A 12-day workshop to train financial expects, bankers and economists on sustainable debt management strategies, particularly in the wake of the global financial crisis, is taking place in Accra.
The workshop, being organised by the West African Institute for Financial and Economic Management (WAIFEM) on the theme, “Regional Course On Middle Office Operations and Risk Modelling”, will also strengthen the capacity of participants on middle office functions, including analysis and debt management strategies.
Opening the workshop, the acting Director-General of WAIFEM, Mr M. S. Foon, said it would broaden the knowledge of participants on effective debt management functions, medium-term debt strategy processes, risk management processes, among others.
He said it would also enlighten participants on the implementation of risk control and portfolio analysis and evaluation.
He stated that the workshop had come at a time when countries across the world had to address the adverse consequences of the global financial crisis.
The deep economic recession around the world has brought about the down turn in global markets and efforts by governments across the world to address the adverse effects of the financial melt down has not been feasible.
The crisis has resulted in prices of commodities such as oil and copper dropping and there has been significant reduction in tourism receipts and remittances in some African countries.
“With weakening growth prospects and tight credit markets investors are cutting back on their direct investment,” Mr Foon stated.
He indicated the recession had also resulted in the fall of Africa’s stock and bond markets, adding that it had also changed the landscape of international trade, cooperation in assistance and financial regulation.
“The developing countries without the means or will and depending largely on aid generosity of the so-called first world face greater challenges,” he said.
Mr Foon said that a lesson to be learnt from the global financial crisis which also constituted a challenge to debt management was the inadequate application of risk management measures and inability to appropriately recognise and manage risk significantly.
The workshop is being attended by 28 participants from 5 African countries including Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Gambia and Nigeria.
WAIFEM is a training and capacity building institute based in Nigeria which started its operations 12 years ago, to strengthen capacity for sound debt, microfinancial sector management of member states.
The institute has so far executed over 306 training and capacity building programmes through seminars, executive and legislative fora among others.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Paediatric society organises free medical outreach
The Chairperson of the Greater Accra Branch of the Ghana Paediatric Society (GPS), Dr Victoria May Adabayeri, has advised mothers, particularly those with children under five years, to immunise their children against the six childhood killer diseases.
She said immunisation was important in the life of a growing child, and that “a regular immunisation schedule prevents a child from getting any of the six childhood diseases”.
Dr Adabayeri gave the advice at an annual free medical outreach programme organised by the GPS at the Ussher Polyclinic for children in James Town, a suburb of Accra, at the weekend.
The GPS, which is made up of specially trained health care professionals, educated mothers on the importance of immunisation and how to care for children.
Aside that, the group examined and immunised the children and provided them with medication.
The chairperson asked the mothers to pay special attention to their children, adding that “children need a lot of care and attention from their mothers, especially with regard to nutrition and good hygiene”.
She also advised the mothers to sleep in treated mosquito nets and take care of their environment to prevent them from contracting malaria.
The doctor in charge of the clinic, Dr Emily Onuha, expressed her profound gratitude to the group for the support.
“We do not have specialists here at the clinic and the visit has been very beneficial to us and the mothers in the community; we are grateful,” she said.
She said the polyclinic lacked adequate staff and funding and, therefore, called on the appropriate authorities and individuals to come to the aid of the clinic.
She said immunisation was important in the life of a growing child, and that “a regular immunisation schedule prevents a child from getting any of the six childhood diseases”.
Dr Adabayeri gave the advice at an annual free medical outreach programme organised by the GPS at the Ussher Polyclinic for children in James Town, a suburb of Accra, at the weekend.
The GPS, which is made up of specially trained health care professionals, educated mothers on the importance of immunisation and how to care for children.
Aside that, the group examined and immunised the children and provided them with medication.
The chairperson asked the mothers to pay special attention to their children, adding that “children need a lot of care and attention from their mothers, especially with regard to nutrition and good hygiene”.
She also advised the mothers to sleep in treated mosquito nets and take care of their environment to prevent them from contracting malaria.
The doctor in charge of the clinic, Dr Emily Onuha, expressed her profound gratitude to the group for the support.
“We do not have specialists here at the clinic and the visit has been very beneficial to us and the mothers in the community; we are grateful,” she said.
She said the polyclinic lacked adequate staff and funding and, therefore, called on the appropriate authorities and individuals to come to the aid of the clinic.
GTV on DStv
GHANA Television (GTV) has been launched on MultiChoice Digital Satellite television (DStv), the continent’s leading satellite television service to offer subscribers in the country quality digital pictures.
