News
Adhere strictly to building regulations – NADMO
This year’s International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) has been marked at Ho with a clarion call on property developers to adhere strictly to building regulations.
The event held recently was under the theme: Good Disaster Risk Governance.
The Volta Regional Director of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), Mr Divine Bosson expressed concern over the continuous building of structures in waterways and unapproved locations with impunity by developers, saying that the trend was definitely a recipe for disaster.
He, therefore, called on the District Assemblies to take a firm and an uncompromising stance to reverse the trend before it resulted in a wide scale catastrophe.
Mr Bosson touched on the environment and said that there was still the need to plant more trees in the various communities to serve as windbreaks and also to check erosion in times of severe weather conditions.
The Regional director highlighted the need for a DRR policy to be incorporated into an act of parliament to ensure an appropriate funding for that purpose.
He said that inadequate funding and the lack of modern equipment to support disaster risks management operations were posing serious challenges to NADMO.
Shedding light on the achievements of the organisation in recent times, Mr Bosson said that NADMO had planted more than a 1,000 trees at various locations in the region this year, adding that climate change adaptation and its related issues were key on NADMO’s agenda.
The Volta Regional Minister, Dr Archibald Yao Letsa who graced the occasion also called on the citizenry to demonstrate their sense of nationalism and readily help to prevent disasters.
“For instance, we can grow grass on our lawns and plant trees in the surroundings to check erosion,” he said.
The Ghana National Gas Company has denied allegations of wrongdoing in its recent procurement and insurance contract renewals.
In a press statement issued in Accra on April 13, 2026, the company explained that concerns raised in some media reports were linked to a change in its lead insurer.
It noted that the change followed the expiration of previous insurance contracts at the end of the year.
The company stressed that the new insurance arrangements are lawful and form part of efforts to improve its risk management system to protect its assets.
It further indicated that all contracts awarded so far have gone through the required approval processes by the Public Procurement Authority after receiving financial clearance from the Ministry of Finance.
The statement, signed by the Head of Corporate Affairs, Richard Ernest Kirk-Mensah, reaffirmed the company’s commitment to transparency and accountability.
It added that management remains focused on delivering gas efficiently to meet the country’s energy needs while continuing to strengthen internal systems to ensure good corporate governance and compliance.
By: Jacob Aggrey
The Importers and Exporters Association of Ghana has clarified that it now supports the implementation of the Publican Artificial Intelligence system at the country’s ports, following earlier concerns raised in 2025.
In a press statement issued on April 9, the Association explained that claims suggesting it still opposes the system are misleading and based on outdated information from a December 18, 2025 media publication.
It noted that its earlier concerns were legitimate, pointing to a lack of stakeholder consultation, as well as issues related to data security, transparency, and system integration.
At the time, it called for broader engagement to ensure the system would be credible and beneficial to all stakeholders.
According to the statement, the Government of Ghana, through the Finance Ministry and the Ghana Revenue Authority, has since engaged industry players, including the Association, to address those concerns.
The Association described the engagements as constructive, indicating that they helped resolve key issues and showed government’s commitment to improving the system’s implementation.
As a result, it affirmed its support for the Publican AI system, which has already been rolled out at the ports.
The Association acknowledged that the system is facing some operational challenges but noted that such difficulties are common with major technological reforms.
It added that authorities are taking steps to resolve the issues.
It highlighted the potential benefits of the system, including improved revenue mobilisation, increased transparency, reduced revenue leakages, and a decline in unethical practices at the ports.
The statement cautioned the public against attempts by some individuals and groups to misrepresent its position, stressing that such actions undermine national progress.
It further emphasised that it will not allow itself to be used for propaganda or agendas that do not serve the interests of importers, exporters, and the wider economy.
The Executive Secretary of the Association, Samson Asaki Awingobit, signed the statement, reaffirming the group’s commitment to supporting reforms that improve efficiency at the ports and promote a fair trading environment.
By: Jacob Aggrey
