Day: April 9, 2024

The Cape Coast South Taxpayers Service Centre (CCS-TSC) under the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has embarked on a street float to intensify education on its new online portal for tax payment, as well as good governance.

The exercise on the theme: ‘Digitalization; the Gateway to Tax Compliance, A Tool for Proper Tax Compliance’, was used to sensitise individuals, employees and companies on the need to promptly file their monthly tax returns for accountability.

It was also to create awareness on filing of annual income tax returns on the Authority’s online platform by all, including employees, sole proprietors, directors of companies on or before April 30 to avoid penalties and interest.

The Income Tax Act 2015 (Act 895) and the Revenue Administration Act 2016 ( Act 915) enjoined taxpayers to fill their tax returns with the Commissioner-General, GRA not later than four months on the next year.

It said failure by taxpayers to fulfill that responsibility often resulted in monthly penalties which most of the t
ime caused misunderstanding between GRA and taxpayers, hence the sensitisation to create awareness.

The staff interacted with the public on the need to pay their taxes, file their returns and comply with the law governing tax payment.

Traders, market women, drivers and the public were taken through the process of filing their returns on their online platforms.

Mr Kenneth Victus Kofi Torbi, the Chief Revenue Officer, Head – CCS TSC, in an interview, said more than 80 percent of taxpayers filed their returns in Cape Coast South hence the education to rope in the remaining 20 percent.

He said the Month of April had been set aside by GRA to create awareness among organisations and individuals on the importance of filing their returns, paying taxes and complying with the law.

He said the GRA had made work between their offices and taxpayers very convenient and easy with the introduction of the online portal, which is a secured tax management tool that enabled taxpayers to file their returns, initiate payments
, apply for refunds, undertake cashless policy and other transactions without walking to their offices.

Mr Torbi appealed to the public to comply with the payment of taxes to help the government undertake more development projects such as the construction of roads, hospitals among others for their benefits.

The float, which started at the Pedu Lorry Station through to Bakaano to Kokuraba Market, ended at the GRA office, where the market women had the opportunity to ask questions on reasons for payment of taxes.

They applauded the GRA for the education and asked the government to ensure it fulfilled its obligations with the taxes collected.

They raised concerns that some tax collectors were so insensitive and always ready to collect taxes even when some traders sometimes had issues with their businesses and called for measures to check that practice.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Friends of the Nation (FoN) a non governmental organisation, is implementing the Co-WASH project within the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis (STMA) to improve essential services delivery to the citizens.

The project, done in collaboration with the Berea Social Foundation and African Women International, builds a formidable data on households who need of toilets facilities.

It would also develop a five-year strategic plan and foster institutional collaboration for the provision and delivery of those essentials in achieving local and global targets on water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services.

Mr Solomon Kusi Ampofo, the Programme Coordinator, FoN, during the project inception meeting with stakeholders from academia, health, Civil societies among other institutions, explained that the project was key in delivering impeccable and workable data or registry for future use.

The Co-WASH , emanating from the Local Action Plan, developed by the Open Governance Programme (OGP) team in the STMA fell under the key
commitments instituted to uplift the City’s sanitation issues between 2022 and 2025.

The project, at the end of Its tenure, would also build the capabilities of the already existing Multi-Stakeholder Forum and draft a resolution to ensure its formal adoption by the General Assembly of the STMA.

Mr Isaac Aidoo, the Open Governance Programme Point of Contact at the STMA, said the collaboration for impact in WASH hinged on a transformational commitment to effect the desired change in the 23 selected communities.

There would also be engagement and dialogues with identifiable groupings to help design best solutions for the Metropolis.

Mr Mahmoud Aziz, the project Coordinator, said the Metropolis needed to live up to the name ‘oil city’ by churning out tailor-made solutions to its WASH issues otherwise; ‘we are making a mockery of the name oil city.’

He said the new model of collaboration to impact on WASH was absolute and timely.

