Accra, Oct. 7, GNA - Social Watch, an international non-governmental organisation (NGO) on social development and gender discrimination has called on government to regulate activities of financial institutions in the country.
It said financial institutions, which were allowed to rely on their own internal mechanisms for risk management enabled them to transfer their irresponsible risk-taking to the most vulnerable in society. This was contained in the 2009 Global Report of the NGO on the theme: "People First' launched in Accra on Wednesday. It was launched by Dr Rose Mensah-Kutin, Convenor of Network for Women's Rights in Ghana, with oversight responsibilities on Social Watch, Ghana.
The report called on government to adopt measures to protect the human rights of the people, through robust banking and financial sector regulation.
It denied that availability of more financial institutions led to more capital flows to all sectors because available information indicated that there was no link between liberalised capital accounts and increased economic growth.
"Access to credit by marginalised groups is low, while large international banks have tended to eliminate the domestic banking industry on which the neediest depend," it said. The report called for a reform of the decision-making on economic policy to ensure such policies at the local and international levels were undertaken in accordance with the legal content that human rights regime offered.
It said spending on stimulus packages was necessary to ensure full implementation of human rights.
"Even in the face of public revenu e limitations, government must marshal the maximum available resources to ensure that full implementation of economic and social rights is progressively realised in the short and longer term, "it said. In another development, the NGO would organise its General Assembly meeting in Accra this month. It would be attended by about 100 delegates from 60 countries worldwide.
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