Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has stated that he intends to eliminate the tax on electronic financial transactions, known as e-levy, if elected President of Ghana. In his first major address to the nation following his election as New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer, where he outlined the broad policy outlines of a Bawumia Presidency, Dr. Bawumia was forthright in his stance against taxes on electronic financial transactions, affirming his commitment to abolishing e-levy as President. Dr. Bawumia emphasized that his vision for a Digital and Cashless Ghana would receive a significant boost with the abolition of e-levy. "To transition to a cashless economy, we need to encourage the use of electronic payment channels. To facilitate this, there will be no taxes on digital payments under my administration. Therefore, the e-levy will be abolished," he declared. Dr. Bawumia also revealed plans for a new tax regime under his government, which would include the abolition of the emission tax, tax on betting, and the proposed 15% VAT on electricity tariffs, if implemented by January 2025. Furthermore, he announced the introduction of a simplified, citizen- and business-friendly flat tax regime for Ghana, aimed at supporting individuals and businesses, particularly small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs). "My administration will implement a straightforward, citizen- and business-friendly flat tax regime. This will involve a flat tax percentage of income for individuals and SMEs, which represent 98% of all businesses in Ghana, with appropriate exemption thresholds to safeguard the poor," Dr. Bawumia affirmed. Credit: Graphic Online

The flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has said he would have no more than 50 ministers and deputy ministers if elected as president in its year’s elections. He said this while delivering an address at the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA), on Wednesday Febraury 7. He said “Enhancing the role of the private sector along with fiscal and administrative decentralization, improving our systems and the way our institutions function will lead to greater efficiency; cutting waste and ensuring value for money in procurement. The move towards the private sector provision of many public services would create fiscal space of at least 3% of GDP. This represents a major paradigm shift. “Additionally, an efficient system of governance will require even fewer ministers. Therefore I would have no more than 50 ministers and deputy ministers.” He further said he would cause to be published online details of all public contracts for public scrutiny. Delivering an address at the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA), on Wednesday Febraury 7, he said one of the most potent weapons against corruption is transparency. Many corrupt activities are cash-based, he said. Apart from the obvious economic benefits of moving in the direction of a cashless society, the literature does indicate that the more electronic payments are used in transactions as opposed to cash, the more there is traceability and therefore the less the corruption, he stressed. “I would like to bring Ghana close to a cashless economy in the shortest possible time. So far the Bank of Ghana, has made a lot of progress in this direction by putting in place a lot of the systems and infrastructure required. These include mobile money interoperability, merchant interoperability, Universal QRCode payment system, Gh-Link, debit cards, Ezwich, and GhanaPay. We have put in place the necessary infrastructure for Ghana to go cashless. “Recently the Bank of Ghana has completed a pilot of a digital version of the Ghana cedi note in Sefwi Wiawso. This is known as central bank digital currency (CBDC) or e-cedi.The e-cedi is designed to work online and offline and will be launched by the Bank of Ghana in due couse" "In my humble opinion, the e-cedi, with appropriate privacy protections, willbe the ultimate weapon in our fight against corruption because it will provide transparency, reduce the risk of fraud, robbery, tax avoidance, and money laundering since it will beeasy to track the movement of money and identify suspicious activity. “The e-cedi will quicken the pace of Ghana’s move towards a cashless or near cashless society. To move towards a cashless economy however, we have to encourage the population to use electronic channels of payment. To accomplish this, there will be no taxes on digital payments under my administration. The e-levy will therefore be abolished. ” Furthermore, I will cause to be published online details of all public contracts for public scrutiny.” Credit: 3news

The Flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has said that the government will soon launch a Performance Tracker to showcase its achievements in every sector and every district in the country. Speaking at an event dubbed 'Bawumia Speaks: Ghana’s Next Chapter: Selfless Leadership and Bold Solutions For the Future', in Accra, the NPP flagbearer said that the Performance Tracker, when implemented, will provide data and evidence on the projects and programs that the government has implemented since 2017. He said that the Performance Tracker will also allow the public to monitor and evaluate the impact and outcomes of the government's interventions on the economy, social development, and governance. “Notwithstanding the economic crisis, this government has been able to steer the ship of the nation away from catastrophe" In the face of the crisis, overall performance of the economy in areas such as GDP growth, agricultural growth, trade balance, gross international reserves and job creation, has demonstrated resilience. "Ladies and gentlemen, available data also shows that notwithstanding the economy we inherited, and the global economic crisis that ensured, the government has chalked a large number of achievements across the country. Due to the constraints of time, I will be able to enumerate a few of these achievements. "... However, the government will soon release our Performance Tracker in the next few weeks which will detail all of our achievements in every sector and every district in the Republic of Ghana,” he stated.NW/AE Source: Ghanaweb

Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has announced that should he win the 2024 general elections, he will scrap the betting tax. He said his administration would immediately cancel the 10% tax placed on betting and gaming earlier this year. Speaking at the University of Professional Studies in Accra, the Vice President said there would be no taxes on gambling under his administration. “Taxes on gambling will be scrapped under my administration,” he said. Relatedly, Dr. Bawumia also attributed the current economic crisis in Ghana to COVID-19 and the Russia and Ukraine war. Speaking at the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA) auditorium, the venue for the address on Wednesday, February 7, 2024, as he outlines his vision ahead of the general elections. Dr. Bawumia said notwithstanding the difficulties "we inherited, we had to get on with …we have to among other things fix dimsor, National Health Insurance, clear the arrears, make education free and accessible." "Between 2017 and 2019, all the indicators, economic growth, industry growth, fiscal deficits, and exchange rate were all moving in the right direction. "In 2020 and 2022 we experienced several challenges triggered by the pandemic which brought the world to a halt," he added. Despite inheriting challenges from the previous administration, the Akufo-Addo government successfully stabilized the economy, but these efforts were hindered by the adverse effects of the pandemic and war on economic indicators. Credit: Pulse GH

The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Hon. Samuel A Jinapor has urged African countries to make investment opportunities attractive for investors while insisting on the importance of value addition for the growth of their country's mineral infrastructure. He stressed the need to move away from the "dig and ship" approach and highlighted two essential pillars to help achieve that: first he said is insisting on value addition, and local participation and two is ensuring that states and governments provide the necessary infrastructure and environment, including cadastre and other facilitated systems, for investors to operate, optimize, and maximize benefits shared equitably. The Minister emphasized, "You cannot achieve value addition or participate at the highest end of the value chain if the government doesn't establish a proper, investor-friendly environment. It's crucial, and governments must prioritize this." The Minister was Contributing to a Ministerial Symposium panel discussion on the topic; "Pushing Africa into a new investment era with solutions to the continent's greatest challenges" at the ongoing “African Mining Indaba” conference in Cape Town, South Africa, on Sunday, 4th February, 2024. He added that fundamental elements, such as a solid and consistent rail system, reliable infrastructure, and power systems, must be in place to attract private entities effectively. "Using Ghana as a case study, he explained that governments should have a policy framework where both the state and investors play their roles. For instance, in the context of bauxite, Ghana is working towards building an integrated aluminum industry, with a policy framework supervised by President Akufo-Addo to exploit and manage resources effectively" The Minister highlighted Ghana's efforts to strike a balance between value addition and indigenous participation on one hand and the importance of a mutually satisfactory arrangement for all parties involved on the other hand. He acknowledged the challenge some African countries face with changing government policies but stressed the need for sustainable policies in the continent's best interest. Addressing private sector participation and investment in Ghana, the Minister mentioned the successful establishment of an automobile industry, attributing it to a sensible policy framework that aligns with the primary goal of private sector investments – making a profit. He advocated for synchronizing policy frameworks across Africa to universally promote value addition. The Minister referred to the African Mining Vision as a guiding principle and cited the joint effort of Ghana and Cote d'Ivoire in structuring a common market pricing on cocoa as a positive example of African collaboration for growth. Hon. Jinapor and the other panelists in the end agreed that the new perspective on mining sector investment in Africa, should be envisioning a shift from the "rich Africa with poor Africans" model to one resulting in "rich Africans from rich Africa," catalyzed by mining. The Ministerial Symposium is a high-level, invite-only policy roundtable, that brings together Mining Ministers to develop and discuss a shared vision for Africa’s future sustainable mining and mineral value supply chains. The Symposium aims to strengthen collaboration between government, investors, and the private sector in order to improve bilateral relationships across the continent. Story by: Nadia Aidoo

Information reaching Thinknewsonline indicates that the Member of Parliament (MP) for Dome-Kwabenya Constituency, Sarah Adwoa Safo has turned down a unity talk invitation from her Constituency Chairman, Robert Bonsu ahead of the December 2024 Parliamentary elections. The MP was said to have turned down the invitation via a message sent to the Chairman. Adwoa Safo via her message said "I am not interested" It is believed that the response from the MP comes following her defeat to the newly elected Parliamentary Candidate for the Constituency, Mike Oquaye Jnr. It is also emerging that the MP has cut ties with the Constituency Chairman after he declared his suport for Mike Oquaye Jnr prior to the recently held Parliamentary Candidate elections in the Constituency. In other developments, a close door meeting is currently being held between Mike Oquaye Jnr, NPP Parliamentary Candidate, Aspirant, Sheila Oppong, Constituency Chairman, Richard Bonsu and Constituency Executives. The closed door meeting according to sources is aimed at bringing together leaders and members from both teams in order to defeat the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and retain the Dome-Kwabenya Constituency seat for the ruling party. More soon.... Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith

Famed Ghanaian artiste, Kenneth Kyeremateng, professionally known as Kwame Yogot has not too long ago named his price to endorse any of the flag bearers of the two major political parties who wish to engage his services during the 2024 elections. According to the ‘Bibii Besi’ hitmaker, it would take a billion dollars for him to endorse either former President John Mahama or Vice President Dr. Bawumia. The Hiplife crooner made this statement while speaking in an interview on Cape Coast-based Property FM. “Yeah we all need money but you can take a certain amount of money to endorse a political party but that money will surely get finished. “How you want to build yourself, you have to make sure that you are building yourself properly but if I’m to take money to endorse a political party that will be a billion dollars,” he said. Kwame Yogot, continued by saying; “I won’t take an amount like $100,000 because I will finish spending that money so I’ll charge a huge amount that even if my career fades for endorsing a political party I know I have some money somewhere to work with. So any political party who is ready for an endorsement from me must be prepared because they have a lot to pay for my services" Credit: Ameyaw Debrah

Addi Self, a former member of Shatta Movement’s Militant Group, has recently disclosed the actual events which led to the breakup of the SM Militant. Speaking in an interview with Felli and KMJ on Accra-based Joy Prime, Addi made known that Shatta Wale had expected the militants to come to his defense when he had an argument with his colleague, Kweku Smoke over an alleged stolen track. Addi, who is a Musician himself further narrated that the militants did not give in to Shatta Wale’s request which caused their dismissal and subsequent collapse of the Militants Group. ”One time, there was this artiste who came to the camp, Kweku Smoke. He was cool with Shatta. When he came to the camp, we were also there, but I had never seen Kweku Smoke or known him. So, when he came around, he was doing stuff with Shatta, which I saw online because I wasn’t always there. Two months later, Kweku Smoke came on live video, saying Shatta has stolen his song,” he said. Addi Self said upon spotting the video on social media, he inquired from his then boss, Shatta to find out the real issue. According to him, the ‘My level’ hitmaker got upset and asked why the militants did not come to his defense and allowed him to respond to Kweku Smoke himself. “So I saw the live video and went to him and Shatta Wale was like I had to go live and tell the boy my mind. I was like, 1 Don you know, I don’t know this boy; when he came here, nobody introduced him to be part of us, so I don’t want to be involved in that. My boss vexed from there. So, that was how it all started. When Kweku Smoke came, he was expecting us to insult him back,” he added. According to Addi Self, few days after the dramatic event Shatta Wale begun ignoring the Militants and eventually dismissed them publicly. The breakup, he said affected his music career because he missed a few collaborations and friends due to the turnout of events. He further mentioned that despite these happenings, has no grudge against Shatta Wale and is focused on improving his music career. Addi Self implied that he is not willing to return to Wale’s camp but would “rather watch and support from afar than be close and controlled.” Credit: Ameyaw Debrah

Ghanaian musical duo, DopeNation has shared their thoughts on love and relationships, emphasizing that love is a scam. Speaking in an exclusive interview with media personality, Deloris Frimpong Manso on the Delay Show, the ‘Zanku’ hitmakers made known that they are not in a falling-in-love situation at the moment and that they feel like love exists only in one’s head and is dependent on belief. The twins, composed of Micheal Boafo, popularly known as B2, and Tony Boafo, known as Twist went on to describe the emotional rollercoaster of love, highlighting the contrast between the happiness of being in love and the potential heartbreak that follows. “Most people who are in love happen to be in a situation where it’s all in their heads. You feel happy about it but for that same momentum you have with feeling happy, you can feel very sad the day you’ll be heartbroken. “So we feel like it’s a scam. It’s a scam because it’s only real when you believe in it. When you don’t believe in it, it’s like a facade,” they explained. The award-winning crooner further added that their time would be expensive in a relationship and that the other party should know how to work with their time. They however, admitted that it wasn’t bad to fall in love, but maybe they had not reached the time to do so. “Being committed to someone is expensive. Especially in this part of the world…My time would be expensive in a relationship. So the other party should know how to work with my time. To give in like 100% falling in love status at this moment will be difficult, and we are not in the falling in love situation,” they added. DopeNation are known for their hit songs such as Eish, Zanku, Confam, and Kpanla. They also won the Sound City MVP Group of the Year in Africa award in 2020. Credit: Ameyaw Debrah

