This marks a significant shift from the January start dates implemented in recent years as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a notice published on the university’s official website, KNUST confirmed that the 2026/2027 academic year will begin on Tuesday, October 13, 2026. This move realigns the university’s schedule with its pre-pandemic norm, where academic years traditionally started in September.

The adjustment to January start dates was first adopted in 2021 following widespread disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic across Ghana’s educational sector. The revised calendar aimed to accommodate missed instructional time and ensure continuity for students.

According to the newly released 2026/2027 academic calendar, KNUST will also begin its 2027/2028 academic year on Tuesday, September 21, 2027, further signaling a complete return to the university’s original academic schedule.

The resumption of the previous calendar is expected to provide greater stability and predictability for students, faculty and staff, as well as align KNUST’s academic operations with international standards.

See the new academic calendar here:

Speaking in an interview on The Delay Show on Sunday, Mr. Kufuor said he was impressed by how the Akufo-Addo administration steered the country through the unprecedented health emergency.

“With what I saw, I could say Akufo-Addo managed the COVID-19 situation well,” he stated.

COVID-19 emerged in 2019 and quickly became a global pandemic, causing widespread infections, deaths, and major disruptions worldwide.

Ghana confirmed its first cases in March 2020 and responded with strong measures such as border closures, partial lockdowns, mask mandates, and expanded testing and treatment facilities. The country also benefited early from COVAX vaccine supplies.

By 2021–2022, widespread vaccination helped reduce severe illness and fatalities, even as new variants appeared. As cases declined, Ghana gradually eased restrictions, and life began returning to normal.

However, the former President noted that while the government performed strongly on the pandemic front, certain other policy decisions left him puzzled.

He cited the handling of the bond market, the management of the National Cathedral project, and the manner in which some decisions surrounding it were taken.

“However, aside from that, there are certain things I could not wrap my head around, such as the bond market situation and the National Cathedral project—how it was handled and how it wasn’t done finally,” he said.

He also disclosed that he was never consulted by the Akufo-Addo administration on the controversial National Cathedral project.

Mr Kufuor stated plainly that he had no prior knowledge of the project’s details and was not included in any discussions.

“I was not consulted on the National Cathedral project. I don’t go for Cabinet meetings,” he said. “All of a sudden, you realise something was going on.”

Speaking on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem morning show, Mr. Oppong Nkrumah said:

“Some are claiming that we spent the COVID money without accountability. Let me explain. Ghana’s economy revolves around what we call the ‘Golden Triangle’—Accra, Takoradi, and Kumasi. During the lockdown, these regions, which generate the bulk of government revenue, were shut down. For a month, there was almost no revenue coming in.”

He further explained the challenges of taxing the economy during the pandemic.

“If we had tried to levy the economy at that time, it would have taken a year to see any meaningful revenue. Meanwhile, the government still had to pay teachers, all public sector workers, and provide support to citizens. Unlike the U.S., where programs like FELO helped individuals, we in Ghana paid salaries and even provided free water and electricity to help people cope.”

Oppong Nkrumah on covid expenses

Mr. Oppong Nkrumah also defended the COVID-19 levy introduced later.

“When the debt burden rose, we had to go to the IMF because the economy was hit hard. That’s why we introduced the COVID levy to stabilize the situation. Now, the NDC came to power promising to remove it, but they have not. Why? Because it continues to help the economy. When we were in government, some people accused us of misusing the funds, even blaming me personally. Today, the same mechanisms are benefiting the country.”

He welcomed President John Mahama’s recent admission at the 80th UN General Assembly in New York, noting the long-term economic impact of the pandemic.

“I’m happy the President acknowledged that COVID-19 set the global economy back by 20 years. We spent money to revive Ghana’s economy, but at the time, people used it against us politically. It is only fair that the truth is recognized.”

During the UN General Debate on September 23, 2025, President Mahama outlined his vision for African health sovereignty, a concept he calls the “Accra Reset.”

Mr. Oppong Nkrumah questioned how the President could now recognize the pandemic’s economic impact, given that while in opposition, he had dismissed suggestions that COVID-19 affected the global economy.

Source: Dorcas Abedu-Kennedy

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Speaking in an interview on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem, Mr. Oppong Nkrumah recalled that ahead of the 2024 general elections, the National Democratic Congress (NDC), then in opposition, dismissed claims by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) that global shocks—including the pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war—had contributed significantly to Ghana’s economic challenges.

“God bless President Mahama and grant him long life for speaking the truth. Before the elections, he and his team insisted our difficulties were due to mismanagement. They even mocked us on social media, nicknaming Dr. Bawumia as ‘Bawuliar.’ Today, he goes to the United Nations to admit that COVID-19 has derailed the global economy for 20 years,” he said.

The lawmaker described Mahama’s recent statement as a U-turn, pointing out that during the election campaign, the NDC argued that Ghanaians’ economic hardships were solely caused by poor leadership and not by global crises.

“Their main argument was not about the management of COVID-19 funds, but that the hardships were solely caused by mismanagement. Now he admits COVID played a major role. Unfortunately, it is too late because they secured power on the back of propaganda,” Mr. Oppong Nkrumah noted.

During the 2024 campaign, the NPP government had consistently highlighted the pandemic and other global shocks as factors that strained Ghana’s economy, while the NDC maintained that corruption and reckless economic management were to blame.

At the time, former President Mahama downplayed the international impact, even stating that “the Russia bomb is not close to Ghana” and that the economic challenges were mismanaged locally.

His recent remarks at the United Nations, acknowledging that the effects of COVID-19 will disrupt global economies for two decades, have reignited political debate in Ghana.

For Mr. Oppong Nkrumah, the significance lies in the fact that Mahama lived long enough to make this confession.

“This shows Ghanaians have a short memory, just as he once said. But at least, by God’s grace, he has lived to set the record straight, even if it comes after winning power,” he added.

Source: Gertrude Otchere

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According to a JoyNews source, the figures circulating on social media are outdated, drawn from 2021 data recorded during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic in Ghana.

Hospital officials assured the public that surveillance measures have been heightened, and health personnel are on alert to detect and respond swiftly should any new cases emerge.

They have therefore urged the public to disregard a viral newscard claiming that “six children and 86 hospital staff have tested positive for COVID-19 in Hohoe.”

Meanwhile, Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh has confirmed a recent spike in COVID-19 cases, currently concentrated on the University of Ghana campus.

He said the surge is being driven by the Omicron variant. Addressing Parliament on Tuesday, July 1, Mr. Akandoh revealed that out of 316 suspected cases, 107 have been confirmed.

However, he assured that there have been no hospitalizations or deaths associated with the new infections.

Source: Fred Quame Asare 

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Delivering a statement on the floor of Parliament on Tuesday, July 1, Mr Akandoh noted that although COVID-19 is no longer classified as a global health emergency, it continues to pose occasional risks.

He disclosed that 107 cases have so far been confirmed out of 316 suspected cases, all linked to the Omicron sub-variant. No hospitalisations or deaths have been recorded.

According to the minister, the outbreak was detected through Ghana’s national disease surveillance system and confirmed by the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research.

He said the spike in infections remains confined to the University of Ghana community and is believed to have been triggered by recent Hall Week celebrations during which COVID-19 safety protocols were largely ignored.

Mr Akandoh added that while COVID-19 vaccination is no longer part of Ghana’s routine immunisation programme, the government is taking steps to secure vaccines for vulnerable groups, especially the elderly and those with underlying health conditions.

He also highlighted ongoing surveillance of other public health threats, including seasonal influenza, cholera, and MPOX. So far, 133 cases of MPOX have been confirmed, with no deaths reported.

Below is the full statement:

Addressing Parliament, Mr Akandoh confirmed a recent spike in COVID-19 cases, with infections currently concentrated at the University of Ghana campus. He said the cases are primarily driven by the Omicron variant.

Out of 316 suspected cases, 107 have so far been confirmed. However, the minister assured that there have been no hospitalisations or deaths linked to the new infections.

Mr Akandoh noted that while COVID-19 vaccination is no longer part of Ghana’s routine immunisation schedule—reflecting global trends—it remains a critical tool in reducing transmission and preventing severe illness and death.

“In preparation for a potential surge, we have initiated the necessary processes to secure vaccines in-country,” the Minister stated.

He emphasized the government’s commitment to protecting the health of vulnerable populations, particularly the elderly and individuals with underlying medical conditions.

“This is consistent with our commitment to safeguarding the health of vulnerable populations, particularly the elderly and individuals with underlying health conditions who are more likely to suffer serious complications from COVID-19,” he added.

Mr Akandoh further assured the public that the government remains proactive in its pandemic response strategy, with vaccine procurement efforts aimed at enabling swift deployment should infections rise.

He also highlighted the availability of effective treatments, citing Paxlovid—an antiviral medication taken twice daily for five days—as the recommended option for patients with mild to moderate symptoms and pre-existing conditions such as diabetes or hypertension.

“Most people recover at home with symptom-based treatment,” he noted. “But our hospitals are also well-prepared to manage more serious cases, including with oxygen therapy and comprehensive clinical care.”

The minister concluded by reaffirming the government’s commitment to public health and emphasized the importance of national preparedness, especially for those most at risk.

Source: Emmanuel Tetteh

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Addressing the House, the minister identified the festive gatherings as the primary catalyst for the localized outbreak.

Mr. Akandoh assured the public that although COVID-19 is no longer classified as a global health emergency, periodic flare-ups continue to occur, particularly during certain seasons. He confirmed that Ghana’s national disease surveillance system promptly detected the rise in cases at the university, tracing it to a familiar Omicron sub-variant. While highly transmissible, this variant is known to cause mild illness in most cases.

As of July 1, the University of Ghana has reported 316 suspected cases, with 107 confirmed as COVID-19. Crucially, there have been no hospitalizations or deaths associated with the outbreak, and all confirmed cases are reportedly recovering well.

“The recent COVID-19 cases are localised to the University of Ghana community only,” Mr. Akandoh emphasized, crediting Ghana’s robust influenza surveillance system for the early detection. The Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research confirmed the results.

He commended Ghana’s continued vigilance in maintaining COVID-19 monitoring systems, even as many countries have scaled back testing.

Pinpointing the cause of the spike, the minister stated unequivocally: “The most significant factor was the recent Hall Week celebrations held at the University. These events brought large crowds together, with little use of face masks or distancing.”

He also cited a general decline in adherence to basic COVID-19 protocols and difficulties in contact tracing as contributing factors.

In response to the outbreak, a national response team was dispatched to collaborate with university and municipal health authorities. Key officials from the Ghana Health Service, Noguchi Institute, and the School of Public Health convened emergency meetings, and alerts were issued to health facilities nationwide.

The University of Ghana has since suspended all remaining hall week activities and launched a campus-wide education campaign across multiple platforms.

The Ministry of Health is now reinforcing resources at Legon Hospital and the Student Clinic, while preparing the Ghana Infectious Disease Centre to handle potential severe cases.

Other interventions include the provision of additional Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), enhanced training for frontline health workers, improved data tracking, and continued daily testing and monitoring.

“This is not a new virus, and we are not back to 2020,” Mr. Akandoh reassured the public. “This Omicron variant has been with us before. It spreads fast, yes—but it is mostly mild. And we know how to manage it.”

He urged the public to remain calm, cooperative, and compliant with public health guidelines.

While COVID-19 vaccines are no longer part of the national routine immunization schedule, the ministry is working to secure doses for vulnerable populations to help prevent severe disease and death.

Treatment options such as Paxlovid are available for eligible patients, and most mild cases can recover at home.

The minister also noted an uptick in seasonal influenza cases and cholera reports, urging Ghanaians to maintain strict hygiene practices.

On the issue of MPOX, Mr. Akandoh revealed that Ghana has recorded 133 confirmed cases, mainly in the Western, Greater Accra, and Western North regions. There have been no hospital admissions or fatalities, and most patients have fully recovered.

In closing, Mr. Akandoh emphasized collective responsibility and assured Parliament of the ministry’s ongoing commitment to safeguarding public health.

Source: David Apinga

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Speaking on JoyNews’ Ultimate Health, he urged the nation to renew its commitment to public health measures as the rainy season brings an increase in influenza-like illnesses.

Responding to a recent circular issued by the University of Ghana Health Directorate warning its community and surrounding areas, Professor Bonnie emphasised that the alert is not only relevant to the university but to the entire nation.

“It is not a localised resurgence. In fact, we have other regions reporting,” he said.

“So, if the university has come out with a circular cautioning the community in the university and its environs, it’s not just for us. I think the nation should take it up—everybody—especially during this time of the year,” he added.

He highlighted the seasonal rise in respiratory illnesses that typically accompany the rainy period, urging people to return to familiar and effective preventive measures.

“Why don’t we go back to what we know best? These protocols we got so much addicted to—wearing masks, staying away from large gatherings unless absolutely necessary, and making sure that when someone is sneezing or coughing, we keep our distance,” Prof. Bonnie advised.

The University of Ghana Health Directorate issued a fresh COVID-19 resurgence alert, signalling concerning cases and the need for precautionary measures.

The notice was issued on Monday, June 23, as the tertiary institution braces to forestall any escalation, indicating “a few suspected and confirmed cases reported in our immediate vicinity.”

The directive, aimed at students, faculty, staff, and visitors, urges heightened vigilance and adherence to public health protocols to curb a potential spread that could disrupt academic and social life.

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According to a statement released on June 23, 2025, the directorate confirmed that several suspected and confirmed COVID-19 cases have been reported within the university’s immediate environment.

The alert urges all students, staff, and visitors to remain vigilant and adhere strictly to safety protocols aimed at minimizing the spread of the virus.

Preventive measures outlined by the Directorate include: wearing face masks in enclosed or crowded spaces; regular handwashing with soap under running water or using alcohol-based sanitizers; maintaining a minimum of one metre distance from others; avoiding large gatherings unless necessary; ensuring good ventilation in lecture halls, offices, and meeting rooms; and staying home and seeking prompt medical attention if flu-like symptoms are experienced.

The Health Services Directorate has also reactivated its COVID-19 Response Protocols.

These include screening, triage measures at health facilities, and close monitoring of the situation. Regular updates will be issued as needed.

“We must work together to protect ourselves and our community,” the statement read.

Members of the university community who wish to report symptoms or require further information are also encouraged by the release to contact the directorate via the following hotlines: phughospital@ug.edu.gh

The alert comes at a time when global health authorities continue to monitor sporadic COVID-19 spikes in various regions.

Below is the statement issued by the university:

In a Facebook post, Dr. Boako criticised the NDC for what he described as a sudden shift in narrative regarding the impact of global crises—particularly the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war—on Ghana’s economy.

“You can spread all the propaganda and make all the noise when you’re in opposition, but eventually, reality will catch up with you,” he wrote, referencing recent comments by Environment Minister Murtala Mohammed, who acknowledged that external shocks significantly contributed to the country’s economic woes.

Dr. Boako pointed out what he termed an inconsistency in the NDC’s stance, stating, “Just a few months ago, he and the NDC appeared on national television and dishonestly criticised the NPP administration for citing those very same reasons.”

He defended the New Patriotic Party (NPP)’s handling of the economy, insisting the party was merely highlighting global realities, not shirking responsibility.

“We did not mislead Ghanaians, nor were we trying to evade accountability. Our opponents, however, chose to ride on cheap propaganda, ignoring the significant and ongoing impacts on the global economy,” he argued.

Dr. Boako likened the NDC’s recent acknowledgements to reluctant confessions.

“Now, reality has indeed caught up with them. Like a witch undergoing exorcism, they are beginning to confess—left, right, and centre.”

He also highlighted the economic strides made under the NPP before leaving office, claiming the party successfully restored the economy to pre-COVID levels.

“We recorded a growth rate of 5.7%, and in nominal terms, achieved a historic GDP of over a trillion cedis – unprecedented in our nation’s history,” he noted.

Dr. Boako challenged the current administration to build upon what he described as the solid economic foundation laid by the NPP.

See the post below:

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According to him, the tax will be considered alongside the Value Added Tax (VAT) rationalisation process, which President Mahama’s administration promised to repeal.

In an interview with Joy News, Nyarko Ampem stated that President Mahama’s government is committed to abolishing all nuisance taxes, noting that the Electronic Transaction Levy (E-levy) and the betting tax have already been scrapped.

Responding to whether more taxes will be abolished, he said, “at this time it would be difficult to make any promises, but as the economy picks up, we wouldn’t mind to repeal taxes.”

“The COVID-19 levy will be considered alongside the VAT rationalisation process that we have been committed to do. So, when that process is done, I believe the COVID [levy] would also be removed. I’m looking at towards the end of the year if we are able to finish the rationalisation processes, we would be able to do that.”

He added that President Mahama is committed to fulfilling the promises outlined in the ruling National Democratic Congress’s (NDC) manifesto.

“So, we are working towards the rationalisation of all these promises he made.”

In the 2025 Budget, the government pledged to reform the VAT system by removing the COVID-19 Health Recovery Levy, treating health and education levies as VAT, and reducing eligible VAT-registerable traders.

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According to him, the financial crisis triggered by the pandemic demanded urgent intervention, and the government acted responsibly in securing funds to support the economy.

Speaking on Channel One TV on Monday, March 17, Dr. Amin Adam dismissed claims that the government’s debt strategy was irresponsible.

“I don’t know how anybody would describe the borrowing to address the COVID-19 pandemic as reckless. I don’t know if anybody is right to call that reckless borrowing,” he stated.

He explained that responsible debt management involves borrowing while ensuring sustainability, emphasizing that the Akufo-Addo administration took strategic steps to manage Ghana’s debt burden.

“It takes a government that understands debt dynamics to borrow and negotiate a reduction in debt. The question should be, by the time we left, were the debt levels sustainable or not?” he argued.

