NPP

Claim: Several social media accounts and partisan commentators claim that the NPP government took the dollar rate to GH₵17 per USD during their tenure, in response to Dr. Bawumia’s remarks that the NDC has no policy affecting the cedi’s performance.

Verdict: False! Verified data from the Bank of Ghana and other credible platforms show that while the cedi depreciated significantly under the NPP, it never officially reached GH₵17 to the dollar. The peak was approximately GH₵16.41 in November 2024.

Full Text

Over the past few days, following a steady appreciation of the cedi against the US dollar, several social media users and political figures have claimed that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government once took the exchange rate to GH₵17 per USD.

This claim emerged prominently after Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, former Vice President and 2024 NPP presidential candidate, commented downplaying the role of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the cedi’s recovery.

Speaking at an engagement with the Young Executive Forum (YEF) in London in May 2025, Dr. Bawumia stated,

“If you ask the NDC to name one policy they have implemented for cedi appreciation, they cannot.”

He further explained that the NDC had only passed its budget in March and had not issued contracts or made any payments, implying that their influence on the currency’s performance was minimal.

These remarks triggered strong reactions across various platforms, with critics focusing on the NPP’s handling of the economy during its administration.

The most common rebuttal was that the cedi had previously depreciated to GH₵17 under Bawumia’s economic leadership, a claim gaining online traction.

Meanwhile, Solomon Owusu, Senior Communicator for the Movement for Change, speaking on TV3 on May 21, 2025, stated,

“I heard Bawumia say that he hasn’t seen any policy that NDC has done… if they are not doing anything, and it’s bringing the dollar down, then it’s a good thing. He that was doing things the right way — where did we find the dollar? 17 cedis… in opposition, he will be giving lectures on economic matters, but in government, he said he is an IT person…”

Malik Basintale, CEO of the Youth Employment Agency, echoed this claim on his Facebook and X (formerly Twitter) profiles, prompting DUBAWA to fact-check his assertion.

Nonetheless, popular blogger Bongo Ideas also weighed in, posting on X on May 21, 2025:

“Ato Forson took the dollar from 17 to 15 in two months. Took it from 15 to 13 in 1 month and then took it from 13 to 11 in 3 weeks. Projected to hit 9 in 2 weeks. This is what the avowed Economist, Bawumia, could never do! Prices dropping! Aban Papa Aba!” his post garnered over 100,000 views and was widely shared.

Other users also chimed in with viral comments on Facebook:

Nathaniel Dwamena: “NDC does not have one policy, and the Cedi is trading at ₵12 to a dollar. Then they should not have any policy. When Dr. Bawumia listed 33 policies and 170 questions, the Cedi was trading at 17.”

Apiu Beberto: “Dr Bawumia said in October 2020 that the exchange rate would have been 16 cedis if John Dramani Mahama and the NDC were in power, but fast-forward to 2025, JDM and the NDC are in power, and the exchange rate has reduced from almost 17 cedis to 12 cedis. Dr Bawumia, the inconsistent and forgetful talkative, now says what?”

Philip Osei Akoto: “With 100 policies of Bawumia and the NPP, the dollar was trading at 17 cedis. With Zero (0) policy of NDC, the dollar is trading at 12.2 cedis. #CommonSense.”

Edrorlali Apekortu: “If buying a dollar at 11.9 cedis is a failure, then what will buying a dollar at 17 cedis be? If buying a litre of fuel at 12.8 is a failure, then what will buying it at 15 cedis be? You guys don’t have shame. You guys have proven to be bad in government. Clearly, you’re bad, also in opposition. NPP NEVER AGAIN.”

Citizen Sawa Jnr: “Am I the only one who doesn’t find logic in what Opana is saying? U increased the Gold reserve and left the Cedi at almost 17 to a dollar. JM streamlines the Gold sector and exports more gold for dollars to stabilise the cedi. As we speak, a dollar is 11.8 cedis. Between the two of you, who gets sense? These fake IT experts can disturb.”

The frequency of these statements created a widely believed narrative that the cedi had once fallen to GH₵17 under the NPP government. DUBAWA investigated this assertion as part of its campaign to promote truth in public discourse.

Verification

To assess the truthfulness of the GH₵17 claim, DUBAWA examined historical exchange rate data from credible sources.

What was the rate at the time of NDC’s assumption of office?

• Bank of Ghana (January 6, 2025): 1 USD = GH₵14.6927
• Exchange-rates.org (January 7, 2025): 1 USD = GH₵14.7258
• Yahoo Finance (January 7, 2025): 1 USD = GH₵14.6600

Additionally, the Bank of Ghana confirms that on December 31, 2024, the exchange rate was GH₵14.6927 per USD.

