Ministerial vetting of Finance minister designate - Ken Ofori Atta

Top story: President Akufo-Addo has said that government is committed to ensuring that petroleum revenues are well managed for the benefit of Ghanaians. Speaking at the launch of the 10th anniversary celebration of the Public Interest and Accountability Committee (PIAC) in Accra on Wednesday, he said government was determined to leverage the country’s hydrocarbon resources for the economic transformation of Ghana.

Top story: Minister for Trade and Industry, Alan Kyerematen has defended the 2021 budget and economic policies as the best to push Ghanaian businesses ahead of their African partners trading on the African Continental Free Trade Area. According to him, the suspension of tax stamp for small businesses, suspension of capital gain tax and other initiatives in the budget will ensure that a conducive business environment is created

Top story: EgyptAir is said to begin a new national airline for the country, to be called “Air Ghana”. According to Bloomberg, the new “Air Ghana” is likely to begin operations in a couple of months’ time. EgyptAir is looking to expand on the African continent as air traffic recovers from the covid-19 pandemic.

Top story: The 2021 Population and Housing Census scheduled to take place in April and May next year will be the first digital census in Ghana. It will involve the use of Computer Assisted Personal Interviewing devices (tablets) for electronic data capture and Geographic Positioning Systems (GPS) for recording coordinates of structures as recommended by the United Nations.

Top story: International ratings agency, Fitch, could review Ghana’s credit rating of B, saying, the “high cost of government’s debt burden is an important rating weakness”.

This it says will continue to squeeze government’s other spending priorities.

Top story: Accounting and auditing firm, KPMG, is charging government to adopt innovative ways to raise additional revenue, whilst exhibiting prudence in spending.

This it believes is the only way to create the needed fiscal space to achieve targets and priorities in the 2021 Budget.

Top story: The Finance Minister nominee Ken Ofori-Atta is attributing his recovery to God and prayers from Ghanaians.

Speaking at the Virtual PwC Post Budget Forum Tuesday, from his base in the USA he noted that doctors who were “handling” him are even surprised with his fast recovery rate.

Top story: Finance ministry downplays negative impact of introduction of fresh taxes on petroleum products on the economy

2021 national budget being presented to Parliament by Interim Minister for Finance, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu.