TIG Post

Tag: Ghana

  • Economic hardship: Nurses ‘run away’ to greener pastures abroad

    More Ghanaian nurses are in the process of securing visas to practice abroad, a situation most of them say is born out of poor working conditions in the country.

    Over the past year, there have been increased cases of Ghanaian-trained nurses and other health professionals travelling outside the country.

    A general nurse, who wishes to be known as Alawani, last month secured a job and visa to the United Kingdom. Prior to the new appointment, she had been practicing at a hospital in the Eastern Region for over seven years.

    Asked why she chose to leave, she indicated that she has nothing to show for the years she has been working in Ghana as a nurse. She lamented the meagre salary, poor conditions of service, and risks nurses have to endure in Ghana’s health facilities.

    “I am very passionate about my job and I work really hard, but the economy is too hard on us. A lot of nurses are leaving Ghana to countries like the UK and US for many reasons, including good salaries and better employment contracts.

    “I am for the idea of nurses seeking opportunities overseas, because we live in a country where nobody cares about you as a nurse and you are underpaid for overworking. You cannot even take good care of yourself and your family,” she said.

    According to Ms. Alawani, leaving the country to practice in the UK was her only option after furthering her education and obtaining a degree in nursing.

    Comparing some conditions of service for nurses in Ghana and the UK, Ms. Alawani said: “In Ghana, the normal work hours are between 8-9 hours a day – and sometimes you even end up working for up to 14 hours or more and earn a monthly salary. It is the same salary even if you work extra hours, and nobody really cares about your efforts.

    “Here in the UK, it is totally different. If you do more hours you get more pay, and every company has its own number of work-hours per week – which is usually between 39-42 hours. So, for instance, if you do your 39 hours before the week-end, you have more hours to do extra-time for extra pay,” she added.

    As regards earnings, she noted that salaries in the UK are far better and more encouraging than what nurses earn in Ghana.

    “For instance, back home (Ghana) if you work for 9-12 hours a day for maybe 4 days in a week, you earn a monthly salary of about GH¢2,000 regardless how long your shifts last. But in the UK, you could earn a minimum of £12 or £13 pounds per hour. So, if you are working for 12 hours in a day for 4 or 5 days, you can imagine how much you earn in a month.”

    Another nurse, who for the purpose of this article wants to be known as Adora, has been practicing as a nurse at a facility in Accra for 10 years.

    She also wishes to leave the country, as according to her is the right decision because the salary abroad is better and worth the effort put in.

    “You will enjoy better living conditions. I will leave this country if I have the opportunity,” she stated.

    When asked whether they are aware their decisions to leave the country to practice elsewhere may affect Ghana’s health sector negatively, responses from these nurses varied.

    For Ms. Alawani, even though more nurses are being trained in institutions each year she believe the country will lose out on experienced personnel, and that should be of major concern to authorities.

    “Most of my colleagues have left and others are willing to leave, too. The situation will affect the health sector in Ghana because you end up losing competent and experienced health personnel. Our leaders may think that if you leave there are always people in the queue seeking employment, but they forget that experience is very important in the field.”

    Adora on the other hand feels that: “There are a lot of people being trained, and immediately the economy becomes stable the remaining will stay”.

    Minority calls for action

    Meanwhile, the Minority group in parliament last month directed government’s attention to prioritise the welfare of health personnel in the country, so as to curb high attrition among the workforce.

    A statement signed by the Ranking Member of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, on 6th September 2022, said the situation of healthcare practitioners leaving the country has become critical and needs government attention.

    “Contrary to the propaganda and noise government makes on addressing the welfare needs of health professionals, most professionals will confirm that their conditions of service have deteriorated over the years.

    “Government’s lack of concern for public health workers in this hyperinflationary period has exacerbated an already bad economic situation, leading to high attrition among the workforce.

    “In June this year, the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) informed Ghanaians that in the first quarter of 2022, over 3,000 trained nurses and midwives left the shores of Ghana to seek greener pastures abroad.

    “The story is not different among practicing doctors in Ghana. Alarmingly, General Practitioners, specialists and consultants have all joined a long line of Ghanaian health professionals waiting for clearance or job offers from abroad in order to leave this country. The situation has become critical – to the point that Ghana is currently experiencing losses of general practitioners and specialists needed to handle cases across the healthcare continuum,” the statement said.

     

  • Don’t panic over Cedi depreciation – Ofori Atta

    Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta has urged Ghanaians not to panic over the high depreciation of the Cedi.

    The woes of the Ghana Cedi continue to deepen as the currency has depreciated further about GHC14.50 to 1$ less than a day after reaching GHC13.5 to 1$ on October 20.

    This is equivalent to about 13% depreciation in only four days of this week.

    But Ken Ofori Atta believes the economy will bounce back soon and the Cedi stabilized following measures being put in place by the government.

    “…It is a bit perplexing but as you know, typically we go to market at the beginning of the year and get our 2 billion, this we were not able to do. We were able to get our 750 from AfroExim and in the summer – August or so things stabilized a bit. Then we moved on traditionally as we do with the ASL (Annual Syndicated Loan) of COCOBOD and that came in very strongly. So it’s a bit perplexing to see where it’s going.”

    “Of course, typically in October, people are importing for Christmas, and maybe there’s a rush for that. But my expectation is that once we also conclude with the Fund, that will lead to the Fund’s disbursement early next year. With the support we are getting from countries like Germany, France etcetera, we are confident that we’ll get the resources needed. So we really will want people not to panic or be rushing for that pressure on the currency. I think it is unnecessary and we are in good shape,” Mr Ofori Atta said in an interview in Washington.

  • Ofori-Atta has failed miserably, why can’t he be fired? – Kofi Oduro asks Akufo-Addo

    Prophet Kofi Oduro, General Overseer, Alabaster International Ministry, cannot comprehend why Ken Ofori-Atta, the Finance Minister who has failed miserably, will still be keeping his job.

    According to him, if Ghana was his private company, he would have fired the under-fire minister and hired a different person who would deliver results.

    In a viral video sighted by GhanaWeb, Prophet Oduro noted that the current government under the leadership of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo does not like to hear the truth, but as a man of God, he has to tell the President and his ministers the truth.

    “Wrong is wrong. When you are wrong, I need to look into your eyes and tell you that you are wrong. It doesn’t matter [who you are]; that is what is killing this nation, and it is killing churches…

    “This is the time, Your Excellency, to make changes, and that changes must be to the honour and glory of God…our finance minister, even though he is a Christian, has failed miserably, and I am telling Your Excellency with all due respect, this is the time to make drastic changes. We cannot sit here when $1.00 is equal to GHC12.00,” Prophet Kofi Oduro said.

    “You can do whatever you like; I came with a fresh grace to tell you something. Look! What I have observed is that the current government hates being told the truth, but I am telling, ‘you will take it’. If Ghana is my private company and somebody is not delivering; I fire them; I replace them; I hire somebody else and then we are working…why can’t a nation do that?” he quizzed.

    The Cedi has recently been classified by Bloomberg as the worst-performing currency against the US Dollar.

    Currently, the Cedi is trading at around GH¢13 – GH¢14 to a dollar at some forex bureaus. The depreciation rate is a contributory factor for the ongoing shop closures ordered by the Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA).

     

     

  • IMF alone can’t help Ghana – Kofi Bentil

    Vice President of IMANI Africa, Kofi Bentil, has called on the Government of Ghana to look beyond the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to address the nation’s current economic challenges.

    The Government of Ghana in July this year began formal negotiations with the IMF for economic support, but according to Kofi Bentil, the government should engage other international financial organisations like the World Bank if it will succeed in managing the current economic challenges.

    “We need more than the IMF. We need to be speaking to the world bank and friendly nations for concessionary loans to shore up the economy and then get IMF to tide us over to health. We should be speaking to them by now, IMF alone can’t help us,” he wrote in a Facebook post.

    Ghana, over the past months, has experienced serious economic challenges plummeting the country into severe price hikes amidst a poorly performing cedi on the exchange market.

    The government, in its bid to manage the situation, is seeking an IMF programme.

    The Director of IMF’s African Department, Abebe Aemro Selassie, in a recent media engagement, stated that Ghana needs to show proof of debt sustainability in order to merit an economic support programme.

     

  • Galamsey: Christian bodies to lead fight, starts with red armband on Sunday October 23

    Churches in Ghana will wear red banners on Sunday, October 23, 2022, to register their displeasure over the devastating effects of illegal mining, known as galamsey.

    The move, according to them, is part of their planned demonstration against the government and other authorities mandated to halt illegal mining but have failed to do so.

    President of the Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council, Rev. Prof. Paul Frimpong-Manso, speaking on Kumasi-based OTEC 102.9 FM’s breakfast show, “Nyansapo” on Thursday, October 20, 2022, said they would mobilize its members to embark on a massive protest to drum home their displeasure over the devastation caused by illegal mining.

    “The government and authorities in charge of regulating these mining activities have consistently failed the country, and so the church is now ready to lead the fight.”

    “We are leading the fight; the fight is in four phases. First, accepting our challenges and weaknesses, pledging that we won’t be part of it, telling the people that it is wrong [to engage in galamsey,” he told the programme’s host, Captain Koda.

    Prof Frimpong Manso, however, disclosed that the churches would soon come out with a specific date to stage the biggest-ever demonstration against illegal mining across the country.

    “On Sunday, all our churches will hoist red flags; the members will put red banners on their hands, heads, and any part of their bodies to show how unhappy the church is over the menace of galamsey.”

     

  • Akufo-Addo has packed public sector with retirees – Ablakwa

    Member of Parliament (MP) for North Tongu Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has criticised the Akufo-Addo administration for engaging retirees in the public sector while qualified young persons are being overlooked.

    For Mr Ablakwa, Ghana should not have such a high number of retirees in the public sector in the face of high youth unemployment made worse by the current economic crisis.

    “A country facing record high unemployment as captured by the 2021 Population and Housing Census of 13.4% and 32.8% for those aged 15-24 which is further aggravated by the current debilitating economic crisis should not be keeping so many retirees on contract in the public service.

    So far, I have counted hundreds of these retirees who have been engaged on multiple post-retirement contracts by the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government when they should be home enjoying their pensions instead of denying many qualified young Ghanaians employment opportunities,” he stated.

    He pointed out that in the Civil and Local Government Services alone, there are over 60 retirees on contract, while the number is high in other sectors. This, he stressed, is a barrier to persons interested in working in the public sector, stifles career progression and lowers morale among serving public sector workers.

    “There are as many as 63 retirees on contract within the Civil and Local Government Services as of today, and even more than this number under other public sector categories.

    Apart from serving as a blockade to prospective young Ghanaians with public sector ambitions, the phenomenon is stifling career progression and lowering morale in Ghana’s public sector,” he noted.

    Ablakwa added that some of the contracts of these retirees are unconstitutional, asking that the president terminate the contracts of all the retirees.

    “…Equally troubling — some of those contracts we are reviewing are palpably unconstitutional.

    President Akufo-Addo must immediately terminate all these contracts, ensure he thanks our retirees for their dedicated service and endeavour to honour them with a befitting send-off and urgently fill the vacancies to be created through a transparent, credible and meritorious recruitment process for our suffering youth — as we demand that this time he eschews his reckless penchant for Family/Friends/Akonta shenanigans,” he concluded.

    Several other persons, notably journalist Johnnie Hughes have complained about the issue of the engagement of retirees when younger qualified persons abound.

  • Signs of 1948 riots are looming – Nana Oye

    Former Gender Minister, Nana Oye Bampoe Addo (formerly Nana Oye Lithur) says the circumstances that led to the 1948 riots in Accra are currently looming in Ghana.

    According to the past NDC appointee, the triggers that led to the historic protest can be seen across the country.

    On the 24th of February 1948, three unarmed ex-servicemen were shot during a protest. This infuriated other citizens who took to the streets to call out the colonial regime for its bad leadership and mismanagement.

    Speaking in an interview on the AM Show on Thursday, the gender advocate said the same anger that fueled the 1948 protests is lurking, hence the need for government to urgently address the prevailing economic crisis.

    “If you remember the 1948 riots, it seems like we are just seeing it being replayed. Where the traders were up in arms about the high cost of living and shops were closed. Then it led to Sergeant Adjetey and co., marching on to the seat of the colonial government.

    [With] the ramifications of what happened; over a hundred people dying and how the riots [was] all over Ghana because of the economic situation. And you see it playing, right? History is actually repeating itself”, she said.

    She also added that the recent incidents of booing the President at public functions are a worrying development which reflects the displeasure of the populace.

    Madam Oye Addo’s comments add to the repeated calls for the President to invest more efforts in bettering the economy to prevent any untoward events.

    Currently, Ghana is in a dire economic situation with citizens feeling the brunt of the hardship.

    The economic crisis is evident in the constant depreciation of the local currency, in addition to the rising rate of inflation.

    These developments have become very topical, with stakeholders constantly bemoaning the situation.

    Meanwhile, in the wake of the widespread public agitations about the state of the economy, government maintains that it is working tirelessly around the clock to put the smiles back on the faces of Ghanaians.

    According to the government, the economic situation has been exacerbated by the Russia-Ukraine war, as well as the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

  • Ghana should have signed up for Debt Service Suspension Initiative – World Bank President

    The World Bank Group President, David Malpass, has expressed disappointment over Ghana and Nigeria’s decision not to sign up for the Debt Service Suspension Initiative (DSSI).

    Established in May 2020, the DSSI expired at the end of December 2021.

    The DSSI, put together by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank offered countries an opportunity to freeze debt servicing, whiles they concentrate on using their minimum funds to deal with other commitments.

    Mr. Malpass was responding to questions at a programme in Washington DC, on suggestions that the Bretton Wood institutions are not doing enough to help cancel the debts of some African countries in distress.

