Donald Trump doesn’t seem to have been shaken by the fact that he is the first president in US history to be charged with a crime.
The former US president was photographed through the windows of his vehicle waving and giving cheerleaders the thumbs up.
On Saturday, he was spotted by photographers as he departed the Trump International Golf Club in Palm Beach, Florida.
On Tuesday, Mr. Trump is anticipated to turn himself in to the police in New York.
Former US President Donald Trump sits in the rear of his limousine as he departs Trump International Golf Club in Palm Beach, Florida, on April 1, 2023 (Picture: AFP)
He faces charges over allegations he made hush-money payments to porn star Stormy Daniels.
It will mark the first time a US president has ever been subject to criminal proceedings.
The recent indictment accuses Mr Trump of falsifying business records, chiefly over a payment of $130,000 (£105,000) to Ms Daniels on the eve of the 2016 presidential election for her silence over a purported extramarital affair.
The alleged sexual encounter is believed to have taken place at a celebrity golf tournament in 2006, just four months after the birth of Barron Trump, Mr Trump’s only child with his third wife, Melania Trump.
Mr Trump has said he will fight the allegations, and that they will not affect his ambitions for the 2024 presidential election.
He claims to have raised more than $4,000,000 towards his upcoming campaign in the first 24 hours after the indictment was publicly announced.
The former president has told supporters the proceedings show he is the victim of a ‘witch-hunt’ by the US political establishment.
Ms Daniel’s allegations aren’t the first time Mr Trump has been accused of sexual impropriety.
Rumours of extramarital affairs have followed him throughout his career, with at least 26 women accusing him of sexual misconduct stretching back to the 1970s.
In another historic first, he was also twice impeached during his time as president – once for allegedly trying to turn up dirt on then-presidential candidate Joe Biden and his son Hunter, and a second time for his role in the January 6 attack on the US Capitol building.
The hush-money case isn’t the only investigation into Mr Trump’s affairs launched following his time in office.
In July 2021, New York prosecutors charged The Trump Organization over a ‘15 year scheme to defraud the US government’.
The following August, his resort in Mar-a-Lago was raided by FBI officers looking to retrieve classified documents related to national security interests.
Ms Daniels had been due to give a world-exclusive interview with Piers Morgan on Friday night.
Her interview was cancelled at the 11th hour, with security issues cited.
Ghanaian Actor Haroldand his wife Irene dominated last Saturday after videos and photos surfaced online from their marriage ceremony.
Irene who donned a beautiful Kente gown for her big day was unfortunately called out for her bad choice of hair.
The hair kinda spoiled the beauty she was to appear with as it made her look more male by exposing her big nose.
This has landed her in a pool of a mess as netizens have channelled their energy in trolling and mocking her.
Only God knows what the wife of Ghanaian Actor Harold is going through at this moment she’s trending on for the wrong reasons.
Commentaries on social media by these people have it that Harold is too fine and fresh a man to settle for his wife who barely matches up to the beauty they anticipated.
In the heat of the trolling comes a no-make video of Irene. A Ghanaian man who can be identified as William Smith on Facebook has also dropped a very disgusting comment that has landed him inside a deep troll pit.
According to Williams Smith, he’s disappointed in Harold for not marrying a beautiful woman despite the 1000s of beautiful ladies in Accra who are dreaming to be in bed with him.
Below is Willams’ comment that has made him a public enemy
Celebrity mother, Tracey Boakye has set tongues wagging on the internet after sharing new lovely photos of her baby son, Akwasi Badu Ntiamoah.
Recall that in the first week of March 2023, Tracey Boakye announced the delivery of her bundle of joy through a series of posts she shared on her various social media pages.
Ever since then, she has been regularly posting adorable pictures of the little angel who was born in America.
In a new charming photo that has been spotted on Tracey Boakye’s official IG page, little Akwasi was taking a nap in the arms of his beautiful mum.
Although his face was covered with a love emoji but that doesn’t deny the fact that he’s a cute baby.
The sexual abuse of a teenage boy over a three-year period was found to be committed by Timothy Schofield, the brother of This Morning host Phillip Schofield, at Exeter Crown Court.
At the courthouse, Schofield was on trial for 11 sexual offenses against children, including two counts of engaging in sexual conduct with a child, that occurred between October 2016 and October 2019.
In his testimony before the jury, the 54-year-old civilian police officer from Bath said that he had watched porn with the youngster, who he insisted was older than 16 at the time, and that they had masturbated while sitting apart, but he denied having intercourse with the teenager.
He is said to have told his TV star brother about some of the alleged offending in September 2021.
Following the verdict, Phillip issued a statement condemning the actions of his brother in which he said: ‘As far as I am concerned, I no longer have a brother.’
The jury at Exeter Crown Court found him guilty of all counts with a majority of 10-2 after more than five-and-a-half hours of deliberation.
He denied the charges but was convicted of three counts of causing a child to watch sexual activity, three of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child, three of causing a child to engage in sexual activity and two of sexual activity with a child.
Last Monday, Phillip’s younger brother arrived at court for the beginning of proceedings wearing a grey shirt.
He was reported to have been seen shaking his head as the charges were read out to him.
Jurors heard that the younger Schofield was eventually confronted by the alleged victim in 2021.
On Friday, the jury heard closing speeches from the barrister representing the Crown and Schofield’s lawyer.
Robin Shellard, prosecuting, said: ‘There are good reasons why society – and we here are all part of this society and the law which is founded because of society – treats those under 18 and those under 16 not as full adults.
‘Society tries to protect children from adults who want to abuse them and tries to protect children from themselves.
‘We are not dealing with morals but criminal abuse against a child’.
During his evidence, Schofield said the watching of pornography and the masturbation began after the boy turned 16.
Robin told the jury: ‘The question you must ask yourself, was this going on for some 18 months when he was just past his 16th birthday and finished by August 2021?
‘Or was this going on for longer and quite deliberately?’
The lawyer continued and said the evidence from the boy was that the abuse started when he was 13 and the barrister suggested the account was ‘restrained’.
Peter Binder, defending, said that in a court of public morals Schofield would be guilty of the gravest of crimes.
‘Cases like this often expose a strong emotional response in the listener and it can be natural to have sympathy for the complainant and it is natural to have strong feelings of antipathy towards the accused’, he said.
‘By the end of all the evidence in this case and after all you heard, there may be some of your number who may be forgiven for hating him too.
‘In a court of public morals, Timothy Schofield would be guilty of the most serious crimes, and yet, members of the jury, matters of themselves do not make him guilty of these offences.
‘This is a court of law and not a court of public morals, and its entirely proper, due to the oaths and affirmations you have taken, to put aside all your feelings of antipathy and revulsion you feel towards the defendant and try this case and these charges on the evidence.
‘You must be utterly dispassionate.
‘This case boils down one person’s word – that of the boy – against the other – that of the defendant’.
He has been remanded in custody ahead of sentencing at Bristol Crown Court on May 19.
After the verdict, an NSPCC spokesperson told Metro.co.uk: ‘Child sexual abuse can have devastating and long-lasting impact on a person’s life and Timothy Schofield’s actions were deeply harmful.
‘We hope that the young man he targeted is receiving all the support he needs to move forward with his life.
‘It is so important that those who have experienced abuse are empowered to speak out, and that members of the public feel equally empowered to talk to someone if they are worried about a young person, no matter who they are or when it happened.
‘Adults who are concerned about a child can speak to a trained child protection specialist at the NSPCC Helpline at help@nspcc.org.uk, while Childline is there for young people on 0800 1111 or www.childline.org.uk.
‘We would also encourage everyone and anyone to take the NSPCC’s free 10 minute training, ‘Listen Up, Speak Up’ available on our website, to know what to do if a child needs help, and where to go if you need support yourself.
‘That little bit of knowledge can help keep a lot of children safe’.
Stock markets around the world are mixed Monday, as a jump in oil prices threatens to add upward pressure on inflation.
The S&P 500 was 0.1% lower in midday trading. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 207 points, or 0.6%, at 33,481, as of 11:35 a.m. Eastern time, while the Nasdaq composite was 0.9% lower.
Oil jumped roughly 6% after Saudi Arabia and other crude-producing countries said over the weekend they would cut production. That lifted stocks of energy companies, including a 5.6% rise for Exxon Mobil, 8.2% leap for Marathon Oil and 4.4% gain for BP.
While the jump in oil helps energy producers, it also weighs on much of the rest of the market. That’s because it dents one of the main themes that helped stocks rise in this year’s just completed first quarter: that turmoil in the banking system and a continued slowdown in inflation could push the Federal Reserve to ease its hikes to interest rates.
The Fed has already jacked rates up at a feverish pace over the last year in hopes of undercutting high inflation. Higher rates can do that by slowing the economy, but they risk causing a recession later on.
They also drag down prices for stocks, bonds and other investments. That’s a factor that helped cause the second-largest U.S. bank failure in history last month, which in turn meant harsher scrutiny on the strength of banks worldwide. The fear is that the banking industry’s troubles could lead to a pullback in lending to all kinds of companies, which would further hurt the economy.
Hope on Wall Street had been rising that the Fed may already be done raising rates and that cuts to rates could even happen later this year. Such cuts would release some of the pressure on the economy, which is still growing thanks to a strong job market but has shown pain in the housing market and other corners.
Cuts to rates also tend to act like steroids for financial markets. U.S. stocks have tended to return an average of 8% in the three months following the peak of the Fed’s federal funds rate, according to Goldman Sachs. That includes six instances going back to 1982.
That’s why so much furor has built among traders as they bet on how much further the Fed will raise rates. On Friday, they were leaning slightly toward the Fed holding steady at their next meeting in May, which would be the first time in more than a year that it didn’t hike rates.
But following Monday’s leap for oil prices, bets built that the Fed may hike rates by another quarter of a percentage point in May, according to CME Group.
Short-term Treasury yields initially rose on such expectations, though they eased after a separate report showed manufacturing activity in the U.S. weakened last month by more than economists expected.
March marked its fifth straight month of contraction and showed the biting effects of past rate hikes are already working through the system. Following that report, the two-year Treasury yield fell to 3.99% from 4.04% late Friday. It had been above 4.11% earlier in the morning.
It got its initial push higher from a 6.3% rise for a barrel of U.S. crude oil to $80.42. It climbed on the announcement for production cuts from May until the end of the year.
Less supply of oil would raise its price, as long as demand stays steady. And the weekend’s announcement comes on top of a reduction announced last October, one that infuriated the Biden administration.
Brent crude, the international standard, rose 6.1% to $84.77 per barrel. It’s roughly back to where it was a month ago, though it’s still well below where it was in March 2022, when it topped $130 per barrel after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine raised worries about energy supplies.
“This will create both political waves across Europe and even higher general inflation in the USA, leading to renewed pressure on the Federal Reserve to keep hiking rates aggressively,” Clifford Bennett, chief economist at ACY Securities, said in a report.
Higher interest rates hit all kinds of stocks, but they tend to hit high-growth companies the hardest. That puts extra pressure on the Big Tech stocks that have an outsized effect on the S&P 500 and other indexes because of their immense size.
In the first quarter, hopes for easier interest rates meant Big Tech stocks were among the main reasons for a gain in the S&P 500. Strategists at Morgan Stanley led by Michael Wilson are skeptical they’ll continue to hold up better than others when the market is still under downward pressure, as they expect.
“We see little evidence that a new bull market has begun and believe the bear still has unfinished business,” Wilson wrote in a report.
Microsoft was one of the heaviest weights on the index Monday after it slipped 1.2%.
Tesla fell 6.5% after it said over the weekend that deliveries in the first three months of the year fell short of analysts’ expectations, even though it still set a record.
In markets abroad, stock indexes were mixed across Europe and Asia
Ghanaian music sensation, Fameye, has been caught on camera lamenting about the quality and quantity of koko he purchased in the streets of Accra. The “Praise” hitmaker took to social media to share his hilarious experience with his teeming fans.
In a lighthearted manner, Fameye expressed his disappointment at the paltry amount of koko he was served despite paying GH¢3 for it. The renowned musician could not hide his dissatisfaction with the quantity of the local porridge he was served.
The hilarious video has since gone viral, with thousands of people sharing the same sentiments as Fameye. The footage showed the “Notin I Get” hitmaker holding the transparent plastic flat bag containing the koko and lamenting about the hardship in Ghana.
As the video continued, Fameye could be seen inspecting the contents of the bag and making fun of the amount of koko he was served. The funny video has attracted lots of reactions from social media users, who recounted similar experiences with local food vendors in Ghana.
Travelers are hurrying to renew their passports as a five-week strike by more than 1,000 passport workers gets underway Monday.
For those requesting a new passport, the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) Union predicted that the strike will cause “major delays.”
‘There will be tremendous delays in the already 10 weeks that people are intended to apply for passports, and there will be huge disruption on the fast-track process,’ said Mark Serwokta, the union’s general secretary, to Sky News.
