THE University for Development Studies, Wa Campus branch of the Tertiary Educational Institutions Network (TEIN) of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has commended President J. E. A. Mills for personally intervening in the UTAG strike action.
By this, TEIN said the President had fatherly demonstrated that he was committed to the resolution of all problems in the country.
In a press statement signed by the President of the association, Mr. Mohammed Illyasu, TEIN said the action of President Mills did not amount to cowardice and bad precedent as other people perceived it but a sign of humility.
It recalled that a couple of years ago, this was not the case, especially when issues of such nature erupted, as government officials rather insulted and lambasted people who embarked on industrial actions.
“It said the future and destiny of students was in the hands of the lecturers and that when there were no lectures, students engaged in career threatening activities.
“It is our solemn belief that government on her part would also act promptly and give what was due members of UTAG so as to eliminate future occurrences,” the statement concluded.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
OIL, GAS FIND TO DEVELOP ECONOMY (PAGE 19, 0CT 26, 2010)
The Director-General of the Private Enterprise Foundation, Dr Osei Boeh–Ocansey, has noted that the key development objective of the government regarding Ghana’s oil reserves is to grow the economy rapidly into an industrialised one.
According to him, it is anticipated that the development of the oil and gas industry will be a source of growth, poverty reduction and general prosperity to the people of Ghana.
He said the active involvement of Ghanaians in that sector through local content and participation had, therefore, become a major policy issue.
Dr Boeh–Ocansey made the observation in a speech read on his behalf at a day’s workshop on, “Opportunities in Ghana’s emerging oil and gas industry for local participation”, in Wa in the Upper West Region.
It was jointly organised by the foundation and the Ghana Journalists Association with sponsorship from the Ghana Research and Advocacy Programme (G–RAP).
He said it was the desire of the government that the control, as well as the benefits in the industry, would remain with Ghanaians.
“For the people of Ghana to actively participate in the oil and gas sector, they need to be aware of the opportunities so that they can take advantage of them,” he added.
Dr Boeh–Ocansey said the overall objective of the programme was to ensure that Ghanaians derived the maximum benefits by fully participating in the activities of the petroleum value chain.
He recommended that the country should focus on standards and skills development for operators of local industries, since this was crucial to achieving the 90 per cent local content target set by the government by 2020.
He argued that it was easy for the multinational oil companies to circumvent the local content provisions by claiming that local companies did not meet the requirements to do business with them.
Dr Boeh–Ocansey, therefore, appealed to the government to support the private sector in terms of training in the areas of standards and skills development, as well as other aspects of business development.
According to him, it is anticipated that the development of the oil and gas industry will be a source of growth, poverty reduction and general prosperity to the people of Ghana.
He said the active involvement of Ghanaians in that sector through local content and participation had, therefore, become a major policy issue.
Dr Boeh–Ocansey made the observation in a speech read on his behalf at a day’s workshop on, “Opportunities in Ghana’s emerging oil and gas industry for local participation”, in Wa in the Upper West Region.
It was jointly organised by the foundation and the Ghana Journalists Association with sponsorship from the Ghana Research and Advocacy Programme (G–RAP).
He said it was the desire of the government that the control, as well as the benefits in the industry, would remain with Ghanaians.
“For the people of Ghana to actively participate in the oil and gas sector, they need to be aware of the opportunities so that they can take advantage of them,” he added.
Dr Boeh–Ocansey said the overall objective of the programme was to ensure that Ghanaians derived the maximum benefits by fully participating in the activities of the petroleum value chain.
He recommended that the country should focus on standards and skills development for operators of local industries, since this was crucial to achieving the 90 per cent local content target set by the government by 2020.
He argued that it was easy for the multinational oil companies to circumvent the local content provisions by claiming that local companies did not meet the requirements to do business with them.
Dr Boeh–Ocansey, therefore, appealed to the government to support the private sector in terms of training in the areas of standards and skills development, as well as other aspects of business development.
Friday, October 22, 2010
'REPAY LOANS PROPTLY' (PAGE 61, OCT 25, 2010)
THE Chairman of the board of directors of the Wa Co-operative Credit Union (WACCU), Mr Moses Donneyong, has called on members of the union who took loans to repay promptly.
That, he said, would forestall the situation where the board would resort to legal action to recover the loans.
