Day: November 22, 2023

Dr. Hafiz Bin Salih, the Upper West Regional Minister, has encouraged the government of the Federal Republic of Switzerland to consider investing in the economic potential of the region.

He said the region was endowed with economic potential in the areas of agriculture, especially maize cultivation and groundnut processing and tourism, which the Swiss government could invest in.

Dr. Salih said this in Wa when the Switzerland Ambassador to Ghana, Togo and Benin, Madam Simone Giger, called on him to begin a working visit to the region.

‘There are so many areas that we can collaborate and cooperate so that it can benefit the two countries, in agriculture, education, health and human resources development.

These are areas that we can look at critically so that we see where we can tie our nuts so that the two countries can benefit,’ Dr. Salih explained.

He said the visit of the Ambassador to the region would strengthen the bilateral relations between Ghana and Switzerland as she would appreciate the key chal
lenges and potentials of the country.

‘I am happy that you have gone beyond Accra because most people try to restrict themselves to the environs of Accra but in your case, you decided to go beyond that and I want to commend you highly for taking that initiative,’ he stated.

Dr. Salih explained that the Upper West Region remained peaceful despite its proximity to Burkina Faso where there were some security infractions resulting from violent extremist activities in that country.

The Regional Minister attributed that to the pragmatic measures put in place by the Government to maintain the security of the region and the country.

The visit of the Ambassador was to, among other things, acquaint herself with the region and to visit some local government project sites in the region.

Madam Giger said the government of Switzerland was one of the main sponsors of the decentralised budget of the government by providing funding to the performance-based element of the decentralised budget.

The Ambassador said she had
been in the country for about 15 months now and decided to visit all the 16 regions in the country to see some of the projects funded by the decentralised budget with the Upper West Region being the 12th to be visited.

As part of her visit, Madam Giger was expected to hold a meeting with the Wa Municipal Assembly as well as pay a courtsey visit to Wa Naa, Naa Fuseini Seidu Pelpuo IV.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia has advised personnel of the Ghana Police Service to channel their work-related grievances through the Command Structures of the Service, instead of resorting to the public.

He also entreated them to respect the rules and regulations of the Police Service in handling their grievances to ensure peace and harmony.

‘Remember, you cannot find solution if you discuss your work-related grievances in a ‘chop bar’ or at a friend’s party when the doors of the office of the chair of the Police Council are always open,’ he said.

Dr Bawumia, who is the Chairperson of the Police Council, gave the admonition during the 52nd graduation of the Cadet Officer Course of the Ghana Police Service in Accra, on Wednesday.

The ceremony which took place at the Ghana Police Academy in Tesano, Accra, saw a total of 344 officers commissioned into the Senior Officer Corps of the Ghana Police Service by Vice President Bawumia after undergoing six-month intensive training.

The Vice President noted that
the Police Service operated within a well-organised structures and effective communication channels supported by a robust command and control system, hence it was incumbent on every police officer to comply with it.

He commended the Police Administration for the on-going change in thinking in the training regime of Cadet Officers at the Ghana Police Academy, with significant blend of theory and practical training.

That, he said, was tailored to meet the emerging dynamics of democratic policing, underscored by integrated working with stakeholders and strengthened by a more confident and oriented law enforcement leadership at the district and unit levels across the country.

‘The feedback and performance outcomes from the field by products of the reform initiative have been inspiring,’ Dr Bawumia noted.

He congratulated the beneficiaries for being part of the training reform and urged them to work hard to maintain and improve the standards set by their predecessors to enhance safety and security for socio-ec
onomic development of the communities.

‘As the Chairman of the Police Council, I am committed to fulfilling my constitutional role alongside the Council team to ensure that the administrative and operational aspects of the Service benefit both officers and citizens.

‘In law enforcement, leadership marked by discipline, professionalism, and integrity is crucial for success and credibility Bawumia added.

Fostering a culture based on these principles is not just a preference for the Ghana Police; it is a necessity to uphold public trust and respect, he observed.

He assured of the Government’s commitment to resourcing the Police Service to enable it to continue to play its constitutional role of maintaining law and order for all citizens.

‘Certainly, the centrality of law enforcement as pivotal driver for politico-socio-economic development and progress in contemporary times cannot be over-emphasized,’ he said.

He highlighted some infrastructure the Government would undertake for the Police Academy includin
g lecture rooms and ultra-modern auditorium and residential accommodation nearing completion.

That, he said, would improve teaching and learning and adequately accommodate the increasing number of officers admitted to the Academy.