‘The government says it has got contingency measures in place so we’ll see how that works out over the next few days and weeks, but I would expect there to be delays.’
The Home Office confirmed there has been a ‘temporary increase’ in applications since it was announced workers will walk out from today.
But the amount is ‘close’ to the levels they estimated, and the 10-week advisory wait time remains unchanged.
A spokesperson told the BBC: ‘The number of passport applications remains close to forecasted volumes.
‘There are currently no plans to change out guidance which states that it takes up to 10 weeks to get a passport.’
Members of the PCS Union are striking until May 5 in a row over pay and conditions.
Current waiting times for first adult passports are just over 18 days while renewals are just over 14 days, according to Passportwaitingtime.co.uk.
People who require an urgent passport on compassionate grounds will still be able to apply for one.
But there will be a reduction in the number of appointments for other ‘urgent’ services.
Mr Serwokta said there has been ‘radio silence’ from the government without even ‘one minute’ of negotiations since strikes began.
He added: ‘This strike is a significant escalation because the Government’s own workforce are living in in-work poverty – 40,000 using food banks, 45,000 claiming in-work benefits, and now an estimated 60,000 to 70,000 on the national minimum wage.’
Afia Mansah, the ex-wife of fashion icon and social media model Osebo the Zaraman, has publicly declared her support for Hon Kennedy Agyapong on her social media platforms.
Afia Mansah, popularly known as Ohemaa 1, has pitched her tent with MP for Assin Central. Many wonder about the motive behind such a bold move.
Two years ago, Ken Agypong leaked an expose on Obinim which listed all the married women he slept with, including Ohemaa, who was then facing trouble in her marriage with Osebo.
According to Kennedy Agyapong, Ohemaa’s quest to find miraculous solutions to her troubles led her into Obinim’s bed. He continued to reveal that this situation was causing problems in Ohemaa 1’s marriage.
And so it is with great wonder that Ohemaa 1 and Kennedy Agyapong have solved their difference for her to support his public appearance.
In July 2022, Ohemaa shared a short video endorsing the presidential candidate on her Instagram page. She shared another photo of the MP aspiring to be president in late January
Ghana is yet to act in respect of a 90-day visa-free arrangement for ordinary passport holders with the Republic of South Africa (RSA), despite the challenges businesses and individuals currently have to go through to acquire a visa to travel to the Southern Africa nation.
AviationGhana sources close to the issue explained that the South African Home Affairs Department tabled the offer more than a year ago so as to facilitate trade and investment between the two countries but Ghana is yet to accept the terms.
The SA Home Affairs, which is separate from the country’s Foreign Affairs office, offered a 90-day visa-free entry per year for Ghanaian ordinary passport holders. Persons who want to stay longer would have the option of applying for visa to enable them extend their stay.
However, Ghana is said to have asked for 180days – a length of time rarely granted in such visa-free arrangements between two nations.
Additionally, while the SA Home Affairs office was seeking to have this done through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) since there already exist a bilateral relation between the two countries. However, Ghana say it is to table arrangement through Parliament before it can give effect to same.
The third issue is the removal of undesirable persons from the RSA. RSA wants the Government of Ghana (GoG) to bear the cost of returning its citizens who overstay their welcome or go contrary to the laws of RSA for which reasons they become unwanted in the rainbow nation.
GoG disagrees with this, according to close sources with in-depth knowledge about these discussions.
Despite these initial observations raised by Ghana, there has not been any further action on the South Africa visa waiver proposal. The RSA Home Affairs office says it has been waiting all this while for Ghana to act and move the discussions forward so as to actualize the said arrangement.
Push for E-Visa for a start
While Ghanaians struggle with booking appointments through the VFS to submit visa applications, Nigeria has been activated for online Visa Application processing. Which is more efficient and less frustrating?
While awaiting resolution of the issue, the Country Manager of South African Airways, Madam Gloria Wilkinson-Mensah, urged the institution of an online visa regime just as has been done for Nigerians traveling to South Africa.
“It will be a good alternative to the long-awaited visa waiver protocol between Ghana & RSA. With the AFCFTA secretariat in Ghana, headed by a South African, free movement of people and goods should start with these two countries as a goodwill gesture and commitment to the vision for the Continent.”
Background of the proposed visa-free travel to South Africa
In July 2019, Ghana along with 6 other countries, was penned down for a visa-free travel regime by South Africa Home Affairs office. The countries were: Qatar, United Arab Emirates, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, Cuba, Ghana, Sao Tome and Principe.
Promises were made by SA authorities to meet their Ghanaian counterparts to finalize the implementation by the end of August 2019.
A visa-free regime was approved for all the countries on the list a few weeks later with the exception of Ghana and Sao Tome and Principe.
Life in prison was handed down to the shooter who killed nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel as she cried out to her mother in her own home.
During a three-week trial that concentrated on the crucial particulars of a crime that shocked the country, Thomas Cashman, 34, was found guilty of the young girl’s murder last week.
Mrs. Justice Yip, the trial judge, ruled that a whole-life order was not necessary in this case but set the minimum sentence he must serve at 42 years.
Ahead of today’s sentencing at Manchester Crown Court, Olivia’s mum Cheryl Korbel held the same pink teddy bear, made out of her daughter’s pyjamas, which she waved in delight after the verdict on March 30.
Mrs Justice Yip’s sentencing was delayed for several minutes as Cashman refused to appear in the dock for it and the family’s impact statements, a decision the judge described as ‘deeply disrespectful’.
The defendant’s lawyer explained his client believed the matter had become a ‘circus’ after he said he heard the Crown Prosecution Service singing the Queen song We Are The Champions following his conviction.
In her statement, Ms Korbel, 46, said Olivia was planning to donate 12 inches of her hair to the Princess Trust, which creates wigs for sick children.
Her haircut had been booked for August 27 – five days after her murder.
The court also heard impact statements from Olivia’s big sister Chloe Kerbel and her father John Pratt.
During the trial, jurors had been told how Cashman had been ‘scoping out’ his intended target, drug dealer Joseph Nee, as he watched a football match with his friend on August 22 last year.
Cashman, who admitted operating as a ‘high-level’ cannabis dealer in the area, then ‘ruthlessly pursued’ Nee until he reached the front door of the Korbel family home in Knotty Ash, Liverpool.
Ms Korbel had opened the door to check what the noise was – but Nee, who had already been shot in the midriff, took the opportunity to try and barge in.
Cheryl Korbel, left, held a pink and blue teddy outside the courtroom ahead of the sentencing (Picture: PA)John Francis Pratt, Olivia’s dad, also attended the sentencing today (Picture: PA)Olivia Pratt-Korbel was killed in her own home on August 22 last yearArmed police stoond guard as a prison van arrived at at Manchester Crown Court ahead of Cashman’s sentencing (Picture: PA)
Olivia, who had been woken up by the commotion outside, was standing on the stairway screaming: ‘I’m scared mummy, I’m scared.’
The fatal shot was fired through the front door, hitting Ms Korbel in the wrist as she tried to close it and ultimately striking Olivia in the chest.
The court heard Cashman fled the scene on foot, jumping over garden fences, and was later picked up and driven away by Paul Russell, 41.
Meanwhile, Olivia was taken to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital and rushed straight to the resuscitation room, but was declared dead at 11.15pm.
Cashman told the jury he had been at a friend’s house, counting out £10,000 in cash and smoking a spliff, on the night of the killing.
While giving evidence, the father-of-two insisted: ‘I’m not a killer, I’m a dad.’
Thomas Cashman lies to police after he’s shot nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel
But a woman who was having a fling with him told the court he had come to her house after the shooting, changing his clothes and telling her he had ‘done Joey’.
The woman in question was praised for her ‘bravery’ by police, who said her testimony was vital to ensuring Cashman’s conviction.
Detective Superintendent Mark Baker, of Merseyside Police, said: ‘We hoped and prayed, through our witness appeal, that a witness of this nature would come forward.
‘She showed incredible bravery. Probably in my 30-year service, I’ve never seen such bravery.’
She reportedly told officers after coming forward: ‘There is no such thing as a grass when it involves a nine-year-old.’
Who is ‘Britain’s most hated man’ Thomas Cashman?
Little is known for certain about Cashman’s past beyond what was said in court, where he admitted to being a ‘high-level’ cannabis dealer but claimed he was ‘not a killer’.
A father-of-two, he grew up in a terraced council house 15 minutes from Olivia’s home, left school around 13 or 14 and spent time working in fairgrounds in Wales before moving back to Liverpool.
At the time of his arrest, he told jurors, he had been making between £3,000 and £5,000 per week selling cannabis around Merseyside, where he lived in a £450,000 home.
Despite the huge sums involved, he insisted he strictly sold to people he knew, didn’t touch Class A substances and was ‘not a bad drug dealer’.
But he hinted at his violent streak when probed about an anecdote in which he recalled how he dealt with a £25,000 debt for five kilos of cannabis owed to him by an associate.
Without batting an eyelid, he told jurors: ‘I said if you don’t sort it I’ll take your graft and I’ll take your car.’
David McLachlan, KC, prosecuting, asked: ‘What if [he] refused to hand them over?’
Cashman replied: ‘If he didn’t give it me, well, he would have ended up getting a punch or something.’
Asked whether this was ‘the world in which you live and work’, he added: ‘If I let people do that all the time I wouldn’t be able to sell cannabis.
‘I would have took the graft; I would have took the car. He’s got a nice car. To pay the bill off…I can’t let people take the p***.’
But numerous reports have linked him to organised crime groups, the sale of cocaine and three other deaths which remain unsolved.
One man claiming to be a former customer told the Liverpool Echo Cashman was ‘feared’ as a ‘known hitman in the area’, running with a gang who ‘ran the streets’ of Dovecot.
The 34-year-old is also reportedly suspected of being connected to the fatal Liverpool shootings of 46-year-old dad-of-two Nick Ayers in 2010, 31-year-old Karl Bradley in 2013, and 30-year-old Blake Brown in 2016.
Mr Ayers was shot seven times outside his mother-in-law’s house in a suspected gangland execution, and was found dying on the ground by one of his daughters.
Mr Bradley, who was the brother of infamous gang boss Kirk ‘The Turk’ Bradley, was shot four times and left for dead in a snow-covered garden.
Mr Brown, was shot three times in the head, arm and buttocks by two men in a ‘sophisticated’ attack outside a bail hostel weeks after being freed from jail.
As well as Olivia’s murder, Cashman was also found guilty of the attempted murder of Nee, wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm to Ms Korbel, and two counts of possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life.
He now reportedly has a £250,000 bounty on his head to stop him from ‘grassing’.
An insider told The Sun: ‘He knows everything about everyone. The figure is £250,000 to kill him.
‘His knowledge and testimony could cause a world of pain for some very big criminals who do not want their activities being looked at.’
Mr Russell, who admitted assisting an offender by driving Cashman away from an scene and passing his clothes to another person, is expected to be sentenced separately at a later date.
Former Minority Leader in Parliament, Haruna Iddrisu is optimistic of winning the Tamale South seat in the upcoming parliamentary primaries of the National Democratic Congress.
The Tamale South MP subjected himself before the vetting committee of the party in the Tamale South constituency office.
Highly tipped to retain the seat, Haruna Iddrisu says his work in the Constituency is not done yet.
Accompanied by a mammoth crowd, the 5-time Member of Parliament for Tamale South answered questions that bordered on his suitability for the job.
He assured that he would win re-election by a landslide, touting his prowess and growing influence over the years.
“Today I am here to honour the NDC constitutional requirement as the NDC unbeatable candidate for the 2024 general election and today marks the beginning of the NDC journey to victory in 2024. But the Tamale South seat is free, you can come in. The only thing I can assure you is that you won’t get more than 5% of the votes or probably 2%. You won’t make more than five percent,” he said.
Haruna Iddrisu indicated that he will work to ensure an overwhelming victory for the NDC in the Tamale South Constituency.
“Tamale South in the last presidential and parliamentary elections made a significant contribution of 69,000 votes and my pledge this year is that we will contribute 90,000 votes for John Mahama or whoever leads the NDC in the 2024 elections,” he added.
According to him, the mismanagement of the economy by the Akufo-Addo government vindicates the NDC as the best party to lead the country.
“We must all come together, shun divisiveness, and work towards an NDC victory, because that is the surest way to win power,” he indicated.
After being a student leader for years during his tertiary education, Haruna Iddrisu transitioned into mainstream national politics and rose to become the National Youth Organiser for the National Democratic Congress in 2002.
He held that position for eight years even whilst he was the Minister of Communications until stepping down in 2010.
Haruna first stood for MP in the 2004 parliamentary election in the then-newly formed Tamale South Constituency. He served as the Ranking Member of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Communications and also the Minority Spokesman on Communications in the fourth Parliament when the NDC was in opposition.
