South Africa ICT giant eyes Ghana

Africa Cellular Group of Companies, a South Africa based multi-national Information, Communication and Technology Company has announced plans to build a factory in Ghana.

ACG, which has the capacity to manufacture 1,500 tons of steel a month, is behind the production and erection of towers for the expansion of telecommunication facilities in over 18 countries in Africa, including Ghana and Nigeria.

The company also supplies electrical equipment and installation, produce steel fencing, as well as GSM, fixed wireless and VSAT technology.

Mr Chris Kruger, Group Chairman of the company, made this known to Vice President Alhaji Aliu Mahama, who visited the company’s premises at Randhart in South Africa, as part of Government’s international investment drive.

Mr Kruger said ACG was expecting the Ghanaian authorities to fine-tune the investment zeal since machines meant for the factory had been ordered from Spain.

He described Ghana as one of the best countries in Africa where investment was possible due to the prevailing peace and stability.

He said: “We hope to bring health and development to Ghana by introducing my company to Ghana.”

He said it would lead to job creation and the transfer of skills.

Mr Kruger said ACG had put up over 300 towers in Ghana for telecommunication service providers such as Areeba and 700 in Nigeria.

Vice President Mahama described the business interest ACG has in Ghana as a win-win situation, explaining that Ghana would gain from the immense technology transfer that the investment would bring as well as job creation.

He said ACG would also have access to the market in the West African sub-region with a population of about 250 million.

He said Ghana was the gateway to the sub-region, a haven of the rule of law and a place where skilled labour abounds.

Vice President Mahama noted that Ghana has an open-door policy for investors, which gave birth to the Free Zone facility where investors are free to retain a percentage of their services and products in the country and send home the rest.

He said there was massive expansion works in the telecommunication services, and expressed the hope that ACG would never regret doing business in Ghana.

He said: “The sky is your limit.”

Dr Jimmy Ben Heymann, Ghana’s High Commissioner to South Africa told journalists later that he has had three months discussions with ACG and expressed the hope that by July, 2007 the company would be provided with the location to start the factory.

He said the company had the option to re-locate in Nigeria, hence the need for Ghana to accelerate the process of getting them on board.

Source: GNA

MINUTES OF GHAJICT MEETING on 23 March, 2007 at BusyInternet, Ring Road

MINUTES OF GHAJICT MEETING on 23 March, 2007 at

BusyInternet, Ring Road

 

 

Present:

n               Mawutodzi Abissath, Ag. Executive Member

n               E.K.Bensah, Ag. PRESIDENT

n               Fred Sarpong, Ag. Public Relations Officer (Liaison)

 

ISSUES

1. Adoption of Minutes / Agenda
2. Membership dues
3. Fundraising opportunities (UNDP, etc)
1. GHAJICT Treasurer should immediately liaise with Kwami Ahiabenu III on this
4. registration of association
1. who will take lead on registration? What signatures needed?
2. which bank?—(ECOBANK)

                                                              i.      individual account for now / savings acct

                                                             ii.      can treasurer take care of this?

3. Fees (GHC150,000/quarter)

                                                              i.      Members can pay in advance/yearly

4. Possible date of launch?

                                                              i.      April-end? Or on World Information Society Day (Thu 17 May^[1])?

                                                             ii.      Coordination / basic communication strategy for launch:

1.      a hotel? BusyInternet? Kofi Annan-IT CE?

2.      which media outlets? Radio? TV? Print media?

