The Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), Dr Jacques Diouf, has commended Ghana for its efforts to achieve food security under the Millennium Development Goals.
He said 62 countries, 20 of which were in Africa, were confronted with food security problems which could threaten their stability if measures were not taken to provide them with food aid.
The FAO Director-General made these remarks when he paid a courtesy call on the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Alhaji Mohammed Mumuni, in Accra last Wednesday.
He explained that food security was no longer just a vital economic and moral issue but had assumed a new dimension as a peace and security issue in the world.
Dr Diouf said food stocks around the world had reached their lowest in 60 years because of factors which included population growth, climate change and the resultant high food prices.
He hinted that if climate change worsened this year, many countries could slip into a food crisis, reminiscent of that of 2007 which saw demonstrations against governments.
He said to mitigate the effects of the food crisis, the FAO had launched an initiative which would provide countries mostly affected, access to seeds, fertilisers and equipment at affordable prices to increase food production.
The Director-General urged Ghana to take advantage of the FAO initiative to increase food security by making maximum use of the FAO regional offices for Africa which is in Accra.
Dr Diouf explained that Ghana had comparative and competitive advantage in food production since about 60 per cent of the population were engaged agriculture.
Alhaji Mumuni, for his part, observed that the FAO had a critical and strategic role to play in ensuring food security in the world.
He said Ghana was committed to assisting the FAO in its role to achieve food security, not only in the country but the world in general.
He said Ghana had benefited immeasurably from the nutrition programme of the FAO for children and pregnant women which had helped to improve the living conditions of the beneficiaries.
The foreign minister appealed to strategic partners to collaborate and cooperate to harness the agricultural potential of the country to ensure the realisation of the vision of the government to modernise agriculture.
Alhaji Mumuni said Ghanaian farmers who were working hard to maintain agricultural production in the country were still using hoes and machetes but it was the determination of the government to help them replace these obsolete tools with modern agricultural implements.
Friday, April 24, 2009
Thursday, April 23, 2009
SANCTION POOR PERFORMING MEMBERS (PAGE 21)
THE Minister of Roads and Highways, Mr Joe Gidisu, has called on the Association of Road Contractors (ASROC) to institute a mechanism to sanction contractors whose performance falls short of expectation.
He explained that apart from spending huge sums of its limited resources on roads, the government also depended on development partners for grants and loans in the road sector.
Mr Gidisu who addressed a workshop of road contractors to discuss delays in payments for contract, said the government would also examine its institutional constraints and the performance of people placed in responsible positions to forestall delays in payments.
He explained that delays in the payments for contracts were mainly due to the excess contracts awarded to contractors which fell outside the budgetary allocations.
He said if not addressed, these human and institutional inadequacies could paralyse the construction industry and called for the raising of the consciousness of stakeholders at all levels of the construction industry, including policy makers.
The Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Dr Kwabena Duffuor, whose speech was read on his behalf, said the growth in the transport sector had contributed to the improvement of the economy as well as living conditions.
He said governments could not therefore run the country without looking at road infrastructure, which is the major driver of national development.
Dr Duffuor urged the contractors to reciprocate the gesture of the government’s huge investment in the construction industry by performing creditably to contribute their quota to the growth of the economy.
Mr J. Twumasi-Mensa, national Chairman of ASROC, said local contractors waited between six and 19 months for their certificates to undergo 37 processes before payments were effected.
He noted that the reduction in 37 procedures for processing certificates would definitely lead to prompt payments of contractors.
Mr Twumasi was of the view that the workshop would lead to the adoption of measures which would create favourable conditions for contractors to pursue their role to help the nation’s efforts to improve the road sector.
He explained that apart from spending huge sums of its limited resources on roads, the government also depended on development partners for grants and loans in the road sector.
Mr Gidisu who addressed a workshop of road contractors to discuss delays in payments for contract, said the government would also examine its institutional constraints and the performance of people placed in responsible positions to forestall delays in payments.
He explained that delays in the payments for contracts were mainly due to the excess contracts awarded to contractors which fell outside the budgetary allocations.
He said if not addressed, these human and institutional inadequacies could paralyse the construction industry and called for the raising of the consciousness of stakeholders at all levels of the construction industry, including policy makers.
The Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Dr Kwabena Duffuor, whose speech was read on his behalf, said the growth in the transport sector had contributed to the improvement of the economy as well as living conditions.
He said governments could not therefore run the country without looking at road infrastructure, which is the major driver of national development.
Dr Duffuor urged the contractors to reciprocate the gesture of the government’s huge investment in the construction industry by performing creditably to contribute their quota to the growth of the economy.
Mr J. Twumasi-Mensa, national Chairman of ASROC, said local contractors waited between six and 19 months for their certificates to undergo 37 processes before payments were effected.
He noted that the reduction in 37 procedures for processing certificates would definitely lead to prompt payments of contractors.
Mr Twumasi was of the view that the workshop would lead to the adoption of measures which would create favourable conditions for contractors to pursue their role to help the nation’s efforts to improve the road sector.
MINISTRY LAUNCHES HEALTH SECTOR GENDER POLICY (PAGE 11)
The Minister of Health, Dr George Sipa-Adjah Yankey, has announced that Ghana was still lagging behind in its effort to attain the objectives of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
According to the minister, currently the level of poverty and disease burden among a larger proportion of the population was still high, stressing that although the Ministry of Health (MoH) recorded remarkable progress and success in various areas of disease interventions last year, other crucial areas such as the rate of malnutrition, anaemia and high malaria reports among children were unacceptable.
Added to this problem is the country’s institutional maternal mortality rate of 250 per 100,000 live births and the increasing cases of violence against women, which pose an obstacle to the achievement of equality, development and peace.
The minister made these comments at the opening of a five-day health summit in Accra on Monday.
To propel the ministry to speed up health interventions for the vulnerable groups of the society for better outcomes, the MoH in collaboration with the Ministry of Women and Children’s Affairs (MOWAC) has jointly launched the Health Sector Gender Policy, to enable it to mainstream gender into all its policies and programmes to address the numerous challenges that confronted the health sector.
The chairperson for the health summit and MOWAC Minister, Ms Akua Sena Dansua, launched the gender policy, which aims at enabling women and men to realise their full potential and participate as equal partners in creating a just and prosperous society.
She called on women to feel at ease in patronising services at health institutions and explained that the launch of the Gender policy would help improve the health status of women and children, who formed the largest clients of the MoH and the Ghana Health Service.
She noted that with the institution of the gender policy, the MoH would be in a better position to improve the needs of women and children in society.
Dr George Yankey, the Minister of Health, who assisted Ms Dansua to launch the gender policy, said the ministry had endeavoured over the past 15 years to be put together a gender policy by recognising gender equality as a legal right.
He said the ministry had witnessed at first-hand gender inequality emanating from the social, cultural and historical construct in the country.
He said some of the inequity, which include the feminisation of HIV/AIDS, the threat of violence against women and the perceived feminisation of poverty, had presented a complex and diverse challenge to policy makers in the health sector.
He said because of its complex nature, the challenge had also provided policy makers with the opportunity to put in place an integrated and multi-pronged policy that would shape the work of the MoH in the national pursuit of gender equity and equality in the country.
