Julius Neequaye Kotey is the CEO of DVLA

The Chief Executive Officer of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA), Julius Neequaye Kotey, has disclosed that he inherited a staggering financial deficit upon assuming office.

He said the debts totaled over $200 million in foreign currency and GH¢300 million in local currency.

Speaking on Channel One TV’s Face to Face on August 19, 2025, Kotey described the financial state of the Authority as dire, citing mismanagement and legacy liabilities from the previous administration.

“I inherited debt, which I made the public aware of. In our dollar account, we were owing close to $200 million. In our cedi account, we were owing about GH¢300 million,” Kotey stated.

Cedi weakens to GH¢10.82 per US dollar

Despite these challenges, Kotey noted that there has been significant progress made under his leadership.

He pointed to a series of structural reforms, including enhanced revenue collection systems, digitisation of services, and tighter financial controls.

These efforts, he said, have led to a 57% increase in revenue in the first quarter of 2025 alone.

“I don’t want to blow my horns, but I have been able to make a lot of changes. In the 2025 first quarter, I moved revenue up by 57%,” he said.

SA/MA

How Virtual Reality is enhancing business and customer experience

Arteta knows this is the season he must land a major prize, and to do so he has been heavily backed by Arsenal’s hierarchy.

As well as Madueke, the Gunners have concluded moves to sign Spain’s outstanding midfielder Martin Zubimendi in a deal worth up to £60m and, at least 12 months too late, a recognised striker in Viktor Gyokeres, from Sporting for £64m.

In Eze, who had two years left on his Palace contract, Arsenal will get a versatile forward rich in natural talent who is a match-winner – as he proved when scoring the winner against Manchester City in May’s FA Cup final.

This was a follow-up to the spectacular right-foot finish that set Palace on their way to a 3-0 win over Aston Villa at Wembley in the semi-final. Eze also scored the Eagles’ opener when they beat Fulham 3-0 at Craven Cottage in the quarter-final.

Eze has demonstrated he has the temperament and talent for the big occasion when inspiring Palace to the first major trophy in their history.

Arsenal will hope he has plenty of those occasions ahead.

He is a scorer and creator who will add real threat to Arsenal’s front line, with 14 goals and 11 assists in all competitions last season.

Eze was a boyhood Arsenal fan and was part of the club’s academy until he was 13. He may have been initially keen on a move to Spurs, but once the Gunners showed their hand there was only one part of north London he was heading to.

He has achieved his goals the hard way, spending time at Fulham, Reading and Millwall before signing for Queens Park Rangers. He left Loftus Road for Palace in a £19.5m deal in August 2020.

Spurs believe they did all they could to conclude a deal – apart from actually concluding it – but it is a hammer blow to chairman Daniel Levy and manager Thomas Frank, who also thought they had a deal for Morgan Gibbs-White in the bag only for him to sign a new contract at Nottingham Forest.

Arsenal will revel in the local rivalry of snatching away one of Tottenham’s prime targets, but the wider context demonstrates the Gunners are deadly serious about ending a wait for success that now stretches back to 2020.

Eze has previously admitted to “crying for a week” when he was let go by Arsenal in 2011, but the gifted forward has now been given a golden opportunity to make up for lost time.

More than 100 Japanese companies have expressed interest in investing in Ghana following a high-profile Presidential Investment Forum held in Yokohama, Japan.

Organised by the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC) on the sidelines of the Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD-9), the forum served as a strategic platform to deepen economic ties between Ghana and Japan.

Held on the theme: “Ghana is Open for Business — Unleashing Investment Opportunities for Shared Prosperity”, it attracted Japanese investors and the business community, various Japanese development and international cooperation organisations and government officials, among others.

President John Dramani Mahama, in a keynote address at the Presidential Investment Forum yesterday, told the participants that Ghana remained the prime gateway for Japanese businesses seeking entry into the West African and broader African market.

“Ghana is a stable, democratic and business-friendly gateway to West Africa,” President Mahama said.

He pointed to the country’s strategic location, macroeconomic stability, and ongoing reforms designed to significantly improve the ease of doing business.

