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Economy will rebound sooner rather than later – Akufo-Addo
President Akufo-Addo has assured that the policies being implemented by government, in the wake of the difficulties occasioned by the Covid-19 pandemic, will help the economy rebound faster than anticipated.
Acknowledging the difficult times the nation is going through, President Akufo-Addo noted that every country on the face of the planet is going through challenges brought forth largely by the pandemic of Covid-19.
“Ghana is not the only country faced with extraordinary increases in global freight rates, strong inflationary pressures, dramatically rising fuel prices, unprecedented volatility of stock markets, and tighter global financing conditions. These are global phenomena,” he said.
The President continued, “Nonetheless, Government continues to work hard to address these issues, and I am certain that, sooner, rather than later, our economy, through the implementation of Government’s one hundred-billion-cedi (GH¢100 billion) Ghana CARES Obaatanpa Programme, will rebound from the ravages of the pandemic, bringing in its wake stability, development, progress and prosperity for all Ghanaians.”
Speaking at the 92nd Speech and Prize-Giving Day of St. Augustine’s College in Cape Coast, on Saturday, 19th March, 2021, President Akufo-Addo noted that the Ghanaian economy grew at a provisional 5.2% in the first three quarters of 2021, with GDP growth for 2021 projected at 5.6%, as against the 0.4% of 2020.
“We need to undertake the difficult but necessary fiscal and other measures that will enable us to maintain the 2021 and higher rates of growth in the immediate years ahead of us, to develop and strengthen our economy, and help improve the living standards of us all,” he added.
Touching on the country’s democratic credentials, President Akufo-Addo noted that the Ghanaian people, for these last 29 years of the 4th Republic, have reposed their trust in the democratic process as the avenue to resolve the myriad of problems the country faces, and have demonstrated their determination to uphold democratic values and institutions to bring development to the nation.
“There are a few, though, whom I have characterised as “restless spirits”, who are not prepared to allow you to complete your education in conditions of calm, peace and stability, and who seek constant turbulence in the governance of the state. This has led, lately, to some irresponsible utterances about coups as panaceas to our problems,” he said.
He continued, “I have said, and will use this platform to repeat that coups have never been, and will never be durable solutions to the political, economic and security challenges confronting our nation and continent.”
The President was confident that the great majority of Ghanaians, who are committed to democratic values and democratic institutions, “will continue to resist the rhetoric and advances of coup mongers and coup plotters, and those of us who have the responsibility to safeguard the integrity of the state will employ all legitimate means in a democracy to preserve our free, open system of governance, which is respectful of human rights, the rule of law and the principles of democratic accountability.”
Source: Jubilee House Communications
The Member of Parliament for Nsawam Adoagyiri, Frank Annoh Dompreh, has expressed concern over delays in the release of the District Assemblies Common Fund, warning that the situation is stalling development across the country.
On his facebook page, he described as a matter of urgent national importance, the Minority Chief Whip pointed to what he sees as a growing crisis of unpaid contractors, abandoned projects, and halted infrastructure works in many districts.
He noted that several communities are grappling with half completed schools, unfinished health facilities, abandoned markets, deteriorating roads, and stalled sanitation projects.
According to him, many contractors who have executed projects for district assemblies have not been paid, forcing some construction firms to demobilise from sites while workers lose their jobs.
He stressed that the District Assemblies Common Fund is not a discretionary allocation but a constitutional requirement under Article 252 of the 1992 Constitution, intended to support development at the local level.
In his view, years of delayed releases and accumulated arrears have weakened district development financing and disrupted projects meant to improve living conditions in communities.
He further argued that some payments made in recent years were largely the settlement of old debts rather than funding for new or ongoing projects, a situation he believes has affected contractor confidence and local economic activity.
He described the issue as more than a budgetary challenge, characterising it as a development emergency and a governance concern.
He therefore urged the appropriate authorities to pay outstanding DACF arrears, settle contractors who have completed their work, and ensure that transfers to districts are automatic and predictable.
He maintained that decentralisation can only succeed when district assemblies receive adequate and timely funding to carry out development projects.
He emphasised that stalled projects directly affect ordinary citizens, since they rely on such infrastructure for education, healthcare, transportation, sanitation, and economic activities.
He called for renewed attention to grassroots development, insisting that national progress should not be concentrated only in major cities but extended to all communities.
By: Jacob Aggrey
Richard Appiah, the footballer who killed two children and stored part of their bodies in a fridge at Abesim in the Bono Region in 2021 has been handed a lifetime sentence.
This was after a five member panel of judges at the Accra High Court returned a verdict of guilty against the convict.
Appiah, 32, also a draughtsman would spend the rest of his life in prison after he was convicted of murder.
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BY MALIK SULLEMANA
