THE Martyrs of Uganda Co-operative Credit Union (MUCCU) of the Martyrs of Uganda Catholic Church has held its second annual general meeting with a call on Ghanaians to cultivate the habit of saving.
The Chairman of the MUCCU, Mr John E. Moffat, who made the call at the weekend, said credit unions provided the avenue for businesses and individuals to generate additional income for future investments.
Presenting a report on the operation of the union, Mr Moffat said the shareholding of members grew from GH¢ 5,480.00 in 2007 to GH¢ 8,582.00 in 2008, while members’ savings also grew from GH¢ 13,150.00 in 2007 to GH¢ 25,061.00 in 2008.
During the first eight months of the union’s operations, 130 new members joined the union with total assets of GH¢ 9,600.00.
However, by the end of the year under review, its assets stood at of GH¢ 55,315.00 with a membership of about 300.
Mr Moffat said the union had disbursed loans to the tune of GH¢44,300 to over 30 members and commended members for their good repayment culture, which he said, must be maintained to sustain the financial base of the union.
He was, however, not happy that members were not responding to invitation to meetings which had made it difficult for the MUCCU to invite the micro finance team from the union’s head office to help them to access loans easily.
In an effort to increase the membership base of the union, he said, an educational committee had been set up to find solutions to the low patronage of the union in the parish.
For his part, the Greater Accra Regional Manager of CUA, Mr Andrew Amponsah, reminded members that the credit union concept started from the Catholic Church and was, therefore, glad that it was gaining popularity in the church.
He said credit unions offered better loan facilities to members than other financial institutions including the banks, insurance companies and non-governmental organisations in the country.
Mr Amponsah said the world financial crisis offered a better opportunity for credit unions all over the country to recruit more members into their unions by selling the numerous products they had to offer to non-members.
He challenged the leadership of the MUCCU to first seek the welfare of their members before using their savings for other purposes.
A certificate of registration was presented to the MUCCU to make the union a legal entity.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Global Evangelical Church Organise seminar
MEMBERS of the Youth Ministry of the Global Evangelical Church (GEC) within the Accra Presbytery of the church, have undergone a day’s seminar to empower them to be economically productive.
The seminar brought together over 500 youth from the over 55 congregations within the Accra Presbytery.
In his presentation, a pastor of GEC, Rev Y. K. Ahiabu, said poverty was a more devastating disease than some of the diseases that were described as deadly, “its effect is so severely felt throughout the world that the world talks and wages war on its alleviation very often,” he said.
Rev Ahiabu attributed the many conflicts, war, diseases on the African continent to the lack of financial freedom of over 50 per cent of the continent’s population.
He said many lives, particularly that of the future leaders of the country, were lost as a result of poverty, which he said prevented them from getting access to good education and good food.
He attributed the recent upsurge in teenage pregnancy, broken homes among others to the level of poverty in the country.
“Poverty has become a matter of great social concern to many nations particularly in our part of the world. I am therefore glad that the GEC is taking steps in this regard to empower the youth of the church to give them financial stability.”
Rev Ahiabu’s presentation centred on ways to generate income and make investment for future use. He cited the example of Isaac in Genesis 26:12, which states, “The man Isaac planted crops in that land and that same year reaped a hundredfold, because the Lord had blessed him.”
He said the man became rich, and his wealth continued to grow until he became very wealthy with many flocks and servants. “What are you planting today,” he asked the youth.
Rev Ahiabu told the youth that they had the opportunity to plant today the kind of future they would want to enjoy, stressing, “The opportune time for you to do anything, such as investing in your future prosperity, is now.”
To this end, he has proposed an invest account for the youth in the churches to serve as an example to be emulated by the youth while discouraging them from over-spending their income on alcohol among other things that would not benefit them.
For his part, the Chief Executive Officer of Born4xploits, Mr Wilson Senya, said there were many opportunities today than ever before. “Our difficulties are how to identify these opportunities and make very good use of them to our advantage,” he added.
Mr Senya mentioned that economic empowerment of the nation, church and the individual was meaningless unless the opportunities that came with this empowerment were identified and utilised.
He noted that underdevelopment and poverty were two concepts associated with Africa and Ghana. He, however, said these were enough reason for the youth to stay in the country, where many opportunities abound.
Mr Senya urged the youth to desist from looking for people to help them; rather, “look out for opportunities to help ourselves with as God is our only helper,” he added.
The Presbytery Clerk, Rev F M Agbo, added his voice to the call on the youth to shy away from the get-rich-quick attitude, which has resulted in the increasing number of Internet fraud referred to as “Sakawa” that had become so prevalent among the youth in recent times.
Rev Agbo acknowledged the place of money in human life and in the life of the church, but added that this must be done in a manner pleasing to God and man. He bemoaned the situation where some were using human sacrifice to get rich. “What will it profit a man (youth) to gain the world but lose his life,” he asked.
He encouraged the youth particularly those in school to take their studies seriously as that would propel them into the positions that the envied today.
The youth were taken through the various investment opportunities available on the financial market and how to access them.
The seminar brought together over 500 youth from the over 55 congregations within the Accra Presbytery.
In his presentation, a pastor of GEC, Rev Y. K. Ahiabu, said poverty was a more devastating disease than some of the diseases that were described as deadly, “its effect is so severely felt throughout the world that the world talks and wages war on its alleviation very often,” he said.
Rev Ahiabu attributed the many conflicts, war, diseases on the African continent to the lack of financial freedom of over 50 per cent of the continent’s population.
He said many lives, particularly that of the future leaders of the country, were lost as a result of poverty, which he said prevented them from getting access to good education and good food.
He attributed the recent upsurge in teenage pregnancy, broken homes among others to the level of poverty in the country.
“Poverty has become a matter of great social concern to many nations particularly in our part of the world. I am therefore glad that the GEC is taking steps in this regard to empower the youth of the church to give them financial stability.”
Rev Ahiabu’s presentation centred on ways to generate income and make investment for future use. He cited the example of Isaac in Genesis 26:12, which states, “The man Isaac planted crops in that land and that same year reaped a hundredfold, because the Lord had blessed him.”
He said the man became rich, and his wealth continued to grow until he became very wealthy with many flocks and servants. “What are you planting today,” he asked the youth.
Rev Ahiabu told the youth that they had the opportunity to plant today the kind of future they would want to enjoy, stressing, “The opportune time for you to do anything, such as investing in your future prosperity, is now.”
To this end, he has proposed an invest account for the youth in the churches to serve as an example to be emulated by the youth while discouraging them from over-spending their income on alcohol among other things that would not benefit them.
For his part, the Chief Executive Officer of Born4xploits, Mr Wilson Senya, said there were many opportunities today than ever before. “Our difficulties are how to identify these opportunities and make very good use of them to our advantage,” he added.
Mr Senya mentioned that economic empowerment of the nation, church and the individual was meaningless unless the opportunities that came with this empowerment were identified and utilised.
He noted that underdevelopment and poverty were two concepts associated with Africa and Ghana. He, however, said these were enough reason for the youth to stay in the country, where many opportunities abound.
Mr Senya urged the youth to desist from looking for people to help them; rather, “look out for opportunities to help ourselves with as God is our only helper,” he added.
The Presbytery Clerk, Rev F M Agbo, added his voice to the call on the youth to shy away from the get-rich-quick attitude, which has resulted in the increasing number of Internet fraud referred to as “Sakawa” that had become so prevalent among the youth in recent times.
Rev Agbo acknowledged the place of money in human life and in the life of the church, but added that this must be done in a manner pleasing to God and man. He bemoaned the situation where some were using human sacrifice to get rich. “What will it profit a man (youth) to gain the world but lose his life,” he asked.
He encouraged the youth particularly those in school to take their studies seriously as that would propel them into the positions that the envied today.
The youth were taken through the various investment opportunities available on the financial market and how to access them.
SHS Duration
A national educational forum is expected to be held later this month to review the duration of the senior high school (SHS).
To that end, a 12-member committee has been constituted by the Ministry of Education to spearhead the forum, which is scheduled for May 27 and 28, 2009.
The committee is under the chairmanship of Dr Stephen Ayidiya of the University of Ghana. Other members are Prof P. N. Boatsi, Mr Kosi Kedem, Dr William Ahadzie and Dr Dominic Pealore.
The rest are Rev E. K. Dadebo, Alhaji Salifu Seidu, Ms Bernice Adu, Mrs Mary Quaye, Mr Asolla Solomon, Mr Emmanuel Acquaye and Ms Benedicta Naana Biney.
