And now for the 9 o'clock news
As Murphy smiles down on me, I take time to do a quick update to the blog.
During the quiet time, arrange a meeting with the local NHS (National Health Service) lad to come over and explain to the workers how to make use of the new free medical treatment offered in Ghana. Free that is if you do not account for the tax on goods at 2.5% that was introduced almost a year ago.
The day the lad come for his chat happens to be when we are under the whip trying to get a few jobs out before month end.
In order to meet in the chop house, we need to switch off the genset so that the people can hear what is going on. No electricity means no lights, aircon or network.
So I peer at the computer, running on battery and update you on the latest news:
• A teacher has been arrested after – now get this – losing 10 euro and 23.000 cedi’s he picked up a black stone, cut himself, smeared his blood over the stone and made each pupil in the (private) school lick the stone in some strange ju-ju attempt to find the thief. Needless to say the kids complained, the parents were up in arms, human rights organizations made comments on “gross violation of human rights” and said teacher was arrested. He has undergone HIV tests and the Principal of the school was also arrested. Not 100% sure what they are going to charge him with, but this one requires watching.
• The prime interest rates at the banks have dropped to – wait for it – 23.5%. This is a full 7.5% above the bank rate. The decrease was from a whopping 26%
• Ghana Black Stars thumped Bafana Bafana 2-0 in South Africa over the weekend. They came back to a tumultuous reception on Monday night and after been sponsored to the tune of $3 million by Goldfields – A South African Company – there is some irony in this victory.
• Barclays Bank PLC has made available $7.000.000 to the members of parliament for car loans. I am taking no odds that the loans will be advanced at rates a LOT lower than the 23.5% enjoyed by the rest of the public. Apparently a load of MP’s who fell by the wayside at the previous elections have not repaid their car loans gleaned at the start of their term. I am assuming Barclays will show the write off’s under “Marketing”
• South Africa has a woman deputy president. How we have progressed!
• A letter to the paper urges the Food and Drugs Board to test tomato paste as “at the meeting of farmers, they went and purchased eight brands of tomato paste and were shocked to find that all the brands contained only 28-30% tomato concentrate. They were concerned as to the other 70% and what that contains. I am laying odds on water, colorants, flavourants, preservatives and other nice things. I am not sure if tomato paste can ever be 100% tomato.
• There is a call for the banning of imports of “overage” vehicles and forcing trucks to undergo annual roadworthy tests. Yeah right! This will never see the light of day. That would remove 80% of all trucks from the road (99% of logging trucks) and Ghana cannot afford that. A rod of their own making that is. My point is if you sort out the bloody roads first, the vehicles will be cost effective to maintain.
And that’s the only off the wall stuff in the news. Which must be an all time record!
7 days before I fly out and I have a year end to complete before then.
So on that note, let me assume that as it is after knock off time and the meeting will be over soon, I can get back to work
Have fun people.
During the quiet time, arrange a meeting with the local NHS (National Health Service) lad to come over and explain to the workers how to make use of the new free medical treatment offered in Ghana. Free that is if you do not account for the tax on goods at 2.5% that was introduced almost a year ago.
The day the lad come for his chat happens to be when we are under the whip trying to get a few jobs out before month end.
In order to meet in the chop house, we need to switch off the genset so that the people can hear what is going on. No electricity means no lights, aircon or network.
So I peer at the computer, running on battery and update you on the latest news:
• A teacher has been arrested after – now get this – losing 10 euro and 23.000 cedi’s he picked up a black stone, cut himself, smeared his blood over the stone and made each pupil in the (private) school lick the stone in some strange ju-ju attempt to find the thief. Needless to say the kids complained, the parents were up in arms, human rights organizations made comments on “gross violation of human rights” and said teacher was arrested. He has undergone HIV tests and the Principal of the school was also arrested. Not 100% sure what they are going to charge him with, but this one requires watching.
• The prime interest rates at the banks have dropped to – wait for it – 23.5%. This is a full 7.5% above the bank rate. The decrease was from a whopping 26%
• Ghana Black Stars thumped Bafana Bafana 2-0 in South Africa over the weekend. They came back to a tumultuous reception on Monday night and after been sponsored to the tune of $3 million by Goldfields – A South African Company – there is some irony in this victory.
• Barclays Bank PLC has made available $7.000.000 to the members of parliament for car loans. I am taking no odds that the loans will be advanced at rates a LOT lower than the 23.5% enjoyed by the rest of the public. Apparently a load of MP’s who fell by the wayside at the previous elections have not repaid their car loans gleaned at the start of their term. I am assuming Barclays will show the write off’s under “Marketing”
• South Africa has a woman deputy president. How we have progressed!
• A letter to the paper urges the Food and Drugs Board to test tomato paste as “at the meeting of farmers, they went and purchased eight brands of tomato paste and were shocked to find that all the brands contained only 28-30% tomato concentrate. They were concerned as to the other 70% and what that contains. I am laying odds on water, colorants, flavourants, preservatives and other nice things. I am not sure if tomato paste can ever be 100% tomato.
• There is a call for the banning of imports of “overage” vehicles and forcing trucks to undergo annual roadworthy tests. Yeah right! This will never see the light of day. That would remove 80% of all trucks from the road (99% of logging trucks) and Ghana cannot afford that. A rod of their own making that is. My point is if you sort out the bloody roads first, the vehicles will be cost effective to maintain.
And that’s the only off the wall stuff in the news. Which must be an all time record!
7 days before I fly out and I have a year end to complete before then.
So on that note, let me assume that as it is after knock off time and the meeting will be over soon, I can get back to work
Have fun people.
2 Comments:
Give everyone a kiss back home and a tight hug. Enjoy the R & R. :)
Not sure about the snake pics but now that we have moved to a village, snakes are quite common place close to home !!! P.S. Is the driver now back on duty and well?
Eish K - Not even going to be close to Table Mountain on my trip home. I am a Johannesburg Lad and plan to spend a lot of time indoors, in bed with a nekked nessers.
Driver was back at wotk the following day Angie, looking a bit woozie, but back driving the tractor. I was most impressed :)
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