Home Blog Page 1055

Shippers should use right Incoterms for secured trade transaction

By
Editor
-
0
Mrs Gertrude Ohene-Asienim, Chairperson of the West African Branch of the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers (ICS), has encouraged shippers to use the right International Commercial Terms (Incoterms 2020) in their trade transactions.
 
That, she said, would bring clarity to obligations of contracting parties involved in trade, significantly  reduce negotiation time and eradicate arguments about who to blame when goods get damaged or lost during transit.
 
She said it would also show commercial professionalism, particularly when dealing with suppliers outside Ghana.
 
Mrs Ohene-Asienim gave the advice while addressing members of the Greater Accra Regional Shippers Committee (GARSC) at its third quarter meeting in Accra.
 
The meeting, the 109th in the series since the establishment of the GARSC, is to make known to shippers the relevance of the Incoterms 2020 in international trade and the prospects of the newly-introduced Integrated Customs Management System (ICUMS) by the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA)-Customs Division.
 
Mrs Ohene-Asienim explained that even though all old contracts between trade parties under Incoterms 2010 remained valid, it would be more prudent if Shippers employed the use of Incoterms 2020 in all their current negotiations.
 
“Incoterms are the single most effective measure to reduce risk and exposure in relation to delivery of goods,” she said.
Mrs. Esther Amekudzi, a Senior Revenue Officer of the GRA Customs Division, and a member of the ICUMS Task Force Team, said even though the new customs management system was developed to reduce clearance costs and time in line with the World Customs Organisation (WCO) Trade Facilitation Agreement, it was however experiencing some technical challenges.
 
She therefore appealed to shippers to remain calm as GRA-Customs and all stakeholders worked around the clock to address the challenges to enable users to enjoy the full complement and benefits of ICUMS.
 
Over 60 representatives from companies, trade associations, MDAs and other stakeholders participated in the sensitisation forum.
 
The GARSC is one of the 10 Regional Shipper Committees established by the Ghana Shippers Authority (GSA) to bring together shippers, trade related agencies, service providers and other relevant stakeholders in the shipping and logistics industry to discuss pertinent issues affecting the industry for redress.

By Benjamin Commey

Hohoe seat is non-negotiable, a done deal for the NDC – Asiedu Nketia

By
Editor
-
0
Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketia, General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has said the Party would retain the parliamentary seat in the Hohoe Constituency in the upcoming 2020 general elections.
     
He said the quality and ability of the Party’s Parliamentary Candidate in the Constituency, who belonged to the “right party,” was ready to champion the development of the people in the area.
     
Mr Asiedu Nketia speaking at the campaign manifesto launch of the Party in Hohoe, said “the Hohoe seat is an NDC win and before you go to parliament, you must belong to the right party.
     
“You cannot belong to a political party that will treat the people of Hohoe as second-class citizens and when it comes to election, you come and dish out money.”
     
He said the NDC as a party believed in opportunity for all and not individuals who do not care about the status of the citizenry, but rather enrich themselves and later turned to finance citizens by paying school fees and hospital bills for individuals, they failed to create the opportunities for.
     
The General Secretary urged the Party members to avoid people with that kind of self-centred agenda, adding that “there is no bitter medicine without sugar coating. So, my brothers and sisters open your eyes.”
     
Mr Asiedu Nketia noted that a vote for the Party in the general elections would not only be a second independence for the Volta Region, but for all minority groups in Ghana, since the quality of every democracy was measured by the treatment meted to minority groups.
     
He alleged that Eastern Corridor road was left in its current state, years after the New Patriotic Party (NPP) came into power because the completion of the road project would break the monopoly of the Party’s stronghold, where their financiers were located, adding that “the NDC believed in breaking down the monopoly over trade and businesses so that everybody from the North can access the coast”.
     
Mr Asiedu Nketia said what had happened to the Eastern Corridor road for the past four years was a testimony everyone could talk about and if there was any government that would build the road, it was an NDC government.
     
He said if there was an intention of completing construction works on the road, it would have been done within this period of the NPP government which was the same Party that sabotaged the source of funding for the project under the tenure of the NDC.
     
