GES, Fair Wages: Teacher Professional Development Allowance Tax Free
The Management of Ghana Education service has in a letter sighted by GhanaEducation.Org indicated that the Professional Development Allowance paid to teachers was not supposed to be taxed. According to the GES, this was part of the agreement reached with the various stakeholders prior to the payment of the allowance. In a letter to the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission, The Director-General of GES, Prof. Opoku Kwasi-Amankwa disclosed that the allowance was not supposed to be subject to tax deductions. However, the payments made to teachers were taxed which has led to agitations by the chalk fraternity across the country. “It was agreed that this was not subject to tax. Incidentally, there are indications that the money … has been taxed contrary to the agreement reached.” The letter dated 19th November 2020 detailed. The GES has therefore called the Fair Wages to take steps for the correction to avert further agitation among teachers. It further asked that the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission expedites action, liaise with the Ministry of Finance and the Controller and Accountant General, to correct the anomaly. Taxed Professional Development Allowance Response from Fair Wages The Fair Wages and Salaries Commission has responded to the letter and called on the Ministry of Finance to correct the error. It called on the MoF to take necessary actions to ensure the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department to correct the error. “We, therefore, would be grateful if you could authorize the Accountant-General’s The department not to subject the allowance to a tax deduction to forestall agitations from the Teacher Unions.” The reply indicated. Teachers who suffered about to 18% tax deduction on their allowances are hopeful that the necessary steps will be taken to credit their accounts with the deductions made on the Professional Development Allowance. The letters from the Ghana Education Service and the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission show that the allowance was not supposed to be affected by Section 4 subsection under 1a under the heading “The income shall be “the individual’s gains or profits from any employment for a Year of Assessment including allowances paid in cash or given in kind.” does not apply to the allowance to be paid once per annum to teachers. “General rules for taxation of income from employment quoted by GhanaEducation.org in our previous publication Tax on Teachers Professional Development Allowance Legal does not, therefore, apply to the professional allowance. GhanaEducation.Org Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publication
Gov’t demand for bribes rising – American Investor
An American Business man and Managing Director of Alafei Foods Company Limited, Claude D Convisser has linked the slow growth of Ghana’s economy to the continuous demand of bribes by people in authority from potential investors. According to him, many businesses in Ghana do not survive for a long term because they spend huge sums of money to pay bribes before they get assistance to develop. He noted that, many investors who came into Ghana for business purposes have fled as a result of high bribe demands by government officials. He said the issue has persisted in successive governments and is even currently on the rise. The American investor who has lived in the country for the past six and half years indicated that, Ghana would have been the lead business country in West Africa but for the continuous demand for bribe. He lamented how many officials in government demanded huge sums of money from him before they could lead him to the appropriate managers when he was seeking to establish his factory, “Alafei Foods Ltd”. “For a business to thrive and survive in a long term, it can’t be incumbent that it require demands of bribes by government officials. I have heard so many stories of foreign investors who’ve been met with the demand of bribes from government officials, not just this government but the previous ones as well, that the business men have fled, and its unusual that I am stubborn, I have stayed here and persisted that I am not going to pay bribe”. He said his consistent refusal to pay bribe as always been demanded had led to government not granting him a letter of intent to seek funds for his factory. The American business man expressed shocked that the unfortunate act does not only exist at the top but at the local level as well. He recounted how assembly members contacted him and demanded to have a percentage from his business if government grants him his request. Other top officials from regional level and even at the presidency have all made demands before they start to do what they are required to do. “How can a business man pay all the people he meets in the process of building a business, how can they grow the business and this is why many foreign investors went back with their monies. I remember I met the assembly man for a community in Yendi and he asked me to give him a percentage of my business and I said there’s nothing my business will give to him. This is something I’m doing to help your area”. He made the comments to register his displeasure over the frustrations he went through over the past five years to establish a food and vegetable factory at Zugu in the Yendi Municipality. Background The American investor, Claude Convisser applied to set up the factory in Zugu, a community in the Yendi Municipality. His company, Alafei Foods Limited is seeking to set up a soya and vegetable factory under the 1D1F to meet the protein and vitamin needs of the Ghana School Feeding Program in the Northern region. POP diesel, an oil company in the United States which will give funding to Alafei Foods Limited has also given all of its ownership share of its Africa branch, POP diesel Africa to the Alafei Food farmers irrevocable Trust. This means that the company if set up in Zugu, will employ over 30,000 farmers and supply to the GSFP at a lower cost. However, his efforts have been met with several frustrations as authorities are not willing to grant him a letter of intent to enable him secure funds from his sponsors. The new policy of the GSFP envisions rapid national socio-economic development achieved through a coordinated, integrated and accountable national school feeding program delivering improved nutrition for disadvantaged school children, reliable market for local farmers, effective local catering service and enhanced local income. However, children between the age of 6-36 months in northern Ghana are malnourished and at greater risk of failing to meet the infant feeding standards recommended by WHO given that, less than 50% of them are on a minimum acceptable diet according to a research by Africa Research in Sustainable Intensification for the Next Generation (Africa RISING). Meanwhile, Alafei Foods proposed to the ministry of gender, children and social protection and the school feeding program to deliver to children attending the program’s schools in northern Ghana, a 100 gram per day portion of a tasty and vegetable-rich sauce that includes 30 grams of textured soya protein (soy meat) containing 15 grams of protein or one half to all of the recommended daily intake of protein for pre-teen children, something that could have changed the region’s history of malnutrition and offer a reliable market for farmers in the north as contained in GSFP new policy. Starrfm Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications
Electoral Materials Arrives Upper Region As Agents Of Political Parties Battle For Safety Location
Confusion erupted between political party agents in the Upper East Regional capital Bolgatanga on Friday, November 2020, upon the arrival of electoral materials for the December 7 elections. The misunderstanding came as a result of where to keep the electoral materials for safety ahead of the December 7 elections. But unfortunately, the party agents, especially agents of the two main political parties NDC / NPP and the Police all share different views on where the electoral materials will be kept for safety. Sadly, shortly after the electoral materials were brought into the Regional at the Regional Police Headquarters, party representatives of the various political parties were seen uncomfortable as they started registering displeasure following where the electoral material will be kept for safety ahead of the Parliamentary and Presidential December elections. Meanwhile earlier on, the police proposed a certain location but unfortunately, the opposition NDC were not in agreement as they rejected the proposal insisting that the electoral material should be kept at the usual place inside a room by the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) building for sleeping dogs to lie, and that proposal by the opposition NDC was accepted by all the stakeholders. However, after the agreement by all stakeholders, they all examined the electoral materials which enable them to take a record of the serial numbers printed on the ballot papers Some election observers from the European Union (EU) were present to witness the event. Apexnewsgh.com/Ghana/Ngamegbulam Chidozie Stephen Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications
Bobby Brown’s son dies at 28
Popular American singer, Bobby Brown is currently mourning the death of his son, Bobby Jr. who died at 28. TMZ reports that Bobby Jr. was found dead on Wednesday in his home in the L.A. area. However, police are still at the house, but at this point, they do not believe there was foul play involved. Sadly, this is another tragedy for the singer and his family to endure. Bobby Jr.’s half-sister, Bobbi Kristina, died when she was just 22 years old. She was found lifeless in the bathtub of her Georgia home. She was on life support for several months before she passed in July 2015. The coroner determined Bobbi Kristina’s cause of death was drowning in the tub while she had toxic levels of cocaine and alcohol in her system. It was an eerily similar death to her mother, Whitney Houston, who had died three years earlier from an accidental overdose while in a bathtub at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. Bobby Jr. is one of Bobby’s seven children. He was 13 when he, along with Bobbi Kristina, appeared on the family’s short-lived Bravo reality show, “Being Bobby Brown.” His mother is Kim Ward, who Bobby dated off and on for 11 years before he got engaged to Whitney. Punchng.com Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications
Sack NLA boss or we demonstrate – Banker to Banker Lotto Writers
The Banker to Banker Lotto Writers’ Association of Ghana (BBLWA) has threatened to hit the streets if President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo fails to remove the current boss of the National Lottery Authority (NLA), Osei Ameyaw from office. The association has accused Mr Ameyaw as working against them to take away their source of livelihood. In a statement issued by the association, the Banker to Banker Lotto Writers accused the NLA boss of only thinking of “enriching himself and not the betterment of the good citizens of the country.” The association further accused their “Banker to Banker Lotto Directors” of refusing to talk about the challenges that they face as Banker to Banker Lotto Writers due to “the current incompetence leadership at the NLA.” It noted that: “Most of the Banker to Banker Lotto Writers’ are not literate, therefore, engaging in Banker to Banker lotto writing is their only source of living but everything that the current leadership initiating at the office always goes against the Banker to Banker lotto writing”. “Due to the current leadership at the NLA, series of complaints were raised by the lotto writers and reported to their lotto directors to address but the directors have always failed to address because they are afraid that, their business will be collapsed by the NLA boss.” The association continued that although it is clear that they make their daily bread to fend for their families from lotto writing, “the NLA boss has now handed over” their business to telcos which is affecting their work. “Our business has been handed over to MTN Ghana and for this matter, we hardly make money like we used to in our various shops. To ensure full compliance of legal processes of our business, the association followed the due process by paying the said amount charged to the NLA boss, Mr Osei Ameyaw, an amount of one million Ghana cedis (1,000,000.00) was taken from our coordinators in the name of helping bring back our businesses but to no avail and we have been waiting to hear from the government to come and give us explicit explanations on why the MTN company of Ghana has taken over our business and nothing has been done about it,” the association stated. It further questioned the intentions of the government about their future and source of livelihood. “If the government of Ghana is doing this to the Banker to Banker Lotto Writers Association, what does the government want us to do? How does the government want us to feed ourselves and families?” The association has, therefore, given the government “a two-week ultimatum to address” its plea before it takes its next step. “We demand that the NLA boss should be sacked in order to serve as an example for others that might engage the NLA boss position, but if the government refuse to listen to our demand, we will hit the streets of the various regions with a massive demonstration against”, the Nana Akufo-Addo-led government. Source: classfmonline.com Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications
The November To Remember Postings will be released on Monday- Mathew Opoku
The Minister of Education, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh has made a pronouncement during an interview on JAMAN Radio 103.7, that postings of 2017, 2018 and 2019 of Colleges of Education will be released soon. According to the Minister’s own words and pronouncement during the interview, he said posting of 2019 trained teachers and other trained teachers of 2017 and 2018 batch who were still not posted will be released on Monday, November 23, 2020 However, with full confidence, the Minister dubbed the impending release postings as a “November to remember” Below is the video: Apexnewsgh.com/Ghana/Ngamegbulam Chidozie Stephen Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications
Important And Urgent Notice For Teachers In …..
