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Govt to roll out economic rescue programme—Finance Minister

The government is developing a three-year COVID-19 alleviation programme to be known as “The Ghana Cares Programme” to help rescue the economy from the clutches of the coronavirus pandemic. 

The impact of the coronavirus disease on the Ghanaian economy could last for three years, the government had predicted.

“To address this, the President has directed the Ministry of Finance to come up with stabilisation and a revitalisation plan for the country. 

“In this regard, the Ministry of Finance is developing a three-year COVID-19 alleviation and revitalisation of enterprise support programme; ‘The Ghana Cares Programme’ to help stabilise and revitalise the country’s economy. 

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“We are confident that this programme will lead us on a journey of achieving a Ghana Beyond Aid,” Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta told Parliament in Accra yesterday. 

Mr Ofori-Atta made this known in an explanatory statement when he laid a report on the limit of borrowing by government under subsection (6) of Section 30 of the Bank of Ghana Act in the coronavirus emergency. 

According to him, the Bank of Ghana had released GH¢5.5billion of a GH¢10 billion COVID-19 support fund in line with the emergency financing provisions under the Bank of Ghana Act, to deal with shocks that had accompanied the coronavirus pandemic.

The coupon rate, he said, was pegged at the prevailing monetary policy rate with a 10-year tenure and a two-year moratorium on both principal and interest payment. 

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Government, Finance Minister said remains unwavering in protecting lives and sustaining livelihoods and rebuilding the country’s agric and industrial sector so as to position the country on the path of growth. 

“Mr Speaker, these are sobering times and a test of our own humanity and how to be our brothers’ keeper,” he preached. 

Even as the country develops the ‘Ghana Cares Programme’, he said it was time burdens were shared for the common good of the country. 

“Whatever stimulus package would help us claw back our five per cent GDP that we’ve lost, Mr Speaker, we intend to do it. 

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“It is a period of sacrifice; burden sharing and we have to avoid any spiritual stupor by ensuring that everyone is taken care of. 

“In this vein, we would like to live on some of Gandhi’s principles – a period of three years of politics with principles, wealth that comes from work, commerce that is through morality, pleasure that is conscionable, education of character, science that has a human face and work that has sacrifice attached to it.

“We are confident that we will come out of this much stronger and much greater. So we remain more hopeful that our land will overflow with prosperity and we will leave no one behind as we build a greater society.”

The programme is a top-up to the GH¢1 billion Coronavirus Alleviation Programme Business Support Scheme to cushion small and medium scale enterprises against the vagaries of the coronavirus pandemic. 

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BY JULIUS YAO PETETSI

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Small-scale miners schooled on health hazards of mining with mercury

• Mr Lovelace Sarpong (right) addressing the participants

Mr Lovelace Sarpong (right) addressing the participants

Some Artisanal and Small-Scale Miners in the Ashanti and Central regions have been sensitised on the potential health dangers humans are exposed to with the use of mercu­ry in gold processing.

The sensitisation which was or­ganised by PlanetGOLD Ghana proj­ect was to raise awareness about the negative impacts on the use of mercury in mining activities.

According to the PlanetGOLD Ghana Project Coordinator, Mr Lovelace Sar­pong, the use of mercury in artisanal small-scale mining pose health challeng­es that affects the nervous, digestive and immune systems, lungs and kidneys; and may be fatal.

Some Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) that benefited from the exercise were Amansie Central, Asante Akim North, Amansie South, Amansie West, Bekwai, and Adansi North in the Ashanti Region, and Upper Denkyira East (Dunkwa-on-Offin) and Upper Denkyira West (Diaso) in the Central Region.

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Additionally, he said inorganic salts of mercury were corrosive to the skin, eyes and gastrointestinal tract, and may induce kidney toxicity if ingested.

He stated that the PlanetGOLD Project has conducted several ini­tiatives to raise awareness on reducing mercury exposure among artisanal and small-scale gold mining actors in the country.

It was to promote mercury-free mining practices in line with Ghana’s obligations under the Minamata Con­vention on Mercury, support the for­malisation of the ASGM sector while advocating the adoption of the CRAFT Code and responsible supply chains, and raise awareness on the availabili­ty of mercury-free alternatives.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Area Head for Konongo, Mr Dawood Abbas, underscored the importance of government’s environ­mental regulations and EPA’s role in ensuring compliance within the ASGM sector.

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He encouraged miners to prioritise environmental stewardship to gain community trust and secure a Social License to Operate (SLO) and reaf­firmed the Agency’s commitment to enforce its commitments under the Minamata Convention.

 BY Cecilia Lagba Yada

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Stonebwoy releases sixth studio album ‘Up & Running’

Ghanaian multiple award-winning musician, Stonebwoy is out with his sixth studio album dubbed ‘Up & Running.’

As part of the release Stonebwoy performed various songs on the album to patrons at a special listening party last night.

The listening party held at the Alora Beach in Accra brought together Industry players, musicians, actors, corporate Ghana, diplomats and fans of Stonebwoy among others.

The album is made up of songs like, Memories, Pray For Me, Jejereje, Overload remix, Shine, Psalm 23, Betta Tin, Your Body, Geography, Shine, Lovely Weather, Jiggle and White, Ekelebe and Fvck Up Summer.

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 ‘Up & Running’ features the top musicians such as Duncan Mighty, Ir Sais, Spice, Amaria BB, Jahmiel, 10TIK, Larruso, Chi Ching Ching, Kaylan Arnold, and Blvk H3ro, Wyclef Jean and ODUMODUBLVCK.

The album, which includes diverse songs for different target markets, shows Stonebwoy’s calculated effort to reach out to wider and new audiences around the world.

Stonebwoy is expected to hit the road in a global tour with his new album, ‘Up & Running.’

The colourful event was attended by industry personalities like Fred Nuamah, Andy Dosty, Keche, Bullgod, Nadia Buari, Nana McBrown,Kwaw Kese,Robert Klah,D-Black, Larusso and many others.

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By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme

Enjoy the album below

UP & RUNNIN6 – ALBUM OUT NOW! ♨️

stonebwoy.lnk.to/UXR6

#UPXRUNNIN6 #UPXRUNNIN6Album

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