GRi BEF News Ghana 20 - 10 - 2001
Ghana, Mali to consider joint production of beef products
Accra (Greater Accra) 20 October 2001-Ministers of Trade of Ghana, Uganda and representatives of Mauritania, Cote d'Ivoire and Nigeria have agreed on the need for Africa to present a common front on issues during and after the Fourth World Trade Organisation (WTO) Ministerial Conference scheduled for October 15 to 16 at Doha, Qatar.
The agreement was to ensure the articulation of African positions on various issues with a view to ensuring that decisions taken at the end of the conference reflected African concerns and positions.
This was contained in communiqué issued on Friday after a preparatory conference by the selected ministers and representatives in Accra.
The communiqué said African countries should participate actively not only in the ministerial conference but also in all activities of the WTO.
The ministers and representatives also agreed that the issue of development should be at the centre of any negotiations to facilitate Africa's growth and development in the global economy.
It called for a re-affirmation and full commitment to positions adopted by the African Trade Ministers Conference held in Abuja, Nigeria, last September.
They also expressed their determination to fine-tune their domestic policies to support the private sector to take effective advantage of the opportunities in the multinational trading system.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 20 October 2001-ECOWAS Trade Ministers on Friday resolved to meet customs and immigration officials to remove bottlenecks to free movement of persons, goods and services.
They also agreed to take steps to reduce the numerous road checkpoints and other impediments to smooth flow of trade among member countries.
The resolution followed three days of intense World Bank-funded consultative meeting in Accra to discuss ways to make the implementation of the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme work.
The scheme, which came into effect in January 1990, seeks to promote intra-community trade and free flow of unprocessed goods and traditional handicrafts duty-free in member countries.
However, it has been fraught with problems, including high level of taxes on approved tax-free products and the refusal by some custom officials to recognise the scheme and the products approved under it and their insistence to seek clearance from their Ministries of Finance.
"There is the need for confidence-building measures among all related actors in ECOWAS trade, to remove the tremendous amount of apprehension and lack of trust currently existing among operators," the Ministers from Ghana, Togo, Benin and representatives from Cote d'Ivoire and Nigeria said in a seven point resolution.
The Ministers also agreed to remove the cumbersome, non-transparent and inconsistent border point procedures and also check the harassment and frustration businessmen go through at the borders and checkpoints.
The Ministers were also determined to undertake sensitisation and education of both public officials and businessmen on the ETLS and the protocol of free movement of persons, goods and services.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 20 October 2001-The Ghana Stock Exchange All-Share Index dropped 4.07 points on Friday as the market relapsed in dull trading.
The Index, which made a whooping 8.01 points on Wednesday, fell to close at 961.05 points from 965.12 points when Mobil Oil Ghana Limited and SSB Bank lost heavily to dwarf UNIL's gain.
Traded volumes were down at 64,900 shares from 398,800 shares as institutional investors shied away from the market.
Mobil Oil Ghana Limited (MOGL) and Social Security Bank (SSB) were the two strong losers. MOGL lost 1,000 cedis to close 18,000 cedis and SSB 100 cedis at 2,300. UNIL, however, gained 50 cedis to close 2,300 cedis and Ghana Commercial Bank was up one cedi at 1,551 cedis.
Market capitalisation also slowed at 3,913.91 billion cedis as against 3,921.80 billion cedis at the previous close.
Below are the closing prices of the listed equities in cedis:
ABL 320
AGC 18,800
ALW 4,300
BAT 626
CFAO 60
EIC 3,000
FML 950
GBL 1,300
GCB 1,551 +1
GGL 900
HFC 952
MGL 240
MLC 145
MOGL 18,000 -1,000
PAF 800
PBC 450
PZ 1,000
SCB 20,500
SPPC 340
SSB 2,300 -100
UNIL 2,300 +50
CMLT 430
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Accra (Greater Accra) 20 October 2001-Ghana and Mali on Saturday agreed to let their experts discuss the establishment of a joint venture for the production of beef products.
A joint communiqué issued in Accra at the end of a day's visit to Ghana by Malian President Alpha Oumar Konare said the two countries also agreed that their experts should discuss problems relating to the movement of livestock.
Mr Hackman Owusu-Agyemang, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Mr Modibo Sibide, Mali's Foreign Minister, signed the communiqué, which touched on a wide range of issues on the sub-region, the African Union and the world as a whole.
The communiqué said the two countries recalled the cordial ties between them and reaffirmed their determination to continue to strengthen the bonds for the mutual benefit of their peoples.
They expressed their desire to increase trade between them by removing all obstacles to ensure free movement of persons and goods.
To this end, they agreed to effectively implement the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) trade liberalisation and the protocol on the free movement of goods, persons and services, improve transportation infrastructure and ensure the realisation of a common currency.
The communiqué said the two leaders agreed to leave no stone unturned to safeguard peace and security in the sub-region by using dialogue and consultation as the only means of preventing and resolving conflicts.
They noted with concern the persistent tension, notably in the countries in the Mano River Union of Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone - and pledged their support to ensure that peace prevails in that area.
On the African Union, the two leaders pledged their unflinching support to it and agreed to work together for the acceleration of the economic and political progress of the continent.
They also expressed concern about the many conflicts still persisting on the continent and reaffirmed their support for the OAU mechanism for prevention, management and resolution of conflicts.
On international issues, the two leaders strongly condemned the September 11 attacks on the United States and called for a concerted action to combat terrorism.
They finally expressed their solidarity with the US in its fight against terrorism.
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