Tuesday, 20 August 2013

"PHRONESIS" IS A FORCE

And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much , and largeness of herat , even as the sand that is on the ser shore ( 1 kings 4 :29 ). The word translated " wisdom " above is the Hebrew " phronesis " and its a force that contols you. Its a spiritual elixir that locates you within the framework of God's will , beyond your natural understanding , causing you to do God's things God's time for God's purpose ! Its also a mind-set ; an excellent mind-set that causes you to think in a certain way and to say the right things in the right place. This was the wisdom Solomon recieved from the Lord that caused him to excel in good judgement , so much so that the Bible says "....there came of all people to hear the Wisdom of Solomon , from all kings of the earth, which had heard of his wisdom " ( 1 kings 4:34). God gave Solomon an extraordinary amplitude of comprehension ; he had practical wisdom. "Phronesis " propels you to make accurate choices , sound judgements and decisions, and to do things right the first time. You can develop " phronesis" trough studying and meditating on the Word of God and through praying in the Holy Ghost - speaking in tongues. " O , but i thought the Word says Christ has been mads unto us wisdom frm God ?" you might ask. Yes , but that wisdom is " sophia " (greek) which means theoritical wisdom , or insight into reality ; it means all the collective understanding of all things. There's also a third kind of wisdom called " sunesis " ; this is critical wisdom ; the ability to understand concepts and see relatioships between them. It suggest a quickness of apprehension ; the penerating consideration which precedes actions . Whereas " phronesis " is practical wissdom ; its a force that makes you to do and say the right things before you even think. God gives you " sophia " - insight into reality , so that you can have " sunesis " - an understanding , for the purpose of developing in to " phronesis " ; a mindset for a successful and extraordinary life.

Monday, 19 August 2013

proclaim liberty

The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me ; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek , he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted , to proclaim liberty to the captives and the opening of the prison to them that are bound (isaiah 61:1) After His death on the Cross, the Lord Jesus descended to hell, defeated satan and the cohorts of hell and rose on the third day cictoriously. He ascended into haeven.Now the bible saya "When he ascende up on high , he led the captivity captive, and gave gifts unto me " (Ephesians 4:8) Jesus broke the chains of darkness,and took from them the authority to put anyone in captivity. Satan can legally hold noi onein captivity anymore.The bondage us over! Thats why He said " Go ye into all the world , and preach to every creature" Wmark 16:15) :that means to all creation. Romans 8 :16 says "For the earnest expectation of the creation waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God". The whole of creation awaits the manifestation not of Jesus , but of the sons of God - thatsus , to release them from the bondage of corruption. How do we release them? By proclaiming liberty; by announcing to them that they're free and that captivity has been taken captive. This announcement is what the whole creation has been waiting for. Romans 8 :22 says ; " For we know that the whole creation groanneth and tarvaileth in pain together until now ". But its time for to know that the solution has come in Christ Jesus. You're the answer to their cry for hep. You've been sent as a light to the nations. Everywhere you go , the light of God shines , and peoplecome out of the darkness. The bible says , th savour of Chritlst knowlwedge ;the beauty , glory and power f His righteousness is made manifest by us in every place. You're His mouthpiece ; His ambassador of the Gosple to boldly proclaim liberty to tthe oppresses. And as you do , chains will be destroyed and hearts of the disobedient will be turned of the righteous.

Tuesday, 13 August 2013

The truth about travel insurance - gsmbizmen

Are thinking of taking a vacation to the beautiful and exotic beaches in the Bahamas or seeing natures true beauties in th wild zones such as the amazon? I bet you whould have heard of travel insurance and you are thinking of taking one. Exactly what is travel insurance? Travel insurance is insurance that is intended to cover medical expenses,financial default of travel suppliers, and other losses incurred whiletraveling, either within one's own country, or internationally. Its a practise that has become very popular especially in america thanks to its huge advertisement.This requires extra premium since your normal insurance will not cover that expenses.In short peopl fear the worst when traveling to another country ,especially when thats the first time they are traveling to that place ,so they prefer to let leave nothing to chances therefore they go fro travel insurance. I believe it became very popular after the september 11th attack, popularly known as 9/11, on us home soil. Well i will advise you ensure yourselves before you travel especially if thats your first time traveling to that place. Lets i forget , please enquire for your local insurance companies concerning certain coverings such as internetional medical cover or international auto cover. Some local companies provide that feature and it will be a waste if your buy premium you already have,what a waste of money. And those whose insurance does not cover internetional travels, you can talk to your local insurance company to "top up" your premium to cover your international covers .This will reduce your spendings on insurance because some good insurance companies provide discounts for loyal customers. Remember to like my page on facebook to recieve automatic updates Article originaly be www.gsmbizmen.blogspot.com

online MBA and Degrees on the rise

Online eduation has now become very come for many people because of its convenience. Many people are shying away from the traditional campus living and schooling.People have also chosen this path because its less time consuming , for entreprenuers and business minded people who have no time to spare this has been the best opportunity on the eduaction market. Online degree's and MBA's are also efficient in terms of money factor. Imaging travelling half the world to another country for higher eduaction or travelling from one state to another for higher education , its definitely a waste of money so for some of us who are not " soo rich" online education has become a nessecity". A necessity which has become compulsory if one wants to become highly eduacted. All you need to participate in this online eduaction is 1. A computer to recieve your course text and videos ( ofcourse you must be a computer literate to participate in it) 2.Your computer must also be connected to the internet 3. You need a cash for registration. The registration amount required depends on the institution you are applying to , it will range from a couple of hundreds of dollars to thousands of dollars, like i said it depends on the institution you are applying to. Like gsmbizmen on facebook to get daily updates from the blog Article from www.gsmbizmen.blogspot.com

CHRISTIAN ONLINE DATING - ww.gsmbizmen.blogspot.com

Christian dating sites has tremendously increase in these few years.But what is the inspiration for this new trend , i strongly believe christians as i am are tired of theses immoral dating sites that are readily available on the internet.Most of these sites displays nude pictures on their website front page and uses vague languages to attract people to use their service which ofcourse is not in the best interest for christians , after all "evil communications corrupts good manner. So its not suprisen to see this trend.I believe christians must meet thier partners at the right place. I personally dont like the term "dating" to be referred to christians coming together to know themselves before committing to each other, this is because they term "dating" has been immoralised.People who go on a date in the secular world will often end up having sex or engaging in immoral acts that leads them into more sins.I prefere people use the term "christian relationship" in replace of the secular acclaime word "dating". Subscribe to this blog by liking my page on facebook. Ths link is above just like the page to read more of my upcoming posts. Thanks for reading Article by www.gsmbizmen.blogspot.com

CHRISTIAN ONLINE DATING - ww.gsmbizmen.blogspot.com

Christian dating sites has tremendously increase in these few years.But what is the inspiration for this new trend , i strongly believe christians as i am are tired of theses immoral dating sites that are readily available on the internet.Most of these sites displays nude pictures on their website front page and uses vague languages to attract people to use their service which ofcourse is not in the best interest for christians , after all "evil communications corrupts good manner. So its not suprisen to see this trend.I believe christians must meet thier partners at the right place. I personally dont like the term "datig" to be referred to christians coming together to know themselves before committing to each other, this is because they term "dating" has been immoralised.People who go on a date in the secular world will often end up having sex or engaging in immoral acts that leads them into more sins.I prefere people use the term "christian relationship" in replace of the secular acclaime word "dating". Subscribe to this blog by liking my page on facebook. Ths link is above just like the page to read more of my upcoming posts. Thanks for reading Article by www.gsmbizmen.blogspot.com

Sunday, 11 August 2013

Jesus is God- gsmbizmen

Jesus is Lord and God.Jesus is the One who died for our sins. Many people claim God doesnt not exist ( atheist) but truly God does not need any ones approval or believe to be God. He is was God before the world was broken and He is God now and He will be God forever. John 3 :16 says "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that who ever believe in Him should not perish but have everlasting or eternal life. So God loved me and you but sent His only Begotten Son Jesus. But why did Jesus has to die for us, some go the extent of saying they didnt need Jesus or did not force Jesus to die for them. The Bible says " we have all sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God. What is the Glory of God? Its the beauty ,happiness,joy majesty and power of God.God created man for a fellowship and friendship. God wanted friendship with man,remenber Abraham was a friend of God. When you read the book of Genesis about Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden,God often comes into the garden to talk with them. But Adam and Eve betrayed God through sinning. So God told a Adam he will die but God was not talking about physical death , He was talking about spiritual death. First of all man (human) is a spirit,has a soul and live in the body. But when God told Adam and Eve they will die, He was referring to their spiritual death thus their spirit will die. Actually the spirit in man is what makes human sensitive to the things of God, for God himself is a Spirit. And they that worship in Him must worship in spirit and in truth. So the end of the story is the spirit in man died, so there is not contact between man and God, but God didnt like that so His only remedy for our mistake is by sending His Son Jesus to deliver us from the sins. For because of the sins of Adam everything that ws in the world became corrupted; for the wages of sin is death. Because of death everything began to die, humans animals and trees began to die , but this was not the original idea of God. His original idea or plan was that everything should not die. So Jesus died for our sins and redeemed us and transfered us from the kingdom of the darkness (devil) to the kingdom of His marvelous Son Jesus Christ. So now when you believe in Jesus Christ you become born again, Roman 10:9 says that if we confess that Jesus is Lord and believe in our heart that God raised Him from the death we will be saved. Whn you become born again the spirit who was died becomes alive and now you can freely communicate with God. Like i said about john 3:16 ;Jesus came to die for everyone but not everyone is saved or will be save , it is those who believe in Him that will be saved . Now what does it mean to be saved , it means now you have eternal life,what does eternal life mean? It means you will live for eternity. When one dies there are two main places the person will go, He will either go to Heaven or hell. Jesus is the only way to heaven ,regardless of any religion you believe in, Jesus is the only way to heaven. Sorry to those who believe there is neither heaven or hell , they will reach there (hell) before they know the truth.Heaven is for only those who has eternal life in them and those who does not have eternal life the gates of hell are freely and widely open to them. God is love and does not want any one to go to hell because that place is for satan and his cohorts , thats why He gave up His only begotten Son Jesus Christ for our sake , so now we have no excuse not to be saved. If you are ready to be saved and get eternal life and awaken your spirit from the state of death then pray this simple prayer. When you pray this pra your sins wil be forgiven and you wil become a new creature in the bible 2nd corithians says that "if any one be in Christ ( becomes born again) he is a new creature , old things have passed away ( your sins and your past will not be remembered ,it will be forgiven) all things have become new ( you are new with no sins) Also the Holy Spirit comes to dwell in our spirit so we now have God in us because the Holy Spirit is the the Spirit of God and He is God. What are blessing to have God in us. (please say the words (prayer) below aloud) Heavenly Father i thank you for your Son Jesus Who came to die for my sins Your word says in the bible that if i confess with my mouth that Jesus is my Lord and believe in my hearth that He truely died for my sins and on the Third day He rose from the death i wil be saved. Father today i confess with my that Jesus is my Lord and He died for my sins and rose from the died. Father please give me your Spirit Your Holy Spirit to dwell in me i thank you that am saved and my sins have been forgiven in Jesus Name . Amen.