The minister of health said under its gender policy the Ministry of Health regarded violence against women as an obstacle to the achievement of equality, development and peace, stressing that “we have, therefore, linked health services to such victims with the provision of remedial services through education”.
He said the policy would be instrumental in advancing the gender agenda in the country by outlining an integrated package of institutional structures and the co-ordination of a framework through which partners could work with the ministry to advance the gender cause in Ghana.
According to the minister, currently the level of poverty and disease burden among a larger proportion of the population was still high, stressing that although the Ministry of Health (MoH) recorded remarkable progress and success in various areas of disease interventions last year, other crucial areas such as the rate of malnutrition, anaemia and high malaria reports among children were unacceptable.
Added to this problem is the country’s institutional maternal mortality rate of 250 per 100,000 live births and the increasing cases of violence against women, which pose an obstacle to the achievement of equality, development and peace.
The minister made these comments at the opening of a five-day health summit in Accra on Monday.
To propel the ministry to speed up health interventions for the vulnerable groups of the society for better outcomes, the MoH in collaboration with the Ministry of Women and Children’s Affairs (MOWAC) has jointly launched the Health Sector Gender Policy, to enable it to mainstream gender into all its policies and programmes to address the numerous challenges that confronted the health sector.
The chairperson for the health summit and MOWAC Minister, Ms Akua Sena Dansua, launched the gender policy, which aims at enabling women and men to realise their full potential and participate as equal partners in creating a just and prosperous society.
She called on women to feel at ease in patronising services at health institutions and explained that the launch of the Gender policy would help improve the health status of women and children, who formed the largest clients of the MoH and the Ghana Health Service.
She noted that with the institution of the gender policy, the MoH would be in a better position to improve the needs of women and children in society.
Dr George Yankey, the Minister of Health, who assisted Ms Dansua to launch the gender policy, said the ministry had endeavoured over the past 15 years to be put together a gender policy by recognising gender equality as a legal right.
He said the ministry had witnessed at first-hand gender inequality emanating from the social, cultural and historical construct in the country.
He said some of the inequity, which include the feminisation of HIV/AIDS, the threat of violence against women and the perceived feminisation of poverty, had presented a complex and diverse challenge to policy makers in the health sector.
He said because of its complex nature, the challenge had also provided policy makers with the opportunity to put in place an integrated and multi-pronged policy that would shape the work of the MoH in the national pursuit of gender equity and equality in the country.
The minister of health said under its gender policy the Ministry of Health regarded violence against women as an obstacle to the achievement of equality, development and peace, stressing that “we have, therefore, linked health services to such victims with the provision of remedial services through education”.
He said the policy would be instrumental in advancing the gender agenda in the country by outlining an integrated package of institutional structures and the co-ordination of a framework through which partners could work with the ministry to advance the gender cause in Ghana.
MINISTRY LAUNCHES HEALTH SECTOR GENDER POLICY (PAGE 11)
The Minister of Health, Dr George Sipa-Adjah Yankey, has announced that Ghana was still lagging behind in its effort to attain the objectives of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
According to the minister, currently the level of poverty and disease burden among a larger proportion of the population was still high, stressing that although the Ministry of Health (MoH) recorded remarkable progress and success in various areas of disease interventions last year, other crucial areas such as the rate of malnutrition, anaemia and high malaria reports among children were unacceptable.
Added to this problem is the country’s institutional maternal mortality rate of 250 per 100,000 live births and the increasing cases of violence against women, which pose an obstacle to the achievement of equality, development and peace.
The minister made these comments at the opening of a five-day health summit in Accra on Monday.
To propel the ministry to speed up health interventions for the vulnerable groups of the society for better outcomes, the MoH in collaboration with the Ministry of Women and Children’s Affairs (MOWAC) has jointly launched the Health Sector Gender Policy, to enable it to mainstream gender into all its policies and programmes to address the numerous challenges that confronted the health sector.
The chairperson for the health summit and MOWAC Minister, Ms Akua Sena Dansua, launched the gender policy, which aims at enabling women and men to realise their full potential and participate as equal partners in creating a just and prosperous society.
She called on women to feel at ease in patronising services at health institutions and explained that the launch of the Gender policy would help improve the health status of women and children, who formed the largest clients of the MoH and the Ghana Health Service.
She noted that with the institution of the gender policy, the MoH would be in a better position to improve the needs of women and children in society.
Dr George Yankey, the Minister of Health, who assisted Ms Dansua to launch the gender policy, said the ministry had endeavoured over the past 15 years to be put together a gender policy by recognising gender equality as a legal right.
He said the ministry had witnessed at first-hand gender inequality emanating from the social, cultural and historical construct in the country.
He said some of the inequity, which include the feminisation of HIV/AIDS, the threat of violence against women and the perceived feminisation of poverty, had presented a complex and diverse challenge to policy makers in the health sector.
He said because of its complex nature, the challenge had also provided policy makers with the opportunity to put in place an integrated and multi-pronged policy that would shape the work of the MoH in the national pursuit of gender equity and equality in the country.
The minister of health said under its gender policy the Ministry of Health regarded violence against women as an obstacle to the achievement of equality, development and peace, stressing that “we have, therefore, linked health services to such victims with the provision of remedial services through education”.
He said the policy would be instrumental in advancing the gender agenda in the country by outlining an integrated package of institutional structures and the co-ordination of a framework through which partners could work with the ministry to advance the gender cause in Ghana.
According to the minister, currently the level of poverty and disease burden among a larger proportion of the population was still high, stressing that although the Ministry of Health (MoH) recorded remarkable progress and success in various areas of disease interventions last year, other crucial areas such as the rate of malnutrition, anaemia and high malaria reports among children were unacceptable.
Added to this problem is the country’s institutional maternal mortality rate of 250 per 100,000 live births and the increasing cases of violence against women, which pose an obstacle to the achievement of equality, development and peace.
The minister made these comments at the opening of a five-day health summit in Accra on Monday.
To propel the ministry to speed up health interventions for the vulnerable groups of the society for better outcomes, the MoH in collaboration with the Ministry of Women and Children’s Affairs (MOWAC) has jointly launched the Health Sector Gender Policy, to enable it to mainstream gender into all its policies and programmes to address the numerous challenges that confronted the health sector.
The chairperson for the health summit and MOWAC Minister, Ms Akua Sena Dansua, launched the gender policy, which aims at enabling women and men to realise their full potential and participate as equal partners in creating a just and prosperous society.
She called on women to feel at ease in patronising services at health institutions and explained that the launch of the Gender policy would help improve the health status of women and children, who formed the largest clients of the MoH and the Ghana Health Service.
She noted that with the institution of the gender policy, the MoH would be in a better position to improve the needs of women and children in society.
Dr George Yankey, the Minister of Health, who assisted Ms Dansua to launch the gender policy, said the ministry had endeavoured over the past 15 years to be put together a gender policy by recognising gender equality as a legal right.
He said the ministry had witnessed at first-hand gender inequality emanating from the social, cultural and historical construct in the country.
He said some of the inequity, which include the feminisation of HIV/AIDS, the threat of violence against women and the perceived feminisation of poverty, had presented a complex and diverse challenge to policy makers in the health sector.
