Accra, April 20, GNA – Ghanaians on Sunday joined the global Christian community to celebrate Easter, which marks the resurrection of Jesus Christ after crucifixion.

It symbolises the triumph of life over death and it is celebrated with various traditions

The spiritual significance of Easter represents the fulfillment of God’s plan for redemption and offers believers the promise of eternal life.

Christians celebrate Jesus’ resurrection as a central doctrine of their faith, emphasising hope and redemption and forgiveness.

Easter is a moveable feast, celebrated on the first Sunday after the Paschal full moon, which is the first full moon on or after March 21.

This date calculation is based on a complex algorithm that correlates lunar months and solar years.

Cultural Traditions

Easter is associated with various customs but what is common among Christians is Church services, including sunrise services, to celebrate the resurrection.

The Ghanaian experience

Easter in Ghana is a vibrant celebration that combines tradition, faith, and festivities.

It is a time for spiritual reflection, cultural activities, and outdoor events which makes the occasion very memorable for tourists and even non Christians.

The whole Easter weekend starts with Good Friday: A solemn day of reflection and repentance, marked by church services and fasting.

Christians rise with the morning sun on Sunday and joyously celebrate Jesus Christ’s resurrection, with decorated churches, music, singing and dancing.

People exchange greetings and hugs in Churches and even on the streets.

Many will wear white apparel which signifies victory and happiness.

Some churches organise parades through palm-lined streets. The fun making will reach a crescendo on Monday.

Easter in the Ghanaian context is a joyous occasion which combines spiritual reflection, cultural traditions, and festive activities.

Ghanaians are religious and will not miss such occasions to portray their spirituality and love for peace and coexistence.
GNA
SOF

The Executive Director of the Centre for Environmental Management and Sustainable Energy, Benjamin Nsiah, has cautioned that Ghana’s recent electricity tariff hike could have far-reaching negative consequences for the economy—particularly for industry and employment.

His warning comes in response to the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission’s (PURC) latest tariff adjustment, which will see electricity prices increase by an average of 14.75% starting May 3, 2025.

The PURC attributed the increase to the depreciation of the cedi, rising inflation, higher fuel costs—especially for natural gas—and the current energy generation mix.

Mr. Nsiah argued that the rationale behind the increase fails to consider its broader economic implications.

“In my view, inflation is already captured within the depreciation of the currency, so factoring it again into end-user tariffs results in double costing—and that double costing will hurt our economy significantly,” he said.

Mr. Nsiah explained that higher electricity tariffs lead to increased production costs for businesses, which then drive up the Producer Price Index (PPI) and, subsequently, the Consumer Price Index (CPI).

He warned that this chain reaction often prompts the Bank of Ghana to implement monetary tightening measures—raising interest rates—which ultimately makes credit more expensive for industries already operating under tight margins.

“When electricity tariffs go up, the cost of production rises.

This drives the PPI up, which then affects the CPI. When the CPI increases, inflation rises, and the Bank of Ghana responds by tightening monetary policy.

That cycle ends up choking businesses,” he explained.

He noted that local industries are already grappling with high operating costs and warned that repeated upward tariff reviews, without careful consideration, could threaten their survival.

“Increasing the policy rate makes borrowing costly for industries. This cycle of tariff adjustments traps the economy in a loop of rising costs and shrinking productivity,” Nsiah stated.

He called on policymakers to critically assess the timing and necessity of electricity tariff reviews, warning that unchecked increases could make local industries less competitive and result in job losses.

“If we keep pushing tariffs upward without a long-term strategy, our industries will suffer, and many may resort to staff cuts or layoffs. This could ultimately increase unemployment and slow economic growth,” he added.

He made these remarks on Channel One’s Newsroom on Friday, April 18.

As the world grapples with economic uncertainty, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank Group (WBG) are set to convene for their highly anticipated Spring Meetings in 2025.

The meetings will take place from April 21–26 in Washington, D.C., under the theme: “Jobs – The Path to Prosperity,” aimed at exploring international cooperation on the future of job creation.