Mauritania's head coach, Amir Abdou, currently in talks with the Ghana Football Association, has reportedly received a tempting offer of USD45,000 per month as exclusively revealed by AfricaSoccer.com This exceeds the proposed USD35,000 offer from the Mauritanian Football Federation for a three-year contract renewal, leading to uncertainty about his future. The Ghana FA is eager to secure the French/Comorian tactician to replace the dismissed Chris Hughton, following a disappointing 2023 Africa Cup of Nations campaign where the Black Stars failed to advance from their group. Abdou's discontent with the Mauritanian media's treatment of him has added complexity to the negotiations. Additionally, the Mauritanian Federation is reportedly considering Spanish trainer Aritz Lopez Garay as a potential replacement even before Abdou's potential departure for the Ghana job. With Abdou's current contract expiring on March 1, 2024, urgency surrounds the unfolding scenario. Abdou previously guided Mauritania to their best-ever AFCON campaign, reaching the Round of 16 after defeating Algeria. His coaching success extends to Comoros, where he led them to their maiden AFCON appearance, notably defeating Ghana in the group stage in 2021 but eventually falling to the hosts in the Round of 16. The situation remains dynamic, with the likelihood of Abdou extending his association with Mauritania appearing bleak unless a significant shift occurs. Credit: Africa Soccer

The Ghana Football Association (GFA) has announced plans to provide further insights into the Black Stars' disappointing campaign at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). Amidst widespread criticism and calls for accountability following the team's early exit from the tournament, the GFA is set to shed more light on the circumstances surrounding their performance. The Black Stars' journey at AFCON 2023 was marred by disappointment as they failed to secure a single victory, ultimately crashing out at the group stage. Their lacklustre performance, which included a defeat against Cape Verde and back-to-back draws against Egypt and Mozambique, left fans disillusioned and prompted swift action from the GFA. Coach Chris Hughton was promptly relieved of his duties following the team's elimination, but questions and concerns lingered regarding the overall management and preparation of the squad. In response to mounting pressure and demands for transparency, the GFA has scheduled an engagement session with the media dubbed 'MEET THE PRESS.' This session, slated to take place on Wednesday, February 7th, 2024, at the Lancaster Hotel in Kumasi, aims to provide stakeholders with a comprehensive understanding of the factors contributing to the Black Stars' disastrous campaign. GFA President Kurt Okraku, alongside members of the Executive Council and General Secretary Prosper Harrison Addo, will participate in the interactive session, addressing queries and offering insights into the team's performance and future strategies. The event presents an opportunity for Okraku and other GFA officials to directly engage with journalists, addressing concerns, outlining corrective measures, and reaffirming their commitment to restoring the Black Stars' competitiveness on the continental stage. Credit: Ghana Soccernet

The search for a new coach for the Ghana national team has attracted over 600 applications from coaches around the world. The position became available after the Ghana Football Association (GFA) sacked Chris Hughton following the team's disappointing performance at the AFCON 2023, where they failed to win a single match in the group stage. The GFA has since formed a committee, led by Vice President Mark Addo, to identify and appoint a suitable candidate for the role. The committee is looking for a coach who is a proven winner, aligned with Ghana's football DNA and possesses a coaching philosophy that resonates with the national team's ethos. Among the applicants are several high-profile coaches, including former Bayern Munich coach Felix Magath, former West Ham coach Nikola Jurcevic, and former Black Stars assistant coach Maxwell Konadu. Other notable applicants include former Bibiani Goldstars coach Michael Osei. The GFA has set a deadline for interested applicants, which has now passed, and the selection process is currently underway. According to GFA, the incoming coach will be required to have at least 15 years of coaching experience, as well as strong discipline and tactical skills. The competition for the role is fierce, with coaches from Europe, South America, North America, Africa, and Ghana all vying for the position. The GFA is expected to announce its decision later this month, and fans are eagerly awaiting the appointment of a new coach who can lead the Black Stars to success. Credit: Ghana Soccernet