Category: General

The Minority in Parliament Wednesday said government was mishandling the economy and that Ghanaians are tired of the negative impact.

“We should all pray for the Republic of Ghana in terms of the way things are going… ,” Dr Ato Forson, the Minority Spokesperson on Finance, said.

He said in 2023, the economic situation would be severe as had been presented in the 2023 Budget Statement and Economic Policy of Government and cautioned Ghanaians to brace up for more hardship, worse than what they had gone through in 1979 and I983.

Debating the 2023 Budget Statement and Economic Policy on the floor of Parliament, Dr Forson said the unemployment among the teeming youth was more than 50 per cent and that would increase following the government’s freeze on civil and public employment.

“Mr Speaker, this budget is a killer budget; Kor fie kor wu. It is not inspirational and going to impose additional taxes on the people,” he said.

“Tax is going to go up and the people of Ghana, be ready that prices of goods and services are going to go up because of the increase in Value Added Tax.”

Dr Forson, therefore, called on the House to critically debate the Budget before its approval.

By Article 179 of the 1992 Constitution and section 21 of the Public Financial Management Act, 2016 (Act 921), Mr Ofori-Atta, the Minister of Finance, on behalf of President Akufo-Addo, presented the 2023 Budget Statement and Economic Policy to Parliament on Thursday, November 24.

Among other things, the 2023 Budget focused on Government’s strategies to restore and stabilise the macro economy, build resilience and promote inclusive growth and value creation.

It also featured updates on Ghana’s engagement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for an IMF-supported Programme; Year-to-date macro-fiscal performance of the economy; the YouStart initiative under the Ghana CARES Programme; Climate action strategies; Fiscal measures and debt management strategies to ensure fiscal and debt sustainability and promote growth.

Dubbed: “Unity Budget”, it was on the theme: “Restoring and Sustaining Macroeconomic Stability and Resilience through Inclusive Growth and Value Creation.”

Source: Modern Ghana

Minority in Parliament has blamed the shortage of premix fuel for fisherfolks across the various landing beaches on the government’s lack of financial discipline and indebtedness to service providers since last year.

Artisanal fishermen have been hit with a shortage of premix fuel for their fishing expedition, thereby resorting to other expensive alternatives over the past weeks.

Debating the 2023 Budget Statement and Economic Policy on the Floor of Parliament, the Ranking Member on the Food and Agriculture Committee of Parliament, Eric Opoku said the situation would lead to an increase in the prices of fish ahead of the festive season.

“As we speak, there is a shortage of premix fuel in our country. The artisanal fishers have stopped working because they are not getting premix. The only reason is that those who supply the premix were not paid their arrears for last year, so they are not going to supply until they are paid. That is why Ghana is in shortage of the product.”

Mr. Opoku warned Ghanaians to brace themselves up for a hike in the prices of fish this Christmas.

“The shortage of premix means that there is going to be a shortage of fish and the price of fish will increase, especially toward Christmas.”

The National Premix Secretariat promised to resolve the shortages when fisherfolks in Lower Prampram in the Ningo-Prampram District of the Greater Accra Region recently lamented the unavailability of the product, which they say is affecting their fishing activities.

But that seems to be delayed as the Ghana Canoe and Gear Owners Association called for an amicable resolution of the shortages to mark World Fisheries Day.

Source: Modern Ghana

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) team will be in Ghana from December 1 to 13 to further discussions towards the agreement on the policies and reforms for the Fund’s loan-support agreement.

The implementation of the loan-support programme, after a successful negotiation with the IMF, is to aid Ghana restore macroeconomic stability and confidence and alleviate the sufferings of Ghanaians amid the current economic hardship.

Mr Stéphane Roudet, the IMF Mission Chief to Ghana, said: “The IMF is fully committed to help Ghana restore macroeconomic stability, bring relief to Ghanaians in the times of crisis and lay a solid foundation for more growth.”The IMF said the negotiation for the loan-support programme had been necessitated by Ghana’s fast worsening fiscal and debt vulnerabilities amid an increasingly challenging external environment.

The previous IMF arrangement with Ghana was a three-year Extended Credit Facility (ECF) between 2015 and 2018, which was extended to April 2019.

In the 2023 budget statement and economic policy, Mr Ken Ofori-Atta, the Finance Minister, said the government would work to fast-track the IMF programme negotiations by the end of the year.

The programme has three strategic pillars – coordinating an equitable debt operation programme and attracting significant green investments, restoring macroeconomic stability and accelerating economic transformation.

The three pillars are to anchor a seven-point agenda as articulated in the Post-COVID-19 Programme for Economic Growth (PC-PEG) comprising aggressive domestic revenue mobilisation and streamlining and rationalising expenditures.