He said because of its complex nature, the challenge had also provided policy makers with the opportunity to put in place an integrated and multi-pronged policy that would shape the work of the MoH in the national pursuit of gender equity and equality in the country.
The minister of health said under its gender policy the Ministry of Health regarded violence against women as an obstacle to the achievement of equality, development and peace, stressing that “we have, therefore, linked health services to such victims with the provision of remedial services through education”.
He said the policy would be instrumental in advancing the gender agenda in the country by outlining an integrated package of institutional structures and the co-ordination of a framework through which partners could work with the ministry to advance the gender cause in Ghana.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
HEALTH SECTOR REVIEWS PROGRAMME OF WORK (PAGE 14)
The Minister of Health, Dr George Sipa-Adjah Yankey, has opened a four-day conference in Accra to review the health sector programme of work.
Dr Yankey explained that even though the health sector made some progress last year, it was still behind the schedule in meeting the Millennium Development Goals of ensuring health for all by 2015.
He said there were indications that the health sector had performed creditably in a number of areas such lowering fertility rates and dropping infant and child mortality rates, with supervised deliveries exceeding the 50-per cent mark.
He, however, said the existing levels of poverty and health inequity would continue to widen the disparity in health outcomes if health workers did not take a moral stance against them.
The Health Minister said Ghanaians would not forgive health workers, if they spent most of their time solving management issues such as remuneration rather than seeking their health and welfare.
He explained that the use of modern contraceptives and nutrition, especially among children, remained areas where the health sector was yet to make the required impact.
He said it was unacceptable that 28 per cent of Ghanaian children were malnourished, while 78 per cent of children under five years had some level of anaemia.
He expressed the hope that health workers would focus their attention on the development and implementation of programmes that would enable the health workers to deliver health to the people.
Dr Yankey said the ministry had decided to invest more resources in malarial control programme for the elimination of the disease in the country.
This will save the country the annual recurrent expenditure of $720 million on malarial treatment.
Dr Yankey said the country would make a quantum of savings if malaria could be eliminated completely as it had been done in several countries.
He explained that the Ministry of Health had been running malarial control programme for sometime now and the time had come for the stepping up of intervention measures to put the country in the elimination mode.
The minister noted that it required a huge operational and financial outlay but considering the savings in both economic, health and social terms, there was no better investment in the health sector than the total eradication of malaria.
Dr Yankey said the Ministry and Ghana Health Service were gearing up to elevate the control measures on sustainable basis, as well as additional measures that would enable the country to graduate to the point of sustained elimination.
Mrs Akua Sena Dansua, the Minister for Women and Children’s Affairs, who chaired the function, and the Minister of Health used the occasion to jointly launch the Gender Policy of the Ministry of Health, which aims at enabling women and men to realise their full potential and participate as equal partners in creating a just and prosperous society.
Dr Yankey explained that even though the health sector made some progress last year, it was still behind the schedule in meeting the Millennium Development Goals of ensuring health for all by 2015.
He said there were indications that the health sector had performed creditably in a number of areas such lowering fertility rates and dropping infant and child mortality rates, with supervised deliveries exceeding the 50-per cent mark.
He, however, said the existing levels of poverty and health inequity would continue to widen the disparity in health outcomes if health workers did not take a moral stance against them.
The Health Minister said Ghanaians would not forgive health workers, if they spent most of their time solving management issues such as remuneration rather than seeking their health and welfare.
He explained that the use of modern contraceptives and nutrition, especially among children, remained areas where the health sector was yet to make the required impact.
He said it was unacceptable that 28 per cent of Ghanaian children were malnourished, while 78 per cent of children under five years had some level of anaemia.
He expressed the hope that health workers would focus their attention on the development and implementation of programmes that would enable the health workers to deliver health to the people.
Dr Yankey said the ministry had decided to invest more resources in malarial control programme for the elimination of the disease in the country.
This will save the country the annual recurrent expenditure of $720 million on malarial treatment.
Dr Yankey said the country would make a quantum of savings if malaria could be eliminated completely as it had been done in several countries.
He explained that the Ministry of Health had been running malarial control programme for sometime now and the time had come for the stepping up of intervention measures to put the country in the elimination mode.
The minister noted that it required a huge operational and financial outlay but considering the savings in both economic, health and social terms, there was no better investment in the health sector than the total eradication of malaria.
Dr Yankey said the Ministry and Ghana Health Service were gearing up to elevate the control measures on sustainable basis, as well as additional measures that would enable the country to graduate to the point of sustained elimination.
Mrs Akua Sena Dansua, the Minister for Women and Children’s Affairs, who chaired the function, and the Minister of Health used the occasion to jointly launch the Gender Policy of the Ministry of Health, which aims at enabling women and men to realise their full potential and participate as equal partners in creating a just and prosperous society.
Monday, April 20, 2009
GHANA'S MEDIA IMPRESSIVE — REPORT (SPREAD)
THE Minister of Information, Mrs Zita Okaikoi, has assured Ghanaians that her ministry will keep Ghana at the forefront of media development in Africa.
According to her, the African Media Barometer, which carried out reports in 26 African countries, showed that media development in the country was one of the most impressive on the continent.
Mrs Okaikoi, who launched the Ghana report for 2008, said the panel of experts who compiled the report attested to the fact that in the areas of freedom and independence, the Ghanaian media were independent from state influence.
She explained that the results reflected the great progress that the Ghanaian media had made since the beginning of the Fourth Republic.
She said, however, that certain observations in the report which called for improvement would become the priority areas for her ministry.
Those areas included the urgent need for media legislation such as the Right to Information Bill to improve the quality of media reporting in the country.
The minister said the government was currently discussing the bill and that within the shortest possible time it would be presented to Parliament for the appropriate action.
Mrs Okaikoi said another priority area touched by the report was the re-equipping of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation, which she said was being funded by the government to change from analogue to digital broadcasting to enable it to realise its potential.
The Editor of the Daily Graphic and President of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), Mr Ransford Tetteh, said the report was a home-grown document, adding, “No one can accuse anybody of looking at the media landscape in the country with biased lenses.”
He explained that the panel of experts excluded politicians, in line with the requirement expressed in the African Union declaration that the media ought to operate independently from state and political, as well as economic, influences.
He noted that the report would be used by the GJA and the National Media Commission (NMC) to press for the reforms recommended by the Media Barometer in such areas as better remuneration and working conditions for media practitioners in the country.
Mr Tetteh commended the Friedrich Ebert Foundation (FEF) for taking over the funding and compilation of the reports from Freedom Forum and other agencies that used to assess the performance of the media in Africa.
According to her, the African Media Barometer, which carried out reports in 26 African countries, showed that media development in the country was one of the most impressive on the continent.
Mrs Okaikoi, who launched the Ghana report for 2008, said the panel of experts who compiled the report attested to the fact that in the areas of freedom and independence, the Ghanaian media were independent from state influence.
She explained that the results reflected the great progress that the Ghanaian media had made since the beginning of the Fourth Republic.
She said, however, that certain observations in the report which called for improvement would become the priority areas for her ministry.
Those areas included the urgent need for media legislation such as the Right to Information Bill to improve the quality of media reporting in the country.
