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Make coup unattractive in reportage …Media told
The United States (US) Ambassador to Ghana, Ms Virginia Palmer has advised the media to make coups unattractive in their reportage as the country gets closer towards its general election.
She said one of the effective means to do so was to target persons who have experienced coups and have been deprived of their rights to tell their own stories.
She was of the view that this would go a long way to discourage others who might be tempted to think that the use of coups was the suitable solution to challenges faced by a country.
Ms Palmer made the comment at the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) and the United States (US) Embassy workshop on ‘Peaceful Journalistic Discourse’ at the International Press Centre for 20 Journalists from the Greater Accra Region.
“When a democratic government fails to live up to expectation, the solution is actually more democracy, not less. We see it in the Sahel where human rights violations by security forces can drive individuals to violent extremism. We also see it where the failure to equitably share economic dividends drives people to seek change” she said.
She observed that coups that install military junta in place of democratically elected governments were the antithesis of democracy because they take power from the people and put it squarely in the hands of a few, usually the military.
“Even when a coup initially has a popular support, it normally takes only a few months and sometimes just a few hours for the people to realise that an authoritarian regime is not the answer to security threats and economic malaise” she said.
The Ambassador said the change that was needed was to share the resources of a country equitably and to structure the economies to ensure that economic prosperity was shared across classes, regions, and sub regions.
She stressed that the solution to corruption was a more democratic governance, more rule of law and more accountability and not less of it.
“Ghana has long been a regional example of stability and democratic success but, as we’ve seen across the region, democracy is under threat and we need to work together to protect it” she told the media.
Ms Palmer noted that, enthusiasm for coups and authoritarianism among the people was often split among age groups.
“Those that remember authoritarian regimes know very well that coups must be avoided at all costs. Young people, on the other hand, without firsthand knowledge of authoritarianism, seems to think coups are the answer to corruption and economic challenges” she said.
She said there was the need for the media to highlight the need for democracy to be upheld as this year was an election year.
She commended the media for their efforts to ensure free and fair election while assuring that the US Embassy would support the sharing of best practices for elections and elections reporting.
She was hopeful that this would be done through a well-educated electorate that is aware of their rights, understand issues and effectively use their voting power in the upcoming elections.
The event which was launched in November last year in Accra had so far taken the workshops to the Volta, Northern and Ashanti regions.
The President for the GJA, Mr Albert Kwabena Dwumfour stated that the theme for the GJA/US Embassy Ghana Project ‘Promoting Peaceful Journalistic Media Platforms ahead of Election 2024’ was appropriate given the tension that invariably characterises the elections in Ghana.
Mr. Dwumfour said the GJA believes that freedom of expression did not only mean allowing people to speak, but also ensuring responsibility, adding that it was important to protect the space for free speech.
The project which brought journalists from various media houses from the Tema, and Accra regions constituted the print, on-line, radio and television.
The aim was to offer among others professional development to Online Editors/Producers/On Air Personalities/Talk Show Hosts.
The GJA/ US Embassy training programme is also to encourage information sharing with Election related entities to better inform the work of the Electoral Commission and related entities with the view to promoting freedom of expression for violent free and credible polls.
From Dzifa Tetteh Tay, Tema
The Global Network of Export-Import Banks and Development Finance Institutions (G-NEXID) successfully held its sixth (6th) Exchange Programme, hosted by the Ghana Export – Import Bank (GEXIM) Bank in Accra from March 22 to 23 March.
The event brought together member institutions, partner organisations and Ghanaian public entities to advance dialogue on South-South trade, investment and development finance, while also creating opportunities for knowledge-sharing and institutional cooperation.
Organised as a capacity-building and networking platform, the 2026 edition of the G-NEXID Exchange focused on GEXIM’s experience in developing innovative solutions to promote intra-African and extra-African trade.
It also highlighted trade and investment opportunities in Ghana, particularly in the context of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and broader national development initiatives.
The Exchange Programme forms part of G-NEXID’s mandate to foster cooperation among export-import banks and development finance institutions in support of South-South trade and investment.
This 6th edition follows earlier successful programmes hosted by India Exim Bank (2016), BNDES (2017), Indonesia Eximbank (2018), Afreximbank (2019) and Saudi EXIM Bank (2025).
On the first day, participants were presented with G-NEXID institutional information and received an update on the Network’s 2026 work programme.
There were a series of substantive presentations, including an overview of the Ghanaian economy by the Ministry of Finance, with particular attention to debt-related challenges; a presentation by the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC), on investment opportunities in the country; and institutional presentations by GEXIM and Development Bank Ghana (DBG) on their respective mandates, initiatives, products and services.
Discussions during the sessions underscored strong interest in sector-focused webinars and business dialogues, particularly in agribusiness value chains such as poultry and rice.
Participants also emphasized the importance of continued information exchange and the sharing of best practices, especially in the area of guarantees.
The second day opened with a presentation on the 24-Hour Economy and Accelerated Export Development Programme, a national economic transformation strategy launched by President John Dramani Mahama in July 2025.
The initiative aims to enhance economic productivity through continuous industrial activity, accelerated export development and strategic import substitution.
As the programme is expected to mobilise both private and development capital, it presents concrete opportunities for G-NEXID members in areas such as co-financing, guarantees, trade finance and technical cooperation.
The programme also featured institutional presentations by guest organisations, namely the African Guarantee and Economic Cooperation Fund (FAGACE) and the West African Development Bank (BOAD), which shared their mandates, initiatives, products and services.
Following these exchanges, the G-NEXID Secretariat held bilateral discussions with both institutions as part of the Network’s ongoing membership drive.
Participants further benefited from a presentation by the Eastern and Southern African Trade and Development Bank (TDB), as well as a showcase of GEXIM’s key pipeline projects.
On the margins of the Exchange Programme, G-NEXID members also held their 20th Annual General Assembly Meeting to review progress and discuss strategic priorities.
Following the event, participants joined the GEXIM@10 International Conference, held from March 24-25, 2026 under the theme, “A Decade of Enabling Export Trade and Industrial Transformation: Resetting GEXIM for the Next Frontier.”
The conference provided an important platform for exploring how Ghana can strengthen its transition from a primary commodity exporter to a more competitive player in value-added trade and industrial development.
Source – G-NEXID
President John Dramani Mahama on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, signed five bills including three amendment bills passed by Parliament into law.
They are: Security and Intelligence Agencies Bill, 2025; University of Engineering and Agricultural Sciences Bill, 2025; Ghana Deposit Protection (Amendment) Bill, 2025; Growth and Sustainability Levy (Amendment) Bill, 2026; and Education Regulatory Bodies (Amendment) Bill, 2026.
In a brief remark after assenting to the bills, President Mahama explained that the Security and Intelligence Agencies Act, 2026, scraps the Office of Minister of National Security and frees the President’s to appoint any Minister to supervise the security agencies.
He said it also reverses the name of the office of National Intelligence Bureau (NIB), to the original name, Bureau of National Intelligence, (BNI).
This the President said, addresses the confusion between that security agency and a well-known Ghanaian financial institution, the National Investment Bank.
President Mahama also noted that the University of Engineering and Agricultural Sciences Act, 2026, establishes another University in the Eastern Region, at Bonsu, with three campuses – the main campus at Bonsu in the Eastern Region, with the second campus to be cited at Ohawu in the Oti Region.
The third, the Presdient assed will be located at Acherensua in the Ahafo Region.
Touching on the Amendment to the Growth and Sustainability Levy Act, the President said, “As you’re aware, the act was amended to increase it from 1% to 3%, and so this act reduces it again. That is the levy on mining companies. It reduces it again to 1%, because of the introduction of the sliding scale of royalties.”
He also spoke to the passage of the Government Education Regulatory Bodies Amendment Act, emphasising that amends Act 1023 to grant greater flexibility to private tertiary institutions and the option to Charter.
The Ghana Deposit Protection Amendment Act, the President concluded, is an amendment to an original act that was supposed to guarantee deposits held in commercial banks or financial institutions.
It basically expands protection to include mobile money wallets and other digital platforms, ensuring a wider scope of digital financial assets are secured.
The signing ceremony, was witnessed by the Clerk of Parliament, Mr. Ebenezer Ahumah Djietror, Secretary to the President, Dr Callistus Mahama, the Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Dr Dominic Akrutinga Ayine, Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah, Joyce Bawa Mogtari, a Senior Presidential Advisor and a Special Aide to the President, Finance Minister, Dr Cassiel Ato Baah Forson, and the Vice President, Professor Jane Naana Opoku Agyemang.
