USED Car Dealers Association of Ghana (UCDAG) has organised a demonstration to petition to the government to resettle them to enable the construction of the George Walker Bush Motorway.
Consequently, the demonstration came as a result of information they heard from Peace FM, a private radio station in Accra and publication by the Daily Graphic on March 17, 2009 to vacate the road by Friday, March 20, 2009 to enable the contractor to start construction works.
Some members of the association, told the Daily Graphic that, there was no official letter to that effect and also, the notice came at short intervals with five days ultimatum given them.
The demonstration according to them was not being politicised, but rather they wanted their rights to be respected as citizens of the country.
They said, compensation was agreed to be paid to members, and that, but as at now about 80% of them have not been paid.
“We create employment for about 3,000 people in the country, as well as contribute to about the highest revenue to the government”, they said.
They added that if nothing was done about their petition, they would continue to resist and were even prepared to go court.
Some members of the association noted with concern that, the Ghana Highway Authority (GHA) had connived with the Ghana Armed Forces to deploy about 1,000 men to collect all cars from their premises if they refused to move.
According the Chairman of the association, Mr Peter Yeboah, they heard the information from the radio station that, the Ghana Highway Authority (GHA) together with the Millennium Development Authority (MiDA) issued the final warning that all those Car Dealers in and around the Corridors of the proposed site for the construction of the George Walker Bush Motorway should vacate their garages or else they would be forced to move after the deadline.
Mr Yeboah said, MiDA promised to compensate and relocate them of which they spent over 200 million to design the site plan but later, they were disappointed since they could not get a sizeable land in Accra for them.
For his part, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the association, Rev Solomon Francis Okrah, said, we are aware of the importance for the construction of the motorway but, what will be the effect of not relocating our members, some can be armed robbers, phone snatches and the likes.
They however, petitioned to the government, Ministry of Lands and Forestry, MiDA, and the America government to resettle them to a suitable place, in the interest of on peace.
Friday, March 20, 2009
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Child right
THE Children’s Rights International (CRI), a non-governmental organisation, has launched the 2009 Easter School for Children in Accra.
The annual event, which started nine years ago, was instituted by the CRI and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), to inculcate in the children a sense of responsibility to participate effectively in issues affecting them.
The theme for this year’s Easter school is: “Growing child participation through service learning”, and it is aimed at involving children in discussing national issues.
The Executive Director of CRI, Mr Bright Appiah, said the Easter school was a medium to promote child participation in the country and also involve them in issues that affect them.
Mr Appiah said: “Child participation ensures and enhances expression of opinion, self-confidence, self-involvement and provides understanding for children to better appreciate issues that affect them,”.
He noted that the Easter school, since its inception in 2000, had provided the platform for children to discuss and share issues.
He expressed optimism that at the end of this year’s school, the Ghanaian child would be factored into the broader decision-making process.
The acting Director at the Children’s Department of the Ministry for Women and Children’s Affairs, Mr Peter Eduful, who delivered the speech on behalf of the minister, Ms Akua Sena Dansua, said the biggest challenge to society was how to raise children and prepare them adequately to take up adult roles and responsibilities and also contribute effectively to future national development.
She said children continued to suffer various forms of discrimination and deprivation including their inability to express their minds freely and participate fully in matters which affected them in the family and society.
She said: “Participation is one of the guiding principles of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which Ghana proudly signed as the first UN nation in 1991.”
She urged children to take their education seriously and also abstain from negative practices such as drinking, patronising pornography, premarital sex and using narcotic drugs.
Speaking on behalf of the acting Inspector of Police (IGP), Mrs Elizabeth Mills- Robertson, the Director of Community Policing, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Florence Arthur, said policemen who violated the rights and freedom of children should be arrested and prosecuted.
She also said children should report any form of violence against them for the necessary action to be taken.
For his part, the Programme Support Manager of Plan Ghana, Mr William Agyekum Acquah, said the unit would support children to be key actors in their own development.
Mr Acquah reiterated that resources should be used to harness the development of the Ghanaian child.
Ghana ratified the United Nations (UN) Convention on the Rights of the child. This Convention has a fundamental principle and an internationally agreed framework necessary for ensuring minimum standards for the well-being of the child and to which every child is entitled.
The CRI was registered in 1997 as a non-governmental organisation committed to the principles enshrined in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Constitution of the Republic of Ghana
The CRI also helps in building the capacity of students to be able to effectively participate in the discussion of issues that bother on the promotion and protection of the rights and welfare of children.
This year’s programme is scheduled to take place in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region from April 18 to 23, 2009.
The annual event, which started nine years ago, was instituted by the CRI and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), to inculcate in the children a sense of responsibility to participate effectively in issues affecting them.
The theme for this year’s Easter school is: “Growing child participation through service learning”, and it is aimed at involving children in discussing national issues.
The Executive Director of CRI, Mr Bright Appiah, said the Easter school was a medium to promote child participation in the country and also involve them in issues that affect them.
Mr Appiah said: “Child participation ensures and enhances expression of opinion, self-confidence, self-involvement and provides understanding for children to better appreciate issues that affect them,”.
He noted that the Easter school, since its inception in 2000, had provided the platform for children to discuss and share issues.
He expressed optimism that at the end of this year’s school, the Ghanaian child would be factored into the broader decision-making process.
The acting Director at the Children’s Department of the Ministry for Women and Children’s Affairs, Mr Peter Eduful, who delivered the speech on behalf of the minister, Ms Akua Sena Dansua, said the biggest challenge to society was how to raise children and prepare them adequately to take up adult roles and responsibilities and also contribute effectively to future national development.
She said children continued to suffer various forms of discrimination and deprivation including their inability to express their minds freely and participate fully in matters which affected them in the family and society.
She said: “Participation is one of the guiding principles of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which Ghana proudly signed as the first UN nation in 1991.”
She urged children to take their education seriously and also abstain from negative practices such as drinking, patronising pornography, premarital sex and using narcotic drugs.
Speaking on behalf of the acting Inspector of Police (IGP), Mrs Elizabeth Mills- Robertson, the Director of Community Policing, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Florence Arthur, said policemen who violated the rights and freedom of children should be arrested and prosecuted.
She also said children should report any form of violence against them for the necessary action to be taken.
For his part, the Programme Support Manager of Plan Ghana, Mr William Agyekum Acquah, said the unit would support children to be key actors in their own development.
Mr Acquah reiterated that resources should be used to harness the development of the Ghanaian child.
Ghana ratified the United Nations (UN) Convention on the Rights of the child. This Convention has a fundamental principle and an internationally agreed framework necessary for ensuring minimum standards for the well-being of the child and to which every child is entitled.
The CRI was registered in 1997 as a non-governmental organisation committed to the principles enshrined in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Constitution of the Republic of Ghana
The CRI also helps in building the capacity of students to be able to effectively participate in the discussion of issues that bother on the promotion and protection of the rights and welfare of children.
This year’s programme is scheduled to take place in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region from April 18 to 23, 2009.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Mills Robertson
SINCE assuming office early this year as the first policewoman to act as Inspector General of Police (IGP) Mrs Elizabeth Mills-Robertson has made known her commitment to wage a relentless war on criminal activities throughout the country.
In furtherance of her pledge, the police undertook an operation to flush out criminals in some parts of Accra soon after she assumed office while she announced her long term commitment to offer maximum security for the nation and sustain the fight against crime, particularly armed robbery.
Assuming office at a time when crime is said to have become very sophisticated, Mrs Mills-Robertson faces a Herculean task but she is counting on the maximum support of officers and men of the service and the cordial relationship between the police and the general public to succeed.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic in an interview after she was awarded with an Executive Master of Business Administration (Human Resource Management) degree at the 2007/2008 congregation of the University of Ghana, Legon, on Saturday, Mrs Mills-Robertson, re-emphasise her commitment to develop a more cordial working relationship between the police and the public.
She said that was necessary to erode the negative perception of the public about the police and give the police service a positive image to enhance crime detection and prevention.
The acting IGP, who is the first female police head since policing was introduced in the country in the 1800s, is a product of Wesley Girls High School in Cape Coast and the University of Ghana, and a Barrister at Law from the Ghana School of Law.
She stated that more police personnel would be deployed to patrol the principal streets of Accra and other business districts in the Accra metropolis as well as other municipalities and districts.
She said her administration would address some of the challenges confronting the police, and mentioned that the issue of accommodation, which affected the efficient operation of some service personnel, would be addressed, stressing that accommodation for service men and women would be improved.
Mrs Mills-Robertson said challenges confronting her were similar to those encountered by women in other key positions, and called for maximum support from officers and men of the service to enhance efficiency.
The acting IGP promised to inspire other female police officers to rise to the top and advised them not to rest on their laurels.