Saturday, 10 August 2013

online dating, good or bad - gsmbizmen

Online dating has become a popular norm in this generation due to its wide accessibility and almost no investment needed to start. Just sign into one of the numerous dating site available and you are good to go. Inspite of its numerous disadvantages people always use it.Online dating site has been used to dube many people who are desperate to get into relationship and avoid loneliness. Online dating has been primarily used as a means of having fun on the internet but desperate people are in the game who are seeking for even potential marriages. This desperate people have become preys to people with cruel mentality. From where am from ,africa, young people who are ready to do anything for money get online online and chat with these foreigners for money.They even go to an extent of ( in the case of ladies ) show off the private parts or upload nude pictures and videos to the internet just to get dating partners. When they get this dating partners their begin to decieve them into sending money and other materials to them for their personal gain leading the victim into more debt. This phenomenom is prone in mostly nigeria and ghana.t These are the main two african countries practising it. Am aware the west dont believe in spiritual things but that doesnt matter,these people also use dark powers and evil beings which they acquire from voodoo priest which are common in their repective nations to persuade people into sending them money. Some even go as far as decieving people to marry them, these westerners , especially divorced and old folks who doesnt want to be alone for the rest of their live. They then send them money for visa and plane ticket to come to these western countries. When the finally get they money they delet their victims contact ,change their dating site info or dating site and often go ofline for a period of time. You will ask why acn they be simply be tracked , many people use unregistered sim cards and some i use fradulent sim cards. Getting a simcard is not difficult in ghana or nigeria, just look aroud there are many people selling it infact you will see a at least sim card selling point on every street. Their victims sometimes go to the airport to wait in vain for their "husbands" to come. Am telling you these things because they are very serious case down here, almost all the youth are practising it.Infact its a national issue which the police theselves are finding hard time coping with. These is seriously tarnishing the image of both ghana and nigeria, they are seen as the blark sheep of africa almost all major ecormmerce sites such as amazon,paypal and others have block access to these nations which is a major setback for people who want to access these ecormmerce sites for their businesses. For example it is very difficult to pay for online webhosting companies to host your website or purphase domain from foreign sites such as godday or hostgater to run your website because their is not a quick and easy online payment system in the country. The ones available are quack and takes a longer time in processing . This has made both nations a cash centered nations and making business slow thanks to these fraudulent generation. Credit cad fraud has increased in these nations making them one of the most untrusted nations when it comes to electronic communication and transactions. My final words, be aware of these fraudulent people and dont fall victim to them. What does love got to do with money, when they ask you for money know that these are fraudulent people who want to squander your hard earnd money. Thank you for reading Article by gsmbizmen

Friday, 9 August 2013

e-learning, a cost effective means of education

Online education is simply taking courses over a computer,you recieve your assignment , course study as well as examination through the internet.All you require is a computer ,connected to the internet and a some of money to pay for your admission and you are good to go, some universities also offer free online eduaction so all you have to do is google search it and find the ones that offer your courses. Ghana has been left behind when we talk of online education.Basically we dont have enough infrastructure to maximize this opportunity .We firstt have to sit down and draw a plan about how we can improve the communication sector to make internet affordable and fast. Today there is a major crisis in our educational sector because of the double badge,thus the 3/4 year badge that applied this year. Personally speaking i think the introduction of the 4 year program was vain.Here we are with not enough classrooms ,libraries, sanitation facilities and teachers and instead of taking care of these problems they decided to play politics with it , and then what happened to it, succeeding political party also deemed it unimportant to continue the program and so he reverted it back to the 3 year eductational programm. This ended up making two set of student apply to the universities this year ,meanwhile we have not yet developed and upgraded our universities. People satnd outside when lectures are going on because the classroom are overcrowded. This does not create a condusive environment for people to learn.Learning requires some degree of serenity. I personally believe if we continues politicizing our educational system we will be doomed. Knust says it has recieved 40000 undergraduate applycation but will be admitting less than 10000 peoples because they lack infrastructure and even the ten thousand people whom they will be admitting might face accommodation problems beacuse the school is at now almost overcrowded with filth generating every day.Truly the way to go is developing our online educational infrastructure to suite our educational system. We can even create an electronic learning centers (e-learning centers) across the entire conntries to make accessability to the various courese easy. Elearning is widely use in the west ,almost evry university in the west has an e-learning provisions for student who want to participate but have little time to spare because of work or leaves in another country. Elearning saves time and money to some extent. Ghana and africa at large hast to considere this option if it really was to reduce the illitracy rate, many people finish high school but cant continue to higher education because there are limited facilities. For those enterpreneurs out there this can be an opportunity of a life time, start investing in online universities and you will see results. Online eduaction has a large market now,because there are more people finishing high school but less people been admitted into the universities because of limited infrastructure. Article by gsmbizmen online mba

tonaton growing faster

Tonaton has become west africas biggest and best free classified advertising website.I learnt it is own buy investors from switzerland ,these are the same investor that own tigo and major trading companies in ghana. Tonaton is very simple to use and i believe this has contributed in its success. You just create a keyword and an advert ,you online adverts begin to show up on thier website as simple as abcd.Tonaton is also free ,well this how most of these service start,they give consumers, like us who dont want to spend a dime online but expect everything for free, and later when their services becomepopular they begine to rollout premium offers which will later become more compulsory,well for the mean time lets all use it for free while its free because a time is coming when tonaton will not be free,its a prophesy. One major setback set back for tonaton is that ghana is not use to shoping online.We are all use to paying for good and services with physical money rather than virtual money.The public needs to be educated about the benefits or having an online account. Really ,what am i saying, we dont have a better means for online trading and our internet infrastructure is very poor.We need a better infrastructure to tap into these golden opportunies. People are really getting acquainted with the internet as many ghanaians are using facebook.Facebook has really open doors for progammers such as me because it has help people get online and gotten them eduacted about the web which is really good.Good in a sene that when people are able to understand the web they tend to easily adapt to our products.Evry day more and more people are getting online because they have friends waiting to chat with or see each others latest photos. Tonaton helps to sell almost anything you can imagine from cars to houses and so on. Article by gsmbizmen

mortgage investment-gsmbizmen

Simply to invest means to set aside a part of you money or other things such as time with the aim of seeing it become greater than the former. We can invest in different areas of our life and today gsmbizmen will teach you about investing in mortages. Mortgage is one of the easiest ways to own a house in this modern era.You pay for part of the mortgage usually you pay half and pay the balance in installment. Most people who are well to do will buy the product upfront which is also good because it saves time and spare you unnecessary pressure arising from your mortgage bills. Here are simply plans for applying for a mortgage house. 1.Find a home you would like to buy and check wether they allow mortgaging as a means of payment. Be careful about the contract you will sign with the agent and read through the terms of agreement,many people skip it even on the internet. 2.You can a apply for a mortgage loan .Many banking companies allow that but be watchful of interest rates across the various banks because its not the same in every bank. Let me advice you,i personally hate loans, under no condition will i "willingly" apply for loans,i also like to cut my coat according to my size because i dont like been pressured. It will be much better if you can afford to pay half (some real estate agencies allow it ) and then pay the remainder in installment as you recieve your monthly payment. You also have the option of buying properties usually very old and abandoned properties and renovating it. Thats all for now-stop by gsmbizmen to read more article

prophesies,online prophesies-gsmbizmen

What exactly are prophecies,the are insight into the past ,future or the presents. It clearly enlightens peoples idea about the future ,past or present. It is a revelation of future events. In general there ate two types of prophets Geniune prophets such as T.B Joshua. False prophets such as the prophets of baaL These geniune prophets get their inspiration from God . False prophets get their prophesies from demons who has actually possesed them. You should really know this,there are demons called familiar spirits who are well acquainted with people.When a false prophet meets people who are uneducated in the things of God the easily fall pray to them.Simply the demonic spirits called familiar spirit will revel things secrets in the persons heart and they become convinced. Forexample ,lets say some one has an issue related to mortages,or debt consilidation or even marriage problems,the demon will revel these things to the person and they earsily are convinced. Well in america or canada or most of the other western countries this is not a major problem because many of these people are not spiritual but carnal(human minded not spiritual minded) but this is prone in ghana and other african countries wer people can be decieved by these false prophets to sell their properties such as cars houses to purphase materials for their so called "rituals". False prophets are very real , also i have heard of online prophesies but gsmbizmen blog is not labeling any one as a false prophets or we are saying is beware of them. Now how do u determine geniune prophets because inded there are geniune ones genuine prophets dont condemn but speak with love because love is the greatest power on earth. Article by gsmbizmen

