SARPONG'S BLOG

By: Sarpongs.blogspot.com  Tigo Ghana has presented 540 tablets phones with internet connectivity to the Births and Deaths Registry (BDR) for the pilot phase of the automated birth registration programme. This form parts of Tigo’s strategic focus to accelerate birth registration in Ghana through mobile technology. Tigo in partnership with UNICEF is providing this technology platform. A statement from Tigo stated that the tablets will allow birth registration attendants from the Births and Deaths Registry to electronically capture details of all new births in 3 00 communities across Ghana. The automated birth registration programme which was launched in May this year, is expected to make a significant contribution to an improved national average registration rate, an increase from 65 percent of all children under age one to at least 75 percent by the end of 2017. According to Tigo, a successful pilot will also contribute to progress under Ghana’s National Ci...

By: Fred Yaw Sarpong- Daily Express There is scarcity of Child Health Records Book (weighing cards), in some major public hospitals in the capital, information reaching the Daily Express indicates. Checks by this paper revealed that while some of the hospitals have being encountering the shortage for about a year now, others started experiencing it six months ago. In place of the Child Health Record Book (weighing card), the nursing mothers are given a single card on which information of children are recorded on it. Those hospitals identified are the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Korle Bu Polyclinic, Kaneshie Polyclinic, Adabraka Polyclinic and the Ridge Hospital. At the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, the nursing mothers are given yellow cards in place of the weighing cards. The Public Relations Secretariat at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital said such information has not come to their notice and for that matter they cannot comment on it. “We do not have some ...

By: Fred Yaw Sarpong The iSpace Foundation, a co-working tech and creative hub for startups businesses based in Accra has nominated two Ghanaian startups companies for international programme. The two startups companies, CODEF Africa and Moja were selected based on applications they have develop to address health issues associated with Ghanaians. CODEF Africa develops an application called Mind Aide, a mental health application which brings together mental health service providers and other mental health services. Emmanuel Mbalam, the Lead Project Director said basically Mind Aide application brings doctors and who need mental services together. “People who need the services can book consultation with these special doctors through the App and they will be taken care of,” he added. “What the App can also do is that there are some cases which do not need face-to-face consultation with doctors, so doctors can actually give advises on the platform,” he stated. ...

By: Fred Yaw Sarpong The Pentecost University College Council has appointed Apostle Dr. Daniel Otchere Walker as the new Rector for Pentecost University College (PUC). He replaces Pastor Dr. Peter Ohene Kyei, who served diligently for eight (8) years. Dr. Ohene Kyei has been promoted to the Apostleship and leaves PUC for Winneba as Area Head of the Church of Pentecost. This was announced by the Chairman of the Church of Pentecost, Apostle Dr. Opoku Onyina at the just ended 42nd Session of the General Council Meetings held at the Pentecost Convention Centre, Gomoa Fetteh, under the theme, “Hearing and Obeying the Lord’s Voice in my Generation” (1 Samuel 3:9-10). Apostle Dr. Otchere Walker is current member of the Literature Committee and also a member of the Pentecost Theological Seminary of the Church of Pentecost. According to the Apostle Dr. Opoku Onyinah, Dr. Otchere Walker comes to the college with vast experience in academic and also as administrator. Ap...

By: Fred Yaw Sarpong Telecom operators in the country have been asked to provide quality of services to their customers in order for them to benefit from their operations.                         Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of MTN Ghana Mr. Ebenezer Twum Asante According to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of MTN Ghana Mr. Ebenezer Twum Asante, the customers are the beneficiaries of the telcos operation in the country. “They are the reason why we exist. Without them we cannot operate,” he added. He said this at the launch of MTN 20 Years of Operation in Ghana. The theme for the anniversary is “MTN @20: Two decades of brightening lives; embracing a future of unlimited opportunities.” He mentioned that the quality of service monitoring results released monthly by the National Communications Authority (NCA), demonstrated the telcos focus on how they have enhanced customer experience, especially the MTN. ...

Tigo together with its Digital Change leaders visited two Shelter 4 Education schools to empower and introduce pupils to digital technology as part of the celebration to mark the World Telecommunication and Information Society (WTIS) Day. The schools visited were Tupaa and Obeng Yaw Basic Schools in the Greater Accra and Eastern Regions respectively. The digital change leaders, Marie Godwyll of Young @ Heart and Hayford Siaw of E-Library on Wheels together with a team of Tigo volunteers led the pupils to learn about and experience computers, websites, e-learning and mobile computing.                               Primary 5 pupil learning how to use the computer for the first time As part of the activities, the school children were coached on the essentials of good presentation skills, entrepreneurship, and problem solving. They were also equipped with practical knowledge of the ICT subject st...

