DAILY GRAPHIC

The Graphic for the second consecutive day, adorned its front page with stories about Princess Diana who was killed in a motor accident in Paris on Sunday. Today's issue of the Graphic carries a banner headline: "Unique Funeral for Diana on Saturday", with the accompanying story saying that Britain's Princess Diana will be given a "unique funeral for a unique person" on Saturday in the London abbey used for centuries by the monarchy in times of joy and sorrow. The Graphic says Buckingham Palace announced yesterday that the "people's princess", who died with her companion Dodi Al Fayed and their chauffeur in a Paris car chase with photographers last Sunday, will be honoured at a service in Westminster Abbey. GRI

"NPP to attend forum", is the headline of another front page story which says the New Patriotic Party (NPP) will attend and fully participate in today's national economic forum in Accra. The Graphic says this was the outcome of a meeting between representatives of the NPP and the government under the chairmanship of the Vice- President, Professor J.E.A. Mills. Mr Ekow Spio-Garbrah, Minister of Communications announced this at a news conference in Accra yesterday which was attended by representatives of the Trades Union Congress, the Private Enterprise Foundation, the National Development Planning Commission as well as the NPP shadow Minister of Finance, Dr Kofi Apraku. The Graphic says President Jerry John Rawlings will open the forum with a major statement on the difficulties facing the economy, measures already under way and new proposals to resolve the socio-economic problems. The Minority Group in Parliament last week announced it would not participate in the forum, complaining that the group had been marginalised in the building of a national consensus on efforts to resolve problems inhibiting the country's economic growth. GRI

A back page story of the Graphic says as member of the Council of State, Naa (Dr) Puore Puobe Chiir VII, has called on rural banks to support individuals and organised group farmers financially to enable them to underetake large-scale food production for both home consumption and export. According to the Graphic Naa Chiir stressed that one of the most effective ways of reducing inflation and ensuring rapid economic growth is for the government to encourage massive agricultural production and minimise food importation. Naa Chiir, who is also the Paramount Chief of the Nandom traditional area, said it is against this background that the government has appointed 110 district agricultural directors to work towards boosting food production. The Council of State member was addressing the 15th Annual General Meeting of the Nandom Rural Bank at Nandom at the weekend. GRI