Here are the newspaper headlines for today, Thursday, December 1, 2022.
Author: Chris Kodo
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Fishing communities in Ghana to benefit from eco-friendly canoes
To encourage sustainable fishing in Ghana, twenty (20) fiberglass canoes are being provided to fishermen in the four coastal districts.
The fiberglass canoes were created to lessen reliance on Ghana’s timber for canoe production and have the capacity to hold more than 15 fishermen per canoe during a fishing expedition.
Two of these canoes were out-doored at the debut celebration of the Fish Festival in Accra when stakeholders within Ghana’s fisheries sector convened to reflect on the industry and set objectives for the future.
The eco-friendly canoes form part of the government of Ghana’s fishing ports and landing sites projects, which is being supervised by the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, the state agency mandated to implement port projects.
The General Manager at the Tema Fishing Harbour, Ing. Kwabena Asamoah explained that this initiative forms part of GPHA’s sustainability drive.
He explained that because of environmental issues associated with using wood for canoes and fishing vessels, the sector thought it wise to introduce fibreglass canoes.
He acknowledged that the idea which was bought by the project manager led the GPHA to contribute to the success of the project by providing lands, especially at Takoradi, as one of the sites for the construction of the facility.
The Head of Projects at the company contracted to build these eco-friendly canoes, Meridian Logistics and Engineering, Eben Quao said these game-changing canoes are the future.
The Head of projects reiterated that the building of wooden canoes was one of the issues associated with deforestation. He stated that the introduction of new innovations like fiberglass canoes, steel boats and aluminium boats in the fishing sector will help curve the excessive felling of trees and preserve the forest regions.
“The old timber that we had, have all been depleted and the new ones we have are not of the best quality for fishing so most often than not, fishermen have to fetch water out of their canoes. Leakage is very prominent but with fiberglass canoes, maintenance is to the barest minimum,” he said.
Speaking during the opening ceremony of the Fish Festival, Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture Development, Mavis Hawa Koomson intimated that government has embarked on a transformational agenda for the fisheries sector with many initiatives ongoing.
She stated that the government had commenced the alternation of premixed fuel outlets across the country to help address the incidence of premixed fuel diversion and hauling.
She emphasized that surveys on site suitability have been conducted for the 300 landing beaches along the coastal regions of the country and construction is in progress for 3 alternated premix fuel outlets at Elmina.
The colorful event also saw participation from the Fisheries Commission, the National Fisheries Association of Ghana (NAFAG), Ghana National Canoe Fishermen Council (GNCFC), and the National Fish Processors and Traders Association of Ghana (NAFTA), among others.
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Nigerian student Aminu Adamu Mohammed accused of defaming Aisha Buhari
Outrage is growing in Nigeria after a university student was arrested and charged with defaming President Muhammadu Buhari’s wife on Twitter.
Prosecutors alleged in the charge sheet that Aminu Adamu Mohammed posted a picture of Aisha Buhari, and wrote in the Hausa language words that roughly translated accused her of embezzlement.
The prosecution accused the 23-year-old of spreading false information.
His lawyer said he denied a charge of defamation during a court appearance.
The undergraduate is due to start his final exams on Monday.
It is unclear whether he will be able to do so, as he is still in detention.
His lawyer, Chijioke Kingsley Agu, told the BBC that he had applied for bail, and he hoped this would be considered within 48 hours.
Mr Mohammed’s parents have publicly implored Mrs Buhari to forgive their son. She and the authorities have not yet commented on the case.
Mr Mohammed was reportedly arrested earlier this month, but only appeared in court on Tuesday.
The prosecutors said the rough English translation of the Hausa phrase in his tweet was “Mama has embezzled monies meant for the poor”.
People have been rallying on social media for Aminu Adamu Mohammed to be released Mr Mohammed could be sentenced to a maximum of two years in prison if convicted.
He is studying environmental management at Federal University in the northern state of Jigawa. His classmates have described him as a brilliant student.
Social media users and rights campaigners have criticised the Nigerian authorities for the treatment of the student and called for his immediate release.
Some say Nigerian officials are becoming increasingly intolerant of criticism.
Earlier this month two young TikTok users were fined and flogged in public after a court found them guilty of defaming the governor of the northern state of Kano in a video shared on social media.
Nigeria is due to hold elections in February, when President Buhari is expected to step down at the end of his second and final term.
Source: BBC
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Nigeria to abolish English in junior school
The Nigerian government has announced a policy aimed at promoting the teaching of primary school pupils in local languages rather than in English.
Education Minister Adamu Adamu told journalists on Wednesday that the new framework known as the National Language Policy had been approved for implementation.
It stipulates that instruction for the first six years in primary schools will be in the mother tongue.
English is Nigeria’s official language and all learning institutions use it as the common language of teaching and learning.
But local languages will now take the centre stage, with the education minister saying “pupils learn much better” when they are taught in their own mother tongue.
He acknowledged that implementing the new policy would be challenging because it would “require a lot of work to develop materials to teach and get the teachers”.
Another challenge is the number of languages spoken in Nigeria – more than 600.
It’s not immediately clear when the government will start implementing the new system.
The Nigerian authorities suggest they will first provide teaching materials and teachers for the local languages before the implementation in earnest.
Source: BBC -
‘God loves sexy women’ – Moesha Buduong to critics
As Moesha Budoung continues to receive a backlash from a section of fans over her new trend of dancing to secular songs, the actress has taken time to clap back at naysayers in her Instagram comment section.
When Moesha announced that she has ditched her old ways and embarked on a journey with Christ, she was received with open hands with many tipping her to be an evangelist.
However, the repented actress, who rededicated her life to Christ Jesus back in 2021, seems to be swaying away, this is according to observers on social media.
In one of such comment, an Instagram user @quefio_the_pluff wrote: “The Christianity not dey pay err.”
An unperturbed Moesha in a smooth clap-back explained that there was nothing wrong with her dance moves or the choice of song that was playing in the background.
“God loves sexy women,” she wrote.
Moesha’s caption to a viral video read: “May we all begin to find and do what really makes us great at our talents and may God bless anyone making money from their talents amen.”
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Fuel price reduction: Some OMCs begin to sell petrol, diesel at GH¢16.26, GH¢19.77
Petroleum product consumers may breathe with relief as lower fuel prices are anticipated during the upcoming pricing window starting on December 1, 2022.
As of November 30, 2022, several Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) have begun the reduction.
Diesel is now being sold by GOIL at GH19.77, down from GH20.50, and gasoline is going for GH16.26, down from GH16.82.
Prior estimates from the Institute of Energy Security indicated that costs would drop between 10% and 8% starting on December 1st, 2022.
The projection, made by the Institute of Energy Security (IES), will be the second consecutive period that will see consumers witness a reduction in the price of petrol and diesel products.
Despite the estimated reduction, the IES in a statement said the price of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) will however remain stable due to the depreciation of the local currency against major trading currencies.
“Prices of the various finished products will be affected by the 13.45% fall in the price of gasoline [petrol], the 11.63% fall in the price of gasoil [diesel], and the 1.88% fall in the price of LPG,” it explained.
“However, the 3.09% depreciation of the cedi against the US dollar is expected to erode portions of the gains from the reductions in international fuel prices. The price of LPG is however expected to remain stable on account of the cedi’s depreciation,” the IES added.
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World Cup: Ghana coach Otto Addo explains role given to Mohammed Kudus in Black Stars games
Head coach of the Ghana national team, Coach Otto Addo has disclosed that while Mohammed Kudus has a role to play defensively in Black Stars games, he is also prepared in a way that he is able to do his ‘magic’ in the offense.
According to the coach, he gives the young sensation the chance to do what he thinks is right for the team when moving forward.
‘’Surely it always depends on his position and we try to prepare him for his defensive task but also offensive task, against South Korea he started a little bit more defensive on the right side and he has the freedom to come in the midfield and do his game and offensive wise we try to give him the confidence to do what he thinks is right,” Coach Otto Addo told ghanafa.org.
The Black Stars coach added, ‘’Surely, he has an eye for his team mates but also if he has space and he can dribble then he should do it, it’s a big strength of him to go one on one, he has a great shot as well so we encourage him to do it. Surely there is always room for improvement but so far, we are very, very happy with his performance.”
Mohammed Kudus, 22, has been Ghana’s standout player at the ongoing 2022 FIFA World Cup.
He already has two goals and one assist after featuring in both Group H matches.
He will be key for Ghana in the final group match against Uruguay on Friday,
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E-levy reduction: I support you like a ‘witch’ – Dr. Asah Asante tells Akufo-Addo
A prominent lecturer at the Accra Technical University’s (ATU) Faculty of Business has urged the government to be transparent about the benefits and savings that will result from the restriction on the use of V8 and V6 vehicles in government operations.
The government’s plan to reduce spending, which is outlined in the 2023 budget statement that Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta delivered to parliament on Thursday, November 24, 2022, is not yet known to have a financial impact.
“Review the E-Levy Act and more specifically, reduce the headline rate from 1.5% to 1% of the transaction value as well as removal of the daily threshold,” Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta said.
The Senior Political Science Lecturer at the University of Ghana, Dr. Asah Asante, wondered why it took government so long to effect this change because the 1% reduction is long overdue.
He was however pleased with the new development believing this will ensure all Ghanaians are included in the payment of the levy aimed at providing infrastructure development.
Making his submissions on Peace FM’s “Kokrokoo” programme, Dr. Asah Asante said “now that they have reduced it to 1 percent, I support them like a witch”.
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Enforce ban on grains, soya beans export – GRA to Customs Division
The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has instructed its Customs Divisions in border towns to enforce the restriction on the export of grains and soybeans.
In a statement issued by the Assistant Commissioner of the Ghana Revenue Authority, Raphael Owurani-Bediako asked station heads in Tatale, Wonjuga, Bunkpurugu and Saboba to sell grains and soya beans to local buyers only.
It will be recalled that the government extended a restriction on the export of some grains.
The ban, which took effect in September 2021, was due to expire at the end of March but was extended to September 2022.
The original ban was put in place to ensure that enough grains were available within the country to boost the country’s local poultry and livestock production.
Source: The Independent Ghana
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Ban on V8s, V6s: Government must come clear on cutback gains – Lecturer
A prominent lecturer at the Accra Technical University’s (ATU) Faculty of Business has urged the government to be transparent about the benefits and savings that will result from the restriction on the use of V8 and V6 vehicles in government operations.
The government’s plan to reduce spending, which is outlined in the 2023 budget statement that Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta delivered to parliament on Thursday, November 24, 2022, is not yet known to have a financial impact.
Mr Daniel Osabutey called on the finance minister to be categorical in telling Ghanaians the savings as a “nation we will be making on the ban on the use of V8s and V6s vehicles.”
Mr Osabutey raised this concern on the Ghana Yensom morning show hosted by Emmanuel Quarshie (The Hitman) on Accra 100.5 FM on Tuesday, November 29, 2022.
He asked who will do the monitoring of the vehicles to ensure that the V8s and V6s seen around town are used for cross-country purposes.
He said these are some of the lacunas in the policy announced by the government.
He said if care was not taken the policy will only be on paper but the implementation will be difficult.
He added that another area that will render the policy redundant is the policy to replace some of these vehicles after five years.
He called for a review of this policy to make the programme work.
According to him, the law must be amended to make the replacement of vehicles pushed to seven years.
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Mohammed Kudus Visits Barbershop; Gets Fresh Cut Ahead Of World Cup Match
Mohammed Kudus visited a barbershop and got the sweet cut which made him look even more handsome than before.
He left the top of his hair curly and bushy while he faded the sides and had the barber put curvy lines in between his parietal ridge, which is the space between the top of his head and the faded area.
The hairstyle was a popular cut known as the three-step fade. Kudus, known not only for his football skills but his handsome looks, glowed up even more in his fresh cut, which had many girls drooling over him.
Kudus, who has been one of the shining lights of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, has won many women’s hearts with his football ability and handsomeness.
Ghana Vs Uruguay is one of the highly anticipated matches of the group stages, and given the history behind the fixture, many Ghanaians look forward to a win. Kudus is one of the top players expected to clinch victory for the Black Stars.
Ghanaian Girls Fawn Over Mohammed Kudus
Mina Dzamesi said:
Husband to all Ghanaian ladies at the moment
Jennifer commented:
WOW MY FAVORITE PLAYER AT THE GHANA TEAM LOVE FROM SURINAME
Latifatu Ibrahim68 also wrote:
my soulmate cm nd look for me oooo
user9650073131693 also reacted:
sweetheart ur hair style really suit you
Ramzbae was impressed:
Presure shey you de wine meeeeeee niiii I can’t stop loving you kudus oo
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Recent measures by government to revamp the economy commendable – Prof Adei
Prof. Stephen Adei, a former board chairman for the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), has lauded the government for its recent economic reform efforts.
The only thing, he says did not sit well with him is the failure of the government to downsize the number of ministers.
He said on Upfront on JoyNews on Wednesday, “For me it is the size of government, the Ministries and other things that is the only area, but what they have done is quite commendable.”
Prof Stephen Adei said, “We may talk about corruption and the size of the government that is the ministries but 95 percent of what the government does, it does it for the people.”
“In this regard, it is not prudent to be thinking that this is the government that must suffer and these are the people that must get relief. The government does the projects for the people.”
He continued by saying that the government is doing its best given the current circumstances given the reduction in fuel allocation to public office holders by 50%, even though fuel prices have more than doubled.
Therefore, the size of the government should be an issue to be discussed, not its performance.
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Gold-for-oil policy seems like a copy-and-paste move – Energy policy analyst
The government’s much-heralded gold-for-oil barter trade plan to obtain cheaper petroleum goods without utilizing the currency has been dismissed by an energy policy analyst.
The analyst claims that the agreement appears to be a copy-and-paste arrangement.
On November 30, 2022, Mr. Benjamin Nsiah minimized the significance of the agreement while discussing with Emmanuel Quarshie, the Hitman, the host of the Ghana Yensom morning program on Accra 100.5 FM.
According to him, countries with problems with international diplomacy, particularly with the United States of America, were where the oil for the gold deal was first hatched
He mentioned some of these countries as Venezuela, Cuba, China, Russia, India and Iran among others.
He noted that the government failed to do due diligence on the policy or programme.
“They jumped the gun with the policy. I think they rushed in bringing out the statement,” he said.
“It was just to give some semblance of hope in the wake of the rising cost of fuel in the country,” he strongly argued.
He stressed that the implementation of the programme will be quite difficult because there are no implementation plans accompanying the policy.
He raised questions about whether the deal was going to be a government-to-government or bilateral agreement.
“If this is the case, we need an Oil Trading Company (OTC) since the government has no such entity,” he added.
He said the importation of oil into the country is done by private international Oil Trading Companies (OTCs) and added that they import 76 per cent with Go Energy, a subsidiary of GOIL, with others doing the rest.
He insisted BOST is not an OTC as it stands.
He wondered whether the government had found out that the OTCs, which are all Western aligned, will buy into the arrangement to limit the usage of dollars for these transactions.
If not, “a lot of the questions will remain unanswered in the vice president’s statement,” he remarked.
He also gave an analysis that gold exported in the first quarter of 2022 was three billion and [if] the government seeks to retain 20 per cent this comes up to 100 million dollars when the government needs about 400 million dollars a month to import fuel into the country.
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VAT is bogus, it will only worsen plight of Ghanaians – Odike
Akwasi Addae Odike, the United Front Party’s (UFP) founder and leader, has criticized the government for raising the Value Added Tax (VAT).
The businessman-turned-politician claimed that the 2.5% hike in VAT will make matters worse for Ghanaians, who are already struggling during these trying times.
His opinion is that the government has not shown any consideration for the difficult circumstances Ghanaians are facing as it makes matters worse by raising taxes.
Speaking on Angel FM’s Anopa Bofo Morning Show, Odike said “you must develop a tax regime that would alleviate the pains of Ghanaians…anytime they bring a budget, they heap taxes unto Ghanaians…that VAT is bogus so by January it will only worsen the plight of Ghanaians…”
He explained that “when we talk of VAT that is what drives [everything up] it is an indirect tax and everyone pays it whether employed or not …when you buy fuel, pay the electricity bill, eat at a restaurant you pay VAT… the more you shop, the more you pay taxes to the government.”
“How can you admit that there are difficulties and still push regressive taxes unto citizens…is this government sensitive to the plight of Ghanaians?”, he questioned.
Akwasi Addae Odike’s comments comes after the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta delivered the 2023 budget on the floor of parliament titled ‘Nkabomu budget’ on November 24, 2022.
Ghanaians are expected to pay more for goods and services effective January 2023 following the upward review of the Value Added Tax (VAT) as announced by the Finance Minister.
Reading the 2023 budget to Parliament, Mr Ken Ofori Atta indicated that the government increased the VAT by 2.5 per cent which brings the tax to a total of 15 per cent.
According to him, the move is to help the government generate revenue to aid the construction of roads and other projects the government has in the pipeline.
But Ghanaians and businesses have expressed dissatisfaction in the increase in VAT citing the harsh economic conditions the nation is facing.
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“He will score hattrick”: Kudus’ grandma dances joyously; celebrates him in video
The family of trending Black Stars star man, Mohammed Kudus, have expressed excitement about the success of their son.
In an interview with Citi TV, the lovely family spoke about Kudus’ grass-to-grace story and how he lived in a single room with them at their Nima residence.
The Ajax and Black Stars winger/midfielder made his family happy when he bagged a brace vs South Korea. Hajia Khadija, the young man’s grandmother, was the most excited among Kudus’ family members.
She danced in celebration of her grandson and said Ghana was going to defeat Uruguay.
One of Kudus’ family members, who were equally excited, said Kudus was going to score a hattrick vs Uruguay and mentioned that she had no doubts about Ghana winning the World Cup.
The video of the affable family pleased many Ghanaians, who also expressed positive thoughts ahead of the Uruguay cracker.
Ghanaians React To Kudus’ Family’s Comments
Oduma1992 said:
Indeed God is wonderful
Hajar Abdul karim commented:
Why I’m I crying watching this
makanziequeen also said:
I know my son will also be a big Star for Ghana in Jesus mighty name Amen , I will not stop him from playing football again…
YesAm TooSweet also commented:
Our grandparents are one of a kind, my father got to know how good I was in the goal post when he watched me play a major tournament
@citinewsroom Mohammed Kudus’ relatives share their joy on Black Stars player’s stunning World Cup peformances #citinewsroom #citisports #viral ♬ original sound – Citinewsroom -
2023 Budget: Government to reintroduce road tolls next year
Beginning the next year, the government will begin using abandoned toll booths along important roadways in the nation as part of its strategy to generate cash.
This is in accordance with the measures outlined in the 2023 Budget Statement that Minister of Finance Ken Ofori-Atta delivered to Parliament on November 24, 2022.
The 2023 Budget statement’s paragraph 462 states that “the fiscal policy measures to support the 2023 Budget for consideration and approval by Parliament include the reintroduction of tolls on selected public roads and highways with a renewed focus on leveraging technology in the collection to address the inefficiencies characterized by the prior toll collection regime.”
Tolling was removed in the 2022 budget as the government moved to introduce the Electronic Transaction Levy (E-Levy) which revenue generation measure was dogged by controversies from its passage to its implementation.
Government in the 2023 Budget announced a reduction of the E-Levy rate from 1.5% to 1&% and the removal of a GHC300 threshold.
The Minority’s ranking member on Transport in Parliament, Governs Kwame Agbodza, has welcomed the reintroduction of tolls but with a condition that monies raised will be strictly used for purposes of maintaining the roads.
“We welcome the decision by the Roads Minister to bring back road tolls. We take no pride in saying we told you so.
Mr. Speaker, it was populist, unnecessary and they were there shouting we are going to do it because we have e-levy…today they have brought a law here that they want to bring back road toll,” he said on the floor of the House.
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World Cup 2022: Ghana coach Otto Addo lauds unity and togetherness in camp ahead of Uruguay tie
Ghana head coach Otto Addo is delighted with the unity and togetherness in camp ahead of their final group game against Uruguay at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Black Stars and Uruguay face off at the Al Janoub Stadium on Friday at 15:00 GMT.
The two sides are in search of a ticket to the knockout stage with Ghana needing a win to automatically seal their spot in the next round of the tournament while the Uruguayans desperately need a win against Ghana to progress to the next round.
“We are together, it’s a good atmosphere here and the boys are pushing each other. I hope we keep the energy and hopefully we will go far.”
“It’s important to know where you are coming from and I think we have done well though we are not there yet”, coach Otto Addo told ghanafa.org.
“We are gradually picking up and I know the boys will show a lot of fight and a lot of passion. I am sure our efforts will be rewarded and we will go to the next stage.”
Black Stars are currently second in Group H while Uruguay lie bottom with only one point
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‘Economic Maguire’ Bawumia only scoring own goals – Isaac Adongo
The vice president and head of the economic management team, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has come under fire from Isaac Adongo, MP for Bolgatanga Central, for what he calls “own goals” with the economy’s dismal performance.
Using the football analogy to drum home his message on the floor of Parliament while debating the 2023 budget statement on Wednesday, November 30, the MP indicated that just as Harry Maguire of the Manchester United Football Club, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia is Ghana’s “Economic Maguire”.
Adongo explained that Manchester United’s Maguire has become a threat to the defence of his club by scoring ‘own goals’ and assisting opponents to beat his club, arguing that Dr. Bawumia has become a risk to the economy and thereby was destroying the fundamentals of the Ghanaian economy.
The MP noted that, before the ruling New Patriotic Party assumed office in 2016, Dr. Bawumia was projected to be the ‘economic wizard’, delivering lectures on how to tackle the cedi depreciation and improve the economy.
“This ‘Economic Maguire’ went to Mallam Atta market and we were clapping saying this man is the best in managing foreign currency. The same ‘Economic Maguire’ was roaming at Central University delivering lectures on how to restore the value of the cedi.
“Mr. Speaker, when we gave this Maguire the opportunity to be at the centre of our defence, he became the risk of our own goal. Dr. Bawumia, our Economic Maguire is now tackling all the fundamentals of our economy and destroying all of them,” Isaac Adongo said on the floor amidst laughter by the MPs.
Ghana’s inflation rate is currently at 40.4% with the cedi depreciating by 53.8% in 2022. Fuel prices have increased more than three times this year with the cost of living now high.
The government is seeking an International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout to support the Ghanaian economy.
Moody’s, on the other hand, has also downgraded the Government of Ghana’s long-term issuer ratings to Ca from Caa2 or further junk status and changed the outlook to stable.
This concludes the review for the downgrade that was initiated on September 30, 2022.
“The Ca rating reflects Moody’s expectation that private creditors will likely incur substantial losses in the restructuring of both local and foreign currencies debts planned by the government as part of its 2023 budget proposed to Parliament on 24 November 2022″, a statement published on its website said.
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World Cup 2022: Andre Ayew will be important for us against Uruguay – Ghana coach Otto Addo
Ghana coach Otto Addo says his side will need the experience skipper Andre Ayew ahead of their final group game against Uruguay at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
The sole member from the side that took part in the match against Uruguay and lost on penalties in the quarterfinal at the 2010 tournament in South Africa is Ayew.
On Friday at 15:30 GMT, Ghana and Uruguay square off at the Al Janoub Stadium. The two teams are competing for a position in the knockout stage, with Ghana needing a victory to guarantee their place in the next round while the Uruguayans are in desperate need of a victory over Ghana to advance.
“Andre will be important for us just like everybody. It’s about a team. He lived it and experienced what happened in 2010,” coach Otto Addo told ghanafa.org.
“We know with team work and hard work we can achieve a lot in this World Cup.”
Black Stars are currently second in Group H while Uruguay lie bottom with only one point.
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‘Ofori-Atta has more integrity than 99% of all politicians’ – Prof. Adei
Embattled Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, has gotten massive support from economist and former rector of GIMPA, Professor Stephen Adei.
Adei bemoaned the way in which Ofori-Atta’s character had lately been called into question by portions of Parliament, highlighting how unfair it was to the extent that it aimed to cast doubt on his hard-won integrity.
“Our leaders [Members of Parliament] must exercise extreme caution when they want to call into question the individual’s moral character and virtually paint him as a robber.
“I have no doubt at all that Mr. Ken Ofori-Atta has more integrity than 99 percent of all politicians I know in Ghana,” Prof. Adei said in an interview on JoyNews, November 30.
Weighing in on the Minority’s vote of censure motion that in part accused the Minister of engaging in a conflict of interest relative to Ghana’s bond issuance on the international markets, he said:
“The charges on conflict of interest and the fact that he was supposed to have stashed some 100 million dollars elsewhere which impugn on his integrity. I have known Mr. Ofori-Atta for almost 23 years, I can say that he is a friend, a businessman of high integrity and therefore, for me, those two charges were very troubling.
“I believe that the NPP came into power over-committing themselves, there is over-borrowing and you know, you might disagree with policy and of course, there were internal and external factors, but I do not think that it is fair to impugn on the integrity of Ken Ofori-Atta. I know him personally as a Christian, as a businessman and as a politician,” he added.
Aside from the Minority’s vote of censure, which report is to be debated in Parliament, Ofori-Atta is also under pressure from a group of NPP MPs who are calling for him to be dismissed.
President Akufo-Addo is set to decide on their request which he promised will be looked into after the passage of the 2023 Budget and appropriation of same and conclusion of negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), relative to support the fund will give to Ghana to support the current budget.
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Dr. John Kofi Mensah retires as MD of ADB Plc
The Managing Director of Agricultural Development Bank Plc (ADB) Dr. John Kofi Mensah has retired Managing Director after serving for five years in the role.
Dr. Mensah who was appointed in August 2017, has seen a significant transformation from a loss making Bank in 2015/16 to a consistent profit making bank during his tenure.
He led a strategic vision of refocusing the bank to its core mandate of agricultural financing with the aim of ensuring that a significant portion of its loan portfolio was dedicated to the agricultural sector. The strategy additionally resulted in increased number of branches of the Bank from 78 in 2016 to 87.
With a remarkable banking career of more than three decades, Dr. Mensah has positioned ADB stronger than it was in 2016 with a significant growth in assets, deposits and consistent profit growth.
“On behalf of the Board, Management and Staff, the Board Chairman, Daasebre Akuamoah Agyapong II expressed appreciation to Dr. Kofi Mensah for his remarkable contribution towards the growth and development of ADB,” a statement from the bank said.
According to the ADB Board Chairman, Dr. Mensah’s tenure will be remembered for the numerous positive changes that he spearheaded including the bank being the first in the country to establish the Security Operating Centre (SOC) and also the attestation and certification of the bank in a number of International Organization for Standardization (ISO) certificates and the refocusing of the bank to its core mandate of agricultural financing.
On his part, Dr. Mensah thanked the Board, Management and Staff for their support during his tenure which led to the stability and growth it witnessed over the period.
Shareholders have since appointed the Deputy Managing Director, Mr. Alhassan Yakubu-Tali as the new Managing Director awaiting regulatory approval.
About ADB
Established in 1965, the Agricultural Development Bank PLC is the leading Bank in Agribusiness.
Financing in the country with the one of the largest branch networks of 87 locations nationwide.
The Bank has won several awards including the Best Bank in Cocoa Financing at the Ghana Cocoa Awards.
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ADB’s loan to agric sector hits ¢1bn
The Agricultural Development Bank PLC (ADB) investments in the agricultural sector has seen a steady growth with total agricultural loan stock increasing from ¢453.20 million as of December 2016 to ¢993.50 million as of September 2022.
This excludes the huge volumes of non-funded facilities such as letters of credits and guarantees granted for the purchase of agricultural inputs, machinery, equipment and raw materials.
The over 119% increase has come on the back of strategy to refocus the bank onto its original mandate to provide financial intermediation to the agricultural sector with the aim of using the agriculture sector as a means of wealth and job creation for the ordinary Ghanaian.
The bank has been an active partner for the implementation of the novel One District One Factory (1D1F) and so far about 20 companies have received financial support of over ¢100. Examples being the Ekumfi Fruits & Juices Limited, Kumasi Jute Factory, Weedi Africa Tomatoe Processing Factory and Kaad Integrated Limited.
The bank has over the years imported outboard motors for sale to fishers at cost either under lease financing or through direct sales. It is supporting the Fisheries sector imported 1,300 outboard motors made up of 1200 (40HP) and 100 (15HP) Yamaha products at a cost of ¢19.8million for the Ministry for Fisheries and Aquaculture Development and the Coastal Development Authority.
The bank absorbed all incidental and related costs amounting to about ¢7.0 million which will have been a cost to fishers.
To further contribute to government’s effort at reducing the importation of poultry into the country, the bank this year announced the implementation of the Broiler Revitalization Programme with poultry farmers in the Bono region being the first beneficiaries.
