Huawei to build north-south fibre cable

Chinese vendor Huawei will build the first phase of Ghana's planned national backbone between the southern and northern regions of the country. The timetable for completion is the end of 2007 so that it will be available for the up-coming CAN 2008/

It is anticipated that the completion of the installation of the cable would enhance greater access to information, communications and technology by the close of 2007 and can facilitate communications during the upcoming CAN 2008.

China's Huawei Technologies Company is installing the cable from the capital, Accra to Tamale in the Northern region at a cost of US$30 million. The cost of constructing the cable across the whole country is estimated at US$70 million.

The first phase would use the Volta River Authority's (power generator and transmitter) Voltacom fibre optic cable in Accra through Cape Coast in the Central Region, Takoradi in the Western Region, Nkawkaw in the Eastern Region, Kumasi in the Ashanti Region, Sunyani in the Brong Ahafo Region to Tamale in the Northern Region.
(Source: Highway Africa News Agency)

The L.A. Times tells its readers: 'Shut up'

Commentary: A Times editorial attacks the concept of reader comments on news stories, declaring Google a greater threat "than Osama bin Laden."

By Robert Niles

The Los Angeles Times this morning insulted its readers in a stunning editorial that compared Google with Osama bin Laden and showed why Times editors simply do not understand the medium that is growing to dominate the news publishing industry. A point by point rebuttal follows:

Many publishers consider the Internet, and Google in particular, a greater threat to their livelihoods than Osama bin Laden.

Who are these publishers, exactly? The Times' David Hiller? Ignore the straw man here and the reader is still left with The Times' belief that a search engine company which has helped millions of people around the world more effectively find the information they need, and that has paid publishers billions of dollars to create original content (full disclosure: including OJR and me, personally) is a greater threat to journalism and Western capitalism than a murderer who killed 3,000 Americans on 9/11.

Wow.

After The Times lit its credibility on fire with that statement, one shouldn't need to dissect the rest of its ridiculous editorial.

But I will. ;-)

Among those who have taken particular offense at Google are some current and aspiring newspaper publishers, including Sam Zell (who's in the process of buying Tribune Co., owner of the Los Angeles Times), who once famously asked, "If all of the newspapers in America did not allow Google to steal their content, how profitable would Google be?"

Well, does Zell think Google is worse than bin Laden? I do not see that claim in what he said. Furthermore, I, and several other news industry executives, took apart Zell's myopia here in OJR when he made that ill-informed comment last spring.

Up to now, Google's news site hasn't been a moneymaker for the company, at least not directly. There are no ads on Google News, just links to stories on websites run by newspapers, magazines and other news outlets. Those links prompt people to spend more time on the news media's sites, potentially increasing their ad sales.

But Google now is doing yet another thing that's bound to get under journalists' skin."

Umm, perhaps I shouldn't speak for others here, but, as a journalist and a publisher, I like readers to spend more time on my sites, "potentially increasing [my] ad sales." That doesn't get under my skin at all.

This month, it announced plans to let people and organizations comment on the stories written about them. For example, if The Times ran another exposé on conflicts of interest within the Food and Drug Administration's drug-approval process, Google News would provide a forum for the FDA and any researchers or drug manufacturers implicated in the story to respond, unedited.

Goodness, we wouldn't want the sources in our stories to have a chance to respond, would we? /sarcasm

The feature implies that the stories aggregated by Google News are incomplete -- possibly because of limited space, but also possibly because of bias, neglect or ignorance. News organizations have their flaws, and the added comments on Google may demonstrate that.

Finally, a point of agreement. Reader comments on online news stories give readers the opportunity to provide a needed check on reporting flaws. No journalist should ever presume that a single news article ever is complete.

But Google's effort may have a happier side effect: It may illustrate why journalism is more than just aggregating information -- and why Google News isn't really its competition after all.

The essence of good journalism is asking the right questions. Google, however, won't ask anything of those who submit comments. According to the company's announcement, its only interest is that the submissions are authentic, not that they're relevant or even truthful. As a result, the comments section is likely to be larded with spin, hype and obfuscation. A seemingly heartfelt comment may carry the CEO's name, but the words will probably have been typed by corporate flacks.

Another point of agreement: "The essence of good journalism is asking the right questions." No, Google won't ask those questions, but its technology will enable readers to ask those questions, of reporters and of each other. And allows reporters to come back and ask follow-up questions of the readers who questioned the reporter in the first place.

