Heat energy being considered-Asamoah Boateng

The Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Environment is considering the production of heat energy through appropriate management of sewerage to augment the current power outage in the country. Mr. Stephen Asamoah-Boateng, sector Minister, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in an interview at Nkoranza that the heat energy could convert more than 53 megawatts of power to contribute to the national electricity grid.

He disclosed that his ministry was in consultation with 'Zoom Lion', a Chinese waste management and sanitation firm to release a number of motorcycles to replace the existing tricycles used for sanitation and waste management under the national youth employment programme. Mr. Asamoah-Boateng noted with concern that gathering, picking and conveying garbage with the tricycles posed a threat and was an inconvenience to the employees, hence the need to provide them with motorcycles to make their work easy and effective.

He bemoaned the rate at which refuse was managed and disposed nationwide and urged communities to ensure the proper approach to refuse disposal to help curtail the spread of communicable diseases.GNA

Madam Hawa Yakubu's funeral begins April 30

The Hawa Yakubu Funeral Committee, on Tuesday released the official programme for the funeral and burial service of the late Madam Hawa Yakubu, First Vice President of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).A statement issued by the NPP Headquarters in Accra, said the body, which would arrive at the Kotoka International Airport at 2000 hours on Monday April 30, 2007, would be received by her family, Party members and friends and deposited at a funeral home.

There would be a family gathering at her residence at East Legon in Accra the same night.The statement said the body would be laid in state at the Forecourt of the State House at 0700 hours on Thursday, May 3, after which it would be conveyed to her hometown, Pusiga, on May 4, 2007 for wake-keeping.It said the Funeral Service will take place on Saturday May 5 and thanksgiving Service on Sunday May 6, 2007.

Another Thanksgiving Service would be held in Accra at a later date for sympathisers who could not make it to Pusiga. Madam Hawa, who was also a former Minister of Tourism died after a short sickness in London on March 20, 2007.

Vice President Mahama returns from S.A trip

The Vice President, Alhaji Aliu Mahama, returned home this evening from South Africa where he participated in his first ever Ghana-South Africa Business and Investment Forum held in Midrand, South Africa from April 19 through 20, 2007.

During the forum, the Vice President delivered the key-note address which was based on improving trade relation between Ghana and South Africa, and planned towards the growth in the Ghanaian economy.

The Vice President also touched on Ghana's Development Agenda and Investment Opportunities in the country. Alhaji Aliu Mahama paid a courtesy call on Phuzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Deputy President of South Africa, during which they discussed bilateral issues. The Vice President also met with a cross-section of the Ghanaian community in Pretoria during which he briefed them on measures taken by the government to tackle the energy situation in the country.

He was accompanied on trip by the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Awash Osei Agyei, the Deputy Minister for Trade, Industries and Presidential Special Initiatives, Gifty Ohene-Konadu, and officials of the Vice President's Office, Also on the trip were the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ghana Investment promotion Centre, the Free Zone Board and the Ghana Promotion Council.GNA

BoG Staff on strike!

Staff of Bank of Ghana (BoG) on Monday deserted the cool ambience of the banking hall for the morning scorching sun as they demonstrate on the streets to register their disgust at delay in salary negotiations.The staff adorned their official uniform of navy blue colour with red ribbon either tied around the wrist, the head, or just across any part of the body to portray their frustrations amidst the singing of local war and patriotic songs.

Occasionally vociferous men among the crowd pick a megaphone and chant out their demand for a 40 per cent pay raise, whilst the rest respond with thunderous applause, and screaming as they parade the streets in front of the Bank.Scores of customers at the banking hall expressed their frustration to the Ghana News Agency as they said, strategically refusing to work at full strength on the first working day of the week amounts to stagnation of the economy.

"Whatever difficulties they have with their management, we should not be made to suffer unduly, we are being use as a bargaining instrument, which is very unfortunate," a distressed customer told the at 1000 hours, whiles management and senior staff association leaders were engaged in a marathon meeting.bank across the country in anticipation of a strike action, if management fails to meet them at the negotiating table.

hey said BoG Management have refused to negotiate with senior staff and the Union over the wage opener in spite of the issuance of a bargaining certificate by the Labour Commission.Management according to the source, reportedly sent a circular to the effect that, due to the magnitude of work regarding the re-denomination exercise, it will not be part of negotiations. It however indicated that it did not object to the senior staff and the union meeting coming out with terms of negotiations for consideration by management.

The senior staff is agitating for 40% pay rise in conformity with other institutions but management insists on only 10% against the endorsement of the Labour Commission.A Management source however, accused the Senior Staff Association of attempting to use their wage issues to sabotage the re-denomination exercise because Association will not agree to give the management the mandate to negotiate on their behalf.
Source:GNA