Month: November 2023

The Ghana International Trade and Finance Conference (GITFiC) has recommended that as inflation and interest rates rise, central banks must deal with the economic and financial consequences of their policies.

It said they should also deal with the problems concerning cost distribution and potential long-term sustainability.

The GITFiC made the recommendation in its research paper titled: ‘Unravelling the Global Central Banks’ Losses).

The research was conducted with support from the World Bank, Accra and the European Union and was attended by African Diplomatic Corps in Accra, five selected industry giants and five students, central bank, heads of commercial banks among others.

The case study focused on the Swiss Central Bank, Central Bank of the Czech Republic, European Central Bank, Federal Reserve of USA, the Central Bank of England, the Central bank of Zambia and the Central Bank of Ghana.

The GITFiC said per the research and analysis, there were trends in all the countries understudied, which were
the Russia-Ukraine war, COVID-19 pandemic; central banks borrowing from their various governments; and central banks coming to aid their various governments.

The rest were that the central banks, through their various finance or Treasury ministries, taking austerity measures to remedy the effects of the global situation, among others, and that these and a few other factors and indices accounted for mass losses by the central banks globally, of which Ghana was not exempted.

It stated that global economic shocks such as the aftermath of the pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war, which led to outrageous increases in energy prices, inflation, and exchange rates, led the Ghanaian government to opt for a domestic debt restructuring.

‘The Bank of Ghana, in their mandate to ensure the stability of the financial sector, absorbed 50 per cent of the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme which led to the bank recording negatives on their balance sheets.

‘Hence, the losses recorded are not indicative of management but rather
a testament to the profound impact of worldwide challenges,’ the research pointed out.

It stated that the loss incurred by the country’s central bank was not an isolated incident, but rather a reflection of a greater world economic situation, adding that central banks’

principal goal was to fulfil their policy responsibilities, which included ensuring price and financial stability.

‘Central banks are not typically profit-oriented in the same way as commercial banks or businesses, hence, in their process of fulfilling their mandate, they can incur losses.

‘The Bank of Ghana served as the loss absorber for the entire debt exchange programme, a key requirement that allowed the Government of Ghana to meet the threshold for the approval of the IMF programme.

‘It is important to note that the current trend of most central banks’ recoded losses is not a new phenomenon to receive backlash from citizens’.

The study said the recorded loss in the books of the central Bank of Ghana did not mean it was in a state of
insolvency, stating that; ‘Ultimately, losses and negative equity do not directly affect the ability of central banks to operate effectively.

‘In normal times and in crises, central banks should be judged exclusively on whether they fulfil their mandates or not.’

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Accra-Tema branch of the Akyode Youth Association say the people of Akyode are committed to a peaceful resolution of the repeated communal clashes at Nkwanta in the Oti Region.

Eight persons were confirmed dead while others, including a police officer, were injured in shootings at the Nkwanta Central Market in the Nkwanta South Municipality on Monday, November 21, 2023.

The clash has been linked to long-standing conflicts involving the Adele, Challah and Akyode tribes over land ownership.

Addressing a news conference in Accra on Thursday, the Association said it was concerned about the impact of the conflicts on education, health, and economic activities in Nkwanta and thus called for peace to prevail.

Mr Akwasi Adu, Executive Member of the Association, told journalists that six of its people perished from Monday’s shootings.

He appealed to the police to expedite efforts to bring the perpetrators to book to deliver justice to the families of the persons killed.

‘We the Akyodes, a stock of the Guan
tribes in Ghana, want peace to prevail at Nkwanta. But it is our firm conviction that peace and justice are inseparable elements in every democratic environment.

‘We ask for justice for the victims of these violent attacks and killings for peace to reign in Nkwanta, to which we are committed,’ Mr Adu said.

A recent attempt by the Akyodes to celebrate the traditional yam festival (Gyogyibele) at the Nkwanta Junior High School is believed to have kick-started the conflict.

Some persons who were shot during the incident sustained serious injuries; the Ghana News Agency gathered.

To restore calm in the Nkwanta municipality, The Minister of Interior, acting on the advice of the Oti Regional Security Council and by the Executive Instrument, imposed curfew on Nkwanta Township in the Oti Region from 1700 hours to 0600 hours on Tuesday, November 21, 2023.

The Government also banned all persons in Nkwanta Township and its environs from carrying arms, ammunition or any offensive weapons and cautioned that any perso
ns found with any arms or ammunition would be arrested and prosecuted.

