The IMANI Centre for Policy and Education says the gas infrastructure development project is only about 33 percent complete, and the most realistic timeline for the delivery of gas to the Aboadze thermal plant will be early 2014. “Observations of all parts of the project combined together, and notwithstanding the valiant work Ghana Gas and its contractors have done on the pipeline system, lead us to conclude that 66 percent of the work remains outstanding,†IMANI said, in sharp contrast to the Ghana Gas Company’s position that work on the project is about 65 to 70 percent complete. A source with knowledge on the matter told B&FT, however, that there was an error in IMANI’s assessment if it was based solely on their visit to plant site in the Western Region, without recourse to procurement and fabrication activities happening in China and Canada. “If they are saying construction work, which is about 20 to 25% of the whole schedule, is about 30% done then they should be clear about that; or if they want to say that the processing plant construction is 30% done, then we have to know because engineering has been completed, processing plant equipment is being offloaded from the Takoradi Port...So if IMANI goes and sees a gas processing plant site and says, based on that work is 33% complete, then there is an error,†the source said. Although it said its 33% rating is on “the overall project,†IMANI itself admits that “the project may still be fast-tracked for completion by end of 2013 if the flow of funds are to be assured for any such acceleration,†-- adding as a caveat in a note accompanying the e-mail distributing the report: “We are always open to altering our conclusions when our information changes.†The report further admitted that of all components of the project, the pipeline system has seen the most progress -- with the onshore pipeline measuring about 111 kilometres from Atuabo through Pumpuni to Aboadze about 65 percent to 70 percent complete, and accounting for the bulk of project work completed to date. The report however maintained that in what it termed an “initial report†after a field visit to the project site, IMANI said “there is a hard limitation on the ability of Ghana Gas to accelerate ongoing project execution: the gas processing modules themselves are currently being built by a Canadian company. “From our investigations, the modular plant requires 20 months of fabrication and engineering, which makes it unlikely -- despite recent reports -- that it can be completed and shipped before the third quarter of this year.†The US$850million gas project, designed to process an initial 150 million standard cubic feet of gas a day, was initially billed to deliver gas by the end of February 2013. Completion has now been pushed to the end of the year. Funding for the project, which is part of the US$3billion China Development Bank (CDB) loan, has particularly come up for mention as being a challenge since Government is said to have so far received only US$200million of the loan. IMANI said there are “financing anxieties associated with the slow disbursement of the CDB loanâ€.Aside from concerns regarding the rate of work, IMANI also raised issues about the overall viability of the plant until more gas comes on-stream sometime in 2015 or even beyond. “With a plant capacity of 150 million cubic feet (and plans to double this capacity), operating at 30 percent, which is the most likely scenario for more than a year after its inauguration (which we believe will happen in 2014), might represent financial risks. For the project to be viable, it appears Ghana Gas has the urgent task of finding other sources of raw gas for the plant -- aside from Jubilee -- or hope for a quick ramp-up and early success of Jubilee phase 2.†Also of interest to IMANI was the commercial understanding between VRA, the initial buyer of the fuel, and Ghana Gas, the seller. Given the unreliability of the West Africa Gas Pipeline -- the project’s only real, short-term, competitor -- it would seem that Ghana Gas will be negotiating from a stronger position come 2014, IMANI said “Yet with the Henry Hub prices for natural gas hovering around US$4 per thousand cubic feet, one wonders how much premium Ghana Gas can charge for its gas, and how long it will take to break even on the US$850million investment. “In fact, based on the plant’s 25-year life-span, and the fact that raw gas from Jubilee will only be cost-free in the short-term, there will be serious financial pressure on Ghana Gas if Jubilee fails to triple current production by 2015. “Thereafter, new sources of raw gas such as Tweneboa-Enyera-Ntome (TEN) will be critical to the long-term sustainability of the entire enterprise, and in particular to plans for a phase-two of the project with a distribution hub at Prestea for lean gas delivery to other buyers in Ghanaian industry apart from VRA,†IMANI said. By Basiru ADAM
BT Breakfast Roundtable on ICT opens today Leading CEOs and technology heavyweights are gathering this morning at the La Pal Royal Beach Hotel for the Business Times (BT) Breakfast Roundtable on Information and Communications Technology. The event will assemble managing directors, chief executive officers, chief finance officers, chief information officers, heads of technology departments, chief operating officers, heads of communication, chief technology officers, heads of technology strategy and heads of information technology of various institutions, amongst others. Thematic areas to be covered in the discussion will include: cyber fraud and transaction security, maximising social networking platforms, establishing market leadership, Evaluating technological models and trends, optimising mobile technology strategies, business innovation, enterprise technology strategies and many more. The event targets financial institutions, microfinance and rural banks stock brokerages, telecommunications, energy, mining, oil & gas, educational institutions and agribusiness. According to the Executive Director, Business and Financial Times, Mrs. Edith Dankwa: “The breakfast roundtable will provide an opportune platform in Ghana where participants can share best practices and experiences in market research and practical applications in a pleasant and motivating environment. It will also provide a unique platform to deliberate on some of the critical challenges confronting the sector.†Globally, leading economic blocs and emerging economies have had their growth and economic superiority attributed to concerted efforts to drive technological innovations on all fronts and segments of the economy. The advent of ICT and related technological applications coupled with the ever-growing social media has driven business communications to a different status -- one that we possibly could not have imagined a decade back. Today business is no longer as usual, as social media platforms like Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, YouTube, Friendster, Photobucket and Flickr -- just to name a few -- have virtually changed the rules of engagement for organisations in recent times. This breakfast roundtable therefore seeks to aid delegates appreciate the role of technology in today’s business environment, and open up avenues for innovation and the use of new technology for advancement of business in Ghana. The main topic of discussion at the roundtable will be “Driving business success through ICT and related technological applicationsâ€. The discussions will involve a panel of four experts from the industry and will be led by a moderator. Lead panelists for the roundtable include Mr. Jonathan Tawiah, Founder & CEO, OSTEC Ghana Ltd; Mr. Kofi Dadzie, Chief Executive Officer, Rancard Solutions; Mr. Albert Antwi-Boasiako, Founder & Principal e-Crime Consultant, e-Crime Bureau Inc.; and Mr. Ezer Yeboah-Boateng, Founder and Chief Solutions Officer, EZi Technologies. The event will be the ideal platform to network with fellow business executives from various sectors of the economy whilst sharing ideas on ICT and current technological opportunities. The Business Times ICT Breakfast Roundtable is produced by the Business Times Magazine and supported by Business and Financial Times. This event is sponsored by Zenith Bank Ghana Ltd, La Palm Royal Beach Hotel and rlg Communications.
Beige capital, a savings and loans company, says it is strategically positioning itself to become a universal bank within the next two years “Yes, for sure we have that intention [of becoming a universal bank]; and in the near-future Beige Capital (BC) will grow into a mainstream bank. We intend to become a full fledged bank in the next two years,†Mr.Derrick Ewudzie-Odoom, the Regional Head of Beige Capital, said. He said the company’s unique selling attributes -- such as networked branches, convenient locations, and very good pricing on the market -- put it in a good stead to be a prominent player when it becomes a universal bank. Mr. Ewudzie-Odoom disclosed this at a media briefing on the company’s quarterly Customer Service Day celebration in Accra. Touching on the measures instituted by the company to recover its loans, he said: “We do not subscribe to crude measures in recovering bad loans. BC will take every legally accepted and morally upright way to recover every loan that is given out. “We would always try and sit down with our clients who are granted facility by us, even when they go into arrears, and discuss with them the best way to pay back. If we have to reschedule or restructure the loan, we will do that.