The government of Ghana remains committed to reducing the high rate of poverty in the country through the exploration of business opportunities especially in the private sector, President of the Republic, Nana Akufo-Addo has said.

Addressing a gathering of business executives in the capital on Tuesday, Senior Minister Yaw Osafo Maafo said government was keen on pursuing measures aimed at stimulating growth in the country's economy. He indicated that the move forms part of government efforts to reduce poverty and build a relatively stable economy for Ghana, a thing he says is evident in the formation of his ministries.

Speaking on behalf of President Akufo-Addo, Mr Osafo Maafo said it was essential for every government to build a friendly environment for businesses to succeed, to facilitate growth and eventually boost the economy of the country.

“My government is tasked to ensure the creation of the needed congenial environment for businesses to flourish and thrive for the common prosperity of all”, he indicated on behalf of the president.

He added, “As President, I recognize the urgency of this necessity and my government will be defined by the pursuit of policies and programs designed to realize this goal for under my administration business development and growth will be pursued as a poverty reduction strategy and if you look through the ministries that I have created and put them together properly, you know that my goal is to promote the private sector”.

President Akufo-Addo has meanwhile urged Ghanaians to refrain from using “connections” as a bedrock to thrive in the world of business. According to him, people must strive to succeed based on performance and output to ensure that they maintain their stance when times get tough rather than depend on “whom you know” to get into the business world and fail eventually as a result of inadequate training and preparation.

“Businesses must not succeed because we have connections to high places, because we have connections to custom officials, because we have connections to all sorts of places. Businesses must succeed because we have good governance prevailing in our country.”