Accra, Aug. 25, GNA - A new financial and business newspaper, 'Ghanaian Trade Focus', designed to promote locally made products and industries was launched on Wednesday in Accra.

The 12-page paper published by Mr Francis Akron-Botchway, Managing Director of Sound and Vision Multikom Network Limited, will help analyse scientific and technological issues and assist policy makers and opinion leaders in the formulation and execution of policies.

Mr Ben Eghan, Chief Director of the Ministry of Communications, who did the launching, said the newspaper had come at a time when there was urgent need for free and faster flow of information in the area of trade by investors and consumers.

He said the government had put in place mechanisms to encourage high patronage of made-in-Ghana goods. Mr Eghan said the high patronage of locally produced products would enable the country to save foreign currency and increase the export of non-traditional agricultural goods.

He expressed the hope that the publishers of the Ghanaian Trade Focus would ensure balanced reporting and desist from publishing libelous and false information. Mr Edward Ameyibor, News Editor of the Ghana News Agency who chaired the function, called for the waiver of the duty on the importation of newsprint and computers.

Mr Ameyibor said high taxes on newsprint and computers add to the cost of production, making newspapers expensive and unbearable to the consumer. He advised journalists to focus their attention on financial and industrial issues to promote the economy.

Mr Ameyibor said the policies on free zones, industrialization, investment and economic development call for intensive media education to enable the public and investors to make informed decision on economic activities.

Mr Akron-Botchway appealed to the government to encourage departments and agencies to advertise in the private newspapers to sustain the performance of the media and national development.

He said the newspaper will be non-political and called for co-operation and support from the government and other organizations to enable the newspaper to realize its objectives.