US Ambassador on familiarisation visit to Upper East

The United States Ambassador to Ghana, Ms Pomela Bridgewater on Thursday undertook a familiarisation visit to the Upper East Region to inspect some Community Self-Help Projects funded by the Embassy in the area. Areas she visited included the Basket Weavers Cooperative Association at Gambibgo; Sherigu Women's Organisation for Poultry and Art (SWOPA) and Hivilak Gift World Finest, a basket marketing company in Bolgatanga.

Mr Ayamga John Awuyanaba, Coordinator of the Gambibgo Basket Weavers Cooperative Association, on behalf of the Association, thanked the United States Embassy for its assistance. He explained that through the support of the Embassy, the Association had been able to build the capacity of its members and provided them with loans to undertake straw weaving, which has improved the quality of their products and their living standards.

"Many of our people, especially women, have been empowered economically and can now fend for themselves and their families." Mr Francis Danso, Managing Director of Havilak Gift World Finest Basket Company, said the Company had employed a good number of people in the area, especially the youth, thereby reducing the unemployment problem. The Ambassador, who was visibly impressed about the operation of the Embassy's Self-Help Projects, pledged the Embassy's further support and urged members of the group to work harder to empower themselves.

"Bolgatanga Basket is the best among all the baskets on the world market," Ms. Bridgewater indicated, after having bought many of the products herself. Accompanying the Ambassador was Mr Larry Dolan of USAID – Ghana; Ms. Amelia Brodrick, of the Public Affairs Section of the Embassy and Ms. Peace Adwoah Nunu, Coordinator of the Embassy's Self-Help Projects. The Upper East Regional Minister, Mr. Boniface Gambila and some officials from the Regional Coordinating Council accompanied the Ambassador on her rounds.

Parliament okays 5.633 trillion cedis as Supplementary Appropriation for 2006

Parliament on Wednesday gave the government the green light to issue from the consolidated fund and other public funds an amount of 5.633 trillion cedis to supplement the finance of government operations during the financial ending 31st December 2006.

This followed the passage of the Supplementary Appropriation Bill by the House for the financial year, in pursuance to Article 179 (8) and (9) of the 1992 Constitution and the Standing Orders of the House. Mr Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, Finance and Economic Planning Minister moved the motion for the approval of the House.

A report by the Finance Committee of the House observed that as a result of a non-establishment of the modalities for the Multi-lateral Debt Relief Initiative and other loan facilities that the country received during the year, they were not captured in the 2006 Budget Statement and Government Policy presented in November. "For the country to take advantage of these additional resources to enable the realization of the resource requirement to meet the Millennium Development Goals, it became necessary for the government to request for approval of a Supplementary Estimate, which was laid before the House on 13th July 2006 pursuance to 179 (8) and (9) of the Constitution," the report said.

The Committee noted the approval of US$20 million under Investment Activity for the Ghana@50 Celebrations, which was captured under the Office of the Chief of Staff and Minister for Presidential Affairs, adding that a total of 805 billion cedis was used for the payment of Tema Oil Refinery under recovery and a total of 577 billion was spent on discretionary payments.

Gold Fields Ghana Ltd. outsmarts Mischievous developers

The management of Gold Fields Ghana Limited (GFGL), Tarkwa Mine has suspended a 20 million-dollar oil palm project to be undertaken at Tarkwa. Dr Toni Aubynn, Community Affairs and Public Relations Manager of the company disclosed this at a Consultative Committee Meeting at Tarkwa.

He said management decided to undertake a project that would be viable and sustainable, although it had undertaken social development programmes and the oil palm project was to be a market driven and commercially viable project. Dr Aubynn said the chiefs provided 1,000 hectares for the project and management undertook feasibility studies to identify the land, suitability of the soil and properties on it.

Unfortunately, he said, when the people heard about the project on the land, they hurriedly put up buildings, constructed fishponds and made farms that would attract payment of compensation. Dr Aubynn said the cost of properties on the land was estimated at about 19 million dollars, adding "If the value of properties on the land was so much then it was potentially rich and needs no new activity because it would not be viable". However, he said the project had not been abandoned because management would initiate other viable projects and information available indicated that the soil was good for oil palm, the most suitable crop in the area.GNA

Hawa Yakubu is Dead

London -- Hawa "Iron lady" Yakubu is reported to have died here on Tuesday after a short illness.Until her death she was the second Vice Chairman of the ruling New Patriotic Party(NPP).

Yakubu was the Member of Parliament for Bawku Central, a seat she lost to the NDC’s Mahama Ayariga in the 2004 elections.