He retained his seat in the 2008 parliamentary election by gaining 78.2% of the total votes cast. He once again retained his seat in the 2012 parliamentary elections by getting 74.6% of the total votes cast.
Even though his party lost the Presidential Elections, Haruna retained his seat in the 2016 elections and was selected to lead the Minority Caucus as the Minority Leader of the 7th Parliament of the 4th Republic of Ghana.
He served as the Minority Leader for NDC in Ghana’s 8th Parliament from January 2017 till January 2023.
He has also held various positions in government, including Minister for Communications under the Mills and Mahama governments as well as Minister for Trade between 2013 and 2014. He was appointed the Minister for Employment and Labour Relations by President Mahama in July 2014.
Director-General of the National Lottery Authority(NLA), Mr. Samuel Awuku has announced measures put in place to stabilize and raise revenue for his outfit.
In a brief report at the State of Specified Entries engagement, Mr. Awuku revealed that he met a debt of GHS15 million in unpaid wins upon assumption of office but efforts have been made to clear a greater part of the debt with plans in place to clear the outstanding debt.
One of the initiatives implemented to ease the burden of claiming wins is the development of Instant Pay with the shortcode 3891000# which enables players to instantly redeem wins of up to GHS 1,200 after the draw.
In partnership with the Corporate Lotto Marketing Companies (LMCs), Prize Payment Centers have also been instituted in Regional offices nationwide for wins up to GHS 12,000.
Mr. Awuku also revealed that the NLA Governing Board, together with the Authority, has renegotiated the contract with KGL Group to GHS 55million in 2022, with GHS 2 million supporting their Good Causes Foundation and GHS 3 million going into Stabilization Fund for their LMCs.
The deal has also been renegotiated by GHS65 million for 2023.
The Authority has already established partnerships with Ivory Coast and Nigeria, with royalties of GHS 18 million and GHS 13 million respectively expected to be paid for drawing their games online through KGL Group.
He further announced the licensing of Private Lotto Operators (PLOs) as part of efforts to sanitize the lottery space and generate revenue for national development.
PLOs who operate under the framework of the National Lotto Act, 2006 (Act 722) pay a sum of GHS1.5millon while those who operate under the Veterans Administration Ghana Act, 2012 (Act 844) pay a sum of GHS 500,000, PLOs are also required to pay a fixed figure to support the Good Causes Foundation.
To bring in more revenue, the National Lotteries Authority has signed on to new third-party collaborators, including Zeta Technologies, Blue Star Hi-Tech Company Limited, and Fortune Synergy.
Talks are also underway with Supreme Ventures, the biggest lottery operator in the Caribbean, to introduce new games.
In line with the World Lottery Authority Standards, the National Lottery Authority is expected to purchase new draw machines by the end of April to phase out its over 25-year-old draw machines.
Multiple draws are also set to be launched by the first week of May.
Community draws have also been introduced to create moments of excitement and demystify the myth surrounding the draw process and their games.
Draws will be held in the morning, afternoon, and evening to enable people to observe the process.
Meanwhile, Sammy Awuku has emphasized that these initiatives have contributed significantly to the improvement of revenue for the National Lottery Authority.
According to reports, some 25 carriages ran off the track, some of which crashed into the Clark Fork River in Montana after going down an embankment.
Pictures show a large number of boxes, some of which are marked with the Coors Lite name, lying between two of the carriages along the water.
One image shows a tiny boat with three men inside, who appear to be fisherman. One of the men is standing up and grinning while holding a bottle of beer he found among the wreckage.
It’s not believed anyone was hurt in the accident, which happened near the town of Paradise, and police said it’s not thought the carriages were carrying anything hazardous.
Photos posted on social media show some of the cars appearing to dip into the river.
A group of fishermen claim a bottle of beer from the derailed train (Ben Allan Smith/The Missoulian via AP)
A Montana Rail Link spokesperson said: ‘We are committed to addressing any impacts to the area as a result of this accident, prioritising the safety of our employees and the public, and understanding the reasons for this incident.’
Montana’s US senators Steve Daines and Jon Tester said in separate tweets that they were monitoring the derailment and were in touch with local officials.
Train derails in Montana spilling hundreds of cases of beer
Federal regulators and members of US congress are urging the railways to do more to prevent derailments after recent incidents that involving fires and hazardous chemicals in Ohio and Minnesota lead to evacuations.
Last year a truck carrying tens of thousands of tomatoes in California crashed and spilled, resulting in a seven-vehicle crash as drivers skidded over the gooey mess.
The following month, near Oklahoma City, there was the rather more unusual spillage of sex toys and lube from a lorry that had overturned.
The Namibian High Commissioner to Ghana, Selma Ashipala-Musavyi, has given a strong assurance of deepening trade relations between Ghanaian and Namibian businesses for shared growth.
The increased relations, she explained, were a top priority of the Namibian government towards tapping the investment potential in the country, particularly in the Central region, while capturing new foreign direct investment between the two countries for mutual gain.
The move is based on the premise that with combined efforts, the two countries would become stronger and more prosperous to address common challenges and take advantage of shared opportunities for their common benefits.
Among others, the major areas of interest include education, agriculture, environment and tourism, trade and investment, mining, energy, science and technology, health, fisheries and aquaculture, infrastructure development, and maritime.
Namibia has a well-established fishing industry and seeks to increase the existing volume of its fish and marine products in the Ghanaian market.
It is known worldwide for its export of beef and related products, beverages, dates, grapes, fish, salt, and minerals.
The Namibian High Commissioner also visited the Holy Child School and Adisadel College, where she interacted with the students and the school authorities as part of her gender empowerment, mentoring and coaching, particularly for young girls.
It was also to explore educational partnerships between schools, particularly Senior High schools in the academic city of Cape Coast and its counterparts in Namibia for exchange programmes and academic partnerships.
As well, she visited many businesses, including the Ekumfi fruits and Juices factory and paid a courtesy call to Osabarima Kwesi Atta II, Omanhen of Oguaa Traditional Area to explore other cultural and traditional ties.
The Namibian High Commissioner had earlier called on Mrs Justina Marigold Assan, the Regional Minister, and indicated that the move was a springboard to consolidating the bilateral relations between the two historic countries.
She said Ghanaian entrepreneurs, businesses and institutional collaborations were central within the framework of mutual commitment that led to the signing of a Ghana and Namibia General Cooperation Framework Agreement.
The arrangement includes the establishment of the Permanent Joint Commission for Cooperation (PJCC) in 2022, which serves as the platform for the conduct of bilateral relations to identify and pursue bilateral cooperation across multifaceted sectors.
Backed by the PJCC, she said, Namibians had recognised the growing trading relationship between the two countries, saying each country could serve as a launching pad for higher volume trading relations with other countries in southern and Western Africa.
Beyond bilateral cooperation, the partnership at major international institutions, like the African Union, the United Nations, and other major multilateral platforms have continued to also yield joint benefits.
Building on the existing relationship, the two countries also desire to increase bilateral trade in the context of the timely African Continental Free Trade Area (AFCTA), thus boosting the two countries economic recovery and development in the post-COVID-19 era.
The Namibian High Commissioner indicated that there were complementarities between the economies of the two countries, which the private sector of Namibia and Ghana should take advantage of.
The Namibian High Commissioner expressed her personal resolve to empower women, saying it was essential to the health and social development of families, communities, and countries.
She said when women lived safe, fulfilled and productive lives, they could reach their full potential and contribute their skills to the workforce and raise happier and healthier children.
In a remark, Mrs Assan expressed gratitude to the High Commissioner and the Republic of Namibia and described the engagement as useful for deepening bilateral ties.
She indicated that the region had many investible areas aside from the tourism and hospitality industry, which had been largely advertised.
She stressed that “investors must take advantage of the agro-processing sector, tourism, property and real estate and Information and Communications Technology (ICT) opportunities in the region to expand their market and provide more job avenues in the region.”
The Tema Region of the Electricity Company of Ghana Limited (ECG) has disconnected 310 customers, mainly for non-payment of electricity consumed.
The disconnections were done as part of the company’s nationwide one month revenue mobilisation programme which began on March 20, 2023 and is expected to end on April 20, 2023.
The 310 disconnected customers were part of a total of 2,344 customers who were visited within the first two weeks of the exercise. These customers include all individuals, small, medium and large scale organisations.
Revenue mobilisation is a usual part of the ECGs operations. It is handled by a unit in the organisation known as the Revenue Protection Unit. However, for this special exercise, the organisation rallied the management team and all back end staff from the very top to the bottom, who do not usually deal with customers directly to partake in this activity.
The members of the Board of Directors also joined in this exercise.
The General Manager for ECG, Tema Region, Ing. Ankomah Emmanuel encouraged customers to “do well to pay up their bills to avoid debt and possible disconnection”.
He also added that “we entreat customers not to make any payment whatsoever to any staff of the company on the field as that is not part of this exercise.”
All customers are to make all cash payments at ECG offices and to make cheque payments at banks. Alternatively, payments can be made through the phone short code *226#.
Ing. Ankomah added that the exercise will continue, while hoping that more customers will work towards clearing up their debts owed ECG.
The Lead Tax and Regulatory Partner at Deloitte- Ghana, George Ankomah says passing numerous taxes will not guarantee the country a green light for the $3 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) cash.
This comes on the back of Parliament on March 31, 2023, through a Majority decision that has passed three new taxes which are to generate approximately GH¢4 billion per year to supplement domestic revenue.
These are Income Tax Amendment Bill, Excise Duty Amendment Bill, and Growth and Sustainability Amendment Bill.
Speaking on the Morning Starr with Francis Abban Monday, April 3, 2023, Mr. Ankomah indicated that the government will have to put more effort into reviving the economy rather than the passage of new taxes.
He emphasized that there underlying factors the government must meet and demonstrate to get approval of the IMF deal.
“We have not put forth a hundred percent all, what the IMF is asking for on what we need to do to have an IMF deal. You know the discussion around the debt exchange was very topical. We are taught after signing that then we are on course. It happened that after that we realized that there is something more that needs to be done and so that is where we are in terms of the taxes.
“We are told that once these taxes are passed then we will be able to secure an IMF deal. The IMF to the best of my understanding is not necessarily asking for a tax bill to be passed but the government demonstrates plans of how it is going to recover from the state in which we are.
“In terms of sustainable economic growth and how we are going to do that and macroeconomic stability and how we are going to do that. So the government is of the view that some of these taxes that have been introduced should be one of the considerations for the IMF to see that we have made an effort to rake in more revenue as far as Ghana is concerned to meet their requirement as a condition,” Mr. Ankomah stated.
Superintendent of Police Elizabeth Effia Tenge, a former Public Relations officer of the Accra Regional Police Command has left the Service.
She was the immediate past Public Relations Officer at the Volta Regional Police Command.
In a statement on Saturday, April 1, 2023, she said, “Good morning all, hope we are all fine. Please, this is to inform you that I have formally exited from the Ghana Police Service after 18 years of active service.
“ Permit me to use this medium to thank you all, l mean everyone of you, for your immeasurable support during my appointment as Public Affairs Officer of this noble profession.
“We will definitely meet again hopefully in a different working environment.
“Once again thank you very much. Have a blessed day, signed, Supt (Rtd) Effia Tenge. ”
Personal Summary
Effia Tenge is a Superintendent of Police in Ghana. Effia Tenge is a Superintendent of Police in Ghana.
She has a passion for driving organisational and social change through public education and training.
She was appointed into the Ghana Police Service as a public affairs officer in 2005 and stationed at the Media Monitoring Center of the Police Public Affairs Directorate, National Headquarters. She served in the Unit and later became the supervisor, placing her in a vantage role to conduct media analysis of police and security-related information and deal with potential negative publicity likely to affect the reputation of the institution timely.
She made her professional debut in 2014 when she was assigned the public affairs officer for the regional command, Accra. She served in this capacity until she was appointed the director, Public Affairs, Volta regional Police command.
She has served in the Ghana Police Service for 18 years and has risen to the rank of superintendent before her exit. She has been instrumental in implementing initiatives to advance the course of policing in Ghana. The following summarizes some personal achievements
Introduction of police diary
Effia Tenge introduced the Police Regional News Magazine ‘Police Diary’ to ensure regular information flow on law enforcement activities that promotes police professionalism, respect for human rights, transparency in police operations, and accountability to the public.
Undoubtedly, the police’s ability to effectively combat crimes in a growing environment of sophisticated and complex crimes largely depends on strong public support through reliable, credible, and timely crime reporting.
Given this Effia Tenge seeks partnership support from private companies to fund the publications and distribute them to the public at no cost. Four of the news magazines have been published after its maiden launch in 2019 by Dr. Joyce Rosalind Aryee.
Promotion of a multi-agency approach in crime fighting
In the early part of 2019, Ghana’s pride in hospitality towards the expatriate community came under heavy public condemnation.
This was mainly due to widespread media attacks on Ghana’s security due to unresolved cases of kidnapping which were quite alien to Ghana’s criminal history.