    But reacting to the question, he pointed out that Ghana and Nigeria failed to apply for the DSSI, which would have provided some financial space for the repayment of loans.

    “Kristalina (IMF Boss) and I were talking yesterday with the Group about the Common Framework. If countries could have a situation where the common framework clause allow the country to have a standstill on debt, that would help the country choose their path forward on debts restructuring. That would mean they would get a break on debt repayment while they work on debt restructuring,” he explained.

    Mr. Malpass stated that such initiatives are designed to help reduce the impact of economic hardship on developing countries.

    He, however pointed out that some developing countries refused to take advantage of the initiative to minimise the impact of the current global hardship on their citizens.

    “Nigeria and Ghana both, did not ask for the common framework treatment”, he said, adding that the situation has made it difficult for such countries to overcome the negative impact of current global economic hardship on trade and currencies of developing countries.

    Debt to GDP to hit 90.7% – IMF

    The International Monetary Fund (IMF) had already projected that Ghana will end 2022 with a debt-to-Gross Domestic Product of 90.7%.

    This was captured in its Fiscal Outlook Report released on the sidelines of the on-going IMF/World Bank Annual meetings in Washington DC, USA.

    The report, also forecasts that the debt–to-GDP could reduce to 87.8% in 2023.

    According to the IMF, revenue expressed as a ratio of GDP could also hit 14.1% at the end of 2022.

    It will subsequently increase to 14.7% in 2023 and 15.4% in 2024”, the report said, classifying Ghana as a Low Income Developing Country.

     

  • Ghana Cedi is the world’s worst performing currency against dollar

    Ghana’s cedi slumped to the world’s worst-performing currency to the dollar as wait-and-see investors continued to squeeze foreign capital into the west African country before its deal with the International Monetary Fund(IMF).

    The currency of the world’s second-biggest cocoa producer depreciated 2% on Monday to 11.2625 per dollar, taking its losses this year to 45.1%, the most among 148 currencies tracked by Bloomberg.

    The currency that derived its name from ‘sedie’, the local Akan language name for cowrie shell, switched position with the Sri Lankan rupee, which is now the second worst performer with a 44.7% drop to the greenback this year.

    Ghana started engaging with the IMF in July but only began formal negotiations for an extended credit facility program with the lender last month.

    The country is hoping to receive up to $3 billion in loans over three years under the arrangement to spur its finances and support the balance of payments.

    Ghana reversed course to seek IMF help after homegrown policies, including cutting 2022 discretionary expenditure by up to 30%, failed to stem a selloff in its international bonds.

    The premium investors demand over US Treasuries to hold Ghana debt has widened to 2,669 basis points.

  • Salaga South: MP donates 1,200 mathematical sets to BECE candidates

    Hajia Zuwera Mohammed Ibrahimah, the MP for Salaga South Constituency, has donated 1,200 pieces of mathematical sets to BECE candidates in the East Gonja municipality.

    The external examination will start on Monday (17 October) across Ghana.

    The donation is to help the students, especially those who are unable to afford mathematical sets to pass their exams.

    Officials of the East Gonja education directorate received the items. The Municipal director in charge of finance and administration Braimah Mahama expressed gratitude to the MP for her kind gesture and gave assurance to the lawmaker that they will be distributed to the beneficiaries.

    The MP, who had earlier made a cash donation of GHC 4,000 to the directorate to conduct mock examinations for the candidates, is also absorbing the transportation, accommodation and feeding for candidates from far places to the capital Salaga throughout the examination period.

     

  • Current economic hardships: I’ve prudently managed Ghana’s economy well – Nana Addo to critics

    President Akufo-Addo has refuted claims by his critics that mismanagement by the ruling government has led to the current economic hardships in Ghana.

    “I am opened to all manner of criticisms but I won’t take those mismanagement accusations from anyone”. The president said.

    The President in an exclusive interview on the Kumasi-based OTEC 102.9 FM’s breakfast show Nyansapo on Monday, October 17, 2022, said Ghana’s current economic turmoil was caused by external shocks.

    “We are all aware of the difficulties we went through during the COVID-19 era and the subsequent invasion of Ukraine by Russia, these shocks from the two unforeseen factors have heavily impacted the economy and are to be blamed for the country’s woes and not mismanagement by the government.”

    “Like everybody on this planet you have been hurt by exogenous shocks. First the pandemic, then Russia-Ukraine. And then we need to realise it is not because of bad policies in the country, but because of this combination of shocks,” he told the host of the show Captain Koda.

    The President, once again assured the people of Ghana that his government is determined to bring relief to the Ghanaian people and return the economy back to the high rates of growth that characterized the management of the economy in the three years preceding the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020.

  • Meet Ghana’s first 2 helicopter pilots

    On Friday, March 1, 1963, The Ghanaian Times reported how Ghana had gotten its first two helicopter pilots in the persons of Flying Officers Koranteng and Aholu.

    The two, officers of the Ghana Air Force, had become the first of the ten men selected by the Force to carry out duties as pilots of the country’s helicopters.

    While little is known about the lives of these two gallant officers, the old newspaper report provides the only details that GhanaWeb has found on the two men as follows:

    “Meet the first two of ten pilots chosen by the Ghana Air Force for (sic) to helicopter duties. They have successfully completed their basic and operational rotary wing training in Accra.

    “They are Flying Officer Koranteng and Flying Officer Aholu. Both are experienced fixed wing pilots. The Ghana Air Force is equipped with helicopters for rescue, army support and other military duties.

    “The high standard achieved by these Ghanaian pilots promises a highly-effective helicopter force in Ghana, a British helicopter expert commented,” it read.

    See the photo snippet of the report below:

    About the Ghana Air Force via wikipedia.com:

    The Ghana Air Force started on 24 July 1959 as a Flying Training School with Israeli instructors and technicians, under the command of Lt. Col. Adam Shatkay of the IAF. The School was established as a cradle of a service to complement the Army and the Navy. Later that year a headquarters was established in Accra under the command of Indian Air commodore K. Jaswant-Singh who was appointed as the first Chief of Air Staff (CAS).

    In 1960 Royal Air Force personnel took up the task of training the newly established Ghana Air Force and in 1961 they were joined by a small group of Royal Canadian Air Force personnel. In September 1961 as part of President Kwame Nkrumah‘s Africanization program, a Ghanaian CAS was appointed, with the first being J.E.S. de Graft-Hayford, born in the U.K. of Ghanaian descent.

    The Ghana Air Force was in the beginning equipped with a squadron of Chipmunk trainers, and squadrons of Beavers, Otters and Caribou transport aircraft. In addition a DH125 jet was bought for Kwame Nkrumah, Hughes helicopters were bought for mosquito spraying plus DH Doves and Herons. British-made Westland Whirlwind helicopters and a squadron of Italian-made MB-326 ground attack/trainer jets were also purchased.

    In 1962 the national School of Gliding was set up by Hanna Reitsch, who was once Adolf Hitler’s top personal pilot. Under the command of Air Commodore de Graft-Hayford, she served as director, operations instructor and trainer of the school. She also acted as the personal pilot of Kwame Nkrumah from 1962–1966.

    The GHF headquarters is located at Burma Camp and the main transport airfield is the Air Force Base Accra, which shares the same runway with the Kotoka International Airport. Other GHF airfields include:
    • Air Force Base Tamale, which shares its runway with the Tamale Airport.
    • GHF Air Force Station Sekondi-Takoradi started as RAF Station Takoradi, then became Ghana Air Force Station Sekondi-Takoradi on 1 March 1961. The Chipmunk Basic Trainer Aircraft was the first aircraft used at the Station with an all Rank Air Force Station.
    • GHF Air Force station Accra came into being soon after the Royal Air Force (RAF) had taken over the administration from the Indian and Israeli Air Force officers at the beginning of 1961. The station was housed at No 3 hangar at the Accra Airport (Kotoka International Airport) with hardly any aircraft. The Unit had four main sub-units, i.e. the Administration Wing, Flying Wing, Technical Wing and Equipment Wing. The School of Technical Training was also located at this station. The Station moved from No 3 hangar to its present location in Burma Camp towards the end of 1965.

    The role of the Ghana Air Force, as defined in the National Defence Policy, is to provide “Air Transport and Offensive Air Support to the Ghana Armed Forces and to protect the territorial air space of Ghana”. The National Defense Policy states certain specific tasks which the Ghana Air Force is expected to perform:
    • To maintain Fighter Ground Attack capability and provide Close Air Support during operation.
    • To provide transport support to the Ghana Armed Forces.
    • To provide surveillance over the air space of Ghana and over the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
    • To provide liaison and recce flight capability.
    • To provide VIP flight capability.
    • To provide transport support for civilians as government directs.
    • To provide medical evacuation and air rescue assistance.

    The Ghana Air Force is also responsible for the co-ordination and direction of Search and Rescue (SAR) within the Accra Flight Information Region.

     

     

  • ‘Practicalise the beautiful policies on paper ‘– Down Syndrome Ghana

    Executive Director of Down Syndrome Ghana, Ms Agnes Teiko Nyemi-Tei, who is also a parent of a child with the condition, wants Government to as a matter of urgency, practicalise the ‘beautiful policies” drafted to help persons with disabilities (PWDs) so they can live a more meaningful life.

    She said this when the organisation organised an event dubbed:  Family day out and stakeholders  Conference even though there is the Inclusive Education Policy, there seem to be very minimal intervention in the education of children living with disabilities especially those with Down Syndrome.

    “The implementation of inclusive education as enshrined in the Ghana Education Policy Programme backed by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have been nothing to write home about…

    “Government intervention is minimal. Let’s take education; it is even in the SDGs and in the Ghana Education Policy Programme that there should be an inclusive education but what do we see in our schools, resource and personnel to make the education easier and meaningful for our kids are nonexistent so we go to the schools and see that what we are not getting what we ought to”. She said.

    “My daughter was pulled out of school because the teacher was so overwhelmed with the other children that she is not able to take care of my daughter who has Down syndrome.

    The event which enabled parents of children with Down Syndrome and their families to party and have fun was also used as a platform where some parents of children with Down Syndrome shared their experiences of stigma, societal and family discrimination and how they are managing to raise them.

    Mr Dominic Deenu, father of Elikem Deenu, a 13year old boy with Down Syndrome sharing his journey said he has been a source of encouragement and support for his wife and urged other fathers to get involved in the nurturing of their children with the condition.

    “For the past 13 years, we have been able to go through with support from friends…in Ghana, children with disability of such nature are disregarded… sometimes, if the child tries to mingle with other children they will leave him… nurturing  Elikem hasn’t been easy.” he said

    Mr. Deenu encouraged parents not to give up on their children with special needs.

    Mrs Hannah Awadzi, Executive Director of the Special Mothers Project, an advocacy programme for children with cerebral palsy and their families, encouraged the parents to be optimistic

    She said caring for children with special needs though not easy, is “worth it” as it is a learning curve to acquire many valuable life lessons.

    “…you learn a lot of life’s lessons that helps you….” she told the GNA in an interview.

    Mrs Awadzi said with the effective implementation of existing policies and the formulation of new ones the journey could be a lot more enhanced.

    Nana Yopeyo Dadetsu III, Queen Mother of Dodowa, pledged to become an advocate for persons with Down Syndrome and urged others to do same.

    “We need to accept them but it goes with education. We need to educate religious bodies and other organisations about Down syndrome “She said.

    Down syndrome is a condition in which a person has an extra chromosome. Chromosomes are small “packages” of genes in the body.

    It is a genetic disorder caused when abnormal cell division results in an extra full or partial copy of chromosome 21.

    Source: GNA

  • CMC cuts sod for 6,000-seater cathedral

    A sod-cutting ceremony has been performed for the construction of a 6,000-seater capacity cathedral at the Cedar Mountain Chapel (CMC) of the Assemblies of God (AG), Ghana in the Greater Accra Region.

    The project also includes the construction of a children’s chapel and an eight-storey administration complex expected to be completed in a year.

    The ceremony was performed by a former President, John Dramani Mahama and witnessed by the General Superintendent of the A-G Ghana, Rev. Dr Stephen Wengam, the First Lady of the CMC, Monica Wengam and other senior officials of both the A-G and CMC.

    It was part of activities to climax the 12-anniversary celebration of the Cedar Mountain Chapel.

    Speaking at the event in Accra on Sunday, October 2, Mr Mahama stated that the project would be one of the greatest edifices in the country to the glory of God.

    He said from a humble beginning, the CMC has grown from a smaller church to a bigger congregation with a 1,000-seater capacity and now a ground breaking ceremony to construct a 6,000-seater cathedral.

    “I was the special guest of honour during the dedication of the foremost chapel at American House and it was a small congregation then now look at the size of CMC.

    “And so, we pray that CMC will grow from glory to glory and I believe that the groundbreaking today will move the church to the next level of glory,” he said.

    Cedar tree

    The former President explained that cedar tree was associated with longevity and for that reason the Cedar Mountain Chapel was a chapel built for longevity.

    “The cedar tree is also a very good wind block and so, it protects people’s houses and for that reason the church will protect people from any adverse events,” he said.

    He underlined the need for Christians to become more Christlike and living to please the Lord.

    Hope

    Rev Wengam who is also the Lead Pastor of CMC, expressed hope that the construction works would be completed within schedule to serve the A-G Ghana.

    “The construction of the cathedral is historic and it will serve the A-G Ghana in the near future.

    “When I took over as the General Superintendent, I was informed that Ghana A-G will be hosting the world’s mission conference in 2024 and that we will need a 5,000-seater capacity cathedral for that conference.

    “And then in 2026, the A-G Ghana will be hosting the World Fellowship of Assemblies of God Conference,” he said.

