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Institutional Repository of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology

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Determinants of FDI in Ghana: a cointegration analysis
(KNUST, 2016-06) Sevlo, Eustace Sakyi
ABSTRACT The inflow of foreign direct investment is hailed in most developing countries since it bridges gap between low domestic savings due to low incomes and hence low domestic investment. This research studied the Determinants of FDI in Ghana using Cointegration and VECM analysis. Using data from 1980 to 2014. Real exchange rate and its volatility, inflation, infrastructure development, trade openness, return on investment international interest rate and democracy (political stability) were the main variables of interest. The ARCH/GARCH models was used to model the volatility of real exchange rate. The volatility of real exchange in Ghana has been persistent over the years which is mostly takes the form of the falling cedi. The study found that there is positive long run causality running form Real Exchange Rate, Real, Infrastructure and Return on Investment to FDI inflows in Ghana. Whiles that of exchange rate volatility, inflation and trade openness has a negative long run relationship. In the long run these variables today could determine FDI in the next generation. It was found also that about 80% of irregularities in foreign direct investment inflow is corrected within the same time period. The study also established that there exist short run causality running from Real Exchange Rate, Trade Openness and Democracy to foreign direct investment in Ghana. The other variable were established to have a weak statistical significance
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Customer retention as a tool for organisational growth (a case study – Nwabiagya rural bank limited)
(KNUST, 2012-08) Boakye-Boateng, David
ABSTRACT Customer care has been the core agenda of most service providers especially when such businesses tune their mind to maximize output and to expand their market share. For an organization to be successful, it must look into the needs and wants of their customers. These need and want of the customers can be anticipated by considering the behavioral pattern of such customers. The banking industry is highly competitive, with banks not only competing among each other; but also with non-banks and other financial institutions (Kaynak & Kucukemiroglu, 1992; Hull, 2002). Most bank product developments are easy to duplicate and when banks provide nearly identical services, they can only distinguish themselves on the basis of price and quality. Therefore, customer retention is potentially an effective tool that banks can use to gain a strategic advantage and survive in today’s ever-increasing banking competitive environment. Apparently most customers do not complain on the poor services received from service providers, their only response to such companies is to discontinue transacting business with them. This possibly account to the reasons why many researchers and academicians have continuously emphasized on the importance of customer satisfaction and retention. Nwabiagya rural bank ltd is one of such organizations which seek to retain its valued customers as a means of growing their business. Customer satisfaction is important because many researchers have shown that customer satisfaction has a positive effect on an organization’s profitability. Due to this, the consequences of customer satisfaction and dissatisfaction must be considered. There is also a positive connection between customer satisfaction, and retention. Therefore, customer satisfaction, and retention are all very important for an organization to be successful.
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International gasoline price pass-through effects and the impact of domestic ex-pump prices on stock returns
(KNUST, 2016-06) Tutu, Dennis Ebo
ABSTRACT Domestic fuel pricing is a touchy subject for governments all over the world. Many advanced countries have adopted a full deregulation of their petroleum sectors to ensure that fuel prices are determined by the market. Governments of many developing and emerging economies however intervene to influence the timing and degree of changes in international fuel prices to domestic prices. These interventions not only account for the huge disparity in prices of petroleum product across the world but also result in the distortion of domestic fuel price from international prices, making it more difficult to predict. The first part of this study seeks to examine pass-through effects of international gasoline prices to domestic ex-pump prices to determine the timing and magnitude of changes in domestic prices as a result of changes in international prices in Ghana. Many researchers use crude oil price as a proxy for energy cost in their studies on Ghana and other developing countries, however, the distortions in domestic price as a result of government intervention makes the use of crude oil misleading when studying energy cost on domestic businesses. The second part of this study thus explores the impact of energy costs on stock returns in Ghana using domestic ex-pump gasoline price as a proxy. Empirical methods like Johansen cointegration model, Vector Autoregressive model (VAR), Vector Error Correction Model (VECM), Granger causality tests as well as Toda-Yamamoto procedure were adopted in the study. The results suggest both long and short run relationships between international and domestic ex-pump gasoline prices with changes on international gasoline market having an impact on domestic prices after three weeks although with minimal pass-through. The result from the second part of the study establishes causality from ex-pump gasoline prices to the Ghana stock exchange iii albeit weakly and also shows that gasoline prices impact the stock exchange after ten weeks.
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Impact of mergers and acquisitions on banks' performance in Ghana.
(KNUST, 2016-06) Nkrumah,Daniel Harrison
ABSTRACT Due to increasing competition, new financing possibilities and changes in regulation all over the world, mergers and acquisitions (M&A) have become popular strategic tools for growth. Every merger or acquisition, whether large or small, has inherent complexities that need to be clearly understood and properly addressed to ensure that value is created. Due to globalization and expansion of economies, firms will have to consolidate to be able to compete on international scale and be able to undertake big ticketing transactions. Some sectors such as finance, telecommunication and petroleum have been transformed since 1994 by the occurrence of very large-scale mergers and acquisitions. The larger the economy, the more likely to have more companies that could merge with each other and this creates a rippling effect which improves the economy. As such developing countries, of which Ghana is no exception, are now embracing the concept of pursuing acquisitions and mergers as a means of sustainable growth. This study analyzes beyond a single case study as it assessed the mergers of Ecobank Ghana and The Trust Bank (TTB), SocieteGenerale and SG SSB and Access bank and Intercontinental bank to evaluate whether the mergers of these groups has led to improvement in their performance. A financial analysis of the three merged banks before and after the merger was undertaken in this study to ascertain whether the merger has made the group better off than operating individually. Data were collected from the published annual reports and accounts of the selected banks and were subsequently uses STATA and Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) for the data analysis t-test statistics through statistical package for social sciences. It was found that the post-mergers and acquisitions‟ period was more financially efficient than the pre￾mergers and acquisitions period. iii iv However, to increase banks financial efficiency, the study recommend that banks should be more aggressive in their profit drive for improved financial position to reap the benefit of post mergers and acquisitions bid.
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Assessing the impact of information technology (IT) investment on business profitability (case study of selected commercial banks in Ghana)
(KNUST, 2016-06) Onwona-Agyemam,Anthony Lord
ABSTRACT This study was to provide empirical evidence on how investment in Information technology impact on business profitability using GLS regression model. (Clark, J.A. 1986; Ko, M., & Bryson, K. M., 2002). It was done by testing the significance of the choice variables (loans, deposit, expenditure on information technology and Bank of Ghana prime rate) on business profit. The rationale behind this work was to contribute and possibly put an end to the on-going debate on the exact impact of IT investment on firms’ profitability. The methodology focused on using financial ratios such as return on assets, return on equity, profit margin to assess business performance (Dehning & Richardson, 2002; Li & Johnson; 2002) The study uses panel dataset from the five commercial banks over a period of nine years from 2006 to 2014. The study found out that expenditure on information technology has no direct significant influence on profitability of the commercial banks. The study therefore recommends that commercial banks in Ghana should take a second look at continuous investment in information technology, as it may not necessarily give them the profit they are through thick and thin looking for directly.
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Evaluation of potential botanicals (Virnonia amygdalina and Ipomoea batatas) on the post-harvest quality characteristics of farmer-saved seed maize (Zea mays L.)
(KNUST, 2015-12) Mohammed, Sulley
ABSTRACT This study was conducted in order to evaluate the potentials of two botanicals, bitter leaf (Virnonia amygdalina) and sweet potato leaf (Ipomoea batatas) on the postharvest quality characteristics of farmer-saved seed maize (Zea mays L.) collected from respondents in the study areas, that is, Ejura, Sekyedumasi and Nkoranza communities. The seeds were treated with the tested botanical materials and stored for a period of four (4) months. The plant extracts, also called botanicals were compared with a synthetic chemical (Insector T45) dust, as a standard, and without chemical treatment as controls The same rates, 5.0% w/w,of each of the two plant extracts in powdered form and a synthetic chemical (Insector T45) at the rate of 0.25% w/w were admixed with one hundred grams seed lots of each of the five different seed maize varieties obtained across the study areas and packaged into high density polythene bags. Seed treatment with synthetic chemical and another without chemical treatment were used as a comparative control for the plant extract treatment. Results showed that all the two tested botanicals, Virnonia amygdalina and Ipomoea batatas have the ability to protect the seed maize quality characteristics during storage. This present finding or study recommend ground powder of bitter leaf (Virnonia amygdalina) and sweet potato leaf (Ipomoea batatas) as a good substitute to the synthetic chemical, insector T45, as a seed maize preservative during storage. The results are also discussed on the need to use plant extracts by resource poor small scale maize farmers as a sustainable and cost effective treatment application of stored seed maize as an alternative to synthetic chemical application treatment of seed maize during storage
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The challenges of continuous voter registration under the c.i.91 in the Wassa Amenfi East Municipal, Western Region.
(KNUST, 2019-06) Asante, Juliana Akosua
The purpose of this research is to examine how one such electoral reform, the C.I.91 has impacted on deepening the democratic culture. This research study was based on a review of available relevant literature and empirical study undertaken by the researcher. The empirical research was implemented through a qualitative study approach using semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders in the electoral process. The study produced some key findings; that the adoption of electoral reforms under the C.I.91 has vastly improved the confidence, trust and participation of the Ghanaian electorate by the use of the biometric voter registration and subsequent biometric verification of voters during the elections. The C.I.91 improved upon the CI 75 and created a sense of relative political stability and acceptability, especially after 2013 NPP election petition at the Supreme Court on the 2012 presidential election. Ghana won international praise and made the country a reference point for peaceful democracies most importantly after the Supreme Court. The ruling identified some shortcomings in the operational and legal framework of the EC and subsequently called for electoral reforms to keep the EC abreast with Current electoral needs and trends. On of such reform culminated in the enactment of the C.I.91. This study found out that these achievements of the EC are being hampered with some limitations among which are the implementation these reforms in rural districts and its impact on the delivery of election services to the electorates. The main conclusions drawn from the study were thatelectoral reforms were indispensable for the country’s march towards an advanced democracy; and that these limitations without redress seek to derail the benefits accrued from these reforms. Following on, this study argues for active participation and collaboration among stakeholders in proposing, promoting and implementing adequate electoral reforms.