GRi BEF News Ghana 05 - 10 - 2000

Stock Exchange continues to crawl under bearish sentiments

Gomoa Rural Bank holds 19th AGM

Ghana Association of Bankers announces Exchange Rates

 

Stock Exchange continues to crawl under bearish sentiments

Accra (Greater Accra) 5 October 2000

 

The stock market recorded another poor showing at Wednesday's trading as most indicators declined in the face of lack of interest from investors.

 

Offers closed mid-week trading lower at 464,090 from 1.1 million while total shares

traded dropped again from 22,200 to 17,800 shares.

 

The All-Share Index, the main market indicator, however, inched up slightly by 0.51 points on another appreciable gain in the share price of Aluworks Ghana Limited (ALW).

 

Bids almost doubled to 61,100 from the previous 37,700 shares demanded with market capitalisation making a marginal gain from 3,630.17 billion cedis to 3,631.15 billion cedis.

 

On the broader market, there was only one price change. ALW gained 70 cedis at 2,700 cedis.

 

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

ABL                         625

AGC                   18,600

ALW                   2,700                       +70

BAT                        438

CFAO                      39

EIC                      2,000

FML                    1,100

GBL                     1,350

GCB                    1,600

GGL                       900

HFC                       950

MGL                       149

MOGL               18,500

PAF                        300

PBC                        520

PZ                           700

SCB                   22,100

SPPC                      160

SSB                     2,105

UNIL                   1,300

CMLT                    425

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Gomoa Rural Bank holds 19th AGM

Apam (Central Region) 05 October 2000

 

A Deputy Chief Manager of the Rural

Banking Division of the Bank of Ghana (BOG), Alhaji Amadu Montia, said at the weekend that the 20-cedi coin and other lower denominations of the cedi currency are still recognised as legal tender.

 

He therefore cautioned people, especially traders, who show disregard for certain denominations of our currency by refusing to accept them to desist from the habit.

 

He was reacting to a complaint by some shareholders of the Gomoa Rural Bank at its Annual General Meeting over the refusal of some traders to accept the 20-cedi coin as legal tender.

 

Mr. Emmanuel Asiedu-Mante, Head of Banking Supervision Department, BOG in a speech read for him, said as much as the BOG is willing to assist rural banks in achieving their objectives, it would not condone any practices that would undermine the safety and soundness of the financial system.

 

"We will ensure that the banks operate within the confines of the banking law."

Mr. Asiedu-Mante urged directors and management of rural banks to initiate pragmatic policies that would foster an efficient performance and enhance the growth of their banks since the banking public in the years ahead would look out for banks with improved customer service, honesty and dedicated staff to deal with.

 

He cautioned banks, which develop serious solvency and liquidity Problems, that they may no longer be allowed to continue in operation but will be liquidated and their licences withdrawn.

 

A Deputy Minister of Employment and Social Welfare, Mrs. Ama Benyiwa-Doe, advised citizens from the area working outside and who are about to retire to transfer their accounts to the bank to facilitate easy collection of their pension benefits.

 

Mrs. Benyiwa-Doe, who is the MP and NDC parliamentary candidate for Gomoa West, urged directors of the bank to organise periodic seminars for their shareholders to educate them on the rudiments of banking.

 

Mr. Kow Anyanful, Gomoa District Chief Executive, urged the shareholders to assist the directors and management to retrieve overdue loans.

 

He appealed to the bank to assist workers to acquire some household items through the hire-purchase system.

 

Mr. Andrews B. Simpson, Chairman of the Board of Directors, in his report, said in March 1995 when the present directors accepted the challenge to redeem the image of the bank, its accounts were in a deficit to the tune of 63.54 million cedis.

 

They have, however, managed to make a modest profit of 3.9 million cedis as at 31st December 1999.

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Ghana Association of Bankers announces Exchange Rates

Accra (Greater Accra) 5 October 2000

 

The Ghana Association of Bankers, on Wednesday October 4, announced 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                     6,453.36                      6,674.64

Pound Sterling              9,376.73                      9,704.93

French Franc                   860.93                         890.25

Swiss Franc                  3,727.29                      3,854.22

Deutsche Mark             2,886.57                      2,986.68

Canadian Dollar            4,295.93                      4,441.82

Japanese Yen                    59.33                           61.36

Dutch Guilder               2,562.65                      2,649.95

S/African Rand              893.82                           923.50

Euro                             5,647.27                      5,842.47

CFA Franc                          8.61                             8.90

Naira                                 64.29                           66.50

Ecowas/WAUA           8,536.43                         --------

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