Author: TNRgh

By Nelson Ayivor The Food and Beverages Association of Ghana (FaBAG) has issued an urgent warning about a widespread smuggling crisis, revealing that Ghana is losing an estimated 300 million cedis in revenue each month from just sugar and rice alone. This illicit trade is severely undermining local industries and depriving the government of tax revenue. Data shared by FaBAG President, John Awuni, illustrates a shift in trade patterns driven by smuggling. He stated that while Ghana now officially imports 660 containers of sugar per month, a total of 2,200 containers per month are entering through Togo. This figure represents…

By Nelson Ayivor || TNR A survey on Informal Cross-Border Trade (ICBT) conducted by the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS), revealed that women played a stronger role in imports, while men dominated export transports in the northern and western borders. The survey indicated that, the role of women in trade at the borders is on the rise. Not only do women receive and sell goods in the markets, but they are also involved in the transportation of imported goods. “Gender participation in ICBT reveals notable differences: 65.7% of export transporters are men, while 41.3% of import transporters are women, particularly active…

By Nelson Ayivor A growing number of fintech and policy experts are calling on the Bank of Ghana (BoG) to spearhead the creation of a unified open banking API framework to strengthen interoperability, accelerate innovation, and expand access to digital financial services. An Open Banking API (Application Programming Interface) allows banks and licensed third-party providers to securely share financial data, enabling seamless transactions and improved customer experiences. At the 2025 Fintech Stakeholder Forum in Accra, industry leaders from the Ghana Interbank Payment and Settlement Systems (GhIPSS), MobileMoney Ltd (MML), and the IMANI Center for Policy and Education emphasized that Ghana…

Front Desk The Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) has directed all public Colleges of Education across the country to suspend the implementation of new fees proposed for the 2025/2026 academic year until a final decision is made following consultations with relevant authorities. The directive comes after growing public concern over reported fee hikes at the nation’s Colleges of Education, which prompted GTEC to engage the National Conference of Principals of Colleges of Education (PRINCOF) in a meeting on Monday, October 27, 2025. In a statement released by GTEC and signed by its management, the Commission confirmed that the discussions with…

Front Desk The Colleges of Education Teachers Association of Ghana (CETAG) has warned that its members will embark on a nationwide strike beginning November 7, 2025, if the government fails to pay all outstanding funds owed to them under the arbitral award granted by the National Labour Commission (NLC) in May 2023. Speaking to the media, CETAG President, Maxwell Bunu, said the association’s patience has run out due to what he described as the government’s “listless attitude” toward implementing the remaining components of the arbitral award. He stated that although CETAG’s migration issue – one of the major components of…

By Nelson Ayivor Security analyst, Samuel Owusu is urging President John Dramani Mahama to appoint a substantive Minister for Defence within the next two to three weeks, warning that any further delay could expose Ghana to national security lapses and disrupt critical decision-making at the Ministry. Speaking on the current leadership vacuum at the Defence Ministry following the death of Dr. Edward Omane Boamah in the August 6 Helicopter tragedy, Owusu described the situation as untenable for a ministry as vital as Defence. He cautioned that the caretaker arrangement, under which Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson oversees the portfolio,…

Auditor-General Orders GACL MD TO Refund GH299k Over Covid Contracts Cover-up By Gifty Boateng The Auditor-General has directed the Managing Director of the Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL), Yvonne Nana Afriyie Opare, and her senior management team to personally refund GH¢200,000 to the state, following a penalty imposed by the Right to Information Commission (RTIC) for non-compliance with Ghana’s transparency laws.The fine, levied in 2023, stemmed from GACL’s refusal to release details of its controversial COVID-19 testing contract with Frontiers Healthcare Services, despite a formal request filed by JoyNews under the Right to Information Act, 2019 (Act 989). The Commission…

Bawumia Loyalists Slam Ex-Common Fund Boss Over Veep Ambitions By Gifty Boateng Factional tensions within Ghana’s opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) have intensified following a public rebuke of Irene Naa Torshie Addo, the former Administrator of the District Assemblies Common Fund and ex-MP for Tema West. Her recent pivot from Vice-President Mahamudu Bawumia’s camp to that of presidential hopeful Kennedy Agyapong has triggered a wave of internal criticism, effectively ending speculation about her potential candidacy for the vice-presidential slot in 2028.Former NPP Communications Director Yaw Adomako Baafi, speaking on Movement TV, dismissed Addo’s prospects, citing her alleged poor interpersonal conduct…

Auditor General Reveals, GH1.2bn Vanishes as ECG Fails to Pay Power Producers By Prince Ahenkorah The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) is once again under scrutiny following revelations in the 2024 Auditor-General’s Report that the state-owned utility overshot its approved expenditure by more than 130%, while simultaneously breaching multiple financial and procurement regulations.According to the report, ECG spent GH¢333.96 million across thirteen budget lines more than double the GH¢144.75 million approved by its Board. The GH¢189.2 million overspend was not sanctioned by the company’s governing body, raising questions about internal controls and executive accountability.The audit also uncovered that ECG withheld…

…94 Assemblies Caught in Web of Ghost Projects, Missing Trucks & Stolen CashThe 2024 audit of Ghana’s District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF) has revealed alarming levels of financial mismanagement across the country’s local governance structures, with over half of the net inflow to Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) lost to irregularities.According to the Auditor-General’s report, GH¢205.9 million representing 56.6% of the GH¢363.9 million net disbursement to the Assemblies was unaccounted for. The losses stem from a range of infractions, including unauthorized cash payments, abandoned contracts, procurement lapses, sanitation service failures, and tax violations.The total DACF allocation for the year…