The General Secretary further alleged that “what is being hyped as the Western Togoland (WTL) issue is a 100 percent NPP orchestration because they want to do everything to make sure that you don’t participate in the December elections.”
     
He said the deployment of the military to the Region to protect the country’s borders rather led to intimidation of prospective registrants and added that “if they had come here to fight COVID-19 at the Ghana-Togo border, what were they doing terrorising Voltarians in Banda?”
     
The General-Secretary disclosed that what the NPP was doing with the WTL issue was to find some instances of disturbances and used them as excuses to create problems in the Volta Region, while questioning the whereabouts of those arrested to be involved in the Western Togoland happenings.
     
Mr Asiedu Nketia commended the chiefs for their statements against the secessionist group, urged them to “invite the members of the NPP to answer very unpleasant questions and let them know they can no longer sit on the fence.”

 

By Edward Williams, GNA

Huawei Ghana opens application for “Seeds for the Future 2020”

By
Editor
-
0
Huawei Technologies Ghana has opened applications for its global flagship Corporate Social Responsibility Programme dubbed: “Seeds for the Future 2020” set to commence from October 26 to October 30, 2020.
 
The programme is in partnership with the Ministries of Communication and Education, UNESCO, National Council of Tertiary Education, University of Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology and Ghana Communications Technology University.
 
A statement issued by Huawei Ghana said the “Ghana Sky Seed for the Future Programme” which sought to develop local ICT talents, enhance knowledge transfer, promote a greater understanding of the telecommunications sector, and improve regional building and participation in the digital community had benefitted 60 university graduates since its inception in Ghana in 2015.
 
This year, Huawei is offering slots for up to 50 for outstanding students in the bid to engage all Universities offering STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) related courses in Ghana.
 
The statement said as part of efforts to champion Girls in ICT, Huawei was encouraging more female students to apply.
 
“This year’s programme will focus more on advanced courses like IoT, Cybersecurity, Digital Trade, Digital Economy; Leadership Courses like Cross-Cultural Management, Strategic Management and Leadership Skills as well as other open ecosystem courses,” it said.
 
It said the intensive five day programme which would be held online, would provide an open ecosystem that supported online learning and engagement.
 
The programme which is in line with the digitization strategies of many countries will help cultivate a pool of ICT professionals that are crucial to industry development, thus boosting ICT industry growth and contributing to lower unemployment rates over the long term.
 
Participants will take part in a series of virtual tech talks with professionals in the tech space and a virtual tour of the Huawei Head Quarters in China to learn more about latest technologies.
 
It said participants of the 2020 Huawei “Ghana Sky Seeds for the Future programme” would receive free Data to take part in all activities and courses as well as get an opportunity to receive various surprises in form of gifts and rewards ranging from Huawei Smartphones, Shopping Vouchers, and free Huawei ICT Academy Enrollment among others.

Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) celebrates customer service week

By
Editor
-
0
The Management of the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) on Monday, held a short ceremony in its head office in Accra, to commence this year’s Customer Service Week on the theme: “Dream Team”.
 
The Management interacted with clients who were at the premises of the FDA to access services, shared in experiences, as well as assessed the quality of service received.
 
Mrs Delese Mimi Darko, Chief Executive Officer, Food and Drugs Authority, in an address, said clients formed the most important component of the operations of the Authority, and expressed the appreciation of the Management to all its customers, as well as the staff, for their loyalty and collaboration over the years to ensure quality standard of products for the market.
 
 
She however said clients in the past, had complained about the long bureaucratic processes they had to go through when accessing services at the FDA, but said the Authority had over the years, strived to improve upon the quality of service delivery, with the aim of achieving efficient, seamless and stress-free operations, to create a better experiences for its customers.
 
   
Mrs Darko indicated that customers were currently being effectively engaged in the assessment of its operations, through official channels including suggestion box at the reception area for comments and observations.
 
   
She further explained that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, its Client Service Staff had received further training to boost their capacities to effectively manage the usually large number of clients, thereby, minimising the waiting time for accessing services, while ensuring adherence to all the safety protocols.
   
The Authority, she said, had also made online provisions for easy access to some of its services, adding that the introduction of the progressive licensing scheme for small scale and cottage size food processors, which was a three-staged licensing regime to support these business units to improve on the safety, quality and wholesomeness of their products, had cut down on the usually long queues at its premises.
 