The pillars are also to boost local production capacity, promote and diversify exports, protect the poor and vulnerable, expand digital and climate-responsive physical infrastructure and help implement structural and public sector reforms.

“This will enable us to generate substantial revenue, create needed fiscal space for the provision of essential public services and facilitate the implementation of the PC-PEG programme to revitalise and transform the economy,” Mr Ofori-Atta, said.

He said the PC-PEG programme, with support from the IMF, World Bank, and the private sector, would fundamentally reposition the economy, with the citizenry also making some sacrifices.

He said: “We are mindful that it will require broad-based contributions and sacrifices. There will be costs to the fiscal adjustments we intend to make in the coming years to sustain our stability, recovery and eventual transformation.”

“My pledge to this House is that there will be fiscal discipline. That every pesewa that we ask the Ghanaian people and businesses operating in Ghana to contribute will be spent well, “ Mr Ofori-Atta said.

Source: Modern Ghana

The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has rejected the ruling of the Wenchi High Court on the Techiman South Parliamentary election petition.

The opposition party described the ruling as untenable and indicated that it will appeal the ruling of the court.

The High Court on Wednesday dismissed the election petition filed by the NDC. In a ruling, the judge held that the petitioner failed to convince the court with facts to substantiate the allegations raised in the petition.

The court further awarded a cost of GHS100,000.00 against the petitioner to be shared equally between the NPP MP Martin Adjei Korsah and the Electoral Commission.

The opposition NDC went to court challenging the outcome of the parliamentary elections in that constituency that saw the election of NPP’s Martin Adjei Mensah Korsah as MP.

The party in its petition contended it won the parliamentary contest in the constituency but was cheated out of victory during the collation of results, which was characterized by violence.

Some voters who had converged at the collation centre to witness the counting in the aftermath of the elections died after live bullets were used by the military in an attempt to restore order.

Among other reliefs, the petitioner was seeking an order from the court directed at the EC to collate the results of all the polling stations in Techiman South and also for the EC to publicly declare Dr Christopher Beyere Baasongti as the legitimate winner of the Techiman South 2020 parliamentary elections.

Speaking on Eyewitness News on Wednesday, a member of the legal team of the NDC, Abraham Amaliba, said the party strongly disagrees with the conclusions of the court.

“We strongly think that the conclusions reached by the judge are untenable. You can’t have the judge accepting the testimony of the returning officer whose handiwork brought the confusion for which we went to court against a regional elections officer who has no interest in the NDC winning and is an official of the EC whose testimony suggested that there was no collation,” Mr Amaliba told host Umaru Sanda Amadu.

Source: Modern Ghana

Kingdom Exim Ghana Limited has donated GH¢25,000 to the Ministry of Food And Agriculture with the aim to support the upcoming 38th National Farmers Day.

The donation is to support the Ministry in awarding the individual who would emerge as the best crop farmer for this year’s event.

The General Executive Manager, Operations and Finance, Mr. Samuel Asiamah on behalf of the company did the donation.

He revealed in an interview with this reporter that Kingdom Exim Ghana Limited has been the main sponsor for the Tree Crop Award for some years now.

Mr. Asiamah, however, stated that his company’s main motivation has been the desire to support the ministry and to support farmers and also because that is where the company source its business from.

“We are into commodities and we deal directly with farmers, so we see it as our responsibility anytime to partner with the Ministry in supporting anytime there is Farmer’s Day,” she explained.

“As a legally registered company in Ghana, we see it as part of our social responsibility to partner the government in its activities,” he added.

He also indicated that this year, Kingdom Exim Ghana Limited, aside the GH¢25,000 donation at the national level, is also going to support with cash and farming products at the regional and district levels.

This is an initiative of the founders of Kingdom Exim Ghana Limited, Mr. James Rajamani and Mr. Emmanuel Rajamani, who see social responsibility as a core value of the company.

Receiving the donation on behalf of the ministry, Yaw Frimpong Addo, the deputy minister for Food and Agriculture, thanked and acknowledged their constant support every year.

He used the opportunity to invite other corporate bodies to come and support the event.

“It is not too late, between now and Friday, we will be in Koforidua. Our doors are open to other corporations who would also like to support,” he said.

Kingdom Exim Ghana Limited is a group of companies with diverse business interest in agriculture, shipping and logistics, engineering and construction, hospitality as well as technology and innovation.

Source: Modern Ghana

When Ghana face Uruguay on Friday in their decisive final World Cup group match, one name will be on the minds of many from the West African country: Luis Suarez.

The Uruguay striker broke Ghanaian hearts at the 2010 World Cup when his deliberate handball stopped a certain goal in the dying stages of their quarterfinal.

Suarez was sent off but Asamoah Gyan missed the resulting penalty – cue wild celebrations from Suarez on the sidelines – and Uruguay then beat the Black Stars in the penalty shootout.

It is a dark day scorched deep in the memory of many Ghanaian football fans.

“We were waiting to celebrate, but we cried in the streets,” said Samuel Quist, 36, buying a Ghana team shirt in the capital Accra in preparation for Friday’s game.

“I hated that day.”

This time it is Uruguay who are up against it – a Ghana win would put them into the last 16 and send Uruguay home, but a draw for Ghana could also be enough.

Current Ghana skipper Andre Ayew, the only player left from the 2010 squad, attempted to play down talk of revenge.

“Everyone felt bad (in 2010) but for me, I just want to get to the next stage,” he told reporters in Qatar.

“Revenge or not, we would go with the same determination and desire to win because we want to get to the next stage.”

“I am not looking back, I don’t want to focus on the past,” added the softly-spoken 32-year-old forward.

But try telling that to people in Ghana who are not willing to forgive or forget Uruguay and especially Suarez, the feisty 35-year-old striker who has been banned from football in the past for biting opponents.

“Luis Suarez, Luis Suarez, we all remember, so it is revenge on Friday,” said Philip Sheshe, 32, outside a market store selling Ghana jerseys.

“On that day the ball was meant to enter the net but he used his hand.”

That sentiment was echoed by ruling-party lawmaker Collins Adomako-Mensah.

“They gave us a very powerful defeat. We have never forgiven Suarez,” he told AFP.

“He should expect fireworks from our boys.

“Just as we cried 12 years ago, he will cry on Friday.”

Source: Modern Ghana

Ghana coach, Otto Addo says he is expecting Andre Ayew to play a crucial role against Uruguay on Friday.

The Black Stars will face the South American side who halted their chances of playing in the semifinal of the 2010 Mundial South African after Luis Suarez deliberately blocked Dominic Adiyah’s goal-bound header with his header.

Speaking ahead of Ghana’s clash against the Sky Blue, Addo spoke about the importance of Andre in the team and that his experience will be greatly needed in tomorrow’s match.

According to him, he expects the Al Sadd forward to lead the charge as he remains the only player who witnessed the game.

“Andre will be important to us just like everybody. It’s about a team. He lived it and experienced what happened in 2010,” Addo told Ghana FA media.

“We know with teamwork and hard work we can achieve a lot in this World Cup.”

Ghana needs a draw against Uruguay to progress to the round of 16 of the tournament, while Uruguay badly need a win to progress to the next round.

Source: Modern Ghana

Uruguay striker, Luis Suarez has revealed that he celebrated after Asamoah Gyan missed his crucial penalty during the quarter-finals of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

Black Stars, who made their second appearance at the Mundial were on the verge of becoming the first African team to reach the semi-finals of the World Cup before losing on penalties to Uruguay in 2010.

Ghana were awarded a penalty in the final seconds of extra time after Suarez used his hand to keep out Dominic Adiyiah’s goal-bound header but Asamoah Gyan missed from the spot.

Uruguay eventually won the game 4-2 on penalties to progress to the semi-final of the World Cup at the expense of Ghana.

It’s been 12 years since that game in South Africa, but Suarez continues to be vilified by Ghanaians and Africans for his actions.

The Uruguay striker, however, insists his red card was worth it, explaining in his autobiography ‘Crossing the Line’ that Gyan’s miss felt like a goal.

According to the veteran striker, he was devastated after being sent off but his reaction quickly transformed into ecstasy when Gyan missed, insisting it felt like Uruguay had scored.

“I walked off the pitch devastated. I was crying and the only thing going through my head at that point was, ‘We’re going out of the World Cup, we’re going out of the World Cup …’ I had been sent off and we were going home,” Suarez said in his autobiography.

“Gyan was going to take the penalty and (…) I was convinced he wasn’t going to miss. We had no chance. And then I saw the ball go over the bar. He had missed. And one word came out of my mouth: ‘Gol!’ The feeling, the sense of release, was the same as if we had scored.

“Unbelievable. I’ll never forget it. That was when I realized what I’d done. That was when I realized the sending-off had been worth it. I had stopped a goal, they had missed the penalty and we were still alive.”

Ghana will be seeking revenge when they face Suarez and Uruguay again in their last group game of the Qatar 2022 World Cup on Friday at the Al Janoub Stadium with kick-off scheduled at 15;00GMT.

Source: Modern Ghana