A virtual training for journalists from Greater Accra, Ashanti, Western and Volta regions on Finance and Economics has ended in Accra.
The training christened the Finance and Economics Clinic held for journalists, was organised by El de D Consult, a marketing communication firm and supported by the Public Affairs Section of the United States of America Embassy in Accra.
Participants were taken through various topics, including an introduction to Macro Economics, Economic History of Ghana, introduction to Finance and Financial Markets, Covid-19 and the Economy and the National Electronic Payment System.
Others included Originating and Execution Debt Transactions and the workings of the World Bank in Ghana, among others. The training programme though virtual, had face-to-face sessions held in Ho, Takoradi, Kumasi and Accra, for data journalism.
All the face-to-face sessions, except in Accra, had the Regional Economic Planning Officers of the respective regions interact with the participants and made presentations on the form and nature of the regional economies.
Speaking at the closing ceremony in Accra, the Counselor at the Public Affairs Section of the United States Embassy in Accra, Virginia Elliott, urged the journalists to put the knowledge acquired to good use.
She said the US government was a strong advocate of free speech and would, therefore, assist any effort to build the capacity of journalists to enable them to perform their roles more effectively.
The President of the Ghana Journalists Association, Mr Affail Monney, said equipping journalists with the requisite knowledge to do their work was very important.
He commended El de D Consult for the initiative and urged the organization not to relent in its efforts to train journalists in the specialized area of Finance and Economics.
Other speakers at the closing ceremony were the External Affairs Officer at the World Bank Ghana Office, Ken Fosu, who linked the work of journalists to the fight against poverty and development of a country, which he explained was a major focus of the World Bank.He said the Bank was interested in the capacity building of journalists as that complemented the work of the Bank.
Chief Executive of El de D Consult, Fred Avornyo noted that building the capacity of journalists in financial reporting is non-negotiable.
He explained that “it is only when the leaders know that they are being watched and watched by those who have the capacity to analyze the implications of their policies, that they will be forced to sit up and do the right thing, at all times.
”He said despite the daunting challenges, efforts would be made to sustain the Finance and Economics Clinic and call on organisations to support this worthy cause.
