Author: johnmahama

Dear Hon. Finance Minister (Tax Specialist) This is a continuation of my previous concerns, this time focusing on key amendments needed in our tax system. Some of these changes aim to simplify the tax law to improve compliance, while others seek to ensure fairness. Restate GETFUND/NHIL to its old system: I understand that you plan to revert the changes made in August 2018 to the previous system, and I strongly support this move. Restating the GETFUND/NHHIL to its old system is a great idea. Businesses are not consumers but rather producers, and they should not be burdened with consumption taxes.…

Among men and women named in the struggle against foreign domination in this country in the 19th century are the likes of J.W. de Graft-Johnson, J. P. Brown, Reverend Samuel Richard Attoh-Ahuma and William Essuman-Gwira Sekyi, popularly known as Kobina Sekyi, who put their educational endowments and journalistic prowess at the service of the struggle and engaged the British colonisers, intellectually, on all fronts. The memory of two of these intellectual fighters, Archie Casely Hayford and John Mensah Sarbah, has been honoured at Cape Coast University and the University of Ghana where Halls of Residence have been named after them.…

In his recent State of the Nations Address, President John Dramani Mahama, highlighted his vision on environment and climate Change. The address outlined a well-thought-out and ambitious plan that projects a green future for Ghana, if it can be taken beyond mere words. This article critically examines the President’s plans on the environment and makes a strong case for embedding the Polluter Pays Principle (PPP) as the rock floor of Ghana’s Environmental governance. The president aptly acknowledged the damming effects of illegal mining, popularly known in the Ghanaian context as “galamsey”, on Ghana’s forest and water bodies and made a…

US President Donald Trump said he would temporarily spare carmakers from a new 25% import tax imposed on Canada and Mexico, just a day after the tariffs came into effect. The announcement by the White House came even as Trump continued to blast Canada for not doing enough to stop drugs from entering the US. “Nothing has convinced me that it has stopped,” Trump wrote on social media after a phone call with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau about the economic disruption caused by new trade tariffs. News of the relief helped to boost US shares, after two days of…

It was the year 2000 that saw a new dawn. It was not merely a turn of the calendar. As the world reveled in the 2000th anniversary of Jesus Christ’s birth, the Indian Church joined the global chorus, heralding the second millennium as the “Jubilee Year” with unbridled ecstasy. Yet, beneath this glittering facade of faith lurked a sinister shadow—a hypocrisy that mocked the very essence of Christ’s teachings.Pope John Paul II unveiled a commemorative pen priced at an extravagant ₹5,000, a trinket for the privileged few with pockets deep enough to indulge. The affluent snapped it up, while the…

Ndan Ya Naa Abukari II {L} and Yagbonwura Bii-Kunuto Jewu Soale I Correspondence from Northern Region The King and Overlord of Dagbon, Ndan Ya Naa Abukari II on Sunday, February 16, 2025, visited the King of Gonjaland, Yagbonwura Bii-Kunuto Jewu Soale I at the Jakpa Palace in Damongo, the capital of the Savannah Region.The historic royal visit of the Dagbon ruler was part of efforts towards solidifying the relationship between Dagbon and Gonjaland who have for centuries lived as neighbours.This is the first time in recent history that a reigning Dagbon King has paid an official visit to the seat…

The Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson has submitted the 2025 Budget to Cabinet for the necessary scrutiny ahead of its presentation to Parliament on March 11. The Cabinet meeting, which was chaired by President John Mahama also ensured that the budget and some key policy proposals get the buy in of the entire government. Focus  The presentation by Dr Ato Forson was also to ensure that whatever the Finance Minister presents to Parliament is in line with promises made by the National Democratic Congress to Ghanaians during the election campaign period last year. The presentation will also enable Cabinet…

It is intriguing to listen to President John Mahama’s newly appointed Chief Executive Officer of Precious Minerals Marketing Company (PMMC) justifying the government’s intentions for the creation of the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod).To start with, the creation of the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) is NOT a novelty. This same project concept is a plagiarized or, in other words, stolen version of the Guyana Gold Board (GGB).By way of introduction, Guyana, officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, is a country on South America’s North Atlantic Coast.The Guyana Gold Board Act 1981 was passed on December 23, 1981, and subsequently gazetted on…

In response to the devastating tidal waves that have hit communities in Ketu South, several individuals and organizations have stepped forward with significant donations to support the affected residents.These contributions aim to provide much-needed relief to those grappling with the destruction caused by the disaster. Government and Private Sector ContributionsMinister for Roads and Highways, Kwame Governs Agbodza, has donated 250 bags of 25kg rice, 50 boxes of cooking oil, and 1,000 bags of sachet water. These essential provisions are intended to offer immediate assistance to families who have been displaced or left struggling in the aftermath of the disaster.Additionally, business…

Former Deputy General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Obiri Boahen, has lamented the priorities of former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo during his tenure.According to Obiri Boahen, the former president wasted state funds on the stalled National Cathedral project while neglecting the country’s struggling railway sector.Speaking in an interview on Neat FM on March 5, 2025, he described the heavy investment in the cathedral project as a waste of resources, arguing that the funds could have been better utilized elsewhere.“How can you use state funds for a cathedral while our railway sector was in a poor state?…