3.       aob

5. BLOG Activity
1. Executive members and executive must maintain their blogs
2. We need “blog whip” to remind those GHAJICT members (http://ghajict.blogspot.com/) to keep up
6. Membership cards
1. Talk to Busyinternet

                                                              i.      Find out fees

                                                             ii.      cost

                                                           iii.      Let’s get them done

7. Communication Tools
1. GHAJICT now on blogafrica.com—available to African blogosphere
2. Blog exists—what can be improved

                                                              i.      Executive members should ALL be contributors

3. Ideas for website
4. newspaper

 

8. AOB

 

1. Adoption of Minutes / Agenda

Minutes and agenda were adopted

 

 

2. Membership dues

·         Registration will first be online

·         Anyone wishing to register must pay GH50,000 after registering online

·         Registration form will be put on the blog (President to take care of this)

 

3. Fundraising opportunities (UNDP, etc)
1. GHAJICT Treasurer should immediately liaise with Kwami Ahiabenu III on this

·         It was agreed that financial support would be necessary to springboard association

 

4. registration of association
1. who will take lead on registration? What signatures needed?

·         Treasurer (and, heretofore assistant) will lead on registration

·         Signatures needed are President/Vice-President/Secretary/Treasurer. Pls refer to constitution

 

2. which bank?—(ECOBANK)

·         it was agreed that ECOBANK was fine, and that it would be opened at RIDGE H/Q

·         individual account for now / savings acct

1.      savings account would be preferable, so as to accrue interest

·         can treasurer take care of this?

1.      Treasurer and assistant will handle this

 

3. Fees (GHC150,000/quarter)

·         Members can pay in advance/yearly

4. Possible date of launch?

·         April-end? Or on World Information Society Day (Thu 17 May^[2])?

1.      there was a proposal to launch association on WEDNESDAY 16 May, 2007. This is because it would be obstructive to have it launched after WIS Day on Thursday as the news might not be carried as association wants it!

 

·         Coordination / basic communication strategy for launch:

1.     a hotel? BusyInternet? Kofi Annan-IT CE?

a.       Kofi Annan IT CE would be prohibitive; BusyInternet is not a bad option

b.      PRO to coordinate this

2.     which media outlets? Radio? TV? Print media?

a.      ALL, including MetroTV

b.      Vice-Prez could get us on GTV

3.      aob

a.       GHAJICT Secretariat could be c/o International Press Centre

5. BLOG Activity
1.  agreed that: Executive members and executive must maintain their blogs
2. We need “blog whip” to remind those GHAJICT members (http://ghajict.blogspot.com/) to keep up

·         President to be provisional BLOG WHIP

 

6. Membership cards
1. Talk to Busyinternet

·         Find out fees- unassigned

·         Cost- unassigned

 

7. Communication Tools
1. GHAJICT now on blogafrica.com—available to African blogosphere
2. Blog exists—what can be improved

·         Executive members should ALL be contributors

3. Ideas for website

·         discussion to be postponed till further notice

4. newspaper

·         discussion to be postponed till further notice

 

8. AOB
1. RECOMMENDATIONS

·         Executive member Emily Aggrey was “promoted” to Assistant treasurer, given her proactiveness, and the proximity of GNA to Registrar-General

·         PRO to speak with BusyInternet boss about GHAJICT

o        Draw up a possible list of invitees—NO MINISTERS

·         Proposal for launch is 16 May, 2007

o        Potential venue: BusyInternet/International Press Centre

o        Media outlet

·         A letterhead for GHAJICT needs to be drawn up

·         Secretariat c/o GJA? GINKS?

 

Proposed next meeting:27 April, 2007 @ BusyInternet / GINKS?

 

---

^[1] “Wednesday, 17 May 2006: First World Information Society Day

The World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), held in November 2005, adopted the Tunis Agenda for the Information Society, which recognized that there is a need to build more awareness of the Internet. It specifically called upon the United Nations General Assembly to declare 17 May World Information Society Day. (http://www.itu.int/wisd/2006/index.html)

 

 

The 23rd March, 2007 Meeting took place at Busyinternet

Fred Sarpong, Public Relations Officer, GHAJICT


Mawutodzi Abissath, Executive Member GHAJICT


E.K.Bensah II, Ag President GHAJICT

All went well with the meeting, with some very concrete recommendations made, which will be circulated in minutes over the next couple of days!