This formed part of MultiChoice strategy to enhance DStv’s international status by offering as many African public broadcasters as possible to be on the DStv bouquet and also to further enhance their relationships with local broadcasters.
GTV’s services, which is available on DStv channel 142 (DStv West African bouquet) was made possible through an agreement between MultiChoice Africa and the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC).
Speaking at the launch yesterday, the General Manager of MultiChoice Ghana, Mr Samuel Baimbill-Johnson, said MultiChoice was committed to the development of the continent and also devoted to promoting and projecting Africa.
“No other company in Africa has invested as much in the creation and delivery of local content. Our sister company M-Net is the lead investor in the development and provision of local content, and are committed to unearthing local talent and building a strong television industry in the markets in which we operate”, he stated.
He said he was confident that the addition of GTV onto the DStv platform in a list of more 60 channels would add more value and viewing pleasure to their subscribers in Ghana.
“With GTV on DStv, viewers in every corner of Ghana can now access the channel with digital quality signal resulting in a much clearer picture”, he stated and pointed out that “as with other broadcasters that are on DStv platform, GTV will be available only to viewers in Ghana for a start.”
Mr Baimbill-Johnson announced that MultiChoice had experienced phenomenal growth over the last 12 months with over 200,000 subscribers signed up for DStv, bringing the total number of DStv subscribers to 2.3 million.
He, however gave the assurance that their commitment to Ghana was in the long-term because Ghana was one of their most important markets.
The Director-General of GBC, Mr William Ampem-Darko, expressed his profound gratitude to MultiChoice for the collaboration.
He was optimistic that the link would uplift the image of GTV and therefore entreated MultiChoice to give GTV a global presence to enable Ghanaians abroad to acquaint themselves with what was going on in the country.
He was however of the view that the collaboration was not a competition but a cooperation that would be beneficial to MultiChoice.
This formed part of MultiChoice strategy to enhance DStv’s international status by offering as many African public broadcasters as possible to be on the DStv bouquet and also to further enhance their relationships with local broadcasters.
GTV’s services, which is available on DStv channel 142 (DStv West African bouquet) was made possible through an agreement between MultiChoice Africa and the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC).
Speaking at the launch yesterday, the General Manager of MultiChoice Ghana, Mr Samuel Baimbill-Johnson, said MultiChoice was committed to the development of the continent and also devoted to promoting and projecting Africa.
“No other company in Africa has invested as much in the creation and delivery of local content. Our sister company M-Net is the lead investor in the development and provision of local content, and are committed to unearthing local talent and building a strong television industry in the markets in which we operate”, he stated.
He said he was confident that the addition of GTV onto the DStv platform in a list of more 60 channels would add more value and viewing pleasure to their subscribers in Ghana.
“With GTV on DStv, viewers in every corner of Ghana can now access the channel with digital quality signal resulting in a much clearer picture”, he stated and pointed out that “as with other broadcasters that are on DStv platform, GTV will be available only to viewers in Ghana for a start.”
Mr Baimbill-Johnson announced that MultiChoice had experienced phenomenal growth over the last 12 months with over 200,000 subscribers signed up for DStv, bringing the total number of DStv subscribers to 2.3 million.
He, however gave the assurance that their commitment to Ghana was in the long-term because Ghana was one of their most important markets.
The Director-General of GBC, Mr William Ampem-Darko, expressed his profound gratitude to MultiChoice for the collaboration.
He was optimistic that the link would uplift the image of GTV and therefore entreated MultiChoice to give GTV a global presence to enable Ghanaians abroad to acquaint themselves with what was going on in the country.
He was however of the view that the collaboration was not a competition but a cooperation that would be beneficial to MultiChoice.
Friday, February 27, 2009
Tomato sellers resist ejection attempts
The Greater Accra Tomato Traders Association (GATTA) of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) has cautioned the contractor working at the Aflao Station at Tudu in Accra against using “macho” men to scare them away from the market.
The General Secretary of the association, Madam Lydia Afoley Anum, told the Daily Graphic that the contractor was using “macho” men to work at the site at mid-night after the peaceful demonstration they undertook against the construction of a building in the area.
“We will use every avenue at our disposal to prevent the construction”, she said.
To back their words, members of the association have for the past one week been sleeping at the market to ensure that no work goes on at the site.
In their quest to have an amicable solution to the problem, the association has petitioned the Greater Accra regional minister, the minister for women and children’s affair and the TUC as the AMA seemed to be siding with the contractor.
Madam Anum said evicting them from the market would render hundreds of their dependants homeless as the tomato business had been their sources of income for a long time.
She proposed that if they would be relocated, then all others should also be relocated and a central market constructed for all fresh vegetable sellers in Accra.
