THE Head of the Odorkor Area branch of the Church of Pentecost, Prophet James Osei-Amaniampong, has urged Christians to constantly read the Bible and seek knowledge on the right doctrines so that they will not be taken for granted by people who want to enrich themselves in the name of God.
According to him, when lay persons in the church critically availed themselves of the word of God, they would be able to serve God better and truthfully and would also not be swayed by people using the name of God for other purposes.
Prophet Osei-Amaniampong was speaking to the Daily Graphic after a one-week training workshop for lay persons in the church in Accra.
The workshop was to refresh the non-pastoral leaders of the church on the word of God and also empower them to be able to win more souls for Christ.
Some of the topics treated were discipleship, church finances and homiletics.
There was a plenary session which captured the church’s practices targeted at equipping the leaders of the ministry.
He explained that the leadership training was aimed at supporting the church’s vision to produce more dedicated and pragmatic lay leaders who would be diligent workmen of God and would not be ashamed of telling the truth about Christ.
He said those claiming to be men of God were undertaking activities for their personal benefit and using their canal knowledge to sway people from the actual word of God to purely miracles, signs and wonders.
He noted that with the current knowledge-based world and the advent of the Internet, Christians could also take advantage of the varied information on Christianity and other beneficial materials to enrich their stock of knowledge and also assist others in appreciating the goodness of the Almighty.
He also said that not all members could read and acquire knowledge for academic purposes such as Master’s and doctorate degrees, so they must constantly upgrade their knowledge to expand their knowledge about the word of God because the Bible states that some people would perish because they lacked knowledge.
He appealed to Christians to constantly pray for the peace and stability of the country and abide by the tenets of the Holy Bible and added that God would answer them if they prayed to him.
Friday, September 9, 2011
Technical, Vocational training to take centre statge -To address challenges facing education
The Mills administration has instituted measures to ensure that Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) takes centre stage in ameliorating the current difficulties facing the education sector.
As part of the measures to address the challenges, the government is reviewing the TVET policy to ensure that interest in technical and vocational training is whipped up in pupils at the primary school level to the highest level, provide opportunities for students pursuing TVET to rise to the highest educational level and also change the prejudice people have about technical and vocational training.
A Deputy Minister of Education, Mr Mahama Ayariga disclosed these when he addressed stakeholders of TVET at the presentation of a research report on vocational and technical training in Ghana.
Mr Ayariga noted that out of the about 3.8 million pupils who start primary school in the country every year, only 200,000 gain admission to the various public and private tertiary institutions.
The research was commissioned by the City and Guilds Centre for Skills Development, United Kingdom (UK), in collaboration with the Council for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (COTVET-Ghana). It was conducted bythe Centre for Policy Studies of the University of Ghana, Legon.
He said the shortfall in the provision of training for the remaining youth was a major socio-economic crisis in the making which could explode in the future.
Mr Ayariga noted that Ghana had 18,599 primary schools, while 10,768 junior high schools provided enrolment for 1.3 million students, and there were 129 public technical and vocational training schools while the private technical and vocational institutions were 151, with both public and private ones providing enrolment for only 64,155 students.
The deputy minister said the private and public institutions, which put together, provided technical and vocational training, had only 1,695 classrooms, which were woefully inadequate, not to talk of the not-up-to-date laboratories and workshops.
Mr Ayariga observed that the government had started to overhaul the TVET, particularly looking at the policy option that would expand the base of the TVET to erase the wrong impression that the TVET was for the ‘not too brilliant’ students and drop outs.
With the new system, particularly with academic progression, a mechanic from the Agblogloshie market could walk into any of the assessment centers to be established and be guided to progress in his field of endeavour to the level of masters degree and above because as the country took steps to attain a high middle income status, the TVET held the key in realising such vision.
He expressed worry that currently, Chinese and Togolese artisans were in the country doing jobs that Ghanaians could have undertaken, and added that the government was determined to reverse this trend and ensure that more Ghanaians were given training in this field and also possibly export Ghanaian technicians and artisans to other countries.
Mr Ayariga noted that if Ghanaian experts were in high demand in other countries to the extent that those at the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) were leaving in droves, the same could be done for artisans as part of the measures to reduce the unemployment rate and earn more foreign exchange.
