Financial Literacy Week fixed for Sept 22 (Page 57)

THE Technical Advisor to the Finance Ministry, Dr Sam Mensah ,has said that with the right information many Ghanaians would go in for better investment opportunities that would enhance their living standards.
Dr Mensah expressed these sentiments at a media briefing in Accra on a planned Financial Literacy Week programme scheduled between September 22, and September 28, 2008.
The objective of the programme which is the first of its kind, is to create awareness among the Ghanaian public on the various financial issues which include the availability of products being offered by the financial institutions to encourage the public to invest and also make the right choice when investing.
Dr Sam Mensah said lack of knowledge on issues of finance had prevented many Ghanaians from putting in place the appropriate measures to enhance their economic conditions and also plan toward a better retirement.
He mentioned some of the products as insurance, buying of shares and also investing in various businesses that could help create wealth for the individual and allow the economy to grow.
Throwing more light on the week-long programme which he said would be an annual event, the Technical Advisor said it was a follow-up to the Financial Sector Strategic Plan which was introduced by the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning in 2003 and expressed the hope that the programme would be sustained.
He said after the official launch on September 22, 2008, there would be a series of activities such as radio and television panel discussions, public education and outreach programmes, literacy workshops, public fora and community financial fitness day, among others.
Dr Mensah mentioned some of the topics to be discussed during the period as Investing in Shares and Bonds; Financial Services and Products—Benefits to the Public; Investing in Mutual Funds and Unit Trust; Saving to Build Wealth, Managing your Money as well as Knowledge is Money.
Some of the institutions scheduled to take part in educating the public included the Finance Ministry, Securities and Exchange Commission, the Ghana Stock Exchange, the Association of Bankers, the National Insurance Commission, Ghana Insurers Association, the Ghana Securities Industry Association and the Bizliteracy Solutions, among others.