Dr. Amin Adam also noted that every administration inherits and services debts from its predecessor. He pointed out that the Akufo-Addo government settled obligations left by the Mahama administration in 2016, stressing that debt management is a continuous process.

He concluded that if the New Patriotic Party (NPP) had won the 2024 elections, they would have continued managing Ghana’s debt in line with their fiscal policies.

Criticizing the current administration, he remarked, “I don’t see why he [the finance minister] would be running away from the issues they asked Ghanaians to vote for them to come and address.”

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Speaking on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen show, he argued that the levy has been a significant source of revenue for the government, generating about GH₵2.2 billion, which helps finance approximately 70% of the Free Senior High School (Free SHS) policy.

“The COVID-19 tax has brought in more money than all other taxes. Instead of scrapping it, they should rename it to something health-related and continue using it,” he suggested.

Dr. Sarkodie further proposed that part of the revenue from the tax could be allocated to the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) and the development of healthcare facilities.

“If we maintain it, we can channel some of the funds into NHIS and improving health infrastructure. It will help the country in the long run,” he added.

ECONOMIST ON COVID

His comments follow the government’s announcement that the COVID-19 Levy will be abolished by the end of the year.

Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson made this known during the presentation of the 2025 Budget Statement and Economic Policy on March 11.

Dr. Forson also highlighted concerns over the country’s current VAT structure, explaining that the 15% VAT rate is compounded by other levies, including the 2.5% GETFund Levy, 2.5% National Health Insurance Levy (NHIL), and the 1% COVID-19 Levy, effectively raising the VAT rate to about 22%.

“This is because GETFund Levy, NHIL, and the COVID-19 Levy are all added to the base for the final determination of VAT,” he stated.

The Minister lamented that businesses are “not permitted by law to claim their input for NHIL, GETFund Levy, and COVID-19 Levy,” which increases the financial burden on households.

As part of ongoing tax reforms, Dr. Forson assured that changes to the VAT system will be completed this year.

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Former General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), John Boadu, has credited the party’s success in the 2020 election to former President Nana Akufo-Addo’s effective handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In an interview on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen show, Boadu explained that retaining power as a sitting government is no easy feat, especially during challenging times like the COVID-19 crisis.

He pointed out that, despite the global hardship, the NPP was able to navigate through successfully.

“Ask yourself why no sitting government’s party won the election during the 2020 election, and if there were any hardship, it was the government that is to be blamed,” Boadu said, emphasizing Akufo-Addo’s leadership during the pandemic.

Boadu acknowledged that while the NPP faced some challenges, particularly a reduction in parliamentary seats, the party still performed admirably.

“Even though our parliamentary number reduced, our party members did extremely well during the 2020 elections,” he noted.

He concluded by stating that, despite the hurdles, the NPP benefited greatly from the strong management of the COVID-19 crisis by Akufo-Addo.

“We were also lucky because Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo managed the COVID situation excellently,” he added.

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Speaking at the launch of a book by former Nigerian military president General Ibrahim Babangida, Akufo-Addo reflected on the economic turbulence that defined his presidency, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, which severely impacted Ghana’s financial stability.

He noted that the global crisis disrupted economies worldwide, including Ghana, leading to a sharp decline in economic activity.

With international capital markets largely inaccessible, his administration had limited options and was ultimately forced to seek financial assistance from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to stabilize the economy.

Akufo-Addo admitted that the resulting economic hardships fueled widespread public dissatisfaction, triggering multiple protests.

While he noted that the demonstrations were not as intense as the Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP) riots in the 1980s, he conceded that they were serious enough to erode public confidence in his administration.

“We faced a major economic crisis and with the world’s capital markets closed to us, we ended up going to the IMF. Not an easy decision to make. The economic difficulties brought people onto the streets,” he stated.

“Even though the demonstrations were not on the scale of the SAP riots described in the book, they were serious enough, feeding into the growing disaffection against the government,” he added.

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In its bi-monthly Economic Outlook, the economic think tank stated that the budget should also include measures to ensure stable and less costly power to enhance the competitiveness of the economy.

Additionally, the IEA emphasized the need for a budget that acknowledges the lack of fiscal space to support economic development due to limited government revenue.

“While taking steps to increase tax revenue, it is also important to recognize the potential of the natural resource sector to contribute to development. Tapping this potential will require changes to the natural resource fiscal regimes to increase Ghanaian ownership and benefits,” the report noted.

It further stressed that priority should be given to local value addition to natural resource products to maximize revenue from the sector.

The 2025 Budget is expected to align with the Economic Credit Facility (ECF) programme by the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Specifically, the IEA stated that the ECF’s fiscal consolidation stance is expected to be followed to sustain macroeconomic stabilization efforts.

In this regard, it noted that the overall fiscal deficit is appropriately set to decline further to -2.7% from the projected -3.5% in 2024, while the primary surplus will increase to 1.5% from 0.5%.

“The tight fiscal stance is in line with the debt sustainability trajectory envisaged under the programme,” the IEA pointed out.

The think tank added that staying on this path is necessary to avoid another painful debt restructuring and to foster investor confidence in the economy.

E-levy, COVID tax, and betting tax to be scrapped

In line with the government’s pre-election promise, several taxes are expected to be abolished, including the E-levy, COVID tax, emissions tax, and betting tax.

The IEA indicated that scrapping these taxes will ease the financial burden on households and businesses. However, it highlighted that the resulting revenue shortfall is expected to be offset by reinforced efforts to close tax loopholes, broaden the tax base, and strengthen tax administration, among other measures.

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Speaking on the Honest Bunch podcast, May D shared details about his journey from dating his wife since 2014 to getting married and settling in Sweden.

Their arrangement saw him take on the role of a stay-at-home dad, looking after their child while his wife worked.

However, the COVID-19-induced lockdown brought unexpected challenges, including international travel restrictions and the shutdown of airports.

May D revealed he was stuck in Nigeria for almost a year, contrary to the agreement he had with his Swedish wife.

“I came for a tour and I was supposed to go back, but the lockdown happened. We didn’t know how the pandemic was going to end. People thought the world was ending, and you know those white people think differently from us.”

The musician added that the prolonged separation triggered trust issues and heightened tensions in their relationship.

Despite their long-standing bond, the challenges proved irreconcilable, and the marriage eventually came to an end.

Watch his interview below:

"I was a house husband in Sweden… We divorced during COVID-19."

– May D pic.twitter.com/hWp8MUKvJn

— @𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗷𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗯𝗼𝘆 (@OneJoblessBoy) January 14, 2025

She said this in a letter addressed to the former President dated January 8, 2025.

Mr Georgieva commended Mr Akufo-Addo’s leadership, particularly his role in steering Ghana through challenging times.

The IMF boss highlighted the significant strides made during his tenure.

“The policies and reforms during your administration have laid the groundwork for Ghana’s future,” she indicated.

During the inauguration of the transition team in Accra on Wednesday, December 11, to pave the way for the incoming government, the outgoing President Nana Akufo-Addo disclosed that the country’s economy is bouncing back to pre-Covid-19 levels, a development he expressed excitement about.

Speaking to Joy News, Mr Terkper said that after reviewing recent reports by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), he can confirm that there are positive signals.

“There are positive signals, and even the IMF has stated that there are positive signals,” he told Joy News.

However, he clarified that this news about the economy does not mean all sectors of the country are performing well.

“The growth we are talking about is a headline figure, which is the average growth” he explained.

On his part, President-elect John Mahama disagreed with the outgoing president’s statement that the economy is bouncing back. According to Mr Terkper, Mr Mahama’s disagreement is understandable, as not all sectors of the economy are performing well.

“So the caution President Mahama was pointing to is that the headline may be driven by oil, or it may reflect industries picking up, but if you look at the release [IMF’s report], they say some sectors are suffering,” he said.

The former minister added, “So what he [Mr Mahama] is trying to point out is that, yes, the current president may focus on the headline figure, but that is only one index to boldly state that the economy is back on the path to recovery,” he explained.

He emphasized that, despite the positive signals, the country still faces vulnerabilities in certain areas, especially in the export-import sector and the agriculture sector in this quarter of the year, and probably will expand to the first quarter of the new year.

This follows concerns raised by the Auditor-General in his Covid-19 transactions report for the period March 2020 to June 2022, questioning the basis for such a remuneration.

The AG, Johnson Akuamoah Asiedu, subsequently directed that the Information Ministry refunds the ¢151,500 paid to its own management and staff without approval.

“During our review, we noted that senior management staff and other supporting staff of the Ministry of Information paid themselves a total amount of GH¢151,500.00 as COVID-19 risk allowance for coming to work during the lockdown,” the report stated.

But the Director of Finance and Monitoring at the Ministry of Information, Mawuli Segbefia, says the money was meant to motivate staff.

According to him, “the allowances were part of the plan that was submitted to the Ministry of Health for approval”.

“You will recall that during that time when the country was locked up, most officers of MDAs were required to stay at home but the Ministry of Information was required to report to work every day as part of response to the Covid fight. So we needed to motivate those staff who came daily to the office to help develop the Covid-19 response plan for publication” she added.