In his presentation on the status of the TVET in Ghana, the Director of COTVET, Mr D. Baffuor-Awuah, called for career guidance and counselling to ensure that students selected TVET and realised that there was potential in rising to the highest level.
As part of the measures to address the challenges, the government is reviewing the TVET policy to ensure that interest in technical and vocational training is whipped up in pupils at the primary school level to the highest level, provide opportunities for students pursuing TVET to rise to the highest educational level and also change the prejudice people have about technical and vocational training.
A Deputy Minister of Education, Mr Mahama Ayariga disclosed these when he addressed stakeholders of TVET at the presentation of a research report on vocational and technical training in Ghana.
Mr Ayariga noted that out of the about 3.8 million pupils who start primary school in the country every year, only 200,000 gain admission to the various public and private tertiary institutions.
The research was commissioned by the City and Guilds Centre for Skills Development, United Kingdom (UK), in collaboration with the Council for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (COTVET-Ghana). It was conducted bythe Centre for Policy Studies of the University of Ghana, Legon.
He said the shortfall in the provision of training for the remaining youth was a major socio-economic crisis in the making which could explode in the future.
Mr Ayariga noted that Ghana had 18,599 primary schools, while 10,768 junior high schools provided enrolment for 1.3 million students, and there were 129 public technical and vocational training schools while the private technical and vocational institutions were 151, with both public and private ones providing enrolment for only 64,155 students.
The deputy minister said the private and public institutions, which put together, provided technical and vocational training, had only 1,695 classrooms, which were woefully inadequate, not to talk of the not-up-to-date laboratories and workshops.
Mr Ayariga observed that the government had started to overhaul the TVET, particularly looking at the policy option that would expand the base of the TVET to erase the wrong impression that the TVET was for the ‘not too brilliant’ students and drop outs.
With the new system, particularly with academic progression, a mechanic from the Agblogloshie market could walk into any of the assessment centers to be established and be guided to progress in his field of endeavour to the level of masters degree and above because as the country took steps to attain a high middle income status, the TVET held the key in realising such vision.
He expressed worry that currently, Chinese and Togolese artisans were in the country doing jobs that Ghanaians could have undertaken, and added that the government was determined to reverse this trend and ensure that more Ghanaians were given training in this field and also possibly export Ghanaian technicians and artisans to other countries.
Mr Ayariga noted that if Ghanaian experts were in high demand in other countries to the extent that those at the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) were leaving in droves, the same could be done for artisans as part of the measures to reduce the unemployment rate and earn more foreign exchange.
In his presentation on the status of the TVET in Ghana, the Director of COTVET, Mr D. Baffuor-Awuah, called for career guidance and counselling to ensure that students selected TVET and realised that there was potential in rising to the highest level.
Consider supreme interest of CPP - Dr Osafo
Delegates to Saturday’s congress of the Convention People’s Party (CPP) must consider the supreme interest of the party and elect leaders who will not pursue their parochial interest but lead the way in reorganizing the party into a formidable force that can win political power, Dr Kweku Osafo, one of the aspiring presidential hopefuls of the party prior to the 2008 elections, has advised.
He said the CPP still enjoyed enormous goodwill among Ghanaians and that with selfless, dedicated and hardworking leaders at the forefront of its affairs, it would be able to turn that goodwill into votes and assume the reins of power to execute the unfinished agenda of Dr Nkrumah.
Dr Osafo, who gave the advice in an interview, noted that the party could bounce back to its former glory as the strongest political force not only in Ghana but also in Africa provided both the leadership and the members, especially the delegates to the congress at the Trade Fair Centre in Accra, considered the paramount interest of the party in all their decisions.
He noted that it was critical for the members of the party to bear in mind that the organisation of the party to become more attractive was the responsibility of every stakeholder and not the preserve of those who would be elected as leaders.
He described as dangerous the situation where some few individuals were given the opportunity to bankroll the party, which gave them the opportunity to behave as owners of the party, and urged the members of the CPP to contribute their quota towards nursing the CPP dream.
Dr Osafo, who is an international economist, said another weakness of the party was the tendency to always remain dormant, only to bounce back towards major elections, adding that that did not augur well for the party.