†The Company’s Customer Service Day is to afford senior management an opportunity to interact with the company’s customers and address any complaints they have. “It is a day that our clients really get to feel the Beige Capital brand. Our customers come to the banking halls and they get interactive with senior managers -- getting most of their problems solved on that day. Our customers come to the banking halls and request for a loan facility or investment and they are attended to on the stop. We go an extra mile to serve our customers on that day,†he said. “It offers senior management the opportunity of interfacing with customers and listening to their problems and addressing them. We exist because of our customers. BC is a customer centred organisation,†Mr. Ewudzie-Odoom added. Beige Capital is a subsidiary of The Beige Group. The Beige Group is an investment firm in Ghana with interests in the Banking & Finance, Real Estate, Mining and Hospitality industries. The BEIGE Group also manages private equity. By Dominick Andoh
England In the Premier League, Emmanuel Frimpong replaced Eyong Enoh in the 50th minute as Fulham lost 0-1 to Newcastle United. In the Championship, Albert Adomah was booked in the 24th minute, scored in the 35th minute and played the full match as Bristol City lost 1-3 to Burnley. Jeffrey Schlupp was replaced by Chris Woods in the 73rd minute as Leicester City drew 1-1 with Brighton and Hove Albion. Spain In La Liga, Michael Essien was an unused substitute as Real Madrid thrashed Levante 5-1. Mubarak Wakaso replaced Simao at half time, set up a goal for Alfredo Moreno in the 51st minute and scored himself in injury time as Espanyol beat Osasuna 2-0. Germany In the Bundesliga, Baba Abdul Rahman played the full match as Greuther Furth lost 0-1 to Borussia Monchengladbach. Italy In the Serie A, Kwadwo Asamoah set up a goal for Mirko Vucinic in the 78th minute and played the full match as Juventus defeated Pescara 2-1. Sulley Muntari was booked at half time and replaced by Mathieu Flamini whilst Kevin Prince Boateng was replaced by Giampaolo Pazzini in the 84th minute as AC Milan drew 2-2 with Fiorentina. Amidu Salifu replaced Marco Biagianti in the 82nd minute as Catania drew 0-0 with Cagliari. Emmanuel Agyemang Badu replaced Andrea Lazzari in the 60th minute as Udinese beat Chievo Verona 3-1. In Serie B, Joseph Alfred Duncan played the full match as Livorno beat Ascoli 3-0. Daniel Kofi Agyei was an unused substitute as Juve Stabia drew 1-1 with Virtus Lanciano Richmond Boakye Yiadom was replaced by Andrea Catellani in the 69th minute whilst Raman Chibsah replaced Michele Troiano in injury time as Sassuolo lost 2-3 to Novara, for whom Masahudu Alhassan was an unused substitute. France In Ligue 1, Jordan Ayew was replaced by Modou Sougou in the 72nd minute whilst elder brother Andre Ayew was replaced in injury time by Morgan Amalfitano as Marseille beat Bordeaux 1-0. John Boye was booked in the 32nd minute and played the full match as Rennes lost 0-2 to Paris Saint Germain. Samuel Inkoom replaced Gilles Cioni in the 61st minute as Bastia thrashed Brest 4-0. Mohammed Rabiu played the full match as Evian Thonon Gailliard lost 0-1 to Saint Etienne. Mohammed Abu played the full match as Lorient lost 0-5 to Lille. Armenia In the Premier League, Illiasu Shilla played the full match as Impuls FC beat Banants 1-0. Belgium In the Pro League, Enoch Kofi Adu replaced Jesper Jorgensen four minutes from time as Club Brugges thrashed Lokeren 4-1. Daniel Opare played the full game as Standard Liege drew 0-0 with Anderlecht. Bernard Yao Kumordzi was an unused substitute as Genk drew 1-1 with ZulteWaregem. Abraham Kudemor replaced Jamal Thiare at half time as Charleroi thrashed OH Leuven 3-0. Francis Dickoh was an unused substitute as CercleBruggebeat Beerschot 1-0. Croatia In the 1.HNL, Lee Addy played the full match as Dinamo Zagreb thrashed Zagreb 3-0. Denmark In the Superliga, Davidson Drobo Ampem was an unused substitute as Esbjerg beat AGF 1-0. Charles Takyi played the full match as Horsens lost 0-2 to Nordsjaelland. Greece In the Super League, Aziz Tetteh was booked in the 31st minute and played the full match as Platanias lost 0-4 to Olympiakos. Quincy Owusu Abeyie was replaced at