These figures show that when the NDC assumed power, the exchange rate hovered between GH₵14.66 and GH₵14.73, not GH₵17.

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Credit: Bank of Ghana

Credit: Bank of Ghana

What was the highest rate under the NPP?

• Exchange-rates.org shows the highest exchange rate in 2024 was GH₵16.415 on November 8, 2024.
• Bank of Ghana records for the same date list the rate as GH₵16.3419

This is the highest official rate on record before the NPP exited office. While it approached GH₵17, it never reached or surpassed that number officially.

Date	Exchange Rate (1 USD to GH₵)	Source
November 8, 2024	16.415 GH₵ 16.3419 GH₵	exchange-rates.org Bank of Ghana
December 31, 2024	14.70050 GH₵ 14.6927 GH₵	exchange-rates.org Bank of Ghana

By the end of December 2024, the rate had declined to GH₵14.6927, further disproving the GH₵17 figure as the last standing rate under NPP leadership.

Conclusion

The claim that the exchange rate reached GH₵17 per USD under the NPP government is false. Verified data from the Bank of Ghana, exchange-rates.org, and Yahoo Finance confirm that the highest official exchange rate was approximately GH₵16.41, not GH₵17.

As part of celebrating its 120 achievements, the government, through the Information Services Department, posted a flyer with a narrative about achieving a promise of a lean government. DUBAWA intends to subject the narrative to critical scrutiny.

The government agency circulated a flyer on its Facebook page claiming that the ruling party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has cut the number of presidential staff from 336 to 30 and the country’s ministries from 30 to 23.

This flyer, which was reshared several times on the agency’s X account, claimed former president Nana Akufo-Addo’s New Patriotic Party(NPP) administration ballooned the size of his government by increasing the number of ministries to 30 and presidential staffers to 336. 

The post, which celebrates Mahama’s 120 days in office, suggests that the sitting president has taken a markedly different approach from his predecessor. 

The hashtag #120dayssocialcontractdelivered references Mahama’s governance promise to run a lean administration within his first 120 days in office. 

As of May 15, 2025, the flyer had attracted 213 shares and over 110 comments on Facebook and appeared on X here, here, and here.

As part of efforts to promote truth in public discourse, DUBAWA decided to investigate the two claims and the narrative accompanying them. 

Claim 1: Nana Akufo-Addo’s New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration increased the number of ministries to 30

According to official government records and a 2021 press release from the Office of the President, the number of ministries under the New Patriotic Party (NPP) was streamlined from 36 during President Akufo-Addo’s first term to 28 in his second term. 

This contradicts the claim in the flyer, which inaccurately states that the NPP created 30 ministries.

The 28 ministries include longstanding portfolios in finance, education, health, and interior, and restructured or newly introduced ministries. For instance, the Ministry of Energy emerged after a merger involving the former Power Ministry, while Lands and Natural Resources remained distinct entities. 

During the first term, new ministries were created, including the Ministry for Business Development, the Ministry for Monitoring and Evaluation, the Ministry for Regional Reorganisation and Development, the Ministry for Special Development Initiatives, the Ministry for Zongo and Inner City Development, and the Ministry of Railway Development.

However, many of these were either realigned or scrapped in the President’s second term, leading to the official reduction in the total number of ministries. 

The flyer’s claim not only inflates the count by two but also overlooks the realignments and reductions acknowledged in the 2021 press release, thereby misleadingly suggesting a more expansive administrative structure than was officially maintained.

Verdict: Misleading. The flyer overstates the number of ministries under the Akufo-Addo administration, claiming 30 instead of the officially recorded 28. 

Claim 2:   Nana Akufo-Addo’s New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration employed 336 presidential staffers, while Mahama had only 30.

Data available via the Parliamentary Repository presents different data. 

According to official records submitted to Parliament by the Office of the President, 44 senior presidential staffers were appointed during President Akufo-Addo’s administration. 

These included core presidential advisers, directors, and secretaries. Additionally, 315 other political appointees, such as executive assistants, liaison officers, personal aides, and technical staff, were engaged in supporting various departments. 

Two Ministers of State at the Presidency were also listed, bringing the total number of political operatives working to over 361.

In contrast, under President Mahama’s administration, exactly 30 presidential staffers were appointed, a number he publicly confirmed. Of these, 27 were appointed to direct staff roles, while three were directors of key governmental initiatives. 

The flyer confuses total political appointees with core presidential staff. 

According to the Deputy presidential spokesperson, Shamima Muslim, there’s a distinction between actual presidential staff and supporting staff. She confirmed the data for the actual staff, but stated that data on supporting staff was not yet available.

Since the newly elected NDC administration has not published its complete list of presidential staff or support staff, it is premature to suggest that it has outperformed the NPP in reducing staff numbers.

Screenshot of the official list of parliamentary staffers for Akufo-Addo

Verdict: The comparison in the flyer is misleading. While the NPP had 336 political appointees to the presidency, 44 of whom are presidential staffers, the NDC only cited the core presidential staffers, who were 30, excluding the political appointees. 

When contacted, a government official, deputy presidential spokesperson Shamima Muslim, acknowledged the distinction between actual presidential and supporting staff. She provided data for the actual staff but stated that data on supporting staff was not yet available. 

As such, it is premature to conclude that the current administration has significantly reduced overall staff numbers compared to the NPP era.

Conclusion

The flyer’s claim that the NPP had 30 ministries and 336 presidential staffers is false. Verified records from Parliament and official government releases show that the Akufo-Addo administration operated 28 ministries, not 30, and had 44 senior presidential staffers, not 336. The flyer misleadingly includes auxiliary staffers in its count.

While Mahama’s administration did maintain a smaller number of ministries and staffers, the comparative data used in the viral post exaggerates the difference. 

Claim: The Ghana GoldBod Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Sammy Gyamfi, has alleged that $1 was selling at GHȼ16 by the end of December 2024.

Verdict: False. DUBAWA’s investigations showed that the exchange rate by December 2024 was not $1 to GHȼ16 as Sammy alleged. According to the Bank of Ghana (BoG), the exchange rate as of Dec. 31, 2024, was $1 to GHȼ14.7174. Also, $1 sold at GHȼ14.7574 on Jan. 6, 2025, the last day of President Nana Akufo-Addo’s government.”

Full Text

The Ghana GoldBod Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Sammy Gyamfi, has alleged that $1 was selling at GHȼ16 by the end of December 2024.

He responded to critics who said the cedi’s performance against the U.S. dollar was due to the country’s gold reserves. 

Bloomberg describes Ghana’s cedi as the world’s best-performing currency, with $1 selling at GHȼ12.6063 as of May 14, 2025.

Sammy explained, “The cedi is appreciating today, because of the significant surge in dollar inflows on the back of unprecedented gold exports. This has increased the supply of dollars in the market to meet and exceed demand.”

He says, “If 30 tonnes of gold reserves under the NPP could not reduce the dollar rate to below 16 cedis, then 31 tonnes of gold reserves cannot magically reduce the dollar rate to 13.2 cedis.”

Although Ghana’s gold reserve has increased marginally, Sammy said that could not be why the cedi performs better globally.

“By the end of December 2024, our gold reserves at the Bank of England stood at about 30 tonnes. Yet, one US$ dollar was selling at about GHS16,” he added.

Reacting to the post, an X user, @charllycolegh, wrote:

“Funny enough, their gullible followers will believe him that the dollar was 16gh at the end of December. NDC and lies 5&6.”

Also, commenting on the post, another X user, @Hajjyass70, said, “Remembering Ghana was managed by Ken Ofori Atta still feels like a dream, can’t even imagine how we coped throughout.”

The social media data showed that as of May 14, 2025, the post had over 258,743 views, 3,843 likes, 323 comments, 785 reposts, and 278 bookmarks.

DUBAWA decided to probe the claim as part of its campaign against misinformation and disinformation in Ghana.

Verification

DUBAWA’s investigations showed that the exchange rate by December 2024 was not $1 to GHȼ16 as Sammy alleged. 

According to the Bank of Ghana (BoG), the exchange rate as of Dec. 31, 2024, was $1 to GHȼ14.7174. 

The country’s central bank explained, “The average interbank rates used by commercial banks for transactions at the close of business, Monday, 30^th Dec. 2024.”

The exchange rate data the Bank of Ghana published on Dec. 31, 2024.

Bank of Ghana data DUBAWA reviewed showed that $1 sold at GHȼ15.2776 on Dec. 2, 2024, GHȼ15.1226 on Dec. 4, 2024, GHȼ14.7074 on Dec. 30, 2024, to GHȼ14.7174 on Dec. 31, 2024.

There was no time in December 2024 that $1 sold at GHȼ16 as the country’s central bank data confirmed.

Also, $1 sold at GHȼ14.7574 on Jan. 6, 2025, the last day of President Nana Akufo-Addo’s government.”

The exchange rate data the Bank of Ghana published on Jan. 6, 2025

Conclusion

At the end of December 2024, the exchange rate was $1 to GHȼ14.7174, not $1 to GHȼ16 as the Ghana Goldbod Executive Officer has alleged.

Claim: A TikTok post claims Elon Musk has promised to visit and meet Sam George, Ghana’s communications, digital technology, and innovations minister. 