“Let me caution that loan delinquency is growing to alarming heights so members who take loans are encouraged to do well to settle their indebtedness, ” he added.
Mr Donneyong was addressing the annual general meeting of the union at Wa in the Upper West region.
He said total savings by members of the union by June last year was GH¢ 1,868,472.74 and this had increased to GH¢2,635.74.
Shares within the same period rose from GH¢ 192,910.20 to GH¢ 206, 335.60 while membership stood at 6,851.
Mr Donneyong said with the influx of new banks and financial institutions into the Wa municipality there was the urgent need to strengthen the capital base of the union and urged members to buy more shares to enable them to withstand the competition posed by the banks.
He said the current share per member which was GH¢20.00 was too low and suggested that it be increased to GH¢ 50.00.
He said the board had taken pragmatic measures to ensure the viability of the union and that more qualified people with the requisite backgrounds were being recruited while building the capacity of others.
“An internal control system has been put in place in order to prevent possible manipulation, check any lapses and close all loopholes to avoid or prevent malfeasance, “ he said
Mr Donneyong said due to the union’s migration from the manual ledger cards to a computerised system the board considered the financial position of the union before investing further in long term capital projects hence the suspension of the new office complex project of the union.
He assured members of the continuous support, co-operation and assistance from the board of directors.
For his part, the regional manager of the Department of Co-operatives, Mr Seidu Mahama, advised the board to adopt prudent financial policies to improve the income of the union.
He appealed to members of the union to protect the interest of the union in order to avoid liquidation.
That, he said, would forestall the situation where the board would resort to legal action to recover the loans.
“Let me caution that loan delinquency is growing to alarming heights so members who take loans are encouraged to do well to settle their indebtedness, ” he added.
Mr Donneyong was addressing the annual general meeting of the union at Wa in the Upper West region.
He said total savings by members of the union by June last year was GH¢ 1,868,472.74 and this had increased to GH¢2,635.74.
Shares within the same period rose from GH¢ 192,910.20 to GH¢ 206, 335.60 while membership stood at 6,851.
Mr Donneyong said with the influx of new banks and financial institutions into the Wa municipality there was the urgent need to strengthen the capital base of the union and urged members to buy more shares to enable them to withstand the competition posed by the banks.
He said the current share per member which was GH¢20.00 was too low and suggested that it be increased to GH¢ 50.00.
He said the board had taken pragmatic measures to ensure the viability of the union and that more qualified people with the requisite backgrounds were being recruited while building the capacity of others.
“An internal control system has been put in place in order to prevent possible manipulation, check any lapses and close all loopholes to avoid or prevent malfeasance, “ he said
Mr Donneyong said due to the union’s migration from the manual ledger cards to a computerised system the board considered the financial position of the union before investing further in long term capital projects hence the suspension of the new office complex project of the union.
He assured members of the continuous support, co-operation and assistance from the board of directors.
For his part, the regional manager of the Department of Co-operatives, Mr Seidu Mahama, advised the board to adopt prudent financial policies to improve the income of the union.
He appealed to members of the union to protect the interest of the union in order to avoid liquidation.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
ASPIRING FEMALE CANDIDATES UNDERGO TRAINING (PAGE 13, OCT 14, 2010)
ASPIRING female candidates in this year’s local government elections in the Nadowli District of the Upper West Region have undergone a training workshop at Nadowli.
The workshop was aimed at encouraging women participation in the upcoming district level elections and equipping potential women candidates with the requisite information and confidence they need to contest and win elections.
The workshop, which was organised by Pronet North in collaboration with Concern Universal Ghana, was funded by the European Union.
Addressing the participants, the project’s programme co-ordinator, Miss Nerissa Bankpiebu, said the project, dubbed “Women in Politics”, was an integral part of Pronet North’s women empowerment programme being implemented in 52 communities in four districts: Jirapa, Nadowli, Lawra and Lambussie-Karni.
She said the talk about women empowerment for equity and effective development would only be a rhetoric if any such initiative fell short of politically empowering these women.
“Women in our communities at different levels have demonstrated their great ability to deliver on expected tasks when given the opportunity.
Societal classifications that relegate women to the background and limit them to domestic chores have over the years proven to be inimical to the total development of communities, districts and country,” she observed.
Miss Bankpiebu said women have been thought to be bereft of political acumen but this had been proven wrong as they had demonstrated their ability to work like their male counterparts.
