Akropong-Akwapim (Eastern Region) 13 April '99

Mr Fuzzy Torbay, Member of Parliament for Okere, has asked the Divestiture Implementation Committee and the Ministry of Finance to float shares for companies under divestiture on the Stock Exchange. Part of the shares of such companies could be sold to workers of the company where they could use their end of service benefit or even raise loans to purchase them. Mr Torbay was addressing a seminar attended by 150 ward, branch and constituency executives of the Akwapim North District branch of the National Democratic Congress at Larteh Akropong on Monday. The seminar, also attended by Progressive Voluntary Organisations and other organs affiliated to the NDC, aimed at preparing the participants in party organisation, mobilisation and political propaganda in readiness for the 2000 parliamentary and presidential elections in the district. Mr Torbay, also chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Social Welfare, Employment and State Owned Enterprises, spoke of the low morale of workers of diversified companies, saying "they are not happy because of low salaries and lack of incentives." Mr Kofi Saforo, Eastern Regional Chairman of the NDC, said the seminar was the first of a series planned for all the 15 districts of the region. About 6,000 core organisers of the party in the region would be equipped with the necessary knowledge and strategies in the next three weeks to convincingly win all seats in the region in the 2000 elections. Mr Anthony Gyampoh, Akwapim North District Chief Executive, called for closer contacts with the people to enable them to explain government policies to the electorate.