Vice President meets stakeholders on petrol increases

The Vice President John Dramani Mahama on wednesday met major stakeholders to address some of the reactions that came out after the National Petroleum Authority announced the 30 percent increament on petroleum products.

The meeting which engaged members of the Trades Union Congress, Association of Ghana Industries and the Ghana Employers Association behind close doors would among other issues draw up modalities that would relieve them of their business plights.

The meeting would also help draw up strategies that would enable the NPA to regularly review the prices to forstal huge increaments in future.

Vice President Mahama in an address before the close door meeting said government was concerned with the reactions of the public and the business community hence the meeting to ensure that the mistakes were not repeated in future dealings.

"We understand the plight of Ghanaians and that is why I have convened this meeting to ensure that things are ironed out for the better"

Mr. Kofi Asamoah, Secretary General of Trades Union Congress said the 30 percent increament had affected the purchasing power of Ghanaians, affected Industry and Business which were also having rippling effects on all sectors of life in the country.

He said the increament was likely to create labour problems as industries were also likely to lay off their workers as a result of high cost of production in their businesses.

Nana Owusu Afari, President of Association of Ghana Industies called on the NPA to always hold consultations before releasing their new prices as that could water-down the tension that normally arose on the heels of price increases in petroleum products.







Story: Office Of The Vice President
12/1/11

Vice President Extolled Muslims And Christian

The Vice President, John Dramani Mahama has extolled the peaceful coexistence between Muslim and Christians in the country. He said unlike other countries in the world where the two religions finds it difficult to cohabit Ghana was blessed to have Christians and Muslims living like Siamese twins, adding that such coexistence has created the enabling environment for development to thrive in the country and urged them to continue in that direction.

Mr. Mahama said this when the Chief Imam led a delegation to call on him at the castle, Osu yesterday.

Mr. Mahama urged the Imams and Muslim chiefs who are mostly from the North to assist in resolving the barrage of conflicts besieging Northing Ghana. He said the three Northern regions are the most poorest and the time has come for them to rather unite to fight the common poverty confronting the people and stop the fight among themselves.

He sighted the Savanna Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) government has instituted saying government wants to do everything to lift the people out of poverty and create a new growth pole in the North to attract people from the South to also migrate to the area to work and urged the North to support the government to support them.

The Vice President also called on the Imams and Chiefs to pray for Cote d’Iviore so peace could return to that troubled land of cocoa.

He assured the Muslim communities in Ghana of a better Hajj organization this year.

The Public Relations Officer of the National Council of Zongo Muslim Chiefs, Chief Issa speaking on behalf of the Chief Imam expressed their gratitude for the support government gave them in last year’s Hajj and said the exercise brought enough blessing and benefits.

Chief Issa said as a result of government’s support to ten Muslim chiefs and regional Imams to perform last year’s Hajj they were in collaboration with other stakeholders able to resolve the chronic and long standing cold war that existed between Sultan Alhaji Umar Farouk of the Kumasi Sarkin Zongo and Chief Alhaji Ahmed Ibrahim, the President of the Kumasi Council of Zongo Chiefs.

He said the Imams and Muslim Chiefs who participated in last year’s Hajj were able to secure scholarships for 32 Ghanaian students to study in Saudi Arabia whiles charitable institutions in Jedda requested them to secure lands so they could be assisted to build a university and also go into farming.

The delegation was in the Castle to thank the government for the successful organization of last year Hajj, brief government on the reconciliation of two Muslim chiefs in Kumasi and also report to government some investment opportunities last year pilgrims were able to secure from Saudi Arabia.









Story: George Azirigo
11/1/11

Govt. to convene conference on polytechnics' role

A NATIONAL stakeholders’ consultative conference will soon be convened to brainstorm on how to re-position the polytechnics into the country’s overall human resource and development agenda.

Vice-President John Mahama, who announced this at the 10th congregation of the Takoradi Polytechnic, stressed that the conference would clarify and define the role of polytechnics as skills-centred institutions.

He said the conference, to be organized by the Ministry of Education would, among other things, help put to rest the frequent agitations by the polytechnics against the seeming attempt to consign them to subservience to the universities, especially issues on enhanced emoluments.

A total of 2,318 students comprising 1,595 males and 723 females were awarded various Higher National Diplomas. The congregation also witnessed the award of competency-based training certificates to 71 students.

Concerning recent developments in the labour front in the polytechnics, Vice-President Mahama said the government appreciated their demands for better conditions of service, assuring POTAG and other unions in the polytechnics that government would show greater interest in the impasse between them and the National Labour Commission, with a view to bringing it to an amicable settlement.

Vice-President Mahama acknowledged that though financing had been a major problem facing the polytechnics, government was coming up with new programmes to enhance GETFUND financing so as to bring about the free-flow of funds to carry out projects in the polytechnics.

With the commencement of commercial production of oil in the Western Region, the Vice-President said the close proximity of Takoradi Polytechnic to the oil industry and associated investments that would take place behooves on the polytechnic to train the bulk of the human resource that the industry would require.

That, he said, would make the Local Content legislation more meaningful. “Polytechnics are mandated to equip its products with technical and employable skills to face the industrial challenges in the world of work,” he said.

He stressed that the polytechnics had the potential of producing students who would become the driving force of consolidating Ghana’s emerging status and urged poly students to “To see yourselves as agents of development who must move our country to prosperity.”

Vice-President Mahama said social interventions such as the distribution of free school uniforms to pupils was on course, saying, 80 per cent of school children had been covered. Government was also committed to addressing the school under trees phenomena with the construction of over 3,000 schools.

The Reverend Professor Daniel Nyarko, Rector of the polytechnic said the current industrial unrest in the polytechnics called for a sober reflection on the relevance of polytechnic education to the socio-economic development of Ghana.

“If we accept that Polytechnics have a key role to play in meeting the high-level manpower needs of the country, then the Polytechnic lecturer deserves better conditions of service than is currently the case.”

Rev. Nyarko said the polytechnic would sign a MoU with the University of Derby in the United Kingdom next year to mount specialized Bachelor and Master’s Degree programmes in Electrical and Electronics Engineering.

“We are also poised to see our collaboration with Tullow Ghana ltd towards the training of technicians for the oil and gas operations become a reality next year.

Takoradi Polytechnic is ready to sign an Mou, next year, to begin the training of aircraft maintenance technicians with the assistance of the world-renowned Aircraft Maintenance Training Institute of Florida, United States,” he added.

The Rector said the polytechnic would soon secure accreditation from the City and Guilds of the UK to run specialized training programmes in the field of welding, fabrication, logistics, transport, freight forwarding and clearing.

Dr. George Oduro, Chairman of the Polytechnic Council stressed the need for the media to be circumspect in the way and manner it reports on issues bordering on the polytechnics labour front.







.Story: Irene Ata-Donto
18/12/10

Societe Generale to provide financial support to agric, Infrastructural sectors

The Head of the International Division of Societe General, Mr. John Louis Mattei, has expressed the banks' willingness to finance projects in the agricultural and infrastructural sectors of Ghana's economy.

He lauded Ghana's economic stability, which he said, provided an enabling environment for doing business. "I am satisfied because banks in this country are now stronger with quality human resource and IT systems,"

He made the observation when he paid a courtesy call on Vice-President John Mahama at the seat of government, Osu.

Mr. Mattei, who was in the country to attend a forum by the bank's branch in Ghana, was accompanied by Alain Bellissard, out-going Managing Director of SG-SSB Ghana branch and Gilbert Hie, the incoming MD of the bank.

Mr. Mattei described SG-SSB as a 'Ghanaian Bank,' saying, "It is able to serve different kinds of customers with a wide range of products," and pledged the bank's commitment to continue providing loans to Small and Medium Scale enterprises and to individuals as well.

He stressed that the bank was now looking to extend its assistance in the area of project financing besides the provision of local and international products, for the country's benefit.

On his part, the out-going MD of the bank, Mr. Bellissard underscored the extent of readiness by Societe General to support project financing in Ghana as the bank had confidence in the country's future.

Responding, Vice-President Mahama acknowledged the support of the bank to the country for some time now, especially the provision of loans to Members of Parliament to acquire vehicles to facilitate their work, and a loan package for the acquisition of the Falcon Presidential jet.

He said with the country's economy now rebased, there was the need to adjust revenue levels, which he described as "far below" to match up to the country's status as a middle income country.

There was also the need to expand the formal sector to create jobs for the youth; as well as the necessity to reduce child and infant mortality in Ghana he added.

"A lot of the challenges will depend on how quickly we build on our infrastructure such as roads, bridges, and airports to accommodate the increasing number of air traffic.

Vice-President Mahama intimated that any time there was pressure on government revenue, it was financial institutions such as Societe General that came to the rescue of the country and hoped that the bank would continue in that quest to enable the country address its challenges.







Story: Irene Ata-Donto
16/12/10

Government with Chinese company to complete abandoned military projects in the country-veep

The vice president John Maham says government in collaboration with the Poly Technologies Incorporated of China would sign an agreement to complete all abandoned military and Police projects throughout the country.

He said government would also provide complex sporting facilities for all Military bases in the country to ensure that they were physically fit to carry out their defensive programmes.

Vice President Mahama announced these when he inaugurated the Ghana Armed Forces Sports complex at Burma Camp in Accra, jointly executed by the government of Ghana and the Poly Technologies Incorporated of China at a total cost of $3million dollars.

The complex which started in 1974 had to go through series of stoppages due mainly to financial inadequacy until the Chinese Company intervened early this year with funding to complete the project.

Apart from the swimming pool which was the major component of the project, other facilities such as netball, volleyball, basketball, tennis ball, Handball, and badminton ball courts have also been completed for use.

He said the complex was to keep the military in shape for them to professionally handled their schedules’We do not want a situation when the military will be growing pot-bellies in the barracks .’

He appealed to them to allow the civilians to make use of the facility to cement the military-civilian relationship.

Mr. Zhao Shiren, Charge’ d’Affaires at the Chinese Embassy in Ghana who traced China’s relations with Ghana since 50 years ago said President Mills visit to their country had further cemented their friendship which was bound to yield fruitful dividends in the coming years.

He said the building of the Sports Complex was just the tip of the iceberg, promising to churn out more developmental projects for the benefit of Ghanaians.
Mr. Zhang Liansheng, Chairman of Poly Technologies Incorporated hoped the Complex would forever remain as the landmark for the fostering of unity between the two countries.





.Story: Office of The Vice President
16/12/10

Vice President urges private sector to be proactive

Vice President John Dramani Mahama, has urged members of the Private sector to be proactive by engaging the necessary business plans that would propel them to acceptable levels.

"I am aware of your perennial challenges of lack of infrastructure, inadequate credit facilities, among others, and this is why government has drawn up the Private Sector Development Strategy to empower you to succeed as the engine of growth."

The Vice President said this when he launched the second phase of the Private Sector Development Strategy, aimed at fostering partnership between the private and public sectors for rapid economic growth.

The programme was patronized by businesses from the public and private sectors, development partners and politicians in the country and beyond. The Strategy apart, its aim of providing a congenial atmosphere for business, among other issues, would reduce the cost and risk in doing business and provide over 500,000 jobs between now and 2015.

According to him, the new strategy would also seek to protect businesses even with a change in government, so that businesses do not suffer unnecessary interruptions and imminent collapse.

"Private enterprises should not collapse due to change in governments; as such a situation could subsequently disrupt our orderly economic progress."

The Vice President called on all the major key players of the programme to exhibit commitment and dedication so as to achieve their targets within the next five years.

The Minister for Trade and Industry, Madam Hannah Tetteh, said the strategy when implemented, would achieve 10 percent annual economic growth, ensure increased productivity and strengthen industries to produce to their highest levels.

She said the new plan would also make tertiary technical and vocational education more responsible and create employable skills for school graduates.

Madam Tetteh said the development strategy would also provide an appropriate platform for the financial sector to become more responsive to the needs and demands of the private sector, to increase productivity.

President of the Association of Ghana Industries, Nana Owusu Afari, expressed happiness that the private sector, which took a nose dive some years ago, was regaining its rudimentary responsibility of being the backbone of the country.

He commended government for involving the private sector in the drawing of the development plan from the beginning to the launch and called for closer partnership between government and them to achieve the objectives entailed in the document.

Mr Alan A. Moody, an official of the World Bank, who represented all the development partners, called on private sector businesses to learn from their successes and failures and adhere to the regulations governing private-public partnership to enjoy high productivity.








Story: Irene Ata-Donto
15/12/10

* Government poised to promote teaching and learning in all schools - Veep * Focus more on manufacturing sector - Veep urges investors * G

* Government poised to promote teaching and learning in all schools - Veep
* Focus more on manufacturing sector - Veep urges investors
* Ghana to receive 36 million pound sterling from the UK to facilitate MDGs - Veep
* World Bank predicts Ghana’s GDP to grow at 13.5 per cent in 2011
* Bukom Banku presents his WBO (Africa) Light Heavy Weight title to Gov’t
* Eliminating "schools under trees"...1500 more classroom blocks to be built
* Veep calls on Police to step up detective policing
* Veep pledges commitment, neutrality and impartiality for development in the North and Ghana
* Veep cuts sod for BRT project...calls for national debate on importation on second-hand vehicle spare parts
* Veep advises military command against recruitment on partisan and ethnic basis
* Purge your ranks of false prophets - Veep
* Ghana Telecom University College, India to establish African IT Institute in Ghana
* "Gov't will not interfere in GFA's work" - Veep
* Veep calls on Judiciary to deal sternly with reckless drivers
* Gov't Applauded on Oil Debate
* $1.5 Billion Investment In Rail Sector
* "Peace is a powerful tool of diplomacy, but misunderstood" - Veep
* GOV'T, TUC, AGI and GEA agree on the way forward in fuel hikes
* $1.1 billion fertilizer production plant to come on stream in 2016
* Obuasi On Course to Achieve Gov't Agenda
* Vice President meets stakeholders on petrol increases
* Vice President Extolled Muslims And Christians
* 100-Bed Teshie hospital inaugurated
* Govt. to convene conference on polytechnics' role
* Societe Generale to provide financial support to agric, Infrastructural sectors
* Government with Chinese company to complete abandoned military projects in the country-veep
* Vice President urges private sector to be proactive
* ‘We will utilize oil resource to transform Ghana into emerging economy’-veep assures nation
* Vice President calls on African leaders to avoid bureaucracy that hinder businesses
* Ghana To Receive Cotton Seeds From Burkina Faso
* Government will not repeat mistakes experienced in gold and bauxite areas - Veep
* Veep arrives in Saudi Arabia
* Veep directs utility companies to serve Ghanaians better
* Veep receives more relief items for flood victims
* Govt. to launch major agric intervention next year
* Veep calls for discipline in NDC
* Government presents relief items to flood victims
* Vice President to visit flood affected areas in the North
* Veep lauds mobile operators for their innovations
* Vice President advocates for total discipline in boarding houses
* Veep urges collective support for RTU
* Vice President calls for total eradication of maternal and infant mortalities
* Vice President calls for collaboration between AIDS Commission and partners
* Vice President urges Muslims to contribute to the Zakat Fund
* Veep assures saddened “pilgrims” of special package
* Czech to support Ghana with urban rail transport
* Vice President strikes deal for KNUST Engineering students in Plyzen University
* Vice President promises to tackle security issues robustly
* Vice President John Mahama arrives in Prague, Czech Republic

‘We will utilize oil resource to transform Ghana into emerging economy’-veep assures nation