President Mahama reassured investors that Ghana’s economy was bouncing back, saying inflation, which spiked to a 22-year high of 54.1 per cent in December 2022 and almost 23 per cent in 2024, dropped to 13.7 per cent in June this year and 12.1 per cent last month, with expectations of single digits by the end of this year.

“For those of you who know the history of the Ghanaian cedi, it has been one of the most volatile currencies in Africa. I am happy to announce that this year, Ghana’s cedi has been the best-performing currency in the world,” the President told the investors.

That, President Mahama said, was proof of Ghana’s improving fundamentals and commitment to macroeconomic stability.

To facilitate Japanese investment, the President announced a suite of concrete commitments, including fast-track approvals for projects, readily available industrial sites, sovereign guarantees, and innovative blended financing frameworks.

“In the reviewed Ghana Investment Promotion Centre Act, we’re removing those minimum capital investments.

This will enable any investor, however little money you have, $100,000, $50,000, to be able to come in and set up a business in Ghana,” the President stated.

Under the existing law, foreign investors are required to meet a minimum equity contribution, which must be transferred into an account domiciled in Ghana (Bank of Ghana) before setting up businesses, with higher thresholds for wholly foreign-owned enterprises and trading companies.

Local content key

President Mahama, however, made a pivotal call for reciprocity, urging Japanese investors to commit to local content and technology transfer agreements to build the capacity of Ghanaian workers and managers.

“My three requests are simple. Pilot with us, partner to scale, and invest in people,” President Mahama stressed.

Echoing the President’s assurances, the Chief Executive Officer of GIPC, Simon Madjie, in a detailed investment pitch, outlined the two central pillars of Ghana’s economic strategy: the 24 Hour Economy and Accelerated Export Development Programme (24H+) and the Big Push Agenda.

Big Push Agenda, 24H+

Mr Madjie explained that the 24H+ initiative was designed to extend business operations beyond traditional hours to boost productivity, create jobs and enhance market access.

He assured investors of accompanying financial incentives such as tax rebates, duty waivers and export bonuses.

Elaborating on the Big Push Agenda, Mr Madjie said it was a monumental $10 billion infrastructure plan aimed at closing the nation’s infrastructure deficit and enhancing competitiveness, with a sharp focus on transport, logistics, water systems, agriculture and energy.

The GIPC CEO also detailed a wide array of attractive incentives for investors, including corporate tax holidays for strategic sectors such as agro-processing and renewable energy, location-based tax reductions for businesses established outside Accra and Tema, and customs duty exemptions on machinery and equipment.

He also highlighted specific, ready-to-invest projects such as the Volta Economic Corridor, the Legon Pharmaceutical Innovation Park, and the Kumasi Machinery & Technology Park.

Key sectors identified for Japanese investment included automotive and electric vehicle assembly, agro-industrial parks and food processing, renewable energy, pharmaceuticals, the digital economy, and tourism development.

After the presentation, many Japanese firms took turns to express interest in initiating feasibility studies and pilot projects in Ghana, signalling a renewed momentum in the Ghana-Japan economic cooperation.

Context

TICAD-9 is being held in Yokohama from August 20-22, 2025.

The government of Japan has been leading this conference since 1993, co-hosted by the United Nations, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the World Bank and the African Union Commission (AUC).

Past TICAD conferences have yielded many key outcomes for Africa, including better appreciation of Africa’s development challenges, stronger partnerships between African nations and the international community, and a greater focus on African ownership of development initiatives.

Unlike other such multilateral conferences, TICAD has brought about concrete actions that have translated into financial assistance, particularly in education, water supply, health, and infrastructural development.

The establishment of the African Union’s New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) is known to be one of the concrete outcomes of TICAD.

The Japanese government is financing many development projects for Ghana, mostly on concessionary terms, cutting across road infrastructure, education, health and climate change and adaptation.

More than 100 Japanese companies have expressed interest in investing in Ghana following a high-profile Presidential Investment Forum held in Yokohama, Japan.

Organised by the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC) on the sidelines of the Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD-9), the forum served as a strategic platform to deepen economic ties between Ghana and Japan.

