The acting Chief Fire Officer (CFO) of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), Daniella Mawusi Ntow Sarpong, has pledged to lead an open and transparent administration, prioritising the welfare of personnel as the service continues its fight against fire and its devastating consequences.

Looking ahead, she said her vision for the service was to build a vibrant and responsible workforce that would adhere to international best practices in fire prevention and control.

“Trust me, when I say I will be a mother for all. Being a mother means the simultaneous nurturing of rewarding diligence and zero tolerance for all forms of indiscipline and laziness.

What separates the GNFS we have now and from the one we desire is our exclusive devotion to the call off duty,” CFO Sarpong said during a handing-over ceremony in Accra today.

Profile

CFO Sarpong has made history as the first-ever female Chief Fire Officer of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), marking a transformative moment in the organisation’s leadership.

With a distinguished career spanning over three decades, she has consistently demonstrated exceptional dedication, resilience and leadership in fire safety, emergency response, and administrative governance.

Since her enlistment into the service on November 1, 1992, as a Cadet Officer, and her commissioning as an officer on August 6, 1993, she has risen through the ranks with unwavering commitment, amassing 32 years of extensive expertise in fire safety, crisis management and institutional development. 

Gratitude

“With extreme sense of gratitude and humility, I accept the position of CFO, the highest position in the enviable GNFS. Surely, this great privilege with its attendant power comes with great responsibility.

I embrace this responsibility with an unwavering commitment and a renewed appreciation of our core legal mandate of managing and preventing fires in Ghana,” she said. 

She also expressed her gratitude to President John Dramani Mahama; the Vice-President,  Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, and the Minister for the Interior, Muntaka Muhammad-Mubarak, for considering her worthy of the highest position of CFO.

Outgone CFO

The outgone CFO, Julius Kuunuor, congratulated his successor for being appointed and promoted to the highest rank of the service.

He said her appointment was good news as she had much insight of the GNFS, and therefore, in a good position to move things faster for the betterment of the service.

He urged the firemen to team up with the new CFO to move the service to the greatest heights comparable to any such service in the advanced countries.

He also expressed his gratitude to all the officers as well as the civilian employees for the team work, patience and dedication they had put into performing their duties to the fullest even at odd and difficult times.

“You are indeed the type of loving people I shall always remember in my lifetime and during my new hard won title period as senior citizen.

Finally, I wish to also extend my heartfelt gratitude to my family, particularly my wife for their prayers, patience and unflinching support in times of need,” he said.

The Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research (ISSER) has warned that poverty levels in Ghana may worsen if economic growth remains sluggish.

The economic growth is projected to slow down in 2025 despite a rebound in 2024, largely due to reduced capital expenditure, tight fiscal policies, and delays in implementing new economic initiatives.

Addressing stakeholders on Ghana’s economic outlook, ISSER Director, Professor Peter Quartey noted that the country recorded GDP growth of 5.7% in 2024, driven mainly by ICT, construction, and mining However, growth is forecast to slow to 4% in 2025—below the Sub-Saharan Africa average of 4.2%.

He attributed the downward projection to lower capital investment, pegged at 2.5% of GDP, and the slow take-off of the much-touted 24-hour economy policy.

“The 24-hour economy is a medium-to long-term measure and will take time to yield results,” he cautioned.

The fiscal outlook also presents significant challenges. Ghana missed its 2024 revenue and deficit targets, recording a fiscal deficit of 7.9% against a revised target of 4.2%. Revenue underperformed, reaching 15.9% of GDP instead of the expected 17.4%, while expenditure overshot projections.

Professor Quartey expressed concerns about debt sustainability, though the debt-to-GDP ratio has declined to 61.8% due to restructuring efforts.

“We’re inching towards the IMF’s recommended 55%, but complacency could plunge us back into crisis,” he warned.

He cautioned that the government’s reliance on domestic borrowing to fund the deficit could crowd out private sector access to credit, raise interest rates, and stifle growth.

“We risk repeating past mistakes if we’re not careful with borrowing and debt repayment,” he added.

“Already, businesses complain of lack of access to credit and low demand due to reduced household incomes. The crowding out effect from government borrowing could worsen the situation,” he noted.

On revenue mobilisation, Professor Quartey described as overly ambitious the government’s target of increasing income and property tax revenue by 45.4% in 2025.

“This is very ambitious. What new measures are in place to achieve this?” he queried.

While welcoming plans to leverage digital systems for tax compliance, he stressed the need for research-backed policies and mid-year reviews.

“If we fail to monitor, we’ll face shortfalls and rush back to introduce new taxes mid-year,” he cautioned.

Professor Quartey further criticised the poor accessibility of tax refunds, arguing that it discourages compliance.

“If businesses don’t believe they’ll get their money back, tax compliance will fall,” he said.

The broader economic outlook also raised concerns. “Key sectors that drive jobs and incomes, including agriculture and industry, are showing signs of weakness,” he said. Agriculture, a major employer, grew by just 2.8% in 2024 and is projected at 3.1% this year. Industrial growth is also expected to dip significantly from 7.1% to 3.8%, while the services sector faces a similar decline.

For households, this slowdown could mean fewer job opportunities and increased cost of living pressures, especially as the government embarks on an aggressive domestic revenue drive.

“The proposed 45.4% increase in income and property tax revenue could stretch household budgets further if not properly managed,” he cautioned.

Calling for discipline, Professor Quartey urged strict enforcement of fiscal responsibility laws and regular progress reviews to prevent mid-year budgetary shocks.
“We must stop recycling policies that lack data-driven foundations. Only then can we restore macroeconomic stability,” he advised.

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Ibrahim Mahama, McDan and Richard Nii-Armah Quaye

Owning a private jet in Ghana is not just a matter of convenience but also a symbol of wealth and affluence, especially among the country’s most powerful and influential individuals.

While Ghana’s private jet ownership landscape is relatively small, neighboring Nigeria boasts a significantly larger market, with billionaires like Aliko Dangote and Abdul Samad Rabiu proudly owning private jets.

However, checks by GhanaWeb Business reveal that in Ghana, only two prominent individuals are known to own private jets: Dr. Daniel McKorley, Executive Chairman of the McDan Group, and Ibrahim Mahama, CEO of Engineers & Planners.

Ibrahim Mahama owns a luxurious Bombardier 604 private jet, customized with the name Dzata. The jet’s interior exudes elegance, featuring cream-colored seats that provide ultimate comfort for passengers.

Daniel McKorley, on the other hand, owns a private jet used for both personal and commercial purposes. He also operates and manages the executive lounge for private jets at the Terminal 1 section of Kotoka International Airport.

With the continuous rise in global fuel prices, the cost of aviation fuel and jet maintenance can amount to hundreds of thousands of dollars.

According to flyalliance.com, the average maintenance cost of a private jet ranges from $500,000 to $1 million, in addition to expenses such as parking fees, avionics upgrades, interior refurbishments, pilot fees, and more.

The latest individual to join the ranks of private jet owners in Ghana is entrepreneur Richard Nii-Armah Quaye, the founder and CEO of Bills Microcredit.

To celebrate his 40th birthday, he acquired a custom-branded private jet along with a high-end Bugatti Chiron.

The jet, prominently emblazoned with his initials RNAQ, was revealed in a post captioned, “…and I got myself a jet too #RNAQ40.”

SA/MA

Watch the latest edition of BizTech below:

Click here to follow the GhanaWeb Business WhatsApp channel

Ibrahim Mahama, McDan and Richard Nii-Armah Quaye

Owning a private jet in Ghana is not just a matter of convenience but also a symbol of wealth and affluence, especially among the country’s most powerful and influential individuals.

While Ghana’s private jet ownership landscape is relatively small, neighboring Nigeria boasts a significantly larger market, with billionaires like Aliko Dangote and Abdul Samad Rabiu proudly owning private jets.

However, checks by GhanaWeb Business reveal that in Ghana, only two prominent individuals are known to own private jets: Dr. Daniel McKorley, Executive Chairman of the McDan Group, and Ibrahim Mahama, CEO of Engineers & Planners.

Ibrahim Mahama owns a luxurious Bombardier 604 private jet, customized with the name Dzata. The jet’s interior exudes elegance, featuring cream-colored seats that provide ultimate comfort for passengers.

Daniel McKorley, on the other hand, owns a private jet used for both personal and commercial purposes. He also operates and manages the executive lounge for private jets at the Terminal 1 section of Kotoka International Airport.

With the continuous rise in global fuel prices, the cost of aviation fuel and jet maintenance can amount to hundreds of thousands of dollars.

According to flyalliance.com, the average maintenance cost of a private jet ranges from $500,000 to $1 million, in addition to expenses such as parking fees, avionics upgrades, interior refurbishments, pilot fees, and more.

The latest individual to join the ranks of private jet owners in Ghana is entrepreneur Richard Nii-Armah Quaye, the founder and CEO of Bills Microcredit.

To celebrate his 40th birthday, he acquired a custom-branded private jet along with a high-end Bugatti Chiron.

The jet, prominently emblazoned with his initials RNAQ, was revealed in a post captioned, “…and I got myself a jet too #RNAQ40.”

SA/MA

Watch the latest edition of BizTech below:

Click here to follow the GhanaWeb Business WhatsApp channel