SARPONG'S BLOG

“One of the problems faced by some of the appointees of the present Government is the ability to go beyond the biased advice being proffered to them by the senior public officers they inherited from the previous Government. A conscientious and knowledgeable Minister should be able, within the first three months in office, to know how many of his officers were recently promoted by the outgoing Government and their role in cover-ups in the Ministry. The inability of any Minister to understand the composition and promotional history of his senior public servants upon whom he depends for advice within the first three to six months means that he may be working with moles planted before the demise of the previous Government. “A simple analysis of the staff list in any Ministry including transfers within a period will easily give any Minister a bird’s eye view of how very junior staff wormed their way into acting senior positions above their very senior and competent colleagues and we...

MTN Ghana Foundation has organized Christmas parties for about 3000 children in select schools across the country. The Christmas parties were held for children at Bethesda Basic School-Glefe/Mpoasei Dansoman, Mampong School for the Deaf, Mampong, Sekondi School for the Deaf and Zuarungu community. The Christmas parties forms part of activities marking MTN Ghana Foundation’s 10th Anniversary. As part of the activities, MTN Ghana Foundation also presented teaching and learning aids such as pens, pencils, crayons, erasers, sharpeners, rulers, story books, textbooks and A4 sheets to management of the schools. The children were also taken through some fun activities that test both their cognitive and psychomotor abilities such as reading, drawing, dancing etc. MTN Ghana Foundation took the opportunity to engage directly with the children while fulfilling two of its three focus areas, which are, Education and Health. Commenting on the event, the Acting Corporate Services Executive ...

    The minority has learnt with shock and dismay the brutal and unprovoked attack on the member of parliament for the Asunafo South Constituency, Hon. Eric Opoku who is also the former Regional Minister of the Brong Ahafo region under the John Mahama led NDC administration in the early hours of 25th day of December, 2017.           We are reliably informed that the Hon. Eric Opoku had travelled to his constituency to celebrate the Christmas festivities with his constituents and was actually locked up in a meeting at his residence when a mob of NPP supporters numbering about a hundred and armed with machetes and guns carried out the attack without provocation.           In the cause of the unprovoked attack, stones were pelted by the assailants at the residence of the Hon. Eric Opoku and in the process, massive damage was caused to a number of vehicles including a Toyota Land Cruiser belonging to the Hon. Member and the resi...

Its barely 4 days away to the end of the year and Jumia Ghana is giving out goodies to online shoppers during this festivity. Just like santa, Jumia is spreading the discount love to all shoppers to enjoy up to 70% off on items in their ongoing Christmas store sales. This year’s Christmas Store have all items ranging from fashion, electronics, gifts, home appliances etc. Jumia says ‘the best place to shop for this festivity is Jumia’s Christmas store’. Jumia wants its customers to shop right during this holidays to avoid over spending hence it has seized the opportunity to educate shoppers on how to make use of some basic shopping tips to avoid them going broke. How to Shop Right Outline your needs: Knowing what you actually need, is a good way to start your shopping. Pen down all items you are sure to need during this festivity. By making a list, you are fixing your gaze on that which is important so to avoid impulse buying. Shop on Budget: Allocate an approximate amount to each...

MTN Ghana has awarded the PR Organization of the Year in the telecommunications sector for the third consecutive time at the just ended 6th IPR awards in Accra. The event was organized under the theme “Deriving Value from Values," by Institute of Public Relations (IPR). At the same event, MTN Ghana was also adjudged the best in non-profit communication and the best in crisis and issues management. The IPR Excellence Awards aims at honouring and generating public recognition for the achievements and positive contributions of Public Relations units in their organisations. It was also instituted to promote professionalism in the practice of PR in Ghana. The leader of the delegation, Mrs Georgina Asare Fiagbenu, who is the Acting. Corporate Services Executive of MTN Ghana thanked all workers of MTN Ghana for their dedication. “Being the leader in the telecommunications industry with over 17 million subscribers places a unique responsibility on us to ensure business is ...

This is probably a question we may have asked ourselves to ascertain the prose and cones of the new media age. It is a world of click, #hashtags, and follow. According to useoftechnology.com, technology is a body of knowledge devoted to creating tools, processing actions and extracting of materials. Basically, we use technology to extend our abilities to solve a problem. Technology is an extended term for information technology (IT) which stresses the role of unified communications and the integration of telecommunications (telephone lines and wireless signals), computers as well as necessary enterprise software, middleware, storage, and audio-visual systems. It enables users to access, store, transmit, and manipulate information. – Wikipedia The term ‘Technology’ is wide and everyone has their own way of understanding the meaning of technology. Its importance can never be over emphasized. In today’s world, technology has significant effect on business operations, no matter how smal...

By: Fred Yaw Sarpong fsarpong@theeventpr.com The Ministry of Energy has received several applications from investors wanting to invest in the renewable energy sector, the Daily Express can confirm. According to the information gathered, applications are coming from China, U.S and some European countries. Ghana has several resources such as: wind, solar PV, mini grid, and modern biomass that are expected to be exploited for electricity production. But renewable energy has been the major one which many investors have expressed interest to champion, to add some portion of energy solution to the national grid. The investors are going to be taken through processes to partner the government to commission a lot of mini renewable projects by 2030. The ministry pointed out that this will help the country to increase its current 1% of renewable energy feed into the national grid. Currently, Ghana’s installed generation capacity stands at 4,577 megawatt (MW) as against 4,132 MW in 201...

By: Fred Yaw SARPONG fsarpong@theeventpr.com The Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) has announced that the year-on-year inflation for November, 2017 inched by one percentage point to record 11.7% rate of inflation. This means that the change in the general price level was 11.7% over the one year period, from November 2016 to November 2017. In the month on October, 2017, year-on-year inflation was 11.6%. The non-food inflation rate for November 2017 was the main driver which pushed the November, inflation up. The non-food inflation was 13.6% as against 13.2% recorded in October 2017. The sub-groups that contributed to the rate were transport, clothing and footwear, recreation and culture, furnishings, household equipment and miscellaneous goods and services. These sectors recorded inflation higherthan the average non-food inflation rate of 13.6%. Meanwhile, the food inflation rate for November 2017 was 7.9%, compared to 8.2% recorded in October 2017. Within the Food group, two su...

By: Fred Yaw SARPONG fsarpong@theeventpr.com The Bank of Ghana is to consider a system that allows commercial banks in the country to announce their own interest rates to the general public. According to the central bank, this is to do away with any doubt on the part of the commercial banks concerning Average Interest Rate published by the central bank. By default, the regulator of the banking sector has been publishing the Average Interest Rate from the banks. The idea is to inform the public about individual bank interest rate on certain services offered by the banks. However, some of the banks have been coming out to deny the figures announced or published by the central bank. In order for the banks not to dispute or deny the central bank figures, the regulator said allowing the banks to announce their interest rates on mortgage loans, agriculture, cars, and other services will be of benefit to the public. At a media soiree held at the Bank of Ghana, the ...

By: Fred Yaw SARPONG The Daily Express fsarpong@theeventpr.com MTN Ghana Foundation, the corporate social responsibility arm of MTN Ghana has an objective of seeking to enhance socio-economic development of Ghanaians and making sure the citizens benefits from their social activities. Since the foundation was set up in 2007, it has enhanced the brand of MTN Ghana in all areas of their operation especially to lift the image of under-served communities in Ghana. Apart from the foundation promoting strategic partnerships through good corporate citizenship collaborations with other national/ international partners, its key successes is the partnership it has cemented with the staff of MTN Ghana. Even though, the Foundation belongs to the staff and they must devote themselves to the activities of the organisation, the effort and enthusiasm they exhibit towards activities of the foundation are remarkable. One of the objectives of foundation states that “to foster MTN teamwork val...

