The appeal by President Akufo-Addo to Ghanaians to act responsibly when attending social events this holiday season to prevent another spike in the country’s COVID-19 cases after the season is one of the leading stories in the Ghanaian press on Friday.
The Ghanaian Times reports that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has urged Ghanaians to act responsibly when attending social events this holiday season to prevent another spike in the country’s COVID-19 cases after the season.
He made this appeal in a televised address to the nation on the state of the pandemic in the country and the measures the government has taken to combat the disease.
He advised Ghanaians to continue to observe the COVID-19 safety protocols, hold social events in open spaces, and ensure that guests at such events wore masks.
He urged organisers of such events to ensure that hygiene protocols such as hand washing and the use of sanitisers are strictly adhered with and encourage their guests to, as much as possible, come to the events vaccinated.
He enumerated a number of measures the government had taken to curtail the spread of the pandemic in the country.
“We have expanded our healthcare infrastructure, including oxygen supply and reach, particularly with respect to testing and treatment centres, and the training of health professionals across the country, in the care of severe and critically ill persons,” he said.
The President assured the public of the government’s commitment to procure vaccines for all Ghanaians, since vaccination was the best way to defeat the virus.
The newspaper says that the government has budgeted about GHC 9.6 million for the ‘Green Ghana’ project next year, the Deputy Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Benito Owusu-Bio, has revealed.
According to him, the budget provision followed the successful implementation of the project launched last year which saw to the planting of about seven million different species of trees across the country.
“There wasn’t a direct budget line from government. Government did not give us a budget for the ‘Green Ghana’ Project in 2021. Fortunately, with the good work that we did with the participation of all Ghanaians, government has now given a budget line for Green Ghana 2022,” he explained.
Mr Owusu-Bio who was responding to a question on the expenditure for the implementation of the project last year at the Minister’s Briefing series in Accra yesterday said the project intends to plant about 20million seedlings next year.
He noted that what had been earmarked and budgeted for 2022 was GHC 9.6million, stressing that “GHC 9.6 for 20million seedlings….the seedlings on the average sells between GHC3 and GHC4 depending on the species, so if you do your rough calculations, then you know that we need not less than GHC80million.”
Mr Owusu-Bio said though the budget was small, with the massive support of Ghanaians, institutions, agencies and donors, the ministry would be able to achieve the target it had set out to do.
He explained that a monitoring and evaluation of last year’s tree planting revealed an 80 per cent success rate making it very encouraging for the next year.
The Minister said some measures had been put in place to ensure that the 15 per cent loss recorded was reduced to the barest minimum and the measures included the provision of cages for seedlings planted in the urban centres to ward off stray animals from destroying them.
On his part, the Chief Executive Officer of the Forestry Commission, Mr John Allotey, said even though different interventions had been put in place to deal with encroachment, wetlands and mangrove areas, the Minister had called for a comprehensive report of all the interventions that had been put in place.
He explained that the report expected was to give full disclosure of the level of encroachment and the list of all those who have encroached on the areas so the appropriate measures could be employed to salvage the situation.
The Graphic reports that the Minister for Trade and Industry, Mr Allan Kyerematen, has disclosed that Ghana spent an estimated GH₵6.874 billion on the importation of rice from 2017 to 2020.
He added that within the same period, the country also imported the following foods;
The Minister made the disclosure when he appeared before Parliament to respond to a question by Mr Murtala Muhammed Ibrahim, Member of Parliament (MP) for Tamale Central on how much the state spent on the importation of rice and other foodstuffs into the country over the past four years.
Replying to another question about whether the government has lifted a ban on small rice importers, Mr Kyeremanten said rice was a staple food in Ghana and as such one had to maintain a delicate balance between the quantity of rice produced locally and what was imported to ensure that there were no serious shortages.
Mr Kyeremanten stressed that the government has not lifted the ban imposed on the small rice importers but the Ministry has a management policy to ensure that there were no shortages in the system.
He explained that the Ministry would review its position on rice imports when there was significant local rice production in the country.
The newspaper says that the Minister of Finance is to go to Parliament with an amended statement of the 2022 Budget Statement and Economic Policy of the Government as part of efforts to help cure the confusion that has engulfed the “rejection” or “rescission” of the budget by Parliamentarians.
The amended statement is to contain the modifications and concessions, which the Minister of Finance has already communicated to Parliament in a letter.
The modifications and concessions will then be adopted by the House and the revised document with the estimates will stand committed to the various Committees of Parliament.
The Speaker of Parliament, Mr Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, made this known when he resumed sitting on Thursday, December 16, 2021 after a two week break which saw him travel to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates for a medical review.
In a formal statement delivered in the House when he resumed his seat, Mr Bagbin said: “I am aware the Committees have begun consideration of the estimates. It would thus be their responsibility to reconcile the revised estimates with what they have hitherto considered and submit a report for the consideration of the House.”
He said the move, which was to help cure the “rejection and rescission” public debate was following a letter presented by the Minister of Finance on Concessions and Modifications to the 2022 Budget Statement.
Mr Bagbin said the legal basis of the laying of such a letter by the Minister and what actions Parliament may take as a result leaves a lot to be desired but “I have, however, held discussions with the Leadership of the House to find a path that is faithful to law, respects our rules and processes and ensures the governance of the country does not grind to a halt.”
GIK/APA