The government has initiated moves to establish a new national carrier after the collapse of the Ghana Airways and the Ghana International Airline. Currently, the government has engaged a transaction advisor to help with the process which would be based on a public, private partnership (PPP), under the supervision of the World Bank.   The Minister of Transport, Mrs Dzifa Aku Attivor, made this known at the inauguration of La Tante DC-10 Restaurant, within the Airport City in Accra yesterday. The restaurant is located in an old DC-10 aircraft which belonged to the defunct Ghana Airways. Later in an interview,  the minister said the process had advanced and that guided by the experiences of Ghana Airways and Ghana International Airline, the government was treading cautiously. She said the government had submitted two documents regarding its position on the PPP to the World Bank and was also in constant touch with its transaction advisor on the way forward, stressing that “President Mahama is very committed to bringing back the defunct Ghana Airways.” Mrs Attivor said following the decoupling of the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority in 2006, the Ghana Airports Company Ltd was charged, among other things, to focus on an aggressive commercialisation business drive, which involved commercialisation of landside and terminal activities and developments. She explained that the objective for establishing commercial activities like the restaurant was to diversify the airport commercial portfolio not only for economic gain to increase non-aeronautical revenue but to create the appropriate unique environment that excited the travelling and general public. Daily Graphic/Ghana Writer’s email: [email protected]    

Dredging of the Akora River, as well as the construction of three bailey bridges, at Agona Swedru in the Central Region has started. The project, estimated to cost GH¢124,000, is expected to be completed in 24 months to help solve the perennial flooding in Swedru.   Briefing a section of the media at the project site, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Agona West, Mr Charles Obeng-Inkoom, said the course of the river had many meanders which might have contributed to the frequent occurrences of flooding in the area and added that it was important that the river course be widened and straightened to ensure that the river flowed with ease. He said the project had become necessary because the government would want to forestall floods that occurred in the town and it environs, particularly the one that occurred on June 20, 2010. Mr Obeng-Inkoom noted that the contract was a promise made by late President Mills when he paid a visit to the town after the 2010 floods, adding that the commencement of the project demonstrated the NDC government’s commitment to end the incidence of floods in the area. He called on all who were staying close to the river to cooperate with and support the contractor for the speedy execution of the project. He urged the contractor to ensure that the project was executed ahead of schedule. Meanwhile, the Agona West Municipal Chief Executive, Mr Samuel Oppong, has met about 20 residents of Swedru who would be affected by the project and explained to them the rationale behind the execution of the project. He appealed to the affected residents to fully cooperate with the contractor so that the work would be completed within the stipulated period of time.   He also appealed to the contractor to execute the project efficiently and diligently to ensure value for money.  

Ericsson Ghana, in partnership with Airtel Ghana, has presented 150 notebook computers to the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) to be distributed to teachers and students in the metropolis. The donation forms part of efforts to deploy an Information and Communications Technology (ICT) solution programme in schools.   Presenting the computers, the Operations Manager at Ericsson Ghana, Mr Maher Maarouf, said the presentation was part of a “ Connect-To-Learn” project spearheaded by the company. The project, he explained, was a public-private partnership that involved the use of ICT solutions to promote universal access to quality secondary education. It aimed at reducing ICT support tasks from teachers and providing them with technology that was simpler to manage, so that they could focus on improving the quality of education, he said. For his part, the Head of Corporate Communications at Airtel Ghana, Mr Donald Gwira, said the company would provide broadband services at 50 per cent discount to the schools. “This is to show our support to quality education in the country,” he said. The Chief Executive Officer of the AMA, Mr Alfred Okoe Vanderpujie, lauded the organisations for its support to the assembly and education in the country. He expressed optimism that the computers would help improve the quality of education in the schools.   Daily Graphic/Ghana