The minister said the government was currently discussing the bill and that within the shortest possible time it would be presented to Parliament for the appropriate action.
Mrs Okaikoi said another priority area touched by the report was the re-equipping of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation, which she said was being funded by the government to change from analogue to digital broadcasting to enable it to realise its potential.
The Editor of the Daily Graphic and President of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), Mr Ransford Tetteh, said the report was a home-grown document, adding, “No one can accuse anybody of looking at the media landscape in the country with biased lenses.”
He explained that the panel of experts excluded politicians, in line with the requirement expressed in the African Union declaration that the media ought to operate independently from state and political, as well as economic, influences.
He noted that the report would be used by the GJA and the National Media Commission (NMC) to press for the reforms recommended by the Media Barometer in such areas as better remuneration and working conditions for media practitioners in the country.
Mr Tetteh commended the Friedrich Ebert Foundation (FEF) for taking over the funding and compilation of the reports from Freedom Forum and other agencies that used to assess the performance of the media in Africa.
Friday, April 17, 2009
ICT INDUSTRY TO GENEGRATE 10,000 JOBS (BACK PAGE)
The Ministry of Communications is undertaking a number of projects to generate high paying jobs in the ICT industry within four years.
The effort forms part of the commitment of the ministry to work in conjunction with the Ghana Association of Software and Information Technology Service Companies (GASSCOM), to create 10,000 high paying jobs in ICT industry.
Mr Iddrisu Haruna, Minister of Communications, who announced this at a workshop organised by Gasscom in Accra said the ministry was pursuing the development of business process outsourcing in the ICT industry as part of the initiative towards the realisation of creating more jobs.
The workshop was intended to expose the potentials of information technology in the country.
Mr Haruna said Ghana had both the human and natural resources to become a major outsourcing destination in Africa.
He added that another project being pursued was the establishment of the Directorate of the IT-Enabled Services at the Ministry of Communications, which was necessary to provide the essential assistance to the ICT industry and nurture it into a well-resourced and active player in the economy.
Mr Haruna said the national communication backbone transmission network would also be linked up with those of neighbouring countries by the end of the year.
To that end, the minister said the Ministry of Communications and technical teams from Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, Togo, Burkina Faso, Benin and Niger would be attending a conference in Accra in June to assess progress made by respective countries towards the realisation of the link-up project.
To overcome the problem of high real estate charges for ICT businesses, the minister said the government was pursuing the programme to establish technology parks with sufficient infrastructure to assist ICT businesses seeking to do business in the country.
Mr Haruna said every effort was being made to ensure that the broadband project was rapidly deployed throughout the country for Internet services, by extending the optic fibre to cover all the district capitals.
He said sufficient arrangements had been made to secure a more favourable pricing for bandwidth that would particularly address the concerns of the outsourcing industry in the country.
Mr Kofi Bentil, a representative of GASSCOM, said the public and civil service in the country stood the chance of offering improved services as well as reduced cost for undertaking business in the country, through the outsourcing of jobs from abroad.
Mr Bentil said in the long run the country could attract jobs from outside to help improve the economy by providing high paying jobs.
The effort forms part of the commitment of the ministry to work in conjunction with the Ghana Association of Software and Information Technology Service Companies (GASSCOM), to create 10,000 high paying jobs in ICT industry.
Mr Iddrisu Haruna, Minister of Communications, who announced this at a workshop organised by Gasscom in Accra said the ministry was pursuing the development of business process outsourcing in the ICT industry as part of the initiative towards the realisation of creating more jobs.
The workshop was intended to expose the potentials of information technology in the country.
Mr Haruna said Ghana had both the human and natural resources to become a major outsourcing destination in Africa.
He added that another project being pursued was the establishment of the Directorate of the IT-Enabled Services at the Ministry of Communications, which was necessary to provide the essential assistance to the ICT industry and nurture it into a well-resourced and active player in the economy.
Mr Haruna said the national communication backbone transmission network would also be linked up with those of neighbouring countries by the end of the year.
To that end, the minister said the Ministry of Communications and technical teams from Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, Togo, Burkina Faso, Benin and Niger would be attending a conference in Accra in June to assess progress made by respective countries towards the realisation of the link-up project.
To overcome the problem of high real estate charges for ICT businesses, the minister said the government was pursuing the programme to establish technology parks with sufficient infrastructure to assist ICT businesses seeking to do business in the country.
Mr Haruna said every effort was being made to ensure that the broadband project was rapidly deployed throughout the country for Internet services, by extending the optic fibre to cover all the district capitals.
He said sufficient arrangements had been made to secure a more favourable pricing for bandwidth that would particularly address the concerns of the outsourcing industry in the country.
Mr Kofi Bentil, a representative of GASSCOM, said the public and civil service in the country stood the chance of offering improved services as well as reduced cost for undertaking business in the country, through the outsourcing of jobs from abroad.
Mr Bentil said in the long run the country could attract jobs from outside to help improve the economy by providing high paying jobs.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
OBO ORGANISES FUND-RAISING FOR PRESBY UNIVERSITY (PAGE 34)
As part of their Easter celebration, the people of Obo in the Eastern Region, organised a fund-raising event on Easter Sunday in support of the proposed establishment of a Campus for the Kwahu University of Engineering.
Addressing the ceremony, the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Rt. Reverend Dr Yaw Frimpong-Manso, expressed concern about incidents of internet and bank fraud in the country.
He noted that instead of using the internet to acquire useful knowledge many young people were rather using it to commit crimes.
Rev Frimpong-Manso therefore suggested that religious education should be introduced at the tertiary level to help instill moral discipline in Ghanaians.
He said the vision of Presbyterian education was to train the mind, the heart and the hands to mould men instead of the present educational system which put emphasis on making money-men.
He said the present generation of Presbyterians had an obligation to continue with holistic education introduced into the country by the early missionaries that aimed at making the Ghanaian a self-reliant citizen.
The Moderator said the Abetifi Campus of the Kwahu University would house the Information and Communication Technology and Business and Public Administration Campuses while the Obo and Pepease would have Engineering and Agriculture respectively.
Reverend Frimpong Manso commended the citizens of the area for reciprocating the gesture of the Presbytarian church by donating generously to the projects of the Church in the area.
The moderator commended the Chief Executive Officer of Asona Mining Limited, Nana Kwaku Donkor, for renovating the Presbytarian Church at Bepong.
Nana Donkor donated GH¢3,000 towards the construction of the Engineering Campus at Obo.
The Paramount Chief of the Obo Traditional area said his ancestors who did not have the opportunity to attend school brought the first government school to Obo in 1915.
He said the residents of Obo had therefore taken up the challenge to ensure that the University of Engineering Campus of the Presbytarian Church was completed by the next academic year.
Addressing the ceremony, the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Rt. Reverend Dr Yaw Frimpong-Manso, expressed concern about incidents of internet and bank fraud in the country.
He noted that instead of using the internet to acquire useful knowledge many young people were rather using it to commit crimes.
Rev Frimpong-Manso therefore suggested that religious education should be introduced at the tertiary level to help instill moral discipline in Ghanaians.
