The government has put in place a sound and workable framework for eliminating worst forms of child labour in the cocoa sector.
Major components of the framework include providing education and training for vulnerable children, sensitising them to the worst forms of child labour, building capacity and community empowerment, which is in line with the commitment of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) government to investing in people and creating jobs.
The Minister of Employment and Social Welfare, Mr Stephen Amoanor Kwao, who announced this, reiterated the government’s position that there was no child and adult slavery in Ghana’s cocoa sector, as well as in other sectors of the economy.
The minister expressed concern over “false reports about slavery in the cocoa sector’’ in the country.
He explained that these false reports tended to erode all the positive progress being made in the cocoa-growing areas where the government targeted about 5,000 vulnerable children for assistance to enable them to pursue formal education.
Mr Kwao, who was addressing an international meeting of panel of experts on child labour in Accra, said 1,300 children had already benefited from government financial support in accessing education and training.
He said the main constraints had been technical and financial support to sustain the programme to completely eliminate worst forms of child labour in the cocoa and other sectors.
Mr Kwao explained that child labour was not only a consequence, but a cause of poverty cycle and underdevelopment.
He said, for example, that children subjected to extreme forms of exploitation without education would grow to be illiterate adults, who would virtually have no prospects of crossing the poverty line.
The minister noted that the prosperity of the country depended greatly on the quality of human resources, and tolerating child labour was inconsistent with the massive investment the government was making.
He said the meeting of experts was, therefore, a stock-taking exercise in reflecting on how far the country had come and assessing the achievements made and the challenges confronting the sector, so as to agree on the critical requirements of cocoa farmers and their families in order to mobilise all available resources to address them.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
TWO ORGANISATIONS DISPUTE SHARING OF AIRPORT REVENUE (PAGE 38)
THE leadership of the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) and that of the Ghana Meteorological Agency (GMA) are embroiled in an impasse over the sharing of revenue accruing from aircraft landings at the Kotoka International Airport.
The GMA claims the GCAA is indebted to it to the tune of GH¢1 million from revenue accruing from aircraft landing and that the non-payment of the money is affecting its efficient operations, including the tracking of aircraft at the Kotoka International Airport.
The acting Director-General of the GCAA, Mr Simon Allotey, however, told the Minister of Transport, Mr Mike Hammah, that a meeting to find an amicable solution to the impasse had been scheduled for this week.
Mr Allotey said Ghana was demoted to Federal Aviation Authority Category One status because of security and safety concerns, as well as the weak oversight of the then Ghana Airways Corporation.
He, therefore, appealed to the minister to ensure that Ghana was promoted back to its original position by assisting the GCAA to complete the construction of the tarmac and putting in place certain security measures such as the construction of fire station.
Mr Allotey said safety had been the priority of GCAA and that it had been chosen by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) to manage the Flight Information Region (FIR) of Ghana, Togo and Benin.
He said four companies operating flights had expressed their readiness to extend their activities to Ghana because of the good safety record of the country’s airspace.
He also appealed to the Minister of Transport to assist the authority to protect the land at the airport from encroachers.
Mr Allotey said lands acquired for the development of the airport had been encroached upon by estate developers and that had become a hindrance to the development of the international airport in Accra.
Mr Hammah emphasised that the airport played a pivotal role in implementing the government’s gateway programme in the subregion and appealed to workers and the management not to rest on their laurels but to develop strategies to sustain their role.
He urged them to be proactive so that Kotoka International Airport would become the aviation hub of not only West Africa but the whole continent.
He announced that the ministry would soon come out with an Aviation Policy Document which would enable all the companies being formed by the GCAA to operate profitably by weaning themselves off government subvention.
Mr Hammah said the government, as a social democratic party, believed in employment creation and urged management to bear in mind the creation of more jobs through its varied operations instead of relying on traditional sources such as revenue from airport taxes.
Mr Hammah’s visit also took him to the Ghana Airports Company and the Ghana International Airlines (GIA).