He said the leadership of the party must ensure that the structures of the partyremained vibrant and active at all times, embark on constant membership drive so that during elections both the presidential and the parliamentary candidates of the party would emerge victorious.
He noted that with committed leaders at the helm of affairs of the party, the CPP would be able to bring to fruition the vision of the Founder of the nation, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, which included self-determination, social justice and pan-Africanism.
These, he said, held the key to the advancement and the accelerated development of the country and Africa through industrialization, as well as putting Ghanaians at the commanding heights of the economy.
Dr Osafo said one of the reasons the party fared badly in recent elections was the way, before congresses, various leaders, particularly presidential hopefuls and chairmen, formed support groups made up of others vying for positions such as chairman, general secretary, youth organiser, women’s organiser, among others.
He said the danger had always been that when such leaders won their positions and their supporters could not, then it became difficult for the leader who had won his position to work closely with those who had won other positions but were not in the camp of the chairman or the presidential candidate.
He appealed the to the delegates and the aspirants to make such an unhealthy political strategy a thing of the past and ensure that the CPP moved forward.
He said the CPP still enjoyed enormous goodwill among Ghanaians and that with selfless, dedicated and hardworking leaders at the forefront of its affairs, it would be able to turn that goodwill into votes and assume the reins of power to execute the unfinished agenda of Dr Nkrumah.
Dr Osafo, who gave the advice in an interview, noted that the party could bounce back to its former glory as the strongest political force not only in Ghana but also in Africa provided both the leadership and the members, especially the delegates to the congress at the Trade Fair Centre in Accra, considered the paramount interest of the party in all their decisions.
He noted that it was critical for the members of the party to bear in mind that the organisation of the party to become more attractive was the responsibility of every stakeholder and not the preserve of those who would be elected as leaders.
He described as dangerous the situation where some few individuals were given the opportunity to bankroll the party, which gave them the opportunity to behave as owners of the party, and urged the members of the CPP to contribute their quota towards nursing the CPP dream.
Dr Osafo, who is an international economist, said another weakness of the party was the tendency to always remain dormant, only to bounce back towards major elections, adding that that did not augur well for the party.
He said the leadership of the party must ensure that the structures of the partyremained vibrant and active at all times, embark on constant membership drive so that during elections both the presidential and the parliamentary candidates of the party would emerge victorious.
He noted that with committed leaders at the helm of affairs of the party, the CPP would be able to bring to fruition the vision of the Founder of the nation, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, which included self-determination, social justice and pan-Africanism.
These, he said, held the key to the advancement and the accelerated development of the country and Africa through industrialization, as well as putting Ghanaians at the commanding heights of the economy.
Dr Osafo said one of the reasons the party fared badly in recent elections was the way, before congresses, various leaders, particularly presidential hopefuls and chairmen, formed support groups made up of others vying for positions such as chairman, general secretary, youth organiser, women’s organiser, among others.
He said the danger had always been that when such leaders won their positions and their supporters could not, then it became difficult for the leader who had won his position to work closely with those who had won other positions but were not in the camp of the chairman or the presidential candidate.
He appealed the to the delegates and the aspirants to make such an unhealthy political strategy a thing of the past and ensure that the CPP moved forward.
Consider supreme interest of CPP - Dr Osafo
Delegates to Saturday’s congress of the Convention People’s Party (CPP) must consider the supreme interest of the party and elect leaders who will not pursue their parochial interest but lead the way in reorganizing the party into a formidable force that can win political power, Dr Kweku Osafo, one of the aspiring presidential hopefuls of the party prior to the 2008 elections, has advised.
He said the CPP still enjoyed enormous goodwill among Ghanaians and that with selfless, dedicated and hardworking leaders at the forefront of its affairs, it would be able to turn that goodwill into votes and assume the reins of power to execute the unfinished agenda of Dr Nkrumah.
Dr Osafo, who gave the advice in an interview, noted that the party could bounce back to its former glory as the strongest political force not only in Ghana but also in Africa provided both the leadership and the members, especially the delegates to the congress at the Trade Fair Centre in Accra, considered the paramount interest of the party in all their decisions.
He noted that it was critical for the members of the party to bear in mind that the organisation of the party to become more attractive was the responsibility of every stakeholder and not the preserve of those who would be elected as leaders.
