Deputy Chairperson Mwencha Holds Press Conference on AUC Strategic Plan, Institutional transformation and Boosting Intra-African Trade

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Deputy Chairperson Mwencha Holds Press Conference on AUC Strategic Plan, Institutional transformation and Boosting Intra-African Trade

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, January 27, 2012/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The Deputy Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC), Mr. Erastus Mwencha, gave a press conference on Wednesday, 25th January 2012 at the AU headquarters, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The press conference was held with the aim of addressing the achievements and challenges of the Commission in terms of its approved 2012 budget, the 2008 – 2012 Strategic Plan as well as to underline the theme of the 18th AU Summit, “Boosting Intra-African Trade”. It was moderated by the Director of Information and Communication, Mrs. Habiba Mejri-Chiekh.

Noting that 2012 marks the ten year anniversary of the African Union since the transformation from the Organization of African Unity (OAU), Deputy Chairperson Mwencha underscored the significance of this Summit as Africa continues to face and proactively adapt to the swift changes taking place in the global arena.

Listing the four pillars of the Commission’s Strategic Plan (2008 – 2012), Peace and Security; Development, Cooperation and Partnership; Shared Values; and Institution and Capacity Building; Mr. Mwencha made note of the achievements and challenges made in each of the pillars.

In regards to Peace and Security, Mr. Mwencha highlighted increased efforts by the AUC in ensuring stability within the continent through the implementation of critical peace and security architectures, Early Warning Systems as well as through increased presence on the ground with the African Standby Force despite the need for more funding.

Concerning Development, Cooperation and Partnership, the Deputy Chairperson underlined the implementation of key developmental programs in sectors such as agriculture and infrastructure as well as social welfare and education. He further acknowledged improved working relations with the Permanent Representatives Committee (PRC) and with the AU partners group, which has significantly impacted the effective use of resources.

With regards to shared values, Mr. Mwencha noted great progress in electoral processes and outlined the concerted efforts to increase the responsiveness of the Commission to the continent’s challenges such as Governance, Climate Change and Drought through the implementation of Warning Systems and by properly promoting equitable representation for Africa in order to give the continent an audible voice in the global forums.

In relation to the last pillar, Institution and Capacity Building, the Deputy Chairperson stated that the approved 2012 budget of the Commission amounted to a total of USD274 Million with USD152 million set aside for development programs and USD122 Million for operations. Stressing the need to secure additional resources, he highlighted the establishment of a high level committee, lead by former President Obasanjo of Nigeria, focusing on the effective mobilization of the budget in key target areas. He also indicated the importance of human resource capacity building as an area of focus and emphasised the strength of key strategic international partnerships such as with the European Union, China, United Ntions, U.S.A., South America, Turkey, Japan, amongst others. The Deputy Chairperson further noted that according to statistical data, the removal of bottlenecks, bureaucracy, and border barriers could generate an increase in Africa’s annual trade revenue by about USD34 billion.

Mr. Mwencha stated that one of the expected outcomes of this Summit is the creation of a road map and a structure promoting intra-African trade and assuring the laying of a foundation for a Continental Free Trade area to be established by 2017 through the Action Plan of the Regional Economic Communities (RECs).

Addressing some of the questions raised by the press on the election of the Commission, concerns over terrorism and the lessons learned from the Arab Spring, the Deputy Chairperson reaffirmed the AUC’s proactive commitment towards security and development in the continent as well as its readiness to tackle unforeseen concerns.

SOURCE 

African Union Commission (AUC)

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Oquaye Faults Bediako’s Dismissal

Daily Guide Africa
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Professor Mike Ocquaye

The Second Deputy Speaker, Hon. Mike Oquaye, has described the dismissal of Government Statistician Grace Bediako as not only unusual but a directive likely to raise suspicion about the intention behind it.

Prof Mike Oquaye, who is also Member of Parliament (MP) for the Dome/Kwabenya constituency, in a reaction to the order on the Government Statistician and her deputy to proceed on leave, said the action could be construed as an attempt by government to manipulate population figures.

To support his stance on the issue, he explained that in order to strengthen state institutions there should be no arbitrariness in dealing with such bodies.

He pointed out that ordering heads of such institutions and their deputies to proceed on leave as in the case of the Statistical Service is to “seriously tamper with such institutions.”

Such a decision, he explained, could only be resorted to under grave circumstances and even then he added “government should let us know.”

In the absence of the foregone, he pointed out the action could be perceived as part of a process for manipulation to favour the government.

Prof. Oquaye added that this flouted all tenets of good governance, constitution and democracy. He wondered if Madam Bediako was asked to proceed on leave so that the figures of the population census, which was recently held, could be manipulated to achieve electoral advantage since the results were yet to be released.

The action, he said, was particularly a serious one in an election year because the creation of constituencies had a bearing on population, adding that government could be in the process of creating districts with a view to creating constituencies out of them for electoral advantage.

“In Ghana, the order to proceed on leave we know is tantamount to dismissal. It should be viewed seriously by people of goodwill,” he said.

The MP also shared some thoughts on the president’s assignment for the Economic And Organised Crime Office (EOCO), regarding the Woyome debacle.

According to him, under a written constitution, when a specific function is given to particular authority to perform and as he put it “while that authority of the institution is seized of that matter, no other person or authority can be established by the executive to perform that same function which has been prescribed for that particular authority.”

He also noted that if this was not done, this constitutional provision could be usurped at the caprices of the executive, undermining the doctrine of separation of powers.

Prof Oquaye stated that the anomaly could also give room for abuse by the executive, explaining that only Parliament, under the circumstances, should perform this task of probing the issue at stake.

By A.R. Gomda

FDI Creates 8,351 Jobs

Daily Guide Africa
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George Aboagye – Chief Executive Officer of GIPC

A total of 8,351 jobs are expected to be created out of 117 new projects registered in the fourth quarter of 2011, representing 134.32 percent over 3,564 expected jobs to be created in the corresponding quarter of 2010.

According to the Ghana Investment Promotion Center (GIPC), 7,629 of the jobs representing 91.35 percent were for Ghanaians, while 722 representing 8.65 percent would go to expatriates.

In terms of the sectors, agriculture recorded the highest with 3,277 jobs followed by manufacturing, building and construction and services with 1,357, 930 and 918 jobs respectively.  General trading and liaison were also expected to create 844 and 263 jobs respectively.

With regard to the sources of the Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs), China, with 25 projects, topped the list of countries with the highest number of registered projects. 

Korea with $2.25 billion as the estimated value of investments topped the list of countries with the largest value of investments registered during the quarters.

Seven out of the 10 regions directly benefited from the registered projects during the period from October to December 2011. They were Ashanti, Central, Eastern, Greater Accra, Northern, Volta and Western regions.

Greater Accra recorded the highest number of projects with 82.91 percent.

Some of the major companies attracted into the country during the quarter were Asanteman Hong Group Limited, a real estate and general construction firm, Fresco Bio farms Limited, Rider Steel Ghana Limited and Armajaro Cotton Ghana Limited.

George Aboagye, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), GIPC, commenting on the FDIs, said his outfit will stay committed to its mandate and promote Ghana’s variety of investment opportunities geared towards the realization of the country’s developmental goals.

He noted that the year 2011 was indeed an action year for the country in terms of attracting FDIs, adding that Ghana exceeded FDI inflows target of $1.5 billion by $5.32 billion for 2011.

In 2011, total FDI recorded amounted to $6.82 billion while total initial capital transfers were $213.29 million.

By Charles Nixon Yeboah

International Paints Support Media

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Luiz Carlo Da Silva delivering his goodwill message at the forum

To further deepen its interest in the oil and gas industry, International Paints has supported the 3rd Graphic Business Forum.

The one-day forum was on the theme, “Leveraging ICT and Oil & Gas Resources to Accelerate Ghana’s Economic Development.”  

Delivering his goodwill message at the forum in Accra yesterday, Luiz Carlo Da Silva said “in the oil & gas sector, International Paints is the world’s number one supplier of protective coatings and passive fire protection for Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSOs).”

He added that “abiding by the corrosion industry standard Norsok, International paints has supplied coatings for half of all FPSOs across the world, including Shell’s EA and Bonga, ExxonMobil-operated Kizomba A and B projects, BP’s Plutonio, Chevron’s Agbami and Total’s Akpo, just to name a few.

“International’s FPSO offerings include coatings for structural steel, fire and blast walls, vessels and supports, process piping’s and valves, and cryogenic protection.”

He stated that in “Ghana, International Paints is helping to develop and upgrade this sector by means of various actions such as: training NACE certified personnel; providing technical support and know-how to clients and applicators and bringing the latest first world technology in products and equipment.”

Mr. Da Silva emphasised that International Paints, like Coral Paints and ICI Paints, are part of the Global Group Akzo Nobel, the world’s biggest paint and coatings conglomerate.

He indicated that “renowned for its quality, service and credibility, International Paints is the undisputed number one company when it comes to heavy maintenance coatings in the various sectors: mining structures, anticorrosion linings, corrosion protection, chemical plants, acid-proof products etc.”

He affirmed that International Paint is a natural fit for a properly developed Oil & Gas sector.

“It is against this background that International Paint is investing in this round-table forum, which has brought together the best brains in the industry as well as Ghana’s private and public sectors to deliberate on the best practices in the oil industry and come out with a blueprint to guide us in our forward march to join the elite of oil producing countries,” Mr. Da Silva reiterated.

 From Business Desk

498 Fake Travel Documents Intercepted

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An official of the Ghana Immigration Service briefing some stakeholders

The Document Fraud Expertise Center of the Ghana Immigration Service (GSS) has disclosed that it dictated 498 fraudulent documents presented by airline operators and foreign missions in Ghana.

Since its establishment mid 2010, the centre has been analyzing documents such as passports, birth certificates, marriage certificates, among others.

In 2011 the centre handled about 200 cases with the British High Commission presenting 73 cases, followed by the Italian Embassy and the American Embassy which forwarded 38 and 32 documents respectively.

A number of airlines also forwarded passports and visas to the centre.

The Turkish Airline sent the highest number of documents suspected to be fraudulent with a total of 134 cases out of which 128 were cleared while Air Marroc referred over 116 cases, out of which 85 were found to be genuine.

Speaking in Accra at an event, Fredrick Duodu, Head of the Document Expertise Center, stressed the need to collaborate to reduce the use of fraudulent documents to travel in and out of Ghana.

He mentioned that “there are a lot of counterfeit stamps in the system, the stumps are embossed on passports to show that the holders have embarked and disembarked an airline.”

Ibrahim Issaka Lang-Ham, a Deputy Superintendent of Immigration, noted that people substitute photographs in passport to deceive immigration officials.

The center has so far facilitated the prosecution of 21 cases. “But the penalties have not been punitive enough.”

The courts, he explained, treat it as misdemeanor and find the culprits GH¢200. “This amount is peanut, they can always pay and do it again.”

He was unhappy that some airlines failed to forward suspicious documents to the unit at the Kotoka International Airport while others who detect anomalies with the passport allowed the holders to travel.

“They claim the passengers have bought tickets and may have made hotel reservation and that if they do not allow the passengers to travel they would have to refund the money,” stated Mr Lang-Ham.

He opined that fraudulent documentation stems from illegal migration networks, trafficking of human beings, economic crime, money laundering, terrorism, organized robbery and cyber fraud.

Godwin Sam Agyery-Fynn, Systems Administrator took the representatives of the various airlines, embassies and missions through some of the technologically advanced gadgets that detect fraudulent documents at the center.

Angela Boateng, in charge of Security and Passport control at KML, told the paper that when passengers use fraudulent documents to board their airlines it affects their operations.

“If an airline is unable to detect the use of a fraudulent document it could be charged by the immigration office in the country it flies to. The charges could vary.”

She explained that the use of fraudulent documents is prevalent during the lean seasons.

By Emelia Ennin Abbey

Protect State Media

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Kwasi-Gyan Appenteng swearing the Oath of Allegiance whiles Kabral Blay-Amihere and others look on

THE FORMER editor of the Mirror newspaper, Kwasi Gyan- Appenteng, has been appointed to join the National Media Commission (NMC) to help stir the affairs of the Commission.

Mr Appenteng is replacing Mr Berifi Appenteng, who was formerly serving on the Commission.