The Accra Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Mr Christian Tetteh Yohuno, has called on personnel of the Ghana Police Service to be citizen-friendly in the discharge of their duties. He said the police administration was on a paradigm shift toward building a new police image and, therefore, urged the personnel to bring their knowledge to bear on that image drive, while maintaining their professional posture of being fair and firm.   Mr Yohuno made the call when he reviewed the passing out parade of 450 recruits at the Winneba Police Training School. He reminded the personnel of their oath to serve Ghana and for which reason they must seek to protect all Ghanaians, irrespective of where they were deployed. “Regardless of which department or community you will serve, we will demand much of you. We will expect you to protect all residents from the harmful effects of social miscreants,’ he told the recruits. “Remember you are not a law unto yourself. You are expected to be loyal to the state, accountable to the people and the law in all your endeavours,” he stated. Mr Yohuno reminded the personnel that the police had internal mechanisms that dealt with misconduct and weeded out all bad lots whose acts, either by omission or commission, brought the image of the police into disrepute. “The police administration, in an effort to crowd out this menace of indiscipline, has outlined several actions, including integrity checks, the introduction of the Police Badge of Authority and other covert activities,” he said. He commended the recruits for enduring the training, particularly Constable Rebecca Mankosah Darko, for winning the overall best recruit award.     Writer’s email: [email protected]

Ghana is expected to start producing its own gas from the Ghana Gas Infrastructure Project at Atuabo in the Western Region in May, 2014. The project, which is to process 150 million standard cubic feet of raw gas per day from the Jubilee Oilfield, is billed to be completed by the end of April, 2014, four months beyond the original completion period of December, 2013.   The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ghana Gas Company, Dr George Sipa Yankey, told President John Dramani Mahama yesterday during an inspection of the project at Atuabo that the delay in the completion of the project was due to some technical challenges. He told the President that the engineers had overcome the challenges and were working hard to finish the project by the end of April, 2014.   State of project The overall Ghana Gas Infrastructure Project is 75 per cent complete. The gas processing plant component is 60 per cent complete, while the onshore and the offshore pipelines are 94 per cent and 95 per cent,  complete respectively. Aside from the processing of gas, the plant will separate raw gas into various components such as lean gas, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), as well as other mineral residues such as propane and bitumen. The lean gas will then be transmitted through the pipelines to the Aboadze Power Plant for power generation. Sinopec of China is the lead contractor for the gas project. Other petroleum companies working on the project are Aecom from the United States, Thermo Design Engineering from Canada, Yokogawa from Japan, Technip from France and Worley Parson from the United Kingdom.  Dr Yankey assured sceptics that the Ghana Gas Company and the government were committed to the execution of the gas project. He said the completion of the project would reduce the cost of power generation and ensure reliable power supply in the country. The Chairman of the Ghana Gas Company, Dr Kwesi Botchwey, said the company had resolved to deliver the gas project according to specification and with good quality.   President Mahama In his remarks, President Mahama said the gas infrastructure project was critical for the country in terms of the numerous petrochemical products that the people would derive from it. "I am convinced that by the middle of next year we should start producing our own gas," he said. The President commended the engineers and the management of the project for bringing it thus far. "Do not rest on your laurels but rather work diligently to deliver the gas at the time that we have scheduled," he requested of them.   Daily Graphic/Ghana

Guinness Ghana Breweries Limited has introduced a modern portable production and packaging line for the production of drinks. Christened ‘Cube,’ the equipment, valued at GH¢9.36 million is the first of its kind in Diageo Africa and will serve to produce and bottle mainstream spirits.   It is currently producing Gilbey’s Gin - a brand with great heritage, high quality liquid and distinctive packaging, which was launched in Accra earlier this week. Speaking about the plant to key distributors of the company after a tour of the facility, the Cube Production Manager, Mr Michael Akman, said: “It is our tradition to innovate at scale to meet consumer demands and to do so we consistently seek to offer our consumers unique quality products.” He said the new plant would provide the company the opportunity to expand its operations and provide a variety of premium brands to the Ghanaian market. The Corporate Relations Director of GGBL, Ms Preba Greenstreet, reiterated the opportunities available with this innovation. “Such innovation offers us the opportunity to employ more hands, while providing state-of-the-art production systems for our premium brands,” she said. “During installation alone, 70 per cent of labour for the mechanical and electrical installation was sourced locally.”   After witnessing a demonstration of how the plant works, the Managing Director of Fanteakwa Commercials Limited, Mr Kwaku Addo, said: “The plant is well organised to ensure the highest standards of safety and quality are adhered to. This guarantees the premium products that will be produced.” Daily Graphic/Ghana

