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Business News of Thursday, 31 July 2003

Source: GNA

WR PSWU against GCB divestiture

Ketan (W/R), July 31, GNA - Members of the Western Regional branch of the Public Services Workers Union (PSWU) of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), on Wednesday stated that the divestiture of government shares in the Ghana Commercial Bank would be "suicidal" for the country's economy. They said, "The Bank, offers hope for a large number of Ghanaian workers, the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) and other state institutions".

In a communiqu=E9 at the end of its Seventh Regional Delegates Conference at Ketan near Sekondi, the workers said the government should look for financial experts and consultants to provide alternative means of rejuvenating the Bank.

On the funding of political parties, the delegates said, it was too early and instead called on the government to improve existing salaries and wages and social security benefits.

They also noted that it was dangerous and unfair for the government to use part of the social security contributions to fund the National Health Insurance Scheme and called on the government as a matter of urgency, to devise new methods of funding the scheme.