Instill confidence in the economy – ISSER tells gov’t

A professor of the Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research (ISSER) on Tuesday asked government to take steps to instill confidence in the economy to maintain the relative stability of the cedi against the dollar.

Professor Peter Quartey said in a competitive global economy, which allowed the free flow of investment resources, the loss of confidence in the economy could scare investors and individuals.

Prof Quartey was speaking in an interview in Accra, after the inauguration of a state of the art ISSER Conference Facility with a video conferencing unit and a survey unit to enhance scientific survey practice.

The government, he said, should also deal with the serious cash transactions taking place among Ghanaian traders and their Asian counterparts.

There is also the need to ensure that withdrawals of dollars from the system followed laid down regulations, he said, adding that in some countries one needed to present the passport even when doing transactions in the forex bureau.

Prof Quartey said government must also take steps to discourage the use of physical cash and rely on use of debit cards for transactions.

In a speech read on his behalf, Mr Lee Ocran, Minister of Education, hailed the Institute’s achievement, saying it testified that with the right policies in place, the government’s vision of quality education by improving the existing infrastructure could be achieved.

He said ISSER was positioning itself to help launch the country into the middle income economy through the use of the building to enhance research and promote the training of personnel.

Mr Ocran expressed the hope that the facility would be well maintained.

Prof Clement Ahiadeke, Director of ISSER, said apart from promoting advance and innovative survey methodology and practice, the facility would also house international offices.

Source: GNA