Source: Ghana News Agency

A severe rainstorm that hit the Yariga community in the Krachi East Municipality of the Oti Region over the weekend has wreaked havoc on a three-unit classroom block of the Yariga Basic school.

The strong winds pulled down the classroom blocks and ripped off the roofing sheets of several buildings in the area.

A visit by the Ghana News Agency (GNA) to the school saw the absence of pupils and students due to the situation, including unavailability of sitting spaces.

Teachers in the combined classes were also having a tough time controlling the few pupils, who came to school.

Mr Peter Kassah, Chairman of the Community Management Committee, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA), that over 200 pupils would be forced to study under trees if there was no immediate support.

He called on philanthropists and Krachi East Municipal Assembly to come to their aid.

Mr Philip Kwadwo Bidaba, the Assembly member of Kwame-Akura East Electoral Area, said the situation was reported to the Municipal National Disaster Management
Organisation (NADMO).

The Assembly man appealed to the authorities in the Municipality and Non-governmental Organisations to come to the aid of the school.

Mr Jacob Desiavor, the Municipal NADMO Director, said they visited the school to assess the situation and reported to the then Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for possible solution.

Speaking to the GNA, he said the MCE assured of resourcing the NADMO office to have the structure fixed when the Municipality was hit by his sudden death on Friday, April 5, 2024.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) has inaugurated a Vehicle Maintenance Workshop in Tamale equipped with state-of-the-art technology and tools to diagnose and repair its fleet of vehicles and motorbikes.

The Vehicle Maintenance Workshop, which was constructed with funding from the German Government through the German Federal Police, is also to ensure operational efficiency of the GIS and save costs.

Under the Strengthening Border Security – Ghana project funded by the European Union Trust Fund for Africa and implemented by the International Centre for Migration Policy Development in collaboration with the GIS, assistance has been offered to train mechanics and develop a standard operating procedure for the operation of Vehicle Maintenance Workshop.

Mr Isaac Owusu Mensah, Deputy Comptroller-General of Immigration in-charge of Finance and Administration, who spoke on behalf of the Comptroller-General during the inauguration of the facility in Tamale on Monday, said the facility would help to mitigate the p
roblem faced by the GIS in maintaining its fleet of vehicles and motorbikes deployed to remote areas in the northern parts of the country for operational activities including security operations.

Over the years, the fleet of vehicles and motorbikes deployed by the GIS to the northern parts of the country for operational activities have been increasing.

However, it has been argued that outsourcing the maintenance and repair activities to private garages is not helpful, hence the construction of the Vehicle Maintenance Workshop for in-house maintenance and repairs to ensure that vehicles and motorbikes do not end up abandoned at private garages just for minor repair works.

Mr Mensah said the facility would also help ‘To strictly adhere to maintenance schedules to ensure that the vehicles and motorbikes’ availability, utilisation, and needs satisfaction are achieved most of the time.’

The facility is the first to be constructed in the northern part of the country, and it is to also serve other connecting reg
ions.

Deputy Commissioner of Immigration, Dr Prosper Asima, Northern Regional Commander, GIS spoke about the difficulties the Commands in the northern sector faced in trying to maintain and service vehicles, saying ‘Numerous vehicles and motor bikes have been grounded due to the non-availability of the requisite parts, the lack of adequate expertise, tools and the long distances to be travelled to procure relevant parts, just to mention a few.’

He called for a robust operations and maintenance plan that would give the facility an everlasting lifespan.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Naaba Henry Abawine Amenga-Etego II, the Divisional Chief of Kandiga community in the Kassena-Nankana West District, has held a grand durbar to celebrate 50 years as a chief of the area amidst praises of selfless leadership and community development.

In an atmosphere of colourful display of singing, drumming, dancing and cultural performances, the chiefs and people of the area marked the occasion with sacrifices and praises to God and their ancestors for preserving the chief for over 50 years.

Cultural troops, chiefs, political figures and people from all walks of life graced the occasion with many lauding the efforts of Naaba Amenga-Etego II for restoring peace between the Kandiga and Doba communities, who had engaged in land dispute over the years and for championing inclusive community.

It was held on the theme: ’50 years of charismatic and selfless leadership: consolidating our unity for holistic development.’

Born on July 5, 1954, Naaba Henry Abawine Amenga-Etego II was enskinned chief of the area af
ter the death of his father Naaba Akaguri Paul Amenga-Etego I, in 1972 and was subsequently gazetted as a chief in 1973 in accordance with the Chieftaincy Act, Act 81, 1961.

The Kandiga Skin is under the Mirigu Traditional Area and was started in 1906 when Naaba Aboyinga Anonkaabe was enskinned as the first chief of the area after the restoration of peace and stability after years of conflict.

Pe Ditundini Adiana Ayagitam III, President of the Upper East Regional House Chiefs, who was the guest of honour, congratulated and lauded Naaba Amenga-Etego II for dedicated service to the development of the community, particular in his resolving the land dispute between the community and Doba.

He explained that peace was the engine on which all development thrived and all stakeholders in the area needed to work together to consolidate the peace currently being enjoyed and inculcate the spirit of communal labour to develop the community.

On his part, Naaba Amenga-Etego II commended his people for contributing in di
verse ways towards the development of the community over the years, which had impacted positively on the lives of everyone in the areas of peace and security, education, health, socioeconomic development and eradication of harmful cultural practices.

‘From a single primary school in 1972 for all the children of Kandiga and neighboring communities, we now have close to 10 primary and Junior high schools serving the basic educational needs of Kandiga,’ he said.

He urged the people to avoid sectionalism and work together to project the area, to attract the needed investment for accelerated development, adding ‘I encourage all of us to build a collective commitment to a more inclusive and supportive community culture that can attract and retain essential development initiatives from among ourselves or foreigners.’

Naaba Amenga-Etego II, however, noted that the community still lagged in terms of development and appealed to the government to take urgent steps for the creation of a new district out of Kassena-Nan
kana West to propel development.

He also appealed to the government to increase the infrastructure base of the Kandiga Senior High Technical School, extend electricity to more communities and rehabilitate major roads in the area.

Speaking on behalf of Mr Stephen Yakubu, the Upper East Regional Minister, Mr Gerard Ataogye, the District Chief Executive for the area, indicated that the contribution of Naaba Amenga-Etego to the development of the area was huge and appealed to the people to rally behind the chief for more development projects.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Africa Disability Institute (ADI), a disability research and policy entity headquartered in Ho, in conjunction with its partners, has started implementing a development project in three Municipalities and a District in the Volta and Oti regions.

The four project areas are the Keta and Ketu South Municipalities of the Volta Region, the Nkwanta South Municipal and Nkwanta North District in the Oti Region.

The project dubbed, ‘Performance Accountability Activity (PAA), is a five-year Activity, funded by USAID with Democracy International as the grantee and ADI as the Implementing Partner in the four target districts.

PAA will help strengthen the confidence, give voice to the voiceless, and networks of women, youth, persons with disabilities, and other marginalized groups seeking to hold the government accountable for equitable service delivery.

Mr Francis Asong, Executive Director of Africa Disability Institute, at a stakeholder engagement at Keta to officially announce the project, and seek collaboration of
stakeholders, said the project was focused on addressing the existing impediments in accessing essential services in education, healthcare, employment, water, hygiene, sanitation (WASH), agriculture and fisheries sectors.

He said the project would leverage on related support being provided by USAID and other donors in the implementing districts, to reinforce ongoing efforts to promote transparent, accountable, and inclusive governance in the aforementioned sectors.

The Executive Director explained that five communities in each of the four targeted districts, which were captured in the 2024 Annual Action Plans of the target Assemblies with PAA service sector focus, would be selection by stakeholders for the project.