  She assured the public that the FDA would continue to explore other innovative ways of improving their services without compromising on the quality of products.

 

By Christabel Addo, GNA

We can’t allow incompetent “mason” Mahama to continue our foundation -Veep

By
Editor
-
0
Vice President Bawumia made the remarks at a mini-rally at Abelemkpe in the Ayawaso West Wuogon, to wrap up his Greater Accra Region working tour.
 
Dr Bawumia said the Mahama-led government was a total failure and could not be trusted to continue the good policies initiated by the ruling NPP government under President Akufo-Addo.
He cited flagship programmes and policies initiated  by the NPP government including the Free Senior High School, Planting for Food and Jobs, One-District, One-Warehouse, One-Constituency, One-Ambulance, One-Village, One-Dam and One-District, One-Factory.
 
He further explained that the ruling government had also restored the teacher/nursing trainee allowance cancelled by the previous administration, paid two billion Ghana cedis arrears of the NHIS left over by the NDC government and fulfilled 80 per cent of its 2016 electioneering campaign promises.
 
Madam Lydia Seyram Alhassan, the NPP Parliamentary Candidate for Ayawaso West Wuogon, said the ruling government had asphalted the deplorable roads in the Constituency, started constructing an Astro Turf and a health facility in the area.
She described Dr Bawumia as an intelligent and hardworking Vice President, saying he has distinguished himself as a powerhouse of knowledge in the field of economics and management of the economy as the head of the Government’s Economic Management Team.
“The Vice President is very intelligent and hardworking that is why am pleading with you to vote for me and President Akufo-Addo to continue our good works.
 
“Never in the history of Ghana has a Vice President been so visible and notable in government business,” she added.
 
By Godwill Arthur-Mensah, GNA

CPP Presidential Candidate rallies support for Jomoro Parliamentary Aspirant

By
Editor
-
0
The Presidential Candidate for the Convention People’s Party(CPP), Mr. Ivor Kobina Greenstreet has appealed to prospective voters in the Jomoro Constituency to vote massively for the CPP Parliamentary Candidate, Mr. Patrick Ekye-Kwesie in the December 07, elections.    
   
He also implored the entire Western Region to glorify Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah by returning the CPP to power to continue with the selfless governance system of Dr. Nkrumah.    
   
Mr Greenstreet was addressing CPP faithfuls and sympathizers at Beyin via zoom when the Jomoro CPP Parliamentary Candidate visited the town as part of his tour of the area.  
     
The CPP Parliamentary Candidate was accompanied by the Western Regional Communications Director, Madam Khadijah Ama Nkrumah, Regional Secretary, Mr. Francis Kofi Rigglets, Jomoro Constituency Organizer, Mr. Prosper Sallie and Regional Organizer, Mr. Thomas Amochie.  
     
Mr Greenstreet said “after 28 years of NPP and NDC’s disappointments and failures, we calls for sober reflection to rejuvenate the CPP as the only party to salvage Ghanaians from the economic doldrums”.
     
He said a CPP-led government would harness and utilize the resources in the Western Region and cash crops such as rubber as well as the Fisheries sector to make the people better off.    
     
Mr Greenstreet said closer attention would be paid to women in small businesses such as tailoring and trading, by supporting them with soft loans.    
     
The CPP Presidential Candidate reminded the people of Jomoro to vote for Mr. Ekye-Kwesie who had been tried and tested with proven ability and vision to prosecute the agenda of the CPP for industrialization.          
     
He said “it was time for economic freedom, accountability, prosperity and hope for the future”, adding that the CPP would restore the dignity of Ghanaians by bringing development to all neglected communities.  
     
The CPP Parliamentary Candidate for Jomoro, Mr. Ekye -Kwesie said the CPP would encourage inland drilling, citing Beyin as a little island bounded with a lot of resources, which required leadership to tap to create more jobs.    
     
He took a swipe at successive governments for usurping properties belonging to the CPP and urged the government to release all the private properties of the CPP to help the Party to stand on her feet.  
     
Mr. Ekye-Kwesie said the NPP promise of establishing a fertilizer factory in Jomoro during its 2016 campaign had become a white elephant.  
     
