The National Road Safety Commission (NRSC) is to commence the relocation and removal of unauthorised billboards along roadsides on September 1, this year, to enhance visibility and reduce road crashes. A taskforce that comprise the NRSC, Ghana Standard Authority (GSA) and the Advertising Association of Ghana (AAG) has been set up to carry out the exercise. According to the commission, billboards must be deployed at the appropriate place and also made of the appropriate materials to prevent obstruction visibility, especially during late hours. The Executive Director of the NRSC, Ing Mrs May Obiri Yeboah, made this known during an interactive session with the media at the launch of the National Road Safety Awards (NRSA). She said standards had been developed to address the location of billboards and added that the springing up of billboards across the country was a nuisance. 5th NRSA The fifth NRSA, scheduled to be heid on November 13, 2015 at the La Palm Royal Beach Hotel, is on the theme: “Recognising good practices that enhances road safety”. The award, which was instituted in 2010, is to celebrate and recognise institutions and individuals whose contributions continue to impact road safety positively. It was also setup to encourage best road safety practices among commercial transport operators. There are six competitive categories, and three new categories have been added: best road safety-oriented basic school, youth ambassador for road safety and the best driver award. Other categories are the passenger and freight category, best road safety journalist award, best commercial passenger transport category and best haulage transport. Road crashes Launching the awards ceremony, Ing Yeboah noted that road traffic crashes were responsible for an average of 2,000 deaths annually. She said the situation impacted negatively on the economy and affected tourism, national image, health bill and stretched the health infrastructure. The sad reality, she said, was that these crashes were avoidable, if some diligence was done in the maintenance of vehicles and only roadworthy vehicles were on our roads. Ing Yeboah stated that there was the need for minor road works to be done on some roads without waiting till they became potholes or death traps. With the awards, she said the commission expected operators to intergrate safety policies and standards in their operations for a reward or recognition. “Compliance with safety standards has been observed as low, particularly with passenger and freight operators and with the award we expect to develop a new sub-culture that prioritises the safety of road users”. The Director of Planning and Programmes at NRSC, Mr David Osofo Adonteng, called for support from corporate organisations to ensure the success of the awards ceremony.

The processes involved in the preparation of the 2016 budget statement have begun with broad consultation with various stakeholders within the national economy. Section one of Article 179 of the 1992 Constitution enjoins the President to cause to be prepared and laid before Parliament, at least one month before the end of the financial year, estimates of the revenues and expenditure of the government for the following financial year. The stakeholder consultation is, therefore, to solicit the input of the various players in the economy on relevant socio-economic issues that would dovetail into the development of key policy interventions by the government. The move is also to promote budget transparency and accountability, as well as ensure the prudent management of state resources. A Deputy Minister of Finance, Mr Ato Forson, lauded the input made by stakeholders that culminated into the preparation and presentation of the 2015 budget. He said it also provided a means of tracking the budget in order that the government did not stray from its projected plans. Road contractors The national chairman of the Association of Road Contractors, Mr James Ebo Hewton, bemoaned the imminent collapse of the road sector. The sector, he said, played a crucial role in the national economy but noted that delays in paying contractors was not only killing individual businesses but also back-rolling development in the road sector. He claimed, for instance, that contractors who worked on the country’s cocoa roads had not yet been paid two after completing the work. SEND Ghana, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) which submitted its input based on consultations with Ghanaians in selected parts of the country, recommended an increase in the capitation grant to schools to meet present-day economic realities. It also called for the promotion of equity in the distribution of teachers to deprived areas, noting that the absence of social amenities such as potable water and electricity in some rural communities was disincentive to teachers posted to such areas. The NGO also called for a mandatory budgetary allocation for the provision of child-friendly schools for all children, including the physically challenged, to enhance teaching and learning. Sinking Fund The African Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP) alleged that the GH¢100 million that was placed in the Sinking Fund set up by the government had been used by the Bank of Ghana (BoG) due to the government’s indebtedness to the bank. Even though ACEP indicated that the government was performing well in terms of revenue transparency, it lacked in transparency and accountability. The Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana asked the government to secure funding for fertiliser subsidy and also create a conducive environment to attract private fertiliser manufacturers to set up bases in the country to ensure permanent availability of fertilizer to farmers.

Source: Daily Graphic