    He said delegates representing 70 million congregants of the church across the world would converge in Ghana for the two international events.

    He urged members of the church to join forces to help build the cathedral within schedule.

    “Church, as we enter into our new phase in which we are believing in God for the construction of our 6000-seater Cedar Cathedral, Children Chapel and a multi-storey administration complex, I ask that you not to cease praying, nor relent in your support to the church.

    “I also ask that you continue to avail your expertise and technical know-how to the advancement of the kingdom,” he added.

    Thanksgiving service

    Mrs Wengam said the ceremony was a thanksgiving service and climax of the church’s 12th anniversary celebration and the end of 21 days of fasting and praying.

    She said it was an amazing feeling and with utmost gratitude to God after a flashback and reminisced on how quickly a decade plus two years have passed.

    She said more gratifying was how God guided, protected and brought the church to this place – Cedar City.

  • Dollar has broken the 12; where’s your economic wizkid Bawumia? – Sammy Gyamfi jabs government –

    The National Communication Officer of the National Democratic Congress, Sammy Gyamfi, has reacted to taunts by New Patriotic Party followers after he was slapped with a GHȼ500,000 damages in a libel suit, by ridiculing the economic prowess of Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, in the face of the recent sharp depreciation of the Ghana Cedi.

    Followers of the New Patriotic Party, especially fans of Matthew Opoku Prempeh, MP for Manhyia South and Minister for Energy, have been trolling Sammy Gyamfi since Thursday when a court found him guilty of libel and imposed the damage, in addition to a GHȼ50,000 cost.

    In a Facebook post on Friday however, the NDC spokesperson said the legal battle was far from over, and rather asked those taunting him to worry about the national economy instead.

    Sammy Gyamfi asked of the whereabouts of the Veep and head of government’s economic management team, who he said has been paraded by his supporters as an ‘economic wizkid’.

    He said that no amount of distractions would derail him.

    “Knowing your long-standing hatred for me and your determination to see my downfall, I can understand the desperation on display.

    “For your information, I remain focused, unshakable, impregnable and unbreakable. None of these things move me. Know this truth and stop wasting your time and data on me.

    “The dollar has shattered the 8 and broken the 12. Where is your economic wizkid, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia now?”, portions of the post read.

    The comments by Sammy Gyamfi also follow news of the Cedi’s further depreciation against the dollar on Friday.

    The Ghana cedi breached the ¢12 to the dollar mark on Friday, October 14, 2022; selling at ¢12.10 at most forex bureaus or the retail market.

    This development comes within a week after the cedi earlier depreciated against the dollar.

    A visit by Joy Business to some forex bureaus indicates that most of the operators are selling the dollar for more than ¢12. They claim supply of dollars has reduced significantly.

    Again, the cedi is losing grounds quickly against the pound and euro. Whilst a pound is going for about ¢12.70, one euro is selling at ¢11.10.

    Within a week (October 10-October 14), the local currency has lost more than 6% value to the dollar. This means the year-to-date depreciation of the cedi is hovering around 46%.

    By this rate of depreciation, the working capital of businesses, particularly manufacturers that depend on raw materials from overseas, have gone down by about 46% since January 1, 2022.

    Meanwhile, scores of Ghanaians have taken to social media to bemoan the situation; urging government to take urgent steps to address the consistent depreciation of the country’s currency.

  • UNDP commits 700,000 dollars to SMEs in Ghana

    The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has committed 700,000 dollars in support of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) operations in six assemblies in Ghana.

    These are the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly, Ketu South, Sefwi- Wiawso, and Jomoro municipal assemblies, and the Sagnarigu and Kassena–Nankana West district assemblies.

    Mr Stephen Kansuk, the Head of Environment and Climate at UNDP, said the funds would help promote business development, service support, energy and resource efficiency to help businesses to save costs.

    “We engaged and audited 15 businesses including, manufacturing MSMEs and hotels across the six assemblies and it showed that businesses employed about 1000 workers, with over 80 per cent youth and about 70 per cent women, he said.

    Areas audited included utility consumption (water and electricity), internet and Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG), equipment being used, building architecture and maintenance culture.

    Mr Kansuk said this at a training workshop on Energy Efficiency for journalists in Takoradi, organised by the Energy Commission with support from the UNDP to strengthen their capacity to ensure good corporate governance.

    He said the findings on energy consumption showed that almost all facilities had manually operated compound/outside lights kept on for several hours.

    Room appliances such as television sets were mostly on standby mode even when not being used, while air condition facilities had low-efficiency ratings, he said.

    The study recommended that all fluorescent lambs should be replaced with Light Emitting Diode, photo sensors should be installed to control compound lights, and energy-efficient air conditioners with a minimum of the three-star rated inverter must be used to save energy.

    On the use of water, he said most of the facilities used high water-volume water closet systems with high litres cistern capacities.

    He recommended an efficient WC system for example, (a six-litre cistern) and as well as a waste segregation system.

    Mr John Adjei, Senior Manager, Energy Efficiency Regulation, Energy Commission, said gadgets like transformers, chargers including phone and laptop chargers, desk printers, electric water heaters, water dispensers, television sets, sound systems and decoders were “agents of power thefts.”

    He advised participants to turn off unused office equipment including personal computers, and air conditioners, and also close windows and doors tightly when air conditioners were on.

    Mr Kennedy Amankwah, who spoke on Energy Management, suggested the appointment of energy managers, who would coordinate the efficient use of energy resources and ensure cost savings.

    The Ghana Statistical Service and World Bank COVID-19 Business Tracker revealed many businesses, including MSMEs, were affected by the pandemic.

  • GEPA trains exporters to shore up non-traditional export earnings

    The Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA) has stepped up its capacity building for increased export revenues, as it expands its Export School to the Ashanti Regional capital Kumasi.

    The five day packed training is strategically positioned to support the authority’s drive to increase Ghana’s non-traditional export earnings to $25billion by the year 2029.

    The participants included exporters; persons with interest in venturing into exports as well as financial institutions prospecting for viable companies for export financing.

    It covered some seventeen (17) broad areas including personal and product branding; marketing; research; trade financing; book keeping; standardization and certification, proper management practices and the opportunities existent in the Africa Continental Free Trade Area.

    Opening the School; Deputy CEO for the Authority Albert Kassim Diwura pointed out that Ghana’s Nontraditional Exports Development strategy would hinge on capacity building for competitiveness and increased trading volumes.

     “We want to let them be able to now trade more and sell their products more online. We also have courses on Africa Continental Free Trade because we want them to be able to have the knowledge that will enable them trade among their African colleagues.”

    Mr. Kassim Diwura was also positive Ghana’s export earnings would sail at a faster pace if the youth were introduced to explore potentials in export business.

    He noted that the Export Promotion Authority is championing this policy direction under GEPA’s Youth in Export Program currently on roadshows across the country.

    “We all know if we get it right in export in this country, what it means to the development of this country especially the strengthening of our Ghanaian cedi. So we encourage everybody, the youth, please take up this business seriously. If you have completed school and you think that government has no jobs, with export you can create your own job and even employ others,” He admonished.

    Some participants were for the first time introduced to terms like letters of credit and other international trading terms to better handle transactions.

    “We face a lot of problems in export. You can get a customer from outside asking you if the person can pay you with letter of credit, just different aspects that you can’t even answer. We are going to learn how to be in the outside market, how to work hand in hand with the immigration and the associations we have to register under,” a shea butter and smock producer averred.

    A banker with the Agricultural Development Bank told Ultimate News’ Salimatu Hawini, “Sometimes we get clients who are exporters and they present issues we don’t have a lot of knowledge on them, it becomes a little difficult and you need to fall on other people so this platform will actually empower me with the needed knowledge and understanding of how to advise them. It is also a platform for me to network for other business opportunities.”

    The school which runs for five days is expected to be replicated for more entries depending on the response and outcomes of its participants.

     

  • Ghana reaffirms commitment to promoting global peace

    Ghana will reaffirms its commitment to promoting international cooperation, global peace and security as it marks the 77th anniversary of the United Nations(UN) on October 25.

    Ghana will use the platform to highlight the need for evidence-based solutions that are rooted in science for decision making to promote sustainable development.

    At the sideline, will be the signing of the New Cooperation Framework between Ghana and the UN for the period 2023-2025.

    The new framework is developed by the UN to support Ghana’s development agenda and aims to ensure that women, youth and persons with disability and those furthest behind will enjoy an inclusive and transformed economy that creates decent jobs and sustainable livelihoods, reducing inequalities.

    Ghana will mark the UN Day on the theme: “Building on the 3Ss- Solidarity, Sustainable and Science –towards a more resilient Ghana” in line with the 77Th session of the UN General Assembly theme: “Solutions Through Solidarity, Sustainability and Science.”

    The UN has put the spotlight on science, given the fact that science played a pivotal role in finding solutions to the global COVID-19 pandemic that wreaked havoc on humanity.

    October 24 is marked every year as UN Day in commemoration of the adoption of the UN Charter that came into force on October 24, 1945.

    But, Ghana, as a member of the 193 member states, will observe the day on October 25 with a solemn flag-raising at the forecourt of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integrity (MFA&RI), to be addressed by the sector Minister, Shirley AyorkorBotchwey, and UN Resident Coordinator, Charles Abani.

    As part of the preparation, the Inter-Ministerial Ad-Hoc Planning Committee, chaired by Mrs. Joyce Asamoah –Koranteng, Director II of the Multilateral Relations Bureau of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Wednesday held its fourth meeting at the MFA&RI to deliberate on the number of activities to commemorate the event.

    They include health walk, media engagement and Model UN conference by LifeLink Friendship Schools.

    Source: Ghanaian Times

  • What is a ‘YARDSTICK’ in Ghana Politics?

    We ought to have same sets of measuring standards to assess performances of each passing government and or political parties.

    A Yardstick isn’t just a stick a yard long, commonly marked with subdivisions, used for measuring but also any standard of measurement or judgement, even as it could also mean a benchmark, criterion, guideline, norm, barometer, scale or standard.

    It is also a basis used for comparison, as in ‘what kind of yardstick is he basing his criticism?’ or better still, a graduated stick like one yard long used for measurement.

    Indeed, over the last sixty plus years of our nationhood since our Independence Declaration of 6th March 1957, or more specifically within the last thirty years of our Fourth Republican Dispensation, we have had the fortune or misfortune of experiencing the varying administration and leadership styles of six (6) personalities, namely late Flight Lt. Jerry John Rawlings, John Agyekum Kufuor, late Prof. John Events Atta Mills, John Dramani Mahama and the current President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

    The act of measuring performances for comparison as to which one of them has been best executed with such extreme passions and viciousness only within the last six years (2017-2022), with these inter-plays showcased extensively on radio, television, social media and any available platforms.

    It is also only within this period that we have witnessed the employment and daily deployment of mass communication officers, extensively by the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) and to a lesser extent, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) from unit levels, through town / village to constituency to district, region and nation as well as segregated by the mode of media platform, including radio and television with specialists – specific for Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Telegram, WhatsApp and TikTok.

    There are also the deployment of another number of specialists for such specific areas as the Economy, Galamsey, President’s Travels, IMF Bailout, Jubilee House Affairs, Banking Sector Reforms, 1D1F (one District, one Factory), 1V1D (one village, one dam), 1C1M$ (one constituency, one million dollars), Free SHS, NACOB, ‘Breaking The Eight’ mantra and Government ‘Promises’ – campaign and or general.

    For the political party in government, it is estimated that there is a workforce of about five (5) thousand persons working 24-hour basis on defending as well as propagating the achievements and workings of both the government and its political party, who are remunerated in terms of allowances, be it monthly or per assignment and sometimes provided with some of the confiscated vehicles from the Tema Harbour (plus constant supply of free fuel per week drawn from the Osu Castle Depot).

    These daily banters or appearances on the various media platforms between the two major political parties, make the exchanges light, playful and sometimes laced with teasing remarks and or good-natured railleries; and other times quite insulting with some issues discussed in most provocative manner or in joking language or repartee.

    I have always marveled at the extent of propaganda – yes, propaganda these party apparatchiks have espoused and thereby calling into question ‘THE TYPE OF TRUTHS LACING THE CONDUCT OF THEIR DISCUSSIONS’ or by what ‘yardstick’ do they conduct all these discussions, no matter the platform? The worse conduct of any man is when he knows he is lying through the teeth and yet uses shouts, threats, mimicking, facial contortions and swearing to want to lend some semblance of ‘truth’ to the arguments and yet knowing that he was only lying to the TV viewers, radio listeners and rally attendances; and worse still not caring the effect or impacts on the people by the lies he or she has ‘spewed’ unto innocent Ghanaian audience – all in the quest for a higher national office?

    They do not even have the decency of an apology with their own dictum: “The foreign exchange rate will expose you”, when what goes round comes back to haunt them, laughing at the boldness of the faces they make thereafter when they meet us as if our minds have been wiped clean of any remembrance.

    And yet, they look at the current exchange rate of 10.80 Ghanaian Cedis to a US$1.00 and tell us that if it was rather the opposition party, NDC that was in power / government now, the exchange rate would rather have been 16.00 (sixteen Ghanaian Cedis) ghc to a United States Dollar ($), that obviously is a Kwaku Ananse joke. Please senior, take Ghanaians serious for once and not insult our intelligence, we honestly do not deserve this!

    This is by the side…

    You see, propaganda has been defined as ‘information, ideas, or rumors deliberately spread widely to help or harm a person, group, movement, institution or nation; the deliberate spreading of such information or rumors; the particular doctrines or principles propagated by an organization or movement of political party; the organized dissemination of information or allegations like ‘Family & Friends’ or ‘Papa No’, to assist or damage the cause of a government or political party; and such information and or allegations. Yet when worse scandals now happen, we are ‘hypnotized’ into believing that nothing has happened.

