Former President John Dramani Mahama has urged the government to immediately eliminate import duties and tariffs on dialysis drugs and kits in the nation.

This is in response to a recent increase in the cost of dialysis therapy by more than 100 percent at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital’s Renal Dialysis Unit.

Speaking at an event commemorating the 2023 United Nations International Day for the Elderly, Mr. Mahama criticised the government’s choice to burden patients with expensive medical expenditures in the aftermath of the current economic crisis as callous.

Mr. Mahama also pledged to provide relief for patients of different ailments when voted into power in 2024.

“Given the opportunity, we shall bring relief to thousands of our citizens suffering from these ailments. Just this week, there was an uproar when the nation’s premier teaching hospital, Korle Bu announced an increase in charges for dialysis treatment by one hundred percent which is threatening to put the cost of dialysis treatment out of the reach of many patients and their families.

“The explanation I have read from the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital cites the increase in taxes and duties of materials for dialysis treatment as the main reason for their decision to hike the price by a hundred percent. As an immediate measure, I call on the government to exempt medication and kits for dialysis treatment from taxes and duties to maintain this critical lifeline for patients whose survival depends on these treatments.”

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) is requesting that the Electoral Commission (EC) extend the restricted voter registration period for those who have yet to register as a result of the Commission’s problems.

The EC began the exercise in all district offices in September, and it is scheduled to finish today, October 2.

The EC said in a news conference that it had registered over 600,000 eligible voters.

But, Mustapha Gbande, the NDC’s Deputy General Secretary, told Citi News that the EC must guarantee that all qualified candidates are registered before the operation closes.

People have been queuing for days at certain registration centres, according to Mr. Gbande, and they must be permitted to register before the exercise finishes.

• 66th Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Conference underway in Accra

“If you go to some centres, there are people who have been there in the last four days trying to register, and they have taken care of their own feeding and accommodation and one would expect that the EC would have a space for these people to be registered at least before the exercise comes to an end. So we expect that there should be places where they bring in more machines and workforce to ensure that they finish the people in the queue without having to send them back home.”

“If you go to a place like Asuogyaman, people have been in queues in the last four days, and the arrangements they have there is that you come and write your name and when it is time, then you come and register and so all these people assume that they are in a queue.”

The 66th Annual Conference of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA), one of the largest gatherings of parliamentarians in the Commonwealth, is underway in Accra.

More than 500 lawmakers, parliamentary staff, and decision makers from across the Commonwealth are attending.

It is on the theme: “The Commonwealth Charter 10 years on: Values and Principles for Parliaments to Uphold”.

 The CPA is an international network of nearly 180 Commonwealth parliaments and legislatures working together to strengthen commitments to the highest standards of democratic governance.

The week-long Conference (2023), which is under the Chairmanship of Speaker Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, marks the 10th anniversary of the Commonwealth Charter, which outlines its principles and values. 

There would also be a number of additional conferences and meetings including the 39th CPA Small Branches Conference, meetings of the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP), and Commonwealth Parliamentarians with Disabilities (CPwD) networks.

The rest are the 57th Society of Clerks at the Table (SoCATT) Meeting, Presentation of the 2023 Commonwealth Parliamentarian of the Year awards and the inaugural Emilia Monjowa Lifaka Lecture.

Mr Jeff Hyland, the Editor and Communications Manager at the CPA Secretariat, said the conference would provide an opportunity to engage in plenary sessions and seminars on topics of Pan-Commonwealth interests.

The CPA UK delegation has previously said that it would hold in-country talks related to the bilateral relationship between the United Kingdom and Ghana.

The conference is held annually to address global political issues and developments in the parliamentary systems throughout the Commonwealth.

The Electoral Commission (EC) has asked parents to advise their children under the age of 18 to avoid the ongoing limited voter registration exercise or face the consequences of the law. 

“We would like to use this opportunity to entreat parents to advise their wards who are less than 18 years not to be coerced by anyone to assume a new age and register as a voter because they may find themselves on the wrong side of the law,” it said. 

Dr Eric Bossman Asare, EC Deputy Chairperson in charge of Corporate Services, gave the warning at a press conference in Accra on Thursday to give an update on the voter registration exercise. 

He said that the Commission had received photographic and video evidence of minors, foreigners, and other unqualified persons participating in the registration exercise under the guise of the guarantor system. 

He warned that anyone caught in such an act would face the full force of the law. 

“We have noticed that minors and foreigners have taken advantage of the guarantor system with the support of some members of political parties to take part in the voter’s registration exercise,” he said. 