She said women represented a large segment of “our society and their exclusion from national politics can only be described as shooting ourselves in our feet.”
She pointed out that the project was not aimed at opposing men in society but at bringing the rich knowledge of women to complement the efforts of men, who had been in the driving seat all this while.
Miss Bankpiebu hoped the workshop would go a long way to improve the confidence level of the participants as they try to get elected as assembly members.
For his part, the regional director of the National Commission on Civic Education (NCCE) urged the women to be assertive in their opinions and try hard to convince people to vote for them.
He was happy that women were gradually coming out of their shells by offering themselves for elections.
The Nadowli District Chief Executive, Mr Abu Kasangbata, gave the assurance that government would continue to support women to realise their fullest potential.
He challenged women to collaborate with one another to improve upon themselves.
The workshop was aimed at encouraging women participation in the upcoming district level elections and equipping potential women candidates with the requisite information and confidence they need to contest and win elections.
The workshop, which was organised by Pronet North in collaboration with Concern Universal Ghana, was funded by the European Union.
Addressing the participants, the project’s programme co-ordinator, Miss Nerissa Bankpiebu, said the project, dubbed “Women in Politics”, was an integral part of Pronet North’s women empowerment programme being implemented in 52 communities in four districts: Jirapa, Nadowli, Lawra and Lambussie-Karni.
She said the talk about women empowerment for equity and effective development would only be a rhetoric if any such initiative fell short of politically empowering these women.
“Women in our communities at different levels have demonstrated their great ability to deliver on expected tasks when given the opportunity.
Societal classifications that relegate women to the background and limit them to domestic chores have over the years proven to be inimical to the total development of communities, districts and country,” she observed.
Miss Bankpiebu said women have been thought to be bereft of political acumen but this had been proven wrong as they had demonstrated their ability to work like their male counterparts.
She said women represented a large segment of “our society and their exclusion from national politics can only be described as shooting ourselves in our feet.”
She pointed out that the project was not aimed at opposing men in society but at bringing the rich knowledge of women to complement the efforts of men, who had been in the driving seat all this while.
Miss Bankpiebu hoped the workshop would go a long way to improve the confidence level of the participants as they try to get elected as assembly members.
For his part, the regional director of the National Commission on Civic Education (NCCE) urged the women to be assertive in their opinions and try hard to convince people to vote for them.
He was happy that women were gradually coming out of their shells by offering themselves for elections.
The Nadowli District Chief Executive, Mr Abu Kasangbata, gave the assurance that government would continue to support women to realise their fullest potential.
He challenged women to collaborate with one another to improve upon themselves.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
MOVES TO SUPPORT WOMEN LAUNCHED IN WA (PAGE 13, OCT 5, 2010)
A Programme that seeks to address the severe under–representation of women at all levels of governance and decision making in the three Northern Regions of the country has been launched in Wa, the Upper West regional capital.
Known as “Promoting human security through the economic and political empowerment of women in the three northern Regions of Ghana”, the programme would be implemented by the Foundation for Security and Development in Africa (FOSDA) in partnership with Training and Career Centre in the United Kingdom.
The objective of the programme is to increase knowledge, self-confidence and relevant skills of selected women and equip them to become successful candidates for elections at the local, district and Parliamentary levels.
Launching the programme, the associate director of the Foundation for Security and Development in Africa (FOSDA), Miss Afi Yakubu, said all political parties would be engaged in debates on a non partisan basis to persuade them of the importance of supporting women’s candidature.
“As a result and fitting in with the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA), women’s representation at all levels would increase and women’s rights, including natural resources, education and participation in decision–making, would be addressed,” she added.
She said the five-year project would be implemented in 13 selected districts with inputs from all stakeholders, including Community–Based Organisations, traditional authorities and research institutions such as the University for Development Studies (UDS).
She observed that despite the activities on gender mainstreaming, women were still under-represented and that “we can only succeed if we get our act together and bring other stakeholders on board”.
At a validation workshop earlier, participants called on the government as a matter of urgency, to ensure that 50 per cent of government appointees to the next District Assemblies were women.
“Furthermore, the government should ensure that at least a third of the appointed Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives across the country were women,” Miss Amina Montia said on behalf of the rest of the participants.
She commended the government, especially the President, for signing into law the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) bill and called on all women groups in the SADA areas to take advantage of the opportunities to be made available in order to improve on their lot.
