🇬🇭💰 Ghana's Cocobod taps $200 mln World Bank loan to rebuild disease-hit cocoa farms
Ghana's Cocobod will use part of a $200 million World Bank loan to rehabilitate plantations destroyed by the cocoa swollen shoot virus, which causes drops in yields and kills trees, the regulator's deputy CEO in charge of operations said.
The disease has wiped off about 500,000 hectares of farmlands and reduced cocoa output from Ghana, the world's second biggest cocoa producer after neighbour Ivory Coast.
Ghana's output declined to 600,000 metric tons last year after peaking at 1.048 million tons in the 2020/21 season, as the cocoa swollen shoot virus, aging plantations, illegal mining and smuggling took a toll on the sector.
A total of $132.8 million of the loan secured by the government last year and the counterpart funding will finance Cocobod's rehabilitation of farms and help to enhance knowledge on the virus strains.
#Ghana #WorldBank
@africaintel
Ghana's Cocobod will use part of a $200 million World Bank loan to rehabilitate plantations destroyed by the cocoa swollen shoot virus, which causes drops in yields and kills trees, the regulator's deputy CEO in charge of operations said.
The disease has wiped off about 500,000 hectares of farmlands and reduced cocoa output from Ghana, the world's second biggest cocoa producer after neighbour Ivory Coast.
Ghana's output declined to 600,000 metric tons last year after peaking at 1.048 million tons in the 2020/21 season, as the cocoa swollen shoot virus, aging plantations, illegal mining and smuggling took a toll on the sector.
A total of $132.8 million of the loan secured by the government last year and the counterpart funding will finance Cocobod's rehabilitation of farms and help to enhance knowledge on the virus strains.
#Ghana #WorldBank
@africaintel
🇬🇭 Ghana lawmaker says jailing LGBT offenders would encourage sodomy in prison
A Ghanaian legislator has asked parliament to replace jail terms for gay sex with non-custodial sentences including counselling, saying the anti-LGBT bill currently making its way through the legislature would only encourage sodomy in prisons.
A coalition of Christian, Muslim, and Ghanaian traditional leaders have sponsored the legislation, which is favoured by most lawmakers and would punish the promotion of LGBT rights with up to 10 years in prison.
Gay sex is already punishable in Ghana by up to three years in prison.
Ruling-party lawmaker Alexander Afenyo-Markin, deputy leader of the ruling party in parliament, said in a motion for parliament to amend aspects of the legislation that he was "all for the bill", but that it must be reform-minded and humane.
He said that jail would be ineffective in addressing a "behavioural problem".
#Ghana
@africaintel
A Ghanaian legislator has asked parliament to replace jail terms for gay sex with non-custodial sentences including counselling, saying the anti-LGBT bill currently making its way through the legislature would only encourage sodomy in prisons.
A coalition of Christian, Muslim, and Ghanaian traditional leaders have sponsored the legislation, which is favoured by most lawmakers and would punish the promotion of LGBT rights with up to 10 years in prison.
Gay sex is already punishable in Ghana by up to three years in prison.
Ruling-party lawmaker Alexander Afenyo-Markin, deputy leader of the ruling party in parliament, said in a motion for parliament to amend aspects of the legislation that he was "all for the bill", but that it must be reform-minded and humane.
He said that jail would be ineffective in addressing a "behavioural problem".
#Ghana
@africaintel
🇬🇭 Ghana's green nuclear plans face delay
Nuclear power is key to Ghana’s transition to greener energy but the switch is facing delays, a top official has told.
The West African nation wants one or two nuclear power plants to be up and running by 2030.
But Stephen Yamoah, executive director of state-run Nuclear Power Ghana, says the country is behind schedule.
“We should probably have been starting construction now, but we’re still engaging to identify the right vendor,” the nuclear power chief said.
The delays were caused by “financial” rather than “technical" issues, Yamoah said.
The Ghanaian government had been in talks with China, France, Russia, South Korea and the US about building the nuclear plants, he added.
#Ghana
@africaintel
Nuclear power is key to Ghana’s transition to greener energy but the switch is facing delays, a top official has told.
The West African nation wants one or two nuclear power plants to be up and running by 2030.