    Propaganda could also be the official government communications to the public that are designed to influence opinion – the information may be true or laced or absolutely false but it is always carefully selected for its political effect.

    You know, this phenomenon is more associated with communist – inferior tactics, employed by such governments and their players to make us believe even what does not exist as if it does, or when its sunny weather they are able with their propagandists to make us believe and accept that it is raining dogs and cats, or when eating gari without sauce to believe we are eating a sumptuous meal from the restaurant of a 10-star hotel.

    That is the core work of the propagandists that they unleash on us each day on various media platforms, be it print, electronic or social. Indeed, the heights these have reached in our current dispensation are most unprecedented

    Truth be told, this kind of propaganda was sort of alien to some limited extent to our Fourth Republican political dispensation till a new breed of politicians ‘emerged’ after the government of former President John Agyekum Kufuor in 2008, when our politics became an ‘ARAB SPRING’ affair with no retreat, no surrender; to the extent that former President Kufuor was ‘interrogated’ as to why he did not ensure his Party candidate did succeed him?

    This inquisition in the vilest manner, seemingly, is what is currently driving the mantle of ‘BREAKING THE EIGHT’.

    When one judges a person by a designed set of standards, norms, benchmarks, criteria, indicators, basis, rule, scale, guideline or tape measure in a certain dispensation and turns round within the same environment or breath, on mounting the same stage to now be in the limelight and cry to the high heavens desiring a different set of measurements for his or her performances, is the highest form of ‘HYPOCRISY’.

    But then also ‘HYPOCRITES’ we all are under the Fourth Republican Dispensation because as they say ‘MAN MUST EAT & SURVIVE’ – so when you hear an otherwise vociferous person, suddenly become quiet in the face of all the provocations, then know this is new norm most of our people face as part of their survival instincts.

    In my small life here on earth, almost at my three scores and ten, I have come to appreciate that not all of us have the courage to decide that for the principles we hold dear, we should endure than the pretense of having a virtuous character, moral or religious beliefs or principles that we do not really possess.

    It seems that we have chosen to live the pretense of having some desirable or publicly approved attitudes in order that we may survive a certain dispensation; imbibing the practice of professing beliefs and acts, contrary to one’s real character or actual behaviour, especially the pretense of virtue and piety. You see, you are not deceiving anybody than yourself as the real damage is the character traits you are showcasing for your own children to imbibe like a ‘CRAB DOES NOT BEGAT A BIRD’.

    By the way, when will our politicians learn to apologize for the things they say and get them wrong later like ‘when the fundamentals are wrong, the forex rate will expose you’ – so what has changed now?

    Why do you still insult the intelligences of the electorate, thinking that we are DAFT – senseless, stupid, insane, crazy, giddy or foolish and not capable of reasoning for ourselves? Why do our leaders continue to take us for granted as ‘simpletons?’

    Is that why our political class are implementing the ‘FREE SHS’ programme as we are witnessing by the day and especially because their own children have access to a different education channel so that our children will grow to serve their children as we are serving them now?

    We should learn or be humble to be measured in the way we insult when in opposition, when desiring the high offices of state, the insults, the innuendoes, the insinuations and aspersions of disparaging or derogatory natures because all these things come back to haunt us; making us now pretend to be students on excursion throughout the countryside than to stay in office and face the music of our previous lives. I also worry over the impact of these on our youth, especially as by our acts, we make them accept and believe that ‘POLITICS IS ONLY ABOUT INSULTS AND WAITING FOR ONE’S TURN TO LOOT FROM THE STATE’ as the new rich class.

    Do you recall all that was said about previous government about their fights against the then state of our rivers and their fight against the GALAMSEY MENACE; and then fast-forward to now and wonder what ought to be said now – same ‘yardstick’?

    This is not how to build a nation, like GHANA?

    But trust me, A CHANGE IS GONNA COME, sooner than later because as for the measurements men face here on earth, there can be only one YARDSTICK and never ever forget that because the foreign exchange rate will expose you for who you really are!

    **************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

    The writer, Magnus Naabe RexDanquah is is a Land Economist & Appraiser, Events Architect & Planner, Sport Business Consultant, Social Commentator and an Author

  • I may do something major with a Ghanaian artiste – Nicki Minaj

    Trinidadian-American-based rap artiste, Nicki Minaj on Thursday took to Instagram live to register her displeasure over her song ‘Super Freaky Girl’ being removed from the Grammys Rap category.

    During her interactions with fans, Nicki, also hinted at plans to visit West African state, Ghana, for the first time.

    The award-winning act announced that she may work on “something major” with a Ghanaian artiste, whose identity was kept secrete.

    “When am I coming to Ghana? I would love to come to Ghana. I actually may be doing something major, a business type of situation with an artiste from Ghana really soon,” said Nicki in a lengthy video shared with her 202 million Instagram followers.

    The 10-times Grammy-nominated artiste who is yet to receive an award from the Recording Academy has protested their move of nominating her song ‘Super Freaky Girl’ which debuted at Number 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart in August, in the pop category instead of the rap category.

    “If you can’t tell by now that there is a concerted effort to give newer artists things that they really don’t deserve over people who have been deserving for many years, then you’re not paying attention,” she said.

     

    View this post on Instagram

     

    A post shared by Barbie (@nickiminaj)

    Source:ghanaweb.com

  • MMDCEs to face sanctions over environmental degradation – Dr Kokofu

    Henceforth, any Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executive in whose jurisdiction acts of environmental degradation are recorded will be sanctioned, Executive Director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Dr Henry Kwabena Kokofu, has warned.

    Noting that Ghana was deteriorating into the worst state of environmental destruction, Dr Kokofu said the time to crack the whip on environmental offenders is now.

    Citing the recent floods and filths that engulfed some parts of the country, he stressed that stringent measures would be taken to punish offenders, irrespective of their position in government in accordance with the law.

    Mr Kokofu who was speaking at a stakeholder engagement with Metropolitan, Municipal and Districts Assemblies (MMDAs) in Accra yesterday said it was the responsibility of state institutions to rather fish out persons guilty of committing environmental offences instead of looking on for the deterioration to continue.

    He stated that the local government Act 2016 (Act936) placed a huge responsibility on the MMDAs to be responsible for the development, improvement and management of human settlement and the environment in the districts.

    Explaining he said, section four of the Act also mandated the district assemblies to take the steps and measures that were necessary and expedient to execute approved development plans for their various districts.

    Touching on the construction of edifices on waterways, the CEO stated that in the event of floods caused by the presence of such buildings, vulnerable people suffered alone when demolition exercises are carried out leaving authorities at the district assemblies who issued such permits to go scot free.

    This, he said, was unfair, stressing that all persons responsible for playing roles which ended up resulting in any form of disaster must be made to face the law.

    Mr Kokofu urged authorities of all district assemblies across the country to take environmental issues seriously by ensuring they went strictly according to the laws governing their operations.

    “We must remind ourselves of our statutory roles to ensure that the environment in which we live is protected and preserved in order to sustain it,” he stressed.

    Director in charge of environmental assessment and management, EPA, Mr Kwabena Badu-Yeboah, in his presentation indicated that the seeming lack of land use plans and development control, re-zoning issues, springing up of noise making within communities, development within wet lands and mangrove areas and the indiscriminate siting of activities like waste recycling in residential areas were all issues that affected the environment.

    Touching on the negative impact of noise making, he charged residents of noisy areas to take persons and organisations responsible for the noise making, to court, including churches.

    “There must be discipline and tranquility wherever human beings are but it seems impossible for this to happen within some communities in Ghana so I encourage residents to report noise makers to the relevant authorities. Sanity must be restored in the system,” he added.

    He indicated that the EPA identified MMDAs as key stakeholders when it comes to sustainable development.

  • Don’t politicise demolition of unauthorised structures – NADMO Boss advises

    The Director-General of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), Eric Nana Agyemang-Prempeh, has called on the public to desist from politicising moves to demolish unauthorised structures along waterways.

    According to him, the country was sitting on a time bomb with the continuous encroachment and illegal activities around ecological sites and the worst could happen if ‘harsh’ decisions were not taken.

    Speaking to journalists at an event to commemorate this year’s International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction in Accra yesterday, Mr Agyeman-Prempeh said a case in point was the recent flooding of communities in the Weija-Gbawe and Ga South constituencies due to the Weija Dam spillage.

    “Had it not been for the level of encroachment around the dam and its passageway we wouldn’t have seen this extent of damage. A lot of the buildings there do not have permit yet you go in to demolish and it turns into NPP, NDC.

    “Ghana will move forward, we will reduce the flooding’s if we stop politicising everything and allow the District Assemblies to do their work and go all out to demolish all unauthorised structures in our waterways causing floods.”

    Touching on the local theme for the commemoration; “Earthquake disaster risk reduction through effective early warning,” the Director-General although Ghana was far away from major earthquake zones in the world, it was prone to earthquake and earth tremor disasters.

    He recalled incidences as far back as 1981 and recent earth tremor in 2019 prompting the establishment of a technical committee to propose interventions that would improve Ghana’s earthquake preparedness and response.

    Following the adoption of the committee’s report, Mr Agyeman-Prempeh said, eight earthquakes early warning equipment has been installed at vantage locations within the capital including the Weija-Gbawe Municipal Assembly, NADMO Headquarters, Parliament and the Jubilee House.

    “The government considers earthquake to be a most serious occurrence that can set us back on our development journey and more importantly militate against safety of our citizens and we are committed to taking all needed measures to avert future disasters,” he said.

    The Chief Director of the Ministry for the Interior, Mrs. Adelaide Anno-Kumi, delivering a speech on behalf of the sector minister, underscored the importance of early warning systems to reducing disasters significantly.

    While expressing sympathy to recently affected persons of the Weija Dam spillage, Mrs Anno-Kumi stressed the need for the populace to be well-informed on evacuation and disaster management methods to reduce extent of destruction.

    The Country Director of United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), Mr Abdourahamane Diallo, gave highlights of a newly produced documentary and educational materials to sensitise the public particularly students, on disasters.

    “There is still a lot more that we need to do collectively to ensure that Ghana gets the holistic capacity development that it needs to prepare adequately for an earthquake disaster or any other disaster.”

    He thus invited all key stakeholders to explore additional ideas that “can be brought on board to design effective interventions towards disaster risk reduction.”

     

  • Ghana’s debt to GDP to hit 90.7% by end of 2022 – IMF predicts

    The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has projected that Ghana will end the year with a Debt-to-GDP of 90.7 per cent.

    This according to myjoyonline.com was captured in its Fiscal Outlook Report released on the sidelines of the on-going IMF/World Bank Annual meetings in Washington DC, USA.

    The report, also forecasts that the Debt–to-GDP could reduce to 87.8 per cent in 2023.

    According to the IMF, revenue expressed as a ratio of GDP could also hit 14.1 per cent at the end of 2022.

    It will subsequently increase to 14.7 per cent in 2023 and 15.4 per cent in 2024”, the report said, classifying Ghana as a Low Income Developing Country.

    Ghana is currently undergoing Debt Sustainability Analysis with the IMF and the World Bank. This is expected to help the country ascertain the true levels of the debt stock.

    The country was recently classified as a High Risk of Debt Distress by the World Bank and IMF in its Debt Sustainability Analysis.

    The two Bretton Wood institutions are currently conducting a new Sustainability Debt Analysis on Ghana – a situation that could influence the outcome of an economic programme with Ghana by the end of 2022.

    The Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, has already indicated that government is working hard to reach a programme with the IMF by November 2022.

    The government is hoping to secure a programme with the IMF before the 2023 Budget presentation in parliament within the same period.

    In October 2022, data from the Bank of Ghana pegged the country’s debt stock at ₵402 billion as of July 2022, representing 68 per cent of GDP.

    Some financial observers have stated that with an expected expansion of the economy and an IMF programme, the country’s debt stock may not reach “unsustainable levels”.

    The World Bank in its Africa Pulse Report released in October 2022 projected that Ghana will end 2022 with a Debt –to –GDP ratio of 104 per cent.

     

  • Burning structures of Wontumi’s Akonta Mining must not be the end – Dr Kofi Amoah

    Dr Kofi Amoah has charged the powers that be to go the whole nine yards in dealing with persons and companies that flout the nation’s laws on mining.

    The astute businessman and economist was reacting to news that structures and machinery belonging to Akonto Mining had been burned by government officials because it had no permit and thus was illegally mining in the Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve.

    In a tweet shared on Thursday, Dr Amoah wrote, “No More Tin “gods” in Ghana. AKONTA MINING must be prosecuted for engaging in illegal mining in an area it had no permit. Burning of structures must not be the end but the beginning of having the laws of Ghana to work Hon Jinapor must show his mettle now!

    Akonta Mining which has been in the news lately is owned by New Patriotic Party, NPP, Ashanti Regional Chairman, Bernard Antwi Bosiako, alias Chairman Wontumi.
    According to reports, the destruction of the properties took place on Wednesday, October 12, 2022.

    Pictures shared by myjoyonline.com showed several structures made of wood and roofing sheets burning along with some amount of machinery believed to be used in the firm’s operations.

    Akonta Mining, which Wontumi insists was into regular mining and not illegal small-scale mining, that is galamsey, was operating from the Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve until recently when the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources ordered a halt to their operations.

    No More Tin “gods” in Ghana

    AKONTA MINING must be prosecuted for engaging in illegal mining in an area it had no permit

    Burning of structures must not be the end but the beginning of having the laws of Ghana to work

    Hon Jinapor must show his mettle now! https://t.co/XkfRxuxlo2

    — CitizenKofi (@amoah_citizen) October 13, 2022

    The operation was thus undertaken almost 24-hours after deputy Lands Minister, Benito Owusu-Bio had toured the affected forest reserve.

    In a statement issued on September 30 and signed by minister Samuel Abu Jinapor, the Ministry said the firm did not have license to operate from “the Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve in the Amenfi West Municipality in the Western Region.”

    The ruling government has had a difficult time fighting the illegal mining menace which threatens the food and water security of the country.

    According to experts, if the rate and scale of the galamsey destruction is not halted, Ghana will have to import water in the next few years due to the obliteration of the various water bodies.

     

  • Oliver Barker-Vormawor files application to quash AG’s Bill of Indictment

    Social media activist and convenor of the #FixTheCountry pressure group has filed an application at the High Court praying the Court to throw out the Attorney General’s bill of indictment and summary of evidence filed against him to stand trial at the High Court on two counts of Treason felony.

    Oliver Mawuse Barker-Vormawor has been indicted by the State on two counts of treason felony contrary to section 182(b) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29) and treason felony contrary to section 182(b) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29).

    In Court

    In Court today 13 October 2022, a lawyer for #FixTheCountry convenor, Justice Srem-Sia told the Court presided over by Justice Mary Yanzuh, that he has filed the said application and served it on the State.

    Assistant State Attorney, Alice Odame Koranteng when she stood up on her feet indicated in Court that the Attorney-General’s department is yet to see the application.

    However, the state she said will get it and respond appropriately to it. She, therefore, asked the Court for an adjournment so she can do the needful.

    By Court

    Justice Mary Yanzuh’s Court after hearing the parties ruled that the case cannot continue until the application of the accused person has been heard.

    To that end, she adjourned the sitting to Friday 21 October 2022, for the applicant’s lawyers to move their motion.

    Bill of Indictment

    The Bill of Indictment dated 30 May 2022 and signed by the Director of Public Prosecution, Yvonne Atakora Obuobisa, which is now being challenged by #FixTheCountry convenor, notes that “Oliver Mawuse Barker-Vormawor, in February 2022, in Ghana, through a post on your Twitter social media account published to people in Ghana and the rest of the world, endeavoured to usurp the executive powers of the Republic by advocating for the violent overthrow of the constitution”.

    Witnesses/Exhibits

    According to the summary of the evidence, the state indicates that it intends to call three witnesses at trial. They are Andrew Okyere, No 55341 D/CONST Dunstan Guba and D/CPL Mark Owusu.

    The state will also be tendering some eight exhibits to support their case at the trial. They are the investigation cautioned statement of the accused (Oliver Mawuse Barker-Vormawor) dated 11 February 2022, Charged statement of the accused dated 11 February 2022 and the investigation cautioned statement of the accused dated 16 February 2022.

    The remaining exhibits are the charge statement of the accused dated April 1, 2022, Facebook and Twitter posts of the accused person from February 2021 to February 2022, the Facebook post of the accused person on 30 April 2022, an Intelligence report from the Cybercrime unit, and an Intelligence report from National Security.

    Background

    In a series of Facebook posts that led to the arrest of Barker-Vormawor on 11 February 2022 and his ongoing prosecution, he described the Ghana Armed Forces as “useless” for not acting despite the public uproar against the Electronic Transfer Levy (E-Levy), which came into effect on 1 May 2022.

    “If this E-Levy passes after this cake bullshit, I will do the coup myself. Useless Army!” Barker-Vormawor wrote in one of his posts.

    In another post, he said: “Okay, let’s try again. If this E-Levy still passes after this cake bullshit, then may God …. Help us to resist the oppressor’s rule, with all our will and might forevermore. (2x). Useless Army. Anaa, the value is the same?”

    Police arrest

    Oliver Mawuse Barker-Vormawor was picked up by the Tema Regional Police on Saturday 12 February 2022, for allegedly saying that he would stage a coup in Ghana if Parliament passed the E-Levy Bill.

    A police statement published on 12 February 2022 said that Barker-Vormawor is being kept at the Tema Regional Police Command to assist with further investigations into his social media post.

    First court sitting

    After his charges were read to him in open court on 14 February, Assistant Superintendent of Police Sylvester Asare, read the brief facts. Barker-Vormawor’s lawyer, Akoto Ampaw, applied for bail for his client but the state opposed the application.

    In her ruling at the Ashaiman district court, Magistrate Eleanor Barnes Botchway said she did not have the mandate to grant bail in a case involving a charge of treason felony.

    She subsequently remanded the accused into police custody and, working with the two-week timeline required by law to have the accused on remand make an appearance in court, she adjourned the sitting to 28 February 2022.

    Brief facts

    The brief facts as presented in court by DSP Sylvester Asare state that “the accused person is a lawyer and convenor of a social movement, namely ‘FixTheCountry’.

    Sometime in February 2022, the Ashaiman Police received a report that the accused person was inciting some groups of persons believed to be members of the FixTheCountry movement.

    “That on receipt of the report, the police mounted surveillance on the accused person until his arrest at Kotoka International Airport on Friday 11 February 2022, when he arrived from the United Kingdom (UK). Preliminary investigation has revealed that the accused is a lawyer and a PhD student at Cambridge University, UK.”

    The facts further say that “it has also been established during investigation that the accused for some time now has been inciting some group[s] of persons through the social media [sic] to undertake an unlawful enterprise to usurp the executive powers of the Government of Ghana”.

    “Pursuant to his preparation to usurp the executive powers of the Government of Ghana, accused further published on his Facebook wall that the Ghana army is useless and went ahead to declare his intention in a Facebook post to stage a coup if the Electronic Transaction Levy [E-Levy] is passed by Parliament.”

  • Four years not enough for any gov’t to make needed impact – Mahama

    Former President of Ghana, John Dramani Mahama, has observed that Ghana’s four-year term for every government is insufficient for the needed investment in developing the country.

    He indicates that, unlike other countries where governments have ample time to roll out their ideas and ensure seamless development, the same cannot be said about Ghana.

    “We have a four-year term like they have in America and not as they have in other countries where there are five terms, so it is very little you can do in terms of infrastructure; we will do our best.

    We will Invest in the health sector, invest in Education, invest in the economic infrastructure, but all these must be geared towards creating opportunities, especially for young people to be able to realize their full potential and be able to find jobs in the economy. I think that’s what we will be looking at,” he said in an interview on Voice of America.

    The leader of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the 2020 election said another focus of a new NDC government would be strengthening public institutions in the country and intensifying the fight against corruption.

    He reiterated his calls for the review of the 1992 constitution. He believes that after 26 years of using the constitution, it will be right that some tweaking is done to help build the country.

    — Kafui Dey (@KafuiDey) October 12, 2022

  • More shutdowns coming – GRA warns defaulting malls, shops after closure of Palace, others

    The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has issued a word of caution to companies that are yet to enroll on a Certified Invoicing System for the administration of Value Added Tax (VAT) in Ghana, following the amendment of the VAT Act 870.

    The Authority, in the past days has closed some major shopping malls including Palace and China mall branches.

    This comes after the GRA began an exercise to ensure compliance by some 50 selected tax-paying companies to be enrolled on the Certified Invoicing System.

    The move, according to the GRA, is necessary to help improve Ghana’s domestic tax mobilization efforts.

    According to the Deputy Commissioner, Operations-DTRD, Kwesi Eghan, the China and Palace malls are part of the 50 selected tax-paying companies which have failed to comply with the GRA’s requirements.

    Mr. Eghan further went on to caution other companies who he noted have also duly been informed about the system and the need to enroll, to do so before the law catches up with them.

    “For the 50 people we are talking about, if you have not yet enrolled, we plead with you to do so before the enforcement officers get to your businesses otherwise we will close your shops until you follow due process, he said while speaking in an interview with the UTV.

    Mr. Eghan indicated despite these companies having been informed about the deadline for enrolment on the system – October 12, 2022, only 25 out of the 50 entities have so far complied.

    “We want to improve compliance. We are more interested in collaboration than chasing businesses to pay their taxes. But we have no option at this moment than to move swiftly to ensure the right thing is done,” he said in an interview with the media.

    Meanwhile, Kwesi Eghan has noted that the GRA hopes to enrol 600 large taxpayers into the system in its first implementation phase, which is expected to end in December 2023.

    He added that by 2024, all taxpayers would have been fully integrated into the platform.

     

  • ‘Ayilo’: Ghana’s white gold that has quietly boosted the economy for decades

    In the first place, this is not gold that comes from the ore that is mined from many kilometers beneath the earth’s surface per se, but this product is as cherished as the jewelry you wear on your wrist or neck.

    Known differently to different tribes in Ghana by name: Agatawoe in Ewe; Ayilo for the Gamɛi; shirew by the Akans; and kaolin in English, this product is also known as food that is loved by mostly pregnant women.

    It is believed that it is because of its unique smell that pregnant women are so drawn to it.

    Formed from a type of clay, ayilo is used for many other things including it being a reliable material for electro-porcelain fabrication, as well as a major material used for making wall and floor tiles.

    In Ghana, Anfoega is one of the locations where this product is mostly produced from, through a process of moulding the freshly mined clay soil into lumps, oven-baked and distributed to markets.

    The industry in Anfoega in the Volta Region, for instance, is such a big one, almost everyone in the town has benefited from the economic gains that come with it.

    According to a Facebook post shared by Kofi Semamu Atsu Adzei, he said that this ‘white gold’ has created many rich people and prominent business people from the community.

    “This is white Gold, yes you heard me right. This can be found in Anfoega and it’s called Agatawoe, the Gamɛi call it ayilo, it is shirew by the Akans and kaolin in English.

    “Almost everyone in Anfoega has benefited from the economic gains of this white gold. Anyone into the white gold business is a rich person. Ask anyone from the holy village of Anfoega about it and you will marvel,” he wrote.

    Uses of Ayilo:

    Apart from the already stated uses of kaolin, the product is also used by many to manage nausea, while others claim it helps in the prevention of things like diarrhoea, discomfort and other pregnancy-related conditions, a report by graphic.com.gh said.

    Further details online show that some experts explain that kaolin has absorbent qualities that make it a good addition to helping with diarrhoea.

    Also, the use of kaolin is said to help improve conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome and leaky gut.

    Ayilo is also used for as a beauty enhancement and is said to be used for many traditional and medicinal purposes.

    “It is also a key ingredient in some cleansers, shampoos, toothpastes and beauty products, as it is claimed to gently cleanse and pull impurities from the pores
    without causing redness,” a report stated.

    Effects of Ayilo:

    But there have also been reported after effects of using this product, some of which researchers say is that when pregnant women, for instance, consume too much of it without taking more nutritious foods, it can expose them to anemia.

    Besides, because of its source and composition, it is believed that ayilo could carry some amounts of worm eggs, and as such, should it be consumed, the eggs could hatch in the body, leading to the worms feeding on the red blood cells and posing great health risks to an individual.

    With chemical elements such as Aluminium, Arsenic, Boron and Nickel, the product poses even more harmful threats to anyone who consumes it.

    Find some photos of kaolin, or ayilo, below:

  • 400 SMEs to benefit from Women SME Innovation Programme

    About 400 women-led Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) will benefit from the Women SME Innovation Programme – Digitalize for Jobs (D4J) to fully leverage the potential of digitalisation and to better organise their business information.

    The programme will also support the women with efficient record-keeping and financial management practices to facilitate their access to finance, expand their customer base and turnover and develop new products and services.

    Mrs Kosi Yankey-Ayeh, the Chief Executive Officer of Ghana Enterprises Agency (GEA) at the launch of the programme, said SMEs today were critical to the growth, employment, and poverty reduction in the country.

    The programme is supported by the special initiative on training and job creation, which operates under the brand ‘Invest for Jobs,’ an initiative of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

    Implemented by GEA and supported by “Invest in Jobs”, the project sought to provide capacity-building to women-owned/led SMEs on different aspects of digitalization and how their companies can grow from its use and increase their process efficiency and competitiveness by providing access to knowledge, and digital tools.

    It will create a digitalized business environment conducive to the rapid growth of SMEs in Ghana and this will ensure that they are creating jobs after the programme

    The SMEs will also be trained to build their online visibility via company-owned websites and social media to reach more clients.

    The CEO said the SMEs account for over 50 per cent of private output, nearly 70 per cent of employment, and 90 per cent of businesses in Ghana.

    “Consequently, the importance of the SME sector and the role it plays in national development and economic transformation cannot be underestimated,” she added.

    She said the Programme was a scale-up measure of the COVID-19 SME Innovation and Digitalisation Support Scheme, which helped 500 SMEs to ensure business continuity during the COVID-19 pandemic, thereby sustaining 6,750 jobs.

    Mrs Yankey-Aryeh said SMEs, with a focus on those that were women-owned/led, were faced with challenges that compromised their ability to function effectively and to contribute to the economy.

    He said over the years, GEA had encouraged SMEs, especially women-owned to adopt digital methods to augment business growth and competitiveness.

    “So far more than 11 million dollars have been utilized to train or support over 10,000 Women Entrepreneurs,” she said.

    Mr John Duti, Team Leader of Invest for Jobs at GIZ Ghana, said if SMEs were to remain competitive in the global world, they have no choice but to digitalise.

    He said focusing on women-owned and led enterprises represented an opportunity to reduce the digital gender gap, which brings social and economic benefits for the whole country given the significant role of women and their enterprises in Ghana’s socio-economic development.

    “Female empowerment is a powerful tool to make everybody’s life richer and successful,” Mr Duti said.

    He commended the entire GEA team which ensured the excellent delivery of the first phase and subsequently played a major role in securing the scale-up of our partnership.

    He said digitalisation involved a lot of investments in modern software and hardware, as well as capacities in its applications and these costs involved indeed, could not be borne by most of the SMEs.

    He expressed optimism that the programme would provide the tools and skills to benefit from digitalisation and harness SMEs’ potential for sustainable growth and job creation in the digital area.