This is is point that journalists who have spent their lives publishing in a one-way medium too often fail to grasp: That online reader comments are not a one-way medium, in the opposite direction. They are a two-way conversation, in which reporters can, and ought to, participate, as well.

Nor should The Times condemn Google for sins that many traditional journalists have committed. "Stenography" journalism runs rampant at newspapers which have cut reporting staffs to the bone. Readers of Dan Froomkin's outstanding White House Watch will be familiar with many examples of Washington-beat scribes dutifully "reporting" U.S. administration spin, with no effort to provide context or determine truth.

Furthermore, is the reader of this editorial to assume that The Times never runs quotes from CEOs in its paper that were in fact written by corporate spokespersons? If The Times' editorial writers truly believe that, I suggest they take a trip over to The Times' newsroom sometime.

There will be some valuable responses too, plugging holes in stories or correcting mistaken impressions.

Third point of agreement here. So why, then, is The Times attacking this technology which would plug holes in stories, correct mistaken impressions, enable readers to ask questions of reporters and provide a check on reporting flaws?

Google, however, won't help readers separate the factual wheat from the public-relations chaff -- a reminder that Google may strive to be the world's index, but it's not journalism.

If The Times wants to criticize Google's implementation of reader comments, that's fair game. Many good publishers have shut off reader comments because they didn't want the hassle of handling them. But plenty of system administrators have developed systems to allow readers and/or editors to filter comments, so that readers can separate the wheat from the chaff. By not acknowledging any of those, however, The Times allows its editorial to stand as a condemnation of the concept of enabling online comments to news stories.

So let The Times readers be warned: The Times doesn't get it. It hasn't enabled comments on its own news stories ( previously criticized in OJR), nor does it like the idea of others linking to and commenting on its stories.

As I said at the opening of OJR's annual unconference last spring, journalism should noy be defined by its process. Journalism ought to be defined by its end result: fresh, accurate information that helps its readers see a truth that they did not before.

Smart news organizations need to be blowing up their old ways of producing journalism -- not just publishing it, but reporting it as well -- in order to better provide more accurate and insightful journalism to beat the increased competition from millions of new content publishers online. To do that, publishers need to hear fresh perspectives, from their employees... and from the public.

But what does The Times tell them with this editorial?

"Shut up."

http://www.ojr.org/ojr/stories/070817niles/

GLOBACOM Confident Of Pitching Camp In Ghana

Officials of Nigerian Telecommunications giant, GLOBACOM, remain confident they will soon be granted a license to operate in Ghana.

Though the NCA has confirmed it is studying the documents of the company, it is yet to come out with an official position on the deal. Globacom says it is bent on ruling the African telecommunications market and it believes Ghana is an excellent destination to enhance their effectiveness.

The company was granted a license last week in Benin after it emerged tops in a keen contest in which several telecom operators participated. Sources close to Citi FM say Globacom was preferred ahead of the other bidders because of its technical superiority.

The source added that the Beninoise government was also swayed by Globacom's demonstrable ability to commence services within sixty days, a key requirement of the Benin's telecom authorities.

In an earlier interview with Citi FM, the Manager in charge of Events and Sponsorship at GLOBACOM, Olayinka Atande, said they will certainly make an appearance in Ghana since the country has established itself as a reliable business destination. 'Any thriving company which does not see the essence in establishing in Ghana is not serious', he said.

www.ghanaweb.com

GT University breaks new grounds in IT education

 Ghana Telecom University College is to set up centres of excellence in telecommunication and information nationwide which would position it to be more competitive and attractive to students both locally and internationally. The College which celebrates its first anniversary today August 15, is also to initiate other modern technological innovations such as introducing an online distance education in Ghana that would enable students attend lectures through video conferencing at their various locations.

Speaking at a media briefing on the anniversary on Wednesday, Dr. Osei K. Darkwa, Principal of the College said the country's current educational needs required a radical thinking of the traditional ways of providing mass education to people.

"In the world of rapid development of ICTs, the need to use new technologies to raise effectiveness and quality of education can not be over-emphasized," he said.

By devising and implementing a distance learning strategy through the use of new technologies as learning agents, Dr Darkwa said it would allow the University to tap into the teaching forces of the world. He explained that soon it would be possible for students of the College to go to community learning centres, tele-centres, churches, or schools or a local business in most major cities and towns to use computers with the institution's faculties.

