According to the paper, the Executive Director of the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), Professor E. Gyimah-Boadi, has stated public financing of political parties will be a drain on the national treasury.
He observed that the consensus among political parties for public financing of their activities reflected the behaviour of a cartel interested in promoting sectarian agenda, instead of the national one.
He called for caution in order to prevent this policy from degenerating into a social welfare scheme for unemployed politicians.
He declared: “If anybody deserves social welfare at public expense, it should not the politician but first the retired public servants, teachers, veterans and the physically-challenged.”.
He was speaking in an interview with the paper in Accra.
2. ‘DON’T COMPROMISE NATION’S UNITY FOR PAROCHIAL INTERESTS’ – PGS. 1 & 3
The paper reports that, government has appealed to Ghanaians to ensure that the unity of the nation is not compromised for parochial interests.
It noted that in recent times, numerous advertisements had appeared in the print media extolling the supposed superiority or greatness of tribes, clans, kingdoms etc, at the expense of the “weakness” or “inferiority” of others.
The statement pointed out that while those sorts of articles might feed into some tribalistic feeling of some individuals or groups, they gave cause for alarm.
Aside from the expense, these articles and their tenor did not advance the cause of unity and cohesion of our nation, Ghana.
This was contained in a statement issued by the Ministry of Information in Accra.
3. GHANAIAN MADE DEPUTY POLICE CHIEF FOR UNIMIL – PG. 3
Mr. Mohammed Ahmed Alhassan, Deputy Commissioner of Police responsible for Southern Command Operations, has been appointed the Deputy Chief of Police of the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNIMIL).
He will assist the Transitional Government of Liberia in monitoring and restructuring the Police Force of Liberia to be consistent with democratic police principles and to develop civilian police training programme in co-operation with ECOWAS and other international organizations.
Mr. Alhassan, 49, holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of Ghana and Master of Science in Police Administration and Criminology from the University of Wales.
4. ‘LIFT BAN ON RECRUITMENT OF STAFF INTO CIVIL SERVICE’. – PG. 3
Rev. (Mrs) Comfort Adu, Vice-President of the Civil Servants Association (CSA), has called for the lifting of the ban on recruitment of staff into the civil service.
According to her, the ban was having an adverse effect on delivery within the service and it was time the decision was reviewed.
She made the call at the first general meeting of the Ashanti Region Savings and Loans Scheme, instituted by the regional branch of the CSA in Kumasi.
5. GETFUND LAW TO BE REVIEWED – PRESIDENT – PGS. 20 & 21
President Kufuor, has stated that the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) law, would be reviewed in due course to cover private sector universities.
He, however, advised private universities, to be development-oriented and provide educational programmes with the right mix of science and technology, on the one hand and ethical humanity on the other to stand the test of the 21st century.
He was inaugurating the first Catholic University College in Ghana, in Sunyani, yesterday.
The university, which opened in March, this year, has a student population of 49, and offers courses in Information and Communication Sciences and Technology (ICST), Economics and Business Administration and Religious Studies and Education.
This drew sharp criticisms from Capt. Effah-Dartey, who countered it by saying that funds had gone to the Volta Region just like any other part of the country for the building of roads and the supply of electricity.
He contended that Dr. Agyei was either ignorant or that the funds sent to that region were not judiciously used by the authorities there.
2. TEXTILE WORKERS OFFER TIPS FOR PSI’s SUCCESS – PG. 3
The paper reports that, the Textile, Garment and Leather Employees’ Union of the Ghana Federation of Labour (TGLEU) yesterday offered some tips on how the President’s Special Initiative (PSI) on textiles can succeed.
It said the initiative would not make any positive impact on the national economy if government failed to deal with smugglers of textile products into the country.
Mr. Abraham Koomson, General Secretary of the union, announced this in Accra at press conference. He expressed concern about revenue lost to the country in 2002 as a result of smuggling which stood at about ?300bn and called on the government to act swiftly to avert on worsening of the situation.
According to the paper, Major Boakye Djan (rtd) Rawlings’ coup-mate would make an appearance at the NRC on Tuesday.
It is expected that the former Army Major will throw more light on the vexed issue of the execution of the three former heads of state.
The paper appears to be very troubled over a number of government’s actions.
It therefore ask, whether or not it is true that the Ghana High Commission building in London has been sold and the government is renting it back from the buyer.
It added that, in a bid to win civil and public servants support in an election year, the President and Yaw Osarfo-Maafo have planned to announce and actually grant a 35% salary and wage increase for them across board in early 2004, as has been done for the security services.
Prof. George Aryeetey, Head of the Institute for Statistical Social and Economic Research (ISSER) has called on the government of Ghana to state its position on a new proposed form of financing development in Africa by the international community.
According to him, the traditional order of going to the IMF and World Bank for additional aid to balance the country’s budget every year could be replaced with the issuance of the Special Drawing Rights (SDR) which will benefit donors and recipient countries as well.
He said international NGOs like OXFAM and ACTION AID are all sensitizing governments about these new possibilities.
“Today, there is hardly any African country which can finance its budget without aid”, he said adding “No African country can achieve its Millennium Development Goals without aid”.
He was “speaking on the topic” Innovative ways of financing African Development: the Potential Use of Special Drawing Rights”.
TUC Secretary-General, Kwasi Adu-Amankwa, has served notice that labour’s protests to government on the handling of funds from the SSNIT would no longer be limited to the “Boardroom”, “if people want to see us protesting vigorously now they would see it” he said.
Mr. Adu-Amankwa was not too sure whether within the present dispensation, the leadership of the union would want to adhere to past practices where they limited their protestations over the use of SSNIT Funds including funding of Soldiers Housing Projects and Council of Indigenous Business Associations (CIBA) to the boardroom its protests.
“If we were not wiser in the past now we will be wiser. Our past would no longer hold us hostage”, he threatened.
The TUC boss accused government of acting arbitrarily with regard to its decision to fund the NHIS with contributors two and half monthly contributions to SSNIT while it resorts to “misinformation and propaganda to create the impression that workers are in agreement with the arrangement and that the protests were motivated by selfish motives”.
The Secretary-General was interacting with representatives of the district Councils of Labour (DCLs) at Ho, in the Volta Region.
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