Seth J. Bokpe's Ghana Newsreel

Ghana’s successive governments always over-spend the country’s budget during election years, but a Deputy Minister of Finance, Mrs Mona Quartey, says the situation will be different this year. She said the country’s experience in 2015, which was a year of low revenue that was met with massive expenditure cuts, should be an indication of less spending of the budget during the 2016 general election. She gave the assurance at the launch of the Chief Finance Officers (CFOs) Survey Report by KPMG, an international accounting and advisory firm in Ghana, in Accra yesterday. Read more here

President John Dramani Mahama has admitted that the country was not out of its power crisis woods yet but indicated the situation was better than it used to. He said the crisis appeared to have been prolonged by the non-supply of gas from neighbouring Nigeria to feed thermal plants as a result of a sabotage which has led to the shutdown of the Asogli power plant. The president told the Council of Christian Churches in Kumasi on Thursday that the high cost of running thermal power has accounted for the recent increase in electricity tariffs but expressed hope that per his directive, the tariffs would be beginning July 1, 2016. Read more here 

Some opposition political parties in the Northern Region have held a joint press conference to complain about electricity tariffs. They have consequently given the government a one week ultimatum to reduce electricity tariffs by at least 50 per cent or face the full force of the anger of the people. The political parties comprising the New Patriotic Party (NPP) , Convention People's Party (CPP) , People's National Convention (PNC),  Progressive People's Party (PPP)  and the All Peoples Congress (APC) jointly addressed the press conference in Tamale. Read more here

Edible mushrooms are the fleshy and edible fruit bodies of several species of macrofungi (fungi which bear fruiting structures that are large enough to be seen with the naked eye). They can appear either below ground or above ground where they may be picked by hand. Edibility may be defined by criteria that include absence of poisonous effects on humans and desirable taste and aroma. Read More here

The Flag bearer of the Convention People’s Party (CPP), Mr Ivor Kobina Greenstreet has said he is not an agitator for other people’s political intentions. Condemning the status quo where people who were accused of wrongdoing are unfairly tried in the media, Mr Greenstreet asserted that he would not allow himself to be used as a stooge to pursue other people’s political interest, particularly with regard to President Mahama’s gift of a Ford Expedition vehicle by a Burkinabe contractor. He was answering questions when he took his turn at the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) Evening Encounter with Presidential Candidates of political parties with representation in Parliament in Accra last Tuesday. Read more

A former Accountant General, Prof. J. B. Ato Ghartey, has advocated the inclusion of how public officers acquire their wealth in the assets declaration regime of the country. He said that would enable the public to track funds that had been dissipa ted, as a public servant’s lifestyle had to match with the assets he or she acquired.

The Paramount Chief of the Suhum Traditional Area, Osabarima Ayeh Kofi, says the decision by the 2016 presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, to seek redress in the Supreme Court, instead of resorting to violence, in the aftermath of the disputed 2012 elections, is enough testament to the true nature of the NPP flagbearer.

The student nurses, who were denied the right to register and write their licensure examination, have been registered and are preparing to write the external examination. “We registered long ago. I think it was on June 2. I’m very happy because I have also been delivered of a baby and preparing to write the examination,” one of the students told the Daily Graphic. She said although the experience was traumatic, she was glad she had registered to write the examination that would open the doors of medical facilities to her. Lincensure examination The licensure examination is an external examination organised by the Nursing and Midwifery Council and is the final examination, a pass in which ushers students into practice. The registration of the students followed a directive from the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) to the Mampong Nurses and Midwifery Training College (MNMTC) to ensure that the three students, who were barred from registering to write their li

By Seth J. Bokpe, ACCRA  THE applause was spontaneous and took time to die out when Toyota Ghana, authorised distributors of Toyota vehicles in Ghana, launched the all new Toyota Fortuner in Accra, last Friday. With the Japanese automakers putting their heavy duty SUV engineering experience to use, the end product is a razor-sharp styling inside and out, tough but sporty feel to the vehicle it calls “the true SUV with style and confidence.” Speaking at the launch of the vehicle at the company’s showroom in Accra, its Managing Director, Mr Tetsuya Suematsu, was full of praise for his latest merchandise. “The Fortuner has been made more attractive with enhanced stylish interior and exterior features to meet global trends. “Globally the Fortuner has experienced a lot of sales success. In Ghana, we can also confirm the increase in patronage as it is loved for its versatility, fitness for all purpose, low maintenance and fuel consumption with a higher resale value. “Since its introduction,