"...This vision is realistic and represents hope for the million of Ghanaians and Africans who are looking for access to higher education and nothing will stand in our way in making this vision a reality," Dr Darkwa said.

He announced the introduction of a scholarship programme this year that would enable brilliant but needy students have access to telecommunication and information courses at the College.

Mr Darkwa said in October, this year, the College in collaboration with the Technical University of Denmark would begin a Masters programme in Information Communication Technology, the first of its kind in the country.

The College, which is affiliated to the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology and DePaul University of the United States of America, has attracted over 500 tuition-paying students in Ghana. Since its inauguration in August 2006, a total of 213 students have completed certificate studies in various Information Technologies, such as Telecommunication Engineering, Computer Science, Computer Forensics and Information Technology, Business Processing, Outsourcing and Open Source Software.

Source: GNA

Lands Commission to be networked - Minister

Mrs. Esther Obeng-Dapaah, Minister of Lands, Forestry and Mines, has stated that the reliance on scattered and obsolete operational procedures and unclear mandate of the various institutions under the Lands Commission would be changed soon.

She said the Commission would soon be networked electronically to facilitate their work and ensure reliable information on available land to ease double sale and litigations.

Mrs. Obeng-Dapaah who was inaugurating the re-constituted 17-member Western Region Lands Commission in Sekondi on Wednesday, said under the Land Administration Project (LAP), all the six lands institutions in the country would be merged.

She said a Customary Land Secretariat would also be established and charged the reconstituted Commission to ensure that its services were effective, transparent and accessible.

Mr. Anthony E. Amoah, Western Regional Minister, described land as "fundamental" for every society and said all efforts must be made to streamline its procedures.

He said the 1999 National Land Policy was aimed at stimulating economic development, reducing poverty and simplifying the processes for having access to it in a fair, transparent and efficient manner.

Mr. Amoah called on members of the Commission to be transparent during their four-year tenure.


Source: GNA

Communication Minister launches jobsinghana.com

Dr. Benjamin Aggrey Ntim, Minister of Communications on Wednesday launched Ghana's first indigenous job engine, www.jobsinghana.com, that uses the Internet as a platform linking jobseekers to employers and vice-versa.

It is a tool that makes human resource management easier for employers and puts jobseekers in control of their careers.

Dr. Ntim said the database, which would introduce Information Communication Technology (ICT) and related efficiencies in the human resource sector, would also make jobs readily available to help reverse brain drain in the Diaspora.

He said the attainment of this feat pointed to the fact that ICT holds immense promise as its deployment was rapidly changing and opening new avenues of relationships for society.

"The contribution indeed points to the fact that there are individuals in Ghana with innovative skills today who are committed to the deployment of ICT solutions that are beneficial to users as a universal enterprise", he added.

The Minister said the website would also provide consultancy services to help solve problems of unemployment by attracting persons with employable skills to the site to attain jobs and complement government's effort to secure jobs for the youth.

Dr. Ntim said in Business Processing Outsourcing ( BPO) which was a lucrative venture in ICT, a number of investors were keen to locate in Ghana and improve telecom services to enable them do business on cost effective basis.

He hinted that the Ministry in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) was facilitating the development of incubation facilities at the Ghana Multimedia Centre to promote technology commercialization and economic focus.

The Minister therefore commended the initiative and called on the young entrepreneurs and others in the IT industry to set targets and increase research activities to develop skills in the industry.

Mr. Ernest Adade, Deputy National Coordinator of the National Youth Employment Programme (NYEP) also applauded the initiative, which, he said, was consistent with the aims of the NYEP to create more job avenues for the youth.

He stated that the NYEP had been able to employ over 104,000 youth, saying this had reduced the number of graduate unemployment by 6,000.

He said the programme had also employed over 23,000 pupil teachers in the regions, and pledged the Ministry of Manpower, Youth and Employment's commitment to support any drive to secure more jobs.

Mr. Richard Baffour, Chief Executive Officer for Jobsinghana said the website has a growing database with automatic links for jobseekers, employers, and a resource centre with information on resume writing, career search and other human resource tips.

He said the site has registered over 3,000 job seekers to save them from frustrations of walking around with application letters to seek employment.

Mr. Baffour said the initiative was more of his social contribution to the growth of the human resource sector and to jobseekers whose dreams to secure a job had never been realized.


