Ghana Palaver

"Turbulence in forex market ends" says the banner headline of Ghana Palaver is attributed to President Rawlings.

The story has it that President Rawlings in his sessional address to parliament on Thursday confirmed an end to turbulence in the Ghanaian foreign exchange market.

The paper report him as stating that though the decline is not as much as was hoped for it is still heartening particularly considering the factors which exerted an upward pressure on inflation.

President Rawlings is said to have concluded that for the second consecutive years interest rates came down like inflation. Developments that are indication of governments' efforts at providing a frame work for sustainable macro economic stability.

Both the Daily Graphic and the Ghanaian Times carried stories on President Rawlings sessional address to parliament yesterday. The Graphic's front-page lead reports the president as saying the country needs a just, simply and speedy judicial system to move the country forward.

He said the investor community must be assured that they will not be frustrated with delays, adjournments and cumbersome judicial procedures. He is also reported to have mentioned land tenure and legal system and how they affect investment. He said to have cited an example of how the judicial system have been used to frustrate an investor and said if these things happens, both the investor and the Ghanaian economy suffer and a negative impression is created on Ghana's investment opportunities, the Gateway Project and the Vision 2020.

The Ghanaian Times headline reads "Gov't 'll stay on Dev. Course. President assured Ghanaians". The paper says the President pledged that his government would continue its orderly and equitable development of the country. He is said to have mentioned improvement in the health education, agriculture and continued development of road and highway infrastructure, transport and communications. He also mentioned improvement in the energy sector, promotion of private sector growth, sports and culture.