Author: Chris Kodo

The Importers and Exporters Association of Ghana are calling on the Government of Ghana to remove the 1 percent Covid-19 Health Recovery Levy in the 2023 budget statement, following an assurance by the Majority Leader, Osei Kyea Mensah Bonsu.

The Majority Leader gave the assurance ahead of the reading of the 2023 Budget Statement, which is scheduled for November 30.

In an interview with Citi Business News, General Secretary of the Importers and Exporters Association of Ghana, Samson Asaki Awingobit said the government must do all it can to cushion the business community in its 2023 budget statement especially collapsing the nuisance taxes that make the cost of doing business in Ghana expensive.

Mr. Awingobit, inferring the obsolescence of the Levy, questioned its importance a year after its introduction and the disbursement of the proceeds.

“Government should tell us when that 1 percent Covid-19 levy that they have been collecting from the port is going to end because we are no longer in the Covid-19 era.”

He also bemoaned the other numerous taxes that his members are expected to pay in their channel of trade, which he said is greatly impacting their trade.

“The other aspect is that we expect the government to, as a matter of fact, withdraw the VAT Amendment Act rate for us because we are paying so much at the port and if you are not able to recoup what you spent at the port at the end of the day after you make sales, then that becomes a challenge to the business community.”

“If the Government will not give us certain tax rebates, then Government should not come to introduce new taxes because currently, the cost of doing business in Ghana is very costly already.”

The Covid-19 Health Recovery Levy is a stand-alone levy applied to the gross value of taxable supplies of goods and services provided under the Standard Rate and VAT Flat Rate Schemes.

Source: Citinews

Retired Justice of the Supreme Court Clemence Honyenuga says he will continue to hear the trial of former COCOBOD CEO, Dr Stephen Opuni, despite retiring as a judge two months ago.

He made this declaration when he delivered his ruling on an application by lawyers for Dr Opuni.

Lead Counsel Samuel Codjoe had urged the Judge to restrain himself from hearing the matter.

Justice Honyenuga has since March 2017 been hearing the case as an additional High Court Judge.

His tenure as a Supreme Court judge terminated on September 4, 2022, when he attained the age of 70.

The Judge however says the Chief Justice had prior to the said date granted him an extension to continue hearing the matter.

Mr Codjoe however argues the Chief Justice lacks the mandate to grant such an extension.

He said an extension cannot be granted to a person who is no longer a judge. He insisted only the President can grant such an extension.

“Since we came back from vacation we have come to this court not less than three different occasions and this order has never been set aside by this court. We are submitting that the CJ engaged in an unconstitutional act when he purported to extend the tenure of your lordship under 144(11). “

He continued that the President is clothed with such power under article 145(2a).

“It states that a Supreme Court judge is to mandatorily retire at the age of 70 unless his appointment is extended by the president under 145(4). It is our submission that the appointment to the position of a high court judge under article 144 is totally different from that of the appointment of an additional high court judge under 139.

“Under article 144(9)… it is quite clear that the person to be appointed need not be an existing judge unlike under 139(1c) which by its provision all Court of Appeal and Supreme Court are potentially high court judges,“Mr Codjoe stated.

Director of Public Prosecution Yvonne Attakora Obuobisa opposed the application.

She argued the appointment and removal from office of a Justice of the Superior court are different from an extension granted to a judge previously hearing a case to continue with the matter for a limited period of time and that the constitution handles them differently.

“There is no confusion about the fact that it is the president who appoints the chief justice, the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeal and high court judges. Article 144 deals with such appointments and 146 deals with their removal from office.

“In articles 144 and 146 the drafters of the constitution clearly said it is the president who appoints and removes justices of the superior court. Nowhere in article 139 or 145(4) is the president mentioned.”

She urged the court to dismiss the application.

Justice Honyenuga dismissed the application. He stated that the Chief Justice as the administrative head of the judiciary has the power under the constitution to grant an extension to a retiring judge.

The extension he explained was granted long before the date of retirement.

The case has been adjourned to November 16 for continuation.

The former COCOBOD CEO Dr Stephen Opuni has been charged with willfully causing financial loss to the state to the tune of ¢2.1 billion in three separate contracts for the supply of fertilisers.

Source: Citinews

President Akufo-Addo, left Ghana, on Sunday, 13th November 2022, for a two-day private visit to the United Kingdom.

President Akufo-Addo will return to Ghana on Wednesday, 16th November, 2022.

In his absence, the Vice President, Alhaji Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, shall, in accordance with Article 60(8) of the Constitution, act in his stead.

