President John Agyekum Kufuor says government is resolved to significantly change the profile of the majority of Ghanaians, who have for far too long been living in abject poverty. He said the World Bank is working closely to finalise the Poverty Reduction Strategy Credit.
"We are also using our HIPC resources to fight poverty and improve the quality of life for our people," he added.
This was contained in a speech read on his behalf by Finance Minister, Yaw Osafo Maafo at the opening session of a two-day Accountants Conference in Accra.
He said the HIPC initiative, the President's Special Initiatives and other measures so far taken by the government constitute "step by step building blocks" intended to create the right environment and provide infrastructural facilities that would enable Ghanaians to create wealth and thereby reduce poverty.
The President however noted that the success of these measures would be limited unless professional groups like accountants proactively join hands with government in the crusade. "It is a fundamental guiding principle of my government that unless positive steps are taken to eliminate or at least significantly reduce the endemic corruption in our society, all our efforts will come to naught."
President Kufuor, therefore, called for proactive involvement of accountants in fighting and preventing fraud, especially white-collar crime.
The President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants, John Klinogo appealed to government to support the institute's Accountancy School Project to train more professionally qualified accountants to move the country's economic development forward.
The Institute of Chartered Accountants, Ghana is organising the conference on the theme: "Ghana and Trade Liberalisation," to deliberate on topical national issues.