The GMA claims the GCAA is indebted to it to the tune of GH¢1 million from revenue accruing from aircraft landing and that the non-payment of the money is affecting its efficient operations, including the tracking of aircraft at the Kotoka International Airport.
The acting Director-General of the GCAA, Mr Simon Allotey, however, told the Minister of Transport, Mr Mike Hammah, that a meeting to find an amicable solution to the impasse had been scheduled for this week.
Mr Allotey said Ghana was demoted to Federal Aviation Authority Category One status because of security and safety concerns, as well as the weak oversight of the then Ghana Airways Corporation.
He, therefore, appealed to the minister to ensure that Ghana was promoted back to its original position by assisting the GCAA to complete the construction of the tarmac and putting in place certain security measures such as the construction of fire station.
Mr Allotey said safety had been the priority of GCAA and that it had been chosen by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) to manage the Flight Information Region (FIR) of Ghana, Togo and Benin.
He said four companies operating flights had expressed their readiness to extend their activities to Ghana because of the good safety record of the country’s airspace.
He also appealed to the Minister of Transport to assist the authority to protect the land at the airport from encroachers.
Mr Allotey said lands acquired for the development of the airport had been encroached upon by estate developers and that had become a hindrance to the development of the international airport in Accra.
Mr Hammah emphasised that the airport played a pivotal role in implementing the government’s gateway programme in the subregion and appealed to workers and the management not to rest on their laurels but to develop strategies to sustain their role.
He urged them to be proactive so that Kotoka International Airport would become the aviation hub of not only West Africa but the whole continent.
He announced that the ministry would soon come out with an Aviation Policy Document which would enable all the companies being formed by the GCAA to operate profitably by weaning themselves off government subvention.
Mr Hammah said the government, as a social democratic party, believed in employment creation and urged management to bear in mind the creation of more jobs through its varied operations instead of relying on traditional sources such as revenue from airport taxes.
Mr Hammah’s visit also took him to the Ghana Airports Company and the Ghana International Airlines (GIA).
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
DEPUTY MINISTER COMMENDS CUBAN MEDICAL BRIGADE
The Cuban Medical Brigade has since 1982 performed 1, 748,000 surgeries to save the lives of Ghanaians.
The brigade, which started with 62 medical doctors in 1982, now has 200 of them.
The Deputy Minister of Health, Dr Benjamin Kumbour, who disclosed this at the launch of activities in Accra to mark 50 years of diplomatic relations between Ghana and Cuba in Accra at the weekend, said the Cuban government was also assisting the Tamale Teaching Hospital with 12 professors who teach medicine.
He said many regions had benefited from the services of the doctors. There are 17 in the Eastern Region, 22 in Ashanti, 13 in Greater Accra, 25 in Central, 33 in Northern, 18 in Upper East and 15 in Western Region.
Dr Kumbuor said the arrival of the Cuban Medical Brigade had contributed to the reduction of maternal and infant mortality especially in the rural areas of the country and added that the two countries shared the same objectives of ensuring social fairness and equality of opportunity as well as the elimination of illiteracy in the country.
Dr Kumbour said despite the economic and financial blockade imposed on Cuba by the United States, Cuba had succeeded in ensuring total employment and security for its citizens.
He appealed to Ghanaian workers, especially health professionals and teachers to ensure that Cuba’s achievements in the health and education sectors are replicated by them to reduce the squalor, poverty and ignorance among the populace.
The Cuban Ambassador to Ghana, Dr Miguel Perez Cruz, said currently the doctor-patient ratio in Cuba was one to 200 patients and notwithstanding the economic and financial blockade, the Cuban Government had surmounted the scourge of illiteracy and established schools to train other nationals in medicine and engineering.
He said about 13,000 students, some of whom were from Ghana, have had the opportunity to study in some of the best schools in Cuba.
Dr Cruz appealed to the international community to bring more pressure to bear on the United States to stop the economic blockade since it did not conform to international law.
The brigade, which started with 62 medical doctors in 1982, now has 200 of them.
The Deputy Minister of Health, Dr Benjamin Kumbour, who disclosed this at the launch of activities in Accra to mark 50 years of diplomatic relations between Ghana and Cuba in Accra at the weekend, said the Cuban government was also assisting the Tamale Teaching Hospital with 12 professors who teach medicine.
He said many regions had benefited from the services of the doctors. There are 17 in the Eastern Region, 22 in Ashanti, 13 in Greater Accra, 25 in Central, 33 in Northern, 18 in Upper East and 15 in Western Region.
Dr Kumbuor said the arrival of the Cuban Medical Brigade had contributed to the reduction of maternal and infant mortality especially in the rural areas of the country and added that the two countries shared the same objectives of ensuring social fairness and equality of opportunity as well as the elimination of illiteracy in the country.
Dr Kumbour said despite the economic and financial blockade imposed on Cuba by the United States, Cuba had succeeded in ensuring total employment and security for its citizens.
He appealed to Ghanaian workers, especially health professionals and teachers to ensure that Cuba’s achievements in the health and education sectors are replicated by them to reduce the squalor, poverty and ignorance among the populace.
The Cuban Ambassador to Ghana, Dr Miguel Perez Cruz, said currently the doctor-patient ratio in Cuba was one to 200 patients and notwithstanding the economic and financial blockade, the Cuban Government had surmounted the scourge of illiteracy and established schools to train other nationals in medicine and engineering.
He said about 13,000 students, some of whom were from Ghana, have had the opportunity to study in some of the best schools in Cuba.
Dr Cruz appealed to the international community to bring more pressure to bear on the United States to stop the economic blockade since it did not conform to international law.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
INTER-MINISTERIAL COMMITTEE TO ADVISE TOURISM MINISTRY (PAGE 38)
AN 18-member inter-ministerial committee on tourism has been inaugurated in Accra to serve as an advisory body to the Ministry of Tourism.
The committee, which is also a decision-making body, is expected to help in the implementation of programmes and activities necessary to facilitate tourism development and growth for the benefit of the economy.
Some of the ministries constituting the committee include, Transport, Roads and Highways, Chieftaincy and Culture, Trade and Industries, Interior, Local Government and Rural Development, Health, Education and Lands and Natural Resources.
Inaugurating the committee, Mrs Juliana Azumah-Mensah, Minister of Tourism, said the tourism industry had great potential to create jobs and generate foreign exchange.
Records at the Ministry of Tourism indicate that a total of 232,883 jobs were generated by the tourism industry last year, representing an increase over the figure of 229,663 for 2007
In addition, the country realised US$ 1.3 million from the 698,069 international tourists who arrived in the country in 2008, making the industry the fourth highest foreign exchange earner after gold, cocoa and remittances from Ghanaians abroad.
Mrs Azumah-Mensah said the inauguration marked a significant beginning of effective collaboration between the Ministry of Tourism and other ministries as well as the private sector to promote health, eco and agro tourism in the country.
She said the tourism sector had demonstrated enough potential to contribute to poverty reduction in the country.
She pointed out that the concerted efforts of the inter-ministerial committee could lead to infrastructure improvement such as better water and sewerage systems, roads, electricity, telephone and public transport networks in the host communities.
Mrs Azumah-Mensah said when tourism was well co-ordinated it could be a viable tool for the conservation of the environment and preservation of local cultures,especially with the development of community-based eco-tourism programmes and projects.
She reminded the 18 ministries constituting the committee on tourism that tourism had a catalytic role to stimulate the growth of other sectors,notably the construction, agriculture, manufacturing, transport, food processing, handicrafts and entertainment industries.
Mrs Azumah-Mensah said it had been proved in many countries that the more these linkages could be forged the greater the benefits to the wider economic development and poverty reduction.
She said the mandate of the inter-ministerial committee, therefore, would serve as a platform to strengthen collaboration between the Ministry of Tourism and other ministries, departments, agencies as well as solicit their support in the development and promotion of tourism.
