January 29

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02 CONTENT DAILY HERITAGE MONDAY, JANUARY 29, 2018 DAILY QUOTE Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day-in and day-out --Robert Collier ANNIVERSARIES 06 March, Independence Day 30 March, Good Friday 02 April, Easter Monday Published by: EIB Network / Heritage Communications Ltd. Managing Editor: William Asiedu: 0208156974 Editor: Kofi Enchill: 0265653335 ISSN: 0855-52307 VOL 7 Location: Meridian House (Starr FM) Ring Road. Box AD 676, Adabraka, Accra,Ghana. Telephone: +233-0302- 236051, 020-8156974 026-5653335 Adverts/Mktg: Paul Ampong-Mensah 024-4360782 Fax: +233-0302-237156 Email: news@dailyheritagegh.com.gh heritagenewspaper@yahoo.co.uk www.dailyheritage.com.gh WORLD 'Thousands flee DR Congo into Burundi' in two days POLITICS Stop politics of insult • Awuku tells aspirants BUSINESS PG.04 Voltic gets new packaging plant SPORTS PG.11 I convinced Kenedy to join Newcastle —Christian Atsu PG.10 PG.15 Review petroleum taxes BY ROSEMOND BOATENG ADDAI rosemond.adjetey@yahoo.com THE CHAMBER of Petroleum Consumers (COPEC) Ghana has challenged the government to, as a matter of urgency, give Ghanaians some relief by reviewing the numerous taxes in the petroleum pricing build-up to bring about some stability and reductions to ease the pressure on them. Mr Solomon Kotei, General Secretary of Industrial and Commercial Workers Union, briefing the press last Friday, encouraged the government to rather introduce new and ingenious ways of expanding the tax bracket to attract more revenue than the over-concentration on the petroleum taxation. "The government must proactively explore other revenue-generating sources for national development as the over-dependence on petroleum taxation affects every aspect of our lives and that of the economy generally because of its chain effects, not even the size and price of kenkey is spared," he stated. Mr Kotei added that the current situation, if not urgently addressed by the government, will leave Ghanaians with having to cough up even more cash to be able to go by their daily activities in the face of harsh conditions of living to pay for further increases in petroleum products in February. • COPEC urges govt •Mr Boakye Agyarko, Energy Minister Scrapping of SPT According to the General Secretary, what is even troubling is that close to 50% of the total cost of fuel in Ghana at the pumps is nothing but one tax or another with the Special Petroleum Tax (SPT) alone pegged at 15% on ex-depot price position which currently translates into 0.53p per litre, thereby meaning Ghanaians pay on each gallon of 4.5 litres a tax burden of ¢2.39p. He pointed out that COPEC-Ghana considers the Special Petroleum Tax (SPT) as not only a nuisance but avoidable in the face of rising prices on the world market as this tax was introduced in 2015 to shore up some revenue at the time when international market prices had dipped below $30/barrel. He further stated that the reduction by the current government of the SPT from 17.5% to 15% as was contained in the 2017 budget was simply mathematical as in reality the actual value has rather shot up over the past due to rising prices on the international market without any attempts to scale them down further. He said, “We call for the immediate removal of this particular tax and others as contained in our earlier petition to the president in order to reduce the unnecessary pressures on our pockets and to also help stabilise the pockets and incomes of Ghanaian workers and the generality [of the public] .” “The SPT must be scrapped and the government must no longer hesitate to do what is fair and just for the ultimate good of Ghanaians. We are also mindful of several other avoidable taxes on the price build-up and once again reiterate our call for a further downward review of some of the tax elements contained in the petroleum pricing build-up as we believe the government equally makes some serious gains or incomes with the surge in world market prices since Ghana is also a crude-producing country that enjoys all the positives with any increases on the international market,” he added. The group believes a gallon of petrol and diesel at the pump should not be sold beyond ¢18.00 compared with the current unbearable rate of above GH¢20/gallon. COPEC advised the government to work proactively with all stakeholders as partners and collaborate with them in finding lasting solutions to the precarious petroleum issues such that the interest of the average Ghanaian consumer is protected and safeguarded at all times. Cedi depreciation The group also stated that another worrying development that is compounding frequent increases in petroleum products is the depreciation of the cedi. According to them, anytime the cedi loses value to the dollar and other international currencies amidst rising and unstable global oil prices, the ex-refinery prices of petroleum products increase. They said, “Fuel, which was sold at the pumps for GH¢3.630/litre or GH¢ 16.30/gallon in December 2016 is now being sold for GH¢ 4.630/litre or GH¢20.85/gallon, representing 27.9% or 28% net increases over the past one year. One cannot discount how the depreciation of the cedi has largely affected these increases.