In furtherance of her pledge, the police undertook an operation to flush out criminals in some parts of Accra soon after she assumed office while she announced her long term commitment to offer maximum security for the nation and sustain the fight against crime, particularly armed robbery.
Assuming office at a time when crime is said to have become very sophisticated, Mrs Mills-Robertson faces a Herculean task but she is counting on the maximum support of officers and men of the service and the cordial relationship between the police and the general public to succeed.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic in an interview after she was awarded with an Executive Master of Business Administration (Human Resource Management) degree at the 2007/2008 congregation of the University of Ghana, Legon, on Saturday, Mrs Mills-Robertson, re-emphasise her commitment to develop a more cordial working relationship between the police and the public.
She said that was necessary to erode the negative perception of the public about the police and give the police service a positive image to enhance crime detection and prevention.
The acting IGP, who is the first female police head since policing was introduced in the country in the 1800s, is a product of Wesley Girls High School in Cape Coast and the University of Ghana, and a Barrister at Law from the Ghana School of Law.
She stated that more police personnel would be deployed to patrol the principal streets of Accra and other business districts in the Accra metropolis as well as other municipalities and districts.
She said her administration would address some of the challenges confronting the police, and mentioned that the issue of accommodation, which affected the efficient operation of some service personnel, would be addressed, stressing that accommodation for service men and women would be improved.
Mrs Mills-Robertson said challenges confronting her were similar to those encountered by women in other key positions, and called for maximum support from officers and men of the service to enhance efficiency.
The acting IGP promised to inspire other female police officers to rise to the top and advised them not to rest on their laurels.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Transparency
THE 2007 budget was not transparent, an Open Budget Survey and Index for 2008 has revealed.
This was because the government did not produce and disseminate four of the eight key budget documents required by international good practices.
The eight key budget documents included the Executive’s budget proposal, Enacted budget, Citizens budget and In-year report on execution which were made available and transparent and the Pre-budget statement, Mid-year review, Year-end report and Auditor’s report which were not made transparent and publicly available.
The survey which was conducted in 85 countries and aimed at ensuring budget transparency, was a collaboration between International Budget Partnership (IBP) and Civil Society Experts in which seven African countries participated.
The Budget Analyst of the Integrated Social Development Centre (ISODEC), Mr Nicholas Adamtey stressed the need for budget documents to be made available to the general public without hindrances.
He suggested that the budget should be made available to the public within a period of two to three months for thorough review and analyses before it is presented to parliament.
This he said, would ensure transparency and accountability for the effective use of public resources, as well as help the citizens of the country make informed decisions about the budget statement.
Mr Adamtey said the survey was not to measure corruption but to measure budget transparency and accountability.
He however added that, lack of transparency created opportunity for corruption and wasteful spending.
The survey stated that, the government of Ghana provided the public with about 49 per cent information on its budget and financial activities during the course of the budget year.
It stated that the budget proposal provided substantial information to the public which meant that citizens had a fairly comprehensive idea of governments plans for taxes and expenditure.
However it stated that, it was difficult to track spending, revenue collection and borrowing during the year, adding that, assessing the budget performance in Ghana was difficult once the budget year was over.
It indicated that a year-end report which was not published, prevented comparisons between what was budgeted and what was actually spent and collected at the end of the year.
“These make it difficult for citizens to hold the government accountable for its management of the public’s money”, the survey stated.
It therefore stated that citizen participation should go beyond improving access to key budget documents and also involve organisations and individuals to participate in budget debates.
This was because the government did not produce and disseminate four of the eight key budget documents required by international good practices.
The eight key budget documents included the Executive’s budget proposal, Enacted budget, Citizens budget and In-year report on execution which were made available and transparent and the Pre-budget statement, Mid-year review, Year-end report and Auditor’s report which were not made transparent and publicly available.
The survey which was conducted in 85 countries and aimed at ensuring budget transparency, was a collaboration between International Budget Partnership (IBP) and Civil Society Experts in which seven African countries participated.
The Budget Analyst of the Integrated Social Development Centre (ISODEC), Mr Nicholas Adamtey stressed the need for budget documents to be made available to the general public without hindrances.
He suggested that the budget should be made available to the public within a period of two to three months for thorough review and analyses before it is presented to parliament.
This he said, would ensure transparency and accountability for the effective use of public resources, as well as help the citizens of the country make informed decisions about the budget statement.
Mr Adamtey said the survey was not to measure corruption but to measure budget transparency and accountability.
He however added that, lack of transparency created opportunity for corruption and wasteful spending.
