Business News of Friday, 17 January 2020

Source: laudbusiness.com

Ghana provides productive employment opportunities – MoF

Deputy Minister for Finance, Charles Adu Boahen Deputy Minister for Finance, Charles Adu Boahen

A Deputy Minister for Finance, Charles Adu Boahen, has given a firm indication that Government’s desire to take Ghana out of the aid dependency syndrome was on course.

Speaking at the plenary session of the maiden edition of the Results Fair spearheaded by the Ministry of Monitoring and Evaluation, he noted that, this was a vision of a Ghana that was prosperous enough beyond having to depend on the charity of others.

Hon. Adu Boahen further stated that the vision is a “Ghana that has modernized its agriculture, developed internationally competitive manufacturing and modern services; that adds value to its agricultural and natural resources; a Ghana that provides productive employment opportunities”.

Other distinguished personalities on the plenary included the Minister for Trade and Industry, Hon. Alan Kyeremanten, and the Minister for Food and Agriculture, Hon. Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto who is the Member of Parliament for Kwadaso Constituency in the Ashanti Region.

On the state of the economy, he said “Ghana’s macroeconomic outlook and medium-term prospects remains strong and favourable, supported by strong activity in the extractive industry that is oil, gold and bauxite, a safer and resilient banking system, prudent macroeconomic policy stance, rapid infrastructure and oil sector investment as well as favourable external environment”.

Mr. Adu Boahen revealed that Government’s agriculture sector flagship initiatives, “Planting for Food and Jobs”, Rearing for Food and Jobs” as well as the “Planting for Exports and Rural Development” had opened up avenues for new investments, both local and foreign.

Minister for Trade and Industry, Hon. Alan Kyeremanten in his presentation enumerated a number of industrial transformation plans his Ministry had put in place and reiterated that industrialization was the key to Ghana Beyond Aid vision.

The plan, he stated, centered on Economic Growth and Development, Job Creation, Mainstreaming Science, Technology and Innovation, Industrialization, Stimulus Package for local industries.

Others were One District One Factory, Strategic anchor for Industrial Initiative, Industrial Sub-Contracting Exchange, Export Development, Business Regulatory Reforms and Industrial Packs.

The Minister for Food and Agriculture, Hon. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, also took participants through a number of models under the Planting for Food and Job initiative and their impact on the macro economy.

Mr. Afriyie Akoto mentioned the Planting for Export and Rural Development, Rearing for Food and Jobs, Green House, and Agriculture Mechanization as the models under the Planting for Food and Job.

He continued that each of the models was contributing significantly to the macro economy.

The Minister noted that the Planting for Export and Rural Development sought to develop six or seven other tree crops, including shea, to earn the nation at least GH?2billion in the next six to seven years as cocoa does currently for the nation.