Vice President John Dramani Mahama says the government has outlined measures to support farmers to become exporters of food at the end of the farming season.
Some of the measures include increased subsidies on fertilizers, provision of more tractors and creation of Agricultural Mechanical Centres where tractor and other services would be given to farmers.
The Vice President, who spoke to journalists in an interview in his office, said apart from making Ghana an exporter of food, the measures were also geared towards making farmers important and rich personalities in society.
"In most developed countries, farmers are the richest and the most important personalities, but in our own culture here, farmers are poor and despised because of poor farming practices."
Vice President Mahama said the Green Revolution, an organization that supplies improved seeds to farmers and other seed management companies have been contracted to supply farmers with improved seeds and technical expertise, assuring that with all these in place, food production would increase.
"Last year we had a surplus of 145,000 metric tonnes of maize with a 30 per cent increase in rice production. The President and I are engaged in farming and hope that others will take to farming in addition to whatever they are doing," he said.
He said Mahindra Company Limited, an Indian automobile company, has been contracted to supply Ghanaian farmers with tractors while the government works with some other Indian companies to set up a fertilizer company.
The Vice President added that the World Food Programme and Food and Agricultural Organization have expressed interest in buying food from Ghanaian farmers to export to other countries if there are surpluses and urged farmers to take advantage of the opportunity to increase production.
Touching on the country's oil and gas find, he noted that although the government is not going to place all its hopes on it, proceeds that would accrue from the industry would be used for infrastructural development.
"No country can develop properly without adequate infrastructure and that is why we as a government will prioritize it with oil and gas revenue.
Friday, April 30, 2010
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Brazilian Govt. To Give Ghana A Credit Facility
The Brazilian government is giving Ghana a credit facility to acquire a jet for the Ghana Air force to enable it transport troops from one operational are to the other.
The 90 seater plane, known as ERJ190, is being manufactured by Brazilian Aeronautics Company, Inc. (Embraer), a Brazilian aerospace conglomerate.
Vice-president John Dramani Mahama, who is currently in Brazil to conclude the deal on behalf of the Ghana government told journalists, while touring the company's headquarters main production facilities, and engineering/design offices in São José dos Campos, São Paulo, that the agreement was subject to Parliamentary approval.
According to him the Ghana Air Force had already sent a technical team to Embraer that had seen to the resolution of few details in respect of the aircraft.
“A technical team from the Air Force came here about three weeks before we arrived and so ours is to just finalise the political aspect of it and it will go to Parliament. Once Parliament approves it, the contract is signed,” the vice-president indicated.
Even though, Mr. Mahama did not disclose the amount of money involved, he mentioned that it was a “Brazilian Exim Bank facility and it’s payable in about 10 years at 2.5% interest with two years grace period. It’s one of the lowest interest rate.”
He praised the company of fast tracking the contract to enable Ghana acquire the aircraft in ten months instead of the normal twenty-four months periods for orders to be received because of the good relationship existing between Ghana and Brazil.
The vice-president noted that the decision to acquire the aircraft for the military was to give them a better operational efficiency, adding that “normally, when they want to move troops they have to rely on the United Nations (UN) to charter a flight for them.
Mr. Mahama,who was accompanied by Mr. Kwesi Ahwoi, Minister of Agriculture and Mr. Seth Terkper, Deputy Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, appealed to Embraer to set up a mechanized facility to help maintain the aircraft the Ghana Armed Forces has and also for any other countries who have the same aircraft in Africa when they need maintenance and servicing .
On other areas of investment, vice-president Mahama disclosed that he was in Brazil to also look at attracting Brazilian investors for social and infrastructural development.
He mentioned that another hydro-electric project in Juale on the Oti River where the vice-president is pushing hard for quick take off.
“Brazil has approved it but there are few stumbling blocks we need to clear so that that project can add another 100 megawatt of hydro-electric power to our generation.
“There are several other projects that Brazilians investors looking to establish industries in Ghana,” Mr. Mahama stated.
One of such projects, he said, include cashew processing facility that would give ready market to cashew farmers in Ghana, particularly Brong Ahafo Region and Northern part of the country.
“This should encourage us to think and believe that if we put in our best as Ghanaians, Ghana will become the next emerging economy in Africa,” Mr. Mahama stressed.