Lady Justice Rose Owusu, a justice of the Supreme Court, administering the Oath of Allegiance and Secrecy to Kwasi Gyan-Appenteng, called on the NMC to put appropriate measures in place to ensure that the highest journalistic standards in the mass media were maintained.

“You should be more proactive in resolving complaints you receive about ethical breaches and professional misconduct by the media, whilst giving important regard to continuous training of media personnel to improve their ills and enhance their competencies,” she added.

She also asked the NMC to guide the media fraternity by performing its gate-keeping responsibility, ensuring that the media protected the public from information that was detrimental to them.

 “We will be going to the polls this year; the media no doubt would be at the forefront in shaping and driving public opinion on the key issues that confront our people and assist the public to make informed decisions and choices.

“But they must be careful that in the process, do not unwittingly become conduits for the propagation of information that is harmful to the public and does not contribute to the elevation of public discourse on the development agenda,” she cautioned.

She urged the Commission to carry out continuous training for the media so that they could live up to their constitutional responsibilities and serve the people of the country better.

She observed that after nearly two decades since the Commission came into being, there still remained a major concern about the quality of work produced by the mass media, especially the print media.

Lady Justice Rose Owusu expressed optimism that Mr. Gyan-Appenteng would enjoy his stint on the Commission, which already has distinguished journalists and communicators as members.

“Our heartfelt sympathy goes to the Commission following the destruction of its office by fire over the weekend; we pray they would find the needed resources to repair the damage caused,” she lamented.

The chairman of the Commission, Kabral Blay Amihere, on behalf of his outfit, expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the Chief Justice and the judicial service for their continuous support of the Commission.

According to him, the NMC intended to defend and promote press freedom in the country.

He indicated that too much was expected of the Commission yet little resources were given it, adding that the commission had been able to use the constitution to broaden the horizon of free expression not only to journalists but to the people of the country as a whole.

“Many at times, concerned citizens called on the Commission to punish journalists who deviate from their call on duty. This and many more have been possible due to the continuous measures provided by the Commission,” he noted.

Mr Amihere indicated that despite its numerous challenges, the Commission, for the past 20 years, had lived up to its expectations.

He said the National Media Commission would support government to establish the media development fund to enhance the media fraternity in the country.

Mr Appenteng assured the NMC of his unflinching support and his readiness to learn from the rich experience of personalities on the Commission.

 By Portia Anaman

Cedi Outlook Mixed. Importers Worried

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Ghana Cedis

Currency analysts are divided over whether the cedi will remain at GH¢1.70 against the US dollar on the forex market this year.

Yvonne Mhango, an analyst with Johannesburg-based Renaissance, predicted that the cedi will rebound against the dollar, adding that gold prices are expected to increase significantly to an average of $1,738 an ounce this year.

Ms. Mhango said “strong correlation between the gold price and the country’s foreign-currency reserves suggests reserves will continue to improve in 2012, which would be positive for the cedi.”

But Derrick Mensah, an analyst with SIC FSL, believes the local currency would continue to depreciate on the inter-bank market in 2012 on the back of a combination of domestic and foreign factors.

“On the international front, debt crisis in the Eurozone and a rather slow paced recovery in the U.S and the U.K is expected to reduce the volumes of foreign participation in local securities. We anticipate upcoming bond auctions to be more dominantly subscribed by local investors, reducing the inflow foreign exchange into the economy.”

“Historically, the cedi has performed poorly in election and post election years this is because the apprehension on the markets causes investors to hold their investments in foreign currencies, mainly the dollar for fear of political risk.”

This, he explained, puts additional pressure on the local currency since demand leans more towards the dollar.

Sammy Kofi Ampah of Goldcoast Securities, on his part, told CITY & BUSINESS GUIDE that the outlook was challenging.  

“It is expected that if panic and investor confidence is not restored in 2012, the cedi might end the year above GH¢2.20 to 1$.”

He explained that the major foreign currencies were expected to maintain some stability against the cedi as Europe continues to find lasting solutions to the debt, manufacturing and employment issues.

He added that the cedi could incur loss of 10-15 percent against the dollar this year if spending pressures are not kept in check ahead of elections.