FW: mtg-busyinternet-230307 (live on the GHAJICT blog)

GHAJICT Constitution Meeting

Date:23.03.2007

Venue: BusyInternet, Ring Road, ACCRA

 

Agenda

1. Adoption of Minutes / Agenda
2. Membership dues
3. Fundraising opportunities (UNDP, etc)
1. GHAJICT Treasurer should immediately liaise with Kwami Ahiabenu III on this
4. registration of association
1. who will take lead on registration? What signatures needed?
2. which bank?—(ECOBANK)

                                                              i.      individual account for now / savings acct

                                                             ii.      can treasurer take care of this?

3. Fees (GHC150,000/quarter)

                                                              i.      Members can pay in advance/yearly

4. Possible date of launch?

                                                              i.      April-end? Or on World Information Society Day (Thu 17 May^[1])?

                                                             ii.      Coordination / basic communication strategy for launch:

1.      a hotel? BusyInternet? Kofi Annan-IT CE?

2.      which media outlets? Radio? TV? Print media?

3.       aob

5. BLOG Activity
1. Executive members and executive must maintain their blogs
2. We need “blog whip” to remind those GHAJICT members (http://ghajict.blogspot.com/) to keep up
6. Membership cards
1. Talk to Busyinternet

                                                              i.      Find out fees

                                                             ii.      cost

                                                           iii.      Let’s get them done

7. Communication Tools
1. GHAJICT now on blogafrica.com—available to African blogosphere
2. Blog exists—what can be improved

                                                              i.      Executive members should ALL be contributors

3. Ideas for website
4. newspaper

 

8. AOB

 

 

---

---

^[1] “Wednesday, 17 May 2006: First World Information Society Day

The World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), held in November 2005, adopted the Tunis Agenda for the Information Society, which recognized that there is a need to build more awareness of the Internet. It specifically called upon the United Nations General Assembly to declare 17 May World Information Society Day. (http://www.itu.int/wisd/2006/index.html)

 

KNUST students to benefit from Broadband Wireless Internet

Picture shows Prof. K. K. Adarkwa (2nd left), Vice Chancellor of KNUST trying to access the internet on a laptop at the launch of the wireless service.
Story: Enoch Darfah Frimpong, Kumasi
A Broadband wireless Internet and voice telephony facility has been inaugurated on the campus of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).
Known as the KNUST E-Campus Network, the facility has the potential of transforming the mode of teaching and learning on campus, as it would provide members of the university community with in-room and on-campus wireless Internet and voice telephony.
The provision of the service is a joint venture between Universal Telephone Exchange Limited and Engineering Systems and Services Limited, in collaboration with the KNUST.
The project is the first phase of a comprehensive Information Communication Technology (ICT), which is aimed at integrating all educational institutions into the global ICT network with KNUST as the hub.
According to the Vice-Chancellor of the KNUST, Professor Kwasi Kwafo Adarkwa, the services would be provided at an affordable rate to enable all subscribers benefit from the innovation.
He said with the innovation, students and lecturers could have access to the Internet service from any location on campus for research and recreational purposes at their convenience.
Aside that, he said students would be able to manage their time more efficiently with affordable telephone service.
The vice-chancellor said the cumulative effect of the benefits could result in improved academic performance of students enrolled at the university.
It was also expected that the current range of services provided under the KNUST E-Campus project would be complemented with distance learning, which would leap KNUST into the frontiers of educational excellence, the vice-chancellor said.
He said the network would eventually be interlinked with similar networks in Ghana and beyond to enable members of the university community share resources with other educational institutions to create a serene environment for education and research.
The Chief Executive of Engineering Systems and Services Limited, Mr Ben Adu, in an address, said university teaching and learning was becoming increasingly challenging in the face of limited resources and increasing demand for enrolment.
Mr Adu said physical facilities and lecturers were in short supply, and that access to quality learning and educational resources were limited.
He said the gap between quality of education in the developed economies and the one in the developing countries would further widen if steps were not taken to address the problem.
Mr Adu said distance education and e-learning could help to ameliorate the situation, but without equal access to quality communications infrastructure, distance education would not be able to deliver its promise.

