Month: September 2017

 

Minister for Monitoring and Evaluation, Dr. Anthony Akoto Osei says it is in the interest of Ghana to conclude on the International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme. in an interview with ghanamps.com.

You cannot go on an IMF programme and say you have failed, “investors will say we cannot do anything for you”. The only choice is to show that we are able bring the programme on truck with the 2018 budget and then in 2019 we exit, he said.

According to the former Minister of State at the Finance Ministry, if the John Mahama government were doing well by April of 2018 we could have exited the IMF programme. “But they have taken us off truck and so we have the responsibility as a government to bring it back on truck”.

Again the previous National Democratic Congress (NDC) government should be thankful that we are trying to bring the economy back on truck, when you have a deficit of 6.6 and 9.1 inflation they could not bring down, he stated.

He further noted in 2014 the then Minority New Patriotic Party (NPP) cautioned the previous NDC government the way they were running the economy they will not have choice but to hook on to the IMF programme but they will not listen.

He believes that if the NDC then had listened to them and behaved properly in terms of managing the economy, we will not have landed ourselves with the IMF programme, and again talk about missing the target, “they talked about a home grown programme, where did it end us?

Dr Anthony Akoto Osei said the NDC government messed up Ghana in terms of management of the economy. “It is the interest of Ghana that we stabilize the economy and not that we are looking up to IMF to be economically disciplined”, heemphasised.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

 

The Tema Metropolitan Assembly in a statement has said it will soon convene an emergency meeting to review the suspension decision it took against the Member of Parliament for the Tema West constituency, Mr. Carlos Ahenkorah for six month.

According to the Assembly, they want to give an opportunity to the MP to explain the alleged actions that led to the initial suspensionsince it was done without listening to his side of the story.

The Assembly said their decision was arrived at aiming to foster peace and development within the area.
“Leadership of the Assembly held an emergency meeting to reconsider their earlier decision as soon as possible”, this was contain in the statement.

The statement further added, “We believe that in the spirit of unity and development, the General Assembly will take a second look at our earlier decision”.

The MP is also to lose his allowance and other benefits due him as a member of Tema Metropolitan Assembly.
Public Relations and Complaints Committee (PRCC) of the Assembly took the suspension chaired by the presiding member of the Assembly, Richard Fiadomor.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Member of Parliament for Suaman, Kofi Essuah Micheal Stephen Ackah says election of Metropolitan Municipal and District Chief Executives is delicate and a lot should go into it till Ghanaians accept the decentralization concept.

He told Ghanamps.com that, the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) government and opposition National Democratic Congress government have not been able to achieve it due to the challenges its implementation will bring.

According to Mr. Ackah, MMDCEs have a role to carry out the vision of the President in the districts.

Again when you have an NPP government in power and a district which is a strong hold of the NDC the elected DCE is an NDC person what happens?, he question.

There is nobody with political inclination who will not want his or her party to come to power, you can have a DCE elected to serve under the current government, but he or she will do everything to make President Nana Akufo-Addo unpopular, he said.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

 

The Ranking Member on Constitutional Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee, and Member of Parliament for Tamele Central Inusah Abdallah Fuseini says the Special Prosecutors Bill that has gone through first reading should be passed by Parliament ending of October.

He reveal to Ghanamps.com that from the 12th to 13th of September the committee will have a stakeholders meeting in Parliament House to collate views of experts and stakeholders.

The committee he made known will be divided into three, first group will be in Canada second will be in South Africa whiles the last group will be in Singapore, to under study the office of the special prosecutor from the 23rd of September 2017.

Early decision to visit Kenya had to be reverted due to the Political situation in that country and replaced with South Africa.

The Tamale Central lawmaker further explained that, the abroad trip will help the committee understudy the neutrality and independence of the special prosecutor as assured in the various legislative office, how the budget of the office is made available and approved.

He disclosed that on 26th of September 2017, they will by then return from their trip, meet in Koforidua, take the Bill clause by clause, a lot of work will be done by October and when Parliament resumes it would be submitted.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

 

The Eastern regional Minister and Member of Parliament for the Nkawkaw constituency, Dr Eric Kwakye-Daffour is leading a five-member delegation tour to South Africa to woe investors to invest in the region.