The Founder and General Overseer of the Action Chapel International (ACI), Archbishop Nicholas Duncan-Williams, has advised the public to be mindful of their utterances as the country prepares for the 2016 general election. He recalled the revolutionary days in Ghana and the chaotic past of Sierra Leone, Liberia and Cote d’Ivoire and said the country could learn from those experiences. “Let Ghana be first before our political parties and religions. Let Ghana be first before our tribes. If anything goes wrong in this country, our churches and religions will be affected. Nothing moves and you can’t pray…. No business, no banks, nothing operates; everything comes to a standstill,” he stated at a breakfast meeting organised by the Airport Residential Area branch of the ACI in Accra on Saturday.    “May we not see the peace of this country compromised even for rights.  A time comes when you must choose between peace and rights,” he stressed. He pointed

The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) say they are ready to do whatever it will take to keep the country in one piece and not allow chaos to reign as Ghana prepares to go to the polls on November 7. Expressing worry over what he described as the uncomfortable increasing political temperature ahead of the general election at a media encounter in Accra yesterday, the Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS), Air Marshall Michael Samson-Oje, said the election would not descend into any chaos.   Before the media encounter, Air Marshall Samson-Oje held a closed-door meeting with the Executive of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA). Hot media discussions  The CDS said his observation of the political and security situation was partly informed by discussions on the mainstream media and social media. “In fact, the military should be sleeping, but you are still keeping us awake. So what are the lessons learnt over the period? That is our concern. Seven elections are not easy,” he add

 The United States is investing $10million in  Ghana to  help the country meet international standards and guidelines for its agricultural produce. The project is aimed at strengthening sanitary and phytosanitary compliance with agricultural produce in Ghana. The initiative is part of the Trade Africa Initiative which, among other things, is designed  to build partnerships  between the United States and sub-Saharan Africa to increase internal and regional trade within Africa. It comes at a time  Ghana’s vegetable exports to the European market have been banned because they do not meet the required international standards. The United States Ambassador to Ghana, Mr Robert P. Jackson, made this known at a breakfast meeting organised by the Airport Residential Area branch of the Action Chapel last Saturday. The meeting is held once every two months to interact with the various diplomatic missions  in Ghana and the business opportunities in their respective countries which Ghanaian

It is 11 a.m. on a cloudy day in June when the sun and cloud are in a turf war for the sky but on his farm at  Ada, Joshua Kutsoafo, is fighting a battle of survival with a watermelon glut that has crashed prices. The 35-year-old farmer is among hundreds of others hoping to cash in on last year’s windfall for farmers  who cultivated the ovoid fruit, but are now left counting either their loses or meagre profits. “This is the worse season for us ever since I started cultivating watermelon 15 years ago. Everybody is growing watermelon,” he said with his hands folded across his chest and his eyes glued to the fruits piling before him as the harvest on his family’s farm continuous. Such has been the bumper harvest that some traders on the Sege-Sogakope stretch of the Accra-Aflao road abandoned their produce, leaving it to rot because of an excess supply and few buyers in sight. In the midst of plenty, the people benefiting most are middlemen from big commercial centre including Accra, Tem

Redefined and sporty, check! Sleek, upscale styling, spacious and technologically enhanced, double check! Top class fuel economy, check! That is the checklist for one car that has been on the auto market since 1973 and seen so much change that when its 10th generation was launched last Wednesday at the Labadi Beach Hotel in Accra guest could not  put a lid on their claps. It is the 2016 Honda Civic. The Japanese automakers sent one of their prized assets into the auto theatre and returned with a completely redesigned car with an aggressive low and wide stance, a sportier look and sleek lines which set the 2016 Honda Civic apart from competition in its segment. The 2016, Honda Civic is powered by a 2.0 Litre 158 Bhp horsepower engine and Continuously Variable Transmission which includes the Earth Dream technology. The prowess of the Civic’s engine was a focus of Mr Jaideep Puthran, the Brands Manager of the Honda Place, distributors of Honda in Ghana. “All new powertrain maxi

Redefined and sporty, check! Sleek, upscale styling, spacious and technologically enhanced, double check! Top class fuel economy, check! That is the checklist for one car that has been on the auto market since 1973 and seen so much change that when its 10th generation was launched last Wednesday at the Labadi Beach Hotel in Accra guest could not  put a lid on their claps. It is the 2016 Honda Civic. The Japanese automakers sent one of their prized assets into the auto theatre and returned with a completely redesigned car with an aggressive low and wide stance, a sportier look and sleek lines which set the 2016 Honda Civic apart from competition in its segment. The 2016, Honda Civic is powered by a 2.0 Litre 158 Bhp horsepower engine and Continuously Variable Transmission which includes the Earth Dream technology. The prowess of the Civic’s engine was a focus of Mr Jaideep Puthran, the Brands Manager of the Honda Place, distributors of Honda in Ghana. “All new powertrain maxi