He said the vision of Presbyterian education was to train the mind, the heart and the hands to mould men instead of the present educational system which put emphasis on making money-men.
He said the present generation of Presbyterians had an obligation to continue with holistic education introduced into the country by the early missionaries that aimed at making the Ghanaian a self-reliant citizen.
The Moderator said the Abetifi Campus of the Kwahu University would house the Information and Communication Technology and Business and Public Administration Campuses while the Obo and Pepease would have Engineering and Agriculture respectively.
Reverend Frimpong Manso commended the citizens of the area for reciprocating the gesture of the Presbytarian church by donating generously to the projects of the Church in the area.
The moderator commended the Chief Executive Officer of Asona Mining Limited, Nana Kwaku Donkor, for renovating the Presbytarian Church at Bepong.
Nana Donkor donated GH¢3,000 towards the construction of the Engineering Campus at Obo.
The Paramount Chief of the Obo Traditional area said his ancestors who did not have the opportunity to attend school brought the first government school to Obo in 1915.
He said the residents of Obo had therefore taken up the challenge to ensure that the University of Engineering Campus of the Presbytarian Church was completed by the next academic year.
SCANSTYLE TO GENERATE ELECTRICITY FROM SAW DUST (PAGE 34)
Scanstyle Biofuel of Denmark and Scanstyle Mim Limited, a timber concession firm, are collaborating to use saw dust to make wood pellets for boilers to generate heat for electricity production.
The electricity generated from the heat of the boilers can be used for lighting urban households to reduce the pressure on the national grid.
The Deputy Managing Director of Scanstyle Mim Ltd., Mr Albert Zanu, disclosed this in an interview with the press during an exhibition of wood products by Scanstyle in Accra.
He explained that prior to the collaboration between the two firms, saw-dust from the company’s saw mills were discarded as by-products that had little economic value.
Mr Zanu said because of the use of saw dust as pellets to generate heat in boilers its value had increased, and it had become an important by-product for the generation of electricity in the country.
A Director of Scanstyle Mim, Mr Paul Kwabena Pepera, said the company had planted 400 square kilometres of its concession with a variety of timber species as part of its contribution to afforestation in the country.
He said some of the species available in the concession included Dahoma, Danta, Iroko (Odum),Candollei, Redwood and Wawa.
Mr Pepera said for four decades Scanstyle had been the nation’s leading exporter of furniture to Europe.
He said a survey conducted on the domestic market revealed there was great potential in the domestic market that had been neglected for a long time.
He said Scanstyle intended to change its over-reliance on the foreign market and concentrate on the domestic market as well.
The director said the company had made a firm commitment to treat its domestic customers with due respect and regard by providing them with the right products at the right time and at the right price.
He explained that the global economic crunch had provided exporters with a lesson not to over rely on foreign trade at the expense of domestic trade.
Mr Pepera said the company was building a new warehouse in Accra to enable its customers to purchase kiln-dried wood products at ex-stock prices.
The electricity generated from the heat of the boilers can be used for lighting urban households to reduce the pressure on the national grid.
The Deputy Managing Director of Scanstyle Mim Ltd., Mr Albert Zanu, disclosed this in an interview with the press during an exhibition of wood products by Scanstyle in Accra.
He explained that prior to the collaboration between the two firms, saw-dust from the company’s saw mills were discarded as by-products that had little economic value.
Mr Zanu said because of the use of saw dust as pellets to generate heat in boilers its value had increased, and it had become an important by-product for the generation of electricity in the country.
A Director of Scanstyle Mim, Mr Paul Kwabena Pepera, said the company had planted 400 square kilometres of its concession with a variety of timber species as part of its contribution to afforestation in the country.
He said some of the species available in the concession included Dahoma, Danta, Iroko (Odum),Candollei, Redwood and Wawa.
Mr Pepera said for four decades Scanstyle had been the nation’s leading exporter of furniture to Europe.
He said a survey conducted on the domestic market revealed there was great potential in the domestic market that had been neglected for a long time.
He said Scanstyle intended to change its over-reliance on the foreign market and concentrate on the domestic market as well.
The director said the company had made a firm commitment to treat its domestic customers with due respect and regard by providing them with the right products at the right time and at the right price.
He explained that the global economic crunch had provided exporters with a lesson not to over rely on foreign trade at the expense of domestic trade.
Mr Pepera said the company was building a new warehouse in Accra to enable its customers to purchase kiln-dried wood products at ex-stock prices.
PROSPECTIVE DRIVERS MUST BE TESTED FOR EPILEPSY (PAGE 34)
THE Medical Director of the Accra Psychiatric Hospital, Dr Akwasi Osei, has called for epileptic testing, in addition to eye testing, before the acquisition of driving licences in the country.
He said eye testing alone could not help curb the spate of road accidents in the country, considering the prevalence of mild epileptic cases among Ghanaians.
One out of every five Ghanaians has a minor mental case and mild epilepsy is one of the minor mental illnesses, he added.
He explained that drivers who experienced bouts of mild epilepsy could have seconds of black-out, without necessarily falling down, but that could have disastrous consequences while driving.
Dr Osei, who was speaking at a public education forum on road accidents and the Easter festivities, said because the root cause had not been identified, despite the improvement in roads and the importation of vehicles which are in good condition into the country, road accidents were on the ascendancy in the country.
He urged Ghanaian drivers to practise more defensive driving by exhibiting more patience on the road, no matter the provocation from other road users such as passengers and pedestrians or fellow drivers.
He said good mental health was not limited to the absence of mental disease such as madness but also the absence of provocation, both at home and the workplace.
He explained that emotions such as anger could lead to mental illness but not madness and if that was not properly controlled it could lead to mad acts.
The medical director, therefore, appealed to people experiencing burning sensations in their heads not to rush to herbalists and juju men for medication but seek proper medical attention in order not to complicate their situation.
He said most of the mental symptoms had medical cure if patients sought early care, adding that when people allowed their cases to develop into complications, it could lead to irreparable damage.
He advised drivers to desist from drinking while driving, since alcohol retarded the time the brain used to send messages to the other parts of the body to react to dangerous situations.
The Director of Planning and Programmes at the National Road Safety Commission (NRSC), Mrs May Obiri-Yeboah, said both short and long-term measures had been adopted to address the carnage on the roads.
She said among the short-term measures were the introduction of log books for long-distance commercial drivers and towing services to convey accident vehicles from accident spots to prevent more accidents.
She said one of the long-term measures was controlling the speed limit with speed cameras that would be deployed throughout the country, especially at accident-prone areas.
The President of the Ghana Mental Health Association, Mr Godson King Akpalu, commended the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) for its co-operation with the association and the NRSC to educate drivers on road safety.
He said eye testing alone could not help curb the spate of road accidents in the country, considering the prevalence of mild epileptic cases among Ghanaians.
One out of every five Ghanaians has a minor mental case and mild epilepsy is one of the minor mental illnesses, he added.
He explained that drivers who experienced bouts of mild epilepsy could have seconds of black-out, without necessarily falling down, but that could have disastrous consequences while driving.
Dr Osei, who was speaking at a public education forum on road accidents and the Easter festivities, said because the root cause had not been identified, despite the improvement in roads and the importation of vehicles which are in good condition into the country, road accidents were on the ascendancy in the country.
