Mahama hails ENI deal as a "landmark event "

                     

President John Mahama has described the ENI deal as a landmark event in the development of oil and gas in Ghana.Ghana partnered the Italian power company, ENI, Tuesday for the production of about 180 million cubic feet of gas to augment the production and supply of power in the country.The gas is expected to add an additional 1100 megawatts of power to the already 1020 megawatts being produced by the Volta River Authority (VRA).According to President Mahama, a survey done in terms of constraints to the growth of the Ghanaian economy settled on energy as the most binding constraint.“This is a landmark event in the development in Ghana and also the development of energy and power security for our country,” President Mahama said after the deal was signed Tuesday.He added: “A survey done on our country in terms of what constrains the growth of our economy settled on energy as the most binding constraint to our economy and I am sure that Ghanaians would empathise with us considering the current load management we are having to go through in respect of power supply. So this should be a bit of a very good news for Ghana going forward”.President Mahama added that the new deal would help stabilise and ensure that Ghana had sufficient power to keep the economy growing.The deal between the government of Ghana and the Italian power firm is expected to last

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Mahama welcome in France

Germany promises to help Ghana end ‘dumsor’

Germany has offered to help Ghana solve its energy issues as well as in the education sector.President John Dramani Mahama is currently on a state visit in Germany hoping to strengthen the relationship with the European powerhouse.German Chancellor Angela Merkel promised to help Ghana end the erratic power supply (‘dumsor’) that has raged on for over a year after the two leaders went into a closed-door discussion. Their talk also touched on issues affecting the continent as a whole.Merkel said Germany is prepared to support the young oil-producing country in various sectors.“For Ghana it is providing electricity and electricity supplies which is of the greatest importance and we have been talking about making contribution towards developing renewable energy,” she said at a joint press conference. “We value the partnership with Ghana and it is a friendly one.”She added: “Ghana is a good democracy and good partner in West Africa. Our tides in the field of development cooperation are very close and we will also cooperate closely in the economic spheres.”President Mahama said: “On the bilateral cooperation level we have strong cooperation in the area of energy and renewable power and KFW is financing several projects in Ghana in the way of energy. We are working with KFW to increase the power we get from solar energy into Ghana’s transmission grid.”

Ghanaians give Mahama rousing welcome in Germany

President John Dramani Mahama arrived in Berlin Sunday evening to a rousing welcome by some Ghanaians resident in the European country.Some of the Ghanaians who met him on arrival carried placards, some of which read: “Welcome President JM, Germany”, “thanks, resolute and calm leadership”, “thanks for providing potable water,” among others.The visit is expected to strengthen relations between the two countries and explore new avenues for cooperation.The President left Accra Sunday morning and will on Monday hold discussions with the Federal President, Joachim Gauck, and the German Chancellor, Dr. Angela Merkel.He will hold meetings with other German officials, institutions, businesses and address an Investment Forum on Tuesday.Ghana and Germany established diplomatic relations in 1960 and have since enjoyed the cooperation and support of each other.Ghana is a priority partner country for German Development Cooperation and has benefited from German assistance in various facets including social, economic and political development.Germany is supporting Ghana's 2013- 2015 fiscal year with EUR130 million, comprising EUR 100 million for Financial Cooperation (FC) projects/ programmes and EUR 30 million for Technical Cooperation (TC).President Mahama, who is the Chair of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, will in his meetings also discuss issues of concern to the West African sub-region and the African continent.This includes fighting terrorism, strengthening the regional blocs, and the establishment of emergency health alert systems.

Kantanka to begin commercial production of vehicles

After years of innovations, experiments and exhibitions, the Great Kosa Automobile Company Limited is set to begin commercial production of vehicles in Ghana.The company, which is owned by renowned Ghanaian industrialist, Apostle Kwadwo Safo, the founder of Kristo Asafo Mission, has successfully put its new automobile assembling plant to test.Seven sleek Kantanka-branded vehicles – three 4X4 Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs) and four pick-ups – produced from the assembling plant at Gomoa Mpota in the Central Region, are set to hit the roads as the company stands ready to begin commercial automobile production.According to an interior decorator of the company, Mr Kwasi Frimpong, who conducted a Daily Graphic team round the assembling plant, at the moment, the facility could produce four 4X4 SUV and four pick-up vehicles daily.But officials of the company say in the long term, the assembling plant will produce at least 20 vehicles daily.The assembling plant was installed in April 2014, following a collaboration with a Chinese investor.Currently, it operates two lines – one for SUV vehicles and the other for pick-up vehicles.Mr Frimpong says there are plans to establish another plant for the production of saloon cars in the near future.The assembling plant has five components: the welding, chemical, spraying, general assembling and testing units.The production process begins from the welding unit where completely knocked-down parts imported by the company are welded into the skeletal body of SUV and pick-up vehicles.From the welding unit, the skeleton of the vehicle is moved to the chemical room where it is passed through three different chemicals to make the body stronger and prevent it from corrosion.The skeleton of the vehicle then moves to the spraying room for washing, spraying and baking.The next stage is the general assembling room where all the parts of the vehicle are fixed by auto mechanics, interior decorators, electricians and other technical staff.It then moves to the testing unit where the lights, brakes, horn, durability and other systems of the vehicle are subjected to rigorous testing.If the test results in a failure to meet required standards, the vehicle is sent back to the general assembling room for rectification.Mr Frimpong says one of the 4X4 SUV vehicles produced from the plant is currently being used by Mr Kwadwo Safo Jnr, son of Apostle Safo.There are concerns that the production of 4X4 SUV and pick-up vehicles by Great Kosa Automobile Company Limited may be beyond the reach of the middle class of the society.In response to those concerns, the company has initiated moves to install another assembling plant for the production of saloon vehicles.Mr Frimpong says the essence of installing another assembling plant is to open a new line for the production of saloon vehicles since the first plant has only two lines for 4X4 SUV and pick-up vehicles.Over the years, one major challenge that seems to confront Great Kosa Automobile Company Limited is patronage and promotion of its locally manufactured vehicles.Although successive governments have publicly pledged their support and desire to promote the products of the company, those pledges have not been translated into action.Apostle Safo says in India, for instance, the government provides support to the growth of the automobile industry in that country.But in Ghana, he says: “We’ve spoken a lot but all to no avail; they always give promises but nothing is done”.Perhaps, Apostle Safo is not playing the right political card required to move any government into acting beyond rhetoric.But the leader of the Kristo Asafo Mission says: “I am a statesman and so I am not interested in politics”.“A day will come when dawn will break,” he added.In spite of the broken promises by successive governments, Apostle Safo says he is not discouraged, as he sticks to his unwavering commitment to demonstrate the technical abilities of the black man.“I am a pastor. God called me to show blacks that we have natural resources; so why are we poor?” he asked.

Ghana to have a new national airline by March

The much anticipated new national airliner is expected to take off by March this year. That would happen after accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers presents its interim report on the proposed national carrier to government. The firm was contracted in 2014 to work out modalities for the new carrier for the country. Deputy Transport Minister, Joyce Bawah-Mogtari, confirmed to Joy Business government's plans to have the new airline airborne in March 2015. She said PricewaterhouseCoopers is going to advice on credible strategic investors in the airline. "Chances are it might be an existing airline with a seriously obvious brand...it might be one of our domestic carriers that is willing to partner government to bring back this airline", said Bawah-Mogtari. She said although the time looks short, government is committed to ensuring the national airliner takes off in March. "Three months is a long time for a lot of things to happen and government has actually indicated its preparedness to this in the shortest possible time", she said.