Mr Adu said the curfew and the deployment of police and military officers to Nkwanta had brought some relief to the residents.

‘Nkwanta has become almost a ghost town. People are unable to go to their farms to fetch food. People are terrified and live in fear of the unknown,’ he said.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Ministry of Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs (MCRA) has engaged stakeholders in the Upper West Region to solicit inputs and recommendations on the development of a National Policy on Religion.

The regional engagements would enable the ministry develop a comprehensive and inclusive policy that would reflect the aspirations and values of the people.

Speaking at the regional consultative forum in Wa, Naa Puowele Karbo III, the Paramount Chief of the Lawra Traditional Area, observed that though the Chieftaincy wing of the ministry was covered by policy and regulation that could not be said of the Religious Affairs wing.

He expressed hope that the process initiated by the ministry would lead to the development of a policy guideline for Religion but not inconsistent with the Constitution.

‘We all know that Chieftaincy and Religion are intertwined and there is, therefore, the need for the two to work together’, Naa Karbo, who is the Vice President of the Upper West Region House of Chiefs, said.

Dr. Doliwu
ra Zakaria of the MCRA, observed that the Policy was aimed at achieving an inclusive and tolerant religious environment that promoted social cohesion and peaceful co-existence, a prerequisite for community development and national.

He explained that the policy was also to protect the constitutional right and freedom of all persons to practise any religion and to manifest its beliefs.

Dr. Zakaria, also a traditional leader, added that there were many concerns within the religious front which called for the need for mutual understanding and togetherness to engender continuous peace within the religious diversity of the country.

‘The National Policy on Religion aims to address the challenges and the opportunities that arise from the co-existence of different faiths and beliefs in our society.

It will also promote the framework for the protection and promotion of the rights and freedom of all religious groups as well as prevention and resolution of conflicts that may arise from religious differences’, Dr. Zak
aria, who was also the Steering Committee Chairman for the Africa Union Commission’s (AUC) Interfaith Dialogue Forum (IFDF) 2023, explained

Mr Jude Domisie, the Programme Analyst of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), indicated that cultural and religious factors played a significant role in shaping attitudes and behaviors in society including the areas of reproductive health, family planning, and gender issues.

He said, for instance, many people look up to religious leaders for guidance, direction, and inspiration, especially during vulnerable situations.

Mr Domisie said: ‘UNFPA recognises the importance of understanding and respecting religious and cultural diversity’, but stressed the need for a policy that addressed harmful practices such as Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and child marriage which he said were rooted in traditions.

The regional consultation was supported by the UNFPA, the National Development Planning Commission (UNDPC), and the Department of Religious Studies of the Universit
y Of Ghana.

Traditional leaders, representatives from security agencies, state institutions, Departments and Agencies, and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) among others participated in the forum.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Western Regional Office of the Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC), has embarked on an enhanced sensitization drive to educate members of the public on measures to contain and combat the spread of HIV infections in the Region.

It educated the people through various platforms including local radio stations on topical issues related to the national HIV and AIDS response such as basic information on HIV, its prevention, treatment and support for persons living with HIV against stigma and discrimination, as well as HIV self-testing among others.

Mr Dramani Yakubu, the GAC Technical Coordinator responsible for Western and Western North regions, told the Ghana News Agency in an interview that the sensitization had become necessary since reports had revealed that about 23,904 persons were estimated to be living with HIV in the Western region, and 11,880 persons in Western North.

He said HIV prevalence in the Western region was currently 1.63 per cent while that of the Western North stood at 1.94 per cent.

He said:
‘The most worrying of these statistics is the new HIV infections, which stands at 1,101 for Western, and 606 for Western North regions for the year 2022 alone.’

To that end, Mr Yakubu said there was, therefore, the need for the Commission to devise pragmatic measures to promote lifestyles that were needed to reduce HIV infections in the two regions.

He stated that as part of the sensitization campaign, the Commission and its partners had between September and November, this year distributed a total of 69,200 male and 1,200 female condoms to some residents to promote its usage for protection against the virus.

‘We have also given out about 7,000 fliers and 500 posters containing HIV and AIDS-related messages from September 2023 to date, because the rate of new HIV infections is unacceptable and we must all endeavour to play our part to reduce them drastically,’ he added.

Mr Yakubu advised the people to avoid engaging in lifestyles that put them at risk of contracting the virus.