The vice-president was conducted round the facilities by Acir Padicha, Vice-President of Embraer, who is in charge of Defense, Marketing and Sales.
Also accompanying the Vice President were Ghana’s ambassador to Brazil. H.E Samuel Kofi Dadey, the Member of Parliament for Krachi West, Francis Safo, Chief Director in the office of the Vice President, Roger Angsomwine and Michael Obuobi, a Presidential Aide in the office of the Vice President.
The Vice President, John Dramani Mahama, left Accra on Monday April 05, 2010 for a 4-day visit to the Federative Republic of Brazil. The visit is at the invitation of the His Excellency José Alencar Gomes da Silva, Vice President of Brazil.
Story: Wisdom Peter Awuku, Sao Paulo, Brazil
The 90 seater plane, known as ERJ190, is being manufactured by Brazilian Aeronautics Company, Inc. (Embraer), a Brazilian aerospace conglomerate.
Vice-president John Dramani Mahama, who is currently in Brazil to conclude the deal on behalf of the Ghana government told journalists, while touring the company's headquarters main production facilities, and engineering/design offices in São José dos Campos, São Paulo, that the agreement was subject to Parliamentary approval.
According to him the Ghana Air Force had already sent a technical team to Embraer that had seen to the resolution of few details in respect of the aircraft.
“A technical team from the Air Force came here about three weeks before we arrived and so ours is to just finalise the political aspect of it and it will go to Parliament. Once Parliament approves it, the contract is signed,” the vice-president indicated.
Even though, Mr. Mahama did not disclose the amount of money involved, he mentioned that it was a “Brazilian Exim Bank facility and it’s payable in about 10 years at 2.5% interest with two years grace period. It’s one of the lowest interest rate.”
He praised the company of fast tracking the contract to enable Ghana acquire the aircraft in ten months instead of the normal twenty-four months periods for orders to be received because of the good relationship existing between Ghana and Brazil.
The vice-president noted that the decision to acquire the aircraft for the military was to give them a better operational efficiency, adding that “normally, when they want to move troops they have to rely on the United Nations (UN) to charter a flight for them.
Mr. Mahama,who was accompanied by Mr. Kwesi Ahwoi, Minister of Agriculture and Mr. Seth Terkper, Deputy Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, appealed to Embraer to set up a mechanized facility to help maintain the aircraft the Ghana Armed Forces has and also for any other countries who have the same aircraft in Africa when they need maintenance and servicing .
On other areas of investment, vice-president Mahama disclosed that he was in Brazil to also look at attracting Brazilian investors for social and infrastructural development.
He mentioned that another hydro-electric project in Juale on the Oti River where the vice-president is pushing hard for quick take off.
“Brazil has approved it but there are few stumbling blocks we need to clear so that that project can add another 100 megawatt of hydro-electric power to our generation.
“There are several other projects that Brazilians investors looking to establish industries in Ghana,” Mr. Mahama stated.
One of such projects, he said, include cashew processing facility that would give ready market to cashew farmers in Ghana, particularly Brong Ahafo Region and Northern part of the country.
“This should encourage us to think and believe that if we put in our best as Ghanaians, Ghana will become the next emerging economy in Africa,” Mr. Mahama stressed.
The vice-president was conducted round the facilities by Acir Padicha, Vice-President of Embraer, who is in charge of Defense, Marketing and Sales.
Also accompanying the Vice President were Ghana’s ambassador to Brazil. H.E Samuel Kofi Dadey, the Member of Parliament for Krachi West, Francis Safo, Chief Director in the office of the Vice President, Roger Angsomwine and Michael Obuobi, a Presidential Aide in the office of the Vice President.
The Vice President, John Dramani Mahama, left Accra on Monday April 05, 2010 for a 4-day visit to the Federative Republic of Brazil. The visit is at the invitation of the His Excellency José Alencar Gomes da Silva, Vice President of Brazil.
Story: Wisdom Peter Awuku, Sao Paulo, Brazil
Veep Secures $300 Million Brazilian Investment
Dias Branco group of companies, a leading biscuit and pasta manufacturing companies in Brazil, is to set up an over $300 million biscuit and pasta factory in Ghana that will create about one thousand jobs for Ghanaians.
