The Mirror, Ghana’s most popular and biggest selling weekend newspaper, is to start selling on Fridays instead of the current Saturday. The change will take effect on December 6, 2013. The Acting Director, Newspapers, of Graphic Communications Group Limited (GCGL), Mr Ransford Tetteh, announced this at the press launch of the 60th anniversary of The Mirror held at the company's head office. Mr Tetteh said the decision to start selling The Mirror on Fridays was taken after readers of the paper complained about being unable to access the papers on weekends. He said the changed also formed part of the paper's 60th anniversary celebration. Mr Tetteh said readers who could not get the papers on weekends will now be able to buy it on Fridays. “Those who are currently able to get The Mirror on Saturdays should continue to visit the outlets where they have been getting copies of the paper," he said, adding that the change will not affect the quality or focus of the newspaper. "I assure readers that though we are putting the newspaper on the market on Friday, we are mindful that it is still a weekend newspaper and has to help readers to relax after a long and tiring weekdays of work" "We will, therefore, maintain its rich contents such as 'Health', 'Relationship', 'Fashion' and 'The Mirror Lawyer', which make it the number one weekend newspaper in the country. " Mr Tetteh said as part of the 60 anniversary celebration of The Mirror, a special Mirror Family Day event will be organised to bring families together to have fun and discuss matters relevant to the progress of the family. He said regional road shows would also be organised to enable readers of The Mirror "be part of the fun that comes with the celebration of a great newspaper that they've helped sustain for 60 good years". The Assistant Editor of The Mirror, Mr Vance Azu, told Graphic.com.gh that the paper will continue to project issues relating to the progress of the family. The launch was attended by several dignitaries, including the Editor of The Mirror, Mrs Janet Quainoo, and the GCGL Director, Marketing, Ms Shirley Acquah Harrison.   

The Gbese Mantse and the Adonten of the Ga State, Nii Ayi Bonte II, at the weekend called on the Queen of the Dome Community, Manye Akwele Kruman I at her palace in the Dome-Kwabenya municipality in the Greater Accra Region.   The visit, according to the Gbese Mantse, was to officially introduce his entire kingship to the people of Dome following his gazetting as the Gbese Mantse in the national register of the National House of Chiefs. He expressed his gratitude to the queen for hosting him and called on the people of the area to unite and be truthful to one another to enable them to coexist peacefully and to contribute meaningfully to the town's development. The Gbese Mantse stressed that, “the responsibility has fallen on us to work together as a people with a common vision to help bring development to the entire community and the Ga municipality at large”. He stated that plans were far advanced to install a new chief for the Dome community to replace Nii Adu Ablefo II, who passed away 15 years ago. Nii Ayi Bonte II advised the entire citizenry to desist from encroaching on plots of lands that had been reserved to serve the national interest. He stressed that anyone caught encroaching would be punished. The queen of the Dome community expressed her commitment to play a key role in ensuring that a new chief was installed to lead the people in the development of the area. She thanked the Gbese Mantse and his elders for the visit and assured them that the Dome community was prepared to support the installation of a chief.

A Circuit Court in Accra on Monday admitted Alhaji Abdul Karim Grunsah, owner of King Failsal Football Club, to bail in the sum of GH 20,000 with two sureties.   This was after he had appeared before the court following a bench warrant to effect his arrest. Alhaji Grunsah stood as surety for Mohammed Abdulai, a suspect who was nabbed by the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit of the Criminal Investigation Department of the Ghana Police Service but could not be traced by the Police. Mr. Edward Anokye, counsel for Alhaji Grunsah, told the court that the suspect was on a farm at Sankore in the Eastern Region. According to counsel, the court should grant Alhaji Grunsah ample time to enable him produce Abdulai in court. Applying for bail for Alhaji Grunsah, Mr. Anokye indicated that his client had fixed places of abode in Kumasi and Accra and he (Alhaji Grunsah) came to court as soon as he was invited by the Police. Defence counsel further stated that Alhaji Grunsah was capable of producing Abdulai, adding, he (Alhaji Grunsah) has sureties who are independent and of sufficient means to execute his bail. The court after considering the submissions granted Alhaji Grunsah bail and adjourned the matter to December 5.  On November 7, this year, Police Detective Inspector Isaac Agbemehia moved an application of Forfeiture of recognizance and sought for bench warrant before the Court presided over by Ms Helen Amoah. According to the Police they were unable to trace the whereabouts of Abdulai who was to appear in court. “Effort made for the surety (Alhaji Grunsah) to produce the suspect in Court had failed,” the Police declared. On April 23, this year, Abdulai was granted police inquiry bail in the sum of GH 20,000 cedis, which Alhaji Grunsah signed on behalf of the suspect. However, the Police contend that they were unable to trace the suspect, hence filed an application in court to enable Alhaji Grunsah to produce him.

An unemployed, accused of buying a two-month-old baby for GHC500.00 has been put before an Accra Circuit Court, charged with human trafficking.   Patience Gyan, 21, has denied the charge and the court presided over by Ms Sedina Agbemava granted her bail in the sum of GHC10,000 with three sureties. Patience is to re-appear on December 5. Prosecuting Detective Chief Inspector Samuel Sarkwah told the court that the complainant Ms Patience Acquah is a trader residing at Sowutuom in Accra, while the accused person resides at Kojokrom in the Western Region. Prosecution said somewhere in February this year, the accused person got pregnant but in her fourth month had a miscarriage and later broke up with her boyfriend. According to prosecution, Patience then left for Kojokrom in Sekondi, where she befriended another man. During her stay, accused person struck an acquaintance with the baby’s mother, who is an epileptic patient who had delivered a baby two months earlier. Prosecution said the accused person feigned interest in caring for the baby because of the mother’s condition. Prosecution said the accused further discussed with the complainant who is the aunty of the baby’s mother to take away the baby, but she registered her displeasure over the issue. The complainant based on the advice of a medical doctor, took the baby to Sowutuom in Accra and in September this year, the accused person followed up to her house where she (the accused person) expressed interest in buying the toddler. On November 4, this year, the accused person visited the complainant and at about 1930 hours, where she renewed her interest in buying the baby. Prosecution said the complainant who had earlier on alerted the Police gave the baby to the accused person who promised to remit her on her next visit. As soon as the accused person stepped out with the baby, the Police who had laid ambush nabbed her. The accused person then broke down in tears. 

The Minister for Transport, Madam Dzifa Attivor, says government will not pay compensation to encroachers on land for the proposed airstrip in Ho.   She has, therefore, called for the pulling down of all illegal structures in the area, warning any person on that land should stay off. Madam Attivor gave the warning when she visited the site, off Ho-Aflao Highway, in the company of officials of the Lands Commission, the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority and the Ghana Airport Company. She said government remained committed to building airstrips in the regional capitals, developing them into airports later and charged chiefs, the Ho Municipal Assembly and the Regional Coordinating Council to ensure that the site was well secured for the commencement of the project. Madam Attivor said her visit marked the “starting point” of the project and called for the support of all stakeholders. “This project is dear to our hearts. We have a lot of tourist attractions here and we know this will create jobs and make our people feel the better Ghana,” she stated. Madam Attivor said the design of the project would soon be done, to pave way for the speedy construction of the airstrip. Mr Joseph Afotey Agbo, Volta Regional Minister, called on officials of the Lands Commission to demarcate the boundaries of the site for the construction of roads around the site to secure it from encroachment. The Ghana News Agency recently reported that some individuals and institutions were developing areas suspected to be within the proposed site for the airstrip. Some developers told the GNA that they had permit from the Ho Municipal Assembly and the Lands Commission. However, Mr Gershon Quamie Tsrah, Volta Regional Lands Commissioner, said his office did not give permit to anyone to develop the area. He explained that there was no scheme for the area yet, so his outfit could not have given permits for structures there. Mr Quamie Tsrah told the GNA that government however had to acquire and pay for the airstrip extension because it only acquired and paid for the “main” site and not the extension. The deserted land area is said be home to wild animals and reptiles, though runways constructed years ago are still visible and used by people for driving lessons.

The Ghana Employers Association, the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) and the Ghana Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) have welcomed the government’s decision to absorb 25 per cent of the recent increase in electricity tariff.   The private sector umbrella bodies said the breakthrough was the result of dialogue, negotiations and consultations with oragnised labour led by the Trades Union Congress (TUC), the government and the leadership of the three umbrella bodies. In a statement jointly signed by the presidents of the bodies, Nana Owusu Afari for the AGI; Mr Terrence Darko for the GEA and Dr Seth Adjei-Baah for GCCI, said although organised labour consistently asked for a higher subsidy from the government to cushion both domestic and industrial consumers from the negative impact of the astronomic electricity tariff increase, the government was reluctant to accept the demands in view of the potential consequences for the national economy. “But after several discussions and negotiations, the government accepted to subsidise the increase in electricity tariff by 25 per cent,” the statement pointed out. It observed that, indeed, a higher subsidy would have had more serious fiscal repercussions on the national economy and translate into higher tariff adjustments in addition to the regular automatic tariff adjustments in future. The GEA, AGI, and GCCI therefore acknowledged the “maturity, high sense of responsibility, mutual respect and forthrightness” the parties engaged themselves, while commending organised labour for agreeing to call off the nationwide strike action, which was scheduled for November 18th. “Ghana is at a critical juncture in its political, economic and social development process and it will require the concerted efforts of the social partners to deepen the culture of dialogue, consultations and negotiations in resolving matters of national interest so as to reduce industrial unrest that can undermine the peace and development of our country,” the statement stressed. The three organisations, however, made it clear that they would join hands with organised labour, the government and the PURC in demanding better and efficient services and value for money from the utility service providers.