She applauded the Savannah Women’s Empowerment Group, Ghana for being a non-partisan pressure group which monitored government policies in favour of women in the Savannah areas.
Known as “Promoting human security through the economic and political empowerment of women in the three northern Regions of Ghana”, the programme would be implemented by the Foundation for Security and Development in Africa (FOSDA) in partnership with Training and Career Centre in the United Kingdom.
The objective of the programme is to increase knowledge, self-confidence and relevant skills of selected women and equip them to become successful candidates for elections at the local, district and Parliamentary levels.
Launching the programme, the associate director of the Foundation for Security and Development in Africa (FOSDA), Miss Afi Yakubu, said all political parties would be engaged in debates on a non partisan basis to persuade them of the importance of supporting women’s candidature.
“As a result and fitting in with the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA), women’s representation at all levels would increase and women’s rights, including natural resources, education and participation in decision–making, would be addressed,” she added.
She said the five-year project would be implemented in 13 selected districts with inputs from all stakeholders, including Community–Based Organisations, traditional authorities and research institutions such as the University for Development Studies (UDS).
She observed that despite the activities on gender mainstreaming, women were still under-represented and that “we can only succeed if we get our act together and bring other stakeholders on board”.
At a validation workshop earlier, participants called on the government as a matter of urgency, to ensure that 50 per cent of government appointees to the next District Assemblies were women.
“Furthermore, the government should ensure that at least a third of the appointed Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives across the country were women,” Miss Amina Montia said on behalf of the rest of the participants.
She commended the government, especially the President, for signing into law the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) bill and called on all women groups in the SADA areas to take advantage of the opportunities to be made available in order to improve on their lot.
She applauded the Savannah Women’s Empowerment Group, Ghana for being a non-partisan pressure group which monitored government policies in favour of women in the Savannah areas.
Monday, October 4, 2010
DECIDE FATE OF NDC IN 2012 — WA EAST MP (PAGE 13, OCT 4, 2010)
THE member of Parliament for Wa East in the Upper West Region, Mr Godfrey Tangu, has called on Ghanaians to decisively decide the fate of the National Democratic Congress come the 2012 general election.
He said the 2012 general election belonged to Ghanaians, hence they must decide the fate of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) decisively.
According to him, the NDC had failed and that their performance was going to be measured against that of the New Patriotic Party.
He said last year, he distributed solar lights to five communities in the constituency while medical equipment was also bought for selected communities.
“I have also used my share of the GETFUND, which amounted to GH¢ 30,000, to renovate a bungalow in Wa, which will be used to store medical equipment for easy distribution,” he told the Daily Graphic at Wa.
Mr Tangu said that was because of the peculiar nature of the constituency, which has about three – fourth of the constituency in the Wa Zone with the rest being in the Funsi area, the district capital.
He said additional GH¢ 25,000 from the HIPC last year was used for playground equipment in four communities, namely Funsi, Bulenga, Manwe and Loggu.
This year, the same amount would be used to construct football fields to unearth talents in the constituency, he added. In addition, GH¢12,000 from his share of the District Assembly Common Fund would be for sponsoring tertiary institution students.
Commenting on the spillage of the Bagre Dam in Burkina Faso, Mr Tangu said there should be adherence to rules and obligations and that Ghana must not sit aloof for her people to be dying every year.
He suggested that the Government of Ghana and that of Burkina Faso should come together to explore how best those affected by the spillage would be resettled.
He said the Volta River was a shared resource between the two countries so whatever decision taken in Burkina Faso must be made known to the Ghanaian government.
He said the 2012 general election belonged to Ghanaians, hence they must decide the fate of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) decisively.
According to him, the NDC had failed and that their performance was going to be measured against that of the New Patriotic Party.
He said last year, he distributed solar lights to five communities in the constituency while medical equipment was also bought for selected communities.
“I have also used my share of the GETFUND, which amounted to GH¢ 30,000, to renovate a bungalow in Wa, which will be used to store medical equipment for easy distribution,” he told the Daily Graphic at Wa.
Mr Tangu said that was because of the peculiar nature of the constituency, which has about three – fourth of the constituency in the Wa Zone with the rest being in the Funsi area, the district capital.