half time by AthanassiosDinas as Panathinaikos drew 0-0 with Panionios. Korea Republic In the K-League, Derek Asamoah played the full match as Daegu lost 1-3 to Suwon Bluewings. Netherlands In the Eredivisie, Nana Akwasi Asare set up a goal for Jens Toornstra in the 71st minute and played the full match as Utrecht beat Ado Den Haag 1-0. Kwame Quansah played the full match as Heracles lost 0-4 to Ajax Amsterdam. Norway In the Eliteserien, Ernest Asante was an unused substitute as IK Start drew 2-2 with Tromso. Adam Kwarasey and Razak Nuhu both played the full match, whilst Enoch Kwakwa was an unused substitute as Stromsgodset drew 1-1 with Sarpsborg 08. King Osei Gyan was booked in the 67th minute and replaced by Trond Olsen in the 76th minute as Viking beat Lillestrom 1-0. Portugal In the Primeira Liga, David Addy was booked in the 69th minute and played the full match as Vitoria Guimaraes beat Beira Mar 2-1. Russia In the Premier League, Abdul Majeed Waris was replaced by Yura Movsisyan in the 61st minute as Spartak Moscow lost 0-1 to Rostov. South Africa In the PSL, John Arwuah played the full match as Bloemfontein Celtic drew 1-1 with Maritzburg United Sweden In the Allsvenskan, Mohammed Abubakari was replaced by Emmanuel Dogbe as half time as Atvidaberg lost 1-3 to Malmo, for whom Benjamin Fadi was an unused substitute. Kwame Amponsah Karikari replaced Kennedy Igboananike in the 60th minute and Ibrahim Moro was an unused substitute as AIK drew 0-0 with Syrianska. Nasiru Mohammed was replaced by Dioh Williams in the 66th minute whilst Reuben Ayarna was an unused substitute as Hacken drew 0-0 with Kalmar. Switzerland In the Super League, Samuel Afum was replaced by Michael Frey in the 62nd minute as Young Boys lost 0-2 to Servette. Turkey In the Superlig, Jerry Akaminko played the full match as Eskisehirspor beat Sivasspor 2-1. In the second tier, Emmanuel Osei Banahene played the full match as Karsiyaka lost 0-1 to Rizespor. Ukraine In the Premier League, Dominic Adiyiah replaced Andriy Tkachuk in the 53rd minute as Arsenal Kyiv drew 0-0 with Metalurh Zaporizhya. United States In the MLS, Dominic Oduro scored in the 72nd minute and played the full match as Columbus Crew drew 1-1 with Philadelphia Union. GershonKoffie replaced RusselTiebert in the 68th minute as Vancouver Whitecaps drew 1-1 with San Jose Earthquakes. KhalifAlhassan replaced Diego Valeri in the 30th minute as Portland Timbers beat Houston Dynamo 2-0.
The West African Examination Council (WAEC) has set out rules and regulations governing the 2013 West African Secondary School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) and Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE). The council has therefore directed all heads of educational institutions, students and pupils as well as parents and guardians to study the rules and comply accordingly, as anyone who violates them will face the necessary sanctions. A statement issued by WEAC said both senior and junior high school candidates should avoid any misconduct that could lead to cancelation of the examination results. WAEC noted that insults to or assault of supervisors, invigilators and inspectors are serious crimes which could lead to the cancellation of the entire results, barring of a candidate from taking any examination conducted by the council for not less than two years, and prosecution. Other offences include holding any foreign material, like chemical substances, in the examination hall with the intent to cause injury to any person in the hall. The document also identified some common irregularities it abhors: namely collusion, impersonation, leakages or mass-cheating. The WAEC said it had acquired new techniques to deal with anybody who attempts to indulge in any examination malpractices during this year.It said: “Not only are we going to punish the culprits, but the results of the candidate (s) are going to be cancelled in addition to prosecution and possible imprisonment for years to come -- no matter the background of the candidate. “No room will be given to candidates for the availability of foreign materials and other irregular activities inside or outside the various examination halls.†The council therefore advised candidates to adhere to all the rules governing this year’s examinations, and: “not to shade their objective answer-sheets in ink, but always remember to shade in pencil. “Use ink in answering questions in the answer booklets unless otherwise required. “Complete in full and in ink the cover pages of your answer booklets before you begin to answer the questions,†the document said.
