PANAPRESS
Panafrican News Agency
Ghana: Swearing in of new EC chairperson, IMF verdict reported in Ghana
Accra, Ghana (PANA) – The Ghanaian media this week highlighted a variety of stories including the swearing in of the new chair of the Electoral Commission (EC) and a statement from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on the performance of Ghana’s economy.
The media also highlighted the leaked report of a commission that investigated judgement debts paid by various governments. One topic in the report accused the main opposition leader Nana Akufo-Addo of causing financial loss to the state for his role in a judgement debt against Ghana in a case between the state-owned Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) and French bank Societe Generale (SG).
“I’ll never let you down – New EC chair assured Ghanaians,” was the headline of the state-owned Graphic on the swearing in of Mrs Charlotte Osei, the newly-appointed EC boss, by President John Dramani Mahama.
The story said Mrs Osei, who is the first female chairperson of the EC, pledged to work hard to build on the process of internal reforms to make the institution more effective.
She said she had been humbled by her broad acceptance following her appointment and thanked her predecessors for the strong foundations laid at the EC.
Mrs Osei expressed the hope that with support from her colleagues at the commission, she would continue to build structures that would promote a stronger and more independent EC.
The EC chair acknowledged women in responsible positions, noting that their efforts were part of the factors that opened the doors for her.
The state-owned Ghanaian Times in its story with the headline, “New EC chairperson sworn in,” said President Mahama in his speech admonished political stakeholders to conduct partisan politics in an atmosphere of decorum and civility.
He underscored the need for the nation to exhibit democratic maturity, saying “Violence should not have and must never have a place in our politics, be it intra-party or inter-party.”
Meanwhile, the immediate past EC chairman, Dr Kwadwo Afari-Gyan, was on Wednesday decorated with Ghana’s highest national honour, “Companion of the Order of the Star of Ghana (Honorary Division)”, in recognition of his “monumental, dedicated, unbiased and patriotic service” to the motherland for more than two decades.
“Ghana on track with IMF programme,” was the headline of the Graphic on a statement issued by a mission of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Tuesday after its review of the Ghanaian economy.
The statement said the fund’s Extended Credit Facility (ECF) programme for Ghana to stabilise its economy was on track.
The IMF mission said it had carried out a review of the government’s fiscal expenditure, which it described as balanced, and urged the government to show more commitment to sustain the progress.
It, however, said the ceiling on the Central Bank’s financing to the government was missed by a small margin.
At a press conference in Accra on Tuesday, the head of the IMF team, Mr Joel Toujas-Bernate, said more needed to be done to further enhance tax administration and eliminate tax exemptions to improve the revenue performance over the medium term.
“Inflation is higher than expected, on the back of a larger-than-projected depreciation of the cedi and rising oil prices, and I hope the Bank of Ghana will use its monetary clout to reduce inflation to eight per cent,” he said.
The Ghanaian Times had the headline, “IMF pledges to release second tranche of US$100m”, with the story saying the IMF has lauded government’s commitment to the Fund’s programme and has as a result promised to release the second tranche of about US$100 million in August.
It said a statement by the delegation on Tuesday was full of praise for government’s commitment to the programme.
“The programme is on track, with all performance criteria met except for the ceiling on central bank financing to the government which was technically missed by a small margin,” it said.
“Akufo-Addo accused by Judgement Debt Commission of causing financial loss to the state,” was the headline of Graphic on a report of the commission that looked at many judgement debts paid by governments.
It said the Commission, headed by recently-appointed Supreme Court judge, Justice Yaw Appau, accused Nana Akufo-Addo, presidential candidate of the main opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), of helping cause financial loss to the state in the sale of a drill ship of the state-owned Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC).
The ship was sold by President John Kufuor’s NPP administration to defray a US$19.5 million judgment debt owed French bank, Societe-General, in 2001.
The commission accused Mr Akufo-Addo, who was Attorney-General at the time, of failing to defend the state in court – a development which the commission said led to a higher judgment debt than what Ghana would have paid.
The commission said: “On the appointed date for the determination of the Corporation’s application, the Attorney-General who had taken over the conduct of the case from Bindman and Partners (lawyers appointed by GNPC), failed to attend court.
“He again failed to draw the court’s attention to the fact that GNPC was on a settlement table with SG, notwithstanding the pendency of the matter before the court.
“In sum, the Attorney-General failed to make any appearance at all in the London High Court after he had written to GNPC’s external solicitors dispensing with their services as lawyers for GNPC in the case.”
“…this Commission holds the view that the payment of US$19.5 million instead of the US$14 million earlier on agreed, constituted financial loss to the Corporation and Ghana,” it added.
But in a statement, the NPP has denied that its flagbearer helped cause financial loss to the state.
“…at no point was any financial loss to the state occasioned by Nana Akufo-Addo’s actions in the matter,” the party stated in the statement signed by Communications Director, Nana Akomea.