He said additional GH¢ 25,000 from the HIPC last year was used for playground equipment in four communities, namely Funsi, Bulenga, Manwe and Loggu.
This year, the same amount would be used to construct football fields to unearth talents in the constituency, he added. In addition, GH¢12,000 from his share of the District Assembly Common Fund would be for sponsoring tertiary institution students.
Commenting on the spillage of the Bagre Dam in Burkina Faso, Mr Tangu said there should be adherence to rules and obligations and that Ghana must not sit aloof for her people to be dying every year.
He suggested that the Government of Ghana and that of Burkina Faso should come together to explore how best those affected by the spillage would be resettled.
He said the Volta River was a shared resource between the two countries so whatever decision taken in Burkina Faso must be made known to the Ghanaian government.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
REDUCE PRICES OF YUTUNG BUSES — NUHU (PAGE 35, OCT 4, 2010)
THE Upper West Regional Industrial Relations Officer (IRO) of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union, Mr Mahama Nuhu, has observed that the prices of the Yutong buses being imported into the country are too high.
Accordingly, he has appealed to the importers to reduce the prices, particularly the deposits being paid by transport owners, scares potential transporters.
“If deposits are too high, potential transporters cannot afford them. Monthly instalments of GH¢8,000 cannot be met and something must be done about the situation. Even with the old buses, we are finding it difficult to meet our financial commitment to our banks,” he added.
In an interview with the Daily Graphic in Wa, Mr Nuhu said the prices of the buses had now doubled compared to the prices of the previous ones.
He stated that if the targets of GH¢8,000 were to be met, accidents were likely to occur on the roads since some vehicle owners would put pressure on their drivers to overwork themselves.
“Apart from accidents, the lifespan of the vehicles would be reduced, which would in the long run affect the ‘sales’ of the transport owners,” Mr Nuhu said.
He, therefore, appealed to the government and the Northern Parliamentary Caucus to intervene to ensure that more buses were made available to transporters.
On the situation in the Upper West, he observed that the reduction in prices of the buses would enable transporters to go in for more 20–seater buses for short distances in the region.
Mr Nuhu said those smaller buses would serve the good purpose of conveying students of the Wa Campus of the University for Development Studies and the Wa Polytechnic who rely on a few mini-buses to various destinations.
He expressed the hope that the issue would receive the needed attention in order to “save us from our present predicament”.
Accordingly, he has appealed to the importers to reduce the prices, particularly the deposits being paid by transport owners, scares potential transporters.
“If deposits are too high, potential transporters cannot afford them. Monthly instalments of GH¢8,000 cannot be met and something must be done about the situation. Even with the old buses, we are finding it difficult to meet our financial commitment to our banks,” he added.
In an interview with the Daily Graphic in Wa, Mr Nuhu said the prices of the buses had now doubled compared to the prices of the previous ones.
He stated that if the targets of GH¢8,000 were to be met, accidents were likely to occur on the roads since some vehicle owners would put pressure on their drivers to overwork themselves.
“Apart from accidents, the lifespan of the vehicles would be reduced, which would in the long run affect the ‘sales’ of the transport owners,” Mr Nuhu said.
He, therefore, appealed to the government and the Northern Parliamentary Caucus to intervene to ensure that more buses were made available to transporters.
On the situation in the Upper West, he observed that the reduction in prices of the buses would enable transporters to go in for more 20–seater buses for short distances in the region.
Mr Nuhu said those smaller buses would serve the good purpose of conveying students of the Wa Campus of the University for Development Studies and the Wa Polytechnic who rely on a few mini-buses to various destinations.
He expressed the hope that the issue would receive the needed attention in order to “save us from our present predicament”.
SUBMIT BANK ACCOUNT NUMBERS (PAGE 35, OCT 4, 2010)
LACK of bank account numbers for the beneficiaries of the National Youth Employment Programme (NYEP) has been identified as one of the major causes of delays in the payment of their monthly salaries in the Upper West Region.
Consequently, the regional directorate of the programme is making frantic efforts to ensure that all those under the programme submit their account numbers to be forwarded to Accra for the preparation of their pay roll vouchers.
The Regional Co-ordinator of the NYEP, Mr Nurudeen Sani, who made this known to the Daily Graphic at Wa, however, said only few beneficiaries were yet to submit their account numbers to the secretariat.
He said all things being equal, the allowances of all beneficiaries of the programme would be regularised by November, this year.