Local and foreign nationals were victims of targeted kidnappings. Amid widespread panic and a recent kidnap scare among the expatriate community in Ghana, Effia Tenge devised and implemented the following initiatives to reduce growing tension and restore public confidence in Ghana’s security.
Stakeholder engagement with expatriates
Given that, Accra hosts most Embassies and High Commissions in Ghana, Effia Tenge activated and maintained Expats Dialogue Sessions aimed at reaching and sharing timely security information on the safety of foreign nationals and key interests in the wake of emerging crimes. Kidnapping, inner-city street robbery, terrorism threats, and other security-related issues; thus finding a multi-dimensional approach to dealing with the complexities
Effia Tenge coordinated a mission-by-mission visitation including the US Embassy, British High Commission, the Netherlands, and Japanese Embassies; and met all security heads of Diplomatic missions in Ghana, hosted by the German Embassy in Accra.
Kidnapping sensitization of Girl Senior High Schools (SHS) in Accra
Owing to the background given, Effia Tenge produced and rolled out a comprehensive sensitization programme through staged drama by police officers who educated students on kidnapping prevention among targeted groups.
Girl Senior High Schools in Accra benefited from the campaign as well as participants in the 2019 Forum of Heads of Girls Senior High School (FOHGSHS) summer camp in the Eastern Region of Ghana, attended by 40 Girl Senior High Schools in the Country.
The campaign was also extended to selected Basic School Groups.
Flyers on vital security tips on kidnappings were designed and distributed as part of the campaign.
Annual Cervical Cancer Screening for Women Police Officers
In prioritizing the well-being of officers, Effia Tenge initiates and coordinates health awareness and screening programmes to build a resilient healthy lifestyle for effective policing. In collaboration with the Police Hospital, health seminars on stress management, mental health, and suicide prevention, lifestyle diseases are periodically held for officers to ensure officers’ vitality.
There is also local and external partnership with the King James foundation and Ghana Medical Missions (USA) to offer health screening of officers and donation of medical supplies to the police hospital.
Additionally, the women’s caucus of the service is mobilized annually to benefit from women’s empowerment and health issues such as cervical cancer, depression, breast cancer, and reproductive and maternal health. She negotiates for discounted diagnostic procedures to encourage more ladies and dependents to take advantage of the opportunity.
Education of law enforcement officers on COVID-19
Similarly in 2020, when Ghana recorded its first cases of COVID-19, the novelty of the global pandemic and the heightened public scare posed a threat to officers resulting in the need for proper sensitization of officers.
Effia Tenge organised a training session in collaboration with the Greater Accra Regional Hospital to provide public health safety tips to police officers as they embarked on operational duties to enforce restrictions during a lockdown.
Organized a blood donation exercise
Effia Tenge spearheaded a blood donation exercise to support the Police Hospital’s Blood Bank. The Police Hospital was the main hospital to receive emergency cases in the day-to-day police combat operations.
The Police Hospital typically receives frontline officers who get injured in the line of duty and require urgent medical attention, victims of violent crimes like robbery, and fatal motor accidents, and suspects of crime in dire emergency cases.
To prevent avoidable deaths she teamed up with the National Blood Bank, and the Police Hospital Administration, and brought doctors and technicians together for a successful blood donation exercise.
Introduction of officer motivation concept
Effia Tenge initiated the ‘City Police’, a concept dedicated to hardworking personnel, whose services to duty are undoubtedly outstanding.
Officers with such qualities are identified and celebrated in a special ceremony. With the support of a corporate partner, these officers are presented with a package to motivate them and encourage others to give their best in the discharge of their duties.
Since this concept was introduced in 2019, four officers including a female have been recognized in a special parade.
Initiated the training of security wardens in a counter-terrorism campaign
Following recent terror attacks in the West African sub-region, particularly neighboring Burkina Faso, the need to secure places of worship in Ghana understandably became imminent.
Effia Tenge coordinated the training of volunteers in 18 houses of worship along different religious complement police efforts.
Subject Matter Experts drawn from different units are brought together to train wardens on basic knowledge in handling security situations at places of worship.
In addition to this, over 20 000 worshipers were sensitized on vigilance and how to detect potential threats.
Though it is almost impossible to guarantee absolute security in combating threats of terrorism, taking strategic steps to reduce potential risk and attacks at both public and places of worship is key.
Police-media relation
She was a police member on the committee set up for the development of Framework on Police-Media Relations and Safety of Journalists in Ghana.
Formulation of guidelines which has been adopted by Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) and allied media actors to improve police-media relations.
Until her exit, she was a member of the Public Affairs and Community Engagement (PACE) team drafted an Internal and External Communication Strategy for the National Border Security Strategy. An Integrated Border Management (IBM) agenda under the Ghana-US coordinated Security Governance Initiative (SGI) programme.
This programme seeks to enhance collaboration and unity of efforts of border security agencies to attain the strategic goals for improving security and processes at the borders as well as improving the effectiveness of the Law Enforcement agencies.
Sexual abuse empowerment programme in the Volta region of Ghana
In August 2021, Effia Tenge’s area of responsibility changed from Accra to the Volta Region of Ghana.
A careful analysis of crime trends in the region and interaction with officers on the ground showed a prevalence of child sexual abuse.
Effia Tenge rolled out a campaign in collaboration with the Ghana Education Service GES and the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU) to build a well-informed community of empowered children who should be able to recognize early sexual advances and speak out.
The campaign goal was to liberate the abused from mythical and cultural factors such as patriarchal nuances, fear of death, and collective shame.
This campaign reached about 5,600 students in the first phase together with the following results:
Currently, a report from DOVVSU indicates an increase in reporting sexually abused crimes as compared to previous years.
Cases of defilement have also reduced from 136 to 45 in 2021 and 2022 respectively.
Teachers and students have reliable contact persons to seek advice on issues relating to sexual abuse and exploitation.
Campaign against substance abuse and school hooliganism
The Volta region continues to lead in the illegal cultivation and use of cannabis in the country. A study by the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) in 2014 revealed that about 50,000 people in Ghana abused narcotic substances.
Of those people, 35,000 were listed as students from Junior, Senior High Schools and tertiary institutions with the age bracket being 12 to 35 years.
In 2021, to close the gaps and ameliorate the negative effects of substance abuse among the youth, Effia Tenge established a team from the Narcotic Control Commission and Police Drug Law Enforcement and began a School Outreach Programme (SOP) against substance abuse.
The sensitization programme targeted Junior and Senior High Schools within Volta Region and reached 5,900 students.
In conclusion, the success of any law enforcement agency largely depends on its strategic partnerships with the communities they serve through constant engagement and mutual understanding’s expectation.
As such, finding opportunities to interact with all segments of society in a non-enforcement context helps to reduce the barriers between the two entities.
Developing collaborative strategies such as the mentioned programs and initiatives go a long way to legitimize law enforcement and gain support from the very communities we serve.
The US Department of Energy has selected Ghana as the host country for the clean energy training Centre for infrastructure development in Africa.
The decision was made known by the Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Nuclear Energy Policy and Cooperation in the Office of Nuclear Energy at the U.S. Department of Energy, Ms. Aleshia Duncan when she paid a four-day official visit to Ghana.
The purpose of the visit was to familiarise herself with the activities of Ghana’s nuclear power programme and the progress made so far.
Ms. Duncan expressed the interest of the US Government in establishing a clean energy training facility in the country to help build the country’s capacity and to also help fight climate change by reducing the country’s carbon emissions.
She said that some virtual training programs had already started as part of the plan to establish the training center and that plans were afoot to establish the facility, which would serve not only Ghana but the entire African continent.
The Deputy Assistant Secretary explained that the modalities concerning the establishment of the training center had been discussed with Nuclear Power Ghana, the owner and operator of the plant, as well as the Nuclear Regulatory Authority and the Nuclear Power Institute, the technical arm of the Ghana Nuclear Power Programme Organisation (GNPPO).
The meeting identified some key priority areas of training and development in support of the nuclear program. Some highlighted areas of development were the establishment of a cybersecurity research hub to improve the country’s capacity to deal with the challenges posed by the evolving threat of cybersecurity, a training and licensing regime for craftsmen to meet international standards, a training facility to offer hands-on training to students and nuclear professionals, and the establishment of a reactor simulator facility.
Ms. Duncan reiterated the United States Government’s support for Ghana’s nuclear power program and efforts made at improving energy generation in Africa.
Five undertakers’ vehicles were vandalized in a “disgusting” rampage, forcing the cancellation of a funeral.
When they were attacked by the bunch of adolescents, the three hearses and two limousines were parked and ready for the ceremony the following morning.
In Hayes, West London, they kicked off wing mirrors and threw a traffic cone at windshields before a girl climbed on the bonnet of one of the cars.
She climbed up after the group, who were seen on Video descending on parked cars in broad daylight at around 6pm on Thursday, took a Mercedes logo off the front of the hearse.
Family-run LCK Funeral Support Services has had to refund the mourners and been left having to repair and replace the specialist vehicles – one of which has been written off due to the damage.
Co-director Katie McCafferty, who runs the business along with her dad, Alan McCafferty, said the vandalism had hit a company that was working hard to provide a service to bereaved families.
She said: ‘We got a phone call on the evening from a neighbour saying these kids were vandalising the cars.
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‘When we got there they’d damaged a whole street’s worth of cars and in a service road at the front of our premises.
‘They’d kicked off the wing mirrors, ripped off the petrol caps and used a traffic cone to smash the windows.
‘There was a little Mercedes badge on the front of one of the hearses which three boys ripped out and put on the bonnet for one of the girls to jump on.
‘It’s disgusting to see these children running around vandalising things that we’ve worked all our lives for.’
A girl can be seen on the bonnet of one of the hearses parked up ready for a funeral service (Picture: Supplied)The youths kicked off wing mirrors as they targeted vehicles parked in two residential streets (Picture: Supplied)
Two of the funeral vehicles, including the one damaged beyond repair, belonged to the firm, which supports other directors with staff, vehicles and transportation. The remaining cars belonged to Ms McCafferty’s brother, Christopher McCafferty, who runs M&R Funeral Carriages.
While the vehicles were insured, the specialist nature of the fleet makes the damage time-consuming to repair.
‘One of the vehicles has been written off completely because every single panel is damaged and we are waiting on a quote to come back on them all being fixed,’ Ms McCafferty said.
‘They had been parked outside in a service road ready for a funeral in the morning. We had to cancel the booking and pay the fees back to the family because none of the funeral cars could be used.
‘It saddens us as a family business who have working so hard to get to where we’re at and these children can just come along and ruin it.
‘We won’t be able to send out any cars for a funeral for a couple of weeks until it’s all fixed. A hearse isn’t something you can get from Enterprise, only certain places have them available for hire, otherwise we’ll just have to wait for the repairs to be done.’
Katie McCafferty said her family’s business has been left having to pick up the pieces (Picture: LCK Funeral Support Services/Facebook)
The support service has reported the incident in Vancouver Road and Welbeck Court to the Metropolitan Police and shared the video footage online in an appeal for people to come forward.
It’s thought the youths were returning home after school.
Ms McCafferty said: ‘A lot of people have messaged us with the names of the children and the schools that they go to.
‘But our fear is that they will be just let off and nothing will happen to make them responsible for what they’ve done to our livelihood, to the people who are grieving loved ones and to the local residents’ property.’
A spokesperson said: ‘Police were called at approximately 19:00hrs on Thursday, March 30 to reports of a number of vehicles damaged in Vancouver Road, Hayes.
‘Enquiries into the circumstances, including obtaining and analysing CCTV, remain ongoing.’
The Member of Parliament for Ningo-Prampram, Sam Nartey George, has established that the Minority fought against the passage of the new tax bills in parliament on Friday, March 31, 2023.
In the wake of the passage, Sam George has opined that something may have gone wrong regarding the headcount during Friday’s vote.
“If we had acquiesced we wouldn’t have gone through the vote, we wouldn’t have accounted for our 136, we wouldn’t have challenged what appeared to be an error in counting. We are aware now that at the time we did the first count Mohammed Tuferu was not in Parliament.
“There are two [majority] MPs who also walked in after the clerks had finished taking the vote from the majority side, so clearly, that vote shouldn’t have read 136, 137, but be that as it may, the Speaker only announces what it is presented to him,” Sam George was quoted by citinewsroom.com.
According to him, “the clerks have a question to answer as to how they managed to get 137.”
On Friday, March 31, 2023, Parliament passed three new taxes.
These were the Excise Duty Amendment Bill 2022, the Growth and Sustainability Levy Bill, 2022, and the Income Tax Amendment Bill 2022.
The taxes are expected to rake in about GH¢4 billion in Ghana annually as part of the government’s domestic revenue mobilization agenda and move to secure an IMF bailout.
A careless fly-tipper who was caught on CCTV throwing away the ruins of a cannabis factory was fined more than £2,000 for his actions.