Apexnewsgh.com has captured an important information for teachers in and around the Bolgatanga Municipal of the Upper East Region. Below are the details: The National Teaching Council will be in the Municipality from the 1st to 2nd December, 2020 to issue teacher’s license to all in-service teachers. In view of this, Heads of schools are entreated to bring to the notice of your teachers to upload their details onto NTC portal: tpg.ntc.gov.gh before the scheduled date. You are also to fill TEACHERS FORM A for professionals and TEACHERS FORM B for non-Professionals and return the completed forms to the Municipal Director latest by Friday the 20th of November, 2020. The issuing officers will issue the license based on the completed forms (A and B). Please take note that this is a national exercise and therefore mandatory for all teachers to take part. You can get the form A and B from the Training officer from today Wednesday 11th November, 2020. You can also contact your respective SISOs (CSs). Remember, the deadline for the submission of these forms to the MDE is Friday the 20th of November, 2020. Thank You. Apexnewsgh.com/Ghana Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications
Legal Practitioner donates items to Nabdam Constituency ahead of December 7 Polls
Legal Practitioner donates items to Nabdam Constituency ahead of December 7 Polls. A legal Practitioner and Member of the National Democratic Congress, NDC, Lawyer Lamtiig Apanga has donated 200 branded T-shirts to the NDC Parliamentary Candidate for Nabdam Constituency in the Upper East Region, Hon. Dr. Mark Kurt Nawaane. This forms part of a series of donations he has been making to the Nabdam Constituency. Lawyer Lamtiig believes that this donation would go a long way to help make the party and supporters more visible during this season of political party campaigns. According to him, the support base of the party need to be strengthened so that they could increase the vote margin for both Presidential and Parliamentary at the constituency level. “I believe that our supporters would need more T-shirts that bears our party’s brand in order to sell our ideologies out to the people. And so I have come with 200 branded T-shirts and four megaphones that can help amplify your voice at campaign grounds.” Lawyer Lamtiig stated. “I also have an undisclosed amount of some cash for you to support the campaign. I know it’s not easy especially an orphan MP like you at this period of the campaigns. So this is to also support you finish hard. It is my hope and prayer that you win the seat again to further develop Nabdam.” He concluded amidst applause from party members. Receiving the donations, Hon. Dr. Mark Kurt Nawaane on behalf of his executives showed immense gratitude to Lawyer Lamtiig Apanga for the timely support. He thanked him for the show of commitment towards the party’s victory. He had some few words of encouragements for him.“Continue to be humble. I know the party is taking record of your support and commitments and would reward you one day for that love. I’m overwhelmed for this show of loyalty as a comrade and your donations would be communicated to the party’s hierarchy.” Dr. Nawaane praised. Hon. Dr. Mark Kurt Nawaane is gunning to retain the seat on the ticket of the NDC at the 2020 parliamentary polls. Apexnewsgh.com/Ghana/ Contributor Peter Agengre Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications.
Corruption Has Become Such Monstrous Force – SAMMY GYAMFI
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has said, they are saddened to observe that under the leadership of President Akufo Addo, that corruption has become such monstrous force devouring every force which dares to stand in its way. “We are saddened to observe that under the leadership of President Akufo Addo corruption has become such monstrous force devouring every force which dares to stand in its way. When speaking of corruption in Ghana today ladies and gentlemen, we are talking about a canker supervised by the President himself with the active participation of his family, friends, cronies, and appointees.” He said Speaking at a press conference organized by the NDC in Accra Thursday, the Communication Director of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) Sammy Gyamfi said, “Many were those, including some of us who saw this day coming, giving the fact that the office of the Special Prosecutor extensively supposed to fight corruption which has become arguably the greatest achievement of President Akufo Addo. It was only as a matter of time before the subject of corruption set the OSP and President Akufo Addo on the collision cause. This is exactly what happens and unsurprisingly corruption has prevailed over the Special Prosecutor Martin Amidu forcing him to abandon his office.” He stressed However, Mr. Gyamfi also revealed that the NDC intercepted a devastating tape from a reputable media house which suggests that the Special Prosecutor in an interview said he was intimidated following the Agyapa deal. Apexnewsgh.com/Ghana Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications