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Ken Ofori-Atta’s claim on SML contract false – Manasseh Azure

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Renowned investigative journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni has challenged claims made by former Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta regarding his role in the controversial Strategic Mobilization Limited (SML) contract, which is under investigation by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP).

In a Facebook post, Manasseh dismissed Ofori-Atta’s assertion that he was neither the “originating nor implementing Minister” of any of the corruption cases under the OSP’s probe.

He backed his rebuttal with official documents that directly link the former minister to key decisions on the SML contract.

Azure shared a letter indicating that it was the Finance Ministry, under Ofori-Atta’s leadership, that “determined” the expansion of the SML contract—raising questions about the former minister’s denial of involvement.

According to him, even Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), which co-signed the original contract with the Finance Ministry, was merely asked to make inputs after the expansion decision had already been made.

Further deepening the controversy, Manasseh revealed that the Minerals Commission and the Petroleum Commission—state agencies responsible for overseeing the sectors impacted by the contract—were unaware of its existence when he contacted them during his investigation.

He also questioned the legitimacy of the contract’s expansion, citing findings that SML was not delivering the technological solutions it had advertised. According to Manasseh, when confronted about these misleading claims, the company admitted to them and swiftly deleted the false information from its website.

Ofori-Atta’s recent statement, as published in the media, was meant to distance himself from the corruption allegations that have put him on the OSP’s radar.

However, Manasseh’s latest exposé challenges that defense, suggesting that the former minister played a central role in a deal now mired in controversy.

Read also….

I’m ‘puzzled and dismayed’ – Ofori-Atta reacts to OSP investigation

Aligning Ghana’s financial year with reality

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Ghana’s financial year, ending on 31st December, is a colonial relic inherited from our colonial masters.

While the United Kingdom itself shifted its fiscal year to March 31 (later adjusted to April 5 for tax purposes) centuries ago, Ghana, like many African nations, has retained the December end-date.

This adherence to tradition, however, comes at a significant cost—misalignment with economic cycles, administrative inefficiencies, and currency pressures that undermine Ghana’s fiscal stability.

A growing number of countries have moved their financial year to 31st March to better suit their unique economic, cultural, and administrative needs.

The Case for Reform: Addressing Ghana’s Economic and Administrative Realities

The current financial year-end on December 31 coincides with a period of significant disruption. The Christmas and New Year festivities, widely celebrated across the country, bring a slowdown in business activity and government operations.

Companies wind down, employees take leave, and administrative processes stall, making it an impractical time to close financial books, conduct audits, or finalize tax assessments. This congestion leads to rushed reporting and inefficiencies that compromise accuracy. Shifting the financial year to end on March 31 would allow businesses and government agencies to avoid this year-end bottleneck, ensuring smoother operations and more reliable financial data.

The timing also exacerbates pressure on the Ghanaian Cedi. Multinational corporations typically declare profits and repatriate funds at the end of the calendar year, overlapping with heightened demand for foreign exchange (forex) from local businesses importing goods after the holiday season. This dual demand strains the Cedi, contributing to depreciation and economic instability.

A March year-end would stagger these financial outflows, reducing competition for forex and enabling the Bank of Ghana to better manage currency stability.

Beyond these immediate concerns, a March 31, financial year-end offers broader advantages for fiscal planning and economic alignment. Ghana’s economy, heavily reliant on agriculture—particularly cocoa—experiences significant seasonal fluctuations.

The cocoa harvest peaks between October and February, with financial transactions extending into early the following year. Closing the financial year in March would provide a clearer picture of these economic trends, enhancing budget preparation and revenue forecasting. 

Advantages of a April 1 to March 31 Financial Year

Firstly, changing the financial year period allows for better fiscal planning and budget implementation as the March year-end allows the government to align budget preparation with actual revenue trends, avoiding the last-minute spending rushes often seen in December to exhaust budgets.

The Finance Minister presents the annual budget in October/November with year-end estimates to Parliament. However, shifting the financial year end to March 31, also gives us a true and accurate state of the economy. This would take away the mid-year budget presentation.

A March closing captures the full scope of agricultural and trade cycles, providing a more accurate snapshot of Ghana’s economy

Secondly, it helps to reduce the strain on businesses and agencies juggling holiday slowdowns with financial closures, improving efficiency.

Thirdly, this resolves the jurisdictional gridlocks with regard to multinational firms in Ghana that have to comply with Ghana’s financial year and that of their parent company’s financial year abroad.

Fourthly, extending the financial year-end to March gives the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and local authorities more time to assess and collect taxes after businesses close their books, enhancing accuracy and compliance.

