EOCO Freezes NDC Capo’s Account

The Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) has reportedly frozen the bank accounts of Daniel Ohene Agyekum, former Board Chairman of Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) during the erstwhile National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration.

Akufo-Addo Doesn’t Like ‘His Excellency’ Tag - Bawumia

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has instructed his appointees and close associates never to use the accolade – “His Excellency” – in addressing him.

IMANI’s quick picks from Ghana’s post 2016 election budget

Yesterday, Ghana’s Finance Minister, Mr. Ken Ofori- Atta presented his maiden budget to Parliament. The minister christened his budget ‘’ Asempa Budget’’ in the Twi language, loosely translated as ‘’Good news Budget’’. The general feeling is that the Minister passed his first test given the replication of major campaign promises in the budget. The structure of the budget itself didn’t change much from the previous and the minister and his economic team employed great skill not to stray significantly from economic targets set by the previous government at least for the 2016 fiscal year. IMANI people however picked up the following. We shall in due course present detailed analysis showing the impact of the budget on critical sectors of the economy.

GHS252m for nurse, teacher trainee allowances

Government has budgeted GHS252million to restore teacher and nurse trainee allowances in September this year.

Government moves to make corruption a felony

Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, has said as part of the government’s commitment to fighting corruption, the criminal code will be amended to move corruption offences from a misdemeanour to a felony.

Government will shift focus of education system - Finance Minister

Government aims to shift the structure and content of the education system away from merely passing examinations to building character, nurturing values and raising literate citizens.

Budget has frightened NDC - Akoto-Osei

Minority Members in Parliament have been hit with excessive fear following the bold decisions that have been taken by the Akufo-Addo-led government in the maiden budget statement, Dr Anthony Akoto-Osei, Minister of Monitoring and Evaluation has said.

Gov’t allocates Ghc456m for ‘1-district-1-factory’ project

The government has budgeted GH¢456.3 million to be used to implement its flagship one-district one-factory policy programme. This was contained in the 2017 budget statement presented before Parliament on Thursday [March 2, 2017].

Tax cuts will boost local businesses – Kwaku Kwarteng

New Patriotic Party (NPP)  Member of Parliament for Obuasi West Constituency, Kwaku Kwarteng, says the government’s aim of abolition and reducing some taxes is to help businesses expand and employ more.

Parts of Kwame Nkrumah Circle (Mahama Dubai) flooded after heavy rains

Heavy rains over the weekend left portions of Kwame Nkrumah Circle flooded.

Nana Addo’s maiden budget will focus on restructuring - Economist

As the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori Atta prepares to present government’s budget before parliament this week, some financial observers are hopeful the tax reviews announced in the NPP’s Manifesto are still prudent despite the debt stock.

FIFA Prez Infantino meets Akufo-Addo today

FIFA President Gianni Infantino will be in Ghana on Monday, February 27, on a one-day working visit.

Don’t try to solve all problems in your first year – IMANI cautions Akufo Addo

President Akufo Addo must guard against the tendency of wanting to solve all of Ghana’s problems within one year, lest he makes mistakes, Vice President of policy think-thank Imani, Kofi Bentil has said.

Student was neither jilted by boyfriend nor failed her exams – KNUST PRO

Authorities of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) have dispelled reports that an 18 year old first year student of the school committed suicide because she trailed some papers.

Health alert: 'Koobi' being preserved with cancer-causing formalin

Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation has asked traders to stop using formalin to preserve food items since it was dangerous to human health.

Address Delivered by The President Akufo-Addo, On The Occasion of the End of Year Get-Together of the Ghana Police Service (WASSA)

I am delighted to be here this afternoon in this year’s WASSA celebration – my first as President of the Republic. After a year of enforcing the rule of law, protecting lives and properties and ensuring the maintenance of peace in all parts of the country, I dare say that taking a day-off to unwind and “chill’ is well-deserved. This annual tradition also affords you, the leadership and personnel of the Police Service, the opportunity to reflect on your performance in the past year, and how best that performance can be improved upon in the years ahead.

EU to launch report on Ghana’s 2016 elections

The European Union (EU) Election Observer Mission would on Monday, February 27, launch its final report on the 2016 Presidential and Parliamentary elections which was won by the New Patriotic Party. Dr Tamas Meszerics, the Head of the EU Election Observer Mission announced in Tamale on Saturday during a meeting with some civil society organizations, Northern Regional heads of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), the Electoral Commission, the GJA and the Northern Regional Coordinating Council ahead of the official launch of the report in Accra. Dr Meszerics commended Ghana for peacefully conducting elections and urged the country to find ways of appointing future Electoral Commissioners instead of the Constitutional mandate, where the President exercises the prerogative. That he said would eliminate suspicion and perception of the Commissioner’s political allegiance. The 40 page report described the overall conduct of the 2016 elections as transparent, incident-free and free and fair and expressed hope that there was more room for improvement in future elections. The report discussed among other things, the political background of the country, election administration, voter registration, election campaign, media and elections, participation of women, election disputes, results and post-election environment and recommendations. The report described the media landscape in Ghana as very vibrant and that though some media outlets affiliated to some political parties and personalities, it did not affect the conduct of the elections in anyway. “Ghana enjoys a vibrant and pluralistic media landscape, though some concerns arise from media ownership by politicians, varying standards of journalism and reports of financial influence exerted on some media professionals…..”, the report said. The report also recommended among others the passing of the Right to Information Bill to give substance to Article 21 of the Constitution and transparency to many aspects of the elections, establishment of an inclusive Parliamentary mechanism for cross party involvement in the selection of EC members. It said the EC members should be given a reasonable tenure of office to increase stakeholder confidence to enhance the independence of the body. Other recommendations included; possible reduction in nomination deposits particularly for Parliamentary candidates and possible special dispensation for female candidates to promote women’s participation in governance.

Source: GNA

Opuni Assets Freeze No Big Deal – Kweku Baako

Government freezing the assets of the former Chief Executive Officer of Cocobod, Dr Stephen Opuni, is not a big deal and not unprecedented in the country’s political history, Abdul-Malik Kweku Baako, Editor-in-Chief of the Crusading Guide, has said.

We’ll make life good for PWDs - Otiko

The Akufo-Addo-led government will implement the 3 per cent increase in the Common Fund for Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) as a way of ensuring that they receive the needed resources to make life comfortable for them, Otiko Afisa Djaba, Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, has said.

Set up SHS Fund - AFAG to government

The government must set up a Senior High School Fund that will become a permanent and sustainable source of funding for the Akufo-Addo government’s Free Senior High School, pressure group Alliance for Accountable Governance (AFAG), has suggested.