Verdict: False! The video has been manipulated. DUBAWA’s checks reveal that the original video was Musk’s interview with Chris Anderson on TED in April 2022.

Full Text 

A viral post on TikTok suggests that the wealthiest man in the world, Elon Musk, has promised to visit Ghana to meet Samuel Nartey George, the Minister of Communications, Digital Technology, and Innovation. 

In the video, the Tesla Motors owner talks about his willingness to meet the president and the Minister of Communications of the West African country and promises to set up Starlink’s “largest office.” 

“I am Elon Musk. I am very glad to reply to Sam George from Ghana, who said that I will come to Ghana soon. To meet him and President John Mahama. I am ready to establish the largest office for my Starlink company in Ghana and employ more Ghanaian youth in my Starlink Company. Thank you, honourable minister for communication, Samuel Nartey George,” he allegedly said in the 22-second video posted by AGOETV on TikTok. 

As of May 9, 2025, the video had garnered 15,900 likes, 2,232 shares, and 561 comments on TikTok. 

DUBAWA recognises the potential for the viral video to mislead, misinform, and disinform citizens when discussing the government’s achievements after 120 days in office. Therefore, DUBAWA decided to investigate this claim. 

Verification 

Elon Musk is the wealthiest man in the world, and a visit to the West African nation would gain traction from major news outlets. However, no credible media outlet reports Musk’s visit to Ghana.

Also, DUBAWA’s checks reveal that the video is manipulated. Using advanced keyword search and  Google reverse image search, we found another manipulated version of the same video with  Musk in the same attire and background, but used in a different context. Find the video as posted on SERIOUS DANGER AI’s YouTube page.

Further checks revealed that the original version of the video was an interview with Chris Anderson on the TED show. You can find the video uploaded on the TED YouTube page here. In the interview, Musk, in the same attire and background, talked about Twitter, Tesla, and other essential aspects of his life.

The video was uploaded on April 22, 2022, when Sam Nartey George and the current ruling party, the National Democratic Congress, were in opposition. Therefore, Musk could not have promised to visit Ghana to meet Sam Nartey George, as minister of communications, and John Mahama, as president.

Conclusion 

The claim that Elon Musk has promised to meet Samuel Nartey George is false. 

Social media has gone abuzz with a new trend—the review of the New Patriotic Party’s performance in the 2024 elections. Social media users have shared viral excerpts that they claim are part of the report of the 2024 New Patriotic Party (NPP) Election Review Committee, chaired by Prof. Mike Oquaye.

Due to the potential for misinformation, DUBAWA has taken a keen interest in the excerpts from reports that have gone viral, particularly those shared on Prof. Mike Oquaye’s Facebook page. 

The page has been circulating purported excerpts from a report attributed to a committee chaired by Prof. Mike Oquaye, the former Speaker of Parliament. As chair, Prof. Oquaye led the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) 2024 Election Review Committee, which was mandated to investigate the underlying causes of the party’s defeat in the 2024 general elections. The user has made several claims, one being, 

“The Black Stars, even though they haven’t won a trophy in recent years, have always qualified for the AFCON. That streak was broken not due to a lack of talent, but because of pure mismanagement by the Sports Ministry and its affiliated institutions. At a time when the economy was dealing heavy blows, Ghanaians were stripped of one of their few remaining joys: football! No AFCON, no watch parties, no shouting ‘goaaal’ ten seconds late because your neighbour’s DSTV is faster.
It’s become painfully clear the government and its leadership simply don’t have the heartbeat of Ghanaians in mind.” — National Supporters Union Chairperson.

The page also mentioned a comment about the Black Stars that can be found on page 20 of the Oquaye Committee’s report.

Within 48 hours of its creation, the page gained over 2,000 followers. Given the growing engagement of the posts, DUBAWA decided to verify whether the excerpts being shared were authentic.

What is the Prof. Mike Oquaye Report about?

After the NPP’s massive defeat by the NDC, the party set up a committee tasked with investigating the reasons behind its loss of the presidency to the NDC’s John Dramani Mahama, as well as the significant loss of parliamentary seats.

This committee was dubbed the 2024 New Patriotic Party (NPP) Election Review Committee and was chaired by Professor Mike Oquaye, a former Speaker of Parliament and an astute member of the party. The party stated that insights gathered during these reviews would play a key role in shaping its future direction.

Has the committee concluded its findings?

Yes. On Wednesday, April 16, Prof. Mike Oquaye, chair of the 12-member committee, submitted the final report to the party. Following the submission, the only public action taken by the NPP was to announce the formation of a separate committee to review its constitution.

Regarding public access to the report, the party made it clear that the document would not be released as it is considered an internal party document.

