A call has been made on government to create more opportunities for local firms as to strengthen them for national development. Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Cal Bank, Mr. Frank Adu Jr., said this at the launch of Cal Bank Ghana Limited’s 20th anniversary in Accra last week. Mr. Adu underscored the need for stakeholders and government to give local entrepreneurs and industries the opportunities and incentives to aid in developing the country, and cites the emerging oil industry as one viable sector that needs to be opened up to local investors. "We should not as a country continue marginalising the Ghanaian investor; let us celebrate the Ghanaian investor," Mr. Adu says. He cited that the Bank's profit line is 78% over last year's position and currently has over 23,000 shareholders, indicating the sterling performance of Cal Bank as an indigenous institution in the country's banking industry. Mr. Adu has therefore advocated the need to promote Domestic Direct Investment (DDI) over Foreign Direct investment (FDI) and urges the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre, the Ministry of Trade and other economic institutions to measure and acknowledge the contributions of DDI to the economy. Mr. Paarock VanPercy, board chairman of Cal Bank, on his part enumerated the bank's vision for the next 20 years through serving as an example of Ghanaian business excellence by providing innovative financial solutions and becoming results-oriented towards their shareholders. Cal bank was set up 20 years ago and started operations under the name Continental Acceptance Limited as a merchant bank. The bank has evolved over the years to provide a wide array of technologically-motivated banking services. The launch also saw 20 people win in the Cal Bank Salaried Account Promotion Draw instituted in the months of April to June. The first five winners had their salaries increased fivefold while the remaining 15 people had their salaries doubled. Source: B&FT