At a media briefing in Accra yesterday, the Minister of Education, Mr Alex Tettey-Enyo, said the forum would also provide a historical perspective on both the national educational forum of 1999 and the Presidential Education Reform Review Committee’s Report of 2002.
He said the forum was in line with the government’s pledge to ensure affordable and quality education for all Ghanaians, as indicated in the National Democratic Congress (NDC) manifesto.
He said the forum would also put to rest the debate on the introduction of the four-year SHS system and afford the public the opportunity to make their input into the educational policy of the country.
The minister later told the Daily Graphic that the underlying issue about the duration of the SHS had to do with building a quality educational system based on continuity.
Mr Tettey-Enyo said students who had begun the four-year system or would be admitted to SHSs would be made to complete their programmes.
A member of the committee and member of the 2002 presidential education reform review committee, Mr Emmanuel Acquaye, said the discussion would be made public to give Ghanaians the opportunity to understand the issues which went into the formulation of the policy to introduce the three-year or four-year programme.
To that end, a 12-member committee has been constituted by the Ministry of Education to spearhead the forum, which is scheduled for May 27 and 28, 2009.
The committee is under the chairmanship of Dr Stephen Ayidiya of the University of Ghana. Other members are Prof P. N. Boatsi, Mr Kosi Kedem, Dr William Ahadzie and Dr Dominic Pealore.
The rest are Rev E. K. Dadebo, Alhaji Salifu Seidu, Ms Bernice Adu, Mrs Mary Quaye, Mr Asolla Solomon, Mr Emmanuel Acquaye and Ms Benedicta Naana Biney.
At a media briefing in Accra yesterday, the Minister of Education, Mr Alex Tettey-Enyo, said the forum would also provide a historical perspective on both the national educational forum of 1999 and the Presidential Education Reform Review Committee’s Report of 2002.
He said the forum was in line with the government’s pledge to ensure affordable and quality education for all Ghanaians, as indicated in the National Democratic Congress (NDC) manifesto.
He said the forum would also put to rest the debate on the introduction of the four-year SHS system and afford the public the opportunity to make their input into the educational policy of the country.
The minister later told the Daily Graphic that the underlying issue about the duration of the SHS had to do with building a quality educational system based on continuity.
Mr Tettey-Enyo said students who had begun the four-year system or would be admitted to SHSs would be made to complete their programmes.
A member of the committee and member of the 2002 presidential education reform review committee, Mr Emmanuel Acquaye, said the discussion would be made public to give Ghanaians the opportunity to understand the issues which went into the formulation of the policy to introduce the three-year or four-year programme.
Ensuring quality education at local level-Govt is empowering communities
THE Minister of Education, Mr Alex Tettey Enyo, has restated the government’s commitment to empowering local communities in the running of educational institutions to ensure quality education at the local level.
He has, therefore, directed the Director-General of the Ghana Education Service (GES), Mr Samuel Bannerman-Mensah, to ensure the proper functioning of School Management Committees (SMCs) and Parent Teacher Associations (PTAs) in all schools.
Mr Tettey Enyo gave the directive at the national Forum on Lessons Acquired for Good Practices in Community Participation in Education held at the Wangara Hotel in Accra.
The programme is a collaboration between the GES and the Government Accountability Improves Trust Programme (GAIT II) and supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
The minister said education was a social activity that called for the collective and concerted contribution of the local people.
He noted that many communities had over the years contributed significantly towards the development and delivery of quality education in the country, adding that “many basic schools in Ghana were originally initiated at the community level where teachers were recruited within the local community to teach the children”.
Mr Tettey Enyo said the issue of community involvement in education got eroded as a result of the management and control of education by central government, which, he said, made the control of the educational system central.
To mitigate this effect, the GES and the Ministry of Education implemented the policy establishing and empowering SMCs and PTAs in all basic schools, he noted.
These bodies, according to the sector minister, constituted a partnership between the school and community leaders in effecting school improvement and management efficiency programmes.
Mr Tettey Enyo said the GAIT II programme had therefore come as good news to the GES and the ministry as the role of SMCs and PTAs had become very crucial in educational management.
Mr Bannerman Mensah said schools with well structured SMCs and PTAs had over the years seen significant improvement in the management and administration of their schools.
He stressed the need for the involvement of district education officers, parents and the districts assemblies to be done with the goal of developing civic involvement in local governance and education, through partnership with local citizens and local government.
