A traditional ruler, Nana Kwame Ampadu of Obo Kwahu, has appealed to mining companies to diversify their activities and move into road construction and agriculture to help reduce the cost of living in the country.
He said when the exploration for minerals was not supported with the construction of roads and agriculture, it could result in inflation in the country.
Nana Ampadu made the call when he assisted in the inauguration of a one-kilometre road linking Tantra Hill Junction to St John’s Grammar Senior High School Junction, which was undertaken by the Chief Executive Officer of Asona Mining Company, Mr Kwaku Asiedu Donkor.
Apart from the construction of the road, which has eased traffic congestion on the main Accra-Nsawam trunk road, the CEO had provided streets lights on the road to ward off criminals who use the area to plan their nefarious activities.
Mr Asiedu Donkor, for his part, appealed to the well-to-do in society not to always look up to the government to provide almost all the infrastructure when they could offer technical and financial assistance to the communities.
He explained that his first contribution to the metropolis was the provision of the streets lights and the construction of the link road but immediately after the construction of the road, the drivers dodging traffic jams had diverted their routes and had been speeding on the new road because of its good condition.
Mr Donkor said he had to spend more money to construct speed ramps to check the speeding and save the lives of schoolchildren, the aged and other pedestrians who use the road.
He said the cost of the road construction and erection of the street lights and the speed ramps amounted to GH ¢150,000 but that would not deter him from undertaking more development projects as his contribution towards the nation’s development.
Mr Donkor said his next contribution would be in the form of provision of water to help minimise the acute shortage of water that always hit the area, especially during the dry season.
The CEO appealed to Ghanaians who had the means not to hesitate to contribute their quota towards the development of the country now because that was the only way to move the country to a middle-income economy.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Sunday, November 30, 2008
LOCAL CAPTAINS OF BUSINESS MUST BE ASSITED ...Declares former Minister (PAGE 29)
A Former Minister of Finance and Economic Planning in the National Democratic Congress government (NDC), Dr Kwesi Botchwey, has called for an intra party dialogue to select local captains of industry for public funding.
The former minister who added his voice to the national debate on strategies to accelerate economic growth in the country said the selection should be based on standards and merit and not on ‘’any political football game’’.
Prof. Botchwey was delivering the last in a series of development lectures instituted by the Economics Department of the University of Ghana, Legon in Accra.
He noted that the integrity and security of entrepreneurs could be secured in order to stop businessmen from fleeing for cover when a new administration took over.
He said unless drastic policy options were adopted to deal with the sluggish growth in the economy the present growth of five and six per cent could not cause accelerated growth.
Dr Botchway said the economy required to grow at least at a rate of seven per cent on a sustainable basis for the country to achieve a middle income status.
He said a trend that run through all the economic recipes of the South East Asian industrialised countries was the ‘’picking of winners among captains of industry for special assistance.”
The former Finance Minister commended the government for staying the economy on an even keel for long period of time since 2001.
He, however, observed that for the past two years since 2006 public and domestic debts had kept rising which could derail the gains achieved so far.
Prof. Botchwey said unlike the Economic Recovery Programme (ERP) of the early eighties when the donor community was rigid and ideological, the present generation of donors had been flexible and revisionist in their prescriptions of policy options.
He said that had enabled the government to have more fiscal space to manoeuvre and ran a robust economy against a background of debt relief programme and sound micro economy practised by the government.
The former Minister of Finance, however, said the ERP achieved economic recovery with an increase in income of 2.2 per cent but the spill over effect expected did not materialise as investors failed to take advantage and come to invest in the economy.
Dr J.R.A. Ayee, Dean of Faculty of Social Studies, who chaired the lecture, observed that the concept of development was intriguing since it involved values, techniques and choices to achieve a breakthrough in the national economy.
The former minister who added his voice to the national debate on strategies to accelerate economic growth in the country said the selection should be based on standards and merit and not on ‘’any political football game’’.
Prof. Botchwey was delivering the last in a series of development lectures instituted by the Economics Department of the University of Ghana, Legon in Accra.
He noted that the integrity and security of entrepreneurs could be secured in order to stop businessmen from fleeing for cover when a new administration took over.
He said unless drastic policy options were adopted to deal with the sluggish growth in the economy the present growth of five and six per cent could not cause accelerated growth.
Dr Botchway said the economy required to grow at least at a rate of seven per cent on a sustainable basis for the country to achieve a middle income status.
