Palestinian government is to explore avenues that would promote trade relations with Ghana in the coming years, Mr Saadi Altumaizi, the new Palestine Ambassador to Ghana said on Friday. He said, "Palestine has and enjoys a good relationship with Ghana and therefore it is prepared to further strengthen ties especially in the area of trade relations." Mr Altumaizi said this when he paid a courtesy call on the Minister of Local Government, Rural Development and Environment, Mr Asamoah-Boateng. The Ambassador said his focus would be to create a conducive environment for the Palestinian business community in the country and also woe those at home to take up opportunities in Ghana. He mentioned specifically the health and the agricultural sectors and said the relationship would be developed in those areas. Welcoming him, Mr Asamoah-Boateng also touched on Ghana's relationship with Palestine and expressed the desire that it would be deepened further for mutual benefits.GNA

Lack of political will affects integration - Veep

Vice President Alhaji Aliu Mahama on Friday said lack of political will was one of the factors that had contributed to the slow pace of the economic and monetary integration of the West African sub-region. He said economic integration was crucial for the sub region and the continent to succeed in meeting developmental goals and also to become effective partners in the global economy. He said however, that efforts towards this goal had been hindered by factors such as the lack of political will, non-achievement of economic transformation, conflicts, low level of implementation of treaty obligations and what he described as “an overly economistic approach that has neglected the resolution of political and social differences.” The Vice President who was speaking in Accra at the opening ceremony of the 19th meeting of the convergence council of ministers and governors of the West African Monetary Zone which is expected to come out with the second currency of the sub region said, “the traditional explanation of the failure of integration schemes on the continent is that, there is lack of political will in the member countries which is necessary to see integration succeed.” Other contributory factors, he said, were the small and disjointed nature of economies, the over dependence on export or primary commodities, weak industrial and agricultural base, low level of intra-regional trade and the vested interests in incomes from trade tariffs. These contributory factors can be identified in the chronic non-observance of commitments undertaken within agreements and also in the insufficient use of the instruments set up by the governments. Five countries; Ghana, Nigeria, Guinea, Sierra Leone and the Gambia form the West Africa Monetary Zone. The need for a second currency by those countries arose when the leaders realize a common currency was the answer to increased trade, integration and economic growth. Four convergence criteria including single digit inflation and an import cover of more than three months were set in addition to other secondary criteria for the implementation of the currency to take off. The WAMZ which set its self 2003 for take off has had to postpone the date three times to the current date of 2009. The meeting in Accra is one of the annual meetings expected to assess progress made and to commit member countries to targets. Alhaji Mahama said despite the set backs, some progress had been made by the member countries as one body and individually.

Ghana Dreams of a Nuclear Power Plant

Government would soon begin consultations with the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC) to determine how it would help generate nuclear power to supplement the hydro-electric power in order to reduce the energy crisis. Papa Owusu Ankomah, Minister of Education, Science and Sports said on Friday that a committee would be set up to look at the nuclear policy pertaining as a guide to make a firm decision to achieve the objective. Speaking on behalf of President John Agyekum Kufuor at the 40th anniversary celebration of GAEC, he said the increasing pace of development had brought with it an increase in energy consumption and that the time had come to include nuclear power in energy generation and urged the commission to take up the initiative. The anniversary, which was commemorated with a grand durbar, was attended by Ministers of State and Parliamentarians, Chiefs, staff and Directors of GAEC while the Police Band and GAEC Primary and JSS School provided music. Papa Owusu Ankomah said the GAEC was an organisation which was multi-sectoral in scope of work with activities covering health, agriculture, energy, industry, environment and education and whose research results benefited other Ministries, Departments and Agencies. "As research scientists are known to be problem-solvers through research, I have no doubt that with the current power supply problem facing the country, the scientists of GAEC are looking at ways in which we can make available alternative sources of energy to complement what we presently have." He said direct funding for research activities through budgetary allocation was limited and urged beneficiary institutions to support the Commission financially so as to continuously benefit from the results of its researchs. The Minister noted that the rate of attrition of research scientists from GAEC and other research institutions to the Universities was alarming, and said the problem was due to the relatively unattractive salaries paid them compared to the University lecturers. "It is to remedy a situation such as this that in the 2007 Budget statement presented by the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, comprehensive pay reform features prominently." Papa Owusu-Ankomah said one principal objective of this reform was to ensure that there was equal pay for work of equal worth with the fair wages commission having oversight of all activities associated with pay administration to ensure fair wages. He said the government decided to put education and science under one Minsitry to mainstream science and technology into education and made available to as many Ghanaians as possible. He commended the Commission for its innovative programmes including the establishment of a post graduate school of Nuclear and allied sciences with the University of Ghana, the first of its kind in the sub region to build human capacity in nuclear science as a way of checking the brain drain. Professor Mike Oquaye, the MP

IGP has done no wrong - Police Council

Government on Friday accepted recommendations by the Police Council that the Inspector-General of Police, Mr Patrick Kwateng Acheampong had not done anything to show that he acted wrongly in his capacity to warrant any sanctions. A statement issued in Accra and signed by Mr Albert Kan-Dapaah, Minister of the Interior said: "Government has carefully considered the Committee's (Georgina Wood) Report and the advice of the Police Service Council and has decided to accept the recommendations of the Council as summarised." "Council has consequently advised government that in their opinion the IGP has not done anything to show that he acted wrongly or was at fault and, therefore, is unable to recommend the application of any sanctions to the IGP." On the IGP's friendship with Alhaji Issah Abass, an alleged drug baron, the statement said, while the Council found as appropriate the Committees admonition that the IGP should be careful about people he associated with, members were of the opinion that there was no evidence that the IGP knew that Alhaji Issah Abass was a drug dealer and that it was possible for anyone to have friends engaged in criminal activity without the person knowing. "Members felt that the IGP had not associated himself with the man in a manner to bring his office into disrepute," it said. On Ms. Grace Asibi's visit to the IGP's house, the Police Council said it was of the opinion that an IGP, as head of the Ghana Police Service and supervisor of police officers in the country, should not prevent people from coming to him since every caller was said to be a potential ally or informant. "The IGP's advice to Ms Asibi that she could go to court through a lawyer was probably the most classic response from a seasoned officer and the Council was therefore of the view that the IGP did not err in that regard." The statement said the Police Council advised against jumping to conclusion, without evidence that the IGP was at fault since it reflected seriously not only on the personality of the incumbent IGP but also on the integrity of the Ghana Police Service as a whole. The Georgina Wood Committee investigated two drug-related cases, which were the missing 76 parcels of cocaine in board a ship and alleged bribery of senior police officers in the 588 kilogramme cocaine at East Legon. Although the Committee found no adverse findings against the IGP his conduct was referred to the government. The Committee said while the Inspector-General of Police had every right to make friends, it found that his status required that he chose his friends with care in order not to compromise the high office of the IGP. The Committee said it found that to grant audience to Grace Asibi whose boyfriend was under investigation for such a serious offence and direct her on the options open to her had the tendency of leading to wrong perceptions and bringing the high office of the IGP and of the Ghana Police Service into disrepute. The government subsequently referred the findings to the Police Service Council with its supporting transcripts for study, discussion and advice.GNA