Centre calls for
forum on the economy
Centre calls for
forum on the economy
Accra (Greater Accra) 14 December
2000
Professor Kofi Gyimah-Boadi,
Executive Director of the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), on
Wednesday called for a forum on the economy to develop a broad consensus on key
policy areas for smooth progress for the next four years under a new
government.
Speaking in an interview with the
Ghana News Agency in Accra he said there should be a consensus on energy
prices, cost sharing in tertiary education and health.
Prof Gyimah-Boadi said this must
be the first step in charting the way forward in the next four years, "if
the incoming government is to perform better".
"This country is going
through the most difficult transition where most of the things swept under the
carpet will emerge with maximum ferocity," he said.
He said issues such as HIV/AIDS,
child labour and the school drop-out situations, which all the political
parties cunningly evaded during the electioneering campaigns, would shoot up as
challenges to the next government.
Prof. Gyimah-Boadi said the next
government would inherit a stagnant economy, with declining sectors, low prices
for exports and very high import prices.
"For instance we have a
situation where oil price has reached its all time highest. This would pose a
great challenge to the next government in its bid to stabilise the cedi."
He said over the past 20 years,
this country has witnessed the inability of employers to pay a living wage
because of orchestrated collusion between labour and employers.
Prof. Gyimah-Boadi said in a
situation where the government is still a major employer the labour-employer
collusion problem is still there to face the next government "especially
with the high worker expectation for improved incomes."
"Available statistics
indicate declining public support for the private sector, though we claim that
sector is the engine of growth.
"If the New Patriotic Party
(NPP) becomes the next government, the problem would even be worse for them, as
most of the senior public servants have been compromised politically," he
said.
Prof. Gyimah-Boadi said in the
face of these challenges, the next government would be expected to adopt a
policy of inclusion to ensure that all the human resources in the country are
used for the progress of the nation.
"Beginning with a forum on
the economy, the next president would be expected to use his presidential
appointment powers to appoint competent persons from other political parties to
move the country forward," he suggested.
"If we can go out and consult
experts outside this country who are not members of our political parties, I do
not see why we cannot consult domestic experts who are not avowed members of
our political parties," Prof. Gyimah-Boadi said.
Commenting on the
constitutionality of the call on the NDC to concede defeat and prevent the
conduction of a second round of ballot, Prof. Gyimah-Boadi said, "it would
not be unconstitutional for Mr. John A. Kufuor to be declared if Prof. John
Atta Mills concedes defeat.
"Although Mr. Kufuor does not
have 50 per cent plus one of total votes cast yet, if the Prof. Mills concedes
defeat there would no more be a second contestant.
"In that case the
constitution allows the other contestant to be declared winner." he said
GRi…/
Accra (Greater Accra) 14 December 2000
The Ghana Association of Bankers, on Wednesday December 13, released the following average inter bank exchange rates of the cedi equivalent to the dollar and derived rates for other major foreign currencies:
Currency Buying Selling
US Dollar 6,768.82 6,971.36
Pound Sterling 9,798.54 10,094.53
French Franc 901.89 928.66
Swiss Franc 3,929.48 4,044.61
Deutsche Mark 3,024.52 3,114.92
Canadian Dollar 4,433.53 4,564.77
Japanese Yen 60.13 61.90
Dutch Guilder 2,685.71 2,764.56
S/African Rand 874.30 899.30
Euro 5,921.64 6,092.79
CFA Franc 9.02 9.29
Naira 67.21 69.23
Ecowas/WAUA 8,715.46 --------
GRi…/