Accra (Greater Accra) 22 March 2003- The GSE-All Share Index, the main market gauge of the Ghana Stock Exchange, made a modest gain of 2.45 points on Friday to continue an impressive rally in recent weeks.

The Index, which gained 28.18 points in mid-week on Wednesday, ended Friday trading to close at 1,623.55 points from 1,621.10 points. There was, however, a sharp drop in the number of shares that changed hands from 268,300 to 68,600 shares.

The change in the year to date was 16.30 per cent. In the broader market, there were five price changes - all positive. UNIL gained 51 cedis to close at 5,201 cedis, Home Finance Company (HFC) was up 10 cedis at 1,215, Guinness Ghana Limited (GGL) went up seven cedis at 1,210, Ghana Commercial Bank gained six cedis at 5,006 cedis and SSB Bank was up two cedis at 6,002 cedis. Market capitalisation closed up at 7,445.27 billion cedis from 7,439.33 billion cedis on Wednesday.

The following are the last prices of listed equities in cedis:

ABL 420

AGC 28,500

ALW 4,300

BAT 1,102

CFAO 67

CPC 630

EIC 5,005

FML 2,009

GBL 520

GCB 5,006 +6

GGL 1,210 +7

HFC 1,215 +15

MGL 257

MLC 280

MOGL 19,751

PAF 750

PBC 390

PZ 2,016

SCB 30,001

SPPC 390

SSB 6,002 +2

SWL 285

TBL 4,900

UNIL 5,201 +51

CMLT 460

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National website to be launched next month

Accra (Greater Accra) 22 March 2003- Government will next month launch a national website which seeks to digitise and automate all government services and make information readily available to the general public.

The site, which is currently being run on pilot basis at "www.ghana.gov.gh", and known as the Government of Ghana (GOG) Portal, is one of the government's initiatives to harness Information Communication Technology (ICT) in the deployment of e-governance (electronic governance) in the country.

Alphonse Koblavie of the Ministry of Information and Presidential Affairs told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on Friday said the second phase of the project soon to take place would focus on developing more interactive programme sites, functionalities and data base systems.

Speaking at a maiden Internet festival in Ghana as part of this year's "La fete de l'Internet en Afrique 2003", Koblavie said the completion of the first phase design consists of a cover page, home page and five main categories under which there are various functionalities.

The Internet Festival, which was from 17-23 March and was celebrated mainly in Francophone countries, was organised by the French Embassy in collaboration with the Ministry of Information and Presidential Affairs.

Koblavie said the various functionalities would include news items, information on the media, the Executive, the Legislature, and the Judiciary as well as Ministries, Departments and Agencies and related website links.

He said the Portal would contain online services like application forms for visa or passport, government accommodation and press accreditation. Koblavie said the Portal has come to create the platform for government to sell itself and communicate its policies and programmes to the public and respond instantly to enquiries worldwide.

He said it would also provide visitors to the site with new developments in the country and facilitate public reaction to issues, thus enhancing the government's image.

Eric Bernard of Panos Institute, an International NGO based in Dakar, who spoke on the topic, "Connectivity of the West African Media" underscored the importance of information production. He said Africa currently produces only 0.04 per cent of the World Wide Web's content.

"Africa, without South Africa produces only 0.02 per cent of the content which tells the level at which Africa stands. We have to distinguish between freedom of expression and the means of getting information as well as the levels in the quality of information," he said. Bernard said governments needed to get involved and create the platform to share experiences regionally.

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New policy for energy sector

Accra (Greater Accra) 22 March 2003-Yaw Osafo Maafo, Finance Minister on Friday said with the current national energy index at sixty per cent for thermal and forty per cent for hydro production, the use and pricing of electricity needed to change.

He said there a was major shift in the energy production which used to be 90 per cent plus hydro biased. The Minister was winding up the debate for the approval of budgetary estimates of the Ministry of Energy, which stood at 149 billion cedis.

He said government has added the provision of electricity to rural communities to the HIPC fund list. Osafo Maafo said communities would longer struggle for electrification since the Ministry of Energy would be getting HIPC funds to help push the Self- Help Electrification Programme (SHEP) forward.

The house also approved 102 .7 billion cedis for the Ministry of Trade and Industries and 62.7 billion cedis for the Ministry of Communications and Technology.

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Coca-Cola launches new campaign

Accra (Greater Accra) 22 March 2003- The Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Ghana Limited on Friday launched a new campaign tagged, "Make It Real, Coca-Cola" that is connected with African and Ghanaian cultures aimed at truly reflecting the attitude and view of life of the consumer.

Some of the consumer quotes that read, "You can achieve your dreams", "The future is bright with Coke" and "Coca-Cola Is Real" are a full marketing package that includes multimedia advertising, a new graphic icon, radio jingles and innovative taglines.

The campaign includes new television commercials known as "Real Connection" and "Achieve Your Dream" that are to start playing. It was first launched in the US in January this year and would be launched throughout the world in different markets.

Segun Ogunsanya, Chief Executive Officer of the Company, said consumers wanted to be truly respected and appreciated for their real values and did not like artificial advertising that promised virtual rewards.

He said their vision was to make it impossible for anybody to escape Coca-Cola, adding that the campaign would lead to improved consumer perceptions of the brand and increased consumption.

Imad Benmoussa, Marketing Manager for Coca- Cola, West Africa, said "consumers want to be known for who they are and what they stand for". He said consumers respected brands that reflected the set of values, emotions and daily life challenges, with success and achievement as core values.

Coca-cola company is a world wide soft drink manufacturer and distribution leader. In addition to Coca-Cola, the brand most known in the world, also distributes Fanta and Sprite, two leading brands on their category, he added.

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