Author: johnmahama

The Ghanaian cedi is matching the United States dollar, with a buying rate of GHS15.36 per dollar and a selling rate of GHS15.81 as of Thursday, February 27, 2025.At forex bureaus, the cedi is trading at GHS15.50 for those exchanging dollars for cedis and GHS15.90 for those converting cedis to dollars.This data is sourced from Cedirates.com, a reputable Ghanaian platform for currency and fuel updates.On the interbank market, the cedi is trading at GHS15.52 for buying dollars and GHS15.54 for selling dollars.For the British pound, the average exchange rates are GHS19.36 for converting pounds to cedis and GHS20.05 for converting…

Following seven rounds of balloting, 60-year-old diplomat Mahmoud Ali Youssouf was elected the sixth chair of the African Union Commission in February 2025. Politics professor Ulf Engel, who is the editor of the Yearbook on the African Union, explains the role and its challenges. What’s the new AU Commission chair’s background? Youssouf is a seasoned diplomat from Djibouti. He is the longest serving minister of foreign affairs and international cooperation of his country (2005-2025), and has also served as chair of the Council of Ministers of the Arab League (2007, 2017) and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (2012). What’s the…

President John Dramani Mahama has expressed deep concern over the state of the nation, stating that Ghana’s economy is in crisis and citizens are experiencing severe hardships. Delivering his first State of the Nation Address (SONA) in his second term on Thursday, 27th February, in Parliament, he insisted that urgent measures were needed to address the economic downturn. “The state of our nation is not good. Our economy is in crisis and our people are suffering,” President Mahama stated. He attributed the current difficulties to various economic challenges, including rising inflation, high levels of debt, and a struggling private sector.…

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has alerted Ghanaian traders and businesses to Burkina Faso’s continued ban on the export of cereals and white beans, urging full compliance to avoid sanctions. In a statement issued on Tuesday, February 25, the Ministry cited official communications from Burkina Faso – joint communiqués No. 023-0017 dated December 19, 2023, and No. 024-0017 dated November 13, 2024 – reiterating the ban on the export of key staples including rice, millet, maize, sorghum, and cowpeas. The restriction aims to safeguard Burkina Faso’s domestic food security amid regional concerns over grain shortages and rising prices. “Ghanaian traders…

Brigadier-General Paul Seidu Tanye-Kulono, the Acting Director-General of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA), has appealed to the Transport and Finance Ministries to scrap the COVID-19 and the Value Added Tax (VAT) levies on transit cargo.Brigadier Tanye-Kulono said removing the two levies would significantly enhance Ghana’s competitiveness as a preferred transit hub in the West African sub-region.Making the appeal when Mr Joseph Bukari Nikpe, the Minister of Transport, paid a working visit to the GPHA, he stressed that such a move would position the country to attract greater international businesses and strengthen its economic standing.The Acting Director-General (DG) explained…

One of Africa’s giant beetles is just one step away from extinction. New research has found that one species of the enormous Goliath beetles has been almost wiped out by the west African cocoa industry and, to a lesser extent, by the international trade in dried insects. Luca Luiselli, a professor of biostatistics and ecology at the University of Lomé (Togo), has researched threatened species in African forests for 30 years. He explains what has gone wrong and how the Goliath beetle could be saved. What is the Goliath beetle and why is it so important? The Goliath beetles (genus…

President John Dramani Mahama has delivered a sombre assessment of Ghana’s economic condition. He described the nation as “broken on many fronts” due to excessive debt and financial mismanagement. Speaking in Parliament during his first State of the Nation Address (SONA) in his second term on Thursday, 27th February, he highlighted the nation’s economic struggles, attributing them to unsustainable debt levels and poor governance of state institutions. Mr Mahama revealed that Ghana’s public debt has escalated to GH¢721 billion, posing a severe threat to the country’s financial stability. He expressed concern over the dire state of key state-owned enterprises, particularly…

GhanaPay Mobile Money service was introduced in June 2022 by the Ghana Association of Banks in collaboration with GhIPSS. This collaboration means that customers can register for GhanaPay Mobile Money and decide which financial institution they wish to own a wallet with. Essentially, GhanaPay Mobile Money gives customers the opportunity to have a direct relationship with a bank as mobile money users. Anyone with access to a mobile phone in Ghana can register for a GhanaPay mobile money wallet, with or without a bank account. The service has expanded its offerings to include a sponsored wallet service, allowing users to…

As donor support for public health emergencies declines, the government has been urged to take immediate action to mobilize domestic resources.This call was made by Rex Manu Yeboah, Deputy Director of the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy, and Religious Affairs, during SEND Ghana’s National Dialogue on Public Health Emergency Financing in Accra on Wednesday, February 26.He emphasized the importance of the government transitioning from an overreliance on donor-driven finance, which has rendered many public health efforts vulnerable.“Our health sector has been largely donor-driven, and we have over-relied on external support to the extent that we are not able to organize…

play videoMember of Parliament for Bolgatanga Central, Isaac Adongo The youth of Bolgatanga Central in the Upper East Region have vehemently rejected the appointment of the Member of Parliament for Bolgatanga Central, Isaac Adongo, to the Board of the Bank of Ghana.According to a Starr FM post on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter, the youth are “questioning why the MP was not given a ministerial appointment.”President John Mahama’s failure to appoint Isaac Adongo to a ministerial position has come as a surprise to some political watchers, given the role the outspoken legislator played in the run-up to the…