He assured stakeholders that the recommendations by the GAIT II programme would be carefully considered and implemented to achieve the needed impact in education.
For his part, Dr Eric Johnson of the USAID said the GAIT II programme was to actively engage citizens through their civic union in decision making regarding education in their communities to address issues that were of concern to their schools.
Dr Johnson said the programme had so far covered 25 districts out of the 700 districts under the GES, adding that all the 25 communities in which the GAIT II programme was operating had achieved massive improvement in education.
He said quality education at all levels had the potential of eradicating poverty and other forms of underdevelopment in the country.
He tasked the participants to identify the strategies which had worked and those that did not work, to enable them to know which of them to modify in the years ahead.
Dr Johnson said the programme which started in 2004 would fold up by the end of July this year.
He therefore called on district education units to consider the proper implementation of the policies and recommendations of the GAIT II programme.
He has, therefore, directed the Director-General of the Ghana Education Service (GES), Mr Samuel Bannerman-Mensah, to ensure the proper functioning of School Management Committees (SMCs) and Parent Teacher Associations (PTAs) in all schools.
Mr Tettey Enyo gave the directive at the national Forum on Lessons Acquired for Good Practices in Community Participation in Education held at the Wangara Hotel in Accra.
The programme is a collaboration between the GES and the Government Accountability Improves Trust Programme (GAIT II) and supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
The minister said education was a social activity that called for the collective and concerted contribution of the local people.
He noted that many communities had over the years contributed significantly towards the development and delivery of quality education in the country, adding that “many basic schools in Ghana were originally initiated at the community level where teachers were recruited within the local community to teach the children”.
Mr Tettey Enyo said the issue of community involvement in education got eroded as a result of the management and control of education by central government, which, he said, made the control of the educational system central.
To mitigate this effect, the GES and the Ministry of Education implemented the policy establishing and empowering SMCs and PTAs in all basic schools, he noted.
These bodies, according to the sector minister, constituted a partnership between the school and community leaders in effecting school improvement and management efficiency programmes.
Mr Tettey Enyo said the GAIT II programme had therefore come as good news to the GES and the ministry as the role of SMCs and PTAs had become very crucial in educational management.
Mr Bannerman Mensah said schools with well structured SMCs and PTAs had over the years seen significant improvement in the management and administration of their schools.
He stressed the need for the involvement of district education officers, parents and the districts assemblies to be done with the goal of developing civic involvement in local governance and education, through partnership with local citizens and local government.
He assured stakeholders that the recommendations by the GAIT II programme would be carefully considered and implemented to achieve the needed impact in education.
For his part, Dr Eric Johnson of the USAID said the GAIT II programme was to actively engage citizens through their civic union in decision making regarding education in their communities to address issues that were of concern to their schools.
Dr Johnson said the programme had so far covered 25 districts out of the 700 districts under the GES, adding that all the 25 communities in which the GAIT II programme was operating had achieved massive improvement in education.
He said quality education at all levels had the potential of eradicating poverty and other forms of underdevelopment in the country.
He tasked the participants to identify the strategies which had worked and those that did not work, to enable them to know which of them to modify in the years ahead.
Dr Johnson said the programme which started in 2004 would fold up by the end of July this year.
He therefore called on district education units to consider the proper implementation of the policies and recommendations of the GAIT II programme.
MiDA, USAID sign agreement with GES
THE Millennium Development Authority (MiDA) and USAID have entered into an agreement with the Ghana Education Service (GES) to recruit 260 teachers to teach in some selected deprived communities at the cost of $75 million.
The project, which is expected to last for two years, would cover 65 deprived communities, including the Afram Plains, Abetifi, Awutu Senya and Techiman districts.
The Chief Executive of the Millennium Development Authority (MiDA), Mr Martin Eson-Benjamin, disclosed this during a signing ceremony at the Ministry of Education and said, "this would address the problem of the shortage of teachers in the country".
Mr Eson-Benjamin said MiDA would be working closely with USAID and GES to execute the project which was one key component of the Ghana Millennium Challenge Account programme.
He said the programme sought to recruit unqualified individuals, who were prepared to be trained by the International Foundation for Education and Self-help (IFESH), to teach in schools which lacked the requisite number of teachers.
According to the Country Director of IFESH, Mr Kwesi Dzidzienyo, teachers would be recruited with the help of the GES for a two-year training course.