She said the government could use the forum to sensitise the relevant organisations to the needs of the tourism sector.
The committee, which is also a decision-making body, is expected to help in the implementation of programmes and activities necessary to facilitate tourism development and growth for the benefit of the economy.
Some of the ministries constituting the committee include, Transport, Roads and Highways, Chieftaincy and Culture, Trade and Industries, Interior, Local Government and Rural Development, Health, Education and Lands and Natural Resources.
Inaugurating the committee, Mrs Juliana Azumah-Mensah, Minister of Tourism, said the tourism industry had great potential to create jobs and generate foreign exchange.
Records at the Ministry of Tourism indicate that a total of 232,883 jobs were generated by the tourism industry last year, representing an increase over the figure of 229,663 for 2007
In addition, the country realised US$ 1.3 million from the 698,069 international tourists who arrived in the country in 2008, making the industry the fourth highest foreign exchange earner after gold, cocoa and remittances from Ghanaians abroad.
Mrs Azumah-Mensah said the inauguration marked a significant beginning of effective collaboration between the Ministry of Tourism and other ministries as well as the private sector to promote health, eco and agro tourism in the country.
She said the tourism sector had demonstrated enough potential to contribute to poverty reduction in the country.
She pointed out that the concerted efforts of the inter-ministerial committee could lead to infrastructure improvement such as better water and sewerage systems, roads, electricity, telephone and public transport networks in the host communities.
Mrs Azumah-Mensah said when tourism was well co-ordinated it could be a viable tool for the conservation of the environment and preservation of local cultures,especially with the development of community-based eco-tourism programmes and projects.
She reminded the 18 ministries constituting the committee on tourism that tourism had a catalytic role to stimulate the growth of other sectors,notably the construction, agriculture, manufacturing, transport, food processing, handicrafts and entertainment industries.
Mrs Azumah-Mensah said it had been proved in many countries that the more these linkages could be forged the greater the benefits to the wider economic development and poverty reduction.
She said the mandate of the inter-ministerial committee, therefore, would serve as a platform to strengthen collaboration between the Ministry of Tourism and other ministries, departments, agencies as well as solicit their support in the development and promotion of tourism.
She said the government could use the forum to sensitise the relevant organisations to the needs of the tourism sector.
COMMUNICATIONS MINISTRY TO ACQUIRE MODEN RADAR (BACK PAGE)
THE Ministry of Communications is to acquire a modern radar that will be capable of tracking storms and processing information on hazardous weather.
Currently, there is only one secondary civilian radar which was installed at the Kotoka International Airport, used only to track aircraft in the country’s airspace.
This was made known by the Minister of Communications, Mr Haruna Iddrisu, when he paid a working visit to the offices of the Ghana Meteorological Agency in Accra.
He said the new radar would improve the work of the agency and move it to a stage where it would anticipate and prevent damages and lost of lives and property before disasters occurred.
Mr Iddrisu said it was unacceptable that in this era of development, the meteorological agency was still using manual paper work and analogue equipment, instead of computers to forecast weather information.
The ministry, he said, had, therefore, allocated 10 computers to the agency to reduce the paper work in the official activities of weather forecasting.
Mr Gideon Quarcoo, Deputy Minister of Communication, who accompanied the minister, said the ministry was studying the possibilities of introducing technologies for seeding clouds with silicon iodide crystal to increase rainfall in the country for agricultural production.
The Director-General of Meteorological Agency, Mr Michael Mawutor Tanu, informed the ministers that the Ghana Cocoa Board had expressed its readiness to partner the agency to provide weather forecast for farmers in the country.
He, however, deplored the attitude of the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) for withholding the 10 per cent landing fee from aircraft which was due the Meteorological Agency for providing information on aircraft landings.
Currently, there is only one secondary civilian radar which was installed at the Kotoka International Airport, used only to track aircraft in the country’s airspace.