…Transfers Presiding Member of Atebubu Amanting Assembly f or refusing to endorse new DCE By: Nana Kwabena Adu Koranteng The presiding member of the Atebubu Amanting District Assembly , Mr Issah Gariba   who is also a district budget officer for the Ghana Education Service received a shock of his life when he learnt that he has been transferred by the GES for refusing to endorse  the appointment of one Eric Osei as the new DCE for  the district. Speaking to the New Crusading Guide in a telephone interview, Mr Gariba described his transfer from Atebubu to Shwediem in the Ahafo Annor district as illegal and contrary to the rules and regulations of the Ghana Education service. Recently, the GES gave a directive that due to the headcount and validation of Teachers across the country, no teacher or GES staff should be transferred until the program is completed and it looks like the regional Director, Kwadwo Osei-Assibey has erred big time for taking this wi...

By: Fred Yaw Sarpong- Daily Express The Association of Ghana Industries (AGI), an umbrella body of manufacturing companies in the country has lauded government for the current sustainability of the macro-economic stability of the country. “We commends Government for the seeming stability in the economy and urges the managers of the economy to do everything possible to sustain and improve on the relative macro-economic stability,” AGI stated. The association announced this in their 2016 first quarter Business Barometer survey. The full report is yet to be released. However a statement was issued and signed by the President Mr. James Asare-Adjei. The mother body of manufacturing firms also commended Government’s effort to ensure stability in power supply, relative improvement in the depreciation of the cedi and macro-economic environment have contributed to the sign of recovery of the Ghanaian economy. Meanwhile, AGI said access to medium to long-term credit facili...

By: Fred Yaw Sarpong The Ghana Center for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) will organize a two-day conference, under the theme ‘Enhancing Knowledge for Renewed Policies against Poverty (NOPOOR)’ in Accra this month. The conference which scheduled for May 22-23 is in collaboration with the French Institute for Development, Paris Dauphine University and the European Union as CDD-Ghana partners. In a statement to announce the conference, CDD-Ghana said the conference will bring together policy makers and researchers from 17 countries from Africa, Asia, Latin America and Europe. It stated that the participants at the conference will share their respective research findings, experiences, policy recommendations and how it can impact on national policies aimed at reducing poverty. “The conference is also expected to provide the platform for interaction and assisting policy makers, development partners and government agencies with evidence-based recommendations that ca...

By: Fred Yaw Sarpong The Corporate Initiative Ghana (CIG), a not-for-profit entity and the organizers of the Ghana Banking Awards will be awarding the best bank with interest rate on savings and deposit accounts in the country at this year’s banking awards. According to the organizers, for the first time in the 15-year history of the Ghana Banking Awards, they are introducing a category to recognize the bank with the best interest rate on savings/deposit accounts. The CIG said this initiative is to encourage the banks to offer best products to their customers. Nana Otuo Acheampong, the Chairman of the Awards Planning Board announced this at the launch of the 15 th Ghana Banking Awards in Accra. He stated that they will also recognize five personalities for their invaluable contributions to the development and advancement of the banking industry in Ghana. This year’s banking awards is under theme: “Fifteen years of Ghana Banking Awards: Enriching a healthy comp...

By: Fred Yaw Sarpong The Omanhene of Oguaa Traditional Area, Osabarima Kwesi Attah II said he is okay with ongoing developmental projects in the Central Region under the current National Democratic Congress (NDC) government, leg by President John Mahama. “Am okay with the number of projects in the region because they are the best in the country,” Osabarima Kwesi Attah II said this on Okay FM, an Accra based radio station. He specifically mentioned the newly constructed 16,000-seater capacity Cape Coast Stadium and the Kotokuraba Market which is expected to be ready between July and August this year. Describing the Cape Coast stadium, Osabarima Kwesi Attah II said “the stadium is the best in the country. It has tartan track, basketball courts, a tennis court, a gymnasium, a hall for table tennis as well as a housing facility for athletes.” He mentioned that there are other major projects going on in the region as well. “We can talk about Komenda sugar factory an...

By: Fred Yaw Sarpong The Journalists for Business Advocacy (JBA), a media advocacy group for small and medium scale enterprises has called on the government not to further extend the application of the National Fiscal Stabilization Levy (NFSL). According to JBA, government plans of extending the levy until the end of 2017 will further increase the financial difficulties of all the companies in the sectors which are already paying. The National Fiscal Stabilization Levy ACT, 2013 impose a special levy known as the National Fiscal Stabilization Levy (NFSL) on specified companies and institutions in order to raise revenue for fiscal stabilization of the economy and to provide for related matters. Under the Section 1 of the Act, companies and Institutions liable to pay National Fiscal Stabilization Levy are Banks (excluding rural and community banks), Breweries, Non-Bank Financial Institutions, Insurance companies, Telecommunications companies liable to collect and pay t...