The Government, he said, would continue to support the decentralization efforts of the Formed Police Unit (FPU) of the Police Service nationwide.

So far, he said, more than 122 bases had been established across the country in addition to the provision of motorbikes and related equipment of law enforcement, while more mobilisation of resources is on-going to ensure those FPU bases are self-sustaining.

That, he said, was necessary to capacitate them to deliver the expected formed responses and address emerging violent crimes as may be required of them in the locations they operate.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Nine persons including four children have perished on the Galnkui hills in Ho following a head-on collision involving a 207 Mercedes benz and a Zoomlion garbage truck.

The Mercedes passenger van was traveling from Kpassa to Sogakope and collided head-on with the garbage truck, while descending on the hill.

The Benz bus, loaded with people and animals, was mangled in the collision, with some occupants losing their lives.

Among the victims is an infant, and so were sheep and fowls riding atop the long-crammed vehicle.

Hundreds rushed to the scene and the fire service, and ambulance teams hastened to attend to the carnage.

Mr Stephen Delaporte, Volta Regional Commander, Motor Traffic, and transport Division (MTTD) told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that the dead had been deposited at the morgue, while the injured received treatment.

He said preliminary investigations revealed the bus driver misinterpreted the turn by the dump truck and switched lanes, resulting in the collision.

The stretch of the road, wh
ere the incident occurred has been littered with bodies, and sacks of foodstuffs lying in a pool of machine oil from the pounded vehicles.

Descending from the hills into the principal street of Ho has become known for brake failures that often result in damage to property and even lives.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Key stakeholders in Africa’s tax sector are currently meet in Accra, Ghana to unpack domestic resource mobilisation and illicit financial flows issues in Africa.

The 11th Pan-African Conference on Illicit Financial Flows and Taxation (PAC) conference provides a platform for tax stakeholders to explore ways in which African countries can take the lead on international conversations that are beginning to have direct implications on domestic resource mobilisation and illicit financial flows.

Speaking in a News conference in Accra on Wednesday, Mr Thulani Shongwe, Senior Manager, Africa Tax Administration Forum, Ms Chenai Mukumba, Executive Director, Tax Justice Network Africa, Dr Patrick Olomo Ndazana, African Union Commission and Madam Irene Ovonji-Odida, Member, High-Level Panel on Illicit Financial Flows made a case for the implementation of institutions that would stand the test of time to repel illicit financial flows.

They argued that they had so far solicited political commitment from various leadersh
ips in the continent, which would be used as building blocks to attract the international world into their ideas and plans, moving forward.

The conference is organised by Tax Justice Network Africa (TJNA) and The African Tax Administration Forum (ATAF and has brought together officials working on tax issues from Pan-African Organizations, tax administrations, ministries of Finance, civil society organisations, parliamentarians, and academia/researchers from Africa and beyond, on the theme ‘Making Global Tax Governance Work for Africa.

The conference is a platform that will enable the attendees to contribute to the development of a common African position on key international conversations that affect African countries’ efforts to raise domestic resources.

It is also a platform to identify actions and solutions for actors such as African governments, parliamentarians, civil society organisations, the private sector and other policy players that are key in mobilising domestic resources within the context and
will present the opportunity to grow partnerships and collaborations between the different actors.

‘To meet its development aspirations, Africa will need additional resources to respond to global crises and to realign with the priorities of both the SDGs and Agenda 2063’. According to Africa Economic Outlook 2022, the continent’s additional financial needs for 2020-2022 were estimated at USD 432 billion. Africa’s Annual Sustainable Development Goals financing gap is around USD 190 billion (African Union 2023). This gap can be bridged by developing regional value chains, improving equitable and fair entry to accessible markets through intra-Africa trade and revenue mobilisation through effective and inclusive tax collection and combatting IFFs.

PAC 2023 explores the aspect of forging partnerships and collaborations to promote and mobilise action amongst tax sector players.

Strengthening these alliances is essential for African countries to take the lead on international conversations on domestic resource mo
bilisation and illicit financial flows in the continent.

The Tax Justice Network Africa (TJNA) is a pan-African organisation and a member of the Global Alliance for Tax Justice.

Launched in January 2007 during the World Social Forum held in Nairobi, TJNA promotes socially just, accountable and progressive taxation systems in Africa.

It advocates tax policies with pro-poor outcomes and tax systems that curb public resource leakages and enhance domestic resource mobilization.

The African Tax Administration Forum is an organisation which was established by African revenue authorities in 2009, to improve the performance of tax administrations in Africa.

