by the 2004/2005 academic year, will save heads of SSS the trouble of going through pressure from parents and the public.
2. ?6 BILLION MEDICAL RESEARCH CENTRE BUILT IN KUMASI – PG. 1
The paper reports that, ?6 billion Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research into Tropical Medicine (KCCR) was inaugurated in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region last week.
The center, a collaboration between KNUST, the government and the Bernhard Notch Institute of Tropical Medicine (BNITM), Germany, seeks to provide a scientific platform for conducting high quality research projects in the area of tropical medicine.
It also serves a dual purpose of sustaining capacity building in modern biomedical research for Ghanaian physicians, post-graduate students and laboratory technicians.
Inaugurating it, the German Ambassador to Ghana, Mr. Peter Linder, expressed satisfaction with the current trend of Ghana’s stabilization and liberalization of the national economy.
3. ECOWAS URGED TO SPEED INTEGRATION – PG. 1 & 3
Members of the ECOWAS were yesterday called upon to speed up the sub-region’s integration process to promote trade and investment among their peoples.
Mr. Alan Kyeremanten, Minister for Trade, Industry and President’s Special Initiatives, made this call at the plenary session of a meeting of ECOWAS Trade, Industry and Finance Ministers.
He said the attainment of an ECOWAS free trade area by 2004 and tariff harmonization could be a reality through the integration of its people.
The meeting, to be officially opened by Alhaji Aliu Mahama, Vice President, this morning will look at the current trade disparity between the sub-region and the European Union (EU).
NATIONAL DEMOCRAT – MONDAY, 17TH NOVEMBER, 2003
1. NDC SET TO BATTLE NPP…AS NPP STRIVES TO CRIMINALISE PNDC, NDC ERAS - PGS. 1 & 3The paper says the pressure of International Public opinion will soon be brought to bear on the government as it strives to criminalize the entire PNDC and NDC eras.
The paper states further that, it is on record that recent actions of government, which stirred national debates, have compelled the NDC not to take the existence of democratic institutions as guarantors of democracy.
The only way forward is therefore, is for the NDC to assume the position of watchdogs so as to guard and defend the constitution.
Hon. Mohammed Mumuni, NDC MP for Kumbungu, and Minority Spokesman on legal and constitutional matters, made this observation at a press conference organized by the NDC in Accra last week.
2. VICE PRESIDENT’S COMPANY IN SHODDY WORKS – PGS. 1 & 3
The paper says it is saddening to observe that some of our contractors, with the collaboration of top officials of various government and local government outfits are not helping the country in the way they manage affairs within their areas of jurisdiction.
According to the paper, while the Vice President’s company Lidra Limited has currently attracted the disgust of the residents of Madina, what puzzles most of the residents in Madina is that as the Vice President, Alhaji Aliu Mahama has mounting any available platform to ask contractors to stop shoddy construction, his own company has as if its modus operandi, was stoddily constructing an ill planned road for the residents of Madina, just outside the city of Accra.
The paper says the road in question stretches from Hollywod to the junction of the Dagomba Chief’s palace and the Post Office junction to the Ritz junction.
The road is unusually narrow and there is no provision for a pedestrian walkway or path on either side.
THE INDEPENDENT – MONDAY, 17TH NOVEMBER, 2003
1. CHINESE CAUGHT IN FAKE IMPORT DEAL - PG. 1 Minutes of the Government’s Textile Anti-Smuggling Task Force meeting on October 3, 2003, obtained by the paper say there is a principal suspect behind the smuggling of many fake textile products into the country.
The paper says details available to its outfit shows that activities of some importers of textile has resulted in the loss of several billions of cedis in revenue to the state.
According to the paper, although the report did not reveal the identity of the said suspect, a bit of sleuthing within the national security apparatus and other agencies like the VAT Secretariat, GIS and CEPS revealed that the suspect is one Zhan Yan Qun, a Chinese national, resident at East Legon, a suburb of Accra.
2. GOVERNMENT BACKS DOWN ON SALE OF SHOE FACTORY – PG. 1 & BK. PG.
The paper says the government has backed down from its earlier position to sell outright the Kumasi Shoe Factory to foreign investors and is rather considering a joint partnership venture.
Consequently, the one time vibrant shoe factory has been placed on tender for interested investors to submit proposals for bidding in order to revamp the factory.
According to the paper, the Ashanti Regional Minister, Mr. Sampson Kwaku Boafo who disclosed this at a forum dubbed “Meet Your MP” at the Subin constituency in Kumasi, said government’s position has become necessary following a last minute withdrawal of an offer by a Czech Republic company, Telfin to take absolute control of the reviving of the factory.
The paper says, notwithstanding this, the Regional Minister who is also the MP for the area assured the people in the region that urgent steps are being taken by government to get a multimillion-dollar investor to partner with it to bring the factory back to life
THE ACCRA DAILY MAIL – MONDAY, 17TH NOVEMBER, 2003
1. TELEPHONES FOR ALL SSS….BY END OF 2004… GT NEEDS ?200 BILLION MONTHLY - PGS. 2 & 3The paper says the Chief Executive Officer of Ghana Telecommunication, Mr. Oystein Bjorge, has said the future plans of the company, is to make telephones available to everybody, especially Secondary Schools and Training Colleges in all towns and cities in the country by the end of 2004. “We can not reach all but we will do our very best to reach all”.
According to the paper, he made this known when the Parliamentary Select Committee on Communication took a farmiliarization tour of the Ghana in Accra.
Mr. Oystein Bjorge said the company also needs about ?200 billion every month to be able to perform more efficiently.
He pointed at the sub-standard quality of service being provided by the company due to the lack of adequate funds, lack of precise network archives and records, lack of security in the IT system and the bypassing of international traffic, adding that the company is facing employee-related problems.
2. GOVERNMENT’S STRANGLEHOLD ON SSNIT SHOULD BE LIMITED – PGS 1 & 3
The paper reports that, the Volta Regional Council of Labour of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) on Thursday called for amendments to the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) Law to limit the government’s stranglehold on the Trust to a supervisory status.
According to the paper, the council held that the amendment would also facilitate the payment of full range of benefits stipulated in the International Labour Organisation’s (ILO) Convention 102 of 1952 on Social Security Contingencies.
The call was made at the council’s meeting at Ho, which discussed the National Health Insurance Act and a research document entitled: “Social Security in Ghana”.
The paper states further that during its deliberations on the research findings, the council noted that the benefits stipulated under the provident fund regime had never been implemented by SSNIT, except those of invalidity and death.
THE GHANAIAN CHRONICLE – MONDAY, 17TH NOVEMBER, 2003
1. MINISTER ASSERTS … NANA KONADU GOES BEGGING! … TO DISGRACE JAK’S ADMINISTRATION – PGS. 4 & 5According to the paper, Local Government and Rural Development Minister, Kwadwo Adjei Darko, has asserted that, in order to destroy the image of the Kufuor administration internationally and bring his presidency into disrepute, former first lady has turned herself into a beggar, soliciting funds in some foreign countries to cure her alleged ailment.
According to him, the former first lady recently visited one of the developed countries and approached the First Lady of that country for funds to cure her alleged sickness.
He said Nana Konadu with a brace around her neck, pretending to have had some sickness begged for money to help her cure it.
The Minister revealed that, Nana Konadu during the NDC regime, was able to secure $50,000 from the same First Lady.
The Minister who declined to mention the name of the country Nana Konadu had gone to beg, was speaking at a forum in Sunyani in the Brong Ahafo Region.