Wednesday, 31 July 2013

car insurance quotes and tips - gsmbizmen

My friend Lynn works for a major U.S. insurance company. I recently asked her for tips to help people save money on auto insurance. I expected maybe a few quick ideas, but she went above-and-beyond with the following detailed list. If you own a car, you should read these tips. For readability’s sake, I haven’t blockquoted this, but it’s all Lynn.
Note that every insurance company is different — not all of these ideas work everywhere. The first thing you can do to save money on auto insurance is to self-insure as much as you can afford. Do this in the following ways:

High deductibles. Everyone preaches this, yes, but it’s usually the easiest way to cut costs. Usually. (If your car is over ten years old, the savings may be minimal.)
Remove towing. Good maintenance and planning can save you money. Don’t run out of gas. Don’t lock your keys in your car. Make sure you have a spare and know how to change it. Sometimes your car will break down, but if your car is well-maintained, it won’t happen often. You pay $10 – $30 a year over the life of your policy and one tow costs $100. Note that in the event of an accident, towing is almost always covered under collision.
Remove car rental. Small economy cars cost about $20 – $25 per day to rent. Car rental is $20 – $40 per year. Play the odds. If you rent a car on vacation, your insurance will cover you while driving that car. Don’t pay for the extra coverage. The only things it offers are:
1. Zero deductibles. You go all year long with your deductibles, why change now? Also, if you pay for the car with a credit card, they may pay for any out of pocket in the even of an accident.
2. Downtime coverage. Downtime means that while the rental car you wrecked is in the shop being repaired, it can’t be rented out to other customers and they can ding you for the daily fee. This may be an issue if they can show that all other cars were rented out and they lost money because of you — Hawaii is notorious for charging this. But, again, it’s a risk you might decide to self insure rather than pay $21 a day for the insurance.

Aside from self-insuring, there are other steps you can take to save on car insurance.

Shop ahead. Before you buy your next car, check on insurance. Many people assume that SUVs are expensive and Neons are cheap. This is not necessarily true. Some companies will increase your liability based on the cost of damages your type of vehicle may inflict — big trucks cause big damage. However, they also rate the autos based on how likely they are to be damaged in an accident, how often they are stolen, and how badly driver/passengers are injured. That Neon (or Jetta or Honda) is going to be a lot more expensive than you think. Many companies will have websites that will give you lists of safe and lower priced cars. (Saturn is a low insurance car because it has dent-resistant doors.)
Think twice about after-market gizmos. If your vehicle is totaled or stolen, the insurance company will determine a fair market or actual cash value. They will look at your vehicle as a “whole package.” Even if you paid for $3,000 in after market items (wheels, spoilers, stereos, exhaust, etc.) they may only add $1,000 in value to your vehicle. It’s not dollar for dollar.
Have all of your insurance in one place. Often, the more types of policies you have, the more you save in discounts.
Find out if your insurance company offers any low-mileage breaks that you qualify for.
Can you take a safety-driving course? Some companies offer a discount for this.
Do NOT pay monthly. Your carrier will charge anywhere from $3 to $5 per month for this type of billing. Pay every six months if possible. If you must pay monthly, do an auto pay — the charges are less because they only send a bill if the amount changes.
This might not be a money saving tip, but insurance companies are state regulated. They must file their rates with the state and be able to justify any increases these are public record as are any types of complaints or fines. For example, if you’re in Oregon, you can check out your company and/or agent at http://insurance.oregon.gov/.
Most companies now use aspects of your credit to determine your rate. It is illegal for them to do this mid-term — as long as your policy is continuous without any lapses, they can’t use external info to change your rate. They can only use claim and ticket info. However, all newly added vehicles can be affected by credit. If you have good credit, this may be to your advantage. You are allowed to request that they re-check your score once per year. However, whatever the score is, you’re stuck with it. If it comes back bad and it raises your rate: too bad. But, if you have a policy that was written when your credit wasn’t so great, request that they check it again after things look better.

These are fantastic tips, full of great ways to save money on auto insurance

car insurance quotes and tips - gsmbizmen

gsmbizmen-My friend Lynn works for a major U.S. insurance company. I recently asked her for tips to help people save money on auto insurance. I expected maybe a few quick ideas, but she went above-and-beyond with the following detailed list. If you own a car, you should read these tips. For readability’s sake, I haven’t blockquoted this, but it’s all Lynn.
Note that every insurance company is different — not all of these ideas work everywhere. The first thing you can do to save money on auto insurance is to self-insure as much as you can afford. Do this in the following ways:

High deductibles. Everyone preaches this, yes, but it’s usually the easiest way to cut costs. Usually. (If your car is over ten years old, the savings may be minimal.)
Remove towing. Good maintenance and planning can save you money. Don’t run out of gas. Don’t lock your keys in your car. Make sure you have a spare and know how to change it. Sometimes your car will break down, but if your car is well-maintained, it won’t happen often. You pay $10 – $30 a year over the life of your policy and one tow costs $100. Note that in the event of an accident, towing is almost always covered under collision.
Remove car rental. Small economy cars cost about $20 – $25 per day to rent. Car rental is $20 – $40 per year. Play the odds. If you rent a car on vacation, your insurance will cover you while driving that car. Don’t pay for the extra coverage. The only things it offers are:
1. Zero deductibles. You go all year long with your deductibles, why change now? Also, if you pay for the car with a credit card, they may pay for any out of pocket in the even of an accident.
2. Downtime coverage. Downtime means that while the rental car you wrecked is in the shop being repaired, it can’t be rented out to other customers and they can ding you for the daily fee. This may be an issue if they can show that all other cars were rented out and they lost money because of you — Hawaii is notorious for charging this. But, again, it’s a risk you might decide to self insure rather than pay $21 a day for the insurance.

Aside from self-insuring, there are other steps you can take to save on car insurance.

Shop ahead. Before you buy your next car, check on insurance. Many people assume that SUVs are expensive and Neons are cheap. This is not necessarily true. Some companies will increase your liability based on the cost of damages your type of vehicle may inflict — big trucks cause big damage. However, they also rate the autos based on how likely they are to be damaged in an accident, how often they are stolen, and how badly driver/passengers are injured. That Neon (or Jetta or Honda) is going to be a lot more expensive than you think. Many companies will have websites that will give you lists of safe and lower priced cars. (Saturn is a low insurance car because it has dent-resistant doors.)
Think twice about after-market gizmos. If your vehicle is totaled or stolen, the insurance company will determine a fair market or actual cash value. They will look at your vehicle as a “whole package.” Even if you paid for $3,000 in after market items (wheels, spoilers, stereos, exhaust, etc.) they may only add $1,000 in value to your vehicle. It’s not dollar for dollar.
Have all of your insurance in one place. Often, the more types of policies you have, the more you save in discounts.
Find out if your insurance company offers any low-mileage breaks that you qualify for.
Can you take a safety-driving course? Some companies offer a discount for this.
Do NOT pay monthly. Your carrier will charge anywhere from $3 to $5 per month for this type of billing. Pay every six months if possible. If you must pay monthly, do an auto pay — the charges are less because they only send a bill if the amount changes.
This might not be a money saving tip, but insurance companies are state regulated. They must file their rates with the state and be able to justify any increases these are public record as are any types of complaints or fines. For example, if you’re in Oregon, you can check out your company and/or agent at http://insurance.oregon.gov/.
Most companies now use aspects of your credit to determine your rate. It is illegal for them to do this mid-term — as long as your policy is continuous without any lapses, they can’t use external info to change your rate. They can only use claim and ticket info. However, all newly added vehicles can be affected by credit. If you have good credit, this may be to your advantage. You are allowed to request that they re-check your score once per year. However, whatever the score is, you’re stuck with it. If it comes back bad and it raises your rate: too bad. But, if you have a policy that was written when your credit wasn’t so great, request that they check it again after things look better.

These are fantastic tips, full of great ways to save money on auto insurance

car insurance companies -gsmbizmen

Six Tricks to Help Lower Your Car Insurance Rate

There's more to getting a good rate than just staying accident-free...

By Terence Loose

When it comes to auto insurance, we all want to get the right coverage for the lowest premium. Unfortunately, shopping for auto insurance can be easier said than done.
But don't give up on finding the best rate just yet. There are a variety of factors that could potentially save you money.
"The price you pay for your auto insurance can vary by hundreds of dollars, depending on what type of car you have and the insurance company you buy your policy from," says Loretta Worters, vice president of the Insurance Information Institute (III).
Keep reading to learn more about other tricks to help lower your rate.

Tip #1 - Shop Companies

There's a reason why Black Friday and Cyber Monday are such popular days for consumers: We all like to shop for a good deal. And while shopping for auto insurance is not as exciting as finding the right big-screen TV, it could result in a lot more savings.
But Worters advises: "Don't shop by price alone. Ask friends and relatives for their recommendations. Contact your state insurance department to find out whether they provide information on consumer complaints by company."

Tip #2 - Ask for Discounts

Instead of waiting to be offered discounts, ask about them. The fact is, your insurance carrier may not know that you just got married or you finally took that driver's education class - both of which could dig up some savings for you.
What else could help you save? Here's a partial list of possible discounts:*

Low-Mileage Discount: applies when you drive less than 10,000 miles per year, according to III
Good Student Discount: generally requires a B average for a full-time student
Anti-Lock Brakes, Anti-Theft Device, or Air Bag Discount: usually must be factory installed
Driver Education Course Discount: applies when you complete a defensive driving course
Bundled Insurance Discount: applies when you have auto, home, or renter's insurance with the same company

Tip #3 - Check Your Credit

A good credit score isn't just ideal for buying a car or a house - in many states, it could also lower your auto insurance rate.
"Most insurers use credit information to price auto insurance policies. Research shows that people who effectively manage their credit have fewer claims," says Worters. "So establishing a solid credit history can cut your insurance costs."
And while some states like California, Hawaii, and Massachusetts do not allow insurance companies to use credit-based insurance scores, most states do.
What does this mean for you? Worters suggests paying your bills on time, only obtaining credit you need, and keeping your credit balances low as ways to improve your credit score.
Here are a few other tips and tricks to consider:

Get at least three quotes and compare rates, either over the phone or online.
Give the same information to all companies. This ensures a more accurate comparison.
Use rating companies such as A.M. Best Company and Standard & Poor's to check out a company's financial health.