The tax administrations of 38 countries in Africa are members of ATAF, i.e. 75% of tax administrations on the continent, making it the premier body on tax matters in Africa.

ATAF believes that better tax administration will enhance economic growth, increase accountability of the state to its citizens, and more effectively mobilise domestic resources.

Sour
ce: Ghana News Agency

The Ministry of Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs has organized a day’s consultative workshop to solicit the inputs and recommendations from relevant stakeholders in the Western Region on the formulation of a proposed national policy on religion.

The policy, drafted by the Ministry, is meant to promote an inclusive and tolerant religious environment for social cohesion and harmonious coexistence in the country.

The regional consultative workshop, held with support from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Ghana, in Takoradi, brought together traditional and religious leaders, representatives from Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), state institutions, youth groups, and security agencies, among other interest groups, to seek their views on what must go into developing the policy.

Mr Joseph Abbey, Director for Policy Planning, Budgeting, Monitoring and Evaluation at the Ministry of Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, said there were some challenges within the religious space, which the policy when form
ulated and approved, would help to address.

He said the engagement was necessary to help collate the inputs of major stakeholders to aid in the development of a comprehensive national policy to check religious activities for peace and unity irrespective of one’s religious affiliation.

Dr Wilfred Ochan, UNFPA Ghana Country Representative, in a speech read on his behalf, said when Mr Asamoah Boateng, Minister for Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs announced the need to put together a national policy on religion, the UNFPA saw it as a welcomed idea to partner with the Ministry to help make it a reality.

According to him, religious leaders and institutions played crucial roles in shaping attitudes and behaviours among residents in communities, saying UNFPA recognized the importance of engaging with religious leaders to promote dialogue and understanding.

He said in some cases, religious teachings aligned with the principles of human rights, social justice, and the well-being of individuals and families.

‘Let
us together think about the future of our young people and put in place policies that involves addressing harmful practices, such as female genital mutilation and child marriage, which are rooted in traditions,’ Dr Ochan stated.

Awulae Angama-Tu Adjan, Paramount Chief of Gwira Traditional Area, commended the government through the Ministry of Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs for proposing such a national policy, and said it would help to streamline religious activities towards national cohesion and development.

Bishop Emmanuel Botwey, Chairman of the Western Regional Peace Council, speaking to the Ghana News Agency on the sidelines, said the meeting was timely and a step in the right

direction, adding it was appropriate for authorities to put in place stringent mechanisms to regularize the activities of religious bodies.

He, therefore, appealed to the government to ensure the policy, when developed and approved, was implemented for the collective benefits of everyone.

Participants at the event identifie
d various issues within the religious landscape and made varied recommendations for which the policy must address to help achieve its intended purpose.

Source: Ghana News Agency

NICU Soldiers, an advocacy blog on Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICU), on Tuesday celebrated the World Prematurity Day (WPD) at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH) to raise awareness on the challenges faced by preterm babies and their families.

The event, which was under the theme: ‘Small actions, BIG IMPACT: Immediate skin-to-skin care for every baby everywhere’ was supported by Ghandour Cosmetics Limited, a leading brand of personal care products in Ghana.

This year’s WPD celebration emphasized the importance of immediate skin-to-skin contact, also known as Kangaroo Mother Care to all infants, especially premature babies right after birth.

Dr. Kojo Ahor-Essel, a Senior Specialist Pediatrician at the KBTH NICU, said babies born before term had difficulties in maintaining warmth, feeding, and fighting infections.

‘Small actions like providing adequate nutrition, warmth, and care taken by health workers and mothers can have a big impact on the survival and development of the babies,’ he said.

He laud
ed NICU Soldiers and Ghandour Cosmetics for supporting this year’s WPD at the KBTH and called on the public to end the stigma and discrimination against preterm babies.

‘Most of the causes of preterm birth are not known, some are even beyond the control of mothers, I entreat the public to show compassion and support for families of preterm babies and celebrate their achievements with them,’ Dr Ahor-Essel said.

Ms Yasmin Mohammed, a Clinical Psychologist, also called for support for parents whose babies were on admission at the NICU, saying that this would help reduce stress, anxiety, and depression for parents with babies at the NICU.

Ms Victoria Abaka, Brand Manager at Ghandour Cosmetics, said her company’s decision to participate in the event was part of its corporate social responsibility and commitment to customer satisfaction and safety.

