Transport Union demands review of transport fares
Accra
(Greater Accra) 17 September 2002- The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has
protested against Ghana Broadcasting Corporation's (GBC) refusal to allow
former Vice President John Evans Mills access to airtime.
A statement
signed by Mr. Ekwow Spio-Garbrah, Chairman of the Communication and media
Committee, said; "Prof. Mills' Campaign Committee had offered to pay to
have telecast on GTV a 25-minute edited version of the press conference he held
on 10 September, 2002, during which he declared his intention to contest for
the flag bearership of the NDC at its December Congress.
"In a
letter from GBC signed by Mr. Wallace Bampoe-Addo, Acting Director of TV, GBC
stated that, "Corporate policy does not allow the paid full broadcast of
this kind of material during the 'political off-season' except in our news
bulletin"
"On
hearing this development, Prof. Mills expressed disquiet, noting that this is
the third time that he was being denied access to the publicly owned airtime
managed on behalf of the people of Ghana by GBC.
" The
first was when the state-owned TV station declined to broadcast an edited
version of a press conference he held in April last year, during which he
protested against the harassment being meted out to NDC functionaries by the
NPP (New Patriotic Party) government. " The second was in September 2001,
when Volta Star, the GBC-managed FM station in Ho, denied the former Vice
President access for an on-air interview.
The
statement said commenting on this latest anti-free speech stance of the GBC,
the NDC Member of Parliament for Kumbingu and former Minister of Employment,
Labour and Social Welfare, Alhaji Mohamad Mumuni, expressed surprise and
sadness at the way the GBC was managing a state asset, contrary to
Constitutional provision of free expression and access by various political
persuasions to the state-owned media.
"He
noted that the 1992 Constitution expressly calls upon the state-owned media to
facilitate the expression of dissenting views and opinions. According to him,
"if a respected former Vice President of Ghana, known for his moderate
views, who also happens to be a Presidential aspirant cannot have his full
views heard even for a fee, then God save the ordinary citizen of Ghana."
The
statement said: "A legal advisor to Prof. Mills for President Committee
has indicated that the Professor's lawyers are studying the matter, and the
issue is likely to be sent to the Media Commission or even the Courts. "The
lawyer wondered whether the GBC has forgotten so early a judicial decision
obtained against them by the NPP on a similar matter a few years ago.
" Other
members of the Mills campaign feel that this latest decision of the GBC is only
one example of many incidents that show how the high level of insecurity and
intolerance of the NPP administration is leading to questionable behaviour by
various government agencies, including some of security and law enforcement organisations
and the state-owned media.
"Is
there anything like a political season in Ghana and when have the state-owned
media been responsible for defining this so-called 'political season'?" Mr.
Bismark Agbemenule, a member of the Mills campaign team asked; "if there
is political season in Ghana, wouldn't that be up to the Electoral Commission
to define? Why GBC?
"Are
the private press that publish political headlines everyday respecting this political
off-season? "An NDC Deputy Youth Organiser, Mr Ludwig Hlodze, piped in:
'Is it not the same GBC which ran paid advertisements in 2001 on behalf of some
NPP candidates who ran for positions at their National Secretariat before their
congress?'
"Is
the concept of political season limited only to the GBC or even to television
stations? Aren't there many political programmes on both GTV and on all its
affiliate radio stations in the regions including Unique FM?
"'Truly,
Ghanaians are getting tired of these attempts to suppress opinions of others by
either self-censorship or press gagging', he added. "The Mills Campaign
team is likely to formally petition the Media Commission, with court action as
a veritable alternative," the statement said.
Reacting to
the protest, Ms Eva Lokko, Director General of GBC told the Ghana News Agency
that she was sad that political motives were being imputed in the decision to
decline access to its facilities for political campaigns.
She said
the decision was not influenced by political considerations; "it was a
matter of policy that the GBC affords all political parties equal opportunity
to air their programmes, but this is done only during the political season. "The
activities of Professor Mills would continue to be covered as was done when he
arrived from Canada.
"The
GBC was at the airport and he was given coverage free of charge since it was a
major news item, Ms. Lokko said. She wished Prof. Mills good luck in his second
attempt to become the President of Ghana.
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Boankra
(Ashanti Region) 17 September 2002- More than 100 farmers at Boankra in the Ejisu-Juaben
District of Ashanti have petitioned the government to probe what they termed as
"fishy deal" in the payment of compensation claims with respect to
lands acquired for the Inland Port Project.
They
alleged that some officials of the Ghana Shippers Council (GSC) and valuers on
the project were using local citizens at Boankra as cover to siphon millions of
cedis into their private pockets.
Presenting
their petition through the Ghana News Agency, Nana Yaa Frimpomaa, Mr Edward
Kwarteng and Kwabena Agyare, who acted as spokespersons, said they had credible
facts and were prepared to disclose names of those who neither owned farmlands
nor property on the acquired site but received huge compensations.
They
alleged that some individuals acted as 'front men' for projects officials to
collect amounts ranging between 12 million and 28 million cedis. "We have
lived on the land and for decades and have been farming on it and therefore we
know those who are genuinely entitled to compensation".
They said
they found it difficult to rationalise why people, who had lost their farms and
lands that served as their only means of livelihood forever should receive
compensation, some as low as 37,000 cedis while those who owned virtually
nothing should be paid colossal sums of money.
Nana
Frimpomaa described the whole compensation package as fraudulent and dubious,
citing her own case, where she said she was paid 4.2 million cedis for the loss
of five-acre oil-palm plantation inter-cropped with kola and food crops.
An official
of the GSC, who claimed anonymity on grounds that he had no mandate to speak
for the council, confirmed that the allegation had been brought to their notice
but said subsequent investigations did not establish any malfeasance in the payments.
He said,
the people in the community chose their own representatives who worked with the
valuers to develop the list of those who qualified for compensation. In any
case, the valuers are also conducting their own independent investigation to establish
the truth or otherwise of the claim by the farmers, the source added.
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Accra
(Greater Accra) 17 September 2002- Ghana will have an improved harvest of about
400,000 tonnes of cocoa in the upcoming season, barring any unforeseen major
catastrophe, the Ghana Cocoa Marketing Board (COCOBOD) and other key players
have predicted.
The Board
is also optimistic of hitting the half-a-million mark by the close of the 2004
2005 crop year, citing improved anti-smuggling strategies, good farm husbandry
and farmer motivation as incentives.
"Given
the stock of trees we have currently and the amount of plans and strategies we
are adopting, we hope to lift production to about 400,000 tonnes next season
towards the 500,000 mark in three seasons" a source told the Ghana News
Agency (GNA) in Accra.
The
2002-2003 projections represent a marked improvement on the current season
ending 19 September, which is estimated to yield about 336,000 tonnes. This is
due to a poor lean crop season that fetched only about 14,000 tonnes as at
August. The previous lean crop season produced 39,360 tonnes. This year's
harvest is the poorest since 1996-1997 when production was 322,488 tonnes.
"This
passing lean crop has been disappointingly low and it is our wish that we put
it behind us quickly in order to move forward," the source said, adding
that COCOBOD was implementing short, medium and long term strategies to achieve
its target.
It said the
company had stepped up its swollen shoot disease control programme to
complement the mass spraying campaign launched last year against black pod and
capsid. Fungal and other diseases destroyed about 30,000 tonnes of cocoa last
year.
According
to the source the exercise was progressing steadily with impact after initial
problems mainly relating to logistics and coordination had been addressed. ''The
farmers have been more diligent in clearing their plantations this season in
anticipation of the spraying exercise,'' the source noted
The GNA
also learnt that COCOBOD was collaborating with the Cocoa Research Institute
(CRI) at Tafo to undertake a vigorous campaign to motivate farmers to adopt hi-tech
methods of farming. These include the application of special nutrients and
fertilizers produced by the Institute.
"We
also hope to use periodic reviews and good pricing as a motivation to farmers
and also dissuade others from smuggling the beans across our borders," the
source said, adding that the company was working towards paying 70 percent of
Free on Board (FOB) to the farmer.
Government
said at least, 60,000 tonnes of cocoa was smuggled to the Ivory Coast, up from
50,000 tonnes smuggled in the previous crop year. Key players have expressed
concern about the spate of cocoa smuggling even though government has
consistently reviewed producer prices as one of numerous strategies to curb it.
The current
price of 6.2 million cedis per tonne was announced at the beginning of the
2001-2002 season, up from 4.3 million cedis previously. The source said COCOBOD
had stepped up a surveillance system in the plantation areas at the frontiers
to complement anti-smuggling checks by the state security agencies.
The source
said COCOBOD was liasing with the Central Bank to streamline payment procedures
and make money readily available for purchases at the buying centres. "We
will want to ensure prompt payment to farmers and also respond to some problems
pertaining to their welfare," the source said.
Ghana
recorded the highest cocoa production of 580,869 tonnes in 1964-1965 crop year.
The worst production period was 1983-1984 when total production slumped to
158,956 tonnes as a result of excessive
drought.
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Accra
(Greater Accra) 17 September 2002- The Greater Accra Regional branches welfare
union of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union of TUC has called on the
government, as a matter of urgency to review transport fares in the country.
A statement
signed on Monday by Mr. Jim Quarshie-Gene chairman of the Union said the review
of the fares has become necessary with the increase in the prices spare parts,
Insurance Premium, Road-Worthiness Certificates, among others, that have shot
up the running cost of transportation in country.
The review
therefore, it said, would help sustain the transport industry. According to the
union, Road-worthy certificate, which was formally issued at five thousand
cedis is now 30,000 cedis, Insurance for 19-seater passenger bus has gone
up to 841,000 cedis instead of 356,000
cedis and a 15-rim lorry tyre now cost 900,000 cedis instead of 450,000.cedis. It
said the running cost of transportation in the country had become unbearable
due to the increases.
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Accra
(Greater Accra) 17 September 2002- Ghanaians abroad have been reminded about
the need to continue to protect their cultural heritage for future generation. Mr.
Isaac Osei, Ghana's High Commissioner to the UK, made the call when he
addressed events marking the Hogbetsotso and the Fetu Afahye festivals, and a
fund-raising evening by the Adansiman Association in London as part of the
Mission's outreach.
He said, in
a statement sent to GNA that as citizens of Ghana, they should endeavour not to
loose touch with realities to recognise the importance of their culture and
contribute to its development, no matter where they resided.
Mr Osei
stated that it was imperative for them to institute programmes and embark on
activities, which would encourage their children to learn more about Ghana's
rich culture. He praised the ancestors for laying the foundation for the
celebration of the time-tested festivals in their respective communities, which
he said, had won the nation respect in the international community.
At the
Hogbetsotso festival, Mr. Osei called on his audience to learn the lessons of
Hogbe, that tyranny in any form should not be tolerated, reminding the people
about the exodus from the grip of Agokoli.
He said no
matter what problems or difficulties they faced, there was always a way or a
solution if they consulted, worked, and counseled one another. The ancestral
Ewes did it. “Why can't it be done
today? For the future that they should
be guided by the last words of Togbi Sri I, an Ewe King of the 16th
century," he noted.
At the Fetu
Afahye festival, Mr. Osei acknowledged the importance of Cape Coast as the
centre of learning but wondered how many of their sons and daughters were
attending the great schools in Cape Coast today. He encouraged Oguaa citizens
in the UK to apply the funds they raised for the benefit of their people back
home.
At the
Adansiman fund-raising, Mr. Osei observed that it was the responsibility of the
educated Adansi to implore their chiefs and the district assemblies in the area
to apply royalties paid to them for the development of all Adansiman.
Mr. Osei,
briefing the Ghanaians on the achievements so far recorded by the government
since the NPP assumed office said through good governance, Ghanaians had
accepted democracy as a way of life through, which the collective energies of
the people could be released and harnessed for development.
The High
Commissioner mentioned the restoration of macro-economic stability, halt in
free fall of the cedi, reduction of interest rates and the benefits accrued so
far from the HIPC initiative which has been shared to every district as some of
the laudable achievements of government.
He
therefore, called on Ghanaians to rally round the government, which had proved
beyond all reasonable doubt that it was capable of finding solutions to the
problems confronting the country.
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Cape Coast
(Central Region) 17 September 2002 - The Rev. Professor Emanuel Addo Obeng,
Vice Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast (UCC) on Monday stressed the
need for educational institutions, particularly the universities to evolve
strategies that will enhance teaching of information and communication
technology to upgrade their skills.
He said the
UCC has established partnership with Expert Computers (EC) Tech Ghana Ltd, a
computer manufacturing, and servicing firm. Rev. Prof. Obeng said this when he
commissioned a 100 million cedis computer showroom and servicing centre at the
UCC campus. Under the partnership, the firm would provide and service computers
for the university at concessionary rates.
The vice
chancellor described the partnership as a demonstration of what the private
sector could do to enhance education and was happy that the university could
now service its computers without sending them all the way to Accra.
