GSE :  GSE Title: Prev (27/02/2014)GSE-CI: 2 416.96GSE-FSI: 2 163.34 GSE Title: Cur (28/02/2014)GSE-CI: 2 420.91GSE-FSI: 2 168.26 GSE Title: CYTD (01/01/13 - 28/02/2014)GSE-CI: 12.85GSE-FSI: 21.36 Market Capitalisation: Friday, February 28, 2014Ghc ammount: 59,410.63 million

The Wenchi Rural Bank in the Brong Ahafo Region plans to disburse GH¢3.6million to support about 4,000 women petty traders this year as soft loans under its microfinance scheme; this represents a sharp increase over the GH¢2.4million that was given out to 2000 women beneficiaries under the loan-package last year. The planned move is in line with the bank’s goal of providing excellent banking services to its customers and help reduce poverty in the Brong Ahafo Region and the country as a whole,

Water and electricity are scarce and cherished commodities in Ghana, and residents in Dunkonah are privileged not to lack the prized service. For many years, access to quality drinking water and electricity have been a challenge -- especially for people in the country's capital Accra, where attempts to match demand to supply has been hit and miss or largely failed. Policymakers have already ruled out any strategy that will ensure that Ghana is able to halve the number of people who do not

The controversial Value Added Tax (Amendment) Bill that was approved by Parliament on 15 November 2013, despite a walkout by minority members, received Presidential assent on 30 December 2013 and was gazetted on 31 December 2013. As a result, the Value Added Tax Act, 1998 (Act 546) as amended has been repealed and replaced by the Value Added Tax Act, 2013 (Act 870) -- the new VAT Act. The new VAT Act does not provide for an effective date of commencement and, consequently, became effective on 31

After an impressive display of the latest mobile gadgets and technology, this year’s Mobile World Congress has come to an end in the Spanish city of Barcelona. The 4-day event attracted at least 1,800 exhibitors and at least 80,000 visitors. The highlight of this year’s MWC was the unveiling of the new flagship phone of Korean phone manufacturer Samsung, the Galaxy S5. Its unveiling dwarfed several phones that were also unveiled during that the well-attended event. The new Galaxy S5 -- yet-to-be-released,

Guinness Ghana Breweries Limited (GGBL) has introduced the first-ever portable spirits packaging and bottling line in Africa. The ultra-modern packaging line, which is christened the CUBE, blends and bottles GGBL’s first mainstream spirit Gilbey’s Dry Gin -- a brand with a strong heritage, a high quality liquid, and distinctive packaging. Key stakeholders and industry regulators including Haruna Iddrisu, Minister of Trade and Industry; James Asare Agyei and Seth Twum-Akwaboah, President and

The Business Sector Advocacy Challenge Fund’s (BUSAC) bold initiative to organise a series of advocacy programmes aimed at reducing to the barest minimum the use of agrochemicals through the enforcement of bye-laws is welcome. It is a laudable initiative since the misapplication of agrochemicals is a big problem among smallholder farmers in the country as a whole, since most are unlettered and have little or no formal education. Additionally, the spread of agricultural extension officers across

Projections for 2013 suggest fish farmers produced 70 million tonnes of fish, which is 44 percent of the total fishery output. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation says the booming world fish trade is generating more wealth than ever before, and that countries must help small-scale fishers and fish farmers benefit too! The record trade figures reflect the strong growth in aquaculture output and the high prices for a number of species such as salmon and shrimp. Developing countries

Frank Annor-Dompreh, Member of Parliament (MP) for Nsawam-Adoagyiri has said that there was the need for a law to be passed to govern the affairs of the aged and pledged to embark on that campaign in parliament, together with his colleagues. Mr. Annor-Dompreh said that caring for the aged was a huge task and, therefore, a law supporting their care will go a long way to create a better environment for them. The MP was speaking at the launch of Blue Cross Foundation, a non- governmental organisation,

For about 20 years now, Leasafric Ghana Limited has been carrying out the business of leasing and provision of ancillary services. It has remained for years one of the most profitable leasing companies in Ghana. The company, previously 100 percent Ghanaian-owned, is now controlled by a combination of Ghanaian individuals and C&I Leasing Plc – the only leasing company listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange. Leasafric commenced business in June 1994. The Bank of Ghana subsequently licensed it

The Ghana Free Zones Board (GFZB) and its members will not be affected by the recent directives from the Bank of Ghana (BoG) about foreign exchange transactions, the Central Bank has said. On February 4, the Central Bank issued and renewed its rules governing transactions with foreign currency in the country. The action was necessitated by the recent continuous depreciation of the cedi against the dollar and other currencies. Chief Manager at the Governor’s department, Dr. Johnson P. Asiama said

The country’s average per capita fish consumption is reckoned at 23 kilogrammes per annum and fish demand will outstrip supply until 2023, thus making the country a net importer of fish. This is in spite of the fact that fish imports serve as a potential revenue source for government since there is a mandatory 15% import tax on seafood imported into the country. The country’s highest export of fish was in 2011, when it exported 44,114.82 metric tonnes of fish with a value of US$254 million.

Nations have passed almost 500 laws to tackle climate change, with emerging economies led by Mexico and China making the most progress last year, a study by Globe International found. A total of 62 out of the 66 countries examined have passed or are working on “significant” climate or energy-related laws, Globe said today in a report. Venezuela, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Canada lack “flagship” legislation, according to the group, an alliance of global lawmakers. Progress

Firewood and charcoal account for 52 percent of all energy used in the country, and this raises fears that the country may not achieve the Millennium Development Goal 7 (Target 9) and ECOWAS’ white paper for energy access by 2015. The ECOWAS white paper, which is in line with the MDG, aims at increasing access to energy services, thereby creating a conducive environment for poverty reduction and enhanced economic and social development. Apart from the Ashanti and Greater Accra Regions, where

Some of the newly-licenced 4G Internet service providers have signalled their intention to avoid price wars with competitors who also provide data communication services to consumers as they prepare to make 4G wireless mobile networks available in the country. The NCA last year issued the country’s first three LTE (Long Term Evolution) licences -- marketed as 4G LTE -- to three operators, BLU Telecom, Surfline and Goldlkey, for a combined fee of US$18million to enable them provide high-speed mobile

The goal of transforming Ghana’s economy could be jeopardised if government does not do more to re-establish macroeconomic stability, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) warned yesterday. Addressing journalists in Accra after an annual review of the economy by visiting IMF officials, the Fund pointed to difficult times ahead if additional measures to control the government wage bill, boost taxes, and curb borrowing to reduce interest rates are not implemented. “The success of the government’s