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News and Events

World Bank Approves US$535 Million Package for Ghana The Board of Directors of the World Bank today approved a total of US$535 million to support three credit facilities aimed at helping improve economic governance and stabilizing Ghana’s economy. (June 30, 2009)

Government Challenges Board Members The Minister for Finance and Economic Planning, Dr Kwabena Duffour, on behalf of the President, has inaugurated the Board of Directors of the Ghana Reinsurance Company Limited (GRC), National Identification Authority (NIA), Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) and the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) in Accra yesterday. (June 30, 2009)

Ghana Signs Two Agreements With Spain The Government of Ghana has signed two agreements with the Spanish Government last Friday in Accra . The two agreements are the Conversion of Loans into Grant Facility Agreement and the agreement for the Debt Swap for Development Programme. (June 29, 2009)

Ghana Stock Exchange To Reinforce Investor Confidence The Ghana Stock Exchange aims at upholding the highest standards of market integrity, professionalism and best practices in the conduct of business, in order to reinforce investor confidence. (June 29, 2009)

Ministry Of Finance Inaugurates New Board Of Directors For ADB Eight new Board Members of the Agricultural Development Bank (ADB) were inaugurated by the Minister for Finance in last Friday in Accra. (June 29, 2009)

Commission On Fair Wages, Salaries And National Labour Inaugurated The Minister for Employment and Social Welfare, Honourable Stephen Amoanor Kwao, last Friday, inaugurated Chairpersons and members of fair Wages and Salaries Commission as well as the National Labour Commission to resolve and implement a public sector pay policy. (June 29, 2009)

Ghana May Accept IMF’s Conditions Finance and Economic Planning Minister, Dr Kwabena Duffuor says Ghana may agree on terms with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on a $1 billion loan within the next couple of days. (June 25, 2009)

Current Economic Condition Require Commitment-President Mills President John Atta Mills has said that the current economic condition of the country requires that workers display high level of commitment. (June 24, 2009)

Wages: Talks To Resume Organised labour, representatives of the government and the Fair Wages Commission will this week resume salary negotiations which were stalled last Friday. (June 23, 2009)

Africa Export-Import Bank To Assist Ghana's Trade And Industry Mr Jean-Louis Ekra, President of the Cairo-based Africa Export-Import Bank at the weekend said the Bank is ready to help industries to add value to their raw materials and facilitate trade between the continent and rest of the world. (June 22, 2009)

African Tax Administration Forum Ends Mr Oupa Magashula, Acting Commissioner of the South African Revenue Service, yesterday asked African Tax administrators to forge a united front, in order to strengthen tax mobilisation to ensure minimal loss of revenue to the continent. (June 20, 2009)

Private Capital Flows Deepen Ghana recorded a private capital inflow of 1.54 billion Ghanaian cedis (US$1.59 billion) in 2007, which brings the total stock of capital inflow of the private sector to 4.33 billion Ghanaian cedis (or US$4.47 billion) at the end of 2007, a survey by the Bank of Ghana has established. (June 20, 2009)

Finance Minister Accounts For Transition Process The total expenditure for the entire transitional process, following the change in Government, amounted to 631,924.41 Ghanaian cedis, Dr Kwabena Duffuor, Finance Minister said in Parliament yesterday. (June 19, 2009)

Government's Fiscal Stabilisation On Course - Finance Minister Dr Kwabena Duffour, Minister for Finance yesterday gave a positive assessment of the economy, saying confidence is gradually being restored due to the positive impact of Government's fiscal policies, macroeconomic stability measures and injection of external resources. (June 17, 2009)

Government Clears Some TOR, VRA Debts The government has so far made a total payment of 106 million dollars to the Volta River Authority and the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) in respect of the debt accumulated under recovery. (June 15, 2009)

Ghana, AfDB Sign Agreement Ghana and the African Development Bank (AfDB) yesterday signed a supplementary financing agreement totaling $64.65 million for the completion of three on-going road projects. (June 15, 2009)

Inflation Drops For First Time This Year Ghana's annual inflation rate dropped for the first time in 2009 to 20.06 per cent in May, the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) announced yesterday. The drop is 0.5 in percentage terms as against the annual inflation rate of 20.56 per cent for the month of April. (June 15, 2009)

Dr Duffuor Inaugurates SSNIT Board Dr. Kwabena Duffuor, Minister of Finance and Economic Planning has inaugurated the 13-member reconstituted Board of Directors of the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT). (June 12, 2009)

UN Quarterly Review Meeting Programme Review meeting of Implementing Partners (IPs) of UNDP/Government of Ghana funded programmes for 2009 has been held in Accra. (June 12, 2009)

Hon. Minister of Finance Inaugurates Board for Ghana Cocoa Board Dr. Kwabena Duffuor, Minister of Finance and Economic Planning has charged the Board of Directors of the Ghana Cocoa Board to ensure that Ghana regains her position as the leading producer of cocoa in the world. (June 12, 2009)

Finance Minister Order Clearing, Storage of Laptops The Minister for Finance and Economic Planning, Dr Kwabena Duffuor yesterday confirmed that no payments have been made for computers for the One Laptop per Child project. (June 11, 2009)

President Mills tasks insurance industry to design products for the informal sector President John Evans Atta Mills has called on insurance companies to design insurance policies that will cater for the large informal to protect it from unforeseen difficulties. (June 11, 2009)

Three Revenue Collection Institutions To Be Amalgamated Mr Samuel Sallas-Mensah, Executive Secretary of the Revenue Agencies Governing Board, announced that the country's three revenue collection institutions will be integrated into one authority to ensure efficiency. (June 8, 2009)

Ghana, Nigeria To Deepen Trade Relations Ghana and Nigeria have confirmed plans to deepen trade relations, despite a long-running ban on the importation of some items from Ghana imposed by Nigeria. (June 8, 2009)

Ghana and EU Sign 76 Million Euro Agreement The government of Ghana and European Union have signed a 76 million euro financing agreement to support the rehabilitation of the 94.4 kilometre Tarkwa-Bogoso-Ayamfuri road. (June 3, 2009)

Ghana: The State of the Economy Ghana: The State of the Economy (One Hundred Days – Press Breifing) Released by Hon. Dr. Kwabena Duffour, Minister of Finance and Economic Planning. (June 3, 2009)

Single Spine Salary January 2010 Stakeholders at the three-day consultative meeting in Accra have agreed on January 1, 2010 as the effective date for the implementation of the Single Spine Pay Policy (SSPP). (June 1, 2009)

Credit Unions Vital For Socio-Economic Development Dr Yaw Forkuoh, Senior Lecturer at the Department of Pharmacy of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) has said credit unions are potentially important institutions which help to reduce poverty among people. (June 1, 2009)

Anti-Counterfeiting Law To Be Introduced The Ghana Institute of Packaging has called for an anti-counterfeiting law to help fight piracy and illicit trade. According to the Institute, Ghana currently has a fragmented intellectual property legal framework. (May 30, 2009)

Vice President Pledges Government's Support For Pension Fund Reforms Vice President John Dramani Mahama has pledged Government's continued support for pension fund reforms. (May 30, 2009)

Government Will Implement Single Spine Pay Policy- Veep Vice President John Mahama yesterday assured labour unions, some of whom are showing increasing agitation over the delay in implementing the single spine pay policy that Government remains firmly committed to putting the policy into action. (May 29, 2009)

Registrar General's Department Generates Revenue The Registrar General's Department earned 5,052,145.40 Ghanaian cedis as revenue last year, surpassing what it earned the previous year, Mr Joseph Kofi Harlley, the acting Registrar General, said last Tuesday. (May 28, 2009)

GHIPPS Launches E-Zwich Compliant ATMs The Ghana Inter-bank Payment and Settlement System (GHIPSS) yesterday launched e-zwich compliant ATMs to increase access of the public to their funds. (May 28, 2009)

Efforts To Reduce Budget Deficit Viable The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has declared that the country’s target of reducing its budget deficit from over 14 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to 9.4 per cent is achievable. (May 27, 2009)

