Category: Daily Guide Network

The Centre for Policy Scrutiny (CPS) has urged the government to intensify domestic revenue mobilisation as part of efforts to sustain the country’s economic recovery and maintain fiscal discipline.

Speaking at a presentation on the Centre’s assessment of the 2026 Mid-Year Budget Review in Accra yesterday, the Executive Director of the Centre for Policy Scrutiny (CPS), Dr. Adu Owusu Sarkodie, said in order to achieve fiscal discipline, government should make the Tax Identification Number (TIN) mandatory for accessing public goods and services among others.

He said, ‘the government should redouble its efforts to implement the compliance measures included in its VAT reforms, implement the Modified Taxation Scheme as well as the AI solution for customs revenue mobilisation,’ he stated.

He also urged the Ministry of Finance to improve budget execution by closing funding gaps in programme-critical expenditures to enhance public investment and improve service delivery across Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).

He also called for greater fiscal transparency by publishing budget execution reports throughout the fiscal year, including comparisons between approved budget allocations and actual expenditure at both ministerial and programme levels.

According to the Centre, strengthening tax administration by enforcing VAT compliance measures, fully implementing the Modified Taxation Scheme and deploying artificial intelligence solutions will also improve revenue mobilisation.

On employment, Labour Economist, Dr. Prince Adjei noted that although Ghana’s economy continues to record stronger growth, job creation has not kept pace given the statistics for economic growth and employment.

He said expanding agriculture, manufacturing and services while strengthening education and skills development would generate more employment opportunities, particularly for low- and medium-skilled workers.

He acknowledged provisional data from the Ghana Statistical Service which showed that the country’s economic recovery gathered momentum in 2025 and continued through the first half of 2026 with real GDP expanding by 6.4 per cent in the first quarter of 2026, driven mainly by growth in the industry and services sector.

He, however, observed that the first-quarter growth rate remained below the country’s record first-quarter growth of 13.3 per cent recorded in 2012.

On infrastructure financing, the Centre cautioned that Ghana’s financing framework remains exposed to external shocks, particularly fluctuations in commodity prices that could affect oil revenues and therefore urged the government to maintain fiscal buffers, diversify funding sources and adopt prudent expenditure controls while encouraging the use of Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) for selected projects under favourable terms.

Reviewing the government’s 24-Hour Economy and Accelerated Export Development Programme (24H+), the Centre said the policy document focuses more on economic transformation than the widely publicised three-shift employment model.

It stated that while the programme projects the creation of 828,000 jobs by 2026, 1.76 million jobs by 2028 and 5.3 million jobs by 2034, the Centre said government should provide Ghanaians with a clear account of progress made so far though it commended government’s fiscal performance during the first half of 2026.

The economic think tank mentioned that although the Big Push infrastructure initiative has shown the strongest evidence of implementation, with 87 active projects, identified transport corridors and GHS6.5 billion already disbursed comprehensive national employment figures under the programme were unavailable.

Singer, Gyakie, has explained that her decision to withdraw from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) SRC event was solely due to concerns about proper event organisation, not because she feared being booed by students.

The ‘Something’ hitmaker said her earlier statement was intended to ensure that the right procedures were followed to enable artistes to deliver quality performances.

‘I don’t care if anyone booed at me then or now, but due process must be followed, and the right thing must be done to ensure that artists give out their best,’ she wrote on Facebook.

Gyakie stressed that professionalism should never be compromised, adding that proper planning and coordination are essential for every performance.

She also maintained that public criticism does not affect her, insisting that her priority is to give fans the best possible experience.

‘I’m committed to giving my fans my best and always leaving them with a memorable experience,’ she said.

Gyakie was announced as one of the performers for the KNUST SRC Week event scheduled for July 25, 2026.

However, hours before the event, she responded to a post on X saying she would not make an appearance, sparking a wave of speculation online about the reasons behind her pullout.

‘Unfortunately, I’m not performing tonight. Hopefully, KNUST SRC acknowledges the hard work and gets things done the right way,’ she wrote in that tweet.

The Minority in Parliament has accused the government of failing to implement about GHS30 billion worth of projects, jobs and programmes captured in the 2026 Budget, arguing that the shortfall has stalled development across the country despite the government’s claims of fiscal discipline.

Leading the criticism during the debate on the 2026 Mid-Year Budget Review, the Ranking Member on Parliament’s Economy and Development Committee and New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament (MP) for Ofoase-Ayirebi, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, said the Finance Minister failed to account for the implementation of the government’s economic programme as required under Section 28 of the Public Financial Management Act.

According to him, the law makes the mid-year review a statutory platform for the Finance Minister to report to Parliament on how much of the approved economic programme has been executed and what remains outstanding.

Mr. Oppong Nkrumah dismissed claims by the government communicators that the 2026 review was historic because the Finance Minister did not seek additional appropriations from Parliament.

He argued that the real issue was not whether supplementary funding was requested, but whether the government had delivered on the programmes approved in the budget.

‘This is not the first time a finance minister has presented a mid-year review without requesting additional resources,’ he said, and added, ‘What has happened for the first time is that a finance minister has presented a mid-year review without telling the country how much of the economic programme has been executed and how much has not.’

GHS30bn Under-execution

The Ofoase-Ayirebi MP said figures contained in Appendix 2A of the Mid-Year Budget Review showed that the government had under-executed the budget by approximately GHS30 billion at the end of the first half of the year.

He maintained that the amount represented projects, employment opportunities and government programmes that had been promised to Ghanaians but had not been delivered.

‘The reason many constituencies do not have projects going on is because this government has under-executed the budget by GHS30 billion,’ he asserted.

Mr. Oppong Nkrumah also challenged the Finance Minister’s explanation that expenditure restraint was necessary to meet the International Monetary Fund (IMF)-supported primary balance target of 1.5 percent.

He argued that fiscal targets should be achieved after implementing planned economic programmes rather than by withholding expenditure.

He further criticised indications that the government may reduce the primary balance target to 0.5 percent in 2027, describing the move as a retreat from the fiscal discipline it has consistently promoted.

‘The solution is not in lowering the primary balance. The solution is in paying more attention to your revenue measures so that you generate the revenues you need,’ he stated.

Impact on Public Services

The Ranking Member argued that the government’s spending restraint had come at a significant social cost.

He linked the alleged under-execution of expenditure to inadequate funding for flood control projects, claiming that delayed investment contributed to the devastating floods that claimed 34 lives while six others remained missing.

He further alleged that the Ministry of Food and Agriculture had been unable to access about GHS1.6 billion required for fertilisers and other agricultural interventions, despite the government claims that the funds had been released.

According to him, shortages in agricultural support had contributed to rising food prices.

He also accused the government of delaying financial clearance for the recruitment of teachers and health workers, leaving thousands of qualified young people unemployed while schools and health facilities struggled with staffing shortages.

Mr. Oppong Nkrumah further argued that suppressed government spending had reduced demand within the economy, contributing to lower inflation figures while ordinary Ghanaians continued to face a high cost of living.

He also criticised the government for increasing import duties after previously promising to reduce them.

Government Responds

Responding to the Minority’s claims, Chairman of Parliament’s Economy and Development Committee and National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament for Amenfi West, Eric Afful, defended the government’s fiscal performance, insisting that the country had largely met or exceeded its economic targets for the first half of 2026.

He rejected suggestions that government revenue had fallen significantly short of expectations.

According to him, domestic revenue was projected to reach 7.9 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by mid-year, while actual performance stood at 7.8 percent of GDP.

Mr. Afful also dismissed claims that the government had failed to spend as planned, noting that total expenditure on a commitment basis reached 8.0 percent of GDP against a half-year target of 9.9 percent.

He outlined several areas where government spending had continued, including employee compensation, interest payments, Eurobond debt servicing and payments to domestic bondholders under the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme.

He said these expenditures had helped sustain economic activity while restoring confidence in the financial sector.

The Amenfi West MP further argued that the nation’s improving macroeconomic indicators demonstrated prudent fiscal management.

The Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) has suspended plans to increase transport fares by 30% as the union await the outcome of the next fuel pricing window expected on Friday.

The decision follows discussions between transport unions and government after authorities appealed for more time to implement measures aimed at reducing fuel prices.

The Deputy Public Relations Officer of GPRTU, Samuel Amoah, said the union agreed to temporarily shelve the proposed fare adjustment following government’s request.

‘Yesterday, my leadership informed us that when they met, government asked us to hold on because they are working on measures to ensure fuel prices come down,’ he disclosed.

Mr. Amoah, despite the assurance, said, ‘Our investigations have proved to us that even in the next pricing window, fuel prices are likely to go up again. So we are still holding on to the decision on the proposed 30% increment. We will wait until Friday to see what happens at the pumps before we decide on our next course of action.’

According to him, commercial drivers continue to struggle with high fuel prices, with diesel selling at about GHS17.78 per litre and petrol retailing at around GHS14.95 per litre.

He said the rising cost of fuel is significantly reducing drivers’ earnings and making it increasingly difficult for them to remain in business, adding that the situation has become so challenging that some drivers refuse to operate on certain routes because they are no longer profitable.

‘There are areas that drivers don’t even want to ply because when they go and return, they make no meaningful income. That is the challenge we are facing now,’ Mr. Amoah added.

Chief Justice (CJ) Paul Baffoe-Bonnie has disclosed that the Judiciary is set to commence the automation of courts across the country starting October 2026, as the institution positions itself to enhance justice delivery.

The initiative, which will start from the Supreme Court, to be followed by the Court of Appeal and the High Court, encompasses several innovative measures being introduced in the justice delivery system as measures are put in place to increase access to quality justice delivery in the country.

Speaking at a durbar to climax the 150th anniversary of the Supreme Court at the University of Professional Studies in Accra yesterday, Justice Baffoe-Bonnie said the Judiciary is formally approaching a new era through the implementation of electronic filing, electronic authentication, and electronic service of court processes.

He said the initiative is not mere technological flourish but a statement of institutional direction.

‘It reflects our determination to ensure that access to justice is no longer unnecessarily constrained by bureaucracy or avoidable delays,’ he said.

The Chief Justice said the initiative forms part of the broader e-justice agenda through which the Judiciary is steadily building a modern judicial system that remains faithful to its enduring values while embracing the opportunities of a rapidly changing world.

He noted that the absence of justice must increasingly reflect the realities of the 21st century.

He, however, pointed out that technology should never replace justice, but should make justice more accessible, more efficient, and ultimately more responsive to those it exists to serve.

He also disclosed that the Judiciary has undertaken what is perhaps the most comprehensive review of the rules of court in more than two decades, noting that ‘the existing rules have served this nation well, but procedure must never become an obstacle to justice.’

He said the revised rules, which will be laid in Parliament at the beginning of October, therefore seek to simplify practise, reduce unnecessary technicality, improve efficiency, and better reflect the realities of contemporary litigation.

‘They represent another important step towards a justice system that is both principled and practical,’ he said.

Justice Baffoe-Bonnie also indicated that as the Supreme Court marks its 150th milestone, the next chapter of the Judiciary will be written by the decisions the courts make, the reforms the Judiciary pursues, by the integrity it demonstrates, and the courage with which they defend the constitution and the confidence the Ghanaian people continue to place in them.

He expressed optimism about the future of the Judiciary, pointing to a ‘shared national determination that our institutions must continue to grow stronger, that justice must become more accessible, and that the rule of law must remain the fair foundation upon which our republic stands.’

Vice President, Prof. Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, said a confident democracy requires confident institutions, and government therefore regards the strengthening of the justice sector as an essential investment in Ghana’s democratic future and national development agenda.

She said a milestone has been achieved in that regard through the work of the Constitution Review Committee which has submitted its report to government after months of extensive consultations with citizens, institutions and stakeholders across the country.

‘A constitutional review is never simply about altering legal provisions. At its best, it is a national exercise in reflection. It asks whether our institutions continue to serve the aspirations of our people and whether they remain equipped to respond to the demands of an evolving society,’ she said.

