Ghanaian journalist, politician, and communications consultant, Fritz Baffour has argued that it is premature and unfair to assess the performance of President John Mahama within the first three months of his 4-year tenure.

Speaking on the Joy News AM show, Mr Baffour emphasised that the current state of governance cannot be accurately evaluated yet, pointing out that numerous key positions remain unfilled by the President’s appointees, and the budget is to be approved.

“It is very unfair for us to assess him in just three months, because we are still in the process of appointing all his appointees. We have not yet established our MMDCEs, the budget has not been heard, and the impact has yet to be felt,” Mr Baffour explained.

Mr Baffour also referred to a recent Joy Talk show featuring tax experts, where he quoted their remark: “Look, we can’t feel the impact now.”

He echoed their sentiment, highlighting that it is too early to evaluate the full effects of the government’s policies.

Mr Baffour noted the positive change in the country’s political atmosphere. He pointed out that since the change of government, there has been a renewed sense of freedom and hope, which the country desperately needed after what he described as a difficult eight years.

“The good thing is that there is now an air of hope and freedom, which we needed because the past eight years were a horror story,” he concluded.

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Economist and Professor of Finance at the University of Ghana, Professor Godfred Bokpin has lauded government for scrapping the Electronic Transaction Levy (E-levy).

Parliament on Wednesday, March 26, 2025 approved the Electronic Transaction Levy (Repeal) Bill, 2025 which endorsed the scrapping of the E-levy.

In an interview on TV3’s New Day, Thursday, March 27, 2025, Prof. Bokpin said repealing the levy was a “smart” decision by government as he argued that its passage lacked broader stakeholder consultation.

Prof. Bokpin noted that had the NPP government which introduced the levy consulted industry stakeholders prior to the passage, useful lessons would have been learnt to shape the policy.

He averred that scrapping of the levy is a “win for Ghana”.

“E-levy was a low moment in our democracy largely because there wasn’t proper consultation. I want to believe that if the government at that time had subjected the policy through the filtering process even at the Ministry of Finance and allow for independent evaluation over time, they would have learnt useful lessons.

READ ALSO: Parliament approves scrapping of E-levy

“I believe that it is a win for Ghana and E-levy would now exist in the textbooks and I think that it was a smart move. It is my considered view that regardless of whoever won the 2024 elections, the E-levy would certainly go,” he stated.

The E-Levy, which was initially introduced at 1.75% before being revised to 1%, imposed taxes on electronic transactions, including mobile money payments, bank transfers, and inward remittances.

The levy, introduced in 2022, faced vehement opposition from the public and various stakeholders who argued that it was a double taxation, worsened the financial burden on citizens and discouraged digital transactions.

Both the New Patriotic Party and the National Democratic Congress had promised to scrap the E-levy during their campaign ahead of the 2024 elections.

Finance Minister, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson while presenting the 2025 Budget in Parliament assured Ghanaians that government will abolish the E-levy.

The repeal of the levy now awaits Presidential assent. However, the finance minister is optimistic that President John Mahama

will assent to the recently passed bill abolishing the E-Levy, Emission Levy, and Betting Tax with the urgency they deserve.

play videoParliament has approved the Special Import Levy Amendment Bill 2025 through a majority vote

A motion by the Minority Caucus to have the Special Import Levy Amendment Bill 2025 reconsidered for a second reading has been defeated.

During proceedings on Wednesday, March 26, 2025, the Finance Committee’s report on the bill, being considered under a Certificate of Urgency, was presented before the House.

While presenting the report, the Chairman of the Finance Committee, Isaac Adongo, stated that the committee had approved the bill by a majority vote, as members of the Minority Caucus on the committee voted against its approval.

The chairman further proposed that the sunset period for the bill be set in perpetuity but later withdrew his proposal.

Following the approval of the bill’s second reading, the Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, accused the First Deputy Speaker, Bernard Ahiafor, of denying him his right to speak. He subsequently moved for the bill’s second reading to be retaken.

When put to a voice vote, the motion was declared lost by the First Deputy Speaker. This prompted Patrick Yaw Boamah, Member of Parliament for Okaikwei Central and a member of the Minority Caucus, to call for a division.

Following a head count, the Second Deputy Speaker declared the results as 58 against 126 in favor of the Majority Caucus.

“Accordingly, the vote is lost; the noes have it,” he declared.

The House ultimately approved the Special Import Levy Amendment Bill 2025 through a voice vote, which was declared in favor of the Majority side at the completion of the third reading.

GA

Young Phil Bertino, an 18-year-old man living with autism

Young Phil Bertino, an 18-year-old man living with autism, is preparing to embark on a bicycle ride from Accra to Tamale to raise awareness about tourism.

Phil, as he is affectionately called, is a professional cyclist, a pianist, a lawn tennis and basketball player, and a professional swimmer.

Angel Liz Acquah Bertino, Phil’s mother, told the Ghana News Agency that her son had previously undertaken similar bicycle rides to raise awareness about autism and to inspire others by demonstrating that there is ability in autism.

The Accra-to-Tamale Autism Awareness Ride will cover approximately 600 kilometers, aiming to challenge stereotypes and show that autism is not a limitation.

This ride will be Phil’s longest journey yet, intended to break barriers and promote inclusion for autistic individuals.

During his journey, he will visit schools to engage with students, share educational materials, and meet with local communities to foster a better understanding of autism. He will also distribute books and learning resources to underserved children.

“During these trips, Phil usually visits schools and communities to donate books and other educational materials while educating Ghanaians about autism,” his mother explained.

She shared that Phil’s dream is to become a top Paralympic cyclist for Ghana and called on stakeholders to support his aspirations.

“Phil can currently ride up to 255 kilometers per day,” she said.

Acquah Bertino, who is also the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Litzino Centre for Children with Special Needs—a center that nurtures children with autism and other special needs through good nutrition, exercise, and massage—urged philanthropists and corporate organizations to support Phil’s dream.

US President Donald Trump has announced new import taxes of 25% on cars and car parts coming into the US in a move that threatens to widen the global trade war.

Trump said the latest tariffs would come into effect on 2 April, with charges on businesses importing vehicles starting the next day. Charges on parts are set to start in May or later.

The president claimed the measure would lead to “tremendous growth” for the car industry, promising it would spur jobs and investment in the US.

But analysts have said the move is likely to lead to the temporary shutdown of significant car production in the US, increase prices, and strain relations with allies.

The US imported roughly eight million cars last year, accounting for about $240bn (£186bn) in trade and roughly half of overall sales.

Mexico is the top foreign supplier of cars to the US, followed by South Korea, Japan, Canada and Germany. Trump’s latest move threatens to upend global car trade and supply chains.

Many US car companies have operations in Mexico and Canada as well, set up under the terms of the longstanding free trade agreement between the three countries.

The White House said the order would apply not only to finished cars but also to car parts, which are often shipped in from other countries before getting assembled in the US.

However, the new tariffs on parts from Canada and Mexico are exempt while US customs and border patrol set up a system to assess the duties, the White House said. The neighbouring countries see goods worth billions cross borders each day.

On Wednesday, shares in General Motors slid roughly 3%. The sell-off spread to other companies, including Ford, after the president’s remarks as he confirmed the tariffs.

Asked at a press conference if there was any chance he would reverse course, Trump said no, adding later: “This is permanent.”

“If you build your car in the United States there is no tariff,” he said.

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said his government would put “all options on the table” in response to the tariffs.

Japan, which is home to several major motor industry giants, is the world’s second largest exporter of cars.

Shares in Japanese carmakers – including Toyota, Nissan, Honda – fell in early trade in Tokyo.

A tariff is a tax on imports collected by a government and it is paid by the company importing the good.

Trump has embraced the tool, looking to apply it to a host of goods being imported into the US as part of a wider drive to protect American businesses and boost manufacturing.

But while the measures can protect domestic businesses, they also raise costs for businesses reliant on parts from abroad, as is the case for car-makers.

Analysts have estimated that the cost of a car could rise thousands of dollars, with 25% tariffs on parts from Mexico and Canada alone adding $4,000-$10,000 in cost depending on the vehicle, according to the Anderson Economic Group.

‘Direct attack’

The fresh car import taxes on cars are set to come into force on the same day as so-called reciprocal tariffs kick in for individual countries based on their trading relationship with the US.

It is not clear how the car tariffs might affect those plans.

But many countries, including the UK, are concerned about their exporters being hit as a result of the new taxes.

The US was the top sales market for British-based Jaguar Land Rover last year, with the carmaker selling 116,294 vehicles to Americans, exceeding sales to customers in the UK and China.

The UK government is in talks with the US administration and remains hopeful of a trade deal before tariffs come into force, the BBC understands.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney called Trump’s announcement a “direct attack” on his country and its car industry.

“This will hurt us, but through this period by being together we will emerge stronger,” he said.

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said the bloc would consider the measures before any potential response.

“As I have said before, tariffs are taxes – bad for businesses, worse for consumers equally in the US and the European Union,” she said.

“The EU will continue to seek negotiated solutions, while safeguarding its economic interests.”

Early on Thursday, Trump threatened “far larger” tariffs if the European Union and Canada worked together to do what he described as “economic harm” to the US.

For the UK, the US is the second largest car export market after the EU, with mainly luxury cars shipped across the Atlantic, according to the industry body, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).

Mike Hawes, the chief executive of the SMMT, urged the UK and US governments to “come together immediately and strike a deal that works for all”.

The car industry was already grappling with expanded tariffs on steel and aluminium that Trump put in place earlier this month.

In recent weeks, major car companies such as Ford and General Motors had urged the president to exempt the industry from any further duties.

A 2024 study by the US International Trade Commission predicted that a 25% tariff on imports would reduce imports by almost 75%, while increasing average prices in the US by about 5%.

But Trump has proceeded with the move, which is a revival of an action he first considered during his first term in the White House.

White House officials said it wanted to see US workers make more parts, not simply assemble them, and have maintained their action is pushing firms to relocate.

A day before the latest tariffs, South Korean carmaking giant Hyundai announced it would invest $21bn (£16.3bn) in the US and build a new steel plant in the southern state of Louisiana.

Trump hailed the investment as a “clear demonstration that tariffs very strongly work”.

United Autoworkers union leader Shawn Fain, who had opposed Trump in the election, praised the president’s actions, saying he was “stepping up to end the free trade disaster that has devastated working class communities for decades”.

Elsewhere, the head of trade group the American Automotive Policy Council, Matt Blunt, said: “US Automakers are committed to President Trump’s vision of increasing automotive production and jobs in the US.”