But Stephen Yamoah, executive director of state-run Nuclear Power Ghana, says the country is behind schedule.
“We should probably have been starting construction now, but we’re still engaging to identify the right vendor,” the nuclear power chief said.
The delays were caused by “financial” rather than “technical" issues, Yamoah said.
The Ghanaian government had been in talks with China, France, Russia, South Korea and the US about building the nuclear plants, he added.
#Ghana
@africaintel
🇬🇭 Ghana moves closer to passing bill that would crack down on LGBT
Ghana's parliament on Wednesday moved a step closer to holding a vote on a bill that seeks to further clamp down on the LGBT people, rejecting a proposal that would have seen jail terms for gay sex replaced with non-custodial sentences such as counselling.
A coalition of Christian, Muslim, and Ghanaian traditional leaders have sponsored the legislation, which is favoured by most lawmakers.
Gay sex is already punishable in Ghana by up to three years in prison and that would rise to five years under the bill.
Ruling-party lawmaker Alexander Afenyo-Markin withdrew his proposed amendment after it was rejected on Wednesday. He had argued that imprisoning people for LGBT offences would "worsen homosexuality and its promotion," which he said would defeat the bill's original intent.
#Ghana
@africaintel
Ghana's parliament on Wednesday moved a step closer to holding a vote on a bill that seeks to further clamp down on the LGBT people, rejecting a proposal that would have seen jail terms for gay sex replaced with non-custodial sentences such as counselling.
A coalition of Christian, Muslim, and Ghanaian traditional leaders have sponsored the legislation, which is favoured by most lawmakers.
Gay sex is already punishable in Ghana by up to three years in prison and that would rise to five years under the bill.
Ruling-party lawmaker Alexander Afenyo-Markin withdrew his proposed amendment after it was rejected on Wednesday. He had argued that imprisoning people for LGBT offences would "worsen homosexuality and its promotion," which he said would defeat the bill's original intent.
#Ghana
@africaintel
🇬🇭 Ghana aims to complete external debt restructuring as soon as possible said the president
Ghana aims to finish restructuring its external debt as soon as possible so it can emerge from its worst economic crisis in a generation, President Nana Akufo-Addo said.
"We are committed to concluding the external debt restructuring process as soon as possible, so we move past the crisis," Akufo-Addo said.
He added that the recent replacement of Ghana's finance minister in a reshuffle would not affect the government's commitment to implement its International Monetary Fund IMF programme.
The IMF has expressed its support for the new minister.
#Ghana
@africaintel
Ghana aims to finish restructuring its external debt as soon as possible so it can emerge from its worst economic crisis in a generation, President Nana Akufo-Addo said.
"We are committed to concluding the external debt restructuring process as soon as possible, so we move past the crisis," Akufo-Addo said.
He added that the recent replacement of Ghana's finance minister in a reshuffle would not affect the government's commitment to implement its International Monetary Fund IMF programme.
The IMF has expressed its support for the new minister.
#Ghana
@africaintel
🇬🇭 Ghana's ECG cuts electricity to parliament over $1.8m debt
The state-run Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) on Thursday cut power supplies to the parliament over a debt of 23m Ghanaian cedi ($1.8m).
The outage interrupted a debate on the president's State of the Nation speech.
Local media reported that a back-up power generator restored power to the chamber a few minutes later.
But other parts of the parliament building remained without power for most of the day before supplies were restored.
MPs and parliamentary staff who were using the elevator when the abrupt blackout hit were stuck.
The power company's communications director told it had resorted to disconnecting power because of parliament's refusal to "honour demand notices to pay up".
Electricity was restored later in the day after parliament paid 13m cedi and made a pledge to settle the remaining debt within a week.
#Ghana
@africaintel
The state-run Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) on Thursday cut power supplies to the parliament over a debt of 23m Ghanaian cedi ($1.8m).
The outage interrupted a debate on the president's State of the Nation speech.
Local media reported that a back-up power generator restored power to the chamber a few minutes later.
But other parts of the parliament building remained without power for most of the day before supplies were restored.
MPs and parliamentary staff who were using the elevator when the abrupt blackout hit were stuck.
The power company's communications director told it had resorted to disconnecting power because of parliament's refusal to "honour demand notices to pay up".