He described as dangerous the situation where some few individuals were given the opportunity to bankroll the party, which gave them the opportunity to behave as owners of the party, and urged the members of the CPP to contribute their quota towards nursing the CPP dream.
Dr Osafo, who is an international economist, said another weakness of the party was the tendency to always remain dormant, only to bounce back towards major elections, adding that that did not augur well for the party.
He said the leadership of the party must ensure that the structures of the partyremained vibrant and active at all times, embark on constant membership drive so that during elections both the presidential and the parliamentary candidates of the party would emerge victorious.
He noted that with committed leaders at the helm of affairs of the party, the CPP would be able to bring to fruition the vision of the Founder of the nation, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, which included self-determination, social justice and pan-Africanism.
These, he said, held the key to the advancement and the accelerated development of the country and Africa through industrialization, as well as putting Ghanaians at the commanding heights of the economy.
Dr Osafo said one of the reasons the party fared badly in recent elections was the way, before congresses, various leaders, particularly presidential hopefuls and chairmen, formed support groups made up of others vying for positions such as chairman, general secretary, youth organiser, women’s organiser, among others.
He said the danger had always been that when such leaders won their positions and their supporters could not, then it became difficult for the leader who had won his position to work closely with those who had won other positions but were not in the camp of the chairman or the presidential candidate.
He appealed the to the delegates and the aspirants to make such an unhealthy political strategy a thing of the past and ensure that the CPP moved forward.
He said the CPP still enjoyed enormous goodwill among Ghanaians and that with selfless, dedicated and hardworking leaders at the forefront of its affairs, it would be able to turn that goodwill into votes and assume the reins of power to execute the unfinished agenda of Dr Nkrumah.
Dr Osafo, who gave the advice in an interview, noted that the party could bounce back to its former glory as the strongest political force not only in Ghana but also in Africa provided both the leadership and the members, especially the delegates to the congress at the Trade Fair Centre in Accra, considered the paramount interest of the party in all their decisions.
He noted that it was critical for the members of the party to bear in mind that the organisation of the party to become more attractive was the responsibility of every stakeholder and not the preserve of those who would be elected as leaders.
He described as dangerous the situation where some few individuals were given the opportunity to bankroll the party, which gave them the opportunity to behave as owners of the party, and urged the members of the CPP to contribute their quota towards nursing the CPP dream.
Dr Osafo, who is an international economist, said another weakness of the party was the tendency to always remain dormant, only to bounce back towards major elections, adding that that did not augur well for the party.
He said the leadership of the party must ensure that the structures of the partyremained vibrant and active at all times, embark on constant membership drive so that during elections both the presidential and the parliamentary candidates of the party would emerge victorious.
He noted that with committed leaders at the helm of affairs of the party, the CPP would be able to bring to fruition the vision of the Founder of the nation, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, which included self-determination, social justice and pan-Africanism.
These, he said, held the key to the advancement and the accelerated development of the country and Africa through industrialization, as well as putting Ghanaians at the commanding heights of the economy.
Dr Osafo said one of the reasons the party fared badly in recent elections was the way, before congresses, various leaders, particularly presidential hopefuls and chairmen, formed support groups made up of others vying for positions such as chairman, general secretary, youth organiser, women’s organiser, among others.
He said the danger had always been that when such leaders won their positions and their supporters could not, then it became difficult for the leader who had won his position to work closely with those who had won other positions but were not in the camp of the chairman or the presidential candidate.
He appealed the to the delegates and the aspirants to make such an unhealthy political strategy a thing of the past and ensure that the CPP moved forward.
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Procurement process for biometric register: Parties Divided
THE Electoral Commission (EC) and two political parties were yesterday sharply divided over the procurement process and selection of a vendor for the supply of equipment for the intended biometric voters registration.
While the representatives of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and People’s National Convention (PNC) took issue with legality of the procurement process, the EC maintained that the process for selection of a supplier was within the ambit of the law.
However, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) was of the view that its representative was invited to observe a demonstration exercise by companies shorted-listed for the biometric voters registration and not to make comments, contributions and arguments.
It all began when the EC extended invitation to the political parties to observe demonstration by companies short listed for the biometric voters registration, note down points of concern and make observation for discussion at the next Inter Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) forum.
Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh and Mr Bernard Mornah, representatives of the NPP and PNC respectively, who arrived at the demonstration grounds at the EC offices in Accra when the process had already begun, were requested to sign a code that they would not talk, question or make comment but only observe and make notes, a situation they described as an affront to their constitutional rights to seek information.
Before the demonstration could end, the two representatives challenged the legality of the entire process because, according to them, the EC had informed them that one of the companies which was disqualified had taken the issue to the Public Procurement Authority which had also ordered EC to stop the procurement process until the apparent irregularities were resolved.
However, Mr David Adenze Kangah, Deputy EC Chairman, said the EC was going on with the process despite the intervention of the Public Procurement Authority because under the Procurement Law, organisations like the EC could proceed with such process if the process was of major national importance and time bound.
Apparently not satisfied with the arguments of the EC, the representatives of the NPP and PNC staged a walkout but Mr Hamid Girdo, the Electoral Advisor on Electoral Issues for the NDC and representatives from the Democratic Freedom Party (DFP) and the EGLE stayed throughout the observation period because that was what the letter inviting them stated.
Mr Girdo said he and his colleagues from the DFP and the EGLE stayed because they were made aware that only two companies which were shortlisted were making the demonstration after which the one that met the requirement would be selected.
Therefore, he said, there was no need to make comment at such a gathering and that they were aware that they would have the opportunity at an IPAC forum to express their views, concerns and make comments.
Explaining to the Daily Graphic, Mr David Adenze Kangah noted that the political parties were never invited to any meeting but to only observe the demonstration by companies shortlisted and note down points of concern, contributions and other observations for discussion in the next Inter Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) forum.
Expatiating further, Mr Mornah said after turning a deaf ear to the persistent calls for an urgent IPAC forum on the intended biometric registration from both the PNC and the NPP, the EC on Monday wrote to the parties to participate in the observations of the process the following day.
He said to their surprise, when they got to the EC premises they were asked to sign a code that they would not talk, question or make any comment but only observe and make notes, a situation he described as an affront to his constitutional right to seek information.
He said although the political parties were not part of and would not be interested in participating in the procurement process, as major stakeholders in the electoral process they had to ensure that there was proper improvement in the biometric process.
Dr Opoku-Prempeh explained on an Accra radio station that while the political parties would not want to be part of the procurement processes by the EC, their views must be heard in the selection and undertaking of the biometric registration process.
“I would rather walk out and go and tell my party that the EC is taking this country down a path that may not be well for us,” he said.
While the representatives of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and People’s National Convention (PNC) took issue with legality of the procurement process, the EC maintained that the process for selection of a supplier was within the ambit of the law.
However, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) was of the view that its representative was invited to observe a demonstration exercise by companies shorted-listed for the biometric voters registration and not to make comments, contributions and arguments.
It all began when the EC extended invitation to the political parties to observe demonstration by companies short listed for the biometric voters registration, note down points of concern and make observation for discussion at the next Inter Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) forum.
Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh and Mr Bernard Mornah, representatives of the NPP and PNC respectively, who arrived at the demonstration grounds at the EC offices in Accra when the process had already begun, were requested to sign a code that they would not talk, question or make comment but only observe and make notes, a situation they described as an affront to their constitutional rights to seek information.
Before the demonstration could end, the two representatives challenged the legality of the entire process because, according to them, the EC had informed them that one of the companies which was disqualified had taken the issue to the Public Procurement Authority which had also ordered EC to stop the procurement process until the apparent irregularities were resolved.
However, Mr David Adenze Kangah, Deputy EC Chairman, said the EC was going on with the process despite the intervention of the Public Procurement Authority because under the Procurement Law, organisations like the EC could proceed with such process if the process was of major national importance and time bound.
Apparently not satisfied with the arguments of the EC, the representatives of the NPP and PNC staged a walkout but Mr Hamid Girdo, the Electoral Advisor on Electoral Issues for the NDC and representatives from the Democratic Freedom Party (DFP) and the EGLE stayed throughout the observation period because that was what the letter inviting them stated.
Mr Girdo said he and his colleagues from the DFP and the EGLE stayed because they were made aware that only two companies which were shortlisted were making the demonstration after which the one that met the requirement would be selected.