He urged Ghanaian drivers to practise more defensive driving by exhibiting more patience on the road, no matter the provocation from other road users such as passengers and pedestrians or fellow drivers.
He said good mental health was not limited to the absence of mental disease such as madness but also the absence of provocation, both at home and the workplace.
He explained that emotions such as anger could lead to mental illness but not madness and if that was not properly controlled it could lead to mad acts.
The medical director, therefore, appealed to people experiencing burning sensations in their heads not to rush to herbalists and juju men for medication but seek proper medical attention in order not to complicate their situation.
He said most of the mental symptoms had medical cure if patients sought early care, adding that when people allowed their cases to develop into complications, it could lead to irreparable damage.
He advised drivers to desist from drinking while driving, since alcohol retarded the time the brain used to send messages to the other parts of the body to react to dangerous situations.
The Director of Planning and Programmes at the National Road Safety Commission (NRSC), Mrs May Obiri-Yeboah, said both short and long-term measures had been adopted to address the carnage on the roads.
She said among the short-term measures were the introduction of log books for long-distance commercial drivers and towing services to convey accident vehicles from accident spots to prevent more accidents.
She said one of the long-term measures was controlling the speed limit with speed cameras that would be deployed throughout the country, especially at accident-prone areas.
The President of the Ghana Mental Health Association, Mr Godson King Akpalu, commended the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) for its co-operation with the association and the NRSC to educate drivers on road safety.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
GEA SEEKS PARTNERSHIP WITH MEDIA (PAGE 31)
THE leadership of the Ghana Employers Association (GEA) has called on the media to partner the association to wage a national crusade for workers to increase productivity in the country.
The President of the association, Mr Charles A. Cofie, who made the call, said for the first time, employers and organised labour were joining forces to wage a crusade on the issue because of the common realisation that growth in productivity was the only lasting route to prosperity and, therefore, essential to poverty alleviation.
Mr Cofie, who was speaking at an encounter with the media in Accra, said the GEA was also engaging at the highest level to ensure the sustainability of the re-launch of the Productivity Week.
He said it could not be overstated that Ghana required a Productivity Movement that would be led by the government in close collaboration with employers and organised labour to champion a campaign on national productivity.
“We need the right management-worker attitudes to benchmark the productivity capacity to that of international productivity indicators,” Mr Cofie said.
He explained that this could lead to creating a better Ghana, raise the standard of living of all Ghanaians and achieve the US$1000 income per capita at the very minimum.
He said the GEA believed that its partnership with the media could make a significant impact towards improving the business environment that would engender wealth creation and employment opportunities and improve quality of life for Ghanaians.
He said the task before organised labour and employers centred on accelerated development of the economy to build a better Ghana that no longer recognised the need for “organised labour on one side and employers on the other side”.
Mr Ransford Tetteh, President of the Ghana Journalists Association, urged the leadership of GEA to make productivity part of its sustained activities and campaign, for the media to make it an issue of national importance.
Mr Tetteh said the formation of a Productivity Movement in the country, where every worker is an activist of productivity, would assist a great deal in instilling a culture of productivity in the workforce for wealth creation.
The President of the association, Mr Charles A. Cofie, who made the call, said for the first time, employers and organised labour were joining forces to wage a crusade on the issue because of the common realisation that growth in productivity was the only lasting route to prosperity and, therefore, essential to poverty alleviation.
Mr Cofie, who was speaking at an encounter with the media in Accra, said the GEA was also engaging at the highest level to ensure the sustainability of the re-launch of the Productivity Week.
He said it could not be overstated that Ghana required a Productivity Movement that would be led by the government in close collaboration with employers and organised labour to champion a campaign on national productivity.
“We need the right management-worker attitudes to benchmark the productivity capacity to that of international productivity indicators,” Mr Cofie said.
He explained that this could lead to creating a better Ghana, raise the standard of living of all Ghanaians and achieve the US$1000 income per capita at the very minimum.
He said the GEA believed that its partnership with the media could make a significant impact towards improving the business environment that would engender wealth creation and employment opportunities and improve quality of life for Ghanaians.
He said the task before organised labour and employers centred on accelerated development of the economy to build a better Ghana that no longer recognised the need for “organised labour on one side and employers on the other side”.
Mr Ransford Tetteh, President of the Ghana Journalists Association, urged the leadership of GEA to make productivity part of its sustained activities and campaign, for the media to make it an issue of national importance.
Mr Tetteh said the formation of a Productivity Movement in the country, where every worker is an activist of productivity, would assist a great deal in instilling a culture of productivity in the workforce for wealth creation.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
GOVT WILL BE ACCESSIBLE TO MEDIA (SPREAD)
The Minister of Information, Mrs Zita Okaikoi, has expressed the preparedness of the government to foster cordial working relationship with the media in the country.
She said the government would make itself accessible to the media to deliberate on issues geared at stimulating national development, stressing that the government recognised the media as a major partner in the development of the country
Speaking at a reception held for media personnel by the Ministry of Information to enable the minister to interact with media personnel in Accra last Thursday, Mrs Okaikoi, however, deplored the attitude of some media personnel who were bent on introducing ethnocentrism into the media landscape.
She urged journalists to practise responsible journalism and not allow the canker of ethnocentrism to eat into the society, since that could destabilise the country.
She said President John Evans Atta Mills had reiterated his commitment to develop all regions of the nation, irrespective of colour, ethnicity and political affiliations, and added that the few media personnel who wanted to sow seeds of disunity in the country would not be allowed to do so.
She said Ghanaians had nurtured democracy over the past decade and indicated that the media, as the watchdogs of society, should desist from any acts that would destroy the nation’s democracy.
Mrs Okaikoi said the government required the support of the media to educate people on their civic responsibilities and rekindle their communal spirit to address the problem of sanitation and environmental degradation.
Present at the ceremony, which was attended by media practitioners from both the state and private-owned media organisations, were the acting Chief Director of the Ministry of Information, Mr Dominic A. Y. Sampong, and directors from the ministry.
She said the government would make itself accessible to the media to deliberate on issues geared at stimulating national development, stressing that the government recognised the media as a major partner in the development of the country
Speaking at a reception held for media personnel by the Ministry of Information to enable the minister to interact with media personnel in Accra last Thursday, Mrs Okaikoi, however, deplored the attitude of some media personnel who were bent on introducing ethnocentrism into the media landscape.
She urged journalists to practise responsible journalism and not allow the canker of ethnocentrism to eat into the society, since that could destabilise the country.
She said President John Evans Atta Mills had reiterated his commitment to develop all regions of the nation, irrespective of colour, ethnicity and political affiliations, and added that the few media personnel who wanted to sow seeds of disunity in the country would not be allowed to do so.
She said Ghanaians had nurtured democracy over the past decade and indicated that the media, as the watchdogs of society, should desist from any acts that would destroy the nation’s democracy.
Mrs Okaikoi said the government required the support of the media to educate people on their civic responsibilities and rekindle their communal spirit to address the problem of sanitation and environmental degradation.
