SARPONG'S BLOG

The Ghana Mineworkers’ Union of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) has expressed its resentment about the decision of some mining companies to outsource jobs meant for its members to outside contractors. Describing it as an “ugly” practice, the union said apart from Gold Fields Ghana Limited that employes a sizable number of their members as security personnel, the rest have all outsourced that department. The National Chairman of the Union, Mr Mensah Kwarko Gyakari, told the media after the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in Accra that: “As we speak now, most of the companies we are working with have started outsourcing their departments. It is not like the job is not there, these jobs are there but because they want to maximise profit what they do is to outsource the department to outside contractors and strategically pay them peanuts,” he explained. He said that the union had also picked information suggesting that Goldfields had started operations at t...

As part of governments’ efforts to curb the rampant encroachment and illegal acquisition of its landed properties, it has secured a grant of Ghc448,198 from the Japanese Government’s Counter-Value Fund to create a database with digital images of its assets using Geographic Information System (GIS). Alhaji Collins Dauda, Minister For Water Resources, Works and Housing, who disclosed this at an encounter with the media recent, said the exercise was very important because registers of government buildings and landed properties maintained by various public sector institutions were incomplete, unreliable or non-existent. He said the Ministry has set up an Implementation Committee to undertake a comprehensive compilation of register of all state buildings and bonded land banks maintained by Public Sector Institutions. “Since its inauguration, the Committee has completed the feasibility phase which involved the collection of occupancy information on government bungalows i...

Labadi Beach Hotel has been adjudged the 5-star hotel of the year at the 10th National Tourism Awards held in Accra at the weekend. The other recipients of the awards included Best Western Premier Hotel, four-star hotel of the year, Biege Village Resort, three-star hotel of the year, MJ Grand Hotel, two-star hotel of the year and Windy Bay Hotel, one-star hotel of the year. This year's event, on the theme: "Harnessing Our Tourism Resources for National Development," gave out 29 competitive and honorary awards to individuals and organisations who have made immense contributions to the growth of the tourism industry. Mrs Elizabeth Ofusu-Adjare, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, said the awards was instituted to drive service quality in the country's tourism and enhance Ghana's position as a competitive tourism destination. She said it also provided a platform to recognise and reward deserving partners and stakeholders who had ...

  The Osu Traditional Council has honoured four distinguished elders of Osu for their meritorious and dedicated service towards the development of the community. They are Nii Narku Nartey (aka Abian), Mr Solomon Nortey Owuo (aka Papa Shandy), Madam Elizabeth Adjin and Madam Ayishetu Ladze Dowuona. The four were honoured at a maiden senior citizens get-together at the Osu Mantse Palace at the weekend. Citations for their contribution and hard work were read. Nii Okwei Kinka Dowuona VI, Osu Mantse and President of the Osu Traditional Council, said a community without opinion leaders could not thrive. “It is upon this notion that we celebrate and honour people who are 60 and above whose toil and hard work have brought Osu that far in development and I say to them well done and Ayekoo,” he said. Nii Kinka Dowuona asked the senior citizens not to hesitate to bring their wisdom and knowledge to bear on the members of the Council, saying: “our doors are opened to al...

Beige capital, a Ghanaian savings and loans company, is steadily fulfilling its quest to offer banking services to clients in the small and medium enterprises (SME) market in Ghana with the opening of its East Legon, Bawaleshi branch. Mr. Mike Nyinaku, Chief Executive Officer of Beige Capital, said the company had in the past six years grown into a bank that provides banking services to about 150,000 individual clients in addition to over 5,000 corporate and institutional clients. The bank also provides direct and continuous employment to about 700 people and forecasts an increase to about 1,000 by the end of 2015. Speaking to the GNA in an interview, Mr Nyinaku said a major challenge the Beige Capital continued to face was in the area of people where they had to constantly train employees that are hired. This, he said, was because graduates who come out of school had a different understanding of work productivity. He called on stakeholders, e...