Over 200 bags of trash were seen being dumped by Steven Bouchard at three different locations, including the South Wales tourist attraction Rhondda Cynon Taf.
The majority of the garbage was from a cannabis factory and included heat lights, fertilizer, soil, plants, and venting pipes.
Despite having a waste carrier license, Bouchard, 38, was caught unlawfully dumping trash seven times.
He was prosecuted following a joint investigation between South Wales Police and the local council.
CCTV cameras had been installed specifically to catch fly-tippers in the Welsh countryside, and after officers arrested Bouchard more drug waste was found in his van.
Bouchard, from Pontypridd, was given a four-month suspended sentence at Merthyr Tydfil Magistrates’ Court. He was also ordered to pay more than £2,000 in fines and court costs.
Steven Bouchard dumped nearly 200 bags of rubbish at three Welsh beauty spots (Picture: Wales News Service)He was caught on CCTV and police found more drug waste in his van (Picture: Wales News Service)
‘There is never an excuse to blight our towns, streets and villages with waste, and we will find those responsible and hold them to account.
‘As this case highlights, we investigate all fly-tipping reports and will uncover all the details as Bouchard has found out.
‘Fly-tipping is a serious offence and can lead to large fines, a criminal record and even a custodial sentence.
‘Removal of fly-tipping in our area costs hundreds of thousands of pounds which should be spent on key front-line services.
‘We will use every power available to us to hold those accountable for their actions.
‘Many of the items we recover on our streets, towns and mountains could have been taken to a recycling centre or collected from the kerbside at no extra cost.’
Fly-tipping is sadly a common occurrence across the UK, with the director of a ‘man with a van’ business and his colleague fined for dumping household waste down a dead end in Glasgow last month.
Some illegal dumpers have become more brazen than ever, with one couple returning to their Kent home to find 80 tyres fly-tipped on their drive.
The rise of cocoa-smuggling activities in Ghana has been a hot topic for some weeks now as COCOBOD said It was decreasing revenue and production of the commodity.
Speaking to the PRO of COCOBOD, Fiifi Boafo touched on some effects the smuggling of cocoa from Ghana to neighbouring counties has had on the revenue generation of the company.
Lamenting the low yields of cocoa from the Volta Region this year, he said “When you go to Volta Region, it’s the worst of all. In Volta Region the cocoa that we bought this year, if you compare to last year which was our lowest in recent years, it is not even up to 10 percent of what we did last year.”
Considering the “dangers” that rental e-scooters pose, Parisians have decided to outlaw the ‘nuisance’ of these vehicles.
In a “rare public consultation,” 89% of voters rejected letting the 15,000 electric scooters owned by Lime, Tier, and Dott roam about the French city.
At the polls, voters referred to the cars as “accident-prone” and expressed worry over how frequently they were engaged in collisions.
Electric scooters caused 3 fatalities and 459 injuries in Paris last year, a 42% increase from 2020.
One man even claimed he ‘almost lost his baby’ after a scooter hit his child.
He said: ‘From personal experience, my seven-week-old baby who was being carried by his mother on an enclosed passageway was hit in the middle of the road by a scooter which was going the wrong way.
‘We almost lost our baby.
‘So after this as a citizen and as a volunteer we wanted to raise awareness.’
Some 89% of voters said they wanted to ban rental e-scooters (Picture: Chesnot/Getty Images)
Deputy mayor David Belliard, a green party politician in charge of transport in Paris, campaigned against renewing the licences of the scooter operators.
He wrote on Twitter: ‘The scooters clutter out streets. They are stored on sidewalks, are poorly parked despite the dedicated spaces, they are dangerous obstacles, especially for seniors and people with reduced mobility.
‘Let’s focus our efforts instead on more accessible forms of mobility that produce less nuisance and danger.’
He also doubted whether the scooters have ecological advantages, as un-recyclable lithium batteries have just a short life span.
People have described the vehicles as a ‘nuisance’ (Picture: EPA)
In June last year Linda Davis was the first pedestrian in the UK killed by an e-scooter after being hit by a 14-year-old boy.
A 31-year-old Italian woman was killed after being hit by an e-scooter carrying two people in 2021.
She fell and hit her head on the pavement, suffering a cardiac arrest.
The rental e-scooters must be removed from Paris’s streets by September 1, according to Mr Belliard.
However the scooter operators have said their younger clientele were unaware of the ballot.
Nearly 90% of the electorate in the city also chose not to vote at all.
In 2020, the city cut down the number of e-scooter operators to three following complaints of their disorganised deployment.
They required the scooters’ speed be capped at around 20km per hour, and imposed designated parking areas.
In a bid to keep running, operators promised tighter safety regulations, including ID checks to make sure all riders were over 18, and fixed license plates so police can identify traffic offenders.
The record for the world’s biggest fake hairstyle has been broken by an Australian artist.
A wig manufactured by Dani Reynolds, measuring an enormous 8 feet 6 inches across, was given the title of biggest wig in the world by Guinness World Records.
The previous record was achieved by American actress Drew Barrymore in 2017 during an appearance on The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon, and Ms. Reynolds’ hairpiece easily surpasses it by more than a foot.
Constructing the massive mop took Ms Reynolds and fellow artist Meg Wilson more than two months, with materials costing the pair upward of AUD$4,000 (£2,172).
In addition to the fake hair – matched to Ms Reynold’s own – the underlying support structure was made from a bike helmet, PVC pipe, pool noodles, cable ties and aluminium rods.
She explained the hardest part of construction was ensuring the wig was well-enough balanced and not too heavy to actually wear on her head, as per the requirements for the record.
A clip shared on Guinness World Records’ Instagram page shows the wig being lowered onto Ms Reynolds head using what appears to be an improvised crane.
Australian woman breaks record for world’s largest wig
Ms Reynolds said: ‘Not having a background in structural engineering or large props-making made this quite a difficult task.
‘I’d like you to bear in mind that Drew Barrymore had a high-end suite of New York prop- and costume-makers at her disposal that made the wig for her, and all she did was wear it.
‘Not all she did – sorry Drew! – but, I am just saying, I have made this myself with Meg.’
She added: ‘I’m curious to know if Drew will be invested in reclaiming the title.
‘I’m aware my time with the title could be fleeting.’
Asked what will now become of the record-breaking mop, Dani said she wasn’t sure, but that she’d be open to selling it on.
She said: ‘Truthfully I don’t know. This is a question I ask myself daily as I justify keeping the wig towering over my partner’s writing desk in our home.
‘My dream would be for the wig to be proximate to the previous title-holding wig.
‘I think it would be impressive to see them in a space together.’
Other Guinness World Records broken so far this year include the woman with the world’s largest feet, and a 30-year-old dog who’s officially the oldest of all time.
They are the engine that drives innovation, job creation, and economic growth. However, SMEs are facing new challenges in the wake of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, which is marked by the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) and other disruptive technologies.
In this article, we will explore the future of SMEs in light of an emerging trend in AI.
First, let us consider the current state of SMEs. According to the World Bank, SMEs represent over 90 percent of businesses worldwide and are responsible for more than half of all employment.
However, SMEs face a number of challenges, including limited access to finance, inadequate infrastructure and regulatory barriers. These challenges can make it difficult for SMEs to compete with larger companies, which have more resources and economies of scale.
This is where AI comes in. AI has the potential to level the playing field for SMEs by providing them with access to powerful tools that were once only available to large corporations. AI can help SMEs to automate processes, analyse data, and make better decisions. This can lead to increased efficiency, productivity, and profitability.
One of the most promising applications of AI for SMEs is in the area of customer service. AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants can provide 24/7 support to customers, without the need for human intervention. This can help SMEs to provide better customer service, while also reducing costs.
Another area where AI can benefit SMEs is in marketing and advertising. AI can help SMEs to target their advertising more effectively by analysing customer data and identifying patterns and trends. This can lead to more efficient use of marketing budgets and ultimately, better results.
AI can also help SMEs to improve their operations. For example, AI-powered supply chain management systems can help SMEs to optimise their inventory levels, reduce waste, and improve delivery times. This can help SMEs to compete more effectively with larger companies, which have already invested in these types of systems.
However, there are also challenges associated with the adoption of AI for SMEs. One of the biggest challenges is the cost of implementation. AI systems can be expensive to develop and implement, which can make it difficult for SMEs with limited budgets to adopt them.
Another challenge is the lack of expertise in AI. SMEs may not have the resources to hire AI experts or train their existing staff in AI technologies. This can make it difficult for SMEs to effectively leverage AI in their operations.
In addition, there are concerns about the impact of AI on jobs. Some experts predict that AI will lead to the automation of many jobs, particularly in industries such as manufacturing and logistics. This could have a negative impact on employment levels, particularly in regions where SMEs are a major source of jobs.
Despite these challenges, the future looks bright for SMEs that are able to adopt AI. According to a recent report by Accenture, AI has the potential to add US$14trillion to the global economy by 2035.
SMEs that are able to leverage AI effectively can benefit from this growth, and potentially even outperform larger companies that are slower to adopt AI.
So, what can SMEs do to prepare for the future of AI? The first step is to educate themselves about AI and its potential applications. SMEs should invest in training for their employees and consider partnering with AI experts or consultants to help them develop an AI strategy.
SMEs should also consider starting small when it comes to AI adoption. Rather than trying to implement large-scale AI systems all at once, SMEs should focus on specific areas where AI can provide the most value, such as customer service or marketing.
They can do so by following these steps:
Identify the areas where AI can provide the most value: SMEs should start by identifying the specific areas of their business where AI can provide the most value. This may involve analysing their operations and identifying areas where AI can improve efficiency, reduce costs, or improve customer satisfaction.
Set clear goals and objectives: Once SMEs have identified the areas where AI can provide the most value, they should set clear goals and objectives for implementing AI. This may involve defining specific metrics for success, such as reducing response times or increasing sales conversions.
Start small: SMEs should start small when it comes to AI adoption, focusing on specific use cases or applications where AI can provide the most value. This may involve implementing AI in a single department or for a specific process.
Leverage existing tools and technologies: SMEs can also leverage existing AI tools and technologies, such as chatbots or customer relationship management (CRM) systems. These tools can be customised to meet the specific needs of the SME, and can provide a cost-effective way to implement AI.
Invest in training and education: SMEs should invest in training and education to ensure that their employees have the necessary skills and knowledge to effectively leverage AI. This may involve providing training programmes or partnering with AI experts or consultants.
Monitor and measure performance: SMEs should monitor and measure the performance of their AI systems to ensure that they are achieving their goals and objectives. This may involve tracking metrics, such as response times, customer satisfaction, or sales conversions.
Finally, SMEs should be aware of the potential impact of AI on their workforce and take steps to mitigate any negative effects. This may involve re-skilling or upskilling employees to take on new roles that are more suited to an AI-enabled economy.
In conclusion, the emergence of AI presents both opportunities and challenges for SMEs. While the adoption of AI can help SMEs to compete more effectively with larger companies, it also requires significant investment and expertise. SMEs that are able to effectively leverage AI will be well-positioned for success in the coming years, but those that fail to adapt may struggle to keep up.
It is important for Ghana’s policy-makers and other stakeholders to support SMEs in their efforts to adopt AI. This may involve providing funding or other resources to help SMEs develop AI strategies, as well as promoting education and training programmes to help SMEs build the necessary skills and expertise.
In the end, the future of SMEs – in light of an emerging trend in AI – depends on their ability to adapt to a rapidly changing economic landscape.
Those that are able to do so will be well-positioned for success while those that fail to adapt may struggle to survive. The key is to approach AI adoption with caution and to be mindful of both the potential benefits and risks. By doing so, SMEs can ensure that they are prepared for the future of work in an AI-enabled economy.
Fuel prices have seen some slight reduction at the pumps since April 1, 2023.
Some Oil Marketing Companies have reviewed their prices to reflect the 2% and 5% reduction in petrol and diesel accordingly.
GOIL is selling a litre of petrol at GH¢12.65 and diesel at GH¢12.84 pesewas, respectively.
The Institute for Energy Securities had projected that fuel prices will fall by between 2 and 9 percent for the third consecutive time from April 1, 2023, with Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) expected to witness its biggest decline in recent times.
It also predicted that LPG will go down by about 9 percent while petrol and diesel will witness a drop between 2 percent and 5 percent.
The reduction was however linked to the stability of the cedi against the dollar and the easing of prices of finished products on the international market.
“Fuel consumers must expect another round of fuel price drops in the coming days”, the IES announced.
“The imminent price drop is a reflection of happenings on the world fuel market over the past two weeks which shows a decline in prices of gasoline [petrol], Liquefied Petroleum Gas and some other finished products,” Nana Amoasi VII, Executive Director of the Institute for Energy Security, said.
“In the last 14 days, the price of gasoline [petrol] on the world market posted a drop of $21 per metric tonne.