Present at the ceremony, which was attended by media practitioners from both the state and private-owned media organisations, were the acting Chief Director of the Ministry of Information, Mr Dominic A. Y. Sampong, and directors from the ministry.
GHANA WON'T CHANGE FOREIGN POLICY — MUMUNI (SPREAD)
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Mahamudu Mumuni, has assured the international community that the country’s foreign policy would remain the same despite the change in government.
Mr Mumuni, who had his first interaction with the diplomatic corps yesterday since assuming office as Foreign Minister, emphasised that promoting and enhancing bilateral co-operation would continue to be the key pillars of Ghana’s foreign policy.
He further said that the government was committed to providing an attractive and conducive environment for the smooth functioning of all diplomatic and consular missions in Accra.
He said the National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration believed in good neighbourliness and would continue to place high premium on relations with ECOWAS and African states, while furthering the government’s desire to promote friendly relations with all other countries, especially with the country’s development partners.
Mr Mumuni said economic diplomacy would continue to occupy an pre-eminent place in Ghana’s foreign policy, which requires diplomats from Ghana to pay greater attention to the promotion of trade, investment and tourism.
He said priority would be given to investment flows into the country, particularly towards key sectors such as energy, agriculture and agro-processing, ICT, infrastructural development and the hospitality industry.
The Foreign Minister explained that the pursuit of multilateral co-operation was no less important for Ghana as a responsible member of the international community.
He said Ghana‘s membership of some of the multilateral institutions had influenced global decisions that affected the country’s interest, as well as those of West Africa, Africa and the developing world at large.
He said the pursuit of peace and security would continue to be given high priority in the conduct of Ghana’s foreign policy as they were essential for growth and prosperity.
The Dean of the Diplomatic Corps in Ghana, Mr Jean Pierre T. Gbikpi-Benissan, assured the minister that the doors of the diplomatic corps would be made accessible to him and that he must also reciprocate to ensure effective exchange of information for the mutual benefit of the peoples of their respective countries.
Mr Mumuni, who had his first interaction with the diplomatic corps yesterday since assuming office as Foreign Minister, emphasised that promoting and enhancing bilateral co-operation would continue to be the key pillars of Ghana’s foreign policy.
He further said that the government was committed to providing an attractive and conducive environment for the smooth functioning of all diplomatic and consular missions in Accra.
He said the National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration believed in good neighbourliness and would continue to place high premium on relations with ECOWAS and African states, while furthering the government’s desire to promote friendly relations with all other countries, especially with the country’s development partners.
Mr Mumuni said economic diplomacy would continue to occupy an pre-eminent place in Ghana’s foreign policy, which requires diplomats from Ghana to pay greater attention to the promotion of trade, investment and tourism.
He said priority would be given to investment flows into the country, particularly towards key sectors such as energy, agriculture and agro-processing, ICT, infrastructural development and the hospitality industry.
The Foreign Minister explained that the pursuit of multilateral co-operation was no less important for Ghana as a responsible member of the international community.
He said Ghana‘s membership of some of the multilateral institutions had influenced global decisions that affected the country’s interest, as well as those of West Africa, Africa and the developing world at large.
He said the pursuit of peace and security would continue to be given high priority in the conduct of Ghana’s foreign policy as they were essential for growth and prosperity.
The Dean of the Diplomatic Corps in Ghana, Mr Jean Pierre T. Gbikpi-Benissan, assured the minister that the doors of the diplomatic corps would be made accessible to him and that he must also reciprocate to ensure effective exchange of information for the mutual benefit of the peoples of their respective countries.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO TO HELP GHANA DEVELOP GAS SECTOR (SPREAD)
The government of Trinidad and Tobago is to help Ghana to develop its gas infrastructure.
This came to light when the High Commissioner of Trinidad and Tobago accredited to Ghana but resident in Nigeria, Mrs Victoria Mendez-Charles, called on the Minister of Energy, Dr Joe Oteng Agyei at his office yesterday.
The two held discussions on the gas and oil industry in the two countries and agreed in principle to enter into an agreement for Trinidad and Tobago to assist Ghana to develop its gas infrastructure.
The agreement, when signed, will enable Ghana to explore its gas reserves and avoid the mistakes of their negative environmental impact.
It will also include the transfer of technology to Ghanaian professionals or technicians by training them to fill positions in the gas and oil industry without having to rely heavily on expatriates.
Dr Agyei said the collaboration between the two countries would help advance the cause of South-South co-operation.
He said the government promised the Ghanaian electorate that it would invest in the people and the training of Ghanaians to occupy positions in the oil and gas industry, saying that industry offered the greatest opportunity for investing in the people.
He said the government would not be satisfied with the services of oil companies who would like to employ Ghanaians as agents in the oil and gas industry without transferring their expertise to the workers so that in the end the workers would be left with nothing, while all the profits were transferred back to the parent companies abroad.
He said policy makers right down to middle-level technical personnel would be involved in the training to enable Ghanaians to develop the know-how in the oil and gas industry.
Dr Agyei said the government would, therefore, not accept any agreement from oil companies which fell short of forming joint ventures with Ghanaians, since it was much concerned about increasing local participation in oil exploration.
Mrs Mendez-Charles said her country had had over 100 years’ experience in oil exploration but because its supply was limited, it had to diversify the economy by developing its gas sector.
She said Ghana could learn a lot from her country to avoid the pitfalls that that country had faced while in the process of developing the oil sector, including its impact on the environment.
Mrs Mendez-Charles said all those experiences could help Ghana to chart a course without having to repeat the mistakes of other oil and gas exporting countries by also investing in agriculture to ensure food security in the country.
This came to light when the High Commissioner of Trinidad and Tobago accredited to Ghana but resident in Nigeria, Mrs Victoria Mendez-Charles, called on the Minister of Energy, Dr Joe Oteng Agyei at his office yesterday.
The two held discussions on the gas and oil industry in the two countries and agreed in principle to enter into an agreement for Trinidad and Tobago to assist Ghana to develop its gas infrastructure.
The agreement, when signed, will enable Ghana to explore its gas reserves and avoid the mistakes of their negative environmental impact.
It will also include the transfer of technology to Ghanaian professionals or technicians by training them to fill positions in the gas and oil industry without having to rely heavily on expatriates.
Dr Agyei said the collaboration between the two countries would help advance the cause of South-South co-operation.
He said the government promised the Ghanaian electorate that it would invest in the people and the training of Ghanaians to occupy positions in the oil and gas industry, saying that industry offered the greatest opportunity for investing in the people.
He said the government would not be satisfied with the services of oil companies who would like to employ Ghanaians as agents in the oil and gas industry without transferring their expertise to the workers so that in the end the workers would be left with nothing, while all the profits were transferred back to the parent companies abroad.
He said policy makers right down to middle-level technical personnel would be involved in the training to enable Ghanaians to develop the know-how in the oil and gas industry.
Dr Agyei said the government would, therefore, not accept any agreement from oil companies which fell short of forming joint ventures with Ghanaians, since it was much concerned about increasing local participation in oil exploration.
Mrs Mendez-Charles said her country had had over 100 years’ experience in oil exploration but because its supply was limited, it had to diversify the economy by developing its gas sector.
She said Ghana could learn a lot from her country to avoid the pitfalls that that country had faced while in the process of developing the oil sector, including its impact on the environment.