The driver of the former Deputy Communications Minister, Ms Victoria Hammah, is suspected to have been kidnapped by two unknown men yesterday morning.   Mr Lawrence Quayeson had sought refuge at a family residence near Dansoman in Accra after packing out of Ms Hammah’s house. A family friend who gave her name only as Nadia, with whom he had sought refuge, told an Accra radio station that the two men who picked him up did not identify themselves. She said Mr Quayeson came to the house last Sunday evening to charge his phone but had to sleep over because it was late in the night. According to Nadia, about 7:30 a.m.  yesterday, Mr Quayeson told her he was going to buy porridge, only for two men to pick him. Mr Quayeson had earlier expressed fears over his safety. Nadia said the unknown men who came in without any identifiable attire were driving a small blue-black Toyota car. She was not able to indicate the registration number of the car. “I don’t know where they are taking him to; he was charging the phone when they came and so he just left the phone with me and went with them,” she said. She claimed she saw the two men enter the vehicle with Mr Quayeson and drove away. Mr Quayeson was last Thursday arrested by the Mile 7 District Police when Ms Hammah lodged a complaint against him for allegedly recording her private conversations secretly. He was released the following day. He has also denied circulating the leaked tape of his former boss.

The Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Nii Lante Vanderpuye, has called on ECOWAS member-states to muster the political will to remove artificial trade barriers, tariffs and road blocks on their international routes to promote the free movement of persons and goods.   The deputy minister said the ECOWAS market, estimated at about 350 million, with Nigeria alone expected to grow its population to 300 million by 2050, was important to all ECOWAS states and all must work assiduously to keep it open and deepened. Nii Lante Vanderpuye said this when he officially brought the curtains down on the 7th ECOWAS Trade Fair held at the Accra International Trade Fair from October 31 to November 11, 2013. Hosted by Ghana and organised by the ECOWAS Commission as a tool to promote regional integration, the 12-day event was on the theme: “Regional Integration through Trade”. It attracted over 690 exhibitors from 12 countries, out of the 706 exhibitors expected from the 15 ECOWAS member states. “The ECOWAS market is important to all member-states and we must keep it open and further develop it. The roadblocks, unauthorized tariffs and so on which impede the free movement of goods and persons across borders should be removed,” the minister urged. He lamented that even advanced countries which were far ahead of West African countries still kept open borders and made movements free, much more a region which needed to grow and reduce poverty through trade. Statistics indicate that Africa contributes about 11 per cent of world trade and does around 12 per cent of trade within itself. However, should Africa increase trading among itself, it could contribute about 26 per cent of world trade, and that means enormous opportunities for growth, development and poverty reduction. While commending the organisers for putting up a successful trade fair where exhibitors displayed their wares and networked, he called on the ECOWAS Commission to ensure that all member states rallied round the ECOWAS Trade Fair and not organise own country fairs to run currently with the ECOWAS edition. A Customs Specialist at the ECOWAS Commission, Mr Felix Kwakye, who spoke on behalf of the ECOWAS Commissioner for Trade, Industry, Mines, Customs and Free Movement, Mr Hamid Ahmed, said the fair was in line with trade development, which was one of the pillars of the integration agenda contained in the revised ECOWAS Treaty. He expressed the hope that the networking opportunities created at the fair, which brought together manufacturers, investors, traders and services providers among others would be translated into real business linkages and business deal to deepen the economic development of the region. Mr Kwakye said although the fair largely lived up to the billing, organisers had taken cognisance of complaints of the restrictions to free movement of goods and persons along the West Coast and would work with the individual countries and at the highest levels to resolve them. He said the ECOWAS Commission in collaboration with the Customs and Immigration services of member countries would liaise to resolve the challenges. The fair brought together exhibitors of textiles products, garments, footwear, agro-foods, machinery, pharmaceuticals and other health products who displayed their wares. Each participating country was given a day to market themselves, products and companies to investors and the rest of the region as a form of harnessing the inter-linkages within the region.

The government is undertaking 30 projects across the country to increase water supply in urban and rural areas.   Some of the projects, including the Kpong Water Project, are expected to be completed by the end of 2014. A deputy minister of Information and Media Relations, Mr Felix Ofosu Kwakye, told journalists at the media briefing yesterday that the projects, estimated at $700 million, were expected to be completed by the end of 2014. He said the projects were meant to increase access to potable water in urban areas from 63 to 85 per cent and in rural areas from 64 to 76 per cent by 2015. Mr Ofosu Kwakye said the $273 million Kpong Water Project, which was expected to produce 40 million gallons of water per day, was 73 per cent complete, while the Kpong Water Intake Rehabilitation Project was also 63 per cent complete. He said the Accra-Tema Water Support, which was expected to produce nine million gallons of water per day, and another water project for five towns in the Eastern Region with 1.5 million gallons daily, was 95 per cent complete. Answering a question on whether the government would be reducing water tariff following the 25 per cent reduction in electricity tariff, the deputy minister said what was discussed between the government and the other stakeholders was electricity tariff. Mr Ofosu Kwakye said the government felt that the decision to absorb the 25 per cent electricity tariff for consumers was the best for now. He also said despite the challenge, the government was committed to raising the $400 million to subsidise the cost of electricity.

One hundred hernia patients in the Volta Region are benefiting from a three-week special surgical exercise being carried out at the Volta Regional Hospital in Ho.   Dubbed, “Operation Hernia”, the exercise is being carried out by a team led by 28 surgeons from the United Kingdom and the United States of America (USA). The surgeons, who are using their vacation period to undertake the exercise, will also treat hernia patients in Keta, Bole in the Northern Region, Dixcove in the Western Region and those at the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GHAPOHA) Clinic in Takoradi. The leader of the team, Dr Chris Oppong, told the Daily Graphic that 5,000 hernia surgeries had been performed in Ghana alone and many more in other African countries since the team started the exercise in 2005. He said the team used a modern method known as mesh, which prevented the hernia from re-occurring. He appealed to people who had hernia to seek early medical care and debunked the notion that hernia affected one’s masculinity or fertility. According to Dr Geoffrey Nyamuame, a consultant surgeon at the Volta Regional Hospital, the selected patients had been invited from the back-log of cases pending at the hospital.

A workshop aimed at ensuring that more women were meaningfully involved in peace processes, conflict resolution and peacebuilding activities across Africa has opened in Accra.   The three-day workshop aims at fostering understanding on issues of gender, especially the effects of deeply-rooted patriarchy and gender socialisation on men and women and how to address these matters in general and in institutions. The workshop, which is being facilitated by two gender experts in the country, Dr Rose Mensah-Kutin and Mr Adolf Awuku Bekoe, is being organised by the Centre for Conflict Resolution (CCR), an expert organisation on women, peace and security. The ‘Gender and peacebuilding workshop’ is the first in a series of three activities that would be undertaken in Africa and forms part of a larger programme by the CCR aimed at strengthening the capacity of institutions and organisations responsible for peacebuilding, security and gender equality in East, Southern, West and North Africa. The second and third workshops will be organised in Nairobi and Liberia respectively. The workshops are in line with the United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1325 of 2000 on women, peace and security. The long-term objective of the CCR’s project is to ensure that more women were meaningfully involved in peace processes, conflict resolution, and peacebuilding activities across Africa. In all, 20 participants including male and female decision-makers within key institutions responsible for peace building and security such as the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), the Ministry of Defence, the media, the Economic Community for West African States (ECOWAS) the United Nations (UN), women groups and non-governmental organisations, among others, are attending the workshop. A representative from the CCR, Ms Zanele Khumalo, said the workshop which formed part of a three-year project was expected to help the participants have a better understanding of patriarchy, gender socialisation and their effects on men and women and how they could be addressed in general and in institutions. The workshop, she said, was also, among other things, to help participants to develop a sense of empathy for each gender.

Economists have cautioned the government to use the 2014 Budget Statement and Economic Policy to tackle the overrun budget deficit that has wobbled the economy and propose far reaching policies that will stabilise the economy.   Government should, therefore, critically look at the wage bill for next year, the management of subsidies  and interest payments on government debts and instruments. Executive Director of the Center for Policy Analysis (CEPA), Dr Joseph Abbey, speaking on the expectations of the 2014 Budget Statement in an interview said the fiscal deficit at the end of this year would greatly feed into the development agenda for next year. Dr Abbey, a statistician and an economist has doubts if the fiscal deficit of nine per cent would be achieved by the end of the year. He said that if this does not happened the market would react sharply and this would have serious effect on the economy as borrowing cost would begin to rise sharply. At the end of 2012 government recorded a deficit of nearly 12 per cent with a target of reducing the deficit to nine per cent and to six per cent over the medium-term. This according to government would be achieved through fiscal consolidation which would focus on improved financial management including debt management and improved revenue collection. The country’s large fiscal deficit in 2012 was the subject of criticism by the international investor community when country went on an international roadshow to raise one billion dollar euro bond for various development projects. This year’s budget statement must therefore address the various challenges facing the economy. But the deputy Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Naoyuki Shinohara stated in an earlier interview with this paper that managing a huge budget deficit cannot be done within a year period. Under the medium-term, government hopes to complete wage negotiations before the annual budget is presented to Parliament while it will also adjust prices of petroleum products to full cost recovery. To meet its infrastructure needs, government intends under the medium-term seek partnership with the private sector for infrastructure developments via Public-Private Partnership. It is also the intention of government to focus on self-financing projects to improve on the operations of State Owned Enterprises to borrow on their balance sheets without  government guarantees. Government plans to also improve its revenue collection and mobilisation through the introduction of various reforms. Tax revenue which stood around 12.4 per cent of GDP at the end of 2006, increased to 16.3 per cent  of GDP  in 2012 with a projection of improve revenue  through the elimination  of unwarranted  import tax exemptions. But to Dr Abbey the issue of the wages should be the central thing government should be able to handle in this year’s budget statement and cited a few institutions which still have ‘ghost names’ on their payroll. The 2014 budget statement is likely to focus on programmes that would enhance the country's economic growth, while strengthening economic gains.  Another initiative that government wants to implement is fusing spending plans of various ministries and agencies into results and achievable target. This means that the every government department would from next year be asked to show what it has done with funds disbursed before new allocations are made for the next quarter. The initiative is part of a broader policy programme to ensure that government gets value for money and check its rising expenses