Electricity was restored later in the day after parliament paid 13m cedi and made a pledge to settle the remaining debt within a week.
#Ghana
@africaintel
🇬🇭 Ghana passes anti-LGBT bill
Ghana’s parliament has passed the highly contentious Anti-LGBT bill after about three years of deliberations.
The new bill imposes a prison sentence of up to three years for anyone convicted of identifying as LGBT.
It also imposes a maximum five-year jail term for forming or funding LGBT groups.
The bill was approved unanimously on Wednesday following the completion of the third reading. Proposed amendments to the bill were rejected by the Speaker, Alban Bagbin, during the session.
Lawmakers heckled down attempts to replace prison sentences with community service and counselling.
The bill is now slated to be forwarded to President Akufo-Addo for his assent for it to be signed into law. The president has in the past said that he would do so if the majority of Ghanaians want him to.
#Ghana
@africaintel
Ghana’s parliament has passed the highly contentious Anti-LGBT bill after about three years of deliberations.
The new bill imposes a prison sentence of up to three years for anyone convicted of identifying as LGBT.
It also imposes a maximum five-year jail term for forming or funding LGBT groups.
The bill was approved unanimously on Wednesday following the completion of the third reading. Proposed amendments to the bill were rejected by the Speaker, Alban Bagbin, during the session.
Lawmakers heckled down attempts to replace prison sentences with community service and counselling.
The bill is now slated to be forwarded to President Akufo-Addo for his assent for it to be signed into law. The president has in the past said that he would do so if the majority of Ghanaians want him to.
#Ghana
@africaintel
🇬🇭 Ghana's finance ministry warns against anti-LGBT bill
Ghana's ministry of finance has advised against the anti-LGBT bill, saying it could see the West African country lose almost $3.8bn in World Bank funding over the next five years.
The bill, which prescribes a three-year jail term for people who identify as LGBT and five years for promoting their activities, was passed by parliament last week.
The ministry of finance has recommended that President Nana Akufo-Addo does not sign the bill into law until the country’s Supreme Court rules on whether it aligns with Ghana’s constitution or not.
In a statement issued on Monday, the finance ministry said Ghana could lose about $850m in support this year alone.
Officials say this would negatively impact an already struggling economy, reduce the country’s foreign reserves, and affect exchange rate stability.
#Ghana
@africaintel
Ghana's ministry of finance has advised against the anti-LGBT bill, saying it could see the West African country lose almost $3.8bn in World Bank funding over the next five years.
The bill, which prescribes a three-year jail term for people who identify as LGBT and five years for promoting their activities, was passed by parliament last week.
The ministry of finance has recommended that President Nana Akufo-Addo does not sign the bill into law until the country’s Supreme Court rules on whether it aligns with Ghana’s constitution or not.
In a statement issued on Monday, the finance ministry said Ghana could lose about $850m in support this year alone.
Officials say this would negatively impact an already struggling economy, reduce the country’s foreign reserves, and affect exchange rate stability.
#Ghana
@africaintel
Africa Intel
🇬🇭 Ghana's finance ministry warns against anti-LGBT bill Ghana's ministry of finance has advised against the anti-LGBT bill, saying it could see the West African country lose almost $3.8bn in World Bank funding over the next five years. The bill, which prescribes…
🇬🇭 Ghana's president says anti-LGBT bill has not reached his desk
An anti-LGBT bill passed by Ghana's parliament last week, which could derail international aid for the country if it becomes law according to an internal government memo, has not yet reached the desk of President Nana Akufo-Addo, he said on Monday.
In his first comments on the bill's passage, he said Ghana will not backslide on its human rights record, and added that the bill had been challenged in the Supreme Court.
"I have learnt that, today, a challenge has been mounted at the Supreme Court," Akufo-Addo said in a statement. "In the circumstances, it would be as well for all of us to hold our hands and await the decision of the Court before any action is taken," he added.
Akufo-Addo would need to sign the bill in order for it to become law.
#Ghana
@africaintel
An anti-LGBT bill passed by Ghana's parliament last week, which could derail international aid for the country if it becomes law according to an internal government memo, has not yet reached the desk of President Nana Akufo-Addo, he said on Monday.
In his first comments on the bill's passage, he said Ghana will not backslide on its human rights record, and added that the bill had been challenged in the Supreme Court.
