News
Hundreds held as Hong Kong police disperse protestors
Hong Kong police have fired pepper pellets to disperse protesters as hundreds of people gathered in the centre of the financial hub to oppose a controversial bill on China’s national anthem and a planned move by Beijing to impose a national security law on the semi-autonomous territory.
Amid rising tensions, riot police on Wednesday were deployed around Hong Kong’s Legislative Council, where the measure that would criminalise disrespect of the Chinese national anthem was due to be debated.
Angry over perceived threats to the city’s freedoms, people of all ages took to the streets of the Central district, some dressed in black, some wearing office clothes and some hiding their faces beneath open umbrellas in scenes reminiscent of the unrest that shook Hong Kong for several months last year.
Police quickly arrived and used pepper ball guns to disperse protesters. Officers were seen rounding up dozens of people, making them sit on a pavement before searching them.
Police said they had arrested about 240 people in three districts, most for illegal assembly.
“Hong Kong’s government has warned that it is prepared to continue cracking down hard if protesters continue to defy orders to stay off the streets,” Al Jazeera’s Adrian Brown, reporting from the centre of the city, said.
“And the police warned that people taking part in [an illegal] assembly risk a jail term of up to five years,” Brown added.
The latest protests in Hong Kong follow the Chinese government’s proposal for national security legislation aimed at tackling secession, subversion and “terrorist” activities in the city. The planned laws could see Chinese intelligence agencies set up bases in Hong Kong.
The proposal, unveiled in Beijing last week, triggered the first major street unrest in Hong Kong in months on Sunday, with police firing tear gas and water cannon to disperse protesters.
The United States, Australia, Britain, Canada and others have expressed concern about the legislation, widely seen as a possible turning point for China’s freest city and one of the world’s main financial hubs.
But Chinese authorities and the Beijing-backed government in Hong Kong say there is no threat to the city’s high degree of autonomy and the new security law would be tightly focused.
“It’s for the long-term stability of Hong Kong and China, it won’t affect the freedom of assembly and speech, and it won’t affect the city’s status as a financial centre,” Hong Kong Chief Secretary Matthew Cheung told reporters.
SOURCE: AL JAZEERA AND NEWS AGENCIES
News
National Service Authority goes cashless
The National Service Authority (NSA) has announced a mandatory transition to a cashless payment system.
This initiative aligns with the government’s drive to modernize revenue collection.
In a statement, NSA noted that effective immediately, all user agencies and stakeholders are directed to make all payments,
including the 20% and 10% administrative service charges, through the GHANA.GOV platform.
This shift to digital payments offers greater transparency, convenience and accessibility for those working with the NSA.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
Read the full statement below
News
Greater Accra Regional Minister calls on traders to operate within designated spaces to ease congestion
The Greater Accra Regional Minister, Linda Obenewaa Akweley Ocloo, has called on traders in the city to operate within designated spaces to ease congestion and maintain cleanliness in market centres.
Speaking with traders at the Kaneshie Market on February 4, 2025, during a tour of selected market centres to assess sanitation challenges, reinforce government commitment to address indiscriminate refuse disposal, and improve market conditions, the minister called for collaboration between traders and local authorities to address sanitation and maintain order.
She assured the new government’s commitment to addressing urban challenges and improving market conditions in Accra as part of its broader agenda for a cleaner city.
“We are here to engage you in a conversation about our mission to improve cleanliness in Greater Accra. We are taking into account the conditions of the roads, your problems, and your suggestions. Most walkways have been taken over by traders instead of serving their original purpose, which leads to traffic congestion. We want to understand your challenges so that we can find the best way to assist you,” the Minister stated.
The Minister who was accompanied by officials from the Greater Accra Regional Coordinating Council ( GARCC) led by the Chief Director of the GARCC, Mrs. Lilian Baeka, some staff from the Accra Metropolitan Assembly(AMA) and other sister assemblies in the Region used the opportunity to enquire about the state of waste disposal within the market and the efficiency of refuse collection by the assemblies.
“Does it take long for the refuse to be collected after it is gathered? These are some of the issues we want to address,” she added, inviting traders to share their thoughts.
The President of the Greater Accra Markets Association, Mrs. Mercy Naa Afrowa Needjan who welcomed the minister, expressed gratitude for the visit and assured traders commitment to rally support behind her as a woman in leadership.
”In the market, we face numerous challenges we wish to discuss. There are various groups of traders with some selling at the top, others beneath, while some can be relocated, others should be removed. However, we must follow due process to ensure that people’s livelihoods are not affected. She cannot do it alone, and we are ready to support her efforts,” she stated.
She noted that efforts to regulate trading activities, especially on the Kaneshie overhead footbridge, had proven difficult despite continuous engagements with the police.
Madam Mercy Naa Afrowa Needjan identified street trading as a major concern, explaining that it had significantly affected business inside the main markets.
“Our major problem is those selling outside. Because of them, the market is now dry. Almost everyone has moved onto the streets. They are our brothers and sisters, and we want them inside the market. There are a lot of vacant spaces they can occupy,” she said.
On sanitation, she remarked that significant progress had been made, stressing that previously, the Kaneshie market was associated with rubbish, but the story had changed for good.