The North Volta Rural Bank has declared a net profit of GH¢173,710 in the last financial year compared to GH¢80,315 in the previous year. The bank, which has its headquarters at Guaman in the Jasikan district, continues to make positive strides in its operations.   It had also increased deposits from GH¢4,318,471 as against GH¢2,759,769 in the same period and also kept all statutory reserves above minimum threshold as required by the Apex Rural Bank. This was contained in a speech read on behalf of the chairman of the board of directors of the bank, Dr Patrick Ata, by another board member, Mr Gustav Adu at the 19th annual general meeting (AGM) of the bank at Guaman. He said the bank granted loans and overdrafts to 1,394 persons including those in the fields of agriculture, trading and salaried customers. The board had proposed the payment of GH¢30,000 to its shareholders based on the good performances of last year. Mr Ata announced that the bank, with the approval of ARB Apex Bank and in collaboration with a team of researchers from the World Bank, University of Ghana, Dartmouth College and an international research organisation with a country office in Ghana, Innovations for Poverty Action had commissioned a research into the provision and improvements of products and services to customers. The outcome, he said, was expected to motivate customers for good saving habits for mutual benefit to both shareholders and customers. He said the bank also delivered social responsibilities towards the celebration of Farmer’s Day celebrations in the Jasikan, Kadjebi, Nkwanta and Krachi East districts in the northern sector of the Volta Region. Dr Ata said the bank also made donations to the Guaman Junior High School, Ghana Education Service in the Kadjebi district, Jasikan College of Education, the chiefs and people of Guaman and the Guaman Basic School. In an address read on behalf of the head of legal/compliance of the ARB Apex Bank Limited, Mr Curtis W. Brantuo, the Managing Director of ARB Apex Bank, Mr Kwadwo Aye Kusi, charged the bank to comply with the Know Your Customers (KYC) principles to enhance risk management and auditing initiatives. He announced that the Apex bank had commenced the implementation of branchless banking with the procurement of the Temenos Arc Mobile Platform aimed at offering an alternative to conventional branch-based banking. Mr Kusi said branchless banking would allow financial institutions and other commercial actors to offer financial services outside traditional bank premises by using delivery channels such as retail agents, merchants, mobile phone to substantially increase the financial services outreach to the unbanked in communities.   He said the ARB Apex Bank was also developing a new strategic plan from 2014-2018 that would focus on providing efficient services to the Rural and Community Banks (RCBs) for improved customer satisfaction and creating a platform on which the unbanked and the under banked may participate. Daily Graphic/Ghana

 Government workers who request for original hard copies of their payslips to facilitate loan applications are being compelled by some loan officers and workers at the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department (CAGD) to pay between GH¢40 and GH¢100 before the payslips are printed for them. As a policy, financial institutions accept only original pay slips for loan transactions, so workers who readily do not have the latest slips for the three months preceding their loan application are forced to pay the illegal fees to some loan officers who claim they need to pay some workers of the CAGD to get the slips. At the Kwame Nkrumah Circle branch of IZWE Loans Company, The Mirror learnt that clients who did not have the slips pay between GH¢40 and GH¢100 to agents who work at the company, who in turn pay the money to their contacts at the CAGD to get the slips to enable them to process the loan applications. For instance, an applicant who visited the CAGD in the company of The Mirror on Wednesday, November 6, to pick copies of her payslips for the months of August, September and October was told to call again next week as the department was having some challenges with the printing of the payslips. However, when the applicant returned to IZWE and reported the challenges she was facing at the CAGD with regard to her payslips, one of the officers managed to get the payslips from his contact (s) at the CAGD almost immediately.  It was also revealed that the loan officers do all they can to get clients’ payslips to enable them to process their loan applications because they get commission on the number of clients that they bring in to take loans. When The Mirror visited the Swanzy Arcade branch of the Consumer Finance Company, a loan officer confirmed that he could get all the payslips required to process a loan application, without the involvement of the applicant (government worker). In September, the CAGD announced the introduction of electronic payslips or E-Payslips for public sector workers. The system, expected on stream before the end of 2013, would enable workers to view the summary of their payslips on mobile phones before going to the banks. Madam Grace Adzroe, the acting Controller and Accountant-General, announced this at the inauguration of a payroll printing site in Ho for the Eastern and Volta regions recently. Some workers received their E-Payslips for the month of September on their mobile phones, which means they could also print them out from their computers if they so wished. However, an officer at IZWE, who pleaded anonymity, said the company would not accept payslips that workers would print out themselves because some people could print many payslips and attempt to take multiple loans from various companies, thus putting the businesses of the loan companies at risk. “We deface the original copies printed by the CAGD that the applicants present to us after we have finished processing the loans to make it practically impossible for the applicants to present them at another company for more loans but with the print out of the E-Payslip, they can print as many as they want and apply for more loans which they can obviously not pay,” the officer said. He said with the current economic hardship in the country, many workers were chasing loans all over the place and that had compelled some people to capitalise on the situation to create a payslip-printing business.  He, therefore, called for a stakeholders meeting on the government’s plans to introduce E-Payslips since the move would affect their business. In an interview with Madam Adzroe, she insisted that the introduction of the E-Payslip system did not mean that original hard copies of payslips would no longer be given to workers.  “Workers will still receive their printed payslips through their institutional heads only. We do not give payslips to individual workers, so those who for some reasons need copies of their payslips should apply for them through the heads of their institutions only,” she pointed out. She said the CAGD had offices in parts of the country, where payslips are printed for workers, and anybody who had issues with their payslips should report to the heads of their institutions, who would in turn forward the concerns to the department for attention. “We have an office in Tamale that serves the three northern regions; Takoradi for Central and Western regions and Accra for the Ashanti, Brong Ahafo and Greater Accra regions.”   Workers can access their E-Payslips online by visiting www.gogpayslips.com. They are to contact the management/unit heads for registration codes. TheMirror/Ghana

