Improving Business Practice (IBP), the
organization managing the Ghana Business Code (GHBC), on
Wednesday stepped up its awareness programmes to educate the
business sector and the public on the Code and recent changes made to
it.
IBP is currently introducing several activities to intensify its public
education campaigns through the mass media as well as personal and
small group communication activities to reach and get greater number
of companies to sign on to the idea.
Mr. Johnson Oduro, IBP Manager, told the media in an interaction
in Accra to provide updates in the development of the Code, which
was started in 2006, that the move was in line with the organizations’
commitment to facilitate best practices among the business community.
He said it was important that the business community and the public
appreciated the need for businesses to operate by a set of standards
that created trust between an enterprise and its stakeholders.
The GHBC is a voluntary code involving a set of norms developed
by the three main business associations in Ghana - Association of
Ghana Industries, Ghana National Chamber of Commerce and Ghana
Employers’ Association - intended to guide the conduct of business
operations.
The code outlines acceptable corporate socially responsible
standards regarding human rights, labour, environment and
anti-corruption.
It also gives companies a recognition that broadens business
opportunities, both internationally and locally, for business growth.
About 120 companies have signed onto the code. Denmark is
supporting the development and implementation of the code.
Mr Oduro said based on a stakeholder review of the code, it was
amended to get businesses to support and respect the protection of the
rights to work by providing a contract, that details job duties, payment,
hours of work, holidays and holiday payment when employing
someone for more than two months.
The change, he said, was to reflect what was termed as
appointment.
The amendment to the code stipulates that businesses should
support and respect the protection of the right to family life by offering,
where necessary, paid compassionate leave on grounds of parental
responsibility, ill health, child birth and death.
Mr Oduro said in subsequent months, the IBP would be working
with industry to bring the message of the code to them to increase their
appreciation and motivate them not only to sign onto it but to also
implement it.
He said the IBP would be involved in thematic issues like gender,
transparency, organizational health and safety and HIV/AIDS and focus
on assisting enterprises in policy development.