Tip #4 - Consider Raising Your Deductible

If you file a claim, a deductible refers to the amount you pay before your insurance policy covers it. If you have a higher deductible, your insurance premium could be lower. And the potential for savings might surprise you.
"Increasing your deductible from $200 to $500 could reduce your collision and comprehensive coverage cost by 15 to 30 percent. Going to a $1,000 deductible can save you 40 percent or more," says Worters.
But remember, before increasing your deductible payment, make sure that you have enough cash set aside to pay it in case you do have to file a claim.

Tip #5 - Don't Over-Insure

If you lived in a 100-year-old shack, you probably wouldn't pay a lot for home insurance, right? Same goes for an aging car, yet many people neglect to drop coverage that they'll likely never use.
Specifically, Worters advises dropping collision and/or comprehensive coverage - which protects your car in the event that it's damaged - if you drive an older car.
"If your car is worth less than 10 times the premium, purchasing the coverage may not be cost-effective," she says.
But make sure to check the worth of your car before making this decision, says Worters. You could find out your car's worth through banks, auto dealers, or online with Kelley Blue Book.

Tip #6 - Lose Your Kid

No, no, we don't mean lose little Bobby or Sally at the mall or Disneyland. We're talking about removing them from your auto insurance policy if they've grown up, gone away to college, and only visit home occasionally - i.e., they only drive your car on weekends or during holiday vacations.
How can this help your auto insurance rate?
According to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners' (NAIC) website, if your child lives away at school - at least 100 miles - and has less access to the insured vehicle, you may be able to take advantage of insurance discounts.

debt consolidation -gsmbizmen

Avoiding Debt Consolidation Scams

Who doesn't want to believe that their debts will disappear after they complete three easy steps? People who are concerned and confused about their debt situation pose exceptionally tempting prey to scammers. Many cons are as simple as companies asking for payment up front and not delivering on the loan. By the way, U.S. and Canadian companies legally cannot call you and promise you a loan then ask for an advance fee before the transaction is completed [source: Federal Trade Commission (FTC)].
Another trick is to claim non-profit status. The FTC has exposed several so-called non-profits, such as the National Consumer Council and Debt Management Foundation Services, which were funneling funds to a for-profit company. Given their deceptive names, it's not surprising that unsuspecting people were willing to trust them.
The victims of these scams fell deeper in debt and suffered a rise in interest rates, as well as other penalties and damage to their credit. Some people even went bankrupt after being misled by these fraudulent companies. In addition, by hiding behind supposed non-profit status, these organizations called numbers on the National Do Not Call Registry to advertise their services. The FTC charged them with not only lying about what their services would do, but also failing to disclose the penalties and fees that would result.
Now that you're looking over your shoulder, why don't you take the following precautionary steps recommended by the FTC before taking out a loan with a finance company:

Beware of companies that pressure you into a plan or make any guarantees without looking into your specific needs.
Research the company and the services it offers. It is better if it offers a wide range of options and education on how to handle debt. (It also can't hurt to look up companies on the Better Business Bureau.)
Contact your creditors and ask them if they will work with the company.
Read the fine print: Make sure to review the agreement closely, ensuring that it outlines the finance company's plans and its timeframe.
Before you start paying the finance company, ensure that your creditors have accepted the company's proposed plan. Until they do, be sure to continue paying your bills as usual.
After you begin the program, keep a close watch on your statements and call the creditors to ensure they receive payments.

Although they aren't exactly scamming you, many finance companies simply don't warn you about the excessive fees they charge. These fees can add up so that you pile on even more debt. In a related article on debt settlement, SmartMoney writer Aleksandra Todorova named a few fees to watch out for:

A portion of the total debt (which could be up to 18%)
A portion of the amount you save (which can be around 25%)
Sign-up fees
Monthly fees (both service charges and flat fees)

The FTC also cautions against companies that pressure you to pay "voluntary fees." One company that the FTC exposed, called AmeriDebt Inc. collected about $200 million in hidden costs like these [source: Federal Trade Commission].
Just as diet pills are usually too good to be true, so are most debt consolidation offers. Remember, no new loan is going to free you instantly from your debts. But like losing weight, you can climb out of debt with good old-fashioned discipline.

reverse morgages-details -gsmbizmen

The Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) is FHA's reverse mortgage program, which enables you to withdraw some of the equity in your home. The HECM is a safe plan that can give older Americans greater financial security. Many seniors use it to supplement Social Security, meet unexpected medical expenses, make home improvements and more. You can receive additional free information about reverse mortgages in general by contacting the National Council on Aging at (800) 510-0301 or downloading their free booklet, "Use Your Home to Stay at Home," a guide for older homeowners who need help now. It is smart to know more about reverse mortgages, and decide if one is right for you!
1. What is a reverse mortgage?
A reverse mortgage is a special type of home loan that lets you convert a portion of the equity in your home into cash. The equity that you built up over years of making mortgage payments can be paid to you. However, unlike a traditional home equity loan or second mortgage, HECM borrowers do not have to repay the HECM loan until the borrowers no longer use the home as their principal residence or fail to meet the obligations of the mortgage. You can also use a HECM to purchase a primary residence if you are able to use cash on hand to pay the difference between the HECM proceeds and the sales price plus closing costs for the property you are purchasing.
2. Can I qualify for FHA's HECM reverse mortgage?
To be eligible for a FHA HECM, the FHA requires that you be a homeowner 62 years of age or older, own your home outright, or have a low mortgage balance that can be paid off at closing with proceeds from the reverse loan, and you must live in the home. You are also required to receive consumer information free or at very low cost from a HECM counselor prior to obtaining the loan. You can find a HECM counselor online or by phoning (800) 569-4287.
3. Can I apply for a HECM even if I did not buy my present house with FHA mortgage insurance?
Yes. You may apply for a HECM regardless of whether or not you purchased your home with an FHA-insured mortgage.
4. What types of homes are eligible?
To be eligible for the FHA HECM, your home must be a single family home or a 2-4 unit home with one unit occupied by the borrower. HUD-approved condominiums and manufactured homes that meet FHA requirements are also eligible.
5. What are the differences between a reverse mortgage and a home equity loan?
With a second mortgage, or a home equity line of credit, borrowers must have adequate income to qualify for the loan, and they make monthly payments on the principal and interest. A reverse mortgage is different, because it pays you – there are no monthly principal and interest payments. With a reverse mortgage, you are required to pay real estate taxes, utilities, and hazard and flood insurance premiums.
6. Will we have an estate that we can leave to heirs?
When the home is sold or no longer used as a primary residence, the cash, interest, and other HECM finance charges must be repaid. All proceeds beyond the amount owed belong to your spouse or estate. This means any remaining equity can be transferred to heirs. No debt is passed along to the estate or heirs.
7. How much money can I get from my home?
The amount you may borrower will depend on:

Age of the youngest borrower
Current interest rate
Lesser of appraised value or the HECM FHA mortgage limit of $625,500 or the sales price; and
Initial Mortgage Insurance Premium--your choices are HECM Standard or HECM SAVER

In addition, the more valuable your home is, the older you are, and the lower the interest rate, the more you can borrow. If there is more than one borrower, the age of the youngest borrower is used to determine the amount you can borrow. For an estimate of HECM cash benefits, select the online calculator from the HECM Home Page. Many online reverse mortgage calculators can provide you with an estimate of the amount of funds you can borrow.
8. Should I use an estate planning service to find a reverse mortgage lender?
FHA does NOT recommend using any service that charges a fee for referring a borrower to an FHA-approved lender. You can locate a FHA-approved lender by searching online at www.hud.gov or by contacting a HECM counselor for a listing. Services rendered by HECM counselors are free or at a low cost. To locate a HECM counselor Search online or call (800) 569-4287 toll-free, for the name and location of a HUD-approved housing counseling agency near you
9. How do I receive my payments?
You can select from five payment plans:

Tenure- equal monthly payments as long as at least one borrower lives and continues to occupy the property as a principal residence.
Term- equal monthly payments for a fixed period of months selected.
Line of Credit- unscheduled payments or in installments, at times and in an amount of your choosing until the line of credit is exhausted.
Modified Tenure- combination of line of credit and scheduled monthly payments for as long as you remain in the home.
Modified Term- combination of line of credit plus monthly payments for a fixed period of months selected by the borrower.