The management of Dias Branco is expected in Ghana in May this year to conclude agreements on the modalities in establishing their only company in Africa in Ghana.
Vice-president John Dramani Mahama, who is on a 4-day official visit to Brazil, was able to convince the management of Dias Branco to invest in Ghana as against their original plan to invest in Angola, a Portuguese speaking sister nation in Africa.
Mr. Mahama, who was accompanied by the Minister of Agriculture, Deputy Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Ghana’s Ambassador to Brazil and Brazilian Ambassador to Ghana, Messrs. Kwesi Ahwoi, Seth Terkper, Samuel Kofi Dadey and respectively, toured the company’s facilities at Fortaleza in Brazil to acquaint himself with the production of the company.
Other members of the delegation were the Brazilian Ambassador to Ghana H.E Luis Fernando de Andrade Sera, Member of Parliament for Krachi West, Francis Safo, Chief Director in the office of the Vice President, Roger Angsomwine and Michael Obuobi, a Presidential Aide in the office of the Vice President.
Conducting the vice-president and his entourage around the facilities, the Chief Executive Officer of the company Francisco Ivens de Sa Dias Branco said the company was currently the leading company in the manufacture, sales and distribution of crackers, cookies and pasta products in Brazil.
In addition, it offers wheat flour and wholegrain wheat, margarine and vegetable shortening and also produced the majority of two of the principal raw materials for its crackers, cookies and pasta products
According to him the decision to invest in Ghana was based on Ghana’s credentials as a stable political and economy coupled with the good leadership style of President John Evans Atta Mills.
Mr. Branco admitted that the statesmanship and astuteness of Vice-President Mahama further gave them the courage to change their original plan to invest in Angola.
For his part, Mr. Mahama assured Mr. Branco and his group of Ghana’s readiness to welcome the company as it invests in the country.
He described Ghana as the gateway to Africa and that with the rest of the West Africa sub-region’s total population of over 240 million people, there was a guaranteed market for its products.
Mr. Mahama noted that the government of President Mills is to ensure that companies investing in Ghana would derive the maximum benefit in return for their investment.
He said this investment would eventually help to solving the employment needs of Ghana as majority of the workforce would be Ghanaians, particularly the youth.
In another development Vice-president Mahama, met members of the business community, one of the biggest association of business people and industrialists in Brazil in Ceara in a forum.
He assured the businessmen and the industrialists of Ceara that Ghanaian cashew farmers were ready to produce to meet the demands of the Brazilian market for cashew.
Mr. Mahama said what Ghana needed for the take-off was infrastructural development to enable cashew farmers to produce more to meet the new emerging market.
He assured them of Ghana government’s commitment to creating enabling environment such as tax and other incentives to make their operation in Ghana a reality.
The businessmen on their part pledged to invest in Ghana, especially in the cashew business by establishing a factory to process the crop to create ready market for the Ghanaian cashew farmers.
The asked for government commitment to offering them the necessary incentives to encourage more Brazilians to invest in Ghana.
Story: Wisdom Peter Awuku, Fortaleza-Brazil
The management of Dias Branco is expected in Ghana in May this year to conclude agreements on the modalities in establishing their only company in Africa in Ghana.
Vice-president John Dramani Mahama, who is on a 4-day official visit to Brazil, was able to convince the management of Dias Branco to invest in Ghana as against their original plan to invest in Angola, a Portuguese speaking sister nation in Africa.
Mr. Mahama, who was accompanied by the Minister of Agriculture, Deputy Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Ghana’s Ambassador to Brazil and Brazilian Ambassador to Ghana, Messrs. Kwesi Ahwoi, Seth Terkper, Samuel Kofi Dadey and respectively, toured the company’s facilities at Fortaleza in Brazil to acquaint himself with the production of the company.
Other members of the delegation were the Brazilian Ambassador to Ghana H.E Luis Fernando de Andrade Sera, Member of Parliament for Krachi West, Francis Safo, Chief Director in the office of the Vice President, Roger Angsomwine and Michael Obuobi, a Presidential Aide in the office of the Vice President.
Conducting the vice-president and his entourage around the facilities, the Chief Executive Officer of the company Francisco Ivens de Sa Dias Branco said the company was currently the leading company in the manufacture, sales and distribution of crackers, cookies and pasta products in Brazil.
In addition, it offers wheat flour and wholegrain wheat, margarine and vegetable shortening and also produced the majority of two of the principal raw materials for its crackers, cookies and pasta products
According to him the decision to invest in Ghana was based on Ghana’s credentials as a stable political and economy coupled with the good leadership style of President John Evans Atta Mills.
Mr. Branco admitted that the statesmanship and astuteness of Vice-President Mahama further gave them the courage to change their original plan to invest in Angola.
For his part, Mr. Mahama assured Mr. Branco and his group of Ghana’s readiness to welcome the company as it invests in the country.
He described Ghana as the gateway to Africa and that with the rest of the West Africa sub-region’s total population of over 240 million people, there was a guaranteed market for its products.
Mr. Mahama noted that the government of President Mills is to ensure that companies investing in Ghana would derive the maximum benefit in return for their investment.
He said this investment would eventually help to solving the employment needs of Ghana as majority of the workforce would be Ghanaians, particularly the youth.
In another development Vice-president Mahama, met members of the business community, one of the biggest association of business people and industrialists in Brazil in Ceara in a forum.
He assured the businessmen and the industrialists of Ceara that Ghanaian cashew farmers were ready to produce to meet the demands of the Brazilian market for cashew.
Mr. Mahama said what Ghana needed for the take-off was infrastructural development to enable cashew farmers to produce more to meet the new emerging market.
He assured them of Ghana government’s commitment to creating enabling environment such as tax and other incentives to make their operation in Ghana a reality.
The businessmen on their part pledged to invest in Ghana, especially in the cashew business by establishing a factory to process the crop to create ready market for the Ghanaian cashew farmers.
The asked for government commitment to offering them the necessary incentives to encourage more Brazilians to invest in Ghana.
Story: Wisdom Peter Awuku, Fortaleza-Brazil
Ghana On Track To Reduce Inflation
Ghana is on track to achieve a single digit inflation by the end of the year, the Vice-President, Mr John Dramani Mahama, has stated.
He said the country's current economic indicators were showing a positive response to the global economic bounce back, with the rate of inflation declining continuously since October 2009. It stands at 14.23 per cent currently.
The value of the cedi had also stabilised against the major trading currencies, while the balance of payment and the international reserve position had improved and the public sector deficit reduced, he said.
Mr Mahama made the observation in Accra Tuesday at the opening of a four-day international conference organised by the Institute of Economic Affairs (lEA) and the USA Centre for International Private Enterprise (CIPE) on public-private dialogue for West African states.
The theme for the conference was, "The impact of the Global Financial Crisis on West African States: Leveraging Public-private Dialogue for Development".
The Vice-President explained that the reduction in public sector deficit implied that the public sector borrowing requirement (PSBR) had declined, creating space for interest rates to fall and increase private sector borrowing for growth and employment creation.
Mr Mahama said the conference was important because it allowed participants to brainstorm and share experiences on the way forward out of the global financial crisis.
He said the global financial crisis, which he said began in the latter part of 2007 and intensified in 2008/2009, plunged most of the economies of the advanced world into recession.
He pointed out that pressure on the economies of developing countries had come from a number of fronts, among them the fact that African exports had been constrained by weaker external demand, particularly from the US and the European Union, with their tighter financial conditions.
The Vice-President said the government, in order to mitigate the effect of the crisis in the poor and restore stability to the economy, had been implementing various measures, including providing school uniforms for children in deprived communities, free exercise books for every pupil in public basic schools and increasing the capitation grant by 50 per cent.
Other measures, Mr Mahama said, were rationalising government expenditure by cutting down cost, reviewing mining, oil and forestry concession agreements to curb excessive repatriation, consolidating 27 ministries into 24 in order to rationalise government expenditure, reducing the number of ministers from 87 in the previous administration to 72, as well as reviewing petroleum taxes with the aim of reducing domestic petroleum prices.
For his part, a Deputy Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Mr Seth Terkper, gave background information on the global financial crisis and pointed out that it showed a drop in demand for exports, a decline in remittances and foreign exchange reserves and low budget support from tax revenues, aid and grant.
"Overall, growth fell sharply to 1-3 per cent in the advanced, transition and developing world," he said.
He said during the period, much of the gains from the decade of exuberance was whittled away quickly within a relatively short period of the crisis, adding that it was a crisis that brought consumers, big firms, governments and whole regions of the globe on their knees.
A member of the board of the National Endowment for Democracy, the funding body of the CIPE, Ambassador Lyman, said CIPE was created in 1993 to promote, among other objectives, democracy and good governance.
In his welcoming address, the Chairman of the IEA, Dr Charles Mensa, said looking at the importance of the topics to be discussed, participants were drawn not only from the public and private sectors but also top political party officials from West Africa for their inputs.
Source: Myjoyonline
He said the country's current economic indicators were showing a positive response to the global economic bounce back, with the rate of inflation declining continuously since October 2009. It stands at 14.23 per cent currently.
The value of the cedi had also stabilised against the major trading currencies, while the balance of payment and the international reserve position had improved and the public sector deficit reduced, he said.
Mr Mahama made the observation in Accra Tuesday at the opening of a four-day international conference organised by the Institute of Economic Affairs (lEA) and the USA Centre for International Private Enterprise (CIPE) on public-private dialogue for West African states.
The theme for the conference was, "The impact of the Global Financial Crisis on West African States: Leveraging Public-private Dialogue for Development".
The Vice-President explained that the reduction in public sector deficit implied that the public sector borrowing requirement (PSBR) had declined, creating space for interest rates to fall and increase private sector borrowing for growth and employment creation.
Mr Mahama said the conference was important because it allowed participants to brainstorm and share experiences on the way forward out of the global financial crisis.
He said the global financial crisis, which he said began in the latter part of 2007 and intensified in 2008/2009, plunged most of the economies of the advanced world into recession.
He pointed out that pressure on the economies of developing countries had come from a number of fronts, among them the fact that African exports had been constrained by weaker external demand, particularly from the US and the European Union, with their tighter financial conditions.
The Vice-President said the government, in order to mitigate the effect of the crisis in the poor and restore stability to the economy, had been implementing various measures, including providing school uniforms for children in deprived communities, free exercise books for every pupil in public basic schools and increasing the capitation grant by 50 per cent.
Other measures, Mr Mahama said, were rationalising government expenditure by cutting down cost, reviewing mining, oil and forestry concession agreements to curb excessive repatriation, consolidating 27 ministries into 24 in order to rationalise government expenditure, reducing the number of ministers from 87 in the previous administration to 72, as well as reviewing petroleum taxes with the aim of reducing domestic petroleum prices.
For his part, a Deputy Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Mr Seth Terkper, gave background information on the global financial crisis and pointed out that it showed a drop in demand for exports, a decline in remittances and foreign exchange reserves and low budget support from tax revenues, aid and grant.
"Overall, growth fell sharply to 1-3 per cent in the advanced, transition and developing world," he said.
He said during the period, much of the gains from the decade of exuberance was whittled away quickly within a relatively short period of the crisis, adding that it was a crisis that brought consumers, big firms, governments and whole regions of the globe on their knees.
A member of the board of the National Endowment for Democracy, the funding body of the CIPE, Ambassador Lyman, said CIPE was created in 1993 to promote, among other objectives, democracy and good governance.
In his welcoming address, the Chairman of the IEA, Dr Charles Mensa, said looking at the importance of the topics to be discussed, participants were drawn not only from the public and private sectors but also top political party officials from West Africa for their inputs.
Source: Myjoyonline
Vice-President Mahama lauds Soyinka's literary achievements
Vice-President John Dramani Mahama has paid glowing tribute to the literary achievement of nobel laureate Professor Wole Soyinka, saying his boldness to tell the truth even in the face of difficulties made him outstanding among his peers.
"What makes Wole Soyinka unique among colleagues is his courage and boldness to say it as it is," the Vice President said.
He made these observations at a programme dubbed 'An evening with Wole Soyinka', organised by Glo Mobile Ghana as part of programmes scheduled to herald the launch of Globacom operations in the country.
Vice President Mahama commended Glo for organising the literary event that brought together all the great minds in the field of literature and the arts and expressed the hope that the event would mark a turning point in reviving interest in literature.
The event is to celebrate excellence and honour great African literary minds whose dedication to the African continent through their works exposed the culture and the everyday life of the people.
Prof. Soyinka one of the world's leading intellectuals in the field of arts and literature and renowned Ghanaian authors and writers, who included Prof. Kofi Awoonor, Prof. Atukwei Okai, Nana Ayebia Clark were the attraction of the audience.
Other distinguished personalities at the programme that was characterised by music and dancing included former President John Agyekum Kufuor, members of Parliament and the Diplomatic corps.
Prof. Wole Soyinka said arts was an instrument for combating the ills in society and at the same time a means to offer hope and consolation to the people.
He said his motivation to write stemmed from the need to deal with the difficulties of society.
Prof. Soyinka lauded the positive contribution of mobile phone technology to the democratisation process in the world.
"I am filled with joy, fulfilled and excited," Prof. Atukwei Okai said, adding that a major end of Pan-African Writers Association was to build the recognition that the writer was an agent of change, whose contribution could support development of society.
Born on 13 July 1934 at Abeokuta, near Ibadan in Western Nigeria, Prof. Soyinka after preparatory university studies in 1954 at Government College in Ibadan, continued at the University of Leeds, where, later, in 1973, he took his doctorate.
During the civil war in Nigeria, Prof. Soyinka was arrested in 1967, accused of conspiring with the Biafra rebels, and was held as a political prisoner for 22 months until 1969.
Prof. Soyinka has published about 20 works: drama, novels and poetry and writes in English and his literary language is marked by great scope and richness of words.
Mr Bode Opesitan, Public Relations Manager of Globacom, said the programme was in line with Glo's quest to inspire the youth through literature and culture.
He said Glo was building a network that would be second to none and would offer Ghanaians all the advances in mobile technology.
Source: GNA
"What makes Wole Soyinka unique among colleagues is his courage and boldness to say it as it is," the Vice President said.
He made these observations at a programme dubbed 'An evening with Wole Soyinka', organised by Glo Mobile Ghana as part of programmes scheduled to herald the launch of Globacom operations in the country.
Vice President Mahama commended Glo for organising the literary event that brought together all the great minds in the field of literature and the arts and expressed the hope that the event would mark a turning point in reviving interest in literature.
The event is to celebrate excellence and honour great African literary minds whose dedication to the African continent through their works exposed the culture and the everyday life of the people.
Prof. Soyinka one of the world's leading intellectuals in the field of arts and literature and renowned Ghanaian authors and writers, who included Prof. Kofi Awoonor, Prof. Atukwei Okai, Nana Ayebia Clark were the attraction of the audience.
Other distinguished personalities at the programme that was characterised by music and dancing included former President John Agyekum Kufuor, members of Parliament and the Diplomatic corps.
Prof. Wole Soyinka said arts was an instrument for combating the ills in society and at the same time a means to offer hope and consolation to the people.
He said his motivation to write stemmed from the need to deal with the difficulties of society.
Prof. Soyinka lauded the positive contribution of mobile phone technology to the democratisation process in the world.
"I am filled with joy, fulfilled and excited," Prof. Atukwei Okai said, adding that a major end of Pan-African Writers Association was to build the recognition that the writer was an agent of change, whose contribution could support development of society.
Born on 13 July 1934 at Abeokuta, near Ibadan in Western Nigeria, Prof. Soyinka after preparatory university studies in 1954 at Government College in Ibadan, continued at the University of Leeds, where, later, in 1973, he took his doctorate.
During the civil war in Nigeria, Prof. Soyinka was arrested in 1967, accused of conspiring with the Biafra rebels, and was held as a political prisoner for 22 months until 1969.
Prof. Soyinka has published about 20 works: drama, novels and poetry and writes in English and his literary language is marked by great scope and richness of words.
Mr Bode Opesitan, Public Relations Manager of Globacom, said the programme was in line with Glo's quest to inspire the youth through literature and culture.
He said Glo was building a network that would be second to none and would offer Ghanaians all the advances in mobile technology.
Source: GNA
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