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80% of my gigs don’t come with money – Epixode

By
NANA KWESI COOMSON
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Epixode

Epixode has revealed in an interview on Joy Prime that he usually does not make monetary gains from shows.

The versatile Ghanaian musician told the host Kwame Dadzie that a lot of the gigs come with benefits other than money.

“Eighty percent of the stuff, sometimes some of the negotiations you do, don’t come with money, relationships are even sometimes bigger than the money so looking at it from that perspective I will say I have even gained more things that are even bigger than I have charged,” he noted.

He, however, said that since he released the ‘Atia’ song, he has earned more money from his gigs than he did previously.

“Now they are putting respect to it that at least you have a team. At least, you need to step out clean,” he noted. Epixode also added that sometimes he does barter with companies that book him for shows.

The versatile Ghanaian artiste has released a song titled ‘O’bra’ which features Santrofi.

Credit: myjoyonline.com

Papua: At least one killed in hunt for kidnapped NZ pilot Philip Mehrtens

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Philip Mehrtens was taken hostage by Papuan rebels in February

At least one Indonesian soldier has been killed in a rebel attack while searching for a kidnapped New Zealand pilot in the Papua region, officials say.

Rebels later claimed nine soldiers were shot dead in the clash, while the Associated Press cited military sources that put the death toll at six.

The troops were part of a detachment sent to locate Phillip Mehrtens, who was taken hostage in February.

Papua rebels have been seeking independence from Jakarta for decades.

The Indonesian troops were attacked on Sunday while searching for Mr Mehrtens near a separatist stronghold in the mountainous Nduga district, the military said.

Gunmen shot a soldier who fell into a 15m-deep ravine, then launched a second attack while troops were recovering the body, First Admiral Julius Widjojono told reporters.

“The condition of the other soldiers who are spread in several locations is still unknown,” he added.

The West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) claimed responsibility for the attack, which it said was launched to deter military efforts to rescue Mr Mehrtens.

“The United Nations and the New Zealand government have an obligation to push Indonesia to stop the military operation,” rebel spokesman Sebby Sambom said in a statement.

The 37-year-old pilot was captured shortly after landing his single-engine plane in Nduga to drop off passengers.

A video of Mr Mehrtens surrounded by heavily armed men was later released by rebels, who have said they will release him if Papua is granted independence.

Source: bbc.com

Sudan: Doctors’ organizations say army’s targeted hospital attacks are “breach of international humanitarian law”

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Gen Dagalo, head of the RSF, amongst supporters

Doctors’ organizations in Sudan say hospitals are being bombarded with military strikes in targeted attacks, as clashes between the army and a paramilitary group ramp up for the third day.

The Sudan Doctors Trade Union has identified at least half a dozen hospitals that have been struck, though exact information is difficult to come by.

A spokesperson for the Central Committee of Sudan Doctors told CNN on Monday that “warring parties” were responsible for the strikes.

“We are receiving messages that there are victims,” the spokesperson said. “Those who are dead and injured, since the morning of the outbreak of the war, and there is no way to bury them or treat them, the bodies have begun to decompose.”

“These are the conditions of war,” the Central Committee of Sudan Doctors spokesperson said. “Before targeting hospitals, we pointed out before targeting hospitals for their use as military bases.”

The Central Committee of Sudan Doctors warned in a statement that the striking of hospitals and using them to house the military was “a crime against humanity, values ​​and morals – all treaties and covenants prohibit their violation” – and the Sudan Doctors Trade Union called it a “clear breach of international humanitarian law.”

“For the second day in a row, amid the absurd and bloody fighting between the People’s Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces, there is a large number of deaths and moderate and critical injuries,” the Central Committee of Sudan Doctors said in a statement posted overnight.

Source: cnn.com

Slovakia joins countries banning Ukrainian agriculture imports

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Many countries were relieved when Ukraine and Russia signed last year's Black Sea grain deal

Slovakia has become the third European country to pause imports of some Ukrainian agricultural products, amid fears a glut is pushing prices down and imperilling farmers, as Hungary threatened to extend a grain ban.