10. What if I change my mind and no longer want the loan after I go to closing? How do I do this?

By law, you have three calendar days to change your mind and cancel the loan. This is called a three day right of rescission. The process of canceling the loan should be explained at loan closing. Be sure to ask the lender for instructions on this process. Mortgage lenders differ in the process of canceling a loan. You should ask for the names of the appropriate people, phone numbers, fax numbers, addresses, or written instructions on whatever process the company has in place. In most cases, the right of rescission will not be applicable to HECM for purchase transactions.

electronic medical records-the bad side -gsmbizmen

Electronic medical records seem to be the current trend in health care, and you’ll find many physicians, allied health professionals, pharmacists and hospitals using some form of electronic recording of patient data. Despite the many advantages of a more uniform approach to documenting medical care and coordinating care when patients see several specialists, there are some disadvantages to electronic medical records. As patients more regularly experience doctor’s visits with electronic health records (EHRs) they may notice some of the disadvantages immediately. Other problems occur “behind the scenes,” outside of a patient’s surveillance.
One of the chief disadvantages to electronic medical records is that start up costs are enormous. Not only must you buy equipment to record and store patient charts (much more expensive than paper and file cabinets), but efforts must be taken to convert all charts to electronic form. Patients may be in the transitional state, where old records haven’t yet been converted and doctors don’t always know this. Further, training on electronic medical records software adds additional expense in paying people to take training, and in paying trainers to teach practitioners.
Despite training, most people creating medical records are now nurses, and often doctors. Unfamiliarity with technology, especially when an EHR program is implemented can significantly detract from patient time as the doctor or nurse struggles with unfamiliar equipment. Many patients report visits with doctors where the doctor has to divert focus to figuring out how to enter things electronically and thus has less time for the patient. Medical care in already crowded offices may be delayed when technology is not reliable. A frozen computer could steal minutes or more from patient care for that day. It’s also still easy to miss recording relevant details, or to type in incorrect information.
Along with reduction in doctor/patient time, some people find that electronic medical records and their accompanying systems have depersonalized doctor visits or needed calls to a doctor’s office. Protocol of a system may require, for instance, any patient questions to be emailed to a doctor, even if a receptionist takes them and even if the doctor passes that receptionist multiple times a day. This can increase wait time for callbacks, or for doctor emails, especially if emails are not checked regularly.
Additionally there is not one electronic medical records system. There are many. Streamlining patient care can only be achieved when a single system is used, since two or more systems may not work together. If the hospital uses a different EHR system than your primary care physician, health records may not be available to the hospital, or vice versa from hospital to the physician. Electronic medical records may reduce office paperwork, but they may not coordinate care between several treating physicians, pharmacies, and allied health workers as they promise to do when different systems are used by each group.
Lastly, some are concerned about the security of their medical records, which should be completely confidential. Hackers may ultimately be able to penetrate EHRs despite security precautions, and they may then release confidential information to others. This has some patients worried about how safe and confidential their electronic medical records really are.

electronic medical records-the good side -gsmbizmen

Just like any other record keeping, moving patients' records from paper and physical filing systems to computers and their super storage capabilities creates great efficiencies for patients and their providers, as well as health payment systems.
But efficiency isn't the only benefit. For individual patients, access to good care becomes easier and safer when records can easily be shared. Important information -- such as blood type, prescribed drugs, medical conditions and other aspects of our medical history -- can be accounted for much more quickly. At the very least, an existing electronic medical record (EMR) can save time at the doctor's office. At most, quick access to our records can be lifesaving if an emergency occurs and answers to those questions are needed during the emergency decision-making process.
Even the federal government thinks electronic record keeping is important, and it has put its money and efforts where its recommendations are. Veterans' hospitals across the country share an electronic system, called VistA, which allows for sharing of records for veterans in its health system. Should a patient find himself in a VA hospital, even while away from home, the hospital will have the same access to his or her records that the hometown hospital does.
Further, the government set up an incentive system to encourage providers to implement electronic health records and adhere to a list of criteria to improve care and patient access. Those criteria are called Meaningful Use.
Tragic events like 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, and the California fires have showcased the benefits of electronic record keeping. Those injured or made sick by any of those events were more easily treated and may have found better outcomes than those for whom no medical records were available. Large scale EMR systems replicate their stored records in several places across the country so that one tragic event won't destroy them.
Another benefit is safety. In the past, the way a doctor obtained your health history was by asking you. Each time you visited a new doctor's office, you filled out forms about your history, including previous surgeries, or the drugs you take on a regular basis. If you forgot a piece of information, or if you didn't write it down because it seemed unimportant to you, then your doctor didn't have that piece of your medical puzzle to work with.
However, when doctors share records electronically, your new doctor only needs to ask your name, birthdate, and possibly another piece of identifying information. She can then pull up your records from their electronic storage space. All of the information he needs to see will be there in full. When it comes time to diagnose you, it might be important to him to learn that you are taking a certain kind of medication, or even an herbal supplement -- any information shared with a previous doctor. Diagnosis and treatment decisions might be altered based on that information, which is far more complete than what you might have written down on paper.
In the past, when a doctor closed his practice, retired, moved, or even died, patient records could easily get lost or relocated, making it impossible for patients to get the records they needed to take to a new doctor. Keeping these records electronically, especially in the cases where patients can also gain access to them, means the patient won't be left without the records she may need.
Money is saved by using electronic medical records; not just the cost of paper and file folders, but the cost of labor and space, too. In any business, time equals money. The efficiencies created by simply typing a few identifying keystrokes to retrieve a patient's record -- as opposed to staring at thousands of file folders, filing and refiling them -- saves a doctor's practice or a hospital many thousands of dollars. That's even taking the cost of the electronic system into account.
Efficiencies put into play by doctors and insurance companies to save money eventually lead to patients saving money, too.
An empowered patient knows to weigh these benefits against the limitations of electronic medical records and personal health records which include the numbers of mistakes that may be made, the lack of standards, and the issues of privacy and security.

Monday, 29 July 2013

touring south africa -gsmbizmen

The South African landscape was formed in a unique way by Mother Nature. As one of the first areas to cool down on planet Earth, the rain, sun, wind, and meteorites have, over billions of years, all helped to form a geological wonder world, with high habited mountains, fertile valleys, forested riverines, extensive grasslands, dry deserts, and lush coasts, all inhabited with diverse species of animals and plants of incredible beauty.

South African nature reserves conserve a vast heritage of diverse bio-systems, interesting rock formations and historical battlefields, some magnificent lagoons, and ancient Rock art by the San or Bushman people, who were the earliest inhabitants of this region for the last 20000 years, all to be explored and marvelled at. Some of these areas have been added to the ever-growing number of World Heritage sites of Africa.

Some of the world's most diverse plant populations and biggest wildlife sanctuaries and game parks, are in South Africa.

Table Mountain is one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, and forms part of the Cape Floral Kingdom, and incorporated in the Cape Floral Region, one of the 8 World Heritage sites in South Africa (ca 2012), famous for its diverse plant life, with more species than the British Isles.

This World Heritage site is among the richest in plant life worldwide, comprising less than 0.5% of the area of Africa, but containing nearly 20% of Africa's total flora. Its scientific value is demonstrated by the presence of fire and radiation adaptivity in plants, and seed dispersal by insects.
It is one of the world's 18 biodiversity hot spots, the smallest (90000 km2) and richest of the world's six floral regions, comprising 8 areas in a series, around the south-western tip of Africa: Table mountain, Cederberg Wilderness area, Groot Winterhoek wildernees area, Boland Mountain complex, De Hoop Nature reserve, Bosmansbos Nature reserve, Swartberg complex, all in the Western Cape province, plus Baviaanskloof, in the Eastern Cape.

We thrive on the southern tip of Africa, with a long coastline bordering two oceans, with warm and cold seas, gradually leading up to mountains, with a high plateau stretching over several different eco systems, containing vast numbers of different species of plants, game, wildlife, insects and reptiles.

Diamonds, gold, platinum, chromium, vanadium, iron ore, copper, nickel and coal are some of the mineral riches of our world.
Apart from Game reserves and game parks, the South African culture and history is so diverse, it will keep you interested and entertained for your whole stay in South Africa. With 11 official languages, and sign language as the 12th, the diverse cultures are not even fully represented in these languages.

Join us on a tour ...

National Parks South Africa

Nature, culture, and history are preserved and to be found in most of the parks with National status, with accommodation that range from Luxury suites and Private camps, to self-catering and tented accommodation. Conference facilities in a setting close to nature, are combined with nearby adventure trails, outdoor sports facilities, cultural experiences, and community projects. Most often, agriculture abound outside the National Parks, and planning your holiday to visit these attractions, is easily done by Touring South Africa.

The most famous of the National parks, is Kruger National Park in the warm Lowveld region of north-east South Africa, the nearly 2 million hectares (20 000 km2) natural heritage reserve of wildlife, birdlife and history, which provide that ultimate wildlife experience, that endless anticipation of seeing wildlife in their true natural habitat, as you would expect of the best of Africa.

Shared between the provinces of Limpopo in the north and Mpumalanga in the south, along the border with Mozambique, Kruger Park now forms part of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park, a peace Park that stretches over international borders, linking up with Game parks in Mozambique and Zimbabwe. All wildlife can now roam freely between these Parks, as they have done before fences kept them in. On completion of the Greater Transfrontier Park, the area will comprise 35 000 m2, with areas of 058% in South Africa, 24% in Mozambique, and 18% in Zimbabwe.

This Park has more mammals than any other African Game Reserve, and is famous for the Big Five (Lion, Leopard, Elephant, Rhinoceros,and Buffalo. The Little Five are also to be seen (Ant lion, Leopard tortoise, Elephant shrew, Rhino beetle, and Buffalo weaver). Take note of the many beautiful trees, big and small, like Baobab, Marula, Sicamore fig, Mopane, Sausage tree, Knob thorn, and enjoy spotting the many bird species, including the beautiful Kruger Park Big Six birds (Saddle-billed stork, Kori bustard, Martial eagle, Ground hornbill, Lapped-faced vulture and Pel's fishing owl)

Take a guided tour with Touring South Africa in an area with a well developed infrastructure, with Rest camps, Waterholes, Hides, Picnic sites and good roads.

Pilanesberg National Park is close to the Gauteng cities of Pretoria and Johannesburg, for either a day safari or longer overnight stay in this Big five park, and an optional visit to the Sun City resort.

Come see a World in One Country...

Experience close encounters and excellent viewing opportunities of the wild animals in their natural habitat in Pilanesberg and Kruger Naional Park.

Explore the cities of Pretoria and Johannesburg. See the Cradle of Humankind at Sterkfontein Caves and Maropeng, and Culture at Lesedi. These are only a few of many sites and sounds to be enjoyed.

All tours are conducted by our specially trained and registered South African Tour guides. Physically handicapped persons are also welcome to experience South Africa with Touring South Africa.

