It's not that deep

If you like, come and audit.

Author

Chale News
January 16, 2025

So, what’s in the bag today?

  • National: ECG’s GHC800m: Dubik Mahama Says, ‘It’s not that deep!

  • National: Gov’t scraps Betting Tax, Sammy Awuku screams, ‘finally!

  • National: Ghana owes $251M, and Senator Risch says no IMF bag until the bill’s cleared.

  • National: Ayariga’s in; Ato Forson’s out—Parliament’s got a new headliner!

  • International: From 10th to 13th, Ghana’s petrol prices are climbing while our rankings are sliding!

  • National: 700+ petitions? ORAL Committee’s got more drama than a telenovela.

  • Fact of the Day: Only one place has over 60% of the world’s lakes.

  • National: Cocoa, Cash, and Chaos: Police nab suspects in smuggling drama.

QUICK BYTE

  • Dubik Mahama is defending ECG’s GHC800m monthly spend. While some folks, like Energy Minister-designate John Jinapor, think there’s GHC400m doing the moonwalk out of the system, Dubik’s like, “Bruh, that’s just the ECG’s maintenance bill!” He’s calling cap on claims of shady contracts and is inviting everyone to grab a calculator and audit ECG’s receipts. “Y’all can audit ECG yourselves if you think there’s waste. Grab a notepad and show me where to cut.” Read more

  • Imagine pulling up to a party, and your crush finally notices you. That’s Sammy Awuku right now, celebrating the government’s decision to cancel the betting tax. The man says he’s been anti-betting tax longer than we’ve been saying, “It’s giving.” Turns out, taxing betting made underground operators the cooler, tax-free option, leaving government lotto looking like that boring uncle at the family reunion. Sammy’s been saying, “This ain’t it, fam,” since way back, and now he’s got the last laugh. Read more

  • Senator James Risch is out here giving Ghana the ultimatum of a lifetime: no IMF goodies unless we settle a $251 million tab owed to U.S. companies. Think Twin City Energy, Kosmos, and even drone kings Zipline are on that list of creditors waiting like folks in a waakye queue on a Saturday morning. Drama brewing? You bet. Want the deets in full? Check out the Deep Dive section.

  • Ghana’s petrol prices are rising faster than your Uber surge fare on a rainy day. Ghana has dropped three spots, ranking 13th in Africa for the lowest fuel prices. With petrol now averaging $1.051 per litre, Ghana's global position has also dipped from 43rd to 53rd. Meanwhile, Libya keeps flexing at the top with a jaw-dropping $0.030 per litre. Angola, Egypt, and Algeria follow with prices hovering below $0.34 per litre. Brace yourselves—prices at the pump might nudge higher from Friday, thanks to global crude hikes and the cedi’s depreciation. Read more

FACT OF THE DAY

❝

Over sixty percent of the world’s lakes are located in Canada.

  • Imagine the ORAL Committee (Operation Recover All Loot) pulling an all-nighter like uni students during finals week—except their “assignments” are over 700 petitions! Led by Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, these guys are digging into reports of looting like your mum digging for her change after you “borrowed” some.

    The committee’s big plan? Wrap things up soon and deliver the tea to Prez Mahama. Read more

  • Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson’s upgrade to Finance Minister has created a power vacuum in Parliament, and Mahama Ayariga is swooping in to center stage as Ghana’s new Majority Leader. Ayariga isn’t new to the spotlight. With a CV stacked higher than those clothes in that one chair in your room—from heading Information to Science and Tech Ministries. Word on the street? The man’s a pro at parliamentary rules and building bridges. Read more

  • Three heavy-duty trucks, casually disguised with lumber, tried smuggling over 1,400 bags of cocoa beans across Ghana’s borders. Spoiler: they got caught at Nkrankwanta in Bono. Now, three suspects are out on bail, while two others are pulling a Usain Bolt, sprinting away from justice. Read more

DEEP DIVE

No freebies here!

Imagine buying food on credit at the bush canteen saaaaa then still having the audacity to ask for a loan to from the food seller. That’s basically what Senator James Risch thinks Ghana’s doing. The U.S. senator has penned a spicy letter to Janet Yellen, the U.S. Treasury Secretary, saying, “Hold up, IMF. No funds for Ghana until they clear their $251 million debt to American businesses.”

Among those businesses waiting to get paid are heavy hitters like Twin City Energy, Kosmos Energy, and even Zipline—the drone service folks flying medical supplies around like Santa Claus. Risch says these debts aren’t just annoying; they’re crippling these companies’ operations in Ghana. Plus, a few of them have U.S. taxpayer-backed investments, so it’s giving, “We’re all affected.”

The senator isn’t just here to vent, though. He wants action. His plan? Tie any future IMF loans to a promise from Ghana to pay up. He’s also asking for transparent audits and reporting to ensure no pesewa goes missing. Oh, and he’s not afraid to play hardball, warning that this could mess up the U.S.-Ghana bromance if things aren’t resolved.

With the IMF’s Board of Directors gearing up to review Ghana’s third program under the Extended Credit Facility, all eyes are on whether Ghana will settle its debts or risk seeing the IMF bag yanked. Read more

NEWS SOURCES

Today’s stories are curated from: