News
Coastal Development Authority donates PPE to NTC
The Coastal Development Authority (CoDA) has donated 200 nose masks and 100 hand sanitisers to the New Times Corporation (NTC), publishers of Ghanaian Times and The Spectator, in support of efforts to curb the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19).
Additionally, the Authority is to provide vendors of the company within the coastal zone with some of the products to protect them from being infected with the disease.
Presenting the items yesterday in Accra, Chief Executive Officer of CoDA, Jerry Ahmed Shaib, commended NTC for continuously creating awareness on the preventive protocols and measures to help fight the disease.
As an agency helping to fight the spread of the virus in the country, he said, CoDA appreciates the role the media had played in sensitising the populace on the measures already announced by the government to stop the spread of coronavirus.
“The fight against this disease does not solely rely on the government and institutions in the country. We cannot do this alone as an agency. We need all of you and that is why we appreciate the work the media is doing in this fight. You have been supportive and we really appreciate it,” he stated.
Mr Shaib singled out Ghanaian Times for praise for its campaign on nose or face masks wearing as one of the protocols to prevent the spread of the disease stating that “your publication has given relevance to what we are currently doing including donation of sanitary items and nose masks to fight COVID-19.”
CoDA, he said, would continue to remain a true partner to the NTC to further the country’s development agenda.
Editor of Ghanaian Times, Dave Agbenu, who received the items, expressed gratitude to CoDA for the gesture saying that the donation would be an added boost to the company which had been at the forefront of the fight against the disease.
He said NTC, through its publications, intensified its campaign on nose mask wearing to create awareness on the effective use of the product to stop the spread of the virus.
“Our work here is a public service. We commenced this campaign to educate the public on the importance of wearing nose mask and how it could be done properly. This is our contribution to the fight against COVID-19 and we will continue until this ‘new enemy’ is defeated,” he stated.
The Ghanaian Times, he said, would not renege on its core mission to provide the platform for people to voice their opinions and ideas and help build the country.
BY CLAUDE NYARKO ADAMS
All 6 US crew members on refueling aircraft that crashed mid-air are confirmed dead, bringing total US killed in action to 13 during Operation Epic Fury.
Earlier report from the US Central Command(CENTCOM) noted that four out of the six had passed on.
However, in an update, they have confirmed that all 6 crew members have died.
The crew members aboard a U.S. KC-135 refueling aircraft went down in western Iraq.
The aircraft was lost while flying over friendly airspace March 12 during Operation Epic Fury.
The circumstances of the incident are under investigation. However, CENTCOM noted that the loss of the aircraft was not due to hostile fire or friendly fire.
They added that identities of the service members are being withheld until 24 hours after next of kin have been notified.
The Public Utilities Regulatory Commission has announced a reduction in electricity and water tariffs for the second quarter of 2026.
According to the Commission, electricity tariffs will reduce by an average of 4.81 percent while water tariffs will go down by 3.06 percent.
The new tariffs will take effect from April 1, 2026.
In a press release issued on March 13, 2026, the Commission explained that the review forms part of its quarterly tariff adjustment mechanism which allows it to reflect changes in key economic indicators that affect the operations of utility service providers.
It noted that the quarterly review considers factors such as the exchange rate between the Ghana cedi and the United States dollar, the rate of inflation, the cost of fuel used in electricity generation, and the mix of electricity generation sources.
The Commission indicated that it applied a projected weighted average exchange rate of GHS11.1931 to one United States dollar for the second quarter of 2026.
This represents a 6.78 percent reduction from the previous quarter rate of GHS12.0067 to one dollar.
It explained that a three month average inflation rate of 4.17 percent was used for the review period, which reflects a downward change of 47.87 percent compared to the previous quarter.
The Commission further stated that the weighted average cost of gas used for power generation increased slightly to 8.0988 dollars per MMBtu, representing an increase of 2.84 percent from the previous rate.
It added that the electricity generation mix for the period remains unchanged, with 20.90 percent coming from hydro sources and 79.10 percent from thermal generation, as outlined in the 2025 Multi Year Tariff Order.
The Commission explained that these adjustments are meant to maintain the real value of tariffs so that utility service providers remain financially stable while continuing to deliver reliable services to consumers.
It announced that, for the first time, a commercial electric vehicle charging tariff has been introduced to support the transition to green energy.
According to the Commission, the new tariff is expected to encourage the growth of electric vehicle charging services in the country.
By: Jacob Aggrey