The survey stated that, the government of Ghana provided the public with about 49 per cent information on its budget and financial activities during the course of the budget year.
It stated that the budget proposal provided substantial information to the public which meant that citizens had a fairly comprehensive idea of governments plans for taxes and expenditure.
However it stated that, it was difficult to track spending, revenue collection and borrowing during the year, adding that, assessing the budget performance in Ghana was difficult once the budget year was over.
It indicated that a year-end report which was not published, prevented comparisons between what was budgeted and what was actually spent and collected at the end of the year.
“These make it difficult for citizens to hold the government accountable for its management of the public’s money”, the survey stated.
It therefore stated that citizen participation should go beyond improving access to key budget documents and also involve organisations and individuals to participate in budget debates.
Friday, March 13, 2009
Drivers on Fares
THE between five and 10 per cent reduction in fuel prices will not significantly affect commercial transport fares.
Daily Graphic surveys at some lorry stations in the metropolis show that while generally most trotro fares have been maintained after the reduced fuel prices took effect, some drivers have increased their fares by about 5Gp.
The fare from Mallam to Kasoa before the announced decreases was 70 Gp and is now 75Gp, while that from Mallam to Accra, which was formerly 40Gp is now 45Gp.
Other trotro drivers are running on transit basis. That is, they pick up people at a point and take them half the distance, insist on all passengers getting down and then reload the vehicles again for the other half of the journey.
Passengers, most often struggling to make it to and from work, are thereby forced to pay sometimes double of what they would spend for the journey.
Some taxi drivers said they charged between GH¢3 and GH¢10 for short distance, depending on how heavy traffic was.
Some executive members of the Ghana Road Transport Co-ordinating Council (GRTCC), the umbrella body of all commercial vehicles in the country, said the decreases in fuel prices were negligible and did not significantly change fares of their members.
The practice in the reduction of fuel prices has included consultation between the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) and transport owners and drivers’ unions.
Such consultations take place within an 11-member committee made up of two representatives of the National NPA, three representatives of the Ministry of Transport and six representatives of the GTRCC.
The 11-member committee, however, met after the announcement of the price reduction and reached the decision that the price reduction was negligible, while bank interest on loans used to purchase vehicles, station tolls, spare parts for cars and servicing prices were all increasing.
Mr Mathew Hayford, the Chairman of the GRTCC, said drivers were currently barely able to break even with prevailing increases in spare parts, thus the decreases in fuel prices would rather benefit private vehicle owners and corporate organisations and not Ghanaians who used commercial vehicles.
Random interviews conducted at the Mallam-Kaneshie and Agbogbloshie lorry stations showed drivers were not enthused about the reduction in fuel prices, saying that, to them, it was insignificant.
Mr Gideon Akakpo, a driver, said the high oil prices globally was negatively impacting on Ghana, thus the reductions by the government could affect the nation’s economy.
Another driver, Mr John Ayitey, said traffic congestion in the metropolis was very bad and consumed all the fuel he purchased.
Due to that, he could not reduce transport fares, as what he gained in buying fuel at a lesser price was further used in buying more.
Daily Graphic surveys at some lorry stations in the metropolis show that while generally most trotro fares have been maintained after the reduced fuel prices took effect, some drivers have increased their fares by about 5Gp.
The fare from Mallam to Kasoa before the announced decreases was 70 Gp and is now 75Gp, while that from Mallam to Accra, which was formerly 40Gp is now 45Gp.
Other trotro drivers are running on transit basis. That is, they pick up people at a point and take them half the distance, insist on all passengers getting down and then reload the vehicles again for the other half of the journey.
Passengers, most often struggling to make it to and from work, are thereby forced to pay sometimes double of what they would spend for the journey.
Some taxi drivers said they charged between GH¢3 and GH¢10 for short distance, depending on how heavy traffic was.
Some executive members of the Ghana Road Transport Co-ordinating Council (GRTCC), the umbrella body of all commercial vehicles in the country, said the decreases in fuel prices were negligible and did not significantly change fares of their members.
The practice in the reduction of fuel prices has included consultation between the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) and transport owners and drivers’ unions.
Such consultations take place within an 11-member committee made up of two representatives of the National NPA, three representatives of the Ministry of Transport and six representatives of the GTRCC.
The 11-member committee, however, met after the announcement of the price reduction and reached the decision that the price reduction was negligible, while bank interest on loans used to purchase vehicles, station tolls, spare parts for cars and servicing prices were all increasing.