He said a trend that run through all the economic recipes of the South East Asian industrialised countries was the ‘’picking of winners among captains of industry for special assistance.”
The former Finance Minister commended the government for staying the economy on an even keel for long period of time since 2001.
He, however, observed that for the past two years since 2006 public and domestic debts had kept rising which could derail the gains achieved so far.
Prof. Botchwey said unlike the Economic Recovery Programme (ERP) of the early eighties when the donor community was rigid and ideological, the present generation of donors had been flexible and revisionist in their prescriptions of policy options.
He said that had enabled the government to have more fiscal space to manoeuvre and ran a robust economy against a background of debt relief programme and sound micro economy practised by the government.
The former Minister of Finance, however, said the ERP achieved economic recovery with an increase in income of 2.2 per cent but the spill over effect expected did not materialise as investors failed to take advantage and come to invest in the economy.
Dr J.R.A. Ayee, Dean of Faculty of Social Studies, who chaired the lecture, observed that the concept of development was intriguing since it involved values, techniques and choices to achieve a breakthrough in the national economy.
FINAL BATCH OF PILGRIMS TO DEPART ON MONDAY (PAGE 3)
THE Interim Hajj Management Committee (IHMC) has given the assurance that the final batch of 300 Muslims will leave Accra on Monday for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to complete the airlifting of 2,334 Ghanaian Muslims to perform this year’s Hajj.
Sheikh Yunusah Osman Mohammed, the Executive Secretary of the IHMC, who spoke to the Daily Graphic at the Hajj Village at Nima on Thursday, said the final 300 would include those who went through the formalities last year, but could not be airlifted.
Sheikh Mohammed said 2,034 pilgrims had already left and the rest would all be lifted by scheduled flights by Monday.
He denied rumours that the pilgrims were being charged extra fees and said apart from the processing fees of GH¢50, no pilgrim had been asked by the IHMC to pay any extra fees.
He alleged that because this year’s Hajj had been efficiently operated, some members of last year’s abolished Hajj committee had been inciting the pilgrims to resort to violence, because they would not be able to make the pilgrimage.
Alhaji Armiyau Hussein, one of the pilgrims, who could not make it last year, had earlier told the Daily Graphic that out of 20 Muslims from last year’s abortive operations who came from Techiman in the Brong Ahafo Region, 15 of them had been lifted to Mecca.
He said since last Friday, the IHMC members had been postponing their flight and since Monday, they had not heard from them again.
He said the village had run out of water and food, and the prospective pilgrims had to buy ‘pure water’ to drink and perform ablution, while some of them had run out of money and had to depend on fried plantain from hawkers to keep them going.
Alhaji Hussein appealed to the government to send a delegation to the Hajj Village to find out the conditions under which the pilgrims and their families, who had come to see them off, were living.
Nasta Abdallah, another pilgrim who was supposed to have performed the Hajj last year, complained that her agent was demanding another payment from her before she could be airlifted.
With only a few days to the deadline which falls on November 30, 2008, she said the agent was requesting another GH¢360, in addition to the previous GH¢260 she paid last year.
The agent, one Alhaji Mallam, when contacted, said he had never asked her to repay for her trip, but asked her family to buy her another ticket to enable her to embark on the Hajj, since time was running out.
He said all particulars, including tickets of the pilgrims who could not be airlifted, were in the possession of the IHMC members and there was nothing more he could do.
Sheikh Yunusah Osman Mohammed, the Executive Secretary of the IHMC, who spoke to the Daily Graphic at the Hajj Village at Nima on Thursday, said the final 300 would include those who went through the formalities last year, but could not be airlifted.
Sheikh Mohammed said 2,034 pilgrims had already left and the rest would all be lifted by scheduled flights by Monday.
He denied rumours that the pilgrims were being charged extra fees and said apart from the processing fees of GH¢50, no pilgrim had been asked by the IHMC to pay any extra fees.
He alleged that because this year’s Hajj had been efficiently operated, some members of last year’s abolished Hajj committee had been inciting the pilgrims to resort to violence, because they would not be able to make the pilgrimage.
Alhaji Armiyau Hussein, one of the pilgrims, who could not make it last year, had earlier told the Daily Graphic that out of 20 Muslims from last year’s abortive operations who came from Techiman in the Brong Ahafo Region, 15 of them had been lifted to Mecca.
He said since last Friday, the IHMC members had been postponing their flight and since Monday, they had not heard from them again.
He said the village had run out of water and food, and the prospective pilgrims had to buy ‘pure water’ to drink and perform ablution, while some of them had run out of money and had to depend on fried plantain from hawkers to keep them going.