Therefore, he said, there was no need to make comment at such a gathering and that they were aware that they would have the opportunity at an IPAC forum to express their views, concerns and make comments.
Explaining to the Daily Graphic, Mr David Adenze Kangah noted that the political parties were never invited to any meeting but to only observe the demonstration by companies shortlisted and note down points of concern, contributions and other observations for discussion in the next Inter Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) forum.
Expatiating further, Mr Mornah said after turning a deaf ear to the persistent calls for an urgent IPAC forum on the intended biometric registration from both the PNC and the NPP, the EC on Monday wrote to the parties to participate in the observations of the process the following day.
He said to their surprise, when they got to the EC premises they were asked to sign a code that they would not talk, question or make any comment but only observe and make notes, a situation he described as an affront to his constitutional right to seek information.
He said although the political parties were not part of and would not be interested in participating in the procurement process, as major stakeholders in the electoral process they had to ensure that there was proper improvement in the biometric process.
Dr Opoku-Prempeh explained on an Accra radio station that while the political parties would not want to be part of the procurement processes by the EC, their views must be heard in the selection and undertaking of the biometric registration process.
“I would rather walk out and go and tell my party that the EC is taking this country down a path that may not be well for us,” he said.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Ghana Statistical Service and, NPP wrangle over inflation figures
THE Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) are on a collision course over the collection and computation of prices from the market to arrive at monthly inflation figures.
While the NPP is suspecting irregularities and errors in the collection and computation of the figures,which could have resulted in inacurrate inflation figures, the GSS has discounted the claim, explaining that it has been using the same questionnaire, methodology, tools and Consumer Price Index software since 2001 and, therefore, the inflation figures for 2011 are correct.
In a letter to the GSS, the NPP stated that after studying the market retail prices it collected from the GSS, which formed the basis for the calculation of the inflation figures, it had identified some irregularities and errors in the data.
The party, therefore, called on the GSS to institute full investigations into those irregularities and undertake a thorough review of data capturing and data processing systems for generating inflation figures in the country.
“These irregularities could explain the differences between the inflation figures put out by the GSS and the experiences of people who visit Ghana’s markets. Put in another way, the irregularities justify doubts about the accurateness of the figures the GSS publishes,” the statement said.
Explaining further, Mr Kweku Kwarteng, NPP’s Spokesperson on Economy, said studying the data, the party realised that some prices for certain items and services, including property tax in Kumasi, PTA dues throughout the country, prices of pineapple in Bolgatanga, coconut oil in Bolgatanga, were recorded as zero and said such zero prices could not be possible.
In an interview with the Daily Graphic, the Director, Economics and Industrial Statistics Division of the GSS, Mr Magnus Ebo Duncan, said the NPP got it all wrong because in the first place, because indicating zero price for a particular product or service did not mean that the price of such item was zero.
He added that the service used the same questionnaire for collecting information on 242 items throughout the country from specific outlets for prices to avoid bias and uphold one of the cardinal principles of statistics, which is ensuring consistency.
Mr Duncan said it had been doing the same work with the same tools, methodology and software since 2001 and that the GSS field workers collected prices and other information, including weights of items from markets in both urban and rural areas.
He explained that in each urban market, information was collected from six different but constant outlets, while that of the rural area was restricted to three outlets in each market.
He further explained that field officers, in collecting the information, had been instructed to collect information from specific outlets, so, for instance, when a field officer collected information on television shops, he should be consistent and collect information on 21-inch Samsung alone or 21-inch Akai television sets throughout the year without mixing such collection with information on Samsung and Akai prices.
Mr Duncan said in case the field officer got information from only four out of the six shops, the officer would put zero in the spaces provided for the two outlets and that the computer had been programmed to strike the average of four outlets and not six outlets.
The zero that would be written in the price space for the two shops would not mean the prices of the television sets were indeed zero or free.
He said it was nearly impossible to get pineapple in Bolgatanga in Januaryor fresh herrings in Kumasi during the same period and that in such cases, the field officer would put zero there instead of dash, because mathematically zero was appropriate and that the software was such that it would recognise all those differences.