The CPP Aspirant said “the Jomoro area had been endowed with dedicated and vibrant youth who have nothing to show in life”.    
     
He advised the youth not to be swayed by the few pennies some politicians use to lure them to vote for them and leave them in their shattered conditions after winning the elections.        
     
The Western Regional Secretary of the CPP, Mr Francis Kofi Rigglets asked President Akufo-Addo to revive all defunct factories of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah as part of the One District, One Factory initiative.    
     
Mr Rigglets noted that though Dr. Nkrumah did not trumpet one District, One Factory, more than 600 factories were dotted across every District of Ghana.
   
He blamed successive governments for doing little to improve upon the legacy of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, which had brought untold hardships to Ghanaians.    
   
The Jomoro Constituency Organizer of the CPP, Mr Prosper Sallie challenged those who claim they were Nkrumahists to “join the CPP and stop the hypocrisy”.
 
GNA

Vulnerable persons appeal for inclusion into LEAP programme

By
Editor
-
0
Widows and vulnerable persons at the Kubaremateng community near Lassie in the Wa West District have appealed to the Wa West District Assembly to enroll them onto the Livelihood Empowerment against Poverty (LEAP) programme.
   
 They said for several years now, no vulnerable person in the community had benefitted from the programme and alleged that abled persons in other communities were benefiting from the programme.
     
“There are a lot of widows here (Kubaremateng) but we do not get the money that government gives to the vulnerable people. There are people with husbands who are still taking it, but we widows here don’t get”, said Madam Naabar Sanchaa, a widow in the community.
     
She made the appeal in an interview with the Ghana News Agency at Kubaremateng at the weekend during a visit to the community.
     
She said she had been a single mother for about ten years now since her husband died leaving her with five children, and added that, life has not been easy for her.
     
Madam Sanchaa noted that, all efforts for her as well as other widows at the community to get enrolled onto the LEAP programme had not yielded any positive results.
   
She appealed to the Wa West District Assembly to have pity on them and to enroll them unto the leap programme to help alleviate their plight.
     
Mr Micheal Arah Sei-uu, the Assembly Member for the Lassie Electoral Area, told the GNA that he would assist the vulnerable persons in his electoral area, including the Kubaremateng community to be enrolled onto the LEAP programme, when the assembly starts to enroll new beneficiaries.
   
He said for some time now the Assembly had not given opportunity for new beneficiaries to be enrolled and assured the people that they would be enrolled whenever there was the opportunity to do so.
   
On developmental issues, Mr Paul Daa, a resident of the Kuubaremateng community, indicated that the poor state of the road network linking the community to Lassie and other adjourning communities was negatively affecting their access to quality and timely health care services.
   
According to him, neither a car nor tricycle could get access to community, especially, during the rainy season to covey sick persons, including pregnant women and children to the nearest health facility at Lassia.
   
Mr Daa, therefore, appealed to the government and the Wa West District Assembly to fix their roads.
 
By Philip Tengzu, GNA

Rawlings commends UK-Ghana partnership on planned reconstruction of Tema-Aflao road

By
Editor
-
0
Former President Jerry John Rawlings has commended the United Kingdom-Ghana partnership for pooling resources and expertise to reconstruct the Tema-Aflao highway.
 
A statement issued by Mr Kobina Andoh Amoakwa, Communications Director of the Office of the former President, copied to the Ghana News Agency, noted that according to the former President, the effort by the two governments to set aside £80.3m generated through the UK-Ghana partnership, towards the reconstruction of the Tema-Aflao highway as part of the ECOWAS coastal expressway was a worthy initiative with significant economic benefits.
 
“The Tema-Aflao project will not only create direct job opportunities for Ghanaians but also provide them with expertise and improve their socio-economic wellbeing. This project will improve Ghana’s trade within the sub-region and offer a major upgrade to the road system along that corridor,” the former President said.
 
It said former President Rawlings urged the Ministry of Roads and Highways to use the opportunity to clear unapproved speed ramps that had become obstacles on the road and put in place modern road safety measures to help reduce road crashes.
 
It said former President Rawlings further urged the Government of Ghana to also consider the eastern corridor road as a critical project that would properly integrate Ghana’s road network and socio-economic activities.

