News
Use multi-dimensional approach to tackle poverty – Prof. Kumi Boateng
The Dean of the Faculty of Planning and Quality Assurance, at the University of Mines and Technology (UMaT) at Tarkwa in the Western Region, Professor Bernard Kumi-Boateng, says a multi-dimen¬sional approach is key to analyse data to tackle Ghana’s poverty divide.
Prof. Kumi-Boateng made the dec¬laration at a lecture at UMaT, on the topic ‘Mapping the poor in Ghana: A geospatial multi-dimensional poverty index approach.’
Prof. Kumi-Boateng said that, accurate data provided a very good platform for planning and implemen¬tation of poverty alleviation pro¬grammes.
He said poverty issues had gained the attention of policymakers, academics and non-governmental or-ganisations, adding that, successive governments, over the years, had developed and implemented sever¬al development policy frameworks for poverty reduction, such as the Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy 1, School Feeding Programme and the Capitation Grant.
However, he noted that the country was still faced with several poverty-related challenges, includ¬ing high levels of inequality, low human development, and regional disparities.
He said, the most recent data from the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) showed there was a decline in poverty levels across the nation, and that, the international poverty rate was estimated at 20.5 per cent of the population in 2022.
He also revealed that in 2023, an estimated 2.9 million people in Gha¬na were living in extreme poverty, majority being male with 1.5 million of the number living on less than 1.9 dollars daily.
“In many developing countries, such as Ghana, the definition of pov ¬erty remains rooted in questionable assumptions, with the use of income as a determinant. It is problematic; it does not provide a full picture of the command of resources that an individual or household possesses,” Prof Kumi-Boateng said.
He explained that, using a multi-faceted approach, could de¬termine the number of children who go to school, people with drinking water, and child mortality, reveal¬ing that, “we have the capability to map them to help policymakers and target areas which are endemic.”
He, therefore, called on the poli¬cymakers not to assume that Accra was rich, because most indicators on overcrowding and drinking water showed “Accra is multi-dimensional¬ly poor.”
He urged policy analysts not to always think about income as the single source to determine those who were poor or rich.
The five northern regions record¬ed the highest poverty incidence ranging from 65 per cent to 80 per cent with poverty head counts (inci¬dence) in Volta Region, also remain¬ing high (52 per cent).
From Clement Adzei Boye, Tarkwa
News
Craze for x’mas shopping: Crowded markets, low patronage
Vendors of food and other wares associated with the Christmas celebration have expressed surprise at the low patronage despite the increased number of visitors to some of the major markets across the capital.
Four days to the celebration(Christmas), the markets are filled with various products ranging from food, clothing, livestock and many other stuff, but according to the vendors, patrons are doing more ‘window’ shopping.
The Spectator on visits to some of the markets in the capital, notably the Odawna, Makola, Accra Central Business District, New Town and others made similar observations as shoppers crowd them but did little in terms of purchases.
The paper also observed that majority of vendors, originally selling other wares have switched to product related to the festive season.
What it means is that there are a lot more clothes, food and vegetables, livestock and poultry, toys, firecrackers, drinks of different types and many others on display.
The markets have also stretched to the pedestrian pavement, leaving very narrow spaces for commuters to move about freely.
That, in addition to a few of the female vendors dressed in coloured attires to reflect the occasion, has heightened the euphoria, leaving the low sales as the only headache for the vendors.
Speaking with this paper, they sounded very optimistic, believing that sales would improve in the last few days to the yuletide.
According to them, there was the opportunity to sell beyond Christmas as the New Year celebration offers similar opportunity to trade the same wares.
They urged patrons to throng the markets to shop since prices were quite moderate and products affordable for all.
News
Retirement service for Elder John Ackom-Asante,3 others
Retired Deputy Editor of The Spectator, Elder John Ackom-Asante, was last Sunday honoured by the Church of Pentecost Windy Hills District in Kasoa in the Central Region, with a retirement thanksgiving service, after serving for 26 year as an Elder of the church.
He was honoured with a citation and certificate of service along with three other elders who served in the capacity for various years.
Elder Ackom-Asante was baptised at the Darkuman Central Assembly in 1979 and ordained as an Elder in 1997.
The citation read “Your selfless service, zeal, willingness to relate wholeheartedly and your desire to effect change has gone a long way to shape the lives of many people in the church and the nation over the 26 years of your dedication to the service of the Lord.”
Elder Ackom- Asante held many positions at the Darkuman Central Assembly, Obuasi in the Ashanti Region and Tema, serving in various capacities as youth and evangelism ministry leader and marriage counsellor.
He was the founding member of the Darkuman Christian Fellowship, a member of the Greater Accra Christian Fellowship; member of Bible Society of Ghana; founding member Obuasi Chapter Full Gospel Businessmen Fellowship International and founding member of New Times Corporation Christian Fellowship and Chaplain, Methodist University Tema Campus 2009- 2010.
As a professional journalist, Elder Ackom-Asante combined effectively and efficiently his duty as a member and elder of the church and the demands of his profession, with admiration from the church, kith and kin, till his retirement on December
From Alhaji Salifu Abdul-Rahaman, Kasoa