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The exercise to take place between May 7 and May 10, 2024, according to GHS, is in response to escalating infections at various healthcare facilities.

The Director of Public Health, Dr Franklin Asiedu-Bekoe who disclosed this explained that, the exercise will be targeted in parts of the Greater Accra where cases have been recorded so far.

“We are getting a few cases reported in parts of Accra and a few other regions. And it brings to bear the fact that Ghanaians need to be vaccinated and so on the 4th to the 10th of May, we are going to do a nationwide COVID-19 vaccination campaign and we want to urge all Ghanaians to be part of the exercise.

“We plan to do about four or five before the end of the year. The thinking is that we need to get the necessary population immunity that will help us minimize the risk of getting infections in the country,” he explained in a report by Accra-based Citi News.

Dr Asiedu-Bekoe has urged strict adherence to safety measures and protocols as he expressed worry over the easy transmission.

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Acknowledging the adverse impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic and the ongoing Russian war, Mr Kwarteng refuted the notion that these global events were the sole cause of the crisis.

“I am not with the school of thought that we were not going to experience a financial crisis but for these [Covid-19 and Russia-Ukraine War].

“The country was always going to have some financial crisis. It might have been delayed a little bit if Covid-19 and the Russia-Ukraine war had not happened but the fact remains that with the path we were walking, we were definitely going to get here,” he said.

Mr Kwarteng who doubles as MP for Obuasi West made this assertion during an interview on JoyNews’ PM Express on Thursday.

Highlighting a pervasive culture of overspending and a lack of fiscal discipline, Mr Kwarteng also noted that Ghana’s current predicament is not solely a result of recent economic management but rather the culmination of decades of bad politics and economic mismanagement.

“Overruns and reckless expenditure have become a culture,” he told George Wiafe. A practice, he expressed grave concern.

According to him, unless there is a fundamental change in mindset and a commitment to fiscal responsibility, Ghana risks becoming a failed state.

He therefore called for an honest and straight-forward discussion about these negative cultural practices that have led to the current crisis and find sustainable solutions to them.

The Obuasi West legislator observed that due to the pervasiveness of these negative cultural practices, it makes laws and institutions established to clump down on economic mismanagement ineffective.

“We have the laws and we’ve set up institutions that should help us deal with these, but no amount of legislation, no amount of institutional arrangements can stop a people determined to destroy themselves.”

Mr Kwarteng’s remarks come at a critical time as the country grapples with the dual challenges of external shocks and domestic economic vulnerabilities such as skyrocketing inflation rate, high unemployment rate among others.

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The bizarre case is documented in The Lancet Infectious Diseases journal.

The shots were bought and given privately within the space of 29 months.

The man appears to have suffered no ill effects, researchers from the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg say.

‘Very interested’

“We learned about his case via newspaper articles,” Dr Kilian Schober, from the university’s microbiology department, said.

“We then contacted him and invited him to undergo various tests in Erlangen. He was very interested in doing so.”

The man provided fresh blood and saliva samples.

The researchers also tested some frozen blood samples of his that had been stored in recent years.

Dr Schober said: “We were able to take blood samples ourselves when the man received a further vaccination during the study at his own insistence.

“We were able to use these samples to determine exactly how the immune system reacts to the vaccination.”

Evidence for 130 of the jabs was collected by the public prosecutor of the city of Magdeburg, who opened an investigation with the allegation of fraud, but no criminal charges were brought.

Covid vaccines cannot cause infection but can teach the body how to fight the disease.
Immune system

Messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) vaccines work by showing the body’s cells a bit of genetic code from the virus.

The immune system should then recognise and know how to fight Covid should they encounter it for real.

Dr Schober worried hyper-stimulating the immune system with repeated doses might have fatigued certain cells.

But the researchers found no evidence of this in the 62-year-old.

And there was no sign that he had ever been infected with Covid.
‘Favoured approach’

The researchers said: “Importantly, we do not endorse hyper-vaccination as a strategy to enhance adaptive immunity.”

And the results of their tests on the 62-year-old were insufficient for making far-reaching conclusions, let alone recommendations for the general public.

“Current research indicates that a three-dose vaccination, coupled with regular top-up vaccines for vulnerable groups, remains the favoured approach,” they say on the university’s website.

“There is no indication that more vaccines are required.”

The NHS says Covid vaccines are normally given seasonally but some people with a severely weakened immune system may need additional protection at other times – and it will contact those whose NHS record suggests may be eligible.

Covid vaccines can have side effects. A common one is a sore arm from the injection.

During a recent visit to the new Chief of Defence Staff, Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Oppong-Peprah, Dr. Boye reminisced about the crucial role played by the army in combating the pandemic.

He recounted nights filled with challenges, including flying logistics to the Northern region where he personally accompanied military personnel to distribute supplies.

Reflecting on his experiences as a member of the COVID-19 task force, Dr. Boye expressed gratitude for the frontline workers’ dedication and courage.

He revealed that, a book documenting Ghana’s experiences during the two to three-year period of the pandemic is now completed and ready for publication.

“As a member of the COVID-19 task force, I remember the key role that was played by the army. In fact, I remember those dark nights when logistics had to be flown to the north. I remember coming to the Air Force base to fly with your men to go and distribute some of the items. They were frontline workers taking the risk and confronting the virus, and because I was part of the whole battle, by the grace of God, I went through some challenging assignments to put together all our experiences as a country during the two to three years that the virus roamed within our borders. Finally, a book is ready.”

For his part, Lt. Gen. Oppong-Peprah underscored the need for Ghana to be ready for future pandemics, proposing the establishment of a biomedical unit within the Armed Forces.

He stressed the military’s role in promptly responding to outbreaks to avoid being caught unprepared, and expressed his intent to pursue this initiative during his tenure as Chief of Defence Staff.

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Even though, in response to JoyNews’ original inquiry about the amounts generated and shared between the parties, the airport company noted that they couldn’t provide the information because “passengers paid directly to Frontiers Healthcare, providers of the service.”

Data finally provided by the Airport Company to JoyNews reveals that Frontiers got an impressive $84 million from arrival testing and an additional GHS 29 million ($3.5 million) from departure testing.

In stark contrast, Ghana received a mere sum of under $6 million from arrival testing and GHS 1.5 million ($180,000) from departure testing during the same period.

This disproportionate revenue distribution shows that Frontiers claimed over 90% of the earnings, retaining 92% of income from arrival testing and a significant 94% from departure testing.

Conversely, Ghana’s share was meagre, representing less than 10% of the total revenue, with just 7% coming from arrival testing and a mere 6% from departure testing.

The significant disparity in revenue allocation has provoked public outrage, leading Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, the ranking member on the foreign affairs committee of parliament, to submit a motion to the legislature, calling for an impartial audit of the contentious testing agreement between Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL) and Frontiers.

Critics argue that Ghana’s minimal share indicates missed opportunities to allocate resources that could have strengthened the nation’s response to the pandemic, especially considering the economic hardships caused by COVID-19.

According to the Service,10 million people out of more than 30 million population of the country have fully received the vaccines with the rest yet to either vaccinate or undergo complete vaccination.

Speaking at a press briefing to launch the nationwide exercise, Director-General of the Ghana Health Service, Dñ..

Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, highlighted the existence of the virus despite rumours that it is no more.

“As you may recall on the 5th May 2023 the WHO Director-General through the advice of the international health regulatory emergency committee determined that COVID-19 was now an established and ongoing health issue and which will no longer constitute a public health emergency of international concern. He did not say that COVID-19 is no more,” he said.

Meanwhile, the country representative from the World Health Organisation (WHO), Dr. Argata Guracha Guyo assured commitment to support Ghana achieve herd immunity against COVID-19.

“The WHO and its sister UN agencies in Ghana will continue to support the government of Ghana for a successful national COVID-19 campaign and by extension the achievement of health for all,” he said.

In an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), he highlighted that while the World Health Organization (WHO) no longer considered COVID-19 a global health emergency, countries with low population immunity still faced risks.

According to scientists and medical experts, at least 94 percent of the population must be vaccinated and immune to effectively break the chain of coronavirus transmission.

In Ghana, data from the Ghana Health Service (GHS) COVID-19 Update website revealed that as of April 30 this year, approximately 11 million people, equivalent to 57 percent of the nation’s target of 18.2 million, had received full vaccination.

The data further indicated that only 32.9 percent of the total targeted population of individuals aged 18 and above had been fully vaccinated.

The website reported that during the same period, a total of 24,941,992 doses of COVID-19 vaccines had been administered, with around 14 million people (74.2 percent of the target) having received their first dose.

To enhance population immunity, the GHS planned to launch another mass vaccination campaign in July and develop a COVID-19 Vaccination Integration Plan, which would integrate COVID-19 vaccination into routine immunization programs.

Dr Asiedu-Bekoe highlighted that this approach would enable anyone to receive a COVID-19 vaccine at healthcare facilities.

The Director for Public Health encouraged unvaccinated individuals to get vaccinated and those who had already received the vaccine to consider booster shots.