An economist, Dr Setor Amedeku, has predicted the economy to remain stable in 2014, bringing prospects to businesses in the country.   The economist, who handles some of the technical issues in the economy at the Bank of Ghana, said foreign exchange was expected to flow in more to stabilise the exchange rate due to cocoa and oil output, as well as an easing in effective interest rates charged by the commercial banks. “The year 2014 will be a good one. There will be inflows of foreign exchange, especially as we enter October, the cocoa export season, with some inflow from oil and gas, and volatility will be less,” Dr Amedeku told an elite class of customers who come under the personal banking clients of Stanbic Bank Ghana. Stanbic Bank had put together an innovative event to interact with this segment of their clientele – usually business owners and executives to receive feedback from them, while inviting experts to discuss issues on the economy, with emphasis on the opportunities available for the business community. Dr Amedeku told the Ivy League of customers of Stanbic Bank that with the short-end interest rates on government papers coming down, effective interest of banks would also start trending downwards due to the new formula approved by the Bank of Ghana for use by universal banks. Treasury bill rates and borrowing The 91-Day Treasury Bill started the year at around 23.03 per cent and the 182-Day bill at 22.99 per cent, with the 91-day ending the month at 22.80 per cent. At the end of March 2013, the 91-day was around 22.92 per cent and 23.09 per cent at the end of June, while the 182-day settled at 22.97 per cent. In August when the country went for the US$1 billion Eurobond, the 91-day was at 22.91 per cent with the 182-day at 22.00 per cent, but these started easing later that month at 22.77 per cent for the 91-day. The rates have since been trending downwards. At the beginning of September, the 91-day bill was at 22.64 per cent and ended it at about 20.84 per cent. The rate as of November 4 was 19.68 per cent for the 91-day bill and 19.75 per cent for the 182-day bill. Since the formula for calculating interest rates by banks now has the interest rates of the government papers as a variable, Dr Amedeku said the banks would soon pass that on to their customers, saying “we expect that the interest on loans should drop as per the new formula.”Economic prospects He described the turbulence in the economy as temporary and that businesses should consider the silver lining in it and invest for good returns.Information from the Bank of Ghana indicates that investor confidence was high, with some potential ones eyeing the financial services sector. “Some foreign nationals are selling off assets in their countries to acquire assets in Ghana. The real estate sales are up and commercial property are springing up everywhere,” Dr Amedeku stated, adding that the usual case was that the temporary challenges would blur the sight of indigenous people, leaving only hungry investors, mostly expatriates to take advantage of the opportunities. The economist made it clear that the economic challenges would generally affect businesses in the country and there was the need for them to devise creative means to go around them. The Managing Director of Stanbic Bank, Mr Alhassan Andani, emphasised the economic prospects of the economy in the medium term, siting the easing of rates on the government paper as giving hope for the future. However, he called on the central bank to find ways of making foreign exchange flow more into the system to enable banks to finance trade and transactions of their clients. “We banks have net holding positions and sell what we have to the public. So if we see increased availability of foreign exchange, it will enable us to lend and finance more transactions, which will help strengthen the local currency,” he said.