Personnel from the Homicide Unit of the Ghana Police Service on Thursday visited Seikwa in the Tain District in the Brong Ahafo Region to help unravel the circumstances that led to the gruesome murder of the Paramount Chief of the Seikwa Traditional Area, Nana Kwaku Dwuma Ankoana II. The late Nana Ankoana was shot in the chest by unknown assailants while he was relaxing in a porch at his private residence on Monday evening.   No arrest has been made so far and the visit by the unit formed part of police investigations to bring the perpetrators of the gruesome murder to book. The Brong Ahafo Regional Police Public Relations Officer (PRO), Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Mr Christopher Tawiah, who disclosed this to the Daily Graphic in Sunyani, said the visit of the unit to the scene of the crime demonstrated the commitment of the Ghana Police Service to get to the bottom of the matter. Meanwhile, information gathered by the Daily Graphic from Seikwa indicates that residents of the town who own firearms have been asked to send them to the local police station, after which a house-to-house search will be conducted by the security personnel on the ground. The Member of Parliament ( MP) for Tain, Mr Kwasi Agyeman Gyan-Tutu, whose constituency the Seikwa Traditional Area falls under, told the Daily Graphic that personnel from the National Security were also on the ground to assist in investigations to help get to the bottom of the matter.   He reiterated his appeal to the people to remain calm and have confidence in the police, since they were capable of unravelling the truth in the matter. Daily Graphic/Ghana

Work on the multi-million cedi Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) Junction-Sofoline-Abuakwa road project in Kumasi has suffered yet another slowdown due to a delay in the release of funds to the contractor. This situation has compelled the contractor, China Geo Construction, to lay off its casual workers.   When the Daily Graphic team took a drive on the 11-kilometre road last Thursday, it came to light that only a skeletal workforce was at post. Work on some sections of the road, including the Kwadaso/South Suntreso Junction-KATH Roundabout, had also stopped. Sources close to the project told the Daily Graphic that the delay in the release of funds was hampering the operations of the contractors. The solely government of Ghana-financed project, which started in August 2007 at an initial cost of GH¢73 million, was to be completed in 36 months. However, work was suspended for about nine months in 2011 due to a delay in the payment of prepared certificates by the contractors. Consequently, the contractors were given an 18-month extension to complete the work by July 31, 2013, with the contract sum reviewed upwards to GH¢99,869,953.87. The extended deadline has elapsed, yet the work has not seen any signs of being completed anytime soon. The Project Engineer of ABP Consult, the consultants to the project, Mr Kwaku Boampong, admitted the delay in the payment to the contractor but said the government had initiated steps to release funds. “There is the likelihood that the money will reach the contractor soon,” he said in an interview. He said everything was being done to complete the parts of the project where work had started already. Mr Boampong said the Sofoline Interchange section, for instance, was about 92 per cent complete and that the remaining seven per cent would be completed before the end of this year. The road project, which covers 11 kilometres of asphaltic concrete paved six-lane dual carriageway, also includes associated drains and the construction of an underpass at the KATH Roundabout. The project, which is among some major road projects being undertaken to give Kumasi a facelift, also consists of the Sofoline Interchange. Contractors have divided the work into three sections — the Abuakwa-Apatrapa Junction, the Apatrapa Junction-Bekwai Roundabout and the Bekwai Roundabout-KATH Roundabout.   Currently, much of the work that has been completed is on the six-kilometre Apatrapa Junction-Bekwai Roundabout portion, which includes the Sofoline Interchange. Daily Graphic/Ghana