According
to him, the UCC is considering posting students and typewriter technicians for
training at the centre, which he said, would also benefit other institutions as
well as Internet cafe operators in the region. Dr. Tim Shin, President of EC
tech international and Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Branch said his
firms had plans to make UCC the hub of computer technology education.
He said
with approval from the UCC authorities, his outfit would set up a top class
Information Communication Technology institute on Campus, provide Internet
services, electronic library data-base and a computer technology laboratory.
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Accra
(Greater Accra) 17 September 2002- The Government is to establish a Youth
Enterprise Development Fund (YEDF), which would be a micro-credit scheme from
which young people could have access to credit facilities to establish their
own enterprises.
The
Ministry of Youth and Sports is re-sourcing the Youth Leadership and Skill
Training Institutes and open new ones to train beneficiaries of the Poverty
Alleviation Fund (PAF).
Mr Edward
Osei-Kwaku, Minister for Youth and Sports, announced this at the opening of a
five-day seminar on Enterprise Creation for the youth, jointly organised by the
Friedrich Nauman Foundation (FES) and the National Youth Council in Accra.
Forty
participants drawn from the three Youth Leadership and Skill Training
Institutes in the Southern sector of the country and nine ex-trainees of the
institute are attending the seminar. In a speech read for him, the Minister
said the ministry was determined to provide opportunities for the youth to
acquire entrepreneurial skills and make them employable.
Mr
Osei-Kwaku said the Ministry of Finance has agreed to release an initial grant
of 500 million cedis for the building of a Leadership and Skill Training
Institute at Nalerigu, in the Northern Region.
He noted
that "training of the youth in enterprise creation was crucial once
society acknowledges that a well-endowed youth provided the most potent force
for breaking through the poverty web."
He noted
that poverty had been identified as one major factor in the spread of HIV/AIDS
on the continent and urged corporate bodies, NGOs and all stakeholders to
support measures that would reduce poverty. The Minister urged the resource
persons to lay emphasis on "customer care" which he described as a
major problem for business men and urged the participants to make the best out
of the programme.
Mrs. Metoda
Appiah, Head of Administration of the Friedrich Nauman Foundation, West Africa,
said studies had shown that although the youth remained major contributors to
family income in Ghana yet many did not enjoy employment rights such as paid
leave and social security.
She said
the Foundation was committed to offering support for transferring knowledge and
hoped that the participants would transfer their knowledge to other youth who
could not attend the seminar.
"I see
each participant as a de facto resource person imbibing at this workshop all
the tools that would guarantee a massive multiplier effect. I look forward to
this policy becoming a policy in the coming years, " she added.
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Accra
(Greater Accra) 17 September 2002- Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, Minister of Information
and Presidential Affairs on Monday said a critical look at the current
performance of some of the public broadcasting stations in West Africa
indicated that they were loosing their pacesetter roles and identity due to
media pluralism.
He said the
growth of media pluralism had posed new and critical challenges to the
state-owned broadcasting institutions, which had since independence enjoyed
absolute monopoly, without contest in all areas of operation.
Those
broadcasting stations find the new challenges highly competitive, the Minister
said, adding, "some are driven to imitate the new private broadcasting
organisations in programme presentation and content."
Mr.
Obestebi-Lamptey said this in a speech read for him at the opening of a
three-day regional conference on public broadcasting in West Africa in Accra. It
was organised by the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) and Article 19, a
Global Campaign for Freedom of Expression.
Participants
that included media practitioners and directors of broadcasting stations were
drawn from 13 countries from the Economic Community of West African States
(ECOWAS). They are deliberating on the challenges facing these stations and
come up with recommendations that would improve independence and make them
financially solvent.
Mr.
Obetsebi-Lamptey said the emergence of private broadcasting had led to a
popular notion that public broadcasting was going to become less relevant or
would even die with the wave at which private broadcasting assumed prominence
on the airwaves.
He said
this phenomenon should rather lead to a reconfirmation of the importance of
public broadcasting in developing countries to promote economic development as
against private broadcasters, most of whom are driven by profit motives.
Mr.
Obetsebi-Lamptey said the continuing trend of globalisation, which was tending
to blur the cultural values and identities of weaker societies called for
stronger public broadcasting services that would borrow from the global
environment and at the same time help to preserve and develop the cultures and
identities of individual societies.
He said
broadcasters and public-spirited media organisations must promote programmes
like the New Partnership for African Development and use their function of
dissemination of information to build bridges of national and continental unity
and cohesion.
Mr.
Nutifafa Kuenyehia, Chairman of the National Media Commission (NMC) said the
right to free speech and the right to know required maturity, responsibility,
accountability and good judgement, the lack of which would draw the continent
back.
He said
despite the need to survive due to commercialisation, public broadcasting
houses must focus on balance and use their powerful tool to provide good
services to the public.
Professor
Kwame Karikari, Executive Director of the MFWA said the organisers would send
the recommendations to the governments of ECOWAS to reflect on them and come up
with solutions.
Mr. John
Baker, Head of Africa Programme of Article 19, said policy, legal and
constitutional frameworks of governments affected the editorial and political
independence of public service broadcasting, adding that the conference would
ensure that its recommendations would help find solutions to them.
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Accra
(Greater Accra) 17 September 2002- James Anaman, President of the Ghana Chamber
of Mines on Monday debunked claims that the mining industry was a major
contributor to the pollution of water resources, saying the industry operated
under healthy environmental standards.
"The
fact is that the covenants governing the loans with which the mines are built
demand World Health Organisation's Environmental Standards among others." Speaking
at the launch of book on health management, Mr Anaman said the sector had
rather helped to make considerable impact through the provision of clean water
and sanitation in communities in which they operate.
"The
truth of the matter is that most of our rivers are already full of pollutants
including faecal material," he said and added that the mines were often
expected to take these problems in their planning before they were allowed to
commence operations. According to him the industry has evolved appropriate
strategies to ensure efficient health care delivery systems for both its
employees and the communities in which it operates.
" This
year alone, Goldfields Ghana has spent over a $100,000 on the construction of
the Atuabo Community Clinic, the rehabilitation of the Tarkwa Government
Hospital Mortuary and the sponsorship for medical electives for Ghanaian
students."
Mr Anaman
said that despite the medical department being a corporate facility, its doors
were opened to the public during normal periods, emergencies and referrals from
other health institutions in the community.
He said
about 20 percent of the private patients admitted at the AGC Hospital at Obuasi
were not able to settle their bills and the company accordingly spent about 10
million cedis every month on such private patients.
Mr Anaman
said the AGC was serving as a training centre for students offering medicine
and allied subjects and added that student nurses from Koforidua, Kumasi and
Agogo, had also benefited from the Hospital's training programmes.
The Company
had also collaborated with the Adansi West District Assembly the Ministry of
Health and Care International, an NGO to establish an HIV/AIDS Programme in the
District.
He said the
Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) had expressed a desire to collaborate
with the Medical Services Department at Obuasi to study more closely the cost
control and monitoring systems developed to serve the mine and the community.
The Deputy
Minister of Health, Mr Moses Dani Baah, whose speech was read by Mr Owusu
Adjei, Chief Director of the MOH, lauded the author for his hard-work and
perseverance in writing of the second edition of the book.
He
described the publication "as a remarkable achievement", saying the
book met the urgent needs of health managers in Ghana, as well as those in other
parts of Africa and beyond. He said major difficulties, which the author
overcame and finally saw the book published, meant a practical approach to
tackling management issues in health institutions and training of
professionals.
The
17-chapter book "Management of Health Care Organisations", authored
by Mr Emmanuel Ackon, a health administrator addresses the needs of health
managers, especially in the management principles and practices in both the
public and private sector. It also touches on how the managers could overcome
resistance to change, stock control and supply management.
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Accra
(Greater Accra) 17 September 2002- The People's National Convention (PNC) on
Sunday, called for a strong political will to implement major health and
education reforms, that would minimise the spread of the HIV/AIDS.
Dr Edward
Mahama, PNC leader who is also a medical practitioner told the Ghana News
Agency (GNA) that, "most leaders were not convinced of the seriousness of
the disease nor do they realise the potential impact it could have on the
economy and the political landscape of the country."
He,
therefore, called on political and religious leaders, traditional rulers, and
civil societies to include HIV/AIDS education in their programmes. The PNC
Leader called on the media, the AIDS Commission and all stakeholders in the
fight against HIV/AIDS to introduce programmes that would lead to behavioural
change.
He said
"The awareness creation campaign had gain grounds, but we need to move and
assist people on behavioural change in the era of AIDS, offer them options and
counsel the youth on the benefits of abstinence."
What needs
to be done is to persuade men to change their perception, attitudes and
behaviour that can significantly reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS. He urged
stakeholders to motivate and encourage more people, especially men to talk
openly about sex and application of appropriate drugs to help control its
spread.
Dr Mahama
said the fight against HIV/AIDS and the reduction of fertility rate needed more
governmental commitment. "It is crucial to provide resources, leadership
and the enabling environment needed to control the spread of the disease."
He cited
Uganda and Senegal as an example of what such commitment could do, where
according to Dr Mahama, infection rates have been brought down. The Medical
Practitioner said over 70 percent of HIV infection worldwide, occurred through
sexual intercourse and that heterosexual sex remained the most predominant mode
of transmission accounting for 80 percent of all infections.
Mother to
child transmission and transmission through blood and blood products accounted
for 15 percent and five per cent respectively. Therefore, there is a compelling
need to direct HIV/AIDS education at 'risky sexual behaviours'.
"From
all indications, both men and women stand an equal chance of spreading the
disease since the adult prevalence rate in Ghana is put at three percent".
Dr Mahama said "the peak age for males in Ghana is 30-34 whilst that for
women is 25-29, but there is a new phenomenon where about 60 percent of all the
regions were reporting peak ages among men in the older groups.
"The
proportion of males who are reported in the age group beyond 35 years is
increasing, indicating that old men are becoming increasingly infected". He
said "one of the greatest causes for concern is that over the next few
years, the epidemic is bound to get worse if measures are not implemented to
nib in the bud the promotion of promiscuity."
Dr Mahama
also noted that the level of personal risk perception in the county remained
low, about 58 percent of the young adult perceived themselves as not at risk of
infection.
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Amoana
Praso (Eastern Region) 17 September 2002- The Government is implementing a Rural
Financial Services Project (RFSP) to support rural banks and to enhance
development of strong rural micro-financial institutions. The objective of the
project is to provide a coherent framework for rural economic transformation
and poverty eradication to raise the living standard of the people.
Mr Daniel
Ohene Kwaku Owusu, a Deputy Chief Manager of the Bank Of Ghana (BOG), announced
this at the 10th annual general meeting of the Mponua Rural Bank at Amoana Praso
in the Birim North District. He said under the RFSP, rural banks would
restructure and strengthen their operational effectiveness and internal control
system.
It will
also provide a new information technology, logistic and training of staff and
development of categories of rural bank staffs and their directors. The Deputy
Chief Manager said the project would in addition strengthen the institutional
and policy framework for improved oversight of rural finance sector.
He said the
competitive environment places heavy responsibilities on boards and management
of rural banks to institute measures to sustain and improve customer care,
product development and systematic adoption of appropriate modern technology
into their operations to enhance their performance.
Mr Owusu
said any director, staff or customer who had been implicated in mismanagement or
collapse of a bank is prohibited from holding a position either as a director
or a staff in any rural bank in the country.
In an
address read for him, the General Manager of Apex Bank, Mr Emmanuel Kwasi
Kwapong, said the Apex Bank would ensure the computerization and regular supply
of money from the BOG to all the rural banks to enhance their performance.
He said the
Apex Bank and audit department would conduct regular checks to ensure that
prudent banking practices and procedures are followed by the rural banks to
enable them contribute towards the alleviation of poverty and socio-economic
transformation of rural communities.
The
Chairman of the Board of Directors of the bank, Mr Emmanuel Owusu, said the
bank made a pre-tax profit of 195.3 million cedis last year, as against 73.2
million cedis in the year 2000.
He said
income went up by 63 percent, from 665.6 million cedis in 2000 to 1.085 billion
cedis last year while investment also rose from 1.1 billion cedis the previous
year to 1.9 billion cedis last year, an increase of 73 percent. The bank also
paid 103.4 million cedis into its surplus account last year as against 21.4
million cedis the previous year
Mr Owusu
said its deposits increased from 2.45 billion cedis in 2000 to 3.76 billion
cedis in the year under review. Share
capital also went up from 59 million cedis in the previous year to 67 million
cedis last year.
He said the
bank granted loans and over-drafts totalling 1.05 billion cedis to its
customers in the agriculture, cottage industries, transport and trading. It
bought 1.7 billion cedis of Akuafo cheques last year as against 1.2 billion
cedis the previous year. The Board Chairman said with its improved performances
the bank spent 6.5 million cedis to pay a dividend of 10 cedis per share to its
shareholders last year.
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