The beneficiary Assemblies and their respective WASH, Agriculture, Health, Fisheries, and Education Service sectors will be the key stakeholders and facilitators for the project.

Mr Innocent Komla Gavua, the Keta Municipal Coordinating Director, who is elated about the project, believed the ini
tiative would not only improve service delivery but the local economy as well, and indicated the readiness of the Municipality for the implementation.

He indicated, for instance, that the decreasing level of education at Keta Central was expected to be enhanced under the programme.

He also expressed the Assembly’s optimism that the fishing industry at Vodza would see improvement and uplift the livelihoods of the people with the Zonal Fisheries Commission playing a key role.

He further said the ‘Agricultural sector, especially at Atiavi and Lawoshime areas would be greatly enhanced.’

Mr Gavua said the Assembly was poised to facilitate, coordinate and monitor the project religiously as it would elect focal persons to champion service delivery of sectors selected under the project and to make it succeed.

Agbotadua Togbi Kumassah, Spokesperson of Togbui Sri III, the Awoamefia of Anlo State, told the Ghana News Agency that the sectors under consideration were crucial towards enhancing the livelihoods of the p
eople, while pledging full support by the traditional authorities for the implementation.

He said as custodians of the land and tradition, their inclusion would engender real accountability of funds targeted for the project, stating that resources for instance for people with disability, the youth and women to address unemployment in the enclave would be upheld with all seriousness.

Overall, the Performance Accountability Activity targets 70 districts in 10 regions across the country, made up of 47 out of 55 districts across the Upper West, Upper East, Northern, Northeast and Savannah regions: and the remaining 23 out of 78 districts across the Oti, Volta, Western, Western North and Central Regions.

The districts were selected based on ongoing USAID activities and did not overlap with other donor funded public accountability strengthening interventions.

ADI was established with a core aim of becoming a disability research and policy reference point mainly for African governments, Academia and Parliaments
as well as public and private sectors.

The Institute also operates a competent youth department, which focuses on specific issues concerning youth with disabilities.

Until December 2022, the group was known as Voice of People with Disability Ghana (VOICE Ghana) and has been promoting disability inclusion and mainstreaming agenda in Ghana, mainly at the grassroots level.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Mr Justice Kwame Frimpong, the Deputy Bono Regional Vice Chairman of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU), says it is difficult for the secretariat to control commercial drivers in the region over charging of new lorry fares.

The GPRTU has instructed its members to hold on to the 30 percent proposed increment on transport fares nationwide.

However, Mr Frimpong, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on Monday, expressed worry that though the secretariat had ordered drivers not to increase the fares, confirmed reports received by the union showed some of them had failed to comply, and were charging new fares.

He said the situation was disturbing because that could bring about misunderstanding and confrontation between commercial drivers and their passengers.

‘We can confirm that some of the drivers have calculated by themselves and are charging new fares,’ he stated.

That notwithstanding, Mr Frimpong said the union could not largely blame the drivers due to price hikes in fuel, increas
ing cost of spare parts, as well as insurance, licenses, and road worthy renewal charges.

He appealed to drivers in the region to exercise patience and called on the national leadership of the union to facilitate processes for the implementation of the new fares before the situation got out of hand.

Meanwhile, the Progressive Transport Owners Association (PROTOA) has cautioned members against charging new fares.

Mr Peter Akom, the National Organiser of the Association, told the GNA in an interview in Sunyani that the Association would not spare drivers who collected new fares until the fares were set.

He said the government was still negotiating with the transport union to agree on a percentage increase, saying it was an offence for members to calculate by themselves and charge new fares.

‘We, therefore, advise our members and all commercial drivers to remain patient, and wait before the new fares,’ Mr Akom stated.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Mamaga Abla Migbloevor II, the newly enstooled Queenmother of Dededo in the Tsito Awudome Traditional Area in the Volta Region, has taken strides to curb the menace of teenage pregnancy in her enclave.

