Africa

The American government says it is committed to double its trade volumes with Ghana via continuous investments to add value to Ghana’s exports.

The US Ambassador to Ghana, Robert Jackson explains that this should increase Ghana’s trade volume with the US from the current 1.2 billion dollars to 2.4 billion dollars.

Mr. Jackson made the remarks at a ceremony to commemorate USA’s 241st Independence Celebration in Accra on Thursday, June 29th, 2017.

A leading member of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has offered a fascinating assessment of the 2016 general elections, blaming the party’s poor performance at the polls on indignant supporters.

Naval Captain (Retired) Asase Gyimah suggests that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) did not win the elections based on the popular appeal of then opposition party’s campaign messages, but due to NDC’s internal challenges.

Former Health Minister in the erstwhile National Democratic Congress government, Alex Segbefia says the decision by the party leadership to expand its electoral college, is partly to blame for the embarrassing defeat the party suffered in the 2016 elections.

The NDC with sitting President John Mahama lost massively in both the presidential and parliamentary elections held on December 7.

Nana Akufo-Addo the then opposition leader secured a resounding one-touch victory by polling 53.85% of total valid votes cast against incumbent John Dramani Mahama who managed 44.40%.

Former Chief of Staff, Nana Ato Dadzie says the opposition National Democratic Congress’ (NDC) lost the 2016 elections because appointees of former President John Mahama failed him.

The NDC led then by incumbent John Mahama unexpectedly lost the presidential and parliamentary elections held on December 7, 2016 after polling just 44.40 percent.

Then opposition leader of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo recorded a stunning 53.85 percent of the total valid votes cast to win the election.

The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, left Ghana, on Monday, 26th June, 2017, for a 3-day official, State Visit to the Republic of Zambia, at the invitation of its President, His Excellency Edgar Chagwa Lungu.

President Akufo-Addo will hold bilateral talks with President Edgar Lungu, aimed at deepening the bilateral ties between the two countries, as well as exploring other areas of co-operation to the mutual benefit of the two peoples.

Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), Chief Executive Mohammed Adjei Sowah has rallied assembly members and other stakeholders to support the agenda of the assembly to make the President’s declaration of making Accra the cleanest city in Africa a reality.

He said achieving that mission required a huge change in policy, action plans, enforcement mechanisms and attitudes.

He made the call in his first sessional address to the assembly in Accra last Thursday.

ACCRA/ABIDJAN, June 26 (Reuters) - Up to 80,000 tonnes of cocoa beans have been smuggled into Ghana from neighbouring Ivory Coast since the start of April, as Ivorian growers take advantage of higher prices in the neighbouring country, exporters said on Monday.

Further trafficking is expected to inflate Ghanaian output from its 11-week light cocoa crop, which opened on June 9.

After castigating the then NDC government for failing to bring a diplomatic deal to parliament, the NPP, now in power, has argued the agreement to bring in two former terror suspects didn't need parliamentary approval.

Supreme Court orders after the deal landed on the bench shows, the NPP government has done a u-turn.

It has employed the same argument constructed by the NDC after some private citizens sued the Mahama government for entertaining the former suspects in Ghana.

Government says it will do all it can to reverse a decision by the United States Embassy, to withdraw some privileges extended to former Presidents in the country.

Deputy Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah said the Foreign Affairs Ministry is yet to engage the Embassy for further details since the Ambassador did not make the pronouncement during a meeting with the Ministry but rather, at a meeting with Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee.

South Africa's largest insurer Sanlam Ltd has sold its stake in Ghanaian holding company Enterprise Group's insurance business for $130 million but will retain a presence in the country, Sanlam said on Friday.

Sanlam Emerging Markets (SEM), a subsidiary of the Sanlam Group, acquired the 40 percent stake in Enterprise Insurance in 2014.