Ghana, Togo Resolve To Deepen Co-Operation & Bilateral Ties

Ghana, Togo Resolve To Deepen Co-Operation & Bilateral Ties << Prev  |  Next >> 04-May-2017    Comments ( 0 )  Email  Print

Related Stories Ghana and Togo have resolved to deepen co-operation, as well as strengthen the ties of friendship that exist between them in the sectors of security, immigration, agriculture and water, health, trade, digital economy, environment, energy, transport and the issue of maritime borders. A communiqué issued at the end of the official visit of the President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, to the Republic of Togo noted that, together with President Faure Gnassingbe, both leaders have indicated their willingness to activate “the High level permanent joint Commission of cooperation between the two countries.” On Wednesday, May 3, 2017, the two leaders visited the Joint Border Post at Noepe and Akanu. Despite the commissioning of the post some 3 years ago, it is yet to function. To this end, the two Presidents instructed their respective Ministers to speed up the interconnection of Customs IT systems so as to operationalize the post, and aid in the free movement of goods and persons across the Ghana/Togo border. With reference to agriculture, the single largest occupation of the populace of both countries, the two leaders called for the intensification of technical cooperation, and the exchange of experience between the two countries, particularly in aquaculture, and the development of coffee, cocoa and cashew nuts. On the Sogakopé-Lomé drinking water supply project, the two Heads of State stressed the need to speed up the implementation of the project, as the ripple effects of this project will be of immense benefit to the two countries. President Akufo-Addo and President Gnassingbe also expressed their determination to strengthen actions to combat illegal timber trade, and tasked their respective ministers to put in place the appropriate mechanisms to this end. Touching on the continuation of the programme of electrification of the localities along the borders of their respective countries, the two countries renewed their commitment to ensuring the completion of the joint hydroelectric dam project in Juale. In the area of road infrastructure, the two Presidents instructed their respective Ministers to seek funding in the ECOWAS framework for the construction and rehabilitation of the roads linking Kemerida-Kara-Nachamba, in Togo, and Tatale-Yendi, in Ghana. Addressing the issue of common borders between the two countries, President Gnassingbe and President Akufo-Addo agreed to give priority to high level dialogue, instead of resorting to the courts to answer the delimitation of their maritime boundaries, on the basic of the principle of equity and the right of each country to have a sea front. At the end of his visit, President Akufo-Addo expressed his deepest gratitude to President Faure Gnassingbe for the warm and fraternal welcome extended to him and his delegation. He extended an invitation to his Togolese counterpart to pay a reciprocal visit to Ghana, an invitation which was accepted by President Gnassingbe.

We are on track to stabilize Cedi – BAWUMIAH

Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has stated that government is on track to restoring the country’s economy by stabilising the cedi and reducing inflation significantly.

According to him, the cedi, which had depreciated over the years, is gradually gaining some stability and pledged that government would continue to work to keep it stable.

“The key part of job creation is creating a vibrant private sector and making sure our cedi is stable.

“When we came it was running at 100 metres speed; we have arrested that a little and we will continue to work to keep the cedi stable. We are bringing inflation down and we will also bring interest rates down significantly,” he declared.

The vice president was addressing a durbar of chiefs and people of the Gbi Traditional Area in the Hohoe municipality of the Volta Region in honour of John Peter Amewu, for his appointment as the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources.

Cedi Performance

The performance of the cedi against some major foreign currencies, especially the dollar, has come under focus since the beginning of the year.

The cedi had depreciated against the dollar thereby prompting concerns among Ghanaians as such an occurrence has a sharp effect on the prices of goods and services in the country.

But the cedi has recovered significantly against the dollar by recording a 1.13 percent appreciation as at April 21, 2017.

It now stands at GH¢4.20 per dollar and selling at GH¢4.40.

Dr Bawumia indicated that the 2017 budget presented by the government is enough evidence that the president is a man of his words with regards to the promises he made prior to the 2016 general election.

He pointed out that government would be rolling out the much-talked-about ‘One District, One Factory’ project by June this year to create jobs and transform the economy.

“By June we will be rolling out the ‘One District, One Factory’ in Ghana. We want to create jobs, we want to transform the economy and so we are all going to be putting our shoulders to the wheel,” he said.

He urged Ghanaians to have faith in the government and brace themselves up for all the great things that are in the pipelines for this country.

Special Prosecutor To Be Busy

Vice President Bawumia hinted that the Special Prosecutor, when appointed by President Akufo-Addo, would be very busy this year in the fight against corruption in the country, in order to nip the canker in the bud.

According to him, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government is not going to be tainted with corruption...source Ghanaweb

METRO MASS TRANSIT CHASES NDC FOR 1.9 MILLION GHC DEBT

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The state transporter, Metro Mass Transit Limited (MMTL) is reportedly on the heels of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) over buses the party rented whilst in government but allegedly failed to pay for the services the company rendered to it.

According to a pro forma invoice issued to the NDC after it had lost the general elections on December 7, last year, a total of GH¢1.921,896.99 was supposed to have been paid to the state transport company by the then governing party.

Pro forma Invoice 

The pro forma invoice was sent to the party’s headquarters for the attention of the NDC National Organizer, Kofi Adams, who doubled as the Campaign Coordinator of John Dramani Mahama’s campaign team – which failed to achieve the goal of a second term bid for the former president. DAILY GUIDE learnt that the debt was still not fully paid.

The NDC had allegedly hired a total of 506 buses for its luxurious 2016 electioneering campaign but sources say the party only paid GHC410,000 out of the GHC1.921,896.99 debt, despite a supposedly generous discount offered to the party.

Metro Mass had even given the NDC a 20% discount for using the buses between November 30 and December 9, 2016.

The original amount for using the 506 buses was GHC2.402,371.24 but were given an invoice of GHC1.921,896.99 as a result of the 20% discount.

All attempts to speak to Kofi Adams and the MMT Managing Director, Hassan failed as calls put through went unanswered.

DAILY GUIDE sources claim that the NDC’s inability to settle the debt has impeded the MMT’s bid to settle its creditors, including GOIL which supplies the transport company with fuel.

GOIL source told DAILY GUIDE yesterday that the state transporter indeed owes it (the oil company) but could not readily lay hands on the amount.

Breakdown 

In the invoice, Metro Mass gave details of the locations that all the 506 buses were distributed to. The buses were used to ferry party supporters to their voting centres across the country, but the party’s humiliating defeat by Nana Akufo-Addo and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) made it difficult for it to settle the bill.

Cape Coast had 22 buses at a total cost of GHC105,950.00 and a 20% discount of GHC84,760.00 while Wa and Koforidua had 11 each at a cost of GHC60,977.80 for Wa and GHC50,600.00 for Koforidua and a 20% discount of GH¢48,782.24 and GHC40,480.00 respectively.

According to the invoice, Kumasi had 113 buses with the overall cost of GHC601,740.80 at 20% discount of GHC481,392.64 while Takoradi had 42 at GHC411,591.00 with 20% discount of GHC329,273.52.

The invoice indicates that Swedru was given 23 buses – GHC131,050.00 and 20% discount of GH¢104,480.00 with Adenta, Accra, getting 50 buses – GHC186,496.00 at 20% discount of GHC149,196.80, while Ho received 48 – GHC65,619.00 at 20% discount of GHC52,495.20.

Tema was given 26 buses at the cost of GH¢159,300.00 with 20% discount of GHC127,440.00; Kaneshie had 38 – GHC203,600.00 and 20% discount of 162,880.00, while Laterbiokoshie, Accra, had 31 – GHC215,800.00 with 20% discount of GHC172,640.00/

There were 23 buses for a special project at a total cost of GHC55,600.00 and 20% discount of GHC44,480.00, while Oda had 5 buses at the cost of GHC39,824.00 and 20% discount of GHC31,859.20. Sunyani was allocated 17 buses – GHC29,900.00 with 20% discount of GHC23,920.00.

Tamale had 25 – GHC48,600.00 at 20% discount of GHC38,880.00, while Bolgatanga was also allocated 21 – GHC53,721.74 with 20% discount of GHC28,577.00.

US government mobilizes $115 million for Ghana’s agricultural sector

Feed the Future, an initiative by the United States government has mobilized more than $115 million in private sector investment for Ghana’s agricultural productivity, boost incomes, and link farmers to market and trade opportunities, Melinda Tabler-Stone, Chargé d'affaires, US Embassy has said.

According to her, the US government is aware that the growth of commercial agriculture in Ghana is constraint by lack of access to private capital and lack of access to markets and is therefore fully committed to working with its partners and the government of Ghana for a solution.

She brought this to the fore at the fourth annual agribusiness investment summit held in Accra, Thursday.

“Together with the government of Ghana development partners, we support small, medium and large enterprises in the maize, rice, and soy value chains. That support includes helping them form strategic partnerships and gain access to finance. To date, we have mobilized more than $115 million in private-sector investment for Ghana’s agricultural sector. This achievement has directly benefited more than 95,000 smallholder farmers in northern Ghana – and 40 percent of them are women,” she said.

“We are also promoting alternative and competitive sources of agricultural financing through the Ghana Alternative Market, which is operated by the Ghana Stock Exchange. As these efforts enrich equity financing and public-private partnerships, they also strengthen the regulation of capital to improve access to finance,” she added.

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), through the US government’s Feed the Future Initiative, hosted the fourth annual agribusiness investment summit to showcase investment opportunities in Ghana’s agribusiness. The event which was under the theme, ‘Mobilizing Strategic Investment for Agriculture”, brought together business service providers, financial institutions, agribusinesses, farmers, development partners and the Ghana government.

The main aim of the event was to spotlight Ghanaian agribusinesses, and link them with viable private investment opportunities. The event featured panel discussions on subjects including opportunities in the agriculture sector, the importance of forming strategic partnerships to enhance agricultural productivity, and alternative sources of financing for agribusiness...............source Ghanaweb