Ghana to host stock exchanges conference

Story: Boahene Asamoah
GHANA will next month host the 11th African Securities Exchanges Association (ASEA) conference and annual general meeting in Accra.
ASEA is made up of 18 Stock Exchanges, across 25 African countries.
Delegates from mainly African countries and other countries are expected to participate in the three-day conference, which will provide the participants the opportunity to forge partnership and collaboration between African bourses and other exchanges.
The conference is expected to bring together government officials, regulators, stock brokers, fund managers and investment analysts from all over the world.
Launching the 11th ASEA conference in Accra yesterday, the Managing Director of the Ghana Stock Exchange (GSE), Mr K.S. Yamoah said the conference would be on the theme “African Capital Markets; The next Investment Frontier” and it was aimed at focusing on important issues affecting African capital markets.
The conference would look at tapping the specific experiences of different African markets to assist in accelerating economic growth through greater and quality investment in Africa.
It would also help in strategising by African stock exchanges to play more meaningful roles in the development of their respective economies.
Mr Yamoah stated that the association was established with the objective of establishing a systematic mutual co-operation; exchange of information, materials and persons; mutual assistance as well as the organisation of joint programmes between the members.
He said the association also offered assistance to members in the establishment of stock exchanges and the development of financial instruments and the promotion of stockbrokers and dealers.
Mr Yamoah said the theme was appropriate as fund managers all over the world had begun to look at African capital markets as a means of diversifying their investment portfolio.
The General Manager of the GSE, Mr Ekow Afedzi, said the conference would comprise an annual general meeting and a conference.
Mr Afedzi said for the first time there would be a policy roundtable to bring together policy makers and other stakeholders to fashion out policies that would develop further the African capital markets.
Kenya, South Africa, Nigeria, Egypt, Mauritius and Zambia among other countries have hosted the ASEA conference in the past.
Speakers would include Mr Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Dr Mrs Ndi Okereke-Onyiuke, Director General of the Nigerian Stock Exchange and other speakers from Africa and abroad.