Author: johnmahama

Flimsy buildings and a lack of proper drainage have worsened the flooding crisis in Kinshasa At least 29 people have been killed in flood waters and landslides in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s capital, Kinshasa, following unusually heavy rains in the dry season, the interior ministry has said. Homes were swept away, roads were flooded, and widespread power cuts were recorded as a third of the city was affected by the downpour. DR Congo’s meteorological agency, Mettelsat, said that 90mm (3.5in) of rain was recorded on Saturday morning, higher than on any single day during the rainy season that lasts…

The Ghanaian cedi has experienced fluctuations in value against the United States dollar, with an average buying rate of GHS10.35 per dollar and a selling rate of GHS11.05 as of Wednesday, June 18, 2025.At forex bureaus, the cedi is trading at GHS11.75 for those exchanging dollars for cedis and GHS12.00 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 GHS10.29 for buying dollars and GHS10.31 for selling dollars.For the British pound, the average exchange rates are GHS13.82 for converting pounds to…

The Civil and Local Government Staff Association, Ghana (CLOGSAG), has issued a firm demand for the immediate implementation of its Conditions of Service (COS) agreement, signed under the Akufo-Addo-Bawumia administration in December 2024. However, this demand raises critical concerns about governance continuity, fiscal responsibility, and ethical leadership—particularly given that the previous administration failed to implement the agreement during its eight-year tenure, yet now expects the Mahama administration to resolve it within just five months.Governance Continuity vs. Fiscal RealitiesWhile labor agreements should ideally transcend political transitions, expecting swift implementation within such a short timeframe is unrealistic and unfair. The Mahama administration…

Governor of Bank of Ghana, Dr. Johnson Asiama The Bank of Ghana (BoG) has announced a series of new policy measures aimed at strengthening Ghana’s digital economy and enhancing the operations of financial technology (fintech) firms. A key component of the new strategy is a Digital Identity Integration Mandate, which will require all financial service providers to adopt interoperable digital identity standards. This will be implemented as part of enhanced Know Your Customer (KYC) policies and fraud detection systems within the country’s financial institutions. Announcing the measures at the Ghana Association of Banks Industry Thought Leadership Programme under the theme…

Media and Political Communication Analyst and Lecturer at the University of Media, Arts, and Communication (UniMAC), Dr. Paul Herzuah has called for a major overhaul of Ghana’s Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) system to align it with industry needs and empower youth. Speaking on Morning Target on Bullet TV on June 17, 2025, Dr. Herzuah criticized the “weak implementation” of TVET and the negative perceptions holding it back from driving economic growth and tackling unemployment.“The state of TVET isn’t in very good shape,” Dr. Herzuah said, noting that despite Act 1049 of 2020 providing a framework, “implementation is…

Parliament is set to summon Minister for the Interior, Muntaka Mubarak, and Minister for Energy and Green Transition, John Jinapor, next week to answer urgent questions about the widespread lack of life jackets in river-dependent communities, a deficiency brought into sharp focus by the tragic deaths of seven Lawra Senior High School students.The students drowned on June 13, 2025, while attempting to cross the Black Volta, a river that remains a crucial but dangerous transport route for many in the region.Given the Volta River’s relevance to the tragedy, Energy Minister John Jinapor’s presence is intended to facilitate broader discussions on…

Registration for in-person attendance at the 7th Youth in Tourism Innovation Summit and Challenge has now closed due to limited space. The Summit will also be streamed on various social media platforms, allowing stakeholders worldwide who have not yet been accredited to participate virtually from June 24th to 27th, 2025. Some of the prominent international speakers include Leid Zejnilovic, Assistant Professor at Nova Business and Economics in Portugal; Rukssana Saide, Founder of Dream Agrobusiness LDA in Mozambique; Dr. Linda Pereira, President of the Advantage Consultant Group, Portugal; and Safiyya Akoojee, Director at Fortunatus in the UAE. Regionally and locally, attendees…

Keta’s long-standing battle against coastal erosion demands more than temporary defenses—it calls for a transformational approach that safeguards both the shoreline and the local economy. A harbour, strategically engineered, could be the game-changer, providing stability, growth, and opportunity for generations. Drawing from the remarkable success of Tema Harbour, we examine its development and extract strategic insights to shape a future-ready harbour for Keta.Tema Harbour: A Case Study in Visionary InfrastructureTema Harbour’s evolution is no accident—it is the result of deliberate policy choices, rigorous engineering, and economic foresight. Commissioned in 1962 under Kwame Nkrumah’s leadership, the harbour was designed to replace…

The cause of the fire is yet to be determined and remains under investigation A late-night fire that engulfed parts of the Medical Laboratory buildings at the Korle Bu Medical School has been brought under control by the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), averting further damage to adjacent facilities.The fire, which broke out around 11:50 pm on Tuesday, June 17, 2025, affected key sections of the Laboratory building, including the Accounts Office, Stores, Administration, and Archives.According to the Fire Service in a Facebook post on June 18, 2025, a distress call was placed to the GNFS, prompting a swift response…

The Bank of Ghana (BoG) is poised to implement stringent new regulatory measures, with a particular focus on the forfeiture of significant shareholder holdings, aimed at significantly reducing Non-Performing Loans (NPLs) within the banking industry. Central to these rigorous new measures is a policy ensuring that significant shareholders will forfeit their holdings to offset debts in cases where their default is directly linked to the Regulated Financial Institution’s (RFI) director or Key Management Personnel (KMP). This aspect of the regulatory measures was detailed in the “Notice on Regulatory Measures to Reduce Non-Performing Loans (NPLs),” a document from the central bank…