Minutes of Mtg on 2/2/2007 @ I-Net, A&C Shopping Mall, East Legon

MINUTES OF GHAJICT MEETING on 2 February, 2007 at

I-NET Café, A&C Shopping Mall, East Legon

 

 

Present:

n               Ruby Amable, Ag. VICE-PRESIDENT

n               E.K.Bensah, Ag. PRESIDENT

 

NOTE: this meeting was held at A&C Shopping Mall, East Legon instead of BusyInternet

 

ISSUES

1. Adoption of Minutes / Agenda
2. Membership dues
3. Fundraising opportunities (UNDP, etc)
4. registration of association
1. which bank?
2. Fees?
3. Possible date of launch?
5. Liasing with blogs on http://www.gjaict.blogspot.com/

6.     GHAJICT intervention in Three ICT Bills Before A-G

7. AOB

 

1. Adoption of Minutes / Agenda

·         There was dissatisfaction expressed at the quality of the last minutes. It was agreed that whilst each person has his own style of producing minutes, some of the errors were more than typographical. The minutes looked more like a report than minutes.

 

·         The Vice-President is ready to offer capacity-building to any member of GHAJICT who is interested. The Ag President expressed an interest in this capacity-building offer.

 

·         Despite this initial comment, the minutes were adopted, and the current agenda for the meeting approved

 

2. Membership dues

·         There was a suggestion of GHC600,000/yr, translating to GHC50,000/month/member

·         It’s unclear as to whether we want to make it quarterly (GHC150,000/three months), or yearly

·         It was decided that to get the ball rolling, MARCH could be a good time to start getting payments made

 

3. Fundraising opportunities (UNDP, etc)

·         At the time of writing (2/3/07), Ag President, in a yahoo chat with Penplusbytes chief Kwame Ahiabenu III some weeks back, found out that getting UNDP money is very easy. Important to capitalize on that aspect—maybe GHAJICT treasurer (Veronica) could look into this?

·         Other opportunities for funds include JICA; UNESCO

·         It is important to identify a GHAJICT member who can facilitate this

 

4. registration of association

·         Yet again, the discussion between Ahiabenu III and Ag President on yahoo revealed that a priority to establish and register the association is better than tweaking out details in the constitution

·         It is yet undecided what to operate—only a SAVINGs? Or a CURRENT acct? Or BOTH?

o        Advantage of savings is that money deposited would stay there for longer, and accrue interest as opposed to current one

o        GHAJICT would need to consider whether CORPORATE or INDIVIDUAL account would be better?

• which bank?

                                                              i.      Ag President suggested ECOBANK

• Fees?

                                                              i.      Please see above

• Possible date of launch?

                                                              i.      End of March/early April

 

5. Liasing with blogs on http://www.gjaict.blogspot.com/
• The Vice and President checked almost all the sites on that blog, and realized—with much horror—that a lot NEEDS must be done for the collaboration to be effective
• Given the challenges facing that group, it would be better to focus on motivating members of GHAJICT to get others to blog!!

 

6.     GHAJICT intervention in Three ICT Bills Before A-G

• The Vice President’s experience with parliamentary press corps could be brought to bear on any eventual intervention by GHAJICT

 

7. AOB

• VENUE:
• The I-NET CAFÉ at the A&C Shopping Mall, East Legon is a very comfortable atmosphere, providing sufficient space for all of us to use the fast computers there. The Vice-Prez and Prez find it a VERY amenable place for working, and thinking as a team
• Proposal to hold it there for a while

 

• WORK ON CONSTITUTION:
• It was agreed that we could provide a deadline for comments. Initially, it was going to be end of February, but can be moved forward
• Those comments could be compiled and reflected through the constitution off-line

 

Proposed next meeting:22 March, 2007 @ A&C Shopping Mall

 

ENDs