Ministers are considering a plan to require schools to check the immigration status of their pupils, as part of a crackdown on "education tourists". The policy proposal is being weighed up by ministers who make up the inter-ministerial group (IMG) on migrants' access to benefits and public services, according to a chain of leaked emails written by officials of the Department for Education (DfE) in the past week. The emails from civil servants advising the IMG -- which includes schools minister David Laws and immigration minister Mark Harper -- suggest that the group considered banning illegal immigrant children from schools. However, the civil servants warned that the UK would be in contravention of article 28 of the UN convention on the rights of the child if ministers took that step. One study published last May by Oxford University's centre on migration, policy and society estimated there were 120,000 children living in the UK without legal immigration status. The Labour MP John McDonnell, who has seen the emails, said the immigration proposals were "scraping the barrel of morality". In a lengthy memo sent on Friday to David McVean, deputy director of the DfE, one civil servant reported on the next steps the department would take to "support the [IMG] on migration". "The group has asked that DfE looks further at the feasibility of carrying out checks on migrant status as part of school admissions," the email said. "David Laws has asked for a cost-benefit analysis of carrying out the checks. I think this needs to consider evidence of the extent of existing problems -- Home Office have already provided some estimates for the number of illegal migrant children in English schools… [and] how migrant status information could be used. "I think members of IMG have agreed that there should not be a bar on illegal migrants going to school -- David Laws certainly sees this as a red line." Headteachers warned about the potential of such a proposal to politicise the education process. Lesley Gannon, head of policy at the National Association of Headteachers, said it was "very concerned" about the idea. She said: "You can't hold children responsible for the behaviour of their parents, it's simply not fair. All of our codes of practice around admissions, behaviour and exclusions have always emphasised that you deal with the child and not the parents in terms of their access to education and their treatment within the school. We wouldn't want to see anything jeopardise that. "It's also really worrying to start dragging schools into politics in this way. Yes, we are public servants, part of the state; but once you put that process in place, I'd suggest you're encouraging parents who are worried about their immigration status to avoid putting their children into school, to avoid detection. That puts the educational rights of that child at risk." The civil servants memo said feedback on the proposal should be worked up in advance of a ministerial meeting between Laws and Harper on 8 April. It added that the prime minister is planning a speech on immigration "in the next few weeks". Though the speech will not include new education policies, there is "always a risk that we might need to do some quick work", the email warned. The most recent email in the chain, sent on Monday, suggested that examining the migration status of children before they are admitted to school would be a helpful step if ministers decided at a later date to ban them from compulsory education. "Barring children, whatever their migrant status, from compulsory education has pretty much been ruled out by ministers; and at the moment is off the table for cross-government discussions. The question now is whether, even if not to enforce a ban, it would nevertheless be helpful to carry out migrant status checks as part of school admissions," the email said. In a third email, another civil servant warned that although "strategies could probably be employed to deal with 'education tourists', in much the same [way] as 'health tourists' are managed," withdrawing education from illegal immigrant children would throw up legal and logistical problems. A fourth civil servant said: "If we were to withdraw the right of education from any children in the UK, regardless of their status, we would be hugely criticised for it by the UN ... This would be very controversial." The DfE referred the Guardian to the Home Office, which said it did not comment on leaked documents or private ministerial discussions. But in an answer to a Commons question on Tuesday from McDonnell after he was given sight of the leaked memos, the Home Secretary Theresa May said there are no plans to bar children from schools. The Immigration Minister was heard in the Commons saying: "We were never planning on doing that anyway." McDonnell said the emails confirmed "the government were considering barring migrant children from school and were only deterred by the potential reaction of the UN. The fear is that this proposal will be brought back in the immigration bill the Home Secretary has just announced for the next session of parliament. "In the meantime, teachers may now be drawn into checking the migrant status of their pupils. The government is scraping the barrel of morality in its attack on migrant children." Brian Lightman, secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, also feared that children's education and welfare would suffer, and said it would not be a school's job to monitor immigration status. "We would be very concerned if people were not sending their children to school because of these checks, if they thought they would be caught out. There's a real issue about the welfare of those children. "I don't think it's the role of schools to carry out immigration checks. Our members would be very wary of doing it. That is not their job and there are potentially enormous consequences if you got that wrong, and it should be done by a properly qualified agency. It's not what schools are there for."
