Author: newsfilegh

Court bailiffs say they have been unsuccessful in effecting service of summons on the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party, Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, in the case brought against him by the suspended General Secretary of the party, Kwabena Agyapong. Mr. Agyapong on November 7, issued a defamatory suit at the Kumasi High Court against Mr. Antwi-Boasiako claiming GHC400,000 in damages. The Regional chairman, who is popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, was required to have entered appearance in the case eight days after service of the suit on him but court bailiffs told the Court Wednesday that he has been…

The Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has cut sod for the construction of a $30 million cement factory in Dawa Industrial Enclave on the Tema-Aflao road. The initiative, which is a joint venture between Ghana and the Iranian government with the latter owning 90 percent shares, is scheduled to be completed within a period of two years. The project is expected to produce some 600,000 tones of premium cement annually. The ground breaking ceremony for the construction of the factory on Tuesday follows the signing of an MOU between Ghana and Iran when the Vice President visited Iran earlier this…

191 COMPANIES UNDER  ONE DISTRICT, ONE FACTORY Following the launch of the One District, One Factory policy in August, the Ministry of Trade and Industry has given clearance to some 191 companies to begin operations in all 10 regions of the Ghana. Presenting the 2018 Budget Statement and Economic Policy in Parliament on Wednesday, Minister of Finance Ken Ofori-Atta emphasized government’s commitment to transform Ghana into an economic hub. More than 50% of the 191 companies will be operating in the Agribusiness Sector, with the rest operating in the cosmetics, pharmaceutical, meat and poultry, and the construction and materials sector.…

Government has announced its intention to establish an education fund to finance government’s flagship policy, the Free SHS programme. Individuals who want to contribute to the success of the Free SHS policy would be able to make monetary contributions to the fund, Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta has revealed. Presenting the 2018 budget statement to Parliament on Wednesday, the minister said government has received proposals from people willing to make “voluntary contributions” to support the policy. “In 2018, the Ministry will work with GETFUND to set up this education fund to enable Ghanaians make voluntary contributions to support education.” Mr. Ofori-Atta…

Government has announced it will from next year pursue a ‘Toilet for All’ agenda in a bid to end open defecation in the country. Consequent to that, it will provide 200,000 household toilets and 20,000 institutional latrines to selected communities, Finance Minister Ken Ofor-Atta announced in the 2018 Budget statement presented to Parliament Wednesday. The initiative which would be under the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources, he said, forms part of government’s larger programme on sanitation management.“The Ministry will provide 200,000 household toilets and 20,000 Institutional latrines to selected communities under the ‘Toilet for All’ agenda in a bid…

The 2018 Budget Statement and Economic Policy of the Akufo-Addo-led administration was presented to Parliament on Wednesday, November 15, 2017. The statement is under the theme: ” Putting Ghana back to work”. The macroeconomic targets set for 2018 fiscal year are: Overall GDP growth rate of 6.8 percent; Non-oil GDP growth rate of 5.4 percent; End period inflation rate of 8.9 percent; Average inflation rate of 9.8 percent; Fiscal deficit of 4.5% percent GDP; Primary balance (surplus) of 1.6 percent of GDP; Gross Foreign Assets to cover at least 3.5 months of imports of goods and services CLICK FOR FULL…

Prosecutions of public officials alleged to have engaged in corrupt practices will not begin this year as the Independent Special Prosecutor is expected to begin its work next year with a review of all government agreements. Parliament at a marathon sitting Tuesday night passed the bill that would establish the office of the Special Prosecutor to spearhead the prosecution of public and political officials dabble in corruption. READ: Parliament okays Special Prosecutor bill The Akufo-Addo government has been waiting for the passage of the bill, which was one of the key campaign promises of the New Patriotic Party in the…

Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta says government will review the income tax threshold to ensure that minimum wage earners are not made to pay tax from next year. This is one of the several policies the government intends to introduce in 2018 to stimulate investment and to shape Ghana’s economic, the minister announced in his 2018 budget statement to Parliament on Wednesday. The current minimum wage agreed by the tripartite committee consisting of members from government, the  employers association and organised labour is GHc9.68. “[Government will] review the current income tax thresholds by pegging the tax-free threshold to the current minimum wage…

The Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, has patted the Akufo-Addo-led government on the back for using just 11 months to turn around the country’s economy, a feat he said seemed impossible to achieve in the eight years under the National Democratic. “We have achieved under within one year, what seemed impossible to achieve in 8 years” under the National Democratic Congress, he told Parliament during the Presentation of the 2018 Budget statement. He argued “We have turned the economy around and our policies are yielding results and bringing relieve to Ghanaians,” indicating that the Akufo-Addo government is on course to achieving…

Government has announced some reforms in the energy sector that would see electricity tariff reduced by 13 percent for residential and non-residential consumers. The Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta who announced this in Parliament on Wednesday said special load tariff  for low voltage, medium voltage, and high voltage would also be reduced by 13, 11, and 14 percent respectively. The high voltage mines would also enjoy as high as 21 percent tariff reduction, the minister said in the budget statement and financial policy of government ending 31st December 2018. He said the Public Utility Regulatory Commission (PURC) would be recommended to…