  • Exorbitant tax policy killing businesses – Solomon Owusu

    A member of the communications team of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Solomon Owusu, has bemoaned the exorbitant tax policies which he says are slowly killing Ghanaian businesses.

    According to him, too much tax and the increasing exchange rate have left business people with sleepless nights as their businesses are struggling to survive.

    His comment comes on the back of traders in the Kumasi Central Business District having to close their shops in protest over what they say are exorbitant tax policies affecting their businesses.

    The traders have vowed not to rescind their decision until the Government intervenes to address their concerns.

    The traders have also been concerned with the strength of the cedi. The Ghana cedi has depreciated by 37.5% to the US dollar as of the end of September 2022 according to the Bank of Ghana.

    Commenting on the development on Ghana Kasa show on Kasapa 102.5FM/Agoo TV Wednesday, Solomon Owusu who himself is a businessman urged the governent to step up its efforts at stabilizing the Cedis while reviewing aspects of the tax policy to address concerns of business persons.

    “Taxes paid in this country are too much, and the exchange rate keeps increasing by the day and people are losing their capital. Businessmen and women are in great difficulty, where we find ourselves is very scary. No businessman is able to have a good sleep and because the policy rate increases, the loan repayment rate also increases. Business people are dying slowly, it is not funny, it’s very serious.”

    “The country will see the effect of the action of the traders between December to February 2023. It takes some time before vessels arrive with imported items, so if we don’t encourage traders to import early, but import later, it will take about a month or two before the items will arrive in Ghana. So between that period when the items will arrive in Ghana, how are people going to survive,” he asked.

  • Bagbin urges African MPs to prioritize climate change

    The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin has urged Parliamentarians across Africa to pay much more attention to climate change.

    Addressing the 145th Inter-Parliamentary Assembly Conference in Kigali, Rwanda Ghana’s Speaker emphasized on the risk of climate change on the continent.

    “I can tell from the Members of Parliament from CVF countries and observer states in attendance that as parliamentarians we have made a clear and conscious decision to rise to the challenge of ensuring action on climate change. That is very encouraging indeed.

    “We should also consider what we can do to mobilize other key actors within the space to create a lot more awareness and readiness to act so that in a concerted manner, we can confront today’s climate change demands. In unity, as we told, lies strength. We can achieve a lot more together than if we leave national institutions, state and global actors to operate in silos,” he stated.

    As the leader of the Ghana’s delegation to the conference, Mr. Bagbin touched on the effects, risks and challenges of climate change and the critical role of Parliaments and Parliamentarians have to focus on.

    “Yes, the world is facing serious threats from the impacts and risks of climate change, but we also have an opportunity to seize upon new technologies and approaches that can help us adapt and build our resilience to this challenge.

    “For example, today, a lot more people are using digital devices for their work, for communication and for storing information. Consequently, it has led to a reduction in the reliance on paper, which goes to reduce deforestation. Bear in mind that trees, by being an important source of oxygen and absorbing carbon dioxide, help to reduce climate change.”

    The Speaker also commended Hon Dr. Emmanuel Marfo, who was confirmed Chairman of the GPG during the conference.

    Dr. Emmanuel Marfo is also the Chairperson of the Environment Science and Technology Committee, which is the relevant Committee in whose remit climate change issues fall in the Ghana Parliament.

    “I place my utmost faith in his capabilities to ensure the success of the priorities of the CVF GPG and in support of the CVF priorities of 1.5ºC Ambition, Adaptation, Loss and Damage and Finance.

    “The Parliament of Ghana is committed to support the work of the CVF GPG through the Chairperson of the CVF GPG. May I also take this opportunity to thank our Host Parliament, the Parliament of Rwanda, and Rt. Honorable Speaker, Donatille Mukabalisa, for hosting us. My appreciation also goes to the Secretary General of the IPU for facilitating the meeting of the CVF GPG.”

  • Anomabo climaxes Okyir festival

    The chiefs and people of Anomabo in the Central Region, at the weekend, climaxed their annual Okyir festival with a call on the government to reinforce discipline as a critical component in the nation’s educational structure for sustainable development.

    In a message delivered on his behalf by Nana Baffoe IV, the Kontihen of the area, the Omanhen of the Anomabo Traditional Area, Nana Amonoo Kantamanto XI, said disciplined educated citizens remain a significant ingredient for the nation’s accelerated socio-economic development.

    He indicated that while there was so much attention on developing education through financial investments, little attention was given to the attitudinal and behaviourial growth of students.

    This year’s durbar themed “Education and discipline: Tools for development” was in its full grace and colour, as hundreds turned out to celebrate the festival after its two-year break due to COVID-19.

    Kantamanto Amonoo said the country needed a discipline-oriented education system to shape behaviour and attitude for an accelerated sustainable development.

    Meaning of Okyir

    Okyir, which literally translates as “abomination”, is used as a platform to campaign against social vices, including poor sanitation, teenage pregnancy, greed and injustice.

    The week-long festival, which is celebrated in the second week of October, is also used to thank the ancestors for their protection and guidance and engender unity for progress among all citizens in Anomabo.

    Kantamanto Amonoo called for a shift in focus, saying that discipline remained an invaluable asset needed for development in Ghana, stressing that no country could attain a meaningful growth without educated and disciplined citizens.

    He thanked successive governments for their contributions to the development of Anomabo and appealed to the government to expedite work on ongoing or abandoned projects in the town.

    Government pledge

    In a message delivered for him by the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Mfantseman, Ike Lord Enu, Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia said government would continue to impact every community with development.

    He said Anomabo had had the greatest share of government’s support in the area, with, among others, a five-million-dollar sea defence project, a gari factory and a fisheries college which was 97 per cent complete.

    He stated that these projects and the Anomabo new market, which would be completed next year, would all promote the well-being of the people of the area.

    A management consultant and chairman for the occasion, Mr Ernest Egyir De-Graft, touching on the theme, said discipline should be an integral part of education and adopted as a major Key Performance Index.

    Eschew greed

    The chairman further urged leaders on all levels to eschew selfishness and greed that enrich themselves at the expense of the people they served in order to support development efforts in their communities.

  • ‘Not fair’: Ghana slams West over low funding for climate change

    Ghana’s President Nana Akufo-Addo has criticised Western nations for their low financial commitment to addressing issues caused by climate change on the continent.

    “$55m for 54 countries – this is not fair,” Akufo-Addo was quoted as saying by French state broadcaster RFI on Monday.

    Ghana’s President Nana Akufo-Addo has criticised Western nations for their low financial commitment to addressing issues caused by climate change on the continent.

    “$55m for 54 countries – this is not fair,” Akufo-Addo was quoted as saying by French state broadcaster RFI on Monday.

    Akufo-Addo who is on a six-day visit to France where he is expected to meet President Emmanuel Macron, was referring to commitments made during a climate summit in Rotterdam last September – $23m from the United Kingdom, $15m from Norway, $10m from France and $7m from Denmark.

    “The adaptation summit had the mission of mobilising $25bn by 2025 … ridiculously, while the G20 countries are responsible for 80 percent of emissions, Africa left Rotterdam with pledges of up to $55m,” the Ghanaian leader said.

    The African Development Bank pledged an additional $12.5bn to support the cause.

    The Rotterdam summit was set up to discuss climate change financing for Africa and took place ahead of the 27th annual summit of the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27) to be held this November in Egypt.

    It also came on the heels of a warning from the UN climate science panel that extreme weather and rising seas are hitting faster than expected, prompting calls for more money and political will to help people adapt.

    The Rotterdam meeting – attended by former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, UN climate chief Patricia Espinosa and International Monetary Fund head Kristalina Georgieva – heard from representatives of African nations, small island developing states and other climate-vulnerable countries.

    ‘Impacts are massive’

    Western countries said they will spend about $25bn by 2025 to boost Africa’s efforts to adapt to climate change. Still, their pledges in Rotterdam fell short.

    “It is a lot, of course, but it is derisory,” said Akufo-Addo, reminding that G20 countries “are responsible for 80 percent of [gas] emissions”

     

    Catch up on our coverage of the region, all in one place.

    For years, African leaders have said the continent is being to made to pay a heavy price by cutting off usage of fossil fuels, despite its low emissions compared with the rest of the world.

    In June, just weeks after the G7 pledged to end public financing for foreign fossil-fuel projects by the end of 2022, Nigerien President Mohamed Bazoum said the continent was “being punished”.

    Africa emits just 2 to 3 percent of the world’s carbon emissions despite being home to nearly 17 percent of the world’s population.

    It is already experiencing temperature increases of approximately 0.7°C over much of the continent, and “with predictions that temperatures will rise further, Africa is facing a wide range of [climate change] impacts, including increased drought and floods,” read a UN report.

    “The impacts are massive. Africa loses today $7-15bn a year in terms of climate change, and if that doesn’t change it’s going to be about $50bn by 2040,” Akinwumi Adesina, president of the African Development Bank, told Al Jazeera during the Rotterdam summit.

    Africa will need between $1.3 and $1.6 trillion this decade to implement its commitments to the Paris climate agreement, an annual cost between $140 and $300bn, Adesina said.

    “It’s never too late [to bring about change]. What Africa needs is to mobilise resources … to allow rebuilding of infrastructure, to make it more climate resilient, and to make sure that we have better systems that can resist many of the challenges we have today.”

     

    Source: Algazeera

     

  • Credibility of our university certificate must be maintained – Dr Bawumia

    Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has indicated that it came as a shock to him when the Auditor-General’s report revealed that some universities in Ghana are running unaccredited programmes.

    He said the prestige of the country’s university system, the credibility and recognition of the certificates issued rest substantially on the time honoured and generally acknowledged quality assurance system.

    The Vice President said it is therefore critical for the protection of the country’s higher education system.

    Credibility of our university certificate must be maintained - Dr Bawumia

    He said this at the Fifth Investiture ceremony of the New Vice Chancellor of the University for Development Studies, Professor Seidu Alhassan in Tamale, the Northern Regional capital.

    Dr. Bawumia said the country must have a zero tolerance for such lapses.

    “As a country, we must have zero tolerance for such development. That is why I applauded the efforts of the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) and the Ministry of Education (MoE) to ensure that there is strict adherence to the regulatory requirements of the education regulatory body’s Act 2020, Act 1023,” he said.

    He charged all Vice Chancellor’s in Ghana to ensure they get all their courses accredited.

    Credibility of our university certificate must be maintained - Dr Bawumia

    “So may I suggest to you Mr. Vice Chancellor that one of your immediate tasks should be to take inventory of your programs and make all ongoing and new ones accredited before you enroll students into them,” Dr. Bawumia said.

    The Vice President also charged the leadership of the University for Development Studies (UDS) to realign their programs and research activities with the government priority agenda for creating a critical mass of impactful human capital.

    He said as the Vice Chancellor assumes office, he expects the University to stay the cause it has carved a niche in and reinvent itself as a university that takes pride in its relevance.

    Credibility of our university certificate must be maintained - Dr Bawumia

    He said the dual task for tertiary institutions is to achieve a gross tertiary enrollment ratio of forty percent overall and the proportion enrollment of science and technology programs relative to humanity ratio of 60:40 to 40 by the end of the year 2030.

    “It is the expectation of government that the UDS will prioritise the role of programs in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines while re-accessing the relevance of others,” he noted.

    Dr. Bawumia said the Ministry of Education is working to create a pipeline of well prepared students to feed into the tertiary system.

    Credibility of our university certificate must be maintained - Dr Bawumia

    “The Free Senior High School policy, curriculum reforms, rolling out of specialised STEM senior High Schools and Technical Colleges are only but a few of these pipeline interventions,” he added.

    He gave the assurance that government would continue to invest in the provision of appropriate infrastructure and the core personnel required for effective and efficient operations of the universities and other tertiary institutions.

    “I am informed that the GETFUND has put together a plan to complete all ongoing infrastructure projects in tertiary institutions within 18 to 24 months,” he said.

    He said investment in infrastructure through the educational system has been one of the very tangible interventions of the Nana Addo government and they intend to continue in spite of the current economic challenges.

    Credibility of our university certificate must be maintained - Dr Bawumia

    The Vice Chancellor for UDS, Professor Seidu Alhassan said his aim is to provide effective leadership and a cordial environment that would further develop the University into a practical-oriented institution that is internationally recognised for academic excellence.

    He said an excellent academic foundation has been laid already, hence the need to build on it.

    Prof Seidu said the University’s academic planning must tap into the frontiers of knowledge that cut across, academic excellence and community service, especially in areas they have a comparative advantage.

    He added that the overall goal is to strengthen existing programs and introduce innovative ones in line with current realities.

    He said academic infrastructure will be enhanced, adding that the UDS strategic research plan will be actualised to guide research excellence.

    Credibility of our university certificate must be maintained - Dr Bawumia

    In a speech read on behalf of the Overlord of Dagbon Yana Abukari by the Zangbalun Lana Naa, Dr. Jacob Mahama, said the UDS was created to address certain needs of the area and urged the new VC to be guided by the objective for which it was created.

    He urged the University’s authorities to blend its academic work with the community in order to provide a constructive interaction between the two for the total development of Northern Ghana and Ghana as a whole.

    The Yana said the role of the UDS in the development of the area is enormous, therefore he is ready to offer all the support they need to bring development to the area.

    He thanked the VC and government for their assurance to transform the Yendi Campus of the UDS.

  • Ghana ranks 1st with highest food price increases of 122% in Sub-Saharan Africa – World Bank

    Ghana is ranked 1st by the World Bank with the highest food prices in Sub-Saharan Africa in 2022.

    According to the Bretton Wood institution’s October 2022 Africa Pulse Report, food prices have since January 1, 2022, gone up by 122 per cent.

