News
GSE revokes licences of two companies
The Ghana Stock Exchange (GSE) has revoked the licences of Liberty Securities Limited (LSL) and First Atlantic Brokerage Limited (FABL).
According to the GSE, the decision to expel the two companies was due to the various infractions with respect to rules of operations on the exchange.
A press statement issued by the GSE said LSL and FABL would not be able to execute trades on the market, provide advisory services to clients on capital market issues, and hold in lien or in trust clients’ accounts or their security holdings, in accordance to Rule 78 of the GSE Dealing Membership Rules.
Rule 78 of the GSE Dealing Membership Rules requires a member of the Exchange to comply with the prevailing requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission in respect of capital, liquidity, reports and returns.
In the case of FABL, the regulator noted that, the company had operated without an Authorised Dealing Officer (ADO) for more than three months.
In addition, the company’s financial status showed a significant deterioration in its operations, resulting in successive negative returns which have eroded shareholders’ funds, the statement said.
The FABL is in breach of regulation 22 of the SEC Regulations, 2003 (L.I. 1728), which requires a Broker-Dealer to maintain at any given time, minimum liquid fund amounting to at least 20 per cent of the aggregate indebtedness of the Broker-Dealer, the statement added.
Similarly, LSL were found to be operating without an ADO for more than three months, contrary to Rule 6(j) of the GSE Dealing Membership Rules.
Moreover, they had low net shareholders’ fund balance and low liquidity position and had been inactive on the market due to the lack of ADO to execute trades.
For customers of the now defunct stock traders, the Exchange said procedures have been provided for them to transfer their security accounts and security holdings to any LDM of their choice.
The GSE had also provided a help desk or a correspondence officer to each LDM to respond to clients’ issues.
Source: Ghanaian Times
News
Craze for x’mas shopping: Crowded markets, low patronage
Vendors of food and other wares associated with the Christmas celebration have expressed surprise at the low patronage despite the increased number of visitors to some of the major markets across the capital.
Four days to the celebration(Christmas), the markets are filled with various products ranging from food, clothing, livestock and many other stuff, but according to the vendors, patrons are doing more ‘window’ shopping.
The Spectator on visits to some of the markets in the capital, notably the Odawna, Makola, Accra Central Business District, New Town and others made similar observations as shoppers crowd them but did little in terms of purchases.
The paper also observed that majority of vendors, originally selling other wares have switched to product related to the festive season.
What it means is that there are a lot more clothes, food and vegetables, livestock and poultry, toys, firecrackers, drinks of different types and many others on display.
The markets have also stretched to the pedestrian pavement, leaving very narrow spaces for commuters to move about freely.
That, in addition to a few of the female vendors dressed in coloured attires to reflect the occasion, has heightened the euphoria, leaving the low sales as the only headache for the vendors.
Speaking with this paper, they sounded very optimistic, believing that sales would improve in the last few days to the yuletide.
According to them, there was the opportunity to sell beyond Christmas as the New Year celebration offers similar opportunity to trade the same wares.
They urged patrons to throng the markets to shop since prices were quite moderate and products affordable for all.
News
Retirement service for Elder John Ackom-Asante,3 others
Retired Deputy Editor of The Spectator, Elder John Ackom-Asante, was last Sunday honoured by the Church of Pentecost Windy Hills District in Kasoa in the Central Region, with a retirement thanksgiving service, after serving for 26 year as an Elder of the church.
He was honoured with a citation and certificate of service along with three other elders who served in the capacity for various years.
Elder Ackom-Asante was baptised at the Darkuman Central Assembly in 1979 and ordained as an Elder in 1997.
The citation read “Your selfless service, zeal, willingness to relate wholeheartedly and your desire to effect change has gone a long way to shape the lives of many people in the church and the nation over the 26 years of your dedication to the service of the Lord.”
Elder Ackom- Asante held many positions at the Darkuman Central Assembly, Obuasi in the Ashanti Region and Tema, serving in various capacities as youth and evangelism ministry leader and marriage counsellor.
He was the founding member of the Darkuman Christian Fellowship, a member of the Greater Accra Christian Fellowship; member of Bible Society of Ghana; founding member Obuasi Chapter Full Gospel Businessmen Fellowship International and founding member of New Times Corporation Christian Fellowship and Chaplain, Methodist University Tema Campus 2009- 2010.
As a professional journalist, Elder Ackom-Asante combined effectively and efficiently his duty as a member and elder of the church and the demands of his profession, with admiration from the church, kith and kin, till his retirement on December
From Alhaji Salifu Abdul-Rahaman, Kasoa
