Tema (Greater Accra) 22 December 2001 - Mr Samuel Evans Ashong Narh, Tema Municipal Chief Executive, on Friday stressed the need for the private sector to adopt measures that would make the sector viable and sustainable to ensure the growth of the country.
He said the Golden Age of Business declared by the government required private sector initiative to be the main driving force of the socio-economic development of the nation.
Mr Narh made the call in a speech read for him at the end-of-year get-together of staff of the Narh-Bita Hospital at Tema.
He said a lot of work was being carried out to ensure the smooth replacement of the "cash and carry" with a national insurance scheme and urged hospitals to encourage corporate bodies that use their services to initiate insurance schemes for their employees.
The Chief Executive implored health workers to undertake outreach programmes in their various communities to educate the public on the harm of contracting the dreaded HIV/AIDS disease as well as the need to keep healthy environment to prevent the spread of diseases.
Mr Narh commended the Management of the hospital for the immense services it rendered to the community. Narh-Bita hospital, which is the largest private hospital in the municipality, renders services to a wider community in Tema and its environs.
Dr N. B. Andrew, Chief Neurosurgeon and Vice-President of the Tema International Neuro-centre said 80 per cent to 90 per cent of epilepsy cases was treatable with drugs and called on patients to seek prompt medical attention.
He urged the public to do away with the misconception that the disease could not be treated saying that a lot of harm was rather done if the disease was kept for a longer period.
Dr Andrew announced that since January 2000 to date the hospital had attended to over 2,000 patients at the newly established International Neurocentre using modern equipment.
Twenty per cent out of the patients, he said, were foreigners from India, United States, Nigeria, Cote d'Ivoire, Sierra Leone and Liberia adding that some of them received free treatment because of their poor financial condition.
Dr Andrew said over 130 surgical operations were performed on ailments like spinal conditions and brain tumour.
He said plans were advanced to install a computer tonograph scanner, used in measuring tension in organs, which would be networked into the operating room for surgery.
The staff commended Dr Edward Narh, Medical Director and owner of the hospital, for his immense contribution to the health sector, who periodically offered free treatment to poor patients.
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Assin Fosu (Central Region) 22 December 2001 - The Vice President, Alhaji Aliu Mahama on Friday said that the government was making strenuous efforts to attract substantial private sector investment, both foreign and local to help realise the Golden Age of Business.
"The investors we seek are those who are willing to commit long-term capital to set up manufacturing and industrial facilities that will add value to our natural resources and thereby creating employment and relieve the burden of poverty from our people".
Alhaji Mahama said this when he commissioned the Immigration Training Academy and performed the graduation ceremony of the first batch of 32 cadet officers made up of 24 men and 8 women, after they had undergone a six-month training at the Academy at Assin Fosu.
He said the government was also committed to expanding the country's economic frontiers through the opening of new channels of co-operation within the framework of African Union under the new foreign policy orientation of economic diplomacy, adding that "we also wish to reaffirm our commitment to the effort at forging integrated and harmonized sub-regional economies for the mutual benefit of all Member States".
The Vice-President said the benefit the government anticipated from thesenew economic and political arrangement would remain a mirage if Ghanaians failed to play their respective roles effectively and, therefore, called on the Immigration Officers to brace themselves up to this new challenge.
He said the Immigration Service occupied a unique position in the security set up of the country as the first line of contact at the frontiers and having the duty of regularising the stay and activities of foreigners. They must, therefore, be dedicated and show commitment and loyalty to duty.
The Vice-President cautioned the Officer not to allow indiscipline and misguided use of discretion to blind their sense of judgment and said: "under no circumstance should you compromise your positions for personal gains."
Alhaji Mahama said the government was aware that the Service was working under difficulties and constraints and hinted that every effort was being made within to provide the facilities and equipment essential for efficient service delivery.
Under the Ghana Trade and Investment Gateway Project, the World Bank was assisting government in a programme for strengthening the operational capacity of the Service through institutional building, behavioural change and physical equipment, he said
Alhaji Mahama said the government was also stepping up recruitment into the service and arranging courses both locally and internationally for some officers to broaden their horizon and improve upon their efficiency.
Later the Vice President inspected a guard of honour mounted by 60 men and women of the service and presented certificates and prizes to deserving award winners.
The overall best cadet officer award went to Shadrack Azangwo, while the best in academic award was taken by Experience Blewuada.
Mr Daniel Nii Tagoe took the best in drill (male) and the most disciplined cadet officer awards, with Ms. Nicholina Quarcoo having the best in drill (female) award.
Among those present were: General Joshua Amidu, National Security Advisor, Nana Owusu Nsiah, Director of Immigration, Mr Ernest Owusu Poku, Inspector General of Police (IGP) and Professor Christopher Ameyaw Akumfi, Minister of Education.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 22 December 2001
Currency Buying Selling
US Dollar 7,141.00 7,344.45
Pound Sterling 10,351.59 10,652.39
French Franc 978.49 1,006.36
Swiss Franc 4,374.59 4,498.48
Deutsche Mark 3,281.32 3,375.60
Canadian Dollar` 4,522.52 4,650.89
Japanese Yen 55.20 56.77
Dutch Guilder 2,912.58 2,995.44
S/African Rand 540.65 554.07
Euro 6,418.80 6,599.18
CFA Franc 9.78 10.06
Naira 64.31 66.14
ECOWAS/WAUA 9,031.89 --------
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Accra (Greater Accra) 22 December 2001- The All-Share Index, the main gauge of the Ghana Stock Exchange (GSE), ended unchanged on Friday as there was no price change and the poor run of the bourse continued.
The index went up slightly on Wednesday, thanks to gains by Fan Milk Limited and Ghana Commercial Bank (GCB), but remained flat on Friday at 958.89 points.
Shares traded inched up from 71,200 shares to 96,600 with only five equities selling shares.
Change for the year and market capitalisation also remained the same. Change for the year was 11.76 per cent while market capitalisation was 3,909.74 billion. The following are the closing prices of listed equities in cedis:
ABL 320
AGC 18,800
ALW 4,300
BAT 627
CFAO 60
EIC 3,010
FML 920
GBL 1,000
GCB 1,570
GGL 901
HFC 952
MGL 241
MLC 145
MOGL 18,200
PAF 800
PBC 450
PZ 1,010
SCB 20,500
SPPC 341
SSB 2,300
UNIL 2,300
CMLT 430
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