According to the Minister, the region is a rich region which is endowed with much resource potentials including gold, bauxite, limestone, water resources that needs to be tapped for the benefit of residents especially in the wake of government’s “One District, One Factory” initiative.

The possible areas for investment in the region are agriculture and agro-processing, aquaculture development, tourism, energy among others.

The Minister said the “One District, One factory” policy has motivated the team to go in search for investors for the region to help transform lives for the better.

Dr Kwakye Daffour disclosed that the region has over 19, 300 square kilometer acre of lands ready for exploitation and assured of his determination to attract the necessary investment from South Africa toand elsewhere for the growth of theregion.

Other members of the delegation include District Chief Executives for Ayensuano, Kwahu South and East Districts and a Consultant from the region.

Christian Kpesese/Ghanamps.com

 

The honorable Member of Parliament for the Tamale North constituency in the Northern region, Alhassan Suhuyini has expressed fear for the successful implementation of Government’s free SHS policy without a policy document.

He observed that the policy was launched with just a logo but without a document serving a guide for the citizenry to appreciate.

Mr Suhiyini also expressed worry that about half of the total number of qualified students is yet to be placed in their various schools of choice.

The MP expressed fear that the delay might be a deliberate attempt to deny qualified students access due to challenges associated with the free SHS policy.

According to him, government has also failed to put the necessary infrastructure preparation in place in order to absorb all qualified students just as the previous NPP Administration did with implementation of the 4 year SHS policy.

Christian Kpesese/Ghanamps.com

 

 

In a quest to vigorously promote aquaculture development in the country, the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development is embarking on a project to stock dams with fingerlings across the country.

Already, some 100 indigenous hatcheries (dams)have been identified in the Northern region to be stocked with fingerlings and the initiative is expected to be extended to other regions to enhance inland fish production capacity to meet local demands.

The sector Minister and Member of Parliament for Krowor, Elizabeth Afoley Quaye who disclosed this said the official launch of the 100 dam fingerling stocking will beheld in Linga in the Northern region of Ghana soon.

She also disclosed that the country is currently conducting a research to establish the actual fish stock levels.
A Research Vessel has been secured from Norway which has on board Ghanaian researchers to help conduct research into the pelagic stock, thus to find out Ghana’s stock of species and fish stock in the surface of the sea and at mid-sea levels to help inform planning.

Furthermore, an inter-ministerial Aquaculture Committee consisting of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Water Resources Commission, Fisheries Commission, Volta River Authority, Academia especially theCentre for Coastal Management and Aquatic Research of the University of Cape Coast, fishermen and other stakeholders is being constituted to deliberate on the challenges of thesector, howto curb illegal fishing, replenish the nations fish stock and how to ensure bio-safety in the fisheries sub-sector.

Currently it is only Tilapia andcatfish that are the two major fishes that are grown in Ghana to enhance the industry.

Christian Kpesese/Ghanamps.com

The Member of Parliament for the Upper Manya Krobo Constituency in the Easter region, Joseph Tetteh has encouraged citizens to get involve in communal activities since it can help to transform their communities with little external supports.

The MP who is also the Deputy Eastern Regional Minister gave the advice when he joined the chiefs and people of Anyaboni in the Upper Manya Krobo District in the early hours of Friday to observe a communal Labour to clear the access road from Anyaboni to Apimsu to pave way for smooth vehicular and human movement.

Mr. Tetteh also assured the area of his support to bring the necessary development to the area.
The chief of the area expressed their gratitude to the MP for the Upper Manya Krobo Constituency for honouring their invitation.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Member of Parliament for Sagnarigu, Alhassan Bashir A. Fuseini has hinted in an interviewwith Ghanamps.com that the former Deputy Minister of Agriculture William Agyapong Quaitoo resigning because of the public outcry of his tribal comment is not the end of the issue.

He not that the leadership of the Minority is considering bringing the matter on the floor of the House when the House resumes next month.

According to the ranking member on communications, the issue has cool off but no one should think the matter is dead, as leadership of the Minority has the right to raise the issue on the floor of the House.

He further stated that, the likelihood of the issue coming before the privileges committee is great as they will push further for him to resign his position as a Member of Parliament.

“We will push this matter further so that, those thinking of making any tribal comment in future will think twice”, he lamented.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com