Set up for the purpose of developing the agricultural sector, ADB with 87 network branches nationwide remains the only bank in the country with branch locations in mainly agricultural prone areas like Sefwi-Wiawso, Juaboso, Dormaa Ahenkro, Enchi, Savelugu, Nkoranza, Goaso, Denu, Juapong, Sefwi Essam, Sogakope, Bonsu Nkwanta, Apemenim etc.
The bank remains the ultimate sponsor of the overall prize to the National Best Farmer, in the past built a fully furnished three-bedroom house was built at a place of choice for the National Best Farmer.
A total of over 15 houses has since been constructed in different regions across the country for 15 National Best Farmer Award Winners.
In 2017, following strong advocacy and presentations by the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Past National Best Farmers, a decision was taken to change the first price to a cash prize.
This is to enable the award winners invest the fund to expand their businesses and provide additional employment.
So far, the Best Farmers have prudently utilised their prize monies to expand their businesses.
As the lead sponsor of the award, the bank also organises a welcome cocktail for all Awardees and also a National Farmers Forum.
The bank has also received several recognitions for supporting the development of the agricultural sector, notably include the Best Cocoa Financing Institution, the One District One Factory Financing Institution, Industry Leadership Award in Agricultural Financing, Corporate Social Responsibility Award, etc.
“We believe in agribusiness for wealth creation and the Agricultural Development Bank Plc will remain committed to the Agribusiness sector of the economy, outgoing Managing Director, Dr. John Kofi Mensah mentioned.
Ayekoo to our gallant Farmers and Fishers.
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Forex Bureaus sell $1 at GH¢14.75, BoG at GH¢13.11 as of December 1
The Interbank forex rates from the Bank of Ghana today, December 1, 2022, have shown that the Ghana Cedi is trading against the dollar at a buying price of 13.0978 and a selling price of 13.1110.
As compared to yesterday’s trading of a buying price of 13.0980 and a selling price of 13.1112. At a forex bureau in Accra, the dollar is being bought at a rate of 14.00 and sold at a rate of 14.75.
Against the Pound Sterling, the Cedi is trading at a buying price of 15.6834 and a selling price of 15.7004 as compared to yesterday’s trading of a buying price of 15.7098 and a selling price of 15.7268.
At a forex bureau in Accra, the pound sterling is being bought at a rate of 16.60 and sold at a rate of 17.30.
The Euro is trading at a buying price of 13.5751 and a selling price of 13.5875 as compared to yesterday’s trading of a buying price of 13.5663 and a selling price of 13.5799.
At a forex bureau in Accra, Euro is being bought at a rate of 13.90 and sold at a rate of 15.10.
The South African Rand is trading at a buying price of 0.7728 and a selling price of 0.7734 as compared to yesterday’s trading of a buying price of 0.7705 and a selling price of 0.7710.
At a forex bureau in Accra, South African Rand is being bought at a rate of 0.65 and sold at a rate of 1.10.
The Nigerian Naira is trading at a buying price of 33.9146 and a selling price of 33.9459 as compared to yesterday’s trading at a buying price of 33.8553 and a selling price of 33.9575.
At a forex bureau in Accra, Nigerian Naira is being bought at a rate of 17.00 Naira for every 1 Cedi and sold at a rate of 21.50.
For the CFA, it is trading at a buying price of 48.4208 and a selling price of 48.4939.
At a forex bureau in Accra, CFA is being bought at a rate of 19.70 CFA for every 1 Cedi and sold at a rate of 23.50 CFA for every 1 Cedi.
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Tekura features in Black Panther movie
Ghanaian furniture design company Tekura has been featured in Marvel’s latest film Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. The feature included interior decor products Tekura’s djembe tables and other tables and lighting from other African designers for constructing a set in the movie.
Tekura’s djembe tables were displayed with other made-in-Africa products on a set in the movie. The djembe table has inspiration from the djembe drum which played with bare hands and originates from West Africa. The name djembe signifies a call for everyone to come together in peace.
It all began with a “mysterious order” at Tekura’s retail partner in the US 54kibo Home Decor. 54kibo recounted in an Instagram post congratulating all the curated designers whose products made it into Black Panther movie.
“When we first got that mysterious order in 2021 for 15 products, we did not know which movie the product would end up in, but it reaffirmed our vision.”54kibo, a luxury décor retailer and Tekura have been partners since 2018 and it has been retailing in the US African design, luxury, and sustainable interior décor products.
Managing Director of TEKURA Audrey Forson says, “The Wakanda Forever movie feature is a major recognition and a huge opportunity for Tekura and African designers to show our excellence to the world. This reaffirms our vision to be the go-to décor and accessories brand.
“We at Tekura design and create bits of our culture from sustainable wood telling a unique and positive African story to the world. We are excited about this association with Hollywood and are thankful for the inundation of love shown to us from people everywhere.
“We are especially thankful to all our partners, clients, designers, and staff. I would like to also congratulate our colleague designers from other African countries whose products also featured in the Wakanda Forever movie.”
This feature in the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever film shows African design to the world through the works of these designers; Tekura, Modern Gesture (Candice Lawrence) and Jomo Tariku.
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127 1D1F factories are operational – Presidential Staffer
According to Presidential Staffer Dennis Miracles Aboagye, the Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo administration was able to construct 127 factories that are currently in use.
He said that as part of the government’s flagship One District – One Factory (1D1F) plan, the government collaborated with a few private firms to create the 127 factories.
“We have people who have been supported in the private sector to ensure that their businesses thrive, and we are spending about a billion dollars every year to keep energy on,” Miracles Aboagye on Accra-based TV3 said. “We have at least 127 factories that are operational and others that are being built.”
Touching on road construction under the Akufo-Addo-led government, the NPP member noted that more roads have been under the government than any other in Ghana’s history.
Describing it as unprecedented, Miracles Aboagye said this forms part of the projects done out of the loans that have been contracted.
“Unprecedented, no government within a period of four or five years have been able to tar the number of kilometres of roads that we have tarred, over 3600killiometrs of roads that we have tarred,” he said.
Adding, “NDC came, they picked our debt from 9 billion to almost about 122 billion. We, admittedly, have moved it from 122 billion to 400 billion or whatever, but we have things to show for it.”
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‘The hardship is real’ for ordinary Ghanaians – Mahama rallies support for government
John Dramani Mahama has bemoaned the difficulties faced by typical Ghanaians as a result of the country’s economic crisis.
Thus, the former president has urged all concerned parties to work together to help the government find a solution to the situation.
He is confident that Ghana wouldn’t be in its current economic predicament if the president had access to the kind of sound advice that he used to receive.
At a discussion with some clergy at his Cantonments office, Mahama declared that there was no use in taking political advantage of the difficulties the administration was experiencing.
“All the political parties are in competition for leadership and so you cannot be happy that one party’s administration is going through economic difficulty and you stand and gloat over it.
“I mean we must contribute what we can to ensure that they turn it around…. Better to work together to turn things around. Especially for the ordinary people of this country, the hardship is real and when you go to the grassroots you find that people really have a difficulty,” he stressed.
An economy in distress
The economy is facing major headwinds that have been characterized by galloping inflation, consistent depreciation of the cedi and general high cost of living and of doing business.
The government is hoping to reach a deal with the International Monetary Fund, IMF, for an economic support programme aimed at shoring up the economy and easing the burden on ordinary Ghanaians.
President Akufo-Addo and his government have come under heavy scrutiny for failing to address the current economic challenges in the country.
The prices of goods and services have been continuously rising all year round, with inflation currently at over 40 per cent.
The Ghana cedi has been ranked the worst currency in the world among 148 currencies tracked by Bloomberg, overtaking Sri Lanka’s rupee, having depreciated by nearly 50 per cent so far in 2022.
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World Cup 2022: Otto Addo and Thomas Partey to face media today ahead of Uruguay clash
Ghana coach Otto Addo and deputy skipper Thomas Partey will speak to the press at 14:45 GMT today ahead of their final group game against Uruguay at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
The pre-match press conference will take place at the Qatar National Convention Centre (QNCC) as part of the build-up to the crucial game on Friday.
Ghana and Uruguay face off at the Al Janoub Stadium on Friday in the final Group H game.
The two sides are in search of a ticket to the knockout stage with Ghana needing a win to automatically seal their spot in the next round of the tournament while the Uruguayans desperately need a win against Ghana to progress to the next round.
The game will be a repeat of the 2010 World Cup quarter-final incident which saw Luis Suarez save his side with the handball incident as Ghana eventually bowed out of the tournament on penalty shootouts.
Black Stars are currently second in Group H while Uruguay lie bottom with only one point.
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NSS suspends Ashanti Regional Director for abusing nurse
The Ashanti Regional Director of the National Service Scheme (NSS), Alex Opoku-Mensah, has been suspended with immediate effect.
The suspension follows Mr. Opoku-Mensah’s raid on the Manhyia Hospital in the Ashanti Region, where he reportedly assaulted a nurse for allegedly abusing his daughter, a doctor there.
According to a statement from the NSS, the choice was decided on November 30 at an urgent meeting between Mr. Opoku-Mensah and the Scheme’s management.
“The management’s decision is to allow further investigation into the alleged verbal assault on a nurse on duty at the Manhyia Government Hospital in Kumasi,” part of the statement read.
A committee made up of members from the National Service Scheme, the Public Services Commission, and the Ministry of Education has been established in the interim to look into the situation and deliver a report to the NSS Management within a month.
On Monday, December 5, 2022, Mr. Opoku-Mensah is anticipated to appear before the Committee.
Background
Mr Opoku is reported to have marched to the Manhyia District Hospital and confronted a nurse who drew the attention of his daughter to a task she had failed to execute.
