Africans needs investments in manufacturing
sector - Kufuor
Electricity Company to step up revenue collection
Accra (Greater Accra) 20 February
2002 - President John Agyekum Kufuor on Tuesday said African countries would
appreciate investments in the manufacturing sector to boost their economies.
Investments in the transport
sector especially railways, airports and harbours would also be an asset to the
continent, President Kufuor told United Nations Investment Committee delegates
attending its 169th meeting in Accra, when they paid a courtesy call on him at
the Castle, Osu.
The Committee wielded much
authority in the world and the President urged the delegates to always let
their deliberations centre on issues that would move the economies and finances
of developing countries forward.
President Kufuor said members of
the Committee should not be daunted by their investments in Ashanti Goldfields
Company (AGC), which had dwindled from
7.2 million dollars to 2.1 million
dollars as a result of the fall in prices of gold on the world market.
"Investments in the AGC are
laudable because the gold deposits are a big treasure given to Ghana by nature.
I hope the prices of gold would improve for your investments to be
meaningful," he added.
Dr Kofi Konadu Apraku, Minister of
Trade and Industry, urged the delegates to be true ambassadors of Ghana and
market the country in their individual countries.
Ghana as a market for their
investments might be small but it was in the process of becoming the gateway to
the West Africa sub region with a population of more than 250 million, he said.
Oyeeman Wereko Ampem II, Chief of
Amanorkrom and Chairman of the Committee, who led the delegation, said the
Committee managed an investment fund established by the UN and supervised by
the Secretary General.
As at the end of December last
year it had about 22 billion dollars in its coffers. Oyeeman Ampem said some of
their investments were in stocks and shares, bonds, real estates and cash.
GRi../
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Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 20
February 2002 -The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) has put in place measures
to help improve its services in the Ashanti
Region by opening more customer
service points to allow prompt payment of bills.
Mr. William Nutton Mensah, Ashanti
Region Director of ECG in an interview in Kumasi, said ''ECG will also
prosecute bill defaulters''
He said numerous consumers owe ECG
billions of cedis and this could affect the smooth operations of the company.
The ECG would therefore, embark on mass disconnection, check illegal connections
and curb acts that tarnish the company's image.
GRi../
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