2007 is a test of Ghana's democratic diplomacy - Nana Akufo-Addo

Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Minister of Foreign Affairs on Friday observed that this year, 2007 would be a test of the strength of Ghana's democratic diplomacy because of a number of Ghana's involvement in African continental and global events.

He mentioned particularly Ghana's hosting of the forthcoming Summit of the African Union to be held in Accra from 25th June to 3rd July 2007. Nana Akufo-Addo made the observation in a statement on the floor of Parliament to give a background to the Summit, and a report on the President's recent trip to United Kingdom, Portugal and Algiers.

He said the main theme of the Summit would be the direction of the Union on the sort of governmental system to regulate its affairs and lead it to a greater unity of purpose. The Accra Summit would also discuss the composition of the commission of the Union on who constitutes its executive arm and the African Peer Review Mechanism process, which would culminate in the peer review of Algeria, Nigeria and South Africa. Other issues on the agenda of the Summit are the unresolved conflicts in Somalia, the Darfur Region of Sudan and the renew tension in Cote d'Ivoire. "The killings in Darfur, which appeared to have escalated are a great blot on the conscience of Africa, which the continent cannot afford."

The Foreign Affairs Minister used the occasion to inform the nation of the Africa-Europe Summit scheduled for Lisbon in December under the joint sponsorship of the Portuguese presidency of the European Union (EU) and Ghana's chairmanship of the African Union. Nana Akufo-Addo said the Summit promises to seek to elaborate the basis of a new transformed relationship between Europe and Africa.

"The President took the opportunity of his presence in Portugal to engage the Portuguese leadership on the need to develop and expand the bilateral relations between the two countries," the Minister said, underlining the mutual advantage in terms of cultural exchanges that would be heightened between the two countries.

Ensuring water availability to the populace is a strategic priority- Owusu-Agyeman

Government is moving towards making water available to 85 percent of Ghana's population by 2015, as a strategic priority. This is because access to water was crucial to "the successful achievement of most of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)" and the Growth and Poverty Reduction (GPRS) 11.

Mr Hackman Owusu-Agyeman, Minister for Water Resources, Works and Housing made these points in his keynote address to mark "World Water Day" in Ho on Thursday under the theme, "Coping with water scarcity". "Fortunately we have set our priorities towards ensuring the provision of good drinking water and sanitation related services for our increasing population in the rural and urban areas", he said.

Mr Owusu-Agyeman said the task would require that the citizenry seriously explore simple but important technologically sound alternative sources of water supply such as rainwater harvesting. He therefore, tasked the District Assemblies to introduce mechanisms, including building codes and byelaws and their enforcement to promote rainwater harvesting. Mr Owusu-Agyeman said attention should also be focused on water management that addresses water conservation and pollution and creation of buffers along water bodies.

He said preliminary studies have therefore been initiated which aim at developing an appropriate buffer zone policy for the protection of the country's water bodies and vital eco-systems while providing economic benefits for the populace. Mr Owusu-Agyeman said in response to the sub-regional dimension of water resource management, the country played a lead role towards establishing the Volta Basin Authority, involving other countries such as Burkina Faso, Benin, Cote d'Ivoire, Togo and Mali.

In a statement the Chairman of the Water Resources Commission (WRC), Professor Clement Dorm-Adzobu said the Commission has initiated substantial programmes to develop appropriate management instruments, accelerating institutional co-ordination and creating enabling environment towards the effective implementation of Integrated Water Resource Management, which resulted in the establishment of decentralized basin management boards. One of such boards was the Densu Basin Board comprising representatives of District Assemblies, local authorities, non-governmental organizations, women and government institutions leading to the improvement in water quality of the Densu.

A statement from the United Nations Secretary General Mr Ban Ki -moon said the way forward in coping with water scarcity require strengthening institutional capacity and governance at all levels, promoting more technology transfer, mobilizing more financial resources and scaling up good practices and lessons learnt. He called on the "UN system and all stakeholders to forge stronger partnerships and take more concerted action throughout the entire International Decade for Action: Water for Life 2005-2015".GNA

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.

There are laid down criteria for the creation of district assemblies - Minister

Mr Stephen Asamoah-Boateng, Minster of Local Government, Rural Development and Environment, on Tuesday said a request would have to be made and the circumstances looked into for Ashaiman to be upgraded into a district assembly. He, however, said Tema was a municipality and Ashaiman, was being well served by Tema.

The Minister was responding to a question in Parliament on factors that qualified an area to be made a district assembly. He said beside the element of population, the Local Government Act, 1993, (Act 462) takes into account geographical considerations and economic viability with the ability of an area to provide the basic infrastructural and other developmental needs from the monetary and other resources generated in the area.

Mr Asamoah-Boateng, in response to another question on the construction of the Jema market in the Brong Ahafo Region to enhance revenue generation, said the market would be considered as one of the new markets to be constructed. "Ideally, it is the district assembly which initiates projects and contacts relevant agencies for assistance to implement these projects."

"Kintampo South District assembly, therefore, has the mandate to identify projects that are urgent." He said records indicated that the District Assembly has not submitted a request to the Ministry for assistance to establish a market.GNA