His daughter, a House Officer, is said to have failed to log into the E-health system and update the patient’s prescription order. The patient would have been billed for unissued drugs but for the intervention of the nurse.
Mr Opoku’s daughter who was displeased by the incident reported the matter to her father who accused the nurse of being envious of his daughter.
The matter was brought to the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association’s attention after the media reported the story.
Reacting to the issue, the Association faulted the Ashanti Regional Director for the National Service Scheme, adding that Mr Opoku “had absolutely no right to
enter Manhyia District Hospital and verbally abuse and threaten the nurse in question who was on duty at the time.”According to the Association, Mr Opoku should have followed due process by reporting to a Medical Superintendent or a Nurse Manager under whom the nurse works.
In view of his misconduct and gross disregard for law and order, the Association wants Mr Opoku sacked from his current position latest by Friday, December 2, 2022.
Should the government fail to relieve Mr Alex Poku Mensah of his duty as Ashanti Regional Director of the National Service Scheme within 72 hours, “nurses and midwives of Manhyia Hospital will be called to lay down their tools, followed by the whole of Ashanti Region and then it will be escalated to the whole nation.” after registering.
Nurses and midwives at the Manhyia District Hospital have been urged to remain calm and go about their normal duties as they wait for further directives from the leadership of the Association.
Meanwhile, the Association has called on the management of Manhyia Hospital to ensure that the House Officer is schooled on her role in the Medical Team and the fact that nurses and midwives are patient’s advocates and “will continue to advocate for their patients and clients even if it
makes another member in the team uncomfortable.”They are also calling for a Team Building and Team Work for all staff of the hospital to foster unity of purpose at the facility.
On the other hand, Alex Opoku-Mensah has rendered an unqualified apology for his recent actions.
“ This has never been my style but for a genuine reason to mediate a persistent issue between my daughter (doctor) and a colleague nurse who I as well consider my daughter. I do apologise for any mishap and assure all, there shall not be a repetition of such,” he wrote in a Facebook post.
Source: The Independent Ghana
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Femi Otedola gains $170.1 million in 56 days after listing on NGX – Report
Since its shares were listed on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) 56 days ago, Geregu Power Plc, a leading power-generating company that is majority owned by Nigerian billionaire Femi Otedola, has returned a total of $170.1 million in gains to shareholders.
Otedola successfully listed Geregu’s shares on the NGX on October 5 at a price of N100 ($0.231) per share, giving it a market capitalization of N250 billion ($563 million) on the local bourse. Geregu was a spin-off subsidiary of the now-defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria that Otedola acquired in 2013.
Since Oct. 5, its stock price has increased from N100 ($0.231) to N130.2 ($0.294), returning 30.2 percent to its shareholders, including Otedola, a leading energy magnate who owns a majority 80-percent stake in the power-generating company.
As a result of the surge in the company’s share price, its market capitalization has risen from N250 billion ($563 million) on Oct. 5 to N325.5 billion ($733.44 million) at the time of writing this report, returning N75.5 billion ($170.12 million) in gains to shareholders.
Otedola, who owns 80 percent of Geregu Power, has seen the market value of his stake rise by N60.4 billion ($136.1 million) in the past 56 days, from N200 billion ($450.7 million) on Oct. 5 to N260.4 billion ($586.75 million) at the time of writing this report.
Since Geregu’s shares were listed on the local stock exchange, investment banks, hedge funds, and private investors have been vying for ownership of the power company, which has caused its share price to rise.
The rise in the company’s stock corresponds to an earlier prediction by Vetiva Research that the stock could reach N131 ($0.303) per share.
Vetiva also emphasized Geregu’s recent financial performance, noting that the power company has consistently improved power output over the previous five years, indicating increased efficiency and better utilization of its power plant.
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M.anifest releases EP with surprise M.I Abaga feature
Manifest, a well-known rapper from Ghana, has just released a new extended play.
The 6-tracker, which is unexpected in and of itself, has a collaboration with Nigerian rap icon and music mogul M.I Abaga, which is even more unexpected.
On November 29, 2022, “M dot,” as he is sometimes referred to, posted a teaser on Facebook about the feature.
He teased his followers by writing, “One of the rap collabs you’ve been bugging me for for a while now is on” the EP’s Track 2: “Too Bad.”
The project, cleverly dubbed “The E.P.ilogue,” features musicians Anik Khan, A.Lee, and Wavypae and acts as a 19-minute epilogue for his long play (LP) titled “Madina to the Universe (MTTU)” due out in 2021.
To the delight of his thronging social media fans, he also uploaded a selfie of himself and partner M.I today, Wednesday, November 30.
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No ban on small-scale mining – Deputy Lands Minister
The government has been urged to outlaw small-scale mining as a means of combating unlawful small-scale mining, often known as “galamsey,” however George Mireku Duker, deputy minister of lands and natural resources, has opposed this proposal.
He contends that any restriction on small-scale mining will be more detrimental to the nation than beneficial.
Speaking on Tuesday, November 29, 2022, to editors of a few particular media outlets in Accra, the deputy minister explained that the small-scale mining industry contributes about 40% of the nation’s total gold production and employs over one million Ghanaians, so it has a significant impact on economic development and that it would be unwise to outlaw it.
Recently there had been calls by a number of identifiable bodies including religious bodies and OccupyGhana for a temporary ban on all forms of small-scale mining.
But the deputy minister stated that what was needed was the enforcement of regulations, which was what the government was doing to sanitise the water bodies and the environment.
Mireku Duker further noted that aside from the myriad of benefits the small-scale mining industry contributes to the country, Ghana’s small-scale mining sector is considered one of the best in Africa with an enviable regulatory structure which has propelled many countries to visit the country, to learn and implement same in their respective nations.
“Zambia and Sudan have come to emulate from us and currently, the South African High Commissioner is at the Ministry with the same purpose, to understudy Ghana’s small-scale mining sector,” he indicated.
The Tarkwa Nsuaem MP in an all-encompassing presentation highlighted the gamut of measures the government has put in place to curb the illegal mining menace, which among other things include Operation Halt II, Community Mining Scheme (CMS), and Training of River guards.
“We are not just doing a talk shop here, we are on the grounds and the whole mentality is to get our river bodies cleaned,” Mireku Duker stressed.
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Agric spending only 1.9% of government budget; far below 10% Malabo pledge – PFAG
The Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana (PFAG) has expressed concern that the allocation is still significantly below the anticipated 10% commitment made under the Malabo declaration, despite the fact that agricultural sector spending as a percentage of total government expenditure increased marginally in 2023 to 1.95 percent over the previous year’s figure of 1.86 percent.
Ghana is a signatory to the Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Programme of 2003 (Malabo Declaration), in which member nations were required to increase agricultural investment to 10% of annual budgets to result in, at least, 6% annual growth in the sector. However, the nation has not succeeded in doing so since.
The PFAG, at a stakeholder dialogue on the state of agriculture in the country and failure of the 2023 budget to address the most crucial challenges facing the sector, noted that next year’s budget lacks drastic and far-reaching interventions to salvage the growing state of food insecurity in the country.
The Association’s Programme Officer, Bismark Nortey said: “We are calling for consideration to increase investment in the agricultural sector, provided we actually want the sector to lead in the economic transformation and developing Ghana Beyond Aid”.
Executive Director of PFAG, Dr. Charles Nyaaba, said underinvestment in the sector is underscored by MoFA’s actual budgeting expenditure averaging just 1 percent of total government expenditure from 2018 to 2021.
He said though there are expectations that government will prioritise agricultural investment in this era of economic crisis, the sector’s growth-woes should be a matter of concern to stakeholders.
“Given the high rate of inflation at about 40.5 percent, the nominal value of total budget allocation has reduced – while allocation to the agricultural sector in real terms has declined by 40.5 percent. This should be a matter of concern to every actor, as it is expected that in this era of economic crisis government would have prioritised agricultural investment. It must also be noted that government’s actual expenditure has always been about 28 percent lower than budget allocation [to the sector],” Dr. Nyaaba said.
PFAG says though it is aware of investments in other ministries – such as feeder roads under the Ministry of Roads and Highways and investment in technology and research with the Ministry Science and Technology and agriculture-related investment in the Ministry of Education usually used in the computation of agricultural investment – there will not be any significant changes that can lead to 10 percent investment in the agricultural sector when such computations are done.
“Considering the state of agriculture and state of food insecurity, our expectation of key provisions to drive agricultural transformation, improve food production, reduce food prices and improve farmers’ livelihoods have not been met in the 2023 budget,” the Association emphasised.
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World Cup 2022: Tunisia leave with a lot of honour and pride – Wahbi Khazi
Tunisia captain Wahbi Khazi has showered praises on his teammates for their impressive performance against France in their final group game at the 2022 World Cup.
However, despite victory they failed to qualify for the last 16 of the global showpiece following Australia’s 1-0 win over Denmark in the other group game.
Khazi’s second-half goal proved to be the winner at the Education City Stadium. Antoine Griezmann found the back of the net via a deflection but France’s celebrations quickly turned to frustration when the goal was ruled out by the VAR.
“I said nothing is impossible. We have been able to win over the world champions,” Kadri said after the game.
“We have been able to prove our efficiency and we did our best. We worked as a team. It wasn’t easy for us to get these four points [in the group stage] but we leave with a lot of honour and pride.”
Tunisia’s wait to reach the knockout stages of the World Cup for the first time continues as they exit the competition.
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Ghana 38th National Farmers Day winner to be awarded GH¢25,000
In order to promote the impending 38th National Farmers Day, Kingdom Exim Ghana Limited has donated GH25,000 to the Ministry of Food and Agriculture.
The donation will help the Ministry recognize the crop farmer who will come out on top in this year’s competition.
On behalf of the business, the donation was made by Mr. Samuel Asiamah, General Executive Manager of Operations and Finance.
