Business News of Wednesday, 4 January 2012

Source: GNA

Bank lending rates should match economic gains - Oneghana Network

Ho, Jan 4, GNA - Oneghana Network, a Ho-based pressure group on Wednesday called on banks to let the visible gains in the economy reflect in their lending policies.

It said the banks should go beyond the current marginal reduction in the rates with special dispensations for Small-Scale Enterprises (SMEs) which represented a vital ingredient in rural development.

These were contained in a statement released to Journalists at a press interaction in Ho on Wednesday.

The Network which is politically neutral with focus on the Volta region, said the private sector should play “key roles to achieve accelerated growth for the country”.

The statement was read by Eric Kwame Afenyo, Secretary and Convener, flanked by George Tasiame, President and two of the Network’s district representatives, Light Tornyi, Adaklu Anyigbe and Jones Fritzmaclean, Keta.

The Network said it had noted with relief the extent of infrastructural development in the Volta Region especially on school projects and that the University of Allied Sciences was on course.

The Network lauded the audit forays of the Mutual Health Insurance Schemes in the region which led to the retrieval of 17 million Ghana Cedis from Service Providers.

It said the health insurance scheme as an important social intervention policy needed the help of all the citizenry to succeed.

The Network praised President Mills’ stand on the Alfred Woyome saga for a full-scale enquiry and called for a thorough investigation into the cocaine turned sodium bicarbonate case.

The Oneghana Network said it would soon come out with monitoring reports about the districts including quality and rate of work on the many contracts in the region.