This was made known by the Minister of Communications, Mr Haruna Iddrisu, when he paid a working visit to the offices of the Ghana Meteorological Agency in Accra.
He said the new radar would improve the work of the agency and move it to a stage where it would anticipate and prevent damages and lost of lives and property before disasters occurred.
Mr Iddrisu said it was unacceptable that in this era of development, the meteorological agency was still using manual paper work and analogue equipment, instead of computers to forecast weather information.
The ministry, he said, had, therefore, allocated 10 computers to the agency to reduce the paper work in the official activities of weather forecasting.
Mr Gideon Quarcoo, Deputy Minister of Communication, who accompanied the minister, said the ministry was studying the possibilities of introducing technologies for seeding clouds with silicon iodide crystal to increase rainfall in the country for agricultural production.
The Director-General of Meteorological Agency, Mr Michael Mawutor Tanu, informed the ministers that the Ghana Cocoa Board had expressed its readiness to partner the agency to provide weather forecast for farmers in the country.
He, however, deplored the attitude of the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) for withholding the 10 per cent landing fee from aircraft which was due the Meteorological Agency for providing information on aircraft landings.
Monday, May 4, 2009
KEEP UP WITH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SPREAD)
A Deputy Minister of Information, Mr James Agyenim-Boateng, has called on the advertising industry to brace itself for innovation in order to remain relevant in the information technology age.
He said because of information technology, interactive services were fast replacing those which were one-way communication channels.
Mr Agyenim-Boateng, who gave the caution at the Seventh Gong-Gong Awards Night in Accra over the weekend, said best products as well as innovation were the only ways of assisting manufacturers to remain in business in the era of economic downturn.
He, therefore, urged manufacturers and advertising agencies to undertake research to understand what consumers required of them instead of attempting to capture the market with price cuts and inferior commodities which could not sustain their leadership in the market.
Mr Agyenim-Boateng said loyalty from the consumer was one of the only guarantees for manufacturers and the marketing departments to reap returns on their investment.
The deputy minister pointed out that branding of products, therefore, was the surest way to capture a notch in the commodities market on a sustainable basis and admonished advertisers to desist from promoting products that had not undergone certification by the regulatory agencies.
He noted that such products, especially drugs, could have serious health implications.
Mr Reginald Laryea, President of the Advertising Association of Ghana (AAG), explained that the association instituted the Gong-Gong Awards Night seven years ago to recognise and reward talents in creativity.
He said over the past decade, the advertising industry had grown by leaps and bounds because of the relative peace and stability prevailing in the country, adding that development and advertising moved hand-in-hand so where there was no stability and peace, advertising was stifled.
He said the theme for this year’s awards centred around brand names and urged the manufacturing industries to rely more on their brand names to stay in business.
Mr Laryea suggested the formation of an ethics committee comprising the advertising association and major stakeholders such as the mass media and consumer groups, which would come out with well formulated regulations to check the activities of the advertising industry.
In all, about 182 advertisements were selected in the four categories of Print, Television, Radio and Outdoor Advertising for the competition in creativity.
Origin 8 Saatchi and Saatchi won the best overall advertisement in the Television Category, known as the Platinum Award.
The Platinum Award in Radio Advertising was won by Originate Publicity while Overall Best Award in Print went to Lowe Lintas.
He said because of information technology, interactive services were fast replacing those which were one-way communication channels.
Mr Agyenim-Boateng, who gave the caution at the Seventh Gong-Gong Awards Night in Accra over the weekend, said best products as well as innovation were the only ways of assisting manufacturers to remain in business in the era of economic downturn.
He, therefore, urged manufacturers and advertising agencies to undertake research to understand what consumers required of them instead of attempting to capture the market with price cuts and inferior commodities which could not sustain their leadership in the market.
Mr Agyenim-Boateng said loyalty from the consumer was one of the only guarantees for manufacturers and the marketing departments to reap returns on their investment.