The general secretary also appealed to automobile companies to assist them to acquire vehicles for their trading activities.
The General Secretary of the association, Madam Lydia Afoley Anum, told the Daily Graphic that the contractor was using “macho” men to work at the site at mid-night after the peaceful demonstration they undertook against the construction of a building in the area.
“We will use every avenue at our disposal to prevent the construction”, she said.
To back their words, members of the association have for the past one week been sleeping at the market to ensure that no work goes on at the site.
In their quest to have an amicable solution to the problem, the association has petitioned the Greater Accra regional minister, the minister for women and children’s affair and the TUC as the AMA seemed to be siding with the contractor.
Madam Anum said evicting them from the market would render hundreds of their dependants homeless as the tomato business had been their sources of income for a long time.
She proposed that if they would be relocated, then all others should also be relocated and a central market constructed for all fresh vegetable sellers in Accra.
The general secretary also appealed to automobile companies to assist them to acquire vehicles for their trading activities.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
‘Encourage girls to go into ICT’
THE Director-General of the Ghana-India Kofi Annan Centre of Excellence, Ms Dorothy Gordon, has urged parents to encourage their female children to pursue courses in Information and Communications Technology (ICT).
She said parents usually influenced the courses their children pursued and, therefore, called on them to challenge their daughters to take up ICT courses, which were now dominated by males.
She was speaking at the launch of the sixth Computer Science Students Association (COMPSSA) Week of the University of Ghana.
It was on the theme, “Bridging the digital divide in the nation; The role of the computer scientist”.
Ms Gordon observed that ICT was used to enhance all facets of the economy, including commerce, agriculture and security.
She stated that ICT should be people-centred and development-oriented, while it should be possible for people to create and use the information to enable the country to realise its full potential as far as development was concerned.
She advised the students to study hard and make use of every opportunity that came their way “to enable you to set up your own businesses to help in the development of the nation”.
She called on ICT-based organisations to put a mechanism in place for computer science students to take up attachment programmes in their firms.
The General Manager of Omatek Computers Ghana Limited, Nana Benneh, said Omatek would collaborate with the Computer Science Department at Legon to set up an engineering centre, a replica of its factory, on campus for the practical training of students.
“This will provide opportunity for research and development,” he said.
The President of COMPSSA, Mr Frederick Gyasi-Awuah, noted that access to ICT was crucial to the lives of people, adding that “those without access risk being further marginalised, as society becomes increasingly dependent on electronic ICT systems”.
“It is important that we address the challenges that brought about the digital divide and provide its entire people with the right tools they need to be part of the information society,” he added.
The president noted that the number of computers and books at the Computer Science Department was insufficient for the number of students taking up the course.
“We also need projectors and our own building for the department,” he said.
As part of the week-long celebrations, the association will organise a clean-up exercise and donate some items to the University Hospital.
They will also have an ICT seminar, a debate, a sports festival, among others, to climax the celebrations.
She said parents usually influenced the courses their children pursued and, therefore, called on them to challenge their daughters to take up ICT courses, which were now dominated by males.
She was speaking at the launch of the sixth Computer Science Students Association (COMPSSA) Week of the University of Ghana.
It was on the theme, “Bridging the digital divide in the nation; The role of the computer scientist”.
Ms Gordon observed that ICT was used to enhance all facets of the economy, including commerce, agriculture and security.
She stated that ICT should be people-centred and development-oriented, while it should be possible for people to create and use the information to enable the country to realise its full potential as far as development was concerned.
She advised the students to study hard and make use of every opportunity that came their way “to enable you to set up your own businesses to help in the development of the nation”.
She called on ICT-based organisations to put a mechanism in place for computer science students to take up attachment programmes in their firms.
The General Manager of Omatek Computers Ghana Limited, Nana Benneh, said Omatek would collaborate with the Computer Science Department at Legon to set up an engineering centre, a replica of its factory, on campus for the practical training of students.
“This will provide opportunity for research and development,” he said.
The President of COMPSSA, Mr Frederick Gyasi-Awuah, noted that access to ICT was crucial to the lives of people, adding that “those without access risk being further marginalised, as society becomes increasingly dependent on electronic ICT systems”.
“It is important that we address the challenges that brought about the digital divide and provide its entire people with the right tools they need to be part of the information society,” he added.
The president noted that the number of computers and books at the Computer Science Department was insufficient for the number of students taking up the course.
“We also need projectors and our own building for the department,” he said.
As part of the week-long celebrations, the association will organise a clean-up exercise and donate some items to the University Hospital.
They will also have an ICT seminar, a debate, a sports festival, among others, to climax the celebrations.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Sanitation Strategy for Ablekuma Central
THE Member of Parliament (MP) for Ablekuma Central, Mr Theophilus Tetteh Chaie, has drawn up a year long sanitation campaign plan to solve sanitation problems in the constituency.
Being able to solve the environmental sanitation problem in his constituency would be a fulfilment of a promise made to the people living within the Ablekuma central constituency during the run-up to the December polls.
Mr Tetteh Chaie told the Daily Graphic in an interview that the campaign was part of a comprehensive strategy by the President, Professor John Evans Atta Mills to deal with the appalling filth in communities, especially in the big cities such as Accra, Kumasi, Sekondi Takoradi and Tamale.
As part of the programme, Mr Tetteh Chaie explained that clean-up exercises would be organised in the various electoral areas.
“Educational programmes on sanitation would be organised for the people on how to handle refuse properly,” he said.
Mr Chaie said he was currently in dialogue with Zoomlion Ghana Limited to provide more refuse containers at vantage points to help curb the indiscriminate dumping and littering of refuse in the constituency.
Commenting on the deplorable state of the roads and poor drainage system in the constituency, the MP said he was in contact with the department of urban roads to rehabilitate the roads.
Aside that, he said measures were also being put in place to improve on the drainage systems in the constituency adding that improving security in the constituency was also one of his priority.
"I have met with the district police commanders in the constituency to discuss the various security problems to ensure that the crime rate in the communities are reduced to the barest minimum," he assured.
"I hope that by end of my term of office, the constituency would see more development than it is now," he promised.
Being able to solve the environmental sanitation problem in his constituency would be a fulfilment of a promise made to the people living within the Ablekuma central constituency during the run-up to the December polls.
Mr Tetteh Chaie told the Daily Graphic in an interview that the campaign was part of a comprehensive strategy by the President, Professor John Evans Atta Mills to deal with the appalling filth in communities, especially in the big cities such as Accra, Kumasi, Sekondi Takoradi and Tamale.
As part of the programme, Mr Tetteh Chaie explained that clean-up exercises would be organised in the various electoral areas.
“Educational programmes on sanitation would be organised for the people on how to handle refuse properly,” he said.
Mr Chaie said he was currently in dialogue with Zoomlion Ghana Limited to provide more refuse containers at vantage points to help curb the indiscriminate dumping and littering of refuse in the constituency.
Commenting on the deplorable state of the roads and poor drainage system in the constituency, the MP said he was in contact with the department of urban roads to rehabilitate the roads.
Aside that, he said measures were also being put in place to improve on the drainage systems in the constituency adding that improving security in the constituency was also one of his priority.
"I have met with the district police commanders in the constituency to discuss the various security problems to ensure that the crime rate in the communities are reduced to the barest minimum," he assured.
"I hope that by end of my term of office, the constituency would see more development than it is now," he promised.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Layoff exercise not politically motivated -Coleman
The Accra Zonal Supervisor of the Zoomlion Ghana Limited, Mr Robert Coleman has explained that ongoing exercise to layoff some of the personnel of the company across the country, particularly in Accra, was not politically motivated.
He told the Daily Graphic in an interview on Tuesday that "Management took the decision to layoff some of its workers due to laziness, indiscipline and habitual absenteeism, while some of them treated the job with contempt,".
He said the exercise which began in February, was as a result of recommendations made by the human resource department of the organisation to management and indicated that the vim and vigour with which some of the workers started the work had died out and so most of them were not performing.
He stated that 251 workers in Accra have been laidoff and the exercise would continue in the other regions.
He said "it is an in-house cleaning that we are doing to serve as a lesson to other lazy workers”, and added that "we need people who are more dedicated and committed to their job”.
Mr Coleman said Zoomlion would take disciplinary actions against workers who do not perform at their various work places and stressed that "we hope to deepen our services under this government".
He told the Daily Graphic in an interview on Tuesday that "Management took the decision to layoff some of its workers due to laziness, indiscipline and habitual absenteeism, while some of them treated the job with contempt,".
He said the exercise which began in February, was as a result of recommendations made by the human resource department of the organisation to management and indicated that the vim and vigour with which some of the workers started the work had died out and so most of them were not performing.
He stated that 251 workers in Accra have been laidoff and the exercise would continue in the other regions.
He said "it is an in-house cleaning that we are doing to serve as a lesson to other lazy workers”, and added that "we need people who are more dedicated and committed to their job”.
Mr Coleman said Zoomlion would take disciplinary actions against workers who do not perform at their various work places and stressed that "we hope to deepen our services under this government".
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