$8m credit facility for
Ghanaian companies
Taviefe-Deme (Volta
Region) 28 October 2002 - The Ho District Chief Executive, Mawutor Goh has said
that the government's rural development strategy is aimed at achieving a
vibrant agricultural economy with strong market linkages and stable income
levels to better the social conditions of the rural communities.
He said the government
had targeted the improvement of rural road networks as its primary challenge to
link farmers to urban markets to end rural alienation.
Addressing a
fund-raising and Yam Festival durbar of the chiefs and people of Taviefe-Deme,
a farming community, near Ho, Goh said the town's development would be greatly
boosted now that Ho was going to be a municipal area.
He said the town's
development programme whose highlights, focused on streetlights, refuse
disposal and collection site and water closet toilets fell within the priority
areas of the Assembly.
Goh said rural
development would be the major beneficiary of the savings from the Highly
Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative. In a welcome address, Emmanuel
Kumadey, a citizen of the town said despite its nearness to Ho, Taviefe-Deme's
development had lagged behind because of apathy among the people.
He said the youth had
realised this deficiency and had, therefore, resolved to change the situation
for the better as evidenced in the identification of projects and initiatives
to raise funds to finance them.
Mrs Lilian Adalisk,
Managing Director of Legon Fishing Company at Tema, and special guest of honour
urged all citizens to contribute their quota towards development rather than
leave the burden on a few people.
She said self-reliance
was the most reliable way of achieving development goals as government was
constrained by limited resources to ensure accelerated development of every
community.
Justice Theodore
Adzoe, A Supreme Court Judge, Justice Agnes Dordzi and Justice Sule N.Gbadegbe,
both Appeal Court Judges were honoured for their achievements in public service
and contributions to development of Taviefe traditional area. About 36 million
cedis was realised at the durbar in aid of development projects.
GRi…/
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Jirapa (Upper West) 28
October 2002 - All rural Banks throughout the country are to be computerised
and connected to the Internet to facilitate communication among them and their
counterparts worldwide.
The computerisation
programme would also put up other satellite facilities that would enable
customers transact business with their banks irrespective of their locations in
the country.
Abdul-Raheem Iddi
Puyo, Upper West Area Manager of ARB Apex Bank, mother bank of the rural banks
said this at Jirapa on Saturday, at the 12th annual general meeting of the
Jirapa Sonzelle Rural Bank Limited.
He said apart from
that, Apex Bank would also assist rural banks to use their surplus money to
purchase treasury bills to further improve their financial status. Puyo said a
series of training programmes were also being organised for all categories of
staff of the rural banks to make them more skilful and efficient to handle
their various schedules.
John Bosco Zury,
Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Sonzelle Rural Bank said the bank
made a net profit of about 133m cedis, about 110 percent increase over that of
the year 2000, when the bank made 63.5m cedis as profit.
He said a total of
298.5m cedis was also given as loan to people engage in commerce, agriculture,
education, transport, construction and cottage industries while 10m cedis was
used to sponsor brilliant but needy students in the district.
Zury said within a
matter of three years, the bank had been able to establish an Agency at Nadowli
and two mobilisation centres at Kaleo and Babite while innovations were
envisaged for the subsequent years to offer better services to customers.
Mrs Winifred
Bawa-Dy-Yakah, Jirapa/Lambussie District Chief Executive said although the
Jirapa Lambussie Assembly was a major shareholder in the bank, it would step up
its activities to contribute more to the bank's growth. She called on the
management to consider upgrading the skills of staff frequently to enable them
to put up their best.
GRi…/
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Accra (Greater Accra)
28 October 2002 - Vice President Aliu Mahama has said that the government has
directed the immediate release of $8.8m for the establishment of credit schemes
for 300 Ghanaian companies participating in the President's Special Initiative
on Garment.
He said the government
had also made available $1.18m for the outright purchase of the Volta Garment
Limited.
The Company would be
upgraded to a world-class clothing technology centre to train managers and operators
of the garment industry. Vice President Mahama was speaking at the fourth Ghana
Textiles Printing (GTP) Waxstyle Festival, in Accra.
Isaac Donkor, a
fashion designer of Cape Coast, who was adjudged the best of six national
finalists and received a return trip ticket to Nairobi, Kenya, and 1000 euros
spending money at the festival.
The GTP also donated
40m cedis, a quarter of which was proceeds from the event, to the GETfund to
support the development of education. Vice President Mahama reiterated the
government's commitment to developing the garment industry to create 100,000
jobs, increase national export earnings and to preserve the Ghanaian identity
and positive cultural values.
"A major
equipment and fabrics sourcing programme has also been initiated to identify
and procure equipment for retooling of the companies," he said Vice
President Mahama said the government had released 178 acres of land within the
Tema Export Free Zone for the development of a Garment Village.
He urged Ghanaians,
particularly leaders and Ministers of State to patronise garments made in Ghana
to promote the industry at home and abroad. Vice President Mahama said: "I
expect our ministers and leaders to wear made in Ghana garments for official
duties and whenever we travel overseas.
He asked the people
proudly exhibit to the whole world the country's brand of clothing to help
expand the market for made in Ghana goods. Vice President Mahama commended the
GTP for assisting fashion designers and tailors to develop their talents and
urged other companies to assist young entrepreneurs to become successful.
Gilles Moisan,
Managing Director of GTP, said the Company considered education as critical to
progress and, therefore, spent about 1.5bn cedis annually on training
programmes for employees and scholarships for their wards.
He, however, expressed
regret that the company's sales on the local market for 2002 had declined to
the level of that of 1998 because of unfavourable economic conditions. Moisan,
however, said the company made some progress on the West African market, by
selling four million yards of fabrics in the sub-region.
He said GTP was poised
to play an active part in the creation of the Golden Age of Business, declared
by the government. Moisan added that, the GTP would make significant gains on
the sub region market with the implementation of the ECOWAS agreements on
trade.
He said with the
creation of exciting designs and support to players in the fashion industry,
GTP would help to maintain the rich cultural heritage of Ghanaians through its
textiles.
In the contest, which
was interspersed with music from Daasebre Gyamera and some Ivorian singers,
participants exhibited formal and informal clothing, in GTP's 2003 collection,
for all tastes.
There was a variety from
which the conservative, the extravagant, the modest and even those with
clothing taste similar to that of former Fijian mutineer, George Speight and
bare all Hollywood actresses, could choose. The five other contestants also
received various prizes.
GRi…/
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