As part of the event, Ghandour Cosmetics distributed packs of body care, hygiene, baby care products to parents with children in the NICU at the Korle Bu Teaching Ho
spital.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Dr Haruna Zagoon Sayeed, a lecturer at the University of Ghana has called on Muslims, Christians and other religious sects to help the nation develop and implement comprehensive policy direction to shape religious activities and thereby strengthen national peace and social cohesion.

He emphasised that religion, culture and faith remained critical and essential elements and played an integral role in the holistic development of the nation, hence the need for a national policy framework to guide and ensure that religion and culture pushed and contributed significantly to national progress and not to divide the people and thereby threaten national peace.

Dr Zaagon made the call at the Bono Regional consultation on the policy on religion, organised by the Ministry of Chieftaincy and Culture Affairs (MCCA), held at Abesim, near Sunyani and attended by traditional authorities, religious institutions, civil society actors, security agencies, and heads of Departments and Agencies in the region.

The UNFPA is suppo
rting the MCCA to undertake nationwide consultations to collect public views and inputs to be integrated and finalise a national religion policy framework that would guide religion and culture in the country.

Dr Zaagon said research showed that the national prevailing peace and stability remained fragile due to several factors including religious and political activities and the rise in youth unemployment and called on the Government to do more and create more jobs for the youth.

He said according to the 2020 Population and Housing Census, people with Christian and Islam backgrounds formed a chunk of the national population, hence the need for a national policy to guide and shape religious activities for the nation to derive optimum benefit.

Dr Zaagon said religion and culture shaped attitudes and behaviours, saying as the embodiment of the people, the views and inputs of religious leaders and traditional authorities would help the nation design and implement realistic national policy on religion.

He said
harmful and outmoded traditional practices such as the Female Genital Mutilation, as well as gender-based violence and other abuses remained inimical to the growth and development of women and girls, which needed to be stemmed out of society.

Mr Bawa Faisal, a Programmes Director, UNFPA, stressed the United Nations agency’s commitment to support the MCCA to develop the policy, and called on Ghanaians to also develop the interest and contribute to the formulation and implementation of the policy.

He explained that similar consultations were on-going in the other 15 regions, and entreated the participants to open, contribute and help collect sensitive views that would help shape the policy framework.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Dr Stephen Ayisi Addo, the Programme Manager for the National AIDS/STI Control Programme, has called for strong political commitment to end Pediatric HIV in West and Central Africa.

‘In ending HIV among children, we need to pay attention to the data, have continued dialogue, provide funding and build capacity not only in the health system but among state actors’, he stated.

This, he said, would ensure multisectoral responses in the fight against Pediatric HIV in West and Central African including Ghana.

Dr Ayisi made the call at the opening of a three-day regional summit on ending AIDS in children in West and Central Africa.

The meeting organised by Civil Society Institute for Health in West and Central Africa (CSO WCA) in collaboration with Ghana HIV and AIDS Network (GHANET) with support from USAID seeks to join efforts between civil society organizations (CSOs) to end AIDS in the region.

It also seeks to empower communities and CSOs with the means to do testing, outreach and contribute in terms of ca
re and support.

According to Dr Ayisi, Ghana’s total HIV population is 354,927, out of the figure seven per cent cent were children hence the need to turn attention.

He said in as much as fighting to end pediatric HIV was important there was the need to also focus on the role of caregivers and the family around the child to build their capacities psycho-socially to provide the needed care.

Mrs Nguissali Turpin, Executive Director, Civil Society Institute for Health West and Central Africa, said the meeting was important as data indicates that 60 per cent of children living with HIV know their status adding that half of the figure were on Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART).

She said 65 per cent of new HIV infections were transmitted to the children because their mothers did not receive adequate ART treatment.

‘This is important to ensure that the West and Central Africa is up to speed when it comes to pediatric HIV,’ Mrs Turpin.

She called for the need to identify concrete measures for the CSOs and government
.

We look forward to their voices being heard and contribute to the development of better policies that reflect the needs of communities to tackle pediatric HIV in the region, she added.

Dr Rita Owusu-Amankwah, the Director of Policy and Planning, Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC), representing the Director-General, said the meeting played pivotal rile towards ending HIV in children.

Dr Amankwah speaking on the importance of the meeting said the GAC said the Commission had undertaken a number of stakeholder initiatives to mobilise community support for the national response.

She said the GAC was committed to ending all forms of stigmatization in all settings to help eradicate the menace everywhere one finds him or herself.

Dr Amankwah urged CSOs to be guided by the urgency to end HIV in children to meet the 2030 target.