    Since the start of 2022, food prices have increased sharply in many countries, largely due to the Russian/Ukraine war.

    According to the Food Price Index in Countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, Ghana has recorded very sharp prices in food on the African continent.

    Food inflation in Ghana has been high, recording a year-on-year inflation of 34.4 per cent in August 2022, the Ghana Statistical Service disclosed.

    On month-on-month basis, inflation was even higher.

    The drivers of food inflation in Ghana are oils and fats (67 per cent); fish and other seafood (42.9 per cent); water (42 per cent); cereal products (40 per cent); milk, dairy products and eggs (39.7 per cent), fruits and vegetable juices (37.7 per cent) and live animals and meat (34.5 per cent). All of the items recorded inflation rates higher than the national average of 33.9 per cent.

    Overall, the World Bank said inflation breached the ceiling of the central bank target bands for all countries with an explicit nominal anchor.

    In Nigeria, headline inflation started the year above the central bank limit of 9.0 per cent and accelerated to 20.5 per cent in August 2022 – the highest since September 2005. Food and fuel prices were the key factors behind the rally in inflation.

    Meanwhile, Senegal followed Ghana closely with food price increases of 110 per cent

    Uganda is 2nd with 107 per cent increase in food prices.

  • NPP is like the mother in 1st Kings who wanted the baby divided – Fifi Kwetey

    The ex-Deputy Minister of Finance, Fifi Kwetey, has accused the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) of being full of selfish individuals who do not have the country’s interest at heart.

    According to him, the party has never supported policies or agendas that will lead to the country’s development which they will not benefit from.

    In an XYZ TV interview monitored by GhanaWeb, Fifi Kwetey added that the party can be akin to the woman in the Bible who, after killing her child, wanted the child of another woman divided because they would rather see Ghana destroyed than implement the much-needed policies that do not benefit them.

    “The larger spirit that drives our friends in the NPP is the spirit that does not hold well for the country. They opposed independence. They opposed our effort to become a republican state. As far as they are concerned, if we are not going to have it, then nobody should have it.

    “You know the story of King Solomon and the two women, where one of the women slept on her child, which caused his death while the child of the other woman was alive. And the one who had slept on her child said the baby alive was hers and should be divided. Unfortunately, the NPP represents that woman that wanted the child to be divided.

    “NPP, unfortunately, has that behaviour; if we are not going to get it, let it be killed, let it be destroyed. So, they opposed the Akosombo Dam, they opposed that Motorway, in 1992, they opposed the Constitution of Ghana, they opposed VAT, they opposed GetFund, they opposed ESLA. It is like once we are not in charge, we don’t want it,” he said in Twi.

  • Make galamsey fight part of bailout conditionalities – Odike ‘petitions’ IMF

    Founder of the United Peoples Party (UPP), Akwasi Addae Odike, has hinted that he will be petitioning Ghana’s international partners over illegal small-scale mining activities, popularly known as galamsey.

    He listed three institutions that the UPP will be petitioning to put pressure on the government to take more decisive steps in combatting the ever-growing scourge of galamsey.

    In an interview on Joy News channel, October 10, 2022; Odike stressed that from where he sat, the government was still not taking the galamsey fight seriously hence the need to employ external pressures.

    “We want to send a petition to United Nations, European Union and International Monetary Fund, IMF, we want this to be part of the conditions, the strings attached to the bailout. I am imploring the IMF to bring galamsey issues as part of the conditionalities to secure this bailout.

    “This will push the government harder, to take decisive decisions to mitigate this menace. United Nations Security Council too must come in, because now the effect of illegal mining is creating a health hazard,” he submitted.

    He also cited the issue of security submitting that people into galamsey “are possessing a lot of guns, apart from that, HIV/AIDS is on the ascendency at these mining areas,” he alleged insisting that he had evidence to back the claims.

    He is also worried about the fact that galamsey was gradually posing a health threat, especially to tubers that are grown in affected areas.

    “It is contaminating our food, the tubers. You are sitting in Accra here and unbeknownst to you, you buy a yam which has been contaminated with cyanide and you will have a kidney or some infection,” he added.

    Galamsey has become topical in recent months with the resurgence of news on its continued negative impact on the environment.

    President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo at a recent meeting with the National House of Chiefs and selected Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives, MMDCEs, restated his resolve to root out the canker.

    The issue has also been given impetus following the rearrest last month of a notorious galamsey kingpin in the person of Aisha Huang.

    The Chinese national who had as of 2018 been repatriated from Ghana after the state discontinued a criminal trial against her for galamsey, reentered the country on the blind side of the authorities.

     

  • Bagre Dam spillage: Over 700 farmlands destroyed in Talensi district

    Some local farmers numbering about 700 have had their farm crops destroyed by the Bagre dam spillage in the Talensi district of the Upper East Region.

    Their produce namely millet, cassava and watermelon among others have been washed away.

    The farmers say they have lost everything to the water spillage.

    Some of them who spoke with Class 91.3 FM’s Upper East regional correspondent Moses Appiah complained about how they have lost everything they invested into the farm as a result of the unannounced spillage.

    The District Director of the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO), Alpha Robert, speaking in an interview noted that his outfit has begun doing some assessment-based reports to ascertain the levels of the danger of the spillage on farmland.

    He added that the assessment is only for record-keeping and not to seek relief items for the affected farmers.

  • 2022 FIFA WC: We will prove to the world that we can compete with anyone –Daniel-Kofi Kyereh

    Ghana international, Daniel-Kofi Kyereh has assured that the Black Stars will put up a top performance at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

    The SC Freiburg man was part of the Ghana squad that cruised past Nigeria at the end of two legs earlier this year in March to qualify for this year’s mundial.

    Looking forward to the upcoming tournament in Qatar, Daniel-Kofi Kyereh shared that he believes Ghana will one day win the world cup.

    According to him, the Black Stars players that will make the final squad for the tournament will work hard to prove that the team is capable of competing with any side in the world.

    “Yes! Ghana will receive the World Cup trophy one day. I anticipate a fun tournament. And I expect us to represent our country to the best of our abilities, demonstrating to the world that we can compete with anyone,” Daniel-Kofi Kyereh told GQ.

    At the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Ghana has been pitted in Group H to face Portugal, Uruguay, and South Korea.

  • Special Prosecutor commences investigations into galamsey corruption

    The Office of the Special Prosecutor has commenced investigations into suspected corruption and corruption-related offences related to illegal small-scale mining, also known as galamsey, in Ghana.

    The OSP indicated in a statement that the investigation will target some officials of the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources and the Forestry Commission.

    “It also targets the activities and expenditure of the dissolved Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal
    Mining (IMCIM), especially in respect of the seizure and management of machinery, road excavators, vehicles, and gold nuggets.”

    The investigation will include the active and ongoing inquiry into allegations of use of public office for profit against Charles Bissue, during his work at the IMCIM, to an investigative documentary titled Galamsey Fraud Part I, published by Tiger Eye P.I.

    The investigation further targets the activities of Akonta Mining Limited and other companies; nationals of foreign countries allegedly involved in illegal mining; and allegations of corruption and corruption-related offences against some Municipal and District Chief Executives and political party officials.

     

  • Ghana, USA need to partner to protect environment, adopt clean energy – Deputy Secretary of Energy

    The Department of Energy of the United States of America (USA) has called for strengthened partnership with Ghana to enhance environmental protection through sustainable exploration of mineral resources and adoption of clean energy.

    Deputy Secretary of Energy, David Turk, explained that all countries have an active role in efforts to mitigate the impact of climate change, hence the need for partnerships towards protecting the environment.

    He was speaking in Accra on Thursday when he led a delegation from the USA to pay a courtesy call on officials of the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources.

    The delegation, including the USA Ambassador to Ghana, Ms Virginia E. Palmer, and other senior officials from the Department of Energy, were received by the two Deputy Ministers of the Ministry, Mr George Mireku Duker, and  Mr Benito Owusu-Bio.

    Mr Turk noted that the two countries could contribute to the protection of the environment through the adoption and promotion of clean energy methods as well as sustainable exploration and use of mineral resources.

    On the part of the USA, he said their commitment towards environmental protection had resulted in the passing of a clean energy legislation which would ensure the country invest US$500 billion into clean energy projects.

    Mr Turk explained that the USA would not only discuss issues about clean energy but would also provide adequate support to countries, including Ghana, to save the environment.

    As a country with a thriving democracy, he said the USA was convinced that Ghana should make their own decisions and be active participants in discussions about climate change and environmental protection.

    Mr Turk said the USA was committed to strengthening its relationship with Ghana in the areas of energy to promote the enactment of legislations that controlled the energy sector, and discourage methods and practices which would harm the environment.

    In his response, Mr Duker also highlighted the co-operation and rich history between Ghana and the USA, resulting in many achievements in the country.

    He commended the USA for leading the fight to protect the climate, saying that Ghana would adopt the measures necessary to reduce emissions and safeguard the climate.

    Ghana, he noted, was ready to partner with the USA for the exploration of the recently discovered lithium for shared benefits.

    On his part, Mr Owusu-Bio applauded the USA’s efforts in seeking to actively transition to new and clean energy practices.

  • Why MPs refused a pay cut to support Ghana’s development plans in 1959

    Citizens of any country are usually encouraged to participate in the day-to-day developments of their nations, but even more, the bigger expectation mostly rests on the shoulders of the people in political office.

    Much as this is the ideal situation, something very interesting happened in the Parliament of Ghana in August 1959.

    Teased out of a newspaper report by Ghana Times, with the headline, ‘No sacrifice by U.P. M.Ps,’ the story captured the reasons behind the refusal of Members of Parliament of the opposition party at the time, United Party, to take a pay cut.

    The pay cut was intended to support the government of Kwame Nkrumah’s of the successful implementation of the Second Development Plan.

    “Member of the Ghana Parliamentary Opposition yesterday demonstrated in the National Assembly that they were not prepared to sacrifice a penny of their allowance to the nation towards the successful implementation of the Second Development Plan.

    “This happened during a debate on a motion moved by Mr. K. A. Gbedemah, Minister of Finance, asking both sides of the House to approve the Development Fund (Members Contributions) B111 which sought to cut the salaries of the Speaker, Cabinet Ministers, Parliamentary Secretaries and the allowance of Members of Parliament.

    “There was uproar in the House on several occasions, and the Speaker, Mr. A. M. Akiwumi, had to call members to order,” the Saturday, August 1, 1959, report stated.

    Explaining their reasons for rejecting the progressive motion in the House, the UP MPs claimed that it was something that was being forced on them.

    The other side of the House – the incumbent MPs, also tried to convince their colleagues but when their attempts failed, they tagged the MPs “enemies of the nation.”

    “During debate, the opposition claimed that they government was using a means of forcing them to accept a bill which they did not support, while government backbenchers contended that they agreed that ‘as real patriots’ there should be cut in salaries and allowances.

    “They called members of the opposition names and described them as ‘enemies of the nation,’” it added.

    The Minister of Finance, K. A. Gbedemah however still tried to argue the decision of his government, making reference to the example of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, and his commitment to the course, but that was still not convincing enough.

    You can read the full report in the photo snippets, exclusive to GhanaWeb, below:

  • Y Leaderboard Series: Film genius Juliet Yaa Asantewa talks film & guides to originality

    Juliet Yaa Asantewa Asante, one of Ghana’s finest creative directors and film producers, shares her journey through life on another impactful episode of the Y Leaderboard Series on Y107.9FM.

    The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Film Authority of Ghana, hosted by Rev. Erskine, rolled out her life through childhood, life experiences and some guides to quality filming, among other things, to inspire the younger generation. Reliving her childhood memories, she reflects on how people identified her as a core Ashanti, bearing the prominent name, ‘Yaa Asantewa’.

     

     

    For most Ghanaians, particularly Ashantis, the name ‘Yaa Asantewa’ brings back memories of the past. In the early days of Gold Coast, she was a brave and revered woman who inspired an entire ethnic group to reclaim victory over their oppressors in the early beginnings of Gold Coast (Ghana).

    However, the Founding President of the Black Star International Film Institute, organiser of the Black Star International Film Festival, disclosed she is originally from Akwamu in the Eastern region.

    As a young child, she only knew little about the name she carried as her parents moved to Liberia. “Growing up, I didn’t know all that about the legend Yaa Asantewa. Here was I a little girl in Liberia. Everywhere I moved people just knew me as Juliet because of the popular novel Romeo and Juliet.

    “I didn’t know much about Yaa Asantewa but everyone in my family only called me Yaa. So it was in later years that I realised a great deal about her. That didn’t come from the impact of the name on me but actually came from appreciating my Africaness and saying to myself that I wish I had moved forward with my African name which really is my soul name because I was born on a Thursday. So that was what drove me to that realisation. I do appreciate the historical figure, especially coming to know that we were born on the same day. I mean that was interesting,” she shared.

    She also advised parents to allow their children to chart their course with their guidance. For her, creating expectations only limits the potential of children.

    Yaa Asantewa indicated that she has only been able to benefit from such grooming as her parents made room for her to make their own decisions. “I was lucky my parents, my dad especially, gave me the room to make my own decisions. My dad always told me he would support my choices – which he did. He didn’t create expectations for me.”

    Although she desired her parents to be more demanding of her and her siblings, they would always choose to offer their guidance to their wards.

    Sharing her experiences in film and acting, Yaa Asantewa described creatives as some of the most brilliant professionals in the country. However, they are barely recognised as such.

    According to her, the acting profession is one of the most challenging fields in the world, with professionals having to lose themselves playing the roles of other characters. She urged professionals to adopt coping strategies, such as self-care practices and back-up plans to assist them in distinguishing themselves from the personas they play.

