The Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Mr Seth Terkper, says the economy is beginning to adjust to the fiscal and monetary measures with positive change in nominal budget and reduced pace of depreciation of the cedi. However, he said, risks relating to continuing commodity pace volatility and tightening global financial conditions still remained. Mr Terkper, who gave the indication when he presented an urgent policy statement on the Ghanaian economy to Parliament Tuesday, said Ghana remained

A former National Security Co-ordinator who also served as Director of the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI), Mr Kofi Bentum Quantson has expressed disquiet about the nonchalant attitude of Ghanaians to security. He says the lax, even about personal security, is so serious there is urgent need for a rethink. An approach towards an enduring solution, he said could be introducing the subject of security – both personal and environmental – into school curricula so that everyone is thought

The National Petroleum Authority (NPA) has revised upwards, the prices of  petroleum prices effective, Monday, April 1, 2014. The price of petrol has been increased by 7 per cent, therefore, it will now sell at  GH¢2 cedis 73 pesewas per liter. Kerosene has also saw a 0.38 per cent increase and now sells at GH¢2 cedi 36 pesewas, while Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) now sells at GH¢2 87 pesewas. Premix has also gone up by almost 5 per cent and is selling at GH¢1 25 pesewas while  Diesel is

The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) has extended the load management schedule for two more weeks. According to the Citifmonline.com, the Head of Public Affairs at the ECG, Mr William Boateng said the new schedule will be formally announced on Tuesday. He said although the load shedding exercise is being extended for an extra two weeks, “we have seen some marginal improvement because during the day like this for the past two weeks, we have not been shedding the load.” The load management,

The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has warned that the gradual removal of subsidies on liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) will erode the gains in the promotion of the product as an alternative to wood fuels. It said the steep increases in the price of LPG over the years could force marginal LPG consumers back to using wood fuel. According to the organisation, although the country had made great strides with the introduction of sustainable forest management practices in its timber industry, “little

Stakeholders of the Plastic Waste Management Programme have presented 15 tricycles to plastic waste collectors to help deal with the menace of plastic waste. Currently, more than 120 tonnes of plastic waste is collected on a daily basis and resold to recycling companies.   Initiative The presentation of the 15 tricycles is part of  an initiative of the Plastic Waste Management Programme and LUOJIA Motors to present 100 tricycles to plastic waste collectors from this year to 2015. It is to help

Activities of illegal miners around the Bui Hydroelectric Power Generation at Bui in the Banda District of   Brong-Ahafo, are posing serious threats to the 400-mega-watt dam. Local and foreign nationals from countries, such as  Cote D’Ivoire, Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso and China, have invaded the dam’s catchment area, where they are undertaking illegal mining activities. The Brong-Ahafo Regional Security Council (REGSEC) has, however, issued a two-week ultimatum to all residents around the

The President, Mr John Dramani Mahama, left Accra yesterday for Brussels, Belgium, to attend the fourth European Union (EU)/Africa Summit. The two-day summit, scheduled for April 2-3, will bring together African and EU leaders, as well as leaders of institutions under the EU and the African Union (AU). It is on the theme, " Investing in People, Prosperity and Peace". Discussions at the summit will centre on peace, security, climate change, investment and migration. The Economic Partnership Agreement

An Accra circuit court Monday sentenced two persons to a total of 60 years in prison for engaging in robbery. Joshua Mensah and Godwin Kwame Worlali Agbesi were charged with conspiracy to rob and robbery. They pleaded not guilty to the charges, but after the trial the court, presided over by Mr Francis Obiri, found them guilty and sentenced them accordingly. They were each sentenced to a 20-year jail term for conspiracy and 30 years for robbery.  The sentences are to run concurrently. In pronouncing

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has urged governments to close legal loopholes that allow unruly passengers to escape law enforcement for serious offences committed on board aircraft. Governments have gathered for a diplomatic conference at the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) in Montreal since March 26, 2014, to discuss revisions to the Tokyo Convention.  The revisions will enhance the ability of law enforcement and other authorities to prosecute the small minority

