Mills sees Ghana`s future

…through Nkrumah`s vision
By Charles Takyi-Boadu Posted: Friday, June 20, 2008
Though the Flagbearer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Professor John Evans Atta Mills is not a member of the Convention People’s Party (CPP), there is one thing that he seems to love about the party, that is the vision of its founder, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah.
When Prof. Mills took his turn at the Institution of Economic Affairs (IEA) encounter, he was full of praise for the late President for the legacy he bequeathed to Ghanaians.
He thus promised to chart the cause of Ghana’s first President when given the opportunity to rule Ghana in the upcoming elections. He described Nkrumah as a visionary with great ideas.
He took his time to answer questions put to him by the audience and Joy FM’s Matilda Asante, who had the opportunity to moderate the programme.
Professor Mills, who spoke on a wide range of issues including good governance, economy, agriculture, education, health, energy, law and order and the much talked-about drug trade promised to give Ghanaians a government which would be sensitive to the needs of all citizens.
In his opening remarks, the NDC Flagbearer expressed grave concern about the deplorable conditions under which some Ghanaians live saying, “these are matters of great concern to Ghanaians and I fully share these concerns.”
He made a cursory analysis of Ghana’s economy and deplored how President Kufuor and his New Patriotic Party (NPP) government are handling affairs of the country.
According to him, most of the targets set by the government are not being realised, indicating that this was the case for the year 2007 as it was for 2006.
“In these past two years, when you look at the Domestic Primary Balance (DPB), which matches current revenues against current expenditures, so as to assess the ability of a government to live within its means, we see significant negatives– minus 4.60 % of GDP in 2006 and minus 6.70% in 2007,” he emphasised.
For this reason, Prof. Mills said, “I shudder to think what the figures for 2008 are going to look like!”
During his days as vice-President and Chairman of the Economic Management Team, Prof. Mills said “this balance was very positive, registering surpluses– positive 3.21% of GDP in 1997, positive 3.81% of GDP in 1998, positive 2.39% of GDP in 1999 and even in the difficult year, 2000, still registered positive result of 2.30% of GDP.” With confidence, he said, “this was the measure of prudent fiscal management which we shall resume, come January 2009.”
He wondered why the debt of Volta River Authority (VRA) and the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) stands over US$1.25 billion and still rising.
This alone, according to him gives an indication that there is no sign of measure being taken to address these economic imbalances, stressing that they rather get worse by the day.
The NDC Flagbearer raised issues with the government saying that the economy is doing well, asking rhetorically “what manner of self-deception is this?”
“We want Ghanaians to judge for themselves which party and which Presidential candidate has more convincing and practical programmes to address the problems that we are confronted with”, Prof. Mills stated.
“I want a better Ghana where no region is left behind in development and where all, regardless of ethnic background feel a sense of belonging.
I promise a government which is responsive to the urgent needs of the vulnerable segments of the society”, he emphasised.
Whilst he recognises poverty as the number one challenge facing this country, he pledged to redefine national priorities, redirect resources to tackle poverty and restore those he described as able-bodied Ghanaians to dignity and employment.
Prof. Mills said he wants to claim the future for the people of this country and like Nkrumah, he stressed that “I am looking ahead, not looking back because I want to leave an enduring legacy of a peaceful and united country, where there is opportunity and prosperity for all. And I want to be remembered as the President who restored honesty, truth and sincerity to government.”
He promised that the NDC’s manifesto for the 2008 elections will be an inspiring one.
Describing some its ideas as big, simple but innovative, the learned professor noted “they are all attainable goals. They will make Ghana a better place for all.”
On how the NDC will fund its plans, the NDC Flagbearer had this to say, “we will begin by cutting out the greed and extravagance of government.”

Payments made easier

By Charles Takyi-Boadu Posted: Thursday, June 19, 2008
The management of eTranzact, a customised multi-channel and application electronic and mobile payment platform that enables card holders to conveniently pay for goods and services via the internet, mobile phone, banks’ outlets, ATMs and POS has introduced a wide range of products and services to the Ghanaian market.
The company, which started full operations in the country somewhere last year, seeks to compliment the introduction of eZwich by the Bank of Ghana (BoG). Currently, eTranzact which partners a number of banks including Unibank, United Bank for Africa (UBA), Intercontinental Bank, Zenith Bank, Amalgamated Bank and GT Bank has secured connectivity to all the mobile networks in the country, for the development of services to its customers and the general public.
This, according to the company’s Head of Operations, George Babafemi means that all mobile phone users are enabled on its platform.
“We are highly committed to contributing our quota to creating a cashless economy in Ghana, with a solution which is convenient and safe for all persons who make transactions”, he said.
It is pioneering a real time online payment solution for merchants such as organisations, schools, corporate entities and other related services.
Babafemi thus noted that they are highly committed to contributing to creating a cashless economy in Ghana, with a solution that is convenient and safe for all persons who make transactions. He also stressed, “our strength lies in our ability to customise to suit the needs of our numerous merchants. We do not claim to have a perfect solution, but we do have one of the best payment systems in the world.” e
Tranzact’s products include mobile phone top-ups for self and third parties, web payment and e-commerce payment gateway, bill presentation and payment via mobile phone and internet, payment of subscription via mobile phone and internet, mobile banking (mini statement, balance enquiry, mobile money transfers, payments such as salary, wages, revenue collections, insurance premium collections and online and mobile ordering and payment.
eTranzact currently operates in Zimbabwe, Nigeria, United Kingdom and Ghana whilst ground work has almost been completed for a take off in South Africa, Cote D’Ivoire, Uganda, Zambia and Sierra Leone. This Africa coverage is to pave way for eventual travelling by clients without carrying cash across Africa.

Korle Bu gets new stabilizer

By Charles Takyi-Boadu Posted: Wednesday, June 18, 2008
The nation’s premier Hospital, Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH) has got a replacement for its stabiliser, which broke down barely a year ago at the MRI/CT scan centre.
The newly acquired 422kva stabiliser which was purchased alongside two other automatic voltage regulators is estimated to have cost the Hospital GH ¢112, 000 (¢1.2billion old cedis).
It would power the Hospital’s Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and the Computed Tomography scan machine.
The stabilisers were supplied by Ansa systems, authorised local distributors of Watford Control.
The MRI/CT scan machine was commissioned in the year 2006 at a cost of ¢27.5 billion (GH ¢2.7million).
The machine, however, broke down in May 2007 due to power instability.
The Hospital therefore made arrangements to have voltage regulators installed to ensure stable power supply.
The stabiliser was outdoored by the Hospital’s new Chief Administrator, Professor Nii Otu Nartey and supported by the Director of Medical Affairs, Dr Anang, Director of Administration, Chris Nartey and the Acting Head of the MRI/CT scan centre, Kwaku Hewlett.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is a medical imaging primarily used in Radiology to visualize the structure and function of the body.
It provides detailed images of the body in any plane. MRI provides much greater contrast between the different soft tissues of the body than does Computed Tomography (CT), making it especially useful in neurological (brain), musculoskeletal, cardiovascular and oncological (cancer) imaging.
Unlike CT, it uses no ionising radiation, but uses a powerful magnetic field to align the nuclear magnetisation of (usually) hydrogen atoms in water in the body.