Shortly after the committee submitted its report, an avalanche of claims from different sources emerged, reportedly citing excerpts from the document. However, one thing stands out. A new Facebook page, Prof Mike Ocquaye’s Report, was created within days after the report’s submission. This page has been releasing excerpts daily, claiming to be from the authentic report. 

Who is behind the Facebook page “Prof. Mike Oquaye’s Report”?

According to Facebook’s page transparency information, the account was created on Sunday, April 20, 2025, just days after the report was submitted. This timing raised questions about the page’s authenticity and its intended purpose. 

Source: Facebook

DUBAWA contacted Haruna Mohammed, the Deputy General Secretary of the NPP, to verify whether the party had created any official Facebook page to share excerpts from the report.

His response was categorical: “Those excerpts are false and fabricated. The party has made it clear that the report will not be made public.”

DUBAWA could not verify the identity of the individual or group behind the Facebook page. However, an analysis of the page’s following and interactions revealed significant engagement from individuals associated with the National Democratic Congress (NDC). Even though the account has over 3,000 followers, what’s intriguing about the page is the accounts it follows. 

Also, most of the people the account concerns are members of the National Democratic Congress. Out of the 20 accounts the page follows, DUBAWA found out that 13 are members of the National Democratic Congress. Some include, Eric Edem Agbana, Stan Xoese Dogbe, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Obuobia Darko-Opoku, Dzifa Gunu, Hussein Ibrahim among others.

The analyses were based on the posts made by these accounts on their timelines, and all the posts were from the NDC. 

Additionally, the page’s posts predominantly target and criticise the New Patriotic Party (NPP), suggesting it may have partisan motivations.

Conclusion 

The viral Facebook page “Prof. Mike Oquaye’s Report” is not an official communication channel of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and is not affiliated with the Oquaye-led 2024 Election Review Committee. Despite its branding and claims to share excerpts from the committee’s report, the NPP has unequivocally stated that the document remains confidential and will not be made public. The alleged excerpts, including the widely circulated claim linking the Black Stars’ AFCON absence to government mismanagement, are fabricated. The party’s Deputy General Secretary has discredited them as false. Furthermore, DUBAWA’s assessment revealed partisan undertones, with the page showing strong ties to the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

Claim: Several social media users claim that Patrick Yaw Boamah made comments dissociating the minority (NPP) from Ntim-Fordjour’s agenda to pursue the AirMed Cocaine money laundering issue.

Verdict: False. DUBAWA’s checks reveal that the member of parliament for Okaikoi Central never made such comments. 

Full Text

On April 2, 2025, the minority group in Ghana’s parliament, led by Rev. John Ntim-Fordjour, held a press conference. During the meeting, the group raised concerns over the alleged arrival and departure of two aircraft they suspect to have transported “cocaine” and some cash believed to be proceeds of money laundering.

“We are reliably informed that contrary to the expectation that the Airmed flight would carry patients, the purpose for which it was designed and operates, it rather, on this occasion, carried suspicious cargo suspected to be cocaine and cash in various United States dollars denomination.

“In a related development, a private jet, Cavok Air Antonov An-12B,  also landed at Kotoka International Airport on March 12, 2025, from the same Island of Spain, Gran Canaria, and remained in the country for thirteen days and departed at 6:40 hrs, that is 6:40 am on March 25, 2025, to Gran Canaria, the very day that the AirMed also departed to Gran Canaria,” the Assin South lawmaker stated. 

He added that it was even more “intriguing” that both flights departed on the same day to an Island notoriously known for drug trafficking. He called on national security to inquire about the cargo of both flights. 

This has generated several discussions both on social and traditional media.   

As of the time of publication of this report, DUBAWA can not independently confirm the claims of the minority group that the aeroplanes carried cash and cocaine in and out of Ghana.

However, in the heat of the issue, several social media users say his colleague from the same party, Patrick Yaw Boamah, has reportedly made comments dissociating the NPP from the former deputy education minister’s agenda. 

A viral flyer on Facebook with Ghana Today’s logo had comments purportedly made by the lawmaker for Okaikoi Central.

“You can’t blame the minority for abandoning Hon. Ntim Fordjour because we are not privy to any evidence concerning his claims. Maybe he has to brief us going forward,” Patrick Boamah reportedly said. 

Prosper Sunkyedong shared the flyer with the caption:

“I am surprised, hon. Boamah threw Osofo under the bus. I would have said fake news, but then it is being reported by none other than the mighty Ghana Today.” 

An X user, @dumevi_promise, made a similar claim in a post. 

DUBAWA decided to investigate this claim because of its virality in the midst of finding clarity to the “Airmed cocaine saga.”

Verification

DUBAWA conducted a Google keyword search to find out if there was any publication on the matter. However, no reputable media outlet in Ghana published the story.  