WWW.DAILYHERITAGE.COM.GH DAILY HERITAGE MONDAY, JANUARY 29, 2018 No masterpiece was ever created by a lazy artist —Anonymous OccupyGhana to sue Births and Deaths Registry BY PHILIP ANTOH Philip.antoh@dailyheritage.com.gh • Over ban on names OCCUPYGHANA, A pressure group, has given the Births and Deaths Registry thirty days ultimatum to rectify the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1965 (Act 301), which currently bans the use of names such as Nana, Naa, Nii and Junior or face legal action. According to them, checks done with various Acts and relevant laws in the country do not contain any provision that either supports this policy or gives the Registrar of Births and Deaths any power to refuse to register any name. In a letter addressed to the Attorney-General and Minister for Justice with copies to the Local Government Ministry and the Registry last Friday, January 26, 2018, OccupyGhana said, “We believe that this stance is a gross violation of the rights of Ghanaians to choose names (particularly Ghanaian names) as they deem fit for their children, subject to the right to change one’s name at any time later in life.” OccupyGhana, invoking section 10 of the State Proceedings Act, 1998 (Act 555), said “we intend to commence civil action against the Republic within 30 days of the date of this letter if this illegality is not addressed forthwith.” Below is the full statement; Our attention has been drawn to the implementation of an alleged policy by the Registrars of the Births and Deaths Registry that refuses to register the birth of children whose names include names such as “Maame,” “Papa,” “Nana,” "Naa," "Junior," “Nene,” “Nii” and “Ohemaa” as well as determine the order in which names must be written, giving prominence to foreign names over indigeneous Ghanaian names. The Registrars claim that they are empowered to do this on the basis of the Registration of Birth and Death Act, 1965 (Act 301). We have, however, checked that Act and all relevant laws, including the Regulations passed under the Act. We have not seen any provision that either supports this policy or gives the Registrars of Births and Deaths any power to refuse to register any name. We believe that this stance is a gross violation of the rights of Ghanaians to choose names (particularly Ghanaian names) as they deem fit for their children, subject to the right to change one’s name at any time later in life. We therefore write to put you on notice, in accordance with section 10 of the State Proceedings Act, 1998 (Act 555), that we intend to commence civil action against the Republic within thirty (30) days of the date of this letter if this illegality is not addressed forthwith. We, however, believe that this cause of action will not be necessary if all Registrars of the Births and Deaths Registry will be directed to desist from these acts and stop refusing to register such names as they have no basis in law. Yours faithfully, OccupyGhana® Parl’t summons Minister, Registrar BY STEPHEN ODOI-LARBI THE MINISTRY of Local Government and Rural Development has incurred the wrath of Parliament following the arbitrary ban on names such as Nana, Nii, Junior by one of its agencies, the Births and Deaths Registry. The sector Minister, Hajia Alima Mahama, and management of the Births and Deaths Registry have, in effect, been summoned to the legislature by the Speaker to explain why they took that action and why they should not be punished for arrogating to themselves powers that have not been granted to them by the House. They are expected to appear before the House on Tuesday (tomorrow), January 30, 2018. On Friday, January 26, 2018, one of Ghana’s leading private newspapers, the DAILY HERITAGE, carried a story on its front page with a banner headline “Ghanaians angry ...over ban on names such as Nana, Nii, Junior by Births and Deaths Registry”, which contained the sentiments of the citizenry over the action being carried out by the Registry. The Minority Leader, Mr Haruna Iddrisu, incensed by the action of the Registry as reported displayed a copy of the DAILY HERITAGE newspaper on the floor of Parliament and drew the Speaker’s attention to what he described as illegality being perpetuated by the management of the Births and Deaths Registry. He pleaded with the Speaker to, as a matter of urgency, invite the Minister for Local Government and Rural Development and Management of the Births and Deaths Reg- • Over ban on names such as Nana, Nii, Junior • They are to appear tomorrow ••Mr John Agbeko, Registrar at the Births and Deaths Registry istry to brief Members of the August House over the names ban. “Mr Speaker, I have with me here the DAILY HERITAGE newspaper of Friday, the 26th of January, 2018 with a caption headline ‘Ghanaians angry ...Over ban on names such Nana, Nii, Junior at Births and Deaths Registry’. Mr Speaker, I am raising this so that this House will summon the Minister for Local Government and Rural Development and the Management of the Births and Deaths Registry to explain to this House where the source of their power is. Mr Speaker, in this House there are many of the Nanas and the Niis. I see Nana Akua Owusu Afriyie, Dr Nana Ayew. What happens? •Hajia Alima Mahama, Local Government and Rural Development Minister “Mr Speaker, it means that when I give birth, someone sitting somewhere wants to determine to me what name I should give to my son or daughter. If I decide that he should be Haruna Junior, that is Haruna Junior. If I decided that he should be Cherefo Ankomah - that is a name. “Mr Speaker, I have looked at the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1965 (Act 301) and I have looked at the clause in relation to the registration of births, in particular, 10 – Registration of names subsequent to Registration of Births. Once you establish that there is a birth and you’ve gone through the process, the Hon. Osei, the Minister of Monitoring and Evaluation, if he chooses to name the son or daughter a Nana, why should he be prevented?” he quizzed. He added, “If they want a revision of the law, this is the appropriate institution. I am not sure Parliament will be amenable to even give them a hearing or consider a revision of it because Niis and Nanas are part of our culture. So, Mr Speaker, I am raising this to invite the Majority Leader, who is leader of Government Business, and the Minister for Local Government and Rural Development and the Births and Deaths Registry management to give us the reason why they should not stop this illegality because they do not have the legality under the laws of Ghana to ban those names and must give us reasons why they have proceeded to this lawlessness.” First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Joseph Osei Owusu, who was also appalled by the move of the Births and Deaths Registry, urged its management to restrict themselves to their core mandate as enshrined in the law regulating the agency. “They should not bring any controversy to us. The name Nana, Nii and the rest have relevance in our culture. It is time public and civil servants understand that the powers given to them are all written in quotes and they are not entitled to exercise any power that Parliament has not given to them. They are not given any discretion in this matter. And if they think that there is the need to amend the law, the appropriate thing is to go through the respective routes and raise the Bill before this House for the amendment to be done. They are generating needless tension in the country”, he stressed. “It is important that people who take public office should understand the process and practice of the people they serve and not impose their personal will on us.”
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January 29

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