The act of giving birth can appear very different in different parts of the world. In some countries, women give birth safely between the walls of a hospital surrounded by medical officials and the requisite equipment. In others, relatives and neighbours will circle the woman in labour singing in the dark of a hut, far from medical help. But the woman at the centre of the picture – wherever she lives – is undertaking the same phenomenal journey to bring life to the world.  All around Africa,

 A capacity-building project to support women to contest district assembly elections has taken off in 14 districts within the Northern Region. The project is being implemented by the Local Organisation Mobilisation (LOM), a community-based organisation working under the Ghana Developing Communities Association (GDCA), a non-governmental organisation based in the Northern Region. The Programme Officer of the GDCA,  Mr Fatau Abdul-Rahman, announced this at the NGO’s quarterly media review meeting

The Forestry Commission (FC) is seeking $10 million to upgrade the Shai Hills Resource Reserve to boost its ecotourism potential and make it a distinctive tourism destination in the sub-region. According to the Commission, the proximity of the Shai Hills Reserve to Accra, coupled with its diverse and rich cultural and archaeological sites, makes it a huge economic asset that should be developed  to promote Ghana’s tourism drive and earnings. Nana Kofi Adu-Nsiah, the Executive Director of the

The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has observed Kuntunkunidae as part of activities marking the celebration of the 15th anniversary of his enthronement. The Kuntunkunidae is a special Akwasidae (festival) which is celebrated every 40 days on the traditional calender of the Asantis, and the official attire is mostly black cloth. At a well-attended durbar, the occasion was used to remember past Asante kings and chiefs who fought for Asanteman. Clad in black, paramount chiefs and the other royal

President John Dramani Mahama, on Saturday, visited the tomb of the late Felix Houphouet-Boigny in Yamoussoukro to pay his respects to the the man who led Côte d'Ivoire to independence and catapulted that country to rapid economic growth. The visit was on the sidelines of the 44th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority and heads of state and government, which elected Mr Mahama the new chairman of the sub-regional group for a one-year term. The remains of the man popularly called “Le Vieux’’

A two-storey building office complex has been inaugurated for the Northern Ghana Union Mission (NGUM) of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church to support effective evangelism, lecturing and church administration in the Ashanti Region and the northern sector of the country. The church bought the building from Elder Isaac Owusu (a member of the church at Bomso) at GH¢1.1 million. The President of the West-Central Africa Division (WAD) of the church, Pastor Dr Gilbert Wari, dedicated the office complex

The Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts (MoTCCA), Mrs Elizabeth Ofoso-Adjare, has launched the maiden edition of Africa Union (AU) Day Fashion Festival, with a call on stakeholders in the fashion industry to transform the sector into a job and wealth-creation one. According to Mrs Ofoso-Adjare, who made the call, the 2014 Oxford Economics Research, commissioned by the British Fashion Council, stated that the direct contribution of the fashion industry to the United Kingdom economy stood

Graduate teachers have asked the government to review its position on salary arrears with respect to recruitment, promotion and re-activation of teachers, otherwise they will advise themselves. Addressing a press conference in Accra yesterday, the Greater Accra Regional Chairman of the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), Mr Rene Senyo Kwami Korkor, gave the government up to April 30, 2014 to review its position on the salary arrears of teachers “or we will advise ourselves”. “We

Seven surgical theatre suites and the Babies Unit of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH) which were closed down for refurbishment were reopened yesterday. The refurbishment cost US$6.4 million and included recovery and changing rooms. Old equipment such as the life support system, dedicated medical supply units, cots, and incubators  have also been replaced with modern ones. Five ambulances and five workshop vans have also been provided for the KBTH and three other hospitals as part of the retooling

Some refrigerated containers containing frozen food products and pharmaceuticals have been sitting plugged in at Tema Port’s reefer (refrigerated) terminal for over 200 days, raising fears of the products’ quality being compromised and posing a health risk if finally discharged and marketed. The containers mostly contain imported poultry, meat and pharmaceuticals, and the reason for the holdup is the inability of importers to clear the cargo and, in some cases, Custom’s inability to auction