Given the issue’s virality, credible media houses would have published the claims attributed to Patrick. Further, DUBAWA’s checks revealed that Patrick Boamah had taken to his Facebook account to debunk the viral claim. 

“My attention has been drawn to a fake post circulating on social media with my image, but falsely attributed to me. The post, shared by @PromiseDumevi, is a malicious attempt to tarnish my hard-earned reputation.

“I categorically deny making the statement and urge the public to disregard the post. This is nothing but a cheap propaganda tactic made by this person seeking to generate engagement on his account,” he stated in a post on April 6, 2025. 

He urged his followers to regard it as “cheap propaganda” by the people seeking to generate engagement on social media. 

Conclusion

The claim that Patrick Boamah has made comments dissociating the minority caucus from Ntim-Fordjour’s probe into suspicious flights is false.

Claim: Social media user Richard Gyamfi says the government has introduced a Growth and Sustainability levy, which places a 5% tax on all companies.

Verdict: This is false. The Growth and Sustainability levy was introduced by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government in the 2023 budget. The current government only made amendments to its application. 

Full Text

Social media user and former NPP-UK Youth Organiser Richard Gyamfi says the government has introduced a Growth and Sustainability levy, a 5% tax on all companies.

“The NDC govt has again introduced a new levy in Parliament called the Growth & Sustainability Levy. It’s a new tax of 5% on all companies operating in Ghana. My goodness!!!” He published on X.

The post has garnered over 500K views and over 2.1K likes.

Several other pro-NPP accounts have made the same claim on Facebook.

Collage showing some online users making the claim

DUBAWA Ghana decided to investigate the claim as it could influence political commentary.

Verification

The Growth and Sustainability Levy was first introduced in the 2023 budget statement, presented to parliament by the former Finance Minister, Ken Ofori Atta.

“Mr. Speaker, in the spirit of burden-sharing, the National Fiscal Stabilisation Levy (NFSL) will be converted into a Growth and Sustainability Levy (GSL) to cover all entities,” he said (page 56, paragraph 220).

The levy was applicable as a percentage of Profit Before Tax (PBT) or Gross Production of businesses. Per the Growth and Sustainability Levy Act 2023, the rate of application for financial institutions, insurance companies, breweries, oil marketing companies, bulk oil distributors, among others (category A) was 5% of profit before tax. 

The rate for mining companies and upstream oil and gas companies (Category B) was 1% of gross production, whereas other entities not falling within Category A or Category B had 2.5% profit before tax.

The levy came into effect on May 1, 2023, and was set to expire at the end of December 2025. However, Parliament recently approved extending the levy’s application to 2028.

The amendment also saw the application rate for gold mining companies increase to 3% from 1%. 

Conclusion

The claim that the NDC government has introduced a Growth and Sustainability Levy, which places a 5% tax on all businesses, is false. 

Introduction 

Elections bring many promises from political parties and their presidential candidates. Generally, candidates for elections present promises, ideas, and policies that are designed to entice voters to them and eventually propel the country to its full potential if such promises are implemented.

In the events leading to the 2024 Ghanaian election, the leading parties presented their manifestos, promising Ghanaians a lot of goodies. The National Democratic Congress (NDC) launched its manifesto on Aug. 24, 2024. On the other hand, candidates for the then ruling party, the New Patriotic Party (NPP), presented its manifesto on Aug. 4, 2024. 

Both parties had several similarities in their manifesto. DUBAWA highlighted the similarities in the link here. 

Fast forward to elections, the NDC had a resounding victory with an impressive 184 Members of parliamentary majority. 

But these promises and the resounding victory in Parliament must mean something to Ghanaians. At the very least, once the candidate in opposition has won power, citizens expect to see an attempt to manifest the fine manifesto promises in the new ruling party’s policies. 

Cassiel Ato Forson,  Minister of Finance, started that journey by presenting the 2025 budget on March 11. DUBAWA seeks to highlight key promises in the NDC’s manifesto that were featured in the recent budget. 

Manifesto promises on the economy 

The NDC promised to scrap “draconian taxes,” which was plunging the average Ghanaian household into economic distress and poverty in the former government. Specifically, the NDC promised to abolish: 

• E-levy
• Emissions Levy 
• 10% levy on bet winnings. 
• COVID-19  levy.
• Import duty on vehicles and equipment imported into the country for industrial and agricultural purposes.

2025 Budget Statement

In the 2025 budget statement, the finance minister affirmed the government’s commitment to remove the following “nuisance taxes:” 

• 10% withholding tax on winnings from the lottery, otherwise known as the “betting tax.”
• Electronic Transfer Levy (E-Levy) of 1%.
• Emissions Levy on industries and vehicles.
• Value Added Tax (VAT) on motor vehicle insurance policy.
• The 1.5 tax on winning of unprocessed gold by small-scale miners.