    “Good actors are able to take care of themselves; that is do lots of self-care, a lot of grounding and you need lots of fall back routines that you can use. You have to go through the work of understanding how to separate that character from your true self. Sometimes, you have to play characters you don’t like, yet you’re supposed to play that character well,” she said.

    Yaa Asantewa also admonished filmmakers to build rich and strong characters.

    Sharing details of a recent filmmaking workshop she spoke at, the Founding President of the Black Star International Film Institute, stated: “Just a couple of days back, I did a workshop at the Black Star International Film Festival where I spoke to these young filmmakers on building characters that have depth”.

    She asserts that contemporary filmmakers do not typically use rich characters, and depth cannot be attained if a director does not comprehend fundamental concepts like character business and character creation through non-dialogue.

    She suggested that character development should follow the five-second rule.

    Juliet Yaa Asantewa Asante further hinted that festivals are perfect grounds for content and inspiration for filmmakers. She advised filmmakers to make it a point to attend various festivals in Ghana. According to her, a lot of the things she’s currently pursuing, especially the major ones, all came out of festivals she attended.

    Programmes Manager of YFM, Eddy Blay, expressed after the interview that the time with Yaa Asantewa Asante has been one of the most insightful sessions on the radio. “Every youth who aspires to be creative and listened to Yaa Asantewa today will definitely have a different approach to life as a Ghanaian. It is a great feeling to have accomplished personalities speak to the youth from the heart.”

  • Two things that could make a difference in Ghana’s economic situation before end of 2022

    Ghana’s economic situation is expected to see marginal improvements in the coming days as the country continues to discuss financial assistance with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

    An economist, Dr. Patrick Asuming, has stated that before the end of the year, there are two things that can make a difference in the trajectory of macroeconomic indicators.

    The Economist indicated that being able to secure funding from the IMF before the year ends could make a difference in Ghana’s situation because this will improve investor confidence in the economy.

    Also, he added that the commitment that will be proven by the government in the 2023 budget will also go a long way to show that it is making efforts to ensure that the economy rebounds.

    “There are two news items that we are expecting before the end of the year which could make a difference. One is if the IMF deal goes through and the other is what the finance minister will say during the reading of the 2023 budget. If there is the indication from the budget that the government is showing commitment by way of fiscal policy measures, we might see some improvement.

    “If also there is the indication that the IMF deal has been agreed and we will make progress quickly, that might change investor sentiments and thereby improve what will happen after that,” he is quoted by citibusinessnews.com.

    As of August 2022, the country’s inflation has stood at 33.9%.

    The Ghana cedi has also depreciated by almost 40% against other major trading currencies, ranking as the second worst-performing currency in the world.

  • Akufo-Addo’s government deserves commendation for YouStart programme – Nii Ashitey Ollenu

    Aspiring New Patriotic Party Parliamentary Candidate for Ledzokuku Constituency. Nii Ashitey Ollenu has commended the government of President Akufo-Addo for introducing policies to empower the Ghanaian youth.

    Speaking on Top FM’s Final Point programme, the philanthropist and youth activist noted the need for deliberate actions aimed at empowering the youth of Ghana.

    “My focus is on youth empowerment, unfortunately, some people have boxed up the youth with unfulfilled promises. So all the time the youth are living in disappointment. So it is about time the youth get empowered to bring out the giants in them,” he told the host of the programme, Kwabena Owusu Agyemang.

    He however lauded the government for introducing the YouStart programme which aims at providing funding and technical guidance to youth of Ghana to go into entrepreneurship.

    “One thing I believe the government of President Akufo-Addo deserves commendation for is the introduction of the YouStart programme. It is a youth-focused programme and if it is administered as it had been planned the youth will be relieved

    “My doors are always opened and I am also glad that the Ghana Enterprises agency which is formally the National Board for Small Scale Industries is the agency behind the policy,” he added.

  • GI-KACE Holds AI series forum on music and creative arts

    The Ghana-India Kofi Annan Centre of Excellence in ICT (GI-KACE) has organised an Artificial Intelligence (AI) knowledge series forum on music, entertainment, culture and the creative arts.

    The event, which took place at the auditorium of the centre on Thursday, September 29, brought together several students, innovators, stakeholders and industry practitioners.

    Some of the dignitaries who were present include Musicians Union of Ghana (MUSIGA) President, Bessa Simons; renowned Ghanaian poet, Rhyme Sonny; Host of Peace FM’s Entertainment Review show, Kwesi Aboagye; Director of Communications and Special Projects at MUSIGA, Ahuma Bosco Ocansey, popularly known as ‘Daddy Bosco’, among others.

     

    Director-General for GI-KACE, Dr Collins Yeboah-Afari

    Speaking at the event, the Director-General for GI-KACE, Dr Collins Yeboah-Afari, stated that the session’s relevance was to help create awareness about the opportunities available in using Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the music, entertainment, culture, and Creative Arts industry.

    He also stated that with the right application of AI in the Creative Arts industry, several jobs would be created in that space which will also increase revenue and impact Ghana’s Gross domestic product (GDP).

    “The adoption of AI technologies in the music, entertainment, culture, and Creative Arts industry will promote professionalism, and enhance the quality of output churned out by the various players in the industry. This will also help showcase our talents to the rest of the world while in turn increasing the tourism value of Ghana,” Dr Yeboah-Afari said.

    He noted that the event forms part of GI-KACE’s mandate to grow the ICT ecosystem in the ECOWAS sub-region and contribute to youth development, while the centre tries to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

    Kobby ‘Spiky’ Nkrumah, Host of Joy Geek Squad

    Presenting on how AI is transforming the music industry globally, Kobby ‘Spiky’ Nkrumah, Host of Joy Geek Squad – Multimedia Group, disclosed that AI is striking a chord in the music industry with many artists employing artificial intelligence in their music-making process.

    He added that some AIs had been developed so well that they could even analyse the style of musicians and create songs based on the data collected, which will sound exactly like the musicians themselves.

    “There are a few AI-powered music production platforms like JUKE Box, iZotope, among others, that can create and master music once all the right elements like genre and lyrics are provided. Some of these platforms can even continue the beat production for you if you want them to,” Mr. Nkrumah noted.

    He also added that digital music streaming platforms like Apple Music, Spotify and the like are AI-powered, and they analyse what you listen to regularly and send music recommendations to keep you updated on new trending songs based on your taste in music.

    On her part, Winifred Kotin, Co-founder of CDD Super Fluids Labs, mentioned that: “We can also use AI in tourism through Virtual and Augmented realities powered by Virtual assistants which deliver immersive experiences. There are also a lot of opportunities in AI in tourism through AI-Power Chatbots on Digital Kiosks. Digital Kiosk can have AI Chatbots installed and placed at vantage places like the airports.”

    Eyram Tawia, Chief Executive of Leti Arts, noted that AI plays an essential role in the development of Video Games, especially for him, as he is a Ghanaian game developer.

    The AI Knowledge Series was organised by GI-KACE in partnership with the Institute of ICT Professionals GH, AI Association Ghana, Runmila AI Institute and GIZ.

  • Ghana – IMF negotiations constructive, more to be done

    The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has described its second round of negotiation with Ghana for a loan support facility for the country’s homegrown economic programme as constructive.

    The Fund, however, said, the team would advance its technical work including further progress on assessing Ghana’s debt sustainability in the weeks ahead, including discussions at its Annual Meetings in Washington D.C.

    Mr Stéphane Roudet, the IMF Mission Chief to Ghana, at the end of the meeting on Friday, said: “We had constructive discussions on policies aimed at restoring macroeconomic stability and laying the foundation for stronger and more inclusive growth.”

    “We reaffirm our commitment to support Ghana in these challenging times, consistent with the IMF’s policies”.

    He expressed the IMF team’s gratitude to the Ghanaian authorities, private sector, civil society, development partners and other stakeholders for their constructive engagement and support during this mission.”

    The second in a series of negotiations dealt with issues including ensuring public finance sustainability while protecting the vulnerable, bolstering the credibility of monetary and exchange rate policies to reduce inflation and rebuild external buffers.

    The discussions also touched on preserving Ghana’s financial sector stability, and steps to encourage private investment and growth, including by improving governance, transparency, and public sector efficiency.

    The IMF team was in Ghana from September 26 to October 7 and discussed policies that could be supported by an IMF arrangement to help the country navigate through the current economic hardship and improve its fiscal balances sustainably.

    They met with President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, and his Vice, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, as well as the Finance Minister Ofori-Atta, and Bank of Ghana Governor, Dr Ernest Addison and their respective teams.

    The IMF team also met with the Parliament’s Finance Committee, and representatives from various government agencies, the Trades Union Congress, the private sector, civil society organizations, and development partners.

  • IMF team concludes visit to Ghana

    The International Monetary Fund (IMF) team has concluded its discussions with government on policies and reforms that could be supported by a fund lending arrangement.

    The team, led by by Stéphane Roudet, Mission Chief for Ghana, arrived in Accra on September 26, 2022.

    In an earlier press statement, the IMF team said the visit will include engagements with other stakeholders such as the Bank of Ghana, Parliament, business associations and civil society groups.

    IMF officials conclude visit to Ghana
    Stéphane Roudet, Mission Chief for Ghana

    At the conclusion of the latest visit, Mr. Roudet in a statement said, “key areas of focus included ensuring public finance sustainability while protecting the vulnerable, bolstering the credibility of monetary and exchange rate policies to reduce inflation and rebuild external buffers, preserving financial sector stability, and steps to encourage private investment and growth, including by improving governance, transparency, and public sector efficiency.”

    According to him, “The team will return to Washington, D.C. to advance its technical work. This includes making further progress on assessing Ghana’s debt sustainability. The discussions with the authorities will also continue in the weeks ahead, including during the upcoming Annual Meetings that will be convened at IMF headquarters.”

    Ghana is looking at a sustainable debt path, which is one of the requirements for an IMF programme. 

    The IMF/World Bank and the government are undertaking a debt sustainability analysis (DSA) to inform the programme negotiations. 

    This means that a conclusion has not been drawn on the framework of any debt operations.

    From January to July this year, Ghana’s overall fiscal deficit amounted to GH¢31.1 billion, which is 5.3% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

    As of August, the country’s inflation stood at an all-time high of 33.9%. The Ghana cedi has depreciated by 37.1% against the US dollar as of September 27th, 2022.

    Also, the Fund and the government are now reviewing the country’s medium-term macro-fiscal framework. This is looking at a three-year expenditure plan which sets out the medium-term expenditure priorities and budget constraints, as well as focuses on sectors that need to be developed and refined.

    According to the Finance Minister, both factions are discussing policy measures and structural reforms proposed in the economic programme aimed at “addressing the economic challenges facing the country towards restoring and sustaining macroeconomic stability, fiscal and debt sustainability, as well as promoting durable and inclusive growth and social protection.”

    As government irons out issues with the Fund, the Finance Ministry has announced that it will set up a 5-member committee which will consist of prominent financial service professionals to engage key stakeholders in the financial services sector, in addition to ongoing engagements with Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), social partners (labour unions, employers, and FBOs), academia, industry professionals, and the leadership of Parliament.

    The list of members of the committee will be released in the coming days, the Finance Minister has assured.

    Government has made it known that it seeks to be transparent in its engagement with the IMF, therefore, the Finance Ministry is contemplating a weekly report.

  • Ghana Cedi is worst performing currency against US dollar – World Bank report

    The Ghana Cedi has recently been experiencing rapid depreciation against major trading currencies, especially against the United States dollar.

    The woes of the national currency have taken another hit with a World Bank report classifying the Ghana Cedi as the worst-performing currency in Africa against the US dollar.

    The Africa Pulse Report noted that the cedi had experienced a 60% depreciation against the dollar as of September 19.

    The report which tracked growth prospects and threats to African economies in 2022, also classified Ghana as a debt-distressed country with a debt-to-GDP ratio expected to surpass 100% by the end of the year.

    Explaining why their depreciation rate is higher than the widely reported 40% figure, Accra-based Joy News report that the bank confirmed to them in an email correspondence that, “it used a different methodology to track the FX rate of depreciation from the beginning of this year to September 19 2022.”

    That is why the World Bank arrived at the 60 percent rate of depreciation, compared to 40 percent if you are working with a 6.17 rate on December 31 and 10.09 in September 2022, the Joy News report added.

    Countries and respective rate of depreciation against the US dollar

    Ghana – (60 percent)

    South Sudan – (50.8 percent),

    Sudan – (28.6 percent),

    Malawi – (25.4 percent),

    CFA Franc – (13.3 percent)

  • World Bank’s assessment of Ghana’s economy is true – Lord Mensah

    An Economist, Lord Mensah, has backed assertions of Ghana’s economy by the World Bank.

    According to him, the World Bank being an external body gives an accurate measure of the country’s debts and growth prospects.

    He noted that the stakeholders in Ghana do not capture the true state of Ghana’s situation in its accounting of the country’s debts.

    “Being an external stakeholder of this economy, it is anticipated that once in a while, they’ll come and give us their perspective of the Ghanaian economy. And truly, what they said is a reflection of what is happening on the grounds,” he is quoted by myjoyonline.com.

    He added that: “Looking at our debt, I think we’ve been calculating our debt without the contingent liabilities over the years, and if I say contingent liabilities, what I mean is the liabilities that have some inflows to them so we think it is not debt.”

    “And we should know that all those inflows that are tied to this debt operate under a certain umbrella which is the economy. So, if the economy is not doing well, obviously those inflows will also be impaired and it can affect your debt payment,” Lord Mensah explained.

    The World Bank in the latest report stated that Ghana is currently a high-debt-distressed country with a debt-to-GPD ratio of 104%.

    Meanwhile, data released by the Bank of Ghana suggested that Ghana’s public debt stands at GH¢402 billion representing 68% of GDP.