He noted that although Ghana was still reporting COVID-19 cases, the severity had decreased. Attaining herd immunity would mitigate the impact of the virus and transform it into a milder disease.

Herd immunity, also known as “population immunity,” is the indirect protection against an infectious disease when a population is immune either through vaccination or previous infection, according to the WHO.

The WHO emphasized achieving herd immunity through vaccination rather than allowing the disease to spread among the population, as it would result in unnecessary cases and fatalities.

The WHO stated that to safely achieve herd immunity against COVID-19, a significant proportion of the population needed to be vaccinated, reducing the overall spread of the virus.

It further highlighted that one of the goals of herd immunity was to safeguard vulnerable groups unable to receive vaccinations due to health conditions.

The required percentage of immune individuals to achieve herd immunity varies for each disease. For instance, measles requires around 95 percent vaccination coverage, while polio necessitates approximately 80 percent.

President Akufo-Addo, in his 29th address to the nation regarding COVID-19 measures, echoed the WHO’s announcement that the disease was no longer a global public health emergency.

He expressed the alleviation of restrictions and encouraged interpersonal interactions. Dr Asiedu-Bekoe added that this shift in focus meant the nation would prioritize incorporating COVID-19 treatment into existing healthcare systems instead of solely relying on emergency funds.

He urged Ghanaians to continue practicing preventive measures such as regular handwashing with soap, wearing masks in poorly ventilated areas, and maintaining awareness about COVID-19.

The report received technical support from the Center for Science and Health Communication (CSHC) and funding from the National Research Foundation in South Africa.

Keiko Kawano’s company, Egaoiku, has seen a more than four-fold jump in demand for smile instruction since last year, according to Mail Online.

A one-hour-long session costs 7,700 yen (£44.24), and customers range from companies investing in salespeople to local governments supporting residents’ well-being.

Himawari Yoshida, 20, one of the students taking the class as part of her school’s courses to prepare them for the job market, says she needed to work on her smile.

‘I hadn’t used my facial muscles much during COVID so it’s good exercise,’ she said.

Before the pandemic, wearing a mask in Japan was normal for many during hay fever season and around exams due to concern about getting ill for a key life event.

A poll by public broadcaster NHK in May showed 55% of Japanese saying they were wearing them just as often as two months earlier. Only 8% said they had stopped wearing masks altogether.

Roughly a quarter of the art school students who took the smiling class on May 30 kept their masks on during the lesson.

Kawano said that young people have, perhaps, become used to life with masks.

She noted that women might find it easier to go out without makeup and men could hide that they had not shaved.

The former radio host who started giving lessons in 2017 has also trained 23 others as smiling coaches to spread the virtues and technique of crafting the perfect smile around Japan.

Her trademarked ‘Hollywood Style Smiling Technique’ method comprises ‘crescent eyes’, ’round cheeks’ and shaping the edges of the mouth to bare eight pearly whites in the upper row.

The last death borne out of the pandemic was recorded on January 8, 2023, he noted.

The Ghana Health Service (GHS) confirmed the country’s first COVID-19 case on March 12, 2020. Since then, 171,758 positive cases have been recorded out of the 2,538,198 tests conducted.

The President, giving an update on the pandemic in an address to the nation, on Sunday, extended the government’s condolences to the families of those who have perished.

“May their souls rest in perfect peace,” he prayed.

On vaccination, the President said, as of May 25, this year, 25,170,382 vaccine doses had been administered.

“There are 10,536,420 fully vaccinated people, that is, 52.7 per cent out of the 20 million people target we had set, with 4,599,883 persons having received booster doses,” he hinted.

Touching on the COVID-19 restrictions, he said all the outstanding restrictions at the airports and all entry points had been lifted, and “we are back to the pre-COVID situation as far as health entry requirements are concerned”.

“It will be recalled that, three years ago, we started with drastic measures and restrictions; the international airport was shut for months, and our land borders were closed to human traffic for almost three years.

“The hospitality industry was devastated, hotels and restaurants and other social gathering places were shut down, schools and universities and training institutions were shut down.

“Indeed, our world was turned upside down,” the President recalled.

He lamented how that culturally defining Ghanaian symbol, the handshake, was prohibited and frowned upon and “we were advised not to hug our children and our loved ones.”

The most important of these decisions, he said, was that “the COVID-19 pandemic was over in Ghana”.

The World Bank, on the devastating effects of the pandemic on Ghana, says the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated poverty, disparities, and social conditions in the country – disproportionately impacting the poor and vulnerable.

Ghana received applause from the World Health Organisation (WHO) for the effective measures and strategies adopted to reduce infections and deaths in the wake of the pandemic.

These include the expansion of the laboratory system’s capacity, through streamlined digital solutions, for timely case detection, diagnosis, and reporting.

The number of laboratories was expanded from two to 16 nationwide in less than a year.

Additionally, the capacity of the contact tracing system was strengthened, with 1,340 surveillance officers trained during the first three months of project execution.

Case management capacity was also reinforced with the establishment of 21 treatment centers and 129 Intensive Care Unit (ICU) beds in 10 of the 16 regions.

President Nana Akufo-Addo lauded frontline health workers, pharmaceutical companies, the Ministry of Health, as well as key stakeholders whose efforts helped in saving many lives.

The statement represents a major step towards ending the pandemic and comes three years after it first declared its highest level of alert over the virus.

Officials said the virus’ death rate had dropped from a peak of more than 100,000 people per week in January 2021 to just over 3,500 on 24 April.

Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said “at least 20 million” had died.

He encouraged Ghanaians to continue to adhere to the COVID-19 protocol, stating that “there are still cases being recorded at the district level”. 

“Coming from the field, we witnessed positive cases being recorded. Among them were severe cases in the Central Region,” Dr Duah said in an interview on the CHAG’s COVID-19 response and institutional capacity-building (CRIB) project.

CRIB project

The project is helping to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 in 40 districts where CHAG facilities are the designated district hospitals.

With funding from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), CHAG has been complementing government’s COVID-19 response in 40 districts since July 2020. 

The CRIB project sought to support the national response to the COVID-19, build institutional capacity to support the continuation of basic healthcare service and also to monitor and evaluate the impact of COVID-19 on health service delivery while sharing lessons learned about implementing COVID-19 response measures.  

The 33-month project launched in 2020 also sought to support strengthening the country’s health systems to maintain the delivery of essential healthcare services and mobilising all available resources for quality COVID-19 response actions.  

The project provided over GH¢6.0million direct funding to the beneficiary facilities for various activities, including, ICU beds and PPE. Equipment, including ventilators, monitors, ICU beds, and PPE were all provided to the facilities.

While the first two years focused on 39 districts in 15 out of the 16 regions, where CHAG facilities are the designated district hospitals, the remaining months sought to improve vaccine uptake in four selected regions and improve vaccine rates and quality of health services to vulnerable groups, including women, girls, children and people living with disabilities (PWD).  

Capacity-building

Briefing the Daily Graphic on the report, Dr Duah explained that staff training and equipping facilities with logistics were an integral part of the CRIB project to strengthen health facilities to deliver essential services. 

He hinted that a total of 6,998 health staff benefited from a training programme on case management, screening & triaging, COVID-19 testing, contact tracing, risk communication and others.

Those trained, Dr Duah said, were from the Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG), the Ghana Health Service (GHS) and quasi government facilities in 39 districts, where the CHAG implemented the CRIB project.

Partnerships

He said there was a wide multi-stakeholder involvement in planning and implementation through the District Health Executive (DHE) platforms, “a situation that deepened partnerships at the local level and elicited direct involvement of district directors of health services in the activities of CHAG facilities.

“The project addressed logistical and financial challenges by directly releasing funds, equipment and PPE in volume and value. 

“These supported the establishment of High Dependency Units (HDUs) that were hitherto not available in the CHAG nor the districts in which they were set up. There were also 40 isolation units that were set up,” Dr Duah added.

Case management 

The Deputy Executive Director said together with the COVID-19 testing that was extended to the district level, the project facilitated containment, case finding and case management. 

“These, together with the nearly 7,000 health professionals who were trained and the logistical supplies, allowed the beneficiary facilities to continuously provide health services to their communities,” Dr Duah stated.

That, he said, had, to some extent, shifted service utilisation closer to the people with outpatient utilisation increasing from 50 to 52.7 per cent at the sub-district level. 

“In no small way, the project contributed to reducing maternal mortality by nearly 58 per cent in two years,” he said and added that the facilities also improved in delivery of quality of health services evidenced by the increased average SafeCare rating from an average of level two at baseline to level three.

According to him, the accusations are unfounded as government did what was necessary to prevent the spread of the virus.

“I can assure this House that nothing dishonourable was done with the COVID funds,” he said on Wednesday.

He also outlined a number of measures implemented by his administration that justify the sums of money expended during the pandemic.

He said this when he delivered the State of The Nation’s address In Parliament.

“The responses from the Ministers for Health and Finance, on January 23 and 25, 2023, respectively, have sufficiently laid to rest the queries from the Auditor General’s report, and I believe any objective scrutiny of these statements from the Health and Finance Ministries would justify this conclusion.”