The Vice President added that government remains committed to working with the leadership of the judiciary, parliament, academia and civil society to ensure that reforms advancing the administration of justice receive the careful attention they deserve.

The Agbogbomefia of the Asogli State, Togbe Afede XIV, who chaired the occasion, on his part, said the Supreme Court and the justice delivery system at large is responsive to changes in the environment it finds itself ‘and that adaptability is what I believe has sustained it for the past 150 years.’

He, however, admitted that there are still challenges in justice delivery in Ghana, including access to justice, and financial barriers which are denying many Ghanaians access to legal service.

He said the future and success of the Judiciary depends on the collective efforts of Ghanaians, and called for collaborations to strengthen the institution.

Some former Justices of the Supreme Court, including William Atuguba, Barbara Ackah-Yensu, Vida Akoto Bamfo, Jones Dotse, and Clemence Honyenugah, were present at the celebration.

Also in attendance were the Chief Justice of Sierra Leone and a representative of the Chief Justice of The Gambia, who all praised the Supreme Court for delivering decisions that have been recognised across the African continent.

Ghanaian reggae-dancehall star Shatta Wale’s annual flagship music festival, ShattaFest UK 2026, has officially sold out days ahead of the event, proving the artiste’s massive pull with fans abroad.

The UK edition is scheduled for Saturday, August 1, 2026 at Copthall Playing Fields, Champions Way, London, NW4 1PS, from 12:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Unlike previous editions that featured multiple acts, this year’s London show is being promoted solely around Shatta Wale’s image, name, and brand. No other artistes have been announced to perform.

Industry watchers say the sell-out reflects Shatta Wale’s ability to ‘school the boys’ and carry a major international event on his name alone. ‘Shatta Wale really controls,’ a fan comment that has gone viral ahead of the show sums up the sentiment among Shatta Movement (SM) fans.

ShattaFest has grown into one of Ghana’s biggest annual music celebrations. The 2025 edition held at Independence Square in Accra drew thousands, and the move to London marks another milestone for the brand as it expands to the diaspora.

While organisers have not announced supporting acts, the sold-out status suggests fans are coming out specifically to experience Shatta Wale’s high-energy performance and catalog of hits. With tickets gone, all eyes will be on Shatta Wale to deliver what promises to be a landmark performance for Ghanaian music in the UK.

Shatta Wale also posted a picture of the event sold out receipt with the caption, ‘Hallelujah. Thank you to all SM fans we are good to go.’

The Northern Regional Police Command, has arrested two (2) suspected drug dealers and recovered 170 parcels of dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp during an intelligence-led anti-drug operation at Katariga in the Tamale Metropolis of the Northern Region.

The operation, led by the Northern Regional Special Operations Team known as Red Maria, forms part of the Command’s sustained efforts to combat drug trafficking and other criminal activities within the region.

According to police, the first suspect Godwin Yamegi, 32, was arrested with two parcels of dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp and during interrogation, he disclosed that the suspected narcotic substance had been supplied to him by Seth Amekuse, 33.

Acting swiftly on this intelligence, the team proceeded to the residence of Seth Amekuse at Katariga, where he was arrested and a search conducted in his room led to the recovery of an additional 168 parcels of dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp.

The exhibits have been handed over to the Regional Drugs Law Enforcement Unit (RDLEU) for further investigation and processing.

Meanwhile, the suspects are currently in police custody assisting with investigations, and will be arraigned before the court upon the conclusion of investigations to face the appropriate charges.

The Northern Regional Police Command commended the public for their continued cooperation and encouraged citizens to volunteer credible information on drug-related and other criminal activities through the nearest Police Station. The Command assured that it remains resolute in ensuring the safety and security of all residents by relentlessly pursuing individuals engaged in the trafficking and distribution of illicit drugs.

CHAOS ERUPTED at the Techiman Krobo Nursing Training College on Monday, July 27, 2026, as police officers descended on protesting students with clubs and batons, leaving several injured and four people arrested.

The victims include two students and two journalists who are currently in police custody for their involvement in the demonstration.