He also encouraged them to
voluntarily test for HIV to know their statuses to help protect their partners from the virus in case they tested positive.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Most Reverend Philip Naameh, Metropolitan Archbishop of Tamale has described unemployment as an alarming phenomenon that needed concerted efforts between the church and government towards addressing it.

He called for collaborative effort to reverse the phenomenon and said all stakeholders must think outside the box to find lasting solutions to avoid its accompanying vices.

He made the call at the opening of the Tamale Ecclesiastical Province Pastoral Conference (TEPPCON) Plenary Assembly at Damongo in the Savannah Region.

TEPPCON is a joint institution to coordinate varied pastoral, economic and socio-political concerns of five Dioceses of the Catholic Church; Tamale, Navrongo-Bolgatanga, Wa, Damongo and Yendi.

The four-day event, being the 20th edition, was to harmonise approaches to pastoral care and to address critical issues affecting people in the province.

Participants included stakeholders from various fields to deliberate on the theme: ‘The Crisis of Education in Ghana: The Role of Government an
d Stakeholders’.

Most Reverend Naameh raised concerns over the ascendency of fraud and same sex marriage and called on party flagbearers to include strategies geared at addressing such menace in their manifestos.

He indicated that the issue of upcoming churches and prophets was a source of confusion to the youth, urging members of the Catholic Church to be circumspect in seeking help from such churches.

Mr Charles Abugre, former Chief Executive Officer of Savannah Accelerated Development Authority, speaking at the event, said crisis of the education sector was as result of the disconnect among the educational establishment, families and communities.

He said there was the need to re-order society’s priority to invest in children, especially in Northern Ghana to teach students social values of becoming useful to society.

He said ‘We must confront inflated, corrupt and opaque procurement in the public system. We must also reinstitute community volunteerism.’

Mr Saeed Muhazu Jibril, Savannah Regional Minist
er, commended TEPPCON for adopting a theme that underscored the shared responsibility in addressing challenges of the country.

He said the region had witnessed consistent improvement in the sector, adding there was need to do more in the areas of infrastructure, inadequate teachers among other notable challenges.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Agona Nsaba Magistrate’s Court has sentenced three ex-convicts to six months jail term each in hard labour for stealing cassava worth GHC1,800.00 belonging to one Mr Emmanuel Fenyn, a farmer at Agona Nyakrom.

Ernest Saakwa, aged 35, Emmanuel Amoaning 33 and Yaw Oboom 32, pleaded guilty to the charges of conspiracy to commit crime and stealing and are to serve six months on each crime but the sentences are to run concurrently.

They had previously served three months jail term each, after the same Court sentenced them for stealing plantain.

Prosecuting, Detective Chief Inspector Aglagoh Lawson told the court presided over by Mr Victor Kusi that the complainant owned a cassava farm at Apumuso, a village near Nyakrom.

The Prosecutor said on Sunday, November 5, 2023, the convicts went to the farm of the complainant and harvested quantities of cassava valued at GHC1,800.00, but while harvesting, a witness in the case spotted them and informed the complainant.

According to Detective Chief Inspector Lawson,
the convicts were nowhere to be found by the time the complainant got to his farm.

However, when later arrested, they admitted uprooting the cassava which they sold to an unknown person from Agona Swedru at the cost of GHC1,800.00.

They were subsequently charged before the Nsaba Magistrate’s Court after investigations.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has cut sod to build new dormitory and new kitchen for the Tamale Children’s Home as part of its social responsibility programme under the Light the World 2023 creating awareness campaign in the Northern Region.

The Church also donated foodstuffs, parks of toilet rolls, washing and bathing soap to the Tamale Children’s Home for the welfare of the children.

Elder S. Gifford Nielsen, Africa West Area President of the Church speaking at the Children’s Home in Tamale, said the gesture was to show significant impact in the lives of the children.

He said it was also to relieve suffering and foster self-reliance to the poor and needy in society.

Madam Saratu Sulemana, Acting Supervisor of the Tamale Children’s Home, expressed gratitude to the Church for their support towards the welfare of the children.

She said the facility needed more support from the public to promote the welfare of the children.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Mr Mahama Salifu, the Sissala East Municipal Director of Agriculture, has called for increased support for farmers to increase food production to feed the nation.

He said the country also needed to show more appreciation to farmers beyond what happened during the annual recognition of farmers.

Mr Salifu was speaking to the Ghana News Agency in Tumu on the preparation being made towards the celebration of the national farmers’ day slated for Friday December 1, 2023.

He said all was set for the farmers’ day in the Municipality, which would take place in Ping.

The day is being celebrated on the theme: ‘Delivering Smart Solutions for Sustainable Food Security and Resilience’.

Mr Salifu said: ‘This year’s Municipal edition will be held at Ping, and I have received maximum support from both the Sissala East Assembly and the Member of Parliament as well as other private organisations.’

‘The grounds are good for the lucky farmers to be awarded, and the farmers will be happy with the category of awards and thos
e that have any unique thing they cultivated should come and exhibit them on the platform to showcase them,’ he said.

Some of the farmers the GNA spoke to expressed the desire to attend the show to see who would win the Municipal best farmer as they compete.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Tamale Ecclesiastical Province Pastoral Conference (TEPPCON) has celebrated Most Reverend Philip Naameh, Metropolitan Archbishop of Tamale, on his 75th birthday.

The Archbishop was honoured with a citation in recognition of his commitment to the Church and society.

This was done at the TEPPCON’s 20th Biennial Plenary Assembly, held at Damongo, which was an avenue that mobilised stakeholders on issues of national concerns as well as to coordinate initiatives to enhance pastoral care.

The event was on the theme: ‘The Crisis of Education in Ghana: The Role of Government and Stakeholders’.

Other Bishops in the province eulogised Most Reverend Naameh stating the various roles he played in the management of the Northern Diocese and the entire Catholic Church in the country.

Most Reverend Naameh expressed gratitude to TEPPCON for the recognition and honour.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Journalists and media practitioners have been urged to develop interest, prioritise and increase conversations around Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (ASRHR) to promote sustainable development.

These conversations should be targeted at providing accurate education and information for young people regarding their sexual and reproductive health and rights to cause behaviour change and influence stakeholders to undertake reforms of some cultural practices and policies.

This would contribute to addressing challenges confronting the growth and development of adolescents including ending teenage pregnancy, child marriage, and harmful cultural practices among other forms of gender-based violence to promote gender parity and contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Mr Richard Amoani, the National Coordinator of Forum for African Women Educationalists Ghana (FAWE-GH), a Non-Governmental Organisation, made the call during a three-day training for journalists on
ASRHR, held at Zuarungu in the Bolgatanga East District of the Upper East Region.

The training was organiAWE-GH as part of the implementation of a five-year Sexual Health and Reproductive Education (SHARE) project by a consortium, led by Right to Play and supported by WaterAid Ghana, FHI360 and FAWE-GH with funding support from the Global Affairs Canada.

The project being rolled out in the Kassena-Nankana and Builsa North Municipals, and Kassena-Nankana West and Bongo Districts aims to advance gender equality by providing access to age-appropriate sexual and reproductive education and gender-responsive care for young people, especially girls and young women.

It is benefiting 200 schools in 78 Electoral Areas in the four districts.

Mr Amoani explained that access to accurate sexual and reproductive health and rights by adolescents in rural communities continued to be a major challenge and underscored the critical role of the media in confronting the challenges.

He said parental irresponsibility has been i
dentified as a major cause of risky behaviour of adolescents leading to teenage pregnancies and child marriage among others and urged parents to not allow poverty to deny the proper upbringing of their children.

‘Poverty is not an excuse enough for your child to be pregnant because we have seen parents who did not have anything, but their children have risen to prominent positions in our society because there was always a bond between the parents and the children,’ he said.

The National Coordinator said data from the Ghana Statistical Service had shown that the country was at risk of not achieving certain targets of the SDGs, particularly goals four and five which emphasized equal access to quality education and gender parity respectively by 2030 due to the numerous challenges facing young people, particularly young women and girls.

He therefore called for gender-responsive policies in all sectors particularly in education that involved the collective approach, adding that such a move would not only contri
bute to creating awareness for people to take advantage of such policies but would help attain gender equality.

Mr Kwesi Ghartey-Tagoe, Media Consultant, Communication for Development, said although some progress had been made and the media contributed to such achievement, not much had been done and appealed to the journalists to be interested and report on issues of ASRHR.

‘We report but it is on the surface, people are not aware of the real issues on the ground and so journalists can do better by identifying key areas and reporting consistently on them,’ he added.

Source: Ghana News Agency