However, the COVID-19  Levy will be abolished as part of VAT Reforms, which are scheduled to be completed “this year,” with guidance from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). 

Promises on gender-specific policy fulfilled 

The manifesto promised some gender-specific policies to help women. The NDC promised to introduce a Women’s Development Bank initiative to offer loans to women in business. The 2025 budget has allocated GH¢ 51.3 million as a “seed fund” to fulfil this pledge.

“Mr Speaker, we have also allocated GH¢ 51.3 million as seed fund for the establishment of the Women’s Development Bank,” the finance minister told parliament.   

Also, the NDC promised to distribute “free sanitary products” to girls to relieve them of the financial stress associated with menstruation. In the 2025 budget, the government has allocated GH¢ 292.4 million to distribute sanitary napkins to females in primary and secondary schools.

Promises on job creation and apprenticeship fulfilled  

In its manifesto for the 2024 election, the NDC promised to curb the country’s increasing unemployment rate, especially among the young. See pages 27 to 31 of the NDC’s promises on job creation. 

“The current unemployment crisis has been occasioned by reckless economic mismanagement, rampant corruption, waste, and a disconnect between government policies and job outcomes. Increasing hopelessness and desperation have compelled many to join the mass exodus of Ghanaians in search of greener pastures – a phenomenon called ‘jakpa’ by the youth. This poses a significant threat to our fledgling democracy. Thus, job creation will be a high priority for the next NDC government,” the manifesto stated.

To create jobs and decrease the rate of unemployment, the NDC promised to implement the 24-hour Economy Policy, the National Apprenticeship Programme, the ‘Adwumawura’ programme, and the Digital Jobs Initiative.  

In the 2025 budget, the government allocated GH¢ 300 million, GH¢ 100 million, and GH¢ 100 million to implement the National Apprenticeship Programme, the “Adwumawura” programme, and the National Coders Programme, respectively.  The National Coders Programme is under the Digital Jobs Initiative. 

The government has yet to send the 24-hour Economy Policy to parliament for consideration. However, to ensure the policy’s smooth operation, the government has allocated GH¢13.85 billion to the “Big Push” Programme, which seeks to ensure infrastructural growth as a foundation for the broader 24-hour Economy Policy.

Educational promises fulfilled 

There were several promises on education. Though decrying the current state of senior high school education, the NDC promised to improve the free senior high school policy by providing a “dedicated and sustainable funding source.”  

Toward such fulfilment, paragraph 200 of the budget statement indicates that the government has “uncapped” the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) to cater as a dedicated source of funds for financing free senior high school education. 

“Mr Speaker, this year, the budget for the free secondary education programme is GH¢3.5 billion. By uncapping the GETFund, we will be making available an additional GH¢4.1 billion to the GETFund, specifically for financing the free secondary education programme and other related expenditures,” Ato Forson said.

Similarly, the uncapping of GETFund will ensure the availability of dedicated funds to cater to the tertiary education of Persons with Disability (PWD).

Also, the then-presidential candidate pledged to introduce the “No-Fees- Stress” or “No-Academic- Fee” policy, which seeks to cater to the seemingly stress-free transition from senior high school to public tertiary institutions for first-year students. Find other promises on education on pages 39 to 42 of the manifesto. 

Paragraph 196 of the 2025 budget speech indicates that the government has allocated GH¢ 499.8 million to implement the policy. 

“Mr Speaker, an amount of GH¢  499.8 million has been allocated for the No-Academic-Fee policy for all first-year students in public tertiary institutions under the “No-Fees-Stress” initiative,” the astute economist told parliament.  

In addition, as promised in their 2024 manifesto,  the 2025 budget allocated GH¢ 203 million for payment of teacher trainee allowances.

Key Health Manifesto Promises and the 2025 Budget  

The NDC, in their manifesto, promised Ghanaians “Free Primary Healthcare” to ensure that everyone receives quality and holistic healthcare. The 2025 budget has “uncapped” the National Health Insurance Levy to cater for this. This will raise GH¢ 9.93 billion. For 2025, the amount allocated will also cater for:

• Claim payments
• Essential medicines
• Vaccine payments
• USAID financial shortfall
• Ghana Medical Trust Care (MahamaCares), among others.

In addition, to cushion trainee healthcare professionals, the budget has allocated  GH¢ 480 million as nursing trainee allowances, as promised in the 2024 Manifesto.   

Key promises  yet to be fulfilled 

Although the NDC promised to abolish “import duty on vehicles and equipment imported” for industrial and agricultural purposes,  the 2025 budget did not emphatically state any taxes related to doing business at the ports and harbour that have been scrapped yet. The budget promised to “review all taxes, fees and charges” at the port. 