Source: GNA

PC in every Nigerian home receives a boost

Omatek computers says the desire to ensure that low-income earners in Nigeria have access to computers at home have informed its decision to enter into an agreement worth its N1 billion finance with First Bank of Nigeria Plc to provide low income earners access to funding to purchase computers.

According to the Managing Director of the firm, Mrs. Florence Seriki, the firm had to enter into the pact so that finance which had been a challenge to many people in purchasing computers would be handled by first bank on behalf of interested buyers.

She said: "The era of inability of Nigerians to purchase computers because of the stringent payment conditions are gone. Now even a low income earning individual can acquire an Omatek computer because all the barriers to owning one have been removed."

Omatek, one of Nigeria's local Original Equipment Manufacturers has formally signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with First Bank in which the bank would provide finance up to N1 billionn for the acquisition of laptops and desktop computers. Under the pact, any Nigerian interested in owning a computer can now have one and spread payment over a period of 12 to 24 months. According to the firm, the MOU fulfils the twin objective of both parties of putting a computer in every home in Nigeria and contributing to the development of information and communications technologies in the country.

They added that it also strengthens the Federal government?s Computer for All Nigerians Initiative.

Ends....

highway Africa news agency

All banks to connect to E-ZWICH

 The Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia on Wednesday asked all banks to link their ATMs and Point of Sale (POS) device to the National Switch, the E-ZWICH by March 31, 2008.

The E-ZWICH, a brand name for the National Switch, under the new Universal Electronic Payments (UEPS) technology is to ensure that all commercial banks, rural banks and savings and loans institutions implemented a common payment platform and biometric Smartcard. Speaking at the launch of the Ghana Commercial Bank (GCB) MoneyGram, Dr Bawumia said banks with existing switches were expected to upgrade them to make them compatible with the National Switch by July 1, 2008.

The GCB MoneyGram service would be operated through all its 133 branches.

Dr. Bawumia said the introduction of the National Switch and Smartcard payment system would dramatically increase the number of people with access to financial services.

Currently about 80 per cent of Ghana's population did not operate any kind of bank account and this represents a huge market opportunity for banks, rural banks, savings and loans companies".

He said; "The traditional Visa and Mastercard would still have their uses but what we are introducing is a smartcard that is accessible to everyone and that can work everywhere, both on-line and off-line, even in places without electricity".

"Henceforth all new ATMS and POS devices deployed by any financial or non-financial institution must be compliant with the new (UEPS) technology," Dr Bawumia said.

He urged all the banks to issue the E-ZWICH biometric smartcards to their customers by March 31, 2008 Dr. Bawumia said banks without switches/ATMS and POS devices were expected to integrate their payment terminals directly into the National Switch or through a E-ZWICH compatible switch.

Mr. Lawrence N. Adu-Mante, Managing Director, GCB, said the Bank was undertaking the alliance with Moneygram International because of the importance attached to remittances. "The importance of these funds is so critical not only to the development of our country, but also for the socio-economic well-being of our people".

He estimated that between January and November last year, about 4.25 billion dollars was remitted to Ghana, out of which 1.7 billion dollars came from private individuals alone.

Mr. Adu-Mante said the transfers helped to conserve and improve the nation's foreign exchange reserves, and also boost the import capacity for needy goods and services, including drugs and equipment. "The funds are also remitted for payment of school fees for the upkeep of relations and for a variety of private project.

"It is for these reasons that everything possible must be done to ensure a hustle fee service to our people who are recipients and the remitters abroad," he said

Source: GNA

Work on an ICT post office at Sekondi begins

 The management of Ghana Post has decided to include Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) facilities to post offices in the country.

Mr Kofi Dua-Adonteng, Managing Director of Ghana Post who announced this said a post office equipped with ICT facilities was ideal with the current development in information technology. He was speaking at a sod cutting ceremony for the construction of a GH=A2 140,000 (1.4 billion cedis) post office equipped with Internet facilities and a conference hall at Sekondi.

Papa Owusu Ankomah, Member of Parliament for Sekondi, and a Presidential aspirant of New Patriotic Party (NPP) is financing the project.

Mr Dua-Adonteng said a post office with ICT facilities would enable many people nationwide to have access to Internet facilities. He noted that Ghana Post must adopt modern technologies to effectively compete with the increasing technologies. Mr Kwesi Blay, Deputy Western Regional Minister called on management of Ghana Post to introduce courier services to re-capture the business sector of communication.

