Accra, June 27, GNA - The Association of Ghana Industries on Wednesday launched its Business Climate Survey 2007, which will obtain information about current business constraints and other vital economic issues directly from the decision makers. Views of 300 top business executives would be sampled on various factors and economic indicators affecting the growth of enterprises in the country.

A similar survey in 2006 found that most chief executives overwhelmingly held that the national load shedding programme was impacting negatively on the businesses. Mr Tony Oteng-Gyasi, President of the AGI, said the scope of the programme was being broadened this year to include such sectors as services, mining and construction.

He said a new innovation would be to attach weight to the sectors to be sampled to ensure that the results obtained were close to reality. Mr Oteng-Gyasi said the credible views that would be expressed by the business executives would go a long way to position the private sector and the country's economy in the right manner. Mr. Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, Minister of Finance, lauded the AGI for its fact-based dialogue on issues of national importance. He said facts were important because they provided the basis for making informed decisions to see in which direction the country was moving.

Mr Baah-Wiredu said conducting the survey of enterprises at national, regional and district levels would help government to make informed decision.