Italy Assists SMEs With Soft Loan The Italy Ambassador to Ghana, Mr Fabrizio De Agostini says a soft loan ranging from 30.000 Euros to 450.000 Euros will be given to Small Medium Enterprises(SME’s) to enable them extend their businesses and elaborate reliable business plans in the country. (May 27, 2009)

Africa’s Economic Growth Will Drop – IMF The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned that Africa’s economic growth will plummet because of the world economic downturn. (May 27, 2009)

Make Ghana Preferred Investment Destination- President Mills President John Evans Atta Mills yesterday assured investors of Government's protection and urged them to feel free to make Ghana a preferred investment destination. (May 27, 2009)

First Credit Referencing Bureau Launched The first credit referencing bureau XDSDATA Ghana Limited has been officially launched in Accra Ghana on the theme, “Economic Empowerment through Credit Referencing.” (May 27, 2009)

Micro Finance Project Helps Generate Full Jobs A state initiative aimed at enhancing the effectiveness of small and medium enterprises to shore up employment and reduce poverty has chalked some results, generating 2,081 full time jobs since the project began in May 2007. (May 22, 2009)

Population and Housing Census expected to count 25 million people Dr Grace Bediako, Government Statistician, yesterday projected that about 25 million people will be counted during the 5th Population and Housing Census expected to be conducted in March 2010. (May 22, 2009)

Ghana and China Sign Agreement The governments of Ghana and China have signed an Economic and Technical cooperation agreement of 20 million Chinese Yuen grant and 10 million Chinese Yuen interest-free loan to Ghana respectively the equivalent of 4.5 million US dollars as well as a grant fro US$500,000 for the furnishing of the new Ministry of Defence building built by the Chinese. (May 19, 2009)

MiDA, USAID Sign Agreement With GES The Millennium Development Authority (MiDA) and USAID have entered into an agreement with the Ghana Education Service (GES) to recruit 260 teachers to teach in some selected deprived communities at the cost of $75 million. (May 18, 2009)

Change Attitude Towards Regional Integration – Finance Minister Dr Kwabena Duffuor, Minister for Finance, yesterday called for a change in approach towards achieving regional integration and making it a collective endeavour worthy to be pursued jointly by both private and public sectors. (May 15, 2009)

Financial Integrity Eroding Confidence - Minister Dr Kwabena Duffuor, Minister for Finance, last Tuesday said the lack of integrity in the financial sector has failed to promote effective leadership and eroded confidence in the institutions and systems. (May 14, 2009)

Economy Can Withstand Crisis-BoG Governor The Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr Paul Acquah, has stated that the world financial crisis if not mitigated will roll back Ghana’s considerable gains made in terms of economic growth and financial stability. (May 11, 2009)

Italy Launches Support For SMEs The Italian government is to launch a 20-million-dollar support for the Ghanaian small and medium scale industrial sector to boost employment. (May 11, 2009)

Vodafone To Invest In Telecom Infrastructure Britain-based Vodafone Group PLC is to invest $700 million in the development of telecommunication infrastructure in Ghana to improve on its network services, Sir John Bond, Chairman of the Company has announced. (May 11, 2009)

Lift Economic Embargo-VEEP Appeals Vice President John Dramani Mahama on Thursday appealed to the US to consider lifting the decades-long economic embargo it has imposed on Cuba. (May 9, 2009)

President Mills Peps Up Investor Interest In Ghana On the second day of his official trip to London, H E, President John Atta Mills has spent considerable hours reinvigorating the interest of investors; selling Ghana as a preferred investment destination. (May 8, 2009)

Ghana Seeks IMF Support To Buttress Foreign Exchange Reserves Ghana is in talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to secure a total of at least one billion dollars of support to prop up its foreign exchange reserves, the Ministry of Finance said yesterday. (May 8, 2009)

GTCMA Donates To Traditional Medicine Practice Council The Ghana Traditional Chinese Medical Association (GTCMA) has yesterday donated some office equipment to the Traditional Medicine Practice Council through the Ministry of Health in Accra. (May 8, 2009)

GSE To Go Digital The Ghana Stock Exchange (GSE) is taking steps to change over from the use of paper share certificates to electronic book entries as part of the automation of trading on the Exchange. (May 8, 2009)

Government Commited to ensure a Sound Economic Management System The Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Dr. Kwabena Duffuor says Government is committed to ensuring a sound economy supported by good policy environment in the face of the global economic crisis. (May 7, 2009)

The Ghana-Germany Bilateral Consultations Open Hon. Seth Terkper, Deputy Minister of Finance and Economic Planning yesterday opened the Ghana-Germany Biennial Bilateral Consultations in Accra. (May 7, 2009)

Government To Increase Investment In Agriculture Government is determined to increase its investment in agriculture in order to guarantee internal food security and make the country a net exporter of food. (May 4, 2009)

Tourism Raked US$1.3 Billion In 2008 - Minister An estimated 1.3 billion US dollars was realise from the tourism sector last year, thus making it the fourth highest foreign exchange earner after gold, cocoa and remittances from Ghanaian residents abroad. (May 1, 2009)

German Government Donates IT Equipment to KAITPC The German Government yesterday presented a set of IT equipment worth 150,000.00 Euros and a Pajero four - wheel drive vehicle to the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) in Accra. (May 1, 2009)

Government Committed to the Implementation of Single–Spine Salary President John Evans Atta Mills today assured organised labour of government’s commitment to the implementation of the Single-Spine Salary Structure (SSSS) introduced last year, but was withdrawn due to reaction from a cross-section of public workers and implementation difficulties. (May 1, 2009)

World Bank/ IMF Experts Coming Experts from the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) are due in the country this week to help draft policy that will integrate all the revenue collection agencies into one body to enhance tax administration. (April 24, 2009)

GBC Signs On To Ghana Business Code The Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) yesterday officially signed onto the principles of Ghana Business Code. The Ghana Business Code is a set of principles that encourage organisations to respect human rights at workplace, fair labour practices, sound environmental management principles and transparency. (April 24, 2009)

Ghana Benefited Billion Dollars From British Investors Dr Nicholas Westcott, British Ambassador to Ghana, last Tuesday, said British investors in Ghana spent over one billion dollars last year alone, the largest by any country and even a record for the United Kingdom. (April 23, 2009)

Finance Minister Attends Spring Meeting Dr Kwabena Duffuor, Minister for Finance and Economic Planning, is leading a six-man delegation to attend the World Bank (WB) and IMF Spring Meetings in Washington DC. (April 22, 2009)

India Promises To Continue Assisting Ghana Mr Albert Abongo, Minister for Water Resources, Works and Housing, yesterday expressed gratitude to the Government of India for contributing to the socio-economic development of Ghana when Ms Ruchi Ghanashyam, Indian High Commissioner to Ghana paid a courtesy call on him in Accra. (April 22, 2009)

Ghana, Japan Sign Agreement Ghana and Japan yesterday signed a GH¢13.3 million Grant as part of Japan's support for Food Aid in the three Northern regions which was hit by flood in 2007. (April 22, 2009)

Pre-Validation Workshop On Ghana Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative Held Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Dr Kwabena Duffuor has expressed concern about the inability of mining companies to increase the quantum of royalties paid to Ghanaians even though the international price of gold and other metals have increased tremendously in the past three years. (April 22, 2009)

German Ambassador to Ghana pays couresy call on Honourable Minister of Finance The Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Ghana, H. E. Dr. Marius Haas has paid a courtesy call on the Hon. (Dr.) Kwabena Duffuor during which he assured the Minister of his country continued support and cooperation to Ghana. (April 20, 2009)

ADB Executive Director For Ghana Pays Courtesy Call On Honourable Minister The African Development Bank Executive Director for Ghana, Gambia, Sierra Leone and Sudan Mr. Francis Tuan Karpeh has paid a courtesy call on the Honourable Minister of Finance, Dr. Kwabena Duffuor, during which he said the Bank would front load her commitments to the Ghana to help address current economic problems. (April 20, 2009)

