Business News of Friday, 8 June 2007

Source: GNA

Business Leaders meet on APRM

Accra, June 8, GNA - Ghanaian business leaders have met in Accra to consider how the National African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) Programme of Action under the good corporate governance theme is being monitored. The objectives of the meeting held at the instance of the APRM Governing Council, to deepen the understanding of business sector associations and other professional groups as stakeholders of the process and getting them actively involved in monitoring the progress of the Programme of Action.

The APRM Programme of Action is a set of recommendations proposed by Ghanaians for implementation by government, during the country review process. They are specific areas of interest to the private sector under the corporate governance theme.

The recommendations include promoting an enabling environment and effective framework for economic activities and ensuring that corporations act as good corporate citizens as regards human rights. Other areas of interest include; social responsibility and environmental sustainability; promoting the adoption codes of good business ethics in achieving the objectives of corporations while ensuring that corporations treat all stakeholders fairly; while providing for accountability of corporations, directors and officers. Welcoming participants to the meeting, Reverend Professor S.K Adjepong, Chairman of the APRM Governing Council said the council had developed a monitoring and evaluation framework to monitor the progress of implementation of the Programme of Action by all stakeholders. He said the implementation of the Programme of Action had been included in the Growth and Poverty Reduction Strategy (GPRS II). He confirmed that the Minister of Finance had directed that Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDAs) report on progress being made in the implementation of the Programme of Action. As part of the monitoring process, questionnaires were administered to participants to directly elicit their views on the implementation of the process under the corporate governance theme.