Consumer Protection Agency (CPA) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Kofi Kapito has voiced concerns about Ghana’s economic situation, stating that it is far from satisfactory.
Speaking on Angel FM’s show, Kapito disagreed with a statement praising President Akufo-Addo as the hardest-working leader Ghana has had.
He dismissed this assertion as baseless.
Kapito highlighted the challenges faced by ordinary Ghanaians, citing a personal experience of buying a roasted plantain.
He noted that during the Mahama administration, the same plantain cost GHC3, whereas under Akufo-Addo, it has surged to GHC5.
This price hike, according to Kapito, reflects the overall difficulty of the current economic climate.
“The economy is in really bad condition in the Akufo-Addo era. Things are extremely expensive. How can a plantain which sold for GHC3 in the Mahama era now go for 5GHC in Akufo-Addo era. He has messed up the economy,” Kofi Kapito stated.
His comments have sparked online debates, with many noting his shift from being a vocal critic of the previous administration to expressing concerns about the current government’s economic performance.
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Kofi Kapito? Wow The way this man criticized President John Dramani Mahama errrrrh pic.twitter.com/50iajCvzuK
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Consumer Protection Agency, Kofi Kapito, has come to the defense of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) regarding its failure to release a load-shedding timetable during the ongoing power outages in the country.
Mr. Kapito attributed ECG’s inability to provide a load-shedding timetable to financial constraints, stating that the current energy crisis is exacerbated by financial issues rather than solely generation capacity limitations.
In an interview with Citi FM on Tuesday, April 23, Kapito emphasized that addressing the financial challenge would eliminate the necessity for a load-shedding timetable.
He urged patience from Ghanaians and others demanding such a timetable while efforts are made to resolve the financial challenges.
The CEO of the Consumer Protection Agency reiterated that once the financial issues are addressed, the need for a load-shedding timetable would cease to exist.
He called for cooperation and patience from all stakeholders in stabilizing the energy situation in the country.
Mr Kapito highlighted the complexity of the situation, emphasizing that ECG’s ability to provide a timetable is contingent upon the availability of funds for paying Independent Power Producers (IPPs) or purchasing fuel for power plants.
“As we all know it is not like before when we used to build some transformers which we knew is going to take us some months and so we have to do some proper plan and then bring out a timetable.”
“Unfortunately, because it is financial, it is difficult for ECG to say that they will bring a timetable simply because people are calling for it. If they bring the timetable and money becomes available, thus, they are able to pay the IPPs or they have to buy the necessary fuel for power plants, then what happens to the timetable? That I think is the challenge the ECG is facing.”
“ECG is in the business to sell you power. When ECG gets the electricity, they have no need apart from selling it to the consumer or anybody who needs it. So, when people sometimes behave as if ECG has the power and they are doing something or intentionally not distributing it, I find it a little difficult,” he said.
He stressed that ECG’s primary function is to sell power, and any perception that the company is intentionally withholding electricity is misguided.
Meanwhile, Senior Presidential Advisor Yaw Osafo-Maafo clarified that only the Energy Minister, Dr. Matthew Opoku-Prempeh, has the authority to authorize the publication of a load-shedding timetable.
Osafo-Maafo explained that this decision depends on the volume of power being generated and what ECG can distribute.
Addressing a Press Conference, the Chief Executive Officer, Kofi Kapito, said the call is a just and fair request, as prices of fuel have gone down.
“When yours was going up you took advantage, fine, so now it’s coming down in our favour, we want to see some reduction,” Kofi Kapito told reporters in Accra.
“When it was time for them to increase they didn’t wait, they increased it. So when things are also in favour of the consumers, we expect them also to act with the same speed as they did when they wanted to increase,” the CPA Boss argued.
In a similar vein, President Akufo-Addo recently joined calls by Ghanaians asking manufacturers, traders, and transport operators in Ghana to reduce their prices as the Cedi stabilizes.
“I add my voice to those of GUTA, GRTCC and others, to appeal to manufacturers, traders and transport operators, that with the height of the cedi’s recent depreciation and increased prices of goods and services, to reduce their prices of goods and services now that the cedi is regaining much of its strength. I believe this is not only a fair request but also a just one.”
The Chief Executive Officer of the Consumer Protection Agency, Kofi Owusu Hene, a.k.a. Kofi Kapito, has bemoaned the current state of his party, the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP).
Speaking in a Neat FM interview monitored by GhanaWeb, Kofi Kapito accused the party’s leadership and council of elders of looking on unabated as some members, including President Akufo-Addo and his appointees, destroy the image of the party through their actions.
He also bemoaned the failure of the NPP government to address the challenges Ghanaians are facing and the recent utterances of the president against persons who have been criticising his government.
“… today, [the] president is telling his critics that he is unconcerned whether people vote for the NPP or not. I think he was not feeling well that day and so I will forgive him.
“But what I am trying to say is that when it comes to the party (NPP), as they have been saying in their hometown that they will [not] sit for Okyeman to be destroyed, I, Kofi Kapito, will not sit aloof for the NPP to be destroyed,” he said in Twi.
He went on to commend the NPP Members of Parliament (MPs) who demanded that President Akufo-Addo sacks the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, for his poor management of the economy.
“God bless Eugene Antwi Antwi. God bless Patrick Boamah. Andy Appiah-Kubi, all of them, have done well for their courage to take this step,” he added.
A Gender Based Court has rescinded a bench warrant issued for the arrest of Kofi Owusu Hene, aka Kofi Kapito, Chief Executive Officer of the Consumer Protection Agency (CPA).
“Sir, I have rescinded the bench warrant. Next time, you will not be lucky, ” the trial Judge, Mrs Christina Cann said when court sitting resumed today, Thursday, October 20, 2022.
The accused is said to have reported early to court Wednesday because of the pending bench warrant.
The Court last Tuesday, issued a warrant for the arrest of Kofi Kapito after he had failed to appear before it.
When the Court started hearing the matter, Madam Nana Yaa Ayewa Dwumfour, the first prosecution witness and the complainant, mounted the witness box.
She tendered her witness statement and was cross-examined by Kofi Kapito’s lawyers.
The CEO of CPA is being held on the charges of deprivation of the use property of deceased persons, engaging in domestic violence to wit Economic Abuse and causing unlawful damage.
The accused is alleged to have deprived his late brother’s wife a house the couple had jointly acquired allegedly at Ogbojo, near East Legon and said to have threatened to dispose off the property, which the deceased’s wife has interest in.
The Circuit Court in Accra has issued a stern warning to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Consumer Protection Agency, (CPA), Kofi Owusu Hene, popularly known as Kofi Kapito who was a subject matter of a bench warrant.
The court presided over by Her Honour Christiana Cann yesterday issued a bench warrant against the CEO of the CPA, for failing to appear before it.
Kofi Kapito however appeared in court on Thursday, October 20.
The judge while rescinding the arrest warrant, warned the accused not to repeat his action of not coming to court.
“I will rescind your bench warrant. But, this should be your last time. Next time you won’t be luck.”
He is alleged to have deprived his late brother’s wife of a house the couple had jointly acquired at Ogbojo, and he is said to have threatened to dispose of the said property which the late brother’s wife has an interest in.
Kofi Kapito has denied all the charges, and he is currently on bail.
The wife of the deceased while testifying, told the court how she and the late husband acquired the property in question.
The case has been adjourned to October 25 for continuation.
It has referred to the predicament as a threat to national security and urged the designated agencies to act quickly to avert further damage.
According to CPA, scammers are pre-registering SIM cards with the information of unwitting “Ghana Card” owners and selling them on the open market.
According to a market study CPA claimed to have done, these SIM cards are marketed between GH$10 and GH$20 at sale sites in Tip Toe Lane, Kwame Nkrumah Circle, and the Airport.
Chief Executive of CPA Kofi Kapito, addressing the media, urged the general public to desist purchasing these pre-registered SIM cards to help clamp down on the activities of the fraudsters.
“For the purpose of evidence, I have 15 of such SIM cards in my custody; I activated 3 of the SIM cards and their identity was given by the telco companies,” he said.
“These are innocent Ghanaians amongst others who may not be aware their IDs have been used in registering SIM cards on the market that could be used for any criminal activity,” he added.
Kofi Kapito has called on the National Communication Authority (NCA) and the Ministry of Communications and Digitalisation to consider the best options possible to curtail these criminal activities to enable the ongoing registration of SIM cards to be smooth and secure.
He underscored that consumers are still facing hardships in acquiring their National Identification Authority-issued cards to enable them to commit their bio details to validate their phone numbers.
This, according to him, has created a thriving black market where pre-registered SIM cards are being sold on the market despite the regulations given by the sector minister and the NCA.
Kofi Kapito thus indicated that CPA supports the re-registration of every SIM card in the country being linked to an identity and lauded Madam Ursula Owusu-Ekuful for considering the masses over the disconnection of unregistered SIM cards.
The Consumer Protection Agency (CPA) has disclosed that it has uncovered a syndicate engaged in the sale of already registered SIM cards at outrageous prices.
According to the Executive Director of the Agency, Kofi Kapito, the SIM cards have been pre-registered with the details of other persons and are being sold on the open market.
Kofi Kapito said the Agency managed to purchase 15 of such SIM Cards from the Kwame Nkrumah Interchange (Circle) area. Others, he revealed, are stationed at the Kotoka International Airport and selling the pre-registered SIM cards to persons arriving in the country.
“The CPA heard that some SIM cards are being sold on the market already registered and we felt it was not possible, but upon our investigations, we managed to secure some of these SIM cards and believe me, if you put it in your phone, it will work just like that.
“The funny thing is that, how is it possible that it comes with the names of the owners of the SIM cards…if you arrive at Kotoka Airport some people are there selling to you pre-registered SIM cards,” he said at a press conference on Wednesday, October 5, 2022.
The CPA thus called on the Communications Minister to urgently address the situation as it has implications for national security.
“This is an opportunity for we all as Ghanaians especially the Minister for Communications who we are grateful to, for not cutting off the SIM cards as of the 1st of this month but we would like her to also go extra mile to get the security agencies involved…this is borderline fraud, if there is any fraud this is the highest…it is pure national security issue,” he added.
Meanwhile, a Consumer advocacy firm, CUTS International, has urged the Ministry of Communications and Digitalization to shut the door on Ghanaians who have acquired their Ghana card, but are yet to re-register their mobile SIM cards.
It however wants those who are yet to receive their Ghana card to be given some time so they could register their SIM cards going forward.
Speaking to Joy Business, its Country Director, Kusi Appiah Adomako, said, any agency that intends to use Ghana card for registration purposes must work with the National Identification Authority (NIA) to achieve the intended purpose.
“I think the Ministry of Communications did very well by heeding to the call from Ghanaians in extending the deadline to the end of this month [September 2022]. The data shows that lots of Ghanaians have taken advantage of the alternative registration platform which was created. If by now, someone has not registered, I think the person is not either having his or her Ghana card or the person doesn’t want to register”.
“So people who have still not received their Ghana cards, I think those people should be given special dispensation needs to re-register their SIM cards. But if you have your Ghana card and have not registered then that person is not ready to register. And for that reason, those people do not really need an extension. That is what I will say”.