“Gasoil [diesel] also dropped by roughly 3.6 percent from the previous price of $813 per metric tonne,” he added.
Ghanaian dancehall musician Shatta Wale released his long-awaited album M.A.A.L.I on March 30, 2023.
Barely two days after its release it hit the number one spot on the iTunes USA Reggae Top Albums Chart.
Shatta Wale’s album beat the legendary Bob Marley, and The Wailers’ Legend album that took the second position.
In third and fourth place respectively was Stick Figure’s Wisdom, and Set in Stone.
With this milestone, the M.A.A.L.I album has become the first album by an African act to top the charts.
Reacting the great news, he stated that he was in disbelief that his album beat others to grab the enviable number one spot.
Drooping a lovely picture looking dapper in a white long-sleeved shirt, black waistcoat and trousers, he beamed with smiles as he bragged about his album topping the charts.
Member of Parliament for Tolon constituency, Habib Iddrisu, has called on Ghanaians to pay their taxes.
According to him, payment of taxes by citizens will help government finance its expenditure and projects outlined in the 2023 budget.
Speaking on Citi Breakfast Show, Mr Iddrisu noted that the introduction of new tax measures will help shore up the country’s revenue.
“These are revenue measures to finance the expenditure of the budget…Our tax to GDP is still somewhere around 13, 14% in Ghana…We need to pay our taxes so that government will be able to use that to finance its programmes and its projects,” he said.
“We [majority in parliament] supported this bill because it was part of the budget we supported…” Habib Iddrisu explained
It would be recalled parliament on Friday, March 31, 2023, passed three revenue bills, namely; Income Tax Amendment Bill, Excise Duty Amendment Bill, and Growth and Sustainability Amendment Bill.
The country will rake in GH¢3.96 billion when the aforementioned bills are implemented.
The Growth and Sustainability Levy is expected to raise approximately GH¢2.216 billion in 2023, while the Income Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2022 which amends the Income Tax Act, 2015 (Act 896) is expected to yield revenues of approximately GH¢1.29 billion.
The Excise Duty (Amendment) Bill, 2022 amends the Excise Duty Act, 2014 (Act 878) and is expected to yield approximately GH¢455 million.
Some Ghanaians, including the business community, have however tongue-lashed Members of Parliament for passing the three revenue bills.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Caveman watches, Anthony Dzamefe, has advised student entrepreneurs to consider building brands rather than focusing on creating wealth.
He made this comment on a panel discussion held at the University of Ghana Business School (UGBS) in partnership with Society Influencers Foundation themed: ‘Trans-Political Business in Ghana’ on Wednesday March 29, 2023.
According to him, brand-building possesses long-lasting effects compared to focusing on money-making.
“You need to know the difference between doing a business to make money and [creating] a brand,” he asserted. “Young people must know from the beginning, what they want to do, whether they want to build a brand or work for money. Doing business for money is not the best because it doesn’t last for long but building a brand is what would leave it for the next generation,” he said.
Anthony Dzamefe also encouraged young entrepreneurs to have mentors not necessarily for financial remedy but for coaching.
He noted that mentors are not points of financial solutions but sources of guidance and counselling in business avenues.
“Having a mentor is also necessary,” he said. “Your mentor is not your financial remedy. When you have a mentor, plead with them to keep their doors open for guidance and counselling.”
Meanwhile, Anthony Dzamefe urged business leaders to support their subordinates on their business journey.
According to him, the support would massively contribute to the growth of the individual’s business.
“The biggest challenge is not about government but the people you work with,” Dzamefe posited. “It is only when the workers are developing or growing that the company would grow. When you are true to the value you want to create, you hold yourself accountable even the consumer doesn’t know, but you remain true to your value.”
“Most businesses try to cut corners because a lot of the youth are too much in [a] rush to be rich, so they want to hoard as much money as they can,” he said.
Award-winning Ghanaian musician D-Black has announced that he’s officially off the market.
The rapper, whose real name is Desmond Blackmore, took to Instagram to share the news with netizens.
He said, “She said Yes!! Officially off the market guys” which he shared with a heart and different emojis.
The post has received an outpouring of love and congratulations from fans and fellow musicians, who have been quick to express their good wishes and excitement for him.
This news surprises many of D-Black’s fans, as the rapper has always kept his personal life private and has shared images of his children and fiance on a few occasions.
Some have cast doubts, indicating it could be the usual prank for a product which would be unveiled soon.
Meanwhile, the rapper has yet to reveal any details about the wedding plans.
One of Ghana’s finest and most talented movie actors who is loved by all especially women, Majid Michel has proposed that all the industry players in the Ghanaian movie fraternity should come together in unison to build their studio to prevent certain challenges such as scouting for locations during film productions amongst others to end. He made this assertion on GTV’s breakfast show.
According to Majid, he said, “an industry is an economic activity concerned with the processing of raw materials, and they are probably talking about a union”. “When we are going on set, we take ourselves there and that makes us the raw material, the writer puts in on a script and then to a screenplay. So we take that raw material and produce something out of it and that alone is an industry”, he added.
He continued by saying, “if another person does another movie it is another industry, so they are probably talking about that union that is all the industries coming together to build a studio and so Ghana does have an industry even if it is only one movie we have produced if anyone should come to Ghana and look for the movie industry, they will point to us”.
This comes at the back of a statement that was made by American filmmaker and actor Shelton Jackson, popularly known as Spike Lee after revealing that he never knew there was anything like the Ghana movie industry until he got to Ghana.
The World Happiness Report is released every year around March 20th as part of the International Day of Happiness celebration.
The World Happiness Report 2022 ranked 146 countries based on three broad indicators: life evaluations, and positive and negative emotions. Under these three indicators, the report looks at various factors that influence the three main indicators: income, healthy life expectancy, social support, freedom to make life choices, trust, generosity, GDP of a country, and perceptions of corruption.
While rankings like these are not definitive, they provide some insight into the factors contributing to citizens’ perceived happiness in different countries.
As usual, countries from Northern Europe, Finland (Ist), Denmark (2nd), and Iceland (3rd), have dominated the Happiness ranking, followed by mostly developed economies, including Germany (14th ), the United States of America (16th), and the United Kingdom(17th).
Turning to the happiest countries in Africa, Mauritius(52nd) ranks as the happiest country, whiles Zimbabwe (144th) is the least happy country, as it struggles with high poverty levels.
According to the report, Libya(86th), Ukraine(97th), and Iraq (107) – countries plagued by political instability and conflict – are happier places to live than Ghana (111). Ghana has decreased in ranking from the previous year, where it fared 95th out of the 149 countries surveyed in the 2021 World Happiness Report. Factors such as the Covid-19 pandemic, which impacted various aspects of the country, can be attributed to the decrease in the Happiness Ranking.
One plausible reason Ukraine, Iraq, and Libya may be happier countries than Ghana is the level of social support. According to the report, Ukraine, Iraq, and Libya ranked higher than Ghana regarding social support, which refers to strong social networks and access to social services like healthcare and education.
This suggests that citizens in Ukraine, Iraq, and Libya may feel more connected to their communities and have better access to resources that contribute to their overall well-being.
Another factor is economic prosperity. While all these countries are considered developing nations, they have varying levels of income and wealth. Despite the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and political instability in Libya and Iraq, these countries have a higher level of income and wealth (World Bank Data) than Ghana.
Happiness is a complex and multifaceted concept that cannot be reduced to a simple ranking. While the World Happiness Report can offer some insights into the factors that contribute to happiness and help governments shape policies to improve the happiness of their citizens, it is up to everyone to determine what brings them happiness and fulfillment in their own lives.
Ghanaian neo-soul vocalist, Jane Afia Awindor, known professionally as Efya, has shared some insights into her personal and professional life.
In a recent interview with Doreen Avio on Joy Prime, the singer disclosed that she identifies as a “witch”.
She explained that her fondness for the colour black is due to the nature of her work, which involves recording music at night when everyone else is asleep.
“I feel like it blends with every other colour. I think black is something that fits most of the time. Also, I like it because I’m a witch,” Efya said.
The award-winning artist further revealed that she is a nocturnal being, and she prefers working late at night because it’s quiet.
When asked if she would wear black on her wedding day, Efya said she had always wanted to, but she wasn’t sure anymore.
“I don’t really sleep at night, and it’s been like that for a very long time. So, I figured I might as well make it cool because I’m a very Nokturnal being and I come alive at night. Most of the time, I like to work late at night because it’s quiet,” the songstress added.
Efya’s career in music started after she participated in Stars of the Future, a music reality show in Ghana.
She had always been singing in church and was passionate about music.
The singer, the daughter of filmmaker Nana Adwoa Awindor, shared how growing up with a famous mother was stressful, and she even got bullied in school because of it.
“It was very stressful. There was a lot of pressure. I got beaten up because of my mom when I got to secondary school,” Efya narrated.
She also expressed her desire to emulate her father’s career path and become a film director, which did not materialize.
Nonetheless, she added that she gained some experience in the creative industry at an early age, including video editing, directing, and animation, thanks to her parents’ influence.
The government’s decision to enact three new revenue measures (taxes) has been defended by the minister of information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah.
He claimed that the taxes were required to raise Ghana’s tax-to-GDP ratio, which is woefully insufficient in comparison to other nations in the West African sub-region and around the globe.
Speaking in an interview on Kumasi-based Oyerepa TV on Monday, April 3, 2023, the minister also clarified that despite the new names of the revenue measures, they are just an expansion of existing tax laws.
“These (the taxes) are existing laws that we are implementing to get more money for the government for the development of the country. These taxes have been expanded to include people who were previously not.
“The tax-to-GDP ratio of Ghana is 13 per cent and so we saw the need to expand some of these taxes. What we have done will ensure that we get a tax-to-GDP ratio between 16 and 18 per cent so that we can get closer to the 20 per cent target.
“We have not increased the taxes; we have only included people and items who were not included in these taxes. If you take the Fiscal Responsibility Act which has now become the Growth and Sustainability Act, we have added mining companies and other who were previously not covered by the law,” he said.
The information minister added that the new Exercise Duty Levy has included some goods that were not previously covered by the previous law and the Income Tax Law has been amended to ensure that wealthy people pay more taxes.
Parliament passed three new tax measures on Friday, March 31, 2023, during an extended sitting of the House.
The said taxes also faced stiff opposition from the Minority Caucus in the House, but the Majority managed to marshal all their numbers on the day to get the taxes passed.
The three new taxes are: Excise Duty Amendment Bill 2022, the Growth and Sustainability Levy Bill 2022, and the Income Tax Amendment Bill 2022.
The bills were presented to Parliament as part of the government’s plans to mobilize about GH¢4 billion in domestic revenue annually.
They are also crucial to helping secure board approval for the US$3 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) program after a staff-level agreement was reached late last year.
After a particularly dry summer and the wettest March in more than 40 years, reservoirs are beginning to fill.
111.3mm of rain rained in England from March 30 to April 1, 91% more than usual, according to statistics.
Also, February was drier than usual, which led to a decrease in the volume of water held in reservoirs like Ardingly in West Sussex.
Yet, given that March was the wettest month for West Sussex since 2001, recent images highlight the significant contrast in water levels at the reservoir.
The region had 132.7mm of rainfall last month, which is 240% of the average.
This difference is obvious when viewing new pictures, taken at the end of March, are compared to those taken in September following the dry summer.
Ardingly Reservoir is currently 100% full, according to the latest figures from South East Water.
Alex Burkill, a Met Office meteorologist, said: ‘Water levels weren’t particularly high going into March, you need several months of wet weather to make a significant impact on reservoirs.
‘March was very wet for West Sussex, the fifth wettest month on record.’
Both Ardingly reservoir and Hanningfield reservoir in Essex saw their water levels drop by more than a fifth in August of last year.
This is the largest fall ever recorded by any reservoir.
Steve Andrews, head of service management at South East Water, said: ‘Our water resources are in a healthy position at the current time and a little above where we would expect them to be.
‘Over the past three to six months, we have seen the drought conditions experienced during the summer be replaced by a period of exceptionally high rainfall that has had the benefit of replenishing our groundwater sources and reservoirs ready for summer 2023.
‘During February, we did see a return to drier conditions, reminding us of the importance of being vigilant, and we are keeping a close watch on conditions as we move into spring.
‘As the days lengthen and the temperatures rise, we expect to see a greater demand for water so we will continue to work with our customers by asking them to use water wisely.’
Born Jane Fara Fauzzier Afia Boafowaa Yahaya Awindor, the neo-soul vocalist whose mother, Nana Adwoa Awindor became a household name following the popular ‘Greetings From Abroad’ show, has said she was beaten in school just for being the daughter of the renowned TV personality.
The product of Yaa Asantewaa Secondary School said on the Doreen Avio Show that it was “very stressful” being the daughter of the host of Ghana’s first international link TV show, growing up.
“There was a lot of pressure,” Efya Nokturnal recalled her days at the Kumasi-based school.