He said the sale of stamps alone was not financially prudent. Mr Blay regretted that most people instead of using the Internet to access information, misuse it and sometimes defraud unsuspecting individuals.

He called on citizens in Sekondi to utilise opportunities offered by the facility and maintain it for future generations. Papa Ankomah said it was his contribution towards the development and bringing ICT closer to the doorsteps of people in Sekondi and its environs.

He pointed out that the facility would educate the youth, generate funds for development and create employment opportunities for the youth. "There are several opportunities for the elderly, women and children in ICT," he added.

Source: GNA

Government launches $70m communications project

The government of Ghana has launched a $70m project to provide greater access to information and communications technology.

The project, which is known as the National Communications Backbone Project is being executed by the government with support from the Chinese government.

President J. A. Kufuor cut the sod for the official start of the project. In an address, he said the project will improve internet and telephony services across the country.

He however, cautioned cable thieves to desist from the habit of stealing cables. He added that, the cables to be laid underground do not contain copper wire and therefore, would be of little value to the thieves.

The first phase of the project in the southern part of the country will be completed in January 2008. The second phase which will cover the northern part of the country will be completed in the middle of 2008.

Ghanaian Child Has Right To Access ICTs

The Accra Metro Director of Education, Mr James Nii Okaija Dinsey, has suggested that the right and access to Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) should be considered as a fundamental Human Right for the Ghanaian child so that it would be integrated into the school syllabi to enhance teaching and learning process in the country.

 
Explaining further, Nii Okaija noted that the whole notion of Basic Education has now taken a new dimension that students today have to learn to access, use and generate information for their own survival in this competitive world - noting that gone are the days when blackboard was hailed as revolutionary device to have impact on the educational process. 

 
Nii Okaija made these pronouncements at the commissioning and fund-raising ceremony for a computer laboratory for the Kanehie - Awudome 1&3 JSS Cluster of Schools in the Okaikoi Sub – Metro in Accra yesterday.

 
He commended the Government of Ghana for launching an ICT for Accelerated Development Policy among others, and consequently placing greater emphasis on ICT education in the 2007 Education Reform.

 
Nii Okaija added that this initiative of establishing an ICT laboratory at Kaneshie – Awudome 1 and 3 JSS would promote learning and teaching and support government's desire to deploy ICTs in the education sector to transform the culture and practice of traditional memory-based learning to a system that stimulates thinking and creativity, necessary to meet the challenges of the 21^st century.

 

Member of Parliament of Okaikoi North, Hon. Elizabeth Sackey, attributed the  indiscipline of the Ghanaian youth today to lack of education; noting that was the reason why Government has put in place national funds with the aim of reforming the education system so that the Ghanaian school child will be computer literate to compete with colleagues from the international communities.

 

The construction of the Computer Laboratory was initiated by the OIC of Okaikoi sub – Metro and sponsored by the Member of Parliament of Okaikoi South Constituency Hon. Nana Akomea, through the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund). The cost was estimated to be over 20,000 Ghana Cedi.

 

Source: ISD (Daniel Agyiri)

First credit card introduced in Ghana

As some Ghanaian banks enter into mergers and acquisitions in order to stay in business, others have resorted to the introduction of high-tech products in order to stay on top of competition that has partly resulted in the influx of more Nigerian banks.

ECOBANK Ghana is the latest to introduce the first-ever Visa Credit Card in the country to offer clients and non-clients the chance to conduct flexible business transactions.

The cards would also enable users to better handle issues of risk and inefficiency associated with cash transaction within and outside the country.

The card, known as the ECOBANK Visa Gold Credit Card, is an unsecured card and gives a line of credit without the need to put money upfront to secure the debt.

Speaking at the launch of the credit card which is expected to operate on the visa network, Managing Director Samuel Ashitey Adjei said the introduction of the card proved the goal of the bank to lead the sector.

ECOBANK Ghana which has won the overall best bank of the Corporate Initiative of Ghana awards for three times expects the visa credit card to be used in 30 million outlets anywhere in the world in addition to over 800,000 ATMS which have the Visa logo. The maximum credit limit of the card is based on the credit scoring which takes into consideration the various quantitative and qualitative factors of the user.

Mr Adjei said the card was targeted at employees of companies, professional, traders and business executives and high net-worth individuals with verifiable sources of income and that it could be accessed by both clients and non-clients of ECOBANK.

