Business News of Friday, 30 April 2021Source: www.ghanaweb.comOn the commodities market, as of today April 30, 2021, Crude Oil is trading at sixty-four dollars, thirty-seven cents ($64.37) as compared to yesterday’s sixty-four dollars sixty- four cents ($64.64). Gold is trading at one thousand, seven hundred and sixty-eight dollars ($1,768.01) as compared to yesterday’s one thousand, seven hundred and sixty-six dollars, sixty-six cents ($1,766.66. Cocoa is trading at two thousand, four hundred and fifty-nine dollars ($2,459.00) as compared to yesterday’s two thousand, four hundred and thirty-two dollars ($2,432.00). Meanwhile, Cotton is also trading at eighty-five dollars, eighty-nine cents ($85.89) eighty-seven dollars, fifty-six cents ($87.56) as compared to yesterday’s trading of eighty-seven dollars, sixty-four cents ($87.64). Coffee on the other hand is trading at one hundred and forty-one dollars, forty cents ($141.40) as compared to yesterday’s one hundred and forty-five dollars, eighty cents ($145.80).

On the debt-to-GDP ratio, he wondered why it was never an issue when in the year 2000 Ghana recorded a debt-to-GDP ratio of 182% [in 2006 constant prices]. Dr. Domfe continued that a country’s debt becomes unsustainable when its debt-to-GDP ratio hits a threshold of 70% or above of its GDP. On that note, he commended Sir Jonah for acknowledging that Ghana’s current debt-to-GDP ratio of 76.1% is unsustainable. But he was quick to ask “where was Sir Jonah when in 2014, 2015 and 2016, Ghana’s debt-to-GDP ratio went beyond the dreaded 70% threshold?” Indeed, Ghana’s debt-to-GDP ratio was 73.1% [in 2006 constant prices] – rendering the country’s debt situation highly unsustainable. Significantly as a result, the debt-to-GDP ratio ballooned to 76.1% in 2020 from 62.8% in 2019”.

The Pound Sterling is also trading at a buying price of 7.9922 and a selling price of 8.0007 as compared to yesterday’s trading of a buying price of 7.9740 and a selling price of 7.9825. The Euro is trading at a buying price of 6.9413 and a selling price of 6.9481 as compared to yesterday’s trading of a buying price of 6.9315 and a selling price of 6.9383. The South African Rand is trading at a buying price of 0.4007 and a selling price of 0.4009 compared to yesterday’s buying price of 0.4012 and a selling price of 0.4032. Nigeria’s Naira is trading at a buying price of 71.5382 and a selling price of 71.7127 as compared to yesterday’s buying price of 71.4587 and a selling price of 71.4954. And the CFA is trading at a buying price of 94.4081 and a selling price of 94.5006 as compared to yesterday’s buying price of 94.5415 and a selling price of 94.6342.

Business News of Friday, 30 April 2021Source: www.ghanaweb.comAccording to government’s issuance calendar, it will borrow some GH¢4.12 billion in fresh funds in the second quarter of 2021. The government will issue ¢11.3 billion via the 91-day Treasury bills, whilst GH¢5.5 billion will be mobilized through the issuance of the 182-day T-bills. The issuance calendar also detailed that GH¢1.57 billion is, however, expected to be raised from the one-year bill. GH¢2 billion is expected to be raised for the five-year bond while GH¢1.0 billion will be generated through a seven-year bond. The financial sector debt also stood at GH¢15.3 billion in December 2020, but GH¢100 million lower, from the September 2020 data.

Her statement follows some tax exemption requests addressed to her office by some Honorary Consuls in the country. “I draw your attention to some tax exemption requests sometimes received from Honorary Consular Corps. Honorary Consuls do not benefit from tax exemptions. The Dean of the Honorary Consular Corps in Ghana, the Honorary Consul of Belgium together with three Honorary Consuls on Tuesday, April 27, 2021, paid a courtesy call on Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey. to deliberate on appropriate vehicle registration number plates and other privileges for the Honorary Consular Corps.

Business News of Friday, 30 April 2021Source: www.ghanaweb.comCommunications Minister, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful has disclosed that co-founder of popular social media platform, Twitter is expected to relocate to Ghana in June this year. According to her, Jack Dorsey's decision is in line with the establishment of Twitter’s presence in Africa along with its headquarters slated to be in Accra-Ghana. In a tweet shared on Monday April, 12, Jack Dorsey wrote; “Twitter is now present on the continent. “The choice of Ghana as HQ for Twitter’s Africa operations is EXCELLENT news. These are exciting times to be in, and to do business in Ghana,” president Akufo-Addo expressed.

General News of Friday, 30 April 2021Source: www.ghanaweb.comOn April 30, 2020, the National Communication Officer for the NDC, Sammy Gyamfi stated that the promises made by the president to construct 88 hospital was a fake promise and could not be done in a year. A year on, the country is yet to see the hospitals President Akufo-Addo vowed to build the new hospitals across the country. Read the full story belowNDC Communications Officer, Sammy Gyamfi says President Nana Akufo-Addo's pledge to construct 88 districts and 6 Regional hospitals in the country is nothing but a "fake promise". "We will, this year, begin constructing eighty-eight (88) hospitals in the districts without hospitals. But Sammy Gyamfi believes the President is throwing dust in the eyes of Ghanaians.

Politics of Friday, 30 April 2021Source: www.ghanaweb.comThe 2020 flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama has said the deployment of “illiterate” agents to some polling stations hurt the NDC’s chances at the polls. Mr. Mahama said this development came to light when some regional chairmen submitted their report on the 2020 general elections. They came with reports and there was one region who stated that ‘some of our party agents were illiterate, they could not read or write. “So it is obvious that they themselves have started doing a review of what went right or what went wrong. “And so we need to get more of our members including our student movement to get involved in becoming party agents at polling stations,” he stated.

General News of Friday, 30 April 2021Source: www.ghanaweb.comOctober 2020 will perhaps be the most memorable and horrific month for veteran gospel musician, Yaw Sarpong. Having ministered at a show, a day before, the veteran gospel musician drifted to sleep while they journeyed from Accra to Kumasi. According to Yaw Sarpong, but for the timely intervention of residents from the nearby town, they would have all perished. His third child, his backing vocalist, Maame Tiwaa and another member of his team, Joyce all suffered various degrees of injuries. Watch Yaw Sarpong recount his horrific accident here:

Health News of Friday, 30 April 2021Source: www.ghanaweb.comOn April 30, 2020, the Director of the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research Prof. Abraham Kwabena Annan stated that about 3 million dollars was needed to prepare a vaccine to help fight the COVID-19 pandemic. He disclosed that the institute has sent a budget to the government to enable it conduct a ground-breaking research. Read the full story belowNoguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR) will require an initial amount of $3million to begin the preparation of a vaccine for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), and conduct other research works, that’s according to its Director, Prof. Abraham Kwabena Annan. “We’ve informed the government that we need adequate resources including funding to enable us to come out with such novel medical research findings. Nine samples were taken from individuals who had no travel history, who are believed to have acquired the infection locally.

Anthony Jefferson Hanson's strength was definitely not academics but he was an 'art god', right from birth. That talent didn't do him much good in school where it was barely recognised but after school, with his grandfather, Emmanuel Ewusi's guidance, he blossomed. Today, his story is different, his work and artistry is speaking for him in Ghana and beyond. What's more, his childhood dream has been realised, his painting of the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo got him a meet with the first Gentleman. "I got lashes, and I cried, he felt so bad so he came and asked; 'so you Core maths you don't know, this you don't know, what do you want to become?'

Isaac Owusu Bempah, during one of his Sunday Service that witnessed Priestess, Nana Agradaa in attendance called on Christians in the country not to condemn the act as God could also use her in spreading the gospel. Rev Owusu Bempeh made this statement when the fetish priestess who had visited his church took the stage to lead a worship session. Nana Agradaa also offered an amount of GH¢10,000 as thanks offering to God for His protection of her family and workers. “On behalf of my family and my workers, we donate an amount of GH¢10,000 as thanks offering in support of God’s work. Rev Owusu Bempah after the donation stated: “I can tell you for a fact, this woman (Nana Agradaa) has a good heart… do not judge her for you will be judged.

General News of Friday, 30 April 2021Source: www.ghanaweb.comThe Ministry of Information is holding the Friday edition of this Minister’s Press Briefing on update on military operations against Mining in water bodies. The issue of mining in water bodies in the country has become a very critical issue and a subject matter for discussion among the general public. However, Government is working assiduously to curb the menance, mining in water bodies is causing in the country. Watch the Livestream of the press briefing below

But behind the glory and panache of Despite and Ofori Sarpong, lies the untold story of humble beginnings that required sacrificing personal glory at some point for a family business. He was blessed to have grown into a family with a profit-making and vibrant business but to rise to his current level, he had to takeover the family business and learn the rudiment of the game. The lessons from managing the family business have become the foundation of what is celebrated by friends and associates as a well-heeled life. “I used the family business as a platform. “I have a younger sister who has taken over the family business.

General News of Friday, 30 April 2021Source: www.ghanaweb.comThe Youth Employment Agency has debunked claims by one Bossman Adutwum that he is owed six months of salary by the agency. YEA in a rejoinder to a universeroom.com news item published by GhanaWeb.com on Wednesday April 28, 2021, said it has no records proving the said Bossman Adutwum to be one of its employees. The agency added that the said ‘Tree Planting’ under which Bossman is claiming to have been employed by the agency as a Supervisor forms no part of employment modules under the YEA. The YEA thus described the claims by Bossman Adutwum and the publications on his claims as “totally false and seen as a populist and malicious fabrication intended to cause public disaffection for the Agency and to destroy the impeccable record of massive transformation by the leadership of the Agency since 2017.”Read the full rejoinder by the YEA below: