Kofi Ahovi

Newly appointed Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Mahama Ayariga, has called for a major overhaul of Ghana’s waste management system to make the collection, transportation, treatment and disposal of waste more efficient. Ayariga made the call on Tuesday after touring a number of waste management facilities in the Greater Accra Region, including the Accra Compost and Recycling Plant (ACARP), a subsidiary of the Jospong Group of Companies, the James Town Waste Transfer Station and the Kpone Landfill site. The visit formed part of his early engagements with key facilities under the local government sector to assess the state of waste management in the capital and identify areas that require investment and reform. He was accompanied by the Mayor of Accra, Michael Allotey, officials of the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, representatives of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), and other dignitaries. Ayariga, who was only rece...

  Ghana recorded a trade surplus of $4.3 billion in the first quarter of 2026, driven largely by strong gold exports, according to data from the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS). The figures are contained in the First Quarter Trade Newsletter released by the GSS. Ghana exported goods worth US$10.2 billion during the period, while imports amounted to US$5.9 billion. The   Government Statistician, Dr. Alhassan Iddrissu, said the figures meant that “for every 100 cedis that Ghana earned from exports, 58 per cent went back out on imports.” He, however, cautioned that the headline surplus largely reflects the value of goods at prevailing prices. Once we strip out rising prices, Ghana actually received more goods than it shipped; that is, exports of US$ 2.6 billion against imports of $3.2 billion,” Dr. Iddrissu added. Gold remained Ghana’s biggest export during the quarter, generating US$5.9 billion in export earnings. Cocoa exports also improved, but the Government Statisticia...

  Universal Merchant Bank (UMB) has become the first bank in Ghana to receive approval from both the Bank of Ghana (BoG) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to offer virtual accounts to eligible businesses operating within the emerging virtual asset ecosystem. The approval marks a significant step in Ghana’s evolving financial landscape, where regulated banking, digital finance and new technology-driven business models are increasingly converging. For UMB, however, the significance extends beyond the introduction of a new banking capability. It reflects a deliberate strategy to identify emerging opportunities, build the infrastructure required to serve them and work with regulators to ensure that innovation develops within a sound and sustainable regulatory framework. The development comes as Ghana strengthens its regulatory architecture for virtual assets and virtual asset service providers (VASPs), providing greater clarity on how businesses in the sector can partici...

  After nearly 30 years of uncertainty surrounding the death of famed rapper Tupac Shakur, the former leader of the South Side Compton Crips Duane "Keffe D." Davis has been found guilty of his murder. Tupac's death in 1996 during a drive-by shooting has been one of popular culture's great mysteries, with countless theories but no arrests until 2023, when Davis was unexpectedly charged with murder. Over the past few weeks, the Las Vegas trial has centred around a 2019 memoir Davis published, in which he wrote that he had provided the weapon used to kill Tupac. Davis and his lawyer argued this was fiction and bravado used to sell books, but the jury only took a few hours to reach a guilty verdict. As BBC News North America correspondent Shaimaa Khalil writes , Davis's own accounts ultimately led to his conviction. However, this may not be the end of the story. After the closing arguments were read out, the former gang boss told the court he would appeal.

  Financial irregularities recorded across five categories of public institutions in Ghana fell by 62.9 per cent, from approximately GH¢20.72 billion in 2024 to GH¢7.69 billion in 2025, Deputy Minister for Finance Thomas Nyarko Ampem has disclosed. The reduction represents a decline of about GH¢13.03 billion and exceeds the government’s target of reducing financial irregularities by 50 per cent in 2025. The figures are contained in the 2025 Auditor-General’s reports covering ministries, departments and agencies; metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies; the District Assemblies Common Fund; public boards and state-owned enterprises; as well as public universities and colleges of education. Nyarko Ampem disclosed the figures at an engagement on the 2025 Auditor-General’s Reports with chief directors, chief executive officers and heads of institutions covered by the audits. I am pleased to report that, taken together, financial irregularities across these five sectors declined ...

  The government has extended its GH¢2 per litre reduction in the regulatory margin on diesel into the first pricing window of September, in a move aimed at cushioning consumers from rising fuel prices. The intervention, which was initially introduced as a temporary measure covering two pricing windows, was due to expire at the end of August. However, the government has decided to maintain the reduction for at least one additional pricing window, preventing the full regulatory margin from being restored to the price of diesel. The decision follows concerns over a possible increase in diesel prices at the pumps in the latest pricing window, amid elevated international crude oil prices. Diesel is currently selling at around GH¢17 per litre at most Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs). The extension is expected to provide some relief to motorists, commercial transport operators and businesses that depend heavily on diesel, particularly those facing rising operating and transportation costs....