The NPP also accused the commission of making findings against Mr Akufo-Addo without inviting him to respond.
-0- PANA MA/VAO 4July2015
The media also highlighted the leaked report of a commission that investigated judgement debts paid by various governments. One topic in the report accused the main opposition leader Nana Akufo-Addo of causing financial loss to the state for his role in a judgement debt against Ghana in a case between the state-owned Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) and French bank Societe Generale (SG).
“I’ll never let you down – New EC chair assured Ghanaians,” was the headline of the state-owned Graphic on the swearing in of Mrs Charlotte Osei, the newly-appointed EC boss, by President John Dramani Mahama.
The story said Mrs Osei, who is the first female chairperson of the EC, pledged to work hard to build on the process of internal reforms to make the institution more effective.
She said she had been humbled by her broad acceptance following her appointment and thanked her predecessors for the strong foundations laid at the EC.
Mrs Osei expressed the hope that with support from her colleagues at the commission, she would continue to build structures that would promote a stronger and more independent EC.
The EC chair acknowledged women in responsible positions, noting that their efforts were part of the factors that opened the doors for her.
The state-owned Ghanaian Times in its story with the headline, “New EC chairperson sworn in,” said President Mahama in his speech admonished political stakeholders to conduct partisan politics in an atmosphere of decorum and civility.
He underscored the need for the nation to exhibit democratic maturity, saying “Violence should not have and must never have a place in our politics, be it intra-party or inter-party.”
Meanwhile, the immediate past EC chairman, Dr Kwadwo Afari-Gyan, was on Wednesday decorated with Ghana’s highest national honour, “Companion of the Order of the Star of Ghana (Honorary Division)”, in recognition of his “monumental, dedicated, unbiased and patriotic service” to the motherland for more than two decades.
“Ghana on track with IMF programme,” was the headline of the Graphic on a statement issued by a mission of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Tuesday after its review of the Ghanaian economy.
The statement said the fund’s Extended Credit Facility (ECF) programme for Ghana to stabilise its economy was on track.
The IMF mission said it had carried out a review of the government’s fiscal expenditure, which it described as balanced, and urged the government to show more commitment to sustain the progress.
It, however, said the ceiling on the Central Bank’s financing to the government was missed by a small margin.
At a press conference in Accra on Tuesday, the head of the IMF team, Mr Joel Toujas-Bernate, said more needed to be done to further enhance tax administration and eliminate tax exemptions to improve the revenue performance over the medium term.
“Inflation is higher than expected, on the back of a larger-than-projected depreciation of the cedi and rising oil prices, and I hope the Bank of Ghana will use its monetary clout to reduce inflation to eight per cent,” he said.
The Ghanaian Times had the headline, “IMF pledges to release second tranche of US$100m”, with the story saying the IMF has lauded government’s commitment to the Fund’s programme and has as a result promised to release the second tranche of about US$100 million in August.
It said a statement by the delegation on Tuesday was full of praise for government’s commitment to the programme.
“The programme is on track, with all performance criteria met except for the ceiling on central bank financing to the government which was technically missed by a small margin,” it said.
“Akufo-Addo accused by Judgement Debt Commission of causing financial loss to the state,” was the headline of Graphic on a report of the commission that looked at many judgement debts paid by governments.
It said the Commission, headed by recently-appointed Supreme Court judge, Justice Yaw Appau, accused Nana Akufo-Addo, presidential candidate of the main opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), of helping cause financial loss to the state in the sale of a drill ship of the state-owned Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC).
The ship was sold by President John Kufuor’s NPP administration to defray a US$19.5 million judgment debt owed French bank, Societe-General, in 2001.
The commission accused Mr Akufo-Addo, who was Attorney-General at the time, of failing to defend the state in court – a development which the commission said led to a higher judgment debt than what Ghana would have paid.
The commission said: “On the appointed date for the determination of the Corporation’s application, the Attorney-General who had taken over the conduct of the case from Bindman and Partners (lawyers appointed by GNPC), failed to attend court.
“He again failed to draw the court’s attention to the fact that GNPC was on a settlement table with SG, notwithstanding the pendency of the matter before the court.
“In sum, the Attorney-General failed to make any appearance at all in the London High Court after he had written to GNPC’s external solicitors dispensing with their services as lawyers for GNPC in the case.”
“…this Commission holds the view that the payment of US$19.5 million instead of the US$14 million earlier on agreed, constituted financial loss to the Corporation and Ghana,” it added.
But in a statement, the NPP has denied that its flagbearer helped cause financial loss to the state.
“…at no point was any financial loss to the state occasioned by Nana Akufo-Addo’s actions in the matter,” the party stated in the statement signed by Communications Director, Nana Akomea.
The NPP also accused the commission of making findings against Mr Akufo-Addo without inviting him to respond.
-0- PANA MA/VAO 4July2015