He said the cards were specifically targeted at government, government officials, Ministries, Departments and Agencies who currently travel abroad with large sums of physical cash on official duties.

The ECOBANK group aims to become a Pan African Bank. The Group currently has 19 branches within West and Central Africa.

Ghana's Controller and Accountant-General, Mr Christian Sottie, described the introduction of the credit card as a new arrangement to modernize the nation's payment systems that had the potential not only to eliminate the risks associated with the use of cash, but also enhance the accountability of funds disbursed.

The Accountant-General said new payments system pursued by his department at the district level had saved the nation an annual amount of 5.2 million new Ghana cedis (about $5.7m) from transportation, hotel and food costs.

He therefore welcomed the introduction of the Gold Credit Card and said it was one of the reforms of the department to bring transparency into public financial management and also to meet the needs of clients at minimum cost.

END....

Ghana holds first ICT Awards

Accra, Aug. 12, GNA - The first ever Ghana Information Communication and Technology (ICT) Awards was held at the weekend in Accra, with a call on people in the industry to improve their innovative and creative capabilities for the nation's benefit.

President John Agyekum Kufuor, who made the call in a speech read on his behalf at the ceremony, said there was room for improvement and further collaboration with government to provide better access to ICT to many Ghanaians.

He urged stakeholders in the industry to initiate social responsibility programmes that would address the needs of the disadvantage and physically challenged.

President Kufuor noted that ICT provided the competitive edge for businesses and the socio-economic development of the country.

"In recognition of this, government continues to invest in world-class information technology systems to attain a leadership status in the West African."

President Kufuor said the pervasive ICT high-speed networks were no longer a luxury but an essential infrastructure for socio-economic development.

He said "We must prepare the infrastructure for the current needs as well as future needs and we will also have to do cost-effective work and in an efficient manner."

President Kufuor said it was necessary to have easy and affordable access to resources that would enable businesses especially local small medium scale enterprises to provide new services to the citizenry. He said as a result, Government was committed to enhancing the bandwidth availability to promote efficiency in ICT services at affordable cost.

President Kufuor said the construction of the National Fibre Communication Backbone Infrastructure had commenced and urged all businesses to explore and harness its potential and that the first phase of the project would start by the close of the year.

He explained that the project would open the doors to new business opportunities in software and hardware development and create new jobs for the youth.

President Kufour said that as the ICT industry strives for peaks of excellence by global standards, the challenge for Ghana would be to work hard to be among the world's best countries in the industry.

Dr. Benjamin Aggrey Ntim, Minister of Communication, said the awards which was championed by the Ministry of Communication in partnership with people in industry was designed as a catalyst for the Government and private sector to drive the programme of using ICT for accelerated development.

Mr. Ntim said the objective was to evaluate and recognize standards of excellence in the quest for growth and development, encourage public and private institutions to use ICT for development and to ensure that ICT professionals were provided a benchmark for recognizing and validating outstanding contributions.

He said the event, which saw 17 companies and institutions receiving awards would be an annual affair. Soft Tribe Company received an award for being the pioneering software company that has promoted and stimulated the growth of software development in the country.

Network Computer Services received an award for been the first Internet Service Provider, ACR Company, was adjusted the first major outsourcing company and NCR Company as the pioneer in hardware trading in computers.

Kasapa, Tigo and MTN were awarded for their being the first companies in implementing CDMA, provision of mobile telephones and GSM in Ghana respectively.

One Touch of the Ghana Telecom Company received the award for its pioneering role in the provision of ICT in remote parts of Ghana whilst Ghana Telecom took the award for its pioneering role in implementing international gateway via undersea cable.

Business Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, and IPMC were adjudged the pioneering companies in establishing cyber cafes and ICT training University in the country respectively. Clydestone Ghana received an award for been the first to list on the Ghana Stock Exchange and Ghana Commercial Bank as the first company to be computerized.

University of Ghana was adjudged the first in providing leadership in the creation of academic research network in ICT. The pioneering role in the use of ICT tools for employment award went to the Ghana Society for Blind.

The only lifetime achievement for ICT development award went to Professor Clement Dzidonu, who provided leadership for the development of Ghana's ICT for accelerated development policy.

Source: GNA

UNECA supports e-trade in Ghana

Ghana and the rest of Africa can make significant progress in developing high-tech export products? industry to boost trade if attention is given to the development of scientific and industrial research base.

According to reports and supported by evidence collated by the World Bank a number of countries in Africa have a low research.

Analysts believe that the trend was attributable to the minimal number of scientists and engineers available on the African continent.

In Ghana for instance, a study conducted as part of the input for the Ghana ICT4AD process on the number of research scientists and engineers in the universities and the number of registered practicing engineers in the country, estimated that the number of scientists and engineers per million persons was close to 300.

Less than 10 per cent of the number was involved in research and development (R&D) works. This was interpreted to mean that Ghana had as low as less than 30 scientists and engineers per million persons involved in research and development.

The statistics in the World Bank report also meant that countries with a high percentage of scientists and engineers involved in R&D were those that were doing well in the area of high tech exports.

Another study report on ICTs and Trade urged Ghanaians to develop scientific and industrial research base and take policy steps to increase the percentage of scientists and engineers involved in R&D work.

"The recommendation here is that: if Ghana is to make any progress in developing a high-tech export industry to enable it address the challenges of a weak and narrow export based dominated by traditional products, a lot of efforts will need to be directed at developing the nation's R&D base devoting particular attention to establishing linkages between industry and the research institutions and universities", the report said.

This, the ICTs and Trade report said, would enable the nation to make appreciable progress in developing high-tech exports.

The World Bank report formed part of the basis for the recommendations in the other report that sought to find ways to inculcate ICTs into trade in Ghana.

The other report titled "The ICTs, Trade and Economic Growth Study: The Ghana Report" researched into a number of policy issues relating to the prospects and the opportunities of the deployment and exploitation of ICTs to facilitate economic growth through the promotion of Ghana's internal and external trade.

The study was funded by the United Nation's Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA).

The main objective of the UNECA supported study was to carry out an extensive research work on the subject matter with a view to come out with specific policy recommendations to guide and facilitate the deployment and the use of ICTs to promote regional and international trade to promote Ghana's economic growth and development in the information age.

Among the areas researched into was the socio-economic and ICT landscape of Ghana with a focus on a number of indicators including those relating to demographic and ICT deployment and roll-out.

The study also reviewed Ghana?s trade landscape through the use of a number of broad and specific trade indicators to provide a basis for assessing Ghana's capacity to facilitate economic growth.

While assessing Ghana?s readiness to promote trade and economic growth through the deployment and the exploitation of ICTs, the study also identified key target areas and sectors such as commodities, financial services, BPOs, e-Content services, tourism, export and m-trade whose activities can be supported and harnessed through the use of ICTs and trade facilitation to improve their competitiveness.

An area of policy recommendation that Ghana can also pursue to develop e-trade capacity especially in ICT products and services is to put in place policy initiatives and incentive packages to product development of the ICT industry and services sector.

The report said promotion of ICT friendly and trade related policies must seek to promote enabling industrial and trade policies and instruments as well as suitable investment, competition and business promotion policies and regimes, mechanisms and environment.

The report said while looking at policy interventions, there is the need to also pay attention to issues that would complement private sector investments, availability of a critical pool of labour with the requisite technical skill, education that makes ICT specialisation a prime focus, simplified trade procedures and a consistent capacity building.

ENDS....

Highway Africa News Agency

AITI & CIS Ghana, Collaborate to Train ICT Professionals

The Ghana-India Kofi Annan Centre of Excellence in ICT, Ghana first Advanced Information Technology Institute (AITI) and CIS Ghana, a major stakeholder in supporting the sub-region's drive to deploy and use ICT effectively, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to provide the needed knowhow in emerging ICT skills and technologies.

The purpose of this partnership is to deliver high level ICT training for corporate entities and individuals; and also to share experience on the ICT landscape in the ECOWAS Region. Both AITI and CIS have over the years been at the forefront of promoting and equipping businesses with the necessary human and capital resources in the sub-region to compete globally.

The exciting new range of courses offers globally benchmarked training methodologies and tools in system and network administration. The programmes are designed to provide hands-on training on leading ICT infrastructures such as HP-UNIX, IBM, SUN Microsystems, etc. The partnership between AITI and CIS guarantees quality, international benchmarked training with the option of international certification.

System Administrators; Computer Graduates; Webmasters; IT Professionals looking to upgrade and improve their skills have available to them a state-of-the-art facility and experienced and qualified instructors.

Ghanaian companies and computer professionals can now benefit from a partnership that signifies only the best in ICT solutions.