The highest performer in liner trade for 2012 was Maersk Ghana Limited, recording 1.53 million tonnes and representing over 17 percent of the total liner throughput. MSCA Ghana Limited was the second highest performer with 1.1 million tonnes -- 12.5 percent of the liner throughput -- while Hull Blyth Ghana Limited was the next highest performer with 687,248 tonnes, making up7.75 percent of the total liner trade activity. The least performers were Transglobal Shipping and Advance Maritime, who handled 2,290 tonnes and 688 tonnes respectively. Twenty-two shipping agents handled the over-5.92 million tonnes of dry bulk cargo in the year under review. The highest performer was Hull Blyth with 2.18 million tonnes or over 36.9 percent of the total dry bulk trade. The second highest performer was Supermaritime with 1.79 million tonnes, representing 30 percent of the dry bulk trade for the period; Macro Shipping was the third highest performer with 711,495 tonnes, representing 12 percent of the dry bulk trade; while Damco Logistics came third with 200,760 tonnes. The lesser performers in this category were Silver Maritime, Movis Ghana Limited, Ports Marine and MSCA Ghana Limited, with less than one percent. In the Liquid Bulk Trade category, Sea & Shore was the highest performer out of 18 shipping agents who handled over 4.17 million tonnes of trade. Inchape Shipping Service handled the second largest share of the liquid bulk trade with 919,448 tonnes, or 22 percent of total liquid bulk trade. This was followed by Daddo Maritime Gh. Ltd. who handled the third largest share of 915,700 tonnes, or 21.9 percent of the liquid bulk trade.
Ghana’s cashew industry is to receive a major boost with technical and financial support from the government to double current production levels by 2016. As a result, 30 districts in five regions- Volta, Brong Ahafo, Upper West, Northern and Eastern- are to be used as pilot areas to increase production from the estimated 40,000 tonnes per year to about 80,000 tonnes. The Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr Haruna Iddrisu, made this known when a delegation from the Ghana Cashew Industry Association, paid a courtesy call on him at his office at the Ministries in Accra. “The support will go to small holder farmers in each of the six districts to be selected from a district to enable them to increase their production levels to meet the target set and this support will come for them to start immediately this yearâ€, he said. He said it was long overdue for the country to benefit from the cashew potential in the country and expressed the hope that, “an increase in production will bring about more employment while the exports will also bring about additional foreign exchangeâ€. Mr Iddrisu who is also the Member of Parliament for Tamale Central said the ministry would also ensure that companies in the cashew value chain business were also supported with funds from the Export Development and Agricultural Investment Fund (EDAIF). Presently, more than 95 per cent of cashew produced in the country is exported to other countries including Brazil. Mr Iddrisu described the phenomenon as unfortunate and pledged the support of the government to do all it could to ensure that the potentials in the industry were fully harnessed. For his part, Mr Winfred Osei Owusu, the acting President of the association, was pleased with the intention of the ministry to support the growth of the industry. He said the potential in the cashew business was huge and noted that “there is a lot of land available to produce the crop and the market too is there but we need the funds to be able to produce to meet the high demandâ€. Mr Osei, who is also the Chief Executive Officer of West African Market Links, said support for the value chain in the cashew industry was also necessary to help with the processing of the nuts before they were exported. Ms Yayra Afua Amedzro, the convenor of the association, indicated that the farmers in the cashew industry were determined to increase their production and expressed the hope that support from the ministry would go a long way to enable them to achieve their potential.