Meeting On Funding 2010 National Population And Housing Census held in Accra H. E John Dramani Mahama, Vice President of the Republic of Ghana today reaffirmed government’s commitment to rebuild the national statistical system as well ensure that the 2010 Population and Housing Census comes off as scheduled. (April 20, 2009)

UGANDA PPDA PAYS COURTESY CALL ON HON FIFI KWETEY A five-man team from the Public Procurement Authority and Disposal of Public Asset (PPDA) of Uganda has paid a courtesy call on the Deputy Minister of Finance, Hon. Fifi Kwetey. (April 20, 2009)

Courtesy Call Australian High Commissioner calls on Dr. Duffuor The Australian High Commissioner to Ghana, H. E. William (Billy) Williams has paid a courtesy call on Dr. Kwabena Duffuor, Minister of Finance during which he announced that Australia would increase her technical assistance to Ghana in the form of scholarships to build local capacity. (April 8, 2009)

Switzerland Supports Ghana To Reduce Poverty The Swiss Government yesterday signed an agreement with the Ministry of Finance for the release of nine million Swiss Francs (about 7.95 million dollars) in a form of a Multi-donor budget support to help Ghana reduce poverty and enhance economic growth. (April 7, 2009)

Minimum Wage Increased By 18 Per Cent The National Tripartite Committee (NTC), which comprises the government, employers and labour, yesterday announced an 18 percent increase in the national daily minimum wage to GH¢2.655 for 2009. (April 6, 2009)

GETFund to rescue students Help will soon go to Ghanaian students on governments scholarships in the United Kingdom and United States of America who are facing the threat’s of being locked out of lecture halls for non-payment of tuition fees. (April 6, 2009)

Two Organisations To Support Pregnant Women The Government of Luxemburg and the International Labour Organisation (ILO) are to support pregnant women with one million Euros to enable them attend regular antenatal care at the various health centres. (April 6, 2009)

Diplomats Assured Of Healthy Foreign Policy Government of Ghana has assured all Diplomats representing various countries and organisations that the current administration under the leadership of President John Evans Atta Mills, believes in good neighborliness and will continue to place high premium on relations with ECOWAS and Africa States, while furthering the desire to promote friendly relations with all centuries. (April 6, 2009)

Courtesy Call-Senegalese Ambassador calls on Dr. Duffuor The Ambassador of the Republic of Senegal, His Excellency Balla Mandaw Dia has paid a courtesy call on the Minister of Finance, Mr. Kwabena Duffuor during which he reiterated the need to revamp Ghana-Senegal Joint Commission for Cooperation. (April 3, 2009)

2008 MDBS PROGRESS ASSSESSMENT FRAMEWORK To address current national economic challenges, government intends to reduce budget deficit to sustainable levels, improve current account situation to ease pressure on the exchange rate and work towards single digit inflation. (April 3, 2009)

CEPS Upgrades System To Improve Revenue Collection The Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) has upgraded its automated system for processing Customs declarations and payments to improve revenue collection and make a positive impact on the clearance process. (April 1, 2009)

Britain To Help Boost Ghana’s Economy The British Government will this year provide Ghana with £80million (US$115.5) to help boost the nation’s economy, in spite of the high level of recession facing the western world. (March 30, 2009)

Government To Make Agric Financing Less Risky The Government is taking steps to create a favourable policy environment to deal with the management of risks associated with financing the agricultural sector, Dr Kwabena Duffuor, Minister for Finance and Economic Planning, has said. (March 30, 2009)

Vice President Lauds Renewed Confidence Of Foreign Investors In The Economy Vice President John Dramani Mahama yesterday lauded the renewed confidence of foreign investors in the country's economy and attributed it to the democratic strides made over the years. (March 28, 2009)

German Government Pledges More Support For Education The German Government has pledged more support towards the development of education and manpower to boost the country's economy. (March 28, 2009)

Spain Cancels Ghana’s Debt The Spanish Ambassador to Ghana, Mrs Julia Olmo, has disclosed that her Government has cancelled Ghana’s official debt of $44 million, and the 2005 financial Protocol, signed between the two countries and estimated to be 16 million Euros has had about 13.3 million Euros turned as grant. (March 27, 2009)

Budget Estimates For Some MDA’s Approved Parliament yesterday approved the budget estimates for the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, Electoral Commission (EC), the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) and the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) for the 2009 fiscal year. (March 27, 2009)

GCB Increase Net Profit The Ghana commercial Bank (GCB) recorded a net profit of GH¢37.59 million in 2008 as against GH¢32.87 million in 2007. (March 26, 2009)

Government To Minimise Waste In The Economy – Dr Duffuor Dr Kwabena Duffour, Minister for Finance and Economic Planning has pledged Government’s resolve to remove waste and corruption in the public service. (March 26, 2009)

Global Trade To Shrink To Nine Per Cent-WTO World Trade Organisation (WTO) Director-General, Pascal Lamy has warned that protectionism is on the rise, a measure that can “choke off” trade as an engine of economic recovery. (March 26, 2009)

Parliament Approves Budgetary Allocation For More MDAs Parliament yesterday approved the budgetary allocation for the Ministries of Road and Highways, Information, Tourism, foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Water and Resources Works and Housing and the National Labour Commission. (March 25, 2009)

CHARTERED INSTITUTE OF TAXATION CALLED ON THE DEPUTY MINISTER Some executive members of The Chartered Institute of Taxation, Ghana and The Chartered Institute of Taxation, Nigeria have paid a courtesy call on the Deputy Minister of Finance, Mr. Seth E Terkper to discuss issues on taxation in the two countries. (March 20, 2009)

US$100 Million Loan For Farmers In Africa Dr. Kwabena Duffuor, Minister for Finance And Economic Planning Standard Bank, Africa’s largest bank, has teamed up with the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) to create an innovative fund for Africa’s smallholder farmers. (March 19, 2009)

Parliament Approves 2009 Budget Statement Parliament after two weeks of intense debate yesterday approved the budget statement and economic policy of the Government for the 2009 financial year presented to Parliament by the Finance Minister, Dr Kwabena Duffuor. (March 19, 2009)

Workshop On 2009 Budget Statement And Economic Policy For Mediamen The Ministry of Finance has organized a day’s workshop aimed at providing in-depth knowledge and understanding of the 2009 Budget Statement and Economic Policy for members of the Parliamentary Press Corps and Financial reporters from the various media houses. (March 17, 2009)

GNECC Appreciates Statement On Educational Budget The Ghana National Education Campaign Coalition (GNECC), yesterday, commented on issues relating to the provisions of quality education as provided by the Government in the 2009 budget as a welcome policy for the country. (March 17, 2009)

Egypt Supports Clinic In Accra The Egyptian Government has donated medical equipment worth GH¢42,550 to the Alayar Clinic and Maternity Home in Accra. (March 16, 2009)

Ghana to receive up to US$1.2 billion in interest-free loans from the World Bank over next three years The World Bank will provide up to US$1.2 billion in interest-free loans to Ghana over the next three years, and has launched a landmark initiative that challenges civil society organizations and other citizens' groups to help deepen transparency and accountability by monitoring the implementation of Bank-funded projects in the country. (March 12, 2009)

Baah-Wiredu Memorial Lecture Held The Director of the Institute of Statistics, Social and Economic Research, Prof Ernest Aryeetey, has indicated that the adjustment of the country’s expenditure shall be done in a manner that does not compromise future economic growth yesterday. (March 12, 2009)

Section of NIA Staff Demonstrate against non-payment of allowances The Mobile Registration Workstation Operators of the National Identification Authority today embarked on peaceful demonstration to the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning with a petition for the payment of overdue allowances. (March 11, 2009)

Japanese Govt Gives Support To Ghana’s Budget The Japanese government has donated $3.5 million to support the Multi-Donor Budget Support (MDBS) programme of Ghana. (March 11, 2009)