"I have learnt that, today, a challenge has been mounted at the Supreme Court," Akufo-Addo said in a statement. "In the circumstances, it would be as well for all of us to hold our hands and await the decision of the Court before any action is taken," he added.
Akufo-Addo would need to sign the bill in order for it to become law.
#Ghana
@africaintel
🇬🇭 Ghana Deputy Finance Minister John Kumah has died, finance ministry says
Ghana's Deputy Finance Minister John Kumah has died, the finance ministry's spokesperson said on Thursday.
Kumah died in the company of his doctor while an ambulance was taking him from Ejisu - the constituency where was MP - to the capital, Accra, about 235km away.
"We decided this morning to take him to Accra so that he takes the next available flight to continue his treatment in Germany," Kumah's spokesperson, Bismarck Owusu Twumasi, told.
Kumah, a lawyer by training and a father of six, assumed office as deputy finance minister in 2021.
Ghana's President Nana Akufo-Addo has led the country in paying tributes to Kumah.
#Ghana
@africaintel
Ghana's Deputy Finance Minister John Kumah has died, the finance ministry's spokesperson said on Thursday.
Kumah died in the company of his doctor while an ambulance was taking him from Ejisu - the constituency where was MP - to the capital, Accra, about 235km away.
"We decided this morning to take him to Accra so that he takes the next available flight to continue his treatment in Germany," Kumah's spokesperson, Bismarck Owusu Twumasi, told.
Kumah, a lawyer by training and a father of six, assumed office as deputy finance minister in 2021.
Ghana's President Nana Akufo-Addo has led the country in paying tributes to Kumah.
#Ghana
@africaintel
🏴🇹🇬🇬🇭🇧🇯 Terrorists in Sahel affiliated with al-Qaeda plan to expand operations in Togo, Ghana and Benin
Departamente reported about a plan of JNIM (affiliated with al-Qaeda) to expand the terrorists' influence in Togo, Ghana and Benin. During a February meeting between the head of JNIM in Burkina Faso and the jihadists' right-hand man in Mali's Mopti region decided "the future of the southern countries".
These plans are indirectly confirmed by the terrorists' activity near borders of coastal countries. Recently, jihadists attacked the village of Tissaogin in southeastern Burkina Faso yesterday, killing 27 civilians, including the local chief. The village is near the Togo-Ghana border.
And Benin was attacked by terrorists late last month, prompting increased security measures.
ECOWAS states are already working on counter measures. On March 7, Benin's army arrested the chief of the village of Malanville in the north of the country for harboring terrorists.
#Togo #Ghana #Benin
@africaintel
Departamente reported about a plan of JNIM (affiliated with al-Qaeda) to expand the terrorists' influence in Togo, Ghana and Benin. During a February meeting between the head of JNIM in Burkina Faso and the jihadists' right-hand man in Mali's Mopti region decided "the future of the southern countries".
These plans are indirectly confirmed by the terrorists' activity near borders of coastal countries. Recently, jihadists attacked the village of Tissaogin in southeastern Burkina Faso yesterday, killing 27 civilians, including the local chief. The village is near the Togo-Ghana border.
And Benin was attacked by terrorists late last month, prompting increased security measures.
ECOWAS states are already working on counter measures. On March 7, Benin's army arrested the chief of the village of Malanville in the north of the country for harboring terrorists.
#Togo #Ghana #Benin
@africaintel
🇿🇦🇳🇬🇬🇭🇱🇷🇧🇯🇧🇫🇨🇮🌍 South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia, Benin, Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast hit by major internet outages
Major internet disruption has been reported in various countries across Africa.
Widespread outages were reported on Thursday in countries including South Africa, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Benin, Ghana and Burkina Faso.
"There seems to be a pattern in the timing of the disruptions, impacting from the north to the south of Africa," said Cloudflare Radar, which provides information on internet connections.
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), which regulates the telecoms industry, said the outage was caused by damage to international undersea cables running along the West African coastline.
"The cuts occurred somewhere in Ivory Coast and Senegal, with an attendant disruption in Portugal," said NCC spokesman.
He added: "You can also have undersea earth slides - sections of seabed can become unstable, sending huge amounts of mud down a canyon or gulley."
#SouthAfrica #Nigeria #Ghana #Liberia #Benin #BukinaFaso #IvoryCoast #Africa
@africaintel
Major internet disruption has been reported in various countries across Africa.
Widespread outages were reported on Thursday in countries including South Africa, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Benin, Ghana and Burkina Faso.
"There seems to be a pattern in the timing of the disruptions, impacting from the north to the south of Africa," said Cloudflare Radar, which provides information on internet connections.
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), which regulates the telecoms industry, said the outage was caused by damage to international undersea cables running along the West African coastline.
"The cuts occurred somewhere in Ivory Coast and Senegal, with an attendant disruption in Portugal," said NCC spokesman.
He added: "You can also have undersea earth slides - sections of seabed can become unstable, sending huge amounts of mud down a canyon or gulley."
#SouthAfrica #Nigeria #Ghana #Liberia #Benin #BukinaFaso #IvoryCoast #Africa
@africaintel
🇬🇭 Ghana says repairs on subsea cables could take five weeks
Repairs on damaged subsea cables that are causing internet outages across West and Central Africa are expected to take at least five weeks before completion and full service restoration, Ghana's communications regulator said.
The break in the cables has led to widespread disruption of internet and telecommunications-linked businesses, including banks, mobile phone operations, money transfer agencies and stock exchange markets.
Ghana's National Communications Authority said the service providers had located the approximate location of the damage and had made preparations to dispatch repair vessels.
"The cable landing service providers have indicated an estimated time frame of a minimum of five weeks for full service restoration from the time the vessels are dispatched to the various locations," the regulator said.
#Ghana
@africaintel
Repairs on damaged subsea cables that are causing internet outages across West and Central Africa are expected to take at least five weeks before completion and full service restoration, Ghana's communications regulator said.
The break in the cables has led to widespread disruption of internet and telecommunications-linked businesses, including banks, mobile phone operations, money transfer agencies and stock exchange markets.
Ghana's National Communications Authority said the service providers had located the approximate location of the damage and had made preparations to dispatch repair vessels.
"The cable landing service providers have indicated an estimated time frame of a minimum of five weeks for full service restoration from the time the vessels are dispatched to the various locations," the regulator said.
#Ghana
@africaintel
💰🇬🇭 IMF's Georgieva said that Ghana programme going well, official creditors' MOU close
Ghana has made tangible progress on signing a memorandum of understanding with its official creditors and is making good progress on its programme with the International Monetary Fund, its Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said.
Ghana reached a deal to restructure $5.4 billion of loans with its official creditors, including China and France, in January.
The agreement with official creditors had been key to unlock further tranches of its $3 billion programme with the IMF. However, it had not yet signed the MoU.
"Ghana is in a good place now because it's advanced negotiations with the bilateral creditors. In fact, there's a very tangible progress concerning the signing of MOU with the bilateral creditors," Georgieva said.
She said she was leaving Accra with "strong confidence" that the Fund's program will be implemented.
#IMF #Ghana
@africaintel
Ghana has made tangible progress on signing a memorandum of understanding with its official creditors and is making good progress on its programme with the International Monetary Fund, its Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said.
Ghana reached a deal to restructure $5.4 billion of loans with its official creditors, including China and France, in January.
The agreement with official creditors had been key to unlock further tranches of its $3 billion programme with the IMF. However, it had not yet signed the MoU.
"Ghana is in a good place now because it's advanced negotiations with the bilateral creditors. In fact, there's a very tangible progress concerning the signing of MOU with the bilateral creditors," Georgieva said.
She said she was leaving Accra with "strong confidence" that the Fund's program will be implemented.
#IMF #Ghana
@africaintel
🇬🇭 Ghana president won't act on anti-LGBT bill before legal challenge resolved
Ghana's anti-LGBT bill passed by parliament in February should not be transmitted to President Akufo-Addo for assent until two legal challenges against it are settled, a senior presidency official said.
Lawmakers unanimously passed legislation that would intensify a crackdown on the rights of gay people and those accused of promoting lesbian, gay or other minority sexual orientations in Ghana.
The bill could jeopardise $3.8 billion in World Bank financing for Ghana over the next five to six years if it becomes law, derailing a $3 billion IMF loan package, according to the finance ministry.
Nana Asante Bediatuo, Secretary to the President, said in the letter dated March 18 and addressed to the Clerk of the Ghana's parliament that it was "improper" for the president's office to receive the bill as required by law until the supreme court rules on challenges against it.
#Ghana
@africaintel
Ghana's anti-LGBT bill passed by parliament in February should not be transmitted to President Akufo-Addo for assent until two legal challenges against it are settled, a senior presidency official said.
Lawmakers unanimously passed legislation that would intensify a crackdown on the rights of gay people and those accused of promoting lesbian, gay or other minority sexual orientations in Ghana.
The bill could jeopardise $3.8 billion in World Bank financing for Ghana over the next five to six years if it becomes law, derailing a $3 billion IMF loan package, according to the finance ministry.
Nana Asante Bediatuo, Secretary to the President, said in the letter dated March 18 and addressed to the Clerk of the Ghana's parliament that it was "improper" for the president's office to receive the bill as required by law until the supreme court rules on challenges against it.
#Ghana
@africaintel
Africa Intel
💰🇬🇭 IMF's Georgieva said that Ghana programme going well, official creditors' MOU close Ghana has made tangible progress on signing a memorandum of understanding with its official creditors and is making good progress on its programme with the International…
🇬🇭💰 Ghana must get fair deal from international bondholders, IMF chief says
Ghana should make sure the debt relief deal it negotiates with commercial creditors do not undermine the country's efforts to recover from its economic crisis, International Monetary Fund chief Kristalina Georgieva told President Nana Akufo-Addo.
The comments were made on Sunday in a private meeting during Georgieva's visit to the Ghana, whose economy is recovering from its worst crisis in a generation after it defaulted on most of its external debt in December 2022.
"You cannot allow the Eurobond creditors to twist your arm," Georgieva told Akufo-Addo.
"Why? Because you have done a very painful domestic debt restructuring that hurt people here and you have agreed, in principle, a debt restructuring with the official creditors of Ghana under certain conditions," she added.
Georgieva said Ghana had to strike a fair deal or else risk facing a scenario akin to Zambia.
#Ghana #IMF
@africaintel
Ghana should make sure the debt relief deal it negotiates with commercial creditors do not undermine the country's efforts to recover from its economic crisis, International Monetary Fund chief Kristalina Georgieva told President Nana Akufo-Addo.
The comments were made on Sunday in a private meeting during Georgieva's visit to the Ghana, whose economy is recovering from its worst crisis in a generation after it defaulted on most of its external debt in December 2022.
"You cannot allow the Eurobond creditors to twist your arm," Georgieva told Akufo-Addo.
"Why? Because you have done a very painful domestic debt restructuring that hurt people here and you have agreed, in principle, a debt restructuring with the official creditors of Ghana under certain conditions," she added.
Georgieva said Ghana had to strike a fair deal or else risk facing a scenario akin to Zambia.
#Ghana #IMF
@africaintel
🇬🇭 Ghana seeks to speed up debt restructuring negotiations
Ghana wants to speed up remaining debt restructuring negotiations, its finance minister said on Tuesday, as the government pushes for a deal to rework over $13 billion of international bonds.
The government reached a deal in principle in January to restructure $5.4 billion of loans with official creditors. It has since started formal talks with one bondholder group under non-disclosure agreements.
Finance Minister Mohammed Amin Adam told that the government had received counter-proposals from two bondholder groups that would be assessed.
"Government has received counter-proposals on the debt treatment scenarios from the two bondholder groups," he said.
"In the coming weeks, government and our advisors will start extensive discussions with bondholder representatives to advance restructuring engagements."
#Ghana
@africaintel
Ghana wants to speed up remaining debt restructuring negotiations, its finance minister said on Tuesday, as the government pushes for a deal to rework over $13 billion of international bonds.
The government reached a deal in principle in January to restructure $5.4 billion of loans with official creditors. It has since started formal talks with one bondholder group under non-disclosure agreements.
Finance Minister Mohammed Amin Adam told that the government had received counter-proposals from two bondholder groups that would be assessed.
"Government has received counter-proposals on the debt treatment scenarios from the two bondholder groups," he said.
"In the coming weeks, government and our advisors will start extensive discussions with bondholder representatives to advance restructuring engagements."
#Ghana
@africaintel
🇨🇮🇬🇭 Cocoa Initiative: Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire inaugurate the premises of a strategic bilateral organization in Accra
On April 18, 2024, in Accra, the President of Ghana and the Prime Minister of Côte d'Ivoire inaugurated the premises of the Côte d'Ivoire - Ghana Cocoa Initiative, a bilateral organization dedicated to defending fairer remuneration for producers.
These two countries are the world's leading producers of this commodity, whose price per tonne exceeded $10,000 at the end of March.
#Ghana #IvoryCoast
@africaintel
On April 18, 2024, in Accra, the President of Ghana and the Prime Minister of Côte d'Ivoire inaugurated the premises of the Côte d'Ivoire - Ghana Cocoa Initiative, a bilateral organization dedicated to defending fairer remuneration for producers.
These two countries are the world's leading producers of this commodity, whose price per tonne exceeded $10,000 at the end of March.
#Ghana #IvoryCoast
@africaintel
🇬🇭 IMF blackmails Ghana over LGBT law
Ghana's parliament, which has been adjourned since March following a row between the speaker and the president over an anti-LGBT bill, will reconvene on Friday to discuss approval of ministerial appointees and other "urgent matters".
Majority leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin said in a statement that the urgent recall was "in good faith to enable government to discharge its constitutional and democratic obligations to the people."
Lawmakers in February unanimously passed one of Africa's most restrictive anti-LGBT bills, but President Nana Akufo-Addo has not yet signed it into law. His office said it would wait for the outcome of two legal challenges to the bill before it passes to the president for assent.
The delay sparked a backlash from supporters of the bill and has hobbled parliamentary procedures in Ghana, including the approval of ministerial nominations following a government reshuffle in February.
Speaker Alban Bagbin, who adjourned parliament in March, said the president's refusal to sign the bill was unconstitutional.
Around 21 nominees to ministerial and deputy ministerial posts, including two for the finance ministry, and other scheduled business, are awaiting approval.
Afenyo-Markin, a ruling party lawmaker for Effutu constituency in central Ghana, said Friday's emergency sitting will also consider a $150 million loan agreement between the government and the World Bank's International Development Association to improve Accra's economic resilience, and tax exemptions for businesses.
❗️The president's decision to hold off on signing the bill came after a finance ministry warning that it could jeopardise $3.8 million in World Bank financing and derail a $3-billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) loan package.
The Supreme Court asked lawyers battling over the legality of the anti-LGBT bill to amend their motions due to insulting language in their submissions and then postponed the case without setting a new date.
#Ghana
@africaintel
Ghana's parliament, which has been adjourned since March following a row between the speaker and the president over an anti-LGBT bill, will reconvene on Friday to discuss approval of ministerial appointees and other "urgent matters".
Majority leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin said in a statement that the urgent recall was "in good faith to enable government to discharge its constitutional and democratic obligations to the people."
Lawmakers in February unanimously passed one of Africa's most restrictive anti-LGBT bills, but President Nana Akufo-Addo has not yet signed it into law. His office said it would wait for the outcome of two legal challenges to the bill before it passes to the president for assent.
The delay sparked a backlash from supporters of the bill and has hobbled parliamentary procedures in Ghana, including the approval of ministerial nominations following a government reshuffle in February.
Speaker Alban Bagbin, who adjourned parliament in March, said the president's refusal to sign the bill was unconstitutional.
Around 21 nominees to ministerial and deputy ministerial posts, including two for the finance ministry, and other scheduled business, are awaiting approval.
Afenyo-Markin, a ruling party lawmaker for Effutu constituency in central Ghana, said Friday's emergency sitting will also consider a $150 million loan agreement between the government and the World Bank's International Development Association to improve Accra's economic resilience, and tax exemptions for businesses.
❗️The president's decision to hold off on signing the bill came after a finance ministry warning that it could jeopardise $3.8 million in World Bank financing and derail a $3-billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) loan package.
The Supreme Court asked lawyers battling over the legality of the anti-LGBT bill to amend their motions due to insulting language in their submissions and then postponed the case without setting a new date.
#Ghana
@africaintel