Mr Mathew Hayford, the Chairman of the GRTCC, said drivers were currently barely able to break even with prevailing increases in spare parts, thus the decreases in fuel prices would rather benefit private vehicle owners and corporate organisations and not Ghanaians who used commercial vehicles.
Random interviews conducted at the Mallam-Kaneshie and Agbogbloshie lorry stations showed drivers were not enthused about the reduction in fuel prices, saying that, to them, it was insignificant.
Mr Gideon Akakpo, a driver, said the high oil prices globally was negatively impacting on Ghana, thus the reductions by the government could affect the nation’s economy.
Another driver, Mr John Ayitey, said traffic congestion in the metropolis was very bad and consumed all the fuel he purchased.
Due to that, he could not reduce transport fares, as what he gained in buying fuel at a lesser price was further used in buying more.
Health problems
THE Minister of Health, Dr George Sipa Yankey, has called for a by-partisan approach to resolving health issues in the country.
That, he said would ensure progress in the health sector as policies were put in place for the benefit of Ghanaians irrespective of political affiliations.
Dr Yankey said this at his first meeting with the Inter-Agency Leadership Committee (IALC) in Accra last Thursday.
He said programmes were underway to refurbish the health services in the country to deal with problems confronting the ministry and other health institutions.
He, therefore, asked the various agencies to furnish the ministry with the necessary logistics for health issues that needed interventions.
The minister proposed a two-day workshop with the agencies to tackle some of the major problems confronting the ministry, which would include a critical look at some conflicts among these agencies.
Another challenge, he said, was financing which had become a problem due to the world economic crisis but added that the government had initiated measures to generate money for health care in the country.
Sixteen representatives of IALC outlined issues of concern and called on the minister to look at them critically.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Tamale Teaching Hospital, Dr Ken Sagoe, noted that, the hospital was indebted to a tune of GH¢1.4 million which was retarding its progress.
He also mentioned the huge cost of repairs and maintenance and the deterioration of infrastructure.
The Registrar of the Traditional Medicine Practice Council (TMPC), Mr F.K. Hlortsi-Akakpo, noted that 100 herbal medicine shops would be licensed as part of their activities.
He expressed concern about the misinterpretation of Act 575, and called on the government to finalise the Legislative Instrument (LI) for the Act.
For her part, the Registrar of the Nurses and Midwives Council (NMC), Mrs Veronica Darko, said the non-existence of a governing board and the increased number of accredited training schools to 81 had created congestion at the council.
Mrs Darko appealed to the government to give more attention to midwifery practice in Ghana.
The Director of the Centre for Scientific Research into Plant Medicine, Prof Laud Okine, announced that three new products had been developed for the cure of diabetes, hypertension and HIV/AIDS, while there were plans for a botanical garden for medicinal plants.
The Director of National Ambulance Service (NAS), Dr Ahmed Zakariah, called on the government to fund the service in order to embark on training for additional staff.
The Executive Director of the Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG), Dr Philibert Kankye, said 35 to 40 per cent of patients were being catered for by CHAG to relieve the burdens of other health institutions.
He, however, asked churches to be involved in the provision of quality health services for Ghanaians.
That, he said would ensure progress in the health sector as policies were put in place for the benefit of Ghanaians irrespective of political affiliations.
Dr Yankey said this at his first meeting with the Inter-Agency Leadership Committee (IALC) in Accra last Thursday.
He said programmes were underway to refurbish the health services in the country to deal with problems confronting the ministry and other health institutions.
He, therefore, asked the various agencies to furnish the ministry with the necessary logistics for health issues that needed interventions.
The minister proposed a two-day workshop with the agencies to tackle some of the major problems confronting the ministry, which would include a critical look at some conflicts among these agencies.
Another challenge, he said, was financing which had become a problem due to the world economic crisis but added that the government had initiated measures to generate money for health care in the country.
Sixteen representatives of IALC outlined issues of concern and called on the minister to look at them critically.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Tamale Teaching Hospital, Dr Ken Sagoe, noted that, the hospital was indebted to a tune of GH¢1.4 million which was retarding its progress.
He also mentioned the huge cost of repairs and maintenance and the deterioration of infrastructure.
The Registrar of the Traditional Medicine Practice Council (TMPC), Mr F.K. Hlortsi-Akakpo, noted that 100 herbal medicine shops would be licensed as part of their activities.
He expressed concern about the misinterpretation of Act 575, and called on the government to finalise the Legislative Instrument (LI) for the Act.