Parliament Begins Debate On The 2009 Budget Parliament yesterday began the debate on the budget statement and economic policy of the government of Ghana for the 2009 financial year, which was presented to the House last Thursday, March 5, by the Finance Minister, Dr Kwabena Duffuor. (March 11, 2009)

Tsakos Shipping Company Donates To Manhean Community The management of Tsakos Shipping and Trading Agency, subsidiary of Greece-based Tsakos International Oil Shipping Group of Companies yesterday presented items worth 10,000 dollars to residents of Tema Manhean. (March 11, 2009)

COURTESY CALL- WORLD BANK VICE PRESIDENT FOR AFRICA The World Bank Vice President for Africa Mrs. Obiageli Katryn Ezekwesili today paid a courtesy call on the Minister of Finance, Dr. Kwabena Duffuor during which they discussed how the bank would assist Ghana mitigate the effects of the international financial crises on the Ghanaian economy.(March 9, 2009)

H.E. FILIBERTO CERIANI SEBREGONDI PAYS FAREWELL CALL ON MINISTER The outgoing Ambassador and Head of the European Commission (EC) in Ghana, H. E. Filiberto Ceriani Sebregondi, has paid a farewell call on the Honourable Minister of Finance, Dr. Kwabena Duffuor in his office.(March 9, 2009)

Examine Budget Critically: Finance Minister Appeals To MPS The Minister for Finance and Economic Planning, Dr Kwabena Duffuor, has urged Members of Parliament (MPs) from both sides of the political divide to critically examine the 2009 budget and provide useful suggestions for its effective implementation.

US$10-Billion Japanese Package For Science And Technology Research In Africa The Japanese government has earmarked, $10 billion under its Cool Earth Partnership project, to support science and technology research in 32 African countries including Ghana, Mr Keiichi Katakami, Japanese Ambassador to Ghana, announced last Thursday.

The Budget Statement and Economic Policy 2009 The Budget Statement and Economic Policy of the Government of Ghana for the 2009 Financial Year presented to Parliament on Thursday, 5th March, 2009 by Dr. Kwabena Duffour, Minister of Finance and Economic Planning on the authority of H. E. John Evans Atta Mills, President of the Republic of Ghana(March 5, 2009)

Ghana, Japan Sign Exchange Notes The Governments of Ghana and Japanese have signed an exchange note where the Government of Japan will provide two kinds of grant assistance for the Detailed Design of the project for the Rehabilitation of National Trunk Road Number 8 and the Sector Non-Project Grant Aid (NPGA) in support of Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs). (February 28, 2009)

Government, Labour and Employers discuss way forward for wages and salary in Ghana Dr. Kwabena Duffuor, Minister of Finance and Economic Planning today said government is committed to pursuing a wage policy aimed at ensuring equity in the pay system while tying workers’ remuneration to productivity. (February 27, 2009)

Government of Ghana and the European Commission signed €6.02 million Addendum to the 10th European Development Fund (EDF) Country Strategy Paper and National Indicative Programme (CSP/NIP) for 2008 - 2013 (February 26, 2009)

Courtesy Call - Chinese Ambassador calls on Dr. Duffuor The Chinese Ambassador to Ghana, H. E. U Wenzhe, has paid a courtesy call on Dr. Kwabena Duffuor, Minister of Finance and Economic Planning during which he announced that the Chinese government would provide a 20 million Yuan grant and a 10 million Yuan interest free loan to the government and people of Ghana. (February 25, 2009)

Prime Rate Increased To 18.5 Percent The Bank of Ghana has decided to raise the prime rate to 18.5 percent with a policy bias towards interest rate reduction in line with the forecast for inflation. (February 25, 2009)

Ghana, Angola To Renew Ties Ghana and Angola yesterday affirmed their commitment to renew and strengthen bilateral ties for their mutual benefit. (February 25, 2009)

Ghana-Canada Strengthens Bilateral Ties The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources Mr Collins Dauda has praised the Canadian Government for the immense contributions made to Ghana towards the strengthening of the bilateral relationship between the two countries as well as helping in development process in the country. (February 25, 2009)

Dr. Duffuor Meets MOFEP Staff Hon. Dr. Kwabena Duffuor today met with Directors and Staff of the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning at separate meetings during which he assured them that he has come to partner them to work together to create wealth to improve the lives of the people of Ghana. (February 18, 2009)

CEPS, Exceeds Target In Revenue Mobilisation The Kumasi Sector of the Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) collected a total sum of 24,775,909.25 Ghana cedis in revenue mobilisation for 2008 as against a target of 12,240,000 Ghana cedis. (February 11, 2009)

Vice President John Dramani Mahama Vice President John Dramani Mahama has called for optimum transparency in the presentation of the state of the country’s economy by development partners, for Ghanaians to have a true picture of the economy. (February 11, 2009)

Appointment Committee vets more Ministerial nominees Dr Kwabena Duffuor, Minister-nominee for the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, yesterday told the Appointments Committee of Parliament that the automation of revenue agencies is critical to improving upon revenue collection. (February 11, 2009)

Merchant Bank To Focus On SMEs Merchant Bank has opened its Asafo Market branch in the Kumasi Metropolis, in the Ashanti Region, with a major focus on the development of the Small, Medium Enterprises (SMEs). (February 10, 2009)

Kotoka International Airport, Accra The United States Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) will provide 1.1 million dollars to upgrade the capacity of the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) and help Ghana regain its Category 1 status under the International Safety Assessments (IASA). (February 6, 2009)

Government Assures Eurobond Payments A former Deputy Minister for Finance, Hon Moses Asaga, has assured the Ghanaian public that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government does not intend to default on repayments of the $750 million Eurobond the West African country issued in 2007. (February 6, 2009)

Minister For Information-Designate Rolls Out Blue Print The Minister for Information-designate, Mrs Sabah Zita Okaikoi yesterday rolled out an information transformation blue print to enhance communication between the government and the people. (February 5, 2009)

World Bank And IMF Pledge To Assist Improve Economy The World Bank (WB) and International Monetary Fund (IMF), have pledged their support to the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) to strengthen the economy to ensure micro stability. (February 4, 2009)

AU To Develop Three Years Strategic Plan For Unity Government The 12th Ordinary Session of the African Union (AU) Assembly of the Heads of State and Government, ended yesterday, with the adoption of the strategic plan for 2009 to 2012, which aims at addressing bottlenecks impeding the vision of a Union Government for the continent. (February 4, 2009)

Africa's Economy To Grow By 3.5 Per Cent Africa's economic growth is projected to be 3.5 per cent in 2009 as a result of the on-going global financial meltdown, the food and fuel crises, World Bank Vice President for Africa has said. (February 4, 2009)

Blueprint For Mills: Economic Think Tank At Work At Akosombo Members of the government’s management team and a group of experts have begun a three-day retreat at Akosombo, to design an economic blueprint for the four-year tenure of President John Evans Atta Mills. (January 30, 2009)

UNDP Supports People In Wa East District To Reduce Poverty United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in collaboration with Africa 2000 Network, an international non-governmental organisation, is supporting 2,600 members of the Loggu community in the Wa East District to undertake economic ventures to reduce poverty. (January 30, 2009)

Streamline Clearance Procedures At Ports; GIFF Appeals The Ghana Institute of Freight Forwarders (GIFF) has called for the streamlining of clearance procedure of goods at the ports in order to stop corruption and to step up revenue generation. (January 30, 2009)

World Economic Downturn To Affect Non-Traditional Exports The Ghana Export Promotion Council (GEPC) is projecting a marginal growth rate of 19 per cent in non-traditional exports (NTE) this year because of the downturn in the global economy. (January 30, 2009)

Recapitalisation Of Banks Will Boost Cocoa Sector-BOG Recapitalisation of the country’s commercial banks will enable them to support important sectors of the economy, says Mr Frank Belnye, the Deputy Head, Banking Supervision Department of the Bank of Ghana (BoG). (January 30, 2009)