This position is, however, contrary to the Auditor-General’s Report on Ghana’s Covid-19 expenditure.

The report indicates that the country lost over GHS1 billion through various irregularities including unapproved and illegal payment of allowances.

Meanwhile, the President explained that the measures during the pandemic were necessary to save lives and also keep the country afloat.

“No auditor can put a figure on the cost of keeping the children in school safely during that crisis, nor the continuing cost of the effect of the pandemic on our young people; not the financial cost, not the emotional cost, and certainly not the social cost,” the President added.

The virus that drove the Covid-19 pandemic most likely emerged from a laboratory leak but not as part of a weapons program, according to an updated and classified 2021 US energy department study provided to the White House and senior American lawmakers, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday.

The department’s finding – a departure from previous studies on how the virus emerged – came in an update to a document from the office of National Intelligence director Avril Haines, the WSJ reported. It follows a finding reportedly issued with “moderate confidence” by the FBI that the virus spread after leaking out of a Chinese laboratory.

The conclusion from the energy department – which oversees a network of 17 US laboratories, including areas of advanced biology – would be significant despite the fact that, as the report said, the agency made its updated judgment with “low confidence”.

Conflicting hypotheses on the origins of Covid-19 have centered either on an unidentified animal transmitting the virus to humans or its accidental leak from a Chinese research laboratory in Wuhan.

The spread of Covid-19, just one in a line of infectious coronaviruses to emerge, caught global health bodies unawares in early 2020. It has since caused close to 7 million deaths worldwide, according to the World Health Organization, and disrupted trade as well as travel.

Former US president Donald Trump politicized the issue, calling it the “China virus”, triggering a racialization of a pandemic that his Democratic successor Joe Biden has sought to avoid. But political polarization remains under the surface of efforts to establish its origins.

The energy department’s updated findings run counter to reports by four other US intelligence agencies that concluded the epidemic started as the result of natural transmission from an infected animal. Two agencies remain undecided.

US officials, the Journal said, also declined to expand on new intelligence or analysis that led the energy department to change its position. They also noted that the energy department and FBI arrived at the same conclusion for different reasons.

The CIA remains undecided between leak and natural transmission theories, according to the National Intelligence Council study. But while the initial 2021 report did not reach a conclusion, it did offer a consensus view that Covid-19 was not part of a Chinese biological weapons program.

The National Security adviser, Jake Sullivan, acknowledged Sunday that there are a “variety of views” within US intelligence agencies on the issue.

“Some elements of the intelligence community have reached conclusions on one side, some on the other, and a number have said they just don’t have enough information to be sure,” Sullivan told CNN.

But he said that the Biden administration has “directed repeatedly every element of our intelligence community to put effort and resources on getting to the bottom of this question”.

Sullivan added that Biden had specifically requested that the National Laboratories under the energy department be brought into the assessment. “He wants to put every tool at use to figure out what happened,” Sullivan said.

“Right now there is not a definitive answer to emerge from the intelligence community on this question,” he added, referring to eight of 18 agencies – along with the National Intelligence Council – that have looked in Covid-19s origins.

A previous report by the energy department’s Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in May 2020 concluded that a lab-leak theory was plausible.

The updated, five-page NIC assessment, the Journal reported, “was done in light of new intelligence, further study of academic literature and consultation with experts outside government” and comes as Republicans in Congress press for more information.

A spokesperson for the energy department wrote in a statement that the agency “continues to support the thorough, careful, and objective work of our intelligence professionals in investigating the origins of Covid-19, as the president directed”.

Chinese officials have disputed that Covid-19 could have leaked from its labs, among them the Wuhan Institute of Virology, the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, (CDC) and the Wuhan Institute of Biological Products.

According to the initial US 2021 intelligence report, Covid-19 first circulated in Wuhan, China, no later than November 2019, when three researchers from the Wuhan Institute of Virology – reportedly involved in coronavirus research – were sick enough to seek hospital care.

This, he said, has been exacerbated by the high macroeconomic instability experienced in 2022, occasioned by downgrades by rating agencies as well as the consequential pressures on government finances due to the actions of non-resident investors and the delayed passage of revenue bills.

Addressing Parliament today on the status of the Domestic Debt Exchange, the Finance Minister said “this situation is further compounded by the comparatively low levels of domestic revenue collected by government. In 2022, tax to GDP was just about 12.6%; woefully below the SSA average of 18% and insufficient enough to meet pressures on the public purse”.

Following the inception of negotiations with the International Monetary Fund, Mr. Ofori-Atta, said t was agreed that Ghana would have to address its economic challenges on three fronts – embark on fiscal consolidation, undertake debt operations and secure financing assurances from development partners.

He continued that “as I have indicated earlier, the domestic debt exchange programme was to alleviate the debt burden while minimising its impact on investors and the financial sector. Participation in the programme has always been ‘Voluntary’. The details of the domestic debt exchange are outlined in the Exchange Memorandum, and the subsequent amendments have been publicly available”.

 The coverage of the Exchange includes all locally issued bonds and notes of government as well as ESLA Plc and Daakye Plc bonds. Based on the results of the audit of the public debt, government excluded Treasury-bills and Pension Funds from the exchange.

Out of the total ¢97,749,624,691 eligible bonds were tendered, ¢82,994,510,128 was successfully tendered.

This accounted for about 85% of outstanding eligible amounts and met the target of 80% as expressed in the Memorandum of Exchange.

“Government is however mindful that the Gh¢82,994,510,128 bonds that were successfully tendered represents 64% of the outstanding debt stock of Gh¢130billion at the end of December, 2022”, Mr. Ofori-Atta.

The report revealed some infractions in government’s expenditure for Covid-19 from March 2020 to June 2022.      

Some of the corrupt practices that were uncovered were paying a total of US$607,419.02 out of US$4,049,460.12 for the purchase of 26 ambulances that were never delivered, paying unapproved GH ₵151,500 by the Information Ministry to its own staff as Covid insurance, and paying for $80 million worth of vaccines by the government that was never delivered, amongst others.

Responding to the report, the Ministry of Finance stated that the findings provide government an opportunity to implement the recommendations made by the Auditor-General.

“The Ministry welcomes the Auditor-General’s report and wishes to assure the public that, steps are being taken to address all issues,” a statement issued by the Public Relations Unit said.

It added that some interventions are currently being pursued through meetings to engage with the implementing Agencies to evaluate actions taken to implement the audit recommendations in the report.

“Preparation of an Emergency Expenditure Management Guideline is being considered. This guideline will provide government with administrative protocols in times of emergency such as the Covid-19 pandemic to ensure compliance with relevant PFM regulations while providing timely responses.”

The statement reassured that government will continue to apply its best efforts to enforce and enhance expenditure management and accountability to ensure proper utilization of tax revenue to the full benefit of citizens, using established budgetary and accountability systems in government.

Clarifications

Providing some background and clarifications, the Finance Ministry said the audit report confirms total resources mobilized for the Covid-19 response over the period March 2020 to June 2022 at ¢21,844,189,185.24.

As indicated on page 7, paragraph 18 of the report, the funds mobilized were to address the following two key interventions: – finance direct Covid-19 intervention expenditures; and support the funding gap in the budget which was occasioned by the Covid-19 pandemic and its effects on revenue mobilization.

“As reported on page 11, paragraph 31 of the report, the 53.8% and 46.2% spent on direct Covid-19 interventions and for general budget support respectively were consistent with the mandate approved by Parliament”.

“The Ministry of Finance coordinated the mobilization and disbursement of funds for the Covid-19 responses by government in accordance with the Public Financial Management Act, to ensure timely release of funds to save lives, livelihoods, and property”.

Former Auditor-General, Yao Domelevo, has suggested that persons responsible for various infractions in the Covid-19 expenditure report by the Auditor-General must be surcharged.

The A-G in the report revealed a number of illegal and corrupt activities in government’s expenditure for Covid-19 between March 2020 and June 2022.

A number of the corrupt activities which were identified were payment of a total of US$607,419.02 out of US$4,049,460.12 for procurement of 26 ambulances which were not delivered, payment of unapproved ¢151,500 by the Information Ministry to its own staff as covid insurance, payment of $80m worth of vaccines by government which was not delivered, amongst other infractions.

Responding to these infractions, Mr Domelevo said the A-G should immediately serve notice of surcharge and disallowance to persons responsible for the infractions in the report.

This, he explained, would curb the “culture of impunity” in the public sector.

“I was waiting to hear that following this report, these people who are misusing money have been surcharged because if we do not do that, we can continuously audit thousand and one times, but we will continue getting these infractions and even people get emboldened because they feel that nothing will be done as a result of this report,” he said in an interview on The Pulse, Monday.

The winner of the 2019 integrity personality award by Ghana Integrity Initiative believes there must be consequences for these infractions to prevent recurrence irrespective of whatever consequences.

Reacting to the question of why the A-G is yet to surcharge any individual, he explained that Johnson Akuamoah Asiedu may be taking a “precautionary measure” to prevent being ‘forced out of office.’

