Author: THE NEW REPUBLIC

The Somé Traditional Council has officially launched the 2026 edition of the Sométutu Zâ Festival, calling on citizens, residents, and sons and daughters of the Somé Traditional Area, both at home and abroad, to unite in celebrating the area’s rich cultural heritage while championing development. The colorful launch ceremony held on Wednesday, July 22, was at Adafienu -Batekorme, was attended by traditional rulers, queen mothers, opinion leaders, government officials, and members of the public, marked the beginning of activities leading to the annual festival, which has become one of the most significant cultural events in the Volta Region. Addressing the…

By Leo Nelson The Ghanaian government has unveiled a major fiscal restructuring plan aimed at reversing years of rising debt accumulation and restoring confidence in the country’s public financial management system. As part of the midyear budget review, the government announced sweeping reforms, including a new binding fiscal rule that will limit debt levels and enforce stronger spending controls. The reforms, according to the government, represent a decisive shift from previous approaches to managing public finances, with greater emphasis now being placed on controlling expenditure, improving accountability and ensuring that public resources deliver measurable benefits to citizens. Presenting the Mid-Year…

By Leo Nelson Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson has announced sweeping reforms to Ghana’s public procurement system while presenting the 2026 Mid-Year Budget Review to Parliament on Thursday, July 23, 2026, outlining measures designed to shorten procurement timelines, restrict single-source contracts and tighten rules governing restricted tendering. Dr Ato Forson told Parliament that the government intends to pursue reforms across three distinct areas of public procurement, each aimed at addressing longstanding inefficiencies and vulnerabilities within the system. “Government is proposing further reforms to public procurement in three different areas. First, the first reform is shortening procurement lead times. The…

By Leo Nelson Minister for Finance, Hon. Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, has announced that Ghana secured an additional $15 billion in foreign exchange inflows following the implementation of strategic gold trade reforms. Presenting the Mid-Year Budget Review before Parliament, the Minister highlighted that this significant capital injection was anchored by a transformational policy reform featuring complementary fiscal measures to support inflation targeting, safeguard foreign exchange stability, and reinforce overall macro-economic resilience. “Central to this reform was the establishment of the Ghana Gold Board to curb gold smuggling, formalise the gold trade, and ensure that a greater share of Ghana’s mineral…

By Leo Nelson Ghana has unveiled an ambitious strategy to dramatically strengthen its financial shield against external shocks, with the government targeting international reserves equivalent to 15 months of import cover by the end of 2028. The initiative, known as the Ghana Accelerated National Reserve Accumulation Policy (GANRAP), forms part of a broader economic reform agenda aimed at boosting foreign exchange stability, strengthening investor confidence and protecting the economy from global uncertainties. Presenting the Mid-Year Budget Review to Parliament on Thursday, July 24, Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson disclosed that the government had developed the reserve accumulation framework as…

By Leo Nelson Ghana’s economy has recorded a stronger-than-expected performance in the first half of 2026, with real GDP growth reaching 6.4% in the first quarter, surpassing the government’s full-year growth projection of 4.8%. The impressive figures were announced by the Minister for Finance, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, during the presentation of the Mid-Year Budget Review to Parliament, where he highlighted what he described as a major milestone in the government’s economic recovery programme. According to the Finance Minister, Ghana has not only achieved its first-half targets but has exceeded several key economic benchmarks, reinforcing the government’s claim that fiscal…

… Describes NPP as Ghana’s best path to prosperity National Communications Director of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Richard Ahiagbah, has announced his intention to contest for the party’s National First Vice Chairmanship, pledging to restore discipline, unity and organisational strength ahead of the 2028 general elections. In a declaration of intent shared on Saturday, Ahiagbah said the NPP must “reflect and move forward with renewed energy” following its defeat in the 2024 general elections. He said the party’s recovery depends on recommitting to its founding ideals of liberty, the rule of law and free market principles. Ahiagbah argued that…

New Patriotic Party (NPP) National Chairman aspirant Paul Awentami Afoko has urged party members to put aside personal emotions and work together to rebuild the party’s fortunes ahead of the next general election. The former NPP National Chairman believes the party’s electoral setback requires disciplined leadership, strategic thinking and unity among members across the country. Speaking on the state of the party, Afoko acknowledged the scale of the challenges confronting the NPP and called for a collective effort to restore its strength. He added that the party needs to restructure the current state. Afoko cautioned members against allowing personal grievances…

A Ghanaian feature film, “Ego Reach We All (Our Time Will Come),” will have its world premiere at the 79th Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland from August 5 to 15, 2026. The film was selected from more than 223 submissions, including 103 world premieres. It will compete in Concorso Cineasti del Presente, the festival’s Filmmakers of the Present competition for first and second features. Written and directed by Amartei Armar and produced by Yemoh Ike, “Ego Reach We All” is a feature-length adaptation of Armar’s award-winning short film Vagabonds. The short gained international acclaim after winning at the Montreal World…

By Joel Degue “Throughout history, it has been the inaction of those who could have acted; the indifference of those who should have known better; the silence of the voice of justice when it mattered most; that has made it possible for evil to triumph.” – Haile Selassie I. There are moments in a nation’s history when decisions reveal not only priorities but also values, principles and tenets. The debate surrounding the WACA ResIP 2 Project is becoming one of those defining moments today in Ghana. It is also exposing a disturbing reality: some people appear to be resurrecting a…