Held on the theme: “Ghana is Open for Business — Unleashing Investment Opportunities for Shared Prosperity”, it attracted Japanese investors and the business community, various Japanese development and international cooperation organisations and government officials, among others.

President John Dramani Mahama, in a keynote address at the Presidential Investment Forum yesterday, told the participants that Ghana remained the prime gateway for Japanese businesses seeking entry into the West African and broader African market.

“Ghana is a stable, democratic and business-friendly gateway to West Africa,” President Mahama said.

He pointed to the country’s strategic location, macroeconomic stability, and ongoing reforms designed to significantly improve the ease of doing business.

President Mahama reassured investors that Ghana’s economy was bouncing back, saying inflation, which spiked to a 22-year high of 54.1 per cent in December 2022 and almost 23 per cent in 2024, dropped to 13.7 per cent in June this year and 12.1 per cent last month, with expectations of single digits by the end of this year.

“For those of you who know the history of the Ghanaian cedi, it has been one of the most volatile currencies in Africa. I am happy to announce that this year, Ghana’s cedi has been the best-performing currency in the world,” the President told the investors.

That, President Mahama said, was proof of Ghana’s improving fundamentals and commitment to macroeconomic stability.

To facilitate Japanese investment, the President announced a suite of concrete commitments, including fast-track approvals for projects, readily available industrial sites, sovereign guarantees, and innovative blended financing frameworks.

“In the reviewed Ghana Investment Promotion Centre Act, we’re removing those minimum capital investments.

This will enable any investor, however little money you have, $100,000, $50,000, to be able to come in and set up a business in Ghana,” the President stated.

Under the existing law, foreign investors are required to meet a minimum equity contribution, which must be transferred into an account domiciled in Ghana (Bank of Ghana) before setting up businesses, with higher thresholds for wholly foreign-owned enterprises and trading companies.

Local content key

President Mahama, however, made a pivotal call for reciprocity, urging Japanese investors to commit to local content and technology transfer agreements to build the capacity of Ghanaian workers and managers.

“My three requests are simple. Pilot with us, partner to scale, and invest in people,” President Mahama stressed.

Echoing the President’s assurances, the Chief Executive Officer of GIPC, Simon Madjie, in a detailed investment pitch, outlined the two central pillars of Ghana’s economic strategy: the 24 Hour Economy and Accelerated Export Development Programme (24H+) and the Big Push Agenda.

Big Push Agenda, 24H+

Mr Madjie explained that the 24H+ initiative was designed to extend business operations beyond traditional hours to boost productivity, create jobs and enhance market access.

He assured investors of accompanying financial incentives such as tax rebates, duty waivers and export bonuses.

Elaborating on the Big Push Agenda, Mr Madjie said it was a monumental $10 billion infrastructure plan aimed at closing the nation’s infrastructure deficit and enhancing competitiveness, with a sharp focus on transport, logistics, water systems, agriculture and energy.

The GIPC CEO also detailed a wide array of attractive incentives for investors, including corporate tax holidays for strategic sectors such as agro-processing and renewable energy, location-based tax reductions for businesses established outside Accra and Tema, and customs duty exemptions on machinery and equipment.

He also highlighted specific, ready-to-invest projects such as the Volta Economic Corridor, the Legon Pharmaceutical Innovation Park, and the Kumasi Machinery & Technology Park.

Key sectors identified for Japanese investment included automotive and electric vehicle assembly, agro-industrial parks and food processing, renewable energy, pharmaceuticals, the digital economy, and tourism development.

After the presentation, many Japanese firms took turns to express interest in initiating feasibility studies and pilot projects in Ghana, signalling a renewed momentum in the Ghana-Japan economic cooperation.

Context

TICAD-9 is being held in Yokohama from August 20-22, 2025.

The government of Japan has been leading this conference since 1993, co-hosted by the United Nations, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the World Bank and the African Union Commission (AUC).

Past TICAD conferences have yielded many key outcomes for Africa, including better appreciation of Africa’s development challenges, stronger partnerships between African nations and the international community, and a greater focus on African ownership of development initiatives.

