Fighting in the capital of Central African Republic over the last three days has left 35 people dead, the Red Cross says.

Justina Owusu-Banahene, former BA NPP Women’s Organiser  Justina Owusu-Banahene, the immediate-past Brong Ahafo Regional Women’s Organiser of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), has congratulated newly-elected regional executives of the party. Ms. Owusu-Banahene, who lost her position to an astute businesswoman, Dorothy Ama Amponsah in the just-ended elections, said the outcome would further enhance the […]

  The Ghana Mineworkers’ Union (GMWU) has welcomed the announcement by President John Mahama that Ghana is seeking international co-operation to venture into the processing of mineral resources. The union agreed with the President that over the years, over-reliance on primary production had denied the country the expected benefits from mining. In a statement signed by the General Secretary, Mr Prince William Ankrah, the GMWU said the non-processing of mineral resources created the impression that the country could only generate money from raw gold, bauxite and other minerals. “The union, therefore, supports the President’s programme for secondary production for value addition to be actualised as soon as practicable. Arguably, this can become a major  special presidential initiative of our generation,” it said. Determination & commitment The statement said moving into the processing of mineral resources required political determination and conviction, adding, “We have no doubt the President has such conviction.” According to the statement, the gold refinery notion had died over the decades, “especially when one looks at how Kwame Nkrumah’s vision for the establishment of a gold refinery at Tarkwa could not be actualised. It is in this light that the GMWU thinks that all interest groups should give their maximum support to enable the President to bring renewed energy, as well as new thinking into the structure of the mining sector,” it said. Legal provision The statement also said best practice elsewhere, such as Botswana, had shown that the best way to derive maximum returns from mining was through the processing of mineral resources. It called for a legal provision that would ensure that at least 20 per cent of raw gold produced in the country was retained for processing. “It is sad that countries without natural mineral resources like those of Ghana can boast amazing factories processing gold and diamond into jewellery,” the statement noted, citing Thailand and Dubai. It also indicated that putting up an aluminium smelting factory in Ghana for bauxite, for instance, would be immensely helpful to the country, since it would increase revenue and promote a vibrant manufacturing sector. The statement said similar processing factories could be established for diamond and other mineral resources. “Cumulatively, this can have a great job opening for our struggling economy and help boost the economic activities in the host communities,” it said. Better investment negotiation The statement stressed the need for better investment negotiation based on good research to derive the maximum benefit from the mining sector because “the investor will not come as a benevolent person.” It added that corporate greed had now become the norm, however unethical, and so “there is the need for adequate and detailed analytical preparations during such business negotiations”. “Our governments across the continent need to take a bold position on issues of investments with multinational companies and go in for a balanced deal.  

  An Accra circuit cCourt has remanded a fisherman in police custody for allegedly possessing firearms and ammunition without authority. Nene Asare Sackitey pleaded not guilty and has been remanded to reappear before the court presided over by Mr Francis Obiri on February 5, 2014. Facts of the case The prosecutor, Deputy Superintendant of Police (DSP) P.A. Morkeh, told the court that on December 8, 2012, the police received information that some men were having in their possession one AK 47 assault rifle and a quantity of ammunition. He said the police proceeded to the New Vision Hotel near New-Weija and spotted a Kia taxi cab parked at a drinking bar with the driver seated behind the steering wheel. He said the driver then approached the Police team and informed them of the suspicious nature of the occupants of his taxi. DSP Morkeh said the police searched the car and saw a bag containing one AK 47 assault rifle with serial number AZ 7437, magazines loaded with 48 rounds of ammunition and 41 rounds of 9mm ammunition. According to the prosecutor, on seeing the police, the accused person took to his heels and escaped. He said on August 6, 2013, based on intelligence gathered, Nene Sackitey was arrested at his hideout at Agomenya, Odumasi Krobo. He admitted the offence in his caution statement.   Writer's email:[email protected]  

Dr. Henry Kofi Wampah, BoG Governor Since the beginning of the year, a lot of Ghanaians have complained about the harsh economic conditions in the country. While industry operators and stakeholders in the country’s import sector have complained about the increases in taxes and utility tariffs and the untold hardship on the populace, President John […]

Stephen Duwon Clark is standing on the white rock patio, just to the right of the now-silent cannons of Ghana's Cape Coast Castle, trying to get himself around a memory he never had.

