The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration has announced a halt in the issuance of 48-page passport booklets. The Ministry in a press release said the halt was due to a surge in demand for the 48-page booklets and continuing supply chain challenges. The release added that the passport office will until further notice issue only 32-page booklets to applicants that have requested the 48-page booklets.
"The applicants who have applied for 48-page booklets do not need to submit another application for 32-page booklets. The conversion will be done at no further cost to such applicants," the release said. "In the meantime, the Ministry is taking appropriate steps to ensure that necessary refunds are made to qualified applicants in due course.
"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration reassures applicants for passports of the continuing commitment of the Passport Office to expeditious service and customer satisfaction. We thank the general public for their understanding. patience and support during this exceptional period".
Minerals Fund must provide economic livelihood for mining communities - Chamber of Mines CEO
Typically the National Democratic Our elected representatives (NDC) Member regarding Parliament (MP) intended for Bolgatanga Central, Mister Isaac Adongo, offers explained that this failure of the authorities to push via its business within Parliament is because of to a management crisis on the particular side from the Vast majority in Parliament. “The Majority side offers a leadership problems and a management that is not really suited to such the hung Parliament. These people are incredibly tenace and aggressive, along with little chance with regard to dialogue and consensus-building.
“And that will be why they may be having difficulties to push their own business through, ” he told the particular Daily Graphic within an interview. Mr Adongo was responding in order to comments by the particular Deputy Majority Innovator, Mr Alexander Afenyo-Markin, that the Group was making authorities business difficult because of pressure from the particular NDC party.
Regrettable
While describing the particular comments of Mister Afenyo-Markin as regrettable, Mr Adongo stated the leadership associated with the Majority within Parliament was not really suitable to obtain government business operating under the present parliamentary dispensation exactly where both sides had been equal in quantity. “We owe this an obligation in order to our constituents to do our work emotionlessly also to the greatest in our abilities. All of us also expect company in the home to conform with our Standing up Orders, ” this individual said.
E-Levy
Making use of the controversial Digital Transaction Levy (E-Levy) bill as a good example, Mr Adongo, who is the particular Deputy Ranking Person in the Finance Panel in Parliament, stated the committee finished work on typically the bill back inside December after it absolutely was presented. He mentioned the baffled with Minority was precisely why the Majority wished it to always be passed within license of urgency while opposed to letting the check to be able to go through typically the normal processes.
“Their conduct subsequently confirmed that we have been right in looking it to always be taken appropriately and go through typically the various processes inside order that associates can have moment to scrutinise that. “Subsequently, they've been visiting the whole region to get advices from Ghanaians, which in turn demonstrates that the desperation has not been needed, ” he pointed out there.
Mr Adongo mentioned the Minority seemed to be surprised how the govt had since certainly not brought back typically the E-levy for thought and was, subsequently, surprised anybody would likely think it seemed to be the Minority of which was sabotaging govt business. “The Fraction does not include a bill. That is the govt with a bill, and so what is halting them from taking it back? Typically the committee report is definitely ready, so that is definitely a make a difference of having that go through next reading, consideration and even passage, ” they stated.
On no matter if the position regarding the Minority acquired changed on typically the E-levy, Mr Adongo said, “It is definitely the position regarding the men and women many of us represent and certainly not our position. inches.
Minerals Fund must provide economic livelihood for mining communities - Chamber of Mines CEO
The Key Executive Officer (CEO) in the Ghana Holding chamber of Mines (GCM), Sulemanu Koney, possesses underscored the will need for the Mineral deposits Development Fund (MDF) to be refocused on providing monetary opportunities for locals of mining organizations to be sure sustainable livelihoods for any people. He / she said six several years after its restaurant, there seemed to be ample research the fact that fund possessed made an substantial impact on exploration communities regarding knowledge, health, water together with sanitation and different facilities.
Going onward, he said, what exactly was prudent was initially for attention to be able to be turned in direction of supporting mining organizations with monetary undertakings that may position typically the men and women to produce sustainable livelihoods. "It is important which we look at each of our health along with the knowledge of our young children; but over together with above that, each of our fathers, mothers, future uncles and sisters will need employment. We must possibly be looking at what exactly the monetary prospects are within exploration communities the place that the MDF can support to boost livelihoods and far better the lives involving the people, inches he said.
Expedition
Mr Koney built the call as soon as he spoke having the Daily Graphical during an check up tour undertaken by simply the governing aboard of the MDF of some assignments constructed by typically the MDF in typically the Ashanti, Western together with Western North districts last Thursday. Typically the board members been to projects that have been undertaken by neighborhood management committees (LMCs) at municipal in addition to district assemblies, which includes Tarkwa-Nsuaem, Ellembelle, Mpohor, Obuasi, Obuasi Eastern, Adansi North, Amansie Central, Amansie Western, Amansie South together with Akrofuom.
The workforce, led by typically the Chairman on the MDF Board, Kwaku Sakyi-Addo, inspected work with seven legacy projects on the University involving Mines and Technological innovation, Tarkwa (UMaT), university blocks, toilet establishments, community centres, police force buildings, office processes and other establishments. In addition, they inaugurated a couple of LMCs at Mpohor and Amansie Middle.
Potential clients
Mr Koney, who had recently been impressed by typically the level of expenditure the MDF possessed made in exploration communities over typically the past six several years, observed that will need to the fund possibly be properly targeted, typically the age-old narrative of which mining did definitely not benefit mining neighborhoods would be turned. "Having seen the particular infrastructure projects which may have been established from the MDF, I was so impressed. Proceeding forward, we may must travel in order to the drawing panel and see just how we could make the particular fund a lot better than this is now, inch he said.
He or she observed that apart from the projects that will had been set up, it had been important that will the LMCs investigated investment opportunities inside projects that will guarantee sustainable livelihoods. Regarding instance, he mentioned, it was crucial for the LMCs to look from the way to take very good thing about the particular occurrence of the particular mines within the particular communities to encourage the folks financially, in order that will they could source goods and providers towards the mines.
The particular GCM CEO, who else is the fellow member of the MDF Board, explained that will host communities can leverage the large standards of the particular mines to develop regional capacity to end up being at the slicing edge on the offer of goods together with services to exploration entities. "Trust us, that will possibly be the launching sleeping pad to help them to actually head out into supplying different clients whose expectations may be excessive.
“The unique providing proposition of some sort of community may possibly be that it provides goods to Anglogold Ashanti and it is standards are excessive; also because happen to be standards are excessive, the community might take that as a possibility to head out to other exploration companies and declare because I offer to Anglogold Ashanti, I can offer to you personally, " he / she said.
Human learning resource
For his aspect, the Administrator involving the MDF, Doctor Norris Hammah, explained aside from typically the infrastructure that have been provided by typically the fund, it had been important to spend money on human resource growth in host neighborhoods. For the reason that regard, he or she urged the LMCs to think about giving scholarships or grants to residents regarding mining communities in order to pursue further education and learning, specially in engineering in addition to other key areas.
He said the particular MDF Secretariat would certainly organise capacity-building training courses to train LMCs on the prioritisation of projects, durability as well as other aspects regarding project management.