Unlike other such multilateral conferences, TICAD has brought about concrete actions that have translated into financial assistance, particularly in education, water supply, health, and infrastructural development.

The establishment of the African Union’s New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) is known to be one of the concrete outcomes of TICAD.

The Japanese government is financing many development projects for Ghana, mostly on concessionary terms, cutting across road infrastructure, education, health and climate change and adaptation.

More than 100 Japanese companies have expressed interest in investing in Ghana following a high-profile Presidential Investment Forum held in Yokohama, Japan.

Organised by the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC) on the sidelines of the Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD-9), the forum served as a strategic platform to deepen economic ties between Ghana and Japan.

Held on the theme: “Ghana is Open for Business — Unleashing Investment Opportunities for Shared Prosperity”, it attracted Japanese investors and the business community, various Japanese development and international cooperation organisations and government officials, among others.

President John Dramani Mahama, in a keynote address at the Presidential Investment Forum yesterday, told the participants that Ghana remained the prime gateway for Japanese businesses seeking entry into the West African and broader African market.

“Ghana is a stable, democratic and business-friendly gateway to West Africa,” President Mahama said.

He pointed to the country’s strategic location, macroeconomic stability, and ongoing reforms designed to significantly improve the ease of doing business.

President Mahama reassured investors that Ghana’s economy was bouncing back, saying inflation, which spiked to a 22-year high of 54.1 per cent in December 2022 and almost 23 per cent in 2024, dropped to 13.7 per cent in June this year and 12.1 per cent last month, with expectations of single digits by the end of this year.

“For those of you who know the history of the Ghanaian cedi, it has been one of the most volatile currencies in Africa. I am happy to announce that this year, Ghana’s cedi has been the best-performing currency in the world,” the President told the investors.

That, President Mahama said, was proof of Ghana’s improving fundamentals and commitment to macroeconomic stability.

To facilitate Japanese investment, the President announced a suite of concrete commitments, including fast-track approvals for projects, readily available industrial sites, sovereign guarantees, and innovative blended financing frameworks.

“In the reviewed Ghana Investment Promotion Centre Act, we’re removing those minimum capital investments.

This will enable any investor, however little money you have, $100,000, $50,000, to be able to come in and set up a business in Ghana,” the President stated.

Under the existing law, foreign investors are required to meet a minimum equity contribution, which must be transferred into an account domiciled in Ghana (Bank of Ghana) before setting up businesses, with higher thresholds for wholly foreign-owned enterprises and trading companies.

Local content key

President Mahama, however, made a pivotal call for reciprocity, urging Japanese investors to commit to local content and technology transfer agreements to build the capacity of Ghanaian workers and managers.

“My three requests are simple. Pilot with us, partner to scale, and invest in people,” President Mahama stressed.

Echoing the President’s assurances, the Chief Executive Officer of GIPC, Simon Madjie, in a detailed investment pitch, outlined the two central pillars of Ghana’s economic strategy: the 24 Hour Economy and Accelerated Export Development Programme (24H+) and the Big Push Agenda.

Big Push Agenda, 24H+

Mr Madjie explained that the 24H+ initiative was designed to extend business operations beyond traditional hours to boost productivity, create jobs and enhance market access.

He assured investors of accompanying financial incentives such as tax rebates, duty waivers and export bonuses.

Elaborating on the Big Push Agenda, Mr Madjie said it was a monumental $10 billion infrastructure plan aimed at closing the nation’s infrastructure deficit and enhancing competitiveness, with a sharp focus on transport, logistics, water systems, agriculture and energy.

The GIPC CEO also detailed a wide array of attractive incentives for investors, including corporate tax holidays for strategic sectors such as agro-processing and renewable energy, location-based tax reductions for businesses established outside Accra and Tema, and customs duty exemptions on machinery and equipment.

He also highlighted specific, ready-to-invest projects such as the Volta Economic Corridor, the Legon Pharmaceutical Innovation Park, and the Kumasi Machinery & Technology Park.

Key sectors identified for Japanese investment included automotive and electric vehicle assembly, agro-industrial parks and food processing, renewable energy, pharmaceuticals, the digital economy, and tourism development.

After the presentation, many Japanese firms took turns to express interest in initiating feasibility studies and pilot projects in Ghana, signalling a renewed momentum in the Ghana-Japan economic cooperation.

Context

TICAD-9 is being held in Yokohama from August 20-22, 2025.

The government of Japan has been leading this conference since 1993, co-hosted by the United Nations, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the World Bank and the African Union Commission (AUC).

Past TICAD conferences have yielded many key outcomes for Africa, including better appreciation of Africa’s development challenges, stronger partnerships between African nations and the international community, and a greater focus on African ownership of development initiatives.

Unlike other such multilateral conferences, TICAD has brought about concrete actions that have translated into financial assistance, particularly in education, water supply, health, and infrastructural development.

The establishment of the African Union’s New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) is known to be one of the concrete outcomes of TICAD.

The Japanese government is financing many development projects for Ghana, mostly on concessionary terms, cutting across road infrastructure, education, health and climate change and adaptation.

Ghana’s local currency, the cedi, has depreciated against major trading currencies on the interbank market, particularly the US dollar.

In its daily update, the Bank of Ghana noted that the cedi is trading at a buying price of GH¢10.81 and a selling price of GH¢10.82 to the dollar.

The British pound is being bought at GH¢14.56 and sold at GH¢14.57 while the euro is trading at a buying price of GH¢12.61 and a selling price of GH¢12.62.

Checks by GhanaWeb Business on August 21, 2025, at 8:00 AM indicate that the cedi is trading at GH¢11.95 while the pound is selling at GH¢15.95 at some forex bureaus across the country.

Additionally, the euro is trading at GH¢13.95 on the retail market.

Meanwhile, the Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr Johnson Asiama, has noted that the cedi appreciated by 42% in the first six months of 2025.

Mining law set for major overhaul

Meanwhile, watch the trailer to GhanaWeb’s yet-to-air documentary on teenage girls and how fish is stealing their futures below:

SA

The Member of Parliament for Aowin, Oscar Ofori Larbi, is under intense campus and public bashing following disturbing allegations of direct interference in student politics at the University of Ghana.

Reports indicate that the MP stormed the Legon campus this week and is still hovering around in the company of unidentified national security operatives in what many describe as a “mafia-style plot” to impose his son, Richmond Ofori Larbi, as SRC President for the 2025/2026 academic year.

Eyewitness accounts from students suggest the presence of the MP and his team has created an atmosphere of fear and intimidation, sparking widespread anxiety ahead of Thursday’s critical run-off between Richmond and his rival, Evander Kofi Akrasi.

The University of Ghana authorities have, so far, remained conspicuously silent, fueling speculation that Mr. Larbi’s influence and alleged strong ties within the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) are shielding him from scrutiny.

“Why should an MP, elected to serve the people of Ghana, descend into the murky waters of student elections?

What business does an honorable Member of Parliament have intimidating young students just to fix his son?” one concerned student lamented in a WhatsApp group that has since gone viral on campus.

SEE EVIDENCE HERE:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DNl_rFqsqae/?igsh=enV5NGsxOTRleG10

Tarnished Integrity

This is not the first time Mr. Oscar Ofori Larbi’s name has been dragged into controversy.

His reputation has long been stained by serious allegations of illegal mining (galamsey) operations within his constituency.

The Aowin Traditional Council has openly accused their MP of masterminding galamsey activities in the Tano Anwia Forest Reserve. Chiefs allege that Mr. Larbi formed a private “galamsey squad” and employed armed thugs from Northern Ghana to operate under his authority shortly after the NDC returned to power in 2024.

“When Nana heard about the issue, we called Larbi, but he didn’t show up. Instead, his special assistant admitted that those destroying our forests were working under his authority,” said Nana Ntow, Chief of Nkwanta, recalling how the MP brushed aside calls to account for the environmental destruction.

Despite repeated summons from traditional leaders, the MP allegedly ignored their concerns and responded with arrogance when the matter was escalated to the NDC Regional Executives.

A Pattern of Abuse

Critics argue that Mr. Larbi’s alleged conduct—whether intimidating university students to hijack an election, or sponsoring illegal mining in his constituency—paints a damning portrait of an elected official who has abandoned his duty to be a role model and servant of the people.

Instead, his actions appear to follow a dangerous pattern of power abuse, political arrogance, and disregard for democratic principles.

As one student leader put it: “If an MP can intimidate us here on campus for the sake of his son, what else is he capable of in national politics? This is the kind of dishonorable leadership that is destroying Ghana.”

The situation at Legon remains tense as the SRC election run-off looms today, Thursday, August 21, 2025, with fears that the involvement of the Aowin MP could compromise the credibility of the process.

Meanwhile, pressure is mounting on both the University authorities to call Hon. Larbi to order before the situation escalates into chaos.

On August 6, 2025, Ghana was hit by a tragedy when eight of its compatriots perished in a ghastly helicopter crash in the Adansi area in the Ashanti Region. The unfor­tunate accident drowned the nation in sorrow as citizens home and abroad mourned the passing of the eight.

Since the day of the crash till they were interred on August 15 after a state funeral, the national discussion was about their de­mise, how their memories could be preserved and what could be done to avoid any such calamity in the future.

They were Dr Edward Kofi Omane Boamah, Defence Minister; Alhaji Dr Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed, Minister for Environment, Science and Technology and MP for Tamale Central, and Alhaji Mohammed Muniru Limuna, Acting Deputy Coordinator, National Security and a former Minister for Food and Agriculture.

Others were Dr Samuel Sarpong, Vice Chair, Nation­al Democratic Congress and Samuel Aboagye, Deputy Director-General, NADMO and former NDC Parliamentary Candidate, Obuasi East.

The rest were crew members; Squadron Leader Peter Bafemi Anala, posthumously promoted to the rank of Wing Com­mander, Flying Officer Manaen Twum-Amadu, now Flight Lieutenant, and Sergeant Ernest Addo Mensah, now Flight Sergeant.

As the news of the accident spread like wildfire amidst speculations about who might have been onboard the Z9 helicopter which was travelling to Obuasi for an event aimed at ensuring responsible small scale mining, all eyes were on the seat of government, the Presidency, to speak to Ghanaians, confirm the crash and reveal the identi­ties of the victims.

There steps up the Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah, in his usual calm disposition. Supported by the Vice President, Prof. Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, and some ministers of state, Mr Debrah confirmed the news, revealed the identities of the victims, directed that all flags flew at half-mast and con­veyed President John Dramani Mahama and the Government’s condolences to the bereaved families and the Ghanaian people.

After that fateful day, the Chief of Staff, as the head of President Mahama’s appoin­tees, has provided leadership in arguably what has been the most difficult moment for the administration thus far.

Standing by President Maha­ma every step of the way until the remains of the victims were lowered into their final resting places, Mr Debrah ensured his former colleagues and service­men received the honour they deserved.

From staying late in the night to receive the remains of the victims, the Chief of Staff led government delegations to the homes of some of the victims, and was also on hand to receive international mourners on behalf of President Mahama, who obviously was hard hit by the death of his appointees, party official and members of the Armed Forces of which he is the Commander in Chief. So devastated was the President that anytime he appeared in public, one could see how tell­ing the death of the eight were on him.

Overwhelmed by sorrow and grief himself, Mr Debrah, alongside President Mahama, could not hold his tears as the President could not hold his when high government offi­cials gathered at the Presidency Gardens, a day after the tragic incident, to lay flowers for the fallen heroes. His shoulder became the resting place for the devastated First Lady, Mrs Lor­dina Mahama, who broke down when she visited the Garden to lay a flower in memory of the deceased.

As he said in his tribute to the victims at the Evening of Reflections and Memori­als,…”it will take a long while to forget or heal these scars” but the country must move on and honour the memories of the victims by continuing with their legacies of dedication and commitment to the state.

In that moment of national tragedy, the Chief of Staff demonstrated steeze and absolute support for his boss, the President, as they gave his former colleagues who tragical­ly lost their lives in the ghastly accident a befitting farewell for their sacrifices.