Mrs Mendez-Charles said all those experiences could help Ghana to chart a course without having to repeat the mistakes of other oil and gas exporting countries by also investing in agriculture to ensure food security in the country.
BE ABREAST OF TIMES (PAGE 14)
THE Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, Ms Joyce Aryee, has called on corporate managers to be abreast of developments in the ever changing corporate world by updating their knowledge.
She explained that today’s workplace was becoming increasingly competitive and only personal skills and competence could make corporate managers progress.
Ms Aryee made the observation when she delivered a paper on the topic: “Speak with confidence for Professional Success’’ at the monthly lecture organised by the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIMG) in Accra.
She explained that developing confidence was a good investment in the marketing of goods and services.
She further explained that speaking with confidence was not only essential for marketing goods and services but was of great importance in private life as well.
Ms Aryee said while the art and skills of good speech came naturally to some people, many others had to learn and practice it.
She said the process of learning to speak with confidence could involve big investment by corporate bodies for their staff in the front-line of the marketing and distribution sectors.
She said it was not frivolous for managers and public speakers and board members to rehearse for days on what to tell their audience in order to win their confidence.
She, therefore, called on corporate managers never to take for granted that speaking effectively and with confidence could come so easily to staff of the marketing and distribution chain of their corporations.
Ms Aryee pointed out that the greatest barrier to success in public speaking was how to overcome fear and the only way to overcome it was through preparation and having a positive attitude towards the audience.
The National Vice- President of CIMG, Mrs Shola Sarfo-Duodu, said the monthly lectures instituted were to help members not only to develop themselves in technical skills but also to promote the development of their career .
She noted that because of the competitive nature of a modern workplace, important skills such as speech training have been relegated to the background.
Mrs Safo-Doudu said the CIMG, as a marketing organisation, had taken it upon itself to impress on the corporate world that speaking with confidence was still relevant to the growth of business.
She explained that today’s workplace was becoming increasingly competitive and only personal skills and competence could make corporate managers progress.
Ms Aryee made the observation when she delivered a paper on the topic: “Speak with confidence for Professional Success’’ at the monthly lecture organised by the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIMG) in Accra.
She explained that developing confidence was a good investment in the marketing of goods and services.
She further explained that speaking with confidence was not only essential for marketing goods and services but was of great importance in private life as well.
Ms Aryee said while the art and skills of good speech came naturally to some people, many others had to learn and practice it.
She said the process of learning to speak with confidence could involve big investment by corporate bodies for their staff in the front-line of the marketing and distribution sectors.
She said it was not frivolous for managers and public speakers and board members to rehearse for days on what to tell their audience in order to win their confidence.
She, therefore, called on corporate managers never to take for granted that speaking effectively and with confidence could come so easily to staff of the marketing and distribution chain of their corporations.
Ms Aryee pointed out that the greatest barrier to success in public speaking was how to overcome fear and the only way to overcome it was through preparation and having a positive attitude towards the audience.
The National Vice- President of CIMG, Mrs Shola Sarfo-Duodu, said the monthly lectures instituted were to help members not only to develop themselves in technical skills but also to promote the development of their career .
She noted that because of the competitive nature of a modern workplace, important skills such as speech training have been relegated to the background.
Mrs Safo-Doudu said the CIMG, as a marketing organisation, had taken it upon itself to impress on the corporate world that speaking with confidence was still relevant to the growth of business.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
TOURISM MINISTRY TO COLLABORATE WITH OTHERS (PAGE 38)
The Ministry of Tourism is to pool resources with three other ministries to support the implementation of a tourism action plan aimed at making the sector a leading foreign exchange earner in the country.
The Minister of Tourism, Mrs Juliana Azumah-Mensah, who announced this in Accra, mentioned that under the programme the ministry would work in collaboration with the ministries of Information, Chieftaincy and Culture, and Foreign Affairs to co-ordinate efforts to enhance the sharing of information on tourism and the organisation of training programmes, and bring the expertise of the four ministries and that of the private sector to bear on tourism.
Mrs Azumah-Mensah announced this when she launched a special Tourism Conference and Exhibition in Accra, as part of activities marking this year’s International World Tourism Day Celebrations to be hosted by Ghana in September 2009.
She said Ghana would host the event on the theme “Tourism Celebrating Diversity” and indicated that the programme would demonstrate the enormous business and investment opportunity that the tourism sector creates for Ghanaian entrepreneurs and for the communities in terms of job creation.
Mrs Azumah-Mensah said the role of the private sector in developing and packaging unique products and services for tourists could not be underestimated, stressing that the ministry was convinced that given the right co-operation, the sector could move from the current fourth position to become the largest foreign exchange earner and employment generator in the next few years.
She explained that all the major players such as operators of hotel accommodation, food providers, transport managers, recreation and entertainment service providers and event managers were expected to play their rightful role in advancing the country’s tourism for their own mutual benefits.
Alhaji Mohammed Mumuni, Minister of Foreign Affairs, said ambassadors and High Commissioners would need to have a fair idea about the importance of tourism to the national economy, adding that the objective was to remind them of the government’s strategy to pursue economic diplomacy that would attract foreign investors and tourists into the country.
He indicated that developing the country’s tourism sector was necessary to diversify the country’s economy and reduce her dependence on the export of traditional crops such as cocoa and timber.
Mrs Zita Okaikoi, Minister of Information, chaired the ceremony.
The Minister of Tourism, Mrs Juliana Azumah-Mensah, who announced this in Accra, mentioned that under the programme the ministry would work in collaboration with the ministries of Information, Chieftaincy and Culture, and Foreign Affairs to co-ordinate efforts to enhance the sharing of information on tourism and the organisation of training programmes, and bring the expertise of the four ministries and that of the private sector to bear on tourism.
Mrs Azumah-Mensah announced this when she launched a special Tourism Conference and Exhibition in Accra, as part of activities marking this year’s International World Tourism Day Celebrations to be hosted by Ghana in September 2009.
She said Ghana would host the event on the theme “Tourism Celebrating Diversity” and indicated that the programme would demonstrate the enormous business and investment opportunity that the tourism sector creates for Ghanaian entrepreneurs and for the communities in terms of job creation.
Mrs Azumah-Mensah said the role of the private sector in developing and packaging unique products and services for tourists could not be underestimated, stressing that the ministry was convinced that given the right co-operation, the sector could move from the current fourth position to become the largest foreign exchange earner and employment generator in the next few years.
She explained that all the major players such as operators of hotel accommodation, food providers, transport managers, recreation and entertainment service providers and event managers were expected to play their rightful role in advancing the country’s tourism for their own mutual benefits.
Alhaji Mohammed Mumuni, Minister of Foreign Affairs, said ambassadors and High Commissioners would need to have a fair idea about the importance of tourism to the national economy, adding that the objective was to remind them of the government’s strategy to pursue economic diplomacy that would attract foreign investors and tourists into the country.
He indicated that developing the country’s tourism sector was necessary to diversify the country’s economy and reduce her dependence on the export of traditional crops such as cocoa and timber.
Mrs Zita Okaikoi, Minister of Information, chaired the ceremony.
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