“Mr Speaker, Government will, in addition, reduce the cost of doing business at the Ports by conducting a review of all the taxes, and charges, to remove those that are inimical to importers,” paragraph 259 of the budget stated.

Also, the NDC promised to implement the 24-hour Economy policy initiative. However, no budget allocation was made for it. The finance minister told Parliament that the policy would be presented to them “in due course” for consideration, but this does not give certainty when the policy will be implemented. 

Conclusion 

To reset Ghana, the finance minister presented the first budget for the current administration on behalf of the president, John Dramani Mahama.  The budget seeks to fulfil key promises made to Ghanaians.  However, the key question is how these promises will be fulfilled efficiently and effectively. 

Claim: The running mate of NPP’s Presidential Candidate, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, aka NAPO, said President-elect John Dramani Mahama had said he would bring the dollar rate to GHC 5 and the price of kenkey to 1 Cedi before the Dec. 7 elections.

Verdict: False! A thorough investigation by DUBAWA, including keyword research and a review of Mahama’s public statements and campaign communications, shows that Mahama has never promised to bring the dollar rate to GH¢5 or reduce the price of kenkey to GH¢1. Instead, he focuses on stabilising the cedi, tackling inflation, and implementing broader economic recovery measures.

Full Text

Speaking in an interview with journalists posted on X by UTV, after a parliamentary session on December 19, 2024, the running mate of NPP’s Presidential Candidate, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, also known as NAPO, said: “Mahama said he will take the dollar to 5 Cedis and Kenkey 1 Cedi…, we are waiting.”

NAPO wouldn’t be the only one putting out such a statement, as a similar statement on Threads can also be found here. 

DUBAWA decided to investigate further to know if Mahama truly claimed due to the virality of misinformation before and after elections, according to a report from the Ghana Fact-Checking Coalition 2024.

Verification

Thorough investigations, including Google’s keyword research conducted by DUBAWA, revealed that President-elect John Dramani Mahama has never claimed to have brought the dollar rate to GH¢5 or reduced the price of kenkey to GH¢1.

Instead, Mahama pledged to address Ghana’s economic challenges directly, with a focus on stabilising the cedi and reducing inflation, once he assumed office on January 7, 2025.

During a courtesy visit by Mourad Louhaida, the Algerian Ambassador to Ghana, on December 12, 2024, Mahama emphasised the need for decisive actions to restore economic stability.

“We are looking to focus on bringing Ghana back up in terms of economic growth, stabilising the currency, and bringing down inflation. And this is the time Ghana needs to work even closer with its partners, including China,” Mahama stated.

Furthermore, in a statement issued on May 29, 2024, in response to reports suggesting Mahama would stabilise the cedi within 100 days, among others, Mahama’s spokesperson Joyce Mogtari clarified:

“To quote him, Mahama stated, ‘Our number one priority will be stabilising the economy and restoring a stable currency. We will launch an urgent economic recovery and fiscal consolidation plan following a national economic dialogue to be held within one hundred days of assumption of office.’”

She emphasised that Mahama’s focus is on fiscal discipline and responsible economic management, which includes reducing government expenditures, tackling waste and corruption, and expanding the tax net to boost revenues.

Researching various campaign archives before December 7 elections, it was clear that Mahama never made such a statement about the dollar exchange rate or the price of Kenkey rather, the Presidential Candidate of the Movement for Change, Alan Kyeremateng was reported by many media platforms for promising to reduce the dollar to below 5 Cedis, during his historic Mega Victory Walk in the Greater Accra Region, on 2nd November 2024.

Lastly, a review of credible media outlets and online archives by DUBAWA found no credible reports supporting Napo’s claim. 

Conclusion

Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh’s claim that Mahama promised to bring the dollar rate to GH¢5 and reduce the price of kenkey to GH¢1 is false. Mahama’s actual statements and campaign objectives are focused on stabilising the economy and addressing the broader issues of inflation and currency stability.

Claim: A viral facebook page (Archived here) named “NPP Projects Bureau” which belongs to the NPP is trolling the party after their loss in the 2024 elections. 

Verdict: False! The viral facebook page is fake. Although the page has the branding of the party, it is impersonating an authentic NPP-affiliated page with the same name. 

Explanation

The page, “NPP Projects Bureau” with 2,400 likes was created in August 2024, just four months before the 2024 elections. It is impersonating an already existing official NPP facebook page “NPP Projects Bureau” which has 166,000 likes and has existed since 2018. An analysis of all of the page’s content reveals that it has never been used to champion the cause of the party, rather has ridiculed it.