By Iddi Yire

GFA to announce sales points for replica jerseys

By
Editor
-
0

The Ghana Football Association (GFA), has said it will soon make available, replicas of the new PUMA kits for public consumption.

   

The GFA has already held discussions with the kit’s manufacturer and wishes to set forth that plans are advanced to give Ghanaian football fans a treat.

   

The GFA would soon disclose all approved sales shops and outlets across the country for easy access to the jerseys.

    

The Ghanaian football public was wowed on Monday, October 05, 2020, when PUMA out doored the 2020/2021 national team kits. The new jerseys would serve the national teams for all international assignments during the period 2020/2021.

Methodist youth kicks off campaign against political vigilantism

By
Editor
-
0
The Methodist Church Ghana, in collaboration with the Greater Accra Regional Peace Council and National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), on Sunday, launched the “Methodist Youth against Vigilantism” group, to commence a campaign against political vigilantism.
 
The group, launched in Accra, was charged to promote peace messages at churches, communities, market places and via social media platforms, and musical concerts ahead of the December 7 general election.
 
The slogan for the campaign is, “Say No to Vigilantism, My Peace, Your Peace, Our Peace!”
 
The group at the launch sent a word of caution to the youth against vigilantism and its health, psychological, and social repercussions as well as the sanctions involved through a drama.
 
The Right Reverend Samuel K. Osabutey, Methodist Bishop of Accra, said humans differed in many ways ranging from principles, perceptions, religious beliefs and practices and social inclusions and it was required of all to accept each other to promote peace and development.
 
He said the Church found the need to sensitise the youth who were likely to be lured into vigilantism especially at a time the nation was heading towards an election.
 
Dr Afua Yakohene, a member of the Greater Accra Regional Peace Council, speaking on “The Need for Peace”, said the youth should be neutral and open minded about their future, families and put Ghana first in all endeavours.
 
“We are all different and unique and by pulling our strengths together, we can grow,” she added.
 
Dr Yakohene advised the public to indulge in politics of dignity and avoid name calling, bearing in mind the ‘Principle of Double Effect,’ where they could be affected by their own actions.
 
She appealed on all to adopt the value of dialogue to settle all forms of misunderstandings amicably, explaining that, dialogue gave an opportunity to explore the roots of crisis and deal with it to promote acceptance, consensus building, peace, stability and unity.
 
Mr Henry Attoh Okai,  Executive Secretary of the Greater Accra Regional Peace Council, addressing the youth on the topic: “Vigilantism and Related Offences Act 999 (2019)”, explained that the act was implemented after violence struck at the Ayawaso West Wuogon constituency, during a by election by vigilantes.
He said the “Act states that anyone found to be part of vigilantes and their actions shall be liable on conviction to a term of imprisonment of not less than 15 years and not more than 25 years.”
 
Such individuals shall also be banned from contesting a public or political party office until 10 years after serving their sentence.
 
On “Aiding and Abetting of an Activity of a Vigilante,” he said the Act directed that anyone who instigated or commanded a vigilantism action would be liable to a conviction of a term of not less than 10 years and not more than 15 years imprisonment.
 
It also criticised the funding of a vigilante group, stating that, anyone who contravened the Act be liable to a term of not less than 10 years and not more than 15 years imprisonment.
 
The Act also prohibits political parties from producing vigilantes, and holds any party which contravenes the Act to not less than 10,000 penalty units and not more than 25,000 penalty units. A penalty unit is GH¢12.00.
 
Mr Okai said the Party which failed to comply with the sanctions of the Act shall have its Chairman, General Secretary, National Organiser and Treasurer liable to not less than 10,000 penalty units and not more than 25,000 penalty units or to a term of not less than 10 years and not more than 25 years imprisonment.
 
Mrs Lucille Hewlett-Annan, Greater Accra Regional Director, NCCE, speaking on “Civic and Voter Education”, said voting was the civic duty of every eligible citizen and the only way to have a legitimate government to manage the affairs of the country.
 
She advised the youth to be agents of peace and sensitise their peers to join the fight against vigilantism.

 

By Eunice Hilda Ampomah, GNA

1...1,0541,0551,056...1,457Page 1,055 of 1,457