The approval by Parliament of five agreements to allow Ghana to derive maximum value from its mineral resources and improvement in Covid-19 recovery rate from 89.5 percent to 95.1 percent are the trending stories in Ghanaian press on Monday.
The Graphic reports that the Parliament last Friday approved five agreements to allow the country to derive maximum value from its mineral resources and monetise its mineral income accruing to the country in a sustainable and responsible manner, in line the Minerals Income Investment Fund (MIIF) Act, 2018 (Act 978).
The approval will enable the country to use a special purpose vehicle (SPV), Agyapa Royalties Limited, to secure about $1 billion to finance large infrastructural projects.
With that, Agyapa, which will operate as an independent private sector entity, will be able to raise funds from the capital market, both locally and internationally, as an alternative to the conventional debt capital market transactions.
The funds, which are expected to be raised from the Ghana Stock Exchange (GSE) and the London Stock Exchange (LSE), will be a long-term capital, without a corresponding increase in Ghana’s total debt stock and hence without a public debt repayment obligation.
The newspaper says that the recovery rate of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Ghana has improved from 89.5 percent to 95.1 percent in the last three weeks, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has said.
The death rate on its part continues to be low at 0.5 percent.
According to the report, a total of 40,567 persons have recovered from the virus since it was first recorded in Ghana in March 2020.
Total confirmed cases in Ghana as of Sunday, August 16, 2020 was 42,532 with 231 deaths.
President Akufo-Addo in his 15th address to the nation on measures taken against the spread of the disease on Sunday night [August 16, 2020) said there were currently no backlogs of tests at any of the testing centres, meaning that situational reports are up to date.
The Graphic also reports that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has said the government was working to re-open Ghana’s borders depending on the readiness and ability to ensure that every passenger who arrives in Ghana is tested for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
Consequently, he said that the government was hoping that by September 1, 2020, the assessment of the readiness to test all passengers would have been completed to enable the borders to re-open.
In his 15th national address on measures being taken against the spread of COVID-19 on Sunday night [August 16, 2020], President Akufo-Addo said the re-opening of the borders would depend on the assessment.
“I know many still ask whether our borders, especially our international airport, Kotoka International Airport will be opened.
“Under my instructions the Ministry of Aviation, the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) and the Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL) have been working with the Ministry of Health and its agencies to ascertain our readiness to re-open our airport,” he said.
The Times reports that the Speaker of Parliament, Professor Aaron Mike Oquaye, has asked Members of Parliament to guard the country’s democracy by refraining from making hate speeches as the December 7 elections draw nearer.
“Honourable members, as custodians of our democracy, let us be mindful of any hate speech and political engagements which will mar the beauty of our democracy. It is important that as legislators, we uphold the laws that we have passed,” Prof. Oquaye admonished.
Addressing Parliament last Friday night, as the House adjourned sine die to end the Second Meeting of the Fourth Session of the Seventh Parliament of the Fourth Republic, Speaker Oquaye tasked the lawmakers to educate their constituents on laws that preserve the country’s peace and democracy.
“I am confident, you would also educate your constituents on the Public Order Act, 1994 (Act 491), the Public Elections Regulations, 2016 (C.l.94) and other laws which are geared towards the preservation of our democracy.
“The peace of this country is essential to creating a congenial atmosphere for good governance. We need to appreciate the ingredients that make democracy and good governance. Half democracy is no democracy,” he said.
The newspaper says that over 600 homes belonging to slum dwellers and four shops were destroyed in separate fires last Friday night and Saturday morning at Shaishie in the Greater Accra Region and central business district of Takoradi in the Western Region.
The fire at Shaishie, which started at around 9:45p.m, on Friday night, destroyed wooden and metal structures built by squatters as dwelling places and for commercial purposes.
The items damaged by the fire were personal effects worth several hundreds of Ghana cedis, but no death or injury was recorded.
Scrap dealers took advantage to look for metals, whilst affected victims also searched through the debris to salvage their items.
The Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), Divisional Officer (DO) Grade II Ellis Okoe Robinson, who disclosed this to the Ghanaian Times on Saturday said they had information about the fire and proceeded to the scene.
GIK/APA