 Former President J.J. Rawlings has described as blatant falsehood a report in the May edition of the Africawatch Magazine that he has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. Lawyers for the former President have, therefore, asked publishers of the monthly magazine, Liberty Media Concepts, to retract the story, apologise with the same prominence given to the story or face legal action. A lawyer for the former President, Ms Hanifa Yahaya , told the Daily Graphic Tuesday that the publication was defamatory. “They are not speculating but were very categorical that they have spoken to his doctors in Ghana and in South Africa. “What motive will they have for such publication, if not defamation?” she said. Retraction and apology A copy of rejoinder by the legal team of the former President the Daily Graphic obtained said  “We also demand that you immediately halt the distribution of the said edition of the offensive publication and cause the retraction and apology

Akua is fixated on seatbelts. She constantly engages in a verbal brawl with her husband over his reluctance to wear his seatbelt anytime they enter their vehicle. But now Akua faces a dilemma. She is six months pregnant and is restless about the safety of her baby when she wears a seat belt. She has read countless articles online that seem reassuring but she has decided to shelve the idea of driving entirely in order not to lose her first pregnancy, although her doctor has assured her that she is safe. While her fears are genuine, experts say there is no cause for alarm. Research has repeatedly shown that the best way for pregnant women to protect their growing baby is to protect themselves by wearing a properly positioned safety belt each and every time they are in a car or truck. To avoid injuring themselves and their baby, the seat belt must be properly fastened. A gynaecologist at the Ridge Hospital, Dr Joseph Lawerter, said: “There is no risk to a pregnant woman wearin

THERE was drama at the Accra Circuit yesterday when an accused person pleaded with the court not to allow him to travel in a police vehicle that had brought him to court because he would be beaten to pulp. “My Lord, they will kill me. They will beat me to death. I don’t want to go in that car,” Joseph Lartey pleaded on his knees. Moved by Lartey’s pleas, the presiding judge, Mrs Abena Oppong Adjin-Doku, ordered the police to find an alternative means of transport, even if it meant using a commercial vehicle, to send him to the Nungua Police Station where he is being held in custody for defilement. The police said they had no alternative means of transport and no money to find one. “You can send him to the Tema Station and board a ‘trotro’ with him. But he must pay for it,” the judge said. Lartey agreed to call his relatives to pay the fare when they got to their destination. Accusations Lartey alleged that a police detective, Mr Samuel Nyantakyi, had given him severe beatings whi

There may be no relief for Ghanaians who hope that there will be fine weather in the coming days, as the Ghana Meteorological Agency (GMet) forecasts more rain. Although the country experienced a downpour on Thursday, exposing Accra’s vulnerability to floods, the Head of Research at the agency, Mr Charles Kwaku Yorke, told the Daily Graphic that the rains were normal for this time of the year. “For the rest of the week, we are going to have a few more rainfall events. I should say a rainfall amount of over 100 millimetres is not a very common occurrence, so in terms of what happened on Thursday we do not expect that in the course of the next week. However, we will get a few more rains,” he said. He, however, expressed the hope that the sky would clear today (Saturday). The 143-millimeters of rain on Thursday resulted in the death of one person and brought the city to a standstill, as floods took over almost every open space. A statement issued by GMet had forecast “heavy rainfa

It started as a personal friendship between Ghana’s first President Dr Kwame Nkrumah and Indian’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru blossomed into full political, diplomatic and trade ties worth more than $ 3 billion. Ghana-India relationship will climb to another level on Sunday with the two-day visit of President Pranab Mukherjee, becoming the first India President to visit Ghana since the two countries stitched their relationship  more than five decades ago. Apart from other ministerial visits to Ghana, the most high-profile Indian leader to have visited Ghana had been Prime Minister Shri P.V. Narasimha Rao in 1995. During his trip, Mr Mukherjee will be accompanied by a Minister of State, four Members of Parliament, senior officials and a business delegation and is expected to sign agreements on a joint Commission and renewal of Cultural Exchange Programme with President John Dramani Mahama. The India President will address a Joint Business Forum and the students and f

African tax experts met in Accra to deliberate on how to plug loopholes that encourage cross-border tax evasion. Member countries of the African Tax Administration Forum (ATAF) believe that while globalisation generates greater opportunities for the increase of wealth, it also results in greater risk to domestic revenue mobilisation through tax evasion, aggressive tax planning and avoidance. Similarly, the increase in cross border transactions and tax administrations across the world are also exposed to more challenges for the proper enforcement of their tax laws. Exchange of information Speaking at the opening ceremony of the ‘ATAF consultative meeting of African competent authorities on exchange of information’, the Commissioner-General of the Ghana Revenue Authority, Mr George Blankson, said a way to plug the loopholes was for “tax authorities to take advantage of international cooperation based on the proper implementation of international standards of transparency and effe