As Chief coordinator of the government, Mr Julius Debrah has brought sanity and candour into the administration and same was evident in the final respect the state had for his late subordinates. A right hand man of the President, Julius Debrah has demonstrated a personality personifying trust and support for the President – standing by him and in his stead when the President could not in his lowest moment.

No wonder he was President Mahama’s Chief of Staff in the final two years of the first John Mahama administration, stuck with him for their eight years in opposition, traversed the nook and cranny of the country during the campaigns and now back in office again as the Chief of Staff. Everybody, indeed, needs a Julius Debrah by his side like President has.

The writer is the Presiden­tial Correspondent for The Ghanaian Times

BY JULIUS YAO PETETSI

The United States has stopped processing most visas in Zimbabwe until further notice, its embassy in the capital Harare, said on Wednesday, August 20, 2025, citing unspecified concerns with the government.

“We have paused routine visa services in Harare while we address concerns with the Government of Zimbabwe,” the embassy said in a post on X. It said the move was not a travel ban and that current visas would remain valid.

The government of the Southern African country did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

The pause took effect on August 7, according to a notice on the U.S. State Department’s website, which said it applied to all visa services with the exception of most diplomatic and official visas.

U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration has restricted travel from a number of African countries, saying it is working to prevent visa overstaying and misuse.

Zimbabwe had a visa overstay rate of 10.57% in 2023, according to a U.S. Department of Homeland Security report.

Starting this week, the U.S. will require visa applicants from Zambia and Malawi to pay bonds of up to $15,000 for some visitor visas. The Trump administration has also paused visa processing in Niger.

Harare resident Angella Chirombo said her 18-year-old son had received a scholarship to do his bachelor’s degree at Michigan State University and had been waiting for a visa interview when the pause hit.

“He was supposed to be in school already. I paid for everything else and was waiting for the visa so I could buy tickets,” she told Reuters.

She said other parents were considering booking interviews at other U.S. embassies in Southern Africa, but that she wouldn’t be able to afford the travel.

“Now they are saying we can go to Zambia and Namibia. I don’t even have money right now, and I don’t know where to get this money. There are so many students who have been affected.”

Source: Reuters.com

Julius Debrah, Chief of Staff at the Presidency, has on behalf of President John Dramani Mahama, inaugurated a nine-member Board for the State Interests and Governance Authority (SIGA).

The new Board, chaired by a legal practitioner, Madam Nancy Dakwa Ampofo, will lead the organisation’s strategy and mandate to oversee and administer the State’s interests in Specified Entities.

Other members are: Mr Osei Opoku, Mr Anthony Selom Dzadra, Mr Kwadwo Brentuo Mpeani, Mr Peter Osei Asamoah, Prof. Michael Kpessa-Whyte (Director General), Mr Richard Kwame Siaw, Dr. Emefa Aku Ansah and Madam Vida Addae.

Mr Debrah, emphasising the role of SIGA, urged the new Board to consolidate SIGA’s gains, strengthen institutional reforms, and provide strategic leadership.

He emphasised the critical role of SIGA in ensuring accountability, transparency, and improved performance of Specified Entities.

Madam Ampofo, the Board Chair, expressed commitment to ensure SIGA’s work aligned with government priorities.

In June this year, Prof. Kpessa-Whyte, stated that entities which failed to adhere to performance contracts would be sanctioned.

The declaration, during a high-level meeting, was on the back of weak commitment to performance contracts by some State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs), Joint Ventures, and Other State Entities.

Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of SOEs and Joint Ventures had been briefed on the modalities of performance contracts and the consequences of non-compliance.

Key variables of the performance contracts include Efficiency and Productivity, Management Improvement, Project Implementation, Economic and Financial Positions.

Prof. Kpessa-Whyte noted that sanctions for non-compliance include dismissal, public naming and shaming of entity heads, and the dissolution of boards.

“We can publish the names of entities that have demonstrated a weak culture towards signing performance contracts or have signed performance contracts but are not enforcing them religiously or are not using them religiously to guide their operations,” he stated.

At the same meeting, it emerged that about 100 SOEs had complied with the President’s directive of providing audited accounts to SIGA.

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DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.