This comes after the President led Ghana’s delegation to the World Leaders’ Summit of the United Nations (UN) Climate Change Conference (COP 27), being held in Sharm el-Sheikh, in Egypt last week.

Diabetes mellitus took the lives of 416,000 people on the African continent last year, thus becoming one of the leading causes of death in Africa by 2030.

The World Health Organization (WHO) Representative to Ghana, Mr. Francis Kasolo who disclosed this in a statement read on his behalf at Ghana’s commemoration of the 2022 World Diabetes Day, said 24 million adults in Africa are currently living with the condition.

The number was, however, predicted to swell by 129 percent to 55 million by 2045.

Diabetes is a chronic metabolic disease typically characterised by high sugar in the blood. Types are ‘Type 1’, affecting usually children with little or no insulin, ‘Type 2’, usually occurring after 18 years with poor response to insulin and ‘Gestational Diabetes’, one that is caused by pregnancy among women.

Mr Kasolo said Diabetes is the only major non-communicable disease for which the risk of dying early is increasing, rather than decreasing.

The commemoration, organised by the Ministry of Health, was on the theme: “Access to Diabetes Care”.

He said epidemiological trends were reflected in Ghana as Type-2 Diabetes affected approximately six per cent of adults, a percentage that is expected to rise.

The WHO Representative said the known factors include family history and increasing age, along with modifiable risk factors such as overweight and obesity, sedentary lifestyles, unhealthy diets, smoking and alcohol abuse.

When left unchecked and without management and lifestyle changes, Diabetes, he said, could lead to several debilitating complications like heart attack, stroke, kidney failure, lower limb amputation, visual impairment, blindness, and nerve damage.

To enhance controlling of the condition, Mr Kasolo appealed to governments of WHO member states to prioritise investment in essential products like insulin, glucometers and test strips, explaining: “This is critical to ensure equitable accessibility for everyone living with diabetes, no matter where on the continent they are”.

Dr Efua Commeh, Acting Programme Manager, Non-communicable Diseases, Ghana Health Service, said Diabetes affected a significant number of children, many of whom were not recognised.

“Children with this condition will live with it for very long time and it will affect productivity. Moreover, there are many who walk around with the condition without knowing about it,” she noted.

In Ghana, she said Diabetes prevalence is between six and seven per cent, adding: “Obesity, hypertension, unhealthy diet and lifestyles are rising and it’s therefore, not surprising that diabetes is also rising among the public”.

Dr Commeh said more than 200,000 people passed through the Out Patient Department of health facilities every year with diabetes, including gestational conditions.

Deputy Minister of Health, Tina Mensah who launched the commemoration, said rate of Diabetes infection is beyond the government health system and called on health development partners to join hands with the government to control the condition in Ghana.

Mr. Steven Arthur, a representative of Roche, a biotech company, who said Diabetes is a lifestyle disorder, encouraged the public to acquire a certified glucometer to check their sugar levels every morning before breakfast and two hours after lunch.

He also asked those with Diabetes to engage in physical activities at least 150 minutes per week, spread within three discontinuous days.

Mr Arthur admonished the public to consume only low, good quality calories, as bad ones affected sugar levels with sweetness and unhealthy fats.

“There are a lot of apps that can help you to track your sugar and calories levels and also try to visit your Diabetes Specialists regularly to enable them modify your treatments accordingly,” he said.

Source: Citinews

Pressure group, Arise Ghana, has called off its planned three-day picketing at the Revolution Square after a High Court granted an injunction filed by the police against the picketing.

The group had intended to picket from November 15 to 17 at the Revolution Square right opposite the Jubilee House, but the Ghana Police Service sought an injunction on the event on the basis that the venue poses a national security threat.

The Police argued that per the National Security and the Police Security Intelligence assessment, there were reasonable grounds that converging at the Revolution Square, will endanger public safety and violate the rights and freedom of other persons.

The court has since ruled in favour of the police and asked the group to instead picket at the Independence Square.

Arise Ghana, however, said that Independence Square does not fulfil the aspirations of the event and insists on holding the picketing at the Revolution Square.

Bernard Mornah, a leading member of Arise Ghana, said the Police cannot continuously deny demonstrators the venue they intend to picket.

He added that the group has asked their lawyers to file an appeal against the ruling of the court.

“We have no business at Independence Square because we didn’t ask President Akufo-Addo to remove Charles Adu Boahen, and we are not going there to be closer to the Ministry of Finance…our message we want to carry to the Presidency.

“In view of the fact that we don’t want our rights to be trampled upon, we won’t go to Independence Square, and we have instructed our lawyers consequently that they should file an appeal against the decision.”

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