The deputy minister pointed out that branding of products, therefore, was the surest way to capture a notch in the commodities market on a sustainable basis and admonished advertisers to desist from promoting products that had not undergone certification by the regulatory agencies.
He noted that such products, especially drugs, could have serious health implications.
Mr Reginald Laryea, President of the Advertising Association of Ghana (AAG), explained that the association instituted the Gong-Gong Awards Night seven years ago to recognise and reward talents in creativity.
He said over the past decade, the advertising industry had grown by leaps and bounds because of the relative peace and stability prevailing in the country, adding that development and advertising moved hand-in-hand so where there was no stability and peace, advertising was stifled.
He said the theme for this year’s awards centred around brand names and urged the manufacturing industries to rely more on their brand names to stay in business.
Mr Laryea suggested the formation of an ethics committee comprising the advertising association and major stakeholders such as the mass media and consumer groups, which would come out with well formulated regulations to check the activities of the advertising industry.
In all, about 182 advertisements were selected in the four categories of Print, Television, Radio and Outdoor Advertising for the competition in creativity.
Origin 8 Saatchi and Saatchi won the best overall advertisement in the Television Category, known as the Platinum Award.
The Platinum Award in Radio Advertising was won by Originate Publicity while Overall Best Award in Print went to Lowe Lintas.
30 CONTRACTORS TRADE MINISTRY OFFICIALS TOUR CHINA (BACK PAGE)
THIRTY contractors and two officials of the Ministry of Trade and Industry have left the country for a two-week trade and investment mission to the People’s Republic of China as part of the government’s plan to improve the capacity of local contractors.
While in China, the contractors, who are members of the Association of Road Contractors of Ghana (ASROC), and the ministry officials will hold bilateral talks with their Chinese counterparts.
Majority of the Ghanaian delegation, who were drawn from the association’s leadership nationwide, would also participate in the China Road Summit and Exhibition for 2009.
The tour is under the auspices of the Ministry of Roads and Highways and the Ministry of Trade and Industry.
The Head of Public Affairs at the Ministry of Roads and Highways, Mr M. K. Abissah, said the ASROC members would also hold meetings with the China Export-Import Bank in Beijing from May 11 to 12.
Mr Abissah noted that Ghana had positioned itself to derive the maximum benefit from the new strategic partnership of the China-Africa Forum on Co-operation for the private and public sectors of the national economy.
In February this year, he said the Ministry of Roads and Highways facilitated the meeting of ASROC executives with the Parliamentary Select Committee on Roads and Transport.
At the meeting, he said, the executive of ASROC presented a paper on some of the problems militating against the effective and efficient operations of the construction industry.
Mr Abissah said the tour to China had been designed to address some of the problems the contractors presented to the Select Committee, which included capacity building and inadequate equipment holding, which are some of the major contributory factors militating against the construction industry.
While in China, the contractors, who are members of the Association of Road Contractors of Ghana (ASROC), and the ministry officials will hold bilateral talks with their Chinese counterparts.
Majority of the Ghanaian delegation, who were drawn from the association’s leadership nationwide, would also participate in the China Road Summit and Exhibition for 2009.
The tour is under the auspices of the Ministry of Roads and Highways and the Ministry of Trade and Industry.
The Head of Public Affairs at the Ministry of Roads and Highways, Mr M. K. Abissah, said the ASROC members would also hold meetings with the China Export-Import Bank in Beijing from May 11 to 12.
Mr Abissah noted that Ghana had positioned itself to derive the maximum benefit from the new strategic partnership of the China-Africa Forum on Co-operation for the private and public sectors of the national economy.
In February this year, he said the Ministry of Roads and Highways facilitated the meeting of ASROC executives with the Parliamentary Select Committee on Roads and Transport.
At the meeting, he said, the executive of ASROC presented a paper on some of the problems militating against the effective and efficient operations of the construction industry.
Mr Abissah said the tour to China had been designed to address some of the problems the contractors presented to the Select Committee, which included capacity building and inadequate equipment holding, which are some of the major contributory factors militating against the construction industry.
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