The United Nations is renewing its urgent plea for aid agencies to be granted access to Gaza while warning that current military actions may constitute war crimes. Ravina Shamdasani, a spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, expressed concern that the Israeli military’s directive for Palestinians to relocate from the north to the south could be classified as …
Read More »Burkina Faso Delivers 265 Supply Trucks to Niger Amid ECOWAS Sanctions
The military junta in Niger has confirmed the arrival of 265 trucks carrying basic commodities from Burkina Faso, strengthening the ties between the two neighboring military-led governments. Minister of Commerce and Industry Seydou Asman received the convoy at the Niamey-Tillabery Regional Customs Directorate, noting that the shipment is part of a joint initiative to secure essential goods in response to …
Read More »7 tricycle operators arrested in Kumasi amidst ban
The Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) has reaffirmed its commitment to enforcing a ban on tricycle operations within the Central Business District (CBD) following a violent confrontation between operators and security forces. The restriction, which was officially established in April 2023, aims to reduce chronic traffic congestion and frequent road accidents in the heart of Kumasi. Tensions escalated on August 1, …
Read More »Nkwanta South Female Rice Farmers Appeal for Tractors and Inputs to Boost Productivity
Female farmers in the Nkwanta South Municipality of the Oti Region are calling for urgent government intervention to modernize their agricultural practices. Primarily engaged in rice cultivation, these women have highlighted that their reliance on manual tools like hoes and cutlasses is severely limiting their productivity and causing physical exhaustion. They are appealing for the provision of tractors, spraying machines, …
Read More »Government to Extend Debt Restructuring to Pension Funds and Energy Sector
Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta has announced that the government is entering a new phase of the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme (DDEP), which will now target pension funds and various energy sector liabilities, including debts owed to Independent Power Producers (IPPs). During the mid-year budget review, the Minister explained that while previous debt operations provided critical fiscal breathing room, further restructuring …
Read More »New €20 Million Wastewater Plant Commissioned in Tamale to End Direct Dumping on Farmlands
Northern Regional Minister, Shani Alhassan Saibu, has officially commissioned a €20 million wastewater treatment plant at Gbalahi, near Tamale. This facility, built by the Jospong Group of Companies in partnership with the Hungary Exim Bank, addresses a critical sanitation gap where an estimated 98% of fecal waste in the metropolis was previously dumped untreated onto farmlands, posing severe public health …
Read More »Menzgold Saga Drags on as NAM1 Makes 36th Court Appearance Without Trial
The legal saga of Nana Appiah Mensah, popularly known as NAM1, reached another stalemate as the CEO of Menzgold Ghana Limited made his 36th court appearance without a trial commencing. On July 26, 2023, the Circuit Court adjourned the case once again to September 20, 2023, following a request from the police prosecution for more time to receive instructions from …
Read More »New Sekondi-Takoradi Sludge Plant Commissioned to Tackle 90% Untreated Waste Gap
Western Regional Minister Kwabena Okeyere Darko-Mensah has revealed a critical sanitation gap in the region, noting that a staggering 90% of collected fecal waste is currently discharged into the environment without treatment. Speaking at the commissioning of the new Sekondi-Takoradi Fecal Sludge Management Plant in Asaake, the Minister highlighted that the region’s existing infrastructure has been severely overstretched by the …
Read More »India Bans Non-Basmati White Rice Exports to Curb Surging Domestic Prices
In an effort to control rising domestic food costs, India has officially banned the export of non-basmati white rice. The decision follows a year in which local rice prices surged by over 11%, largely due to heavy monsoon rains damaging crops in northern states. The Ministry of Consumer Affairs noted that non-basmati white rice represents approximately 25% of the country’s …
Read More »BOST MD Calls for Margin Increase to 12 Pesewas to Secure National Fuel Infrastructure
The Managing Director of the Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation Company (BOST), Edwin Alfred Provencal, is advocating for an upward adjustment of the BOST margin from nine pesewas to 12 pesewas per liter. The BOST margin is a specific tax embedded in the petroleum price build-up designed to fund the maintenance of fuel depots and facilitate infrastructure expansion.1 Mr. Provencal …
Read More »Starlink launched in Kenya
Elon Musk’s satellite internet firm Starlink has operationalised services in the Kenyan market, setting the stage for intensified competition with local players including Safaricom, Jamii Telecommunications Limited and Zuku. The multinational, an outgrowth of Musk’s space technology firm SpaceX, has further appointed local internet firm Karibu Connect as its first authorised reseller in Kenya with a promise to offer download …
Read More »Dozens of Children Killed in Somalia Mortar Shell Explosion
A devastating explosion caused by an unexploded mortar shell has killed more than 20 people, the majority of whom were children, in Somalia’s Lower Shabelle region. The incident occurred near the town of Qoryoley, located approximately 120km south of Mogadishu, when a group of young people aged between 10 and 15 discovered the dormant ordnance. According to local officials, the …
Read More »E-Levy Generates ¢861.47 Million in First 11 Months as Mobile Money Usage Hits Record Highs
According to official data from the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), the Electronic Transfer Levy (E-Levy) generated a cumulative total of GH¢ 861.47 million between its launch in May 2022 and March 2023. During its first year of operation at the initial 1.5% rate, the controversial tax accrued GH¢ 614.57 million. The revenue performance showed a steady month-on-month increase throughout 2022, …
Read More »Ghana Loses $100 Million Annually to Port Corruption Despite Digital Reforms
Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has revealed that corruption at Ghana’s seaports results in a staggering revenue loss of approximately $8.3 million every month. This financial drain totals nearly $100 million annually, largely driven by dishonest importers and complicit officials who deliberately misdeclare container contents to evade duties. While the Port Paperless System (PPS) introduced in 2017 has significantly reduced …
Read More »Ugandan president says he is ready to sign anti-LGBTQ+ bill into law
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has stated his readiness to sign an anti-LGBTQ+ bill should it reach his table. Museveni, recently called on African nations to take the lead in rejecting the promotion of homosexuality, describing same-sex relationships as a big threat and danger to the procreation of human race. “Africa should provide the lead to save the world from this …
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