Riana, from Touring South Africa, has become part of the lives of our returning guests. With each visit, they experience more, and enjoy more than ever before.

An elegant lady...

Savannah the cheetah was found abandoned in the bush. She was hand-raised by the owner's son and his family, from a small cub. Early on she showed signs that her instinct was very strong. Her first kill was a fully grown kudu within metres of the lodge. She grew into a fully mature cat, independent of her human family, but always keen on some personal attention. Often she would 'catch a lift' with a game drive and later relax on a lounger at the pool. Savannah's cubs now have the best of both worlds at their home in our favourite, recommended Private Game Reserve. Let us take you for a walk with the cheetahs, or with the lions..

Experience the touring background, experience, knowledge and personal attention you are looking for. Combine any Half-day tour with another, or add on to a longer tour, either at the beginning or end. We can also easily compile a special tailor-made tour for your specific interests and needs.

Come join us, and experience Soweto, Pretoria, Johannesburg, Lesedi, Sun City, Kruger National Park, the Battle fields, Namaqualand, and everything in between and beyond..

internet acces-bsnl internet plans -gsmbizmen

Ghana has been ranked number one in Africa as the country with the highest Internet speed, according to the latest global internet speed report released March 5, 2012 by US-based, Ookla.

Ookla is the global leader in broadband testing and web-based network diagnostic applications, and its report was based on millions of recent test results from Speedtest.net,

Its NetIndex compares and ranks consumer download speeds around the globe, and reported Ghana had an average broadband speed of 5.13 megabits per second.
bsnl internet plans
This year's results for Ghana were obtained by analyzing test data between Feb 10, 2012 and Mar 14, 2012; tests from 31,183 unique IPs have been taken in Accra, and of 182,596 total tests, 10,624 were used for the current Index.

According to the index bsnl internet plans, Ghana beat Kenya to second place with 4.49Mbps, South Africa to sixth place with 2.98Mbps, and near-by Nigeria to the eighth place in Africa with 2.3Mbps.

Morocco, Angola, Tunisia, Zimbabwe, Rwanda, and Libya were all in the top ten, but obviously behind Ghana.

Between the telecom operator bsnl internet plans in Ghana, professed broadband speeds range from 3.1Mbps (Expresso) to 14.4Mbps (Vodafone).

But the index reported Ghana Telecom (Vodafone) had 6.13 Mbps, as per consumer experience; Zipnet/Broadband Home Ltd had 2.02 Mbps, and Scancom Limited (MTN) has 1.51 Mbps, and they constituted the major Internet service providers (ISPs) in country.

Obviously, Vodafone has maintained its position from last year as the network with the highest internet speeds in Ghana

At the global level, Lithuania was first with 31.67Mbps followed by South Korea with 30.59 Mbps, and Latvia in third place with 27.42 Mbps.

Ghana placed 72nd in the global rankings; ahead of Italy at 73rd with 5.05Mbps and several other European countries. Kenya came in at 75th; South Africa, 105th, and Nigeria, 129th.

Ookla solutions have been adopted by nearly every Internet Service Provider in the world, and have been translated into over 30 languages for use by thousands of small businesses, federal and state governments, universities and major organizations such as AT&T, BBC, Cisco, Comcast,
FCC, Reuters, Time Warner, Verizon, Vodafone and Vonage.

VCTF sells impact investing to fund managers -gsmbizmen

Last week, the Venture Capital Trust Fund (VCTF) began the process of attracting impact investors, which it expects to make investments that will both give them profit and make positive social impacts at the same time.

The VCTF last week introduced its impact investing program to a selected audience of major local and international fund managers who it is now negotiating with to make impact investments in Ghana.

The presentation and subsequent negotiation are coming ahead of the formal commissioning of the GIMPA Centre for Impact Investing (GCII), which is slated for August 1st, 2013.

The Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) is partnering with the VCTF to promote impact investing in Ghana and their collaboration has already resulted in the establishment of the GCII.

Funding for the promotion of impact investing in Ghana and the establishment of the GCII itself is being provided by the Rockefeller Foundation of the United States.

Impact investing is generally defined as investment intended to create positive social impact beyond financial return. Unlike the traditional forms of investment, impact investment accommodates a strategy for solving social and environmental challenges as an integral part of any business model, placing it on par with the desire to achieve a financial return.

The concept of impact investing challenges private investors and entrepreneurs to develop innovative businesses to deliver effective and lasting solutions to the social and environmental challenges while making profit at the same time.

In recent times, impact investing has received significant attention as a promising asset class for investors looking to deliver double-bottom line outcomes from their investment activities.

According to a research conducted be the Rockefeller Foundation and JP Morgan, it is estimated that the impact investment market offers the potential over the next 10 years for investments of US$400 billion to US$1 trillion and profit of US$183 billion to US$667 billion. This potential is a key driving force behind the VCTF’s decision to promote impact investing in Ghana as a means to complement government effort to address major social challenges.

Daniel Duku, CEO of the VCTF, at last week’s presentation explained to the gathered fund managers that impact investing is direly needed in Ghana considering the scope of the societal and environmental challenges facing the country and the government’s obvious financial constraints.

“Challenges, which continue to impact on the quality of life in the country, include access to education, health care, housing, energy, water, sanitation and unemployment among others” noted Duku.

“Given the enormity of these challenges in Ghana, government alone is incapable of resolving all these challenges effectively. It calls for the collaborative efforts of both government and the private sector to coordinate and direct capital with, the view to addressing them, and this is what impact investing seeks to accomplish.

Presenting the new initiative to fund managers last week, VCTF’s Percival Ampomah, identified the sectors that needed impact investing the most in Ghana; agriculture, housing, education, healthcare, water and sanitation, energy, unemployment and access to finance for small and medium sized enterprises.

The audience included fund managers from a number of investment management firms including among others, Boulders Advisors, Axis Pension Trust, Acumen Fund, EM Capital partners, IC Securities, Secure Pensions, Bridge Capital, Blackstar Advisors, Activity Venture Capital Company, SIC Insurance and Persistent Energy Partners.

Fund managers from the Social Security and National Insurance Trust, the biggest institutional investor in Ghana, as well as the Export Development and Agricultural Investment Fund were also at the presentation and are seeking to become impact investors as well.

A detailed report that will form the roadmap for impact investing in Ghana has already been completed by investment experts from GIMPA and the VCTF itself and will be unveiled imminently.

Assured Duku: “The establishment of GCII is only a first step towards building traction for impact investing in Ghana. GCII promises to set out an effective and influential platform to drive impact investing activities in Ghana.”

Saturday, 27 July 2013

6 questions to look out for at your next job interview! -gsmbizmen

Leaving one job to another can be challenging. In order not to give a bad impression about yourself or your previous job, here are six questions you should look out for and how to answer them.

1.How much do you want to be paid?
Find out the appropriate wage range for your job. Then give a number a little higher than that range to give you room for negotiation.

2.What did you make at your last job?
This question is quite uncomfortable. But you can easily say your previous company asked you not to disclose that figure when you were hired. Better still, you can give a range. Remember to be truthful because the employers can always check.

3.What are your strengths and weaknesses?
Don't pull the strength as your weakness card. They won't fall for it. Instead, talk about something that is actually a weakness and how you are trying to fix it. Try something like, "I used to get nervous about calling up clients, but then I realized that the more I did it, the easier it became." Putting your weakness in the past (and showing that you took care of it) demonstrates that you're willing to change and grow.

4.Did you get along with your old boss?
Let us say your old boss was really horrible, painting a true picture of your “horrible boss” might get your interviewer freaked out and will think you can do the same to him or her when you are hired. So when asked the question, just say yes and move on.

5.Why are you leaving your job?
Never complain or criticize something that happened in the past at your job. Try saying something like, "It's not a good fit and I want a new challenge." Then drop it.

6.How did you overcome a challenge at work?
Don't be vague. Give a concrete example like, "I was given a giant project at the last minute." Then describe how you tackled it (pulled a few late-nights, recruited help from fellow employees, etc.) and what the outcome was.

Watch out for these six questions and make sure you have your facts right!

Glo cautions job-seekers, public against fraudsters -gsmbizmen

The management of Glo Mobile Ghana is cautioning the general public against fraudsters purporting to be recruiting workers on behalf of Glo by posting fictitious adverts on the internet and elsewhere to attract and extort money from unsuspecting job-seekers.

A statement from Glo said it has discovered a number of such adverts with the address “JOBS.GLOGHANA@qualityservice.com” on the internet and other places, where the fraudsters behind the advert demand GHC100 payable via rapid transfer into an Ecobank Account.

Glo stated categorically that it has no such email address inviting job-seekers and is not charging any moneys from job-seekers.

Below is the full statement of caution from Glo Mobile Ghana.

It has come to the attention of the Management of Glo Mobile Ghana that certain individuals or group of persons, purporting to be staff of Glo, have posted fictitious adverts on the internet and elsewhere, targeting unsuspecting job-seekers with promises of employment at Glo Mobile Ghana.

The said adverts demand a fee of GHC100, paid via rapid transfer from applicants into an Ecobank Account, supposedly to facilitate documentation for a so called three-month training program in London and also to cover the cost of courier charges for a free ‘Tablet Computer’.

The Management of Glo Mobile Ghana hereby strongly advices job-seekers and the general public to desist from dealing with such faceless individuals since their activities are unauthorized, unlawful and criminal.

Glo Mobile Ghana has no such E-mail address as ‘JOBS.GLOGHANA@qualityservice.com’ and neither does the companyhave a Dr. or Mr. David Coker in its HR Department or its entire staff list, as the fraudsters claim. The Management of Glo HAS NOT authorized any individual, group of individuals or any agency to recruit new staff on its behalf.

Indeed, on Friday, July 12 and thereafter, Glo Mobile Ghana put out an official advertisement in the newspapers, announcing new job openings in our business. A full-page advert was published which elaborately outlined specific vacancies currently available and which also directed that all prospective applicants must address their applications and inquiries to jobs4u@glomobileghana.com .

In the best interest of the public, our Security Unit is working closely with the security agencies to bring the perpetrators of this vile scam to book. Much in the same light, we urge all those who have had contact or dealings with the fraudsters not to hesitate to report their experience to the nearest police station.

Management uses this opportunity to stress that Glo Mobile Ghana is determined to build a robust and indigenous African telecommunications network and will not permit such miscreant and distractive activities to obliterate its focus on that mission.

sales of android os overtake apple ios in ghana -gsmbizmen

Samsung has become the most profitable mobile phone company in the world and even ghana, overtaking Apple, a report says.

Samsung's handset division had an estimated operating profit of $5.2bn (£3.4bn) in the second quarter of 2013, according to Strategy Analytics.

Apple's iPhone operating profit was estimated at $4.6bn, with the iPhone range "underperforming".

Total mobile phone shipments were 386 million in the April-to-June period, 4% up on the same time last year.

In all, 27.7% of phones shipped were made by Samsung. Separately, Samsung, which is also the world's biggest TV maker, reported second-quarter profits of $7bn for the entire company.

"This was the mobile phone industry's fastest growth rate since the second quarter of 2012," said Neil Shah, senior analyst at Strategy Analytics.

"Strong demand for entry-level Android devices in Asia and Latin America drove much of the growth. Samsung continued to dominate, shipping 107 million mobile phones worldwide."

WSJ: Ghana Overseas Bond Sale Receives Modest Response -gsmbizmen

Dollar-starved Ghana’s first overseas bond sale in six years received a modest response Thursday from investors who are becoming increasingly demanding in lending to African countries with shaky finances.

Ghana’s sale of $750 million in 10-year bonds attracted orders of over $2 billion, a response that’s less enthusiastic than other African countries have seen in recent months. The yield is 8%. That is a level rarely seen in dollar bonds recently and sharply higher than what Nigeria and Rwanda, two other sub-Saharan African countries, have had to pay in recent months.

The muted reaction is a sobering reminder to emerging-market countries that foreign inflows can abate as quickly as they arrived. African countries with below investment-grade debt ratings had flocked to debt markets in recent months as investors scrambled to buy assets offering higher returns. In April, at perhaps the height of the frenzy, Rwanda sold its first-ever overseas bond. It attracted bids that were more than eight times the amount the country sold. The yield was just 6.875%.

Since then, investors have become more cautious, especially given signs the U.S. Federal Reserve might pull back monetary stimulus, and emerging-market bonds have oscillated wildly. The bond Ghana issued in 2007, which matures in 2017, yielded as little as 4.7% in April. By the end of June, the yield was over 7%; it is now around 5.5%. Yields fall when prices rise.

Just a few months ago, amid the search for yield, investors were keen on Africa’s considerable growth prospects. Now, they’re troubled by its risks. Ghana has had envious economic performance–growth has averaged over 7% over the past 12 years, according to the International Monetary Fund. But frenetic public spending has opened a huge budget gap and has pushed up the government’s debt pile. Rising income has meant a hunger for imports and a consequentially large trade deficit.

The twin deficits mean the country is desperate for foreign financing. “The yield on offer reflects Ghana’s many risks,” said Mahan Namin, portfolio manager at Insparo Asset Management, a specialist Africa and Middle East asset manager, which manages $155 million in assets. “Its current-account deficit is worrying in light of low and decreasing foreign-exchange reserves, as is its fiscal deficit. The deficit is still rising and there isn’t a clear indication of how, and when, this trajectory will change.” Namin said he prefers local-currency Ghanaian debt and equities to dollar bonds.

In the local-currency market, Ghana pays more than 20% for one-year debt. Dollar bonds bear the risk that the government won’t have the foreign reserves to repay them; local bonds bear the risk that repayment is in a devalued currency. Ghana’s government will use the proceeds from the new issue to buy back some of its external and local debt, thus lowering its average borrowing cost, and fund infrastructure projects already budgeted for this year.

The timing of the bond sale, which comes during a summer lull in markets, suggests Ghana sorely needs the money. Samir Gadio, an emerging-markets strategist at Standard Bank, estimates that the country only has enough foreign-exchange reserves to pay for less than three months of imports. Still, for some investors, the yields on Ghana’s dollar bond are just too high to be ignored. By comparison, 10-year U.S. Treasurys yield 2.60%. The equivalent South African bond yields 4.30%.

“Ghana’s government is clearly making a growth bid,” said Antoon de Klerk, emerging-markets portfolio manager at Investec Asset Management. “This is a high-growth country, with all the problems that come with it, which, to be honest, are almost nice problems to have,” he added. De Klerk said he already invests in the local bond market but the high yield on offer for this dollar bond has caught his eye. BarclaysBARC.LN -0.73% and CitigroupC -0.85% are assisting Ghana in its bond issue. Ghana has a “junk” rating from the three main credit-ratings firms.

Source: WSJ http://blogs.wsj.com/moneybeat/2013/07/25/ghana-overseas-bond-sale-receives-modest-response

Petroleum energy Depot nears completion in Tema - gsmbizmen

Work on a $60 million petroleum depot in Tema is near completion to facilitate the import and distribution of refined petroleum products to help curb shortages of LPG and fuel on the market.
The depot, initiated by the Fuel Trade Limited but operating under the name Tema Fuel Company, is currently under going a test running to check teething problems before full operations start.
With the entry of the privately-owned Ghanaian import and distribution company, it is expected that there would be abundant gas, gasoline and diesel on the market to create competition among distributors.
The company also has a facility in Takoradi, where LPG is discharged directly onto trucks.
Reports indicate that market demands for LPG now stand at 1,100 of gas, 500,000 litres of super (gasoline) and 800,000 litres of diesel, daily.
It was expected that the other bulk distribution companies in the sector would supply the remaining shortfall, which is minimal.
The Daily Graphic found out that some fuel and gas tankers were already loading for distribution as part of its test operations.
The depot has a weekly delivery schedule during which products made up of a LPG, super and diesel, were delivered and, therefore, did not foresee any shortage.
The project is near completion and has started test supplies to solve all teething problems on the equipment.
It was gathered that gas from the West African Gas Pipeline (WAGP) was predominantly for power generation unless it was separated.
The source said laboratory equipment for that purpose were not available to provide what could be used for domestic and smaller machines and, therefore, would not be of use to domestic consumers.
When the Daily Graphic got to the depot, some officials from the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) Customs Division and a technical team from the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) were checking the pumps on various tanks to ensure that they were in good conditions.
The depot has seven tanks with five for fuel, one for water and a mounded bullet tank purposely for LPG.
It also operates six loading bays for gas, gasoline and diesel, with each bay loading 200 tons in an hour.
This system of loading created efficiency and minimal delays at the loading bay.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic in an interview at the depot, the Technical and Operations Director, Mr Andrews Barfi Owusu, disclosed that the components of the depot were adjustable and the depot could increase its intake when the need arises.
He said the company would not want to create overcapacity in the system, hence, the gap to enable other bulk distribution companies to take the shortfall.
Mr Owusu noted that the company’s intention was to contribute to government’s effort to make available fuel and gas to consumers
He said the decision to set up a depot came about when shortages of gas, especially, kept occurring because of the low capacity of existing distributors .
Mr Owusu said the ‘Tema Fuel Company would be able to satisfy the consumer market even if TOR shuts down’.
He narrated how clearing of the land started in September 2010 and by April 2013, was ready to start importing fuel and gas for test running.
He said Fuel Trade had, for the last three months, been experimenting with the computerised systems, equipments, pumps and tanks.
Mr Owusu was optimistic that shortages of fuel would be things of the past.
He noted that there was a collaboration between all bulk distribution companies operating in the sector and said the depot would work closely with the companies to make fuel and gas available on the market.
Mr Owusu said with pride that ‘since when we started test running, there has not been any shortage on the market since May 2013’.
He gave the assurance that TOR, being the mother of distribution, had made its storage facilities available to enable the company store reserves when the need arose.

Changing face of the University of Ghana, Legon -gsmbizmen

The University of Ghana, Legon has over the years gone through many changes with the aim of offering better tertiary education to Ghanaians and foreigners.
The changes range from the review of courses and programmes to the provision of new facilities and other infrastructure.
The university, popularly referred to as Legon, the name of the village where it is located, is a member of the International Association of Universities (IAU), the Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU), the Association of African Universities (AAU) and the League of World Universities.
It was founded in 1948 as the University College of the Gold Coast on the recommendation of the Asquith Commission on Higher Education in the then British colonies. The Asquith Commission, which was set up in 1943 to investigate higher education, recommended among other things, the setting up of university colleges in association with the University of London. This was followed by a number of commissions in different regions.
The West Africa Commission was under the Chairmanship of the Rt. Hon. Walter Elliot. The Elliot Commission published a majority report which recommended the establishment of two university colleges in the Gold Coast (Ghana) and Nigeria, and a minority report which held that only one university college for the whole of British West Africa was feasible.
The British Government at first accepted the minority report of the Elliot Commission and decided that a university college for the whole of British West Africa should be established at Ibadan in Nigeria. But the people of the Gold Coast could not accept this recommendation. Led by the scholar and politician, the late Dr J.B. Danquah, they urged the Gold Coast Government to inform the British government that the Gold Coast could support a university college. The British government accordingly reviewed its decision and agreed to the establishment of the university college of the Gold Coast.