MOFA, Libya Government To Help Boost Agriculture In The North The Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA), in collaboration with the Libyan Government, is providing free tractor services to farmers in the Northern Region to help boost agricultural production. (January 29, 2009)

GHANA – IRAN NEGOTIATIONS ON THE AVOIDANCE OF DOUBLE TAXATION AGREEMENT OPENS IN ACCRA The second round negotiations on the Convention for the Avoidance of Double Taxation between Ghana and Iran is underway at the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning. (January 28, 2009)

GOVERNMENT AND AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT BANKNATIONAL WORKSHOP ON PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION Nana Juaben-Boaten Siriboe, Chief Director of the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning has urged the African Development Bank (AfDB) to review its procurement and disbursement processes to ensure speedy completion of projects and programmes. (January 27, 2009)

KIA CEPS Exceeds Revenue Target The Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) exceeded its target by 35 per cent last year, bagging a total revenue of GH¢146.365 million. (January 26, 2009)

Central Bank Governor Still At Post The Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr Paul Acquah, is at post contrary to media speculation that he has proceeded on accumulated leave, a source at the Bank told the Ghana News Agency. (January 21, 2009)

AGI Holds Forum On E-Zwich Mr Yoku Korsah, Chief Operating Officer, Ghana Interbank Payment and Settlement Limited (GHIPSS), has asked members of the Association of Ghana Industries to consider using the e-zwich in the payment of salaries and wages of their employees. (January 18, 2009)

Ghana To Rely On China For Economic Support- Veep Vice President John Dramani Mahama, noted yesterday that Ghana will continue to rely on China for support, to heal the national economy, which has been paralysed by deficit problems and the global economic recession. (January 16, 2009)

India Commends Ghana President John Evans Atta Mills yesterday lauded the Ghana-India relations and commended the rising level of Indian investment in Ghana. (January 16, 2009)

Improved Micro-Credit Support To Farmers Can Ensure Food Security- MiDA Boss The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Millennium Development Authority (MiDA), Ghana, Mr Martin Eson-Benjamin yesterday pointed out that achieving food security will continue to be an illusion if the country fails to offer the required financial and technical assistance needed by small scale farmers. (January 16, 2009)

Appointments And Business Committees Set Up To Begin Business Parliament yesterday adopted the Report of Committee of Selection and approved membership of the Appointments and Business Committees. (January 14, 2009)

Government To Present Budget Before End Of March The Government will present its first budget statement to Parliament before the end of March this year. (January 14, 2009)

Controller And Accountant General Issues Directives On Payments The Controller and Accountant General has issued new directives to re-enforce earlier ones that all treasury books be closed by January 9, 2009, in respect of the financial year ended December 2008. (January 13, 2009)

Ghana Signs Contract With China The Government of Ghana (GOG) has signed a contract with the People’s Republic of China (PROC) for the construction of a General Hospital at Teshie in Accra.(January 06, 2009)

Canada Gives To Children’s Block The Canadian High Commissioner, Mr Darren Schemmer has presented a cheque for $2500 to the Child Health Department (CHD) of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra.(January 02, 2009)

Ghana Aids Commission Signs Loan Agreement The Ghana Aids Commission (GAC) yesterday signed a loan agreement with its development partners in the implementation of the 2009 HIV and AIDS Annual Work Plan and Response Programme. (December 19, 2008)

Workers assured of all salary arrears this month The Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning has confirmed that all arrears for public servants have been paid. (December 15, 2008)

Use Financial Resources Judiciously-President Kufuor H.E. President John Agyekum Kufuor President Kufuor has advised university authorities to ensure the judicious use of financial resources that have been given to them for the running of the universities. (December 15, 2008)

Japan Ready To Support Farmers - Counsellor The Japanese Government has expressed its determination to support the improvement of the economic situation of farmers and other small business operators in areas affected by flood in the three Northern Regions. (November 29, 2008)

Ghana – EU Sign Agreement On western Corridor The Minister of State at the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, Dr Anthony Akoto Osei has announced EU’s commitment of 1. 4 million Euro for the delivery of the Western Corridor Feasibility Study which is to be carried out under the Mining Sector Support Programme (MSSP). (November 28, 2008)

Financial Crisis Can Undermine Progress In Africa - WB A looming drop in world trade can "set developing countries back for many years" and erase recent gains in development, Mr Danny Leipziger, Vice President of the Poverty Reduction and Economic Management Network at the World Bank (WB), said last Wednesday. (November 28, 2008)

Japanese Government Supports Northern Flood Victims The Japanese Government has made available a two million US dollars grant to the Government of Ghana, to be disbursed in the form of loans, to the people in the three northern regions who were affected by the 2007 floods that hit the area. (November 28, 2008)

Ghana; France Sign Loan Agreement On NREG The government of Ghana and its France counterpart yesterday signed a five million euro loan agreement which aimed at financing the Natural Resources on Environmental Governance (NREG) Programme. (November 26, 2008)

GSS Launches Statistics Development Plan, Mrs Chinery Hesse, Chief Advisor to the President launches the document The Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) yesterday launched a National Strategy for the Development of Statistics known as Ghana Statistics Development Plan (GSDP) document and a Ghana Statistical Service Corporate Plan in Accra. (November 26, 2008)

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Japan Pledges Continued Support For Ghana Japan yesterday pledged to abide by its development assistance commitments to Ghana notwithstanding the turmoil on the global financial market.(November 25, 2008)

Ghana Needs Robust Revenue Mobilisation -Minister Domestic resource mobilisation and rationalisation of expenditure are key to reducing the impact of the global financial crisis on Ghana, Dr Anthony Akoto Osei, Minister of State at the Finance Ministry, said yesterday. (November 25, 2008)

SPEECH DELIVERED BY THE HON. MINISTER OF STATE , MINISTRY OF FINANCE AND ECONOMIC PLANNING ON THE OCCASION OF THE SIGNING OF TWO AGREEMENTS PHASE II OF GOOD GOVERNANCE AND HUMAN RIGHTS PROGRAMME (GGHRP II) AND LOCAL SERVICE DELIVERY AND GOVERNANCE PROGRAMME (LSDGP) BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT OF DENMARK AND THE GOVERNMENT OF GHANA (November 12, 2008)

SPEAKING NOTES BY THE HON. MINISTER OF STATE , MINISTRY OF FINANCE AND ECONOMIC PLANNING SIGNING OF THE LOAN AGREEMENT FOR THE REHABILITATION AND EXPANSION OF BOLGATANGA REGIONAL HOSPITAL (November 5, 2008)

ADDRESS BY HON. AKOTO OSEI , MINISTER OF STATE, MINISTRY OF FINANCE AND ECONOMIC PLANNING AT THE OPENING CEREMONY OF THE 25TH ORDINARY SESSION OF COUNCIL OF BUREAUX OF ECOWAS BROWN CARD INSURANCE SCHEME (October 25, 2008)

THE GOVERNMENT OF GHANA AND THE WORLD BANK, SWEDISH INTERNATONAL DEVELOPMENT AGENCY AND THE DFID SIGN AN AGREEMENT TO SUPPORT RENEWABLE ENERGY ON GHANA. (October 15, 2008) The Government of Ghana has signed a $4.3 million agreement with the World Bank, Swedish International Development Agency and the DFID to promote the use of renewable energy in Ghana.

BAAH-WIREDU WINS POSTHUMOUS AWARD (October 15, 2008) Ghana’s late Finance and Economic Minister, Kwadwo Baah -Wiredu was adjudged the best finance minister in Africa 2008. The posthumous award cited the contribution of the late minister to Ghana’s economic reform which has consistently put the country on the map of best reforming business environments in the world for the past three years.

ZOELICK URGES THE WORLD NOT TO FORGET ABOUT THE POOR. (October 15, 2008) The World Bank President, Mr. Robert Zoelick has urged the donor community and the Breton Wood institution not to overlook the needs of the poor in the midst of the financial turmoil in the developed economies.