“I got beaten up because of my mum when I went to secondary school. They see your mum on TV and they’ll say you think you’re Nana Adwoa Awindor’s child so… ” she said and indicated they smacked her after making these remarks.
Sounding excited about her recollections in the interview monitored by GhanaWeb, the musician said the narrative changed when she became a sports girl and represented the school during athletic competitions.
“…you can’t touch me because I added value to myself for the school. If you beat me, we’ll see who will win the 200 meters,” she said.
She noted that it was fun growing up and had a lot of activities, including editing her mother’s shows.
Due to her personality, she could gel with people and they related to her nicely when she stepped out with her parents at the time.
She said: “I was a very outspoken child and very confident so I didn’t have a problem with blending in. anywhere I’d go, I’d find a way to make myself fit in one way or the other. Also, I have an amazing sense of humour, and an amazing spirit. So, the vibe will always be right if you’re not bringing negativity to me.”
Key business associations in the country are expected to converge in the capital to register their displeasure following the passage of three revenue bills by parliament.
According to GhanaWeb, businesses are unhappy about the decision of government to introduce new taxes amid the current economic challenges and its impact on livelihoods and businesses.
The business associations will hold a press conference in Accra on April 4, 2023 to lay down the concerns over the development.
Meanwhile, parliament on Friday, March 31 pushed through the passage of three revenue bills that government believes is necessary to help clinch a Board Level from the IMF and boost domestic revenue efforts.
The taxes passed include Income Tax Amendment Bill, Excise Duty Amendment Bill, and Growth and Sustainability Amendment Bill.
These Bills, when implemented, will lead to a revenue yield of approximately GH¢3.96 billion.
The Growth and Sustainability Levy is expected to raise approximately GH¢2.216 billion in 2023, while the Income Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2022 which amends the Income Tax Act, 2015 (Act 896) is expected to yield revenues of approximately GH¢1.29 billion.
The Excise Duty (Amendment) Bill, 2022 amends the Excise Duty Act, 2014 (Act 878) and is expected to yield approximately GH¢455 million.
Although government believes it can rake in significant revenue from these bills annually, some Ghanaians have lambasted government over the move to introduce new taxes even as citizens continue to struggle to make ends meet amid rising inflation, fuel price hikes and among others.
In addition to this, businesses in the country are projected to downsize on their operations in order to stay afloat.
The news of the death of Kambilichukwu, the first son of Yul and May Edochie came as a shock to many on Thursday.
The 16-year-old reportedly died after he developed a seizure while playing football with his mates in school after their examinations.
As family members and friends of the couple are still grieving, a psychologist, Johnbosco Chukwuorji, has proffered ways they can cope during this period.
He told Saturday Beats, “I extend my deepest condolences to the entire Edochie family on the unexpected demise of the young boy. It is very painful to lose a son, but it has happened and it is the reality on the ground that the family needs to face. There are no right ways of grieving.
“One of the ways the couple can cope is by staying connected and communicating with each other. They are already passing through a strained relationship. This incident may further put a strain on their union. But to cope, they have to accept what they cannot change.”
Chukwuorji, who is a senior lecturer in the Department of Psychology, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, spoke on the stages of grieving and how people could help the Edochies to cope during the mourning period.
He said, “There are five stages of grieving. These are the denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance stages. The first four stages are negative and unhelpful. The last stage is the most helpful and the ultimate. One will realize that the incident has happened and the best is to see ways to cope with it and life goes on.
“The couple should reach out to people and people should show understanding. It is not the time for people to go on social media and dig up the past on what has happened in their marriage. People should offer words of comfort to the family and share ways they had coped in the past with similar experiences.
“The family should also make an effort to reach out to their religious leaders for comfort. If they have a sense of spirituality, it is a time to draw closer to God. The couple should not also stay apart from each other. Staying together will help them to cope during this trying period.”
Although Yul and May have not made any post concerning the death of their son, some of their colleagues have continued to mourn with them.
Actress, Georgina Onuoha, wrote on Instagram on Friday, “Please say a word of prayer for May Yul-Edochie and her babies. Words are truly inadequate to express this level of grief. No mother or parent should ever have to go through this level of trauma losing a child. I still can’t believe this.”
On her part, actress, Uche Ogbodo, wrote, “This is so heartbreaking. I have been so mystified since morning. Rest in peace little one. Yul Edochie and May, my prayers are with you guys.”
Actress Iyabo Ojo wrote, “God please take control, please comfort them Lord. Yul and May Edochie, you are in my prayers. I am so sorry for this great loss.”
According to Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Ben Hundeyin, Edochie has filed the case with the police.
Nigerian superstar, David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido has finally spoken about his son, Ifeanyi’s death.
One can recall that Davido and his wife Chioma lost their son after he drowned in a pool at his father’s residence in Banana Island, Lagos State, in October 2022.
The artiste who has since been silent on the incident spoke on Sunday in an interview with CNN.
The Fem crooner revealed that the support he got from sympathizers aided his recovery.
He said several persons, including artistes and politicians, flooded his Instagram with direct messages during the incident.
He said: “Personally, with me, the support I got from people was one of the things that helped me stand up again.
“At some point, I couldn’t open my Instagram for weeks. One day, I just checked it and I saw messages from every kind of person in the world, from politicians to sportsmen, to other musicians, to presidents, I was like, ‘you’re fine, you see everybody is rooting for you.’
“That was one thing that really made me strong enough to stand up again, get back in the studio, and do what I love.”
The Commissioner of Domestic Tax at the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), Edward Apenteng Gyamerah, has announced that the authority is set to begin phase-one of onboarding 600 businesses onto its electronic value added tax (e-VAT) system after engaging taxpayers.
Speaking on the sidelines of an engagement with key Chief Executive Officers in Accra, Mr. Gyamerah explained that this will be followed by the issuance of letters to business entities stating the date they will officially be put on the new system. After this, each entity will be assigned a relationship manager who will serve as a liaison between the company and GRA’s technical team.
This will follow a two-week engagement with taxpayers starting this week.
The e-VAT is an electronic means of issuing VAT receipts or an electronic invoicing system for VAT-registered businesses. The e-VAT system being introduced is not a new tax, but an improvement on how VAT transactions are invoiced.
This system applies to both the VAT Flat Rate and Standard Rate Schemes. By this, all VAT components for both VAT types still hold in the calculation of liabilities.
In 2021, a total tax revenue of GH¢57.4billion was collected for the period as against the targetted GH¢57.1 billion, representing an excess of GH¢377.81million or 0.7 percent. The performance represents a nominal growth rate of 26.3 percent over same period 2020.
However, VAT contribution to the total tax collection has consistently declined over the years since 2017 – from 24.88 percent to 19.3 percent in 2021, averaging about 20.73 percent over the period.
Indirect domestic revenue collected in 2021 was about GH¢13.75million as against the target of GH¢13.95 million, an excess of GH¢202.32million, representing 1.5 percent shortfall of the target. VAT accounted for 19.3 percent
Focusing on the contributions of VAT in the country’s development, the Commissioner made comparison with neighbouring countries that are reaping the benefits of VAT; with Togo getting 40 percent while Benin and Burkina Faso receive 42 percent and around 50 percent respectively.
All interventions by the authority to improve on the contributions of VAT to the country’s development have yielded no result; hence the need for implementing the e-VAT which has the propensity of improving revenue.
Until this is achieved, Mr. Gyamerah said, targets for key economic indicators such as interest rate and exchange rate levels will not be met.
“Until we are able to improve on our revenue to get an appreciable tax-to-GDP ratio, most indicators that businesses need to improve will not be at the level they want; because when revenue targets are not met, it leads to distress which can affect a number of indicators such as exchange and interest rate among others,” he said.
The engagement with CEOs is aimed at educating them on the legal framework and operations of the invoicing system, as well as addressing their concerns about the e-VAT system to ensure a smooth implementation of the policy.
Commenting on the pilot phase’s outcome, he described it as extremely successful and urged taxpayers to support the authority during the onboarding process to raise needed revenue for the country’s development.
Addressing questions from taxpayers on the issue of security with regard to their business information, he made reference to the law that prohibits any tax officer from disclosing taxpayer’s information and assured them of keeping their database safe and secret.
“Taxpayer information has always been kept secret by officers of GRA. We have provisions in the tax laws that prevent any officer of GRA disclosing a taxpayer’s information to a third party. Information can be disclosed only when it is by order of a court or requested for the purposes of revenue administration; otherwise, no officer has the right to disclose any information. As we begin implementation of the e-VAT, we will still be guided by the same provisions of keeping the taxpayer’s information secret.”
Touching on the legal framework, Isaac Sarfo, Technical Director with GRA, mentioned that amendments of the VAT Act made provisions to abridge the time-frame in which a recipient who is a taxable person receives an invoice from 30 days to 48 hours.
He also noted that the earlier amendments of last October which made provisions for transitional matters were followed up with a new one. While the old amendment gave taxpayers the right to connect to GRA’s system in one year, the new one does not make any provisions for a transitional period of onboarding; so any businesses scheduled for the process cannot cite the previous provisions as an excuse for not participating in the implementation process.
Speaking on the roll-out plan for the onboarding process, the Project Manager, Philip Acquah, said the piloting phase that onboarded 50 taxpayers has been completed, and they are currently looking at onboarding 600 taxpayers in the first phase by June 2023. Phase-two is expected to be completed in December 2023, and will onboard 1,000 businesses with the entire e-VAT implementation process ending in December 2024.
Pope Francis presided over his first mass after leaving the hospital while bundled up in a heavy coat.
Tens of thousands of people attended the Palm Sunday Service that the Pope celebrated in St. Peter’s Square.
After a three-day hospital visit to receive bronchitis treatment, he battled a hoarse voice during the ceremony.
During his time at the Gemelli Policlinic in Rome he received antibiotics intravenously.
Pope Francis presides over the Palm Sunday mass at St. Peter’s square in The Vatican (Picture: AFP/Getty)
As he left hospital on Saturday, he quipped ‘I’m still alive, you know’ to reporters who asked how he was feeling.
He then paid a visit to Basilica Santa Maria Maggiore, one of Rome’s most famous churches, to pray for the sick children he met while in hospital, the Vatican said.
The Pope’s red vestments were placed over his coat as he sat in a chair under a canopy in the square.
Before this, he held a braided palm branch in a Pope mobile which drove at the tail end of a long procession of cardinals, other prelates and Catholics, carrying palm fronds or olive branches.
Pope Francis baptises newborns as he waits to be discharged from hospital
His voice sounded strong during the Mass opening, but later began to sound strained.
Despite the struggle, the 86-year-old read a 15-minute speech, also adding off-the-cuff remarks and making hand gestures for emphasis.
He focused on moments when someone feel ‘extreme pain, love that fails, or is rejected or betrayed’.
He cited ‘children who are rejected or aborted’, as well as broken marriages, ‘forms of social exclusion, injustice and oppression, (and) the solitude of sickness’.
Francis also spoke about a homeless German man who died, ‘alone, abandoned’, under the colonnade circling St Peter’s Square.
‘I, too, need Jesus to caress me,’ Francis said.
Palm Sunday marks Jesus’s entrance into Jerusalem in the time leading up to his crucifixion, which Christians observe on Good Friday.
Sunday’s Mass opened a heavy schedule of Holy Week appointments for the pontiff.
The Vatican said Francis would preside at the Holy Week ceremonies, which culminate with Easter Sunday Mass in the square on April 9.
The Managing Director of Consolidated Bank Ghana Ltd. (CBG), Daniel Wilson Addo, has stated that his outfit is committed to deepening collaborations with Development Bank Ghana (DBG) to facilitate and strengthen long-term credit flow to drive economic growth among Ghanaian businesses.
Commenting on the importance of the partnership, Mr. Addo said, “DBG has a big audacious goal to address very key challenges within the business community. We all know the importance of SME support to Ghana’s economy, and CBG is delighted to be associated with DBG because of our commitment to see SMEs thrive in Ghana.”
“To add to our tall list of SME support activities, we partnered with DBG to train 160 SMEs on the Foundational Financial Literacy Course as part of an SME Financial Empowerment program. We at CBG look forward to deepening our relationship with DBG to on-lend to Ghanaian businesses in targeted industries such as agribusiness, manufacturing, ICT, and high-value services as the catalytic sectors of the economy identified by DBG”, he noted.
In his keynote address at the DBG-University of Ghana Business School (UGBS) Development Finance Series MoU Signing and Roundtable Meeting held at the University of Ghana, Mr. Addo also encouraged the Development Bank of Ghana (DBG) to stay focused as an enabler for businesses in Ghana and as a long-term capital provider in the market.
According to him, though, DBG is not required to maximise profit, the institution must work to remain financially sustainable with less reliance on capital injection from the government and ensure funds advanced to the Participating Financial Institutions are repaid when due in order to help DBG recycle capital.