He acknowledged that Kingdom Exim Ghana Limited has been the primary sponsor of the Tree Crop Award for a while in an interview with B&FT.
Mr. Asiamah, however, stated that his company’s main motivation has been the desire to support the ministry and to support farmers and also because that is where the company sources its business from.
“We are into commodities and we deal directly with farmers, so we see it as our responsibility anytime to partner with the Ministry in supporting anytime there is Farmer’s Day,” she explained.
“As a legally registered company in Ghana, we see it as part of our social responsibility to partner with the government in its activities,” he added.
He also indicated that, this year, Kingdom Exim Ghana Limited, aside from the GH¢25,000 donation at the national level, is also going to support with cash and farming products at the regional and district levels.
This is an initiative of the founders of Kingdom Exim Ghana Limited, Mr. James Rajamani and Mr. Emmanuel Rajamani, who see social responsibility as a core value of the company.
Receiving the donation on behalf of the ministry, Yaw Frimpong Addo, the deputy minister for Food and Agriculture, thanked and acknowledged their constant support every year.
He used the opportunity to invite other corporate bodies to come and support the event.
“It is not too late, between now and Friday, we will be in Koforidua. Our doors are open to other corporations who would also like to support,” he said.
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Ofori-Atta has more integrity than 99% of politicians – Prof. Stephen Adei
Professor Stephen Adei, a former board chairman of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), has voiced his disappointment with the way some Members of Parliament (MP) called for the ouster of Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta.
Earlier this month, 98 Majority NPP MPs attended a news conference in Parliament and asked that President Akufo-Addo remove his cousin from his position due to what they called economic incompetence.
Subsequently, the minority in parliament submitted a resolution of censure to demand the resignation of the minister.
However, Prof. Adei is not pleased with how the calls for Ofori-removal Atta’s have evolved.
He claims that there are other ways to resolve the impeachment-related issues than to damage Mr. Ofori- Atta’s well-deserved reputation.
Prof Adei said, “Our leaders [Members of Parliament] must be very careful when they want to impugn the person’s integrity and almost branding him as a thief. I have no doubt at all that Mr. Ken Ofori-Atta has more integrity than 99 percent of all politicians I know in Ghana.”
The former GIMPA Rector stated on Upfront on Wednesday that two of the seven accusations made against the Minister by the Minority MPs were particularly concerning.
He noted that the accusation is a dent on his high-earned reputation.
“The charges on conflict of interest and the fact that he was supposed to have stashed some 100 million dollars elsewhere which impugn on his integrity. I have known Mr. Ofori-Atta for almost 23 years, I can say that he is a friend, a businessman of high integrity and therefore, for me, those two charges were very troubling.
“I believe that the NPP came into power over-committing themselves, there is over-borrowing and you know, you might disagree with policy and of course, there were internal and external factors, but I do not think that it is fair to impugn on the integrity of Ken Ofori-Atta. I know him personally as a Christian, as a businessman and as a politician.”
“If there is anybody in Ghana I can vouch for, none of his accusers can stand his integrity,” he added.
Touching on some key policies in the proposed 2023 budget, he disagreed with the proposed 2.5% VAT increment.
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Nigeria police chief sentenced to 3 months in jail
The high court in Nigeria has sentenced the country’s police chief to three months in prison for disobeying a court order.
The ruling followed a lawsuit by a police officer who was dismissed in 1992.
The officer challenged his forced retirement, and his dismissal was later quashed in court.
The court found that Inspector General Usman Alkali Baba should serve a three-month jail sentence unless he reinstates the police officer.
So far the police force has failed to comply.
In a statement, police spokesman Olumuyiwa Adejobi described the decision as “astonishing”.
He said the police force was studying the ruling to know what action to take.
“It is instructive to note that the case in point concerns an officer who was dismissed as far back as 1992, a few years after the current IGP joined the Nigeria Police Force,” he said.
He added that “the most recent judgement on the matter was given in 2011 which should ordinarily not fall under the direct purview of the current administration of the force”.
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World Cup 2022: Tunisia coach Jalel Kadri admits mixed feelings after win over France
Tunisia coach Jalel Kadri was left with mixed emotions after beating France 1-0 in their final group game at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar on Wednesday.
However, despite victory they failed to qualify for the last 16 of the global showpiece following Australia’s 1-0 win over Denmark in the other group game.
Tunisia captain Wahbi Khazi’s second-half goal proved to be the winner at the Education City Stadium. Antoine Griezmann found the back of the net via a deflection but France’s celebrations quickly turned to frustration when the goal was ruled out by the VAR.
“It’s mixed feelings because we’re happy to beat a team like France,” said Tunisia manager Jalel Kadri.
“We can be proud and leave with our head high, but it is a bitter victory.
“It would have been beautiful to beat France and reach the last 16. It is our fault for not doing what we needed to do before.”
Tunisia’s wait to reach the knockout stages of the World Cup for the first time continues as they exit the competition.
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2023 budget: Oil revenue goes up 89% – Finance Minister
According to Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the planned gold for oil barter arrangement is expected to save the government roughly US$3 billion in foreign money per year.
He claims that the policy’s goal of stockpiling domestically mined gold in return for finished petroleum products will lessen the need for foreign currency to pay for the annual imports of petroleum products worth around US$3 billion.
“As a result, we will avoid spending $3 billion on foreign exchange since the Bank of Ghana won’t need it.
The pressure on the cedi is instantly relieved as a result, and the currency will depreciate much, much less as a result, he said.This comes on the back of the Russia-Ukraine war, which continues to impact the global oil market.
For instance, as early as February this year oil prices swung dramatically – pushing close to a major milestone of US$100 a barrel, largely attributed to the conflict in Eastern Europe.
Subsequently, the price of Russian crude fell following sanctions imposed by the EU and U.S.; although it is now selling more oil to countries like China and India, which have not imposed sanctions on Moscow.
On the demand side, the easing of COVID-19 restrictions globally has led to increasing demand for crude oil – thereby pushing prices on the world market to go up amid the shortfall of supply with Russia being ‘cut-out’.
More recently, prices are beginning to fall on the world market due to a contraction in global output.
According to the minister, the January to September 2022 receipts exclude US$14.61million petroleum receipts from Corporate Income Tax and PHF Income that spilled over from 2021 to 2022.
This brings the total petroleum receipt available for distribution to US$1.18billion. The Carried and Participating Interest (CAPI) contributed the highest, at 50.8 percent, to total petroleum receipts for the period; followed by Royalties, 23.9 percent; and Corporate Income Tax, 25.1 percent.
The rest include Surface Rental of 0.17 percent to petroleum receipts for the period.
However, the minister said there were no receipts from gas for the period under review. This is despite recording a total of 189,469.44 million standard cubic feet (Mscf) of gas produced in the first to third quarters of the year from the three producing fields.
Total crude oil production for January to September 2022 was 39.15 million barrels. This comprises Greater Jubilee’s output of 23.09 million barrels, Tweneboa Enyenra-Ntomme (TEN) of 6.43 million barrels and Sankofa-Gye Nyame (SGN), 9.64 million barrels, representing 58.97, 16.41 and 24.62 percent respectively of the total output.
But the first to third-quarter of 2022 crude oil production of 39.15 million, according to the minister, is 5.73 percent lower than the production of 41.53 million barrels for the same period in 2021.
“The reduction in crude oil production is generally due to natural field decline from the TEN and SGN fields,” he added.
Meanwhile, of the total crude oil production for January to September 2022 of 39.15 million barrels, Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) on behalf of the state lifted 7.55 million barrels – comprising 4.71 million barrels from the Jubilee field, 0.99 million barrels from TEN field and 1.85 million barrels from Sankofa Gye Nyame (SGN) field.
Petroleum Receipts for January to September 2022
Total receipts from crude oil liftings only by GNPC for January-September was US$873.25million (GH₵8.34billion), comprising the 63rd – 67th Jubilee liftings; 20th and 21st TEN liftings; and the 9th and 10th liftings from the Sankofa Gye-Nyame field.
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Entire Juventus board announces resignation
Andrea Agnelli (left) and Pavel Nedved will leave their roles at Juventus
The entire board of Italian club Juventus, including president Andrea Agnelli, have resigned.
The Serie A club finished fourth in the league last season and made a €254.3m (£220m) loss – a record in Italy.
Last November, Juventus said they were co-operating with police after an investigation was launched into the club’s transfers.
The investigation concerned “revenues from player registration rights” between 2019 and 2021.
Agnelli and vice-president Pavel Nedved, who is also stepping down, were among those under investigation.
The board have stepped down en masse “having considered the centrality and relevance of pending legal and accounting issues”, said a statement.
The outgoing board “considered to be in the best social interest to recommend that Juventus equip itself with a new board of directors to address these issues,” the statement added.
Managing director Maurizio Arrivabene will remain in his role for an interim period while a new board is brought together.
Agnelli was one of the chief architects of the breakaway plans to form the European Super League in 2021.
Juve, who are listed on the Italian stock exchange, are being investigated for allegations of presenting false accounting information to investors and producing invoices for non-existent transactions.
The club has denied any wrongdoing.
Other clubs are also the subject of a parallel investigation which was launched by the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) in October.
Shareholders are set to meet again on 18 January to appoint the new board, the club said.
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Government targets US$3 billion forex savings from gold-oil barter policy
According to Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the planned gold for oil barter arrangement is expected to save the government roughly US$3 billion in foreign money per year.
He claims that the policy’s goal of stockpiling domestically mined gold in return for finished petroleum products will lessen the need for foreign currency to pay for the annual imports of petroleum products worth around US$3 billion.
“As a result, we will avoid spending $3 billion on foreign exchange since the Bank of Ghana won’t need it.