ACP Heads Re-affirm Commitment To Cotonou Accord (October 4, 2008) African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Heads of State and Governments, yesterday, re-affirmed their commitment to the Principles enshrined in the Georgetown agreement that established the Group of ACP states. They have also committed themselves to the ACP-EU Cotonou Partnership Agreement and the United Nations Charter.

Renounce all interim EPAs, ACP heads told (October 2, 2008) Heads of African Caribbean Pacific (ACP) countries attending the 6th ACP Summit in Accra, were on Wednesday called upon to renounce all interim and comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) and resolve to negotiate fresh EPAs on 'reciprocal goods only' with the EU.

8th Day Remembrance Service For The Late Finance Minister (October 1, 2008) The Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning yesterday, held a remembrance service for the late Mr Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, the sector minister.

Ghana Hosts ACP Confab(October 1, 2008) Leaders of African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries have begun arriving in Accra for a biennial summit set to discuss a range of development and economic issues facing their nations.

HON. KWADWO BAAH-WIREDU, IS GONE (September 24, 2008) Death, in its most sudden form, yesterday struck at one of the most affable men in Ghanaian politics, Mr. Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, Minister of Finance and Economic Planning.

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THIRD HIGH LEVEL FORUM ON AID EFFECTIVENESS (September 5, 2008) THE President; Mr J.A.Kufuor, has called on the donor community to design their aid packages to build the capacity of recipient, countries 80 that they can eventually wean themselves off the aid dependency.

GRAPHIC BUSINESS NEWSPAPER LAUNCHED (August 27, 2008) THE Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, yesterday day launched, the Graphic newspa¬per challenged the publishers to use the medium to provide useful information on the economy to the people.

CENSUS IN 2010 Ghana will conduct its fifth population and housing census in 2010, a move that will determine the actual population of the country by the time. The last time the country carried out such event was in the year 2000.

IMPORTERS ACCUSE CEPS OF BRIBERY The Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning organized a public forum as part of the financial Literacy Programme which aimed at explaining the functions of the Ministry and to highlight some of the Ministry’s achievements including some economic policy initiatives of government directed at enhancing Ghana’s economy.

ITALY CONTINUES TO SUPPORT SMALL, MEDIUM ENTERPRISES IN GHANA (August 6, 2008) Following the successful implementation of the Project named "Ghana Private Sector Development Fund" - credit facility in favour of Small and Medium Enterprises financed by the Italian Government in 2003 for a total amount of Euro 11,000,000.00 (eleven million Euro) and fully exhausted, the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Hon. Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu and the Ambassador of Italy, H.E. Fabrizio De Agostini signed on August 6, 2008 a new agreement worth Euro 22,000,000.00 to continue to support the growth of Small and Medium Enterprises.

ADDRESS BY THE HONOURABLE MINISTER OF FINANCE AND ECONOMIC PLANNING, HON. KWADWO BAAH-WIREDU AT THE INAUGURAL CEREMONY OF THE 2010 POPULATION AND HOUSING CENSUS, NATIONAL CENSUS PLANNING COMMITTEE AND NATIONAL CENSUS TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE (August 06, 2008)

TALKING POINT FOR HON. MINISTER FOR DIVIDEND PRESENTATION BY NATIONAL INVESTMENT BANK LIMITED (July 31, 2008)

Signing of an Agreement on the Avoidance of Double Taxation between the Republic of Ghana and Switzerland (July 23, 2008) On 23 July 2008, the Swiss Ambassador to Ghana, H.E. Mr. Nicolas Lang, and the Minister for Finance and Economic Planning of Ghana, H.E. Hon. Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, signed an Agreement on the Avoidance of Double Taxation between Ghana and Switzerland. The Agreement will enter into force after completion of the ratification in both countries.

HONOURABLE MINISTER OF FINANCE LAUNCHES BOOKLET ON DUTY PAYABLE ON IMPORTED VEHICLES (July 23, 2008) The Honourable Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Kwadwo Baah Wiredu (MP) has launched a booklet titled “Total Duty Payable on Imported Vehicles” in Accra.

HON BAAH-WIREDU LAUNCHES THE ACCRA HIGH LEVEL FORUM ON AID EFFECTIVENESS. (July 14, 2008) The Third High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness, also known as the Accra High Level Forum to be held in Ghana from September 2-4, 2008 was officially launched at a press conference today.

GOVERNMENT SIGNS US$147.0 AGREEMENT WITH WORLD BANK (July 14, 2008) The Government of Ghana and the World Bank have signed four (4) Financing Agreements with the International Development Association (IDA) of the World Bank. The total value of the agreement is SDR 90.1 million (US$ 147m).

Prof. Joseph Stiglitz, Nobel Laureate in Economics and ACET Board Members pay courtesy call on Hon. Minister and Economic Management Team. (July 8, 2008) Hon. Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, Minister of Finance and Economic Planning today said though the world food and crude oil crises poses serious challenge to economic management, government is determined to achieve growth targets set out in the budget.

Congratulations! Honourable Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu (MP) ORDER OF THE STAR OF THE VOLTA COMPANION (July 4, 2008)

GERMAN GOVERNMENT PROVIDES €38M TO SUPPORT GOVERNMENT PROGRAMMES (July 4, 2008) Hon. Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, and the Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Ghana, H. E. Dr. Marius Haas have signed a 38 million Euros Financing Cooperation Agreement.

2008 CONSULTATIVE GROUP/ ANNUAL PARTNERSHIP MEETING (June 30, 2008)

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Implementation of Measures to Reduce Economic Hardships would not Derail Budget Targets - Dr Osei (June 24, 2008) Dr. Anthony Akoto Osei, Minister of State at the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning has assured the country that targets set in the 2008 budget statement and economic policy are achievable.

REJOINDER: GHANA - TOUGHER TIMES ON THE HORIZON (June 19, 2008) On June 4, 2008, CITI issued an economic and market analysis report on Ghana, titled “Ghana, Tougher times on the horizon”. The contributing economist was David Cowan.

THE FIRST "MAKING FINANCE WORK FOR AFRICA" PARTNERSHIP FORUM HELD IN ACCRA (June 17, 2008) Hon. Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, Minister of Finance and Economic Planning has said that African governments, development partners and the private sector collectively need to work together as unified financial system to strategize implementable solutions to the development of the African financial sector.

MAKING FINANCE WORK FOR GHANA FORUM HELD (June 16, 2008) Professor George Gyan-Baffuor, Deputy Minister of Finance and Economic Planning has observed that though financial sector reforms have resulted in expansion and increasing competition in the banking sector, the share of credit and other financial services going to agriculture and rural population still remains very low.

MAKING FINANCE WORK FOR AFRICA CONFERENCE, JUNE 17- 18, 2008 AND MAKING FINANCE WORK FOR GHANA, JUNE 16, 2008 ACCRA, GHANA (June 13, 2008) Accra, Ghana June 10, 2007— More than 250 senior-level financial sector champions from over 30 countries will meet at the Partnership Forum for Making Finance Work for Africa in Accra, Ghana, from June 17-18.

GHANA’S 2008 BUDGET RECEIVES US$ 145 MILLION SUPPORT FROM THE WORLD BANK (June 13, 2008) The Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Hon. Kwadwo Baah Wiredu, MP and the World Bank Country Director for Ghana, Ishac Diwan, have signed the Sixth Poverty Reduction Support Credit (PRSC-6) for an amount US$ 145 million in fulfillment of its commitment to providing assistance annually through the budget, under the Multi-Donor Budget Support (MDBS).

HON. MINISTER OF FINANCE AND ECONOMIC PLANNING MEETS FRENCH DELEGATION (June 13, 2008) A fifteen-member high level delegation of French companies led by Mr. Patrick Lucas, President of the African Committee of MEDEF International, has met with the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Hon. Kwadwo Baah Wiredu to discuss ways to explore investments opportunities in Ghana.

COURTESY CALL ON THE MINISTER OF FINANCE AND ECONOMIC PLANNING BY THE CUBAN AMBASSADOR TO GHANA (June 13, 2008) H. E. Miguel Custabo Perez Cruz, the Cuban Ambassador to Ghana has paid a courtesy call on Hon. Kwadwo Baah Wiredu, the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, at his office in Accra.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH ENDOWNMENT FUND (STREFund) LAUNCHED IN ACCRA (June 4, 2008) The Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning has launched the Science and Technology Research Endowment Fund (STREFund) in Accra. The fund seeks “to provide supplementary funding to support basic and applied research in Science and technology”.

CUSTOMS, EXCISE AND PREVENTIVE SERVICE (CEPS) (June 4, 2008) List of Custom House Agents in Good Standing as at 1st May, 2008

GOVERNMENTS OF GHANA AND UNITED KINGDOM SIGN AGREEMENT TO SUPPORT HEALTH CARE IN GHANA FOR NEXT FIVE YEARS (May 21, 2008) The Government of Ghana has signed a £42.5 million grant agreement with the British Government to support the health sector in Ghana for the next five years.

GOVERNMENT AND ELEVEN DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS SIGN 2ND MULTI DONOR BUDGET SUPPORT FRAMEWORK MEMORANDUM (May 19, 2008) The second Multi-Donor Budgetary Support (MDBS), Framework Memorandum has been signed between Government of Ghana and eleven (11) partner countries.

African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF) delegation call on Hon. Minister of State. (May 06, 2008) A three member delegation from the African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF) led by Mr. Edwin Forlemu, the Executive Secretary has paid a courtesy call on Hon. Dr. Akoto Osei, Minister of State at the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning.

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WORLD CUSTOMS ORGANISATION DIRECTOR FOR CAPACITY BUILDING PAYS COURTESY CALL ON HONOURABLE MINISTER.(May 05, 2008) Mr. Lars Karlsson, Director for Capacity Building for the World Customs Organization (WCO) has paid a courtesy call on the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Hon. Kwadwo Baah Wiredu in his office. His call on the Minister was part of a working visit to the country.

SPANISH AMBASSADOR PAYS COURTESY CALL ON HONOURABLE MINISTER(April 29, 2008) Her Excellency Julia Olmo, Spanish Ambassador has announced the Spanish government’s intention of setting up an Economic and Commercial office within their embassy by the end of the year.

SIGNING CEREMONY BETWEEN GHANA AND BARBADOS (April 28, 2008) The Barbadians and the Ghanaian Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Hon. Kwadwo Baah Wiredu signed a tax convention between Barbados and Ghana.

'MINES' CONTRIBUTION TO ECONOMY MINIMAL (April 24, 2008) DESPITE the presence 01 many mining companies in Ghana, the contribution of the mining sector to the development of the economy is very minimal, says Esther Obeng Dapaah, Minister of Lands, Forestry and Mines.

CABINET CONSIDERS INCREASE IN ROAD TOLLS (April 24, 2008) THE present minimum of GH5p paid as road user fees (road tolls) across the country is expected to be raised to GH50p by the close of the year.

OIL, GAS FORUM HELD IN CAPE COAST (April 24, 2008) Heads of departments, district chief executives(DCEs) and traditional leaders in the Central Region have taken part in a consultative forum on a draft policy on oil and gas held in Cape Coast on Tuesday.

2nd AFRICA TRADE AND INVESTMENT (April 21, 2008) The 2nd Africa Trade and Investment Conference took place at the Bay Hotel, Cape Town, South Africa from Thursday 3rd and Friday 4th April, 2008. It was attended by officials from global financial institutions and the Academia.

World Bank and Government of Ghana Sign Additional US$10 million Credit (April 14, 2008) The World Bank and the Government of Ghana today signed a credit of US$10 million as supplemental funding for the ongoing Economic Managing Capacity Building Project (EMCB).

GHANA IS PURSUING RIGHT ECONOMIC POLICIES (April 14, 2008) THE International Monetary Fund (lMF) has said that the government has taken the right measures to address expenditure imbalances and external shocks.

REVISED COCOA PRODUCER PRICE FOR 2007/08 MAIN CROP SEASON (April 10, 2008) It is hereby notified for general information that the producer price of cocoa for the 2007/08 main crop season has been revised upwards with effect from 22nd February, 2008.

HON. BAAH-WIREDU OFF TO WORLD BANK, IMF MEETINGS (April 10, 2008) The Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Mr Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, has left Accra for Washington DC, United States to attend this year's Commonwealth HlPC Finance Ministers Meeting.

Speech by the Hon. Dr. Akoto Osei, MP and Minister of State, Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning on THE OCCASION OF A SOD-CUTTING CEREMONY FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF AN ULTRA-MODERN POLICE STATION AT OLD-TAFO,KUMASI (April 9, 2008)

Speech by the Hon. Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, Minister of Finance and Economic Planning as the Guest of Honour on A TWO-DAY SEMINAR BY THE TEMA REGIONAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY (April 8, 2008)

GHANA’S REDUCING DEBT BURDEN In the year 2000, more than a third of all government expenditure went into debt servicing. That is to say, taxes collected for development and provision of social services to the people of Ghana rather went to pay debts.

THE MINIMUM WAGE These days, the minimum wage has become hot topic for political discussion. The other time, it was the NDC saying that the minimum wage at their time could buy more things than the minimum wage today.

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SPANISH AMBASSADOR PAYS COURTESY CALL ON HONOURABLE MINISTER(March 31, 2008) The Spanish Government has cancelled Ghana’s debt of US$ 44.36m, a debt contracted by Ghana before 31st December, 2003 and which otherwise should be paid up (principal and Interest inclusive) by 6th February, 2014.

IMF DELEGATION ARRIVE IN GHANA FOR ARTICLE IV CONSULTATION (March 27, 2008) A five-member IMF delegation led by Ms Piroska Nagy is in the country to undertake the annual Article IV Consultations with Ghana. Under article IV of the IMF's Articles of Agreement, the IMF holds bilateral discussions with members, usually every year.

UK PALIAMENTARY SELECT COMMITTEE INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT CALL ON HON. MINISTER OF FINANCE AND ECONOMIC PLANNING. A UK Parliamentary select committee on International Development has paid a courtesy call on the Hon. Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Kwadwo Baah Wiredu and his team of officials, at the Ministry in Accra.

WORKSHOP ON AGRICULTURAL FINANCE STRATEGIES HELD A workshop to find viable approaches to rural agricultural financing has been held in Accra. Organized by the Ghana Microfinance Group, it was aimed at among other things to defining important gaps in agric financing and how to address them.

WORKSHOP ON INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL SERVICES CENTRE HELD A workshop to chart the way forward for the implementation of third phase of setting up an international financial services centre in Ghana has been held in Accra.

WORKSHOP ON PERFORMANCE BASED ALLOCATION FRAMEWORK OPENED The Honourable Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Kwadwo Baah Wiredu opened the regional workshop on performance based allocation which is being organized by the African Development bank Group at Elmina from 17th - 21st March, 2008.

LAUNCH OF CITIZEN CHARTER FOR EIGHT MDA'S The Chief Advisor to the President, Mrs. Mary Chinery-Hesse has launched the New Charters for eight Ministries, Departments Agencies (MDAs) in Accra... (March 13, 2008)

SIGNING CEREMONY BETWEEN GHANA AND THE NETHERLANDS ON AVOIDANCE OF DOUBLE TAXATION AND PREVENTION OF FISCAL EVASION (March 10, 2008) The Minister of State at the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, Dr. Anthony Akoto- Osei and The Netherlands State Secretary of Finance, Hon. J.C. De Jager have signed a treaty on the Avoidance of Double Taxation and Fiscal Evasion, to facilitate trade and investment between the two countries.

SIGNING AGREEMENT BETWEEN GOVERNMENT OF GHANA AND FRANCE (March 4, 2008) The Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Kwadwo Baah- Wiredu and the Resident Manager of the Agence Française de Développement, Mr. Benoît Lebeurre, have signed three agreements for a cumulative amount of 38.6 million euros.

