Day: December 13, 2023

Professor Mark Nii Lamptey, Mfantseman Local Area Focal person for Anti-Corruption, has called on the youth to be active, responsible, well-informed, patriotic citizens and to be bold to report incidents of corruption to the authorities.

Prof. Lamptey made the call during an engagement with students of Mankessim Catholic A and B School at Mankessim Township to commentate 2023, International Anti-Corruption Day.

The event was organised by Lamaconsult Foundation a non-governmental organization in partnership with Mfantseman Local Accountability Network (LANet) and sponsored by Good Governance Africa and Hewlett Foundation.

This year’s celebration was on the theme: ‘United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC); Uniting the World against Corruption,’ which emphasised on the interconnectedness of Anti-corruption measures, peace and development and collective responsibility to combat corruption across sectors.

Among personalities at the event were Mr. Benjamin Koomson, Mfantseman LANet Secretary, Madam
Sussie Odarkor, Anti-Corruption Focal Person, Mfantseman Municipal Assembly and Head Teachers of Mankessim Catholic A and B basic Schools.

According to Prof. Lamptey, the UNCAC is recognised as a pervasive issue that undermined democratic institutions, hampered economic progress, eroded the rule of law and diminished the quality of life for citizens globally.

He stated that Anti-Corruption efforts initiated by UNCAC was for state parties to promote the active participation of individuals and groups aside the public sector, to prevent and fighting corruption.

He said Ghana, recognising the debilitating effect of corruption on socio-economic development, had made significant strides in the fight against it by introducing and implementing laws to combat it.

He stated that Ghana still encountered some challenges despite its progress, saying since the adoption of the UNCAC in 2003, the country always joined the rest of the world to commemorate the Day annually in December to create awareness about the global i
mpact of corruption.

He said the Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition (GACC), with support from Good Governance Africa and Hewlett Foundation also educated and empowered Ghanaian youth across 33 districts on the significance of combating corruption.

The primary objective is to raise awareness among the youth about negative impact of corruption and to encourage their collective participation in anti-corruption endeavours.

Prof Lamptey further urged the participants and the entire youth, to keep a close eye on government activities and to keep government on track.

They must also know their rights, ask right questions at the right time, hold elected officials accountable and responsible for their actions, love Ghana and to reject all acts of violence and vigilantism and as they stood stand firm against corruption.
Source: Ghana News Agency

The Ghana Real Estate Developers Association (GREDA) has launched its ‘Green Building (GB)’ Initiative to revolutionise construction practices in Ghana to promote sustainability, and green technology and minimize environmental impact.

A green building is a structure fully designed to be in harmony with the ecosystem, showcasing minimal environmental impact.

Mr Salah Kweku Kalmoni, the Project Director of GREDA-GB, said the initiative is aimed at establishing an indigenous certification for green buildings in Ghana.

He said the initiative would ensure that occupants had a friendly atmosphere with features like extended roofing to prevent the tropical sun from entering the house, insulated roofs with rain gutters for rainwater to be used for purposes such as watering gardens, availability of natural light in structure and providing toilets with dual flash for different purposes.

‘A green building means probably there is a solar panel on the building, it’s having enough light that you don’t need to turn the
lights on.

‘So if you have a solar panel and decide to use electricity, then that’s not green living, you have rainwater to water your plants and you decide to use Ghana water, then that’s not green living, and if you have light coming in and decide to turn on your light, that is not green living,’ he said.

Mr Kalmoni, also the Director of Lakeside Estates, said if a house was declared green, it meant that it would have a unique selling point, lower energy needs, and make the house more livable and comfortable.

‘The public have been hungry for a green-certified house so it is good news for us, and they will now live in an ecologically sustainable way,’ he said.

Mr Kalmoni explained that obtaining a GREDA-GB house was priced at a Cedi equivalent of $200, covering both registration and assessment.

‘By harnessing the power of our GREDA-GB system, we aim to efficiently measure, monitor, and optimise building performance. This, in turn, will lead to a reduction in resource consumption, enhance occupant comfor
t, and mitigate the environmental footprint of structures. This is GREDA’s contribution to COP 28,’ he said.

Mr Henry Kofi Danso, the Project Manager said at the core of the initiative was an innovative data collection software application, accessible on all devices regardless of screen size or operating system.