“It is not every public sector worker or Auditor-General who may like to face the consequences of doing his work as it is supposed to be…the Akans have it that the ‘tree that Ananse dies under, Ntikumah, his son does not go and sleep under it’ so maybe that is why,” he stated.

He commended the Auditor-General for the report on the Covid-19 expenditure.

His comment comes on the back of revelations made in the latest Auditor-General’s report on Covid-19 expenditure which revealed some infractions in government expenditure from March 2020 to June 2022.

Some of the infractions that were uncovered were paying a total of US$607,419.02 out of US$4,049,460.12 for the purchase of 26 ambulances that were never delivered, paying unapproved GH ₵151,500 by the Information Ministry to its own staff as Covid insurance, and paying for $80 million worth of vaccines by the government that was never delivered, amongst others.

Speaking on JoyNews’ PM Express, Haruna Iddrisu stated that the profligate spending captured in the A-G’s report finally shows the extent of rot in the Akufo-Addo-led administration.

He said “81 million US dollars, money paid into UNICEF account for drugs not supplied three years on. You’ve seen over-invoicing from some state institutions. You’ve seen the Minister of Health not able to account for monies allocated to them in the name of emergency procurements. So we were right as a minority when we said that Covid was a loot and share opportunity for government particularly in 2020.”

According to him, had the country not descended into an economic crisis prompting the investigation into Covid-19 expenditure, Ghanaians would not have known of the reckless spending that had characterized the Covid-19 era.

“You’ve seen them rent premises, lease property, pay 15-13 million Ghana cedis in Adaklu. How much is the worth of a home there and you pay this quantum of money in the name of Covid that is even being utilized? So wasteful expenditure,” he said.

He added that while the government has been trumpeting the Covid-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war as the cause for the economic upheaval the country is facing, the Auditor-General’s report reveals otherwise.

“And yet you’ll find President Nana Addo Dankwa and the Minister of Finance trying to justify that Ukraine and Covid. I mean, so for Covid, we’re now being told that out of 21 billion, 10 billion went into budget support so at least Covid was even helpful to this administration in terms of the resources that they mobilized either from the World Bank or from the IMF or from the Contingency fund, they got substantial amounts of resources for budget support.

“Only 11 billion of the 21 billion was used for the purpose of Covid and even that they are struggling to account for it. I think that we all should commend the Auditor-General for the revelations in the report on Covid. The Majority should be ashamed for not even wanting sunshine on the loot that was associated with Covid resources,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Health Committee in Parliament has set February 7 as the date to commence a public hearing on the Covid-19 expenditure by government.

According to the report, the Programme Manager explained that the 1,022,348 vaccines were donated vaccines that were delivered to them close to expiry.

With fear that the vaccines could accidentally/mistakenly be issued among the wholesome ones for vaccination which could pose public health threat to the country, the Auditor-General said “we recommended that the Director of Public Health Department should ensure the vaccines are disposed of safely.”

Management responded that as part of public health measures, these vaccines are not kept in the cold room at all so that they are not accidentally issued among safe vaccines.

They were rather kept out of the Cold Room and transported to the Regional Health Directorate for destruction according to Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).

Management also indicated that as part of the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and in accordance with law, management is working with a team composed of Food and Drugs Authority, Ghana Health Service, Health Partners including WHO and/or UNICEF), the Environmental Health department of the relevant Local Government, Environmental Protection Agency and other departments to dispose of the expired vaccines.

The Auditor-General report has said that section 83 of the Public Procurement Act, 2003 (Act 663) requires the head of the procurement entity to convene a Board of Survey comprising representatives of departments with obsolete stores which shall report on the items and subject to a technical report on them, recommend the best method of disposal.

Government at the height of the coronavirus pandemic provided free water between April and December 2020.

Some Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and private water providers were paid GH¢22,819,862.42 to settle the cost of water for 2020 and 2021.

But the Auditor-General is raising questions about a GH¢37,609,791.71 bill provided as the cost of free water supplied by the NGOs and private water operators.

The said payment leaves a balance of ¢14,789,929.29 left to settle the suppliers.

This was revealed in the audit of Covid-19 transactions for the period March 2020 to June 2022.

The Auditor-General says its assessment of the situation revealed that “there were no actual water bills generated and submitted to the Agency by the NGOs and Private Individual Water providers to support their claims.”

According to the report, the entities involved arrived at the amount by using “the maximum pumping capacities of the machines and the estimated population of the communities involved.”

He does not find this as a feasible measuring modality for the water consumption within the said period and wants answers.

It recommended that the outstanding amount of ¢14 million be paid based on actual bills and not estimated bills.

In response, management justified the payments by explaining that some of the private water providers had water meters which they used to prepare their own water bills based on water consumption and that those bills were vetted by the District Assemblies and CWSA Regional Offices.

The Community Water and Sanitation Agency claimed that the non-payment of the balance will impede the Agency’s relationship with the suppliers, hence hurting future activities when their services and possibly litigation.

However, the A-G insists that “we did not see water bills submitted by the NGOs and other private
water service providers to the headquarters and therefore could not confirm the information provided by management.”

According to the A-G, government paid over $120m to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and African Vaccine Acquisition Trust (AVAT) but only $38m worth was delivered. 

The Auditor-General has, thus, recommended to the Chief Director of the Health Ministry to renegotiate and recover the outstanding balance.

This, according to the A-G, must be done immediately to ensure the amount is recovered to the state. 

“We noted that the Ministry of Health on behalf of the government of Ghana paid an amount of $120,192,379.80 to UNICEF/AVAT for the supply of vaccines. 

“However, 5,109,600.00 doses of vaccines valued at $38,322,000.00 were supplied to the National Cold Room leaving a difference of US$81,870,379.00 with UNICEF/AVAT. 

“We recommend that the Chief Director of the Ministry of Health should renegotiate with UNICEF/AVAT to recover the outstanding amount,” he said. 

Meanwhile, the report also stated that over US$2.5bn (¢21bn) of monies mobilised for the fight against Covid-19, only 25% (¢5.5) was used on health. 

The A-G added that the balance was spent on government programmes such as Free SHS and LEAP, among others. 

In 2021, Health Minister, Kwaku Agyemang Manu, defended his failure to seek Parliamentary approval for a contract with Sheik Maktoum to procure Covid-19 vaccines.

His failure to seek Parliamentary approval was in breach of the provisions of Article 181(5) of the 1992 Constitution, which requires all international agreements to have Parliamentary approval.

Responding to questions at the sitting of a Parliamentary Committee probing the contract, the Minister said that the infection and death rates compelled him to ignore laid down procedures in signing the contract for procuring the vaccines.

The Minister said he was desperate to get vaccines and was frustrated because regular vaccine supply sources had failed.

This follows new concerns about the outbreak of the virus in China and other countries.

In a press release, the Ghana Airports Company indicated that passengers from China will be required to produce valid negative Covid-19 PCR test results taken 48 hours prior to departure from the country.

“In addition, such passengers will be required to undergo mandatory Covid-19 testing on arrival at the Kotoka International Airport,” it noted.

The GAC indicated that this test will be done for passengers at no cost.

Again, vaccinated or unvaccinated passengers from other countries other than China will need to provide a negative PCR test and also undergo a mandatory test on arrival.

In addition “passengers may be randomly selected and offered test on arrival.”

Meanwhile, the Ghana Airports Company has cautioned against non-Ghanaian passengers providing a fake test, stating that they will be quarantined and returned to the point of embarkation at their own cost.

They also stated that “airlines that bring passengers to Kotoka International Airport who are not fully vaccinated or passengers originating their journey from China without a valid negative Covid-19 PCR test results 48 hours prior to the departure would be surcharged $3,500.”

The SOS message has become necessary as Ghana’s relatively low vaccine coverage poses a major threat of importation and a new wave of COVID-19 infection in the country.

Despite the decline and sustained low levels of cases in Ghana over the past three months, the GHS believes due to the global situation, there is a need for tightening of security measures and reviewing existing measures to avert further outbreak.

In view of this, the GHS, in a press statement said it has collaborated with the Ministry of Health to critically monitor the situation in consultation with key stakeholders.

The GHS is admonishing Ghanaians who have not availed themselves for COVID-19 vaccination to do so, while those who have taken only first and second doses ought to go for the second and booster.

Find attached press statement below:

According to the GHS there is high risk in contracting and spreading the virus during the festive season and therefore people should protect themselves during the period.

At a press briefing on Sunday (December 18, 2022) to update the public on the COVID-19 virus, the Director General of the GHS, Dr Patrick Kuma-Aboagye said Ghana currently has four active cases of the virus as of Friday, December 16, 2022.

But that is not to mean that there is no risk of the disease, “but let us not be complacent with the four, we started with two [in 2020], so you never know how it goes.

“We [currently] don’t have any severe cases and we don’t have any critical cases in our facilities,” Dr Kuma-Aboagye said.

Ghana’s situation on COVID-19

The COVID-19 virus has been around for the past three years and even though the number is down in Ghana, it is up in some other countries.

It is unclear when the pandemic will end.

