Kumasi, Oct 09, GNA - A Convention People's Party (CPP) government will give priority attention to the reactivation of all industries and projects initiated by the first President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah but abandoned by successive regimes.
Mr George Aggudey, the CPP presidential candidate, said this initiative was central to the party since apart from enhancing productivity, revitalisation of the industries would also serve as a source of employment for the youth.
Mr Aggudey made the statement when he spoke on "My Vision for Ghana Beyond 2004" at a public lecture organised by the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Kumasi on Friday. The lecture was organised by the university authorities to create a platform for the presidential aspirants to educate the public especially staff and students on their vision.
He said any government will be doing harm and disservice to the good people of Ghana if such vital industries which were executed with "our own resources are left to go waste in the name of politics and ideology".
The CPP presidential candidate said it is also the mission of a government of the CPP to pursue a policy that would make agriculture not just attractive but also very lucrative and be perceived as a full time profession and not a part time vocation.
Mr Aggudey said a CPP government would achieve such a goal by genuinely committing itself to the provision of requisite resources and support schemes to farmers at the right time and also organising them into co-operative groups and ensuring ready market for their produce. He said the CPP had identified housing as one of the worse enemies of Ghanaian workers and in order to address the problem, the party would evolve a housing policy to help the average workers to own their own houses.
"All these policies would be fashioned out in active collaboration and in consultation with the various stakeholders including the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) in a drive to make them more relevant and responsive", he added.
With regards to health care, Mr Aggudey said the CPP plans to review the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) to make it more responsive to the health needs of the vulnerable.
Mr Aggudey said the CPP was not happy that Ghana's economic development continues to be permanently dictated by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank.
He said a CPP government is poised to appeal to the IMF and World Bank to revise their assistance policy to Ghana in a manner as to enhance accelerated development.