Bussiness
March inflation surges to 25.8% from 23.2% recorded in February
There has been a surge in Inflation from 23.2 in February to 25.8 in March.
This indicates a 2.6 percentage point surge.
This information was revealed by the Government Statistician Professor Samuel Kobina Annim on Wednesday, April 10.
It further revealed that the food inflation rate also shot up, moving from 27.0 per cent in February to 29.6 percent in March.
Meanwhile, non-food inflation for March was reported at 22.6 percent.
According to the Government Statistician, “In the month of March 2024, rate of inflation stood at 25.8 percent year-on-year inflation relative to 23.2 percent recorded for the month of February 2024. This indicates that we have seen a surge in the rate of inflation by 2.6 percent increasing from 23.2 percent to 25.8 percent for the month of March 2024.”
“Disaggregating this for the food and non-food perspective, the rate of inflation for food was 29.6 percent relative to non-food 22.6 percent. Both food and non-food inflation have seen a 2.6 percent increase in its rate of inflation between February and March 2024,” he added.
Meanwhile, there was a decline in inflation in February with the figure standing at 23.2 percent.
This represented a 0.3 percentage point decrease from the 23.5 percent recorded in January.
“Disaggregating this for the food and non-food perspective, the rate of inflation for food was 29.6 percent relative to non-food 22.6 percent. Both food and non-food inflation have seen a 2.6 percent increase in its rate of inflation between February and March 2024,” he stated.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
Bussiness
Ghana to host mining and minerals convention 2025 to shape future of gold industry
Ghana’s gold and minerals sector is set for a major spotlight as Meetings. Co, in partnership with key industry stakeholders, announces the Mining & Minerals Convention 2025, scheduled from August 26-27, 2025, at the Kempinski Hotel Gold Coast City, Accra.
Held under the theme “Shaping the Future of Ghana’s Gold Industry,”‘ the Convention will convene government leaders, regulators, miners, refiners, investors, sustainability partners, innovators, and responsible mining, and global competitiveness,policy experts to explore strategies that position Ghana’s gold industry for long-term growth.
The two-day convention will feature presidential and ministerial keynote addresses, industry thought leadership, technical paper presentations, policy dialogues, fireside chats, exhibitions, and high-level networking sessions.
Convention delegates can anticipate a dynamic and insightful experience, marked by thought leadership from leading policymakers and regulators, in-depth discussions on key topics such as sustainability, ESG, digital gold, and responsible sourcing, as well as valuable opportunities to forge public-private partnerships and investment deals.
Moreover, the event will offer practical action points aimed at unlocking greater economic value for Ghana.
The 2025 edition will be supported by a strong coalition of strategic partners, including the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, the Minerals Commission, GoldBod, the Minerals Income and Investment Fund (MIIF), and the Ghana Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (GHEITI).
Bussiness
Finance Minister tranfers funds to DACF, NHIS and GETFUND
The Minister for Finance Hon. Cassiel Ato Forson has disclosed that a sum of nine hundred and Eighty-Seven Million, Nine Hundred and Sixty-Five thousand and Seventy-Three Ghana Cedis (GHS987,965,073.00) from the Consolidated Fund into the District Assembly Common Fund Account, being the first quarter amount due to the DACF.
Furthermore, the Finance Minister informed the House that a total amount of Two Billion, Thirty- Three Million, Four Hundred and Sixty-Nine Thousand, Six Hundred and Seven Ghana Cedis (GHS2,033,469,607) has been disbursed to the National Health Insurance Fund.
While the Ghana Education Trust Fund has also received a total of Two Billion, Seven and Ten Million, Two Hundred and Twenty-Seven Ghana Cedis (GHS2,710,227,947.00) for the months January, February, March and April,2025.
The Finance Minister disclosed this in his statement to Parliament on the payments to statutory funds on the floor of the House.
In addition, he cautioned that the Administrator of the District Assembly Common Fund is required to ensure that 80% of this amount is transferred directly to the Assemblies without fail and expenditure returns submitted to the Ministry of Finance before subsequent releases will be made.
He added that Members are encouraged to monitor the utilization of these amounts sent to their respective Assemblies in line with the approved guidelines by Cabinet.
In his closing remark, Ato Forson said he’s going to take the concerns of the House seriously.
For his part, the Majority Leader, Mahama Ayariga made known the President’s prioritization of women in the country stating that President Mahama is “Pro-women”.
This is due to the fact that women are going to be the core beneficiaries from the expenditures going to be made by the MMDA’s, he added.
The Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin questioned the Finance Minister why road contractors have not been paid for more than five months. He said the Minister must not be applauded for since the allocation of these funds were long overdue.
