Business News of Wednesday, 2 June 2021Source: www.ghanaweb.com• It might take close to two decades for Ghana and other African countries to fully reach the feat of a cashless economy•Ghana has however made efforts towards digitizing some sectors of the economy• But more investments are required to enhance the use of digital payment systemsAn Information Technology expert has estimated Ghana along with many African countries may require a long period to fully adapt to a cashless transaction regime. Ebow Anamoah-Mensah who is also Chief Technology Officer of IT Consortium, said though Ghana has made efforts towards digitizing some sectors of the economy, it might take close to two decades to fully reach the feat of a cashless economy. Making his submission at the Citi Business Festival on June 2 monitored by GhanaWeb, Anamoah-Mensah explained “I believe we in [Ghana] are at a stage that we are just taking off. Now that the government has joined the cashless society, there will be a lot more of this and fewer situations that one may need cash”“I am sure in the next 20 years, cash will be scarce in a lot of countries including Ghana, and I think Ghana is moving quite quickly towards that stage”Meanwhile, some key players in the digital space have projected Ghana could move its digitization agenda at a much faster pace owing to investments made to enhance the use of digital payment systems.

He said, despite the value of factors such as liquidity and technology, they will fail to register the expected impact if the consumers which they are targeting do not fully embrace them. According to him, there is a need for stakeholders to put in efforts geared towards improving customer confidence in the sector that has been painted black in the eyes of the public through the press. “We must not fail again; we must not go into the area where a bank is in trouble. “There are many things the bank of Ghana is doing to ensure we do not see a repeat of recent ills – the minimum capital requirement, adequacy ratio, and all that. Once we do not play cowboys, and stick to proper corporate governance practices and curtail over-lending, we should be fin,” He added.

According to Dzifa Sweetness, good foreplay will diffuse any worries you have about the size of that penis. According to Dzifa, the only way a heavily endowed man can easily penetrate any vagina is to have a good foreplay game on. ‘’No matter how big your penis is, all you need is good foreplay. The same way we classify small penis as a deformity, a penis that has to be coiled severally into a man’s underwear is also equally handicapped," she revealed. Majority of women lean towards communication as being the deal-breaker for them rather than length or thickness of a man’s penis.

Business News of Wednesday, 2 June 2021Source: www.ghanaweb.com• The COVID-19 pandemic has burdened Ghana with some GH¢21 billion, says former deputy finance minister• About GH¢18 billion of it was funded through borrowing• The rest were raised through grants and money from the Stabilisation FundThe coronavirus pandemic has cost Ghana GH¢21 billion, the nominee for Minister of State at the Finance Ministry, Charles Adu Boahen, has disclosed. The nominee stated that GH¢18 billion of the total amount was funded through borrowing as the rest were raised through grants and the Stabilisation Fund. “COVID-19 cost us [Ghana] about GHS21 billion. Of that amount, about GH¢18 billion of it was funded through borrowing, and the rest came to us as grants, [along with] some monies from the Stabilisation Fund.”Mr. Adu Boahene further indicated that the GH¢21 billion COVID-19 cost represented 13% of Ghana’s GPD. The US$3 billion Eurobond raised by the country in March 2021 also accounted for this jump in the debt.

General News of Wednesday, 2 June 2021Source: www.ghanaweb.comThe government has begun prosecution of persons suspected to have engaged in illegal mining activities otherwise known as “galamsey” in the country. However, providing details on the ongoing court cases, the Minister said “the first is the Republic versus George Asante and 31 others. In this case, the earlier report that came out was that some National Security operatives have been arrested engaging in illegal mining elsewhere. The third is the Republic versus Wei Gan and another. These illegal miners were arrested in Enchie in the Western Region and are facing prosecution.

Daniel Yao Domelevo was speaking at the 3rd edition of the Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu Memorial Lecture. Read the full original story below:Auditor-General, Daniel Yao Domelevo has declared that if exposing corrupt officials and speaking the truth always will cost him his job, then he is ever ready for that. “In the developed countries when you’re caught you’re finished; there are consequences. That’s the problem Ghanaians have, they think their life and the job are the same so going home becomes so difficult for them. If I should say the truth and because of that I should go home, my dear brothers and sisters I’m ready to go home even this evening”.

One Dr Benjamin Adu has accused the Techiman South MP of allegedly entering his parcel of land with military personnel and other bodyguards. “He uses his personal aids, surrogate military personnel to deny me of my exclusive right to use and enjoy my land and all other benefits afforded me under the law", Dr. Adu lamented. According to the petition, on countless occasions, Dr. Adu has been harassed and assaulted by the men in military uniform employed by the Member of Parliament anytime he dared entered the said land to work. He claims to own the lands and he has engaged in all kinds of things to win the land. Martin Adjei-Mensah Korsah, has repeatedly denied owning any land at the area and subsequently described all the allegations as false.

General News of Wednesday, 2 June 2021Source: www.ghanaweb.com• GTEC has cautioned tertiary schools against running unaccredited courses• The penalties include either paying a fine of not more than GH¢240,000• Rector of the institution could be jailed for up to 20 yearsThe Commission of the Ghana Tertiary Education (GTEC) has warned vice-chancellors of universities against running unaccredited programmes. The Commissioner of GTEC Professor Mohammed Salifu made this known in an interview with the Daily Graphic. According to him, the Education Regulatory Body Act, 2020 (Act 1023) makes it is an offence for a tertiary institution to advertise or run a programme for which it has no accreditation. He explained that the new act has scrapped the affiliation policy and requires all existing private university colleges currently under affiliation to expedite action towards chartering. "They must bring all the programmes they run for us to see if we can give them amnesty so that they go and sin no more".

The sectors, according to an Economist at the Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research (ISSER), Professor Peter Quartey, the major sectors include agriculture, infrastructure and construction. Prof Quartey believes these key sectors when well prioritized will significantly propel growth and develop the Ghanaian economy. “Despite COVID-19, we have still been able to reverse the recession that was recorded in the last quarter after COVID struck. But it is also picking up quite rapidly so I expect the government to focus more on providing infrastructure. So, I expect the government to focus more on providing infrastructure in terms of providing access roads and many others”.

Regional News of Wednesday, 2 June 2021Source: www.ghanaweb.comCorrespondence from Eastern RegionA sixty-year-old man, Daniel Okrah, has been killed in a road crash at Akorley near Somanya in the Eastern Region on the Somanya-Accra Highway. The occupants on board both vehicles reportedly sustained various degree of injuries and were rushed to the Atua Government Hospital for treatment. The injured have been identified as Amanor Gabriel Kwasi, 29, Ayertey Martha, 29, her 5-Year-old son, Amoah Joseph, Kwame Mabel Amiyoo, 48, Teye Eunice Korkor, 25 and an unknown person were all on board the Hyundai Grace Mini Bus. Other victims were Gbeze Bright, 30yrs, Frimpong Michael, 29yrs and the deceased, Daniel Okrah age 60, who were all onboard the pickup. The body of the deceased has been deposited at the morgue of the Atua Government Hospital for preservation.

Community engagement and sensitization is recognized as critical to the global response to climate change. The exercise is to engage key stakeholders, sensitize and disseminate information on the Green Climate Fund (GCF) processes in selected local languages (Dagbani, Ewe, Ga and Twi) in pilot districts in Ashanti, Volta, Northern and Greater Accra regions of Ghana. “When I hear of climate change, I always ask myself what exactly it is. It can only take us to revert the situation and it is good to know that community involvement in projects supported by the Green Climate Fund is key. The Green Climate Fund was established by 194 governments to support efforts of developing countries in responding to the challenges of climate change.

This information was revealed by the Education Ministry during a ceremony to recognize the top "10 percent Top 10 Schools" performing senior high schools in Ashanti Region. The 10 represented 10 per cent of the 135 schools in the region whose general performance between the score of A1 to C6 were assessed. The minister of education Dr Yaw Adutwum said the two new ranking systems were worked on by researchers who were placed in various schools for assessment and data collation. The Education Ministry has rolled out two ranking schemes for all Senior High Schools (SHSs) in the country. The ministry named Tepa SHS as the top-performing school in the Ashanti region followed by Saint Louis, Toase SHS, Kumasi High, Ghana Muslim Mission SHS, and Prempeh College.

Mr. Nitiwul revealed that 592 items including 24 excavators, 341 chanfang machines as well as 123 water pumping machines have been seized and destroyed. “I have been hearing people forcing the Armed Forces to accept that they have seized things that they have not seized. The Armed Forces have not seized any gold. If they have seized any gold they will declare it. If they have seized gold I would have stated it.

General News of Wednesday, 2 June 2021Source: www.ghanaweb.comA Former Methodist Bishop of Obuasi Diocese has voiced his displeasure about the High Court’s decision that Achimota School should admit two Rastafarian students Tyrone Marhguy and Oheneba Nkrabea. What is the fundamental right of traders selling on our roads?” he quizzed. Excuse me to say, can we also say it is the fundamental right of prostitutes to eat and so they should operate? She must go back and come back with her ruling.”Meanwhile, the Board of Governors of the Achimota have announced its decision to appeal the High Court’s decision. On Monday, May 31, 2021, the Human Rights Division of the High Court, presided by Justice Gifty Agyei ordered Achimota School to admit the two students.

General News of Wednesday, 2 June 2021Source: www.ghanaweb.com• The Supreme Court has ordered the state to pay GH¢14,689 to NDK Financial Services• The apex court gave the ruling over a judgement debt claim [NDK] made against the state. • The full reasoning of the Supreme Court is set to be released on or before June 4, 2021The Supreme of Court of Ghana has ruled in favour of NDK Financial Services over a judgement debt claim it made against the state. Subsequently, the Ahaman failed to pay same to NDK to redeem their indebtedness. In its original suit, NDK had prayed the Supreme Court to award it some GH¢1.2 billion. The reasoning of the Supreme Court is set to be released on or before June 4, 2021.