Some importers have expressed worry about the rate at which the local currency is losing value against the dollar which tends to increase the cost of imported items.

A spare parts dealer at Abossey Okai, Frank Amponsah, told this paper that the dealers have no option than to pass the cost to consumers in order to avert debts.

Over the past two weeks, the Bank of Ghana has injected close to about $600 million compared to a weekly average of $50 million onto the currency market to prevent the depreciation of the local currency.

A stable exchange rate allows foreign investors to invest their capital into Ghanaian equities while a strong local currency has the tendency to boost investment climate.

By Charles Nixon Yeboah

Parliament Waives Taxes

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James Avedze Klutse – Finance committee Chairman

Parliament yesterday waived the tax liability on equipment and materials, corporate income taxes as well as expatriate income tax in the sum of $4,666,833.00 and GH?1,368,139.38 respectively for the smooth execution of the Mampong supply water rehabilitation and expansion project.

The project is being financed by the Government of Ghana and the Export Import Bank of the United States of America at the cost of $23,112,723.00 to enable Ghana Water Company enhance access to potable water and improve productivity of inhabitants in the catchment area.

A report of the Finance Committee, chaired by James Avedzi Klutse, indicated that the tax waiver was necessary for the smooth implementation of the project.

However, before the tax waiver was adopted, some members of the House expressed their disappointment about the materials on which government requested for tax waivers.

The materials included one-unit station wagon pipes and fittings, cement, paint, office desk, chairs, cabinets, tables, shelves, digital camera, stationary, tonner, microwave, coffee maker and utensils.

The rest were water treatment plant accessories, building and civil materials; electrical equipment, photocopier and fax machine, laptop, scanner, desktop computer and software, printer, one unit crane mounted truck, pumps, three-unit D/C pick-up and two-unit saloon cars.

The Minority Spokesperson on Finance, Dr. Anthony Akoto Osei, who is also the Member of Parliament (MP) for Old Tafo, could not understand why most of these materials such as paint, office desks, chairs, tables, stationary and others should be imported by the contractor and taxes on them waived by government when these items could have easily been procured in Ghana.

Dr. Akoto Osei, a former Deputy Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, called for the procurement of such materials in the local market in future contractual arrangements.

 By Awudu Mahama

Andre Villas-Boas: I suffer every time I leave players out of the team

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Goal :    Andre Villas-Boas has claimed that everytime he leaves players out his Chelsea line-up, he is forced to “suffer”.

Stamford Bridge favourite Frank lampard and record signing Fernando Torres have both seen themselves relegated to the substitutes bench for much of the season and Villas-Boas insists it is not an easy decision.

The Blues boss told Uefa’s The Technician: “I suffer most as a coach when everyone is available and I have to select the line-up at the end of a week when everyone has given their total commitment.

“It is a basic part of the manager’s job, but when you have to leave players out for the sake of the team, it is tough.

“Nothing you can say to them can convince them they haven’t done something wrong.

“This selection process, being ruthless, takes the human element out of you, and it is something that makes you sensitive to players’ feelings.”

Villas-Boas also claims that his age can work for and against him in the high-pressure world of football management.

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Borussia Dortmund’s Jakub Blaszczykowski looking forward to first team opportunity due to Mario Gotze’s injury

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Jakub Blaszczykowski is looking forward to an extended run in Borussia Dortmund’s first team, as it has been confirmed that Mario Gotze will miss a large chunk of the season.

The 19-year-old was diagnosed with a hip injury that is set to place him on the treatment table for up to two months, in a blow for the Bundesliga champions.

However, the Poland international, who has been on the periphery of Jurgen Klopp’s starting XI for most of the campaign, is ready to seize his opportunity.

“Of course I am sorry that Mario is so badly injured. But for me it feels great to be needed again. It really boosts my confidence,” the 26-year-old told Bild.

The Poland winger deputised for his high-profile team-mate at the weekend, scoring two goals in a 5-1 win over Hamburg, and Klopp was eager to praise the ex-Wisla Krakow midfielder.

“He’s a very enjoyable footballer. Kuba is back on track,” the Signal Iduna Park coach stated.

Borussia Dortmund host Hoffenheim on January 28, as they look to keep up their pursuit of a second successive Bundesliga title.

 

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