Alhaji Hussein appealed to the government to send a delegation to the Hajj Village to find out the conditions under which the pilgrims and their families, who had come to see them off, were living.
Nasta Abdallah, another pilgrim who was supposed to have performed the Hajj last year, complained that her agent was demanding another payment from her before she could be airlifted.
With only a few days to the deadline which falls on November 30, 2008, she said the agent was requesting another GH¢360, in addition to the previous GH¢260 she paid last year.
The agent, one Alhaji Mallam, when contacted, said he had never asked her to repay for her trip, but asked her family to buy her another ticket to enable her to embark on the Hajj, since time was running out.
He said all particulars, including tickets of the pilgrims who could not be airlifted, were in the possession of the IHMC members and there was nothing more he could do.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
GAEC TAKES INVENTORY OF RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS (PAGE 31)
THE Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC) has identified more than 1000 radioactive sources in the industry, health and agricultural sectors of the country.
Furthermore, as part of national and international security action plan, the GAEC is taking inventory of all the radioactive materials and those not in use transported to GAEC headquarters in Accra for safe-keeping and disposal.
Professor Yaw Serfor Armah, the Deputy Director General of the GAEC, who announced this in Accra yesterday, said the measure had become necessary because since September 11, 2001, the control and usage of radioactive sources had become an emerging global issue, particularly on the possible use of radioactive materials in terrorist activities.
He pointed out that the government was fully committed to the multilateral non-proliferation treaty on nuclear safeguards.
The Deputy Director General, who was speaking at the opening ceremony of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and GAEC regional workshop on regulatory control of radiation sources, said the Commission would also ensure that while developing and promoting nuclear science and technology, nuclear safety and security were not compromised.
He stressed that the Radiation Protection Board (RPB) was the sole regulatory body in Ghana established to ensure control and use of radioactive sources.
He reminded the public that RPB had the authority under the legislative instrument (LI 1559 of 1993) to authorise, license, inspect and control all activities and practices involving radiation source, radioactive materials and X-ray facilities in hospitals, industries and others in Ghana.
Professor Armah said the Radiation Protection Institute (RPI) of the GAEC considered it a privilege to host the workshop being organised under the auspices of the IAEA, in collaboration with the Government of Ghana.
He said the purpose of the workshop was to build competence and expertise needed by the national bodies for the establishment and operation of adequate regulatory programme for the safety and security of radioactive sources.
These include nuclear medicine, radiotherapy, industrial radiography, nuclear gauges and well logging in accordance with the requirements, recommendations and guidance of international standards.
The Minister of Health, Major Courage Quashigah (retd), said despite benefits from various applications of radioactive sources, there were hazards associated with their use.
He appealed to the experts not to exceed the dose of the radioactive materials and also not to be careless when using the materials.
The minister, therefore, urged the participants to endeavour to learn more useful lessons at the workshop, so that they could return to their various countries and institutions to assist in handling dangerous radioactive materials to protect lives.
Furthermore, as part of national and international security action plan, the GAEC is taking inventory of all the radioactive materials and those not in use transported to GAEC headquarters in Accra for safe-keeping and disposal.
Professor Yaw Serfor Armah, the Deputy Director General of the GAEC, who announced this in Accra yesterday, said the measure had become necessary because since September 11, 2001, the control and usage of radioactive sources had become an emerging global issue, particularly on the possible use of radioactive materials in terrorist activities.
He pointed out that the government was fully committed to the multilateral non-proliferation treaty on nuclear safeguards.
The Deputy Director General, who was speaking at the opening ceremony of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and GAEC regional workshop on regulatory control of radiation sources, said the Commission would also ensure that while developing and promoting nuclear science and technology, nuclear safety and security were not compromised.
He stressed that the Radiation Protection Board (RPB) was the sole regulatory body in Ghana established to ensure control and use of radioactive sources.
He reminded the public that RPB had the authority under the legislative instrument (LI 1559 of 1993) to authorise, license, inspect and control all activities and practices involving radiation source, radioactive materials and X-ray facilities in hospitals, industries and others in Ghana.
Professor Armah said the Radiation Protection Institute (RPI) of the GAEC considered it a privilege to host the workshop being organised under the auspices of the IAEA, in collaboration with the Government of Ghana.
He said the purpose of the workshop was to build competence and expertise needed by the national bodies for the establishment and operation of adequate regulatory programme for the safety and security of radioactive sources.