Regarding the property tax in Kumasi, Mr Duncan said, “the field officers wrote zero not because it was free but it meant that either the officer had collected it earlier or had not collected it at all. If the officer had not collected the information, then in computing the final figures the software would use would be the previous year’s prices. It could also mean that because such rates were collected yearly, it had been captured in previous month’s data.”
“The questionnaires requested for prices on items such as pork and said it was a known fact that there was no way one could get either the pork and palm wine or their prices in a predominantly Muslim community, therefore, in such instance the field officer would write zero, and this did not mean that such items were free,” he added.
While the NPP is suspecting irregularities and errors in the collection and computation of the figures,which could have resulted in inacurrate inflation figures, the GSS has discounted the claim, explaining that it has been using the same questionnaire, methodology, tools and Consumer Price Index software since 2001 and, therefore, the inflation figures for 2011 are correct.
In a letter to the GSS, the NPP stated that after studying the market retail prices it collected from the GSS, which formed the basis for the calculation of the inflation figures, it had identified some irregularities and errors in the data.
The party, therefore, called on the GSS to institute full investigations into those irregularities and undertake a thorough review of data capturing and data processing systems for generating inflation figures in the country.
“These irregularities could explain the differences between the inflation figures put out by the GSS and the experiences of people who visit Ghana’s markets. Put in another way, the irregularities justify doubts about the accurateness of the figures the GSS publishes,” the statement said.
Explaining further, Mr Kweku Kwarteng, NPP’s Spokesperson on Economy, said studying the data, the party realised that some prices for certain items and services, including property tax in Kumasi, PTA dues throughout the country, prices of pineapple in Bolgatanga, coconut oil in Bolgatanga, were recorded as zero and said such zero prices could not be possible.
In an interview with the Daily Graphic, the Director, Economics and Industrial Statistics Division of the GSS, Mr Magnus Ebo Duncan, said the NPP got it all wrong because in the first place, because indicating zero price for a particular product or service did not mean that the price of such item was zero.
He added that the service used the same questionnaire for collecting information on 242 items throughout the country from specific outlets for prices to avoid bias and uphold one of the cardinal principles of statistics, which is ensuring consistency.
Mr Duncan said it had been doing the same work with the same tools, methodology and software since 2001 and that the GSS field workers collected prices and other information, including weights of items from markets in both urban and rural areas.
He explained that in each urban market, information was collected from six different but constant outlets, while that of the rural area was restricted to three outlets in each market.
He further explained that field officers, in collecting the information, had been instructed to collect information from specific outlets, so, for instance, when a field officer collected information on television shops, he should be consistent and collect information on 21-inch Samsung alone or 21-inch Akai television sets throughout the year without mixing such collection with information on Samsung and Akai prices.
Mr Duncan said in case the field officer got information from only four out of the six shops, the officer would put zero in the spaces provided for the two outlets and that the computer had been programmed to strike the average of four outlets and not six outlets.
The zero that would be written in the price space for the two shops would not mean the prices of the television sets were indeed zero or free.
He said it was nearly impossible to get pineapple in Bolgatanga in Januaryor fresh herrings in Kumasi during the same period and that in such cases, the field officer would put zero there instead of dash, because mathematically zero was appropriate and that the software was such that it would recognise all those differences.
Regarding the property tax in Kumasi, Mr Duncan said, “the field officers wrote zero not because it was free but it meant that either the officer had collected it earlier or had not collected it at all. If the officer had not collected the information, then in computing the final figures the software would use would be the previous year’s prices. It could also mean that because such rates were collected yearly, it had been captured in previous month’s data.”
“The questionnaires requested for prices on items such as pork and said it was a known fact that there was no way one could get either the pork and palm wine or their prices in a predominantly Muslim community, therefore, in such instance the field officer would write zero, and this did not mean that such items were free,” he added.
Monday, August 22, 2011
NDC sets date for parliamentary primaries
Any member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) who campaigns before the party opens nomination for primaries at constituencies with sitting Members of Parliament (MPs) will be disqualified.
The party has taken the decision to allow sitting MPs to have the peace of mind to concentrate on the work of Parliament until such a time that the National Executive Committee of the party decides on a date for the opening of nominations for such constituencies.