The EC begun the Limited Voters Registration exercise on September 12, 2023, to enable Ghanaians over the age of 18 register to vote in the next District Assembly elections. 

Eligible voters may use their Ghana card or passport as proof of identity, and if neither is available, applicants must present two registered voters to guarantee for them. 

Dr. Asare also political parties to refrain from pushing ineligible people to register. 

He stated that instead of engaging in such practices, political parties should instead help the EC to establish a credible voters’ roll, since they stood to benefit from the register. 

“Political party officials and members are also entreated to stop the practice of persuading people who are unqualified and ineligible such as minors from taking part in the registration exercise. 

“As our key stakeholders we expect the political parties to support us to ensure that the voters register is credible because if there are people who will benefit from a credible voters register, we strongly believe that the political parties will be one of the main beneficiaries,” he said. 

Dr. Asare noted that the guarantor system had outlived its usefulness owing to abuse over time. 

 He said it was past time to develop a procedure that would ensure each applicant was registered on their own merits rather than the guarantor system.  
 

Dr. Asare has thus urged political parties, civil society organizations, the media, and all stakeholders in the electoral process to support the proposed Constitutional Instrument (CI) that would make the Ghana card the sole identification card for registration. 

“The electoral commission believes that the guarantor system has outlived its usefulness, and we are convinced that the time is right for a system that every registrant is identified on its or her own merit rather than another person vouching for the age and nationality of that person. 

“We believe this must stop and the parties, the media, CSOs, all of us must support the EC to ensure the laying and the passage of the CI,” he said. 

Meanwhile, the Commission reported that 673,276 people have registered, out of 700,000 projected by October 2, 2023. 

Dr Bossman Asare was optimistic that the Commission would be able to meet its projected target because more kits had been distributed to the various registration centres supplement existing ones. 

The Electoral Commission (EC) said on Thursday that it was on track to meet its target for limited voter registration. 

The Commission is seeking to register some 1,350,000 onto its electoral roll. 

However, it indicated last week that it did not expect to cover all 1,350,000 persons targeted for registration within the 21-day exercise, and revised the target to around 700,000, representing 52 per cent. 

Addressing a press conference in Accra to give an update on the exercise, Dr Eric Bossman Asare, a Deputy Chairman in-charge of Corporate Services at the EC, said the Commission was on track to meeting its 52 per cent revised target. 

He said after 16 days of the registration exercise, the Commission had registered 673, 276 new voters. 

“The Commission is within a striking distance of the targeted 700,000 persons to be registered in this exercise,” he said. 

Dr. Asare stated that the Ashanti Region had the highest figure of 111,593, representing 16.6 percent, while the Savannah Region had the lowest count of 16, 045, representing 2.4 percent. 

Other regional figures are; Western– 42,269 (6.3 per cent); Western North – 22,386 (3.3 per cent); Central 63,228 (9.4 per cent); Greater Accra – 90,099 (13.4 per cent); Volta 43,099 (6.4 percent and Oti – 18,468 (2.7 per cent); Eastern – 69,597 (10.3 per cent) and Bono – 23,365 (3.5 per cent). 

The rest are; Ahafo 17,210 (2.6 per cent); Bono East – 28, 687 (4.3 per cent); Northern – 52,410 (7.8 per cent); North – East 17,692 (2.6 per cent); Upper East – 33,778 (5 percent and Upper West – 23,350 (3.5 per cent). 

Dr Asare stressed the Commission’s commitment to registering all eligible Ghanaians, stating that it increased the number of stations within its district offices to accommodate the large crowds at the centers and speed up the process. 

He said that the Commission would conduct a continuous registration exercise across all its district offices in 2024 to allow people who were unable to register this year to do so. 

“We will roll out another round of limited continuous registration in 2024 in our district offices and register people in the difficult-to-reach communities and selected electoral areas. 

“We reiterate that it is not our intention to disenfranchise anyone,” he said. 

Dr Asare also said that the commission had set October 3, 2023, for the replacement of misplaced voter ID cards at a fee of GH¢10 across its district offices. 

“The payment is through a short code that will be made available to the public very, very soon,” he said, adding that, this was to make it easier for the public.  

Those who want to transfer their votes to other districts will be able to do so from October 3 to 9, 2023, at all EC district offices. 

Dr. Asare assured that the EC would continue to tighten its systems to prevent ineligible voters, such as minors and foreigners, from getting registered to vote. 

“As a Commission, we are focused on ensuring and maintaining the credibility of the voters’ register. This is the reason behind the proposed new Constitutional Instrument (C.I) which will define the Ghana Card as the sole means of identification for new applicants to register as voters,” he said.