The application empowers users to gather data in the form of text, images, and videos, seamlessly syncing them to a secure cloud storage platform.

The certification tool, he said, was structured around seven main criteria – Site and Transport, Water Efficiency, Energy Efficiency and Carbon Emission Management, Indoor Environmental Quality, Materials and Resources; Waste and Pollution; and Innovative Technologies.

‘These criteria were meticulously developed based on a thorough review of globally recognized rating tools, ensuring their relevance and effectiveness in the Ghanaian context,’ he explained.

Mr Isaac Ntiamoah, Marketing Manager, Lakeside Estate, encouraged industry players and all citize
ns to support the initiative because protecting the environment was key, adding: ‘When we have the greens and naturals around our environment, it makes living very comfortable, efficient and eco-friendly.’

He said: ‘We are cutting down a lot of trees and building houses, so if we don’t put in these green technologies, it will make life uncomfortable for us. We have to turn on the AC all the time, and light on all the time.

‘But if we have these natural features incorporated in our buildings, it will enhance lifestyle so that we can have the natural environment in our ecosystem.’

Mr Ntiamoah entreated real estate developers to have at least five of the criteria set by the Green Council to enhance the lives of customers.

The Ghana Real Estate Developers Association (GREDA) is a leading organisation committed to promoting excellence and sustainability in real estate development in Ghana with a focus on industry best practices.

It plays a pivotal role in shaping the future of the real estate sector in the co
untry.
Source: Ghana News Agency

Mr Abraham Koomson, Secretary General of the Ghana Federation of Labour (GFL), has highlighted the critical state of the Ghanaian economy, emphasising that the next government must embark on urgent re-industrialization and job creation to restore the Ghanaian economy.

Mr Koomson expressed concern over the near standstill of the Ghanaian economy, leading to massive job losses due to systemic failures by successive governments’ economic policies.

He predicted the extinction of trade unions unless immediate action was taken to reverse the current trend of reckless economic management.

Mr. Koomson stated during a working visit to the GFL by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Group of Experts, known as the LAB, to engage the leadership of the Federation on the modalities of the party’s proposed 24-hour economy, which has been tagged as a ‘National Game Changer.’

The GFL Secretary-General also underscored the pivotal role of the manufacturing industries in employing over 60 per cent of the labour force.

C
iting examples like the Ghana Industrial Holding Corporation (GIHOC), Mr Koomson detailed the collapse of 17 subsidiary companies, signalling a broader trend of distressed or collapsed enterprises across various sectors.

The GFL emphasised that the revival of the industries required a committed effort, acknowledging the complexity of the economic challenges.

They called for the commitment of the NDC and other political parties seeking the governance of the country and suggested interventions to expedite the revival of industries, creating much-needed jobs.

In identifying causes of industrial collapse, Mr. Koomson pointed to mismanagement of State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs), excessive taxes, and high utility tariffs.

He urged a collaborative approach involving industry stakeholders to adopt tax and tariff policies beneficial to both the state and businesses.

To combat the challenges faced by the textile and beverage industries, GFL proposed uninterrupted zero VAT for locally manufactured textiles and the re
versal of recently expanded excise duty inclusion.

GFL asserted that a boost to the manufacturing industry would lead to direct growth in the export economy, increased employment, an attractive environment for foreign direct investment, and a strengthened cedi-forex relationship.

The NDC group of experts led by Professor Danso Boafo discussed the ’24-hour economy, focus on reindustrialization, and job creation,’ sought to share the NDC’s policy transformation agenda with players in the industrial sector, and also offered stakeholders the opportunity to make an input into the party’s national development agenda.

The group also included Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, NDC Election 2020 Vice Presidential Candidate; Nana Oye Bampoe Addo, former Minister of Gender, Children, and Social Protection; and some leading members of the NDC.

The two groups also discussed challenges facing workers, industry, and the general socio-economic crisis in which Ghana finds itself, while the NDC Expert Group used the oppo
rtunity to seek GFL’s views and inputs into the next NDC government’s proposed policies to transform the country.

The meeting deliberated on issues such as the current economic hardships occasioned by economic mismanagement, the effect of high taxes and utility bills on industries, and the consequential collapse of some companies and layoffs of workers.
Source: Ghana News Agency