The General Secretary of the NDC, Mr Johnson Asiedu-Nketia, gave the caution when he addressed the press outlining the guidelines governing the party’s primaries to elect aspiring parliamentarians at places where the party has no sitting MPs.
He said the National Executive Committee (NEC) had not opened nominations for constituencies with sitting MPs, and cautioned those interested in contesting these seats, “be they ministers, deputy ministers, DCEs or board members to wait till we fix a date. If they peak before time we will cut them off”.
The General Secretary noted that the constituency executives had the responsibility to monitor and bring to book all those who wished to contest the seat and might flout the regulations.
Nominations for orphaned constituencies open from August 16 to September 16, followed by vetting which begins from the constituency, regional and national levels. Various constituency executives are to set appropriate dates for voting to elect the aspirants between October 1 and October 31.
Nomination forms would be sold at all constituency and regional offices at a cost of GH¢200. A male aspirant must pay a filing fee of GH¢2,000, while female aspirants would pay GH¢1,000. The reduction of the fees for the females forms part of the NDC’s moves towards encouraging more women to contest.
Aspiring candidates should be proposed by one person and seconded by four persons all of whom must be NDC members of good ,standing in the constituency. Each contestant shall be endorsed by one member of good standing in the party from all the branches within the constituency.
All aspirants must first meet the constitutional requirement of an MP and must also not be facing any disciplinary action from the party.
Mr Asiedu-Nketia announced that the NEC of the party had disbanded all mushroom organisations that were formed prior to the congress to elect a flag bearer, advising that all those who believed in President Mills and Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings and formed these organisations should come under the umbrella of the NDC, once the congress was over.
He said the party had informed its media analyst group and executive members not to respond to effusions and accusations from members of any of the mushroom organisations such as FONKAR, GAME, OLONKA, SADDAM and KWAME.
Mr Aseidu-Nketia said former President Rawlings has an official spokesperson, Mr Kofi Adams, and that if he wanted to communicate to the party or to Ghanaians, he would do so through Mr Adams or by himself and not through any group of people.
The party has taken the decision to allow sitting MPs to have the peace of mind to concentrate on the work of Parliament until such a time that the National Executive Committee of the party decides on a date for the opening of nominations for such constituencies.
The General Secretary of the NDC, Mr Johnson Asiedu-Nketia, gave the caution when he addressed the press outlining the guidelines governing the party’s primaries to elect aspiring parliamentarians at places where the party has no sitting MPs.
He said the National Executive Committee (NEC) had not opened nominations for constituencies with sitting MPs, and cautioned those interested in contesting these seats, “be they ministers, deputy ministers, DCEs or board members to wait till we fix a date. If they peak before time we will cut them off”.
The General Secretary noted that the constituency executives had the responsibility to monitor and bring to book all those who wished to contest the seat and might flout the regulations.
Nominations for orphaned constituencies open from August 16 to September 16, followed by vetting which begins from the constituency, regional and national levels. Various constituency executives are to set appropriate dates for voting to elect the aspirants between October 1 and October 31.
Nomination forms would be sold at all constituency and regional offices at a cost of GH¢200. A male aspirant must pay a filing fee of GH¢2,000, while female aspirants would pay GH¢1,000. The reduction of the fees for the females forms part of the NDC’s moves towards encouraging more women to contest.
Aspiring candidates should be proposed by one person and seconded by four persons all of whom must be NDC members of good ,standing in the constituency. Each contestant shall be endorsed by one member of good standing in the party from all the branches within the constituency.
All aspirants must first meet the constitutional requirement of an MP and must also not be facing any disciplinary action from the party.
Mr Asiedu-Nketia announced that the NEC of the party had disbanded all mushroom organisations that were formed prior to the congress to elect a flag bearer, advising that all those who believed in President Mills and Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings and formed these organisations should come under the umbrella of the NDC, once the congress was over.
He said the party had informed its media analyst group and executive members not to respond to effusions and accusations from members of any of the mushroom organisations such as FONKAR, GAME, OLONKA, SADDAM and KWAME.
Mr Aseidu-Nketia said former President Rawlings has an official spokesperson, Mr Kofi Adams, and that if he wanted to communicate to the party or to Ghanaians, he would do so through Mr Adams or by himself and not through any group of people.
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