Mr Henry Romulus Sawyerr, alias Harry Sawyerr, has died at the age of 87. An astute politician and chartered surveyor, Mr Sawyerr died on Thursday morning. He was a former member of the Council of State, former Minister of Transport and Communications, former Minister of Education and former Member of Parliament.   He resigned his position as Vice-Chairman of the Council of Elders of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) days before he turned 87. Mr Sawyerr has, over the last six decades, distinguished himself in the areas of politics, nation building and private practice as a chartered surveyor. He was decorated with the highest honour of state, Companion of the Order of the Volta, by the late President J. E. A. Mills. The citation accompanying that honour read: “As Minister of Transport and Communications, he will be remembered for introducing into Ghana TATA buses for public transportation, procuring at his own expense the first conveyer belt for the Kotoka International Airport and securing ships for the Black Star Line in a bid to resurrect the company. He was also instrumental in the setting up of the FCUBE, the Best Teachers Award Scheme and the Distance Education Programme.” His residence at Labone is usually a beehive of activity, as it is constantly populated by his children and many grandchildren who are doted on by Mr Sawyerr and his industrious, loving wife, Mrs Esther Sawyerr. Indeed, their home has been a safe haven for many.  He was a firm disciplinarian, a homely but strict family man, selfless and dedicated, both to home and nation, and the output of his strong family values and demand for the best in his children were reflected in President John Mahama’s Deputy Chief of Staff, Dr Valerie Esther Sawyerr, who served in the same position under the late President Mills; Mrs Olive Yeboah, a Manager at UT Bank, and Dr Angela El-Adas, the Director-General of the Ghana AIDS Commission. Mr Sawyerr was appointed valuer for the Kumasi City Council in 1962 and a year later became the first African to be appointed Chief Federal Lands Officer for the Federal Republic of Nigeria. His hard work, dedication and planning excellence endeared him to many in the Nigerian politburo and business class. Before joining the city council, Mr Sawyerr had served in various capacities between 1953 and 1962. Those included working as a probationer with the London County Council Valuation Department while studying at the London University College of Estate Management and later with the Lands Department in Accra and Kumasi. He was the first President of the Ghana Institution of Surveyors between 1970 and 1972, and between 1971 and 1977 he was the Organiser and Convener of the Association of Recognised Professional Bodies. He was also an External Examiner in Rating Valuation for the Department of Land Economy at the then University of Science & Technology (now KNUST). In 1990, prior to becoming a Minister of Education, Mr Sawyerr became the first Chairman of the Executive Council of the University of Ghana Medical School and  since then he had been sponsoring prizes for graduating medical doctors of the Ghana Medical School. After the 1981 coup d’etat he, in the company of others such as the late Peter Ala Adjetey, was incarcerated at the Nsawam Prison for more than three months and later released when no wrongdoing was found against him. He subsequently joined the NDC and was elected National Vice-Chairman of the party. He chaired the National Campaign Committee in 1992.  He was appointed Minister of Education between 1993 and 1997 and during that period reformed the ministry and the Ghana Education Service to a great extent. One of his major hallmarks was ensuring punctuality to work. He was instrumental in setting the framework for the attainment of the FCUBE programme as enshrined in the 1992 Constitution, establishing the Best Teacher Awards Scheme and the Distance Learning programme. He was appointed to the Council of State in 1998 and served till 2000. He was an ardent football enthusiast and staunch Accra Hearts of Oak supporter. He was a Life Vice-Chairman of Patrons and became Life Chairman of Patrons. He won five trophies for the club in the 1980s when he was called upon to take charge of the management of the club and save it from further decline.  His contributions had not only been financial but also inspirational. It was said by some die-hard fans that his home was a must-visit after matches on Sundays because food and drinks were prepared and served to the technical and playing body and any supporter who visited the house.    Daily Graphic/Ghana