organised by the Ghana Securities Industry Association (GSIA) to climax the Capital Market Week Celebrations.

The two schools engaged in a quiz with CUC leading led after the first tworounds but lost to UGBS who pulled their weight after debating in the third round on the topic "Assessing Corporate Governance Impact on Firms' Performances and Values".

President of the GSIA, Mr Emmanuel Alex Asiedu said that two decades ago, Ghana's stock market and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was small but has

now managed to grow up to about USD 50 billion. The stock market, he said, is much bigger now, however, there is still a lack of corporate governance

due the fact that current wealth is concentrated in the hands of a few people.

The debate was, therefore, meant to look at how corporate governance can improve the capital market saying "there is hope but it starts with putting up the right governance".

In his remarks, The Deputy Director General for the Securities and Exchange Commission, Mr Paul Ababio said that the current market has a lot of dynamics involved. He said that each market goes through turbulent times which actually bring out issues facing the industry thereby offering opportunities for growth.

Mr Ababio added that new ways of doings things are coming up and urged the students to look at evolving trends so they can learn by  engaging in projects and taking risks.

He noted that in emerging fields like Ghana, risk management is high hence the need for good corporate governance. He said that risk management neither means taking irresponsible exposure nor not taking risks at all but rather assessing activities, risk appetites, what is on the available market and what is the acceptable level of risk. He emphasized that risks cannot be avoided.

Mr Ababio also encouraged the students to take advantage of emerging technologies and to use their time and resources effectively .

Mr Sampson Akligoh, Director, Financial Services Division at the Ministry of Finance said that the financial industry has been in an extremely difficult situation in the last twenty months. He said that businesses are not tapping into the capital market because they lack the needed democracy. One of the ways to develop the capital market is embedded in culture and self governance.

Mr Akligoh noted that Ghana's capital market has developed, with visible growth in pensions, insurance and the stock market.

UGBS, winners of the competition walked away with a cash price of GHC5000.00, gift investment account vouchers, opportunity to undertake National Service with  the sponsors, certificates and more, while CUC won GHC3000.00, gift investment account vouchers, certificates and more.

Sponsors for the event held at the UGBS premises on 26th October, 2018 were Stanlib, FirstBanc, Bora Capital Advisors, UMB stockbrokers, CalAsset Management,  Republic Securities, Databank, Cidan Investments, Central Securities Depository and Boulders Advisors Limited.

The GSIA is an industry association of firms regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)ec with a current membership of 133 firms, comprising Investment Advisors, Fund Managers, Broker Dealers, Registrars, Custodians, a Stock Exchange, and a Depository.