This comes as the two Bretton Woods institutions estimate that approximately 1.2 billion young people in emerging economies will reach working age over the next decade, but only about 420 million jobs will be available to them.

The gathering of global leaders, finance ministers and central bank governors, policymakers, and experts will focus on exploring solutions to recent trade tariff tensions and shaping the future of international cooperation.

It will also serve as a platform for a call to action for global leaders to work together to address pressing economic challenges and build a more prosperous and sustainable future for all.

Ahead of the meetings, Mr Ajay Banga, President of the WBG, highlighted the risk posed by the disparity between workforce growth and available jobs, noting that without opportunity, the forces of fragility, illegal migration, and instability could intensify.

He urged developing countries to establish the right systems and frameworks that allow the private sector to contribute financing and investment, particularly in infrastructure and regulatory environments conducive to job creation.

Mr Banga said the Bank would expand its Private Sector Investment Lab to include the most critical sectors for job creation—energy and infrastructure, agribusiness, healthcare, tourism, and manufacturing.

He reaffirmed the Bank’s commitment to creating meaningful and sustainable employment opportunities, stating: “The idea is to build a Bank that delivers what is demanded—jobs—because jobs are the best way to drive a nail in the coffin of poverty.”

On global trade tariff tensions, he noted that the Bank was engaged in constructive dialogue with the US administration, despite prevailing uncertainty. “They’re asking the right questions, and we’re trying to give them the right answers,” he said.

The World Bank chief called for more efficient border processes, reduced trade costs, clearer rules of origin, and decreased friction to boost trade volumes and provide more stable and diversified growth in developing economies.

Ms Kristalina Georgieva, Managing Director of the IMF, observed that the resilience seen about six months ago was now being tested by the ongoing reshaping of the global trading system.

She outlined three consequences of the current trade tensions: costly uncertainty, a negative impact on short-term economic growth, and long-term productivity erosion—especially in smaller economies—caused by protectionism.

She called for a reset of global trends towards lower tariff rates and the reduction of non-tariff barriers and distortions, noting the importance of cooperation in a multipolar world.

Ms Georgieva expressed confidence in the Spring Meetings, calling them “a vital forum for dialogue at a vital time.”

“All countries, large and small alike, can—and should—play their part in strengthening the global economy in an era of more frequent and severe shocks,” she said.

The IMF chief added that when pushed “hard enough, things that were not possible become possible, mountains that couldn’t be climbed are climbed, vested interests that would not retreat are overcome.”

She called for cool heads, clear vision, and strong will, concluding: “We need a more resilient world economy, not a drift toward division. And to facilitate the transition, policies must allow private economic agents time to adjust and deliver.”

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A political science lecturer at the University of Cape Coast in the Central Region, Dr. Jonathan Asante Okyere, has suggested that the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) is deliberately withholding the findings of the Prof. Mike Oquaye-led committee report on the party’s 2024 electoral defeat to protect certain influential figures.

Speaking in an interview on Accra 100.5 FM’s midday news on Thursday, April 17, 2025, Dr. Okyere claimed that the party’s decision not only to keep the report private but also to bar members from discussing its contents is aimed at shielding individuals whose actions contributed to the party’s loss in the December 7 general elections.

While acknowledging that the party has the right to withhold the report, the political science lecturer argued that making at least parts of it public would promote transparency and help guide future strategies.

“It is troubling that the party leadership is preventing members from commenting on the report. Members should have been given the space to express their views on what went wrong in the elections,” he remarked.

Dr. Okyere further observed that the lack of transparency is enabling certain powerful figures within the NPP to maintain their grip on the party, warning that this could hinder internal reforms and renewal efforts.

The Prof. Mike Oquaye committee was tasked with investigating the reasons behind the NPP’s defeat in the 2024 general elections and submitted its report to the party’s national leadership earlier this week. However, the findings have not yet been made public.

President John Dramani Mahama

President John Mahama has shared what he described as the “most regrettable experience” of his life after attempting to set up a family member in business.

Speaking at the Kwahu Business Forum on Saturday, April 19, the former president recounted how, in an effort to ease the financial burden of his parliamentary income, he purchased a bus over ten years ago for a relative to operate a small transportation business.

Rather than proving beneficial, the venture turned into a regrettable experience that taught him a valuable lesson about corporate responsibility and trust.

He explained that the bus was handed over to a driver who overworked it to the point that the axle broke, resulting in expensive and time-consuming repairs that ultimately undermined the purpose of the initiative.

“Anytime you saw the bus, it had more load on top of it than inside it. So what happened? The axle broke down, and it was the most regrettable experience of my life. When the axle broke down, they came to me to buy a new one. The whole purpose of buying the bus was defeated. Every time it broke down, they would come to me for repairs. It was costing me more to fix the bus than if I had just handed the money to them,” he said.

The situation worsened when he discovered that the driver—who was living in the family home—had started building a house using income from the mismanaged transportation business. That building, Mahama noted, remains incomplete to this day.

“So I refused to repair the bus and decided to dispose of it. I sold the bus. This was several years ago, probably more than ten years now. And ever since I sold the bus, that building, which had reached the lintel level, is still at lintel level—even today.”

President Mahama’s story was in response to a point made by Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin, who had noted that many businesses fail not due to a lack of funding, but because of unreliable partners or staff.

Mr. Mahama agreed, stressing that “finding reliable partners to collaborate with” remains one of the biggest challenges for entrepreneurs and a major obstacle to the growth of the industrial sector.

“There are business owners bringing in foreign managers to oversee their operations because they can’t trust local hires—that’s an indictment on our human resource,” he said.

He urged forum attendees to prioritize loyalty and integrity as core values for building sustainable business cultures.

“If you want to suck your pound of flesh out of a business and kill it, no industry will grow,” he cautioned.

KA

Ever heard of a colonial fort with a children’s dungeon and a unique shrine for the slaves? Find out the details with Etsey Atisu as he toured Fort William at Anomabo below:

Published:
Sunday, 20 April 2025

The teams competing in the CAF African Schools Football Championship, Ghana 2025 have begun arriving in Accra with excitement building ahead of the Continental Finals that will be staged from 21-26 April, 2025.

The third edition of the CAF African Schools Football Championship for players in the Under-15 age-group extends the Confédération Africaine de Football’s (CAF) investment in schools and youth football, with the programme in Accra to get underway with a series of workshops on Monday.

There are eight Boys and Girls teams that will compete on the pitch, but will also receive guidance away from the field on a range of subjects in what will be a life-changing experience for many.

The Capacity Building Workshops will include Safeguarding, Young Reporters, Young Referees, a Coaching course, Safety & Security and Medical.

There will also be workshops for the players on Integrity, and sessions held by UNICEF and FIFPRO.  

The matches at the CAF African Schools Football Championship will begin on Wednesday, 23 April, with the final played on 26 April. All games will be staged at the University of Ghana Stadium in Accra.

The draw for the group stages, which will see the countries split into two pools of four teams each, will take place on Monday, 21 April at 14:00 local time / GMT. It will be streamed live of CAF’s YouTube Channel, CAF TV.    

The CAF African Schools Football Championship was launched by CAF President Dr Patrice Motsepe in April 2022 in Maputo, Mozambique.

The programme enjoys a seed funding of USD 10-million, donated by the Motsepe Foundation at inception. This goes towards the prize monies at the zonal & continental level as well as the organization of the tournament.

There is a first prize of USD300,000 for the continental champions in both the Boys and Girls competitions, while the runners-up receive USD 200,000 and third-place USD 150,000.

This prize money is used for legacy projects in schools, including renovations, building libraries, infrastructure development and other community-related developments.

It is the continent’s premier football competition for girls and boys in the Under-15 age-group and the most successful youth sport mobilization movement in Africa.

Girls Qualified Teams: Ghana, Benin, DR Congo, Gambia, Malawi, Morocco, South Africa, Uganda

Boys Qualified Teams: Ghana, Algeria, Cote d’Ivoire, DR Congo, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda

By Jesse Ampah Owusu, GNA 

Accra, April 19, GNA – Mr. Julius Debrah, Chief of Staff, announced that the Government will establish an Indigenous Business Advisory Council to implement ideas from the Kwahu Business Forum. 

He stated that indigenous business leaders would be selected to ensure the continuous growth of the local business sector.  

Mr. Debrah disclosed this while delivering closing remarks on behalf of President John Dramani Mahama at the second Kwahu Business Forum. 

The two-day forum, themed “The Future of Business: The Role of the Financial Sector,” is ongoing at the Mpraeso Social Centre in the Kwahu South District of the Eastern Region. 

Mr. Debrah stated that the initiative demonstrated the President’s dedication to enhancing Ghana’s indigenous business environment and establishing the country as a leading exporter in West Africa.  

He disclosed that the President had appointed Mr. Seth Terkper, his Advisor on Economy, to oversee the outcomes of the Forum. 

“His Excellency the President, in order to ensure that this does not become an ordinary talk show, has nominated his Presidential Advisor on Economy to have an oversight responsibility,” he said.  

“In other words, he is going to ensure that after this programme, we are going to put our ideas and thoughts together and get all the takeaways, line them up and make sure we are check-marketed,” he added. 

President Mahama officially opened the second edition of the Kwahu Business Forum on Saturday, April 19.  

The forum, a brainchild of the President, aims to foster entrepreneurship and support the growth of Ghana’s Small and Medium Enterprises. 

It aligns with the government’s vision of expanding private sector capacity, particularly in agro-processing and manufacturing.  

As a non-partisan national development initiative, the forum brings together business owners, industrialists, investors, start-ups, and industry players to network, share experiences, and explore ways to raise capital or utilize financial products. 

GNA 

KAS 

By Jesse Ampah Owusu, GNA 

Accra, April 19, GNA – Participants at the second Kwahu Business Forum have called on financial institutions to lower interest rates and ease collateral demands on loans.  

The majority, comprising entrepreneurs and business owners, argued that high interest rates and excessive collateral requirements prevent access to financial assistance and hindered business growth.  

The remarks were shared during a Q&A session at the Business Forum, which focused on the theme “The Future of Business: The Role of the Financial Sector.” 

They raised the concerns during a question-and-answer session at the forum, which focused on the theme “The Future of Business: The Role of the Financial Sector,” held at the Mpraeso Social Centre in the Kwahu South Municipality. 

President John Dramani Mahama, together with Mr. Julius Debrah, Chief of Staff and other government officials opened the event, which brought together financial institutions, business leaders, and entrepreneurs to discuss strategies for the growth of the sector.  

Mr. Eric Kwaku Boateng, President of the Ghana Automobile Dealers Association, said that high interest rates on loans deterred businesses from accessing facilities to support their ventures.  

He noted that most entrepreneurs failed to meet banks’ collateral demands, leading to business collapse, and urged banks to revise their policies to support businesses. 

Mr. Sampson Asaki Awingobit, Executive Secretary of the Importers and Exporters Association of Ghana, appealed for tailored financial solutions t enhance business. 

“Setting up or running a business in Ghana is not easy. We urge financial institutions to open up to our business community and provide access to tailored financial services,” he said.  

Awingobit also called on the Government to create marketplaces and enhance access for exporters and importers. 

Mr. Takyi Addo, Director of Communications for the Abossey Okai Spare Parts Dealers, urged the Government to address high import duties and the depreciating Cedi.  

He said that high import duties, coupled with interest rates, stifled the growth of local businesses. 

Madam Eunice Ohui Hlordjison, CEO of Ephphatha Ghana Limited, urged the Government to implement supportive regulations for the local business sector. 

 She noted that the current business environment did not favor unemployed graduates aiming to start their own businesses, due to a lack of financial products from the state or banks. 

GNA 

KAS