These include nuclear medicine, radiotherapy, industrial radiography, nuclear gauges and well logging in accordance with the requirements, recommendations and guidance of international standards.
The Minister of Health, Major Courage Quashigah (retd), said despite benefits from various applications of radioactive sources, there were hazards associated with their use.
He appealed to the experts not to exceed the dose of the radioactive materials and also not to be careless when using the materials.
The minister, therefore, urged the participants to endeavour to learn more useful lessons at the workshop, so that they could return to their various countries and institutions to assist in handling dangerous radioactive materials to protect lives.
Friday, November 21, 2008
MORE SCHOOLS NEEDED IN GA MASHIE, OLD FADAMA AREAS (PAGE 14)
ONE hundred thousand children of school age in the Ga Mashie and Old Fadama catchment areas are out of school as a result of lack of space in those communities to construct new first-cycle schools.
The Ga Mashie Development Agency (GAMADA) is, therefore, scouting for 80 acres of land in the two communities to construct new schools to enable them to enrol the backlog of children currently languishing in the area without education.
The Director of GAMADA, Nii Teiko Tagoe, brought this to light at the launch of a population training and research capacity for development projects on health for Ga Mashie and Old Fadama, popularly known as Sodom and Gomorrah.
He expressed the hope that the launch of the population project would assist to unearth the factors underlying poverty in those two communities.
He said the major livelihood of the area, fishing, had also collapsed but added that hope for its revival had come with the recent ceremony at which President John Agyekum Kufuor cut the sod for the construction of a fishing harbour at James Town.
He said until recently the area had been neglected in terms of poverty alleviation projects because it was hard to believe that some urban areas such as Ga Mashie, which was close to the central business district of Accra, could be vulnerable.
A recent study by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), he said, had brought to light the plight of the urban poor in the area.
Nii Teiko said since then the area had witnessed a number of development projects, such as the rehabilitation of some historical buildings which provided some job opportunities for artisans in the area.
Professor Nii Amoo Dodoo, the Director of the Regional Institute for Population Studies (RIPS) at the University of Ghana Legon, which undertook the population research, in collaboration with the University of Southampton, said the project would focus on children and mothers to find out the relationship between urban poverty and health.
He said because researchers usually used averages in comparing rural poverty with urban poverty, there was always the misconception that rural poverty was more debilitating than urban poverty.
He said studies done in some African countries had revealed that urban poverty in some cities could be more dire than in the rural areas and that the studies at the two areas depicted that.
He said the three-year research, when completed, would help guide policy makers and non-governmental agencies on where to channel their poverty alleviation interventions.
Prof Dodoo said the field research could help inform the development agenda of the country, as well as assist in the redesigning of the social science curricula.
He said universities such as the University of Cape Coast, the University of Ibadan and Fourah Bay College in Sierra Leone were partners in the research.
The Ngleshie Mantse, Nii Kojo Ababio V, who chaired the launch, appealed to the communities to participate in the research since they held the key to its success.
The Ga Mashie Development Agency (GAMADA) is, therefore, scouting for 80 acres of land in the two communities to construct new schools to enable them to enrol the backlog of children currently languishing in the area without education.
The Director of GAMADA, Nii Teiko Tagoe, brought this to light at the launch of a population training and research capacity for development projects on health for Ga Mashie and Old Fadama, popularly known as Sodom and Gomorrah.
He expressed the hope that the launch of the population project would assist to unearth the factors underlying poverty in those two communities.
He said the major livelihood of the area, fishing, had also collapsed but added that hope for its revival had come with the recent ceremony at which President John Agyekum Kufuor cut the sod for the construction of a fishing harbour at James Town.
He said until recently the area had been neglected in terms of poverty alleviation projects because it was hard to believe that some urban areas such as Ga Mashie, which was close to the central business district of Accra, could be vulnerable.
A recent study by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), he said, had brought to light the plight of the urban poor in the area.
Nii Teiko said since then the area had witnessed a number of development projects, such as the rehabilitation of some historical buildings which provided some job opportunities for artisans in the area.
Professor Nii Amoo Dodoo, the Director of the Regional Institute for Population Studies (RIPS) at the University of Ghana Legon, which undertook the population research, in collaboration with the University of Southampton, said the project would focus on children and mothers to find out the relationship between urban poverty and health.
He said because researchers usually used averages in comparing rural poverty with urban poverty, there was always the misconception that rural poverty was more debilitating than urban poverty.
He said studies done in some African countries had revealed that urban poverty in some cities could be more dire than in the rural areas and that the studies at the two areas depicted that.
He said the three-year research, when completed, would help guide policy makers and non-governmental agencies on where to channel their poverty alleviation interventions.
Prof Dodoo said the field research could help inform the development agenda of the country, as well as assist in the redesigning of the social science curricula.
He said universities such as the University of Cape Coast, the University of Ibadan and Fourah Bay College in Sierra Leone were partners in the research.
The Ngleshie Mantse, Nii Kojo Ababio V, who chaired the launch, appealed to the communities to participate in the research since they held the key to its success.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
WORKSHOP ON ELECTION DISPUTE ADJUDICATION OPENS (SPREAD)
SEVENTY judges drawn from the High and Appeal Courts are attending a workshop on Election Dispute Adjudication in preparation for the national elections in December.
The two-day workshop is aimed at preparing the judiciary logistically, psychologically and professionally to meet the challenges of adjudicating petitions that may arise from the upcoming elections.
Opening the workshop, the Chief Justice, Mrs Justice Georgina Theodora Wood, said the judiciary was the ultimate channel constitutionally empowered to resolve all electoral disputes arising from presidential and parliamentary elections.
She said the specialised nature of electoral adjudication made it imperative that judges were sensitised to their role in the electoral process, the procedural and substantive procedural laws governing the adjudication of electoral disputes and offences.
She said duty called on them to exercise their mandate competently, in consonance with the mission statement of the Judicial Service.
The Chief Justice also appealed to judges to extend Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) to election disputes explaining that the ADR was not about power sharing.
She said further that the primary ADR processes of mediation or conciliation and arbitration were the most widely known mechanisms.
She observed that there were well- structured procedures to assist disputants to honestly evaluate the likely chances of success or outcome of court cases, before and during trial.
The Chief Justice said in everyday life a fair number of people rushed to court at the slightest sign that they have been wronged, without really taking time to assess their chances of success, or even where they do, they carried exaggerated opinions about the rightness of their cause.
One of the Adder’s key methods is the Early Neutral Evaluation to assist parties to dispassionately assess the strengths and weaknesses of their respective cases.
This, she said, would enable them to decide whether to carry on or terminate court proceedings in the face of the obvious, and so avoid the financial and emotional costs that come with unwanted litigation.
She emphasised that Ghanaians have sent out a very strong message that clearly shows their preference for non-violence throughout the elections and beyond it, so that they can legitimately carry on with their life in peace and freedom.
The two-day workshop is aimed at preparing the judiciary logistically, psychologically and professionally to meet the challenges of adjudicating petitions that may arise from the upcoming elections.
Opening the workshop, the Chief Justice, Mrs Justice Georgina Theodora Wood, said the judiciary was the ultimate channel constitutionally empowered to resolve all electoral disputes arising from presidential and parliamentary elections.
She said the specialised nature of electoral adjudication made it imperative that judges were sensitised to their role in the electoral process, the procedural and substantive procedural laws governing the adjudication of electoral disputes and offences.
She said duty called on them to exercise their mandate competently, in consonance with the mission statement of the Judicial Service.
The Chief Justice also appealed to judges to extend Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) to election disputes explaining that the ADR was not about power sharing.
She said further that the primary ADR processes of mediation or conciliation and arbitration were the most widely known mechanisms.
She observed that there were well- structured procedures to assist disputants to honestly evaluate the likely chances of success or outcome of court cases, before and during trial.
The Chief Justice said in everyday life a fair number of people rushed to court at the slightest sign that they have been wronged, without really taking time to assess their chances of success, or even where they do, they carried exaggerated opinions about the rightness of their cause.
One of the Adder’s key methods is the Early Neutral Evaluation to assist parties to dispassionately assess the strengths and weaknesses of their respective cases.
This, she said, would enable them to decide whether to carry on or terminate court proceedings in the face of the obvious, and so avoid the financial and emotional costs that come with unwanted litigation.
She emphasised that Ghanaians have sent out a very strong message that clearly shows their preference for non-violence throughout the elections and beyond it, so that they can legitimately carry on with their life in peace and freedom.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
MINISTRY TO FASHION OUT NEW POSTAL POLICY (PAGE 32)
The Ministry of Communications is fashioning a new national postal policy to bridge the digital divide existing between the rural and urban areas of the country for rapid development.
The national postal policy which would incorporate ICT into the postal service is aimed at positioning the postal industry to be a powerful source of social cohesion.
