Category: Daily Guide Network

Parliament has approved the COVID-19 Health Recovery Levy (Repeal) Bill, 2025, effectively scrapping the 1 percent levy imposed during the height of the pandemic to support the country’s health response and economic recovery efforts.

The bill repeals the COVID-19 Health Recovery Act, 2021 (Act 1068), but preserves all rights, obligations, or liabilities that existed before the repeal until they are fully exercised or discharged.

This provision ensures that any pending tax obligations or entitlements under the old law will continue to be valid until resolved.

The decision follows the adoption of the Finance Committee’s report, which recommended the repeal as part of broader tax reforms aimed at easing the cost of doing business and supporting growth.

Levy Considered Outdated

According to the Committee’s report, the COVID-19 Health Recovery Levy was introduced in 2021 under Act 1068 as a temporary fiscal measure to raise additional revenue amid the pandemic.

The levy applied to the supply of goods and services within Ghana, excluding exempt categories, as well as the importation of non-exempt goods and services.

It was not eligible for input tax deduction, a feature that, over time, increased the tax burden on both businesses and households.

The Committee noted that the levy had served its initial purpose but no longer aligned with the current economic direction.

In presenting the 2025 Budget, the government announced plans to streamline the indirect tax regime, improve VAT compliance, and lower the overall cost of doing business. Repealing Act 1068, the Committee said, was central to these efforts.

Finance Minister Justifies Repeal

The Deputy Minister for Finance, Thomas Nyarko Ampem, described the levy as a temporary instrument that had ‘outlived its original purpose.’

He explained that its abolition formed part of a broader Value Added Tax (VAT) reform agenda aimed at creating a more transparent and growth-friendly consumption tax system.

He urged the House to support the repeal, arguing that removing the levy would enhance business competitiveness and contribute to the private sector-led recovery.

Revenue Loss Expected

The Finance Committee acknowledged that eliminating the levy would result in an estimated revenue loss of GHS3.0 billion.

However, the Minister assured the Committee that the ongoing tax reforms, combined with increased economic activity expected from a lower cost of doing business, would compensate for the shortfall through improved revenue mobilisation.

Committee members expressed optimism that a more efficient and equitable tax structure would ultimately expand the tax base and generate higher long-term revenue.

GHANA FOOTBALL legend Abedi Ayew Pele has been appointed to a newly established Ministerial Advisory Board formed to guide sports policy and development in the country.

The nine-member board was inaugurated yesterday by the Minister for Sports and Recreation, Kofi Adams.

The new board is made up of Kofi Iddie Adams (MP), Minister for Sports and Recreation, Chair; Mrs Wilhelmina Asamoah, Chief Director, Ministry of Sports and Recreation; Amb. Alexander Grant Ntrakwa, Head of Delivery, Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Stephen Kwaku Owusu, Technical Advisor, Ministry of Education; and Amerley Nuno-Amarteifio, Director of Legal, Ministry of Finance.

The rest are Cleanse Tsonam Akpeloo, CEO of Suku Technologies and AGI representative; COP Lydia Yaako Donkor, Director-General, CID; Abedi Ayew Pele, former Black Stars captain; Michael Esuon, Director of Finance and Administration, Ministry of Sports and Recreation, Secretary.

Mr. Adams indicated that the advisory board will operate as a working group dedicated to offering strategic direction in youth development, governance, accountability and inclusive sports advancement across the country.

He also revealed that the Sports Development Fund is nearing completion and will soon be presented to Parliament. The fund aims to provide long-term financing for infrastructure projects and grassroots initiatives.

He expressed confidence in the board’s blend of expertise and urged members to deliver practical proposals that will support Ghana’s goal of becoming a continental force in sports and recreation.

Chief of Staff Julius Debrah, oh his part praised the inclusion of Abedi Ayew Pele on Ghana’s World Cup Planning Committee, describing it as a major boost to the country’s preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

‘If for nothing at all, he has played on the international platform. He has the experience to share with us on how best we can present our country on the global stage,’ Mr. Debrah said.

Schools being places of learning are ran on rules and regulations, all intended to mould our future leaders.

In recent times, discipline has taken a nosedive in both schools and society at large, especially among the youth, the trend sometimes attracting public discourses.

Some senior high schools, especially the mission ones, must be congratulated for maintaining high moral standards among students.

Parents of first year students in schools like Wesley Girls’ Senior High School (Wey Gey Hey) have been told about the school rules, among them the kind of mobile phones allowed, keeping of medicines and exeats among others.

Wey Gey Hey is in the news again, however, over the aspects of the school’s regulations which it would appear, prevent Muslim students from practicing their faith. It is a subject whose solution has eluded both the Ghana Education Service and Wey Gey Hey over the years.

One of the rules, as told by parents who turned up during the engagement with the authorities recently, is that students are not allowed to fast but are allowed to pray by the side of their beds. Ambiguous as the foregone sounds, it appears not to specify which prayers, especially since it appears Muslim students are not allowed to pray in the school.

The authorities should come out boldly and explain to Ghanaians whether or not Muslim students are allowed to say their five daily prayers.

Regarding fasting, we understand that the authorities are apprehensive about the health implications of the ritual on students and learning, hence their decision to outlaw it. Being a faith issue, it would sound like the school authorities are breaching the freedom of religion provision in the constitution by stopping students from fasting.

Muslim parents who departed the school grounds at the end of their meeting with the school authorities arrived home wondering whether their wards would be able to adhere to the canons of their religion, especially the saying of the five daily prayers and fasting during the Ramadan month, which is not far away.

The school under review is the only one which makes the headlines when issues of whether or not Muslim students should be allowed to practice their faith. The reason could be because of the strict application of the rules of the school.

We do not seek to take umbrage with the school’s management over its application of disciplinary measures.

We however think that a way should be found to allow members of other faiths in the school to practice the tenets of their religions, because that is in consonance with the constitution.

The school authorities are unable to restrict admission to only Methodist students because such a discrimination would be a breach of the constitution and therefore actionable. That is why the school cannot admit only members of the Methodist denomination of the Christian faith.

The Attorney General, Dr. Dominic Ayine, should appreciate the combustibility of the subject under review when handled haughtily.

One of the stories in this edition is about a certain Sheikh Yusuf Umar Jallo venting his disappointment in the Attorney General for saying that the rules of the school must be upheld because it is a mission school.

When matters reach such a crescendo, cool heads and calm remarks are the best to employ. Aggressive reactions would not help us arrive at amicable solutions to this subject which now stands as a conundrum.

Founder and Creative Director of Christie Brown, Aisha Ayensu, is urging Ghana’s policymakers, government, and leaders to pay attention to and invest in the creative economy, indicating that it is a valuable sector with huge potential for growth, job creation, and economic impact.

In her acceptance speech after receiving the EMY Africa Young Achiever Award, she advocated for more support, recognition, and investment to harness the creative economy’s power as a driver of innovation and progress for Ghana’s development.

‘To our policymakers, government, and leaders, don’t sleep on the creative economy. We are the billboards-if you want to promote Ghana, you are selling Ghana.

‘We are the creative economy: the music, the fashion, the art-that’s the spice, the food that’s the spice. Take it as your biggest billboard to draw in foreign investment. And when they come and see the amazing job you’re doing, building infrastructure, it’s a win-win. So don’t sleep on us when we knock on your doors. Come on, give us a chance,’ she stated at the EMY Africa Awards night.

Aisha Ayensu is also the CEO of Christie Brown, a luxury fashion brand that’s proudly Made in Ghana. Launched in 2008, Christie Brown is inspired by Aisha’s grandmother, a skilled seamstress, and celebrates African craftsmanship with modern twists.

Aisha’s designs have dressed global icons like Beyoncé, Genevieve Nnaji, and Jackie Appiah, and she has been recognised as one of Forbes’ Most Promising Entrepreneurs in 2016. She has also won awards like African Designer of the Year at the Glitz Style Awards (2018, 2019) and Best Fashion Designer at the Africa Prestigious Awards.

In a major boost to youth employment and Ghana’s green transition agenda, the Youth Ambassador for Peace and Development, who also serves as the CEO and Chairman of the Afro Arab Group, Salamu Amadu, has announced a strategic partnership with leading Chinese automotive and technology investors.

The collaboration aims to supply more than 1,000 vehicles under a work-and-pay model, expected to generate over 2,000 jobs for the youth.

The initiative will support government efforts to expand employment opportunities, modernise transportation, and accelerate the shift toward environmentally friendly mobility solutions. Young beneficiaries will be able to earn sustainable income as drivers and operators while contributing to the country’s clean energy transition.

According to the Youth Ambassador, the partnership aligns with his long-standing vision to empower young people through sustainable job creation while promoting innovation and clean energy adoption. The 1,000 vehicles-comprising efficient, modern models including electric and low-emission options-will be deployed across key urban centers in the country.

He emphasised that the project is not only about job creation but also about championing Ghana’s green transition, reducing carbon emissions, and contributing to the future of eco-friendly transport nationwide.

The Afro Arab Group has been at the forefront of several youth-focused and green initiatives, and this latest collaboration highlights its commitment to supporting national development and strengthening Ghana-China business relations.

The vehicles are expected to arrive in phases, with recruitment and onboarding of beneficiaries set to begin immediately after the first consignment, ensuring a swift start to this transformative initiative.

Ghanaian rap sensation, Kweku Flick, has recounted an unpleasant occurrence at the just ended Shay Concert hosted by songstress Wendy Shay, describing the encounter as disrespectful to his craft.

Kweku Flick was among an array of acts who were billed to perform at the Shay Concert, which was held at the West Hills Mall in Weija, Accra.

In a post sighted on X, the ‘Ewiase’ crooner stated that he had to fly all the way from Kumasi to Accra, to support the Shay Concert only to be disrespected by a DJ, who cut him off during his performance.

The post read, ‘Something happened on the stage while I was performing at @wendyshaygh concert.I didn’t want to react over it because of the love and support I have for my sissy. but I was very disappointed!!’

He continued, ‘I’m very calm but that doesn’t mean a DJ or operator (anonymous person) should cut me off while performing, while ppl (people) are happy enjoying my performance, unaware cut off?? Lol. Next time, if that thing happens again..

‘Some ppl no go see me well. At all, I dey respect waa but woy3 long a m3y3 wo long. Flew all the way from Kumasi just to meet this kind of disrespect?? Do you know the risk involved??? Anyways Wendy congratulations and may God bless you for that great concert, we made history still (sic).’

The Shay Concert 2025 featured some exciting performances, including a memorable moment with Wendy’s goddaughters, Tracy Shay and Korkor Shay, who stole the spotlight with their energetic dance moves to the viral song ‘It’s Too Late’.

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament for Suame, John Darko, has accused the government of making a calculated move to ‘plunder’ the Ghana Heritage Fund and the Ghana Stabilisation Fund under the guise of the 2026 Budget, warning that the future economic security of the country is under grave threat.

Contributing to the budget debate in Parliament yesterday, Mr. Darko said the government, through the Minister for Finance, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, was attempting to change the investment structure of the Ghana Petroleum Funds in order to access and spend the resources now, in violation of established law and the principle of intergenerational equity.

He drew the attention of the House to paragraphs 861, 863 and 864 of the budget, which outline plans by the Finance Ministry to move investments of the Ghana Petroleum Funds from their current placement in low-risk foreign-denominated securities into alternative investments.

He noted that under the existing framework, the funds are invested in instruments issued by institutions such as the World Bank and highly rated sovereigns to protect Ghana’s long-term savings.

Mr. Darko said the Finance Minister’s claim that total reserves of about $1.46 billion had yielded just $1.94 million in interest since 2011, representing about one per cent annual return, was misleading and inconsistent with data from the Public Interest and Accountability Committee (PIAC) and the Bank of Ghana.

Quoting the 2025 PIAC report, he said cumulative petroleum receipts distributed between August 2011 and June 2025 amounted to about $11 billion, with $2.6 billion paid into the Ghana Stabilisation Fund and $1.1 billion into the Ghana Heritage Fund, bringing the combined total to approximately $3.7 billion.

He described as troubling the attempt to downplay these figures in the budget presentation.

According to the Suame MP, the discrepancies in the data are linked to a memorandum laid before Parliament on November 12, 2025, by the Finance Minister, seeking to amend the investment rules to allow the petroleum funds to be channelled into domestic energy sector projects.

‘This is effectively an attempt to spend the Ghana Wealth Fund now, instead of preserving it for the future as required by law,’ he said, referencing the Petroleum Revenue Management Act, which mandates that both the Heritage and Stabilisation Funds be merged into a permanent wealth fund after Ghana’s petroleum resources are depleted.

Mr. Darko described the move as a violation of the principle of sustainable development, warning that the government was prioritising present consumption over the needs of future generations. ‘This budget is about ‘let’s eat now and forget tomorrow,’ he charged.

Beyond the petroleum funds, the Suame MP also criticised the budget’s treatment of environmental sanitation.

He said the allocation of about GHS400 million to waste management was grossly inadequate, considering the scale of Ghana’s sanitation challenges and the public health risks associated with poor waste disposal.

He cited research linking poor waste management to outbreaks of sanitation-related diseases such as cholera and warned that continued underinvestment could lead to serious public health emergencies. He also questioned why the sanitation levy had not been strictly ring-fenced for waste management purposes.

Mr. Darko called on Parliament and civil society organisations to resist any attempt to repurpose the Ghana Heritage Fund and Stabilisation Fund for short-term projects, insisting that the petroleum savings belong to both the present and future generations of Ghanaians.

He concluded that the 2026 Budget, as presented, fails to safeguard the long-term interests of the country and exposes critical national savings to unnecessary political risk.

With the countdown to the first 48-team FIFA World Cup nearing 200 days, FIFA has confirmed the procedures that will shape the tournament’s 12 groups.

The Final Draw will be held on 5 December at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., bringing together coaches and officials from all qualified nations as they learn their group-stage opponents.

Hosts Canada, Mexico and the United States will be placed in Pot 1 and assigned directly to positions A1, B1 and D1 in accordance with the match calendar.

They will be joined in the top pot by the highest-ranked teams in the FIFA/Coca-Cola Men’s World Ranking to be published on 19 November 2025.

Remaining qualified nations will be distributed across Pots 2, 3 and 4, with the final pot also containing placeholders for the intercontinental play-off winners and four European play-off spots.

To maintain competitive balance, FIFA has introduced pathway restrictions ensuring that the four highest-ranked teams-Spain, Argentina, France and England-are split between opposite sides of the knockout bracket.

Confederation rules will also apply, preventing any group from containing more than one team from the same region, except for UEFA, which may have up to two European nations per group due to its larger representation.

Once teams are drawn, their exact position in each group will follow a predefined placement pattern outlined in FIFA’s procedural document.

While the draw will determine matchups, FIFA will publish the updated tournament schedule, including stadium assignments and kickoff times, on 6 December.

Organisers say the schedule aims to provide fair conditions for teams and allow global audiences to follow matches across multiple time zones.

The 2026 tournament, co-hosted by the USA, Mexico and Canada, will be the biggest World Cup ever staged.

The 7th International Symposium on West African Studies (ISWAS) opened on Wednesday, November 19, 2025 at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) with a mandate that extended beyond typical academic discourse.

In a series of high-level deliberations, diplomats and scholars laid out a concrete roadmap for how Artificial Intelligence (AI) must move from a buzzword to a driver of Equity, Empowerment, and Resilience across the West African region.

The symposium, themed, ‘Sustainable Economic and Social Development in West Africa: AI Empowerment and Innovation,’ is a tripartite collaboration between the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China (UESTC), GIMPA, and the University of Cape Coast (UCC).

Delivering a keynote that bridged diplomacy and hard economics, Chinese Ambassador to Ghana, Tong Defa, mentioned that the value of AI lies in its application to Ghana’s real economy. He called on the delegation to visualize a near future where digital infrastructure fundamentally alters national output

Ambassador Defa framed these proposals within the broader context of the recent FOCAC Summit in Beijing and the upcoming ‘China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges.’ He pledged China’s commitment to helping developing nations bridge the intelligent divide, ensuring that West Africa secures a distinct voice and representation in the global governance of AI.

Rector of GIMPA, Prof. Samuel Kwaku Bonsu, recalled the inaugural ISWAS at UCC in 2017 and the subsequent Smart City themed event at UESTC in China. He emphasized that the partnership between GIMPA and UESTC has transcended academic exchange to become a bond for cultural integration.

‘For the West African region, artificial intelligence holds enormous potential and is expected to become a key driving force for achieving sustainable development goals. We also hope that this seminar can further promote capacity building and cooperation, inspire profound reflection and action, and bring greater and more positive impacts to our institutions, countries, and even the entire West African region,’ Prof Bonsu stated.

On behalf of the Acting Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast, Professor Rosemond Boohene, a former Pro-Vice Chancellor of UCC, cautioned against adopting technology solely for speed.

She also highlighted that for the region to overcome challenges like climate vulnerability and educational gaps; the demographic dividend of West Africa’s youth must be armed with high-level digital skills.

‘As artificial intelligence reshapes industries, governance, and social systems, West Africa must position itself not only as a participant but as a leader, this symposium offers a unique platform to explore how AI can be leveraged not just as a tool of efficiency, but as a catalyst for equity, empowerment, and resilience,’ she added.

Director of the Center for West African Studies at UESTC, Prof. Shurong Zhao, outlined the symposium’s rigorous academic agenda.

She noted that the 7th International Symposium on West African Studies conference will generate many new ideas and innovative technologies, which can also be applied to different societies based on their political and historical backgrounds.

She outlined findings from a high-impact research work that pointed out some risks in E-Business Cooperation between China and West Africa and how they can be addressed.

Highlife singer, Kwaisey Pee, has urged all parties involved in the ongoing disputes over Daddy Lumba’s burial arrangements to settle their differences and give the music legend the dignified farewell he deserves.

Speaking on Hitz FM, Kwaisey Pee said the confusion and disagreements surrounding the funeral of the man he described as ‘Ghana’s Michael Jackson’ were deeply troubling – especially for musicians who want to pay their respects but feel unsure how to proceed.

‘Sometimes you don’t even know where to contribute because you need to be careful with what to say, but it’s sad,’ he lamented. ‘Such a great man like this is no more, and these things are happening.’

The highlife star stressed that the public wrangling not only disrespects Daddy Lumba’s legacy but also casts Ghanaian musicians in a negative light.

‘It’s not showing a good picture for us as musicians,’ he warned. ‘People will get the wrong perceptions about artistes and conclude that we live our lives anyhow, so when we die, it’s messed up.’

Kwaisey Pee appealed directly to the family of the late icon to take charge of the situation and restore order.

‘I wish they can sit and .squash all these things and make sure we put this man to rest,’ he said. ‘The family should just sit up and make sure they solve the problems.’

His call adds to growing voices demanding unity, respect, and a peaceful send-off for one of Ghana’s greatest musical legends.