General News of Thursday, 27 May 2021Source: www.ghanaweb.com• A mining pit caved in on Wednesday, killing three people with dozens other sustaining injuries• The Minerals Commission has launched an investigation into the accident• The Minerals Commission also confirmed that the actions of the miners was illegalThe Minerals Commission has commenced investigations into the collapse of a mining pit at Denkyira Breman/Brofoyedu in the Upper Denkyira West District of the Central Region. Three people were reported on Wednesday, May 26, 2021 to have died in the accident that occurred at the mining site. “Following reports of miners being trapped in a pit at Breman near Ayanfuri in the Upper Denkyira West District of the Central Region, Inspectors from the Dunkwa, Obuasi and Kumasi Offices of the Minerals Commission visited the site around 11:00 a.m. on 26th May, 2021”. The commission noted that initial investigations by its Inspectorate Division revealed that the operators were operating illegally. “The Minerals Commission wishes to inform the general public that the Inspectorate Division of the Commission has commenced full investigation into the matter”.

Business News of Thursday, 27 May 2021Source: www.ghanaweb.com•Ghana's debt-to-GDP ratio is not expected to witness a reduction soon•The rate currently stands and 78% (including energy sector debt)•Government is expected to implement stringent measures to boost revenue generationVish Ashiagbor, a Country Senior Partner at the PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) Ghana, has indicated Ghana is likely not to witness a substantial reduction in the debt to Gross Domestic Product ratio anytime soon. According to him, the Government of Ghana currently bears the brunt for its debt sustainability and management and must therefore implement stringent measures to boost revenue generation. “It is for government to think-through and implement measures which boost the revenue, and as much as possible measures that can contain costs. Presently, the International Monetary Fund has pegged Ghana’s debt to GDP ratio at 78 percent (including energy sector debt). The Bretton Woods institution has also projected the ratio is expected to increase to 83.2 percent in 2022 – and then further to 84.8 percent in 2023.

General News of Thursday, 27 May 2021Source: ghana.dubawa.orgClaim:President of the World Bank has asked Ghana’s president, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, to stop borrowing and fix his country. In the post, the president of the World Bank is reported to have told the government of Ghana to stop borrowing and fix her country. The post has generated so many comments and has been shared by one other popular Ghanaian blog, Aba_the_great1. Verification:At a recent virtual Media Roundtable discussion by the World Bank for some journalists in Western and Central Africa, the president of the World Bank, David Malpas, made some observations about Ghana’s current status. In the original news article regarding the issue by Myjoyonline.com, Mr Malpas was quoted as saying “holding down the non-concessional debt means higher interest rate debt because that burdens the further generations”, thus making the social media post misleading.

It is trading against the Pound Sterling at a buying price of 8.0998 and a selling 8.1084 as compared to yesterday’s trading of a buying price of 8.0994 and a selling price of 8.1080. The Euro is trading at a buying price of 7.0061 and a selling price of 7.0130 as compared to yesterday’s trading of a buying price of 7.0179 and a selling price of 7.0248. The South African Rand is trading at a buying price of 0.4162 and a selling price of 0.4166 as compared to yesterday’s trading of a buying price of 0.4138 and a selling price of 0.4142. Nigeria’s Naira is trading at a buying price of 71.4854 and a selling price of 71.6667 as compared to yesterday’s trading of a buying price of 71.5477 and a selling price of 71.6104. And the CFA is trading at a buying price of 93.5344 and a selling price of 93.6266 as compared to yesterday’s trading of a buying price of 93.3773 and a selling price of 93.4691.

According to the veteran journalist, what the president insists should be the practice, although the entire country is behind his fight against galamsey, is not in law. Speaking on the Thursday, May 27, 2021, edition of Good Morning Ghana, with host, Dr. Randy Abbey, Kweku Baako Jnr explained why he disagrees with the president on this new directive. So yes, government has our full support, including my support. Respectfully, I disagree with my very good friend, the president, and in this case, we are not talking friendship – we are talking authority; presidential authority. And so, to just go and just burn I find it difficult to reconcile because it is not found in the law,” he said.