Ghana has seen a very significant decline in the last three months with a low active number of cases.

Ghana has not recorded any deaths for a while now.

There are surges in other parts of the country and other countries from where people normally travel to Ghana are experiencing surges.

“We are here to explain to you the risk we face with Christmas, our own gatherings, our practices and the fact that we are going to have a lot of people coming into the country,” Dr Kumas-Aboagye said at the press briefing.

He said there is a potential for a new variant as it was experienced towards Christmas in 2021 when the Omicron variant was detected in Ghana.

He said the adherence to protocols is quite low in the country.

Vaccination

On vaccination, he said 21 million doses of vaccines have so far been administered and the country does not have the herd immunity.

Currently, Ghana has done about 171,000 confirmed cases and 2.5 million tests have been done.

Dr Kuma-Aboagye said 169,000 of the confirmed cases have recovered with 1,461 cases of death.

As of December 16, 2022 the active cases in Ghana were four “but let us not be complacent with the four, we started with two, so you never know how it goes.

“We don’t have any severe cases and we don’t have any critical cases in our facilities,” he added.

Surges in other countries

In the last 28 days, Japan has recorded about 3.2 million cases, US 1.57 million, France 1.49 million, China almost one million, Italy 0.85 million and Germany 0.77 million.

According to Dr Kuma-Aboagye, these are places where Ghana receives a significant number of visitors from and so that poses as a risk for Ghana and calls for the need to prepare and protect people.

The country is seeing a surge in cases since the lifting of its most severe restrictions earlier this month.

The latest official figures appear to show a relatively low number of new daily cases.

However, there are concerns that these numbers are an underestimate due to a recent reduction in Covid testing.

The government reported only 2,097 new daily cases on Sunday.

Epidemiologist Wu Zunyou has said he believes the current spike in infections would run until mid-January, while the second wave would then be triggered by mass travel in January around the week-long Lunar New Year celebrations which begin on 21 January. Millions of people usually travel at this time to spend the holiday with family.

The third surge in cases would run from late February to mid-March as people return to work after the holiday, Dr Wu said.

He told a conference on Saturday that current vaccinations levels offered a certain level of protection against the surges and had resulted in a drop in the number of severe cases.

Overall, China says more than 90% of its population has been fully vaccinated. However, less than half of people aged 80 and over have received three doses of vaccine. Elderly people are more likely to suffer severe Covid symptoms.

China has developed and produced its own vaccines, which have been shown to be less effective at protecting people against serious Covid illness and death than the mRNA vaccines used in much of the rest of the world.

Dr Wu’s comments come after a reputable US-based research institute reported earlier this week that it believed China could see over a million people die from Covid in 2023 following an explosion of cases.

The government hasn’t officially reported any Covid deaths since 7 December, when restrictions were lifted following mass protests against its zero-Covid policy. That included an end to mass testing.

However, there are anecdotal reports of deaths linked to Covid appearing in Beijing.

Hospitals there and in other cities are struggling to cope with a surge, which has also hit postal and catering services hard.

Meanwhile, China’s largest city, Shanghai, has ordered most of its schools to take classes online as cases soar.

He said about 34 percent also received the second booster.

This he said has reflected in the minimal cases of COVID-19 in the region.

He made these known at a donation of some PPEs worth three million dollars to the Tamale Teaching Hospital (TTH) by the Academic Model Providing Access to Health Care (AMPAHC) and CalBank.

The items included 11,840 nose masks, 8,700 face shields and 31,921 safety gowns.

Speaking to the media after the presentation, Dr Braimah said though COVID-19 infection rate has reduced, there are other emerging infectious diseases like Ebola and monkeypox, thus, making the donation very important.

He said the items would go a long way to support the work of health personnel.

Dr Braimah said the PPEs would be distributed to all health facilities in the region, including CHPS compounds.

The Brand Manager of Cal Bank, Vicentia Amanor, said the Bank has been supportive in the health sector as part of its corporate social responsibility, especially during the outbreak of COVID-19.

She said Cal Bank in partnership with AMPAHC- Ghana has been able to transport into the country, five container-loads of PPEs to improve health care.

She believes this gesture is one of many mutually beneficial partnerships between Cal Bank and AMPAHC-Ghana.

The Director of Sector for Global Heath for AMPAHC, Dr Rajesh Vedanthan, said the donation was borne out of AMPAHC’s partnership with the Medical School at the University for Development Studies.

He said AMPAHC hopes to work with the Ghana Health Service, Tamale Teaching Hospital and other health facilities across the country to deliver quality health care.

All visitors aged 18 and over must also download a government-run phone application tracking people’s movements and health status, called Ehteraz.

“A green Ehteraz (showing the user does not have a confirmed case of COVID-19) is required to enter any public closed indoor spaces,” World Cup organisers said.

Visitors must be able to show a negative result from a PCR test taken in the 48 hours before arriving or from an official rapid test taken within 24 hours. The COVID-19 testing policy for visitors aged six and over is “regardless of the individual’s vaccination status,” the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy said in a statement.

Vaccination is not mandatory for the 1.2 million expected visitors for the November 20-December 18 tournament.

Rapid antigen tests taken in the previous 24 hours before landing in Qatar will only be accepted if they are from official medical centers and not self-administered. No further tests are required in Qatar if fans do not develop symptoms of COVID-19.

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The decisions extend throughout the World Cup public health policies in place since September 4 for all travellers arriving in Qatar.

Masks must be worn on public transport, including the subway system that many fans will use to get to the eight stadiums in and around Doha.

Qatar has recorded nearly 450,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 682 deaths from the disease, according to data gathered since 2020 by Johns Hopkins University in the United States. Qatar has a population estimated to be at least 2.5 million, although only about 350,000 of those are Qatari citizens.

More than 97% of the population in Qatar has had at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, the data states.

“Anyone who tests positive for COVID-19 while in Qatar will be required to isolate in accordance with Ministry of Public Health guidelines,” World Cup organisers said.

“We are not there yet. But the end is in sight,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters at a virtual press conference.

The comment was the most optimistic from the UN agency since it declared Covid-19 an international emergency and started describing the virus as a pandemic in March 2020.

The virus, which emerged in China in late 2019, has killed nearly 6.5 million people and infected 606 million, roiling global economies and overwhelming healthcare systems.

The rollout of vaccines and therapies have helped to stem the severity of disease. Deaths from Covid-19 last week were the lowest since March 2020, the U.N. agency reported.

Still, countries need to take a hard look at their policies and strengthen them for Covid-19 and future viruses, Tedros said.

He also urged nations to vaccinate 100% of their high-risk groups and keep testing for the virus.

The WHO warned of the possibility of future waves of the virus and said countries need to maintain adequate supplies of medical equipment and healthcare workers.

“We expect there to be future waves of infections, potentially at different time points throughout the world caused by different subvariants of Omicron or even different variants of concern,” said WHO’s senior epidemiologist Maria Van Kerkhove.

Monkeypox cases, too, were on a downtrend but Tedros urged countries to keep up the fight.

WHO officials said last month that it is possible to eliminate the monkeypox outbreak in Europe by stepping up vaccination and testing.

“As with Covid-19, this is not the time to relax or let down our guard.”

In a statement issued on August 31, 2022, the GACL said the new guidelines will take effect from September 1, 2022.

As regards travelers intending to enter Ghana, the Airports Company said, “All international passengers including those from the ECOWAS region, intending to fly to Ghana, will be required to be fully vaccinated. All International passengers including those from the ECOWAS region must complete a Port Health Declaration Form at https://www.ghs-hdf.org/hdf/ before embarkation of flight to Ghana.”

Upon arrival, the GACL outlined that Ghanaians and Foreign Residents entering Ghana shall go through the following processes:

a. Eighteen years and above arriving in Ghana will be required to provide evidence of full vaccination for a COVID-19 vaccine at the point of embarkation and upon arrival at Kotoka International Airport (KIA).

b. Fully vaccinated will be exempted from pre-departure COVID-19 PCR testing from point of embarkation.

c. Fully vaccinated will be exempted from COVID-19 testing upon arrival at the KIA.

d. Partially vaccinated or unvaccinated will be required to present a NEGATIVE 48hrs PCR test result to the airline before embarkation and upon arrival.

 e. Partially vaccinated or unvaccinated will undergo COVID-19 testing at the KIA upon arrival.

f. Partially vaccinated or unvaccinated will undergo COVID-19 vaccination at KIA upon arrival.

The new guidelines for Non-Ghanaians, per the GACL’s statement are as follows:

a. At the point of embarkation must provide evidence of full vaccination status to the Airline prior to embarkation. (Airlines that board non-Ghanaians without evidence of full vaccination will be considered to have violated the COVID-19 guidelines for Ghana and shall be fined $3,500.00)

b. Travelling to Kotoka International Airport with fake or forged vaccination certificates shall be quarantined and returned to the point of embarkation at their own cost.

The GACL stressed that, “All Arriving passengers will undergo temperature screening, Yellow Fever Card verification and COVID-19 vaccination certificate verification as required”.