Sandor Farkas, the Hungarian agriculture minister, said on Monday that if the European Union does not take sufficient action to protect Hungarian farmers, Budapest might halt imports beyond June.

“Ukrainian grain imports got stuck in Hungary, driving down prices by about one-third, year on year,” he told parliament, saying he will use “all possible” means to protect Hungarian farmers from market disruptions.

Meanwhile, Slovakia said it will temporarily ban some farm imports – but not grain – from Ukraine as other countries in central and eastern Europe said they were considering action.

Amid a recent surge in cheap Ukrainian agricultural goods within the bloc, officials from Poland and Hungary earlier announced bans on the import of Ukrainian grains to protect their own farmers’ interests.

The leader of Poland’s governing party, Jarosław Kaczyński, said that the Polish countryside is facing a “moment of crisis,” and that while Poland supported Ukraine, it was forced to act to protect its farmers.

The European Commission has rejected the bans and said in a statement that the “EU’s trade policy is of exclusive competence and, therefore, unilateral actions are not acceptable”.

Source: Aljazeera.com

SpaceX Starship: Elon Musk’s firm postpones launch of biggest rocket ever

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Starship on the Texan coast of the Gulf of Mexico

An attempt to launch the most powerful rocket ever into space has been postponed for at least 48 hours.

The vehicle, known as Starship, has been built by US entrepreneur Elon Musk’s SpaceX company.

The uncrewed mission on Monday was called off minutes before the planned launch from Boca Chica, Texas.

The problem appears to have been caused by a frozen “pressurant valve”, Musk tweeted. But SpaceX could try to launch again later this week.

Starship stands nearly 120m (400ft) high and is designed to have almost double the thrust of any rocket ever.

The aim is to send the upper-stage of the vehicle eastward, to complete almost one circuit of the globe.

Before the launch was postponed, Mr Musk had appealed for everyone to temper their expectations. It’s not uncommon for a rocket to experience some kind of failure on its initial outing.

“It’s the first launch of a very complicated, gigantic rocket, so it might not launch. We’re going to be very careful, and if we see anything that gives us concern, we will postpone the launch,” he had told a Twitter Spaces event.

Rocket comparison graphic

Thousands of spectators filled coastal locations on the Gulf of Mexico to witness the event.

Elon Musk is hoping to completely upend the rocket business with Starship.

It’s designed to be fully and rapidly reusable. He envisages flying people and satellites to orbit multiple times a day in the same way a jet airliner might criss-cross the Atlantic.

Indeed, he believes the vehicle could usher in an era of interplanetary travel for ordinary humans.

Source: bbc.com

Feature: Ghana’s 2023 district-level elections: Who cares?

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A polling station

In the last few days, several national issues have dominated media headlines and public discourse.

From the visit of the US Vice President to Ghana; the adrenaline rush by Ghana’s Parliament to pass the three tax bills; attempts by the National Democratic Congress to torpedo the approval of six newly appointed ministers; to the failed attempt by the Electoral Commission, to make the Ghana card the sole document for voter registration ahead of the 2024 national elections amid takes on Ghana’s economy and IMF.

For the key players in Ghana’s near political duopoly – the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) the elections clock for the presidential and parliamentary elections is automatically re-set immediately after the end of an election and so since 2020 they have been super busy strategizing, chastising and competing each other on all fronts.

But there is the other bigger ‘vote’ — the 2023 district-level elections – which appears lost on us in the cacophony of all the “important” subjects.

Ghana’s Electoral Commission has a major assignment this year to conduct elections for the renewal of the mandate of local assembly members or election of new ones across the various Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs).

But as yet how much do we know about this? Although expected to hold this year, the electoral hype has been hinged on the 2024 presidential and parliamentary elections.

Ghana’s District Assembly Elections Act of 1994, stipulates that “District Assembly elections (DLE) are held every four years and shall be held at least six months apart from parliamentary elections.”

Be that as it may, district assembly elections in Ghana, have been held in 1988/89, 1994, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2015 and 2019; obviously showing a certain pattern by Ghana’s Electoral Commission, to hold the elections averagely the year preceding the general presidential and parliamentary elections.

While local level elections present the most practicable opportunity for citizens to participate actively in selecting their local representatives to the various metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies and contribute to local government decision-making, it has rather gained notoriety for apathy and disinterest.

Consistently, the turnout figures have been fluctuating, most of the time producing less than half of the turnout in presidential and parliamentary elections.

It’s more than 600 days to the 2024 presidential and parliamentary elections. However, citizens’ interest in the presidential and parliamentary elections is blazingly overshadowing the local level elections this year.

The Electoral Commission has the mandate to announce the date for the district-level elections as well as the timelines for the processes leading to it.

However, as of the time of this publication, there is yet to be any official announcement of the date for the 2023 district-level election & timelines for electoral processes leading to the D-day except for grapevine reports that it could be held in October.

For instance, the landing page of the website of the Electoral Commission (as of March 31, 2023) showed only information on the 2020 presidential and parliamentary elections with a ticking time count down to the 2024 presidential elections. The EC’s 197.9k follower Twitter handle and Facebook page have no post yet on the district-level elections either.

While this may not legally constitute a breach of the constitutional provision regarding the time frame allowed between the conduct of parliamentary elections, a 2015 report by the Ghana Coalition of Domestic Election Observers (CODEO) observed that “Arguably, the absence of a specified timeframe for the conduct of the DLE (district level election), unlike the parliamentary elections may be a contributing factor for the EC’s laxity in preparations for the conduct of those elections”.

For instance, in 2015, the district-level election was postponed two times from the originally announced date of November 2014, then to March 3, 2015, and then eventually on September 1, 2015.

There is anecdotal evidence to suggest that when the elections were postponed, some female candidates lost interest to re-contest when the polls were re-opened. Even in 2019, the initially announced date of November 26 was later postponed to December 17.

Again, as of March 31, 2023, the sector Ministry in charge of local governance – Ministry of Local Government, Decentralization and Local Government – had no information or message on the district-level elections on its website.

Same with the website of the Ministry of Information, the Local Government Service (LGS) and the newly created Ghana Today website by the Information Services Department.

What is worse, about 90% of the websites and Facebook pages of the country’s 261 Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs), who have a core mandate to ensure citizens’ participation in local governance, were yet to have any information or message on the district-level elections either.

Among the many challenges contributing to the low-level interest in district-level elections, democracy watchers observe that the loud silence of the 1992 constitution on a specific date for district-level elections as is the case for the presidential and parliamentary elections is worrying. Again, the EC’s dependence on the government’s financial support to conduct the elections remains a concern.

There is no doubt that Ghana’s local government system requires reforms. Indeed, in 2019, the country failed in its attempt to amend Article 243[1] of the Constitution, which gives the President, the power to appoint all Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) to make these positions elective.

A referendum to seek citizens’ support to amend Article 55[3] of the Constitution (an entrenched provision), which bans political parties from participating in local-level elections and make such elections partisan was also suspended.

In a Graphic Online publication of August 2020, the former local government minister, Hajia Alima Mahama, assured that the NPP government will ensure the partisan election of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) in its second term in office.

Ironically, a 2021 survey by CDD-Ghana on citizens’ support for the election of Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) showed that more than seven in 10 Ghanaians (76%) favour the election of MMDCEs while 71% per cent of Ghanaians said they prefer that MMDCEs be elected on a non-partisan basis.

While we wait for such weightier reforms to take place, the mandated national institutions, civil society, media and citizens should continue to engage the discourse on local governance processes.

Can the Electoral proceed to make public the date for the 2023 district-level elections early enough to allow citizens to prepare and actually participate? Can MMDAs, as part of their mandate to ensure citizens’ participation in local governance, team up with the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) to utilize their communication and information disclosure platforms to sensitise citizens and create more visibility and awareness about the elections?

Can the media consciously incorporate conversations about the District Level Elections on their platforms early enough? Because this is also important and our collective civic responsibility.

By Abigail Larbi 

Source: myjoyonline.com

Today’s Champions League Quarter-Finals Fixtures & Previews

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Frank Lampard's homecoming has done little to end the Blues' blues

Chelsea, Real Madrid renew hostilities at Stamford Bridge

Facing the unenviable task of trying to record a three-goal win over the reigning European champions, Chelsea host Real Madrid in the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final on Tuesday night.

The teams renew hostilities at Stamford Bridge with Los Blancos boasting a 2-0 advantage from their Bernabeu showdown, and Frank Lampard‘s homecoming has done little to end the Blues’ blues.

There is no shame in losing to the European champions in their own backyard, and Lampard could have taken a few positives from his side’s valiant efforts in the Spanish capital, where strikes from Karim Benzema and Marco Asensio led to a predictable victory for those in white.

The under-performing Blues were played off the park by Brighton in Saturday’s Premier League clash. A 2-1 scoreline saw Todd Boehly cut a dejected figure as he was given an earful from the Stamford Bridge faithful, as Lampard’s dream return turns into a nightmare.

A return to winning ways in the top flight allowed Real Madrid to cut the gap to Barcelona down to 10 points, and Ancelotti’s men would be forgiven for prioritising continental glory as the season approaches its home straight.

From their 19 Champions League knockout ties in which they have won the first leg by at least two clear goals, Real Madrid have progressed from 18 of them.

A sixth successive Champions League knockout win would also see Real Madrid set a new continental record, which have been bread and butter for the 14-time European champions.

It is not impossible to envisage Lampard’s side making the net ripple as they adopt a gung-ho approach, but a near full-strength Real Madrid with plenty of well-rested key players should march on to the final four and end the Blues’ hopes of finishing a troubled campaign on a continental high.
Credit: sportsmole.co.uk

Napoli, AC Milan battle it out for Champs League semi-finals

Following a close-fought tussle last week, first-time quarter-finalists Napoli and seven-time winners  reconvene on Tuesday, as they battle it out for a place in the Champions League semi-finals.

Napoli host AC Milan

When the two Italian giants met at Stadio Maradona in the league this month, Milan emerged 4-0 winners, and they now take a one-goal lead with them down to Naples. The Rossoneri have also taken maximum points from each of their last three league visits to Naples, so will not be intimidated by the warm southern welcome that awaits them on Tuesday.

Napoli may be set to relieve Serie A’s reigning champions of their Scudetto, leading Italy’s top flight by some 14 points with just eight games left to play, but Napoli have failed to get the better of Milan in recent weeks and have a deficit to overturn if they are to reach the Champions League’s final four.

Having suffered a shock four-goal league loss to Milan at the beginning of April, the fabled Stadio Maradona no longer seems such an impenetrable fortress, as not only have Napoli also lost to Lazio there recently, at the weekend they failed to break down a dogged Hellas Verona side battling against relegation.

Despite an almost inevitable decline after such an accumulation of both goals and wins, Spalletti and co are still on course to clinch a first domestic title since 1990, but reaching the Champions League semi-finals would break new ground for one of Calcio’s most famed clubs.

While Napoli play the more thrilling football, Milan’s pragmatism has served them well in this season’s competition and could now carry them into the semi-finals.

With Osimhen back in the fold and thousands of success-starved Neapolitans roaring on their hosts, it will not be easy, but the Rossoneri have been building towards a return to Europe’s top table for several years, and they can rise to the occasion.

Credit: sportsmole.co.uk

Bayern ‘fined Mane more than £260,000’ for punching team-mate Sane

Bayern Munich handed Sadio Mane a huge fine and are now keen to sell him this summer after he punched team-mate Leroy Sane during a furious confrontation last week, according to reports.

Things became heated between the pair after the German side’s 3-0 defeat at Manchester City on Tuesday, and Mane lashed out at Sane in the dressing room, forcing other members of the squad to step in.

An on-pitch argument between Mane (left) and Sane (right) escalated in the dressing room

Sane was left with a bruised lip following the incident, while Mane was dropped from the squad for Bayern’s Bundesliga match with Hoffenheim on Saturday and docked some of his £17m-a-year wages.

The size of the punishment has now been revealed, with Bayern handing out the highest fine in their history.

‘According to our information, it is an amount that goes far beyond €300,000 (£260,000), so it’s a very, very sensitive fine for Mane,’ Bayern expert Florian Plettenberg told Sky Germany.

Mane missed Bayern’s 1-1 draw at home to Hoffenheim, and Thomas Tuchel has now won just two of his first five matches since replacing Julian Nagelsmann last month.

The former Chelsea boss has confirmed Mane will be back in contention for Bayern’s return match with City on Wednesday as they look to pull off a dramatic comeback to progress to the semi-finals.

Credit: dailymail.co.uk

Kumawu NPP Aspirant Indicted By US Court … after divorce suit filed by ex-wife

By
SEBASTIAN R. FREIKU
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Dr. Philip Yaw Bannor, NPP aspirant

Dr. Philip Bannor, the Registrar of the Health Facilities Regulatory Agency (HeFRA) has picked nominations to contest the vacant Kumawu parliamentary seat, following the demise of the Member of Parliament for the area, Philip Atta Basoah on March 27, 2023.

The ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) closed nominations which was open over four days in search of a new MP for Kumawu, after the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, on April 3, 2023 declared the seat of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament (MP) for Kumawu, Philip Basoa, vacant.

The HeFRA boss is among eight contestants aspiring for the vacant position in the forthcoming by-election and has picked nomination forms, alongside Lawyer Edward Kofi Osei, Dr. Dacoster Aboagye, Mr Ernest Yaw Anim, Mad. Ama Serwaa, Kwame Appiah-Kubi, Osei Hweree Kwame Bempah and  Yaw Baah, former Kumawu MP, who was unseated by the late MP.

The late Philip Basoah polled 184 votes (49.86%) in the NPP constituency primaries in June 2020 and subsequently polled 14,960 votes (51.1%) in the 2020 parliamentary elections to retain his seat for the second time.

Lawyer Edward Kofi Osei and Robert Kwame Ahomka Lindsey polled 73 votes (19.78%) and 52 votes (14.09%) respectively, while Dr. Philip Yaw Bannor failed in his parliamentary bid when he secured 60 votes (16.26%) in the last primaries.

Vetting of aspirants was slated for yesterday (Sunday April 16) with the primary fixed for April 23, 2023 pending the announcement of a date for the by-election by the Electoral Commission.

Dr. Bannor was lucky to have been cleared by the Vetting Committee to contest in the 2020 constituency primaries.

But he might not be lucky this time round, as a US court has indicted him and accused him of absconding to Ghana with a total of $837,955 in liabilities in the United States of America.

The Judicial Circuit court for Hamilton County in the State of Tennessee in the United States of America has entered judgment in favour of Dora Bannor in a five year old divorce proceeding against Dr. Philip Bannor for “irreconcilable marital conduct”.

The court, presided over by Jeffrey W. Hollingsworth, on January 21, 2022 granted divorce to Dr. Bannor’s estranged wife and indicted him for not dealing fairly with about 14 banks and absconded to Ghana, where he got appointed in the current NPP administration, as the Registrar of HeFRAS.

According to the court, Dr. Bannor is said to be indebted to some US banks, which makes him responsible for paying all debts in his name or in the name of the parties.

The US court explained that Dr. Bannor is indebted to Synovus Bank, Matheney Street and Associates, Sun Trust Bank, the Pinnacle Bank, Cure Star Health Associates, PayPal, Colutta/Synovus Bank, City Bank Credit Card, Chase Credit Card, AMEX Credit Card, Grant, Konvalinks and Harrison, Hayseth Financial Services, LLC, Silverdale Baptis Academy and Lynn Davernport.

According to a verified Statement of Assets and Liabilities filed by Dr. Bannor on September 4, 2020 the liabilities to the mentioned banks totally $837,955 which must be paid by him (Dr. Bannor.)

In the Memorandum Order and Final decree of the court in the case titled – “Bannor versus Bannor”, Judge Hollingsworth noted that Dr. Bannor, the defendant, absconded with majority portions of the parties’ marital assets.

The Judge also noted that the defendant had no credibility, as the petitioner proved inappropriate conduct, which included abandonment of plaintiff and children and fleeing to Ghana.

The court indicated that Dr. Bannor has since January 5, 2018 not honoured a child support of $1,343 per month, which was increased to $1,507.26 per month on March 16, 2018.

As a result, Dr. Bannor was cited for contempt on October 3, 2019 when he failed to honour the said child support.

With regards to marital assets, the Court found out that over $300,000 of marital assets was invested in Menzgold in Ghana.

Dr. Bannor has since appealed the final decree of the Court in the divorce suit in US. It is still pending.

The Chronicle is still glancing through details of the divorce proceedings of the court.

More anon.

GHANASCO headmaster interdicted over toilet turned into dormitory viral video 

By
NAABENYIN JOOJO AMISSAH
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Dr Eric Nkansah, Director-General, GES

The headmaster and the senior housemaster of the Ghana Senior High School (GHANASCO) in Tamale have been suspended from their positions in the school, following a viral video.

It would be recalled that a video in which some students, said to be students of GHANASCO were seen using some toilet cubicles constructed at the school as dormitories went viral on the social media, and this got to the attention of the management of Ghana Education Service (GES).

In a response to the seemingly worrying condition, the Ghana Education Service described the situation as very disturbing and unfortunate.

According to the GES, records available to it indicated that “out of the 1,790 vacancies declared by the school, only 1,467 students have enrolled”.

In a statement, the Head of the Public Relations Unit of the GES, Cassandra Twum Ampofo, stated that the school was expected to have excess capacity to accommodate extra 300 students.

She, therefore, stated that the situation in which some students of the school were seen sleeping in the aforesaid cubicles was unacceptable.

Following the disturbing nature of the incident, as captured in the viral video, she indicated that the Headmaster and the Senior Housemaster have been directed to step aside.

This, she said, would allow for further investigations into the matter by the Regional Director of education and report back in two weeks.

“Management wishes to assure all our stakeholders and the general public that it will continue to ensure that the students entrusted in our care operate in the safe school environment,” she concluded.

Safare Tissue wins Fastest Growing Tissue Brand of the Year

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Mr. Eric Amofa (left) and Deloris Frimpong Manso, Brand Ambassador (m), displaying the awards

Safare Tissue produced by Seabeige Ghana Limited, a wholly owned Ghanaian company has been adjudged the Fastest Growing Tissue Brand of the year less than a year after hitting the Ghanaian market.

The product that boasts of quality and affordability was recognized at the Ghana Business & Innovation Awards held at Movenpic on Friday April 14, 2023.

Organisers of the event revealed that companies and individuals selected for the Ghana Business and Innovation Awards are evaluated and graded by the Awards’ Research Board, by running an independent survey using engagement methodologies

Among the areas include; Quality, Innovation, Market Dominance, Business Resilience, Customer Loyalty & Corporate Responsibility and Industry Merits.

For their award Safare Tissues received a citation and a plaque with the Brand Ambassador, Deloris Frimpong Manso, and the Managing Director, Mr. Eric Amofa, in attendance.

Speaking to the media shortly after the recognition, the Managing Director underscored the significance for government to consider giving tax holidays for Ghanaian companies in order to develop the tissue industry.

The Managing Director, Mr. Eric Amofa, displaying the awards

According to him, it is the vision of his company to ensure that the industry is sustained but that can only be done if government supports with tax incentives.

“If you look at the rate of taxes, there is the need for reduction in order to help us. Safare is 100% Ghanaian owned and we are not under any government incentives. We are determined to bring a lot of transformation into the tissue industry and would therefore wish the government reduces the taxes especially for Ghanaian owned companies. This way, we would be able to progress and employ a lot of the unemployed youth”, he appealed

Safare Tissue are a wide range of quality, soft and highly absorbent virgin tissue products made from the finest and yet most hygienic tissue materials.

The amazing quality and beautifully packaged SAFARE products represent the new experience in the world of tissues on the Ghanaian market.

Safare products include Toilet Rolls, Paper Towels, Table Napkins, Facial Box Tissue, Pocket Tissue and other related products were introduced unto the market in 2023.

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