The plus-size actress who doubles as a video vixen has been featured in a number of local movies in the country. Notwithstanding she believes that she can accomplish her dreams to serve as a motivation to women and men like her. “I want to become a well-established actress to be featured in international movies, advocate for plus-size people and also help them overcome stigmatization and body shaming,” said Precious Mensah. In an earlier interview with GhanaWeb’s Paulina Dedaa Opoku on SayItLoud, she debunked claims that plus-size women are lazy. PM also recounted the number of times she had been turned down on job offers due to her body size.

Business News of Thursday, 27 May 2021Source: www.ghanaweb.com• Ghana is considering adding nuclear power to its energy source mix• Ghana has since it achieved independence often relied on hydropower and fossil plants for electrcity• The country has so far made progress in the Phase 1 nuclear infrastructureThe Nuclear Power Institute has revealed the utilisation of nuclear energy is currently under serious consideration as an alternative energy source for Ghana, the Business24 reports. This comes after the institute in a report identified nuclear power as one that has the tenacity to generate high-capacity baseload electricity at an affordable price. Portions of the institute’s report dubbed; “Drivers for Nuclear Energy Inclusion in Ghana’s Energy Mix” pointed the country stands the chance to fulfil its industrial agenda with reliable and cost-effective electricity. To achieve this, it said Ghana must develop the necessary infrastructure for the inclusion of nuclear energy fused into the country’s energy mix. Ghana has since its independence often relied on hydropower and fossil (oil and gas) thermal power plants as major sources of electricity but has recently added renewable and solar energy to its list of energy source projects.

Entertainment of Thursday, 27 May 2021Source: www.ghanaweb.com• Amanda Jissih says Bright of Buk Bak fame told her he was a divorcee while they were dating• The popular TV/radio presenter said Bright broke up with her without reasons• Amanda Jissih has asked the singer to stop spreading lies about their past relationshipPopular TV and radio presenter, Amanda Jissih has recounted how Bright of Buk Bak fame deceived her into thinking he was a ‘free man’ while they were dating. According to Amanda, until 2020, she was not aware of the fact that Bright was married with a child at a time they were in a relationship. One can recall that Princy Bright earlier established in an interview with Delay that he and Amanda were not in any serious relationship. “It was until last year, 2020 that I found out that he was married whiles dating me. Bright broke up with me in an awkward way."

Port Health and Airport Staff have been positioned at various vantage points to assist passengers who may be fraught with challenges during the registration process. Parliament Health Committee and the media on Wednesday, May 26, 2021, toured the Kotoka International Airport to have an insight into what goes on at the airport before passengers finally exit the place. GhanaWeb in this article outlines the processes passengers undergo to know their coronavirus status before they depart from the airport premises. NB: Ghanaians, ECOWAS citizens and children between the ages of 5 and 12 years pay $50 for the testing fee while other passengers pay $150. Meanwhile, Parliament's Health Committee are impressed with the operational processes carried out in the airport.

The Committee on May 26, 2021, commenced its third scheduled meeting of the year to review economic developments of the country to ascertain its monetary policy rate decision. But Professor Peter Quartey believes his prediction, should it come to fruition, will be hinged on factors based on the economic developments of the country in past few months, which do not support a reduction in the policy rate. My expectation is that the policy rate will be maintained again,” he told Citi Business News in an interview monitored by GhanaWeb. At the Bank of Ghana’s 99th MPC meeting, it kept its monetary policy rate unchanged at 14.5 percent, a figure which was has remained the same since March 2021. The policy rate is of key interest to businesses operating in the country as it influences the interest rate on loans and determines the rate at which the central bank lends to commercial banks.

General News of Thursday, 27 May 2021Source: www.ghanaweb.com• Kweku Baako claims the government is to pay an amount of $15 million as judgment debt to a licensed mining company• He said this is because after excavators and other mining equipment were seized from them, the equipment went missing• He said the case was decided in October 2020The government is to pay an amount of $15milion to a licensed mining company as judgment debt for seizing excavators and other mining equipment from them and then losing them. That is the claim of the Editor-In-Chief of the New Crusading Guide, Abdul Malik Kweku Baako Jnr. Speaking on the Good Morning Ghana programme on Metro TV on Thursday, May 27, 2021, and monitored by GhanaWeb, Kweku Baako Jnr explained that this new judgment debt case is as recent as October of 2020. I’ve heard something and I’ve been having the debate: “You see, we’ve seized excavators before and those excavators got lost and was used against us in terms of propaganda so that this time, don’t give anybody the chance to make anything disappear. The court had given an order for preservation or something as the law sees it, to close it up, the court says, Ghana government, pay $15million judgment debt.

General News of Thursday, 27 May 2021Source: www.ghanaweb.com• Prophet Samuel Forson says NDC will win three more seats before the 2024 elections• He also prophesied that John Mahama will win the 2024 elections• He has told Manasseh Azure Awuni to apologise to John MahamaProphet Samuel Forson, the founder and leader of the Sword Glory Chapel International in Kumasi has prophesied that there will be three by-elections before the 2024 generation elections. In an interview on Montie FM, Reverend Forson disclosed that the main opposition National Democratic Congress, NDC, will win all three by-elections. NDC will be having majority in parliament by the 2024 elections. Prophet Samuel Forson also predicted victory John Dramani Mahama in the 2024 elections. He singled out investigative journalist Manasseh Azure and asked him to apologise to John Mahama else ‘his name will vanish’.

General News of Thursday, 27 May 2021Source: www.ghanaweb.comKennedy Agyapong claims Captain Smart owes him GH¢10,000Captain Smart has denied the allegationsHe has challenged Kennedy Agyapong to take him to court if it is indeed true that he owes himGodsbrain Captain Smart, the suspended host of Angel FM’s morning show has rejected allegations leveled against him by Assin Central lawmaker Kennedy Agyapong to the effect that he owes him GH¢10,000. Captain Smart, Accra-based Kingdom FM, challenged Kennedy Agyapong to come to his house for his money if he indeed owes him. He wondered why Kennedy Agyapong will raise an issue that happened in 2018 at a time when he (Captain Smart) is fighting the ‘system.' Kennedy Agyapong alleged that captain Smart had failed to pay for some air conditions he bought from one of his shops. Captain Smart, you came for my air-condition three years ago and up till now, you owe GH¢10,000.

Atubiga was suspended by the party on March 24, 2021 for breaching the party’s code of conduct. On May 20, 2021, Atubiga formally wrote to the party on his decision to revoke his membership and set up his own party. But in a letter dated May 26, 2021 and sighted by GhanaWeb, the NDC said it has accepted Atubiga’s resignation. The party said that it was hopeful of engaging Atubiga and educating him on codes he breached but welcomed his decision, nonetheless. “(The) Functional Executive Committee (FEC) accepts your letter of resignation and wishes to thank you for the support and sacrifice rendered to the party in the past,” parts of the letter read.

General News of Thursday, 27 May 2021Source: www.ghanaweb.com• The contractors for the Law Village Project say they will deliver the project on time• They Joberg Ghana Ltd is expected to deliver the project by the end of 2022• President Akufo-Addo cut the sod for the project which is to replace the existing Ghana School of Law at MakolaWe are determined and will finish the project on time. That’s the assurance of the contractors seeing to the construction of the new Law Village which will replace the Ghana Law School campus situated at Makola in Accra. The Director of the Ghana Law School, Mr. Kwasi Prempeh-Eck, urged the contractors of the project to stick to the timelines of the project that is to be completed in a year from now. When completed, the Law Village will occupy a 5-acre parcel of the University of Ghana land. The Law Village will also address the challenges posed by the current dilapidated facilities and traffic congestion at the main law school campus at Makola in the central business district of Accra.