First site
At the time, Achimota College was in many respects one of the best institutions in Africa. It had spacious grounds, good buildings and compound, with a library of 16,000 books. There was therefore a consensus that the new university college should grow out of Achimota College, in accordance with the wishes of the people.
So on October 11, 1948, the formal opening of the University College of the Gold Coast took place in the dining hall of the western compound of Achimota College. Subsequently, the university college operated from the western compound and the secondary school on the eastern compound until the 1950s when construction work at the new site for the university college commenced, and the university moved gradually into the new campus at Legon.
Within the campus are the traditional halls of residence; Commonwealth Hall, Legon Hall, Akuafo Hall, Mensah Sarbah Hall and Volta Hall. There are also departments, lecture theatres and laboratories; sports fields and a central cafeteria. Also, there is the Great Hall, where major indoor programmes such as lectures are held. It has a seating capacity of 1,500.
The university will have a new frontage once the Tetteh Quarshie-Madina stretch of the road is completed.

Students/lecturer population
The university started in 1948 with a total of 90 students, made up of 88 males and 2 females. However, the population has increased drastically over the past 60 years. According to the 2012-2013 academic board the university has 37,531 students made up of full-time, part-time, City Campus, weekend, distance education and sandwich programmes.
When it started initially, seven post-secondary staff: Four teaching staff and three administrators of Achimota College were appointed as the nucleus staff for the new university.
Now the university boasts 1,139 lecturers, comprising 850 males and 289 females.

Faculties
Academic life of the University of Ghana is centered on colleges, faculties, institutes/schools and centres of research/ learning. The university started with three faculties - Arts, Science and Commerce (preliminary Economics) in 1948. Now there are six faculties -Arts, Law, Science, Social Sciences, Business School and Engineering Sciences.

Colleges
There are two main colleges in the university. They are the College of Health Sciences which comprises five schools and an institute, and the College of Agriculture and Consumer Sciences which comprises two schools and an institute.

Legon Staff village
The university has a staff village which currently has 248 housing units for its junior staff. It was established to provide accommodation for artisans such as electricians, carpenters and cooks who worked at the university.

Infrastructure
As part of the process of change, the university has undertaken a number of initiatives to realise its objectives of providing quality tertiary education. The infrastructure include new halls of residence, staff bungalows, lecture halls, laboratories and the construction and expansion of roads.
Today, four new additional halls of residence to accommodate 8,000 students have been built. This is to meet the increasing demand for accommodation by students. Securing accommodation in the past was a problem and some students took advantage of the inadequacy of the halls to make money. Issues that readily come to mind are the sale of beds to fellow students and ‘perching’, resulting in overcrowding in the traditional halls of residence-Commonwealth, Legon, Akuafo, Mensah Sarbah and Volta.

New Halls
The four new halls named after Professor Alexander Kwapong, a former Vice Chancellor; Dr Hilla Limann, President of the Third Republic; Dr Jean Aka Hall, named after a distinguished alumnus who was instrumental in mobilising funds for the construction of the Jubilee Hall, and Elizabeth Frances Sey, first female graduate of the university, have eased the accommodation problem faced by students drastically. Apart from that, the new halls have also brightened the aerial view of the university campus, from the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR) section.
At the new halls four students occupy a room, with a spacious and conducive environment for learning. At the new halls, rainwater is harvested and there are biogas facilities.
Four students; Ms Belinda Tweboah, Ms Linda Tetteh and Messrs Ben Boateng and Samuel Koomson, lauded the initiative that led to the construction of the facilities. They said they believed that such huge projects should be done in other tertiary institutions since the lack of conducive environment for sleeping or relaxation was a problem.
Ms Tweneboah said being accommodated at a hall was a great relief to her “because in the past we heard so many reports on problems with securing accommodation”.
“I am okay here and everything is going on smoothly. These facilities have brought great relief to us,” she said.
Ms Tetteh indicated that the only problem students occasionally experienced was the lack of water, adding “once this has been completely solved I believe everything would be okay”.
“I like the environment and it’s good for learning,” she said.
Messrs Boateng and Koomson called for immediate action to address the water problem.
The Director of Physical Development and Municipal Services, Mr Philip Azundow, said the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) had disappointed the authorities since they had indicated they would provide water to at the new facilities. Notwithstanding that, he said, the authorities had been able to provide some boreholes to meet water needs of students.
The university has also allowed some private developers to build halls of residence. These are: United Nations Hall, Bani Hall, James Topp Nelson Yankah Hall and Africa Union Hall. These are expected to provide accommodation for students at Legon.

Tolling of roads
The roads that link the various halls, departments and lecture halls are currently being given a facelift. They are being asphalted and toll booths would be installed when they are completed. This means that vehicles that enter and exit the campus will have to pay tolls. A flat rate of GHc1 is to be paid by users of the roads upon every entry.
A total of 9.6 kilometres of roads are being resealed and asphalted. According to Mr Azundow, Accra has expanded and many vehicles use the Legon road to avoid traffic, among other things. The tolling, he said, was to cater for the wear and tear as a result of the regular use of the roads. The project is expected to cost GH¢7 million. The asphalted roads would also have speed humps to control the flow of vehicles. The tolling is expected to start later this month and the six entry points to the university would have the toll booths.
According to the site engineer for the asphalting and resealing of roads, Mr Kwaku Tsegah, 70 per cent of the asphalting and resealing of the roads had been done.
“Everything is okay and the work is going on smoothly,” he said, and expressed the hope that work would be completed on schedule.
Works remaining, he said, included the construction of drains and asphalting of the road leading to the Teachers’ Fund Hostel.

Commercial, private vehicle drivers
While some drivers have welcomed the initiative, others think it would increase transport fares on campus.
A taxi driver, Stephen Quartey, said driving on good roads “prolongs the lifespan of your vehicle”, and added that although it would mean extra cost to people, the idea was not bad.
“I know some of my colleagues will not agree with me but we must pay for what we destroy. Everything is government but we have to be responsible too,” he said.
Adjei Mensah, another taxi driver, strongly disagreed with his colleague. For him, the authorities were not considering the fact that the toll would be passed on to students.
“Once I pay GH¢ 1, I will also add that GH¢ 1 to the lorry fare,” he said, and urged the authorities to either scrap the initiative or reduce the toll to 50 pesewas.
However, Mr Azundow said the intention was not to burden students but to ensure that the roads were in good shape regularly for the smooth movement of people. Moreover, he said, the late President J.E.A. Mills sanctioned the initiative.

Students
Rachael Ahiable believes “We don’t have to be going out and coming as and when we feel like it”. We must use our time and money judiciously because if you want to be going out and coming in it means you would have to pay more”.
Moses Arthur said it was up to the authorities to take decisions that would improve facilities and infrastructure to promote academic activities.
“We are not going to be on campus forever. All you have to do is to regulate your movements to save you the trouble of spending all your money on transportation fare,” he said.
Amelia Botchway said the authorities had decided to implement the initiative and what everybody had to do was to brace up for it.She supported the initiative and said that state institutions tended to rely too much on government for funding.
“I believe this would boost the internally-generated funds of the university. Money generated could be used to put up more facilities to admit more students. It is a good idea,” she said, adding that “Ghanaians don’t want to be creative but do things the same way all the time”.

Closed Circuit Television
To maintain the credibility of its examination and deal with the practice of cheating, the university has mounted closed circuit television (CCTV) systems in the examination halls. The authorities would not give much detail on the facilities but believe it would go a long way to ensure sanity during examination.

Control of students in traditional halls
To control the number of students who access the halls, the university purchased a turnstile machine to begin a pilot exercise at the Commonwealth Hall but before the equipment could be installed, it was burnt by suspected arsonists on April 30, 2013 at about 2 a.m.
The equipment, bought at a cost of GH¢ 48,000, was supposed to be used as part of the university’s measures to ensure that the halls of residence remained decongested.
The turnstile machine, also called a baffle gate, is a gate which allows one person to pass at a time. It can also be used to enforce one-way traffic of people and in addition, can restrict passage to only people who insert a coin, ticket or pass.

Other projects
There is also the Institute of Statistical Social and Economic Research (ISSER) Conference facility for the hosting of various programmes. The facility has been completed, creating the opportunity for the hosting of programmes.
Other ongoing projects include the Earth and Health Science infrastructure. A teaching hospital project has also taken off.
The Balme Library pond has also been given a new lease of life. There are 34 new boreholes to augment water supply from the water company.
The university is looking for a strategic partner to complete work on the stadium, along with the provision of staff housing project.

Security/police station
Eleven years after the establishment of the university, a police station was put up (1959) as part of measures to maintain law and order in and outside campus. Petty thefts, robberies and other criminal activities were reported in the past.
However, the Head of Security, ACP Amadu Salifu (retd), told the Daily Graphic that there have been improvement in the security system. For instance, he said, when he took over in 2007, the first thing he observed was that guards had not gone through the requisite training. Moreover, he said, some of them were not active because they were old and weak, and “supervision too was almost zero”.
“The first thing we did when I took over was to revamp the system to get more active guards. I convinced the authorities and we did a mass recruitment,” he said.
Mr Salifu said the number of guards was subsequently increased from 200 to 321, while items such as uniforms, raincoats, batons and torches were requested for to enable the guards work efficiently.
“With the new halls I think we should have about 400 guards,” he said. Now, he added, apart from sensitisation of students and staff, there were mobile patrols in the day and regular night patrols.
The entry points to the campus are closed at midnight and opened at 5 a.m. After 7 p.m. no university vehicle is supposed to enter or go out of the campus.
Mr Salifu said he monitored the “security guards to ensure that we are working”, adding that there were also plainclothes security personnel who monitor and report security issues.
His worry is that some students did not take security issues seriously when it came to petty thefts. For instance, he said, while some of the students left their doors ajar, others did not assist in investigations when into petty thefts.
“Some of them also allow themselves to be duped by confidence tricksters.

Vice Chancellor
The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Ernest Aryeetey, told the Daily Graphic after the naming of the Atta Mills/Akua Kuenyehia Law Faculty Building, among other things, that the university community was waking up to the fact that it had to develop its infrastructure rapidly to cope with the large number of students.
“We have a large number of students these days, compared to 20 years ago. So it is inevitable for us to push the agenda of developing our infrastructure,” he said.