The pressure on the cedi is instantly relieved as a result, and the currency will depreciate much, much less as a result, he said.Government plans to implement the gold for oil exchange in the first quarter of next year.
Instead of the Bulk Distribution Companies going to the Bank of Ghana every few weeks to ask for foreign exchange to import oil, he said, this will no longer be the case when the barter policy is implemented.
This, he added, will effectively lower depreciation of the currency by ushering in a more stable exchange rate regime to enable the business community to flourish.
Speaking at the 11th Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) Awards 2022 in Accra, he said the import-reliant nature of the economy – particularly for finished petroleum products – accelerates depreciation of the cedi, increases cost of doing business and the cost of living.
“What drives fuel price increases, what drives the cost of doing business is fundamentally the exchange rate. So, if you are able to have a handle on the exchange rate movement, you are able to lower depreciation of the cedi,” he said.
Since independence, he added, the country has accumulated just 8 tonnes of gold despite being one of the world’s leading producers of the precious yellow metal.
Against this backdrop, the Vice President said the policy will require large gold mining companies to sell at least 20 percent of their gold to the central bank in domestic currency.
All other miners, including community mining schemes and small-scale miners, will also be mandated to sell their gold to the Precious Minerals Company beginning in first-quarter 2023.
Domestic purchase of the precious metal is to enable government accumulate substantial gold reserves for the barter policy.
No anti-dollar agenda
Dr. Bawumia said the barter policy is to correct a problem in the economy, contrary to claims that government is against the use of United States dollars in international transactions.
“We are not on any mission against use of the United States dollar in international transactions. In fact, we want to accumulate more dollars in our reserves.
“We have a specific issue to deal with – oil import and the nexus between those oil imports and the price of fuel, transport, food and utilities – and that is essentially what we are targetting by exchanging our gold for oil,” he clarified.
Most importantly, the move is to insulate domestic industries from persistent depreciation of the cedi – which also affects the cost of doing business and cost of living.
The domestic currency has depreciated by over 53 percent this year, one of its worst performances in history.
With a more stable exchange rate and microeconomic environment, he said: “There are many products that we are importing which we have the capacity to produce in Ghana”.
Meanwhile, president of AGI Humphrey Ayim-Darke said exchange rate volatility remains a major headache for businesses.
“Exchange rate losses continue to rise, and we can only hope that the measures being put in place will give us a glimmer of hope and some recovery within next year.
“While we acknowledge that a number of the current challenges emanate from external shocks over which we have little control, we urge government to expedite the announced measures so we can all smile again,” he advocated.
AGI Ghana Industry and Quality Awards
Organised by the Association of Ghana Industries in partnership with the Ministry of Trade and Industry and Ghana Standards Authority, the annual awards ceremony is designed to recognise excellence and innovation in the country’s manufacturing sector.
This year’s event, themed ‘Leveraging public-private collaborations to facilitate business recovery’, saw Kasapreko Company Limited walk away with the coveted Industrial Company of the Year award.
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Marriages collapsing under Akufo-Addo’s government – Ato Forson
A ranking member of the Parliament’s Finance Committee, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, has claimed that a number of marriages have broken down and others are on the verge of doing so as a result of the current economic difficulties.
Mr. Forson noted that many marriages had failed because spouses couldn’t care for their homes.
Mr Akufo-Addo lamented the government’s lack of attempts to address the hurting economy and said that the high cost of living is taking a severe toll on the populace.
Debating the 2023 budget statement on the floor of Parliament on November 29, 2022, the Ranking Member on the Finance Committee of Parliament said, “Mr. Speaker, the mood out there on the streets is hopelessness, the situation out there calls for urgent action, but unfortunately, Mr. Speaker, we are not seeing that.”
“There’s a massive cost of living crisis. Mr. Speaker, it will surprise you to know that, marriages are collapsing because of this government. Marriages are collapsing because the cost of living is becoming so high due to where we find ourselves. Mr. Speaker, businesses are collapsing”.
With the increase in Value Added Tax (VAT), Dr. Forson made fun of the government for being insensitive to the plight of the typical Ghanaian, adding that the Minority would be scrutinizing the new tax.
“Mr. Speaker, this budget introduced 23 different tax measures, it’s from taxation to more taxes, as if you don’t care about the people of this country. If you want to introduce tax policy, you do proper analysis, taxes have galloped. They have increased the VAT by 2.5%, this VAT rate is the worst in Africa, no country in Africa has a VAT rate in excess of 20%. This policy rate must be thoroughly debated and scrutinised. This is not the time to heap more taxes on Ghanaians,” he asserted.
The VAT was raised by the government to 2.5% in the 2023 budget statement, but the E-levy was reduced from 1.5% to 1%.
Given the rising costs of gasoline, products, and services, the cedi now trades at Gh15 to $1.
As a result of the large number of MPs who were absent during the 2023 budget discussion, Parliament was essentially empty.
The Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, was unable to appear before Parliament, according to Speaker of the House Alban Bagbin, who said that Ofori-Atta was required to attend to official obligations.
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No ban on small-scale mining – Mireku Duker
In an effort to combat galamsey, or unlawful small-scale mining, George Mireku Duker, deputy minister of lands and natural resources, has opposed proposals for the government to outlaw small-scale mining.
Any kind of ban on small-scale mining, in his opinion, would be more detrimental to the nation than beneficial.
On Tuesday, November 29, 2022, the deputy minister explained to editors of a few particular media outlets in Accra that the small-scale mining industry contributes about 40% of the nation’s total gold production and employs over one million Ghanaians. As a result, it has a significant impact on economic development, making it unwise to outlaw it.
Recently there had been calls by a number of identifiable bodies including religious bodies and OccupyGhana for a temporary ban on all forms of small-scale mining.
But the deputy minister stated that what was needed was the enforcement of regulations, which was what the government was doing to sanitise the water bodies and the environment.
Mireku Duker further noted that aside from the myriad of benefits the small-scale mining industry contributes to the country, Ghana’s small-scale mining sector is considered one of the best in Africa with an enviable regulatory structure which has propelled many countries to visit the country, to learn and implement same in their respective nations.
“Zambia and Sudan have come to emulate from us and currently, the South African High Commissioner is at the Ministry with the same purpose, to understudy Ghana’s small-scale mining sector,” he indicated.
The Tarkwa Nsuaem MP in an all-encompassing presentation highlighted the gamut of measures the government has put in place to curb the illegal mining menace, which among other things include Operation Halt II, Community Mining Scheme (CMS), and Training of River guards.
“We are not just doing a talk shop here, we are on the grounds and the whole mentality is to get our river bodies cleaned,” Mireku Duker stressed.
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Capital Bank trial: Ato Essien, two others face judgment today
Today, December 1, the High Court is anticipated to issue its decision in the case involving William Ato Essien, the founder of the now-defunct Capital bank.
The prosecution claims that he misappropriated the GH620 million in liquidity support provided by the Central Bank to keep the bank afloat while his trial for his alleged part in the bank’s failure.
Along with him on the witness stand were Rev. Fitzgerald Odonkor, the former managing director of the bank, and Tetteh Nettey, the former managing director of MC Management Service, which is also controlled by Mr. Ato Essien.
They were each charged with 23 criminal offenses, including conspiracy to commit theft and theft.
But they maintained their innocence throughout the trial and entered a plea of not guilty.
However, they entered a not-guilty plea and insisted on their innocence throughout the trial. Mr. Ato Essien also insisted that he received Board permission for all of his acts at all relevant times.
His Majesty Thus, it is anticipated that Eric Kyei Baffour of the Court of Appeal, who is serving as an extra High Court Judge, would determine the fate of the accused today.
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‘Destooled’ chief demands Ofori Panin Fie to refund GH¢115,000 mining cash
The embattled Benkumhene of Asamang Tamfoe Traditional Area, Nana Boakye Darkwa, is demanding a refund of a total amount of GH¢115,000 mining proceeds given to Ofori Panin Fie out of mining in the community.
According to him, the amount was paid on October 7, 2022, as a goodwill money which was duly collected and acknowledged by the Ofori Panin Fie.
The amount was paid from the account the community opened to collect contributions from miners in the community mining scheme for social corporate responsibility interventions.
Addressing the media on Wednesday, the Benkumhene explained that “as part of a corporate social responsibility agreement the community has with the miners, which Xtra Gold is privy to, some mandatory monies were paid by the miners and which is lodged in an accredited account in the name of the community. Asamang -Tamfoe recognizing and acknowledging the throne of the Ofori Panin forked out 115,000 Ghana cedis on 7/10/2022 as a goodwill money to Ofori Panin Fie”
The Benkumhene, therefore, stated that, if the Judicial Committee, chaired by Okyenhene Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin, describes the community mining program as illegal mining, hence his destoolment, then, should refund the money since it was from its proceeds.
Okyenhene Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin has ordered the destoolment of Benkumhene of Asamang Tamfoe Nana Boakye Darkwa over illegal mining.
This was after some residents in the community calling itself Concerned Citizens of Asamang Tamfoe petitioned the Akyem Abuakwa judicial council on November 9, 2022, accusing the chief of engaging in illegal mining under the guise of community mining, polluting rivers and degrading farmlands, threatening food security and the livelihood of smallholder farmers.
The petition was submitted weeks after some illegal miners in Asamang Tamfoe clashed with the Okyeman Environmental Taskforce on anti-galamsey operations in the community, leading to an exchange of gunshots on the streets.
Subsequently, the Benkumhene held a press conference on October 6, 2022, calling the bluff of Okyeman Environmental taskforce led by Chief of Akyem Apapam, Osabarima Apagya Ofori IV, and dared to violently clash with them should they return to the community to perpetuate same.
Acting on the petition, the Akyem Abuakwa Judicial Council summoned the Chief of Asamang-Tamfoe Osabarima Kwame Koh II and the Benkumhene Nana Boakye Darkwa to appear before it on 21st November 2022 for hearing which they complied.
During the court proceedings, the Benkumhene of Asamang-Tamfoe Nana Boakye Darkwa was asked by the Akyem Abuakwa judicial council that on whose authority did he act to organize the press conference on 6th October 2022 since the Chief of Asamang-Tamfoe Osabarima Kwame Koh II was in Kumasi on the said date.
Secondly, he was confronted with a Daily Graphic’s publication in which he threatened the Okyeman Environmental Taskforce.
The Benkumhene admitted guilt and lied prostrate to apologize to Okyenhene and Akyem Abuakwa traditional council.
Okyenhene Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin who chaired the Akyem Abuakwa Judicial Council made consequential orders for the removal of the Benkumhene.
“I order that the Benkumhene should not remain as the Benkumhene because he has defied the orders that I instructed the taskforce to protect the Akyem lands from all illegal mining activities”.
“The destruction of lands and water bodies going on at Asamang-Tamfoe, are you happy? You did something wrong and Okyenhene called you and you refused to come, because of galamsey all our water bodies are destroyed in even Kyebi here, the same as Tamfoe, I am not interested in mining, I hate it” Okyenhene fumed.
However, Benkumhene of Asamang -Tamfoe is challenging the alleged destoolment stating that the trial was unfairly done in kangaroo manner with no opportunity for defense.
He denied flatly accusation that he was engaging in illegal mining stating that, as a former district best cocoa farmer he has never been interested in mining but was made chairman for the community mining in order to ensure responsible mining.
“If the Okyenhene has concluded that I am an illegal miner, then I urge him to report me to the relevant national and appropriate institutions for redress. That, I have never been into mining and will never go into mining despite its lucrative nature for no reason whatsoever because in 2018 I was adjudged the best district cocoa farmer in Atiwa West. I can therefore not renege on this honour by encouraging the destruction of Cocoa farms”
He further said ” finally, I declare and state without any equivocation that, I did not prostrate as a sign of remorsefulness or guilt but as a sign of rendering an underserved reverence because considering the venue of the gathering, any form of resistance and insistence on not being guilty would not have resulted in any peaceful reactions.
The Benkumhene, Nana Boakye Darkwa stated in his conclusion that “I am still the de-factor Benkumhene of Asamang Tamfoe and still stand by the contents of the press conference the Okyenhene referenced instead of his agenda for the day which he prosecuted”.
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How Kim Kardashian and Kanye West Are Dividing Up Their 21 Properties in Divorce Settlement
Kim Kardashian and Kanye West aren’t skimming over the details when it comes to their divorce.
More than a year after the SKIMS founder filed for divorce, the former couple have come to a settlement. According to court documents obtained by E! News on Nov. 29, in addition to agreeing to both joint legal and physical custody of their four children—North, 9, Saint, 7, Chicago, 4, and Psalm, 3—Kim and Kanye have divided their assets, including their 21 estates.
Per their settlement agreement, Kim will be awarded multiple properties located within Hidden Hills, Calif., including the home she currently resides in with the pair’s children. Additionally, the Kardashians star will retain their houses located in Riverside, Calif., Malibu, Calif., and in Idaho.
As for the Grammy winner, in addition to retaining more than 300 acres in Calabasas, Kanye will also be awarded their other homes in California located in Calabasas, Malibu, Hidden Hills and Thousand Oaks. Aside from the California properties, Ye will also retain two ranches and a home located in Wyoming, a property located in Belgium and his childhood home in Chicago, Ill.
According to court documents, Kim and Kanye have also ironed out the details of custody regarding their children.
The “Through the Wire” rapper agreed to pay the SKIMS founder $200,000 a month in child support and is responsible for half of their kids’ medical, security and educational expenses, including tuition. Additionally, Kim, 42, and Kanye, 45, have both waived spousal support.
The former couple’s divorce settlement comes nearly two years after Kim filed for divorce in February 2021 after six years of marriage.
The proposed settlement between the pair still needs to be signed off by a judge, but once that happens, the divorce is officially finalized.
Source: eonline.com
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Australia on the rise! Mathew Leckie’s heroic goal sends Socceroos to the World Cup knockouts as Denmark dumped out
Australia dumped dark horses Denmark out of the World Cup with a 1-0 win in their final group game.
TELL ME MORE: Australia sealed second place in Group D at the World Cup 2022 by beating Denmark thanks to a second-half goal from Leckie. The Danes had the better of the first half but had few sights of goal and went in at the break without managing to find a breakthrough. Australia made a change at half-time, replacing Craig Goodwin with Keanu Baccus, and were much improved in the second 45 minutes.
As news filtered through the stadium that Tunisia had taken a shock lead against France in the group’s other game, which meant Australia had to win, the Socceroos hit Denmark on a quick break, with Leckie scoring a fine goal to seal a vital three points.
THE MVP: Australia’s Leckie will take all the headlines after scoring a brilliant winner on the hour mark. The forward showed great pace and timed his run well to latch onto a through ball. Leckie then turned Joakim Maehle inside out before dispatching a low shot across goal and past the despairing dive of goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel. It’s Leckie’s 14th goal for the national team and one of his most important too, guaranteeing the Socceroos a place in the knockout stages.
THE BIG LOSER: Denmark needed to beat Australia to progress but drew a blank in a flimsy display. The Danes needed their attackers to show their worth but there was very little quality on offer up front. Andreas Skov Olsen had one shot saved and that was about as good as it got from the striker. It was no surprise to see him replaced on 70 minutes after an utterly toothless outing. Skov Olsen wasn’t the only Denmark player to disappoint by any means but this was a game where his team needed goals and he simply never looked like scoring.
MATCH IN THREE PHOTOS:
Getty
Getty
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Step Inside Ellen Pompeo’s Gorgeous Malibu Beach House
Ellen Pompeo is showing off the anatomy of her house.
The Grey’s Anatomy star, who announced her departure from the ABC show earlier this month after nearly two decades, recently gave a tour of her Malibu beach house in a video for Architectural Digest.
“I am entering a very exciting phase of my life, if I do say so myself,” she told the outlet. “I’m starting on a new show for Hulu in March, but right now I have a lot of free time.”
Ellen revealed that she worked on her McDreamy beach home with her friend and interior designer Martyn Lawrence Bullard, who she credits for a her DeSede patchwork leather sofa from the ’60s. The piece, Ellen noted, is where the two built most of their inspiration from.
As for what her favorite part of her home, Ellen named her bar cart as one of them.
“It’s just so period and so cool,” she said of the piece. “It really gives that mid-century vibe and tequila is a favorite here.”
Ellen—who shares her three kids Stella Luna, 13, Sienna May, 8, and Eli Christopher, 6, with Chris Ivery also gave a glimpse into dinner time with her family.
“The kids have a lot of fun at this table throwing food at each other,” she said of her Yves Saint Laurent studio dining table. “And then I scream at them from over there.”
The actress then revealed that she has strict rules in the kitchen, admitting she makes it a point to be alone while cooking.
“I cook a lot, so I have a lot of rules regarding this kitchen. This kitchen is very small,” she said. “I don’t like anybody in the kitchen when I’m in here.”
Source: eonline.com
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EU encourages Ghanaian businesses to export finished products to Europe
For Ghanaian businesses to add value to the nation’s raw materials and export them to the European market, the European Union (EU) has committed its help.
Under the EU-Ghana Interim Economic Partnership Agreement (iEPA), a project that governs trade in commodities between Ghana and the EU, the EU declared it was prepared to assist local enterprises in importing machinery and technology at a lower cost for the manufacturing of completed goods.
At a presentation on the iEPA on Monday in Accra, Mr. Irchad Razaaly, the EU Ambassador to Ghana, told journalists that the Union had a sizable market for processed goods and invited Ghanaian entrepreneurs to investigate potential there.
“Our wish is to help the Ghanaian corporate industry, economy, entrepreneurs to have the tools to go and sell to the European market the best of products,” Mr Razaaly said.
From the EU side, the iEPA has been effective since 2016 and from the Ghana side, the Agreement took effect on July 1, 2021.
The agreement aims at increasing trade and reducing trade barriers, particularly on the tariffs imposed on imports of products originating in the EU and Ghana.
The conference was organised by the Compete Ghana Programme together with the Ministry of Trade and Industry, and the EU Delegation in Ghana.
The Conference sensitised stakeholders on the iEPA and discussed challenges faced by businesses and individuals in their quest to export their products to the EU and in Ghana.
The EU import market is estimated to be worth over €2 trillion. Recent data from the EU puts Ghana’s export to the EU to the tune of €2 billion.
Mr Razaaly said prior to the commencement of the iEPA, it was “more difficult” for Ghanaian companies to import machinery with preferential tariffs to transform products and make it valuable for the EU market.
He said the EU had also identified lack of awareness as among the challenges businesses face who desired to export to Europe and assured all that the Union would continue to organise such conferences to raise awareness on existing opportunities.
“On the daily basis, I have got Ghanaian businesses and individuals approaching me that they would like to export but they do not know how to begin.
“Rules of origin can be technical and as a businessman, you are not necessarily aware of all these and we are here to support and make sure you are able to make it to the European market,” he said.
Mr Nicolas Gebara, Team Leader, Compete Ghana Programme, said following the signing of the iEPA, Ghana’s exports to the EU increased from €1.19bn in 2016 to €2.27bn in 2019.
“Ghana’s non-traditional exports to the EU increased by two-thirds between 2010 and 2020, equivalent to an annual growth rate of 5 per cent,” he said.
Mr Herbert Krapa, a Deputy Minister for Trade and Industry, said the Government would continue to support local businesses to build their capacity to be able to take advantage of the iEPA and other initiatives to access external markets.