Gov’t injects GH¢ 62m into the rubber industry The Government has so far invested more than GH¢62million into the rubber industry under the Rubber Outgrower Plantation Project, Mr. Richard Twumasi-Ankrah, Deputy Minister of Agriculture, said at the 10th Annual General Meeting of the Rubber Outgrowers and Agents Association (ROAA) at Agona-Nkwanta on Saturday. The meeting was under the theme “10 years of ROAA: Achievements, Challenges and the way forwardâ€, and Mr. Twumasi-Ankrah said, so far, government has directly supported ROAA with over GH¢1.7million through the provision of infrastructure and capacity-building services.He said an amount of GH¢40million has been provided through the Agriculture Development Bank (ADB) and the National Investment Bank (NIB) for plantation development by rubber outgrower farmers. Mr. Twumasi-Ankrah said some GH¢20million had also been disbursed to the Ghana Rubber Estate Limited (GREL) for technical assistance to farmers. He commended over 300 farmers who have fully repaid loans granted them under phases one and two of the Rubber Outgrowers Plantation Project. Mr. Twumasi-Ankrah said the country has a large area favourable for rubber cultivation, political will, a population eager to plant rubber, and competitiveness in yields and incomes. “This therefore places Ghana in a very good position to increase our percentage of Africa’s contribution to the world rubber industry,†he said.In his annual report Mr. Kwame Awuah-Asante, National Chairman of ROAA, said the Association realised a net income of GH¢244,689 last year, as against a net income of GH¢259,270 in 2011. He said the Gross Income for 2012 was GH¢531,905 and in 2011, GH¢501,781. Mr. Awuah-Asante said total expenses of GH¢287,215 was recorded in 2012 as against GH¢242,511 in 2011.He said Fidelity bonus earned by members in production amounted to GH¢1,075,138 as against GH¢1,076,591 earned in 2010. Mr. Awuah-Asante said rubber production grew from 6,242 metric tonnes in 2011 to 7,602 metric tonnes in 2012, an increase of 21.1%.He said the Association has a membership of 5,549 including 1,330 females -- and of this number 2,385 are in production, while the remaining have farms at different stages of development. Mr. Awuah-Asante announced that the Association in collaboration with GREL has successfully negotiated a loan of 18,000,000 euro from Alliance Francaise de Developpement (AFD) of France for phase five of the Rubber Outgrowers Plantation Project. He said a total of 12,000 hectares of rubber will be planted by 4,000 farmers from 2013 to 2015 in all operational areas under phase five.Mr. Awuah-Asante said the Association did not benefit from Government’s subsidised fertiliser programme last year.He said the project had to procure fertiliser at the prevailing market price to supply to farmers. Mr. Joseph Dofoyena, Ahanta West District Chief Executive, spoke of conflicts between communities and GREL in some of the company’s operational areas. He said the District Assembly and District Security Committee are taking steps to bring peace in those areas so that rubber production will take place unimpeded. Mr. Dofoyena said the Assembly has set up a multi-sectoral committee to address the alarming depletion of the environment and illegal mining in the area. He said these activities have impacted negatively on the quantity and quality of water in the area. Mr. Dofoyena advised members of ROAA to join the Association’s credit union to enable them obtain additional funds for their plantations and to improve their living standards. GNA
The Ghana National Bureau of the ECOWAS Brown Card Insurance Scheme, the organisation responsible for coordinating the activities of the ECOWAS Brown Card Insurance Scheme in Ghana, has organised a training workshop for the Ghana Police Service (Motor Traffic and Transport Unit-MTTU) at the National Insurance Commission Auditorium in Accra. Opening the workshop, Mr. Gabriel Glover, CEO/General Secretary of the Ghana National Bureau of the scheme, said: “The Bureau recognises the role of the Motor Traffic and Transport Unit of Ghana Police Service as a partner of the scheme in safeguarding our citizens and promoting trade in the sub-region. “It is deemed that police officers should have an in-depth knowledge of the schemes operations to enable them effectively handle ECOWAS Brown card cases,†Mr. Glover added. “According to the Road Traffic Act, 2004 Act 683, a person who issues or tenders a certificate of insurance that is false commits an offence, and is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding 250 penalty units or to a term of imprisonment not exceeding 12 months or both. "For national security and crime detection, law enforcement agencies such as the Police, Customs and Immigration personnel have a duty to check at our exit and entry points the validity of Brown cards,†said the CEO/General Secretary. Over 40 Police MTTU officials drawn from stations in Accra, Kasoa and Tema police stations attended the workshop. They were taken through features of the new secured Ecowas Brown Card, Claims procedures and the role of the police in the scheme’s implementation. This is the first in a series of workshops being organised for the Police MTTU throughout the country. On Wednesday, 10th April, the educational workshop will be held at Akatsi District Assembly Hall for the Volta Region, Southern sector.
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