As we try to shape the contours of the post-2015 development agenda, we have to take cognisance of the special needs and unique challenges of the world’s most vulnerable countries. They are the least developed countries, landlocked developing countries and small-island developing states.   It is particularly in these countries that we face the acute challenges of eradicating poverty, promoting rapid and inclusive economic growth and building resilience, given their immense capacity constraints. It is, therefore, obvious that by providing due priority to these countries, there is a great opportunity to get rid of extreme poverty from the face of the earth. It is true that the eradication of poverty has never been attempted before, but we should have this ambition now. The world cannot wait for it any longer. We have the means and tools to do so. We should summon the necessary political will, devise the right strategies and employ sufficient resources to make this happen. This is not only a moral imperative; it is an immensely sensible thing to do in a globalised world. It is in the enlightened self-interest of each and every country and the global community as a whole. Populations living in abject poverty deserve it sooner than later. There is certainly reason to applaud the substantial gains that these vulnerable countries have made in achieving some of the targets set out in the Millennium Development Goals(MDGs). Even in these countries, the level of poverty has decreased. Child and maternal mortality rates have come down. Gender empowerment is progressing and the spread of deadly diseases has plateaued. Encouragingly, access to education and public services has improved. However, we cannot continue to be oblivious of the stark reality that the progress has been uneven and insufficient. Given their low initial conditions, there is a long way to go to attain these global goals in general, and in an equitable manner in these countries. With less than 800 days before the MDG deadline in 2015, every effort ought to be made to accelerate its implementation.  It is important to recognise that even today, after so much efforts, 47 per cent of the nearly 850 million inhabitants of the least developed countries live on less than $1.25 per day. And hunger and malnutrition are a constant challenge for about a third of the population there. What should we do differently Now that we face newer and complex challenges of recurrent volatility, the impact of climate change and the depletion of natural capital as well, we should take endemic poverty and inequality, the protection of environment and natural capital, and economic transformation and employment-intensive growth in a more holistic and integrated manner than before. Therefore, the MDG focus on human and social development and the Rio+20  focus on poverty alleviation in the context of sustainable development have to be complemented by a rapid, inclusive, sustainable and job-rich economic growth. The type of structural change in any economy will also help boost the domestic resource base in the medium term. Therefore, structural transformation of these economies, based on improved, productive capacity building, should find a strong resonance and prominence in the post-2015 development agenda. Our narrative has to focus on long-term structural transformation of their economies. As a large majority of the people — about two-thirds of them — still live in rural areas in these countries, it is only natural that they consider protecting the natural capital and building resilience as part of the inherent strategy of economic growth and prosperity for them. Green growth is what they are looking for. We have seen that strong national ownership and leadership, the right strategy and policies, capable and strong institutions, availability of resources and robust international solidarity and support measures are crucial to make progress in all of these areas. This is as much an issue of global solidarity and support as national responsibility and efforts of these countries. We must, therefore, make sure that the post-2015 development agenda comes out strongly on resource mobilisation and support mechanisms to help those which are least capable and who bear the burden of a high proportion of the poor in relation to their total population. They deserve due priority for international support. For the 31 nations classified by the United Nations as landlocked developing countries, the main challenge is geography and its attendant drawbacks, including remoteness from major international markets, inadequate infrastructure and high transport and transaction costs. As a consequence, many landlocked developing countries (LLDCs) find themselves marginalised from the world economy, cut off from the global flows of knowledge, technology, capital and innovations, and unable to benefit substantially from external trade. This has affected their development prospects, including sustained economic growth, poverty reduction and environmental sustainability.

The Accra Circuit Court yesterday sentenced three persons to a total of 90 years’ imprisonment for engaging in two separate robberies.   They are Kwabena Badu, a bicycle repairer; Sampson Sam, an alcoholic beverage vendor, and Kwasi Debrah, a driver. Badu and Sam had pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy and robbery but they were found guilty after a full trial. They are to serve 15 years and 35 years for conspiracy and robbery, respectively, and the sentences are to run concurrently, while Debrah was convicted on one count of robbery and is to serve 30 years. According to the presiding judge, Mr Francis Obiri, the convicts’ pleas of not guilty were an afterthought because the prosecution had proved their guilt beyond reasonable doubt. He said Badu and Sam seemed not to show any remorse in what they did and stressed the need for the leadership of the country to set an agenda on how to educate the youth on the dangers of robbery. Mr Obiri advised the youth to shun bad company that could lead them to acts such as robbery. Facts of the first robbery According to the facts of the case, about 11.20 p.m. on October 6, 2012, the complainant, who was in charge of a Nissan Almera taxi, with registration number GS 8066-12, had reported at the Mile 7 Police Station that Badu and Sam hired his taxi from Osu to Israel, near Achimota. At a section of the road near the Israel Lorry Station, the two attacked the complainant and threatened him with a locally made pistol. They overpowered the complainant and snatched the vehicle from him and proceeded in the direction of Koforidua. When they got to a police checkpoint at Tinkong, they drove at top speed through the barrier and nearly killed one of the policemen on duty. The police were compelled to chase them with another vehicle and, in the process; the convicts abandoned the complainant’s vehicle and went into the bush. Luck eluded them when the inhabitants of the area assisted the police to arrest them. They were later transferred to Accra for investigations, during which the complainant identified the accused persons as his assailants. Badu further confessed to having snatched three Toyota Corollas and one Pontiac Vibe, along with the late notorious car snatchers Kwabena Takyi and Nana Kwabena Agyemang who died in one of their recent robbery expeditions. Badu went ahead to reveal that the cars had been sold to a buyer in Kumasi. Second Robbery In the second robbery, the prosecution said the complainant was a hairdresser who lived along the Spintex Road, while the accused, Debrah, was a driver resident at Agbogbloshie. About 4 a.m. on October 25, 2013, the complainant was walking home along the Okpoi Gonno Market High Street with her hand bag which contained two mobile phones, two ladies’ dresses, a pair of shorts and a mobile phone charger. Suddenly, Debrah appeared on her and ordered her to surrender her bag or face the consequences. In the process, Debrah violently snatched her bag, together with it contents, and took to his heels. The complainant raised an alarm and the residents of the community came out to her aid and pursued him. Debrah jumped into a certain house where he removed the two mobile phones into his pocket and dropped the bag. The inmates of the house also woke up and began to pursue him, for which reason he scaled the wall again in an attempt to escape but he was arrested by the mob. A search in his pockets revealed the two mobile phones. He later led the mob to retrieve the bag and the rest of its contents from where he had hidden them in the house. A further search in his pocket disclosed one screw driver and a plier. Subsequently, he was handed over to the police, and during investigations, admitted the offence in his caution statement.

A land dispute at Adjagotey, a suburb of Kwabenya in Accra, turned bloody yesterday when a 36-year-old man’s wrist was slashed off in a clash between two groups, believed to be land guards from two families.   The victim, Ayittey Okaija, from the Sakumo Amatey We at Bukom, lost his left wrist after he and another person, Obuamah Addey, had gone to the site to drive away some men from Dome in Accra they had spotted working on the land they claimed belonged to their family. Immediately the men working on the land saw Okaija and Addey from a distance, one of them was said to have picked his phone and called for back-up. In the process of the confrontation, another group, numbering 15 and fully armed with machetes and guns, appeared from the bush and managed to surround Okaija and Addey. In an attempt to call for support, Okaija also picked up his phone and attempted to place a call for back-up, but one of the men from Dome, identified as Mustapha, used the machete he had come with to slash off Okaija’s wrist. The men, after cutting off Okaija’s wrist, allegedly pounced on his acquaintance, Addey, and gave him a severe beating. According to the Kwabenya Police Crime Officer, Assistant Superintendent of Police Mr Franklin Yevugah, Addey and Okaija managed to escape from the men and reported the case to the police. He said Okaija, who had then lost much blood, was rushed to the Atomic Clinic where he was given first aid and then referred to the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital for treatment. Asked whether the police had made any arrest, Mr Yevugah said all the suspects had fled when the police team arrived at the land site, which is close to the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) transmitter at Kwabenya. According to him, Addey confirmed that he knew the attackers and mentioned Baabi, Ahmed, as well as Mustapha, who had slashed off Okaija’s wrist, as some of the attackers. Mr Yevugah said Addey, in the course of interrogations, claimed that the attackers had mentioned Auntie Kaa, a resident of Dome, as the woman who had given them the authority to attack any person they (the Dome men) spotted at the site. Land disputes at Kwabenya According to Mr Yevugah, the clash between the two groups was not the only case reported to the police, adding that there had been several land cases which had resulted in clashes among land guards. “We have made several attempts to arrest these land guards but the problem we encounter is that most of them, apart from hiding in the bush, also manage to receive information before we get to the scene,” he said. He said although the police had been able to make some arrests in the past, recent clashes among land guards “have become rampant”. Police next step He said the police were waiting for Addey to return from hospital to lead them to the residence of Auntie Kaa, whom he claimed he knew. “Once we are able to find out the location of Auntie Kaa, we will then be ready to take the next action,” he said.

Uniliver has announced that by the end of 2014, all of the palm oil Unilever buys globally will be traceable to known sources.   In a statement issued by its business giants, Marc Engel, Chief Procurement Officer said  “Market transformation can only happen if everyone involved takes responsibility and is held accountable for driving a sustainability agenda. He said the progress has been made possible by the commitment and efforts of a number of their strategic suppliers. “We will continue to engage with our suppliers, NGOs, governments, RSPO, end users and other industry stakeholders to develop collaborative solutions to halt deforestation, protect peat land, and to drive positive economic and social impact for people and local communities.” “Unilever’s 2014 commitment marks a very promising step on the continuing journey towards real market transformation to sustainable palm oil,” Mr Richard Holland, Director of World Wildlife Fund’s (WWF) Market Transformation Initiative. Unilever’s role and actions have been instrumental on this journey so far.  They helped us establish the RSPO in 2004 and have been closely involved in its development into a credible institution and standard. But as importantly, Unilever has also matched its commitment with action on buying RSPO certified sustainable palm oil. That is why we ranked Unilever amongst the top scorers in the industry in our Palm Oil Scorecard. WWF also encourages leading companies in the sector to set the industry benchmarks on important issues like traceability, protection of peat lands, significant GHG reductions and no deforestation. We urge other companies along the palm oil value chain to follow the lead shown by Unilever”. Unilever is one of the world’s major buyers of palm oil for use in products such as margarine, ice cream, soap and shampoo. It purchases around 1.5 million tonnes of palm oil and its derivatives annually, which represents about three per cent of the world’s total production.

The Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority has expressed concern about the behaviour of members of the Presidential Task Force on Revenue Mobilisation and asked that they should be brought to book.   The alleged behaviour of the team, according to the Customs Division, did not only cast a slur on the integrity of the division but could also tarnish the reputation of the Office of the President. “This is because besides the wanton display of indiscipline, the task force members had “resorted to publishing confidential information about our revenue partners on air,” the division said. The concerns were expressed in a report sighted by the Daily Graphic that gave details of the misconduct of the members of the Special Operations Unit at the premises and warehouses of some of the companies which had been cited for under-invoicing. “We wish to request that the team be brought to order, to ensure they work within the customs laws and regulations they seek to enforce,” the report said. The report suggested that the conduct of the members of the task force who visited the premises of Messrs United Steel Company Limited and the CCTC Bond Warehouse, among others, should be reported to the appropriate authorities such as the Internal Affairs Unit of the Customs Division, Police Intelligence and Professional Standards Bureau (PIPS) and Military Police of the Ghana Armed Forces for the necessary disciplinary sanctions. The members allegedly verbally abused a female officer of the Customs Division at one of the warehouses and also threatened to “lock the officer up” if she failed to provide the information they wanted. Media briefing On Monday, June 24, this year, 30 companies were cited for under-invoicing the value of their goods at one of the country's entry points. The Presidential Taskforce on Revenue Mobilisation, which had impounded the under-invoiced goods belonging to the 30 companies, compelled the managers of the companies to pay the difference and penalty valued at over GH¢60,000. At a media briefing in June, this year, a deputy minister of Information and Media Relations, Mr Felix Ofosu Kwakye, told journalists that some officials of the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority and individuals connected to the 30 companies had been apprehended and placed in police custody. The taskforce, which comprises representatives of the various security agencies who operate under cover to unearth activities at collection points, was constituted to check smuggling at the country's entry points.

For Ghana to realise its dream of becoming a tourist destination of choice, it may not be enough to invest in physical infrastructure and sell the destination at travel fairs.   It may also be in the country’s interest to listen to what potential tourists are saying about the Ghana Brand. At the just-ended World Travel Market (WTM 2013), a number of visitors to Ghana’s stand had some complaints, chief among them being a visa regime that was not only expensive but also cumbersome. One of them, an Austrian tour marketer, described Ghana as “an attraction that is not accessible”. For him “accessibility” meant being able to access the destination without let or hindrance, be it visa acquisition, air fares or accommodation. While some complained of the “high cost of acquiring visa”, a number of them spoke of the cumbersome process. The Americans and Britons find it too cumbersome journeying from far away states or cities within the same country to get to New York or London for visas to Ghana. Often, they say, one has to wait for weeks to pick up the processed passport. “One hundred dollars for a visa may not be the most expensive in the world, but it’s a lot of money for an ordinary American or British working person who has to save for two years to make the trip,” cautioned the Austrian. For tourists coming from certain countries, Ghana grants “Visa on Arrival”, but they first must apply for it. “Mind you, this same prospective tourist has the option of The Gambia, where he does not need a visa at all,” a Canadian tour operator pointed out. Also a major challenge is the cost of flying to Ghana, not to mention what they described as “impossible accommodation rates”. While Ghanaian officials explained that the fares were determined by the airlines, not the Ghana government, one tour operator pointed out that high air fares to Ghana were also a factor of how many taxes had been slapped on them. On the accommodation challenge, the research officer at the Ministry of Tourism explained that it was a factor of demand and supply. “There are not enough of good hotels to accommodate tourists when they come en masse. It’s getting worse now, as oil and gas offer strong competition for investors’ money. These factors make Ghana an expensive destination and so people don’t want to come. Those who do stay for a short time,” the officer said.

The Eastern Regional Police Commander has begun an investigation into a violent attack on the Akuapem-Mampong Police Station by three gun-wielding armed robbers.   The command stated that it had taken over the case, given the “serious nature of the attack by the masked armed robbers.” The Eastern Regional Police Public Affairs Director, ASP Yaw Nketia-Yeboah, told the Daily Graphic that the command would go all out to apprehend the suspected armed robbers. He stated that the three robbers, armed with an AK47 riffle, a pump action gun and a locally manufactured pistol, stormed the Akuapem-Mampong Police Station at 2.30 a.m on November 10, 2013 with the motive to free their colleagues. Their intent was, however, foiled when the only policeman manning the station, Lance Corporal Ofori Djumor, fired two warning shots before being attacked by the armed men. He stated that police preliminary investigations revealed that the armed men had attempted to free four of their colleagues who had been placed in police cells for their involvement in a robbery incident. “The three armed robbers wounded the Lance Corporal on duty when they used their weapons to hit his head and left side of his neck before fleeing with an AK47 riffle with 20 rounds of ammunition”, ASP Nketia-Yeboah stated. That was after they had demanded the keys to the cell. The police patrol at Mampong were called in but it arrived at the police station after the attackers had left. “They rushed Lance Corporal Djumor to the Tetteh Quarshie Memorial Hospital where he was treated and discharged the same day”, he stated. The Eastern Regional Police Command had appealed to the members of the general public to be on the lookout and report to the nearest police station any persons seen with AK47 riffle.  Daily Graphic/Ghana