By: Fred Yaw SARPONG fsarpong@theeventpr.com The National Communication Authority (NCA) says it will soon announce the auction of another 4G spectrum, part of the 800 MHz Band to investors. This will be the second time the regulator is offering space as part of a 800 MHz Band after MTN was awarded a lot of 2 x10 MHz Band. Even though the regulator is yet to come out with details and modalities for acquisition of the spectrum, the Daily Express gathers that the price will not be as high as the US$67.5 million paid by MTN to purchase the first space of lot of 2x10 MHz Band. Mr. Henry Kanor, the Deputy Director- General of NCA who gave the hint in Accra said the authority will open the bid to enable players such as members of broadband communication chamber (BBCC) to take advantage of the offer. Addressing participants at the maiden Broadband Ghana Forum 2017, Mr. Kanor urged industry players to help shape the sector by allowing competition to prevail among the...

By: Fred Yaw SARPONG fsarpong@theeventpr.com A check at the Bank of Ghana (BoG) indicates that Rural and Community Banks (RCBs) in the country are struggling to raise the minimum capital requirements required by the central bank. The central bank has instructed RCBS in the country to raise its minimum capital to a minimum of GHc1 million (1,000,000,000 cedis) by the end of December, 2017. However, the regulator says majority of the RCBs have not been able to raise the amount as the deadline approaches. The Daily Express gathers that as at the end November, about less than half of the total 144 RCBs have been able to raise the Ghc 1 million capital. Meanwhile, as at August this year, only 58 Rural and Community Banks (RCB’s) had a paid-up capital of above GH¢1million. The Governor of the central bank, Dr. Ernest Addison said recently at a Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting with some journalists that a number of the RCBs are yet to meet the minimum ca...

By: Fred Yaw SARPONG fsarpong@theeventpr.com Ghana has failed to reach the 50% internet penetration target set by the United Nations, as part of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) targets by 2017. Currently, Ghana has an internet penetration of 34% which is very low, recording about 16% short in reaching the target. Mr. Kawku Agbesi, an industry player and the Chief Sales Marketing Officer for CSquared Ghana, a wholesale fibre infrastructure company told the Daily Express that in order to improve internet penetration in the country, there are three things stakeholders need to do. He mentioned that the cost of internet in Ghana is very expensive and it does not make more people to hook into the internet. Even though with a lot of smart phones, many Ghanaians are afraid of using their data because of the cost. “First of all we need to try and reduce the cost of providing the service to the end user,” he stated. He further stated that on the average, th...

By: Fred Yaw SARPONG fsarpong@theeventpr.com As part of the transformational agenda to the banking sector in the country, the Bank of Ghana (BoG), regulator of the banking sector says its meeting all the 32 banks operating in Ghana ahead of the minimum capital requirement deadline. According to the central bank, the meeting is to have further update on where each bank is as far as the recapitalization is concerned. The regulator increased the minimum capital requirements of all commercial banks in Ghana from GHc120 million to GHc400 million. All the banks have been given up till December, 2017 to fully meet the new requirement. The commercial banks are supposed to be submitting their plans to capitalize up to GHc400 million to the central bank, hence the meeting is to assess their plans put in place. “We had requested quite a number of banks to put into place recapitalization plans as far back as April, 2017. So since April we have seen some a number of banks improves the level...

By: Fred Yaw SARPONG fsarpong@theeventpr.com The Ghana Health Service (GHS) says some staffs of health facilities in the country are charging patients and pregnant women illegally fees which do not come with receipts. Illegal charges at some of the health facilities have been in the media quite recently. The Daily Express has reported on similar incident which took place at the Greater Accra Regional Hospital, formerly known as the Ridge Hospital. A statement from the Ghana Health Service, which was signed by the Director General of the GHS, Dr. Anthony Nsiah-Asare indicated that there has been non-issuance of receipts covering payments of hospital fees and illegal charges by some health facilities within the Ghana Health Service. The memo which has been intercepted by the Daily Express was issued on 30th October, 2017 and sent to all Regional Director of the GHS, all medical directors of the various health facilities in the country and copied to the Minister of Health, and the ...

By: Fred Yaw SARPONG fsarpong@theeventpr.com Bank of Ghana (BoG), the regulator of the banking sector says it has put up a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with other public regulatory agencies to have a common way of producing financial data. The targeted regulatory authorities are Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), National Insurance Commission (NIC) and National Pension Regulatory Authority (NPRA). Even though there is no law that state that these public regulatory authorities are under the Bank of Ghana and for that matter they can be compel to act, however Dr. Osei Yeboah, Head of Micro Prudential Office at Bank of Ghana explained that these authorities are operating in the same space as the Bank of Ghana. He mentioned that, at regulators forum they address issues of much concern to the industry players and one of such issues is data collection. “If the financial system is working well it be of benefit to all the regulators,” he disclosed to the Daily Express in an ...

By: Fred  Yaw SARPONG fsarpong@theeventpr.com The Broadband Communication Chamber (BBCC) says its putting down measurers to drive the use broadband penetration in the country to include many Ghanaians who do not have access to broadband. According to the chamber, improved access to broadband services in the country will strengthening businesses, increase the country’s productivity and cushion Ghana’s economic growth. Speaking to Elorm Gustav Tamakloe, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the BBCC ahead of the upcoming Broadband Ghana Forum, he stated that broadband technologies are driving significant transformation in lots of sectors that are related to development such as health, food security, financial inclusion and education. He mentioned that it is therefore an undeniable fact that broadband is playing and will continue to play a key role in achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). “Sadly, Ghana is losing out, Ghana is being left behind. With approxima...

By: Fred Yaw SARPONG fsarpong@theeventpr.com Government has been accused of interfering in the work of Public Utility and Regulatory Commission (PURC) for setting electricity tariffs for power consumers in the country without the approval of the commission. The Head of Department of Finance, School of Business at the University of Cape Coast, Dr. John Gatsi it si unfortunate for the government to set electricity tariffs and push it on PURC to accept. “We are practising a liberal market system of which we have institution that are supposed to engage in price determination for tariffs and petroleum products,” he told the Daily Express in response to the 2018 Budget Statement presented to the Parliament by the Finance Minister, Mr. Ken Ofori-Attah. The 2018 Budget Statement is the third fiscal policy of the government since assumed office in January, 2017. He mentioned that it is the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) that has been mandated to set petroleum prices for pricing on p...

By: Fred Yaw Sarpong fsarpong@theeventpr.com Government has been commended for its decision to place the country at a position where by the revenue generation of the country will be sufficient for developmental projects, rather than relying on aids and grants. Many are of the view that this is a bold step because every country that depends on grants and aids, it difficult for such country to progress or grow.  Announcing such measures is not critical than implementing them. The finance minister, Mr. Ken Ofori Attah stated in the 2018 Budget Statement that government envision a Ghana beyond aid where within a generation, Ghana, through rapid and inclusive growth that respects gender equity, safeguards the environment and mitigates climate risk exposure, has attained upper middle-income status. Speaking to Mr. Jerry Afolabi, a financial analyst and economist he explained that if the government is able to put the nation’s resources to judicious use and be able to manage prudent...

By: Fred Yaw Sarpong fsarpong@theeventpr.com A group, the Coalition for Democracy Governance (CDG) says the GhanaPostGPS launched by the government is not accurate and for that matter it is a deceptive to the country. According to the group, the GhanaPost digital address system running on global positioning system (GPS) is a serious position Ghana has adopted. The coalition organized a news conference to seek questions with regards to the recently launched Ghana Post’s Global Positioning System (GPS) digital address system which was priced at US$2.5 million. Addressing the media, Kingsley Kormla Elikem Mortey, a GPS expert said developing a physical address system for Ghana is far better than using digital address. He argued that the GPS does not belong to Ghana and for that matter the owners of the system, which is the United State of American can decide to strip off the digital system from Ghana and it will create problem for the country. “The GPS belonged to the US military...

By: Fred Yaw SARPONG fsarpong@theeventpr.com Ghana will soon become one of the first countries in the world to have been able to commercialize genetically modified (GM) rice, if the project continues to receive funding. Ghana, together with Nigeria, Uganda and Columbia are currently conducting trials on GM rice that is able to use about a third nitrogen of the recommended  nitrogen fertilizer and still have good yield. If Ghana is able to go through this process, the country will be among the first countries in the world to come out with GM rice. Currently, there is no GM rice under commercial cultivation anywhere in the world, the Crops Research Institute (CRI) of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has started conducting trials in April 2013 and will hopefully, will get GM rice by 2021. Dr. Maxwell Asante, Project Manager for NEWEST GM rice project in Ghana explained that Ghana will first it has go through a lot of processes before the rice is releas...

By: Fred Yaw SARPONG fsarpong@theeventpr.com Businesses operating under the name of franchising in Ghana is said to be doing very well in Ghana and for that matter there is need for the enactment of franchising law or regulation by the government to regulate both the franchisor and the franchisee. It’s a method of distributing products or services by licensing the processes, products, services and intellectual property to investors who will operate within an established business model.  Franchising involves two entities namely the franchisor who provides the trademark/name and the franchisee who pays royalty for the right to operate through the trade name. Franchising is in three forms, product distribution or retail; trademark/name used by the franchisee to sell his/her products; and business format franchising which is the combination, hybrid of the first two forms. Currently, because there is no law regulating the operation of franchising business in the country, most o...

By: Fred Yaw SARPONG fsarpong@theeventpr.com The National Insurance Commission (NIC), the regulator of the insurance sector in Ghana is proposing a minimum capital requirements of GHc50 million for all the industry players. The commission is in the process of putting together a strong proposal to back the GHc50 million minimum capital requirements. The National Insurance Commission is yet to finalize the proposal. However, the commission is putting place data to support the proposed GHc50 million capital requirements. “We’re considering GHc50 million capital requirements for the insurance sector (both life and non-life) and GHc150 million for the Reinsurance companies in the country,” Mr. Simon Nerro Davor, the Deputy Commissioner of NIC told the Daily Express in an interview. Why the increased Mr. Davor mentioned that Ghana’s economy is growing and the size of the insurance industry in the country is too small. “If you cannot do big business, you cannot benefit from all the p...

By: Fred Yaw Sarpong The Daily Express fsarpong@theeventpr.com The Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA), mother body of trading groups in the country says they will review the 2018 Budget Statement presented to Parliament by the Finance Minister, Mr. Ken Ofori Attah last week. GUTA’s review of the budget is to allow the association comes out with a position on the 2018 budget statement, especially in areas that affect the trading community in the country. Mr. Tetteh Paddy, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of GUTA and a member of the Abossey Okai Spare Parts dealers association said the committee of the association will meet to consider the budget. “Though we didn’t hear so much been mention about the trading community in the budget, we could see that the 2018 budget statement is gear towards industry, manufacturing and agriculture, which of course we also play a critical role there.” Traders play supplementary role by distributing the goods and services from the compani...

By: Fred Yaw Sarpong As part of celebrating its 10 years of operations in Ghana, the Mobile Telecommunication Network (MTN) Ghana Foundation, is planning to offer scholarship to 300 tertiary students in the country. The scholarship scheme packages will be awarded to 300 students in a period of three years across the country. Every year, 100 students are expected to benefit from the scheme. According to the MTN, the scheme will help takes burdens from the students who will have the opportunity to be selected to benefit from the scholarship. At a breakfast meeting with the members of Journalist for Business Advocacy (JBA) in Accra, Gina Asare Fiagbenu, Senior Manager in charge of Sustainability and Social Impact at MTN Ghana explained that in January, 2018, the foundation will officially launch the scholarship scheme by announcing the criteria’s. The meeting was to brief JBA members the activities of the foundation for the past 10 years and also to know their plans from 2018. ...