By: Attah-Effah Badu Fred Yaw Sarpong of Ghana’s First and only Free Newspaper: The Daily Express, over the weekend saw two of his stories published in the paper awarded at the 2014 IFEJ-Flamingo Awards for business and financial journalism nationwide. The Senior Business Reporter was adjudged the Best Journalist in Rural banking/ microfinance as well as Best Journalist in Business in Health at the awards ceremony held at the World Bank’s offices in Accra. The two articles which won the awards and received high commendation from the Jury and organizers were titled    ; Fake condom importer unmasked    and  Micro Finance companies milking customers. The award ceremony was organised in partnership with the World Bank, Enterprise Life Insurance, adb Bank and GIZ/SECO under the theme: “Taking Business and Financial Journalism to higher level.” It was graced by the World Bank’s Country Director for Ghana,  Liberia and Sierra Leone, Yusuph...

As part of the government of Ghana initiatives to interact with Ghanaians, the Ministry of Communications will today Thursday 18th December, 2014 hold a public forum dubbed ‘Government for the people (G4P) Forum’ in Accra. The forum which will take place at the Accra International Conference Centre will afford Ministers of State an opportunity to brief Ghanaians on how President Mahama has executed the mandate entrusted to him. A statement signed by the Minister for Communications, Dr. Edward Omane Boamah said t he occasion will also provide an opportunity for interaction through Questions and Answers as Ghanaians will be given the chance to ask questions. Sector ministers are expected to grace the occasion and provide answers to expected questions at the forum. The forum has been promised to address all the lingering questions over the governance strategy of President Mahama and how it would translate directly to the well-being of the general public. The initiative ...

Assets of Madina Queen of Peace Co-operative Credit Union (QPCCU) grew from GH¢1,716,298.46 in 2013 to GH¢2,631,641.40 in 2014, while members savings increased significantly from GH¢1,475,604.77 in 2013 to GH¢1,987,335.76 in 2012. This represents an increase of 25.7 per cent. Shares of the Union increased from GH¢ 97,992.92 to GH¢ 138,921.29 representing 29.4 per cent. Mr George Bannor, Chairman of the Board made this known at the 32nd Annual General Meeting in Accra on the theme: "Building a formidable Credit Union for the betterment of Members." Touching on net surplus, he said in 2014 the Union accumulated GH¢ 63,217.07 as against GH¢64,786.28 in 2013. He noted that the slight reduction in profit was due to the high operational cost and some unforeseen events. The financial reserves was GH¢173,765.57 in 2014 while in 2013 it recorded GH¢125,529.59. He said QPCCU has a total membership of 3,194 in 2014 as against 2,628 in 2013. The Board Chairma...

By: Fred Yaw Sarpong, Daily Express AngloGold Ashanti Ghana has started a feasibility study at the Obuasi Gold Mine at Obuasi in the Ashanti Region in order to know the current state and value of the mining site. The feasibility is to establish business case for the mine given resource they have, given the current market situation, and the modernization they want to do and as well as the capital requirement for future operation. AngloGold Ashanti has previously announced its intention to place the Obuasi mine on limited operations while comprehensive feasibility study is completed next year. The study is to convert Obuasi mine into a new highly productive mechanised operation that can properly develop the high-grade reserve of about 7 million ounce of gold and resource of about 20 million ounce of gold. The feasibility study which is expected to be completed by the end of March next year is to identify the true value of the Obuasi mine and come out with a rec...

By: Fred Yaw Sarpong, Daily Express Nestle Ghana has launched a Cocoa Plan to enable cocoa farmers in Ghana run profitable farms and also get distribution of higher yielding cocoa plants and rewards for good quality cocoa. The project which was launched in Accra is part of is part of the company’s global efforts to support the lives of cocoa farmers and increase the quality of their crops. To achieve this, the Nestle Cocoa Plan focuses on improving social conditions, through the elimination of child labour and by focusing on women, children and their specific needs for education, health and water; and also sourcing sustainable, good quality cocoa, by ensuring long term supply of good quality cocoa, increasing transparency in the supply chain and respecting the environment. The Head of Communications at the Nestle Ghana, Aaron Fenu said Nestlé Ghana has been closely working with the communities it sources cocoa from since 2009. According to him the company alr...