Mamaga Migbloevor II told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) after she ascended the throne as the Queen of the area, after 40 years of the passing of Mamaga Migbloevor I, said the rate at which young girls were dropping out of school in the enclave due to teenage pregnancy was alarming and needed swift intervention of the traditional authorities to curb the situation.

Mamaga Migbloevor II indicated that she would work closely with the eelevant stakeholders to organize sensitisation engagements for the teenagers in the area to enlighten them against the menace and its negative impacts.

She added that her priority was to see young girls in the area become the renowned future leaders of the country.

Mamaga, however, lamented that most of these prospective leaders were now school dropouts because of teenage pregnancy
and she would work hard to stop that situation.

She implored parents and guardians in the area to play integral roles in the lives of their wards to stop the teenage pregnancy situation.

Togbe Davor II, the Chief of Dededo, pledged his commitment to support Mamaga Migbloevor’s initiative to curb teenage pregnancy in the area.

He also welcomed Mamaga Migbloevor II and stated that her inclusion in Chieftaincy issues in the Tsito Awudome Traditional Area would help accelerate development.

‘We are all happy to have our new Queen Mother after 40 years. We believe she would put in her best for the growth of the Traditional Area. However, my elders and I are solidly behind every good initiative she would bring to the table,’ Togbe Davor assured.

Togbe Davor also called on the people of Dededo to give Mamagah Migbloevor the necessary support to foster her initiatives for the growth of the area.

Source: Ghana News Agency

To help people in Ghana learn more about insurance and make it easier for them to get it, the German Development Cooperation has equipped the Insurance Awareness Coordinators Group (IACG) Secretariat with essential office infrastructure, valued at GHS 130,000.

For the last eight years, GIZ Ghana has served as the host for the IACG. The recent handover, which took place at the IACG’s newly opened offices in Accra, marked a major advancement in enhancing the operational abilities of the IACG Secretariat and represented a significant move towards a sustainable future.

The Deutsche Gesellschaft fr Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH made this contribution on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation.

The event symbolized a strengthened partnership and a mutual commitment to fostering insurance awareness and education in Ghana.

It also marked the transition of IACG to an organization characterized by a functional secretariat with a diverse funding structure.

The sustainability of IAC
G will contribute significantly to the growth of the insurance sector in Ghana as well educate the public and companies about the benefits of insurance.

The highlight of the ceremony was the symbolic signing of the certificate of donation and exchange of a laptop between GIZ Dr Christian Jahn and Mr. Wilson Tei from the IACG.

‘This collaboration is not just about providing tools; it’s about laying the groundwork to become an independent organization, more informed and insured Ghana,’ remarked Dr. Jahn, emphasizing the initiative’s deeper intent.’

Echoing this sentiment, Mr. Tei highlighted the projected impact: ‘With these resources, we can elevate our efforts in educating Ghanaians about insurance, a critical element for financial security and resilience.’

Recent statistics underscore the necessity of such endeavours, revealing that only a fraction of Ghana’s population is currently insured, yet the potential market for insurance services is vast and largely untapped.

This initiative is a testament to t
he synergistic potential between strategic partnerships and national development objectives, aiming to significantly reduce the insurance gap in Ghana.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The leadership of Krachi East constituency of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has extended condolences to the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the people of Krachi East for the sudden death of the late MCE, Mr Bernard Aborkugya Mensah.

In a statement copied to the Ghana News Agency (GNA), the NDC extended its condolences to all members of the NPP, urging everyone to remember the family of the late MCE in prayers.

It said the MCE played a vital role in the development and well-being of the people in the Municipality and his absence will be deeply felt by all who knew and worked with him.

The statement signed by Mr Safo Nketia, the Constituency Secretary, said, ‘We the NDC join all Ghanaians including the NPP family in the mourning the passing of our MCE, we extend to his wife and family our deepest condolence.’

Source: Ghana News Agency