INCREMENT IN THE PRICE OF COCOA(February 26, 2008) The Government of Ghana has increased the producer price of Cocoa from GH¢950.00 per tonne to GH¢1,200.00 per tonne. The new price which takes effect from February 21, this year is a means to help curb the problem of smuggling of cocoa to other countries and also to ensure better standard of living of the cocoa farmers.

NEW CANADIAN HIGH COMMISSIONER CALLS ON HON. MINISTER OF FINANCE AND ECONOMIC PLANNING (February 19, 2008) Their discussions focused on energy, the oil discovery, education and Canada’s support to the Multi Donor Budget Support.

IMF NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR GHANA PAID A COURTESY CALL TO THE HON. MINISTER OF FINANCE (February 19, 2008) They discussed a number of issues including energy. Hon. Minister talked about the energy crises and measures put in place to avert future crises. He said the West Africa Gas Pipeline had undergone trial run and would soon be fully operational...

GHANA FRANCE SIGN DEBT RELIEF AND DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT (February 18, 2008) The Government of Ghana and the French Government signed a grant agreement for an amount of 21 million euros on Monday 18th February 2008.

THE GOVERNMENT OF GHANA AND CITIES ALLIANCE SIGNED AGREEMENT (February 15, 2008) The Government of Ghana and the Cities Alliance Group have signed a partnership agreement which would enable Ghana benefit from technical and other assistant from the Group.

COURTESY CALL ON THE MINISTER AND TEAM BY THE NEW BRITISH HIGH COMMISSIONER (February 7, 20008) The new British High Commissioner, Dr. Nicholas Westcott, on Thursday, February 7, 2008, paid a courtesy call on the Honorable Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Mr. Kwadwo Baah Wiredu .

GOVERNMENT AND THIRTY CONTRACTORS SIGN AGREEMENT FOR COCOA ROADS IMPROVEMENT PROGRAMME (January 29, 2008) The Government of Ghana in collaboration with the Ghana Cocoa Board have jointly signed a contract with 30 road Contractors for the commencement of work on a total of 205 kilometers of roads in six cocoa growing regions as part of the Cocoa Road Improvement Programme(CRIP).

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"FROM PARIS TO ACCRA VIA WILTON PARK: THOUGHTS ON PROGRESS AND FUTURE CHALLENGES"(January 24, 2008) Statement delivered by Hon. Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, MP Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Ghana at Conference on European Development Policy: AID EFFECTIVENESS AND KEY PRIORITIES;

PRESIDENT KUFUOR INAUGURATES GOLDEN TULIP KUMASI CITY (January 12, 2008) President John Agyekum Kufuor, on Saturday inaugurated the $21.2 refurbished Golden Tulip Kumasi City Hotel, formerly known as the City Hotel, one of the nation's foremost prized assets in the hospitality industry.

The Honourable Minister of Finance and Economic Planning (January 11, 2008) , Mr. Kwadwo Baah Wiredu held a meeting with the Senior Vice President of the Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA), Mr. Kenzo Ohima.

GHANA WINS IFR'S AWARD FOR BEST EMERGING MARKET BOND IN 2007 (JANUARY 10, 2008) Ghana’s sovereign bond issue has just won 2 of IFR’s coveted Roll of Honour awards – Best Emerging Market Bond and best EEMEA Bond (a regional category). The awards will be presented in London at a formal dinner on 14 January 2008 at Grovenor House where 1500 of the world’s top investment bankers will be attending.

GHANA AND CHINA SIGN LOAN AND GRANT AGREEMENT (December 20, 2007) The Government of Ghana and the People’s Republic of China have signed an agreement for US $ 4 million interest free loan and a grant of US$ 1.33 million to be used for the implementation of projects to be agreed on by the two parties in due course.

Government And Selected Commercial Banks Signed Agreement (December 20, 2007) For The Provision Of On Site Banking Services For MDAs

GHANA AND THE DENMARK SIGNED AGREED MINUTES(December 14, 2007) Hon Dr. Anthony Akoto Osei, Minister of State at the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning and, His Excellency, Ambassador Carsten Nilaus Pedersen, under Secretary for Bilateral Development cooperation have signed agreed minutes on the future of Ghana-Denmark relationship.

GHANA-DENMARK HIGH LEVEL CONSULTATION 2007 (December 14, 2007) Speech read by the Hon. Minister of State at the Signing of the Agreed Minutes

A Keynote Address On Africa Investment Day: "Catch the African Opportunities" (December 14, 2007) Presented During the G8 Meeting in Frankfurt, BY HON. KWADWO BAAH-WIREDU, MINISTER OF FINANCE AND ECONOMIC PLANNING & MP, ASANTE AKIM NORTH

Record Funding for World's Poorest Countries (December 14, 2007) Almost US$ 42 Billion for next three years

FOURTH ANNUAL COLLABORATIVE AFRICA BUDGET REFORM (CABRI) SEMINAR OPENS (December 13, 2007) The fourth annual CABRI Seminar opened today in Accra with a call on budget directors to be diligent in the allocation of resources...

GHANA AND WORLD BANK SIGN LOAN AGREEMENT (December 4, 2007) for Phase II of West Africa Power Pool (WAPP)

HON MINISTER OPENS COMMONWEALTH SEMINAR (December 4, 2007) on Debt Negotiation and Re-Negotiation

HON MINISTER OF FINANCE LAUNCHES GHANA’S GOLDEN JUBILEE SAVINGS BOND (December 3, 2007) Hon. Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, Minister of Finance ...

THE LAUNCHING OF THE GH¢50 MILLION GOLDEN JUBILEE SAVINGS BOND SPEECH (December 3, 2007) by Honorable Minister of Finance and Economic Planning Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu

OPENNING ADDRESS BY HONOURABLE KWADWO BAAH-WIREDU, MP (December 3, 2007) Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Republic of GhanaWORKSHOP ON DEBT NEGOTIATION AND RENEGOTIATION

BRITISH HIGH COMMISSIONER (November 28, 2007) pays a farewell call on the Honourable Minister of Finance and Economic Planning

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President of the African Development Bank and US Treasury Secretary (November 22, 2007) in Ghana for Discussions with Government and Private Sector

The Budget Speech of Government of Ghana for the 2008 Financial Year (November 21, 2007)

The Budget Statement and Economic Policy Document for the 2008 Financial Year (November 15, 2007)

2008 BUDGET HIGHLIGHTS, (November 15, 2007) This report outlines the main highlights of the 2008 Budget Statement and Economic Policies of the Government of Ghana. The rest of the report is structured as follows. Section 1 presents the performance and achievements under the implementation of 2007 Budget while Section 2 highlights the 2008 Budget Targets and Outlook. Policy Initiatives are presented in Section 3. The report ends with Implementation Challenges under the 2008 Budget in Section 4.

STRUCTURE OF 2008 BUDGET, (November 15, 2007)

COMMONWEALTH PUBLIC PROCUREMENT NETWORK GROUP PAYS COURTESY CALL ON DEPUTY MINISTER (November 06, 2007) The Commonwealth Public Procurement Network today paid a courtesy call on the Deputy Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Hon. Prof. Gyan Baffour.

CEPS to open on Saturdays, (November 02, 2007) The Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) on Friday said its offices would open on Saturdays from November 3, 2007 to serve the public till December 31, 2007.

ABRIDGED SUMMARY OF REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE (November 2, 2007) to investigate operational irregularities at Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) submmited to the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Hon. Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu.

CEPS withdraws escorts services to Free Zones enterprises, (October 30, 2007) The Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) on Tuesday said it was withdrawing its escorts services accompanying container cargo into free zone enterprises in and out of Accra and Tema.

Ghanaians in the US briefed on the State of the Nation in Washington (October 30, 2007) Hon. Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, Minister of Finance and Economic Planning has said that government is focusing on infrastructural development in her quest to accelerate the growth of the economy.