“I am assuring beneficiaries that the late payment of allowances will soon be a thing of the past as we are frantically working hard to regularise the payment system,” he added.
According to Mr Sani, over 5,000 people had been recruited under different modules, including community police assistants, teaching assistants, internship and information and communication (ICT).
He said under the community police assistants module, 110 people had been recruited but only 50 had been trained while the rest were waiting for their turn at the Pwalugu Police Training Depot.
“We have also recruited a number of young people to go into dressmaking by the beginning of next month in addition to master trainers who number about 150,” Mr Sani stated.
He commended the Cabinet for approving the increment in the talk tax to 60 per cent to support the NYEP.
Mr Sani also praised beneficiaries of the programme for their co-operation and expressed the hope that they would continue to discharge their duties effectively.
The NYEP was started in June 2006 with the prime objective of reducing unemployment among the youth in Ghana.
Consequently, the regional directorate of the programme is making frantic efforts to ensure that all those under the programme submit their account numbers to be forwarded to Accra for the preparation of their pay roll vouchers.
The Regional Co-ordinator of the NYEP, Mr Nurudeen Sani, who made this known to the Daily Graphic at Wa, however, said only few beneficiaries were yet to submit their account numbers to the secretariat.
He said all things being equal, the allowances of all beneficiaries of the programme would be regularised by November, this year.
“I am assuring beneficiaries that the late payment of allowances will soon be a thing of the past as we are frantically working hard to regularise the payment system,” he added.
According to Mr Sani, over 5,000 people had been recruited under different modules, including community police assistants, teaching assistants, internship and information and communication (ICT).
He said under the community police assistants module, 110 people had been recruited but only 50 had been trained while the rest were waiting for their turn at the Pwalugu Police Training Depot.
“We have also recruited a number of young people to go into dressmaking by the beginning of next month in addition to master trainers who number about 150,” Mr Sani stated.
He commended the Cabinet for approving the increment in the talk tax to 60 per cent to support the NYEP.
Mr Sani also praised beneficiaries of the programme for their co-operation and expressed the hope that they would continue to discharge their duties effectively.
The NYEP was started in June 2006 with the prime objective of reducing unemployment among the youth in Ghana.
EPA COLLABORATES WITH TWO ORGANISATIONS TO PROTECT BLACK VOLTA (PAGE 35, OCT 4, 2010)
THE Upper West Regional office of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has since 1998 collaborated with the Ghana Tourist Board (GTB) and the Wechiau Hippo Sanctuary to protect a 42–kilometre stretch of the Black Volta in the Wa West District.
The agency has also assisted the Zukpiri community in the Nadowli District to initiate an integrated wildlife sanctuary as a way of promoting eco–tourism.
The Regional Director of the EPA, Mr Asher Nkegbe, announced this at Zukpiri to mark this year’s World Tourism Day in the region.
He said through the efforts of the EPA, the Zukpiri integrated wildlife sanctuary benefited from a Global Environment Facility/Small Grants Programme (GEF/SGP) support.
“Support has also been extended to the Dupari, Fian and Konjiahi biodiversity conservation projects,” he added.
Mr Nkegbe said the EPA, through the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and the district assemblies in the region, were implementing a five-year Ghana Environmental Management Project (GEMP).
The goal of the project is to strengthen institutions and rural communities to enable them to reverse land degradation and desertification trends in the three northern regions to promote the adoption of sustainable water and land systems that improve food security and reduce poverty.
The implementation of the project cuts across a number of thematic areas, including land use management and socio-economic environment improvement for poverty reduction.
Mr Nkegbe said so far 30 pilot communities were benefiting from the GEMP in the region, and called on non–governmental organisations involved in similar activities to intensify their efforts at finding lasting solutions to the problems of the environment.
The acting Regional Manager of the Ghana Tourist Board, Mr Henry Yeleduor, said the tourism sector had been identified as one of the new pillars in the country’s efforts at reconstructing the economy.
He said currently, the sector accounted for almost four per cent of the Gross Domestic Product and at the current annual growth rate of 12 per cent.
“The sector is also one of the largest employment areas and a fast entry vehicle into the workforce for young people and women in urban and rural communities, directly or through its strong multiplier effect on related services, manufacturing or agriculture,” Mr Yeleduor said.
He was hopeful that with time, Ghana would realise her full potential in the tourism sector.