For her part, the Registrar of the Nurses and Midwives Council (NMC), Mrs Veronica Darko, said the non-existence of a governing board and the increased number of accredited training schools to 81 had created congestion at the council.
Mrs Darko appealed to the government to give more attention to midwifery practice in Ghana.
The Director of the Centre for Scientific Research into Plant Medicine, Prof Laud Okine, announced that three new products had been developed for the cure of diabetes, hypertension and HIV/AIDS, while there were plans for a botanical garden for medicinal plants.
The Director of National Ambulance Service (NAS), Dr Ahmed Zakariah, called on the government to fund the service in order to embark on training for additional staff.
The Executive Director of the Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG), Dr Philibert Kankye, said 35 to 40 per cent of patients were being catered for by CHAG to relieve the burdens of other health institutions.
He, however, asked churches to be involved in the provision of quality health services for Ghanaians.
Budget Advocacy
THE 2009 budget has elements of a pro-poor budget, but too far from being a social democratic budget.
Ghanaians have, therefore, been cautioned that any permutations of policy that threaten the core of society would land the country into irreversible and irreparable damage as had been witnessed in other countries.
The budget, therefore, needs to be re-established to balance the economic and social in its political orientation and tax allocation.
This was contained in a press statement prepared by the Centre for Budget Advocacy (CBA) on the 2009 policy and budget statement and read by the Executive Director of the Integrated Social Development Centre (ISODEC), Mr Bishop Akolgo, in Accra.
He said the press statement was released in the hope of contributing to a better understanding of the budget for informed public discussion towards the improvement of the quality of the lives of Ghanaians.
He noted that an effective and efficient economy required a stock of goodwill, trust and acceptance, obedience to the law, as well as the presence of institutions that provided social stability and security.
He said citizens inputs into the budget process in the past, though limited, was truncated this year during the preparation of the 2009 budget.
Mr Akolgo called on the government to formalise the public input into the budget process and said the process should go beyond request for input from the public to the situation where the budget process would be publicised to enable stakeholders to participate effectively.
He also said the Right and Access to Information Bill must be passed into law to enable citizens to make informed inputs into the budget and public finance including helping to reduce corruption and mismanagement of public resources.
He said it was important for the government to make loan transactions and grants transparent and involve civil society organisations, businesses, labour groups and Parliament before such loans were contracted.
Mr Akolgo commended the government for seeking to run a transparent, lean, efficient and effective government and recommended that the country’s natural resources management be brought under the discipline of the extractive industry transparency initiative.
He also suggested that immediate steps should be taken to review and adjust the fiscal regime for the extraction of resources.
He said that would help generate revenue to reduce dependence on external loans and provide resources to invest in the productive and social sectors.
Ghanaians have, therefore, been cautioned that any permutations of policy that threaten the core of society would land the country into irreversible and irreparable damage as had been witnessed in other countries.
The budget, therefore, needs to be re-established to balance the economic and social in its political orientation and tax allocation.
This was contained in a press statement prepared by the Centre for Budget Advocacy (CBA) on the 2009 policy and budget statement and read by the Executive Director of the Integrated Social Development Centre (ISODEC), Mr Bishop Akolgo, in Accra.
He said the press statement was released in the hope of contributing to a better understanding of the budget for informed public discussion towards the improvement of the quality of the lives of Ghanaians.
He noted that an effective and efficient economy required a stock of goodwill, trust and acceptance, obedience to the law, as well as the presence of institutions that provided social stability and security.
He said citizens inputs into the budget process in the past, though limited, was truncated this year during the preparation of the 2009 budget.
Mr Akolgo called on the government to formalise the public input into the budget process and said the process should go beyond request for input from the public to the situation where the budget process would be publicised to enable stakeholders to participate effectively.
He also said the Right and Access to Information Bill must be passed into law to enable citizens to make informed inputs into the budget and public finance including helping to reduce corruption and mismanagement of public resources.
He said it was important for the government to make loan transactions and grants transparent and involve civil society organisations, businesses, labour groups and Parliament before such loans were contracted.
Mr Akolgo commended the government for seeking to run a transparent, lean, efficient and effective government and recommended that the country’s natural resources management be brought under the discipline of the extractive industry transparency initiative.
He also suggested that immediate steps should be taken to review and adjust the fiscal regime for the extraction of resources.
He said that would help generate revenue to reduce dependence on external loans and provide resources to invest in the productive and social sectors.
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