“By the very nature of National Development Banks (NDBs), they are not required to be profit maximisers. However, to effectively discharge their mandates and limit the recourse to scarce public funds, they must be financially sustainable. In a 2021 research report, Fitch estimated that one-third of 84 African NDBs posted losses in 2019 and the trend continues”.
“Whilst NDBs are not profit-driven, consistently posting losses raises the need for a continuous capital injection from a government that already has very little fiscal space to operate. This then opens the institution to government interference. To counteract this, DBG will have to manage its funding costs, operate at high levels of efficiency, and as much as possible employ funding structures that minimize credit losses”, he advised.
He added that it was also necessary for CBG to carefully identify the sectors where it could make the most impact and focus its lending and advocacy efforts appropriately.
Since CBG’s inception, the bank has granted over GHS 1.5 billion to the SME sector, provided an SME Center dedicated for advisory services, introduced a program dubbed the CBG Adesua Series, partnered with Ghana Enterprises Agency (GEA) to disburse concessionary loans totaling GHS 154 billion to 34,000 SMEs; German International Cooperation (GIZ) to train 500 artisans; and GIRSAL in supporting the agricultural sector.
The former first minister of Scotland has denied some of the most absurd rumors she has read online, claiming that she resigned because she wanted more privacy.
Nicola Sturgeon, who has been married to Peter Murrell, a former head of the SNP, for 13 years, has denied allegations that she is a “hidden lesbian.”
Furthermore, she dismissed rumors that she had an extramarital connection with a female French diplomat with a chuckle.
The rumour mill had claimed the pair bought a house from tennis star Sir Andy Murray’s mother Judy as a love nest.
In the past, the internet has also alleged that she has a global property portfolio and a super injunction in place to hide the truth.
Speaking to a BBC Scotland podcast, Ms Sturgeon said online gossip about her had been ‘part of the reason’ behind her decision to call it a day.
‘I read accounts of my life on social media and I think, “You know, it is so much more glamorous sounding and so much more exciting”‘, she said.
‘I’m not naive, I’m not of the view that I will step down one day and be completely anonymous the next day, I understand the realities of what I have done and I’ll still be in parliament, but I want to have a bit more privacy.
‘I want to have a bit more anonymity and I just want to protect some of what people take for granted in their lives that I’ve forgotten to have.’
Ms Sturgeon’s shock resignation as leader of the SNP in February led to speculation about the reasons behind her decision.
Some suggested the ongoing debate about self-identification laws for transgender people was the final straw.
The British government blocked the ‘self-ID’ law from taking effect, marking the first time it has invoked the power to veto Scottish law.
Ms Sturgeon said she would fight the decision, saying trans people were being ‘weaponised’ in politics, but she insisted her departure was ‘not a reaction to short-term pressures’.
At a press conference, she said she no longer felt she could give the job of first minister everything it deserves, and had a duty to say so.
‘If the only question was “can I battle on for another few months?”, then the answer is yes, of course I can’, she said.
‘But if the question is, “can I give this job everything it demands and deserves for another year, let alone for the remainder of this parliamentary term – give it every ounce of energy that it needs in the way that I have strived to do every day for the past eight years?” – the answer honestly is different.’
She previously cited the funeral of independence activist Allan Angus as the moment which cemented her decision.
She was replaced as first minister this week by Humza Yousaf, the first Scottish Asian and Muslim man to hold the role.
Hajia Bintu admitted to pushing a narrative about her buttocks having flooded social media platforms with pictures that had her flaunting her behind.
She, however, denied undergoing a procedure to enlarge her butts as she stated emphatically that such features come with growth.
“As you grow, the body also does,” the socialite said on The Delay Show while refuting claims she used to be skinny. “If you take a look at my old pictures, I wasn’t skinny.”
“You had some curves but they weren’t humongous as they are now. Now you have a huge butt,” Deloris Frimpong Manso, host of the show posited.
Reiterating that her body is natural, Hajia Bintu laughed. She mentioned that her poses could be a reason her butts look big in pictures, saying “maybe when I was young, I didn’t know angles but now, I know”.
Born Naomi Asiamah, the socialite shot to fame after her pictures went viral on social media. The name ‘Bintu’, according to her, was given to her by a male friend in 2018.
“I used to be a waitress at Peduase. So, when he walked in, he saw me and said ‘you’re so beautiful. I would have called you Bintu if you were my wife’. I liked the name so I added ‘Hajia’ to it because I can’t call myself Bintu,” she said, stating that ‘Bintu’ means mother.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle paid almost £90,000 to Michelle Obama’s former press secretary for PR support, according to their foundation’s tax returns.
The couple’s Archewell Foundation paid the money to a company run by Katie McCormick Lelyveld, who has also worked for Hillary Clinton and the former Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry.
Ms Lelyveld was the press secretary for Mrs Obama for most of her first term as US First Lady, between 2007 and 2011.
A tax filing for 2021 was recently put up on the Archewell website, showing $110,000 had been paid to the PR company KMLSA LLC – the equivalent of just over £89,000.
The filing says the money was paid for ‘strategic support for social impact PR’, and listed it in the section ‘independent contractors’.
The website for KML says its strategic advisors are ‘the team national and global leaders turn to to navigate challenges with reputational, political, philanthropic, legal and financial lenses’.
Invisible Hand’s website describes the firm as ‘a social impact and culture change agency that harnesses the power of creativity and storytelling to propel the world forward’.
The tax returns also appear to show both Harry and Meghan work only one hour a week each for their foundation.
That would bring their total working year to just 52 hours – the same amount that some people work in an average week.
According to LBC, Archewell said one hour per week is the standard amount that non-profits disclose for board participation.
The Duke of Sussex spent some of this week in London for a hearing in his claim against Associated Newspapers Ltd over allegations of unlawful information-gathering.
Netizens are reacting to some statements Jackie Appiah made about the ongoing LGBTQ discussion in the country.
Following the US Vice President, Kamala Harris’ visit to Ghana, the discussion around the controversial Anti-LGBTQ bill placed before parliament has intensified.
On Saturday, April 1, 2023, United Showbiz panelists took turns to share their views on the subject, and Jackie Appiah’s statements, in particular, caused a stir on social media.
Some guests, including, James Gardiner, A Plus, Arnold Asamoah Baidoo shared interesting comments about it on the UTV show which also featured Jackie.
It wasJackie Appiah’s turn to share her thoughts but she responded in the Akan language: “Mepawkyew Me dier medwene me ho oooo” which translates to, “Please, as for me, I am thinking about myself.”
Although it cracked some of her colleagues up, it didn’t sit well with a section of netizens on social media, as they have lambasted the actress for choosing to remain silent over the issue.
According to them, Jackie Appiah should have condemned the act, adding that her influence could have gone a long way to transform the minds of people.
Meanwhile, Ghanaians have since slammed President Akufo-Addo for defying the position of his government and shying away from telling Kamala Harris in the face the position of the country on homosexuality.
It can be recalled that when Kamala underscored the need to widen and respect the rights of the LGBTQ community during a press conference at the Jubilee House, President Akufo-Addo disclosed that his government had intervened to modify the current anti-LGBTQ Bill which has attracted wide condemnation, even from the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin.
Cocoa farmers in Ghana can heave a sigh of relief as the European Union (EU) has clarified that the majority of cocoa from the West African country is at no risk of an EU market ban.
Legislation passed in December by the EU parliament seeks to ban some commodities linked to deforestation, including cocoa, coffee, soya, and beef. Cocoa production is tagged as the leading cause of deforestation in West Africa, a region responsible for two-thirds of global cocoa beans output.
Civil society groups, farmer cooperatives, the industry regulator and the government of Ghana alike have been reeling from the introduction of the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR).
Ghana exports more than 80 percent of its annual cocoa output to the European Union.
Fears are that hundreds of thousands of smallholder cocoa farmers in Ghana will be left destitute when the EUDR comes into force.
But interacting with members of the Ghana Civil-society Cocoa Platform (GCCP) during his recent visit to Accra, the EU Director General for International Partnerships (INTPA), Regis Meritan (PhD), said the concerns are unfounded.
Dr Meritan explained that when the implementation of the law commences, in two years, it will only apply to produce from cocoa farms established after December 2020, and not those existing before.
“The objective of this law in Europe is to say thanks to our law we are stopping deforestation. And what happened before the law started, and it had been deforested before, it is too late,” he underscored.
The INTPA chief further clarified, “So, what we want is not to continue to encourage new deforestation.”
Ghana is the second largest producer of cocoa beans globally, after its neighbour Cote d’Ivoire. More than 800,000 farmer families account for her output.
The country’s annual production has averaged 800K metric tonnes in the last decade, with most of it exported in the raw state to the EU and other markets.
With local value addition capacity almost non-existent, cocoa growers are apprehensive that a ban on Ghana cocoa from the EU market will inflict unimaginable hardship on them.
“Even without a ban, cocoa farmers are living in squalor due to low international market and farmgate prices for our harvests,” complained Leticia Yankey, President of Cocoa Mmaa, a female-only cocoa farmer cooperative in Ghana’s Central Region.
But Regis Meritan strongly assuaged the fears of cocoa farmers, in both Ghana and Ivory Coast, of any adverse impact of the EUDR on their livelihoods.
“I do not think that the regulation on deforestation will have a major impact on your ability to continue to sell your cocoa and your cocoa to be imported into Europe,” Dr Meritan assured.
“I am not talking about 100 per cent of your production, but I think we are talking about 98 per cent of your production or 95 [per cent] I will be probably right,” he stated.
The European Union DG for International Partnerships rather insisted that “the main problem that could happen is more probably linked to your own legislation than this new criterion applied by the EU after 2020.”
According to him although the majority of cocoa farms in Ghana predate the EUDR cut-off date of December 2020, the designation of such farmlands by Ghanaian law as protected areas could be problematic.
A Co-Convenor of the GCCP, Obed Owusu-Addai, advocated urgent reforms in the structure of the international cocoa industry to prioritise the income and livelihood of farmers.
As hundreds of tornadoes create devastation and turmoil across the nation, the number of people killed by storms in the South and Midwest of the United States has risen once more.
As a result of catastrophic weather that uprooted trees and tore the roof off an overflowing music venue in Illinois, at least 26 people were murdered in large cities and small towns spread across eight states.
Little Rock, the state capital of Arkansas, was among the locations affected. According to city officials, one tornado’s path passed through more than 2,600 buildings there.
In one Tennessee county, at least nine people were killed, while three deaths were recorded in Sullivan, Indiana, and four in Illinois.
Other people were also reported to have died as a result of the storms in Alabama and Mississippi.
In Wynne, a small town with a population of around 8,000 people located 50 miles west of Memphis in Tennessee, the death toll was four.
The local high school was seriously damaged by the weather, with the roof torn off and windows blown out.
Local woman Ashley Macmillan said she huddled with her family and dogs in a small bathroom as the storm passed, ‘praying and saying goodbye to each other, because we thought we were dead’.
A worker was seen guarding a liquor store against looters after a tornado in Sullivan, Indiana, which led to the deaths of at least three people (Picture: Shutterstock)The fierce winds blew down three and destroyed homes and businesses (Picture: Shutterstock)Sullivan also recorded eight people who were injured in the bad weather (Picture: Shutterstock)
The family was unhurt, although a falling tree damaged their home.
A 50-year-old man died shortly after being pulled out of rubble after part of the Apollo Theatre’s roof collapsed during a heavy metal concert in Belvidere, Illinois.
Gabrielle Lewellyn, who was at the gig, told WTVO-TV: ‘I sat with him and I held his hand and I was (telling him), ‘It’s going to be okay.’ I didn’t really know much else what to do.’
Officials said 40 others were hurt in the incident, including two with life-threatening injuries.
Tennessee governor Bill Lee said the storm had capped the ‘worst’ week of his time in office.
It came just days after a school shooting in Nashville that killed six people, including a family friend whose funeral he and his wife attended earlier in the day.
Yesterday, after driving to McNairy County where at least nine people died, he said: ‘It’s terrible what has happened in this community, this county, this state.
‘But it looks like your community has done what Tennessean communities do, and that is rally and respond.’
Dozens of people were killed in Mississippi last weekend during the first wave of deadly tornadoes in the region, while a storm in Georgia led to a pair of tigers escaping their enclosure at a zoo.
The sale of treasury bills saw an oversubscription of about GH¢300 million from an auction held on March 31, 2023.
The government secured GH¢1.59 billion from the auction after it set a target of GH¢1.34 billion.
Last week, the government saw an under-subscription of about GH¢764 million after it set the target at about GH¢3.21 billion.
Meanwhile, interest rates have increased slightly from an average of 18.87 percent to 19. 38%.
According to the auction results from the Central Bank, the government secured GH¢1.24 billion from the 91-day bill and GH¢355.13 million from the 182-day bill.
Interest rates however increased slightly to 19.38 percent for the 91-day bill, and 21.85 percent for the 182-day bill.