Mr Benjamin Aggrey Ntim, Minister of Communications, who disclosed this said apart from the postal industry being a key lever in economic and social development, it could be used to facilitate trade, commerce and communication in rural and urban areas.
He said the government would like to see that financial services were extended to every part of the country, and that the new postal policy would include the various models that would enable the national postal provider to offer quality financial services to citizens in the low income bracket.
He said the national postal policy would therefore make it mandatory for the postal services and courier industry to embrace the use of ICT at all levels as a new source for the creation of quality jobs as well as rapid economic development and prosperity.
Mr Ntim who opened a workshop to deliberate on the national postal policy said the advantages of a modernised postal service were so huge that the government would not stand aloof for the industry to die because of rapid changes in communications technology.
He explained that world wide socio-economic trends such as globalisation liberalisation, privatisation and competition posed multi-dimensional challenges to the postal industry.
Mr Ntim whose address was read on his behalf by the Chief Director of the Ministry of Communications, Mr Kwaku Ofosu-Adarkwa, said however that the emerging information and knowledge was generating opportunities in developed and developing countries.
He, therefore, urged the participants to endeavour to come up with suggestions that would address the needs of the rural populace who required support and training to communicate.
The minister said the government also owed it a duty and a responsibility to cater for the needs of the physically challenged in all policy processes so that the inputs of these segment of the society would make the national postal policy stand the test of time.
He said other areas worth looking at by the participants at the workshop also included promoting universal access to postal facilities as well as recognition for the protection of the rights of consumers and citizens, especially consumer requirement for quality of service delivery.
He said the policy would also seek to encourage private investment so as to improve the postal services and infrastructure in the country by promoting competition in the sector as a way to improve quality of service through innovations and the introduction of new postal products on the market.
Mr Raymond Cudjoe, a legal practitioner who chaired the function, said an efficient postal system would ensure that rural dwellers were not left out in the e-commerce world.
He said the postal service because of its physical presence in the rural areas provided an infrastructure in facilitating the rural urban digital divide.
Mr Cudjoe explained that the e-commerce platform when linked to an efficient postal infrastructure could deliver items purchased in the urban centres to a person in the rural areas of the country.
The national postal policy which would incorporate ICT into the postal service is aimed at positioning the postal industry to be a powerful source of social cohesion.
Mr Benjamin Aggrey Ntim, Minister of Communications, who disclosed this said apart from the postal industry being a key lever in economic and social development, it could be used to facilitate trade, commerce and communication in rural and urban areas.
He said the government would like to see that financial services were extended to every part of the country, and that the new postal policy would include the various models that would enable the national postal provider to offer quality financial services to citizens in the low income bracket.
He said the national postal policy would therefore make it mandatory for the postal services and courier industry to embrace the use of ICT at all levels as a new source for the creation of quality jobs as well as rapid economic development and prosperity.
Mr Ntim who opened a workshop to deliberate on the national postal policy said the advantages of a modernised postal service were so huge that the government would not stand aloof for the industry to die because of rapid changes in communications technology.
He explained that world wide socio-economic trends such as globalisation liberalisation, privatisation and competition posed multi-dimensional challenges to the postal industry.
Mr Ntim whose address was read on his behalf by the Chief Director of the Ministry of Communications, Mr Kwaku Ofosu-Adarkwa, said however that the emerging information and knowledge was generating opportunities in developed and developing countries.
He, therefore, urged the participants to endeavour to come up with suggestions that would address the needs of the rural populace who required support and training to communicate.
The minister said the government also owed it a duty and a responsibility to cater for the needs of the physically challenged in all policy processes so that the inputs of these segment of the society would make the national postal policy stand the test of time.
He said other areas worth looking at by the participants at the workshop also included promoting universal access to postal facilities as well as recognition for the protection of the rights of consumers and citizens, especially consumer requirement for quality of service delivery.
He said the policy would also seek to encourage private investment so as to improve the postal services and infrastructure in the country by promoting competition in the sector as a way to improve quality of service through innovations and the introduction of new postal products on the market.
Mr Raymond Cudjoe, a legal practitioner who chaired the function, said an efficient postal system would ensure that rural dwellers were not left out in the e-commerce world.
He said the postal service because of its physical presence in the rural areas provided an infrastructure in facilitating the rural urban digital divide.
Mr Cudjoe explained that the e-commerce platform when linked to an efficient postal infrastructure could deliver items purchased in the urban centres to a person in the rural areas of the country.
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