Additionally, it would facilitate smoother parliamentary budget approvals: Parliament typically debates the budget in November and December. A March year-end offers more time to review actual figures, leading to informed fiscal decisions.

During electioneering years, MPs become very concerned about maintaining their seats in Parliament rather than spending time to debate the budget and pass the Appropriation Bill. Whenever there is a transition from one government to another, the new government has some time to prepare its budget.

Lessons from Global Success Stories

Countries that have adopted a March 31, financial year-end offer valuable insights for Ghana. India’s financial year runs from April 1 to March 31, a practice retained post-independence to align with its monsoon-driven agricultural cycle (June to September).

This timeline allows the government to assess crop yields and economic performance before finalizing budgets, enhancing fiscal planning. India’s decision to stick with this cycle—despite briefly considering a calendar-year alignment—underscores its practicality for an agrarian economy, a context Ghana shares with its cocoa and other agricultural sectors. The UK,

Japan provides another example. Its fiscal year, ending on March 31, aligns with the cherry blossom season and the academic calendar, but more critically, it supports corporate reporting and government budgeting. Japanese businesses, including multinationals, benefit from a stable reporting period free of holiday disruptions, while the government uses the early-year window to implement budgets effectively. This synchronization has contributed to Japan’s reputation for fiscal discipline and economic efficiency.

Conclusion

Going forward, I think it would be great for the government to convene stakeholder consultation with businesses, tax authorities, economists, and parliamentarians to build consensus and address sector-specific concerns and adopt a gradual transition to the new regime. If in 2007 Ghana could successfully re-denominate the Ghanaian currency, I am sure we can also make headway.

By aligning our fiscal and financial year period to a regime that better aligns with our economic realities and international best practices, we can ultimately foster greater fiscal stability and sustainable growth.

By Appiah Kusi Adomako.

The writer is an economist, lawyer, and consumer protection advocate. He is the West Africa Regional Director of CUTS International.

He can be contacted via email: [email protected] or www.cuts-accra.org or 0302245652

Samini Collaborates With Soweto Choir On New Single

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Samini

 

Renowned Ghanaian reggae dancehall artiste, Emmanuel Andrews Samini, known in the music scene as Samini, has announced plans of releasing his new single titled ‘Chaana’ featuring celebrated Soweto Gospel Choir on March 13, 2025.

The highly-anticipated track signifies a new chapter in the artiste’s musical journey, following his recent academic achievements. It’s an affirmation of his relentless dedication to producing exceptional music.

Also known as King of Africa Dancehall , Samini’s decision to feature the Soweto Gospel Choir on this record was a deliberate move to craft a project deeply embedded in African traditions.

The track marks the first single off his forthcoming album, ‘ORIGIN8A’, set to be released later this year.

For enthusiasts of good music, the song will be available for streaming on all major music platforms, complemented by an official music video accessible via Samini’s YouTube channel.

The track, produced by the acclaimed Francis Osei, features a vibrant mid-tempo rhythm that perfectly complements its powerful and empowering message.

Adding to the excitement, the music video, directed by Yaw Skyface, was shot in South Africa, featuring breathtaking landscapes and symbolic imagery that reinforce the song’s theme of African excellence and perseverance.

Many music industry stakeholders believe that this release marks a strong comeback for Samini, as fans eagerly await his next chapter of musical greatness.

Credited with several hit songs, such as ‘Linda’, ‘My Own’, ‘Where My Baby Dey’, ‘Master Key’, ‘Body Flame’ and a host of others, Samini has performed alongside Sean Paul, Akon, Kevin Little, Shaggy, Wayne Wonder, Damian Marley, Bennie Man, Jay-Z, Chaka Demus& Pliers, and Steel Pulse, among others.

He has also received both local and international recognition, as well as toured the UK, USA, Germany, Italy, Canada, and the Netherlands.

On December 13, 2018, Samini was enskinned as a chief in his hometown. The title given to him by the Wa Naa (Paramount Chief of Wa) is ‘Pebilii Naa’, which means ‘King of the Rocks’.

He received international recognition when he won the “Best African Act” at the 2006 MOBO Awards.

After releasing his second self-titled studio album, ‘Samini’, he won three awards at the then 2007 Vodafone Ghana Awards.

In February 2008, Samini won the ‘African Artiste of the Year’ award at The Headies. His third studio album, ‘Dagaati’, was released in 2008.

After launching his 7th studio album on December 22, 2018 titled ‘Untamed’, he won the Reggaeville 2018 Album of the Year.

 

By George Clifford Owusu

Former Minister seeks clarity on inclusion of graduates with disabilities in military NSS programme

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By Kingsley Mamore

Dambai (O/R) Mar 10, GNA – Dr Joshua Makubu, a former Oti Regional Minister, has raised concerns about the inclusion of Persons with Disabilities in the upcoming military training programme for National Service Scheme (NSS) graduates.

As the Campaign Coordinator for PWDs and Special Needs, Dr Makubu is seeking clarity from the government on how the programme would cater for the needs of graduates with disabilities in the country.

This comes after President John Dramani Mahama-led government announced plans to introduce short military training programme for NSS personnel.

Dr Makubu concerns highlighted the need for an inclusive approach that ensures equal opportunities for all graduates, regardless of their abilities or disabilities.

As someone who has been advocating for the rights and inclusion of PWDs, Dr Makubu’s concerns are not unfounded.

He has been instrumental in pushing for policies that support persons with disabilities, including the increase of the percentage allocation for PWDs under the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF) from two per cent to three per cent.

Dr Makubu”s efforts have also led to the disbursement of over GH¢331 million to support persons with disabilities across 261 Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) since 2017.

His commitment to inclusivity and accessibility is evident in his work, and his concerns about the military NSS programme are testament to his dedication to ensuring equal opportunities for all.

GNA

‘NCDs Burden On The Rise’

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Participants in a group photograph after the seminar

 

The National Coordinator, Ghana NCD Alliance, Labram Musah, has disclosed that the burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) continues to rise steadily across the country, noting that over 60% of people living with NCDs experience financial burden.

He further explained that, financial burden results from out-of-pocket payment cost for medicines, outpatient visits and hospitalisation, which leads persons, families and communities into poverty.

He said this at the capacity-building seminar for media professionals and civil society organisations (CSOs) on non-communicable diseases and universal health coverage (UHC), organised by the Ghana NCD Alliance in collaboration with the Private Newspapers and Online News Publishers Association of Ghana (PRINPAG) and Media Alliance in Tobacco Control and Health (MATCOH).

Mr. Musah detailed that, NCDs contributes to 74% of deaths globally, with 80% of the deaths occurring mostly in the low-and middle-income countries.

Highlighting the objectives of universal health coverage, he underscored that it aims to ensure that everyone can lead a healthy life without the burden of high medical costs.

Notably, he pointed out that, Ghana has made significant strides towards achieving universal health coverage, and these key initiatives include; National Health Insurance Scheme (2004-to date), Ghana’s roadmap for attaining UHC (2023-2030), Passage of  Excise Tax Amendment Act, 2023 to reduce the accessibility and affordability of unhealthy commodities to reduce NCDs burden.

Despite efforts to achieve universal health coverage, he stressed that Ghana’s progress towards achieving UHC is hindered by several key challenges, including the increase of NCDs burden, inadequate investment in NCDs, and lack of dedicated national funding mechanism for NCDs prevention and management.

For his part, the Chairman of Media Alliance in Tobacco Control and Health, Jeorge Wilson Kingson mentioned that, the global burden of non-communicable diseases in Ghana cannot be ignored, needless to say that these diseases now account for about 45% of all mortality in the country,  a figure that has risen steadily over the years.

He stressed that, NCDs is a critical issue that demands collective attention, adding that the challenges in the health sector such as high treatment costs, inequitable access to healthcare and insufficient mental health support only compound the suffering of those affected by NCDs.

“These challenges, not only strain our healthcare system but also deepen the cycle of poverty, as individuals and families are forced into financial hardship due to the costs associated with managing these conditions,” he noted.

Mr. Kingson emphasised that, as preparation is being made towards the formal UN High-Level Meeting on NCDs in September this year, the seminar held provides an important platform to equip media professionals, civil society organisations and individuals living with NCDs with the necessary knowledge and tools to advocate for enhanced government action and commitment to addressing NCDs crisis.

He further stated that, the seminar aims at accelerating progress towards Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3.4 by reducing premature mortality from non-communicable diseases and striving for universal health coverage that ensures healthcare access and protection for all individuals.

“Through this training, we aim to provide a comprehensive understanding of the UN processes, critical timelines and the key advocacy priorities that government actors should prioritise in the lead-up to the 2025 meeting,” he said.

According to him, they want to strengthen the ability of journalists and CSOs to communicate efficiently about NCDs and universal health coverage, as well as to engage with policymakers and drive for the prioritisation of NCDs in the national health agenda.

“Let us be proactive in ensuring that our voices are heard in the policy-making process,” he urged.

By Janet Odei Amponsah