The agency has also assisted the Zukpiri community in the Nadowli District to initiate an integrated wildlife sanctuary as a way of promoting eco–tourism.
The Regional Director of the EPA, Mr Asher Nkegbe, announced this at Zukpiri to mark this year’s World Tourism Day in the region.
He said through the efforts of the EPA, the Zukpiri integrated wildlife sanctuary benefited from a Global Environment Facility/Small Grants Programme (GEF/SGP) support.
“Support has also been extended to the Dupari, Fian and Konjiahi biodiversity conservation projects,” he added.
Mr Nkegbe said the EPA, through the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and the district assemblies in the region, were implementing a five-year Ghana Environmental Management Project (GEMP).
The goal of the project is to strengthen institutions and rural communities to enable them to reverse land degradation and desertification trends in the three northern regions to promote the adoption of sustainable water and land systems that improve food security and reduce poverty.
The implementation of the project cuts across a number of thematic areas, including land use management and socio-economic environment improvement for poverty reduction.
Mr Nkegbe said so far 30 pilot communities were benefiting from the GEMP in the region, and called on non–governmental organisations involved in similar activities to intensify their efforts at finding lasting solutions to the problems of the environment.
The acting Regional Manager of the Ghana Tourist Board, Mr Henry Yeleduor, said the tourism sector had been identified as one of the new pillars in the country’s efforts at reconstructing the economy.
He said currently, the sector accounted for almost four per cent of the Gross Domestic Product and at the current annual growth rate of 12 per cent.
“The sector is also one of the largest employment areas and a fast entry vehicle into the workforce for young people and women in urban and rural communities, directly or through its strong multiplier effect on related services, manufacturing or agriculture,” Mr Yeleduor said.
He was hopeful that with time, Ghana would realise her full potential in the tourism sector.
AGRICLTURE PROJECT TO LINK NORTHERN FARMERS TO MARKETS (PAGE 35, OCT 4, 2010)
AGRICULTURE is no doubt the backbone of the Ghanaian economy. Very often farmers are encouraged to focus on issues like increased use of improved seeds, fertilisers and improved agronomic practices.
However, the marketing of these crops is not effective, especially when there are increased yields, which affects earnings of farmers.
It is in the light of this that the Tamale office of the International Fertiliser Development Centre (IFDC) based in the United States of America is implementing a project to link farmers in the three northern regions, namely Upper East, Upper West and Northern, to markets in the country and beyond.
Funded by the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), which has Mr Kofi Annan, a former United Nations Secretary General, as the chairman, IFDC has been awarded a three-year support grant to carry out the project.
It aims at assisting small-holder farmers growing staple crops in Ghana to gain access to markets and earn higher incomes by linking them to commercial buyers and processors.
According to Dr Kofi Debrah, the Country Representative of IFDC, who is also the National project Manager, the three northern regions would essentially be the sources of supply while the southern sector and the neighbouring countries would be the main market destinations.
The three northern regions represent 41 per cent of Ghana’s land mass and provide the best ecological and socio-economic characteristics for rapidly increasing small-scale maize, rice, sorghum, soya bean and groundnut production.
The main activities under the project include the formation of alliances with partners to build organisational management, productivity and entrepreneurial skills of smallholder farmers engaged in the production and processing of staple crops in northern Ghana, strengthening capacities of farmers to market linkage organisations and local entrepreneurs to provide effective marketing services and build long-term business linkages and commercial relationships between farmers and buyers.
“The project will link approximately 50,000 smallholder farmers producing maize, rice, sorghum and soya bean in the three regions to develop commercial relationships with structural markets such as industrial processors, the Ghana School Feeding programme, World Food Programme, local entrepreneurs and processor, as well as urban consumers in Southern Ghana,” Dr Debrah told the Daily Graphic.
According to him, between 40,000 and 60,000 participating farmers in northern Ghana were expected to increase their incomes by 20 per cent through the production and regular supply of high-quality rice, maize, soya beans and sorghum, and reduce transaction cost by 30 per cent through collective action and increased linkages with buyers and accessibility to finance by farmers, marketing companies and local entrepreneurs.
He said small grants would be made available on a competitive basis to support farmer–buyer linkage activities during the season.
Dr Debrah stated that about 30 such grants would also be made available to participating farmers, aggregators and marketing companies which needed short-term liquidity to fund some key aspects of their operations, such as farmers who had firm contracts with buyers and were unable to buy the necessary inputs to meet the production target on time.
Others were to enable product aggregators to invest in small farm storage accessories like weighing scales, moisture metres, tarpaulins and storage bags to enhance storability and improve storage and quality over time. Marketing companies would be supported to expand, strengthen and train their network of suppliers.
Dr Debrah said access to credit was essential for building and maintaining farmer–buyer linkages, and for that reason, the project would facilitate access to finance by smallholders through the establishment and operation of Warehouse Receipt System (WRS) and a competitive small grants programme for business development.
The Deputy Project Manager, Mr Abass Nyo, said community storage would also be used to add value to produce through grading and stringent application of good management practices to protect stored produce.
“Finally, commodity storage will be facilitated to link farmers to markets through broadcasting of market information about the stored commodities, including quantities available, grades and prices,” he said.
Dr Debrah said it was expected that the availability of such information on bulk produce would reduce transaction cost for both farmers and traders and improve upon marketing efficiency.
However, the marketing of these crops is not effective, especially when there are increased yields, which affects earnings of farmers.
It is in the light of this that the Tamale office of the International Fertiliser Development Centre (IFDC) based in the United States of America is implementing a project to link farmers in the three northern regions, namely Upper East, Upper West and Northern, to markets in the country and beyond.
Funded by the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), which has Mr Kofi Annan, a former United Nations Secretary General, as the chairman, IFDC has been awarded a three-year support grant to carry out the project.
It aims at assisting small-holder farmers growing staple crops in Ghana to gain access to markets and earn higher incomes by linking them to commercial buyers and processors.
According to Dr Kofi Debrah, the Country Representative of IFDC, who is also the National project Manager, the three northern regions would essentially be the sources of supply while the southern sector and the neighbouring countries would be the main market destinations.
The three northern regions represent 41 per cent of Ghana’s land mass and provide the best ecological and socio-economic characteristics for rapidly increasing small-scale maize, rice, sorghum, soya bean and groundnut production.
The main activities under the project include the formation of alliances with partners to build organisational management, productivity and entrepreneurial skills of smallholder farmers engaged in the production and processing of staple crops in northern Ghana, strengthening capacities of farmers to market linkage organisations and local entrepreneurs to provide effective marketing services and build long-term business linkages and commercial relationships between farmers and buyers.
“The project will link approximately 50,000 smallholder farmers producing maize, rice, sorghum and soya bean in the three regions to develop commercial relationships with structural markets such as industrial processors, the Ghana School Feeding programme, World Food Programme, local entrepreneurs and processor, as well as urban consumers in Southern Ghana,” Dr Debrah told the Daily Graphic.
According to him, between 40,000 and 60,000 participating farmers in northern Ghana were expected to increase their incomes by 20 per cent through the production and regular supply of high-quality rice, maize, soya beans and sorghum, and reduce transaction cost by 30 per cent through collective action and increased linkages with buyers and accessibility to finance by farmers, marketing companies and local entrepreneurs.
He said small grants would be made available on a competitive basis to support farmer–buyer linkage activities during the season.
Dr Debrah stated that about 30 such grants would also be made available to participating farmers, aggregators and marketing companies which needed short-term liquidity to fund some key aspects of their operations, such as farmers who had firm contracts with buyers and were unable to buy the necessary inputs to meet the production target on time.
Others were to enable product aggregators to invest in small farm storage accessories like weighing scales, moisture metres, tarpaulins and storage bags to enhance storability and improve storage and quality over time. Marketing companies would be supported to expand, strengthen and train their network of suppliers.
Dr Debrah said access to credit was essential for building and maintaining farmer–buyer linkages, and for that reason, the project would facilitate access to finance by smallholders through the establishment and operation of Warehouse Receipt System (WRS) and a competitive small grants programme for business development.
The Deputy Project Manager, Mr Abass Nyo, said community storage would also be used to add value to produce through grading and stringent application of good management practices to protect stored produce.
“Finally, commodity storage will be facilitated to link farmers to markets through broadcasting of market information about the stored commodities, including quantities available, grades and prices,” he said.
Dr Debrah said it was expected that the availability of such information on bulk produce would reduce transaction cost for both farmers and traders and improve upon marketing efficiency.
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