Author: Rebecca Eson

John Dramani Mahama has signed the Value for Money Office Bill into law, in a move aimed at strengthening accountability in public spending and reducing inflated government contract costs. The legislation is expected to introduce stricter oversight of public procurement processes, particularly single-source contracts, which have long attracted concerns over transparency and value for money. Announcing the development after the signing ceremony on Monday, Cassiel Ato Forson, Ghana’s Finance Minister, described the law as a major milestone in the government’s efforts to control rising public expenditure linked to overinflated contracts. According to Dr Forson, all future single-source procurement arrangements will…

David Wuaku, Administrator of the Ghana Sports Fund, has reaffirmed the Fund’s commitment to delivering sustainable financial support for sports development in Ghana, while emphasising the importance of positioning sports as a key component of the country’s broader national development strategy. Dr Wuaku clarified that the Sports Fund’s core responsibility is to mobilise and provide financing, while technical agencies and government ministries remain responsible for infrastructure development and project execution. According to him, funding allocations for sports infrastructure projects will be coordinated through inter-agency and inter-ministerial structures established to ensure proper implementation and oversight. Dr Wuaku acknowledged that the nationwide…

Obuobia Darko-Opoku, Administrator of the Ghana Medical Trust Fund, has announced that the government’s Nationwide Patient Support Programme will officially commence in June 2026 following the successful completion of a pilot phase earlier this year. Speaking during the Government Accountability Series on May 11, Darko-Opoku revealed that the programme had already delivered life-saving medical support to dozens of patients across the country during its trial implementation stage. According to her, the Board of Trustees approved a pilot programme in February involving 50 patients in order to test critical operational systems, including patient onboarding, treatment monitoring, and claims management processes ahead…

John Dramani Mahama has signed the Legal Education Reform Bill (2025) into law, ending the 66-year monopoly held by the Ghana School of Law over professional legal education in the country. The new legislation allows accredited universities to offer professional law programmes, marking a major shift in Ghana’s legal education system and addressing long-standing concerns over limited access to professional legal training. The reform has been widely advocated by legal educators, students, and policy reform campaigners who argued that the previous structure created significant barriers for aspiring lawyers. Speaking during the signing ceremony, President Mahama stated that the legislation seeks…

Ghana is preparing to raise approximately $1 billion through domestic bond issuances to finance cocoa purchases ahead of the 2026/27 crop season, as authorities seek to restructure the country’s cocoa financing model and reduce dependence on foreign borrowing. According to reports citing sources familiar with the discussions, the planned bond programme forms part of broader efforts to stabilise funding for the cocoa sector following recent market volatility. Ghana, the world’s second-largest cocoa producer, has faced mounting financial pressure after the sharp correction in cocoa prices that followed the commodity’s historic rally in 2024. The volatility exposed vulnerabilities within the country’s…

The Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Johnson Asiama, has called on African countries to move beyond fintech experimentation and focus on scaling regulated digital financial solutions capable of delivering measurable economic impact. Speaking at the Future of Finance Dialogue during the 3i Africa Summit 2026, Dr Asiama said the continent already possesses sufficient ideas, frameworks, and pilot initiatives, but continues to struggle with implementation and scale. According to him, the central challenge facing Africa’s digital finance ecosystem is how to transition innovative concepts from controlled testing environments into fully regulated and commercially viable solutions. He stressed that regulatory sandboxes…

AAK, a global producer of plant-based oils and fats, has begun the disbursement of its annual pre-financing support to women shea collectors under the Kolo Nafaso programme ahead of the 2026 shea harvesting season. The initiative, valued at more than €13 million equivalent to over GH¢170 million is expected to benefit thousands of women across participating communities in Northern Ghana, helping to strengthen household income stability, economic resilience, and community livelihoods. The Kolo Nafaso programme, regarded as one of the world’s largest direct-sourcing initiatives for an agricultural commodity, has expanded significantly in recent months. Membership has risen to approximately 275,000…

The UK-Ghana Chamber of Commerce (UKGCC), in partnership with American Chamber of Commerce Ghana, has hosted a special edition of “Jazz & Jive,” a networking and fundraising event organised to mark International Jazz Day. Held at the Four Points by Sheraton Accra Hotel, the event brought together business executives, diplomats, entrepreneurs, and industry stakeholders for an evening that combined live music, corporate engagement, and philanthropy. Beyond its entertainment value, the gathering served as a platform to strengthen business relationships while supporting a meaningful social cause. Speaking at the event, Adjoba Kyiamah said the latest edition builds on the success of…

Ghana’s construction sector is showing continued signs of easing price pressures, with new data pointing to a sustained slowdown in building cost inflation. The trend is expected to provide cautious optimism for investors, developers, and households planning construction projects. According to the March 2026 Prime Building Cost Index (PBCI) released by the Ghana Statistical Service, year-on-year inflation in building costs declined to 2.2%, down from 2.4% in February. This marks the 11th consecutive month of easing inflation within the sector. On a month-to-month basis, however, costs continued to rise moderately. Building input prices increased by 0.8% between February and March,…

Fresh details have emerged surrounding Ghana’s decision to reject a proposed $109 million health assistance package from the administration of Donald Trump, with concerns reportedly centred on national sovereignty, data protection, legal control, and long-term policy implications. At the heart of the proposal was the “America First Global Health Strategy,” a policy framework aimed at encouraging lower-income nations to gradually reduce dependence on foreign aid while taking greater responsibility for combating diseases such as HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, and polio. According to sources familiar with the negotiations, discussions began in November 2025 when the United States chargé d’affaires presented Ghana’s Ministry…