Government needs $7.4 b to reduce poverty - Nduom
Accra (Greater Accra) 15 March 2002- Sir Peter Middleton, the visiting Group Chairman of Barclays Bank PLC, on Thursday said the bank would assist the government to promote the export sector.
He did not give details but said some operations of the bank such as the automatic teller machines (ATMs) and the card systems would be improved in line with the socio-economic development of the country.
Sir Peter, who was speaking to newsmen after a courtesy call on President John Agyekum Kufuor at the Castle, Osu, said they had general discussions on the fiscal and monetary policies of the government and the micro economic situation.
He said his visit was to support the Bank's efforts in the country and pledged their effective participation in all aspects of the economy. Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom, Minister of Economic Planning and Regional Integration, said President Kufuor expressed his appreciation to the bank and stressed the need for more support in the export sector. He said some aspects of the discussions were on the elimination of cash in transactions and the use of other facilities as the economy grew.
The wife of Sir Peter, Lady Middleton, Mr Kobina Quansah, Managing Director of Barclays Bank, Ghana and Oyeeman Wereko Ampem II, Chief of Amanokrom and Gyaasehene of Akwapim Traditional Area and Board Chairman of Barclays Bank, Ghana accompanied him.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 15 March 2002- The Executive Vice-President of the Coca cola Company, Mr. Carl Ware, arrived in Accra on Thursday for a two-day official visit to the country.
He was accompanied by the company's Divisional President for North Africa, Mr. Rafiq Cressaty, Mr Robert Lindsay, Director of Public Affairs for the Africa branch of the company and Mr. Laolu Akinkutbe, External Affairs Director for the West Africa.
The visit of Mr Ware, who was expected to review the operations of Coca cola in the Ghana, said he had confidence in the branch. The Executive Vice-President would pay a courtesy call on President John Agyekum Kufuor as well as other government officials.
Mr Segun Ogunsanyo, the Chief Executive Officer of Coca cola, Ghana, who was at the Kotoka International Airport to welcome the executive vice-president, told Newsmen that the company made more profit last year than 2000. He said indicators of the first two months of this year were very encouraging and expressed his satisfaction about the progress made by the company.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 15 March 2002- Government will require over seven billion dollars in the next three years to implement plans to reduce the high incidence of poverty in the country, Economic Planning and Regional Co-operation Minister, Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom said on Thursday.
Addressing a stakeholders' forum on the final Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy (GPRS) in Accra, Dr Ndoum said the funds would be directed at key areas to ensure that government achieved its target to reduce poverty from 39 per cent to 32 per cent at the close of 2004.
The forum was to seek stakeholders' consensus and perception of the final GPRS. The Minister said an outlay of more than 4.5 billion dollars of the total amount would be used in building vitally needed human capacity to enhance expertise and to also improve on basic services in the country.
Over one billion dollars each is earmarked for important areas of macro-economic stability and production and gainful employment over the three-year period. An amount of 145 million dollars would go into programmes to assist the vulnerable in the society.
Dr Nduom said the activities would be financed from funds derived from on-going projects, government generated revenue, savings from the Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative and other debt relief packages and assistance from the private sector and non-governmental organisations.
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