Complaints

The protest was sparked by claims of unresolved concerns with school management and the alleged unfair treatment by the school’s principal, Dr. Hellen Dwamena.

The protesting students cited key grievances including poor feeding, deplorable sanitary conditions, and a total breakdown in communication between college management and the Students’ Representative Council (SRC).

They also cited the school’s most recent durbar, during which no student or staff member was allowed to speak except the principal. They further accused the principal of excluding the SRC from the school’s advisory board and refusing to pay board members their government-approved allowances.

Demonstration

According to sources, the police initially escorted the demonstration, but the situation reportedly escalated during efforts to disperse the crowd, leading to arrests and multiple gunshots.

Videos circulating on social media showed some students with placards running away while police officers are seen chasing them and firing gunshots to disperse the crowd.

The students also alleged that some of their colleagues were picked up by police officers on the advice of the principal. They vowed not to back down until authorities address the poor conditions which, according to them, have persisted for years.

Principal’s Response

Reports indicate that the principal, Dr. Hellen Dwamena, claims the students were acting illegally after they had locked her office and taken to the streets to demonstrate against her stewardship.

She indicated that the students have escalated the issue by calling for her dismissal, alleging that she’s autocratic and extorts money from them.

NUGS Condemns Brutality

The National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) has condemned the alleged assault.

In a statement, NUGS President, Rashid Ibrahim, said the association had received, ‘disturbing reports’ that students were attacked while protesting poor welfare conditions at the school.

NUGS referenced Article 21 of the 1992 Constitution, which guarantees the right to peaceful assembly and demonstration.

‘Students do not lose this constitutional right because they are on campus. It is therefore deeply worrying that students exercising this legitimate right were reportedly met with violence instead of protection,’ Mr. Ibrahim stated.

The union thus called on the Inspector General of Police to ‘immediately order a thorough and independent investigation into the incident’ and ensure any officer found to have acted unlawfully is held accountable.

While acknowledging that the police have a duty to maintain law and order, NUGS stressed that it ‘must always be carried out professionally and with full respect for the rights and dignity of citizens.’

The union also urged the Ministry of Health and management of Techiman Krobo Nursing Training College to ensure that all students who sustained injuries receive immediate medical care.

‘More importantly, the welfare concerns that triggered the demonstration must be addressed without further delay. Students deserve a safe learning environment and a management that listens and responds to their legitimate concerns,’ NUGS said.

A 35-year-old taxi driver, Kwabena Awuah, popularly known as Asawado, has been brutally murdered by unidentified assailants at Kotwi-Nkoransa in the Atwima Kwanwoma District of the Ashanti Region.

The deceased was found dead in his taxi, bearing registration number AW 2458-20, after he reportedly left home late Sunday night to begin his night’s work.

The shocking incident, which occurred around midnight, has thrown residents of the community into fear and disbelief.

An eyewitness, Ibrahim Gyamfi, told DAILY GUIDE that the deceased was at home around 8:00 p.m., where he reportedly had a misunderstanding with his wife that escalated into a fight.

According to the eyewitness, at about 11:00 p.m., Kwabena Awuah informed neighbours that he was leaving for work. However, residents woke up the following morning to the tragic news that he had been found dead in his vehicle.

‘He was at home around 8:00 p.m. and had a misunderstanding with his wife, which led to a fight. Around 11:00 p.m., he told us he was going to work, but this morning we heard he had been killed,’ Ibrahim Gyamfi told DAILY GUIDE.

Personnel from the Brofoyedru District Police Command visited the scene and conveyed the body to the mortuary for preservation and autopsy.

Police have since commenced investigations into the murder and are pursuing the perpetrators.

The motive behind the killing remains unknown.

Ghana’s indigenous languages are disappearing faster than many realise, and the warning signs are growing harder to ignore.

The Executive Director of the Ghana Library Authority, Alhassan Betintiche Ziblim, has raised the alarm, noting that while only a handful of Ghanaian languages have died out completely, as many as 40 are now teetering on the edge of extinction.

Without deliberate effort to preserve them, he says, the list of lost languages will only grow longer.

Among those already gone is Boro, once spoken around Worawora and Tapa in the central-eastern part of the country. By the end of the 1800s, the language had been reduced to a single elderly speaker, and today all that remains of it are about a dozen words captured in old linguistic records.

Mpr?, also called Mpra, met a similar fate. It was once spoken in Butei, a village between Techiman and Tamale, and though the language itself died out sometime in the twentieth century, a few elderly residents were still able to recall bits and pieces of it as recently as the early 2000s.

Then, there is Dompo, once the language of a hunter-gatherer community in what is now the Bono East Region. Its speakers have since shifted almost entirely to Akan, and the language is now considered extinct.

But the bigger worry, according to the Ghana Library Authority, is what comes next. Languages such as Nawuri, Tuwuli (also known as Bowiri), Chala, and certain dialects of Anufo (Chakosi) are all endangered, and could vanish within a generation if young people stop learning and speaking them.

It is not just a Ghanaian problem, either; dozens of indigenous languages across the African continent have already been lost, a sobering reminder that this is not some distant, hypothetical threat but something happening in real time.

Interestingly, not everyone agrees on exactly how many languages have been lost. Ethnologue, one of the most widely used language databases in the world, tends to be far more conservative in its classifications and lists fewer extinct Ghanaian languages than local researchers do. The disagreement often comes down to how strictly ‘extinct’ is defined, particularly in cases where a language survives only in the memory of a few elderly semi-speakers.

The conversation around Ghana’s local languages inevitably turns to Hausa as well. Hausa’s historical roots lie in what is now northern Nigeria and southern Niger, and it is generally regarded as a major West African language rather than a Ghanaian one. Yet media personalities such as Alhaji A. R. Gomda and Alhaji Baba Sheriff have long argued that centuries of settlement and continuous use have earned Hausa a rightful place among Ghana’s own languages. It is, after all, spoken widely in Zongo communities across the country and remains one of the most common languages of inter-ethnic communication in the country.

Hausa’s spread through Ghana has deep historical roots, such as trade routes, migration, and the colonial-era recruitment of soldiers from northern Nigeria into what would become the Ghana Armed Forces all played a part. Its fingerprints are visible in everyday Ghanaian speech, too. The word ‘donkomi,’ for instance, is thought to derive from the Hausa ‘rangwame,’ meaning a reduction or concession, while ‘kafra’ traces back to the Hausa ‘gaafara,’ itself borrowed from the Arabic word for forgiveness. Even some place names carry this legacy. Kasoa, Adabraka, and Nima are all believed to reflect Hausa and Arabic linguistic influence, a quiet testament to the many cultural currents that have shaped Ghana’s language landscape over the generations.

None of this has to be Ghana’s story, though. Boro, Mpr?, and Dompo did not disappear overnight, they faded gradually, one skipped conversation at a time, one generation that chose not to pass the language on to the next.

That is exactly what stands between us and the same fate for Nawuri, Tuwuli, Chala, and the many other languages still hanging on today.

The good news is that every Ghanaian has a part to play in changing that story. Speak your language at home. Teach it to your children. Use it proudly in the market, on the street, in the church or mosque, wherever you find yourself not just as a duty, but as an act of preservation.

This is the whole idea behind SPEAK LOCAL GH, a campaign reminding Ghanaians that our languages are ours to lose or to keep.

We believe that when development becomes a practical guide that speaks in the people’s language, through their leaders and arts, it designs programmes that honour communities as authors of their own development, not merely its recipients.

Sankofa wo h)yi, yen kyi.

Speak indigenous. Preserve heritage, Protect the future.

Yen Kasa, Yen Ahohoahoa

Yen Kasa, Yen Aho)den

Our tagline says it simply: Speak it, Preserve it and Pass it on. Follow SPEAK LOCAL GH on all social media platforms, engage with our posts, and join the conversation because a language spoken today is a language saved for tomorrow.

A Communication for Social Change social media campaign, Group 2, M.A Development Communication students, University of Media, Arts and Communication – Institute of Journalism (UniMAC-IJ)