Ghana's parliament approves a $4.65 billion provisional budget, averting a shutdown as John Mahama prepares to take office amid economic and energy sector challenges.
Ghana's parliament has passed a provisional budget that allows the government to spend 68.1 billion Ghanaian cedis ($4.65 billion) through March, the chamber's speaker said, narrowly averting an unprecedented government shutdown.
Parliamentary Speaker Alban Bagbin said the parliament had approved the provisional budget in a sitting that stretched deep into Thursday night.
John Dramani Mahama is set to take office as the West African country's president next week after winning a Dec. 7 election, staging a political comeback after serving as Ghana's president from 2012 to 2016.
Outgoing President Nana Akufo-Addo was due to present his last state of the nation address later on Friday after eight years leading the gold- and oil-exporting nation.
A provisional budget is typically passed in November during election years to cover the gap until the president-elect takes office.
But the presentation of the provisional budget had dragged this time after an impasse over whether the outgoing New Patriotic Party (NPP) or the incoming National Democratic Congress (NDC) party has a majority of seats in the House.
Finance Minister Mohammed Amin Adam told the joint business and finance committees the late passage of the provisional budget would not affect government business.
"It averts a government shutdown and (the) likelihood of worsening Ghana's ongoing debt default saga," Seth Terkper, a former finance minister, told Reuters.
Almost a third of the approved amount is earmarked for payments to energy-sector service providers, according to the provisional budget.
Mahama, the president-elect, said last month that Ghana was going to face a critical situation in the energy sector, adding that preliminary estimates showed that arrears exceeded $2.5 billion at a time when the power supply was erratic.
Mahama, who contested the election as the main opposition leader, is returning to power amid an economic resurgence from Ghana’s worst crisis in a generation.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian warned that Tehran’s answer to any aggression will be decisive and “discouraging” and Foreign Minister Abbas...
The United States Embassy in Tashkent has confirmed that the issuance of Diversity Visas (DV) commonly referred to as Green Card visas has been suspen...
Afghanistan is expected to remain one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises in 2026, with nearly half of the population projected to require hu...
The Russian radio station known as 'Doomsday Radio' (or UVB-76) unexpectedly began playing ‘Swan Lake’, music from a ballet composition. The last ...
India’s largest oil refiner, Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), has taken a significant step towards diversifying its crude oil supply by purchasing Colo...
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has announced that Germany will provide Ghana with €65 million (approximately $69 million) in development assistance.
Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama has dismissed Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo with immediate effect, following the outcome of an investigation into alleged misconduct, the presidency announced on Monday.
Ghana is in mourning after a military helicopter crashed in the southern Ashanti region, killing two cabinet ministers and six others. The government called it a national tragedy and has launched an investigation into the cause.
Ghana’s President John Dramani Mahama has called for reparations over slavery and colonisation, urging global recognition of Africa’s historical injustices and dignity.
The Russian radio station known as 'Doomsday Radio' (or UVB-76) unexpectedly began playing ‘Swan Lake’, music from a ballet composition. The last time this was done was during the deaths of Soviet-era leaders and the 1991 coup.
Protests in Iran over soaring prices and a plunging rial have spread to universities in Tehran, as students join shopkeepers and bazaar merchants in demanding government action. With inflation above 42% and the rial at record lows, unrest continues to grow across the country.
As Russia’s war in Ukraine enters its fourth year, rising casualties, economic struggles, and mounting unrest expose cracks in society. Despite Kremlin propaganda, frustration is growing as more Russians question the government’s narrative, according to The Washington Post.
The head of Yemen’s Presidential Council, Rashad al-Alimi, has ordered all forces linked to the United Arab Emirates to leave Yemen within 24 hours.
European leaders held talks on Ukraine after Russia said it would revise its negotiating position, citing an alleged Ukrainian drone attack that Kyiv has firmly denied.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian warned that Tehran’s answer to any aggression will be decisive and “discouraging” and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi urged his counterparts to strongly denounce US President Donald Trump’s recent threat of military strike against Iran.
The United States Embassy in Tashkent has confirmed that the issuance of Diversity Visas (DV) commonly referred to as Green Card visas has been suspended, although applicants may continue to submit applications and attend interviews, according to an official embassy statement.
Afghanistan is expected to remain one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises in 2026, with nearly half of the population projected to require humanitarian assistance, according to a new report published by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
The Russian radio station known as 'Doomsday Radio' (or UVB-76) unexpectedly began playing ‘Swan Lake’, music from a ballet composition. The last time this was done was during the deaths of Soviet-era leaders and the 1991 coup.
Türkiye will never tolerate coercion, piracy, or banditry in its maritime “blue homeland,” President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Wednesday.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment