Author: Krobea

The Monetary Policy Committee of the Bank of Ghana has decided to maintain the monetary policy rate at 14.5 per cent. This decision was taken at its 95th meeting, which began last Tuesday. Addressing journalists on Monday, July 27, the Governor of the Central Bank, Dr Ernest Yedu Addison, said the decision was arrived at due to the “current extraordinary circumstances” posed by the coronavirus global pandemic. The circumstances, he noted, has brought widened budget deficit and a residual financial gap. He said the circumstances will, thus, require “some monetary restraint to preserve the anchors of macroeconomic stability”. “In the…

The need for Ghanaians to require public managers to manage their organization efficiently and simultaneously remain accountable to the public cannot be over emphasized. We have much more rapidly changing technologies, a more highly educated and technically trained workforce, and greater global interdependencies and new tools at our finger tips to help us get our jobs done well. Many of us wonder why government seem to have so much difficulty managing its programs. The popular perception is that government is incompetent most times. I am of the opinion that government can accomplish anything with the right determinations and direction. Obviously…

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo begins a three-day working visit to the Northern, North East and Savannah regions from today, Monday, July 27. In a statement released and signed by a Deputy Information Minister, Pius Enam Hadzide, the president will have the opportunity to inspect the progress of on-going developmental projects, commission completed projects and cut sods for work to resume for other projects. The President shall also meet and interact with the chiefs and people of various communities and pay a courtesy call to the traditional rulers including the Kusuguwura, Yagbonwura, Nayiri and the Yaa Naa. The President is…

Latest information emanating from Kafaba in the Gonja East District of the Savanna Region indicates that the suspected 90-year-old woman, who was accused of witchcraft and lynched, was accused of being behind lack of rains in the area. The report indicates that the 90-year-old woman was among other 17 women who were tortured over alleged witchcraft but she failed to confess or admit. The 90-year-old woman, who was accused of witchcraft and lynched by a soothsayer and her accomplices, has since been laid to rest in Salaga. The body was released to the family for burial after an autopsy was…

Never say never. This piece isn’t to persuade you to flat out put aside your efforts for external funding. The world is still spinning, albeit amidst a full-blown pandemic. But if ever there was a time to look internally for value first, this would be it. COVID-19 did not spare the investment and venture capital (VC) space. There is less interest in putting money out there and more risk averse behaviour towards spending of any kind. This is true all over the world. This coronavirus has not been fully figured out and most investors and VC’s would prefer to wait…

The Board of Directors of the African Development Fund (ADF) on Friday approved a $69 million grant to support Ghana’s efforts to tackle the Covid-19 pandemic and mitigate its socio-economic impact on the nation. The grant from the ADF, the concessional arm of the African Development Bank, will provide fiscal budget support to finance the government’s national Covid-19 Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan, and Coronavirus Alleviation Programme. Specifically, the funds will help to upgrade the capacity of healthcare facilities to isolate, diagnose and care for patients, and provide more test kits, pharmaceuticals, equipment and beds. It will also ensure adequate…

A church volunteer has admitted starting a fire that devastated the cathedral in the French city of Nantes last week, his lawyer has said. The Rwandan refugee, who worked as a warden at the cathedral, was rearrested on Saturday night. No motive for the fire, which destroyed the cathedral’s 17th Century organ as well as historic stained-glass windows, has been given. His lawyer told reporters his client felt “relief” after confessing. “It’s someone who is scared, who is somehow overwhelmed,” his lawyer, Quentin Chabert, was quoted as saying by Reuters news agency. The 39-year-old volunteer, who has not been named,…

Ghana captain Andre Ayew was on target for his team, Swansea City, on Sunday, July 26 when they played Brentford in the first leg of the Championship play-offs. The Swans’ top scorer has scored three penalties since the lockdown but missed when he was given the opportunity to do so in the game. Swansea were given a boost when Brentford went down to 10 men after Rico Henry’s challenge on Connor Roberts. This time, Ayew smiled at the opportunity and scored a sublime 81st minute goal which has given Swansea the upper hand over the Bees. As the Bees host…

The 2019/2020 English Premier League ended with Bournemouth, Watford and Norwich bidding goodbye. Despite Bournemouth’s splendid final day performance, they could not salvage enough points to avoid relegation. Watford put up a woeful performance in their game on Sunday and lost 3-2 to Arsenal. Norwich City already knew their destiny way before the season ended yet failed to leave the League in grand style as they were hammered 5-0 to Manchester City. They are the first team to be relegated five times in the Premier League. The three will be replaced by Leeds United, West Bromwich Albion and the winner…

Ghana’s Covid-19 cases is now 32,969, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo announced on Sunday, July 26. He said though the figure would be initially alarming, a closer look shows that “we are steadily on the path towards limiting and containing the virus, and, ultimately, defeating it”. “The figure to look out for is the number of active cases,” he stressed. The active cases, he announced, are 3,307 after barely five months of the outbreak of the virus in Ghana. The recoveries-cum-discharges are now 28,927, according to the president. He was silent on deaths despite mentioning that they are at 0.5…