Access Bank supports Ghana Economic Forum

In line with its thought-leadership role -- and being a catalyst for economic development -- Access Bank Ghana has partnered the Business and Financial Times (B&FT) as a Platinum Sponsor for the 2014 edition of the Ghana Economic Forum (GEF), to be held tomorrow at the Movenpick Ambassador Hotel in Accra.

This is the second successive year that Access Bank has partnered the B&FT in organising the Ghana Economic Forum, which is a platform to debate and decide viable solutions to Ghana’s economic challenges and prospects.

This year’s edition is the third and will be under the theme “Building a Prosperous Economy: Time for New Solutions”.

Speakers will include President John Dramani Mahama; P.V. Obeng, Chair of the National Development Planning Commission; Dr. Kofi Amoah, CEO of Progeny Ventures Inc; Prof. Felix Asante, Director of the Institute of Statistical Social and Economic Research (ISSER); Dr. Paul Acquah, former Governor of the Bank of Ghana; Tony Oteng Gyasi, CEO of Tropical Cable and Conductor Ltd.; and Kwame Pianim, economist and investment consultant, amongst others.

Explaining why Access Bank is sponsoring the forum, the Managing Director Mr. Dolapo Ogundimu said: “The Ghana Economic Forum provides an excellent opportunity for the private sector to discuss and make critical policy inputs for national and economic development.

“Our support for this important stakeholder forum therefore demonstrates Access Bank’s commitment to facilitating economic development across the markets in which it operates.

“As a key player in the financial services industry, we shall continue to invest in critical stakeholder platforms where both government and private sector actors will work together imaginatively to redirect the country toward economic prosperity.”

Access Bank is aspiring to be the World’s Most Respected African Bank, and this is consistent with its aspiration of becoming a catalyst of socio-economic development across Africa by establishing viable alliances and collaborations with reputable global organisations.

Mrs. Edith Dankwa, Chief Executive Officer of the B&FT, praised the partnership with Access Bank and said the Ghana Economic Forum will once again lead the discussion on important issues affecting the economy.
“The Ghana Economic Forum will set the agenda again, as it always did in the past. We will debate an issue that many Ghanaians have pondered over at some point in their reflections on our development -- that is, whether we are on the right development path and pursuing the right strategy,” she said.

“We want to consider new ideas for solving age-old problems. We want to consider both the small and significant improvements that we can bring to agriculture and industry, for instance -- two areas where our potential is grossly underutilised. Equally important, we’ll be asking: how does Ghana finance its development and provide capital for its entrepreneurs?” she added.

The Ghana Economic Forum, Mrs. Dankwa said, will also take stock of recent economic developments such as the weakness of the cedi, and hear delegates’ innovative solutions for addressing the country’s problems.
Up to 300 delegates comprising chief executives, industry chieftains, entrepreneurs and influential policymakers are expected to attend the forum.