Dr Sebastian Sandaare, Member of Parliament for Daffiama Bussie Isa Constituency, and member of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Health, said ending HIV in children was doable and called
for the provision of adequate resources to prevent it.

He assured that the Parliamentary Select Committee on Health would play their oversight role to push for budgetary allocation for HIV cure.

Dr Sandaare said steps were advanced to launch the HIV fund by tomorrow saying ‘I believe there will be some commitments because one of the major challenges in addressing the issue of AIDS in children was funding.

Mr Héctor Sucilla Pérez, UNAIDS Country Director to Ghana, said to end AIDS in children and eliminate mother-to-child-transmission, there was the need to let communities lead and have strong collaborative mechanisms.

He said this crucial to enable governments allow CSOs to assist the work on the field by testing pregnant women, provide continued funding and more especially test children for treatment.

Some young adults who have been living with HIV since childhood shared their experiences and challenges and called for resources to end the disease among children.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Speeding contributes to about 39 percent of road crash fatalities nationwide, research conducted by the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) has revealed.

The Authority, therefore, advised commercial drivers to reduce speed, and remained watchful, to help reduce road crashes and control the needless deaths that occurred on the highways, as Christmas approached.

Madam Abigail Atinpoka, the Acting head of the Bono Regional Office of the NRSA, disclosed this in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Sunyani on the sidelines of road an exhibition and road safety sensitization to mark the 2023 commemoration of the World of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims on the theme ‘remember, support, act’.

Since the adoption of the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, pursuant to General Assembly resolution 60/5, the observance held on November 3, annually, has spread to a growing number of countries on every continent.

The Day has become a valuable tool in global efforts to reduce road casual
ties and offers an opportunity for drawing attention to the scale of emotional and economic devastation caused by road crashes and for giving recognition to the suffering of road crash victims.

Mad Atinpoka expressed regret that driver error and negligence continued to contribute to road crashes and fatalities despite road safety sensitization at bus terminals and lorry stations in the region.

The Regional office of the Authority held the exhibition exercise at the Sunyani Main lorry station to highlight accident scenes and victims for the drivers, passengers, and the public to appreciate and support to help bring sanity on the road.

Mad Atinpoka indicated besides the loss of lives and injuries, road crashes had a huge devastating and economic impact on the nation, families, and households.

The exhibition, therefore, seeks to create public awareness about the reality and impact of road crashes to send signals to the commercial drivers, she stated.

Comparatively, Mad Atinpoka said though general crashes i
n the region had seen some marginal reduction this year, fatalities remained high, disturbing, and unacceptable.

She said 29 people perished through 102 recorded crashes between January and September this year, with more than 99 various degrees of injuries, as compared to the 2022 figures of 103 crashes which caused 59 deaths and 139 injuries within the same period.

‘This is an indication that we need to do more, and the authority requires everybody’s contribution for an accident and fatality-free Xmas’, Mad Atinpoka stated.

Some of the commercial drivers commended the Authority for the exhibition exercise which, according to them, had reminded and scared them.

They, however, expressed concern about the deplorable and worsened conditions of roads in the region, and called on the government to put them in good shape.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Tema Metropolitan Health Directorate (THMD) is to organise a series of activities for the 2023 World AIDS Day commemoration.

The World Health Organisation’s (WHO) World AIDS Day is celebrated globally every December 1 to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS status, its prevention, treatment, and testing.

Ms. Joanna Anorkor Lartey, the Tema Metro TB/HIV Coordinator, told the Ghana News Agency in Tema that, as part of the activities, the Directorate would hold a TB/HIV review.

Ms. Lartey said the review would facilitate knowledge sharing on best practices among participants to enhance the quality of care provided to clients.

She said the review would also be used to discuss challenges and areas for improvement in TB/HIV management and offer solutions to such challenges.

It would also be used to review TB case search and notification rates by various sub-metros and analyse data from the various facilities.

In addition to the review, she said health officers would embark on facility sensitization to educate
patients visiting the facilities on HIV/AIDS and the need to test.

She said community sensitization exercises would also be carried out at Bankuman in Tema Manhean and in the Community Nine light industrial area for the artisans.

The coordinator added that the directorate would also organize a float through the principal streets of Tema Metro to whip up the interest of residents in knowing their status.

She stated that as part of the National Farmers Day celebration, the Directorate was also collaborating with the Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA) to have free HIV screening during the metro’s celebration.

She indicated that the Directorate would also hold a durbar to climax the World AIDS Day celebration on December 12, 2023.

Source: Ghana News Agency