Mr Dzidzienyo said the teachers would be taken to any of the three training centres in the country, which he mentioned as Tamale, Ajumako and the Abetifi College of Education.
He said the programme was intended to address the problem of shortage of teachers in the selected districts while fulfilling the Millennium Development Goals.
The acting Country Director of USAID, Mr David Atteberry, said as a result of the partnership, USAID would collaborate with local officials in the recruitment, training and supervision of community teachers under the programme to ensure effective teaching at the basic level.
Mr Atteberry said the trained teachers would be posted to schools built or refurbished by MiDA in the communities, while the GES was expected to play a lead role.
He explained that the community teachers, who were supported by the USAID, were local residents who were educated, had a passion for teaching and represented a pool resource for the understaffed rural schools.
Mr Atteberry noted that many of the past community teachers had gone on to complete their teacher certificate courses and have been integrated into government schools, thus drastically reducing the issue of teacher shortage in rural communities.
As part of the project, the communities would enjoy some other infrastructural facilities, including schools, water systems and other projects that would benefit the community in an effort to eradicate poverty from the communities.
The Director, Basic Education, Mr Stephen Adu, expressed appreciation to MiDA and USAID, saying that the programme would go a long way to address the challenges of teacher deployment to rural communities.
Mr Adu said the refusal of most teachers to accept posting to the rural communities had affected the quality of education delivery in these communities.
He said the programme would also develop competent and dedicated teachers at the basic level and urged teachers to accept postings to rural communities.
The project, which is expected to last for two years, would cover 65 deprived communities, including the Afram Plains, Abetifi, Awutu Senya and Techiman districts.
The Chief Executive of the Millennium Development Authority (MiDA), Mr Martin Eson-Benjamin, disclosed this during a signing ceremony at the Ministry of Education and said, "this would address the problem of the shortage of teachers in the country".
Mr Eson-Benjamin said MiDA would be working closely with USAID and GES to execute the project which was one key component of the Ghana Millennium Challenge Account programme.
He said the programme sought to recruit unqualified individuals, who were prepared to be trained by the International Foundation for Education and Self-help (IFESH), to teach in schools which lacked the requisite number of teachers.
According to the Country Director of IFESH, Mr Kwesi Dzidzienyo, teachers would be recruited with the help of the GES for a two-year training course.
Mr Dzidzienyo said the teachers would be taken to any of the three training centres in the country, which he mentioned as Tamale, Ajumako and the Abetifi College of Education.
He said the programme was intended to address the problem of shortage of teachers in the selected districts while fulfilling the Millennium Development Goals.
The acting Country Director of USAID, Mr David Atteberry, said as a result of the partnership, USAID would collaborate with local officials in the recruitment, training and supervision of community teachers under the programme to ensure effective teaching at the basic level.
Mr Atteberry said the trained teachers would be posted to schools built or refurbished by MiDA in the communities, while the GES was expected to play a lead role.
He explained that the community teachers, who were supported by the USAID, were local residents who were educated, had a passion for teaching and represented a pool resource for the understaffed rural schools.
Mr Atteberry noted that many of the past community teachers had gone on to complete their teacher certificate courses and have been integrated into government schools, thus drastically reducing the issue of teacher shortage in rural communities.
As part of the project, the communities would enjoy some other infrastructural facilities, including schools, water systems and other projects that would benefit the community in an effort to eradicate poverty from the communities.
The Director, Basic Education, Mr Stephen Adu, expressed appreciation to MiDA and USAID, saying that the programme would go a long way to address the challenges of teacher deployment to rural communities.
Mr Adu said the refusal of most teachers to accept posting to the rural communities had affected the quality of education delivery in these communities.
He said the programme would also develop competent and dedicated teachers at the basic level and urged teachers to accept postings to rural communities.
Friday, May 15, 2009
Banking Awards
The Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr Paul Acquah, has stated that the world financial crisis if not mitigated will roll back Ghana’s considerable gains made in terms of economic growth and financial stability
He said the economy needed a strong regulatory framework and sound financial system as a prerequisite for the growth of a healthy and stable economy.
He was speaking at the 8th Ghana Banking Awards gala last Saturday, which was on the theme: “Enhancing Confidence In The Ghanaian Financial System, In The Midst Of The Global Financial Crises”.
Dr Acquah said the fallout of the financial crises on financial institutions had been dramatic in many countries due to institutions that had been weakened under the wake of the crises.
He explained that the impact of the crises on Ghana was limited because the prices of goods remained relatively normal.
He, however, noted that an effective and prudent supervision of the financial system that is enforced evenly would create sustained stability in the country’s economy.
Dr Acquah said the country’s economy was in a position to withstand the global financial crisis but needed prudent financial management practices to achieve this.
He said one of the lessons from the global financial crisis was the need for a sound financial sector for the healthy growth of the economy.
The governor said the awards created an excellent platform for banks to compete and develop creativity in the banking sector.
Dr Acquah mentioned that the Bank of Ghana introduced certain measures to re-enforce the stability of the banks in the country, some of these he mentioned as the increased minimum capital of banks from GH¢ 7.0 million to GH¢ 60.0 million.
He again mentioned the recognition of ICT in financial service delivery and also a common electronic platform,e-zwich, which was established in furtherance of the development of the payment and settlement system, making it possible to link all banking institutions with a biometrics smartcard as a vehicle for the financial inclusion of everybody.
Dr Acquah said to build confidence and trust of the public, the banks needed prudent borrowing and respect for loan contracts with serious commitment to honouring debt obligations.
He also called for a prudent supervision of the financial system within the framework of transparent regulations and laws.
He therefore urged the banks to introduce innovation and creativity by modifying their services to appeal to the needs of the customer.
The Zenith Bank Ghana Limited was declared the 2008 Bank of the Year for its achievement as the highest scoring bank in all the categories assessed by corporate customers.
The categories included best bank in retail banking, corporate banking, financial performance, advisory services, trade finance and customer care.
The bank also won second position for the Best bank in short term loan financing and the best growing bank, third position for the best bank in retail banking and the winner of the best bank financial performance.
The awards night was organised by Corporate Initiative Ghana (CIG) in consultation with KPMG.
Other banks that won awards were the United Bank of Africa, best bank in customer care, International Commercial Bank, best bank in advisory services, Cal Bank, best bank in product innovation, Ghana Commercial Bank, best bank in competitive pricing and the Intercontinental Bank, best growing bank.
The Corporate Affairs Director of CIG, Mr Willing Vanderpuije, said the banking awards were introduced to improve the quality and efficiency of delivery of financial services to the banking population in Ghana.
These awards scheme has gone a long way to promote creativity and foster development among banks in the country, he said.
He appealed to the banks to continue to support the awards scheme to create the conducive environment for customer satisfaction in the banking sector.
He said the economy needed a strong regulatory framework and sound financial system as a prerequisite for the growth of a healthy and stable economy.
He was speaking at the 8th Ghana Banking Awards gala last Saturday, which was on the theme: “Enhancing Confidence In The Ghanaian Financial System, In The Midst Of The Global Financial Crises”.
Dr Acquah said the fallout of the financial crises on financial institutions had been dramatic in many countries due to institutions that had been weakened under the wake of the crises.
He explained that the impact of the crises on Ghana was limited because the prices of goods remained relatively normal.
He, however, noted that an effective and prudent supervision of the financial system that is enforced evenly would create sustained stability in the country’s economy.
Dr Acquah said the country’s economy was in a position to withstand the global financial crisis but needed prudent financial management practices to achieve this.
He said one of the lessons from the global financial crisis was the need for a sound financial sector for the healthy growth of the economy.
The governor said the awards created an excellent platform for banks to compete and develop creativity in the banking sector.
Dr Acquah mentioned that the Bank of Ghana introduced certain measures to re-enforce the stability of the banks in the country, some of these he mentioned as the increased minimum capital of banks from GH¢ 7.0 million to GH¢ 60.0 million.
He again mentioned the recognition of ICT in financial service delivery and also a common electronic platform,e-zwich, which was established in furtherance of the development of the payment and settlement system, making it possible to link all banking institutions with a biometrics smartcard as a vehicle for the financial inclusion of everybody.
Dr Acquah said to build confidence and trust of the public, the banks needed prudent borrowing and respect for loan contracts with serious commitment to honouring debt obligations.
He also called for a prudent supervision of the financial system within the framework of transparent regulations and laws.
He therefore urged the banks to introduce innovation and creativity by modifying their services to appeal to the needs of the customer.
The Zenith Bank Ghana Limited was declared the 2008 Bank of the Year for its achievement as the highest scoring bank in all the categories assessed by corporate customers.
The categories included best bank in retail banking, corporate banking, financial performance, advisory services, trade finance and customer care.
The bank also won second position for the Best bank in short term loan financing and the best growing bank, third position for the best bank in retail banking and the winner of the best bank financial performance.
The awards night was organised by Corporate Initiative Ghana (CIG) in consultation with KPMG.
Other banks that won awards were the United Bank of Africa, best bank in customer care, International Commercial Bank, best bank in advisory services, Cal Bank, best bank in product innovation, Ghana Commercial Bank, best bank in competitive pricing and the Intercontinental Bank, best growing bank.
The Corporate Affairs Director of CIG, Mr Willing Vanderpuije, said the banking awards were introduced to improve the quality and efficiency of delivery of financial services to the banking population in Ghana.
These awards scheme has gone a long way to promote creativity and foster development among banks in the country, he said.
He appealed to the banks to continue to support the awards scheme to create the conducive environment for customer satisfaction in the banking sector.
SHS Duration
A national educational forum is expected to be held later this month to review the duration of the senior high school (SHS).
To that end, a 12-member committee has been constituted by the Ministry of Education to spearhead the forum, which is scheduled for May 27 and 28, 2009.
The committee is under the chairmanship of Dr Stephen Ayidiya of the University of Ghana. Other members are Prof P. N. Boatsi, Mr Kosi Kedem, Dr William Ahadzie and Dr Dominic Pealore.
The rest are Rev E. K. Dadebo, Alhaji Salifu Seidu, Ms Bernice Adu, Mrs Mary Quaye, Mr Asolla Solomon, Mr Emmanuel Acquaye and Ms Benedicta Naana Biney.
At a media briefing in Accra yesterday, the Minister of Education, Mr Alex Tettey-Enyo, said the forum would also provide a historical perspective on both the national educational forum of 1999 and the Presidential Education Reform Review Committee’s Report of 2002.
He said the forum was in line with the government’s pledge to ensure affordable and quality education for all Ghanaians, as indicated in the National Democratic Congress (NDC) manifesto.
He said the forum would also put to rest the debate on the introduction of the four-year SHS system and afford the public the opportunity to make their input into the educational policy of the country.
The minister later told the Daily Graphic that the underlying issue about the duration of the SHS had to do with building a quality educational system based on continuity.
Mr Tettey-Enyo said students who had begun the four-year system or would be admitted to SHSs would be made to complete their programmes.
A member of the committee and member of the 2002 presidential education reform review committee, Mr Emmanuel Acquaye, said the discussion would be made public to give Ghanaians the opportunity to understand the issues which went into the formulation of the policy to introduce the three-year or four-year programme.
To that end, a 12-member committee has been constituted by the Ministry of Education to spearhead the forum, which is scheduled for May 27 and 28, 2009.
The committee is under the chairmanship of Dr Stephen Ayidiya of the University of Ghana. Other members are Prof P. N. Boatsi, Mr Kosi Kedem, Dr William Ahadzie and Dr Dominic Pealore.
The rest are Rev E. K. Dadebo, Alhaji Salifu Seidu, Ms Bernice Adu, Mrs Mary Quaye, Mr Asolla Solomon, Mr Emmanuel Acquaye and Ms Benedicta Naana Biney.
At a media briefing in Accra yesterday, the Minister of Education, Mr Alex Tettey-Enyo, said the forum would also provide a historical perspective on both the national educational forum of 1999 and the Presidential Education Reform Review Committee’s Report of 2002.
He said the forum was in line with the government’s pledge to ensure affordable and quality education for all Ghanaians, as indicated in the National Democratic Congress (NDC) manifesto.
He said the forum would also put to rest the debate on the introduction of the four-year SHS system and afford the public the opportunity to make their input into the educational policy of the country.
The minister later told the Daily Graphic that the underlying issue about the duration of the SHS had to do with building a quality educational system based on continuity.
Mr Tettey-Enyo said students who had begun the four-year system or would be admitted to SHSs would be made to complete their programmes.
A member of the committee and member of the 2002 presidential education reform review committee, Mr Emmanuel Acquaye, said the discussion would be made public to give Ghanaians the opportunity to understand the issues which went into the formulation of the policy to introduce the three-year or four-year programme.
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