  The Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communications (GIFEC) has supported the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) with computers and their accessories worth GH¢11,060. According to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of GIFEC, Mr Kofi Attor, the computers will assist in information gathering and also enable the service to  be abreast of the modern trends in firefighting. Mr Attor was speaking at the inauguration of the GNFS Information and Communication Technology (ICT) laboratory at the GNFS headquarters in Accra. He said for the GNFS to function effectively, there was the need to make use of modern technology. The CEO said the idea was not just to supply institutions with computers but also to encourage them to make maximum use of the equipment. The Acting Chief Fire Officer,Brigadier General J.B.E. Guyiri, said the computers from GIFEC had been distributed to some of the GNFS stations in the regions and ,  including Wa, Nandom and Ho. He said considering the daily occurrences of fires and road accidents, the ICT laboratory  would facilitate rapid communication and information gathering for immediate responses. “Once ICT is well structured in an institution, carrying out activities becomes easier and faster,” he said He urged all the officers to make good use of the ICT laboratory in order to achieve its intended purpose.  

Seth Twum-Akwaboah Access to credit and cost of credit remained major constraining factors for businesses in the fourth quarter of 2013 with small and medium scale industries bearing the brunt, the latest Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) Business Barometer Survey has indicated. The survey revealed that high utility prices, taxes and high cost of raw […]

Business TodayAlto, i10, Figo fail crash test: Global NCAPBusiness TodaySome of the most popular small cars sold in India, including Maruti Alto 800, Tata Nano , Ford Figo , Hyundai i10 and Volkswagen Polo, have failed crash tests showing high risk of life-threatening injuries in road accidents, according to Global NCAP.India-made small cars lag rivals in global safety testsFinancial TimesGlobal watchdog says Indian cars fail safety testKULR-TVall 83 news articles »

Armed groups that finance their operations by trafficking wildlife in the Democratic Republic of Congo are to be targeted by UN sanctions.

Ebusua Dwarfs Chief Executive Nana Aidoo has rejected claims he’s quit the club.

  The only alternative source of water for the people of Bramkrom, a community in the Birim North District, near Nkawkaw, River Nwin, has been heavily polluted by illegal miners, who have placed their ‘chanfan’ machines in the river to mine gold. The ‘chanfan’ is the machine used in digging the sand from the riverbed. The situation is even more precarious as nurses at the Community Health Planning Services (CHPS) Centre, face serious challenges getting water for their work, especially during deliveries. Speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) at Bramkrom, the Odikro (chief) of the community, Nana Kwabena Chartey-Bram, said during the dry season, water became very scarce in the area. Nana Chartey-Bram disclosed that on December 29, last year, when he heard of the illegal mining on the river, which is their only source of water, he reported the matter to the Nkawkaw District Police Command, which has jurisdiction over the area. He said the police quickly went to the scene and arrested two of the operators and seized some of their mining equipment. However, ‘it seems the police is reluctant in prosecuting the case; as the last time I visited the police, the crime investigator told me to withdraw the case and settle it amicably with the illegal miners’.  When the GNA contacted the District Commander, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Seth Yirenkyi, he said he was not aware his crime investigator had made that suggestion, and that his outfit was still pursuing the case. He said he rather expected the complainant to report back to him about his displeasure concerning the investigator and not to go to the media. DSP Yirenkyi said they arrested two suspected illegal miners, as the others bolted at the sight of the police. According to him, the two suspects had since been granted police enquiry bail, pending further investigations. Nana Chartey-Bram said the community was heavily starved of water and that the little water from the only borehole flowed late in the night, ‘sometimes a bucket full’, which is shared amongst households, especially to those in dire need. According to him, the River Nwin, which serves as the alternative source of water, had now been polluted by ‘galamsey’ miners so they were unable to use it.  

Evans Raybon Anyadi, a Scheme Manager at the Adaklu Anyigbe Mutual Health Insurance Scheme located at Kpetoe who forged documents and raised vouchers for non-existent services has been arraigned before the Financial Court in Accra. The accused has been charged …

The Round of 32 matches of the MTN FA Cup would take center stage on Sunday as Premier League clubs line up against very resolute Division One and Two clubs for a place in the next round of the prestigious competition. In the quest to retain the title, defending champions Medeama SC would square off with Pure Joy FC at [...]The post MTN/FA Cup Thrills For Round 32 appeared first on The Ghanaian Times.